This webpage has links to, and descriptions of, free online books and articles for the economy in Illinois, and business history of Illinois and Chicago. Topics include:
Transportation history, including roads, shipping, canals, railroads, & aviation,
Manufacturing,
Land sales,
Coal & salt mining,
Commerce & business,
Farming,
Meatpacking,
Labor movement and strikes,
Medical history,
Science & Technology.
Fourth annual review of the commerce, railroads, and manufactures of Chicago for the year 1855…
compiled from several articles published in the Daily Democratic Press
Chicago: Democratic Press. 1856
This annual report contains a number of descriptive articles about economic activity in Chicago, then provides data-based reports on the following topics, as well as others:
– Quantities of the following commodities shipped to Chicago (among others): flour, wheat, corn, oats, rye, butter, hogs, beef, lumber, wool, coal.
– Great Lakes vessels arriving at the city, including names, type and tonnage.
– Value of manufactured items shipped from the city.
– A section with brief individual reports of production at dozens of manufacturing firms.
– Construction: Descriptions of significant building projects underway or prospective, at churches, schools, and businesses. Also public works and large residences.
-There is a separate report for the many railroads centered in Chicago or operating in the region, with descriptive info, freight data and financial data for each.
See works on Chicago history in: History of Illinois Cities, Counties & Regions
The Great Canal Scrip Fraud. Minutes of proceedings, and report of evidence…
in the investigation of the case by the grand jury of Sangamon County, Ill., at the April term of the court of said county
Springfield, ILL: Daily Journal. 1859
Canals seemed to have been the bane of early state governments in most of the Great Lakes States, as the States accumulated huge debts for internal improvements that in most cases failed to live up to the economic benefits that had been predicted. Fraud and corruption were often associated with these projects.
The first half of this publication consists of a transcript of testimony taken by the Grand Jury, and the second half is a “Review of Testimony” by the Finance Committee of the Illinois State Senate and the Grand Jury of Sangamon County, Ill., which also provides an explanation of this particular scheme.
Also see: Harlow, Alvin F., Indiana’s Canal Heritage and Esarey, Logan, Internal Improvements in Early Indiana in Indiana Economic History
The Illinois Central Railroad Company offers for sale over 2,000,000 acres selected farming and wood lands…
in tracts of forty acres and upwards, to suit purchasers, on long credits and at low rates of interest, situated on each side of their railroad, extending all the way from the extreme north to the south of the state of Illinois
NY: Amerman 1856
This is one of many such sales of public lands to fund railroad construction. As is explained in this advertising booklet, the Federal Congress granted the State of Illinois 2.5 million acres of public lands to aid construction of a rail line in Illinois. The State legislature created the Illinois Central Railroad Company and in turn granted it the land. The route would run from the Northwest corner of Illinois to Cairo in the south, with a branch to Chicago. The lands that were granted were in the vicinity of the rail lines. The railroads were to sell most of the land (except land that would be used for the lines) and use the cash they received from sales for construction.
This advertising booklet seems mainly aimed at farmers or prospective farmers who might be interested in purchasing land, and provides over 60 pages of information for them.
See our free books on Illinois social topics
Early Illinois Railroads; a Paper read before the Chicago Historical Society, Tuesday evening, Feb. 20, 1883
Ackerman, William K.
Chicago: Fergus. 1884
The author was the president of the Illinois-Central Railroad. This paper begins with a history of the first railroad in Great Britain, and then the first railroads in the U.S. The early history of Illinois railroads here includes State Government discussions, initiatives and acts for construction of railroads, and stories about building the first railroads. The article is followed by an appendix with correspondence on the inception and origin of the Illinois-Central Railroad, a revised article from the Chicago Tribune called “The Oldest Railroad in Illinois”, and a list of station names with explanations of their origins.
For more books on railroads in U.S. history, see: Railroad History.
United Illinois and Wabash Land Companies. The Illinois-Wabash Land Company Manuscript
Alvord, Clarence W. ed.
Springfield: McCormick. 1915
This begins with an introduction by Professor Alvord of the History Department at the University of Illinois, who provides background information for the Illinois-Wabash Land Company. This company was a group of land speculators intent on purchasing large tracts of land on the Wabash River in southern Illinois for settlement. The time period was during British rule, just before the American Revolution began.
Note that the documents in this volume are copies of hand-written legal documents. The handwriting is clear and legible, but they are large digital files and slower to load than regular book pages.
