Windy City (nickname) Windy City (nickname) The city of Chicago has been known by many nicknames, but it is most widely recognized as the "Windy City". The earliest known reference to the "Windy City" was actually to Green Bay in 1856. The first known repeated effort to label Chicago with this nickname is from 1876 and involves Chicago's rivalry with Cincinnati. The term "Windy City" came into common usage when it was popularized by New York City editor, Charles Dana, in "The Sun" during the bidding for the 1893 Columbian Exposition. Chicago won the Exposition, which did not please Dana. The popularity of
Silicon Forest notable companies in the Silicon Forest. They may have been founded in the Silicon Forest or have a major subsidiary there. A list of Portland tech startups (technology companies founded in Portland) is provided separately. Silicon Forest Silicon Forest is a nickname for the cluster of high-tech companies located in the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon, and most frequently refers to the industrial corridor between Beaverton and Hillsboro in northwest Oregon. The name is analogous to Silicon Valley. In the greater Portland area, these companies have traditionally specialized in hardware — specifically test-and-measurement equipment (Tektronix), computer