The City of Bridges

“Shipping was the main business and the Chicago River was the main street.”
-The Moveable Bridges of Chicago

Today, we take for granted how easy it is to walk or drive across the river. But, in the 1820s, river crossing was no simple task. The only ways across were ferries or floating log bridges.

Residents talked about building a permanent bridge, but objections arose. Merchants on the flourishing south side did not want to lose business to the less popular north side. Shipping interests balked because bridges might interfere with river traffic.

Northsiders solved their situation by privately funding bridges. The introduction of moveable bridges meant that river traffic could thrive. Today, Chicago has more moveable bridges than any other city in the world!