The History of the Bubbly Creek Section of the Chicago River is Truly Disgusting

Bubbly Creek. This is the nickname given to the south fork of the Chicago River. Doesn’t it sound so quaint and cute? Sure it does. But it is particularly strange given this river’s history. If you ever read Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle,” you probably know about the history of Chicago’s meatpacking industry. Imagine living during this era, with blood and entrails being dumped into the river. This is how it used to be. So why did it bubble? It bubbled because of the gas coming from all of that decomposing flesh. The sides of the river would be coated in hairs from the animals, which people would scoop up and collect. It was truly a different time.