Coal Mining in Illinois; Bulletin 13 of Illinois Coal Mining Investigations Co-operative Agreement
Andros, S. O.
Urbana: University of Illinois 1915
This book is mostly concerned with mining practices at the beginning of the 20th century. Many of these practices had not changed much since the early 19th century. The volume also contains a brief history of the industry and information about the coal fields.
Drainage channel and waterway: a history of the effort to secure an effective and harmless method…
for the disposal of the sewage of the city of Chicago, and to create a navigable channel between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River
Brown, G. P.
Chicago: Donnelley 1894
“Allons, Cowboys!”
Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society Vol 76, No. 4, Winter 1983, pp 273-282
Brown, Margaret Kimball
Springfield: Illinois State Historical Society
The author tells the story of one of the first known cattle drives in the U.S.; originating in southern Illinois in 1739. French voyageurs and Indians were employed as drovers.
Prairie Farming in America. With notes by the way on Canada and the United States
Caird, James
London: Longman. 1859
Caird had been sent in by the London Times on a tour of certain counties in England to report on agriculture, and the resulting book in Great Britain made him by 1851 a well-known authority on agriculture. Other books about farming in Great Britain and Ireland soon followed. He was knighted and became a member of parliament.
This book was published in Great Britain in 1859, for the benefit of British people who were considering migrating to the U.S. to farm. It consists of letters written by the author as he traveled through Illinois and other locations in late 1858. Letters cover topics such as soil conditions, overseas markets for wheat, railroads, modern farming equipment in use, availability and cost of hired labor, crop prices and yields, bank operations and availability of credit, taxes, health issues, land prices and more.
The Romance of the Reaper
Casson, Herbert
NY: Doubleday 1908
Illustrated from photographs. Popular account of the invention, perfection and manufacture of agricultural implements, one of Illinois’ most important industries. Chapter headings are:
– The Story of McCormick – The Story of Deering – The International Harvester Company – The American Harvester Abroad – The Harvester and the American Farmer
Also see: Gibson, Charles R., The Romance of Modern Manufacture; a Popular Account of the Marvels of Manufacturing in American Companies & Industries
Trails to Rails; a Story of Transportation Progress in Illinois
Corliss, Carlton J.
Illinois Central Railroad. 1956
This little booklet is a 40-page history with photos, produced by the Illinois Central Railroad and apparently distributed free. Chapter headings are:
– Native trails. – Pioneer routes and modes of travel. – Early trails to Chicago and Galena. – Internal improvements. – The stage coach era. – Dawn of the railway era. – Illinois is transformed. – A great railway center. – Growth of railroads. – Railway progress. – Epilogue. – Bibliography
See also: Railroad History.
“Public Health: Danville Women Take a Stand”
Illinois History Teacher Vol 13, No. 1, 2006, pp 17-20
Cornelius, Janet Duitsman
Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
See our Economics Books PDF
“The Historical Development of Science, Technology, and Invention in Illinois History”
Illinois History Teacher Vol 6, No. 3, 1999, pp 59-61
Daugherty, Michael K.
Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
The Development of Banking in Illinois, 1817-1863
Dowrie, George William, PhD
Urbana: University of Illinois 1913
Chapter headings are:
– The Monetary Situation in Illinois previous to the establishment of Banks – The Territorial Banks – Banking a State Monopoly – Banking and Internal Improvements – The Free Bank System of Illinois
See also:
– Esarey, Logan, State Banking in Indiana, 1814-1873 in /indiana-economic-history/”>Indiana Economic History;
– Wendell, Emory, Wendell’s History of Banking & Banks & Bankers of Michigan in Michigan Economic History
“The Impact of John Deere’s Plow”
Illinois History Teacher Vol 8, No. 1, 2001, pp 2-7
Drache, Hiram M.
Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
See our free books on Illinois cultural topics
“The Illinois and Michigan Canal: The Long Route Between the Waters”
Illinois History Teacher Vol 16, No. 2, 2009, pp 11-14
Duis, Perry R.
Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
“Remember Virden! The Coal Mine Wars of 1898-1900”
Illinois History Teacher Vol 13, No. 2, 2006, pp 10-15
Feurer, Rosemary
Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
See our post on Magazines for Farmers 1850s-1900s
Transactions of the Illinois State Agricultural Society; with notices and proceedings of county societies, and kindred associations: 1857-’58
Francis, S. ed.
