Chicago History Podcast

Send us Fan Mail In May of 1970, those driving past Wrigley Field were greeted with an unusual sight – a Native American teepee, surrounded by smaller tents and groups of people. This was just the beginning of the Native American protests in Chicago in the 1970s . Want to help support the show? Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Leave me a voice message - just click on th...

Send us Fan Mail Women and poison. Chicago's history is thick with these killers. Want to help support the show? Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Leave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner here: https://www.chicagohistorypod.com Up your cocktail game for the holidays with Portland craft syrups! https://portlandsyrups.com/colle...

Send us Fan Mail He was an African American performer who went from humble beginnings to become a huge movie star based on a single character, but soon his Hollywood standing, his personal fortunes, and his acceptance by fellow Blacks collapsed. Today we’re discussing Chicago Connections: Lincoln Perry, aka Stepin Fetchit. The interview with DeWitt Fleming Jr. (Lincoln Perry in A Wonderful World )...

Send us Fan Mail This story of sibling rivalries, suicides, arson, missing heiresses, and murder was originally presented at a members-only event at the Chicago History Museum . Thanks to my co-writer and co-host for this episode, Anna Mason ( @annadotmason ). Anna's piece on the Medinah Temple for WBEZ's Curious City can be found here . Show your support of the show for the cost of a co...

Send us Fan Mail It was a Civil War prison in Richmond, VA, housing thousands of Union soldiers captured during that war. After the war, someone thought the building would make a good tourist attraction in… Chicago. This is the story of the Libby Prison War Museum. Get tickets to the Cats in Action Bingo Benefit (October 2nd at 7pm in Chicago): tinyurl.com/CIABingo S upport the show for the cost o...

Send us Fan Mail Producer Eddie Griffin and I discuss the new season of Chicago Stories on WTTW. The reversal of the Chicago river, candy companies of the city, and more! Watch episodes of Chicago Stories on the PBS app or online at wttw.com/chicagostories YouTube version of this can be found here: https://youtu.be/rqL3GoBCCJ0 Get tickets to the Cats in Action Bingo Benefit (October 2nd at 7pm in...

Send us Fan Mail The true Chicago crime story that inspired the film "Call Northside 777." On a cold day in 1932, a Chicago cop named William Lundy was gunned down at a speakeasy in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. Two men were sent to prison for the crime, but did prosecutors get the right men? 11 years later, a classified ad placed in the newspaper by the mother of one of the men bl...

Send us Fan Mail This really could have been a six or eight-part podcast experience as there is SO MUCH Polish history in Chicago. Here are more things of interest regarding this subject. Enjoy. Get tickets to the Cats in Action Bingo Benefit (October 2nd at 7pm in Chicago): tinyurl.com/CIABingo Show your support of the show for the cost of a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Lea...

Send us Fan Mail Chicago's Polish history is far too extensive for one episode, but I'm hopeful this gives you a nice overview. Enjoy. Get tickets to the Cats in Action Bingo Benefit (October 2nd at 7pm in Chicago): tinyurl.com/CIABingo Show your support of the show for the cost of a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Leave me a voice message - just click on the micropho...

Send us Fan Mail FROM THE ARCHIVES from October, 2020: On Memorial Day, May 25th, 1981, a 25-year-old year old sport climber dressed as comic book hero Spider-Man used a system of suction cups and other climbing gear to scale the outside of the 110-story Sears Tower, which at that time was the tallest building in the world . He came back later that year to climb the John Hancock Center. This is th...

Send us Fan Mail In the summer of 1980, two new large entertainment venues, one indoor and one outdoor, opened in the Chicago area at which those seeking amusement could see live music and more. Both of those and many others made for a busy summer of entertainment in the Greatest City in the World. Want to help support the show for a one-time donation of a few bucks? Buy Me A Coffee! https://www.b...

Send us Fan Mail It is the 30th anniversary of one of the BEST action films shot in the Greatest City in the World, so today Kelli from Chicago Movie Tours and I are talking about all things "The Fugitive" in Chicago. The train derailment scene (North Carolina): https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-fugitive-train-wreck-sylva-north-carolina Show your support of the show for the cost of...

