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Explore the forgotten story of Chicago's ambitious 19th-century trestle bridge that stretched across Lake Michigan in this 13-minute historical documentary. Discover how engineers in the mid-1800s constructed a wooden causeway over open water to carry Illinois Central trains above the waves, fundamentally transforming Chicago's lakefront forever. Learn about the fierce battles over commerce, corruption, and public space that this unlikely structure triggered, including how it blocked ships, created new land, and ultimately led to the creation of Grant Park. Uncover the engineering marvel's connection to a landmark Supreme Court ruling that established America's "public trust" doctrine, and understand how this buried piece of infrastructure shaped one of the nation's most iconic urban parks.
