The Raising of Chicago: Manually Lifting The Windy City in the 19th Century

[@delurkor]

Chicago, reminds me of another side or mega project; the Chicago tunnel system. Built to transport coal, remove ashes, and other goods beneath the streets of Chicago using small electric trains (mining locomotives). Shutdown in the Fifties and caused a flood in the Nineties.

[@kathrynsamuelson1983]

I worked in downtown Chicago when the flood happened. Some contractor accidentally breached the wall allowing the river to flood in. I can remember the huge hoses used to pump out the basements. Such a mess.

[@WaltANelsonPHD]

Yes. The 1993 (1992?) flood was the fault of the City. In the 1940s city leaders confiscated RR tunnels to make way for the new subways. Some tunnels were cut off and forgotten only to be rediscovered by the contractor working in the Chicago River. He found the cutiff tunnel by accidentally poking a hole in it. The story of the underground RR is well told in "Forty Feet Below" magazine style book published in 1980s by Bruce Moffat, a CTA researcher employee.

[@danstinson7507]

The commercial tunnel project project in downtown Chicago would in itself likely qualify as a megaproject, but jacking up the entire center of the city doesn't?? Simon, you need to recheck your qualifications for megaprojects.

[@Zamzamthegreat]

Great suggestion.

[@gregcarter9680]

"So...apparently we built a city too low" **Slams beer down** "OK...hear me out...."

[@DeontewattsS]

im in

[@kiramiller568]

"Listen, lad. I built this kingdom up from nothing. When I started here, all there was was swamp. Other kings said I was daft to build a castle on a swamp, but I built it all the same, just to show 'em. It sank into the swamp. So, I built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So, I built a third one. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp, but the fourth one... stayed up! And that's what you're gonna get, lad: the strongest castle in these islands."

[@Lady_Chalk]

I can’t push the 👍 button hard enough.

[@goosebump801]

“Just so long as you don’t...sing...” 🎶😂

[@888johnmac]

lol , monty python for life

[@kiramiller568]

@@Lady_Chalk I really couldn't hear anything else

[@classicbandgeek]

Soon Herbert, all of this will be yours!

[@route2070]

Maybe a video could also be done on the reversal of the Chicago River.

[@TehPhuzzy]

That's the side project. This was the mega project. Kinda like how Seattle just built a new city on top of the old one. Similar end result to what happened here, but a completely different way of going about it.

[@route2070]

@@TehPhuzzy wasn't this side project?

[@counterfit5]

@@route2070 this video should have been the megaproject

[@piperjaycie]

Seattle did what? I’m going to have to find a video about that. Interesting 🧐 🤔

[@route2070]

@@counterfit5 I agree, I was going back and forth since it involved many smaller projects if that counts or not, but so does many mega projects including planes. Like development of the engines, and then development of the shape and many other factors are smaller projects that culminate into one mega project. In either case I am happy this video about something many people do not know about the city I live near was made. Many people know the city has a lot of big issues, but a lot of problems have been solved here and I don't think Chicago has been given enough credit since we get over shadowed by New York and LA since that is where a lot of the media is made.

[@richkurtz6053]

You left out the part where they reversed the flow of the Chicago river. It now runs from Lake Michigan rather than into Lake Michigan. This was done because Lake Michigan is the source of drinking water for the city and the sewage drained into the river. To enter the lake even today from the river you must go through a series of locks. The Chicago river now drains into the Mississippi Watershed.

[@paulpeterson4216]

Much to the chagrin of the people downstream on Chicago's new sewer aka the Chicago River.

[@sherievaughn6475]

Not just sewage, industrial waste too. There was a time when that river was flammable.

[@fredjaneson1670]

This is true I wish someone would do a documentary about the time that the entire downtown area flooded because someone sank a piton into the river puncturing a tunnel I worked at City Hall at the time City Hall has three sub basements all of them were flooded we lost a lot of civil war documents. It was very surreal I got called in at 4:00 in the morning I never got my pay for that day either bastards anyway it's a hell of a thing to go to your workplace and find fish floating around in ankle deep water knowing that three basements below you are completely flooded thanks again

[@brentdoolin4791]

Let us remind everyone that the Chicago River is the source of that famous St Louis King of Beers

[@aconsciousnaut5323]

Why dump the sewage in the river in first place? Why not make a new sewer canal?

[@Kngkyle]

This is really just one piece of the story. First the city was raised so that sewage would drain into the river. Then the river was reversed so the sewage didn't drain into the lake. More recently a new river was essentially dug 300ft underground so that sewage didn't drain into the actual river.

