What is the history of Chicago's flag?
The City of Chicago's flag, was adopted in 1917 after the design by Wallace Rice won a City Council sponsored competition.
How many stars are on the Chicago flag?
Between the two blue stripes are four red, six-pointed stars arranged in a horizontal row. The City of Chicago 's flag was adopted in 1917 after the design by Wallace Rice won a City Council sponsored competition.
What do the stripes on the Chicago flag mean?
Its stripes are blue and white. Its stars symbolize the Great Fire and World’s Fair. The flag is white, the composite of all the colors, because Chicago’s population is a composite of all the nations.
How did Chicago get its name?
Historians regard the August 4, 1830 filing of the plat as the official recognition of a location known as Chicago. Yankee entrepreneurs saw the potential of Chicago as a transportation hub in the 1830s and engaged in land speculation to obtain the choicest lots. On August 12, 1833, the Town of Chicago was incorporated with a population of 350.
Why are there 4 stars on the Chicago flag?
The four six-pointed red stars represent major historical events: Fort Dearborn, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, and the Century of Progress Exposition of 1933–34. Symbolism aside, the flag's simple, bold design is the reason it caught on.
Why is Chicago flag so popular?
Unlike many state and municipal flags that incorporate seals and detailed, intricate designs, the Chicago flag's design is straightforward, recognizable, and versatile. Its simplicity makes it suitable for a wide variety of applications.
What was the original symbol of Chicago?
The seal is described in the ordinance as "a shield (American) with a sheaf of wheat on its center; a ship in full sail on the right; a sleeping infant on the top; an Indian with bow and arrow on the left; and with the motto 'Urbs in Horto' at the bottom of the shield, with the inscription 'City of Chicago-Incorporated ...
What is the Chicago flag called?
The City of Chicago's flag was adopted in 1917 after the design by Wallace Rice won a City Council sponsored competition. It initially had two stars, until 1933 when a third was added....Flag of Chicago.DesignArgent four mullets of six points gules in fess between two bars bleu de ciel.Designed byWallace Rice6 more rows
What does Chicago stand for?
What Does the Word “Chicago” Mean? The most-accepted Chicago meaning is a word that comes from the Algonquin language: “shikaakwa,” meaning “striped skunk” or “onion.” According to early explorers, the lakes and streams around Chicago were full of wild onions, leeks, and ramps.
What flag has 4 red crosses?
The Georgian national flagThe Georgian national flag is a white rectangle, with a large red cross in its central portion touching all four sides of the flag. In the four corners there are four bolnur-katskhuri crosses (also referred to as a Georgian Cross or a Grapevine cross) of the same color as the large cross.
What is the motto of Chicago?
I Will, the title of artist Ellsworth Kelly's Minimalist sculpture, was the motto adopted by Chicagoans after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
Why did Chicago almost add another star to its flag?
While there have been numerous campaigns to add a fifth star to the flag (to honour everything from Chicago's role in the creation of the atomic bomb to its place in the history of the Special Olympics), its current form has remained unchanged since 1939.
When was the Chicago flag created?
On April 4, 1917 - the same day the U.S. Senate voted to support U.S. entry into World War I - Chicago City Council approved the winning design and the Chicago flag was official. The Chicago flag is now over 100 years old.
What is Chicago known for?
Some of the many things Chicago is famous for are: Chicago-style hot dogs, Chicago-style (deep dish) pizza, Maxwell Street Polish Sausage, jazz music, and 1920s gangsters, for example Al Capone. Chicago is also known for architecture, for example the Sears Tower and museums. It is also known for its loyal sports fans.
Why is Chicago called the Second City?
Rivalry with NYC: In the early 20th century, Chicago found itself competing with New York City in hopes of becoming a similarly remarkable metropolitan area. But the midwest couldn't compete with the east coast's size and population, keeping Chicago locked into the second-place slot.
Is the Chicago flag trademarked?
By https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:-xfi- - according to a design specified by Wikipedia user John Reid or T. E. Whalen's) construction sheet (Municipal Flag of Chicago), which is in the public domain, and thus represented here.
