Episodes

In 1966, Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley announced that the first week of June would be known as “Puerto Rican Week.” One day after the celebrations ended, an incident near Division Street and Damen Avenue set off three days of upheaval between local Puerto Rican residents and Chicago police. This is the story of the Division Street Riots of 1966. National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture 3015 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622 https://nmprac.org/ Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just ...

It was an industry that at one time employed 700,000 workers, including 200,00 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 not before one fateful Memorial Day protest turned deadly. Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff - through these links helps benefit the show): 1937 Chicago Steel Strike:...

In this episode I'm joined by Kelli Marshall, host of Chicago Movie Tours ( chicagomovietours.com ) and screenwriter Gregory Widen ( Backdraft, Highlander, The Prophecy ) to discuss the 30th anniversary of Backdraft (1991). Shot here in Chicago in 1990 and released on May 24, 1991, Backdraft set the tone for firefighting movies and TV shows and was a huge boost for Chicago film production in the early 90s. YouTube version of the full interview: https://youtu.be/ydO4ZQamdFw Affiliate Links (anyth...

An extended EXTRAS episode with a few more stories I was not able to include in the Chicago's Original Chinatown 1870-1912 episode. Please listen to the main episode first. WARNING: This episode contains stories of violence, including some we would refer to now as hate crimes. Parental guidance is suggested as well as for sensitive listeners to skip this one. #ChicagoHistory #ChineseAmericans #AsianAmericans #ChicagoChinese #TranscontinentalRailroad #AAPI #AAPIHeritageMonth For More Info About T...

Chicago's Chinatown at Cermak and Wentworth is a vibrant community and a big part of Chicago's history. But what about the original Chinatown based in the south loop? And how did the earliest Chinese immigrants make their way to Chicago? #ChicagoHistory #ChineseAmericans #AsianAmericans #ChicagoChinese #TranscontinentalRailroad #AAPI #AAPIHeritageMonth For More Info About The Topics Discussed In This Episode (your purchase of anything through these links helps benefit the show): Chinese Chicago:...

Here are some extras from episode 205 of the podcast. As always, be sure to listen to the full-length episode before enjoying this. PARENTAL GUIDANCE IS SUGGESTED. This episode deals with fire and the death of children and teachers. #ChicagoHistory #ChicagoFires #OurLadyOfTheAngels Reference Materials Used For This Episode Include: To Sleep With The Angels by David Cowan and David Kuenster https://amzn.to/3f3d4RR Love the podcast? Leave us a review! https://lovethepodcast.com/chicagohistorypod C...

More from the vault - here are some extras that didn't make the cut of episode 109 about The Blues Brothers for the 40th anniversary of the film last year. If you haven't listened to episode 109, check that one out first and then come back here for this one. Enjoy. #ChicagoHistory #ChicagoMusic #TheBluesBrothers #JohnBelushi #DanAykroyd #ArethaFranklin #DonPorcher #AndyHaban #WildernessRoad #ChristopherGuest #NigelTufnel #DavidSoul #JohnTravolta

BONUS MATERIAL! Here are a few more things from Episode 212 - School By Radio: The 1937 Polio Outbreak in Chicago that were not included in the original episode. Enjoy!

BONUS EPISODE! Here are some extras for episode 108, including a connection to Ernest Hemingway. As always with bonus material, have a listen to the original episode first otherwise these extras may not make much sense. Was she a good girl gone bad, as some news reports would have you believe, or was Wanda Stopa a naïve, lovestruck woman taken advantage of by an older man and driven to murder? #ChicagoHistory #ChicagoMurder #Hemingway #ErnestHemingway #Towertown #ThreeArtsClub #ArtInstitute ADDI...

BONUS EPISODE - Here are some stories from episode 225 that didn't make the final cut. Please listen to episode 225 first if you haven't already then circle back to this one. Enjoy! #NorgeSkiClub #CountrysideOpry #RosemontHorizon

In the summer of 1980, two new entertainment venues 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. #ChicagoHistory #RosemontHorizon #AllstateArena #PoplarCreek #AlpineValley #SabreRoom #ChicagoStadium #InternationalAmphitheater #Ravinia #StarPlazaTheater #HolidayStarTheater #ChicagoCougars Want to help support the show? Buy Me A Coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Lo...

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.

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, and a few words to denote African Americans that were used in publications of the day that are no longer politicall...

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 Showing Cermak and Zangara: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHi7YlLS5Mk Assassination of Anton Cermak, Mayor of Chicago: A R...

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. #Chicago #ChicagoHistory #ChicagoFacts #JaneAddams #HullHouse #NobelPeacePrize #WomensHistoryMonth Art for this episode courtesy of Becky - https://www.instagram.com/bhillgie/ Virtual Tours of Hull House: https://www.hullhousemuseum.org/ Additional Reading and Items Related to the Subjects Covered (any p...

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 Illustrated History, The by Geoffrey C. Ward https://amzn.to/3f3tYBz Civil War: The Story of the War with Maps, The by Davi...

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) : https://amzn.to/30GaU3C Chicago's Historic Irish Pubs (Images of America) : https://amzn.to/2OPedDb Making The Ir...

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 Love the podcast? Leave us a review! https://lovethepodcast.com/chicagohistorypod Chicago History Podcast Clothing, Mugs, Totes, & More (y...

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 look at physicist Leona Woods Libby, and then catch up with Chicago Detours founder Amanda Scotese to discuss Women's History Month. #WomensHistoryMonth #Physicists #AtomicEnergy #ManhattanProject #EnricoFermi Chicago Detours: https://www.chicagodetours.com NOTE: We use the word "Badass...

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 , coming March 2. #ChicagoHistory #ChicagoAuthors #TheBeatles #TheBeatlesInChicago #HardDaysNight #Comiskey Pre-Order John Lyons book here (the sale of this book may benefit this show): Joy and Fear: The Beatles, Chicago, and the 1960s by John F. Lyons https://amzn.to/2NcJfUs Want another way to h...

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://lovethepodcast.com/chicagohistorypod Parks of Chicago: The City in a Garden: A History of Chicago's Parks, Second Edition by...

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. #ChicagoHistory #ChicagoPodcasts #BlackHistory #Bronzeville #BicycleRacing #BlackCyclone #Wheelmen #WorldChampion Love the podcast? Leave us a review! https://lovethepodcast.com/chicagohistorypod Want to read more about "Major" Taylor? (Purchasing through th...

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! https://lovethepodcast.com/chicagohistorypod Chicago History Podcast Clothing, Mugs, Totes, & More (your purchase helps support t...

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/live-tour/ Love the podcast? Leave us a review! https://lovethepodcast.com/chicagohistorypod Chicago History Podcast Clothing, Mugs, ...