[@jameslynch9359]

The Deep Tunnel Project - that’s been going on for decades.

[@jilledmondson6894]

@@jameslynch9359 Yes, since the 1970's. I know it is still under construction and do to be completed by 2029.

[@brianburke7440]

I believe the water is not sewage, but rather mostly rain water, sewage is also involved but not the primary problem, rain water is. Am I correct?

[@jilledmondson6894]

@@brianburke7440 yes mainly rain water but sometimes sewage is also dumped into the deep tunnel.

[@truthalonetriumphs6572]

They gradually raised the sanitation standards, I guess

[@automechs360]

I figured it should have been on Mega Projects more for the sheer scale of the project and the fact that they literally jacked the city up with jacks. That they did so in 2 decades is all the more impressive. As well as that they did part of this project during the Civil War is also of some note.

[@jacksavage4098]

While driving on Archer Ave. you would notice older building that have raised sidewalks seemingly leading to the front entrance. As you look down you notice a lower level with a door and window/s. Archer Ave. was a old cattle trail leading to the famous stockyards. They raised Archer Ave. fianally to cover the muddy trail after trains became the way to send animals for processing.

[@SativaDiva773]

You can notice this too on the Southeast side, especially east of Commercial ave and South Chicago Ave

[@MrCricri123456]

Ohhhh yea. Right when you pass up damen! Those houses are cool as hell.

[@danielbackley9301]

Actually all the diagonal streets in Chicago are old Indian trails except for Elston Ave. which was built as a go around after Milwaukee Ave. was turned into a toll road.

[@justdrive5327]

They are all over Bridgeport and Pilsen. Some in Chinatown too

[@mountbikejeff]

Simon: "every new aircraft is a Mega project" Also Simon: "They lifted an entire city!?!? That's totally not a mega project*

[@prussianhill]

I'll bite on Simon's invitation to say that this deserves in the megaprojects. To underscore this point, European observers to the 1860 Republican convention were shocked when the city they arrived in was not the backwater frontier town reported in books on the United States, so quick was the Rise of Chicago.

[@Matt.m6]

or so slow was the reporting

[@samd1405]

@@Matt.m6 Nah, it was the fastest growing city in the history of the planet up until that point. The population went from four thousand to 3.4 million in 100 years, and four thousand to over 1 million in 50 years. Those are staggering statistics that I don't think any American city has since surpassed.

[@novelay]

@@samd1405 only 4000? , man some dark shit must have happened in america. Maybe multiple times. Hm

[@billysgarden-u9s]

found not founded. old world city

[@Hueghjean]

​@samd1405 population rose so fast from the millions of orphan trains.

[@florabernstein605]

OK Simon, Chicago actually has several mega projects stories. This one, the 40 feet below mail railroad, the el and subway, changing the direction of the river, the water pumping stations, the white city Columbian expo, rebuilding after the 1871 fire, 1931 expo, and did you do something on the deep tunnel, I've lost track.

[@firstnamemike]

All bs

[@2hotflavored666]

@@firstnamemike Just like you are.

[@leo1999matt]

Chicago is trash

[@route2070]

I knew this happened, just didn't know enough about this, hence lower Level of the city. Also imagine their disappointment when the city burned 20 year later.

[@skyden24195]

"Dammit, let's try that again." lol.

[@route2070]

@Jeff Guse oh wow didn't know that. Thanks for the info.

[@skyden24195]

@Jeff Guse I will defend Happy Life Day

[@stevehomeier8368]

As a lifelong Chicagoan, I love it when you tell her stories.

[@GreenJeep1998]

I’ve lived in the area for almost 42 years and never heard of this before!

[@0fficialdregs]

agreed. it warms the heart

[@dougtheviking6503]

Chicago has so much cool history. Now not so much .

[@0fficialdregs]

@@dougtheviking6503 I enjoy the history and I to my best not to care about the modern news n stuff

[@dougtheviking6503]

@@0fficialdregs sadly 50 people + get shot . Along with innocent babies . Hard to miss if you live in Illinois.

[@bradleyhouse3180]

Bloody Christ ! How the hell is this not a megaproject?

[@carinamchugh4436]

Amen.

[@lordrayden3045]

They needed something g to talk about

[@gomahklawm4446]

Agreed, definitely a megaproject. Just couldn't "like" that nonsensical and misplaced "religious"(cultist) "amen". No thanks.

