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The Great Chicago Fire
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | October 8th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
Today marks the 137th anniversary of The Great Chicago Fire. It began at around 9 or 10:00 PM on October 8, 1871. When the fire finally subsided, 300 people were dead, 100,000 were homeless, over 18,000 buildings were destroyed, and 2100 acres of lan read more
Since You Asked...Why Was "The White City" White?
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | October 2nd 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
“THE WHITE CITY” I. GREECE was; Greece is no more. Temple and town Have crumbled down; Time is the fire that hath consumed them all. Statue and wall In ruin strew the universal floor. II. Greece lives, but Greece no more! Its ashes breed The read more
Chicago and the Great Depression
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | September 30th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
Chicago Tribune, October 24, 1929 Call this a "public service post." Current events have sparked an interest in Chicago during the Great Depression, so I've compiled a list of a few sites that may be helpful for those seeking an informational snack. read more
For the Thrill of It by Simon Baatz: Book Review
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | September 16th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
1924 was a bloody year in Chicago history. There had been 86 murders in the first ninety-one days of the year, reported the Chicago Crime Commission on May 3rd, and the situation was quickly "approaching a point beyond the control of the authorities. read more
Urbs in Horto
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | September 12th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
“Urbs in Horto” (City in a Garden), Motto of the city of Chicago adopted in 1837 and appears on Chicago's Corporate Seal. The Chrysanthemum is Chicago's official flower. I worked as a landscaper/gardener for about five years, so a book that comb read more
Everything But the Squeal: Swift's Wool Soap, et al
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | September 8th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
Is it used to clean wool? Is it made of wool? We can only puzzle on why Swift & Co, founded by Gustavus Swift and one of Chicago's giant meat packers and producer of so many meat by-products, named this cleansing aid "Wool Soap." It seems the public read more
Labor and the Lady: An Unusual Pairing
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | September 8th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
On January 12, 1907, Mrs. Potter Palmer served as hostess to approximately 500 guests at the Palmer's Lake Shore Drive mansion. As the first lady of Chicago society the event would not be considered unusual. But, this one was. It was to be a conferen read more
An UnCommon History Site
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | September 4th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
One of the reasons I began this blog was to provide a portal site with links to relevant Internet pages pertaining to Chicago history. Since Chicago history is also American history, I include websites that help to place Chicago in the broader contex read more
An Early Beauty Entrepreneur: Who Was That Girl?
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | September 4th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
Is anyone familiar with Lucille Young? The product? I ran across this picture on the Reggie's Victorian Trade Card Album website (interesting site, I might add). What caught my eye was the address of the manufacturer/supplier: 2703 South Park Ave., C read more
New CHM Blog in the History Hood
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | September 3rd 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
File this one under "What took you so long?" The Chicago History Museum has a new blog. It's more marketing and PR for the museum exhibits than history, but that may be their sole purpose. And, there is nothing wrong with that, I suppose. I'm person read more
The Pineapple Primary, FLW Studio Tour, the Uptown and some Good…
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | August 29th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
It's Friday and for me, it is the beginning of my "work week." I work part time Friday through Monday. While the rest of you are visiting the Chicago History Museum, reading all the recently released books on Chicago history or taking a walking tour read more
Reciprocity: When You're Good to Mama...
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | August 28th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
One of the great rewards of blogging is the opportunity to meet writers around the world and read their work. While our specific topics may differ, we share a passion for our subjects and hold a strong desire to share it with others. While I was o read more
Murder at Taliesan PostScript; FLW on Stage and in Song
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | August 27th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
I've been a bit surprised at the number of people who have contacted me, or to whom I've mentioned the Taliesan murders, who have been unfamiliar with the event. Perhaps I shouldn't be. William R. Drennan notes in Death in a Prairie House: Frank Lloy read more
Lost But No Longer Forgotten: The Chicagoan
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | August 26th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
Yes, I admit it. I had never heard of The Chicagoan until I stumbled on the University of Chicago Press's announcement of the November, 2008 release of Neil Harris' book, The Chicagoan: A Lost Magazine of the Jazz Age. It seems I'm not alone. Harris read more
The Library of Louis H. Sullivan
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | August 25th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
"A man's library is a sort of harem." - Ralph Waldo Emerson Louis H. Sullivan (1856-1924) [Sullivan] read a great deal. The books in his library reveal some rather esoteric interests. There were several books on Japan and Japanese art, and he pos read more
Gangs, Capone, Murder, OH MY!
