Well what do you know, we've done it! Made it through an entire year of history, events, ignomy, corruption(lots of corruption), and more stuff about our fine city than you thought you'd ever learn. As of this writing, this blog has 5,744 pageviews, and I'm thankful for every single one of them. This blog will continue into 2014, but all of my reflection/opining/future plans will be delivered in another entry once we hit the New Year. For now, lets put our learning caps on for the final time in 2013 and read in the New Year with one more entry.
Atlanta has the Peach Drop. Eastport, Maine drops a sardine. New York City drops a giant ukelele(no, really, they do). There's even a gay bar in Key West that drops a giant ruby red slipper with a drag queen inside. But what makes Chicago unique for New Year's? Well, a few things.
The biggest thing that sets us apart is the penny rides on the CTA. For several years now, the Chicago Transit Authority has given Chicagoans an ultra-steep discount on fares, and let the citizens of the city(and anyone with a transit card)ride the rails and buses for the grand total sum of one single penny. The only catch here is that the program doesn't run all day on New Year's, but only from 10 PM-4 AM. If you're headed out before that, then you've still gotta pay the full fare. The past few years, Miller has upped the ante, and sponsored the entire program, so that not only are the rides still 1 penny, the rides are now straight-up free. The same timing regulations still apply though.
Other than penny rides, you can also indulge yourself in elegant parties at the swankiest places in town. Some of these outings include a party at the Hyatt Mag Mile, the official Playboy Party at the Hard Rock Hotel, a big hoedown at the Intercontiental, and of course, the mega-blowout at the Palmer House Hilton. Needless to say, there are many ways to have a world-class New Year's in our world-class city. And if you party way too hard and need some food to pep you up, I've got a solution for that too.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Monday, December 30, 2013
Day 364: Tragedy at the Theatre
December 30, 1903. Christmas has come and gone, and Chicago is ready to ring in 1904. On that day before New Year's Eve, perhaps the society ladies are out shopping at Marshall Field. Perhaps they have their kids in tow and want to see a show on the stage. Perhaps they decide to go see Mr. Bluebeard at the new Iroquois Theatre. Perhaps they have just made a fatal mistake.
The Iroquois Theatre opened in November of 1903 to rave reviews. One such critic even went as far as to say that the Iroquois was "the most beautiful [theater] in Chicago" The Theater was purposely built at 24 W. Randolph in order to take advantage of the crowds that would stream in from the Loop Shopping District(which was a big deal even at the beginning of the 20th Century). At its opening, the theater branded itself as "Absolutely Fireproof", even though there were some pretty big holes in that declaration, like the fact that the editor of a prominent fire magazine had toured the theater and noted the lack of proper ventilation, exposed woodwork, and lack of exits; or the fact that a CFD captain had made an unofficial visit, made his concerns(that the only piece of fire-fighting equipment at the theater were 6 boxes of a bicarbonate-based compound called Kilfyre) known, and was promptly swept under the rug. Not just that, but the theater had several architectural hazards, such as gates that blocked off the stairways during shows, confusing exits, a faulty fire curtain, and other hazards. So let's see, we've got a theatre that could also double as a fire trap, which is chock full of women and children. Nothing bad is going to happen here, right?
Back to December 30. The performance of Mr. Bluebeard is going as planned, and the second act is just underway. The time is 3:15 PM. All of a sudden, a light shorts out and sparks a fire. Attempts to extinguish the blaze with Kilfyre are in vain when the flames shoot up into the fly gallery and ignite a large amount of stored props. The fire curtain is then attempted to be lowered, but that process fails. At this point, an actor by the name of Eddie Foy rushes out onstage and tries to calm the throngs of people there. While Foy is being a hero, multitudes of panicked theatre-goers are desperately trying to flee the conflagration. Those who found the fire exits were stymied, since the exits were secured by a bascule lock(and if you're saying to yourself "what the hell is a bascule lock?", well that's exactly the point. Not many people knew how to operate it, which made it a despicable choice for an emergency door.) Some of the doors were opened regardless, but the vast majority of patrons were trapped. The actors on stage initially were doing just as bad, until somebody found the west stage door. After the door opened, all of the stage crew and actors were able to escape(as a consequence, there was only 1 fatality amongst that group out of more than 300 performers), but the escape also let in a blast of cold air, which generated an immense fireball. As all vents were closed, the fireball was pushed out into the house, where it incinerated everything and everyone in the upper two tiers of the audience. Those who escaped the fireball had to contend with the inconvenient fire escape doors. Those who managed to get out the doors faced one final hurdle, the Theater's unfinished fire escape ladders. Patrons were forced to jump from the unfinished escapes, which cost several people their lives.
When the smoke cleared and all the bodies were accounted for, 605 people were officially listed as dead(that number could be even higher, as some bodies were removed from the scene before they were counted). Think about that for a second: 605 people. That's more than DOUBLE the amount of people who died in the Chicago Fire.(of course, that's still more than 200 fewer people than can drown in 18 feet of water, so I guess its all relative). In the aftermath, there was a public uproar, fielded by such men as Mayor Carter Harrison Jr. The site of the Iroquois was razed to make way for a new theater, which came down in 1926 to make way for the Oriental Theatre.
The Iroquois Theatre opened in November of 1903 to rave reviews. One such critic even went as far as to say that the Iroquois was "the most beautiful [theater] in Chicago" The Theater was purposely built at 24 W. Randolph in order to take advantage of the crowds that would stream in from the Loop Shopping District(which was a big deal even at the beginning of the 20th Century). At its opening, the theater branded itself as "Absolutely Fireproof", even though there were some pretty big holes in that declaration, like the fact that the editor of a prominent fire magazine had toured the theater and noted the lack of proper ventilation, exposed woodwork, and lack of exits; or the fact that a CFD captain had made an unofficial visit, made his concerns(that the only piece of fire-fighting equipment at the theater were 6 boxes of a bicarbonate-based compound called Kilfyre) known, and was promptly swept under the rug. Not just that, but the theater had several architectural hazards, such as gates that blocked off the stairways during shows, confusing exits, a faulty fire curtain, and other hazards. So let's see, we've got a theatre that could also double as a fire trap, which is chock full of women and children. Nothing bad is going to happen here, right?
Back to December 30. The performance of Mr. Bluebeard is going as planned, and the second act is just underway. The time is 3:15 PM. All of a sudden, a light shorts out and sparks a fire. Attempts to extinguish the blaze with Kilfyre are in vain when the flames shoot up into the fly gallery and ignite a large amount of stored props. The fire curtain is then attempted to be lowered, but that process fails. At this point, an actor by the name of Eddie Foy rushes out onstage and tries to calm the throngs of people there. While Foy is being a hero, multitudes of panicked theatre-goers are desperately trying to flee the conflagration. Those who found the fire exits were stymied, since the exits were secured by a bascule lock(and if you're saying to yourself "what the hell is a bascule lock?", well that's exactly the point. Not many people knew how to operate it, which made it a despicable choice for an emergency door.) Some of the doors were opened regardless, but the vast majority of patrons were trapped. The actors on stage initially were doing just as bad, until somebody found the west stage door. After the door opened, all of the stage crew and actors were able to escape(as a consequence, there was only 1 fatality amongst that group out of more than 300 performers), but the escape also let in a blast of cold air, which generated an immense fireball. As all vents were closed, the fireball was pushed out into the house, where it incinerated everything and everyone in the upper two tiers of the audience. Those who escaped the fireball had to contend with the inconvenient fire escape doors. Those who managed to get out the doors faced one final hurdle, the Theater's unfinished fire escape ladders. Patrons were forced to jump from the unfinished escapes, which cost several people their lives.
When the smoke cleared and all the bodies were accounted for, 605 people were officially listed as dead(that number could be even higher, as some bodies were removed from the scene before they were counted). Think about that for a second: 605 people. That's more than DOUBLE the amount of people who died in the Chicago Fire.(of course, that's still more than 200 fewer people than can drown in 18 feet of water, so I guess its all relative). In the aftermath, there was a public uproar, fielded by such men as Mayor Carter Harrison Jr. The site of the Iroquois was razed to make way for a new theater, which came down in 1926 to make way for the Oriental Theatre.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Day 349: Robert May's Christmas Carol
As the late 1930s dawned, Montgomery Ward had established a regular practice of giving away children's coloring books for Christmas every year. The usual route ahd been to acquiare the books from a third party. However, the drive for thriftiness inspired the powers that be, and so they decided that the 1939 book would be produced in-house. For this task, the company turned to Robert May, who wound up writing a work based upon the concept of a reindeer with a red nose, that at first faced adversity but was then accepted into the inner circle of the reindeer. When May completed his assignment, he had a poem that was set in the same meter as "Twas the Night Befroe Christmas", and Montgomery Ward was left with a massive hit. In fact, the store gave away more than 2.5 Million copies of the story in the very first year that it had come out.
A few years later, May's brother-in-law composed a song from the words in the poem, turning it into a song, which was turned into a much-acclaimed hit in 1949 by Gene Autry. In 1964, the tale and song took on a new level of fame when the stop-motion Rudolph film came out that year. Over the years, Rudolph has become an integral part of America's Christmas traditions.
However, one more thing. Rudolph's red nose almost ended his life before it began. When May's first drafts came before Ward's people, the character was rejected due to the fact that a red nose was a metaphor for chronic alcoholism at the time. However, May managed to make Rudolph 'cuter', and saved the day for us all.
A few years later, May's brother-in-law composed a song from the words in the poem, turning it into a song, which was turned into a much-acclaimed hit in 1949 by Gene Autry. In 1964, the tale and song took on a new level of fame when the stop-motion Rudolph film came out that year. Over the years, Rudolph has become an integral part of America's Christmas traditions.
However, one more thing. Rudolph's red nose almost ended his life before it began. When May's first drafts came before Ward's people, the character was rejected due to the fact that a red nose was a metaphor for chronic alcoholism at the time. However, May managed to make Rudolph 'cuter', and saved the day for us all.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Day 335: The Day that Chicago Cried
December 1, 1958 dawned as a Monday like any other. Thanksgiving had just occurred the previous Thursday, and families were busy making preparations for Christmas, which was merely 24 days away. However, events would transpire that day that would irreversibly alter the lives of all those affected. Our Lady of the Angels was a Catholic parish complex that featured a school, church, rectory, and convent. The school had been built in 1910 and had undergone numerous renovations, but was also grievously non-compliant with 1958 fire codes. However, the school was given a passing grade anyway thanks to a grandfather clause the exempted the school from meeting all of the requirements. As it stood on that fateful morning, the school didn't have a connected fire alarm, the sprinkler system was nonexistent, there were only two fire alarms in the whole building, only one fire escape for the whole building, and all of the fire extinguishers were mounted seven feet above the ground. Add the that the school's English Basement and high ceilings, and the second floor windows were more than 25 feet off the ground. All told, the students ad teachers of OLA were sitting on a powder keg. And that keg was about to blow.
About 45 Minutes before the end of the school day, some errant papers stacked up in the basement caught fire and started smoldering. This went on for around 20 minutes until it was noticed by two eighth grade girls, who then notified their teacher, who promptly readied her class to evacuate the building, but when the teacher opened the door, the smoke proved to be impassable. Meanwhile, the school's janitor saw flames rising from the building, and rushed over to the rectory so as to alert the clergy staff to call the fire department. After that, the janitor rushed back into the school to begin an evacuation. Soon afterwards, the fire department finally showed up and started the tough task of rescuing the 330 souls who were still stuck inside. This task was complicated by the fact that the frenzied kids were both trampling fellow students and jumping from the second story, often resulting in their deaths and maimings.
When the smoke finally cleared, 92 students and 3 nuns lay dead. But that wasn't the only effects. Immediately, Pope John XXIII sent his condolences from the Vatican. The funerals for the victims were held in a National Guard armory in Humboldt Park, as all of the local churches were too small for the sheer magnitude of mourners. The fire truly touched a nerve across the country. On December 5, The Chicago American published the names and pictures of the victims on its front page, in one of its most infamous covers:
Additionally, LIFE magazine ran an issue about the fire on December 16, which produced the most enduring image of the tragedy:
After the fire had been extinguished, the firemen were taking the victims out of the school. Photographer Steve Lasker was standing outside of the school when firefighter Richard Scheidt emerged carrying the body of John Jajkowski Jr., a 10-year old boy who had one day hoped to be a priest. The photo instantly became THE iconic moment from the fire, and has even spawned some pop culture references, in outlets as varied as Planet 51 and Toy Story 3. Additionally, the Los Angeles Fire Department released an informational video in 1960 titled Our Obligation, which was extensively modeled off of the OLA fire, even down to the iconic shot of the young child's body being carried out:
It is clear, that even today, 55 years later, the OLA fire still casts a large shadow over the history of Chicago.
About 45 Minutes before the end of the school day, some errant papers stacked up in the basement caught fire and started smoldering. This went on for around 20 minutes until it was noticed by two eighth grade girls, who then notified their teacher, who promptly readied her class to evacuate the building, but when the teacher opened the door, the smoke proved to be impassable. Meanwhile, the school's janitor saw flames rising from the building, and rushed over to the rectory so as to alert the clergy staff to call the fire department. After that, the janitor rushed back into the school to begin an evacuation. Soon afterwards, the fire department finally showed up and started the tough task of rescuing the 330 souls who were still stuck inside. This task was complicated by the fact that the frenzied kids were both trampling fellow students and jumping from the second story, often resulting in their deaths and maimings.