Send us Fan Mail An archive episode from way back in August 2020. Enjoy! There was a time you could sit in your car and watch a movie on a giant screen. Crazy, I know. Wait - what? Drive-ins still exist? In this episode we discuss drive-in movies and their history in the Chicagoland area. Additional Reading (your purchase using this link helps support the podcast): Drive-in Theaters: A History fro...

Send us Fan Mail I had the pleasure of speaking with local author Jessica Mlinaric about her book Chicago Scavenger: The Ultimate Search for Chicago's Hidden Treasures. Have a listen, and get a copy of the book for yourself! Chicago Scavenger: The Ultimate Search for Chicago's Hidden Treasures by Jessica Mlinaric https://amzn.to/3K7WJvo Secret Chicago: A Guide To The Weird, Wonderful, an...

Send us Fan Mail The Chicago area has seen many weather events that have resulted in catastrophic destruction and death. Today's we're discussing Chicago's Terrifying Tornadoes. Show your support of the show for the cost of a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Leave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner here: https://www.chicago...

Send us Fan Mail Chicago introduced the first ever Ferris Wheel at the World's Fair of 1893, but... whatever happened to it? Listen for the full story. Want to help support the show? Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff - through these links helps benefit the show): 3D Wood Ferris Wheel Building Kit Puzzle https:/...

Send us Fan Mail With Chicago air quality ranging from "Unhealthy" to "Very Unhealthy" to "Downright Unbreathable" most of this week, I thought I'd drag out this episode from the archives. During a time of tuberculosis and cholera taking a deadly toll on Chicago's children, "Fresh Air" sanitariums were built to help provide children and mothers rel...

Send us Fan Mail A little more from the Archie's interview and GOOD NEWS for fans of vintage signs in Chicago. Archie's Bar: https://www.facebook.com/ArchiesBar Show your support of the show for the cost of a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Leave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner here: https://www.chicagohistorypod.com Up your...

Send us Fan Mail A family-run corner bar in Humboldt Park celebrating 80 years of being in business? One location, yet so many stories. Guest host: Tyler Henry Archie's Bar: https://www.facebook.com/ArchiesBar Show your support of the show for the cost of a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Leave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner her...

Send us Fan Mail Special guest Mike McMains (Tours with Mike) helps me break down the history of Chicago LGBTQ Pride Events. Enjoy! See the city in an all new way on a Tours with Mike tour! https://tourswithmike.com/ Show your support of the show for the cost of a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Leave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner h...

Send us Fan Mail Two murders. One paved the way for fingerprint use to determine the identity of a criminal. The other cut short the life of a farmer. Those responsible for the horrible deeds ended up in the same place. Show your support of the show for the cost of a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Leave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower right corne...

Send us Fan Mail One from the archives for your Memorial Day weekend listening. Enjoy. It was an industry that at one time employed 700,000 workers, including 200,000 here in the Chicago area. Italians, Poles, Mexicans, African Americans, and others willing to put in a long and sometimes dangerous day’s work found good pay and a career working at the steel mills. Then gradually, it went away… but...

Send us Fan Mail What's the deal with those big Schlitz globes on the sides of buildings around the city? Have a listen and find out! Spectacular Failures Podcast - Schlitz Goes Bad, Then Worse https://www.spectacularfailures.org/episode/2019/07/01/schlitz-beer-goes-bad-then-worse Show your support of the show for the cost of a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Leave me a vo...

Send us Fan Mail One On Every Corner travels to Scofflaw, located on the southwest corner of Armitage and Kedzie. Joining me for this episode are Chalonda White (aka Afro. Beer. Chick) and Nik White, host of the Chicago Beer Pass podcast. Social Media: Chalonda (Afro. Beer. Chick) - https://twitter.com/afrobeerchick Nick (Chicago Beer Pass) - https://twitter.com/ChicagoBeerPass Scofflaw - https://...

Send us Fan Mail What do you do after you and some pals pull off a big robbery? Why, buy some planes, of course! Want to help support the show? Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Leave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner here: https://www.chicagohistorypod.com Up your cocktail or Sodastream game with Portland craft syrups! https://p...