{"id":631431,"date":"2026-03-04T11:02:21","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T11:02:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/631431\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T11:02:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T11:02:21","slug":"billy-goat-tavern-opens-on-michigan-ave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/631431\/","title":{"rendered":"Billy Goat Tavern opens on Michigan Ave."},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on March 4, according to the Tribune\u2019s archives.<\/p>\n<p>Is an important event missing from this date? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2026\/03\/04\/march-4-chicago-history\/mailto:krumore@chicagotribune.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Email us<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Front page flashback:<\/strong> March 4, 1978<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" lazyautosizes lazyload\" alt=\"The newstand at Randolph and Clark streets sells the last edition of the Chicago Daily News on March 4, 1978. (Karen Engstrom\/Chicago Tribune)\" width=\"3597\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ctc-newsstandjpg-CT0136627294.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"18004193\" \/>The newsstand at Randolph and Clark streets sells the last edition of the Chicago Daily News on March 4, 1978. (Karen Engstrom\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<p><strong>1978:<\/strong>\u00a0The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2019\/02\/27\/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-chicago-newspaper-called-the-daily-news-remembering-the-march-day-of-so-long-chicago\/\" data-mrf-link=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2019\/02\/27\/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-chicago-newspaper-called-the-daily-news-remembering-the-march-day-of-so-long-chicago\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chicago Daily News<\/a>\u00a0published its final edition.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Weather records <\/strong>(from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/wrh\/climate?wfo=lot\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">National Weather Service, Chicago<\/a>)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>High temperature: <strong>73 degrees<\/strong> (1983)<\/li>\n<li>Low temperature: <strong>Minus 12 degrees<\/strong> (1873)<\/li>\n<li>Precipitation: <strong>1.75 inches<\/strong> (1985)<\/li>\n<li>Snowfall: <strong>8.5 inches<\/strong> (1982)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" alt=\"Pastry chef Albert Wolf, of Albert's Cafe, and associate chef Cliff Arnett work on the 685-pound official cake on March 6, 1987, for the city's 150th birthday party at Navy Pier. The cake represents the Water Tower. (Michael Fryer\/Chicago Tribune) \" width=\"3780\" height=\"879\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CTC-L-CHICAGO-150th-BIRTHDAY-CT0122338659.jpg\" \/>Pastry chef Albert Wolf, of Albert&#8217;s Cafe, and associate chef Cliff Arnett work on the 685-pound official cake on March 6, 1987, for the city&#8217;s 150th birthday party at Navy Pier. The cake represents the Water Tower. (Michael Fryer\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>1837:<\/strong> Chicago was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2022\/03\/03\/vintage-chicago-tribune-go-chicago-its-your-birthday-go-chicago-its-your-birthday\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">incorporated<\/a> as a city.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" alt=\"In this March 4, 1861, file image, President Abraham Lincoln stands under cover at center of the U.S. Capitol steps during his inauguration in Washington, D.C. The scaffolding at upper right is used in construction of the Capitol dome. (AP)\" width=\"2700\" height=\"509\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CTC-L-AP-PRESIDENT-LINCOLN-INAUGURATION-1861-01.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"33303770\" \/>President Abraham Lincoln stands under cover at the center of the U.S. Capitol steps during his inauguration in Washington on March 4, 1861. (AP)<\/p>\n<p><strong>1861:<\/strong> Abraham Lincoln was <a href=\"https:\/\/chicagotribune.newspapers.com\/article\/chicago-tribune-president-abraham-lincol\/192580264\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">inaugurated president<\/a> in Washington, D.C., for the first time. The Bible that was used during the ceremony was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2008\/12\/24\/lincoln-bible-set-for-inaugural\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">used again in 2008<\/a> when Barack Obama was sworn into office.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are quite sure that no document can be found among American state papers embodying sounder wisdom and higher patriotism, \u2014 breathing kindlier feelings to all sections of the country, or stamped with firmer purpose to maintain the Union and Constitution inviolate \u2014 than the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gilderlehrman.org\/history-resources\/spotlight-primary-source\/president-lincolns-first-inaugural-address-1861\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Inaugural Address of PRESIDENT LINCOLN<\/a>,\u201d the Tribune reported.<\/p>\n<p>Lincoln\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/millercenter.org\/the-presidency\/presidential-speeches\/march-4-1865-second-inaugural-address\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">second inauguration<\/a> was also on March 4 in 1865. Also in attendance was the man who shot and killed Lincoln weeks later \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.loc.gov\/loc\/2015\/03\/here-comes-the-sun-seeing-omens-in-the-weather-at-abraham-lincolns-second-inauguration\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">John Wilkes Booth<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1902:<\/strong> Nine small motor clubs <a href=\"https:\/\/chicagotribune.newspapers.com\/article\/chicago-tribune-aaa-founded-in-chicago-d\/192583369\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">met in Chicago<\/a> to create a national group called the <a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.aaa.com\/aaa-history\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">American Automobile Association<\/a> (AAA).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" alt=\"William &quot;Billy Goat&quot; Sianis at his restaurant Billy Goat Tavern off Lower Michigan Avenue in Chicago, circa 1968. (Chicago Tribune historical photo) \" width=\"6139\" height=\"442\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CTC-L-WILLIAM-SIANIS-BILLY-GOAT-CT0136320080.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"18004030\" \/>William &#8220;Billy Goat&#8221; Sianis at his restaurant Billy Goat Tavern off Lower Michigan Avenue in Chicago, circa 1968. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)<\/p>\n<p><strong>1964:<\/strong> The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2022\/11\/25\/that-marvelous-burger-place-84-years-of-tribune-coverage-of-the-billy-goat-tavern\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Billy Goat Tavern<\/a> opened in the Apollo Savings and Loan building on lower Michigan Avenue.<\/p>\n<p>Want more vintage Chicago?<\/p>\n<p>Subscribe to the free\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/membership.chicagotribune.com\/newsletters\/subscribe\/lid\/2d8200fe-eefd-4f1d-bcaa-26a0ce79a461\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" data-mrf-link=\"https:\/\/membership.chicagotribune.com\/newsletters\/subscribe\/lid\/2d8200fe-eefd-4f1d-bcaa-26a0ce79a461\">Vintage Chicago Tribune<\/a>\u00a0newsletter, join our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/762760217263236\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" data-mrf-link=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/762760217263236\/\">Chicagoland history Facebook group,<\/a> stay current with<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/tag\/chicago-history\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> Today in Chicago History<\/a> and follow us on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/vintagetribune\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" data-mrf-link=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/vintagetribune\/\">Instagram<\/a>\u00a0for more from Chicago\u2019s past.<\/p>\n<p>Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Kori Rumore and Marianne Mather at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2026\/03\/04\/march-4-chicago-history\/mailto:krumore@chicagotribune.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">krumore@chicagotribune.com<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2026\/03\/04\/march-4-chicago-history\/mailto:mmather@chicagotribune.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">mmather@chicagotribune.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on March 4, according to the Tribune\u2019s&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":631432,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5124],"tags":[29164,66557,269342,269343,960,269345,6387,5386,1818,212730,269346,269341,2058,269344],"class_list":["post-631431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-chicago","tag-aaa","tag-abraham-lincoln","tag-billy-goat-tavern","tag-cheezborger","tag-chicago","tag-chicago-daily-news","tag-chicago-history","tag-il","tag-illinois","tag-inauguration","tag-john-wilkes-booth","tag-march-4","tag-washington","tag-william-sianis"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116170571687404879","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/631431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=631431"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/631431\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/631432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=631431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=631431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=631431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}