When the smoke finally cleared, 92 students and 3 nuns lay dead. But that wasn't the only effects. Immediately, Pope John XXIII sent his condolences from the Vatican. The funerals for the victims were held in a National Guard armory in Humboldt Park, as all of the local churches were too small for the sheer magnitude of mourners. The fire truly touched a nerve across the country. On December 5, The Chicago American published the names and pictures of the victims on its front page, in one of its most infamous covers:
Additionally, LIFE magazine ran an issue about the fire on December 16, which produced the most enduring image of the tragedy:
After the fire had been extinguished, the firemen were taking the victims out of the school. Photographer Steve Lasker was standing outside of the school when firefighter Richard Scheidt emerged carrying the body of John Jajkowski Jr., a 10-year old boy who had one day hoped to be a priest. The photo instantly became THE iconic moment from the fire, and has even spawned some pop culture references, in outlets as varied as Planet 51 and Toy Story 3. Additionally, the Los Angeles Fire Department released an informational video in 1960 titled Our Obligation, which was extensively modeled off of the OLA fire, even down to the iconic shot of the young child's body being carried out:
It is clear, that even today, 55 years later, the OLA fire still casts a large shadow over the history of Chicago.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Day 339: Constable Quinn
For decade upon decade, Chicago has been under the watchful eye of the Chicago Police Department. From serving as security at countless events, to guarding commuters in the summer of 2011 when Flash Mobs had their flash in the pan, to their prowess at "preserving disorder" demonstrated in 1968, the men and women of the CPD have more than earned a place in Chicago's history many tomes over. But as we all know, being an officer of the law can be dangerous, and close to 500 police officers have made the ultimate sacrifice over the last 160 years. This entry is about the very first one of those brave souls, as well as the quest to properly remember his sacrifice.
160 years ago TODAY, on December 5, 1853 9th Ward Constable James Quinn passed on from this life after being savagely beaten by a pair of thugs. He was serving an arrest warrant 3 days earlier in what is today known as Streeterville(or thereabouts) when he was beset by a hail of kicks and punches. Quinn succumbed to his wounds 3 days later, and a posse of 26 cops went back to arrest Quinn's attackers. They wound up getting a multi-year prison sentence, Quinn's case was covered in the pages of the Chicago Democrat, and then the whole thing was promptly forgotten for nearly 150 years. Eventually, a different officer was given Quinn's dubious honor.
In 12002, one of Quinn's descendants(a section chief in the DEA) was doing some genealogical t99osrch when he found a long-forgotten letter awarding Quinn's widow compensation for her loss. After some more detective work, Quinn's legacy was verified by a group from the Chicago History Museum. However, there is still one more unfinished chapter in the saga of Constable Quinn. There is a memorial wall to all the officers who died in the line of duty near the office of the Police Superintendent. According to an opinion piece that ran in this past Sunday's Tribune, Quinn's star is out of place on the wall. The paper is urging Superintendent Garry McCarthy to rectify the situation. We will see what happens to resolve this tale.
160 years ago TODAY, on December 5, 1853 9th Ward Constable James Quinn passed on from this life after being savagely beaten by a pair of thugs. He was serving an arrest warrant 3 days earlier in what is today known as Streeterville(or thereabouts) when he was beset by a hail of kicks and punches. Quinn succumbed to his wounds 3 days later, and a posse of 26 cops went back to arrest Quinn's attackers. They wound up getting a multi-year prison sentence, Quinn's case was covered in the pages of the Chicago Democrat, and then the whole thing was promptly forgotten for nearly 150 years. Eventually, a different officer was given Quinn's dubious honor.
In 12002, one of Quinn's descendants(a section chief in the DEA) was doing some genealogical t99osrch when he found a long-forgotten letter awarding Quinn's widow compensation for her loss. After some more detective work, Quinn's legacy was verified by a group from the Chicago History Museum. However, there is still one more unfinished chapter in the saga of Constable Quinn. There is a memorial wall to all the officers who died in the line of duty near the office of the Police Superintendent. According to an opinion piece that ran in this past Sunday's Tribune, Quinn's star is out of place on the wall. The paper is urging Superintendent Garry McCarthy to rectify the situation. We will see what happens to resolve this tale.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Day 318: The Day that the Stars Aligned
The year is 1988. The Chicago Cubs are 4 years removed from their first postseason appearance since 1945, the Cubs Convention has been going on for 4 years, later that year Wrigley Field will be under the lights for the first time ever, and Harry Caray is well on his way to becoming a local legend. The Chicago Bears are 2 years removed from their Super Bowl win, which has vaulted the entire team to knighthood, and practically made Ditka a saint. The Chicago Bulls have just started to make a splash with their new point guard Michael Jordan, but he will soon lead the team to the promised land six times over.hj
Anyway, in that year, the Chicago Times contacted local photographer Marc Hauser with a crazy plan. They wanted him to get a picture of Andre Dawson, Michael Jordan, AND Walter Payton all together in the same room. Now technically, this feat had already been accomplished partially when Jordan and Payton rolled up together at the 1987 Auto Show. But, the shot of the three of them would have to wait until then. And so in January of 1988, it happened. The three biggest names in Chicago at the time all came over to Hauser's studio. And they weren't the only ones either. Needless to say, the media caught wind of this and were converging on Hauser's studio in droves.
Once the shoot started, the tomfoolery began in earnest. Jordan and Payton were trading insults like it was going out of style, Payton was engaging in classically impish behavior(including running up behind Hauser and playing numerous pranks to throw him off focus), and Dawson was just kind of standing in the background out of the way. According to Hauser, "[Dawson] was kind of ignored. But they both were saying "You're the quiet guy, but you're as up there as we are." He was just as big as them." In general, the day was not soon forgotten. "It was just amazing energy in the room. Everybody in the room was in awe. They just couldn't believe that these three guys were standing right there. You know, all of these people are just regular human beings...but...they have a thing about them. There's an aura, I'm telling you...When Walter Payton is in the room, you know it."
Anyway, in that year, the Chicago Times contacted local photographer Marc Hauser with a crazy plan. They wanted him to get a picture of Andre Dawson, Michael Jordan, AND Walter Payton all together in the same room. Now technically, this feat had already been accomplished partially when Jordan and Payton rolled up together at the 1987 Auto Show. But, the shot of the three of them would have to wait until then. And so in January of 1988, it happened. The three biggest names in Chicago at the time all came over to Hauser's studio. And they weren't the only ones either. Needless to say, the media caught wind of this and were converging on Hauser's studio in droves.
Once the shoot started, the tomfoolery began in earnest. Jordan and Payton were trading insults like it was going out of style, Payton was engaging in classically impish behavior(including running up behind Hauser and playing numerous pranks to throw him off focus), and Dawson was just kind of standing in the background out of the way. According to Hauser, "[Dawson] was kind of ignored. But they both were saying "You're the quiet guy, but you're as up there as we are." He was just as big as them." In general, the day was not soon forgotten. "It was just amazing energy in the room. Everybody in the room was in awe. They just couldn't believe that these three guys were standing right there. You know, all of these people are just regular human beings...but...they have a thing about them. There's an aura, I'm telling you...When Walter Payton is in the room, you know it."
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Day 305: The Crown Jewel of Chicago-Theatre Week Day 5
In 1921, the city was in the midst of a theater-building frenzy. The Shubert Theatre had been built in 1906, the Oriental and Palace Theatres were 5 years away from going up, and the Balaban-Katz conglomerate was filling theatres as fast as they could build them. To accomplish their next goal, the pair enlisted the aid of Rapp & Rapp, the famed duo who had already worked on many different theaters throughout the city and country. This was to be their first foray into the realm of Neo-Baroque French-Revival style buildings. The arch motif on the front of the building is said to be inspired by the l'Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Once you make your way inside the theater, you can see the coat of arms of the Balaban-Katz chain laid into a Tiffany stained glass window. Much like the Palace Theatre would be 5 years later, the main lobby took inspiration from Versailles. Many of the accessories were supplied by Marshall Field & Company. The main centerpiece at the opening was the Grande Wurlitzer pipe organ, which had arrived in July of 1921.
After spending $4 Million, the theater was finally ready to open up on October 26, 1921. The 3,880 seat theater was stuffed to the gills for its entire opening week, as Chicagoans rushed to see what had been labeled the "Wonder Theatre of the World". The throngs were so impressive that mounted police were needed to maintain order(or was that to maintain disorder?), as was depicted in the Chicago Tribune's account of the opening, reported upon by a reporter named Carl Sandburg. One of the biggest draws that the new theatre had? Air Conditioning. Aside from the new and unusual world of A/C, the other claim to fame of the venue was its live jazz, which started out in September 1922 and would go on for more than 40 years. When the 1933 World's Fair came to town, the theater was redecorated. In 1949, the original marquee was supplemented with an additional board displaying the name of the theater, and until 1969, the names Balaban-Katz.
The 1970s brought many different changes to the Theatre. First off, the Wurlitzer Pipe Organ was restored in 1970. Then, an economic downturn caused the fortunes of the venue to wane. Eventually the venue was bought in 1984 by the Chicago Theatre Protection Group. Attempts at re-purposing the space failed, and the theater closed in 1985. The next year a reservation project commenced, which restored the theater to its 1930s luster. Frank Sinatra performed at the reopening concert. In its new life, the theatre has hosted many different events, such as the opening of the Chicago International Film Festival as well as a stop on the Beach Boys' 50th Anniversary Tour.
After spending $4 Million, the theater was finally ready to open up on October 26, 1921. The 3,880 seat theater was stuffed to the gills for its entire opening week, as Chicagoans rushed to see what had been labeled the "Wonder Theatre of the World". The throngs were so impressive that mounted police were needed to maintain order(or was that to maintain disorder?), as was depicted in the Chicago Tribune's account of the opening, reported upon by a reporter named Carl Sandburg. One of the biggest draws that the new theatre had? Air Conditioning. Aside from the new and unusual world of A/C, the other claim to fame of the venue was its live jazz, which started out in September 1922 and would go on for more than 40 years. When the 1933 World's Fair came to town, the theater was redecorated. In 1949, the original marquee was supplemented with an additional board displaying the name of the theater, and until 1969, the names Balaban-Katz.
The 1970s brought many different changes to the Theatre. First off, the Wurlitzer Pipe Organ was restored in 1970. Then, an economic downturn caused the fortunes of the venue to wane. Eventually the venue was bought in 1984 by the Chicago Theatre Protection Group. Attempts at re-purposing the space failed, and the theater closed in 1985. The next year a reservation project commenced, which restored the theater to its 1930s luster. Frank Sinatra performed at the reopening concert. In its new life, the theatre has hosted many different events, such as the opening of the Chicago International Film Festival as well as a stop on the Beach Boys' 50th Anniversary Tour.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Day 304: The Palace-Theatre Week Day 4
In 1926, the firm of Rapp & Rapp opened up the Oriental Theatre. At the same time they were also prepping to open up another Theatre in the city. Later that year, the New Palace Theatre was opened up for a total cost of $12 Million. After constructing both the Oriental, as well as the Shubert(Bank of America) Theatres, the Rapp brothers had experience with building theatres, experience which carried over to this latest project, which was to erect a new theater to host the Orpheum Circuit, which played host to such luminaries as Jimmy Durante, Jack Benny, Mae West, and even Bob Hope. The interior design of the theatre was intended to be an homage to the look and feel of the Palace of Versailles, what with its huge decorative mirrors, violet interiors, and white marble. The walls themselves are bedecked with decorations of wood and gold leaf, plus many examples of brass ornamentation(which will come into play later). In response to the wane of the Vaudeville era, the theater was converted to a movie house in 1931.
Fast forward to World War II. At that time, the government was frantically cannibalizing all sorts of material to aid the war effort, including all the brass that they could lay their hands on. When the feds came by the Palace, the quick-thinking owners painted all of the brasswork in the theater white, so that the government would not confiscate it. The ploy worked, and the G-men walked off empty-handed. Of course, one major drawback of this was that the brass was apparently forgotten about for several years. In 1984, the place was renamed the Bismarck Theatre and was turned into a rock venue. In the late 90s, the venue was shut down for an extensive renovation, at which point the original brass fixtures were finally uncovered from under the paint.
At the completion of the renovations, the venue was reopened in 1999 as the Cadillac Palace Theatre, in deference to the naming rights bought by Cadillac. The renovated theater has a capacity of 2,344 people and has played host to many different pre-Broadway shows that have opened in Chicago, including Aida, The Producers, The Pirate Queen, The Color Purple, Mary Poppins, and Shrek the Musical. Additionally, when Wicked came back to town for the first time, they played their engagement at the Cadillac Palace.
Fast forward to World War II. At that time, the government was frantically cannibalizing all sorts of material to aid the war effort, including all the brass that they could lay their hands on. When the feds came by the Palace, the quick-thinking owners painted all of the brasswork in the theater white, so that the government would not confiscate it. The ploy worked, and the G-men walked off empty-handed. Of course, one major drawback of this was that the brass was apparently forgotten about for several years. In 1984, the place was renamed the Bismarck Theatre and was turned into a rock venue. In the late 90s, the venue was shut down for an extensive renovation, at which point the original brass fixtures were finally uncovered from under the paint.
At the completion of the renovations, the venue was reopened in 1999 as the Cadillac Palace Theatre, in deference to the naming rights bought by Cadillac. The renovated theater has a capacity of 2,344 people and has played host to many different pre-Broadway shows that have opened in Chicago, including Aida, The Producers, The Pirate Queen, The Color Purple, Mary Poppins, and Shrek the Musical. Additionally, when Wicked came back to town for the first time, they played their engagement at the Cadillac Palace.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Day 303: Wickedly Awesome-Theatre Week Day 3
On October 30, 2003, the patrons of Broadway's George Gershwin Theatre were treated to the premiere performance of the Wicked, the highly acclaimed musical prequel to The Wizard of Oz(interestingly enough, the Gershwin was built on the site of the former Capitol Theatre, which had hosted the NYC premiere of the 1939 Wizard of Oz film).
