Chicago History Podcast

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. Want to help support the show? Buy Me A Coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Chicago History Podcast Clothing, Mugs, To...

Send us Fan Mail BONUS EPISODE! The response to episode 224 about the Cicero Race Riots of 1951 has been so strong I decided to record a few extra stories that didn’t make the final script. If you haven’t listened to the full episode yet, please do so otherwise these extras might not make much sense. Enjoy. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail It is a suburb on the outskirts of Chicago with ties to Al Capone, manufacturing, and in the 1950’s was the site of three days of chaos, sparked by an African American family trying to legally move into an apartment building in the all-white city. This is the story of the Cicero Race Riots of 1951. NOTE: This episode deals with racial violence, the destruction of personal property...

Send us Fan Mail He came from humble beginnings and worked his way up to become mayor of the greatest city in the world before the bullet from a madman changed history. This is the story of Mayor Anton Cermak. #ChicagoHistory #ChicagoPolitics #AntonCermak #CzechAmerican #WorldFairsMayor #FDR #FranklinDelanoRoosevelt #AlCapone #Zangara #Assassination #AttemptedAssassination  Newsreel Footage Showin...

Send us Fan Mail She grew up in a small town in Illinois in the late 1800s and became known worldwide as an activist, reformer, and winner of a Nobel Peace Prize. This is the story of Jane Addams and Hull House. Want to help support the show? Buy Me A Coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Art for this episode courtesy of Becky - https://www.instagram.com/bhillgie/ Virtual Tours of Hu...

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. Additional Reading and Items Related to the Subjects Covered (your purchase may help support the podcast): Books: Civil War: An Illust...

Send us Fan Mail A preacher who drove snakes out of Ireland, dyeing the river green, and a hefty amount of backroom politics – episode 220 of the Chicago History Podcast looks at St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago. #ChicagoHistory #ChicagoIrish #StPatricksDay Additional Reading and Items Related to the Subjects Covered (your purchase may help support the podcast): Books: Irish Chicago (Images of America...

Send us Fan Mail He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but when this Chicago-born department store heir died mysteriously at the age of 20, things really got weird. Montgomery Ward Thorne in this episode. #ChicagoHistory #MontgomeryWard #MysteriousDeath #Wards #DepartmentStores Want to help support the show? Buy Me A Coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Chicago History Podca...

Send us Fan Mail She graduated high school in La Grange, IL at 14 and received her BS from the University of Chicago at 18. She then became a key figure in the development of atomic energy before the age of 23. In this episode we talk about physicist Leona Woods Libby, and then catch up with Chicago Detours founder Amanda Scotese to discuss Women's History Month. #WomensHistoryMonth #Physicis...

Send us Fan Mail The Beatles were one of the biggest bands of the 1960s and a HUUUUGE presence here in Chicago. Author John F, Lyons joins me to talk about his new book Joy and Fear: The Beatles, Chicago, and the 1960s , available now wherever you buy books (link below). #ChicagoHistory #ChicagoAuthors #TheBeatles #TheBeatlesInChicago #HardDaysNight #Comiskey Buy the book here (the sale of this bo...

Send us Fan Mail In 1939, Chicago was the site of the production of the Antarctic Snow Cruiser, a 37-ton rolling laboratory with ten-foot-tall tires designed for research at the South Pole. From concept to launch, there were... a few problems. Want to help support the podcast? Buy Me A Coffee (please)! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Love the podcast? Leave us a review! https://lovethe...

Send us Fan Mail He has been called the first international African American sports superstar and in his time was the biggest star of any sport. Although he wasn’t born in Chicago, some of Marshall "Major" Taylor's most lasting accomplishments occurred here. Want to read more about "Major" Taylor? (Purchasing through the links below will help support the podcast!) The Worl...

