A statue of George Wellington Streeter sits in the middle of the Chicago neighborhood named for him, Streeterville. Chicago, Illinois, USA.
In 1886, the former Mississippi River boat captain and circus owner George Wellington Streeter ran his steamboat, the 35-ton Reutan, onto a sandbar off Chicago's north shore. Streeter claimed it made up the independent "United States District of Lake Michigan" and thereby was not subject to the laws of Illinois or Chicago. After the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, Lake Michigan had been used as a dump by building contractors looking to get rid of backfill and debris. Streeter invited contractors to dump the debris on the sandbar where he had run aground and liverd thus extending the size of his land. Over time, this landfill connected the sandbar with the city. As the landmass grew, Streeter began to issue deeds to the land to others as "homesteaders." The land became a destination for "undesirables" and its ownership was eventually disputed and courts found against Streeter. Despite its history, an affluent neighborhood in the area is called Streeterville.
Size: 3326px × 5001px
Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Photo credit: © Bruce Leighty / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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