Chicago History Podcast

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FROM THE ARCHIVES - Police Chief Francis O'Neill, Chicago's Savior of Irish Music Mar 15, 2025

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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 police for four, but Francis O’Neill is probably better known for his efforts in preserving the music of his homeland. Today we’re talking about Police Chief Francis O’Neill – Chicago’s Savior of Irish Music.
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Amazon Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff - through these links helps benefit the show):
Chief O'Neill's Sketchy Recollections of An Eventful Life in Chicago by Francis O'Neill, edited by Ellen Skerrett and Mary Lesch
https://amzn.to/3MJoRon
Beat Cop, The : Chicago's Chief O'Neill and the Creation of Irish Music by Michael O'Malley
https://amzn.to/3M0DS3v
Harvest Saved, A: Francis O'Neill and Irish Music in Chicago by Nicholas Carolan
https://amzn.to/3KE2UFg
O'Neills' Music of Irish by Francis O'Neill and James O'Neill
https://amzn.to/3KEAuLy
Dance Music of Ireland: O'Neill's 1,001 by Francis O'Neill and James O'Neill
https://amzn.to/3MKdVqA
Irish Folk Music: A Fascinating Hobby (1910) by Francis O'Neill
https://amzn.to/3MJzGH3
Black Police in America by W. Marvin Dulaney
https://amzn.to/3J7OMDR
Podcast art by John K. Schneider - reach out to him for your creative needs. angeleyesartjks AT gmail.com
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Episode 804 - Chicago Crime: The Automatic Trio and the Car Barn Murders Mar 01, 2025

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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 out of their teens became robbers and worse in Chicago with brazen acts of thievery and wanton killings. Today we’re discussing the Automatic Trio and the Car Barn Murders.
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Amazon Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff - through these links helps benefit the show):

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
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
So many Chicago movies and documentaries can been found here:
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Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com):
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Art by the amazing John K. Schneider (angeleyesartjks AT gmail.com)

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Episode 803 - Illinois' Underground Railroad Feb 22, 2025

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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:

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/undergroundrailroad/ntf-listings.htm

Graceland Cemetery (Chicago) Underground Railroad Activists

https://www.gracelandcemetery.org/underground-railroad-activists/

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Further reading (purchasing these items through these links helps support our efforts at no additional cost to you):

Onward to Chicago: Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad in Northeastern Illinois by Larry McClellan

https://amzn.to/4gQxpaP

Underground Railroad: A Captivating Guide to the Routes, Places, and People that Helped Free African Americans During the Nineteenth Century and the Life of Harriet Tubman by Various

https://amzn.to/4icYkil

Fleeing for Freedom: Stories of the Underground Railroad as Told by Levi Coffin and William Still by Willene Hendrick

https://amzn.to/41kbQtl

Path to Freedom: The History of the Underground Railroad for Kids (History Just for Kids) by Sara Michaels

https://amzn.to/3EQbQKl

Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com):
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Episode 802 - Chicago Connections: The Jackson Five Feb 15, 2025

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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.

Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story by J. Randy Taraborrelli

https://amzn.to/4hDOfen

Gary, the Most American of All American Cities by S. Paul O'Hara

https://amzn.to/4hZtKbS

M-D-L-T on Soul Train:

https://youtu.be/tDCjHOoL1Sg?si=cCzPKcwoKkCF4YsD
Renaldo Domino:
https://chicagoreader.com/music/chicago-soul-dynamo-renaldo-domino-breaks-out-his-sugary-sweet-pipes-on-never-thought/
https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-2020/You-Should-Know-Renaldo-Domino/

Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com):
Chicago History Podcast Art by John K. Schneider (angeleyesartjks AT gmail.com)

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Episode 801 - Unchecked Graft: Chicago Mayor William "Big Bill" Thompson Feb 08, 2025

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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 most corrupt politicians this great city has ever seen.
Robert Loerzel's piece on Eugene Williams in the August 2019 Chicago Magazine:
https://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/August-2019/Searching-for-Eugene-Williams/

