Third Friday Lecture-The Waterway that Made Chicago: The Illinois & Michigan Canal

Chicago likes to tell its story as a railroad city, a meatpacking city, an industrial city, and a great inland metropolis. But before any of that could happen, there was the Illinois & Michigan Canal. Clint Cargile explores the history of the I&M Canal and makes the case that Chicago would not exist as we know it without this 96-mile man-made waterway. By linking the Great Lakes to the Illinois and Mississippi river systems, the canal transformed Chicago from a small frontier settlement into a transportation hub with access to the interior of the continent. He’ll discuss the enormous labor required to build the canal, the communities that grew around it, and the economic changes it set in motion. He’ll also examine Lockport’s famous claim to be “The City That Built Chicago” and ask just how much truth lies behind the boast. Historian Clint Cargile is the Manager of Public Programs at the Gaylord Building Historic Site in Lockport, Illinois, a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. There, he develops exhibits, public programs, and other opportunities to explore the history of the I&M Canal and the communities that grew up around it. As the history correspondent for WNIJ Northern Public Radio, Clint created and hosted the podcast Drinkin’ with Lincoln and the series This Week in Illinois History. He is the author of two history books, Five Mile Spur Line: A Railroad History of Sycamore, Illinois (2014) and In Search of a Fair Wind: The Sea Letters of Georgia Townsend Yates, 1891–1892 (2017). The September 18th presentation is $5 for members and $10 for non-members, and includes Bites & Beverages, the museum’s volunteer-operated hospitality service, which begins at 6:30. Seating is limited, so reserve your place today. Virtual seats are also available with a live connection to the Q&A that follows. This lecture is held in conjunction with Bridgeport Art Center's Third Friday Open Studios. Please consider joining CMM for an annual family membership of $35 to enjoy unlimited visits, access to the monthly newsletter and discounted tickets to special events.