When the franchise was officially established and granted an NHL franchise in 1926 by founding owner Frederic McLaughlin, the team was originally named the Chicago Black Hawks, written as two separate words. The moniker was chosen by McLaughlin in honor of the 86th Infantry Division, known as the Blackhawk Division, which he commanded during World War I and which itself was named after the historical Sauk Native American leader. Over subsequent decades, the team officially streamlined the spelling into the single word Blackhawks.