[BLANK-1] grew into one of the United States’ largest and mo…
grew into one of the United States’ largest and most important cities by the late-nineteenth century. It was known for its skyscrapers and sites of mass consumerism (such as early department stores like Marshall Field’s, Montgomery Ward, and Sears and Roebuck, co.). It expanded from a wilderness outpost to a regional market hub in the Midwest and continued to serve as a major distribution network for America’s hinterland. It was selected to host the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition due to its associations with modernity.