Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 102, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 August 1903 — CHICAGO’S CENTENNIAL. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CHICAGO’S CENTENNIAL.

An Entire Week Will Re Olven Over to Suitable Exercises. Monday was the centenpial of the beginning of Fort Dearborn, the pivot around which Chicago's history turns. One hundred years ago the first shovelful of earth was turned to make room for the fortress on the prairies that was to protect a handful of settlers. It marked the permanent settlement of the village at the mouth of a mild river. This tiny village, almost in the space of a lifetime, has leaped and become the second city in the United States, with a population of 2,231,000. Its growth by decades is interesting. In 1840 it had a population of 4,853. Ten years later the number was 29,903. Ip 1870 the population had reached 298,000, and a decade later 503,000. The censuS of 1900 gave Chicago 1,098,575, and now the population is estimated at 2,231,000. The first rude cabin to appear in what is now Chicago was that of Baptiste Poiute de Saible, a negro from San Ds- - who established lijs home here July 4, 1779 according to the record of a

British military officer. De Saible came here in the commercial inferos the French, and lived in his cabin till 1790, when he sold out to a man named Le Mai, also a French trader, who made some -improvements,and stayed till 1804. —ln the summer of 1803 Capt. John Whistler, U. S. A., then stationed hi Detroit, was ordered to take his company to Chicago, to occupy the post apd build a fort. The summer and autumn were occupied in the building of the fort, which was named after Geu. Dearborn, at that time Secretary of War. Iu the spring of 1804 John Kinzie, the lir;t white settlor, bought Le - Mai’s property and came here with his family from Niles, Mich. Aug. 15. 1812, occurred the massacre of Fort Dearborn, when out of 08 men and 32 women and children who left the fort under tfhe escort of the alleged friendly Indians, only 25 men and 11 women and children escaped death. The following day the fort was burned and iu 1810 was rebuilt. The worst disaster which ever visited the city was the great fire of 1871, which devoured three and a half square miles of the best portion of the city. It ate its way over a territory four miles iu length and a mile and a quarter in width. The buildings destroyed were 17.430, and nearly 100.000 persons were left homeless, Street frontage 73 miles in extent was burned, wi;h a logs of $200,000,000. Although a passing commemoration of tiie city’s centennial was observed Monday and Tuesday, the great celebration will not take place,until toward the close of September, when jlu entire week will be given over to festivities aiul suitable exercises of various kinds. Illuminated floats. Mardi Gras features and other attractions will give to the city the greatest celebration in its history.

OLD FORT DEARBORN.