The Rail-roads, history and commerce of Chicago

This booklet consists of three articles previously published in the Daily Democratic Press newspaper. The first article contains descriptions of every existing and prospective railroad in the Chicago area or the region; at least 35 companies. The tone is promotional, repeatedly stressing the advantages of railroads for local economies, and in some cases providing revenue figures.

The second article is a 20-page “History of Chicago”. The third article, entitled “Historical and Commercial Statistics; Manufactures, Banking, etc.”, contains sections on the rising value of real estate, labor costs, the Chicago Water Works, descriptions of manufacturing companies, and others. The fourth article, “Commercial Review for 1853″ contains economic data for agricultural and other commodities.