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | August 22nd 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
The Digitized Book of the Week from the Library of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is Chicago Gang Wars in Pictures: X Marks the Spot (c1930])(Internet Archive location here.)Those rough and tumble gangland scamps are not really my cup read more
New Book on Leopold and Loeb Released
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | August 21st 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
The nice people at HarperCollins Publishing recently sent me a review copy of For the Thrill of It: Leopold, Loeb, and the Murder That Shocked Chicago. The complicated, brutal and senseless murder of young Bobby Franks by two privileged students shoc read more
The Faces of 1892 Chicago
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | August 20th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
In placing this collection of Character Studies before the public I hope that it will meet with the recognition and hearty appreciation of such as have daily and yearly noted these types in the crowded streets of our American cities. To collect thes read more
Murder at Taliesin
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | August 15th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
On August 15, 1914 Mamah Borthwick Cheney, her two young children, Martha aged 9 and John aged 11, and four workmen were brutally murdered at Taliesin, the Wisconsin home that Frank Lloyd Wright had built for himself and Mamah. Julian Carlton, a 30-y read more
Chicago History Family Mysteries: The Barretts
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | August 14th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
Not long ago, I received an email from a Florida reader, John Barrett, hoping to unravel some family mysteries. One concerns his mother’s career as a jazz singer and includes a murder at a Chicago jazz club. The other mystery centers around a drawi read more
Just Wright for Summer Reading
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | July 17th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
There's no shortage of books on Frank Lloyd Wright, but I wanted to bring to your attention two fairly new releases. I recently watched Ken Burns' excellent biography of Wright so the architect has been in my reading radar of late. Loving Frank is read more
Iceberg Slim Documentary Seeks Your Help
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | July 11th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
Iceberg Slim (1918-1992) was a controversial African-American author of urban fiction who wrote about the dark side of life on the streets during the 1960s and 1970s. A documentary on this best-selling writer's life is in the works and is being produ read more
Chicago History on Hiatus or How I'm Spending my Summer Vacation
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | July 9th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
Every now and then it is beneficial to take a step back from a long-term project and regroup, re-evaluate and re-energize. That is what I'm doing these next couple of months. I'll still be posting occasionally, but regular additions to Chicago Histor read more
Another Survivor!
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | June 27th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
Update on Survivor: White City. Check out: "Viking Ship to Sail Again...On the Fox River?" and "Viking ship begins much-needed voyage to restoration" Recommended websites: Friends of the Viking Ship A fantastic set of Viking Ship photos on flick read more
Survivor: White City
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | June 26th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
Just about everyone knows that the Museum of Science and Industry is the lone surviving building of the Columbian Exposition's White City in Jackson Park. Originally known as the Palace of Fine Arts it was converted into an art museum when the Fair c read more
Chicago History Caught in the Web (6/24/078)
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | June 24th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
"OUT" and ABOUT A new website on Chicago Gay History was recently launched, but won't be fully operational until September. The project is headed by Windy City Times Publisher Tracy Baim and a companion book, Out and Proud in Chicago: An Overview o read more
An Actor's Tale: Joseph Jefferson, Part Two
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | June 20th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
Joseph Jefferson Arrives in Chicago IN the year 1838 the new town of Chicago had just turned from an Indian village into a thriving little place, and my uncle had written to my father urging him to join in the management of the new theater which wa read more
An Actor's Tale: Joseph Jefferson, Part One
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | June 18th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
On June 9th, the 35th Annual Non-Equity Joseph Jefferson Awards Ceremony were held to acknowledge excellence in Chicago theater. The Joseph Jefferson - or "Jeff" -was established in 1968 but, why is it called that? Who was Joseph Jefferson? Joseph J read more
Bad Baby!
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | June 18th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
Ooooh, Spooky! I'm a little late, and it's not really my schtick, but I just had to pass this along. Some Chicago folklore comes courtesy of our friends at ninetyninetyfour. Check out Friday the 13th! The Devil Baby of Hull House gets his bad manners read more
After the Ball
Chicago History: The Journal of an Amateur Historian | June 17th 2008 by ChicagoBookBabe
It was promoted as "The Only Recognized World's Fair Song" and was America's first multi-million sheet music seller. AFTER THE BALL by Charles K. Harris (1865-1930) A little maiden climbed an old man’s knees— Begged for a story: "Do uncle, plea read more
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