Show your love of this podcast for the cost of a coffee:
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Further reading (purchasing these items through these links help support our efforts at no additional cost to you):
City of Scoundrels: The 12 Days of Disaster That Gave Birth To Modern Chicago by Gary Krist
Paperback - https://amzn.to/42sfVya
Kindle - https://amzn.to/40KwjZh
Big Bill of Chicago by Lloyd Wendt and Herman Kogan
Paperback - https://amzn.to/4ggZOqe
Big Bill Thompson, Chicago, and The Politics of Image by Douglas Bukowski
Paperback - https://amzn.to/4hvIMG1

Al Capone's Beer Wars: A Complete History of Organized Crime in Chicago During Prohibition by John J. Binder
Hardcover - https://amzn.to/4aSKXB7

Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com):
Chicago History Podcast Art by John K. Schneider (angeleyesartjks AT gmail.com)

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Episode 725 - Chicago's Forgotten Towns, Neighborhoods, and Names, Part 2 Nov 30, 2024

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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?
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Send me an email with whatever is on your mind: chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com
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Affiliate Links (anything you buy through these links - not just this stuff - helps benefit the show at no additional cost to you):
BOOKS:
Place Names of Illinois by Edward Callary
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Chicago Area Wall Map (30"x29" Laminated)
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Episode 724 - Chicago Mob Stories - The Handshake Murder of Dean O'Banion Nov 10, 2024

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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 - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner here: https://www.chicagohistorypod.com
Up your cocktail or Sodastream game with Portland craft syrups!
https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k
Affiliate Links (anything you buy through these links - not just this stuff - helps benefit the show at no additional cost to you):
BOOKS:
Guns and Roses: The Untold Story of Dean O'Banion, Chicago's Big Shot Before Al Capone by Troy Taylor
https://amzn.to/3O2COQ8 (Paperback)
https://amzn.to/3O56L2a (Kindle)
Al Capone's Beer Wars: A Complete History of Organized Crime in Chicago during Prohibition by John J. Binder
https://amzn.to/4hC5z3P (Hardcover)
https://amzn.to/3CqCEj1 (Paperback)
https://amzn.to/3YKB0QB (Kindle)
Want to read hundreds of books for FREE every month? Try Kindle Unlimited here: https://amzn.to/4dInhRb
Chicago's Unsolved Crimes and Mysteries by Bryan Alaspa
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Chicago Area Wall Map (30"x29" Laminated)
https://amzn.to/4h5g4w4
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Episode 723 - Chicago Horror: The Grimes Sisters Murders Oct 26, 2024

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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:
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Send me an email with whatever is on your mind: chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com
Leave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner here: https://www.chicagohistorypod.com
Up your cocktail or Sodastream game with Portland craft syrups!
https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k
Affiliate Links (anything you buy through these links - not just this stuff - helps benefit the show at no additional cost to you):
BOOKS:
Two Lost Girls: The Grimes Sisters Murders by Troy Taylor
https://amzn.to/48nDx7S (Paperback)
https://amzn.to/3YGeo5f (Free with Kindle Unlimited)
Want to read hundreds of books for FREE every month? Try Kindle Unlimited here: https://amzn.to/4dInhRb
Chicago's Unsolved Crimes and Mysteries by Bryan Alaspa
https://amzn.to/48olAWP

Chicago Area Wall Map (30"x29" Laminated)
https://amzn.to/4h5g4w4
CHP Merch (Buy a T-Shirt, Help the Podcast):
https://www.teepublic.com/user/chicago-history-podcast

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Episode 722 - Chicago's Forgotten Towns, Neighborhoods, and Names Oct 12, 2024

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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 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 - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner here: https://www.chicagohistorypod.com
Up your cocktail or Sodastream game with Portland craft syrups!
https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k
Affiliate Links (anything you buy through these links - not just this stuff - helps benefit the show at no additional cost to you):
BOOKS:
Place Names of Illinois by Edward Callary
https://amzn.to/3U89rPX
Chicago Area Wall Map (30"x29" Laminated)
https://amzn.to/4h5g4w4
CHP Merch (Buy a T-Shirt, Help the Podcast):
https://www.teepublic.com/user/chicago-history-podcast

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FROM THE ARCHIVES - The Great Chicago Fire - Ogden Mansion, The Barracks, and Newberry Library Oct 05, 2024

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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
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Looking to get out and explore Chicago? Here are a few ideas:
Chicago Movie Tours
chicagomovietours.com
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