Why Do They Call Chicago The Windy City
Olivia Luz
While the word chicago has native american origins the origin of the windy city moniker seems to have more to do with infamous chicago politics than weather patterns.
As a nickname to chicago the name windy city started being used back in 1876. The nickname which dates back to the late 1870s is deceiving because literally chicago is a windy city but that s not what the original coining of the phrase was referencing. Interestingly although chicago may have gotten its nickname in part because of its fierce winds it s not the breeziest town in the united states. Nineteenth century journalists frequently referred to chicago as the windy city because they allegedly believed chicagoan politicians were nothing but profit centric.
Nineteenth century journalists first gave chicago this designation when criticizing the city s elite as full of hot air in the chicago daily tribune a reporter wrote in 1858 that a hundred. Boston is windiest with an average of 12 4 mph. However it s worth noting the rivalry between chicago a growing metropolis in the nineteenth century and other cities such as new york city from where most of these journalists came. For most of the 19th century chicago went by other nicknames including garden city in reference to the city s immense collection of beautiful gardens parks and victorian era rural cemeteries.
For example on may 9 1876 and on may 13 1876 the cincinnati enquirer had headlines that clearly had the words the windy city the nickname did not appear because of the windy nature of the city of chicago arising from the breeze from lake michigan. If chicago isn t the windiest place where did the nickname even come from. It wasn t because of the winds blowing of the lake. Chicago is called the windy city because of the severe winds chicago used to get.
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A likely source of the nickname is political. With an average wind speed of 10 3 mph chicago ranks 12th windiest among the nation s major cities. There are a few versions to that answer.Source : pinterest.com