In 2005, the show came to Chicago, where it took up a residence at the Oriental Theatre. Originally, the stay was only to be for a few months, as part of a larger national tour. But then public response proved to be quite overwhelming, and the production received its very own open-ended sit-down production in the Windy City. The performance proved to be so open-ended, that it ran all the way until January 25, 2009.
After that, Wicked finally left Chicago, only to return in December of 2010 for a limited engagement at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, before leaving once more at the end of January 2011. Finally, on October 30, 2013, Wicked came home to the Oriental Theatre for a limited run through December 12. For the next several weeks, audiences will be treated to the timeless stories once again, and even those first-timers will still enjoy themselves.
In 2005, the show came to Chicago, where it took up a residence at the Oriental Theatre. Originally, the stay was only to be for a few months, as part of a larger national tour. But then public response proved to be quite overwhelming, and the production received its very own open-ended sit-down production in the Windy City. The performance proved to be so open-ended, that it ran all the way until January 25, 2009.
After that, Wicked finally left Chicago, only to return in December of 2010 for a limited engagement at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, before leaving once more at the end of January 2011. Finally, on October 30, 2013, Wicked came home to the Oriental Theatre for a limited run through December 12. For the next several weeks, audiences will be treated to the timeless stories once again, and even those first-timers will still enjoy themselves.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Day 302: The Fireproof Theater: Theatre Week Day 2
When the Iroquois Theatre burned in December of 1903, changes were very quickly made to the way that structures were built in the city and the regulations that theaters were held to so as to ensure fire safety. The first new theater to actually be built pursuant to these regulations was the Majestic Theatre, built in 1906 by Rapp & Rapp(who would work on the Oriental Theatre 20 years later). This venue started out its life as a vaudeville venue(much like the Oriental) which would host up to 15 acts every day 6 days a week. The theater soon became part of the famed Orpheum Circuit, which ultimately was a forerunner to RKO. Some of the more distinguished names to grace the stage were:
- Eddie Foy
- Al Jolson
- Lily Langtry
- Fanny Brice
- Harry Houdini
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Day 299: A Headache remedy to die for.
In the Fall of 1982, a panic swept the Chicagoland area as several different people in several different suburbs took Tylenol capsules-and promptly died. In one tragic case, a man took the tainted medicine, and soon died in the hospital. While his relatives were meeting to grieve his death, two of them took pills from the same bottle, and eventually died as well. In total, 7 people were victimized in this method. Investigators soon connected the dots and realized that the Tylenol(which had been laced with cyanide) was the common link. Soon there were warnings broadcast about the tainted pills, and the police drove through area neighborhoods warning people not to take the medicine. In addition to the warnings on the local level, action was taken on a national stage as well. Johnson & Johnson(the distributors of Tylenol) immediately warned hospitals of the risk, and then proceeded to issue a nationwide recall, taking roughly 31 Million bottles of Tylenol off of the market.
When the investigations kicked into high gear, they soon ruled out contamination at the factory, so they realized that the capsules must have been poisoned when they were already on the shelves. Soon the focus turned to finding the one responsible, which was right about the time that James William Lewis sent a letter to Johnson & Johnson demanding $1 Million to stop the poisonings. However, Lewis was ruled out as the direct perp because he had been living in NYC at the time of the deaths. Nonetheless, Lewis was booked on extortion charges, and was sent up the river until 1995. Oddly enough, a document released by the Department of Justice in 2009 showed that the authorities did indeed have evidence connecting Lewis to the poisonings, but didn't charge him. For his part, Lewis has steadfastly denied all responsibility for the murders. The other suspect at the time was Roger Arnold, who was arrested and later cleared. He later had a mental breakdown, killing an innocent bystander and getting booked in the joint for the next 15 years. Whatever he knew about the crime is now lost forever, as he died in 2008.
In the wake of the deaths, Johnson & Johnson earned high praise for their adroit handling of the case. Additionally, this marked the beginning of the end of placing medicines into capsules, as these could be easily tampered with, and moving towards the caplet, a capsule-shaped tablet. This also helped to spark the rise of tamper-resistant packaging on medications.
In the past few years, some more inroads have been made on the criminal investigation. In the wake of the DOJ's 2009 release, the FBI again stepped up scrutiny of James Lewis. In January of 2010, both him and his wife took polygraph tests, and that is the most current information as to their status. The next year, the investigation got even more interesting, when on May 19, 2011, the FBI asked for DNA samples from none other than The Unabomber(who actually got his start in Chicago) in order to research a possible connection to the 1982 killings. Once again, no inroads have been made on the case. 31 years later, the true circumstances of the Tylenol Murders remain shrouded in mystery.
When the investigations kicked into high gear, they soon ruled out contamination at the factory, so they realized that the capsules must have been poisoned when they were already on the shelves. Soon the focus turned to finding the one responsible, which was right about the time that James William Lewis sent a letter to Johnson & Johnson demanding $1 Million to stop the poisonings. However, Lewis was ruled out as the direct perp because he had been living in NYC at the time of the deaths. Nonetheless, Lewis was booked on extortion charges, and was sent up the river until 1995. Oddly enough, a document released by the Department of Justice in 2009 showed that the authorities did indeed have evidence connecting Lewis to the poisonings, but didn't charge him. For his part, Lewis has steadfastly denied all responsibility for the murders. The other suspect at the time was Roger Arnold, who was arrested and later cleared. He later had a mental breakdown, killing an innocent bystander and getting booked in the joint for the next 15 years. Whatever he knew about the crime is now lost forever, as he died in 2008.
In the wake of the deaths, Johnson & Johnson earned high praise for their adroit handling of the case. Additionally, this marked the beginning of the end of placing medicines into capsules, as these could be easily tampered with, and moving towards the caplet, a capsule-shaped tablet. This also helped to spark the rise of tamper-resistant packaging on medications.
In the past few years, some more inroads have been made on the criminal investigation. In the wake of the DOJ's 2009 release, the FBI again stepped up scrutiny of James Lewis. In January of 2010, both him and his wife took polygraph tests, and that is the most current information as to their status. The next year, the investigation got even more interesting, when on May 19, 2011, the FBI asked for DNA samples from none other than The Unabomber(who actually got his start in Chicago) in order to research a possible connection to the 1982 killings. Once again, no inroads have been made on the case. 31 years later, the true circumstances of the Tylenol Murders remain shrouded in mystery.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Day 301: Before the Rainbow-Theatre Week Day 1
Author's Note: Chicago has a thriving Theatrical scene, and with the return of the musical Wicked to Chicago this Wednesday, what better time to take a look at a few of our Theatre gems.
In 1926, the architectural firm of Rapp and Rapp was hired to erect a new Theater in the place of the ill-fated Iroquois Theatre. This was realized when the 3,250 seat theater opened up later that same year, operated by a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures. Once the theater was up and running, it served as a movie house(as did the other classic theaters of the time) as well as a performance venue for all sorts of artists, ranging from vaudeville stars to critically acclaimed singers. A few of the more well-known stars who graced the stage of the Oriental include:
The theater would sit dark for the next 15 years until January of 1996, when the Canadian company Livent pledged to restore the Theatre. However, things hit a snag when Livent started going under the next year. The restoration project was picked up by SFX Entertainment, who completed the restoration and reopened the theater on October 18, 1998. Thanks to the contribution of $1 Million by the Ford Motor Company, the venue was officially known as the Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre, although everyone knows it as the Oriental Theatre.
The first show to grace its stage was the musical Ragtime, but there was an even more monumental show in store for the Oriental. On April 29, 2005, the award-winning musical Wicked came to the Oriental on a national tour. When the tour was up in June, the show just stayed in Chicago, establishing a residency at the Oriental for another 3 and a half years. By the time the show finally closed on January 25, 2009, it had ran for 1,500 performances, becoming the most-performed show in Chicago theatre history. However, Wicked isn't done with the Oriental Theatre. On October 30(i.e. Wednesday), the show is coming back for an 8-week engagement, showing once more that the Oriental is still going strong at the ripe old age of 87 years old.
In 1926, the architectural firm of Rapp and Rapp was hired to erect a new Theater in the place of the ill-fated Iroquois Theatre. This was realized when the 3,250 seat theater opened up later that same year, operated by a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures. Once the theater was up and running, it served as a movie house(as did the other classic theaters of the time) as well as a performance venue for all sorts of artists, ranging from vaudeville stars to critically acclaimed singers. A few of the more well-known stars who graced the stage of the Oriental include:
- Duke Ellington
- Frank Sinatra
- The Marx Brothers
- Bing Crosby
- Al Jolson
- Bob Hope
- Danny Kaye
- The Three Stooges
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Plus many others
The theater would sit dark for the next 15 years until January of 1996, when the Canadian company Livent pledged to restore the Theatre. However, things hit a snag when Livent started going under the next year. The restoration project was picked up by SFX Entertainment, who completed the restoration and reopened the theater on October 18, 1998. Thanks to the contribution of $1 Million by the Ford Motor Company, the venue was officially known as the Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre, although everyone knows it as the Oriental Theatre.
The first show to grace its stage was the musical Ragtime, but there was an even more monumental show in store for the Oriental. On April 29, 2005, the award-winning musical Wicked came to the Oriental on a national tour. When the tour was up in June, the show just stayed in Chicago, establishing a residency at the Oriental for another 3 and a half years. By the time the show finally closed on January 25, 2009, it had ran for 1,500 performances, becoming the most-performed show in Chicago theatre history. However, Wicked isn't done with the Oriental Theatre. On October 30(i.e. Wednesday), the show is coming back for an 8-week engagement, showing once more that the Oriental is still going strong at the ripe old age of 87 years old.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Day 300: Chicago's First Glimpse of the Heavens
On October 27, 1913, the Chicago Academy of Sciences opened up Chicago's first Planetarium. Wallace Atwood(the Secretary of the Academy) had commissioned the sphere so that Chicagoans could glimpse the night sky at any time. The sphere itself was a 15-foot diameter, 500-pound ball of galvanized steel. Once it opened up, the sphere was a huge hit, and it remained that way for the next 20 years. However, when the Adler Planetarium opened up in 1930, it generated some competition with the Atwood, and the fact that the Planetarium featured a state of the art Zeiss projection system.
By 1938, the future of the sphere was coming into question, because the attendance was way down due to the Adler's competition. A few years later though, the Army came calling. For somewhat obvious reasons, the Army all of a sudden had a need for new pilots, and means to train them. To further this goal, in 1941 they started using the sphere as a training aid for pilots. Every month 900 new recruits would enter the sphere and learn important lessons about navigation and flying planes. This arrangement continued into the 1950s, but by 1956 the sphere was in danger of being mothballed once again. This time the Russians came through with a 184 pound satellite that made noise. The Space Race was on.
All of a sudden, people couldn't get enough of space stuff, and this newfound popularity propelled the Atwood right along with it. In 1959, the Academy opened up an entirely new space exhibit, with the sphere as its centerpiece. This newfound popularity was the Sphere's second wind, but also was its ultimate undoing. by the 1960s, the Sphere had become so unbelievably popular that lines to experience it would be hours long at any given time.(remember, the interior could only hold 17 people at a time.) At some point, the Academy reached its breaking point, and the Atwood Sphere was closed down in the early '60s. For the next 15 years, the sphere was dark.
Then in the early 80s, the Sphere was reopened for small groups of the public. It served in that capacity through 1995, when the Sphere was once again closed down, except this time for good. The Sphere was then donated to the Adler Planetarium, chopped into six pieces, packed away, and mothballed for two years. In 1997, the Sphere was transported to the Planetarium, reassembled, and placed into the new Sky Pavilion, which was under construction. On January 8, 1999, the Sky Pavilion opened, and the Atwood Sphere once again welcomed guests inside of its star-filled maw. The Atwood Sphere has given Chicago area guests a glimpse into the heavens above for 100 years, and it looks like it will keep on doing so for many more years to come.
By 1938, the future of the sphere was coming into question, because the attendance was way down due to the Adler's competition. A few years later though, the Army came calling. For somewhat obvious reasons, the Army all of a sudden had a need for new pilots, and means to train them. To further this goal, in 1941 they started using the sphere as a training aid for pilots. Every month 900 new recruits would enter the sphere and learn important lessons about navigation and flying planes. This arrangement continued into the 1950s, but by 1956 the sphere was in danger of being mothballed once again. This time the Russians came through with a 184 pound satellite that made noise. The Space Race was on.
All of a sudden, people couldn't get enough of space stuff, and this newfound popularity propelled the Atwood right along with it. In 1959, the Academy opened up an entirely new space exhibit, with the sphere as its centerpiece. This newfound popularity was the Sphere's second wind, but also was its ultimate undoing. by the 1960s, the Sphere had become so unbelievably popular that lines to experience it would be hours long at any given time.(remember, the interior could only hold 17 people at a time.) At some point, the Academy reached its breaking point, and the Atwood Sphere was closed down in the early '60s. For the next 15 years, the sphere was dark.
