Raising Chicago Out of the Mud-- Part 1: One Turn of the Jack Screw at a Time

From the Nov. 15, 2015, Chicago Tribune "Chicago Flashback: Raising Chicago out of the mud" by Ron Grossman.

And, we're not talking about the city's infamous political mud.

And you can see evidence of Chicago's "Raising" along 24th Street in the Lower West Side where you see a hole the width of a front yard, 8 feet deep in some places.  residents reach what is now their front door, but used to be on the second level, by crossing a concrete slab that resembles a drawbridge.

These holes weren't dug, but are left over from Chicago's effort to raise itself out of the mud

Back in the early to mid 1800s, Chicago was known for its mud.  Lots and lots of mud during certain seasons and times.

This effort took decades and involved raising the grade level upwards of 14 feet and made Chicago the first American city with a comprehensive sewer system  Chicago's skyline grew by one  turn of numerous jack screws at a time.You could see five-and-six-story buildings being raised all the time, sometimes several at once.

--Cooterjack