Springfield: Bailhache & Baer 1859
This volume contains the proceedings of several agricultural societies, including the State Agricultural Society, county societies, Illinois Stock Importing Ass., Illinois Sugar Cane Convention, State Horticultural Society, Northwest Pomological Ass., and the State Natural History Society. It also contains papers and reports on many topics, including:
Raising horses and mules in Illinois. – Embellishment of a country home. – Culture of forest and ornamental trees on the prairies. – Cultivation of orchards. – Practical gardening in Illinois. – Culture of rice in Illinois. – Sorgho and Imphee sugar cane. – Domestic fowls. – Agriculture, as connected with schools. – Agricultural colleges in Illinois. – Meteorological observations. – Normal University.
Illustrations include several prize-winning farm animals, the Fawkes’ steam plow, Lindley’s seed sower, Ruggs reaper and mower, and Brown’s corn planter.
From Lumber Hookers to the Hooligan Fleet: A Treasury of Chicago Maritime History
Frese, Rita L and Young, David
Lake Claremont 2005
Illinois as It Is …
its History, Geography, Statistics, Constitution, Laws, Government, Finances, Climate, Soil, Plants, Animals, State of Health, Prairies, Agriculture, Cattle-Breeding, Orcharding, Cultivation of the Grape, Timber-Growing, Market-Prices, Lands and Land-Prices, Geology, Mining, Commerce, Banks, Railroads, Public Institutions, Newspapers, etc., etc.
Gerhard, Frederick
Chicago: Keen and Lee. 1857
All chapter headings and some topics covered within are:
– Introduction – History – Constitution – Government: Judiciary, Finances. – Laws: Land Titles, Wills of Real Estate, The Probate and Recording of Wills, Homestead Exemption, etc. (over 20 laws here) – Geography – Statistics – Climate, Soil, Plants, and Animals – State of Health and Diseases – The Prairies – Agriculture: Amount of Bushels raised per Acre, Profits of Farming, Fencing, Indian Corn, Barley, etc. (over 20 topics here) – Fruit Culture: Apple, Peach, Pear, Quince, Plum, Prune, Cherry, Berries. – Grape Culture – Growing of Timber – The Maclura Hedge – Maple Sugar – Cattle Breeding – Market Prices – Geology and Mining – Commerce and Manufactures of Chicago – Lands and their Prices – The Lands of the Illinois Central Railroad – Banks – Railroads – Public Institutions – Newspapers – Weights and Measures – Hints to Immigrants
“The Industrial Development of Illinois”
Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society 1921, pp 55-72
Glenn, John M.
Springfield: Illinois State Historical Society
A wide-ranging and brief economic history of Illinois.
“Chicago: America’s Railroad Mecca”
Illinois History Teacher Vol 15, No. 1, 2008, pp 27-31
Grant, H. Roger
Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
“The Iron Horse Comes to Illinois, 1835-1860”
Illinois History Teacher Vol 15, No. 1, 2008, pp 2-6
Grant, H. Roger
Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
History of Chicago: its commercial and manufacturing interests and industry: …
together with sketches of manufacturers and men who have most contributed to its prosperity and advancement, with glances at some of the best hotels, also the principal railroads which center in Chicago
Guyer, Isaac D.
Chicago: Church, Goodman and Cushing. 1862
This book consists mainly of brief articles of one or two papers that were submitted by companies, which paid for the privilege of having them included here. Articles generally seem to include a little background information about the industry or service the company is engaged in and some company history. Here is a sample from the Table of Contents, just through the letter ‘C’:
– Bookbinding – American literature – Artificial teeth and dental materials – Agricultural machines, – Architecture, – Auctions and commission – American proficiency in illustration – Billiard table manufactory – Brushes – Caparisoning – Confectionery – Comedy in Chicago – Civilizers – Chicago & North- Western Railway – Cincinnati & Chicago Air Line Railroad – Coffee, Spices and Teas
See works on Chicago history in: History of Illinois Cities, Counties & Regions
The Annals of Labor and Industry in Illinois for January, February and March 1890
Illinois Writers’ Project of the Work Projects Administration, comp.
Chicago: 1939
“Compiled from newspaper files, trade journals, legal enactments, and judicial decisions, the Annals … tell of the State’s industrial development and of her workers’ struggles for better working conditions, higher pay and shorter hours.”
