A small piece of Chicago’s urban tapestry about the size of a plump rodent is drawing outsize attention, thanks to a local artist and comedian.
Last weekend, Winslow Dumaine posted a humorous photograph on X of a bizarre sidewalk imprint in the Roscoe Village neighborhood and quipped: “Had to make a pilgrimage to the Chicago Rat Hole.”
And lo and behold, there was the image of what arguably was evidence of a rat or other type of rodent that had splatted onto -- and into -- wet concrete. Left behind was a pretty good likeness of the critter, including its claws and whipcord tail.
The post went viral and drew media attention. The local state legislator, Rep. Ann Williams, even posted a humorous video this week to brag about the hot new landmark in her 11th District on Roscoe near Damen.
Not surprisingly, Dumaine’s christening of the site as “Chicago Rat Hole” solidified faster than the cement of the sidewalk, given the city’s reputation as a haven for the pests.
Speculation abounds about the origin and age of the urban fossil. Block Club Chicago on Wednesday reported the eye-catching imprint has actually been around for several years, although nobody was able to provide a solid explanation or reveal the fate of the animal that went splat.
In an email exchange Wednesday, Dumaine agreed the creature could be a squirrel, which technically is also a rodent. There are trees along the sidewalk.
“I think the squirrel theory is pretty compelling, as the imprint implies the wider haunches and longer claws of a squirrel,” the artist said. “`Chicago Rat Hole’ is just a funnier name.”
No argument there.