Then in the early 80s, the Sphere was reopened for small groups of the public. It served in that capacity through 1995, when the Sphere was once again closed down, except this time for good. The Sphere was then donated to the Adler Planetarium, chopped into six pieces, packed away, and mothballed for two years. In 1997, the Sphere was transported to the Planetarium, reassembled, and placed into the new Sky Pavilion, which was under construction. On January 8, 1999, the Sky Pavilion opened, and the Atwood Sphere once again welcomed guests inside of its star-filled maw. The Atwood Sphere has given Chicago area guests a glimpse into the heavens above for 100 years, and it looks like it will keep on doing so for many more years to come.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Day 29: The Builder-Mayor
As I mentioned, the position of Mayor started out as a 1-year term. When Benjamin Raymond lost his first re-election bid, he lost out to Alexander Loyd. Mr. Loyd was born in 1805 in Orange County, New York. In 1833, he made his way to Chicago, and started working as a carpenter. By 1837, he'd become a very integral and important builder in Chicago. So much so, that he was named the city's Chief Engineer the very next year.
In 1840, he ran for mayor and was elected to said position. On March 9, 1840, he was inaugurated as mayor. After his term, he served the city once again as an alderman, as well as a trustee of the 2nd District Chicago Schools. He died in 1872 of what was called "Rheumatism of the heart", and is buried in Rosehill Cemetery. Loyd also has a rather fascinating legacy. Seeing that he was the 2nd Democrat to serve as Mayor, Mr. Loyd was the beginning of the long line of Democrat mayors in Chicago.
In 1840, he ran for mayor and was elected to said position. On March 9, 1840, he was inaugurated as mayor. After his term, he served the city once again as an alderman, as well as a trustee of the 2nd District Chicago Schools. He died in 1872 of what was called "Rheumatism of the heart", and is buried in Rosehill Cemetery. Loyd also has a rather fascinating legacy. Seeing that he was the 2nd Democrat to serve as Mayor, Mr. Loyd was the beginning of the long line of Democrat mayors in Chicago.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Day 22: The Mayor who made State Street great.
In the wake of the first Chicago politician to run afoul of the law, the next man to serve as Mayor was a gentleman by the name of Benjamin Raymond. Raymond spent his formative years acquiring an education in both New York State and Montreal. In 1836, he made his way to Chicago to try his hand in the booming real estate market.
In 1839, he ran for the office and was elected the city's third mayor. After getting voted out of office the next year(at that time mayoral terms were only for a single year), he reclaimed his seat in 1842. While he was mayor, his two biggest contributions to the legacy of the city were the purchase of Fort Dearborn when it was put up for sale by the Government. His other legacy is a little more important, as he was the mayor that ensured that State Street would be a wide street. If you've ever done anything on State Street(even if you've only taken the El), you've got Ben Raymond to thank for it.
Upon entering civilian life, Raymond went on to other pursuits. Much like William Ogden, he developed an interest in railroads. He also helped secure the charter for Lake Forest College when it opened in 1857. Additionally, he started the Elgin Watch Company in 1866, which would go on to manufacture fine watches for more than 100 years. In 1883, Benjamin Raymond died at the age of 81. Chicago's third mayor is buried in Graceland Cemetery, where he remains to this day.
In 1839, he ran for the office and was elected the city's third mayor. After getting voted out of office the next year(at that time mayoral terms were only for a single year), he reclaimed his seat in 1842. While he was mayor, his two biggest contributions to the legacy of the city were the purchase of Fort Dearborn when it was put up for sale by the Government. His other legacy is a little more important, as he was the mayor that ensured that State Street would be a wide street. If you've ever done anything on State Street(even if you've only taken the El), you've got Ben Raymond to thank for it.
Upon entering civilian life, Raymond went on to other pursuits. Much like William Ogden, he developed an interest in railroads. He also helped secure the charter for Lake Forest College when it opened in 1857. Additionally, he started the Elgin Watch Company in 1866, which would go on to manufacture fine watches for more than 100 years. In 1883, Benjamin Raymond died at the age of 81. Chicago's third mayor is buried in Graceland Cemetery, where he remains to this day.
Day 293: Hog Butcher for the World
For most of American history between the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, the meatpacking capital of the country was located in Cincinnati. However, as early as 1827, that was already starting to change, as that was the year that Archibauld Clybourn started the first meatpacking operation in the city. Over the next two decades, meatpacking continued to dig in its heels in Chicago, mostly through individual saloon owners who would lease extra space behind their establishments to the railroads as cattle raising space.
Finally, in 1848 the first stock yard was opened in the city when the Bull's Head Market commenced operations. Located on the West Side over by Madison and Ogden, this market helped to consolidate the operations of some of the smaller yards. However, this was not a vertically-integrated solution, as the meat still had to be shipped to Cincinnati in order to complete the process. But this slowly was changing. Between 1852 and 1865, 5 different railroads moved into the city and set up operations, some of them even setting up their own stockyards. Another factor in Chicago's ascendancy as the hog-butcher of the world was the Civil War. Since the Confederacy ran a successful blockade of the Mississippi for the duration of the war, the Union had to get creative. The idea that eventually won out was to feed the Armies of the Potomac with Chicago's meat. The uptick in business to Chi-town was so dramatic that within 5 years, the number of hogs slaughtered in the city rose from 392,000 to more than 1.4 Million.
After Appomattox, the infrastructure remained. Finally, all of the city's different yards consolidated in 1865 to form the Union Stock Yards. The property was bordered by Halsted St. and Racine Ave. on the east and west, and 39th and 47th on the north and south. The yards truly were a massive operation. At their peak, they covered 1 square mile, there was space for more than 100,000 animals to be housed simultaneously, the yards employed more than 40,000 men, and the yards processed 82 Percent of all the domestic meat consumed in the entire county. Between 1908 and 1957, there was even an elevated line that serviced the yards. The Yards were an entirely self-contained community, featuring farms, slaughterhouses, hotels, saloons, and even a limited number of residences(apparently taking a page from George Pullman's playbook). The working conditions at the Yards left something to be desired though, as Upton Sinclair would reveal to the world in his 1906 bestseller The Jungle.
Not only were they a seminal part of Chicago History, but The Yards also gave us several different innovations. For one, Phillip Armour opened a plant in the Yards(and at 12 acres, it was the world's biggest factory at the time) when they first came about. In order to speed up the processing of the meat, Armour came up with the idea of the assembly line, which in this case involved having many different people all work together to gut and slaughter one piece of livestock. This concept was later taken by Henry Ford and refined into a new way to make cars.
Also, you may or may not be aware that our city has a healthy financial district. Well, this also comes to us courtesy of the yards. You see, the presence of all that cattle meat that farmers wanted some assurances that they wouldn't go under if things went south with affairs after the cattle left their possession. And hence, the demand for a futures market was born. Farmers would be guaranteed a price for their cattle, and be guarded against any market fluctuations in the meantime. Chicago's status today as a financial powerhouse is due in no small part to this legacy. Another legacy of the Yards is the International Amphitheatre, which went on to host many different affairs, including the Auto Show and the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The yard also saw the second deadliest building collapse in history when a fire broke out in 1910(the deadliest of course being 9/11).
Continued innovations in the field of transportation and refrigeration started eating away at the Yards' market share in the 1950s. By 1971, the last meatpacking operations had closed, and 106 years of tradition officially came to an end at midnight on July 30 of that year. Nowadays, all that remains of the Yards is the entrance gate, which was made a National Landmark in 1972. The community known as Back of the Yards still holds a bustling immigrant community to this day.
Finally, in 1848 the first stock yard was opened in the city when the Bull's Head Market commenced operations. Located on the West Side over by Madison and Ogden, this market helped to consolidate the operations of some of the smaller yards. However, this was not a vertically-integrated solution, as the meat still had to be shipped to Cincinnati in order to complete the process. But this slowly was changing. Between 1852 and 1865, 5 different railroads moved into the city and set up operations, some of them even setting up their own stockyards. Another factor in Chicago's ascendancy as the hog-butcher of the world was the Civil War. Since the Confederacy ran a successful blockade of the Mississippi for the duration of the war, the Union had to get creative. The idea that eventually won out was to feed the Armies of the Potomac with Chicago's meat. The uptick in business to Chi-town was so dramatic that within 5 years, the number of hogs slaughtered in the city rose from 392,000 to more than 1.4 Million.
After Appomattox, the infrastructure remained. Finally, all of the city's different yards consolidated in 1865 to form the Union Stock Yards. The property was bordered by Halsted St. and Racine Ave. on the east and west, and 39th and 47th on the north and south. The yards truly were a massive operation. At their peak, they covered 1 square mile, there was space for more than 100,000 animals to be housed simultaneously, the yards employed more than 40,000 men, and the yards processed 82 Percent of all the domestic meat consumed in the entire county. Between 1908 and 1957, there was even an elevated line that serviced the yards. The Yards were an entirely self-contained community, featuring farms, slaughterhouses, hotels, saloons, and even a limited number of residences(apparently taking a page from George Pullman's playbook). The working conditions at the Yards left something to be desired though, as Upton Sinclair would reveal to the world in his 1906 bestseller The Jungle.
Not only were they a seminal part of Chicago History, but The Yards also gave us several different innovations. For one, Phillip Armour opened a plant in the Yards(and at 12 acres, it was the world's biggest factory at the time) when they first came about. In order to speed up the processing of the meat, Armour came up with the idea of the assembly line, which in this case involved having many different people all work together to gut and slaughter one piece of livestock. This concept was later taken by Henry Ford and refined into a new way to make cars.
Also, you may or may not be aware that our city has a healthy financial district. Well, this also comes to us courtesy of the yards. You see, the presence of all that cattle meat that farmers wanted some assurances that they wouldn't go under if things went south with affairs after the cattle left their possession. And hence, the demand for a futures market was born. Farmers would be guaranteed a price for their cattle, and be guarded against any market fluctuations in the meantime. Chicago's status today as a financial powerhouse is due in no small part to this legacy. Another legacy of the Yards is the International Amphitheatre, which went on to host many different affairs, including the Auto Show and the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The yard also saw the second deadliest building collapse in history when a fire broke out in 1910(the deadliest of course being 9/11).
Continued innovations in the field of transportation and refrigeration started eating away at the Yards' market share in the 1950s. By 1971, the last meatpacking operations had closed, and 106 years of tradition officially came to an end at midnight on July 30 of that year. Nowadays, all that remains of the Yards is the entrance gate, which was made a National Landmark in 1972. The community known as Back of the Yards still holds a bustling immigrant community to this day.
Day 284: To Kill a Mayor-Chicago Week Day 5
Carter Harrison Sr. had already been elected mayor 4 times, steering the city through some of its most tumultuous labor battles of the 1880s, including the Haymarket Affair, where he famously walked through the morass of rioters without so much as wrinkling his suit. After his first go-around as mayor, Harrison devoted himself to other pursuits(including running the Chicago Tribune), until Chicago was gearing up to host the Columbian Exposition.
At this point, Harrison felt the need to run again in order to help steer the preparations, and so he ran once again in the 1893 election and won. One of the many Chicagoans who campaigned for Harrison was a newspaper distributor by the name of Patrick Pendergast. Pendergast was also very concerned about the danger that railroad grade crossings posed to the public(14 years later, it would seem that others saw the same danger). While he was campaigning, Pendergast got the crazy idea that if Harrison won he would appoint Pendergast to the Corporation Counsel. Long story short, it didn't happen.
Once Harrison took office, he busied himself with final preparations for the fair, one of which involved leaving the operation of the red-light district under the control of two crooked aldermen. The fair opened up on May 1, 1893 to rave reviews. Over the next six months, the fair welcomed millions of guests from around the world, and introduced us to such things as the Ferris wheel, ice cream cones, and even the Vienna Beef hot dog. And if folks tired of the official activities, they could always schlep over to Buffalo Bill just outside of the fairgrounds. And if they were really unlucky, they ran into H.H. Holmes. At the end of October, the fair was entering its final weeks, and the attitude was one of happiness and fulfillment. That is, except for Patrick Pendergast, who had spent the whole year stewing over his presumed snub at the hands of Harrison. Finally, Pendergast decided to act. On October 28, Pendergast slipped into Harrison's house, and when Harrison awoke to investigate the commotion, Pendergast fatally shot him.
The city was instantly plunged into a state of mourning, and all celebrations associated with the end of the fair were cancelled. Pendergast turned himself in to the authorities later on that same day. He was initially attempting to plead insanity, but that did not work. He was then convicted and sentenced to die. During the appeals process, he was awarded a temporary victory thanks to the efforts of Clarence Darrow, but ultimately was still executed on July 14, 1894(31 years later, Darrow would have better luck defending monkeys than murderers). Carter Harrison was the first mayor to be assassinated(though not the last), as well as the first to die in office(again, not the last either)
At this point, Harrison felt the need to run again in order to help steer the preparations, and so he ran once again in the 1893 election and won. One of the many Chicagoans who campaigned for Harrison was a newspaper distributor by the name of Patrick Pendergast. Pendergast was also very concerned about the danger that railroad grade crossings posed to the public(14 years later, it would seem that others saw the same danger). While he was campaigning, Pendergast got the crazy idea that if Harrison won he would appoint Pendergast to the Corporation Counsel. Long story short, it didn't happen.
Once Harrison took office, he busied himself with final preparations for the fair, one of which involved leaving the operation of the red-light district under the control of two crooked aldermen. The fair opened up on May 1, 1893 to rave reviews. Over the next six months, the fair welcomed millions of guests from around the world, and introduced us to such things as the Ferris wheel, ice cream cones, and even the Vienna Beef hot dog. And if folks tired of the official activities, they could always schlep over to Buffalo Bill just outside of the fairgrounds. And if they were really unlucky, they ran into H.H. Holmes. At the end of October, the fair was entering its final weeks, and the attitude was one of happiness and fulfillment. That is, except for Patrick Pendergast, who had spent the whole year stewing over his presumed snub at the hands of Harrison. Finally, Pendergast decided to act. On October 28, Pendergast slipped into Harrison's house, and when Harrison awoke to investigate the commotion, Pendergast fatally shot him.
