One path to discovering Chicago is through the lives of the people who explored, settled and built the city.  Here are brief summaries of the lives and relevant accomplishments of a few of the key people who discovered and created Chicago.

(links in bold indicate a section with several pages)

The First People

The First Illinoisans

The First Europeans

Carving Up the Continent

Rene Robert Cavalier Sieur de LaSalle

The Time of the French in North America

Jean Baptiste Pointe De Sable

De Sable de Chicago

The English in Chicago

John Kinzie

Kinzie's Long Road to Town

James Strode Swearingen

Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard

Replacing the Portage

Moving Nature