@@tonkabear2369 You don't remember when downtown flooded? I worked in the Board of Trade building and you could see (and smell) the water in the stairwell. The air conditioning was off for months while they cleaned up. The water flooded lots of buildings that were connected to the tunnel. I'll never forget that.
@@69eddieD Oh yes. I was on Madison and they send us home. I didn’t realize what was flooded was part of the video. I honestly didn’t finish watching it.
I especially love photos and illustrations of the downtown lake front in various stages of development. You should do a video about "the evolution of Chicago harbor"
I remember my grandmother mentioning how she used to take the trolley on Washington under the river. Apparently before 1939. At the 3:34 mark, the location you point to is incorrect. The “LaSalle” names at that point are referring to the LaSalle St Metra station, the LaSalle Blue line station and the LaSalle/Van Buren Loop station. The LaSalle tunnel was further north where the street crosses the main branch of the river. You mention the tunnel entrances are paved over but at Kinzie looking south down LaSalle, there is a ramp going down to parking garages right where the north tunnel entrance would be. Repurposed tunnel entrance? (Check Google Maps street view)
That ramp at LaSalle and Kinzie is not part of the original portal for the tunnel. At 6:48, the map shows that the northern end of the tunnel started at LaSalle and Michigan (now Hubbard Street).
I was expecting to hear about the tunnel flood of 1992 when workers accidentally broke through a wall. Basements of local stores like Marshall Field's were flooded with river water and had fish swimming in them. They tried emergency measures like stuffing in mattresses to block the hole.
I was working for the gas company and heard the city flooded, how? The operating engineers at the merchandise Mart heard a rushing of water thought a water main broke. he kicked off the power to all the boilers and the whole basement flooded. amazing how few mistakes can lead to a major catastrophe
I used to live in Brooklyn and would often switch from local to express trains at Hoyt-Schemerhorn. This station had the typical 4 sets of tracks for folx to switch from local/express in both directions... But there was an additional/platform set of tracks one either side of the used platforms.In 10 years, I never saw anyone on those outer platforms or a train on those outer tracksuit seems like a great abandoned priced of infrastructure for you to explore. I'd love to know the history of those abandoned routes.
Aren’t those the tracks that lead to the Subway Museum? IIRC the museum used to be a terminus of the AC, it wasn’t that useful so they stopped using it, making the outer tracks useless for regular service.
I grew up in the burbs and spent a lot of time in the city, but I never learned about the tunnel until I was in my 40s. As an aside, the Sanford map you use to illustrate the location of the tunnel, it shows what is now Hubbard St. as being named Michigan at the time. hmm That means at one time it was possible to stand at the corner of Michigan and Michigan.
As a Native Chicagoan I grew up knowing this. Because of this tunnel the city also built the Chicago Pedway which is still in use today. The Chicago Pedway connects many of the buildings in the Loop.
First of all, love your channel. Second I believe the Map in the “constructing LaSalle Street Tunnel “ part of the video is incorrect. You’re pointing to, what is Congress today, which is south of the east west segment of the river that you’re talking about. You also mentioned it had to connect Randolph and Lake, which run parallel to each other and would not have a tunnel between them at any location unless they have changed the names of the streets since than. I think you meant to say lake and Kinzie. The fire map you show in “ surprise opening shock Chicago residents “ shows this very point. Again love your channel.
@@AndyMcCarthy-cz8dj Agree. LaSalle runs N and S, and Washington goes E-W and the video shows something south of WA going E-W, likely Congress as you say, or maybe Jackson.
Yeah…you missed the Chicago flood of 1992 when many people became aware of these when a company driving pilings in the Chicago river accidentally breached one of these tunnels, resulting in a massive flood of many lower levels of buildings.
@@thalstantrailwalker2393thank you. You’re the first person to give more context. I found it amusing that I didn’t know about these tunnels and I’ve lived in the city for most of my life. Makes you really wonder, just how much stuff is actually buried below our feet
My mom used to work for patrick engineering and would tell me all the tunnels and stuff in the city. I love the pedwalk connected to TJ Maxx that leads to Randolph Street Station
It's crazy that they were able to plan and build a tunnel in 5 years, during the 1860s. They can't execute a timeline like that today, 160 years later. Bureaucracy... Gotta love it.
Tell me about it: Interstate 85 near where I live in Cherokee County, SC has been undergoing a widening project for nearly 10 years, and still is nowhere near finished.
