The oldest area of Chicago, the Near North Side dates back to the 1780s, and includes the site of the first permanent settlement, built by Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, where his home and trading post in “Eschecagou,” in what is now the modern day Michigan Ave Bridge.
The central business district of Chicago was named after the circular shape of trains going in loops that service the area, dating back to the late 19th century though some research suggests that the term the Loop, didn’t come about until the construction of the elevated railway loop.
Originally Native American homeland, the Near South Side neighborhood was first settled by blue collar settlement for workers of the Illinois & Michigan Canal – a vital project that helped connect the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River and helped the growth of the city.
