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This article discusses the rise and fall of Chicago as a major wholesale lumber market in the late 19th century. The city’s dominance in the lumber trade was a result of its strategic location and the development of its rail infrastructure. Lumber from the northern forests was transported to Chicago via rail, where it was sold to buyers from the western grasslands.

Chicago’s wholesale lumber trade was made possible by the convergence of ecological and economic factors. The settlers and retail lumber dealers of the western grasslands had to rely on sources of wood from outside their immediate locales, and Chicago became the hub for supplying lumber to the prairies. The city’s wholesale lumberyards were able to handle large volumes of wood, offer a variety of assortments, and provide cash to sellers and credit to buyers.

The growth of the rail network and Chicago’s central location made it the best option for obtaining lumber for many grassland customers. This led to the railroad companies setting their westbound lumber rates lower from Chicago than from anywhere else. By the 1870s, Chicago’s lumber exports moved primarily west, counterbalancing the movement of grain from western farms. However, as railroads spread deeper into Chicago’s hinterland, the city’s dominance in the lumber trade began to decline.

The declining lumber industry in Chicago in the late 19th century was due to several factors. The railroads’ change in rate policies and the introduction of weight-based charges for lumber shipments made it more expensive to transport lumber from Chicago. This led to an increase in direct sales from the mill to the retailer, bypassing Chicago altogether. Additionally, the depletion of the white pine forests in the region and the emergence of competition from the South and the Mississippi Valley further contributed to the decline of the Chicago lumber trade.

The decline of the lumber trade in Chicago had significant economic and ecological consequences. The depletion of the white pine forests led to the abandonment of cleared lands, erosion, flooding, and the loss of natural fertility in the soil. The devastation caused by the fires that followed the clear-cutting of the forests also contributed to the decline of the white pine population.

Overall, the rise and fall of Chicago as a major wholesale lumber market in the late 19th century was influenced by a combination of ecological factors, economic forces, and transportation developments. Chicago’s dominance in the trade was short-lived as changes in the industry and the depletion of the white pine forests led to its decline.

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