Not to be a contrarian but there are reasons why large engineering works take so long and the reason is almost always written in blood. Unfortunately today society demands that casualties be zero in projects so safety factors must be written in that far surpass reasonableness. I’m a USN/USMC flight test engineer at the end of my career. In the beginning it drove me crazy why we had to predict and analyze any potential issue. I’d ask why can’t we skip this or that part and some old engineer would tell me which one of his colleagues or pilots was killed because they didn’t do whatever. Now I’m the old engineer and I have to be the knowledge base for the young engineers I drive crazy requiring extensive analysis. If we didn’t mind and occasional tunnel collapsing and killing 100 people or having an aircraft crash we’d be able to kick out major engineering projects a lot faster. Would you be ok with a few deaths to hasten a project?
When does State Street Mall was retired. There was another city below it with storefronts. Why would anybody build a city in a swamp? It happened and it’s Chicago a feet of engineering for water supply and sewage removal.. `Amazing it all works as well as it does
It was mentioned the entrances/exits were sealed off with concrete. Are the tunnels inside hollow then? Curious to know how those tunnels look inside now if they weren’t filled in. Wonder if just full of water?
Another comment mentioned that in 1993, workers accidentally dug into the tunnel and caused a flood that filled up basements through the city. Not sure what happened to them in the 30+ years since.
Awesome video. I wasn't aware that there was ever a LaSalle St. tunnel. i wonder if any of the underground walkways have closed off access to this tunnel.
There weren't many boats that went to the Mississippi river. The connection between them was the Illinois and Michigan Canal that linked Lake Michigan with the Illinois River. The Illinois and Michigan Canal ran from a connection with the south fork of the south branch of the Chicago River near present day Archer Ave and Ashland Ave. The anal ran roughly 96 miles to a connection with the Illinois River. The I & M canal opened in 1848 and was completely out of use by 1948 when the Sanitary and Ship Canal opened to allow bigger boats. Early boats using the I & Canal were pulled by mules using pathways along the canal. Most of the I & M Canal still exists but only from Willow Springs to LaSalle. The portion of theI & M Canal that was in Chicago ran in the area of I-55 from Ashland Ave out. What helped it the I & M Canal out of usage was railroads, namely the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific which never reached the Pacific Ocean. What helped the railroadssucced was speed. A train could travel the 96 miles on hours verses days on the water. What is like to know is how Wacker Drive became to have an upper and lower section. Chicago's location at the mouth of the Chicago River at Lake Michigan is why it grew so quickly. Though sand and limestone still come up into Chicago not much else does. Oil stops near Romeoville for the refineries there. The Sanitary & ship canal links the Des Plaines river just northeast of Joliet with the Chicago River just north of Archer Ave. And a bit east of Ashland Ave. The Sanitary & Ship Canal connects with the Cal Sag Canal or Channel northeast of Illinois 83 and 107th street. Believe the Cal Sag channel runs between the Calumet River on Chicago's south side and the Sanitary & Ship Canal.
Born and raised in Chicago there’s much history that will never be told. Chicago is now mostly covered in transplants from all over the place. Like it has been since it’s start. But now more then ever, People born outside of Chicago. Are flocking to the city.
Being born in Aurora, Illinois in 1990; I knew about the tunnels Al Capone used and that I've been in as one connected to the Aragon Ballroom on Lawrence, but not this.
Bro, would you ever consider doing the Ohio State Reformatory (Mansfield, OH) ? Lots of spooky stuff there, and the ghostly figure that treks the woods nearby. Love the videos
I resided in Richmond VA around 2003. People would tell me the Chicago Fire was the greatest victory of the Civil War Confederacy. Both the history of the American Civil War and the History of Chicago need to be revised?
Amazing how the bitter winters didn't delay the men using chisels, picks, mules and wagons were able to build the structures in the background pictures. Blows my mind how the old world buildings look like a European city of the past yet have power lines prior to the Worlds Fair.
I have to wonder why the city did not make provision for inspection. What happens if they should collapse? Or, just like the famous freight tunnels, get punctured?
Me watching this as I work knowing I wanted to actually watch it- soooo I’m totally gonna just hit replay 😅😅 😂😂😂😂 one thing about it, I’m gon restart socash. Lol I need the useless knowledge lol
Don't forget, the Peshtigo fire in Wisconsin happened about the day before the Chicago fire. More people died in the Peshtigo fire than in the Chicago fire.
During the big fire up north a friend of the families for fathers went down into the basement and prayed, and the wind shifted and the fire missed their farm
3 days before the 4th of July it was ready to be opened?!? Let's guess it was delayed so the opening could be celebrated on the 4th of July celebration!! City government at its best!
I lived in Chicago several years, and was totally unaware of these pedestrian/cart tunnels. Thanks for the education on their transient existence!
@@stephenmoerlein8470 born and raised over 50 years and had no idea.
@@tonkabear2369 You don't remember when downtown flooded? I worked in the Board of Trade building and you could see (and smell) the water in the stairwell. The air conditioning was off for months while they cleaned up.
The water flooded lots of buildings that were connected to the tunnel.
I'll never forget that.
@@69eddieD Oh yes. I was on Madison and they send us home. I didn’t realize what was flooded was part of the video. I honestly didn’t finish watching it.
I was born in 90; in Aurora, I knew about the tunnels Al used, one connected to the Aragon on Lawrence, but not this.
@@kosjeyr Aragon brawl room
I especially love photos and illustrations of the downtown lake front in various stages of development. You should do a video about "the evolution of Chicago harbor"
Thank you so much for continuing to highlight some of the more obscure and interesting parts of Chicago history.
I remember my grandmother mentioning how she used to take the trolley on Washington under the river. Apparently before 1939. At the 3:34 mark, the location you point to is incorrect. The “LaSalle” names at that point are referring to the LaSalle St Metra station, the LaSalle Blue line station and the LaSalle/Van Buren Loop station. The LaSalle tunnel was further north where the street crosses the main branch of the river. You mention the tunnel entrances are paved over but at Kinzie looking south down LaSalle, there is a ramp going down to parking garages right where the north tunnel entrance would be. Repurposed tunnel entrance? (Check Google Maps street view)
That ramp at LaSalle and Kinzie is not part of the original portal for the tunnel. At 6:48, the map shows that the northern end of the tunnel started at LaSalle and Michigan (now Hubbard Street).
There's streetcar tunnel under the river on Madison Street too. We used to go though it on the Madison/5th Ave streetcar when I was a little kid.
I was expecting to hear about the tunnel flood of 1992 when workers accidentally broke through a wall. Basements of local stores like Marshall Field's were flooded with river water and had fish swimming in them. They tried emergency measures like stuffing in mattresses to block the hole.
I was working for the gas company and heard the city flooded, how? The operating engineers at the merchandise Mart heard a rushing of water thought a water main broke. he kicked off the power to all the boilers and the whole basement flooded. amazing how few mistakes can lead to a major catastrophe
Horse carts? Wagons? The smell in the tunnel must have been horrifying.
@@flickr4jazz I would imagine there was a poop scooper.
Just like everywhere else then!
All major cities at that time probably stunk. They do even now 😂
There is a hatch that is still used to enter the tunnel - you just need to know where to look and yes it’s locked. I was in there about 10 years ago.
I used to live in Brooklyn and would often switch from local to express trains at Hoyt-Schemerhorn. This station had the typical 4 sets of tracks for folx to switch from local/express in both directions... But there was an additional/platform set of tracks one either side of the used platforms.In 10 years, I never saw anyone on those outer platforms or a train on those outer tracksuit seems like a great abandoned priced of infrastructure for you to explore. I'd love to know the history of those abandoned routes.
Aren’t those the tracks that lead to the Subway Museum? IIRC the museum used to be a terminus of the AC, it wasn’t that useful so they stopped using it, making the outer tracks useless for regular service.
I grew up in the burbs and spent a lot of time in the city, but I never learned about the tunnel until I was in my 40s. As an aside, the Sanford map you use to illustrate the location of the tunnel, it shows what is now Hubbard St. as being named Michigan at the time. hmm That means at one time it was possible to stand at the corner of Michigan and Michigan.
Someone needs to take diving gear and break into the tunnels again to film it in current state.
@@KandiKlover there is a method via a sewer cap in the street. Once saw a special where they went in on a little tour. Authorized of course
@@krystianzyszczynski4115 well that certainly makes things easier. Wonder if it’s been uploaded to UA-cam
As a Native Chicagoan I grew up knowing this. Because of this tunnel the city also built the Chicago Pedway which is still in use today. The Chicago Pedway connects many of the buildings in the Loop.
First of all, love your channel.
Second I believe the Map in the “constructing LaSalle Street Tunnel “ part of the video is incorrect. You’re pointing to, what is Congress today, which is south of the east west segment of the river that you’re talking about. You also mentioned it had to connect Randolph and Lake, which run parallel to each other and would not have a tunnel between them at any location unless they have changed the names of the streets since than. I think you meant to say lake and Kinzie. The fire map you show in “ surprise opening shock Chicago residents “ shows this very point.
Again love your channel.
@@AndyMcCarthy-cz8dj Agree. LaSalle runs N and S, and Washington goes E-W and the video shows something south of WA going E-W, likely Congress as you say, or maybe Jackson.
Later in the video it appears to show the tunnel going N-S, which could be LaSalle, and makes more sense.
