When you think of inventions or items unique to Chicago, deep dish pizza may come to mind.
But it is far from the only one.
The first blood bank, the first can of spray paint, and the first zipper were all created in Chicago.
“Think about it, in the 1890s and long before that, clothes weren’t held together by a zipper but by buttons or pins,” explained Tom Schaffner, owner and operator of LStop Tours. “In 1891 the inventor got the idea to lock things together via metal.”
Tom Schaffner is a lover and defender of all things Chicago. He is aware of what our great city can take credit for.
“The first modern skyscraper,” Tom added. “And what makes it modern is the steel frame that we don’t see.”
Like deep dish pizza, you’ve probably heard that Chicago is home to the first modern skyscraper.
But what about twinkie?
Schaffner said the popular breaded treat began at a local bakery in the 1930s.
“One guy was looking at their machinery, which was used for strawberry shortcake and was idle for 6 months of the year when they weren’t in season,” he said. “So this worker thought it would be good if they could find a way to keep the machines running all season.”
This next one is also an American treasure…the ferris wheel!
“It’s so iconic that it goes back to that World’s Fair with the first Ferris wheel,” said Erika Taylor, vice president of arts, culture and engagement at Navy Pier. “We built ours back in 1995.”
Whether you’re looking at Chicago from the street or from the sky, you’ll see Navy Pier’s main attraction.
That’s because the Ferris wheel started here.
“It’s the first thing people think of when they think of Navy Pier,” Taylor added. “It’s iconic for us and iconic for the city.”
However, that is not all.
The car radio, the vacuum cleaner and even the first mobile phone were created in Chicago. The list is on and we haven’t even covered half of them!