Goose Island, Chicago

Goose Island was created when a canal was dug as a shortcut to the meandering path of the North Branch of the Chicago River. With good water, rail, and road access, the island developed as a center for industry, which it still is. This required a number of moveable bridges to be built. Today, water traffic of barges and pleasure craft is low enough that the bridges have not been raised in many years. Unfortunately, these historic moveable bridges are now being replaced one by one with modern, fixed bridges, which has led Landmarks Illinois to add Chicago Bascule Bridges to its 2013 list of Ten Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois. http://www.landmarks.org/ten_most_2013_chicago_bascule_bridg...