Episodes

Like something out of a Michael Bay movie, a crash in downtown Chicago became America’s first civil aviation catastrophe. Today we’re discussing the Wingfoot Express Air Disaster of 1919. To Kill A Mockingbird , coming to Chicago's James M. Nederlander Theatre. Get tickets here: https://www.broadwayinchicago.com/show/to-kill-a-mockingbird/ Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Amazon Affiliate ...

It is one of the most popular tourist destinations not only in Chicago but in all of Illinois, although its use has changed numerous times since it was built more than 100 years ago. Today we’re talking about the history of Navy Pier. Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Amazon Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff - through these links helps benefit the show): BOOKS: Navy Pi...

They were some of the biggest comic actors of their time, influencing comedians for generations to come. Today we’re talking about the Marx Brothers in Chicago. We’ll also talk about what happened to some of the places the Marx Brothers frequented back in the Chicago area during their time here. Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Amazon Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff...

It has been called “eighty acres of Hell” and was one of the deadliest Confederate prisons of the Civil War. Today’s we’re talking about Chicago’s Notorious Camp Douglas. Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Amazon Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff - through these links helps benefit the show): Chicago To Appomattox: The 39th Illinois Infantry in the Civil War by Jason B....

It was a two BILLION dollar catastrophe without a single fatality that brought portions of the city to a standstill. Today’s we’re talking about the Great Chicago Flood of 1992. Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Amazon Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff - through these links helps benefit the show): BOOKS: Chicago River: A Natural and Unnatural History, The by Libby Hil...

She worked on John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign, was guided through Chicago politics by Richard J. Daley, and became the first female mayor of Chicago. Today we’re discussing Jane Byrne, whose story is part of the upcoming season of Chicago Stories on WTTW. With me to discuss Byrne is the producer and writer of the episode, Rachel Pikelny, and the executive producer of Chicago Stories, Dan Protess. For the cost of a cup of coffee, you can help support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com...

45 years ago, one of the most horrifying transportation accidents in Chicago happened downtown at the height of rush hour. This is the story of the CTA Derailment of 1977. Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Amazon Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff - through these links helps benefit the show): BOOKS: Chicago Transit: An Illustrated History by David M. Young https://amzn...

He served as a Chicago policeman for more than 32 years and was Chicago’s chief of police for four, but Francis O’Neill is probably better known for his efforts in preserving the music of his homeland. Today we’re talking about Police Chief Francis O’Neill – Chicago’s Savior of Irish Music. Chicago History Podcast blogs for episodes can be found at chicagohistorypod.com . Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs: https://www.buymeacoffee.com...

It was called “The Madhouse on Madison” and had the reputation as being “The Loudest Arena in the NBA,” but this venue hosted much more than just some of the most memorable sports events in the city’s history and had an unusual history behind the scenes as well. Today we’re discussing the Chicago Stadium. Chicago History Podcast blogs for episodes can be found at chicagohistorypod.com . Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs: https://www.b...

In what was then primarily farmlands 39 miles outside of Chicago, a gun battle erupted between federal law enforcement agents and an outlaw on the run, resulting in chaos and death. This is the story of Baby Face Nelson and The Battle of Barrington. Get out and see live theater in Chicago! Come From Away https://www.broadwayinchicago.com/show/come-from-away-2020/ Chicago History Podcast blogs for episodes can be found at chicagohistorypod.com . Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cu...

Chicago's Black-Owned Record Labels (Part Two) looks at Rhumboogie Records, a short-lived label in the 1940s, and Vee-Jay Records, credited with introducing records by The Beatles to America. Special guest: author John F. Lyons. Get out and see live theater in Chicago! The Simon & Garfunkel Story https://www.broadwayinchicago.com/show/the-simon-garfunkel-story-2020/ Come From Away https://www.broadwayinchicago.com/show/come-from-away-2020/ Chicago History Podcast blogs for episodes can be found ...

Some of the most successful record companies headed by African Americans over the last century were started right here in the greatest city in the world. Today we’re discussing Chicago’s Black-Owned Record Labels (Part One). Get out and see live theater in Chicago! The Simon & Garfunkel Story https://www.broadwayinchicago.com/show/the-simon-garfunkel-story-2020/ Come From Away https://www.broadwayinchicago.com/show/come-from-away-2020/ Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coff...

The World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 showcased the people and cultures from 46 countries on 690 acres of land south of downtown Chicago a little more than 20 years after the Great Fire of 1871 decimated the city. 27 million people visited the World’s Fair at a time when the country’s population was not quite 63 million, proving to all that Chicago had truly risen from the ashes. Today I’m talking with Michael Finney, who not only authored 1893 Chicago's Columbian Exposition: Arts & Culture f...

