For most of Chicago's history, this river was a dumpster.
Meatpacking plants dumped animal waste into it. The river ran so thick with grease that people called one stretch "Bubbly Creek" — because decomposing animal carcasses would release gas and literally bubble to the surface.
Buildings faced away from the river on purpose.
And now look where you're standing. Wine bars. Kayak rentals. This riverwalk opened in 2015. It cost $110 million, and about half came from federal stimulus money. The 2008 recession helped pay for your waterfront stroll.
They even dye it green every Saint Patrick's Day. Forty pounds of vegetable dye, dumped in from boats. The recipe is a secret — the plumbers' union has guarded it since 1962.
The river's clean enough to swim in now. Nobody does, because it's still the Chicago River and we have standards. But you could.
— From the tour: The Postcard Tour
