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Tag: City of Big Questions

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
What’s Chicago’s Oldest Bar?
Answered by Edward McClelland
We'll give you a hint: This spot remained open as a soda fountain during Prohibition, but it was actually a speakeasy whose owners distilled gin in bathtubs upstairs. Read more
How Did the Bears Get Their Name?
Answered by Edward McClelland
They were once the Chicago Staleys (imagine that logo). Read more
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