[@cmcdnc9561]

@@gomahklawm4446 okay...

[@AngryAlfonse]

@@gomahklawm4446 your name makes it seem like you dislike Nazis... And yet you act like one. You should check yourself.

[@FoxDragon]

Megaprojects - Hey here's another story about a really expensive airplane Sideprojects _ That's cool, here's a story about PHYSICALLY LIFTING AN ENTIRE CITY SEVERAL FEET I think the channels are backwards on this one Simon, but okay

[@carinamchugh4436]

Amen. (Said from my house in the Chicago area.)

[@gablp7257]

This is all one big elaborate way of Simon to tell Chicago off, basically, no matter what they do it will never be worthy of MEGAPROJECTS LOL

[@davidday9967]

I see it as a way to keep side projects juicy 😂

[@gomahklawm4446]

@@carinamchugh4436 Just gotta insert your cult into every comment you make eh? Wow! Doesn't matter, it's the fastest dying major cult("religion") in the world.

[@timg2727]

This is the best comment on this video.

[@Alan_Hans__]

That is among the single most insane projects that I have ever heard of and the scale of what they did and how fast they managed to do it is incredible. I'm not certain what sort of drugs engineers were on in those days but apparently they were pretty strong. The workers must have been hitting the PED's pretty hard. Absolutely amazing story.

[@ivan.flrs2]

this was definitely a mega project lol

[@Austin_Niepołomice]

It’s not a military project so nah :p

[@fademusic1980]

@@Austin_Niepołomice neither was the iss

[@Austin_Niepołomice]

@@fademusic1980 I’m taking the piss.....

[@JMA_21]

I think maybe if it would’ve all been raised at once then it would’ve been a mega project

[@keeganpenney169]

Simon has a bad habit of confusing the meaning of the two words.

[@SativaDiva773]

Chicagoan here! Sounds weird to hear people who aren’t from Chicago say our street names. I appreciate this video though, I never knew the full story of how our city was raised

[@patrickf.4440]

Yup. And look (or listen to) how many different ways that Chicagoans pronounce "Chicago." Pat, North Side

[@ProDancingSkills]

You should do a video about the raising (and reconstruction) of Galveston, TX (by 17 feet) and the construction of the seawall after the Great Storm of 1900. That's definitely a Megaproject.

[@fredtaylor9792]

I was going to suggest the same.

[@leslielegrand728]

I wish I would have typed this, I live I a Pre 1900 house. And it’s extremely uneven because of the crude methods available at the time of elevation

[@JeffDeWitt]

Apparently not in Simon's world.

[@gkess7106]

A few dozen houses isn’t comparable

[@fredtaylor9792]

@@gkess7106 Sure they are.

[@nonaknight9491]

🇬🇧Absolutely fascinating, especially as we live in UK. The marvellous Victorian builders. We know about our London history and that it has more rivers and canals than Venice. But to see the ‘Raising of Chicago’ was almost unbelievable for such large buildings & to carry on their trading whilst being moved! An excellent History lesson, thank you.🇬🇧

[@ianhowell4015]

Hey Simon. That's where I live. You guys should totally do a video about the Pullman neighborhood on one of your channels. It's this creepy planned neighborhood for Pullmans workers. He had all of these weird regulations and sort of devolved into a dictator of sorts. Controlling aspects of his workers lives, super interesting stuff! I used to live close to a neighborhood called Back of the yards. This is where the gigantic slaughterhouses in Chicago used to be located. Believe it or not, the neighborhood still smells faintly of meat....sort of like that smell when you open a can of wet dog food. The slaughterhouses themselves used to be sort of a macabre tourist attraction. At one point leftover slaughterhouse animal remains were dumped into the Chicago river. This formed a 10+ feet deep layer of sludge on the bottom. The decaying animal parts release methane causing certain parts of the river bubble ever so slightly to this very day. The river also smells terrible and is considered to be an environmental disaster area. The city gets a bad wrap on the news. It's actually a very well to do and clean city in a lot of parts. We've got nice beaches, a governor who looks like mayor Quimby from the Simpsons and recreational marijuana. As the blues brothers would say...."sweet home Chicago"

[@davidvavra9113]

Next Chicago story, moving the U505 to and into the museum?

[@ElicBehexan]

Seattle did something similar. In their case, however, they just raised the streets, covered the sidewalks and the former second floor (or first floor as called by you guys across the pond) became the ground floors. I did a very interesting tour of the Seattle "Underground" back in 1973 with my family.

