Question

Can anyone answer any of these questions....? I'm not very associated with the Chicago area..
- What site is near or at the Chicago River today?
- How is the area from Lake Michigan to the Chicago River important today? What was the problem with the area in the 1830s and how was this overcome?

- When canals were first built (1850s), the Illinois and Mihcigan Canal carried wheat, sugar, and lumber to Chicago. Where did each of these products come from?

Answer 1

Your first question is hard to answer because the Chicago River is about 150 miles long. Obviously one answer is that the city of Chicago is at the Chicago River.

A channel connects the river with Lake Michigan today.

The Illinois-Michigan Canal connects with the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers -- and then with the tributaries, such as the Missouri River. The wheat, grain, and sugar came from any place that this rivers were navigable.

Check these sites for more information.

http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/263.html

(Broken Link Removed)

http://www.canalcor.org/