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Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian
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As an amateur historian I find the people and events of 19th and early 20th century Chicago fascinating. The history of this city is an amazing saga. Only 133 years separate the ash heap of the Great Fire in 1871 from the city's designation as one of
Recent Posts Tagged With 'chicago'
Goin' to Graceland
TOMB of a millionaire, A multi-millionaire, ladies and gentlemen, Place of the dead where they spend every year The usury of twenty-five thousand dollars For upkeep and flowers To keep fresh the ...
A Glimpse of the Past
The streets of Chicago seem crowded today, but take a look at the corner of State and Madison through the eye of the Edison Manufacturing Company in 1897, part of the Video Gallery at Encyclopedia of...
Chicago History...History
It is with deep regret that I must announce that "Chicago History" will soon be deleted. I have had to make some difficult choices lately and will no longer have the time to post. The site will remain...
Changes Coming to Chicago History
"Chicago History" is on a brief hiatus. There are some big changes coming to this site! Please be patient and check back soon. If all goes well, I will be posting again next week. Thank you to all my ...
Chicago History Caught in the Web
A little Friday link love...Check out the old postcard views of the Art Institute at the Chicago Postcard Museum. It's part of their "The Art Institute of Chicago: Inside-Out" exhibit. I think my favo...
How Chicago Got its Name
The most frequently posed question on the search engines that brings readers to my blog (yes, I check those things) is, "How did Chicago get its name?" Ann Durkin Keating explains in the Encyclopedia ...
The Work of Chicago Historian - Bessie Louise Pierce
This has to be a quick post today...Bessie Louise Pierce (1888-1974)was one of Chicago's great academic women and a pioneer in urban history. While Pierce had many academic accomplishments, she is pr...
A Wiki With the Answers
Most of the readers who visit this blog come with a question pertaining to Chicago's history. Many will get an answer or find links to appropriate information. But, no blog could provide information ...
The First Art Exhibition in Chicago
"In the spring of 1859 the Chicago Tribune announced people had cause for "pride - in our young city" striking down the thought that Chicago was "entirely devoid of all taste and culture in art." In T...
Cyrus McCormick, Ad Man
Cyrus McCormick, once said, "Trying to do business without advertising is like winking at a pretty girl through a pair of green goggles. You may know what you are doing, but no one else does."Advertis...
Jane Addams, John T. McCutcheon and Chicago Tours
Two new research link sets have been added to the sidebar: Jane Addams and John T. McCutcheon. Lots of sites to explore. The photo to the left comes from Syracuse University. " George Ade ’87 and Jo...
Walking With Women Through Chicago History
There are Chicago guidebooks galore, but only two, that I'm aware of, focus on Chicago women's history.Walking with Women Through Chicago History: 4 Self-Guided Tours by Marilyn A. Domer, Jean S. Hunt...
A Life of Strength and Conviction: Ida B. Wells
Ida B. Wells-Barnett: Crusader for Justice is profiled on Scandalous Women. Wells was a great Chicago woman, social advocate, writer, editor and teacher, and I can't think of a better way to kick of W...
Celebrating Chicago's Women
March is Women's History Month (International Women's Day is March 8th), and I would be remiss if I didn't provide resources on some of the great women in Chicago's history. Periodically during the m...
Happy Birthday, Chicago!
Chicago is 171 years old today. On March 4, 1837 Chicago became a city. The population at the time was 4,170 and William B. Ogden would become its first mayor, 1837-1838. "[Ogden] was a founding fathe...
Chicago Public Library Website Redesign Really a Pain
The Chicago Public Library has redesigned their website. The result is that none of the links to previous CPL information pages work. I will make every effort to either correct the link or remove it. ...
The Wigwam
Want to take a break from the current crop of Presidential circuses? Make that "Presidential caucuses..."Chicago has held more political conventions than any other city in the nation; from 1860 to 20...
Chicago History Gets a New Look
I've taken some time to do a little blog housekeeping and given the site a new, cleaner look. The majority of visitors have searched for a specific topic, and I wanted to make it as easy as possible f...
Chicago History Takes a Break
I won't be posting for the next week or so while I catch up on my school assignments. The quarter at DePaul ends March 19th, and I have a paper to finish and two more projects to begin for the Spring ...
1919 Chicago Race Riots: Digitized Book of the Week
The digitized book of the week from the Library of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is Chicago Race Riots. This Socialist labor pamphlet was published shortly after the violent race riot...
New Chicago History Links Added
New research categories and links have been added to Chicago History this week and the topics are across the board. Here's what's new:Teachers please note: A new section of research links on the Gilde...
Chicago's Women at Work
Behind the signs on the doors they work and the wallstell nothing from room to room.Ten-dollar-a-week stenographers take letters fromcorporation officers, lawyers, efficiency engineers,and tons of let...
Virtual Tour of the 1893 Columbian Exposition from UCLA's Urban Simulation Team
You still have time!The Museum of Science and Industry will be presenting the World's Fair Virtual Tour today and Monday.Step back in time to the World’s Columbian Exposition! Lisa Snyder from the U...
Some Valentine's Day Link Love from Chicago History
This blog is like a box of chocolates - you just never know what you are going to get. Classic ButtercreamChicago's newspaper of record, the Chicago Tribune, recently published a list of the Most Imp...
And They Came to Chicago: The Italian American Legacy
ModioMedia's documentary And They Came To Chicago: The Italian American Legacy provides a thoughtful examination of the contribution Italian-Americans made - and are still making - to the building of ...
Henry Blackman Sell & The Chicago Roundtable: Part 2
"The Sell-ing of a Good Book"Henry Sell's success writing ethnic focused articles for The Chicago Daily News had gotten him in the newspaper's door. But, Sell wanted more. Contributing articles a few ...
Preservation Chicago Unveils 2008 Most Endangered
Preservation Chicago has released their 2008 "Chicago 7" list. The grass roots advocacy organization, established in 2001, is dedicated to raising awareness of the wrecking-ball threat to many of the ...
The Women's Building Library at the Columbian Exposition
Rutgers University "Seminar in the History of the Book" will feature a program titled, "A Cultural History of the Women’s Library at the World’s Columbian Exposition" on February 21st. Melodie Fox...
American Heritage Magazine is Back
American Heritage was one of my favorite magazines when I was in high school during the 1960s. I would read it faithfully. Over the years, however, "life" got in the way (no magazine pun intended)and ...
More Chicago History Research Links
"Because you were born into this particular era does not mean it has to be the limit of your experience. Move about in time, go places." -- David McCullough Jazz Age Chicago: Scott Newman's website is...