Naming the West : Stories Longview Community

Longview Student Story 2:
Community - Little Chicago

Little Chicago was named after a store owner Rex. The store was up on the Big Hill. They say that he reminded them of Al Capone because of a scar on his top lip. Al Capone was a gangster in Chicago. Little Chicago was also called Royalties. It was a town close to Little New York and Little Philadelphia.
Little Chicago had one movie theater, one skating rink, a high school, two Chinese restaurants and eight other stores. Little Chicago was bigger than Little New York, because of the oil boom, and it had more stores and things to do.
In 1936 Little Chicago was an empty field. In 1937 oil was discovered, Little Chicago population grew and grew over the nights, the first time in years. Buildings started to appear. Today there are little signs that Little Chicago ever existed except for the monument that was built in 1987.