Why did Chicago almost add another star to its flag?
While there have been numerous campaigns to add a fifth star to the flag (to honour everything from Chicago's role in the creation of the atomic bomb to its place in the history of the Special Olympics), its current form has remained unchanged since 1939.
What is Chicago known for?
Some of the many things Chicago is famous for are: Chicago-style hot dogs, Chicago-style (deep dish) pizza, Maxwell Street Polish Sausage, jazz music, and 1920s gangsters, for example Al Capone. Chicago is also known for architecture, for example the Sears Tower and museums. It is also known for its loyal sports fans.
What is the meaning of a Confederate flag?
In 1860 and 1861, eleven southern states seceded from the United States to protect the institution of slavery, forming the Confederate States of America and sparking the U.S. Civil War. After the war, their flag was adopted as a symbol of Southern heritage at the same time as it represented slavery and white supremacy.
Why is Chicago called the Second City?
Rivalry with NYC: In the early 20th century, Chicago found itself competing with New York City in hopes of becoming a similarly remarkable metropolitan area. But the midwest couldn't compete with the east coast's size and population, keeping Chicago locked into the second-place slot.
Who designed the Chicago flag?
Harrison’s flag commission received more than 1,000 proposals before settling on a design submitted by Wallace Rice, a lecturer in heraldry and flag history at the Art Institute of Chicago. Infographic showing the history and meaning of the flag of Chicago. Rice’s original design only incorporated two stars, symbolizing the Chicago fire ...
Why did the Chicago flag have two stars?
He aligned them to the staff (left) side rather than centering them, assuming that city officials might wish to add more stars at a later date. The city did exactly that in the 1930s, adding two more stars (symbolizing the 1933 Century of Progress Exposition and Fort Dearborn ). While there have been numerous campaigns to add a fifth star to the flag (to honour everything from Chicago’s role in the creation of the atomic bomb to its place in the history of the Special Olympics ), its current form has remained unchanged since 1939.
What was the purpose of the Y-shape on the flag at the 1893 World's Columbian?
The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition had come and gone with only a red banner emblazoned with a white pall (Y-shape) to advertise the city’s “municipal colors” (the Y-shape would also be employed in the city’s less recognizable “municipal device”). Harrison’s flag commission received more than 1,000 proposals before settling on a design submitted ...
Who designed the Chicago flag?
The Chicago flag, adapted by the city council in 1917, was designed by Wallard Rice, author of the festival play which will be given in Grant Park as the chief feature of the Chicago fire semi-centennial, Oct. 2-15.
What is the Chicago flag?
The designer is Wallace Rice. Its stripes are blue and white. Its stars symbolize the Great Fire and World’s Fair.
What does the 3rd star on the Chicago flag mean?
The third star symbolizes the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, and is original to the 1917 design. Its six points stand for political entities Chicago has belonged to and the flags that have flown over the area: France 1693, Great Britain 1763, Virginia 1778, the Northwest Territory 1798, Indiana Territory 1802, and Illinois 1818.
What do the blue stripes on the Chicago River represent?
The blue stripes represent the branches of the Chicago River, division lines of the city.
Why is the Chicago flag white?
The white is divided into three parts, the uppermost signifying the North Side, the larger middle bar the great West Side, and the lowermost the South Side. The two stripes of blue signify primarily Lake Michigan and the North branch of the Chicago river above, bounding the North Side, and the South branch of the river and the great canal below.
What does the fourth star mean in Chicago?
The fourth star represents the Century of Progress Exposition (1933–1934), and was added in 1933. Its points refer to bragging rights: the United States’ 2nd Largest City (became 3rd largest in 1990 census when passed by Los Angeles), Chicago’s Latin Motto (Urbs in horto – City in a garden), Chicago’s “I Will” Motto, the Great Central Marketplace, Wonder City, and Convention City. [
Who designed the Chicago flag?
The contest received more than 1,000 entries. However, the committee ultimately settled on a flag designed by Rice. Rice revealed the enduring appeal behind his design: “After more than four hundred designs had been made by me, I finally struck upon such a six-pointed star as had never appeared in any flag before, peculiarly and singularly a Chicago star, made by a Chicagoan for his greatly loved city, by an American in the tenth generation in this country, whose ancestors had fought against Great Britain, for the most American of American cities.”
