Chicago History Podcast

Latest Episodes:

FROM THE ARCHIVES - Great Purolator Armored Express Heist, The Jul 19, 2026

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Back soon with new episodes! Until then, enjoy this bonkers story originally released in December 2021.

On October 20, 1974, one of the biggest vault thefts in U.S. history happened here in Chicago. This is the story of the Great Purolator Armored Express Heist.
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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.
Big Steal, The by Tony Marzano
https://amzn.to/3xPH5xt
HEIST: An Inside Look at the World's 100 Greatest Heists, Cons, and Capers (From Burglaries to Bank Jobs and Everything In-Between) by Pete Stegemeyer and Rebecca Pry
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Lufthansa Heist: Behind The Six-Million-Dollar Cash Haul That Shook The World by Henry Hill and Daniel Simone
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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://chicago-history-podcast.creator-spring.com
Chicago History Podcast Art by John K. Schneider (angeleyesartjks AT gmail.com)
Chicago History Podcast email: chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com

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FROM THE ARCHIVES - Chicago's Old Main Post Office May 31, 2026

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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.

Originally released in September 2021.

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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
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Second City Sinners: True Crime From Historic Chicago's Deadly Streets by Jon Seidel
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Unknown Chicago Tales by John R. Schmidt
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CHICAGO MOVIES discussed on the podcast!

Backdraft
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About Last Night (1986)
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Call Northside 777
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So many Chicago-related movies and documentaries can been found here:
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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/
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Episode 823 - Ground Beneath the Diamonds: A History of Chicago's White Sox Ballparks, The May 10, 2026

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The Chicago White Sox have called three primary sites home since the team’s founding in 1900, and each plot of earth carries layers of history older than the game of baseball.

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Check out author / baseball historian Jacob Pomrenke's webpage: https://jacobpomrenke.com/

Items related to this episode (purchasing anything through these links helps support our efforts at no additional cost to you):

Chicago Tribune Book of the Chicago White Sox: A Decade-by-Decade History

https://amzn.to/4trMKF5

Old Comiskey Park: Essays and Memories of the Historic Home of the Chicago White Sox, 1910-1991 by Floyd Sullivan (Editor), David Cicotello (Editor), Angelo J Louisa (Editor)

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Tales from the Chicago White Sox Dugout: A Collection of the Greatest White Sox Stories Ever Told by Ron Kittle, Bob Logan

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Lost Ballparks A Celebration of Baseball's Legendary Fields by author Lawrence Ritter

https://amzn.to/4eDj3gy

Black Baseball and Chicago: Essays on the Players, Teams, and Games of the Negro Leagues' Most Important City by Leslie Heaphy

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Join Kindle Unlimited here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GH

Want better sleep? Try the most delicious alternative to melatonin and sleeping pills that helps you fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up feeling refreshed. MoonBrew. Use the code below for 15% off.

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Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com):
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FROM THE ARCHIVES - Bizarre Story of the Missing Wheaton Bible College Couple, The Apr 26, 2026

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Originally released January 15, 2022.

In 1988, two attractive young students attending a prominent suburban Chicago religious school disappeared, setting off a frenzied search that lasted months before the truth about what happened to them was revealed.
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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 with Portland craft syrups!
https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k
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Amazon Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff - through these links helps benefit the show at no additional cost to you):
Chicago History:
City of the Century: The Epic of Chicago and the Making of America by Donald L. Miller
https://amzn.to/33CKbtr
History Lover's Guide To Chicago, A by Greg Borzo
https://amzn.to/3K6weFb
Chicago Flashback: The People and Events That Shaped A City's History by Chicago Tribune
https://amzn.to/31ZZTP7
History of Chicago: A Captivating Guide To The People and Events that Shaped the Windy City's History
https://amzn.to/3HJdERo (or FREE with Kindle Unlimited)
Join Kindle Unlimited here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GH
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:
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-pod

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Episode 822 - B'Ginnings: Where Schaumburg Rocked The Suburbs Apr 05, 2026

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Some of histories biggest rock acts first performed in the Chicago area at music venue in a suburban strip mall in Schaumburg. This is the story of B'Ginnings.

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Items related to this episode (purchasing anything through these links helps support our efforts at no additional cost to you):

Street Player: My Chicago Story by Danny Seraphine

https://amzn.to/4tO4DyH

70s Chicagoland Rock Concerts by Mark Plotnick and Jim Summaria

https://amzn.to/3Ojmv5e

101 Facts About Chicago: The Legendary Rock Band That Became a Cultural Phenomenon by Farrah Williams

https://amzn.to/4sWwo82 (Paperback)

Join Kindle Unlimited here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GH

Want better sleep? Try the most delicious alternative to melatonin and sleeping pills that helps you fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up feeling refreshed. MoonBrew. Use the code below for 15% off.

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

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SPECIAL EPISODE - The Women Who Built Chicago with genealogist Nicka Sewell-Smith Mar 19, 2026

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Genealogist Nicka Sewell-Smith joins me to discuss her connections to Chicago and "The Women Who Built Chicago" bus tour, launched for Women's History Month in partnership with Ancestry, which highlights overlooked women's contributions.

