History

Dec 9

Northeast Illinois Regional Water Authority ― An Agency Whose Need Is Long Past Due

The Northeast Illinois Regional Water Authority is an agency whose need is long past due - opinion, history, & commentary from Dick Lanyon.

Jun 6

Mulford’s Ditch, the Big Ditch, and the North Shore Channel

Mulford’s Ditch, the Big Ditch, the North Shore Channel, and Crossing the Rubicon: A Peak Into Evanston Waterway History.

May 5

Stormwater Experts Help Plan for Evanston’s Future Stormy Weather

Just over 40 years ago, a person could float down Sherman Ave on a raft while other Evanstonians disposed of floodwater in their basements.

Feb 15

The Case of a Buried Bridge, the Million Dollar Bridle Path, and the North Side Sludge Line

On a May, 2023, spring day, an underground directional drilling machine for a new pipeline bumped into a solid object and stopped. The...

Sep 25, 2023

Healthy and Sustainable Water Resources

Rapid urban growth of Chicago after incorporation as a city in 1837, gave rise to cholera epidemics aggravated by poor drainage and...

Sep 25, 2023

Chicago Portage: A Lasting Gift

Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette passed through what is known today as the Chicago Portage during their Voyage of Discovery in 1673,...

Sep 25, 2023

Pullman and the MWRD

The Pullman Historic Foundation presentation (Historic Pullman Foundation Exhibit Hall, July 23, 2023) explained the innovative work in...

Sep 25, 2023

A History of the Construction of the Calumet-Sag Channel

Dick Lanyon delivers a 16-minute history on the construction of the Calumet-Sag Channel.

Sep 21, 2023

CSDX39 and the History of the Sludge Express

CSDX is the reporting mark for the District’s local Short Line railroad, and CSDX 39 identifies a former District sludge dump car.

Sep 7, 2023

Chicago: Marsh to Metropolis

Chicago: Marsh to Metropolis is a new publication I've recently written, which precedes the contents of my four-book series. Here's the...