Chicago History Podcast
History
About
Stories from history of the Greatest City in the World - Chicago. The places, events, and the people behind it all.
Episodes
- Episode 823 - Ground Beneath the Diamonds: A History of Chicago's White Sox Ballparks, The
Send us Fan Mail The Chicago White Sox have called three primary sites home since the team’s founding in 1900, and each plot of earth carries layers of history older than the game of baseball. Show your love of this podcast for the cost of…
- FROM THE ARCHIVES - Bizarre Story of the Missing Wheaton Bible College Couple, The
Send us Fan Mail Originally released January 15, 2022. 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…
- Episode 822 - B'Ginnings: Where Schaumburg Rocked The Suburbs
Send us Fan Mail Some of histories biggest rock acts first performed in the Chicago area at music venue in a suburban strip mall in Schaumburg. This is the story of B'Ginnings. Show your love of this podcast for the cost of a coffee: https…
- SPECIAL EPISODE - The Women Who Built Chicago with genealogist Nicka Sewell-Smith
Send us Fan Mail Genealogist Nicka Sewell-Smith joins me to discuss her connections to Chicago and "The Women Who Built Chicago" bus tour, launched for Women's History Month in partnership with Ancestry, which highlights overlooked women's…
- Episode 821 - Behind the Camera: Jun Fujita's Chicago with author Graham Harrison Lee
Send us Fan Mail Jun Fujita was a pioneering Japanese-born photographer who made his way to Chicago to become widely regarded as the first Japanese American photojournalist. Hear more about Fujita's life in Chicago from Graham Harrison Lee…
- Episode 820 - People Wasn't Made To Burn: The James Hickman Story
Send us Fan Mail An unbearable loss pushes one man past the breaking point, ending in murder. Listener discretion is advised. Want to help support the show? Buy me a coffee! Buy more than one and get a personalized video thank you. https:/…
- FROM THE ARCHIVES - Sundown Towns of Chicago with Ernest Crim III
Send us Fan Mail Here's a FROM THE ARCHIVES episode originally released on Feb 18, 2023. Many towns in the Chicago area were established to be all-white, keeping out Blacks, Asians, Jews, Native Americans, and others, allowing minorities t…
- Episode 819 - Frozen in Time: Chicago's Ten Coldest Days
Send us Fan Mail Chicago’s cold weather can be brutal, and it has been for more than 150 years since it started being tracked. Here are ten of Chicago's coldest days. Show your love of this podcast for the cost of a coffee: https://www.buy…
- FROM THE ARCHIVES - Chicago's Skid Row Flophouse Fires
Send us Fan Mail 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, threadbare hotels, injuring and even killing those who were already down on their…
- Episode 818 - Chicago's Deadly December: The Crash and Conspiracies of United Flight 553
Send us Fan Mail On a cold and snowy day in December 1972, United Airlines flight 553 crashed into a neighborhood near Midway Airport, resulting in 45 deaths. The tragedy was soon followed by conspiracies. Was the plane brought down to sil…
- Episode 817 - Chicago's Bloodshot Records with author Rob Miller
Send us Fan Mail Author Rob Miller (one of the founders of Chicago's Bloodshot Records) joins me to discuss his new book, “The Hours Are Long But The Pay Is Low: A Curious Life in Independent Music.” www.robmillerwriting.com Get Rob's book…
- FROM THE ARCHIVES - Chicago's Mass Transit Decoy Squad of the 1970s plus EXTRAS
Send us Fan Mail Please enjoy this FROM THE ARCHIVES + EXTRAS episode from the summer of 2022. One man was robbed more than 190 times, knocked unconscious at least four times, and had an eardrum burst aboard Chicago’s L, each time with Chi…
- Episode 816 - Ghosts of the City: Chicago's Unsolved Murders
Send us Fan Mail The Spyglass Murder of Margaret Gallagher, the killing and dismemberment of Judith Mae Andersen, the execution-style murder of Chicago Alderman Ben Lewis, and the roadside disappearance of Tammy Jo Zywicki are all part of…
- Episode 815 - Chicago's Ghoulish Past - Expanded and Re-Recorded
Send us Fan Mail Halloween is coming! Enjoy this episode about Chicago's ghoulish past, including tales of forgotten cemeteries, grave robbers, mob graveyards, and more. Expanded and re-recorded from the original, released Oct. 2020.. Pame…
- Episode 814 - Pain Fireworks Company Explosion of 1914, The
Send us Fan Mail Chicago has had its share of bizarre incidents resulting in death, including the Pain Fireworks Company Explosion of 1914. Show your support of the show for the cost of a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory…
- FROM THE ARCHIVES - Mysterious Death of Marshall Field Jr., The
Send us Fan Mail Here's one originally released in August 2021 that you may not have heard. Enjoy. He was the son of one of the wealthiest men in Chicago, and on one fateful night he was shot under mysterious circumstances. Was Marshall Fi…
- Episode 813 - Lincoln Park's Statues, Sculptures, and Oddities
