Symbols play a large part in marking change in our society. Sometimes they mark specific events—good and bad. Symbols can also suggest goals or attributes we aspire to.
Lately, Chicago, along with the rest of the country, seems to be at a crossroads. The city is about to get a new mayor for the first time since 1989, and the old ways of doing business, and of living life, seem to be due for a change. When we are on the precipice of moving forward, it is sometimes best to look back to gain a perspective on exactly where we wish to go!
Looking at the rich history of Chicago, it is easy to become overwhelmed. Let’s make it easy, and examine a symbol-- the Chicago flag.
In 1917, Chicagoan Wallace Rice, a former lawyer turned writer, reporter and drama critic designed a flag for Chicago with four stripes and only two stars, not the four stars we see today. Each of the stripes and stars, as well as the points of the stars has a specific significance to the history, and attributes of the city.
The top white stripe of the flag stands for the north side of the city. The center white stripe stands for the west side of the city. The top blue stripe represents Lake Michigan and the north branch of the Chicago River. The bottom blue stripe represents the south branch of the Chicago River as well as the Great Canal (I&M).
The first of the two original stars of the flag of Chicago stood for The Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The six points of that original star hold special significance. They stand for religion, education, aesthetics, justice, beneficence, and civic pride.
The second of the original stars represents the 1893 Columbian Exposition. The points of this star represent the various political entities Chicago has belonged to over the years. They include France (1693), Great Britain (1763), Virginia (1778), the Northwest Territory (1798), the Indians Territory (1802), and finally the state of Illinois (1818).
In 1933, the Chicago City Council decided to add a third star after the success of the 1933 World’s Fair – Century of Progress. The points of that star represent the World’s Third Largest City, Chicago’s Latin Motto (Urbs in Horto) “City in a Garden”, Chicago’s “I Will” motto, the Great Central Marketplace, Wonder City, and Convention City.
In 1939, the Chicago City Council once again decided to add a star to the city’s flag. This time, they went back in the city’s history to represent Fort Dearborn, built on the Chicago River in 1803. The points of this final star symbolize transportation, labor, commerce, finance, populousness, and salubrity.
There has not been another star added since 1939. There have been many suggestions over the years for additional stars. Stars for everything from the advent of the nuclear age in 1940, to election of Harold Washington in 1983 as the city’s first African American mayor, to what was hoped to be the Chicago Olympics of 2016 were all at one time suggestions for additions to the stars of the flag of the city of Chicago.
As the city enters this “new age” and the country is struggling to overcome a recession, and political discord, what future events will prompt the City Council to finally add to the collection of stars? We always hope it will be a happy and momentous occasion. While the future may seem uncertain, one thing remains a constant—change.
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