 New York's population tripled between 1840 and 1870, and property values soared, increasing by more than 90 percent between 1860 and 1875.Further west, the city of Chicago became the other major site in the development of early skyscrapers.In contrast to New York, Chicago emerged as a major metropolis only in the mid-19th century, growing from a village of around fifty inhabitants in 1830, to a city of 30,000 in 1850 and nearly 300,000 by 1870.