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DOCUMENT 32
BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE PROPERTY OF FRASER & CHALMERS
December 10, 1889

Explanation

David R. and Norman D. Fraser and William J. and Thomas Chalmers owned a major manufacturing company which produced boilers, mining machinery, cable railroad power plants, air compressors, pumping machinery, wire rope and tramways. With branch offices in New York; Denver; Salt Lake City; Chihuahua, Mexico: London, England; Lima, Peru; and Johannesburg, Transvaal; Fraser & Chalmers was an international corporation headquartered in Chicago.

This drawing accompanied a petition made by Fraser & Chalmers to vacate Grenshaw Street from Rockwell Street to Washtenaw Avenue. Because the city council determined that all the property adjoining this section of Grenshaw Street belonged to Fraser & Chalmers it passed an ordinance to vacate the said street. Vacating refers to closing a street.

Points to Consider

By which form of energy were the railroad engines pictured powered?

Why would Fraser & Chalmers have requested the vacating of this portion of Grenshaw Street?

In which type of business was Fraser & Chalmers engaged?

In this diagram Twelfth Street is free of railroad obstructions. How might passage along Filmore Street have been hazardous?

See Related Document:  43

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