When was the Chicago flag made?
How the Chicago Flag Was Chosen. The making of the Chicago flag dates to 1915. That year, Mayor William Hale Thompson appointed a municipal flag commission to select a flag design.
What did the Chicago flag have?
The first iteration of the Chicago flag included two red stars. Each red star represented a key event in city history: the Great Chicago Fire on October 8–10, 1871, and the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893.
What are the design requirements for the Chicago flag?
The design requirements for the Chicago flag are set out in Municipal Code 1-8-030: “The municipal flag shall be white, with two blue bars, each taking up a sixth of its space, and set a little less than one-sixth of the way from the top and bottom of the flag, respectively.
What symbols were banned in the Chicago flag competition?
In a 1928 letter, Rice described some of the stipulations: “By the terms of the competition under the rules laid down by the Chicago Flag Commission in 1917, the use of religious symbols, which included the cross, the star and crescent, and the two triangles, one reversed and superimposed, was barred, for obvious reasons.”
Why is the Chicago flag in the left or right?
The Chicago City Council added a fourth star on December 21, 1939 , to honor Fort Dearborn, built in 1803 in Chicago, destroyed in the War of 1812, rebuilt in 1816, and decommissioned in 1837. While it was the last star added to the flag, it appears first in the left–right orientation (followed by the stars for the Great Fire, World’s Columbian Exposition, and Century of Progress Exposition).
What does the blue stripe mean in Chicago?
Each stripe has meaning as well, with the top and bottom white stripes representing the North and South sides of the city, respectively; the center white stripe the West side of Chicago; and the blue stripes the city’s critical bodies of water: Lake Michigan and the North Branch of the Chicago River for the upper stripe, and the South Branch of the Chicago River and the Great Canal for the bottom stripe.
When did Chicago fires start?
Unfortunately, the buildings, streets and sidewalks were made of wood, and most of them burned to the ground in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
What are the most important things about Chicago?
Chicago was the birthplace of: 1 the refrigerated rail car (Swift) 2 mail-order retailing (Sears and Montgomery Ward) 3 the car radio (Motorola) 4 the TV remote control (Zenith) 5 The first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction, ushering in the Atomic Age, took place at the University of Chicago in 1942. The spot is marked by a Henry Moore sculpture on Ellis Avenue between 56th and 57th streets. 6 The 1,451-foot Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower), completed in 1974, was the the tallest building in the world from 1974 to 1998.
What are the tribes of Chicago?
Chicago is the traditional homelands of Hoocąk (Winnebago/Ho’Chunk), Jiwere (Otoe), Nutachi (Missouria), and Baxoje (Iowas); Kiash Matchitiwuk (Menominee); Meshkwahkîha (Meskwaki); Asâkîwaki (Sauk); Myaamiaki (Miami), Waayaahtanwaki (Wea), and Peeyankihšiaki (Piankashaw); Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo); Inoka (Illini Confederacy); Anishinaabeg (Ojibwe), Odawak (Odawa), and Bodéwadmik (Potawatomi). Seated atop a continental divide, the Chicago region is located at the intersection of several great waterways, leading the area to become the site of travel and healing for many Tribes.
What year did Chicago hold the Century of Progress Exposition?
Chicago refused to be discouraged even by the Great Depression. In 1933 and 1934 , the city held an equally successful Century of Progress Exposition on Northerly Island.
What percentage of freight passes through Chicago?
Today, 50 percent of U.S. rail freight continues to pass through Chicago, even as the city has become the nation’s busiest aviation center, thanks to O’Hare and Midway International airports.
How old was Chicago when Mark Twain wrote the words?
Chicago was only 46 years old when Mark Twain wrote those words, but it had already grown more than 100-fold, from a small trading post at the mouth of the Chicago River into one of the nation’s largest cities, and it wasn’t about to stop.
Why was Chicago a trading center?