The city was instantly plunged into a state of mourning, and all celebrations associated with the end of the fair were cancelled. Pendergast turned himself in to the authorities later on that same day. He was initially attempting to plead insanity, but that did not work. He was then convicted and sentenced to die. During the appeals process, he was awarded a temporary victory thanks to the efforts of Clarence Darrow, but ultimately was still executed on July 14, 1894(31 years later, Darrow would have better luck defending monkeys than murderers). Carter Harrison was the first mayor to be assassinated(though not the last), as well as the first to die in office(again, not the last either)
Day 283: The Ripper(?) in the White City-Chicago Week Day 4
It is the Spring of 1893, and the city of Chicago is all aflutter with activity. The city has risen like a phoenix from the ashes of the Great Fire 22 years earlier(partially at the expense of the town of Singapore, but that's for another day), and it is overcoming the final hurdles before the World's Fair comes to the door. The South Side Rapid Transit company is breaking in its new elevated railcars(the first to grace the city) at stops such as 35th Street and Roosevelt. The newly re-elected Mayor is putting the final touches on the entertainment packages, and John Coughlin is putting the final touches on his. The White City is being constructed in present-day Jackson, Washington, and Midway parks.
But as all of these preparations are being made, Herman Mudgett is busy too-converting his piece of land into a fantastic castle, which will serve as his very exclusive hotel for the duration of the fair. Mudgett's background was in medicine, and he had studied at the University of Michigan. While there, he started down a road that would foretell his ultimate destiny. While he was a student, he would occasionally break into the storage areas for the cadavers and rearrange the bodies to make it look like the victims had died accidentally, that way he could collect on the life insurance policies he had taken out on each of them. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1884, at which point he came to Chicago. When Mudgett came to the city in 1885, he came upon a pharmacy in the Englewood neighborhood owned by an elderly couple. When the man got sick, he would help the woman take care of the shop. Eventually the man died, and Mudgett talked his widow into selling him the store. The sale was finalized, and Mudgett worked out a deal where he would pay the widow a sum of roughly $100 a month(that's about $2,500 in today's money). Eventually, Mudgett fell behind on the payments. It was at this point where the widow mysteriously disappeared. To head off any nosy neighbors, Mudgett simply answered that she was on a long trip to California.
Over the next several years, Mudgett acquired several other properties to amalgamate them into a monstrosity three blocks long. At the same time, Mudgett started going by the alias H.H. Holmes. As construction was proceeding, Holmes met up with Benjamin Pletzel, a crooked carpenter. When the structure was completed, it had Holmes' drugstore on the ground floor, and then the upper floors held Holes' personal office as well as a maze of over 100 windowless rooms, which were arranged into a maze to confuse those inside. When Holmes opened up for business, he instructed all of his employees to take out life insurance policies paid for by Holmes, that he was the sole beneficiary of. He would then make his selections from the staffers, and then kill them through various means, be it asphyxiation or other ways. After they were killed, he would send the bodies down to the basement, where he would dissect them, cremate them, destroy the bodies in lime pits, and even other means, including a stretching rack.
The year after the fair, Holmes left Chicago for St. Louis. It was here where he was briefly incarcerated for a Horse swindle, and while he quickly made bail, he met up with an inmate who pointed him in the direction of a crooked judge who would let him pursue an insurance scam. He found the judge, but he wouldn't have it. So Holmes did the next best thing. He went back to his old partner Pletzel and killed him instead. Not just that, but he took advantage of Pletzel's grief-stricken widow to allow him to take 3 of her 5 kids. Holmes proceeded to take the kids all over, before killing them. Eventually, Holmes was caught due to getting sold out by that old cellmate from St. Louis(whom he had neglected to pay off). When the truth came out about the Pletzel children, Holmes' fate was sealed. Holmes met the hangman's noose on May 7, 1896(thus making Holmes' demise happen in the same year as another icon of the fair, the Republic statue). The inmate who sold out Holmes was later killed by police in 1909. In 2003, Erik Larson took Holmes' story as the main plot line for his novel Devil in the White City.
One more factoid of note: a descendant of Holmes later claimed that Holes could have also been the notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper, who terrorized London in 1888. As proof, handwriting analyses were done on some of Holmes' writings in comparison to letters written by Jack the Ripper. While the samples matched at a rate of over 97%, experts are still skeptical, as there are some doubts that the Ripper letters were actually composed by the killer himself. Regardless, it is certainly an interesting factoid.
But as all of these preparations are being made, Herman Mudgett is busy too-converting his piece of land into a fantastic castle, which will serve as his very exclusive hotel for the duration of the fair. Mudgett's background was in medicine, and he had studied at the University of Michigan. While there, he started down a road that would foretell his ultimate destiny. While he was a student, he would occasionally break into the storage areas for the cadavers and rearrange the bodies to make it look like the victims had died accidentally, that way he could collect on the life insurance policies he had taken out on each of them. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1884, at which point he came to Chicago. When Mudgett came to the city in 1885, he came upon a pharmacy in the Englewood neighborhood owned by an elderly couple. When the man got sick, he would help the woman take care of the shop. Eventually the man died, and Mudgett talked his widow into selling him the store. The sale was finalized, and Mudgett worked out a deal where he would pay the widow a sum of roughly $100 a month(that's about $2,500 in today's money). Eventually, Mudgett fell behind on the payments. It was at this point where the widow mysteriously disappeared. To head off any nosy neighbors, Mudgett simply answered that she was on a long trip to California.
Over the next several years, Mudgett acquired several other properties to amalgamate them into a monstrosity three blocks long. At the same time, Mudgett started going by the alias H.H. Holmes. As construction was proceeding, Holmes met up with Benjamin Pletzel, a crooked carpenter. When the structure was completed, it had Holmes' drugstore on the ground floor, and then the upper floors held Holes' personal office as well as a maze of over 100 windowless rooms, which were arranged into a maze to confuse those inside. When Holmes opened up for business, he instructed all of his employees to take out life insurance policies paid for by Holmes, that he was the sole beneficiary of. He would then make his selections from the staffers, and then kill them through various means, be it asphyxiation or other ways. After they were killed, he would send the bodies down to the basement, where he would dissect them, cremate them, destroy the bodies in lime pits, and even other means, including a stretching rack.
The year after the fair, Holmes left Chicago for St. Louis. It was here where he was briefly incarcerated for a Horse swindle, and while he quickly made bail, he met up with an inmate who pointed him in the direction of a crooked judge who would let him pursue an insurance scam. He found the judge, but he wouldn't have it. So Holmes did the next best thing. He went back to his old partner Pletzel and killed him instead. Not just that, but he took advantage of Pletzel's grief-stricken widow to allow him to take 3 of her 5 kids. Holmes proceeded to take the kids all over, before killing them. Eventually, Holmes was caught due to getting sold out by that old cellmate from St. Louis(whom he had neglected to pay off). When the truth came out about the Pletzel children, Holmes' fate was sealed. Holmes met the hangman's noose on May 7, 1896(thus making Holmes' demise happen in the same year as another icon of the fair, the Republic statue). The inmate who sold out Holmes was later killed by police in 1909. In 2003, Erik Larson took Holmes' story as the main plot line for his novel Devil in the White City.
One more factoid of note: a descendant of Holmes later claimed that Holes could have also been the notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper, who terrorized London in 1888. As proof, handwriting analyses were done on some of Holmes' writings in comparison to letters written by Jack the Ripper. While the samples matched at a rate of over 97%, experts are still skeptical, as there are some doubts that the Ripper letters were actually composed by the killer himself. Regardless, it is certainly an interesting factoid.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Day 282: The Midwest Firestorm and the Desolation of Singapore-Chicago Week Day 3
On the same day that Chicago was falling victim to the Flames of Hell, several other towns in the Midwest also suffered the same fiery fate. Our first stop takes us across the Cheddar Curtain to the town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin. In 1871, Peshtigo was a farming/logging town with a population of roughly 1,800 people. The townspeople would routinely use small fires to clear away brush and other debris so as to allow for building/farming. On October 8 of that year, a strong wind came in from the West and strengthened the smaller brush fires into one, much larger, fire. After burning for a while, the inferno became an all out, straight-outta-Hell firestorm, at some points reaching a mile high, five miles wide, traveling at speeds upwards of 90 miles per hour, and all raging hotter than the inside of a crematorium. At one point, the flames jumped the Peshtigo River and turned into what contemporary reports described as a fire tornado. When all the flames cleared, the damage proved severe. The conflagration had incinerated between 1.2 and 1.5 Million acres of land(aka, an area twice the size of Rhode Island). In terms of the Human cost, estimates generally put the death toll between 1,200 and 2,500. These figures are quite shaky, both because an accurate count was never done(partially because there was no one left alive to keep track of the dead in many cases), and also owing to the fact that many victims were thrown into mass graves. However, there were a group of nuns who had sought shelter from the fire in a church. Whiling away the inferno by praying inside of the local church, both they and the church escaped unscathed.
When the Peshtigo Fire got busy jumping rivers, one such span that it crossed was the Menominee River, which opened a pathway to Michigan, thus sparking the third raging inferno on the day, otherwise known as the Great Michigan Fire. The state of Michigan had just weathered a long hot summer, and in addition to that fact the logging industry had taken a firm hold in the state, with 16 different sawmills operating in the state by the 1860s. These mills combined to produce over 13 Million board feet of lumber, which made for a lot of excess pieces of wood left over from milling. When the Peshtigo Fire crossed over, this made for the perfect conditions to let the fire spread. And spread it did. When it was all over, the flames had burned the towns of Holland, Manistee, and Port Huron, as well as many other smaller hamlets. All told, the flames consumed more than 2.5 Million acres in Michigan. The human cost was even harder to tabulate here than in Peshtigo. The only solid number that ever came out was roughly 500, but that was only based on self-reported numbers. Given that there were thousands of individual woodsmen in the forests of Michigan, it is entirely likely that the death toll was even higher. There has been much discussion over the years as to the cause of the simultaneous fire events, and one of the more interesting theories is out of this world. Literally. It has been theorized that a comet hitting the affected area could have ignited the abnormally dry environs, triggering the blaze. As I said, this is just a theory though.
The final victim of the Great Midwest Firestorm met its demise not through flames, but via other means. The town of Singapore, Michigan had been founded in 1836 by a New York land speculator, who desired to establish a port city that would rival even Chicago and Milwaukee. That never quite happened, but the town did see several interesting goings-on, such as the 1838 bank scandal that saw the Bank of Singapore engage in some money-shuffling with a neighboring town. In 1842 the town was brought to the brink of extinction when it was pounded by a snowstorm that lasted for 40 days and 40 nights(kinda puts Snowpocalypse in perspective, doesn't it). Eyewitness reports in the wake of the snowstorm are spotty, but the general consensus is that at the end of it all, a wizened old man emerged from a giant boat in the middle of town, followed by 7 other people and what appeared to be 2 of every kind of animal, all capped off with the appearance of a rainbow in the middle of winter. Wierd...
But even after surviving all of this, the town proved no match for the Great Firestorm. Oh, Singapore was unaffected by the flames, but not by the aftermath. After all, rebuilding Chicago into the crown jewel that it would become by 1893 took lumber. A LOT of lumber. Factor in all of the rebuilding that took place in Michigan, and you have a Herculean need for lumber. And where did ALL of the affected cities get their raw materials? Singapore, of course. The town was so heavily forested in the years after the fire that by 1875, what had once been an insipid logging town had been turned into a vast dune-filled wasteland thanks to all the deforestation. Today the ruins of Singapore lie buried underneath the Michigan Dunes at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River.
When the Peshtigo Fire got busy jumping rivers, one such span that it crossed was the Menominee River, which opened a pathway to Michigan, thus sparking the third raging inferno on the day, otherwise known as the Great Michigan Fire. The state of Michigan had just weathered a long hot summer, and in addition to that fact the logging industry had taken a firm hold in the state, with 16 different sawmills operating in the state by the 1860s. These mills combined to produce over 13 Million board feet of lumber, which made for a lot of excess pieces of wood left over from milling. When the Peshtigo Fire crossed over, this made for the perfect conditions to let the fire spread. And spread it did. When it was all over, the flames had burned the towns of Holland, Manistee, and Port Huron, as well as many other smaller hamlets. All told, the flames consumed more than 2.5 Million acres in Michigan. The human cost was even harder to tabulate here than in Peshtigo. The only solid number that ever came out was roughly 500, but that was only based on self-reported numbers. Given that there were thousands of individual woodsmen in the forests of Michigan, it is entirely likely that the death toll was even higher. There has been much discussion over the years as to the cause of the simultaneous fire events, and one of the more interesting theories is out of this world. Literally. It has been theorized that a comet hitting the affected area could have ignited the abnormally dry environs, triggering the blaze. As I said, this is just a theory though.
The final victim of the Great Midwest Firestorm met its demise not through flames, but via other means. The town of Singapore, Michigan had been founded in 1836 by a New York land speculator, who desired to establish a port city that would rival even Chicago and Milwaukee. That never quite happened, but the town did see several interesting goings-on, such as the 1838 bank scandal that saw the Bank of Singapore engage in some money-shuffling with a neighboring town. In 1842 the town was brought to the brink of extinction when it was pounded by a snowstorm that lasted for 40 days and 40 nights(kinda puts Snowpocalypse in perspective, doesn't it). Eyewitness reports in the wake of the snowstorm are spotty, but the general consensus is that at the end of it all, a wizened old man emerged from a giant boat in the middle of town, followed by 7 other people and what appeared to be 2 of every kind of animal, all capped off with the appearance of a rainbow in the middle of winter. Wierd...
