What Is the Oldest Town in Illinois? Answered by Edward McClelland We need to head back to the year 1703, when the French controlled the Illinois Country. Read more
Has Chicago Ever Had a Republican Mayor? Answered by Edward McClelland We have: The GOP was the party of Lincoln, after all — but it’s been nearly a century since the last. Read more
Why Is Our Skyline Visible From Across the Lake? Answered by Edward McClelland It’s not actually possible to see that far, given the curvature of the earth. Instead, there's an optical phenomenon at play. Read more
Why Does Chicago Have Elevated Trains? Answered by Edward McClelland The two main reasons that we didn't go underground first. Read more
What Was Chicago’s First Skyscraper? Answered by Edward McClelland Designed by famed architect William Le Baron Jenney and completed in 1885, it rose 10 stories (and eventually 12, after an addition six years later). Read more
Has a Chicago Mayor Ever Been Assassinated? Answered by Edward McClelland Two, in fact — although one wasn't intentional (the bullet was meant for a president). Read more
What Is the Highest Point in Chicago? Answered by Edward McClelland We can thank the Blue Island Ridge, a glacial moraine, that winds through this area. Read more
What’s With All the K, L, M, N, O, P Street Names? Answered by Edward McClelland Edward P. Brennan, the father of the city’s grid numbering system, had another clever idea for keeping street names straight. Read more
Why the City Extends North of Howard in One Spot Answered by Edward McClelland We can thank a little-remembered event: the annexation of Germania. Read more
The Origins of “We Don’t Want Nobody Nobody Sent” Answered by Edward McClelland Once upon a time, it was nearly impossible break into Chicago’s machine politics. Read more
