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The study of natural history is a very rewarding form of study it seems, and I loved the quote “It was second nature that Chicago should become the gateway to the Great West (Cronon pg. 63).” It was very fitting. It was interesting to see that this chapter focus so much on water. The most interesting was the canal that helped to grow the city. Another part that interested me was when the river met the lake, and it formed the sandbar. This helped protect the town, and made it a safer for the population to form in Chicago. I will admit though I failed to see why the map was so important that it made it necessary to show. Although I can admit it helped to show the importance that other towns had on it and the authors’s point of telling the railroad’s introduction. I do have to admit though I love maps, and having it diced into pie shapes was a very cool idea. I suppose it did help to show the trains effects later as well though, but the map was difficult to understand, and a bit gregarious to be honest. The later maps seemed a bit more useful though they seemed more useful. Cronin should have one that related to the later section with showing how Chicago linked west and east rail systems. That would have been awesome. I would have loved to see the map link with what boosters were saying about the growth of the town, rather than the travel in general. The best part of this reading was that it wasn’t quite so down on itself though. I liked the early industrial darkness, but it helped to be brighter having growth, trains and people in my mind rather than just a smokey cloud in passing.