Send us Fan Mail If you're planning on walking through Lincoln Park anytime soon, you may be curious about all the statues you'll find. With the help of contributor Connie Fairbanks, we discuss the story behind many of the creations you'll…
- Episode 812 - Chicago's Uptown Theater with author Robert Loerzel
Send us Fan Mail In August of 1925, an opulent cinema opened on Broadway just north of Lawrence Avenue. Joining me today to discuss the history of that theater is Robert Loerzel, one of the authors of the recently released book The Uptown:…
- Episode 811 - One on Every Corner: Four Moon Tavern, Roscoe Village, and the Pencil Factory Strike with writer Leigh Giangreco
Send us Fan Mail The return of One on Every Corner, where we discuss a neighborhood drinking establishment, the neighborhood around it, and more. Joining me for this episode is writer Leigh Giangreco and Four Moon Tavern owners Matt Kozlow…
- Episode 810 - Chicago: The Loop & Beyond with photographer Nenad Spasojevic
Send us Fan Mail There is more to Chicago than the Bean, The Loop, and Navy Pier. Joining me in this episode to discuss his photography, what he loves most about Chicago, and the recently-released book "Chicago: The Loop & Beyond" is Nenad…
- FROM THE ARCHIVES - Baby Face Nelson and The Battle of Barrington
Send us Fan Mail 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 an…
- FROM THE ARCHIVES - Herrin Coal Massacre, The
Send us Fan Mail The 103th anniversary of one of the most violent labor battles in the U.S. is June 21-22, 2025. This is the story of the Herrin Coal Massacre of 1922. *Originally released as episode 508 in June 2022. Show some love for th…
- Episode 809 - Chicago's Fine Arts Building with author Keir Graff
Send us Fan Mail It is a Chicago Landmark called an “exemplification of the cultural, economic, social, and historical heritage of the City of Chicago.” With the help of author Keir Graff, today we’re discussing Chicago’s Fine Arts Buildin…
- Episode 808 - The Rise and Fall of Chicago’s Brickyards
Send us Fan Mail Chicago is known for industry – stockyards, steel mills, and more, but this city had another that thrived for nearly 150 years. Today we’re discussing the Rise and Fall of Chicago’s Brickyards. Get out and see the city wit…
- Episode 807 - Chicago's Buckingham Fountain and Queen Elizabeth II's 1959 Visit
Send us Fan Mail Chicago's Buckingham Fountain is being turned on for the season on Saturday, May 10, 2025, so this seems like the perfect time to discuss the history of how the fountain came to be in this enhanced and re-recorded version,…
- Episode 806 - Don't Go with authors Tonika Lewis Johnson and Maria Krysan
Send us Fan Mail Discussing their book "Don't Go: Stories of Segregation and How To Disrupt It" are authors Tonika Lewis Johnson and Maria Krysan. Folded Map Project: https://www.foldedmapproject.com/ Show your love of this podcast for the…
- FROM THE ARCHIVES - Lincoln Park's High Bridge / Suicide Bridge
Send us Fan Mail ORIGINALLY RELEASED IN OCTOBER 2020. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Lincoln Park had a “High Bridge” which rose 75 feet over the south lagoon's water. As welcoming to sightseers as the big beautiful bridge was, it also…
- Episode 805 - Five Pioneering Women of Chicago
Send us Fan Mail It is Women's History Month! Here's a look at five pioneering women in Chicago's history: Chicago founder Kitihawa du Sable, women's suffrage activist Grace Wilbur Trout, Vivian Gordon Harsh, Chicago's first Black libraria…
- FROM THE ARCHIVES - Police Chief Francis O'Neill, Chicago's Savior of Irish Music
Send us Fan Mail Just in time for St. Patrick's Day 2025, here's a little history about Chicago's connection to preserving Irish music, originally posted in March of 2022. He served as a Chicago policeman for more than 32 years and was Chi…
- Episode 804 - Chicago Crime: The Automatic Trio and the Car Barn Murders
Send us Fan Mail Originally released in September of 2021, this episode has been enhanced with additional music and sound effects. Sixteen years before Al Capone came to Chicago and long before anyone could blame violence on video games, t…
- Episode 803 - Illinois' Underground Railroad
Send us Fan Mail For Black Americans seeking to escape enslavement in the first half of the 1800s, Chicago was often an important stop on their path to freedom. Today we’re discussing the Underground Railroad in Illinois. Network to Freedo…
- Episode 802 - Chicago Connections: The Jackson Five
Send us Fan Mail While not from here, their connection to this city is undeniable and Chicago’s influence most certainly contributed to their rise as one of the most successful musical acts of all time. Today we’re talking about the Jackso…
- Episode 801 - Unchecked Graft: Chicago Mayor William "Big Bill" Thompson
Send us Fan Mail This is a revised, expanded, and re-recorded version of an episode that was originally released in 2020. William "Big Bill" Thompson was a larger-than-life character who served as Chicago mayor for three terms and is viewe…
