Chicago History Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 401 - Sinking of the Lady Elgin, The Nov 06, 2021

Show notes

There are approximately 1,500 shipwrecks on the bottom of Lake Michigan. Of those lost, none resulted in as great a loss of life as the one that went down on September 8, 1860, off the shores north of the city of Chicago. Today’s we’re discussing the “Titanic of the Great Lakes” – the Sinking of the Lady Elgin.
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Up your cocktail game for the holidays with Portland craft syrups!
https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k
Anything purchased through the links below may generate a small commission for this podcast at no cost to you and help offset production costs.
Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes: Tragedies and Legacies from the Inland Seas by Anna Lardinois
https://amzn.to/3wjqFMQ
True Tales of the Great Lakes by Dwight Boyer
https://amzn.to/3mMrGdn
Lost on the Lady Elgin: 150th Anniversary Commemorative Book by Valerie Van Heest
https://amzn.to/3BNAC6H
Great Lakes: Shipwrecks and Survivals by William Ratigan
https://amzn.to/3o2a78m
Chicago's North Shore Shipwrecks by Mark S. Braun
https://amzn.to/3k72NYf
The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald: The Loss of the Largest Ship on the Great Lakes by Charles Rivers
https://amzn.to/3ELC5Mr or FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
Join Kindle Unlimited here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GH
CHICAGO MOVIES discussed on the podcast!

In Old Chicago
https://amzn.to/3amaiFk
Backdraft
https://amzn.to/3y33plM
About Last Night (1986)
https://amzn.to/2W8v4EU
Call Northside 777
https://amzn.to/3ggBPeS

Need music for YOUR projects? Audiio has got you covered. Try a free trial here:
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Looking to get out and explore Chicago? Here are a few ideas:
Chicago Movie Tours
chicagomovietours.com
Chicago Detours: Tours For Curious People
https://chicagodetours.com/
Chicago History Podcast Clothing, Mugs, Totes, & More (your purchase helps support the podcast):
https://www.teepublic.com/user/chicago-history-podcast
https://teespring.com/stores/chicago-history-podcast
Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod@gmail.com):
https://www.chicagohistorypod.com

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Episode 325 - Ghoulish Chicago: The Tango Teacher Murder Oct 30, 2021

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They called me many things… “Monster,” “The Man Without A Soul,” “Hammer Man.”

My name is Henry Spencer and this is the story of the Tango Teacher Murder.
Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs:
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Up your cocktail game for the holidays with Portland craft syrups!
https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k
Need music for YOUR projects? Audiio has got you covered. Try a free trial here:
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Anything purchased through the links below may generate a small commission for this podcast at no cost to you and help offset production costs.
BOOKS ABOUT CHICAGO!
TRUE CRIME:
Sinister Chicago by Kali Joy Cramer
https://amzn.to/2WV7F9V
Murder & Mayhem in Chicago's Vice Districts by Troy Taylor
https://amzn.to/3zgTBGl
Second City Sinners: True Crime From Historic Chicago's Deadly Streets by Jon Seidel
https://amzn.to/3g5n1js
Unknown Chicago Tales by John R. Schmidt
https://amzn.to/3x6GgPh
The Gangs of Chicago: An Informal History of the Underworld by Herbert Asbury
https://amzn.to/3zlYL3D
Murder and Mayhem on Chicago's South Side by Troy Taylor
https://amzn.to/3BeIjmg (paperback)
https://amzn.to/3kkBVmK (FREE with Kindle Unlimited)
Join Kindle Unlimited here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GH

Watching Outdoor Movies? Here's the gear I use:
UUO 1080p Projector:
https://amzn.to/3v6F25S
120" Projector Screen
https://amzn.to/3ozAuTf
Looking to get out and explore Chicago? Here are a few ideas:
Chicago Movie Tours
chicagomovietours.com
Chicago Mahogany Tours by Dilla
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chicago-mahogany-tours-by-dilla-tickets-151328328103
Chicago Detours: Tours For Curious People
https://chicagodetours.com/
Love the podcast? Leave us a review!
https://lovethepodcast.com/chicagohistorypod
Chicago History Podcast Clothing, Mugs, Totes, & More (your purchase helps support the podcast):
https://www.teepublic.com/user/chicago-history-podcast
https://teespring.com/stores/chicago-history-podcast
Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod@gmail.com):
https://www.chicagohistorypod.com

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Episode 324 - Original Sears Tower, The Oct 23, 2021

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The Sears Tower (now WIllis Tower) was once the tallest building in the world and is easily the most recognizable building in Chicago, but that building was not the first Sears Tower. In this episode we're discussing the Original Sears Tower.
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Amazon Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff - through these links helps benefit the show at no cost to you):
Sears:
Historic Sears, Roebuck, and Co. Catalog Plant (Images of America) by John Oharenko
https://amzn.to/3C7rGtP
Sears, Roebuck and Co. Consumers Guide for 1894
https://amzn.to/3Ea4ECW
Sears, Roebuck Catalog of Houses 1926: Small Houses of the Twenties
https://amzn.to/3Gi05Zs
Join Kindle Unlimited here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GH
CHICAGO MOVIES discussed on the podcast!

