Chicago Skyline Print: Chicago River Wall Art

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The Chicago River provides some of the best spots to photograph Chicago. It’s fitting in a way since the history of Chicago is so tied to the river. In fact, one could point to the river as the reason Chicago even exists. The river has also had its share of problems. Certainly Chicago wouldn’t be the city it is today without the river. The first known white men to use the river were Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet, who, sometime in the late 1770s, were directed to use the river as a shortcut to Green Bay by members of the Miami Tribe. The story goes that Joliet recognized the significance of this shortcut and the “Chicago Portage”, named after the Checagou, a wild wild leek that grew along the river’s bank. Before long it was popular for fur traders and missionaries. The 1795 Treaty of Greenville, granted the United States rights to a six-mile plot at the mouth of the Chicago River and shortly after Fort Dearborn was constructed. Instead of continuing directly east into Lake Michigan, the river flowed south at what is now Michigan Avenue due to a sandbar, before flowing into the Lake. This made navigation difficult for large vessels so at various time between 1816 and 1828, soldiers dug channels through the sandbar. But the wind and waves repeatedly refilled the channels with sand. Finally after funds were dedicated in 1833, a permanent channel was constructed. Within a few decades Chicago had become an industrial boomtown. Yet the original portage connecting the Chicago River with the Des Plaines River had never been improved. It passed through what became known as Mud Lake and although only a couple miles in length, it required three days to cross as boats were slid over the mud and men wading on each side sank into the muddy mire. After Illinois allocated funds, it took 12 years to finish a 12 mile canal eliminating the need to cross Mud Lake. Construction in Chicago boomed between 1853 and 1873. Steel mills, lumber yards, as well as meat, glue, soap and leather plants which were being constructed along the river, and used it as a place to dump their industrial wastes. In 1865 the Union Stockyards, the largest slaughterhouse in the world, opened and a tributary was used for discarding unwanted carcasses, eyeballs, bones, and rancid oils. Standing along this creek the stench was almost unbearable, and you could hear the methane gasses bubbling to the surface, giving this creek the nickname of “Bubbly Creek”. Upton Sinclair referred to the “grease and filth” that had caked solid on the river. In 1855 Chicago began construction of a comprehensive sewer system and this only resulted in a larger volume of sewage in the river, added to the industrial and animal waste. And since the river emptied into the lake, the source of the city’s drinking water, outbreaks of dysentery, cholera, and typhoid became constant threats. Changing the flow of the river from the Lake to the canal, and sending the sewage down toward the Mississippi River, was proposed as a solution. This was first attempted by deepening the canal where it joined the river and installing pumps. But this approach only worked sporadically. In 1892 a 28-mile “Sanitary and Ship Canal” was begun and when completed in 1900 was successful in changing the flow of the river. Construction of Chicago’s first wastewater treatment plan in 1928 further reduced the amount of raw sewage in the river but the river was still filled with industrial chemicals and byproducts. Because of the pollution and stench, some of the poorest neighborhoods in the city were along the river. The Clean Water Act of 1972 was instrumental in cleaning up the river. Initially the combined storm water and sewage was sent to water treatment plants instead of being deposited directly into the river. And construction of the Deep Tunnel, begun in 1975, has further reduced pollution. As industry moved away and the river improved, housing and business development replaced it. The construction of Marina Towers in the late 1960s (just visible on the right of my photo) jumpstarted further development. Beginning in 1999, all new development along the river is required to maintain at least 30 feet of public space along the river’s edge. And the Chicago Riverwalk, completed in 2016 along the river’s Main Stem, provides continuous pedestrian space along the river. As a result of these significant efforts in the last 50 years, the river is once again the focal point of Chicago. Production and Shipping Time: 5 days for printing, 5 days for shipping. There are 4 ways to print these images. 1). Premium Photo Paper • High quality, professional paper-prints • Sharp, vivid and rich color sets this apart from a casual photo print • Long lasting • Intended to be placed in a frame • Optional framing is available. Contact me directly for options and prices. 2) Ready to Hang Canvas • Ready to hang right out of the box with zero assembly required • Gorgeous finished look • Well-known, high-end way of displaying photographs • 1.5 inch thick wooden stretcher-bars give it shape (similar to a traditional painting) • No staples or ugly lines visible on the sides • Optional framing available. Contact me directly for options and prices. 3). Acrylic Prints • Light refracts through the museum-quality acrylic bringing vibrancy and depth • Premium polished, best-in-class, 99.9% optically pure acrylic 1/8” thick • Superb image quality from edge to edge • Absolutely stunning, brilliant color! • Back mount frame with lip ready to hang on your wall, right out of the box. • Optional framing available. Message me for options and prices. 4). Metal Prints • White Gloss Chromaluxe Aluminum • Texture and shine of the metal creates depth and dimension so your photos truly stand out • Incredibly durable and long-lasting • Scratch-resistant, waterproof, and resistant to fading • Lightweight, extremely robust and durable • Back mount frame with lip ready to hang on your wall, right out of the box • Optional framing available. Contact me directly for options and prices.

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