A Transport Link
Lake Michigan had become a major transport direct connection for people, and goods’ movement as European settlement accelerated in the late-17th century. It was part of a system of waterways that stretched all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. As a result, it had a variety of vessels plying its waters from the beginning.
A Transport Link
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Growing In Commercial Importance
As the commercial importance of Lake Michigan grew in the nineteenth century, cities and ports along its shores, such as Chicago, Green Bay, and Milwaukee, began to flourish. Indeed, prior to the Civil War, Chicago shipped 90% of the grain it received eastwards across the lake. Even after the railroads arrived, 50% of grain was still transported across Lake Michigan.
Growing In Commercial Importance