In Old Chicago
https://amzn.to/3amaiFk
Backdraft
https://amzn.to/3y33plM
About Last Night (1986)
https://amzn.to/2W8v4EU
Call Northside 777
https://amzn.to/3ggBPeS

Many Chicago-related movies and documentaries can been found here:
https://amzn.to/38F6heh
Enjoy Outdoor Movies? Here's the gear I use:
Epson 880 1080p Projector:
https://amzn.to/2YBOiUs
120" Projector Screen
https://amzn.to/3ozAuTf
Looking to get out and explore Chicago? Here are a few ideas:
Chicago Movie Tours
chicagomovietours.com
Chicago Detours: Tours For Curious People
https://chicagodetours.com/
Love the podcast? Leave us a review!
https://lovethepodcast.com/chicagohistorypod
Chicago History Podcast Clothing, Mugs, Totes, & More (your purchase helps support the podcast):
https://www.teepublic.com/user/chicago-history-podcast
https://teespring.com/stores/chicago-history-podcast
Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod@gmail.com):
https://www.chicagohistorypod.com

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Episode 323 - "Love, Charlie" - The Charlie Trotter Documentary with director Rebecca Halpern Oct 16, 2021

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Charlie Trotter was Chicago's culinary bad-boy, paving the way for the celebrity chefs like Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay. Today I'm talking with Rebecca Halpern, the director of the documentary about chef Charlie Trotter called "Love, Charlie."
See the film here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3hTs4H9
YouTube Version of this interview: https://youtu.be/A2VXXdfNwgs
Enjoy the podcast? Leave us a review!
https://lovethepodcast.com/chicagohistorypod
Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory
Up your cocktail game for the holidays with Portland craft syrups!
https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k
Need music for YOUR projects? Audiio has got you covered. Try a free trial here:
https://audiio.com/pricing?oid=1&affid=481
Amazon Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff - through these links helps benefit the show at no cost to you):
Charlie Trotter Books:
Lessons in Excellence From Charlie Trotter by Paul Clarke and Charlie Trotter
https://amzn.to/3lKP9uR
Home Cooking With Charlie Trotter by Charlie Trotter and Kipling Swehla
https://amzn.to/3vejyoG
Charlie Trotter's Desserts by Charlie Trotter
https://amzn.to/3vfUFsE
Charlie Trotter's: A Pictoral Guide To The Famed Restaurant and Its Cuisine by Ed Lawler
https://amzn.to/3lKQceh
Join Kindle Unlimited here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GH
CHICAGO MOVIES discussed on the podcast!

In Old Chicago
https://amzn.to/3amaiFk
Backdraft
https://amzn.to/3y33plM
About Last Night (1986)
https://amzn.to/2W8v4EU
Call Northside 777
https://amzn.to/3ggBPeS

Many Chicago-related movies and documentaries can been found here:
https://amzn.to/38F6heh
Enjoy Outdoor Movies? Here's the gear I use:
Epson 880 1080p Projector:
https://amzn.to/2YBOiUs
120" Projector Screen
https://amzn.to/3ozAuTf
Looking to get out and explore Chicago? Here are a few ideas:
Chicago Movie Tours
chicagomovietours.com
Chicago Detours: Tours For Curious People
https://chicagodetours.com/
Chicago History Podcast Clothing, Mugs, Totes, & More (your purchase helps support the podcast):
https://www.teepublic.com/user/chicago-history-podcast
Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod@gmail.com):
https://www.chicagohistorypod.com

Support the show

Episode 322 - Great Chicago Fire, The - The Ogden Mansion, The Barracks, and the Newberry Library Oct 09, 2021

