Question: Why is Chicago called the Blackhawks?

Hello, I'm going around every team's board asking a simple question: why does your team have the name it has?

I'd like anyone who knows the history behind Chicago's team name to share their knowledge.

Team names usually have a very special tie to the region/cities they represent.

Any tid bit of knowledge will do: the circumstances surrounding the naming of your team, choice of logo and team colours, how the name represents your region/city's history, people, and culture, etc...

This is the place for Hawks Fans to let everyone know what is so "Chicago" about the name "Blackhawks" !

Hello, I'm going around every team's board asking a simple question: why does your team have the name it has?

I'd like anyone who knows the history behind Chicago's team name to share their knowledge.

Team names usually have a very special tie to the region/cities they represent.

Any tid bit of knowledge will do: the circumstances surrounding the naming of your team, choice of logo and team colours, how the name represents your region/city's history, people, and culture, etc...

This is the place for Hawks Fans to let everyone know what is so "Chicago" about the name "Blackhawks" !

he team is named after a artillery division in WW1 that the original owner was a member of. Same colors as well.

Funny, I had always heard that it was the name of an Illini indian chief from central Illinois.

wow that was interesting history, i never knew that. in my 40+yrs as a fan i learned something new about my hawks.

i too thought it was based on the indian tribe.

Long long ago, someone named Frederic McLaughlin was in the military during World War I, in a unit called the Black Hawk Battalion. The unit was named after a Chief Black Hawk Indian from the 1800s. Later, McLaughlin bought a team from the WHL, re-named them the Black Hawks (after his old military unit), and was admitted into the NHL. McLaughlin also had a restaurant named Black Hawks, and thought naming the team after his restaurant will help both get more business. In the mid 1980s, they were re-named the Blackhawks, making it just one word, because it was originally supposed to be Blackhawks, but was misspelled as two words from the mid 1920s to the mid 1980s.

Long long ago, someone named Frederic McLaughlin was in the military during World War I, in a unit called the Black Hawk Battalion. The unit was named after a Chief Black Hawk Indian from the 1800s. Later, McLaughlin bought a team from the WHL, re-named them the Black Hawks (after his old military unit), and was admitted into the NHL. McLaughlin also had a restaurant named Black Hawks, and thought naming the team after his restaurant will help both get more business. In the mid 1980s, they were re-named the Blackhawks, making it just one word, because it was originally supposed to be Blackhawks, but was misspelled as two words from the mid 1920s to the mid 1980s.

wow, this is some great info that i never knew, can i make a suggestion? can someone make a little link or something on our main hawk site on HF. i think it would be great reading for those who comes to visit.

my opinion only.

wow, this is some great info that i never knew, can i make a suggestion? can someone make a little link or something on our main hawk site on HF. i think it would be great reading for those who comes to visit.

my opinion only.


The Chicagoland area was discovered by french-candaien fur traders in the 1600's. Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette I believe were the names of the first well-documented discoverers. Blackhawk was the chief of the Indians located in the Chicago area at the time. I believe he was a Sauk and/or Fox indian chief. Well, short and to the point. Blackhawk was essentially driven from the lands by ******** treaties and finagling. Fort Dearborn was built and by the time Blackhawk realized it was necessary to fight for his land America had its grips on the area. Blackhawk and his son Whirling Thunder did survive for awhile after and were allowed to integrate into American society. This is of course about as abridged as you can get.

If you are really curious you can check out the book City of Century by Donal L. Miller. It is a great history of the city of Chicago.

The Chicagoland area was discovered by french-candaien fur traders in the 1600's. Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette I believe were the names of the first well-documented discoverers. Blackhawk was the chief of the Indians located in the Chicago area at the time. I believe he was a Sauk and/or Fox indian chief. Well, short and to the point. Blackhawk was essentially driven from the lands by ******** treaties and finagling. Fort Dearborn was built and by the time Blackhawk realized it was necessary to fight for his land America had its grips on the area. Blackhawk and his son Whirling Thunder did survive for awhile after and were allowed to integrate into American society. This is of course about as abridged as you can get.

If you are really curious you can check out the book City of Century by Donal L. Miller. It is a great history of the city of Chicago.


And yes, the chiefs name was actually spelled Black Hawk which probably lead to the mispelling Loki speaks of.