Ya the entrance on the north side is at LaSalle & Kinzie
I've lived in Chicago for nearly all my 23 years, never new about these tunnels. Ive always known of the pedway, but this is something else
Yeah…you missed the Chicago flood of 1992 when many people became aware of these when a company driving pilings in the Chicago river accidentally breached one of these tunnels, resulting in a massive flood of many lower levels of buildings.
@@thalstantrailwalker2393thank you. You’re the first person to give more context. I found it amusing that I didn’t know about these tunnels and I’ve lived in the city for most of my life. Makes you really wonder, just how much stuff is actually buried below our feet
Who build the buildings ? They are incredible circa 1870. We lost so much craftsmanship in 150 years. 😢
My mom used to work for patrick engineering and would tell me all the tunnels and stuff in the city.
I love the pedwalk connected to TJ Maxx that leads to Randolph Street Station
It's crazy that they were able to plan and build a tunnel in 5 years, during the 1860s. They can't execute a timeline like that today, 160 years later. Bureaucracy... Gotta love it.
Tell me about it: Interstate 85 near where I live in Cherokee County, SC has been undergoing a widening project for nearly 10 years, and still is nowhere near finished.
Not to be a contrarian but there are reasons why large engineering works take so long and the reason is almost always written in blood. Unfortunately today society demands that casualties be zero in projects so safety factors must be written in that far surpass reasonableness.
I’m a USN/USMC flight test engineer at the end of my career. In the beginning it drove me crazy why we had to predict and analyze any potential issue. I’d ask why can’t we skip this or that part and some old engineer would tell me which one of his colleagues or pilots was killed because they didn’t do whatever. Now I’m the old engineer and I have to be the knowledge base for the young engineers I drive crazy requiring extensive analysis.
If we didn’t mind and occasional tunnel collapsing and killing 100 people or having an aircraft crash we’d be able to kick out major engineering projects a lot faster.
Would you be ok with a few deaths to hasten a project?
@@kaptainkaos1202 Boy if that isn't a dose of reality I don't know what is. 😂
Well done. Thanks for sharing your view.
Thanks Tunnel Daddy
I literally work on this street and never knew. I knew that the streets were elevated but this is cool
When does State Street Mall was retired. There was another city below it with storefronts. Why would anybody build a city in a swamp? It happened and it’s Chicago a feet of engineering for water supply and sewage removal.. `Amazing it all works as well as it does
It was mentioned the entrances/exits were sealed off with concrete. Are the tunnels inside hollow then? Curious to know how those tunnels look inside now if they weren’t filled in. Wonder if just full of water?
Another comment mentioned that in 1993, workers accidentally dug into the tunnel and caused a flood that filled up basements through the city. Not sure what happened to them in the 30+ years since.
@@NottJoeyOfficial No. That was the coal-tunnels.
Terrific video. Thank you!
Awesome video. I wasn't aware that there was ever a LaSalle St. tunnel. i wonder if any of the underground walkways have closed off access to this tunnel.
love the flash frame at around 10:41 "copywright by t.a. edison 1897"
There weren't many boats that went to the Mississippi river. The connection between them was the Illinois and Michigan Canal that linked Lake Michigan with the Illinois River. The Illinois and Michigan Canal ran from a connection with the south fork of the south branch of the Chicago River near present day Archer Ave and Ashland Ave. The anal ran roughly 96 miles to a connection with the Illinois River. The I & M canal opened in 1848 and was completely out of use by 1948 when the Sanitary and Ship Canal opened to allow bigger boats.
Early boats using the I & Canal were pulled by mules using pathways along the canal. Most of the I & M Canal still exists but only from Willow Springs to LaSalle. The portion of theI & M Canal that was in Chicago ran in the area of I-55 from Ashland Ave out. What helped it the I & M Canal out of usage was railroads, namely the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific which never reached the Pacific Ocean.
What helped the railroadssucced was speed. A train could travel the 96 miles on hours verses days on the water.
What is like to know is how Wacker Drive became to have an upper and lower section.
Chicago's location at the mouth of the Chicago River at Lake Michigan is why it grew so quickly. Though sand and limestone still come up into Chicago not much else does. Oil stops near Romeoville for the refineries there.
The Sanitary & ship canal links the Des Plaines river just northeast of Joliet with the Chicago River just north of Archer Ave. And a bit east of Ashland Ave. The Sanitary & Ship Canal connects with the Cal Sag Canal or Channel northeast of Illinois 83 and 107th street. Believe the Cal Sag channel runs between the Calumet River on Chicago's south side and the Sanitary & Ship Canal.
