How old are Chicago's weather records?

Dear Angela,

Chicago official weather records date back as far as Oct. 15, 1870. Since then the city¹s official weather station has moved numerous times. Through 1925 the city's official readings were taken at a variety of downtown locations. From 1926 through June 1942 the site of record was located on the University of Chicago campus. In July 1942 it was moved to Midway Airport where it remained until mid-January 1980 when it shifted to its current home at O'Hare Airport. There are some sketchy weather records available before 1870, taken at Fort Dearborn located on the banks of the Chicago River near Lake Michigan from 1832-1836. Some other sporadic records, mainly temperature, were taken from 1859-1870 but were lost in the Great Chicago Fire.