[@SmartassX1]

Dude, this was big enough to be a megaproject.

[@cliff8669]

The splendid streets of Chicago. Haven't been there lately Simon. Went there once just to see the U505.

[@pamelamays4186]

It could be said that a side project is actually pretty mega. Suggestion: The reconstruction of San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake.

[@skyden24195]

If you take into consideration that the Civil War was about to and did break out around this time, then, yeah, raising Chicago is a "side" project. ;-}

[@colinmcdonald2499]

I was suprised Simon didn't even mention the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the epic rebuild.. Much of these freshly raised buildings burned as 17,500 buildings were lost in the 1871 fire. The Burnham City plan for essentially the 2nd City of Chicago.. Needs to be in Mega Projects.

[@gomahklawm4446]

This one yes, but there are far too many simple planes(aircraft) on that channel....and the comments reflect that. A plane is RARELY mega....except in waste of taxpayer dollars.

[@Pooneil1984]

Do a project on the actual sewage drainage where the city reversed the flow of water to cross the St Lawrence divide and drain their sewage down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico.

[@TealCheetah]

I love that you included people's experiences.

[@jordanwilliams9300]

Best Side Projects video so far! I've lived in Chicago my whole life, but I had no idea about the rolling houses part 👍

[@20gibbon]

That's insane, we would struggle to even attempt that today.

[@mathieumaticien]

As a Chicagoan, the history always amazes me, but it also makes me sad how we could solve a problem like that but we can't seem to find an end to the ridiculous murder rate. I think America's philosophical shift from resourcefulness to individualism in the late 20th century is one of the harbingers of its downfall, Chicago included.

[@jimmyjams9036]

I'd also blame the shipping of millions of good jobs overseas

[@kudowsstudio]

​@@jimmyjams9036 and creating a war on drugs that just raised the organized crime rate

[@amb163]

Yeah, this definitely should have been on Megaprojects!

[@jsnsk101]

Chicago: were sinking in a swamp. James Brown: Get up!

[@VoltmerWY]

That's an awesome story I never heard and I was born in Chicago!

[@King__Tone]

That’s cause it never happened

[@LUIS-ox1bv]

Walk about in certain neighborhoods and one can still view the original ground level, where the entrance of the house is is on the second floor and the older entrance is below grade level. One can see this in historical homes in Wicker Park/ Bucktown.

[@twocvbloke]

I think the idea of "lesser quality" buildings being carted out of the city quite hilarious, most other places would have just demolished them and told the less-affluent occupants to sod off... :P

[@steeljawX]

I think it would have been the cost at the time. Remember this was Chicago late 1850's early 1860's. The American Civil War was brewing something fierce, and marshes aren't really well known for their lumber supply. It's the city that proposed the plan and so the city did what it could to accommodate those people, who probably couldn't afford another house the city couldn't afford to ship the lumber in for. Not saying that in some areas it wouldn't have been easier to wreck and rebuild, but when you're effecting an entire city it's better to make as many people happy as possible.

[@kathyastrom1315]

@@steeljawX Actually, Chicago was the hub of the lumber industry in the Midwest. All of the lumber camps in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (where my great-great-great grandfather was a logger) shipped their harvest to Chicago, where they were stored along the river for shipment via the I&M Canal and railroads to new towns further west on the prairie where there were no trees. When the fire happened in 1871, those lumber yards were how the fire hopped the river to the North Side.

[@Beryllahawk]

He did say at the start that the property owners financed a great deal of the costs here so - I would imagine that those lesser quality buildings were still paid for...just differently. And I'm betting that no few of the owners of same were indeed told to sod off, if they objected to being moved!

[@O-sa-car]

I imagine that instead of lifting their homes they sold their property for hefty sums of money which they then used to roll their house away to the suburbs

[@HunterFunk]

As a Chicagoan, there's always something to be outraged about, but fuck I love this city

[@everydayvacaytaj]

Yes

[@gabrielhowardMKE]

*Lifting the second largest city in the US and fourth largest in world* Simon: ehhh a side project it is. 😂

[@jessejoyce1295]

Nowhere near the 4th largest city in the world... still, agreed it’s quite a massive undertaking for being called side project

[@CocoTaveras8975]

@J. Berekoff Nope, not even close. Here’s a list: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXnKZoaAjrd7d5I

[@TheSolEater]

lol these fools dnt knw that chicago was the fifth largest city in the world and did it in less then a century, it no longer is of course.

