"Chicago, 1835" is based on a map which is archived in the Perry-Castaneda Library at the University of Texas.  The piece is divided into 3 distinct sections:

Section 1 - The most salient characteristic of the map for me:  the rivers running through the city.  The shape is traced by the contour of the cellists' lines.

Section 2 - The details:  the small squares and rectangles defining the plotted land.  Starting from the top left and working downward and to the right, the shape
of the plots is represented by the duration of the cellists' notes.

Section 3 - The mood: aged, earnest, and melancholy, the character is depicted through a waltz-like melody inspired by Chopin and Schumann.

"Chicago, 1835" was composed for cellists Frank Jenkins and Anna Park.