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From: jeq@laidbak.UUCP (Jonathan E. Quist)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: bizarre place names
Message-ID: <200@laidbak.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 3-Sep-85 02:31:02 EDT
Article-I.D.: laidbak.200
Posted: Tue Sep  3 02:31:02 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 4-Sep-85 06:04:33 EDT
References: <942@oddjob.UUCP> <142@graffiti.UUCP>
Reply-To: jeq@laidbak.UUCP (Jonathan E. Quist)
Organization: LAI Chicago
Lines: 19
Summary: 

In article <142@graffiti.UUCP> peter@graffiti.UUCP (Peter da Silva) writes:
>> 
>> Chicago comes from an Indian word meaning "cesspool".
>> 
>> 				Scott Anderson
>> 				ihnp4!oddjob!kaos!sra
>
>According to "Trivial Pursuit, Genus II" (I know, a really authoritative
>source) Chicago comes from "Garlic Field".

Actually it's "Onion Field".  The near north side (just north of
the Loop) was a swamp before the river was reversed.
An indigenous plant (don't know what type) that was around
before the buildings went up gave of a smell like onions.

The most popular local translation was ``Stinking Onion Patch.''
(Onions?  We don't need no *stinking* *onions*!!!)

jeq