Send us Fan Mail Fun and physical exercise with wheels on your feet! Chicago's connection to roller skating runs deeps, from the late 1800's and the first roller rinks in the city to one of the most prominent skate manufacturers in the country. Be sure to check out craigslostchicago.com  ! #ChicagoHistory #ChicagoPodcasts #RollerSkating #RollerRinks Love the podcast? Leave us a review! h...

Send us Fan Mail It was one of the defining moments for the United States during World War II - the capture of a German U-boat on the Atlantic Ocean. Hear the story and the event's many Chicago connections. #ChicagoHistory #USNavy #MuseumOfScienceandIndustry #U505Submarine #WorldWarII U-505 Live Submarine Tour: https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/u-505-submarine/ Chicago Hi...

Send us Fan Mail In 1937, 83 years before the current pandemic forced kids to find ways to learn outside of the traditional classroom, Chicago school children took classes by radio while trying to stay safe from the threat of polio. Support the show for the cost of a cup of coffee. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Leave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower righ...

Send us Fan Mail He was a manager at a Coca-Cola bottling plant, married, with two teenage sons living the good life in suburban Naperville, IL in 1967. When a bomb exploded aboard a plane on which his wife Jeanne was a passenger, Earle T. Cook quickly became the focus of the FBI investigation. #ChicagoHistory #ChicagoTrueCrime #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #AirplaneBombings #NapervilleIL #MurderFo...

Send us Fan Mail There was a time when in order to receive blood at a hospital, it needed to be donated directly from a donor to the recipient. One man changed that with the invention of a way to store blood in a "blood bank." Along the way, that man spoke out against fake "cures" that did more harm than good and also tried to make children's medicine a little easier for k...

Send us Fan Mail In the late 1800s and early 1900s, a familiar sight near the river and Clark Street was the Rouse Simmons, also known as The Christmas Tree Ship, and its captain Herman Schuenemann, who became known to families as Captain Santa. During a trip from upper Michigan to Chicago in November of 1912, all of that changed. Thanks to listener Liz for the suggestion! #ChicagoHistory #Chicago...

Send us Fan Mail In November of 1990, a film about a young boy accidentally left at home at Christmas who defends his house against burglars became a worldwide sensation. This is the story of Home Alone . #HomeAlone #JohnHughes #JohnCandy #MacauleyCulkin #HolidayMovies Show your support of the show for the cost of a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Leave me a voice message - jus...

Send us Fan Mail 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 the story of Spider-Dan Goodwin, who was...

Send us Fan Mail A Chicago story of a holiday charity from 1909 that created a nationwide effort and resulted in a 1911 movie from Essanay Studios. Also in this episode, a special guest - Amanda Scotese, founder of Chicago Detours. Chicago Detours has entertained and educated tens of thousands of tourists and locals with in-person and virtual Chicago history tours. The YouTube version of this epis...

Send us Fan Mail For a city long defined by fire, nothing could have prepared Chicago for the tragedy at the Catholic grade school Our Lady of the Angels on December 1, 1958. Chicago Fire Commissioner Robert Quinn may have summed things up most succinctly when he said of the fire at the time, “It was the worst thing I have ever seen or ever will see.” Reference Materials Used For This Episode Incl...

Send us Fan Mail Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood is home to many beautiful homes, including ones in an area called Beer Baron Row. In this episode we discuss how this name came about and the murder of John Henry Raap, a prominent German American businessman and resident on Beer Baron Row. Reference Materials Used For This Episode Include: Wicker Park From 1673 thru 1929 by Elaine A Coorens...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we talk with WTTW's Geoffrey Baer and Eddie Griffin about their new project, Chicago From The Air , which takes audiences on a bird’s eye tour of Chicago’s landmarks, neighborhoods, and suburbs, shot entirely by drone camera. Chicago From The Air - https://interactive.wttw.com/chicago-from-the-air The YouTube version of this interview is also available at: htt...

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 of the 1970’s . Want to help support the show? Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Leave me a voice message - just click on t...