But even after surviving all of this, the town proved no match for the Great Firestorm. Oh, Singapore was unaffected by the flames, but not by the aftermath. After all, rebuilding Chicago into the crown jewel that it would become by 1893 took lumber. A LOT of lumber. Factor in all of the rebuilding that took place in Michigan, and you have a Herculean need for lumber. And where did ALL of the affected cities get their raw materials? Singapore, of course. The town was so heavily forested in the years after the fire that by 1875, what had once been an insipid logging town had been turned into a vast dune-filled wasteland thanks to all the deforestation. Today the ruins of Singapore lie buried underneath the Michigan Dunes at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River.
Day 290: A Record-Breaking Train
At 8:09 PM on May 26, 1934, a train pulled into Chicago's Halsted Street Station after a whirlwind 13-hour journey from Denver. However, the roots of this go back about a year, to the 1933 World's Fair. At the fair, there was a bet made about how fast the train could go. That, plus a desire to christen the new train with a bang, made for a great marketing opportunity for the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad and their new train, the Pioneer Zephyr.
There were quite a number of preparations to be made for the record-breaking run. One of the first tasks was to inspect every single spike and bolt along the track to ensure that there would be no problems with the journey. Then there were signs placed along the tracks warning the conductors of any impending dangers. And then, on the day of the Zephyr's record-setting trip, there were volunteers manning each and every crossing to ensure that there would be no delays to impede the train. After all of the preparations were ready, the only thing left to do was to make the trip. Along the way, the train hit a top speed of 112.5 Miles Per Hour, which was only 17.5 MPH slower than the land speed record for trains at that time. Not only that, but the 13-hour trip blew the normal 25-hour trip that the Burlington's other cars normally took to Denver out of the water. Even today, Amtrak's California Zephyr(which was named in honor of the Pioneer Zephyr) needs 18 hours and 40 minutes to get from Denver to Chicago.
After the record setting run, the Pioneer Zephyr was converted for use as a normal passenger train, a duty which it performed up until its retirement in 1960, at which point the train was acquired by the Museum of Science and Industry, which placed it outside the building. Finally, the Zephyr was placed back inside in 1997 when MSI built a new underground parking garage and entrance atrium, making the Zephyr next-door neighbors to both the only U-Boat to be displayed in the country and the largest airplane to ever land at Meigs Field. One more thing of note about the train. The Pioneer Zephyr was built by the Budd Company. Not only that, but it was the first train they ever built. Sure, that's interesting, but you wanna know what's even cooler? Amongst the many, many trains that they built over the years were all of the 2200 and 2600 series of train cars for the Chicago Transit Authority. Which means that if you are riding an El car that isn't one of the new ones(with the aisle-facing seats and the digital side displays) you're riding in a car made by the same people who made the Pioneer Zephyr.
There were quite a number of preparations to be made for the record-breaking run. One of the first tasks was to inspect every single spike and bolt along the track to ensure that there would be no problems with the journey. Then there were signs placed along the tracks warning the conductors of any impending dangers. And then, on the day of the Zephyr's record-setting trip, there were volunteers manning each and every crossing to ensure that there would be no delays to impede the train. After all of the preparations were ready, the only thing left to do was to make the trip. Along the way, the train hit a top speed of 112.5 Miles Per Hour, which was only 17.5 MPH slower than the land speed record for trains at that time. Not only that, but the 13-hour trip blew the normal 25-hour trip that the Burlington's other cars normally took to Denver out of the water. Even today, Amtrak's California Zephyr(which was named in honor of the Pioneer Zephyr) needs 18 hours and 40 minutes to get from Denver to Chicago.
After the record setting run, the Pioneer Zephyr was converted for use as a normal passenger train, a duty which it performed up until its retirement in 1960, at which point the train was acquired by the Museum of Science and Industry, which placed it outside the building. Finally, the Zephyr was placed back inside in 1997 when MSI built a new underground parking garage and entrance atrium, making the Zephyr next-door neighbors to both the only U-Boat to be displayed in the country and the largest airplane to ever land at Meigs Field. One more thing of note about the train. The Pioneer Zephyr was built by the Budd Company. Not only that, but it was the first train they ever built. Sure, that's interesting, but you wanna know what's even cooler? Amongst the many, many trains that they built over the years were all of the 2200 and 2600 series of train cars for the Chicago Transit Authority. Which means that if you are riding an El car that isn't one of the new ones(with the aisle-facing seats and the digital side displays) you're riding in a car made by the same people who made the Pioneer Zephyr.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Day 287: Catching Hell
Author's Note: The title to this entry comes to us from an ESPN Documentary, which is frankly the most concise and authoritative tome on the subject. If you want more background, I highly recommend you watch it. You can do so by following the link above.
In 2003, the Chicago Cubs were in their first season under new skipper Dusty Baker. The team wound up surprising many observers and captured the National League Central Division title with a record of 88-74. In their return to postseason play after a 5 year absence, the team started off the Divisional Series against the Atlanta Braves. The Cubs surprised everybody yet again and defeated the Braves in 5 games, locking up their first postseason series win since 1908. The next opponent were the Florida Marlins in the National League Championship Series . After losing the first game of the series in an extra-inning heartbreaker, the Chicago Cubs had rallied back to take a 3-1 lead in the series over the Marlins. Game 5 of the series saw the Marlins take the win, but the Series was switching back to Chicago for the final two games, and Mark Prior was up to pitch for Game 6.
October 14, 2003 dawns. Today would be the day that the Cubs would put away the Marlins for good and finally make it back to the World Series. The game started out going great, and by the 7th inning the team is up 3-0, and it appears that the Cubbies are going to cruise into the World Series. Things are looking so good that Kerry Wood(who was up to pitch the next game)was in the dugout doing some recon on the Yankees, the AL opponent in the World Series. All was going well until the top of the 8th inning. The Chicago Cubs are 6 outs away from the World Series. A fly ball is caught in the outfield. The Chicago Cubs are 5 outs away from the World Series. Mark Prior serves up a ball to Luis Castillo that is smashed over to left field. Moises Alou goes up to grab it. A fan reaches for it as well. All Hell breaks loose. Things change forever. By the end of the inning, the Florida Marlins have scored 8 runs and now lead 8-3. The next night, the Marlins take Game 7 and complete their comeback from being down 3 games to 1(which might ring a few bells for any Blackhawks fans out there), providing the Cubs with yet another chapter in their sad-sack biography. Additionally, the Cubs have not one a single postseason game since then, being swept in '07 and '08.
But there is one more piece to this puzzle. The fan who grabbed at the ball. Steve Bartman was a youth baseball coach from the Chicago area who was out with friends, hoping to see the Cubs make some history that night. He was sitting in Aisle 4, Row 8, Seat 113. When Alou went up for the ball, Bartman reached for it. The ball got bumbled, and it fell. Immediately, Bartman started to face jeers from the crowd. It was at this point that Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass(who was sitting in the vicinity of Bartman) asked Mr. Bartman what he had been thinking. Soon afterwards, Bartman was hustled out of the stands, and into a control office. After a while, it was determined that Bartman was going to leave. It was at this moment that Bartman fell under the responsibility of Erika Amundsen, with Wrigley Field Security. Amundsen took Bartman out a back entrance, and into a waiting car, where they first stopped at her house to shake some errant fans from their tails. She then dropped Bartman off at a hotel where he was staying, and that was the last she saw of him.
And that was the last anyone saw of him until 2005, when Wayne Drehs was doing a report for ESPN on the incident. His editor gave him a 2 word mandate: Find Bartman. After asking around numerous times, Drehs tracked Bartman to his place of employment, where he waited in his car for 7 hours. Finally Bartman came out, and Drehs lept into action. The encounter ended with Drehs being referred to Bartman's legal team, and the trail went dead. One final postscript came in April of 2008, when Moisés Alou was quoted by the Associated Press as saying, "You know what the funny thing is? I wouldn't have caught [the ball], anyway." The only thing we know for sure is that 10 years on, the play continues to live in the infamy of Chicago Sports lore.
In 2003, the Chicago Cubs were in their first season under new skipper Dusty Baker. The team wound up surprising many observers and captured the National League Central Division title with a record of 88-74. In their return to postseason play after a 5 year absence, the team started off the Divisional Series against the Atlanta Braves. The Cubs surprised everybody yet again and defeated the Braves in 5 games, locking up their first postseason series win since 1908. The next opponent were the Florida Marlins in the National League Championship Series . After losing the first game of the series in an extra-inning heartbreaker, the Chicago Cubs had rallied back to take a 3-1 lead in the series over the Marlins. Game 5 of the series saw the Marlins take the win, but the Series was switching back to Chicago for the final two games, and Mark Prior was up to pitch for Game 6.
October 14, 2003 dawns. Today would be the day that the Cubs would put away the Marlins for good and finally make it back to the World Series. The game started out going great, and by the 7th inning the team is up 3-0, and it appears that the Cubbies are going to cruise into the World Series. Things are looking so good that Kerry Wood(who was up to pitch the next game)was in the dugout doing some recon on the Yankees, the AL opponent in the World Series. All was going well until the top of the 8th inning. The Chicago Cubs are 6 outs away from the World Series. A fly ball is caught in the outfield. The Chicago Cubs are 5 outs away from the World Series. Mark Prior serves up a ball to Luis Castillo that is smashed over to left field. Moises Alou goes up to grab it. A fan reaches for it as well. All Hell breaks loose. Things change forever. By the end of the inning, the Florida Marlins have scored 8 runs and now lead 8-3. The next night, the Marlins take Game 7 and complete their comeback from being down 3 games to 1(which might ring a few bells for any Blackhawks fans out there), providing the Cubs with yet another chapter in their sad-sack biography. Additionally, the Cubs have not one a single postseason game since then, being swept in '07 and '08.
But there is one more piece to this puzzle. The fan who grabbed at the ball. Steve Bartman was a youth baseball coach from the Chicago area who was out with friends, hoping to see the Cubs make some history that night. He was sitting in Aisle 4, Row 8, Seat 113. When Alou went up for the ball, Bartman reached for it. The ball got bumbled, and it fell. Immediately, Bartman started to face jeers from the crowd. It was at this point that Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass(who was sitting in the vicinity of Bartman) asked Mr. Bartman what he had been thinking. Soon afterwards, Bartman was hustled out of the stands, and into a control office. After a while, it was determined that Bartman was going to leave. It was at this moment that Bartman fell under the responsibility of Erika Amundsen, with Wrigley Field Security. Amundsen took Bartman out a back entrance, and into a waiting car, where they first stopped at her house to shake some errant fans from their tails. She then dropped Bartman off at a hotel where he was staying, and that was the last she saw of him.
And that was the last anyone saw of him until 2005, when Wayne Drehs was doing a report for ESPN on the incident. His editor gave him a 2 word mandate: Find Bartman. After asking around numerous times, Drehs tracked Bartman to his place of employment, where he waited in his car for 7 hours. Finally Bartman came out, and Drehs lept into action. The encounter ended with Drehs being referred to Bartman's legal team, and the trail went dead. One final postscript came in April of 2008, when Moisés Alou was quoted by the Associated Press as saying, "You know what the funny thing is? I wouldn't have caught [the ball], anyway." The only thing we know for sure is that 10 years on, the play continues to live in the infamy of Chicago Sports lore.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Day 281: The Flames of Hell-Chicago Week Day 2
On October 8, 1871, Catherine O'Leary was finishing things up for the day, and then she went to bed. When she woke up the next morning, she had done nothing less than change the world. At around 9 PM the prior evening, a cow belonging to O'Leary allegedly knocked over a lamp, which in turn set some of the hay in the barn aflame,which in turn set the entire barn ablaze, which on turn spread to other places, and which in turn set the whole city on fire. Whatever the actual cause of the fire, the Fire Department first was made aware of the blaze at around 9:40. At that point, the sense of urgency was lacking, as there had already been a large blaze earlier in the week, and the firemen were tired.
Eventually, the gravity of the situation was realized, but by that point, the fire had grown very large. So large, in fact, that when it reached a tall church on the south end of the river, it literally jumped the banks and continued burning on the other side of the river. This was also right about the time when the fire started to encroach upon downtown. The first Holy Name Cathedral burned to the ground. The first Palmer House(which had just opened its doors 13 days earlier) burned to the ground. The original terminal for the Chicago & Milwaukee railroad burned to the ground. The offices of the South Park Commission burned to the ground. The very first home field of the Chicago Cubs even burned to the ground.
The first Marshall Field's location was under the gun, and that's when the employees took drastic action. Levi Leiter ordered every single horse in the possession of the company to the store, where the workers started rescuing every piece of inventory they could, and sending them on the horses to Leiter's house(which was out of the path of the conflagration). A young stock clerk even managed to get the store's pumps up and running, allowing use of the steam-powered elevators, as well as the use of fire hoses to wet down the side of the building to combat the advancing flames. When the water works burned, the battle to save Chicago had been lost and everyone knew it. The workers at Marshall Field's worked until the final second, with the last employee escaping the building mere seconds before flames engulfed the structure. The quick thinking of the Field's workers paid off, as the store was able to reopen only four weeks after the fire.
