Too Long; Didn't Read
Chicago has been a hub for business and innovation for nearly 200 years. From meat packing to bridge technology, Chicago became the place to go to be involved in commerce. The Chicago River allowed for goods to be distributed/redistributed easily across the states and further afield, and by the middle of the 1800’s, with the birth of the Chicago Board of Trade, the city started its journey to become one of the biggest financial centres in the world.