Date:    Mon, 16 Feb 1998 17:08:07 EST
<br>From:    "Barry A. Popik"  Bapopik[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM 
<br>Subject: Magic City (Miami? Orlando? Fort Worth?)
<br>
<br>"They call it (Miami) the Magic City."
<br>--60 MINUTES (CBS tv show), 15 February 1998.
<br>
<br>     Miami is the Magic City?  Why?  Isn't Orlando the Magic City?  After all,
<br>doesn't it have a basketball team called the Orlando Magic?  And Disneyworld?
<br>     A search of the usual suspects (OED, DARE, RHHDAS, DA, Mencken) fails to
<br>give any help at all on "Magic City."  However, research shows that "Magic
<br>City" is actually the most popular of American city nicknames, followed by
<br>"Wonder City" and "Gate City."
<br>     The earliest citation I have is this, from the Baltimore Sun, 22
<br>September 1884, pg. 1, col. 4:
<br>
<br>     THE MAGIC CITY OF TEXAS.--Fort Worth is styled the "Magic City" of Texas,
<br>and with good reason.  In 1880 its population was 6,600, whilst a recently
<br>completed census shows that it has now 22,189, an increase since 1876 of
<br>21,000.  In 1880 the assessed valuation of property was $1,509,043, whilst now
<br>it is $5,341,090, being an increase for the past year of $1,489,317.
<br>
<br>     Thus, a city is not "magic" because it can pull a rabbit out of a hat or
<br>name your card.  It's "magic" because it grows like magic out of next to
<br>nothing.
<br>      Here are some others:
<br>
<br>1890 (Cheyenne, Wyoming)--A newspaper was THE MAGIC CITY RECORD.
<br>1893 (Pawnee, Oklahoma)--A newspaper in this town was also called MAGIC CITY
<br>RECORD.
<br>1894 (Chicago, Illinois)--More than one book called the city that hosted the
<br>Columbian Exposition THE MAGIC CITY.  There was also a Chicago newspaper by
<br>this title.
<br>1898 (South Omaha, Nebraska)--The local newspaper was the MAGIC CITY HOOF AND
<br>HORN.
<br>1902 (Dubuque, Iowa)--The local newspaper was THE MAGIC CITY.
<br>1908 (Minot, North Dakota)--The local newspaper was the MAGIC CITY DEMOCRAT.
<br>1933 (Chicago, Illinois)--A book was titled THE MAGIC CITY: JOHN & JANE AT THE
<br>WORLD'S FAIR (Century of Progress International Exposition, 1933-1934).
<br>1940 (San Francisco, California)--A book was called TREASURE ISLAND, "THE
<br>MAGIC CITY," 1939-1940; THE STORY OF THE GOLDEN GATE INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION.
<br>1942--Using the American Thesaurus of Slang, we see:
<br>   (Miami, Florida)--City of Opportunities, Magic City, Wonder City of the
<br>World.
<br>   (Birmingham, Alabama)--Magic City, Magic City of the South.
<br>   (Anniston, Alabama)--City of Churches, Magic City.
<br>   (Moberly, Missouri)--Magic City.
<br>   (Billings, Montana)--Magic City.
<br>   (Brownsville, Texas)--Metropolis of the "Magic Valley."
<br>1960 (Miami, Florida)--The Dade County Planning Department published MAGIC
<br>CITY CENTER PLAN FOR ACTION; A GENERAL FRAMEWORK FOR REVITALIZING THE CENTRAL
<br>BUSINESS DISTRICT, MIAMI, FLORIDA.
<br>1963 (Marceline, Missouri)--The NYPL has a pamphlet titled THE MAGIC CITY,
<br>MARCELINE, MISSOURI, DIAMOND JUBILEE CELEBRATION, JUNE 29 to JULY 4, 1963.
<br>1967 (Cheyenne, Wyoming)--A book by the Centennial Historical Committee was
<br>CHEYENNE, THE MAGIC CITY OF THE PLAINS.
<br>1972 (Moberly, Missouri)--The local newspaper was the MAGIC CITY FREE PRESS.
<br>1973 (Los Angeles, California)--Sun Ra's song THE MAGIC CITY refers to L.A.
<br>1976 (Minot, North Dakota)--A local newspaper was called THE MAGIC CITY SUN.
<br>1977 (Millinochee, Maine)--A book called MAGIC CITY DOCTOR was about this
<br>town.
<br>1981 (Miami, Florida)--A book was published by Arva Moore Parks called THE
<br>MAGIC CITY--MIAMI.
<br>1982 (San Diego, California)--A book was called BALBOA PARK EXPOSITIONS,
<br>1915-1936; THE MAGIC CITY, A BOOK OF DAYS.
<br>
<br>     That's a lot of magic, but those little elves can get around.
<br>