Chicago 1901

Chicago 1901 Chicago Button Museum
Category
Chicago
Event
Additional Images
Chicago 1901 button back Chicago Button Museum
Sub Categories
Illustrations
Text on Button CHICAGO 1901
Image Description

A woman standing in a blue dress with a gold chest plate that has the words "I Will" and winged head piece on a white background.  Red text above and below one the edge of the button.
Back Paper / Back Info

(union bug)
BUTTONS MADE BY
THE WHITEHEAD & HOAG CO
NEWARK, N.J., U.S.A.
PAT. APRIL 14, 1836
JULY 21, 1896
Curl Text COPYRIGHTED 1901 THE INTER-OCEAN PUB CO.
Back Style
Unlocking pin
The Shape
Circle
The Size
1 1/2 inch
Year / Decade Made
1901
1900s
The Manufacturer
Whitehead & Hoag Co.
Additional Information

“I Will” was an allegorical goddess symbolizing the City of Chicago analogous to how Uncle Sam symbolizes America. The Chicago Inter Ocean sponsored a contest for “a figure typical of Chicago’s spirit” to represent the city. Charles Holloway designed a goddess suited for battle with a phoenix on her helmet and “I Will” on her breastplate. Holloway won the contest and the Inter Ocean used “I Will” in their advertising for the 1893 World’s Fair. After the event, “I Will” (both the goddess and the phrase) were used in Chicago marketing.
Sources

Neil Gale, P. (2020). Chicago's "I Will" Motto and "Y" Municipal Device History.. Drloihjournal.blogspot.com. Retrieved from https://drloihjournal.blogspot.com/2017/05/chicagos-i-will-motto-and-y-….

Winslow, C. Spaulding., Wilder, R. Everett. (1947). Early Chicago: as seen by a cartoonist. Chicago: Charles S. Winslow.

(1901, August). Baptist Young Person’s Union. The Current Encyclopedia: A Monthly Record of Human Progress(1)2. Chicago: Modern Research Society. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=q_1HAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA171&dq=baptist+youn….
Catalog ID CH0237