As for the rest of the city, things were rather different. The fire had burned 2,000 acres to the ground, destroyed $222 Million worth of property, and left a third of the city's population homeless. But you want to know what it spared? Among other things, the Water Tower and the Pumping Station. Regardless, the city was resilient, shipping in the first load of lumber to rebuild the very day that the fire finally died out. Potter Palmer secured a loan to rebuild as the ashes of his prized hotel were still smoldering. The city was already on the upswing. And as that reconstruction was going on, the debris had to go somewhere, right? Well, the debris from the fire was dumped into the Lake, creating what we know of today as Grant Park(and as a consequence, land-locking the Illinois Central tracks) By 1893, the city welcomed more than 21 Million people to a fair that would be talked about for decades to come.
But one important factoid remains. Just who caused the fire? Obviously, Mrs. O'Leary's cow didn't do it. The story had been fabricated to placate the anti-Irish sentiment rampant in the city at that time. Some sources point to Daniel Sullivan, who was the first person to report the fire. Allegedly, he set the hay on fire while trying to steal milk. But regardless, we may never know who truly started the fire. What we do know is that it revolutionized Chicago as we know it today, and it gave the city a fresh start to build on for the next 142 years and counting.
Eventually, the gravity of the situation was realized, but by that point, the fire had grown very large. So large, in fact, that when it reached a tall church on the south end of the river, it literally jumped the banks and continued burning on the other side of the river. This was also right about the time when the fire started to encroach upon downtown. The first Holy Name Cathedral burned to the ground. The first Palmer House(which had just opened its doors 13 days earlier) burned to the ground. The original terminal for the Chicago & Milwaukee railroad burned to the ground. The offices of the South Park Commission burned to the ground. The very first home field of the Chicago Cubs even burned to the ground.
The first Marshall Field's location was under the gun, and that's when the employees took drastic action. Levi Leiter ordered every single horse in the possession of the company to the store, where the workers started rescuing every piece of inventory they could, and sending them on the horses to Leiter's house(which was out of the path of the conflagration). A young stock clerk even managed to get the store's pumps up and running, allowing use of the steam-powered elevators, as well as the use of fire hoses to wet down the side of the building to combat the advancing flames. When the water works burned, the battle to save Chicago had been lost and everyone knew it. The workers at Marshall Field's worked until the final second, with the last employee escaping the building mere seconds before flames engulfed the structure. The quick thinking of the Field's workers paid off, as the store was able to reopen only four weeks after the fire.
As for the rest of the city, things were rather different. The fire had burned 2,000 acres to the ground, destroyed $222 Million worth of property, and left a third of the city's population homeless. But you want to know what it spared? Among other things, the Water Tower and the Pumping Station. Regardless, the city was resilient, shipping in the first load of lumber to rebuild the very day that the fire finally died out. Potter Palmer secured a loan to rebuild as the ashes of his prized hotel were still smoldering. The city was already on the upswing. And as that reconstruction was going on, the debris had to go somewhere, right? Well, the debris from the fire was dumped into the Lake, creating what we know of today as Grant Park(and as a consequence, land-locking the Illinois Central tracks) By 1893, the city welcomed more than 21 Million people to a fair that would be talked about for decades to come.
But one important factoid remains. Just who caused the fire? Obviously, Mrs. O'Leary's cow didn't do it. The story had been fabricated to placate the anti-Irish sentiment rampant in the city at that time. Some sources point to Daniel Sullivan, who was the first person to report the fire. Allegedly, he set the hay on fire while trying to steal milk. But regardless, we may never know who truly started the fire. What we do know is that it revolutionized Chicago as we know it today, and it gave the city a fresh start to build on for the next 142 years and counting.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Day 280: A Call for a New Plan-Chicago Week Day 1
Author's Note: 120 years ago this week, the World's Columbian Exhibition celebrated Chicago Week, an occasion to show off just how far the city had risen from the ashes of the Great Fire that had hit 22 years previously. Well, I have deemed it appropriate to do the same here. Over the next 5 entries we'll be taking a closer look at the Great Chicago Fire and some of its related events, as well as uncovering 2 of the unseemlier stories from the 1893 Fair. But today, let us start out the series with a clarion call to re-analyze Daniel Burnham's famed Plan of Chicago
If you happened to read the Chicago Tribune this past Sunday, what I am talking about today might ring a bell. If not, get ready to find out. in 1909, Daniel Burnham drafted his famous Plan of Chicago, a tome which has more or less guided the city's development for the past century. The plan invoked the term "Paris on the Prairie", and postulated that all residents would be within walking distance of a park. While that part was mostly borne out, there were other fantastical elements that Burnham wanted included. For example, Burnham envisioned several man-made islands dotting the lakefront. Ultimately, only one of those was built, and that was finished in 1948 as an airport. It was not until 2003 that Northerly Island realized its full potential. Another area where Burnham's plan was deficient was on societal issues.
So here we are in 2013, with various ills affecting the city, be they a high crime rate, broken families, rampant unemployment, areas of urban blight that nobody dares to enter unless they absolutely have to, and then of course,(say it with me) THE CORRUPTION. As the Tribune states, many of us see these problems as "problems we tidily compartmentalize into separate silos, not as what they are: interlocked threats to a central city" And so with that spirit, the Chicago Tribune is calling for submissions for the New Plan of Chicago. And if any of you have any impetus to contribute to this plan, you can email the Tribune your idea at PlanOfChicago@tribune.com
If you happened to read the Chicago Tribune this past Sunday, what I am talking about today might ring a bell. If not, get ready to find out. in 1909, Daniel Burnham drafted his famous Plan of Chicago, a tome which has more or less guided the city's development for the past century. The plan invoked the term "Paris on the Prairie", and postulated that all residents would be within walking distance of a park. While that part was mostly borne out, there were other fantastical elements that Burnham wanted included. For example, Burnham envisioned several man-made islands dotting the lakefront. Ultimately, only one of those was built, and that was finished in 1948 as an airport. It was not until 2003 that Northerly Island realized its full potential. Another area where Burnham's plan was deficient was on societal issues.
So here we are in 2013, with various ills affecting the city, be they a high crime rate, broken families, rampant unemployment, areas of urban blight that nobody dares to enter unless they absolutely have to, and then of course,(say it with me) THE CORRUPTION. As the Tribune states, many of us see these problems as "problems we tidily compartmentalize into separate silos, not as what they are: interlocked threats to a central city" And so with that spirit, the Chicago Tribune is calling for submissions for the New Plan of Chicago. And if any of you have any impetus to contribute to this plan, you can email the Tribune your idea at PlanOfChicago@tribune.com
Monday, October 7, 2013
Day 198: The El's Southern Border
In 1958, the CTA opened up the West-Northwest route, with stations at Forest Park, UIC, and Clark/Lake(amongst many others). The line turned out to be an exceptional success, specifically its placement in the median of a major Expressway. This success was so pronounced that when the time came to build the other Expressways(Kennedy, Dan Ryan, and Stevenson) they were built with wide medians to accommodate the installation of tracks(yes, even the Stevenson). Ultimately, the Stevenson's median never received the trackwork. The Dan Ryan median received a new line replete with 8 stations(including one that was meant to serve Comiskey Park)that hooked into the rest of the elevated system at Roosevelt. The terminus for this new line was erected in the Roseland community at 95th St. As was the case with all of the other stations, the decoration at the station was kept to an absolute minimum, as per the utilitarian style favored by Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill(who are known for erecting several other buildings in the city).
Once the station opened its doors, it introduced three innovations to the CTA system that would come to define the entire system. Firstly, 95th was the first station to feature the stainless steel turnstiles that would soon become ubiquitous throughout the entire system. Secondly, this was the first station where passengers were required to pay fare with exact change(a development which came in 1991 and was soon after rendered irrelevant with the introduction of the Transit Card before the end of the decade). Thirdly, this station(and the whole Dan Ryan line in general), necessitated the acquisition of a new class of rail cars by the CTA. This need was fulfilled by the new 2200 Series of cars that entered service by the early 1970s. These stalwart cars served the city for 40 years, until they were finally retired in the summer of 2013.
Between 2001 and 2002, the station underwent some renovations. After a trial program initiated in 2004 in an attempt to speed boarding, the station didn't see many more alterations until 2013. It was at this point that the entire Dan Ryan Line was shut down for 5 months in order to affect major renovations on the track structure, stripping away the entire construct and rebuilding the entire thing from scratch. At the same time, the stations along the line are undergoing some upkeep as well. The South portion of the Red Line, as well as the station at 95th, is scheduled to reopen later this month.
Once the station opened its doors, it introduced three innovations to the CTA system that would come to define the entire system. Firstly, 95th was the first station to feature the stainless steel turnstiles that would soon become ubiquitous throughout the entire system. Secondly, this was the first station where passengers were required to pay fare with exact change(a development which came in 1991 and was soon after rendered irrelevant with the introduction of the Transit Card before the end of the decade). Thirdly, this station(and the whole Dan Ryan line in general), necessitated the acquisition of a new class of rail cars by the CTA. This need was fulfilled by the new 2200 Series of cars that entered service by the early 1970s. These stalwart cars served the city for 40 years, until they were finally retired in the summer of 2013.
Between 2001 and 2002, the station underwent some renovations. After a trial program initiated in 2004 in an attempt to speed boarding, the station didn't see many more alterations until 2013. It was at this point that the entire Dan Ryan Line was shut down for 5 months in order to affect major renovations on the track structure, stripping away the entire construct and rebuilding the entire thing from scratch. At the same time, the stations along the line are undergoing some upkeep as well. The South portion of the Red Line, as well as the station at 95th, is scheduled to reopen later this month.
Day 15: The Bleeding-Heart Mayor: The tale of Buckner Morris
After William Ogden fulfilled his term as Mayor, the next person to fulfill the duty was a man belonging to the Whig Party, by the name of Buckner Morris. Prior to coming to Chicago, Morris had been born and raised in Kentucky, which is also where he met and married his first wife. In 1834, he moved to Chicago, where he established a law firm. In 1838, he was elected Mayor of Chicago. After his term was up, he served as an alderman(and had a much less colorful tenure than Michael Kenna and John Coughlin did, that's for sure). He would also go on to serve as Illinois Secretary of State, as well as spend time as a Lake County Judge.
When the time came for the Civil War, Morris was violently opposed to it, even to the point of being a suspected Copperhead(which were a faction of Democrats who were in favor of making immediate peace with the South). This desire for reconciliation with the South eventually landed Morris in some hot water. In 1864, there was a conspiracy for a Confederate jailbreak. More precisely, there was a plot to bust many Confederate POWs out of Camp Douglas, a plot that Morris was privy to and a participant in. Many of the conspirators, including Morris, were arrested before the escape could be affected. Morris ended up serving 9 months in prison, during which time most of his business affairs were foreclosed upon due to lack of maintenance. His heirs were so incensed by this action, that they refused to donate any of his personal material to the Chicago Historical Society.
And one final note. If you've ever mused that something is going to hell in a hand basket, you've got Buckner Morris to thank for it. He issued the first recorded utterance of the phrase in reference to the fact that there were POWs in Camp Douglas.
When the time came for the Civil War, Morris was violently opposed to it, even to the point of being a suspected Copperhead(which were a faction of Democrats who were in favor of making immediate peace with the South). This desire for reconciliation with the South eventually landed Morris in some hot water. In 1864, there was a conspiracy for a Confederate jailbreak. More precisely, there was a plot to bust many Confederate POWs out of Camp Douglas, a plot that Morris was privy to and a participant in. Many of the conspirators, including Morris, were arrested before the escape could be affected. Morris ended up serving 9 months in prison, during which time most of his business affairs were foreclosed upon due to lack of maintenance. His heirs were so incensed by this action, that they refused to donate any of his personal material to the Chicago Historical Society.
And one final note. If you've ever mused that something is going to hell in a hand basket, you've got Buckner Morris to thank for it. He issued the first recorded utterance of the phrase in reference to the fact that there were POWs in Camp Douglas.
Day 191: From a Transfer to a Terminal: the tale of the Forest Park stop.
In 1905, the Metropolitan West Side Elevated constructed a new station at Des Plaines Avenue. The station served as a link to the service provided by the Aurora, Elgin, & Chicago railroad. The service had become quite cumbersome to operate, so the railroad was glad to be rid of the burden. Some time around the early twenties(at around the same time when service was extended all the way out to Westchester), there was a small station house built at Des Plaines. Soon afterwards, the CTA started to make preparations for its biggest ever change to west side service, the installation of the Congress Line(which was to also include a stop at Halsted). While the Eisenhower Expressway was being put in, the elevated lines to the west of the city had to be torn down to make space. To get around this issue, the CTA came up with the idea of laying track in the median of the Expressway. This project took several years, and the new station officially opened on June 22, 1958.
At this point, there were still hopes that the interurban railroad would resume its connection into Des Plaines, and so the CTA laid a single track that the railroad could have used to connect into the Terminal. Ultimately, that never happened, and the connection was severed a few years later. In 1977, it was finally decided to build a more permanent station for the terminal, and so the current station was closed, a temporary one was erected, and work commenced on the new permanent facility. This station was designed by Louis Rocah, who was in charge of the Bureau of Architecture, an organization which is now defunct. Contemporary reports called the station's 'floating' roof an homage to the design of McCormick Place(home of the Chicago Auto Show), done by Helmut Jahn(who would design the Thompson Center more than 10 years later). The new station was finished in June of 1980, at which point a team of 300 CTA workers managed to make the conversion between stations over the course of one hectic weekend.
For the next two years, finishing touches were made on the station, and it was finally 100% operational upon the installation of its elevator in December of 1982. Upon completion, the station housed a platform, concessions, full transfer capabilities between rail and CTA/Pace buses, as well as a parking lot with 1,000 spaces. In 1994 the CTA renamed all of it's line with colors. The West-Northwest route became known as the Blue Line, and the Des Plaines station became known as Forest Park, after the town it is located in.
