Chicago grew itself into a transportation crossroad because of its “middle” location between railroads to both coasts in the US. I would imagine a lot of warehouses, but I find it surprising that they had a large meatpacking industry. Maybe it’s just because of the limited technology in old times.
You may wonder after planes and internet what Chicago does. Well, Motorola was born in Chicago. Being relevant to the changing world while getting diverse seems to apply here.
I just want to share two texts from the exhibition of the Chicago History Museum about the people in those industries. As a “foreign labor” having a much better life, I find them interesting.
For African Americans, working as Pullman porters and maids provided a steady paycheck when other jobs remained closed to them. These positions, however, paid less than others on Pullman cars…
Sparsely populated before 1865, wooden two-flats and tenement houses sprung up quickly to accommodate the thousands of workers required by the packinghouses surrounding the Union Stock Yard… Despite low wages, job instability, and a heavily polluted environment, each ethnic group formed cohesive and dynamic communities by establishing their own organizations.