Origin of The Name "Windy City"

Origin Of The Name "Windy City"

The city of Chicago has been known by many nicknames, but it is most widely recognized as the "Windy City". There are three main possibilities to explain the city's nickname: the weather, as Chicago is near Lake Michigan; the World's Fair; and the rivalry with Cincinnati.

The earliest known reference to Chicago as the "Windy City" is from an 1858 Chicago Tribune article. The first known repeated effort to label Chicago with this nickname is from 1876 and involves Chicago's rivalry with Cincinnati. The term "Windy City" was popularized and came into common usage by The Sun editor, Charles Dana, in the bidding for the 1893 Columbian Exposition. The popularity of the nickname has endured, long after the Cincinnati rivalry and the Columbian Exposition ended.

Read more about Origin Of The Name "Windy City":  Weather, Cincinnati Rivalry, World's Fair, The Hawk Wind, or Hawkins

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