Chicago: The Windy City?

This week we have had quite a bit of wind in my neck of the woods.   Sitting here at this moment the wind is howling, the tumbleweed is rolling in the fields, and little birds are courageously perching on the birdfeeders holding on tightly as they threaten to swing horizontally in the wind.  Earlier this week, you could add to the scene blankets of dust blowing through the streets and fields.  With this description, one would think this is shaping up to look like an old time movie based on the Wild, Wild West.  And you thought Chicago was the windy city?  However, when the winds calm and the landscape turns silent, the high desert becomes a magnificent sight to behold. 

But speaking of Chicago and its nickname of “the Windy City”, did you know that this nickname has absolutely nothing to do with the weather?  That’s correct.  Instead it was all the big talk, or “wind” that local leading men in 1890 Chicago were blowing about the city’s stature in this country that lead a New York editor to give Chicago its nickname.  I learned of this little known fact several years ago when I read “The Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson.  At the time this would not have been a typical book that you would find on my shelf (now I read a wider range of genres).  However, I heard it being discussed on the Dom and Jane show, a morning radio program based in Denver, Colorado, and my interest was sparked.  You will find this book in your bookstore’s history section, and if you are a strict reader of fiction then you may find this read a little difficult to get through.  However, if you stick with it, you will be rewarded with a story about a complex and mysterious villain who terrorized the city during the Chicago World’s Fair.  This man was a serial killer who charmed his unsuspecting victims and for many years, successfully got away with it.  This book also has tons of interesting facts.  You’ll learn of when shredded wheat and Cracker Jack got their start and the humble beginnings of the Ferris Wheel. 

Although my first thought for this particular blog was not to turn it into a book review, I think I will put this selection on my “recommended” list.  History buffs will most likely love it, and fiction lovers may not, but hopefully if they give it a chance they may find themselves intrigued by its redeeming qualities – a well written historical account of Chicago during the World’s Fair and the man who chose to terrorize it.   

Well, that’s all for now.  Happy reading and remember, spring is almost here.