Soon we proceeded to Chicago.

I was told that the northern boundary of Illinois had been pushed north, in order to give the state the southern shores of the great lake, with the idea of capturing a part of the emigration and trade of the East.

This fact eventually influenced my life, and the history of the nation, as will be seen.
Chicago had been a trading post, and to an extent was yet.

The population was less than 1000 people.

There was a fort here, too, built in place of one which had been destroyed in a massacre by the Indians.
There was much activity here, particularly in land speculation.