– Editor’s Preface
Also see: Mitchell, John, Organized Labor, its Problems, Purposes and Ideals, and the Present and Future of American Wage Earners in Working, Labor
– Campbell, Helen, Woman Wage-earners: their Past, their Present and their Future in Working, Labor
“Miners of the Prairie: The Days of Shaft Mining in Northern Illinois”
Illinois History Teacher Vol 13, No. 2, 2006, pp 2-4
Joyce, Richard P.
Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
Check out our big collection of free biographies
A Trip through the Union Stock Yards and Slaughter Houses
Lambert, George W.
Chicago: Hamblin 1892
“Among the many interesting sights of Chicago, few are more interesting than a trip through the Union Stock Yards and Slaughter Houses. No one should fail to avail themselves of the opportunity to visit this great Stock Yards and Packing Town, which is a city in itself, there being between twenty and twenty-five thousand people employed here in the busy part of the year.”
– from the author’s Preface
See also: McDowell, Mary E., “A Quarter of a Century in the Stockyards District” in Illinois Social History
See our books on Business Management PDF
“Transportation. A Factor in the Development of Northern Illinois Previous to 1860”
Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society Vol 10, April 1917 pp 17-85
Lee, Judson F.
Springfield: Illinois State Historical Society
For works on boats and shipping, see: Navigation on the Great Lakes & the Region’s Rivers
“The Historical Development of Industry and Manufacturing in Illinois”
Illinois History Teacher Vol 6, No. 3, 1999, pp 41-43
Matejka, Mike
Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
See our Illinois religion free books & articles
Montgomery Ward & Co’s Catalogue and Price List No. 21: Spring and Summer, 1878
Montgomery Ward & Co. Catalogue and Buyers’ Guide 1895
Montgomery Ward & Co.
Montgomery Ward & Co.
The second catalog (1895) is a 2008 reproduction. Aaron Montgomery Ward, a traveling salesman in rural areas, founded his mail-order company in Chicago in 1872 to provide ‘dry goods’ directly to rural customers rather than through retail stores. Sears, Roebuck & Co. would establish a similar mail order operation, also in Chicago, in 1893.
“Medicine in the Illinois Country”
Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Library 1925, 87-99
Nelson, C. S. Dr.
Springfield: Board of Trustees of the Illinois State Historical Library
Also see:
– Dittrick, Howard, “The Equipment, Instruments and Drugs of Pioneer Physicians of Ohio” in Ohio Economic History;
– Juettner, Otto, Daniel Drake and his Followers: Historical and Biographical Sketches, 1785-1909 in Biographies & Memoirs in Ohio History;
– Kemper, G. W. H., A Medical History of the State of Indiana in Indiana Economic History;
– Zeuch, Lucius H., M.D., compiled, History of Medical Practice in Illinois in Illinois Economic History;
– Michigan State Medical Society, Medical History of Michigan (Volume 1) in Michigan Economic History
– Frank, Louis Frederick (Dr.), The Medical History of Milwaukee: 1834-1914 in Wisconsin Economic History
Through the Chicago Stock Yards; a Handy Guide to the Great Packing Industry
O’Brien, John
Chicago: Rand, McNally 1907
Chapter headings:
– Importance of the Chicago Market – Development of the Stock Yards – Business Methods – International Live- stock Exposition – The Chicago Horse Market – Government Inspection – Cattle Butchering and Beef Preparations – Hog Slaughtering and Port Preparations – Sheep, Veal, and Poultry Dressing – Scale of Wages. Dressing Records – General Information about Chicago – Practical Recipes
The Granger Movement in Illinois
Paine, Arthur Elijah
Urbana: University Press 1904
This 50-page paper traces the rise of the Patrons of Husbandry, normally known as the Grange, from its beginnings soon after the Civil War.
See also: Buell, Jennie, One Woman’s Work for Farm Women; the Story of Mary A. Mayo’s Part in Rural Social Movements in Biographies & Memoirs in Michigan History
The Western Farmer’s New and Universal Hand-book:…
or, An improved and complete guide to the treatment of soils: the operations of productive field husbandry; kitchen gardening; dairy practice; fruit growing; management and diseases of animals, fowls and bees; culture of flowers, ornamental trees &c; construction of farm buildings; grafting, budding, pruning, training; the great diseases of trees and plants; insects injurious to animals, fruit-trees, grain, &c. the whole embodying a plain, practical, and comprehensive detail of agricultural economy, in all its departments, throughout the United States and the Canadas. Illustrated by upwards of three hundred splendidly executed engravings
Practical Agriculturalists
Chicago: Keen & Lee. 1856
A 500-page volume with over 300 drawings, this was intended as a farmers’ comprehensive guide on every aspect of agricultural operations. It contains advice on a very wide range of grain crops, fruit, livestock, tools, equipment, construction of buildings, insect pests and more.
