Jules Schrader’s moving experience encapsulates a historic Chicago tradition: Moving Day.
On that noteworthy day, multiple families often relocated simultaneously, creating an overwhelming and chaotic scene.
Schrader reminisced about her feelings of confusion seeing not just a single moving truck but several in the alley.
She wondered whether the movers had the wrong address, only to discover that her neighbors were moving at the same time.
This peculiar phenomenon, known colloquially as Moving Day, stood as an emblematic event for Chicagoans, where they would commonly switch residences each year.
According to Paul Durica, the Chicago History Museum’s director of exhibitions, the reasoning behind such a widespread synchronization of moving on specific days is perplexing.
Describing the tradition, he stated, “Why have we adopted this system? It’s not at all efficient. It’s overwhelming. It’s chaotic.”
Moving Day typically occurred on May 1 or October 1, with estimates suggesting that as much as a third of Chicago’s population changed homes annually during that time.
Interestingly, Chicago was not an anomaly; cities such as New York and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, also observed similar Moving Days throughout history.
The origins of Moving Day remain unclear.
In 1865, a report from the Chicago Tribune painted a vivid picture of the mass commotion: “Every wagon in the city was pressed into service,” with children crying and mothers bewildered amidst the chaos.
It left the city’s residents pondering, “Who first inaugurated this fashion of moving on May Day?”
Different accounts exist regarding the origins of the May 1 tradition.
Durica stated that some theorized it correlated with the onset of summer, while others linked it to key events such as the end of the school year.
Moving Day also shared ties to European customs that immigrants carried to America over the years.
For example, Scotland had its Flitting Day on May 25, while the Netherlands celebrated verhuisdag—literally, “moving day”—on May 1 dating back to the 17th century.
In England, traditions like Pack Rag Day and Lady Day also revolved around moving and changes in employment, occurring around the same May 1 date.
Consequently, by the mid-19th century, May 1 emerged as a commonly established date for lease expirations, prompting people to relocate.
Who participated in Moving Day varied significantly based on numerous factors, including class, race, and economic status.
For marginalized communities, particularly people of color, discriminatory housing policies often confined their options, leading to exploitation from landlords seeking higher rents.
The Chicago Defender highlighted these issues in the 1920s, exposing landlords who exploited the situation by raising prices and pushing out white tenants.
This cycle continued throughout the 20th century, fueling patterns of housing exploitation, especially targeting Black residents.
Conversely, those from working-class and middle-class backgrounds often moved for reasons seeking more affordable, cleaner, and better-maintained living conditions.
Descriptions from that period reveal numerous distressing conditions such as infestations, odors, and plumbing issues in rentals.
For wealthier Chicagoans, however, the charm of Moving Day came more as a social ritual, a chance to display status through relocation.
Durica explains that while moving could be a stressful endeavor for lower-income families, it became a delightful ceremony for affluent ones.
Economic conditions often determined who benefitted from the chaos of Moving Day.
In 1865, the end of the Civil War saw more demand for housing in Chicago, allowing landlords to raise rents significantly.
Consequently, many individuals discovered that the places they secured had become more expensive overnight.
In contrast, the years 1925 brought an influx of newly built housing that surpassed demand, giving renters more options and bargaining power.
On May 1 that year alone, an estimated 200,000 residents of Chicago moved to new homes.
The only clear beneficiaries of this chaotic tradition remained the moving companies, which could charge exorbitantly and provide often questionable services.
Eventually, the slow decline of Moving Day ensued as it became unregulated and increasingly unpopular throughout the 20th century.
In response to rising complaints about moving companies, the Chicago City Council attempted to standardize moving rates in 1910.
However, the enforcement of these rates proved virtually impossible due to the decentralized nature of the moving industry.
People who voiced complaints were often left with their belongings discarded on the curb.
The pivotal moment in the demise of Moving Day occurred in 1911 when the Chicago Real Estate Board began advocating for flexible lease options, which eventually diminished the stranglehold on moving day traditions.
The advent of flexible leases allowed for both shorter terms and varied end dates, contributing to the gradual ease on Moving Day constraints.
Today, Chicago’s peak moving seasons have shifted to weekends surrounding Memorial Day and Labor Day, according to U-Haul, the truck rental company.
This change illustrates a departure from the collective chaos of Moving Day, transitioning into a more individualistic modern approach to relocation.
image source from：chicago
