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Calumet River Railroad Bridges
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The history of the Southeast Side has always been affected by
transportation. When South Chicago began in 1836 it was the era of canal
building. The construction of the Illinois Michigan Canal and the
Depression of 1837 temporarily postponed area development. The Southeast
Side lay dormant until the railroads arrived in the area. Railroads
arrived in the area in 1848 and as more and more railroads laid their
tracks through the area they created the foundation for a post Civil war
boom that would draw industry and people to the region. The improvement of
the Calumet River was the key to the industrial development of the
Southeast Side and this was the drawing card that brought large numbers of
residents, mostly immigrants, to the area seeking the jobs in local
factories and especially in the steel mills of the area.
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