[@gabrielhowardMKE]

AT THE TIME IT WAS the 4 / 5th largest in the world (depending on which source)

[@scenicdepictionsofchicagolife]

Currently I believe Chicago is between 20th and 30th largest city in the world, but yes at the time of the lifting is was for sure top 5.

[@macarde10]

There are sections in the lawndale and Pilsen neighborhoods, where they never raised the homes or yards, So they actually still sit about 4-8 feet below the sidewalks. You can see chamber like rooms below the sidewalks, I believe the city has sealed most of them now, if not all.

[@danielbackley9301]

In years past the space under the sidewalk was where the toilet was for some of the older buildings until they could afford indoor plumbing

[@brett4264]

Yeah, definitely a megaproject.

[@Amethyst_Dragon_]

Love this video...Thank you for posting...

[@peregreena9046]

Meanwhile in The Netherlands: Let's just lower the watertable.

[@sf5477]

and increase the land area at the same time because that's logical :)

[@0ldFrittenfett]

Both are cunning plans.

[@peregreena9046]

@@0ldFrittenfett Doing it for centuries, so you could say the plan works for a while now.

[@lordgarion514]

@@peregreena9046 Yeah, but as the water level rises, that gets harder and more expensive to do.

[@peregreena9046]

@@lordgarion514 Not as expensive as a repeat performance in Chicago would cost.

[@danielholman7866]

I may not know much, but I will say, I don't think this attitude exists in solving problems today. Very few willing to suggest ideas that work, but seem illogical, or take "too long." Raising the entire city might not have been the most effective solution, or the fastest, or the cheapest, but it worked. If the US adopted this type of attitude, we would be 10 or 20 years into a solution for pollution and climate change. This is a really cool video that I am going to keep in mind in my Urban Development class next semester.

[@Darthronnin]

I would surely hope you are teaching the great lengths we have travelled in removing pollutants, already. You don't see the Smog as you did in the '70s today, not even remotely.

[@RaydeusMX]

Except progress is being done all the time to reduce pollutants over here. Unfortunately as long as China keeps ravaging the environment for profit with complete disregard for the future not much will change even when America becomes carbon neutral.

[@haroldburrows4770]

@@RaydeusMX , yep, not just them, every godamn country in SE Asia has polluted and destroyed so much so corporations can sell cheap here. We need worldwide environmental regulations and enforce the damn things. I dont give a good godamn if shit cost more

[@Darthronnin]

While I agree and was supposed to be the basis of the Paris Climate Treaty. In actuality, The countries that were already working diligently paid 90% of their budget since day one and have made little gains to actually getting worse in some cases including China, Russia, and India

[@lordgarion514]

@@RaydeusMX About that Chinese pollution. While the total number they give is in fact accurate, it's quite misleading. The fact is China has about 4 times the people America has. But China emits less than twice as much co2. We Americans are the biggest problem with regards to air pollution. "In 2015, the US emitted 15.53 metric tons of carbon dioxide *per capita.* China emitted 6.59 metric tons."

[@mime0i0i0i]

You know that they did something similar in Seattle, wa. You kinda did a video about it regarding the Seattle underground.

[@PEKUMBU]

I was taught this in school. It instills in you a sense that the city works. City Skylines is easy to me because I build based on what I know about Chicago.

[@4077Disc]

Times this has happened over history: Razing a city : Countless Raising a city: Once

[@05TE]

Moving a city: Several Mowing a city: None (...yet)

[@Strider_Bvlbaha]

Galveston, Texas was raised by about 17 feet after it was razed by the Great Storm of 1900.

[@GreenJeep1998]

And amazingly enough, Chicago has been both Raised and Razed within several decades!

[@HeyMJ.]

Thank you for producing an incredibly informative SideProjects episode! The raising of Chicago wasn’t/isn’t included in history course curriculums in the United States. Fascinating indeed! 👍🏼

[@captainmorgan9066]

KZbin: How many channels do you want to start? Simon: Yes!

[@chronos1157]

I mentioned this in a tweet but maybe it'd work better on this channel. How about "The Big Ditch" aka the MS Mitch Mitchell Floodway in Wichita KS? It's part of the largest water diversion projects in the US.

[@pedromedero5732]

I remembered when my dad talked bout this.....good vid

[@ewestner]

This is so incredible. I've heard this story before but this video does a really great job of going into such detail as to make me see what a HUGE project it was. (Ahem. Not really a side project...but I shan't go there....) I can't imagine this going on in a city and trying to imagine any city doing this nowadays is impossible.

