Chicago Land

The Calumet Watershed is a land of superlatives. It has "experienced every abuse that a wealthy society can subject", but simultaneously it remains one of the United states' most ecologically diverse landscapes. This is the first episode in a three part series. In this episode, we see how the rocks and sediments of southern Lake Michigan were deposited at first under an ancient shallow sea, and th...

This is a bonus episode PREVIEW! Get the whole thing at https://www.patreon.com/chicago_land Is Manhattan the world's "Greatest Grid," or is it more of an accident of historical contingency? This is the final episode of a two part series. In this episode, Aaron Burr's allies stymy a rogue French surveyor's plan for the city. Then three out-of-towners are handed the reins. Check out Soma’s creative...

It's a little known fact that in the late 1800s, Chicago stood shoulder to shoulder with San Francisco as a cable car city. Join us as we "get a grip" on the glorious moment in history when cables ruled Chicago's streets. Who invented the Chicago city block? We just don't know, so we make some educated guesses. But we do know that Edward Brennan invented the Chicago address system! Chicago Land re...

This is a bonus episode PREVIEW! Get the whole thing at https://www.patreon.com/chicago_land Is Manhattan the world's "Greatest Grid," or is it more of an accident of historical contingency? This is the first episode of a two part series. In this episode, we see the original landscape of the island transformed by fires, fortifications, and finally by surveyors. Check out Soma’s creative projects:...

The Grid is a set of imaginary lines that have been emblazoned onto the land itself. From Chicago streets to county roads, Isaac Newton’s coordinate grid is a fact of life for anyone who lives in Chicago Land. This is final episode in a four part series. Who invented the Chicago city block? We just don't know, so we make some educated guesses. But we do know that Edward Brennan invented the Chicag...

The Grid is a set of imaginary lines that have been emblazoned onto the land itself. From Chicago streets to county roads, Isaac Newton’s coordinate grid is a fact of life for anyone who lives in Chicago Land. This is the third episode in a four part series. Chief Blackhawk didn't believe land could be bought and sold. The U.S. Army set out to prove him wrong and, in the process, discovered a nift...

The Grid is a set of imaginary lines that have been emblazoned onto the land itself. From Chicago streets to county roads, Isaac Newton’s coordinate grid is a fact of life for anyone who lives in Chicago Land. This is the second episode in a four part series. It turns out the “vacuum domicilium” is actually full of people and nature. While the surveyors struggle in the mountains, the US government...

The Grid is a set of imaginary lines that have been emblazoned onto the land itself. From Chicago streets to county roads, Isaac Newton’s coordinate grid is a fact of life for anyone who lives in Chicago Land. This is the first episode in a four part series. We see how Enlightenment principles lead “rapping slave master” Thomas Jefferson to envision a rural mathematical republic. Chicago Land reli...

What exactly is Chicagoland? We review the history of the term and introduce the Chicago Land podcast. Chicago Land relies on audience contributions: patreon.com/chicago_land More music from Chris Robbin’ (Chicago Land Theme composer): open.spotify.com/artist/3o358VkcDy0OGAyUzruVRA Find Xavier on social media: Twitter: twitter.com/XZahnle Facebook: facebook.com/xavier.zahnle Xavier also writes abo...