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Search for the Key: Key to the City LbNA #58084

Owner:Atom 118
Plant date:May 31, 2011
Location: ??
City:??, ??
County:Cook
State:Illinois
Boxes:1
Found by: Not yet found!
Last found:N/A
Last edited:May 31, 2011
This is the final box of a multi-state series. In order to find this box, you need to find the other 18 boxes. As you find each box, RECORD THE CODE WRITTEN ON THE 2nd PAGE OF EACH BOX'S LOGBOOK. THESE CODES ARE CASE SENSITIVE, SO MAKE SURE YOU COPY THEM EXACTLY. EACH CODE HAS A NUMBER (1-18) AND THEN A 4 CHARACTER CODE. By DECIPHERING THE CODES, you should be able to find this box. Thanks to Hartx6 for carving the stamp.

Clues for the other boxes will be posted on June 1st, and will be linked to this clue in the near future. (The AQ clue already has some of the links... http://www.atlasquest.com/boxes/clue/?gBoxId=172609)

At a recent event, the following was overheard spoken by Mayor Daley to Rahm Emanuel, ‘I wish you the best of luck, and I had hoped to give you the KEY I inherited from Eugene.’

While a small side note, it piqued the interest of several of the press corps. Could this be the fabled Key to the city? It was rumored to have been presented to Mayor Ogden by a local ‘civic’ group back in 1838. Although the actual key had never been seen, it is said to unlock all the mysteries of the city of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Its existence had been, long ago, dismissed as an urban legend, and even among the true believers, it was thought to have vanished decades ago. Did Mayor Daley actually once possess the key? Maybe, he was hazing the new guy and just perpetuating a known Chicago myth.

If you are as curious as I, you will need to search the region to find clues to help you find the whereabouts of the lost Key. Lucky for you, I’ve done a bit of homework, and I’ve uncovered some information that you will find helpful. In doing so, you might decipher the code that has kept the Key to the city hidden for nearly 200 years. You will have to visit some old haunts, past notable figures, and find a few relics of Chicago history. Now, a few of my leads are purely speculative, but a few of them are much more likely. So to complete this journey, you’ll have to visit each lead. [Don’t over think this ;-)]

Of the speculative leads, there are a variety of references to Mayor Cermak hanging out with the likes of Al Capone, Frank McErlane, and a few even shadier characters at some of the local speakeasies. I also found some paperwork from one of Cermak’s staff noting a few huge loans. This was around the time when the trail for the Key went cold. I think Cermak’s underling stole the Key to pay off his debts. It is worth investigating these folks. Keep an eye out, these guys are sometimes armed with Tommy Guns.

It would also be worthwhile to pay a call to John Dillinger. He was a well known crook and thief. The Key would have been a crowning achievement in his life on the wrong side of the law. Actually, if you consider world class criminals, it is also worthwhile to visit the Starved Rock murderers.

Now, if you assume that the Key wasn’t stolen, there are other options to consider. It is just as likely that it would have been given to some as a reward for serving the city. In a city with so many distinguished people, it was hard to narrow the list to just a few individuals. However, I was able to find mention of a few ceremonies of civic recognition for three business groups. Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck (aka Sears Roebuck Co) made Chicago their home while James Dewar (the Twinkie Tycoon) and Edwin Perkins (The Kool-Aid King) were both from the near Westside suburb of River Forest. It is worthwhile to visit them all.

In addition to commerce, there have been a few awards for the builders of the city. Although Chicago isn’t the largest city in the country, it has had a significant influence on worldwide architecture. The architects Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan, and Mies van de Rohe have all been awarded keys to the city. I think one of those ‘keys’ might have been the actual Key! There was even a small story in the Tribune that the woman who commissioned van de Rohe to do the Farnsworth house was puzzled when the first key that Mies gave her didn't fit the lock. Was that the Key?!

Alas, it is entirely possible that this whole quest is pointless. A majority of the articles I’ve found were written by Horace White and published in his paper. Considering he was a mugwump, I wouldn’t trust him further than I could throw him. Equally likely, the Key was lost in the burning embers of the Great Chicago Fire, and it might never be found again. Or even, the Key may have fallen into Lake Michigan during one of the many retreats several of our mayors took to Chicago’s playland, Holland MI. I’d even put money on Richard Daley lying to our new Mayor, and Daley may have just kept the Key as a memento.

So that is my short list of possibilities that should lead to the Key. This quest will likely be a bit of challenge so plan your trips appropriately. Also, when I heard this legend as a youth, my father would tell me stories of an ominous green pickup truck. Given the value of this Key, you should also keep an eye out for those trying to keep the Key hidden or to steal it for themselves.

Good luck!