In "The Devil in the White City," Erik Larson depicts the ambitious urban development of Chicago, illustrating how the city expanded with extensive street and sewer infrastructure designed to accommodate a burgeoning population. The quote highlights the early stages of this expansion, where considerable effort was put into creating urban amenities even in sparsely populated areas, exemplifying the city’s vision for growth.

This juxtaposition between the lavish planning and the reality of isolated homes underscores the transformative nature of the World’s Fair, where dreams of progress and modernity clashed with the starkness of the existing landscape. Larson uses this imagery to evoke the ambitious spirit of the era, emphasizing how the city's evolution was marked by both grand aspirations and the stark contrasts present in its development.