How Did Chicago Get Its Name
- 12 years ago
How Did Chicago Get Its Name - as part of the news series by GeoBeats.
Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago is the third biggest US city in terms of population. The Chicago metro area area is sometimes referred to as Chicagoland, but how did Chicago get its name? It got its name from the Miami and Illinois Tribes, who took note of the wild leeks, which grew on the riverbanks. “Shikaakwa” means striped skunk and was also used in reference to the leeks. Although spelled differently over the years, the French started using a version of the word as a name for what is now Chicago.
There is some confusion about why Chicago is also known as the Windy City. While it would seem self explanatory, it is disputed whether the nickname derived from the weather, or politics.The city did use this moniker to try and lure summer tourists to their shores in the 1860s and 70s, and its forecasts frequently include the temperature followed by “cooler near the lake.”
The name Chicago has been used in popular culture quite extensively including a musical and a movie based on the musical, and a rock band that led the US singles chart in the 1970s.
Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago is the third biggest US city in terms of population. The Chicago metro area area is sometimes referred to as Chicagoland, but how did Chicago get its name? It got its name from the Miami and Illinois Tribes, who took note of the wild leeks, which grew on the riverbanks. “Shikaakwa” means striped skunk and was also used in reference to the leeks. Although spelled differently over the years, the French started using a version of the word as a name for what is now Chicago.
There is some confusion about why Chicago is also known as the Windy City. While it would seem self explanatory, it is disputed whether the nickname derived from the weather, or politics.The city did use this moniker to try and lure summer tourists to their shores in the 1860s and 70s, and its forecasts frequently include the temperature followed by “cooler near the lake.”
The name Chicago has been used in popular culture quite extensively including a musical and a movie based on the musical, and a rock band that led the US singles chart in the 1970s.