An airport destroyed in the middle of the night by the government. It may sound like the plot of an exotic spy thriller, but it happened in Chicago 20 years ago this week.

You may be familiar with Northerly Island. It’s a man-made peninsula located between McCormick Place and Soldier Field on Lake Michigan. Now there’s a large nature and conservation area, a concert venue and more. But if you were in Chicago prior to 2003, you may remember when this bucolic slice of the outdoors was something completely different.

Built in 1925, it hosted the Century of Progress World’s Fair. Starting in 1948, it was a single-runway airport used by politicians and the elite to jet in and out of downtown.

The great Rich Samuels reported on the overnight destruction of Meigs Field in 2003. Watch the above video for WTTW News’ coverage of the uniquely Chicago event.