The Years They Raised Chicago: A 15-Minute Strange But True Tale

The lake supplied the settlers with numerous kinds of fish, including trout, sturgeon, carp, and catfish. 

There was good farm land nearby for growing crops. The lake even provided a means to ship the grain they raised to the east. Everything seemed perfect.

Unfortunately it was too perfect. People flocked to Chicago by the boatload, and many more came overland. In 1840 the population was 4,470. Twenty years later it had grown to 112,172! 

But the homes did not have plumbing. People would use a chamber pot to go to the bathroom in. The pot would then be dumped out into the street. There it would mix with the horse manure from the thousands of horses that walked the streets every day.

Something had to be done!

Find out how they solved the problem by raising an entire city in this fun 15-minute book.

Ages 8 and up.

Reading Level: 6.5

LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.