Creating Fiction From History: 9/7/2022

For an Irishman at the turn of the century Chicago, young Tom Thumb (Thomas O'Malley) had his work cut out for him!

The dapper young fellow possibly featured in the photograph might later have become one of the most infamous inhabitants of the Windy City. However, for the purposes of this story, we'll focus instead on his earlier life in this melting pot.

Thomas was a fairly recent immigrant from the Emerald Isles, having sailed into New York Harbor on January 1st, 1892, under the watchful eye of Lady Liberty. An orphan thanks to the Great Famine some years earlier, little Tom overcame this hardship to become the newest, and youngest, employee of the American Bridge Company, at their Lassig plant, which was formerly known as Lassig Bridge and Ironworks.

Originally known as The Clybourn Place Drawbridge, The Cortland Street Drawbridge, located at 12th & Cortland in Old Chicago, was one of the first projects Tom worked on under the auspices of the fairly new American Bridge Company.

As it replaced the original bridge, which was supported by a central pylon, this pylon had to be removed before the new bridge designed by John Ericson and Edward Wilmann, could be constructed.

Fortunately, little Tom was busy at the plant that day and so missed out on the deconstruction. The bridge is still in use today, thanks to skilled workers like Tom, and was completed in 1902.

If you would like to create fiction from history with one of the museum's photos, please contact the Ledger at (406) 287-5301 or email whledger@gmail.com.