Up to 1846, Chicago belonged to the Collection District of Detroit, being a port of delivery only. All the statistics pertaining to customs, foreign and lake trade were merged in the general reports of the whole district at Detroit. July 16, 1846. the new District of Chicago was created embracing in its jurisdiction the harbors, rivers and waters on the western shore of Lake Michigan as far north as the town and river of Sheboygan, and as far south as the dividing line between the States of Illinois and Indiana. Chicago at that time became a port of entry, thus being recognized by the Government, and placed on an equal commercial footing with other American ports of the first class. The lake trade did not show a large foreign element in early years as is evinced by the following extracts from the Chicago Weekly Democrat. September 26. 1848, it said.
Before 1846 there was no foreign trade at this point. In that year there was but $14.10 received in payment of duties. In 1847. however, the following descriptions of goods were received here, paying duties to the amount below:
Fire wood, 256¼ cords
peaches, 2 bbls
saddles, 1.
The duties received on these articles amounted to $768.13, the value of articles was
$1.1S2.90.
Chicago River from Rush Street Bridge
The marine interests of Chicago, at the time of the fire of 1871, were in an extremely flourishing condition, and although the Custom-house records were destroyed, an accurate estimate of the business done that year has been made. This shows 1871 as comparing favorably with all preceding years, as also with those succeeding, there having been, down to 1885, only one year when a larger number of vessels was owned in the district, and two years in which the tonnage has been larger. Navigation opened in 1871 on April 3, the earliest date then known in the history of the port. By December, 12,330 vessels, with 3,096,101 tonnage had arrived, and 12,312, with tonnage of 3,082,235, had cleared; vessels with a sail capacity of 2,406,300 tons, and steam capacity of 394,000 tons laying up at this port for the winter. The number of vessels owned in the district was 650, with tonnage aggregating 95,395.95, divided among 84 steam vessels, 333 sail vessels, and 233 canal-boats and barges. During the ensuing fourteen years, numerous transfers of vessels were made to other districts, so that the ownership list was reduced nearly fifty per cent. This is shown in the following table:
|
Year
|
Vessels Owned
in District |
Tonnage
|
|
1871
|
650
|
95,396
|
|
1872
|
654
|
99,403
|
|
1873
|
646
|
104,827
|
|
1874
|
434
|
83,894
|
|
1875
|
410
|
78,760
|
|
1876
|
387
|
73,824
|
|
1877
|
389
|
72,934
|
|
1878
|
368
|
68,647
|
|
1879
|
364
|
67,988
|
|
1880
|
360
|
69,939
|
|
1881
|
366
|
71,671
|
|
1882
|
368
|
67,535
|
|
1883
|
357
|
63,899
|
|
1884
|
372
|
60,942
|
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