[@theangelbelow88]

"Get up offa that thing, and try to release that pressure! Get up offa that thing, (ha!) and twist 'till you feel better" - James Brown the engineer

[@MrEricSir]

Chicago's a really unique American city. As a result of lifting up the downtown, there's all these tunnels from rail subways to the pedway -- a series of pedestrian tunnels between buildings. You can spend days underground getting everything from coffee to a marriage.

[@hughjass1976]

Sideprojects: idk man lifting a whole city isn't really a megaproject Megaprojects: Plane go brrr

[@LanaHazou]

Right?!? I kept recommending this when a Mega Projects first came out, but kept getting planes...and more military planes...and planes. How are they mega? I almost gave up on the channel...

[@MrTakaMOSHi]

@@LanaHazou I mean, military planes are a mix of bleeding edge technology, engineering, and physics understanding, so they all tend to be very "mega." But yeah, lifting a city is "mega" af

[@gomahklawm4446]

@@LanaHazou Totally agree, I rarely visit it because of so many simple planes. Not mega at all, although when they actually cover something mega, it's amazing. Imagine thinking a plane is mega. It can fit in your house, that's NOT mega.

[@themwuzthedaze]

Wowzers! I was born and raised (mostly) in the U.S. and I never heard of this incredible project! I would have thought that it would have been at least mentioned in Social Studies class in high school. Thanks for bringing this topic to my attention. And yes, it seems to be worthy of your Megaprojects show.

[@H_412]

Okay, I give up; nothing I will ever do can possibly match this level of incredible-ness.

[@eddiejc1]

I'm surprised Simon Whistler forgot to mention the real reason Chicago was able to do this. They were on a mission from God.

[@H_412]

@@eddiejc1 The band... THE BAND!

[@ladytron1724]

That video was amazing.Never heard of this before.😃😃😃😃😃👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@peregreena9046]

"I just saw a building going down the street..." "Just one? wait till rush hour."

[@jaredlash5002]

That's Chicago traffic for you... :D

[@WillN2Go1]

You should look for a house moving crew at work (look it up online, give them a call). Lifting houses and small apartment buildings is probably still done in the same way they did in Chicago. Hydraulic Jacks are compact units that a piston rises up to a maximum of only a few inches, the hydraulic pressure being provided by a long arm - you move up and down. Screw jacks can be attached to longer posts and lift by turning a threaded ring. These were more likely used to hold the buildings up while the hydraulic jacks were 'cribbed' to a newer higher position. I once helped raise a heavy A-Frame house under construction when the owner decided he'd like another floor added under the house just built. It's not all that difficult and it's safe if you you're cautious. Another thing about cribbing (pairs of boards stacked). If you can rock something back and forth and slide in another board, it's actually pretty easy to quickly lift a radial arm saw in my case, or blocks for the Great Pyramid as Herodotus reported. Good video.

[@NormanFackoII]

Just think, after spending two decades raising the city out of the mud, the whole thing burned down in 1871in the Great Chicago Fire

[@kkarllwt]

And were rebuilt about 15 feet higher.

[@798Muchoman]

You should do the Burnham Plan on either Side or Megaprojects. It was the foundation for the city of Chicago as it developed. While not fully implemented, many features were: lake front parks, diagonal cross roads, alleyways for city services, mass transportation. You also could do the L as a Sideprojects video. The elevated rail in Chicago was a very early, very nasty mass transit project with one of the most hated men in the city's history at its core.

[@katniptime4me]

"hey, buddy. Can you give me a lift?"

[@ZACHTARK]

Simon I think I am subscribed to all your channels you are basically the only think I watch on KZbin anymore. This was an awesome video keep them coming. P.s. my favorite channel is Buisness blaze

[@sandybarnes887]

All 11 channels? You sir are a legend

[@ThatSchmoGuy]

Then years later after this engineering marvel, a cow starts a fire. Chicago is an interesting city

[@sharonflowers66]

Mrs O'Leary's cow didn't start the fire

[@VINCEVAZ27]

Always watch your videos. Really enjoying this one as I am a lifelong Chicagoan. I was watching this and when my wife heard you mention Chicago, she stopped what she was doing and starting watching the video.

[@chaseweeks2708]

Yet somehow they are "The Windy City" rather than "The Jack-Screwed Up city."

