Encyclopedia o f Chicago
Interpretive Digital Essay : Water in Chicago
Water in Chicago
Essay: People and the Port
Photo Essays:
Solitary Lives
City of Bridges
Chicago Harbors
Essay: Using the Chicago River
Photo Essays:
Goose Island
Indiana Dunes
Essay: Sanitation in Chicago
Photo Essays:
The Sanitary and Ship Canal
Water-Related Epidemics
Essay: Water and Urban Life
Photo Essays:
Houses and Water
Shoreline Development
Growing Up Along Water
Swimming marathon, Chicago River, 1908
Return to "Using the Chicago River"

Swimming races in the Chicago River, such as this one in 1908, were popular in the early 20th century. They were emblematic of the sharp decline in river commerce, and the dramatic improvement in the quality of river water after its 1900 reversal.