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I find it interesting how the railroads had a very important role in the growth of Chicago. From the invention of time zones, to the making Chicago a huge center of trade and connecting the west to the people of the east. Cronen mentions in Nature’s Metropolis, “The boosters spoke much about ‘natural advantages.’ Resources, waterways, and climate zones loom so large in their writings that one can almost forget that people have something to do with the building of cities.”(Cronen 55). This got me thinking about the focus question, and how these boosters knew and understood that this could be a very important location for the future and so they used what the cite offered for their advantage. When there was a disadvantage the people warped the landscape to fit their own needs, like the canals. Cronen makes a point saying “…but there can be no question that the railroads acted as a powerful force upon nature…” (Cronen 93). the more civilization grew the less “nature” there was, as if nature was being swallowed up to support the city. In response to the post by armando35, “This sort of made me laugh, not because it was funny that thousands of dollars were wasted to build the harbor but because it seemed as if nature was trying to stop them from buidling the harbor,…”(armando35). While i can see the point i saw it more as the determination the people of Chicago had in order make the city successful. Even if there was a disadvantage, like the building of the harbor, they were going to be successful either by building the canals and the railroads. I do agree with the nature vs. urban comment though.