Y: The Chicago Municipal Device
Photo: Chicago’s Municipal Device on Division Street Between the Bridges; Photographer: Victor Grigas via Wikimedia Commons
The Chicago “Y” was created in anticipation of the 1893 World’s Fair when the Chicago Tribune ran a design contest for an image representing the city. Architect and civil engineer Alfred J. Roewad designed the winning symbol to represent the three branches of the Chicago River: the South Branch, the North Branch and the Main Stem.
It wasn’t until 1917 that the City Council officially adopted the symbol as the municipal device, allowing businesses, city departments, and citizens freedom to use the image to symbolize the city of Chicago and promote civic pride. Both the Chicago Flag and the Chicago “Y” were designed at around the same time.
