HIST 100: Engineering The Past

Beliefs

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Daniel Hudson Burnham in this book is the protagonist, through out the book you see the way he changes with his values and beliefs. Early on in the book page 19 “The boy proved to have a severe case of test anxiety.” Later on in that same passage we learn that Harvard and Yale would soon turn him down. Now Burnham has had some great success, he is an architect that is doing well is a planner for the fair that is soon approaching. As we see early in the book Daniel is a family man, committed, strong willed, and used his confidence to get where he is at without having the education from Yale or Harvard. As we skip further into the book page 128 “ Burnham saw his family rarely now.” This quote leads me to believe that the more he is working to make this fair the best. It’s starting to seem like the family man value is starting to diminish.

 

Frederick Olmsted works along side Root and Burnham in the planning of the fair. He does landscape and architect, we know that he is well known from the work that he does because he is well credible. The values and beliefs that Olmsted has to me are interesting. It seems like he needs to prove himself even though he is well thought of in his profession. We understand that the planning of the fair is something that he is very serious about because he believes it will make him more well known.

 

Now Holmes, as we all know is another main character that Larson ties in with the book. He is a killer and is very interesting looking into his beliefs. On page 85 “Holmes’ new idea was to turn his building into a hotel for visitors to the world’s Columbian Exposition…” His belief and values are simple, he believes he’s a killer. He values that because he is putting the thought that people are going to need a place to stay and is going to open his house. It was a perfect way from him to lure his victims in. A cheap place to stay for the fair seems like a good idea, little did they know they were staying with a murderer. Holmes is a very smart killer and in the book you realize that he truly believes he was brought to earth to kill. It is a belief that he carries all through out the book and sadly enough it never changes.

First Reflection of the Fair

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1 Near the end of this section of the reading, Erik Larson writes of the “turmoil and grief engulf[ing] Chicago.” “The old world,” he notes, “was passing” (121-22). Based on what you’ve read so far, what do you think was the most significant issue or tension in the United States in the 1880s and 1890s, and why? Cite evidence from the book to support your choice.

I think some of the most significant issues in the United States around this time was trying to be the most innovative and grandest. It was obvious that times were changing and things were being more progressive, so everyone wanted that coveted title of being the person or the first to create something so large. The book speaks the competition to have the World’s Fair come to New York City, Washington, St. Louis, or Chicago. Every city wanted it because it would show how extraordinary they are and how important that city is to them. Burnham and Root were working on building the tallest buildings in the country, and finding new ways to lay the foundation. With things changing so fast and so often this time made it hard to keep up with absolutely everything that was going on. People were being introduced to ideas that were wild and sinister, and since so many were focusing on being the best and the greatest these people were able to practice these things they had heard about almost unnoticed.

2 Why do you think Larson has chosen to intertwine the story of the fair with that of Holmes?

I think Larson decided to intertwine the store of Holmes with the fair because Holmes is the perfect example of someone that was willing to do whatever it took to be successful. With the fair coming into town many saw this as the perfect opportunity to find success. Holmes knew how to use his strengths to talk his way into almost anything he wants. Before coming to Chicago he traveled all around the Northeast in search of finding something he could be successful at. Holmes, like many, was not worried about ethics during this time, as cited above, “turmoil and grief” was surrounding the city, and he was part of that. Having so many people in one place made it easy to hide the wrongdoing that was going on. He saw opportunities and he took it, preying on anyone’s weakness.

The Fair

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First off I wanted to say how much I enjoy this book. It is a unique way to view such a historical event. For example when you read a book similar it is either slightly dull at first or is very crime thriller-like, instead it’s like I’m reading the script to a history channel special. Anyways, I think to really answer the question about what I think is the most significant issue or tension, I would need to narrow it down. For the point I’m at there are few issues, the overlaying one has to be how buildings can just be erected with little political hurdles it seems to be. This gets me the most since at this time everything is a giant experiment with the skyscrapers, along with this, there is practically chaos in the streets. Along with this, there is prominent signs that the economy is near shambles with scams happening only adds to the issue. “Together the devised an elaborate life insurance fraud…” (42) this was Mudgett, later he would run a scam on construction workers as Holmes around page 66 or so.

For this book I like how it has two stories progressing at the same time. I think this was done for two reasons, first for story. Doing this helps progress the story and forever changing and allowing major character development. The second is to cause a bit of a dramatic irony which were the reader or observer knows more information than the characters causing the reader to stay tuned to see how to everything pans out.