1856 · The Largest Map Company in the World
Age 0
William Rand opened a small printing shop in Chicago. Doing most of the work himself for the first two years he decided to hire some help. Rand Hired Andrew McNally, an Irish Immigrant, to work in his shop. After doing business with the Chicago Tribune, Rand and McNally were hired to run the Tribune's entire printing operation. Years later, Rand and McNally established Rand McNally & Co after purchasing the Tribune's printing business. They focused mainly on printing tickets, complete railroad guides and timetables for the booming railroad industry around the city. What made the company successful was the detailed maps of roadways, along with directions to certain places. Rand McNally was the first major map publisher to embrace a system of numbered highways and erected many of the roadside highway signs that have been adopted by state and federal highway authorities. The company is still making and updating the world maps that are looked at every day.
1858 · A House Divided
Age 2
Abraham Lincoln's goal was to be different than the previous Senators of Illinois and voice his opinion in how he saw the State and the United States start to drift apart in the different ideology on what was right and what was wrong. Even though it would become an unsuccessful campaign strategy to win the senate seat, to this day it is one of the most famous speeches of US politics.
1860 · Ohio supports the Union side of the Civil War
Age 4
Although divided as a state on the subject of slavery, Ohio participated in the Civil War on the Union's side, providing over 300,000 troops. Ohio provided the 3rd largest number of troops by any Union state.