Chicago Before the Fire

An Economic History

Louis P. Cain

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English

University of Illinois Press
10 June 2025

History of the Americas; Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900; Economic history; Local history

An advantageous location and entrepreneurial passion helped fuel Chicago's transformation from a fur trading post to a thriving city. Louis P. Cain's economic history places pre-1871 Chicago within the narrative of national expansion and examines infrastructure, finance, and other areas of city life. Business histories tell the story of fortunes made with essential products like meat and grain. Sketches of titans like William Ogden and Cyrus McCormick reveal how real estate, farm equipment, and other industries became engines of local growth. Cain also details public health improvements that made Lake Michigan safe as a water supply while census data informs a portrait of Chicago's population and the lives of the free Blacks and Irish immigrants at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder.

Panoramic and up to date, Chicago before the Fire looks at how an intersection of geography, vision, and investment built a great American city.

By: Louis P. Cain
Imprint: University of Illinois Press
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: New edition
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 23mm
Weight: 426g
ISBN: 9780252088698
ISBN 10: 0252088697
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 10 June 2025
Audience: General/trade , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Louis P. Cain is an adjunct professor of economics at Northwestern University and a professor emeritus at Loyola University Chicago. He is the coauthor of The Children of Eve: Population and Well-being in History.

Reviews for Chicago Before the Fire: An Economic History

""In a deeply researched and highly readable mix of history, economics, and geography, Louis Cain offers a fresh understanding of how Chicago came to be. As he guides us through the conditions and contingencies that went into the creation of this remarkable place, we see Chicago rise before our eyes.""--Carl S. Smith, author of Chicago's Great Fire: The Destruction and Resurrection of an Iconic American City