It wasn't just aesthetics that blinded Chicagoans to the river's potential. Depending on one's point of view, it could be regarded as a conduit or an impediment to commerce. Except for a small gap, the river sat astride an all-water route — via the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River system — from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. When Dunham came to Chicago from New York state in 1854, the Illinois and Michigan Canal had been dug through that gap, just southwest of Chicago. Already a marine engineer at 17, he sensed that Chicago's location offered a wealth of opportunity.