A city of life, beauty and spirit, Chicago exemplifies work and play coming together. With countless contributions already made to the world of business and tourism, Chicago continues to evolve in order to maintain its standing as a leading convention and tourism destination.
Commissioned by the French government in 1673, Louis Joliet and Father Jacques Marquette became the first explorers of Chicago. It was with the help of the Illinois Indians that the two were guided through the land. Around 1780, Chicago’s first permanent settler, Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, and his family came to the area.
Chicago Expands and Incorporates
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 necessary 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.
As the city continued to grow, there were set-backs along the way, one of the largest being the Great Chicago Fire. On October 8, 1871, the Chicago Fire destroyed most of the city’s central area. By 12 a.m. October 10, it had 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 $200 million. The Great Chicago Fire became a turning point in the history of the city. The citizens of Chicago resurrected the city and even built momentum for more development after the fire. Construction of the first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building – standing only 10 stories high – was completed in 1885. The architect, Major William Le Baron Jenney, created the first load-carrying structural frame. This development led to the “Chicago skeleton” form of construction which was later used in the creation of larger skyscrapers.
The World Comes to Chicago
Within a few years, Chicago was chosen to host the 1893 World Columbian Exposition. The exposition was a huge success, as it attracted a tremendous amount of national and international attention, brought 27.5 million visitors to the city, and demonstrated all Chicago had to offer. The exposition put the city “on the map” and brought a new light to Chicago and its citizens.
Between the exposition and the First World War, ideas and machines created in Chicago shaped modern American civilization. By 1900 Chicago had built the longest cable car and streetcar lines in the world and managed to reverse the flow of the Chicago River. Also during this time, the city became second only to New York in manufacturing activities, and first in the meat packing and rail industries.
The Burnham Plan
In 1909, D.H. Burnham, Chief of Construction for the World’s Columbian Exposition, and Burnham’s design assistant, Edward Bennett, devised the “Burnham Plan.” This plan, the first comprehensive outline of development ever offered to an American city, included suggestions for better living conditions for all people, beautification of the city, and a more efficient way of connecting different parts of the city.
The first recommendation from the Burnham Plan to come to fruition was the double-decked Michigan Avenue Bridge. The bridge – which opened May 14, 1920 – made possible the development of the famed retail and tourist destination, “The Magnificent Mile.”
The 1920s brought important advances to the development of Chicago as a tourist destination. In 1927, the Chicago Municipal Airport (renamed Midway Airport in 1949) opened. From 1945 to 1958 it became the world’s busiest air terminal. Also, beginning in 1929 and within a five-year span, three of Chicago’s most famous attractions opened: the Shedd Aquarium, the Adler Planetarium, and the Museum of Science and Industry.
An Architectural Jewel
The remainder of the 20th century brought more architectural advances to Chicago. The Sears Tower was completed in 1973, making Chicago home to the tallest building in the world. In addition, McCormick Place officially opened in 1960, but a fire destroyed the building on January 17, 1967. Because of this fire, numerous revisions to the Chicago Municipal Code were made.
On January 3, 1971, the newly built McCormick Place opened. The city once again expanded its convention and exhibition center in 1989 when McCormick Place North was added and again in 1996 when McCormick Place South helped the convention center maintain its standing as the largest center in North America.
Also, in the latter part of the 20th century, Chicago developed a reputation for ethnic diversity and strength, which resulted in many of the city’s cultural celebrations and ethnic restaurants and communities that are still popular today. Ethnic groups including Mexicans, Italians, Greeks and Polish people gravitated toward the city in the early part of the century. The city’s inclusive environment encouraged those groups to stay and develop important communities within the city, remaining strongly integrated into the city’s fabric.
Transportation Hub
Other developments followed late in the century. O’Hare International Airport, as it is now known today, officially opened for commercial air traffic in 1955. Soon after its expansion in 1959, O’Hare became the world’s busiest airport.
Midway International Airport went through major rebuilding and refurbishing and reopened in 1967. Today, Midway is one of the fastest growing airports in North America.
In addition to the advances made in air transportation, the city welcomed many new downtown hotels and more visitor attractions during the last part of the century.
In 1994, as part of the $150 million redevelopment project, Navy Pier re-opened as a tourist attraction and exposition center. Today, Navy Pier is the state’s most popular tourist destination.
The mission of the Chicago convention and Tourism Bureau is to promote Chicago as the premier destination for all types of in house meetings and conventions at McCormick Place and Navy Pier, leveraging the assets of the city and generating revenue for the City of Chicago and the state of Illinois.
We will achieve this mission through the singular focus on helping our customers meet and exceed their business objectives.
We will provide programs to drive attendee and exhibitor participation by promoting the Chicago destination to those groups.
We will also provide a wealth of services to enhance the experience for all who choose to come to Chicago.
