The origins of O'Hare are pretty well known: a federal transfer of 1,000+ acres to Chicago in 1945 led to the site's transition from wartime aircraft manufacturing to a commercial airport. The land was a few miles from Chicago's western border, with Rosemont, Park Ridge, and Des Plaines wedged between. A "shoestring" annexation maneuver was needed, which led to Chicago bringing a 66-foot wide strip of Higgins Road into the fold. That one street created a physical connection between the actual city and the new city property at O'Hare. But, as WBEZ's John Schmidt explains, obstructionist suburbs, rallying against urban expansion, led to the first Mayor Daley negotiating a corridor swap to Foster Ave— already a natural border between Chicago and Rosemont. [WBEZ]
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