What Were They Thinking?

Today I picked up a friend at Chicago's Midway Airport. It was only my second time at this particular airport as when I fly I usually depart from Chicago's O'Hare Airport. On both occasion, as I approached the airport I have thought to myself, "What were they thinking putting an airport in the middle of a neighborhood?" If you've been there before you know what I'm talking about. If not, literally you're driving along and it looks like a regular neighborhood - you've got homes up and down the side streets, chain fast food restaurants and the local transit system running its regular routes. Then all the sudden out of nowhere - BANG - there are blue informational signs directing you to economy extended parking, the terminal and the terminal parking garage and the departure and arrival unloading/loading zones. It honestly looks like someone looked around the hood and decided it needed an airport so they just dropped one in for kicks.

Up until a few hours ago, I wasn't aware of Midway's history. Apparently it started its operations in 1923 under the name of Chicago Municipal Airport and was officially dedicated in 1927 by then Mayor William H. Thompson. Hmmm. . . my theory that the Daley clan had something to do with its existence was wrong. However, as I read on, it was the City of Chicago's current Mayor Richard M. Daley who did ok the expansion projec,t or "Midway Airport Terminal Development Program" as it is referred to, in 1996. (Phew! And here I thought the Daleys would not have some sort of accountability in this absurdity.)

Getting back to its history . . . Like anything else, over time the airport began to grow and in 1941 it joined the World War II efforts because it could offer lengthy runways. In 1949, the airport was officially renamed "Chicago Midway" in honor of the WW II Battle of Midway - not after Midway Airlines which would later take up residence there.

After reading all about its history, I have to guess it was the neighborhood that grew up around Midway and not the other way around. So, instead of asking why did they put an airport in the middle of a neighborhood I have to ask, why did they let the neighborhood grow so close to the airport?

My newly found reason for the marriage of this airport and its surrounding neighborhood doesn't make the experience of going to Midway any less entertaining. Even though I know the true history it won't make it any less funny in my eyes and I will always get a chuckle or two out of it as well.

Until later . . .