When in Chicago
Resting at the base of the expansive Lake Michigan ? which stretches into Michigan and Wisconsin ? stands the modern, vibrant city of Chicago.
Famed for its historical role in the development of jazz and blues, as well as its architectural and broader cultural importance, Chicago attracts many visitors looking to explore its history, heritage and its thriving restaurants and theatres.
First established as a settlement towards the end of the 18th century by a Haitian immigrant who married a Potawatomi Indian, the land later saw the US Army station a base there, Fort Dearborn.
The 1812 war with Great Britain and the associated disputes over the land of the Northwest left the army base destroyed by native Americans, only to be later rebuilt.
Illinois, the state Chicago occupies the north-eastern tip of, was formerly admitted to the union in 1818, with Chicago's incorporation as a town following in 1833.
Its industrial progress thereafter was swift, with the world's first skyscraper ? standing proud at nine stories ? being completed in 1885, just seven years before the first elevated train ? the famous 'L' ? rolled into service.
Today, the overhead trains still connect all parts of this bustling city together, from the prosperous downtown 'Loop' where the coloured train lines intersect, right out to the city's two international airports, Midway and O'Hare, claimed by local officials to be the busiest airport in the US.
The city's progress to its current prosperity has not been entirely smooth, however. While current mayor Richard Daley has received plaudits for his steady reforms and work to increase quality of life and investment in the city, his father ? Richard Daley senior ? was blamed by many for leaving uneasy community relations and political indecision that ruled until the end of the 1980s.
The current Mayor Daley, while not completely without critics, has been praised by businessmen and many of the city's residents for helping stimulate the city's resurgence, and its recovery from the collapse of its industrial industries.
Once a great industrial city, dominated by lumber, meatpacking and steel, Chicago has fared many times better than comparable Midwest cities, such as Detroit, which have seen racial tensions and poverty explode as their traditional economies were closed or moved to cheaper countries.
And as the third most populated US city behind New York and Los Angeles, there are huge amounts to explore here.
Chicago's reputation as 'The Windy City' should also not put off travellers looking for a relaxed, cultural trip away ? the name is said to be based not on the weather, but on the self-promotion of the city in bidding to host the World's Fair.
A piece in the New York Sun called upon readers to ignore the "nonsensical claims of that windy city," which in fact is not really windier than any other large American city.
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Introduction
