Aurora's Sears Homes, water diversion in Chicago featured in latest issue of Historic Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - The mail-order Sears Homes built in Aurora and historic structures built to control water in the Chicago area are featured in the latest issue of Historic Illinois, a publication of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA).

 

            Sears Homes can be found in many cities across the country, and a significant concentration of them still exists in Aurora.  The first Sears Book of Modern Homes catalog appeared in 1908, offering 22 different home styles ranging from $650 to $2,500.  After customers selected a plan, the materials were shipped to the new homeowner, usually by rail, and the homeowner could then build the home himself or hire a builder.  Sears houses were selling so well after World War I that the company opened up Sears home offices, where customers could shop locally to pick and customize their plans.  The Aurora Preservation Commission has published a brochure that guides visitors on a walking tour of the community's Sears Homes.  The article was written by Stephanie Johnson-Katauskas, an intern with the Commission.

 

            The bridges, canals and other structures built in Chicago to control or use water resources are the subject of another article.  Chicago's location next to Lake Michigan and astride the Chicago River is a major reason the city flourished and continues to be one of the world's most important cities.  The Illinois and Michigan Canal, completed in 1848, linked Lake Michigan with the Illinois River for the first time, guaranteeing Chicago's importance as the nation's key inland water commerce hub.  The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, completed in 1900, helped drain sewage from the city and also offered a new water transportation route.  Now-famous structures were built in Chicago to serve water-related purposes:  Chicago Water Tower, 1850s; Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, 1893; Cal-Sag Channel, 1910; and the city's numerous drawbridges, constructed in the 19^th and 20^th centuries.  The article was written by Stanley Changnon, chief emeritus of the Illinois State Water Survey in Champaign and semi-retired professor of geography at the University of Illinois.                

 

Historic Illinois is a bimonthly IHPA publication that features historically significant sites in Illinois.  Subscriptions are $10 per year, which includes six issues of Historic Illinois and one full-color Historic Illinois Calendar.  For more information, call (217) 524-6045, visit www.Illinois-History.gov, or write:

 

                        Historic Illinois