The Jungle
Upton Sinclair came to Chicago with hopes of writing The Jungle. When he came to the lobby of the Chicago Transit House, a hotel, he was quoted as saying, "Hello! I'm Upton Sinclair, and I'm here to write the Uncle Tom's Cabin of the Labor Movement!". He rented living quarters and immediately began walking its streets, talking to its people and taking pictures. One Sunday afternoon, he worked his way into a group of Lithuanian immigrants getting together for a wedding party, "Behold, there was the opening scene of my story, a gift from the gods". He was welcomed there and was with them until two in the morning.