Called at various times the Paris of the Midwest, the City of Big Shoulders and the WindyCity, Chicago has metamorphosed into one of the greatest of American cities as, one by one, its people have contributed their unique vision to its growth.

Louis Joliet and Father Jacques Marquette were the first explorers of the area in 1673. With the help of the Illinois Indians, they reached what the native Americans called “Checagou,” believed to translate as “Wild Onion.”  Around 1780, came Jean Baptiste Point DuSable and his family, becoming Chicago’s first permanent settler.

The town of Chicago expanded its boundaries and became a city in March, 1837. The development of the railroad and the Illinois/Michigan Canal in 1848 proved vital for Chicago’s growth. Both helped the city become prominent in the cattle, hog, lumber, and wheat industries, and the city’s population tripled in the six years following the opening of the canal.

In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed nearly four square miles of the city, claimed at least 250 lives and left 100,000 residents homeless. More than 17,000 buildings were destroyed, and property damages were estimated at 0 million. But the Fire was the turning point in the history of the city. After only a few years, taller, fireproof buildings resurrected the city and led in 1885 to the first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building – standing only 10 stories high.