The building boom in Illinois By Will Bremen, Cobblestone Magazine - Cricket Media, adapted by Newsela staff on 09.06.19 Word Count 439 Level 560L

Image 1. A map of the central business section of Chicago in 1916. Photo from: Library of Congress.

Chicago is the largest city in Illinois. It has many famous buildings. The city is known for its great architecture.

A fire destroyed much of Chicago in 1871. Then, Chicagoans had to rebuild their city. This growth brought in more people. But the city's small downtown was built on a swamp next to Lake Michigan. The ground could not support large buildings. So how could the city continue to grow?

Architects tackled the swamp problem first. They designed better foundations. The most successful foundation was a floating raft system. It was made up of a grid of wood, steel and iron.

Building The Skyscraper

Next, architects wanted to build higher. Most buildings at the time were made of heavy brick. That changed in 1884. William Le Baron Jenney designed a

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. building with a steel skeleton instead of brick. The metal frame was light but strong and fireproof. Less weight meant there could be more floors. Jenney's building was 10 stories tall. Most buildings at the time were only five stories tall. Jenney had created the world's first skyscraper.

Steel-frame construction was useful in other ways. Its thin interior walls let the building have more space inside. Thinner outer walls allowed for more windows. More natural light could come into the building. The elevator was invented in the late 1800s. People no longer had to climb stairs. Stable foundations, steel frames and elevators were important inventions. They all added to Chicago's architectural fame.

Famous Architects

Many architects and designers worked in Chicago in the late 1800s. They all had different styles. Their ideas would come to be known as the Chicago School. Louis Sullivan became a leader in skyscraper design. Sullivan's partner was Dankmar Adler. Together, they designed the Chicago Stock Exchange Building in 1893.

Frank Lloyd Wright was a famous 20th-century architect. He made buildings that blended into their environments. German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was another famous architect. He came to the United States in 1937. He worked in Chicago for 30 more years.

The Sears Tower

In 1973, the 110-story Sears Tower was completed. It was the tallest building in the world for 25 years. It was renamed the Willis Tower in 2009. Since then, skyscrapers have risen to dizzying heights. Chicago's skyline is full of interesting and artistic examples!

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Quiz

1 Which selection explains when buildings in Chicago began to be made out of a new material?

(A) A fire destroyed much of Chicago in 1871. Then, Chicagoans had to rebuild their city.

(B) That changed in 1884. William Le Baron Jenney designed a building with a steel skeleton instead of brick.

(C) Sullivan's partner was Dankmar Adler. Together, they designed the Chicago Stock Exchange Building in 1893.

(D) In 1973, the 110-story Sears Tower was completed. It was the tallest building in the world for 25 years.

2 Which question is answered in the section “Sears Tower"?

(A) How many feet tall is the Sears Tower?

(B) Who was the architect of the Sears Tower?

(C) Which buildings are taller than the Sears Tower?

(D) What is the Sears Tower called now?

3 Read the selection from the introduction [paragraphs 1-3].

This growth brought in more people. But the city's small downtown was built on a swamp next to Lake Michigan. The ground could not support large buildings. So how could the city continue to grow?

What does the word "support" mean?

(A) create

(B) hold up

(C) break

(D) pull for

4 Read the selection from the section "Building The Skyscraper."

Steel-frame construction was useful in other ways. Its thin interior walls let the building have more space inside. Thinner outer walls allowed for more windows.

Which word could replace "useful" WITHOUT changing the meaning of the selection?

(A) helpful

(B) awful

(C) careful

(D) powerful

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.