Ogden was a leading investor in the Illinois and Michigan, then switched his commitment to railroads. Throughout his later life, Ogden was heavily focused and involved in the building of several raildroads. In 1847, Ogden come up with a master plan to build a railway out of Chicago, but no capital was forthcoming. Eastern investors were worried of Chicago's reputation for irrational boosterism and the people of the city of Chicago(Chicagoans) did not want to remove traffic from their profitable canal works. So Ogden and his right hand man J. Young Scammon took some subscriptions from the farmers and small businessmen whose land lay almost exactly across from the proposed rail. Farmer's wives used the money they gained from selling eggs to buy shares of stock on a monthly payment plan.
(Image to the left: William Butler Ogden)
(Image to the left: William Butler Ogden)
By 1848, Ogden and Scammon had raised about $400,000 enough to begin the building and foundation of the railroad tracks. The Galena and Chicago Union Railroad was profitable from the start and eventually extended out to Wisconsin, bringing grain from the Great Plains into the city of Chicago. As president of Union Pacfic, Ogden extended the reach of Chicago's rail lines to the West coast.
(Image to the right: Union Pacific Railroad Vintage Map)
In 1853, the Chicago Land Company, of which Ogden was a trustee, purchased land at a bend in the Chicago River and began to cut a channel, formally known as North Branch Canal, but also referred to as Ogden's Canal. The resulting island is now known as Goose Island.
(Image to the left: Goose Island 1853)
(Image to the left: Goose Island 1853)
Ogden designed the first swing bridge over the Chicago River.
(Image to the right: First swing bridge of Chicago)
(Image to the right: First swing bridge of Chicago)
Even though Ogden was a very good Independent worker, he didnt do it all by himself . Along with Mayor William Ogden, Scammon built the first railroad from Chicago in 1848, the Galena and Chicago Union, which ran from Chicago to a point ten miles west of town. When Eastern financiers did not support the railroad, Ogden and Scammon raised the money by riding on horseback along instead of route and taking donations from the farmers he passed, Which I touched on a little bit at the very top of the page. (Image to the left: J. Young Scammon)
Slideshow Above: Maps of the first Railroad built and constructed by William Ogden And J Young Scammom, As you can see later on, the railroads essentially expand throughout the West.
Although William was heavily involved in railroads he also built and helped design many bridges around Chicago and will later inspire the designs of many of the modern bridges we have in Chicago today. The three images above are some possible blueprints Ogden followed while doing his work.