'Hood quiz: June 29

Irish settlers living asa colony in frame cottages with farm-like cabbage patches and farm animals like geese living there on the man-made island of the 1850`s

Irish settlers living as a colony in frame cottages with farm-like cabbage patches and farm animals like geese living there on the man-made island of the 1850`s

Irish settlers living as a colony in frame cottages with farm-like cabbage patches and farm animals like geese living there on the man-made island of the 1850`s

Goose Island got it's name from Irish squatters who settled there during the mid 1800s. These Irish emigrated from Ireland during the Potato famine, and as immigrants were assigned to the two small islands in the Chicago River--the first, smaller island had become known as Goose Island because it was a frequent resting sight of migrating geese. As the immigrants moved to the bigger island and returned to their agricultural roots, raising farm animals, the name was transferred and used to call the island their home.

Goose island according to early reports actually got it's name from a nearby small island that was located about a mile south near the meeting of the north and south branches of the Chicago River. Newspaper reports gave distinction to this small island as a stopping over site for migrating flocks of waterfowl.

The early Irish settlers moved up from here to the present Goose Island, taking the name along with them from the original small Goose Island.