Chicago is often described as a "city of neighborhoods," and understandably so. The city feels like a mosaic made up of smushed together communities. With more than 100 neighborhoods spread across 77 community areas, there is a lot of history engrained in the names of our old stomping grounds.
The etymology of some of the city's 'hoods (River North, Uptown, Lakeview) are pretty self evident. But there are a lot of strange names around town that can cause you to scratch your head and wonder where they came from.
Here's a quick look into how 11 of the city's neighborhoods got their unique names.
Pilsen: In the late 19th century, Pilsen's population was predominately made up of Czech immigrants. The neighborhood took its name from Plzeň, one of the largest cities in present day Czech Republic.
Streeterville: The bourgeois Near North Side neighborhood is named after one of the biggest jerks in Chicago history: George Streeter. In 1893, the Lincoln Park Board was filling in the shoreline area where the neighborhood currently lies in an effort to build Lake Shore Drive. Streeter forged documents and claimed that the land was his. He claimed that the area was sovereign territory, named it the District of Lake Michigan and sold lots along the shoreline. This led to a series of feuds between Streeter and the city, and he was convicted of manslaughter and imprisoned in 1902. In 1918, a judge ruled against his claim of sovereignty, but the neighborhood still dons his name.
Bucktown: The rush of Polish immigrants into Chicago in the late 19th century led to the formation of a "Polish Downtown" on the city's Northwest Side, which included Bucktown. The neighborhood got its name from the large number of goats being raised in the area during that period.
Grand Greater Crossing: In the mid-19th century, the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway and the Illinois Central Railroad were in the middle of a right-of-way feud over a junction in what is currently the South Side neighborhood. A "frog war" proceeded, and trains from each company attempted to cross the other's tracks. This eventually led to a crash that killed 18 people, and the junction stuck as the name of the neighborhood.
Albany Park: In 1893, a group of investors came together to purchase an area of land in what is now the Northwest Side neighborhood. One of those investors, DeLancy Louderback (yes, that was his real name), had a connection to Albany, New York, which inspired the name for the area.
Old Town: Despite being dubbed "Old Town," the name of the North Side neighborhood is relatively new. Once referred to as "North Town," the area was home to an annual arts fair called Old Town Holiday. That name stuck when the Old Town Triangle Association was formed in 1948, and the neighborhood has kept the name even since.
Pullman: South Side Pullman was originally a town built by George Pullman to house employees of his railroad car company, the Pullman Palace Car Company. In 1894, workers went on strike, which led to intervention by the military and inspired the establishment of Labor Day. The town was incorporated by Chicago in 1897, and it kept the railroad mogul's name since.
Englewood: Like many Chicago neighborhoods, South Side Englewood stole its name from an East Coast city. In 1868, local wool merchant and Board of Education member Henry B. Lewis suggested to name the area after Englewood, New Jersey. The name remained 21 years later when the neighborhood was annexed by Chicago.
Goose Island: Goose Island is not a natural island, but it was originally referred to as such by Irish squatters who arrived there in the 1840s. In 1853, Chicago's first mayor, William B. Ogden, formed the Chicago Land Company and purchased land on the east side of the river between North and Chicago avenues to dig up clay for brick-making. After a few years, a channel was excavated and dredged, which formed a shortcut to the North Branch of the river. Decades later, some alderman attempted to name the area "Ogden's Island," which never panned out (presumably because Goose Island is way catchier).
Wicker Park: The neighborhood where High Fidelity, was set did not get its name from a large population of basket weavers. Rather, it was named after alderman Charles G. Wicker and his brother Joel H. Wicker who donated a stretch of land to the city that now makes up Wicker Park.
Logan Square: The hip Northwest Side neighborhood gets its name from John Logan, a commonly forgotten American hero. He was a General in the Union Army during the Civil War; his division was the first to enter the city of Vicksburg in 1863. He's also just one of three people mentioned in the official Illinois state song (the other two are Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant).