Did you know that Chicago is called The Windy City not because of the weather, but because a newspaper article claimed it was full of hot air politicians? Or that the Illinois House of Representatives voted to make Kewanee the official hog capital of the world in 1949? Scroll below to find the origin of several official and unofficial Illinois cities’ slogans, nicknames, aliases and mottos, according to offices.net.
Algonquin
The Gem of Fox River Valley- Located in Kane and McHenry counties, the village of Algonquin sits in the foothills of the Fox River Valley and is becoming a major retail and business center.
Batavia
The Windmill City- At the turn of the twentieth century, Batavia was the windmill manufacturing capital of the world. To commemorate its history of windmills, Batavia hosts The Windmill City Festival each year, featuring food, music and a variety of family-friendly activities.
Chester
The Home of Popeye- The famous fictional cartoon character is rumored to be based off of Chester, Illinois resident Frank “Rocky” Fiegel. The town of Chester is currently constructing a “Popeye & Friends Character Trail,” consisting of granite statues of the show’s characters placed throughout the city.
Chicago
Chi-Town- A nickname for Chicago, used infrequently amongst the city’s residents.
City in a Garden- The translation to the city’s motto Urbs in horto.
The Second City- Although New Yorkers falsely claim this nickname comes from Chicago being a second-rate city, the name actually stems from the ashes from The Great Chicago Fire, as the first Chicago burned almost completely.
The Windy City- There are many rumors as to how this nickname came to be, but none of the claims originate in Chicago. One story claims New York Sun editorial writer Charles A. Dana claimed Chicago politicians were full of hot air, although no such editorial has ever been found. Another story claims the name was first used in a Cincinnati Enquirerheadline entitled “THAT WINDY CITY. Some of the Freaks of the Last Chicago Tornado.”
Crystal Lake
A Good Place to Live- Crystal Lake is the largest town in McHenry County and is considered a suburb of Chicago. Crystal Lake is known for its extensive park system, with 1,600 acres of parks and open space and the 230 acre Crystal Lake.
DeKalb
Barbed Wire Capital of the World- Barbed wire was patented by Joseph Farewell Glidden in DeKalb, Illinois in 1873. Glidden’s patent was an improvement on the design for barbed wire made by another DeKalb resident, Michael Kelly. Glidden and his parter Isaac Ellwood began manufacturing barbed wire in DeKalb in 1874.
Barbed wire was invented by Joseph F. Gidden in DeKalb Illinois.
Freeport
Pretzel City- Freeport earned its nickname in 1895, when the Daily Democrat referred to the Illinois town as “Pretzel City.” Freeport was home to the Billerbeck Bakery, which was established in 1881 and was the largest producer of pretzles. Although Billerbeck closed over a century ago, pretzels are still an integral part of Freeport’s identity today. The Freeport High School athletic teams are referred to as “The Pretzles” and the football field is named “Pretzel Field.”
Huntley
The Friendly Village with Country Charm- Huntley is a village located in McHenry and Kane counties and has roughly 25,000 as of 2012, citing rapid growth in recent years. Huntley is considered to be an outer suburb of Chicago.
Joliet
City of Steel- Joliet’s former nickname was the City of Stone, as it was home to a limestone quarry that, at one point, shipped three railroad cars’ worth of stone per month to Chicago and other cities. However, Joliet’s nickname changed to the City of Steel after the emergence of the steel industry. At one point, Joliet’s steel mill was the second largest in the United States, with over 2,000 employees.
The Joliet Steel and Iron works was once one of the largest producers of steel in the United States
Kewanee
Hog Capital of the World In 1947, The U.S. Department of Agriculture deemed Henry County the top hog-producing county in the United States, and in 1949, Kewanee, located in Henry County, was named Hog Capital of the World by an Illinois House of Representatives Resolution. Although Henry County no longer produces the most hogs in the country, Kewanee still celebrates the accomplishment with Hog Days each Labor Day Weekend.
Lombard
The Lilac Village Lombard his home to Lilacia Park, located in the former home of Colonel George R. Plum’s lilac gardens. Lilacia Park is also home to the Lilac Time Festival, which takes place in May and is home to a variety of events, such as a craft fair, heritage tour, lilac contests and more.
The crowning of the Lilac Queen at the Lilac Festival in Lombard, Illinois.
Mattoon
Bagel Capital of the World Home to the last surviving Lender’s Bagel Factory, Mattoon popularized the bagel. To celebrate its favorite food, Mattoon hosts “bagelfest” every year, which includes musical numbers, a parade and the bagel baby contest.
Marseilles
Best Little City by a Dam Site Marseilles is nearby the Marseilles Lock and Dam Site, which was completed in 1933.
Metropolis
The Home of Superman Although this Metropolis differs from Superman’s home, this Illinois embraces Superman as its hometown hero and is home to the Super Museum and a 12-foot tall Superman statue.
This 12-foot statue of Superman is located in Superman Square in Metropolis, Illinois.
Moline
Farm Implement Capital of the World- Moline has been home to the John Deere World Headquarters since 1847. Additionally, The Moline Plow Company, formerly called Candee & Swan took up residence in 1866 and was John Deere’s fiercest competitor until 2001, when it merged with another company to become the Minneapolis-Moline Power Implement Company.
The John Deere Pavilion is located in Moline, Illinois.
Olney
Home of the White Squirrels- The city’s motto comes from it’s famous population of albino squirrels.
Pekin
Celestial City- Pekin was allegedly named by the original founder Major Nathan Cromwell’s wife Elizabeth. Mrs. Cromwell decided to name the city after China’s celestial capital, Pekin (what is now Beijing)
Marigold Capital of the World- Each year in September since 1973, Pekin hosts the Marigold Festival, named in honor of the late Senator Dirksen’s favorite flower, featuring a variety of events, including a parade and carnival.
Peoria
Whiskeytown- Peoria was once the whiskey capital of the country, producing more whiskey than any other city in history, and contributing the most to the federal government’s whiskey tax than any other city. It is estimated that at their peak, Peoria distilleries made 18.6 million gallons of alcohol a year. The last Peoria brewery closed in 2000, but the legacy of Peoria’s great history of whiskey still remain.
Quincy
Gem City- After its incorporation as a city in 1840, Quincy flourished, with excellent crops, bountiful game, and a variety of timber, leading to the development of its nickname, “the Gem City,” stemming from all of the natural gems Quincy had to offer.
Springfield
Flower City- After the natural beauty of the city’s surroundings.
Thomson
The Melon Capital of the World- Thompson is known for its watermelons. Thomson also hosts “Melon Days” every fall, a festival which has attractions such as pony rides, bounce houses, music performances, magic shows and a variety of other events.
NEXT: 12 awesome Illinois roadside attractions for your next road trip
- 15 Illinois inventions that changed the world
- 10 amazing Illinois state parks you need to visit
- 31 Illinois historic sites to visit this summer
- 29 Illinois restaurants featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
- 10 creepy Illinois roads to travel… if you’re brave enoughLeah is a summer intern at Reboot Illinois and is a rising second year student at the University of Chicago majoring in public policy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hit our Facebook page (yes we still have one), and this post on it if you’d like to discuss this subject on Facebook; and be sure you check your “get notifications” selection under the ‘like’ button on our page; recent Facebook upgrades have booted many of our followers off from getting our posts. Also, check us on Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and Tumblr!