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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 site now.
Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory
Up your cocktail game for the holidays with Portland craft syrups!
https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k
Need music for YOUR projects? Audiio has got you covered. Try a free trial here:
https://audiio.com/pricing?oid=1&affid=481
Amazon Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff - through these links helps benefit the show at no cost to you):
GREAT CHICAGO FIRE:
The Great Chicago Fire: Rising From The Ashes by Kate Hannigan
https://amzn.to/3B028Ov
Chicago's Great Fire: The Destruction and Resurrection of an Iconic American City by Carl Smith
https://amzn.to/3F5Hkrm
The Great Chicago Fire: In Eyewitness Accounts and 70 Contemporary Photographs and Illustrations by David Lowe
https://amzn.to/3infH3o
The Great Chicago Fire (Images of America) by John Boda and Ray Johnson
https://amzn.to/2ZQwJRb
Join Kindle Unlimited here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GH
Many Chicago-related movies and documentaries can been found here:
https://amzn.to/38F6heh
Enjoy Outdoor Movies? Here's the gear I use:
Epson 880 1080p Projector:
https://amzn.to/2YBOiUs
120" Projector Screen
https://amzn.to/3ozAuTf
Looking to get out and explore Chicago? Here are a few ideas:
Chicago Movie Tours
chicagomovietours.com
Chicago History Podcast Clothing, Mugs, Totes, & More (your purchase helps support the podcast):
https://www.teepublic.com/user/chicago-history-podcast
https://teespring.com/stores/chicago-history-podcast
Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com):
https://www.chicagohistorypod.com

Support the show

Episode 321 - Great Chicago Fire with author Kate Hannigan, The / Stories from the Great Chicago Fire Oct 02, 2021

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A two-in-one episode! First I talk with local author Kate Hannigan about her book The Great Chicago Fire: Rising From the Ashes, and then I share some stories from the Great Chicago Fire you may not have heard before.
Kate Hannigan books, including The Great Chicago Fire: Rising From the Ashes
https://smile.amazon.com/Kate-Hannigan/e/B004FZVPA0/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1
Enjoy the podcast? Leave us a review!
https://lovethepodcast.com/chicagohistorypod
Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory
Up your cocktail game for the holidays with Portland craft syrups!
https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k
Need music for YOUR projects? Audiio has got you covered. Try a free trial here:
https://audiio.com/pricing?oid=1&affid=481
Amazon Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff - through these links helps benefit the show):
GREAT CHICAGO FIRE:
The Great Chicago Fire: Rising From The Ashes by Kate Hannigan
https://amzn.to/3B028Ov
Chicago's Great Fire: The Destruction and Resurrection of an Iconic American City by Carl Smith
https://amzn.to/3F5Hkrm
The Great Chicago Fire: In Eyewitness Accounts and 70 Contemporary Photographs and Illustrations by David Lowe
https://amzn.to/3infH3o
The Great Chicago Fire (Images of America) by John Boda and Ray Johnson
https://amzn.to/2ZQwJRb
Join Kindle Unlimited here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GH
CHICAGO MOVIES discussed on the podcast!

Backdraft
https://amzn.to/3y33plM
About Last Night (1986)
https://amzn.to/2W8v4EU
Call Northside 777
https://amzn.to/3ggBPeS

So many Chicago-related movies and documentaries can been found here:
https://amzn.to/38F6heh
Enjoy Outdoor Movies? Here's the gear I use:
UUO 1080p Projector:
https://amzn.to/3v6F25S
120" Projector Screen
https://amzn.to/3ozAuTf
Looking to get out and explore Chicago? Here are a few ideas:
Chicago Movie Tours
chicagomovietours.com
Chicago Detours: Tours For Curious People
https://chicagodetours.com/
Chicago History Podcast Clothing, Mugs, Totes, & More (your purchase helps support the podcast):
https://www.teepublic.com/user/chicago-history-podcast
https://teespring.com/stores/chicago-history-pod

Support the show

Episode 320 - Chicago's Old Main Post Office Sep 25, 2021

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For many coming into the city from the west, the drive on the Eisenhower Expressway under that massive building at Van Buren is truly a sight to behold, but few seem to know much about its history. Today we’re talking about Chicago's Old Main Post Office.
Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory
Up your cocktail game for the holidays with Portland craft syrups!
https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k
Need music for YOUR projects? Audiio has got you covered. Try a free trial here:
https://audiio.com/pricing?oid=1&affid=481
Amazon Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff - through these links helps benefit the show):
City Of Scoundrels: The 12 Days of Disaster That Gave Birth To Modern Chicago by Gary Krist
https://amzn.to/2W7NS71
Second City Sinners: True Crime From Historic Chicago's Deadly Streets by Jon Seidel
https://amzn.to/3g5n1js
Unknown Chicago Tales by John R. Schmidt
https://amzn.to/3x6GgPh
Join Kindle Unlimited here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GH
CHICAGO MOVIES discussed on the podcast!