Tickets for the bus tour:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dilla-and-ancestry-present-the-women-who-built-chicago-bus-tour-tickets-1983596857598

Anything purchased through the links below may generate a small commission for this podcast at no cost to you and help offset production costs.
Women Building Chicago 1790-1990: A Biographical Dictionary by Rima Lunin Schultz

https://amzn.to/479TaAB

Queen: The Life and Music of Dinah Washington by Nadine Cohodas

https://amzn.to/4bNKzGh

Get access to millions of books with Kindle Unlimited. Not an Unlimited subscriber? Get a free 30-day trial here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GH

Want better sleep? Try the most delicious alternative to melatonin and sleeping pills that helps you fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up feeling refreshed. MoonBrew. Use the code below for 15% off.

https://moonbrew.co/TOMMYHENRY

Need music for YOUR projects? Audiio has got you covered. Try a free trial here:
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Send me an email - Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com)
Chicago History Podcast Art by John K. Schneider (angeleyesartjks AT gmail.com)

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Episode 821 - Behind the Camera: Jun Fujita's Chicago with author Graham Harrison Lee Mar 07, 2026

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Jun Fujita was a pioneering Japanese-born photographer who made his way to Chicago to become widely regarded as the first Japanese American photojournalist. Hear more about Fujita's life in Chicago from Graham Harrison Lee, Fujita's great-nephew and author of the book Jun Fujita: Behind the Camera.

Preorder a copy of the second printing of the book from the publisher (and save $10):

https://hatandbeard.com/products/jun-fujita-behind-the-camera-by-graham-harrison-lee-002

Follow author Graham Lee on Instagram.

Anything purchased through the links below may generate a small commission for this podcast at no cost to you and help offset production costs.
Jun Fujita: Tanka and Other Verse by Jun Fujita

https://amzn.to/4ujXgA4 (Paperback)

https://amzn.to/4cyqaWK (Kindle Edition)

You can read this book FREE with Kindle Unlimited. Not an Unlimited subscriber? Get a free 30-day trial here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GH

Want better sleep? Try the most delicious alternative to melatonin and sleeping pills that helps you fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up feeling refreshed. MoonBrew. Use the code below for 15% off.

https://moonbrew.co/TOMMYHENRY

Need music for YOUR projects? Audiio has got you covered. Try a free trial here:
https://audiio.com/pricing?oid=1&affid=481

Send me an email - Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com)
Chicago History Podcast Art by John K. Schneider (angeleyesartjks AT gmail.com)

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Episode 820 - People Wasn't Made To Burn: The James Hickman Story Feb 22, 2026

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An unbearable loss pushes one man past the breaking point, ending in murder. Listener discretion is advised.

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Up your cocktail or Sodastream game 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.
People Wasn't Made To Burn: A True Story of Housing, Race, and Murder in Chicago by Joe Allen

https://amzn.to/4avJK2V (Paperback)

https://amzn.to/4sbaIEz (Kindle Edition)

You can read this book FREE with Kindle Unlimited. Not an Unlimited subscriber? Get a free 30-day trial here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GH

Want better sleep? Try the most delicious alternative to melatonin and sleeping pills that helps you fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up feeling refreshed. MoonBrew. Use the code below for 15% off.

https://moonbrew.co/TOMMYHENRY

Send me an email - Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com)
Chicago History Podcast Art by John K. Schneider (angeleyesartjks AT gmail.com)

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FROM THE ARCHIVES - Sundown Towns of Chicago with Ernest Crim III Feb 15, 2026

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Here's a FROM THE ARCHIVES episode originally released on Feb 18, 2023.

Many towns in the Chicago area were established to be all-white, keeping out Blacks, Asians, Jews, Native Americans, and others, allowing minorities to work in those towns but not live there. Those individuals also needed to be gone by sundown.
Find all things Ernest Crim III at ernestcrim.com. Signed copies of Mr. Crim's book “The ABC’s of Affirming Black Children" can be found at https://www.ernestcrim.com/shop.
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Up your cocktail or Sodastream game with Portland craft syrups!
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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:
Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism by James W. Loewen
https://amzn.to/3xBW8va (Hardcover)
https://amzn.to/3KihHZj (Kindle)
Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen
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Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong by James W. Loewen
https://amzn.to/3I4SLBY
Black History Saved My Life: How My Viral Hate Crime Led to an Awakening by Ernest Crim III
https://amzn.to/3S8xtrG
ABCs of Affirming Black Children, The by Ernest Crim III
https://amzn.to/3KjN3im
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Chicago History Podcast Art by John K. Schneider (angeleyesartjks AT gmail.com)

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Episode 819 - Frozen in Time: Chicago's Ten Coldest Days Jan 25, 2026

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Chicago’s cold weather can be brutal, and it has been for more than 150 years since it started being tracked. Here are ten of Chicago's coldest days.

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Chicago's Erratic 5-Day Weather Forecast T-Shirt

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Chicago Flashback: The People and Events That Shaped a City by Chicago Tribune

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https://amzn.to/4pYcuXY (Kindle - FREE with Kindle Unlimited)

Join Kindle Unlimited here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GH

Want better sleep? Try the most delicious alternative to melatonin and sleeping pills that helps you fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up feeling refreshed. MoonBrew. Use the code below for 15% off.

https://moonbrew.co/TOMMYHENRY

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

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