Bowen's Dream 111i ·s a11d ,o:i1i11g i11fla1ion , annual sales rme 1101n .-:.wo,ooo in 1857 Lo '::-i7 million in 18fiti. To wmcc1att· 1heir s11ccess, the 1h1ec brn1hcrs i11H·,1<.:d . 100,000 1haL yea1 to cons1111ct the frves101 y Bowrn Buildi11g at J j '!) Randolph S11cct (, ti wh,1t would now be Ci:i 71 East Ran dolph ). ·1 hey also pmchas<.:cl the adjoining prnpc11 y 011 tht· slrcct, which bt·x River l\fanufact111 ing Com pan}, makers ol woolt'n goods. Although he now Jlladc his hom • ou I side Ch irago, he c·1Hlc111 bminc·ss111e11 who ,hared his faith in the Ame1 ica11 c at'do of prn, pct ity and ltappiness. Pat 1ly lo b1 i11g rnmpeti ti\. · 1clicl to the l;11111c1s and p:111ly 101 t<•av>m of pcrson:tl p1ofi1, he and other intcn·stecl pa1 tic, rng-a11i1ecl the Chicago a11d Pacific Rail mad in 187!.!. Although suivcycd only 10 the i\lississippi Rivet, it was intended to be the 111st link in a line tlwt was to 11111 !torn Chicago 10 111(' I':u ific <0,1'>1. In lacl, the !inc was never 1Juil1 beyo11d By1on , Illinois. Fot a tim ·, however, the 1ailrnad did suc cced i11 1nl11c ing freight r;11es in Illinois and Bowen bccalllc som ·thing of a hero in Elgin. Fm two )Cars in a rnw 187~ and 187'.l he was clent·d 111ayo1. B111 lac cd with I isi ng opcr;1Li ng costs and 1hc lailu1c of ,lock sub,n ibcrs 10 ho11rn thei1 pledge cl111 ing 1he dcp1ession of 187:1, the 1.iilao:ad sc><1n kl! i11to l1nanc ial dif fie ulty . In an ellrn t 10 sla\C oil di,;is1cr, Bowen a,,11111cd the pr·sidenc y of the line. The situ a1io11 prnvcd hopelt-s, in the• f:icc of compe1i 1io11 ftolll the largct railrnacl, , which lowC'ted l1cight rate, 10 levels 1ha1 clit'< tivdy squ<'Ctc·cl 1hc Chicago and Pacific cH1t of the lll:11ket. 111 .Ja1Ht:lt) 1877, the line went into tc<'I ierHC, clt11 ing the clep1cssion )C.tl\ liom 187 :1 LO 1878 allcct •d him prnfoundly. Once I icling the wave of prn,p •1 ity, hc was now bank1 upt. Moreover, a~ wages and pt ices in Chicago plummeted to pre Civil War level~. i11du,11 i .., c lched, and the ranks of u11cmployccl workers and hnancially ruined farmers swelled, he grew increasingly concerned about the vitality of the American economy. Even more disturbing, national markets seemed to lack their former resiliency to absorb domestic production and stimulat~ economic expansion. Meanwhile, the flow of foreign goods into the United States, particularly from England, posed a formidable Ch icago History 145