[@CloudyAce]

Shit gets breezy over here

[@robertpreston2220]

because the politicians here blow a lot of hot air

[@tobin1677]

The part that bothers me is that I was born and raised in Illinois and never heard of this process until I saw a youtube video about it.

[@gomahklawm4446]

@@robertpreston2220 Anyone other than a white supremacist gets my vote.

[@robertpreston2220]

@@gomahklawm4446 Guess that means you did not vote for biden

[@trillioncrowns]

That deep feeling you get when its new years eve and its 3am and your walking down a dark alley by yourself while its snowing.... powerful feelings.....powerful city...

[@chris2746]

This was a surprisingly common process during the 1800, off the top of my head, in addition to Chicago, Sacramento and Seattle have had the same procedure

[@CowboyCree63]

They did the same thing with what's now known as Old Sacramento, California. Raised the whole city by 30 feet, what used to be 2nd Story windows, are now at ground level. San Francisco was raised as well.

[@AlkaliAtom]

The Arecibo Observatory should get a video. It was damaged twice this year and might not survive much longer

[@anarchyantz1564]

This waste of money should just be demolished, we now have a far more advanced and bigger one in China instead of this rusting wreck.

[@AlkaliAtom]

@@anarchyantz1564 the economic loss would be pretty brutal Puerto Rico, as it's a NASA facility and employs a lot of people. Not to mention the security issues with depending on China for critical science and limiting the astrophysics community's research. It would be cheaper to keep it operational

[@Stettafire]

@@anarchyantz1564 Demolision can cost millions for a large building. Often it's better to leave it standing, sure it up and then make use of it. Even if it's just partitioning it into offices

[@JeffDeWitt]

Word came out today that it's been too badly damaged and is too dangerous to work on. Sadly it's being decommissioned.

[@JeffDeWitt]

@@anarchyantz1564 After what China did to the world this year we know nothing they say or do is trustworthy.

[@mbryson2899]

I grew up in Chicago; this was known as pretty much a side job, hardly a Megaproject. We also had to reverse the flow of the Chicago River. I'm pretty sure it's the only river that gets fed by a lake. As far as drainage, the Deep Tunnel project of the 1980s was kinda impressive.

[@RyuuTenno]

"Simon, what is it doing here, I am outraged" Damn right, how the hell is *lifting a city* NOT a mega project? The logistics behind that is insane, so, please, do one in mega projects, and go into more detail or maybe TIFO and cover the various other cities that have been raised and things on cities with undergrounds (Atlanta has one they built over) Also, what's your secret for being so calm when being outraged? XD

[@baruchben-david4196]

What an uplifting video. There are still some older neighborhoods where the street and sidewalk are about 6 feel above the front door of the houses.

[@Mynx31]

This is so obviously a hit piece funded by those bead wielding hippies.

[@mbsnyderc]

Beaded hippies didn't event public work projects.

[@oldenweery7510]

@@mbsnyderc The ones I knew probably wouldn't have commented on a building moving down the street, even if they'd noticed it: "Like---man, did you just see a _house_ go by?" "No, man---and neither did you. Pass me that roach. That's prime, man!"

[@jimjimgl3]

In some parts of town you can still see the "gangway" or "vaulted" sidewalks that lead to what was previously the second floor but now is the ground floor. The first floor entrance is now basically one floor below street level. In the news recently was an accident where one of these vaulted sidewalks collapsed on a worker. If you google map "1800 W 23rd Street" you can see a typical row of homes whose first floor entrance now sits below grade.

[@BatchelderPatrick]

That's why they call it "America.....the great."

[@madsapper21b]

Simon, why isn't this on the mega projects channel, I am outraged!

[@truebluemiata]

Thanks. I lived there for 35 years and hadn't heard this story. Two others related to drainage and Chicago, the Deep Tunnel project and the flooding of the Loop, both in the late 20th century.

[@Mr.E723]

Cover reversing the flow of the Chicago River

[@Suebee1988]

I surprised that other highly populated low lying areas haven't done this, considering its success in Chicago...I guess my only caveat to that is that many such locations, such as New Orleans or much of Florida are subject to frequent violent storms & raising the buildings might just create a whole new set of issues for them...

Fantastic!

[@Yamp44]

If memory serves, the opposite of this was done in Seattle, in the early 1900, where the city was leveled to reduce the steep hills both north and south. They used the earth they remove to fill in the surrounding swampy lands, I think. I remember reading about it in an historical novel, where they stated that some landowner refused to lower their land, and ended up having their house standing atop a pillar of dirt.

