More than a hundred years ago, Chicago was home to a great event: The World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, also known as the Chicago World's Fair. The fairgrounds were spectacular. Beautiful, grand, electrified, massive buildings, all painted white and meant to impress. An engineering contest gave the world its first Ferris wheel. Landscaping and architecture were by the most famous designers of the era. In six month's time, 27 million people paid admission to enter what was known as the White City. The City of Chicago itself, however, was a different story. Overcrowded, filty with soot and grime, riddled with disease, it was a dangerous place to live. The Union Stock Yards slaughtered more animals and processed more meat than anywhere else in the world. In contrast to the fairgrounds, Chicago itself was known at that time as the Black City. Both the Black City and the White City are long gone, visible only in certain areas and only if you know where to look. When we were in Chicago as September gave way to October, the sun was warm and the skies were clear, and when I walked toward the lake and turned around to view the city, it shimmered silver in the late morning light.