Our Pick
Posted on @rawstates
The Chicago Portage, the carry that decided where Chicago would be
Lyons, Illinois
Zol87 from Chicago, IL, USA · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Canoes coming down from the Great Lakes had to be lifted out here and carried overland to reach water running to the Mississippi. Marquette and Jolliet made the crossing in 1673. Everything Chicago later became as a place where cargo changes vehicles started with those few miles of carrying. The western end of the portage survives inside the forest preserve at Harlem Avenue, with a trail down into the old channel.
That was 1 of the hidden places.
Location: historic site
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