The Illinois and Michigan Canal: A Study in Economic History
Putnam, James W.
Chicago: University of Chicago 1917
In the early nineteenth century, before railroad construction was fully underway, canals were the most important infrastructure projects. Every state in the Great Lakes region spent enormous sums to build them on the assumption that they were essential to economic growth. The Illinois and Michigan Canal had possibly the most ambitious goal of any of the canals in the region; to enable freight to move from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River and then into the Gulf of Mexico.
This study of the entire project to build the Illinois and Michigan Canal was written by a professor of economics at Butler College. This volume was produced for the Illinois Centennial by the Chicago Historical Society. Chapter headings are:
– The project – Finance and construction – Management – Economic influence – Improvement and enlargement – Conclusion – Appendices – Bibliography
Also see: Harlow, Alvin F., Indiana’s Canal Heritage and Esarey, Logan, Internal Improvements in Early Indiana in Indiana Economic History
For works on boats and shipping, see: Navigation on the Great Lakes & the Region’s Rivers
Chicago’s Highways, Old and New, from Indian Trail to Motor Road
Quaife, Milo M.
Chicago: Keller 1923
The author was a historian of the American Midwest, and served as Director of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Chapter headings include:
– The Vincennes Trace – The road to Ottawa and the Southwest. – The thoroughfares to the lead mines. – The Green Bay Road. – The plank road era. – The commerce of the prairies. – Stage coaches and travel. – Taverns and tavern life. – Dangers of the highway. – A bridal tour in pioneer Illinois. – Appendix: Guide to the chief points of historical interest within a day’s journey of Chicago.
Hoover’s Guide to the Top Chicago Companies
The ultimate guide to Chicago-area business
Reference Press
Reference 1996
“Profiles 130 of Chicago’s biggest, most colorful, and fastest-growing enterprises and provides basic information on 485 other key public and private enterprises in the Windy City area.” – Back cover
“The Agricultural Resources of Southern Illinois”
Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1917 Publication 23, 1917, 141-160
Reynolds, John
Springfield: Illinois State Journal
This article was reprinted from the 1856 edition of Transactions of the Illinois State Agricultural Society. It is divided into the following chapters:
– The soil, surface and agricultural capacities of southern Illinois.
– The first French settlements and the first French agriculture in southern Illinois.
– The first American settlements and the first American agriculture in south Illinois.
– The salines and mineral wealth of southern Illinois.
– The improvement of agriculture in southern Illinois since the War of 1812.
– The agricultural prospects and destiny of southern Illinois.
“The Historical Development of Agriculture in Illinois”
Illinois History Teacher Vol 6, No. 3, 1999, pp 4-5
Riney-Kehrberg, Pamela
Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
“The Historical Development of Transportation in Illinois”
Illinois History Teacher Vol 6, No. 3, 1999, pp 20-21
Ryburn-LaMonte, Terri
Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
“When Worlds Collide: The 1894 Pullman Strike in Decatur, Illinois”
Illinois History Teacher Vol 13, No. 2, 2006, pp 23-27
Sampson, Robert D.
Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
“The Salines of Southern Illinois”
Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society 1904, 245-258
Smith, George W.
Board of Trustees of the Illinois State Historical Library
An account of salt making in Gallatin County.
The Chicago River: An Illustrated History and Guide to the River and its Waterways
Solzman, David
Wild Onion 1998
The Reaper; A History of the Efforts of Those Who Justly May be Said to Have Made Bread Cheap
Steward, John F.
NY: Greenberg 1931
“The Illinois and Michigan Canal and the Growth of Northeastern Illinois”
Illinois History Teacher Vol 16, No. 2, 2009, pp 2-5
Vasile, Ronald S.
Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
“McLean County and the Influenza Epidemic of 1918-1919”
Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society Vol 74, No. 2, Summer 1981, pp 130-144
Walters, Karen A.
Springfield: Illinois State Historical Society
“Meatpacking in Illinois History”
Illinois History Teacher Vol 13, No. 2, 2006, pp 36-39
Warren, Wilson J.
Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
Chicago Maritime: An Illustrated History
Young, David
DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois University 2001
This book chronicles the vital role of waterborne trade and transportation in building a lakeside metropolis on swampland. It includes topics such as the I & M canal, the reversal of the Chicago River, the Eastland disaster and Chicago’s Navy Pier. It also provides a name index of individual ships that docked in Chicago.
The Iron Horse and the Windy City
How Railroads Shaped Chicago
Young, David
DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois University 2005
“With the coming of railroads, upstart Chicago quickly became the Midwest’s center for commerce and trade, overtaking its older rival, St. Louis. The author vividly tells how railroads created and shaped Chicago, from the earliest times to the present. – Book cover.
History of Medical Practice in Illinois
Volume 2
Zeuch, Lucius H., M.D., compiled
Chicago: Book Press. 1927
This 2-volume set was issued by the Illinois State Medical Society in commemoration of its diamond jubilee. Volume 1: Preceding 1850. Volume 2: 1850-1900. Much of this history is biographical, and there are long quotes excerpted from a variety of sources. The Table of Contents is 12 pages long, containing hundreds of topics listed under the chapter headings. Chapter headings and a very small sample of topics are:
– Introduction: Devonian age or age of larger fishes. Cliff-dwellers of the West.
– Coming of the White Man called for the Practice of Medicine: Father Marquette investigates an Indian remedy for snake-bite. A physician accompanies La Salle on his greatest expedition.
– Period of French Influence and Colonization: Priests practice blood-letting. Surgeons during the days of old Fort de Chartres.
– Fort de Chartres and the Infant Colonies as Found by the British: Smallpox in the Garrison. Wilkins writes of unsanitary conditions of the country surrounding the fort.
– The British lose the “American Bottom”: A revolutionary skirmish at the front door of Chicago. A surgeon’s narrative of his miraculous escape from torture and death. The court orders payment of a surgeon.
– Illinois Territory in the Early 19th Century: Dr. Truman Tuttle of the U.S. Army arrives. Dr. Lyle of Cahokia lacks good nature. Dr. James Rose imbibes more than his share. Comments on remedies in vogue.
– The Physicians of St. Louis, A Suburb of the American Bottom in the Early Days: Dr. Auguste Condde loses a distinguished patient as well as his fee. Lawsuit gives information about an early surgeon. Dr. Mercier emancipates a faithful slave upon his demise.
– The Medical History of Centers of Civilization on the Wabash, Ohio and Mississippi Rivers: A pioneer physician much given to practical joking. A physician helps to build a village, dies in an almshouse. Dr. Moses Meeker a mining promoter. Dodge advances on his laurels. The Mormons and their medical history.
– Dark Age of Chicago’s History: The sad end of Dr. Van Voorhis. Polygamy in the wilderness. One of the promoters of the Underground Railroad.
– Civilian Practitioners of New Chicago, 1836-1850: Schooner wreck renders a couple destitute. Post mortem reveals neoplasm. Rush Medical College. Dissection course not obligatory. Dr. Josiah Cosmore Goodhue, father of Chicago’s public school system.
– Homeopathy and its Early Adherents in Illinois: First homeopathic hospital established. George Elias Shipman founds a home for waifs.
– Medical History of Pioneers of the Interior of the State, Southern Section: Cholera makes five visits to White County. Bandits prey upon the traveling public. A physician heads Swiss colonization scheme. Witchcraft becomes a business of extortion.
– Interior of the State: Central Counties: Superstitious beliefs of backwoodsmen. School for the blind. A contributor to the literature of his time. Illinois College faculty.
– Interior of the State: Northern Counties: A great fruit magnate was this pioneer physician. Dr. Griffith casts doubt concerning his intentions, but proves a friend indeed. Erysipelas and scarlet fever decimate the ranks of the frontiersmen. Body-snatching proves to be the undoing of a zealous anatomist. A prophylactic dose which was worse than the disease it was to prevent.
Also see:
– Dittrick, Howard, “The Equipment, Instruments and Drugs of Pioneer Physicians of Ohio” in Ohio Economic History;
– Juettner, Otto, Daniel Drake and his Followers: Historical and Biographical Sketches, 1785-1909 in Biographies & Memoirs in Ohio History;
– Kemper, G. W. H., A Medical History of the State of Indiana in Indiana Economic History;
– Michigan State Medical Society, Medical History of Michigan (Volume 1) in Michigan Economic History
– Frank, Louis Frederick (Dr.), The Medical History of Milwaukee: 1834-1914 in Wisconsin Economic History