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 had a dark appe...

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 librarian, Union activist Rev....

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 Chicago’s chief of ...

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, three boys just o...

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 Freedom Listings:

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 Jackson Five.Show you...

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 viewed as one of the ...

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?Show your ...

Show your love of this podcast for the cost of a coffee:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistorySend me an email with whatever is on your mind: chicagohistor...

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:

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 love of this p...

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, and what is on that s...

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...

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, the truly Chicago booze...

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 Mike Royko, Chicago newsp...

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: Then and N...

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 #DepartmentStores #TrueC...

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 discussing Chicago’s Little Sai...

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 installedShow some love fo...

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 exploded aboard ...

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:

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 Danny Sotoma...

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 store selection, co...

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 event (June 4, 1944)...