The 1933 Century of Progress Exposition boosted popular memory of DuSable by exhibiting a replica of DuSable's cabin as it had been envisioned in the 1884 engraving in A. T. Andreas's History of Chicago. While the replica was just 8 feet by 12 feet, the record of the sale of the house in 1800 indicates that its area was actually nine times larger, although imagining a tiny, rustic log cabin better serves the narrative of dramatic progress. DuSable's status in Chicago's past took on new significance in the 20th century, as Chicago became a center of African American culture and could look back with pride at the role of a black businessman in the city's origin story.

Author: Unknown
Source: Chicago Historical Society (ICHi-37953)