“SECRET TUNNEL, SECRET TUNNEL, THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS, SECRET SECRET SECRET TUNNEL!!!”
@@Metroidkeeper what the beep is that supposed to be/mean?!?
@@brianbonnet3170it's a reference to Avatar: The Last Airbender
Wonderful history. I had no idea. I used to work at 17 East Monroe Street.
Great video, thanks.
You can still access those tunnels. I've been inside of them. They're used by the water department.
Born and raised in Chicago there’s much history that will never be told. Chicago is now mostly covered in transplants from all over the place. Like it has been since it’s start. But now more then ever, People born outside of Chicago. Are flocking to the city.
Being born in Aurora, Illinois in 1990; I knew about the tunnels Al Capone used and that I've been in as one connected to the Aragon Ballroom on Lawrence, but not this.
Great info.
LaSalle and Lake St is where they made the police car crash scene in the movie Blues Brothers
Would love to see someone make their way down there and see the inside of those tunnels today.
I wonder if these were flooded in the great Chicago flood of 1992.
I live and work in River North…that was a disaster!
These tunnels were the ones that caused the flood.
@@JoseMartinez-df2db That was the coal tunnels.
Bro, would you ever consider doing the Ohio State Reformatory (Mansfield, OH) ? Lots of spooky stuff there, and the ghostly figure that treks the woods nearby. Love the videos
@andyperkins85 otherwise known as Shawshank prison. Amazing how that movie saved it from the wrecking ball.
Great vid
I resided in Richmond VA around 2003. People would tell me the Chicago Fire was the greatest victory of the Civil War Confederacy. Both the history of the American Civil War and the History of Chicago need to be revised?
The Chicago Fire had nothing to do with the civil war. The South sure does love making stories up.
Amazing how the bitter winters didn't delay the men using chisels, picks, mules and wagons were able to build the structures in the background pictures.
Blows my mind how the old world buildings look like a European city of the past yet have power lines prior to the Worlds Fair.
Laughed at calling the river a nuisance. Cities grew around rivers for a reason! Transportation and easy access to water.
I have to wonder why the city did not make provision for inspection. What happens if they should collapse? Or, just like the famous freight tunnels, get punctured?
@@johnnicpon5783 Democrat run city
It’s crazy how it took them two years to build an underwater tunnel and nowadays it would take them 4-5+ years to make a tunnel
I forget the next couple of lines, but then it goes...
Secret tunnel!
Me watching this as I work knowing I wanted to actually watch it- soooo I’m totally gonna just hit replay 😅😅
😂😂😂😂 one thing about it, I’m gon restart socash. Lol I need the useless knowledge lol
Bring back those trams
How about sears in north lawndale
I would love you to do the tunnels in Manhattan on Park avenue
Was any of the tunnel ever used for the bus station tunnels at LaSalle near Wacker Drive?
How do they dig the river deeper as the judge ordered if they closed the tunnels and just left them there? Unless I missed something.
1:28 There’s no “card”
I wonder if we could stick a camera down the tunnels to see whats there?
Interesting!
Don't forget, the Peshtigo fire in Wisconsin happened about the day before the Chicago fire. More people died in the Peshtigo fire than in the Chicago fire.
@@joefranks4235 But they isn't the point of the video and that fire was in another stste
During the big fire up north a friend of the families for fathers went down into the basement and prayed, and the wind shifted and the fire missed their farm
3 days before the 4th of July it was ready to be opened?!?
Let's guess it was delayed so the opening could be celebrated on the 4th of July celebration!!
City government at its best!
Opened three days behind schedule on the 4th of July 🤨
The S.S Eastland almost destroyed the bridge when people were cleaning up the Eastland Disaster
I am so tired of people changing things, they never make them better. Bring back the tunnels.
And that’s where all the governments gold is stored.
Have anyone heard of tartiata hidden history
4:15 In December of 1970?
I'm convinced he does this just to see if people are paying attention. 😅
Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under LaSalle Street?
Didn't this channel used to cover things like King Baldwin of Jerusalem? What happened?
Surprised no urban explorers have gotten into them yet....or have they?
itd be full of water, and probably mud
Just because nobody posts about something online does not mean that it is not happening... 🤫
👍
2:29 Franklin Clinton eh.
😊
I heard my momma cry I heard her pray the night Chicago died
Hmm good place for the lizard's too hide 🤔
Chicago, also the name of its location during Native American times. Its names means “Anus of the lake”.
I want see build not head
It Probably got removed because it helped people escape a caused disaster. Chicago seems to like it's disasters by design
Chicago is a wasteland anymore
Let’s bring back cities based on rail transit again! 🚃👌