In his history of Chicago in the 19th century Cronon's primary thesis is that rural and urban growth/development go hand in hand with one another. The two worlds are interdependent and rely on one another to continue to exist. And in the case of the rise of Chicago these connections are especially true.
In each section of the book Cronon takes a look at one aspect of what led to the exponential growth of Chicago and why it succeeded where many other cities did not. His history is one that looks at commodoties, business, and transporation and how all of those played a part in making not only a major US city, but a regional hub that had international impact. He starts with the boosters who made initial land grabs in the region, to the waterways and railways used to transport goods, to the grains that made Chicago a market powerhouse (including being the place where grain futures were first created), to the lumber that built a region (and caused Wisconsin to be scraped clean of White Pines)...the list goes on. Each section demonstrates how closely the interests of rural and urban communities intertwine and how this continues to be true, though the politics of today would have us think otherwise.
I heard about this book from a podcast. What sold them on the book was the exploration of the impact of grain elevators on the world's economy. And they weren't wrong. The ways in which an invention of a production process that made moving grain a seamless, speedy process and how that changed the world? Fascinating. As were the chapters on livestock and lumber and all the rest. I'm glad to have read the book and learned more of our middle west history.