[@jasN86]

This is a really interesting video! Cheers!

[@eherrmann01]

I suggested this one for megaprojects. I'm not outraged, just happy that you did it. Thanks Simon!

[@kimberlyx4060]

I learned this when I was working on a project. We excavated and found rail from old street cars and in some cases old tunnels.

[@tobingallawa3322]

Sacramento did the something simpler to flooding from being at the confluence of two rivers. Built retaining walls along the streets, filled the streets up with dirt, and the 1st floor was the basement, and the 2nd floor became street level

[@mrtempleton5302]

How have I not heard about this!? Or all the other things I'm learning from this channel that I am binge watching now. I am so excited to find such a plethora new knowledge tidbits. Excellent!

[@onceappuonatime]

Chesborough was a legend. He also built the cribs for the Water purification plant & helped with reversing the Chicago river

[@peterjamesfoote3964]

You might want to do a video on the walking tunnels underneath the University of Chicago many of which have labs and offices in them. It’s really quite extensive. I wonder if they were expanded for The Manhattan Project?

[@requious84]

Wow, how on earth is this the first time hearing of this. Bravo; what a video. Definitely should have gone in Megaprojects though!

[@AaronSmith-kr5yf]

They did a similar thing in Chattanooga TN, back before TVA built damns the Tennessee river flooded the downtown area regularly. I don't think they raised all the buildings, but the streets and sidewalks were raised a few feet. If you're walking by an old building there, you can see basement windows that are now at street level, bricked over doorways, a lot of buildings the 1st floor became the basement, 2nd floor was now the 1st floor with some stairs going up from the street to the front door.

[@Dog_gone_it]

I have seen 100s of your videos. Thank you for hosting and for your writing n editing crew ❤ But this was hands down the first video I've seen of yours that make my eyes almost fall out of my skull in bafflement. Manually jackscrew hydrolically lifted buildings in the 1800s? That's freaking badarse!

[@SidIcarus]

My first thought seeing this on side projects... “what are you doing? This is a mega project. I am outraged” Glad to see Simon was on the same page

[@timshulepov]

Interestingly enough, Seattle had a similar problem with waves flooding the downtown every year. Their solution was, wait for someone to leave a candle unattended, causing the whole downtown to burn down, and then just build the new downtown 10 feet above the smoldering ruins of the old one. Quick and easy! No jacks required.

[@sandybarnes887]

For sure. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqTUg4Nmqsafpas

[@johnpisciotto7115]

As a born and raised in the city Chicagoan, thank you for this video!!

[@brentdoolin4791]

And at the end of this project there was the Chicago Fire of 1871. Michigan Avenue used to be the lake shore. Afterwards all the detritus from the fire was shoved into Lake Michigan along with dredging making roughly the area from Michigan Avenue to Lakeshore Drive. Hence all the nice parkland.

[@BGTuyau]

Nicely researched and produced -and Simon Whistler's brief crack-ups add a welcome dimension of authenticity to his presentation.

[@timothykeith1367]

There are a few downtown Chicago streets at the original level, which make good locations for police chase scenes in films. Chicago's more recent Deep Tunnel project attempts to drain the area. It is a mega project. Even as large as the project is, it is not enough to prevent all flooding in the relatively flat region. I think the major problem for Chicago today is a deep taxes problem. Thousands of long time Chicago area residents are being taxed out of their homes, which is the primary reason that the state of Illinois is losing population. The tax spike is the result of decades of local government borrowing of a monumental scale, with seemingly almost no oversite by government officials. If not corrected, only the poor and the wealthy can afford to live in Chicago.

[@HisShadowX]

So yeah downtown Chicago does have an under city and it’s a pretty amazing site for those who have seen it. If your in the undercity you can see where the tall buildings start and it makes you think if you fell through a grate on street level you would have a long way to fall

[@fredjaneson1670]

I was born here in Chicago and there are certain neighbors you can go to where there are basements that go way far down structural anomalies abound I had no idea about all the buildings being moved to the suburbs of this was a very fascinating piece and I thank you very much I learned a great deal good luck to you and your adventures wow you're prolific in your videos Man! 👍🙂

[@jesusbeloved3953]

This was totally fascinating! I’ve never heard about this project before and I’m over 65! What a feat! I wonder if this could be accomplished again. There are parts of Florida that are gradually sinking. This would seem like something that state might look toward. Thanks, Simon, for another interesting video!