Incorporated as a city in 1837, Chicago was ideally situated to take advantage of the trading possibilities created by the nation’s westward expansion. The completion of the Illinois & Michigan Canal in 1848 created a water link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River, but the canal was soon rendered obsolete by ...
What does the blue and white flag on the Chicago flag represent?
Chicago’s neighbor to the southwest has the nation’s fifth-best flag, according to the survey. Its wavy blue-and-white lines represent the merging of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. The background is red, and there’s a gold circle containing a blue fleur-de-lis over the spot where the rivers come together.
Where does the Chicago flag fly?
Chicago’s flag flies from front porches all over town. It’s seen on T-shirts—and in tattoos. Does the flag matter so much (or look so good) in any other American city?
What does the Indianapolis flag represent?
The Indiana capital’s flag symbolizes its position as the “Crossroads of America.” The vexillologists loved it, ranking it as the nation’s eighth-best city flag. But last December, the Indianapolis Star lamented, “Indianapolis’ city flag is rarely seen, except on the doors of city-owned trucks. … the flag is unfamiliar to most city residents.”
What is the meaning of the NYC flag?
NYC got a so-so score for its flag—5.11 out of 10—ending up ranked 37th . The flag has vertical bars of orange, white and blue, with the city seal in the middle. After 9/11, the flag served as a symbol of New York’s resolve; some U.S. soldiers and Marines planted it in Afghanistan during the early days of the war there. But Gothamist has mentioned the city’s flag just one time.
When did Chicago's love affair with the flag take off?
As reporter Elliott Ramos suggested in a 2011 post for WBEZ, Chicago’s love affair with its flag seems to have taken off in the 1990s, with an influx of young adults into the city.
Which city has the most popular flag?
The evidence here is hardly scientific, but on first brush, it looks like Chicago may have the nation’s most popular city flag. And somehow, it just happened, without any push from a marketing campaign. An insignia of government became the people’s flag.
Is a flag bland?
Turns out, many are bland, and a few are downright appalling. Even the good flags aren’t necessarily well-known by the people of their cities.
Where did Chicago get its name?
The name "Chicago" is derived from a French rendering of the Native American word shikaakwa, known to botanists as Allium tricoccum, from the Miami-Illinois language. The first known reference to the site of the current city of Chicago as "Checagou" was by Robert de LaSalle around 1679 in a memoir.
When was Chicago first discovered?
Retrospective map showing how Chicago may have appeared in 1812 (right is north, published in 1884) Chicago in 1820. At its first appearance in records by explorers, the Chicago area was inhabited by a number of Algonquian peoples, including the Mascouten and Miami.
What tribes were in Chicago?
Pierre François Xavier de Charlevoix would write in 1721 that the Miami had a settlement in what is now Chicago around 1670. Chicago's location at a short canoe portage (the Chicago Portage) connecting the Great Lakes with the Mississippi River system attracted the attention of many French explorers, notably Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette in 1673. The Jesuit Relations indicate that by this time, the Iroquois tribes of New York had driven the Algonquian tribes entirely out of Lower Michigan and as far as this portage, during the later Beaver Wars.
What was the political base of the city of Chicago?
The city formed the political base for national leaders of the Democratic Party, especially Stephen A. Douglas in the 1850s, Adlai Stevenson in the 1950s, and Barack Obama in recent years.
Why was Chicago muddy in spring?
The prairie bog nature of the area provided a fertile ground for disease-carrying insects. In springtime, Chicago was so muddy from the high water that horses could scarcely move. Comical signs proclaiming "Fastest route to China" or "No Bottom Here" were placed to warn people of the mud.
How many people died in the Chicago fire?
Most of the city burned in the 1871 Great Chicago Fire. The damage from the fire was immense since 300 people died, 18,000 buildings were destroyed, and nearly 100,000 of the city's 300,000 residents were left homeless. Several key factors exacerbated the spread of the fire.
What is Chicago known for?
Chicago has played a central role in American economic, cultural and political history. Since the 1850s Chicago has been one of the dominant metropolises in the Midwestern United States, and has been the largest city in the Midwest since the 1880 census. The area's recorded history begins with the arrival of French explorers, ...