At this point, there were still hopes that the interurban railroad would resume its connection into Des Plaines, and so the CTA laid a single track that the railroad could have used to connect into the Terminal. Ultimately, that never happened, and the connection was severed a few years later. In 1977, it was finally decided to build a more permanent station for the terminal, and so the current station was closed, a temporary one was erected, and work commenced on the new permanent facility. This station was designed by Louis Rocah, who was in charge of the Bureau of Architecture, an organization which is now defunct. Contemporary reports called the station's 'floating' roof an homage to the design of McCormick Place(home of the Chicago Auto Show), done by Helmut Jahn(who would design the Thompson Center more than 10 years later). The new station was finished in June of 1980, at which point a team of 300 CTA workers managed to make the conversion between stations over the course of one hectic weekend.
For the next two years, finishing touches were made on the station, and it was finally 100% operational upon the installation of its elevator in December of 1982. Upon completion, the station housed a platform, concessions, full transfer capabilities between rail and CTA/Pace buses, as well as a parking lot with 1,000 spaces. In 1994 the CTA renamed all of it's line with colors. The West-Northwest route became known as the Blue Line, and the Des Plaines station became known as Forest Park, after the town it is located in.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Day 8: The First Mayor
On March 4, 1837, the city of Chicago was incorporated(that much you've been able to gather by now just from looking at the back walls of CTA bus shelters) And the man chosen to lead the newly minted city was none other than one William Ogden. Ogden was born and raised in New York. Over the years, he went to law school and served on the New York State Assembly. Eventually, he moved to Chicago, where he would help to design the first swing bridge over the Chicago River, as well as donating the land for Rush Medical Center.
Early on, Ogden was a big proponent of the I&M Canal, but as the railroads gained in popularity, he switched his allegiance to them. He used this influence in part to help facilitate the construction of the Galena and Chicago Railroad, which not only built a terminal into the city, but also is the forerunner to today's UP North(which in turn gave us the Deerpath legacy), Northwest, and West(which honors the legacy of Kate Shelley to this day) Lines. Later in his life, his home was lost as a casualty to the Great Chicago Fire.
Early on, Ogden was a big proponent of the I&M Canal, but as the railroads gained in popularity, he switched his allegiance to them. He used this influence in part to help facilitate the construction of the Galena and Chicago Railroad, which not only built a terminal into the city, but also is the forerunner to today's UP North(which in turn gave us the Deerpath legacy), Northwest, and West(which honors the legacy of Kate Shelley to this day) Lines. Later in his life, his home was lost as a casualty to the Great Chicago Fire.
Day 272: Running on the Runway
Last year, a new kind of 5k race was inaugurated at O'Hare International Airport. The idea was to provide benefits and monies towards the Wounded Warrior Project, a charity that assists disabled veterans with getting rehabilitated as well as returning themselves to civilian life with new handicaps and challenges. The first year was a success, and so it was held once again in 2013. And this time, I heard about it beforehand, so I actually participated in the race.
The morning of the race, all of us runners got to the race site, assembled, and then we were led out onto the course. At that point, the starting signal went off, and we started off. The race was held this year on a newly completed runway that won't officially open up until October 17th, so we were some of the first people who were able to set foot on it. Once we got out onto the airstrip, the run pretty much went as expected-well, except for that one part where we ran right next to a Boeing 777. After I crossed the finish line, there was a whole post-race set up and gathering that featured many different booths, a live band on stage, and prizes for the top male and female finishers. After checking the results at the registration table, I got a chance to do something even more interesting-go out and take pictures with that same United plane that I had run past earlier. After that was over with, I got a random chance to go up in a fire department cherry-picker truck, and then I headed home. All around, it was a very unique and enjoyable experience.
The morning of the race, all of us runners got to the race site, assembled, and then we were led out onto the course. At that point, the starting signal went off, and we started off. The race was held this year on a newly completed runway that won't officially open up until October 17th, so we were some of the first people who were able to set foot on it. Once we got out onto the airstrip, the run pretty much went as expected-well, except for that one part where we ran right next to a Boeing 777. After I crossed the finish line, there was a whole post-race set up and gathering that featured many different booths, a live band on stage, and prizes for the top male and female finishers. After checking the results at the registration table, I got a chance to do something even more interesting-go out and take pictures with that same United plane that I had run past earlier. After that was over with, I got a random chance to go up in a fire department cherry-picker truck, and then I headed home. All around, it was a very unique and enjoyable experience.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Day 275: The Fountain Girl
In the lead-up to the 1893 World's Fair, the many residents of the city were all preparing for the festivities. Carter Harrison was appointing John Coughlin as the VP of Entertainment throughout the fair. Daniel Burnham was furiously at work putting the final touches on his plans for the glorious White City. Jackson Park and the Midway Plaisance were being appointed with all the finest decorations(including The Republic). Even the Illinois Central Railroad was getting in on the prep, as ridership was about to skyrocket.
But in the midst of all of that, the Women's Christian Temperance Union was arranging their own contribution to the fair in the form of a fountain. Lets back up a bit to explain. Back in those days, folks would stop into the local watering hole for more than just booze, including(lo and behold) actual drinking water. Of course, for some men, this temptation proved too great, and they then switched to more potent libations. The goal of this fountain was to give the men some place that served cold water without also serving them a big heaping plate of temptation. And it worked great.
In the aftermath of the fair, it stuck around the park for several more decades until it was stolen in the 1950s. For the next 6 decades, not much was done on this front, at least until October 2, 2013, when a new bronze statue was reattached to the pedestal and rededicated. And with that, a legacy that was started over 140 years ago has come full circle and now once again will serve as a monument to the efforts of the WCTU.
But in the midst of all of that, the Women's Christian Temperance Union was arranging their own contribution to the fair in the form of a fountain. Lets back up a bit to explain. Back in those days, folks would stop into the local watering hole for more than just booze, including(lo and behold) actual drinking water. Of course, for some men, this temptation proved too great, and they then switched to more potent libations. The goal of this fountain was to give the men some place that served cold water without also serving them a big heaping plate of temptation. And it worked great.
In the aftermath of the fair, it stuck around the park for several more decades until it was stolen in the 1950s. For the next 6 decades, not much was done on this front, at least until October 2, 2013, when a new bronze statue was reattached to the pedestal and rededicated. And with that, a legacy that was started over 140 years ago has come full circle and now once again will serve as a monument to the efforts of the WCTU.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Day 273: Expanding Insanity
Today's destination is a work of public art on the walking path between the Museum Campus and the Buckingham Fountain(actually, I believe you can walk straight on through to Navy Pier if you stay on the same path). Anyway, there are a bunch of these pieces of art along the path. However, the one we are going to focus on today is called "Expanding Universe" When you walk up to it, it looks like a lightbulb from the base, but then as you walk around it, it morphs into a very interesting shape that I'm not sure how to describe, other than at one point it looks like a tooth? The basic thing that I gathered from this was that it is an extremely abstract piece of art(much more so than the others on the pathway). One more word about this stretch of art. All of the works of art that are featured on the pathway are being exhibited as part of the Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, a program of Chicago Sculpture International. Bear this in mind, because the very next entry will be featuring another entry into the Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition.
Remember, you can see pictures of this sculpure on the Chicago 365 Facebook Page. Just make sure to like it while you are there! :)
Remember, you can see pictures of this sculpure on the Chicago 365 Facebook Page. Just make sure to like it while you are there! :)
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Day 184: The Wildcat Station
By the beginning of 1912, the Northwestern Elevated was seeking to expand its operations northward. Just one problem emerged from that proposal. The leadership of the village of Wilmette balked at the idea. But much like Mayor Daley would do 91 years later, little things like the disapproval of local government wasn't about to stop the Northwestern El. And so, on the night of April 1, 1912, the railroad sent in its workers to build a new station at the location under cover of darkness. When commuters woke up on the morning of the 2nd, they were greeted by an entirely new transit station. As you might be able to guess, the village powers that be were none too amused with the stunt that the Northwestern had pulled, and they immediately went to court over the matter. Ultimately, there was enough support for the station from the community that the station stayed around.
Much the same thing happened 10 years later when the Northwestern tried to enhance the station. Once again, the railroad won out, and a new station was built at the site. Eventually it was decided to replace the ramshackle wildcat stations with more permanent structures. The architect who was hired had worked on several station designs previously, so he was an experienced fellow.
After going through some minor changes in its first few years, the station was due for a major change up in the 1980s. At that time, it was deemed that the station, being 70 years old by that point, could no longer keep up with the demands of everyday commuter traffic. And so, work was begun in 1991 on a new station. At the same time, there were expansions being made to the train yard that was attached to the Linden station. All of these projects took about two years, at which point the old station was closed and service was switched to the new one.
It was at this point that the focus turned to the preservation of the old station house. Much like the Skokie station house, the house at Linden was renovated, but preserved. The CTA agreed to chip in $90,000 for the restoration, with the rest being paid for by whoever did the restoration. A tenant was eventually found in a local bank, who spent $350,000 to completely renovate the exterior of the station. On April 28, 2012, there was a ceremony held to commemorate 100 years of service to Linden which featured much pomp and circumstance, as well as speeches by dignitaries.
Much the same thing happened 10 years later when the Northwestern tried to enhance the station. Once again, the railroad won out, and a new station was built at the site. Eventually it was decided to replace the ramshackle wildcat stations with more permanent structures. The architect who was hired had worked on several station designs previously, so he was an experienced fellow.
After going through some minor changes in its first few years, the station was due for a major change up in the 1980s. At that time, it was deemed that the station, being 70 years old by that point, could no longer keep up with the demands of everyday commuter traffic. And so, work was begun in 1991 on a new station. At the same time, there were expansions being made to the train yard that was attached to the Linden station. All of these projects took about two years, at which point the old station was closed and service was switched to the new one.
It was at this point that the focus turned to the preservation of the old station house. Much like the Skokie station house, the house at Linden was renovated, but preserved. The CTA agreed to chip in $90,000 for the restoration, with the rest being paid for by whoever did the restoration. A tenant was eventually found in a local bank, who spent $350,000 to completely renovate the exterior of the station. On April 28, 2012, there was a ceremony held to commemorate 100 years of service to Linden which featured much pomp and circumstance, as well as speeches by dignitaries.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Day 163: A very Rosey station.
In the early 80s, the CTA was expanding the West-Northwest route (aka the Blue Line) northwards. One of the new stations was located at River Road in Rosemont. The construction of this station saw some intellectual squabbling between the City and the CTA. Mayor Jane Byrne did not want outlying CTA stations to be advertising communities outside of Chicago. Therefore, the station was known as River Road for the first seven years of its existence.
The station takes ample advantage of natural light, with multiple skylights on the platform's canopy. Going down into the station proper, there is a two-story atrium just beyond the turnstiles which features a seamless wooden arc. This work of art, entitled The River Road Ring, is by Martin Puryear and is meant to aesthetically unite the two levels of the station.
There are also possible future plans for the station that involve turning it into a transfer stop. Since the O'Hare terminal has on multiple occasions vetoed as a transfer point, there is one potential plan on the drawing board that would involve building a spur line off of the main tracks at Roosevelt and extending the Blue Line all the way to Schaumburg. However, given the current state of the economy, plus the fact that the spur plan is not the ideal option, the odds of this actually happening are up for debate.
The station takes ample advantage of natural light, with multiple skylights on the platform's canopy. Going down into the station proper, there is a two-story atrium just beyond the turnstiles which features a seamless wooden arc. This work of art, entitled The River Road Ring, is by Martin Puryear and is meant to aesthetically unite the two levels of the station.
There are also possible future plans for the station that involve turning it into a transfer stop. Since the O'Hare terminal has on multiple occasions vetoed as a transfer point, there is one potential plan on the drawing board that would involve building a spur line off of the main tracks at Roosevelt and extending the Blue Line all the way to Schaumburg. However, given the current state of the economy, plus the fact that the spur plan is not the ideal option, the odds of this actually happening are up for debate.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Day 156: The Station in the Country
In 1912, the Northwestern Elevated Railroad announced plans to extend its service all the way north to Wilmette. In order for thus to happen, the railroad erected a few intermediate stations, including one at Isabella Avenue in Evanston. From the outset, the station was more secluded than other stops on the line, being in a relatively undeveloped area, never changing much from the way it looked in this picture:
Eventually houses started to spring up in the area, but the region never really got extremely busy. When the station was first built, there wasn't even a head house, as fares would simply be collected on board the train. Eventually, there were fare collection facilities set up on the southbound side of the platform, but riders who boarded going north still had to pay their fares on the train. However, this was only a small portion of the ridership, so it wasn't very inconvenient. Speaking of small ridership, that was another hallmark of the Isabella station. The station always had low ridership levels, and only reached a peak of roughly 110,000 riders per year. This in turn led to constant debates over whether to keep the station open or to give up and close it. In 1971, the CTA was all set to close the station, but intervention by the members of the community staved off the inevitable until 1975, when the station was finally shuttered.
Eventually houses started to spring up in the area, but the region never really got extremely busy. When the station was first built, there wasn't even a head house, as fares would simply be collected on board the train. Eventually, there were fare collection facilities set up on the southbound side of the platform, but riders who boarded going north still had to pay their fares on the train. However, this was only a small portion of the ridership, so it wasn't very inconvenient. Speaking of small ridership, that was another hallmark of the Isabella station. The station always had low ridership levels, and only reached a peak of roughly 110,000 riders per year. This in turn led to constant debates over whether to keep the station open or to give up and close it. In 1971, the CTA was all set to close the station, but intervention by the members of the community staved off the inevitable until 1975, when the station was finally shuttered.
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