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I found the railroad’s ascent to the top of Chicago’s economic success the most interesting part of this article. Early on the city was putting most of their effort in establishing their canal system for its main mode of distribution. However, this changed greatly with the establishment of the railroad with the help of enthusiastic businessmen as mvanderdussen has displayed men like William B. Ogden and J. Young Scammon sought the financial help from locals living along the railroad’s proposed route convincing them of the advantages of moving their products easily to Chicago markets (Cronon pg 65-66). The railroad had become such a success in not just Chicago but most of the United States that track expansion had more than doubled in a decade transforming the topography of Chicago into a great web connecting to all major surrounding cities (Cronon pg 68). As an effect of this is the decline of the canals and to an extent the lakes as a meaningful means of transportation which is interesting because Chicago’s close proximity to water was part of the area’s natural attractiveness for settlement. The railroad’s trans-continental strength had become a symbol for expansion not just westward but for expansion for all cities to the point where a cities’ success directly depends on it as Cronon states”Without the railroad,a city could hardly expect to keep up with the pace of progress, and might well descend into oblivion”(Cronon pg 70-71).