Backdraft
https://amzn.to/3y33plM
About Last Night (1986)
https://amzn.to/2W8v4EU
Call Northside 777
https://amzn.to/3ggBPeS

So many Chicago-related movies and documentaries can been found here:
https://amzn.to/38F6heh
Looking to get out and explore Chicago? Here are a few ideas:

Brick of Chicago - https://www.brickofchicago.com/

Chicago Movie Tours - chicagomovietours.com

Tours With Mike - https://tourswithmike.com/
Chicago History Podcast Clothing, Mugs, Totes, & More (your purchase helps support the podcast):
https://www.teepublic.com/user/chicago-history-podcast
https://teespring.com/stores/chicago-history-podcast
Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com):
https://www.chicagohistorypod.com

Support the show

Episode 319 - LaSalle Hotel Fire of 1946, The Sep 18, 2021

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When it was built, it was called the “largest, safest, and modern hotel west of New York City,” but when a fire broke out there one early June morning, dozens of lives were senselessly lost. Today we’re talking about the LaSalle Hotel Fire of 1946.
Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory
Up your cocktail or Sodastream game with Portland craft syrups!
https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k
Need music for YOUR projects? Audiio has got you covered. Try a free trial here:
https://audiio.com/pricing?oid=1&affid=481
Amazon Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff - through these links helps benefit the show):
Great Chicago Fires: Historic Blazes That Shaped A City by David Cowan
https://amzn.to/2VMelqH
City Of Scoundrels: The 12 Days of Disaster That Gave Birth To Modern Chicago by Gary Krist
https://amzn.to/2W7NS71
Join Kindle Unlimited here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GH
CHICAGO MOVIES discussed on the podcast!

Backdraft
https://amzn.to/3y33plM
About Last Night (1986)
https://amzn.to/2W8v4EU
Call Northside 777
https://amzn.to/3ggBPeS

So many Chicago-related movies and documentaries can been found here:
https://amzn.to/38F6heh
Enjoy Outdoor Movies? Here's the gear I use:
UUO 1080p Projector:
https://amzn.to/3v6F25S
120" Projector Screen
https://amzn.to/3ozAuTf
Looking to get out and explore Chicago? Here are a few ideas:
Chicago Movie Tours
chicagomovietours.com
Chicago Mahogany Tours by Dilla
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chicago-mahogany-tours-by-dilla-tickets-151328328103
Chicago History Podcast Clothing, Mugs, Totes, & More (your purchase helps support the podcast):
https://www.teepublic.com/user/chicago-history-podcast
https://teespring.com/stores/chicago-history-podcast
Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com):
https://www.chicagohistorypod.com

Support the show

Episode 318 - Samuel Insull: The World's Greatest Failure Sep 11, 2021

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Thomas Edison called him “one of the greatest businessmen in the USA.” He was a self-made mogul who amassed enormous wealth while bringing electricity and more to the masses and helped get the Civic Opera House in Chicago built before his empire came crashing down. This is the story of Samuel Insull: The World's Greatest Failure.
Want to help support the show? Buy me a coffee!
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory
Chicago To Appomattox: The 39th Illinois Infantry in the Civil War by Jason Baker
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chicago-to-appomattox-jason-b-baker/1139786849?ean=9781476686202
Need music for YOUR projects? Audiio has got you covered. Try a free trial here:
https://audiio.com/pricing?oid=1&affid=481
Amazon Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff - through these links helps benefit the show):
Merchant of Power, The: Sam Insull, Thomas Edison, and The Creation of the Modern Metropolis by John F. Wasik
https://amzn.to/3l7AaK8
Spirit Capable, A: The Story of Commonwealth Edison by John Hogan
https://amzn.to/38RkJQB
Insull: The Rise and Fall of a Billionaire Utility Tycoon by Forrest MacDonald
https://amzn.to/3yUgLB3
The Gangs of Chicago: An Informal History of the Underworld by Herbert Asbury
https://amzn.to/3zlYL3D
Join Kindle Unlimited here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GH
MOVIES:
Current War, The: Director's Cut (Blu-Ray):
https://amzn.to/2VppDRx
Current War, The: Director's Cut (Amazon Movies):
https://amzn.to/2VuEuua
So many Chicago-related movies and documentaries can been found here:
https://amzn.to/38F6heh
Enjoy Outdoor Movies? Here's the gear I use:
UUO 1080p Projector:
https://amzn.to/3v6F25S
120" Projector Screen
https://amzn.to/3ozAuTf
Looking to get out and explore Chicago? Here are a few ideas:
Chicago Movie Tours
chicagomovietours.com
Chicago Mahogany Tours by Dilla
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chicago-mahogany-tours-by-dilla-tickets-151328328103
Chicago Detours: Tours For Curious People
https://chicagodetours.com/
Love the podcast? Leave us a review!
https://lovethepodcast.com/chicagohistorypod
Chicago History Podcast Clothing, Mugs, Totes, & More (your purchase helps support the podcast):
https://www.teepublic.com/user/chicago-history-podcast
https://teespring.com/stores/chicago-history-podcast
Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod@gmail.com):
https://www.chicagohistorypod.com