Uploaded September 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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The Chicago Board of Trade created a central meeting place for buyers and sellers of farm goods to negotiate contracts. This organization of an unorganized industry helped Chicago’s defining industries match the expectation of the city’s boosters who were claiming Chicago was feeding the world. Visit architecture.org/buildings to learn more about Chicago’s most iconic buildings and discover how Chicago’s rich architectural legacy was built.