Weber "skunks" the Chicago Tribune on "Windy City"

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

(www.chicagotribune.com)
Published March 11, 2004

Dear Tom,

Does the "Windy City" expression really come from a New York reporter's quip
during the pre-Columbian Exposition competition of words?

Carl Jeffrey Weber

Dear Carl,

You're very close. The earliest published use of "Windy City" in reference to
Chicago came from Charles Dana in 1893. Dana, then the editor of the New York
Sun, had grown weary of hearing Chicagoans boast of the huge success of
Chicago's 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. He dubbed Chicago "that Windy City" in
an editorial--and the nickname stuck. The Exposition was immensely
successful: It attracted 27 million visitors that summer, almost half of the total U.S.
population at that time. With an average wind speed of 10.4 m.p.h., Chicago
ranks #76 among 255 U.S. cities and locations whose winds are measured by the
National Weather Service.

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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen
Monday through Friday on WGN News at noon and 9 p.m.

Write to: ASK TOM WHY, 2501 Bradley Place, Chicago, IL 60618 or
asktomwhy at wgntv.com (Mail volume precludes personal response.)

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    SKUNKED!
    Carl Weber runs www.orionjeweb.com and has posted here on the origin of
the name "Chicago."  He asked the question, but he knew the answer.
    Chicago still doesn't.  This is sad.