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Happy 188th Birthday, Chicago. Here’s Some City History You Need to Know
(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
Happy Birthday, Chicago.
Tuesday marks the city’s 188th birthday. The March 4 date recognizes the city of Chicago’s official incorporation in 1837.
The city’s first non-indigenous permanent settler was Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, who in the 1770s arrived at the mouth of the Chicago River.
Fort Dearborn was eventually constructed by the U.S. government in 1803. Just over a decade after the city’s incorporation, the Illinois and Michigan Canal opened a link between the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes. Railroads soon expanded, and the city became a crucial trading center as the nation expanded west.
Chicago’s population exploded over its first decades as a city. At the time of its incorporation, the city was home to about 4,000 residents, according to the Chicago Historical Society. It grew to 109,000 residents in 1860. Despite the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, it boomed to 503,000 residents in 1880 and doubled to more than 1 million by 1890.
It was just 56 years after the city was incorporated that the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 exposed Chicago to the world stage.
In honor of the city’s birthday, we rounded up some of our WTTW News Explains videos that give you a deeper dive into this city we call home.
How Did Chicago Get Its Shape?
Chicago was incorporated as a city … of just 10 square miles.
That’s right, Chicago’s original borders were tight: Lake Michigan to Wood Street, 22nd Street to North Avenue. (Yeah, that’s why it’s called North Avenue.)
Here’s a look at how it expanded over the years.
Where Did Chicago’s Nicknames Come From?
When it comes to nicknames, Chicago sure has gotten stuck with some stinkers. Maybe it’s because the city’s actual name comes from a smelly wild onion. Or maybe it’s because other cities like to drag our city through the mud.
From “Windy City” to “Second City” here’s the origins of some of our most beloved (or most reviled) nicknames.
How Did Those K, L, M, N and O Chicago Street Names Come to Be?
Like most major cities, many of Chicago’s streets are named to honor important people.
But as you travel a ways west from the lake, it’s hard not to notice clusters of north-south streets that all start with the same letters – K, L, M, N, O. What gives?
Where Does Chicago Stand in Skyscraper History?
In 1885, the Home Insurance Building went up on the corner of Adams and LaSalle streets. This architectural marvel clocked in at a staggering 12 stories and 180 feet. OK, maybe not a skyscraper by modern standards, but for its time it was an impressive feat, supported by a steel frame reinforced with concrete.
As the years ticked by, the City of Big Shoulders became a city of big buildings.