It started out as a search for info about his ancestors and turned into a book detailing one Illinois infantry’s involvement in the war that pit the United States of America against the Confederate States of America. This is my discussion with Jason B. Baker, author of Chicago to Appomattox: The 39th Illinois Infantry in the Civil War . Chicago to Appomattox: The 39th Illinois Infantry in the Civil War by Jason Baker https://amzn.to/3II8cyB YouTube Version (Full Length Interview): https://youtu....

In 1855, when city policies in Chicago threatened to interfere with livelihood of German and Irish immigrant saloon owners and the consumption of beer by immigrants on their one day off, a full-on uprising was not far behind. Amazon Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff - through these links helps benefit the show): Great Chicago Beer Riot: How Lager Struck A Blow For Liberty, The by John F. Hogan and Judy E. Brady https://amzn.to/3A5pW45 Beer: A History of Brewing In Chicago b...

In 1988, two attractive young students attending a prominent suburban Chicago religious school disappeared, setting off a frenzied search that lasted months before the truth about what happened to them was revealed. Enjoy the podcast? Leave us a review! https://lovethepodcast.com/chicagohistorypod Want to start a podcast of your own? Do it through Buzzsprout like I did and you can get a $20 gift card! https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=968401 Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a...

In the late 1940s and well into the 1950s, Chicago was plagued by fires that had one key thing in common – they took place at often unsafe, downtrodden hotels, injuring and even killing those who were already down on their luck. This is the story of Chicago’s Skid Row Flophouse Fires. Enjoy the podcast? Leave us a review! https://lovethepodcast.com/chicagohistorypod Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chica...

It is the venue by the lake that has hosted music concerts, religious events, civil rights protests, sports competitions, and much more for nearly 100 years. In this episode we tackle Soldier Field. Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Up your cocktail game for 2022 with Portland craft syrups! https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k Anything purchased through the ...

It is without a doubt one of the most amazing urban-built waterfronts anywhere, and it is right here in Chicago. In their book Lakefront: Public Trust and Private Rights in Chicago , authors Joseph D. Kearney and Thomas W. Merrill do a deep dive into how this wonderful area along Lake Michigan came about. Enjoy. The more in-depth YouTube version can be found here: https://youtu.be/Oq_X8wE8fqs Lakefront: Public Trust and Private Rights in Chicago by Joseph D. Kearney and Thomas W. Merrill https:/...

Her last name is well known around the city, but do you know the story behind Chicago's Saint, Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini? Listen and learn, Chicago history fans! Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Up your cocktail game for the holidays with Portland craft syrups! https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k Anything purchased through the links below may generate ...

Chicago Tribune writer Rick Kogan called Mother Chicago: Truant Dreams and Specters Over the Gilded Age “one of the most revelatory, provocative, frightening books I've ever read about Chicago." In this episode, I talk with the book's author, Martin Billheimer, about the Chicago Parental School, Chicago's Tuberculosis Sanitarium, the Dunning Asylum, and much more. Longer YouTube version can be found here: https://youtu.be/XsyKFPUACTE Mother Chicago: Truant Dreams and Specters Over The Gilded Age...

On October 20, 1974, one of the biggest heists in U.S. history happened here in Chicago. This is the story of the Great Purolator Armored Express Heist. Chi-Outreach Holiday Gift-Away - Make a difference this holiday to those less fortunate. https://www.chioutreach.org/events Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Up your cocktail game for the holidays with Portland craft syrups! https://portlan...

An EXTRAS episode - a few more stories about The Beatles in Chicago from John F. Lyons, author of "Joy and Fear: The Beatles, Chicago and The 1960s" that didn't make the original episode (#314). Be sure to check out that one as well as episode 217. To purchase John's book and support a local author (and possibly generate a small commission for the podcast at no additional cost to you), click here: Joy and Fear: The Beatles, Chicago and the 1960s by John F. Lyons https://amzn.to/3pe791k

In November of 2020, Chicago’s WTTW debuted a new special called Chicago From The Air , narrated by Geoffrey Baer and produced by Eddie Griffin. Utilizing drones and the skills of local pilots, Chicago From The Air gave viewers a unique look at places many of us know but have never seen from above. Geoffrey Baer and Eddie Griffin are back with a new production called Beyond Chicago From The Air , which debuts on Wednesday, December 1st, at 7:30pm, and I was fortunate enough to discuss it with th...