Send us a text 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 - ju…
Send us a text 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.…
Send us a text 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.…
Send us a text 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 af…
Send us a text 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-st…
Send us a text 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 ab…
Send us a text 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 …
Send us a Text Message. 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 …
Send us a Text Message. 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 #MysteriousD…
Send us a Text Message. 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.…
Send us a Text Message. 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 w…
Send us a Text Message. 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 …
Send us a Text Message. 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://ww…
Send us a Text Message. 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…
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, lackluster…
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 coffee:…
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 before the 80th anniversary of the …
Captured World War II enemy combatants were often brought back to the United States to be housed in facilities across the country, including here in Illinois. Today we’re discussing Chicago’s World War II POW Camps. Show you…
It is one of the oldest original ballparks in the country, and with that lengthy run is an interesting history as well. Show your support of the show for the cost of a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory Leav…
His funeral was the largest in Chicago since that of Abraham Lincoln. Who was Dr. Patrick Henry Cronin, and how did his connection to secret Irish organizations lead to his murder? Show your support of the show for the cost …
No sport is more closely identified with Chicago than 16-inch softball. Enjoy the history of 16" softball along with some insights about the game from a few guys who know it best - the 16" Softball Hall of Fame co-founder Al…
With all the talk of the Chicago Bears plans for a new stadium by the lake, it seemed like a good time to revisit this episode about the Bears' current home, Soldier Field. Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cu…
Friend of the podcast Geoffrey Baer is BACK with a new special on WTTW called "Chicago Mysteries." Listen as Geoffrey and I discuss a few of the stories from the program. https://www.wttw.com/mysteries Show your support of t…
Not long after The Beatles invaded America and kids everywhere picked up guitars and drumsticks and formed their own bands, enterprising individuals all over Chicago and the suburbs saw… opportunity. This is the story of Chi…
