Discover Chicago Portage National Historic Site
A ROUTE 66 SIDE TRIP
Starting at the beginning of Route 66 in Chicago, we made our way thru the craziness of the Windy City and entered the suburbs. Just 1 mile off of Route 66 in Forest View, IL is the Chicago Portage National Historic Site. Since a mile wasn’t far at all (at least from the comfort of a car on a nice day) and I try to visit National sites whenever possible, we ventured off our Route 66 path for a few minutes on this side adventure.
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- Chicago Portage NPS sign
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- Chicago Portage Sign
A BRIEF HISTORY
The Chicago Portage is a low and short divide between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River systems. It is considered on of the most important travel routes of the mid-continent and it played a significant role in the development of the United States interior and spurred the growth of the City of Chicago.
The easiest way to navigate across North America was often on natural waterways. Unfortunately, natural waterways do not always connect together like our modern road and highways systems do. Earlier travelers had to carry, or “portage,” their boats, gear and goods across land gaps to make connections to other waterways. Native American Indians who traversed this area for many generations shared their knowledge with early European explorers. The explorers Marquette and Joliet first crossed the Chicago Portage in 1673.
The portage connects Lake Michigan with the Mississippi River which was then improved with the I&M Canal. Then the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal allowed even larger ships in a new wider canal to cross the area and make Chicago the country’s busiest inland port. The railroads expanded trade and speeded transportation even further.
This national historic site preserves the western end of the portage and is one of only two national historic sites in Illinois.
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- Chicago Trades on its Natural Advantages
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- Chicago Portage map
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- A History of People and Travel
PORTAGE TIMELINE HIGHLIGHTS
Twelve to fourteen thousand years ago, Glacial Lake Chicago drains through the Chicago outlet and about 4,000 years ago the Nipissing Stage of the Great Lakes drains thru and set the Lake Michigan elevation of 580 feet, which it remains today. In 1673 Marquette and Joliet cross the Chicago Portage and Joliet proposes a canal. Lots of things happen in the 16-1700’s – battles, treaties, cessions. In 1803 Fort Dearborn was built to protect the portage but the fort was burned as one of the first acts of the War of 1812…coincidentally, in 1812. In 1836 the I&M Canal construction begins and finally is done in 1848.
Tolls are definitely in use in modern Chicago and I don’t know exactly when tolls began, but it surprised me to know that in 1866 the I&M Canal brought in over $300,000 in tolls, the most ever! I guess Chicago knew a good thing when they saw it and kept tolls around…forever. In 1900 the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal was completed. In 1933 the Illinois Waterway opens and the I&M closes. In 1952 the Chicago Portage was designated a National Historic Site. In 1984 Congress designates the I&M Canal as the nation’s first National Heritage Corridor.
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- Timeline 14,000 years ago to 1800
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- Timeline 1800-1900
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- Timeline 1900-Present
MODERN DAY
The National Historic Site sits on approximately 300 acres of forested area. The Forest Preserves of Cook County maintain Portage Woods and Ottawa Trail Woods. This is the last remnant of the portage route that still appears much as it did when Native Americans and European explorers first traveled through it.
Today, most of the portage is unrecognizable but is as important as ever. The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, major railroads (I’m pretty sure I drove over almost all of them in the Corvette), the Stevenson Expressway, and industrial corridors all currently line the portage route.
Today, visitors to Portage Woods can enjoy walking and hiking on natural surface trails, cross-country skiing, scenic overlooks, birding, cultural interpretation signage and connections to the Salt Creek Trail System.
Its a lovely small park, but beyond an outhouse, there are no services. That includes no visitors center and, sadly, no passport book stamp for those of us who make a beeline for those suckers at anything with “National” in its title. If you have the time to explore the shaded trails, definitely take it!
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- Native American with European Explorers portage their canoe
CLOSING
This is definitely a great quick stop on your Route 66 adventure where you can calm your nerves after the white knuckle adventure of Chicago. Learn a little history, thank those before us for laying the groundwork for our modern country, wander a few trails and stretch your legs. If you have a longer amount of time to spend, the trails definitely looked enticing in the shade of a hot day.
Enjoy!