- Episode 725 - Chicago's Forgotten Towns, Neighborhoods, and Names, Part 2
Send us Fan Mail An area once called Dunkley’s Grove was considered for a new stadium for the Chicago White Sox, not in old-timey days – in 1986! Was Edison Park named for Thomas Edison? Dunton, Sagone, Hartford… and where was Cleaverville…
- Episode 724 - Chicago Mob Stories - The Handshake Murder of Dean O'Banion
Send us Fan Mail Show your love of this podcast for the cost of a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Send me an email with whatever is on your mind: chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com Leave me a voice message - just click on t…
- Episode 723 - Chicago Horror: The Grimes Sisters Murders
Send us Fan Mail Their killings stand out as one of Chicago's most infamous unsolved crimes. Today we’re discussing the Grimes Sisters Murders. Show your love of this podcast for the cost of a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohi…
- Episode 722 - Chicago's Forgotten Towns, Neighborhoods, and Names
Send us Fan Mail Have you ever been to Grossdale? Praha? Maybe Swedetown? How about Gregg's Milk Station? I’m sure you’ve been to Hardscrabble, right? Today we’re discussing Chicago’s Forgotten Towns, Neighborhoods, and Names. Show your lo…
- FROM THE ARCHIVES - The Great Chicago Fire - Ogden Mansion, The Barracks, and Newberry Library
Send us Fan Mail On this Great Chicago Fire-themed episode we discuss one home not destroyed by the fire – the Ogden mansion – and learn little more about the person who once owned it, what happened to that area immediately after the fire,…
- Episode 721 - The Black Sox Scandal of 1919 with WTTW's Eddie Griffin
Send us Fan Mail WTTW's Eddie Griffin is back to discuss one of Chicago's darkest sports stories - the Black Sox Scandal of 1919. The new season of Chicago Stories begins September 20th. https://interactive.wttw.com/chicago-stories Show yo…
- Episode 720 - Malört: A Truly Chicago Booze with author Josh Noel
Send us Fan Mail Anthony Bourdain tasted the wormwood-infused liquor Malört for his TV show “The Layover” and said, “its brash nature" created “a possibility that I could get all stabby and belligerent.” Today we're talking about Malört, t…
- Episode 719 - Mike Royko: The Toughest Man in Chicago with writer / actor Mitchell Bisschop
Send us Fan Mail This episode's guest is Mitchell Bisschop, who wrote and stars in the play "Royko: The Toughest Man in Chicago," which runs Sept. 5-29, 2024, at the Chopin Theatre. Mitchell and I discuss celebrated newspaper columnist Mik…
- Episode 718 - Dr. Edward Holmes and the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary with Connie Fairbanks
Send us Fan Mail He arrived in Chicago from Boston in the mid-1800s and set up an Eye and Ear Infirmary to help those in need. Hear the story of Dr. Edward Lorenzo Holmes and his efforts to help the less fortunate in Chicago. West Loop: Th…
- FROM THE ARCHIVES - Mysterious Death of Montgomery Ward Thorne, The
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. #ChicagoHistory #MontgomeryWard #MysteriousDeath #Wards #Departmen…
- Episode 717 - Chicago's Little Saigon with author Erica Allen-Kim
Send us Fan Mail Chinese entrepreneurs in the 1970s as well as refugees from Vietnam and Cambodia transformed an area on the city’s north side by opening restaurants, bakeries, pharmacies, and social service agencies. Today we’re discussin…
- FROM THE ARCHIVES - Navy Pier
Send us Fan Mail Planning to visit Navy Pier this summer? Here is the history of one of the most popular tourist destinations not only in Chicago but in all of Illinois. * Written and recorded before FlyOver Chicago was installed Show some…
- FROM THE ARCHIVES - Earle T. Cook and the Airplane Bombing
Send us Fan Mail For you fans of true crime stories, here's an episode from January 2021. 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 e…
- Episode 716 - Chicago's Motor Speedways
Send us Fan Mail Long before NASCAR came to Chicago, this town had races, racers, and racetracks. Today we're talking about Chicago's Motor Speedways. Show your support of the show for the cost of a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chi…
- Episode 715 - The Outrage of Danny Sotomayor with WTTW's Dan Andries
Send us Fan Mail Danny Sotomayor, a fiery, openly gay AIDS activist, was a man on a mission. Today we discuss Sotomayor with Dan Andries, the writer and producer of the WTTW documentary "The Outrage of Danny Sotomayor." The Outrage of Dann…
- FROM THE ARCHIVES - Old Chicago Amusement Park
Send us Fan Mail It was an innovative idea in its day - a 200 store indoor shopping center 35 miles outside of Chicago with a 31-ride amusement park in the middle. Unfortunately, once you throw in costly delays, waning attendance, lacklust…
- Episode 714 - Rondout Train Robbery of 1924, The
Send us Fan Mail It is the largest train robbery in U.S. history, and it occurred just 32 miles north of Chicago. Hear how the Rondout Train Robbery unfolded 100 years ago in June 1924. Show your support of the show for the cost of a coffe…