Harry Caray died on February 18, 1998. Almost immediately, there was a statue erected in his honor outside of Wrigley Field(shortly thereafter[upon his death], Jack Brickhouse was memorialized in the Friendly Confines as well), as well as memorial patches included on the 1998 Cubs uniforms. However, as the first anniversary of his passing approached, there were mumblings of an event to be held in tribute to the man. During his time in Chicago, he had gained a reputation as quite a party animal, being awarded titles varying from "The Mayor of Rush Street" to simply "The Bud Man". That, along with his claim that he had consumed over 300,000 alcoholic beverages in his lifetime(including 75,000 Budweisers[quick aside: In my opinion, Budweiser is the most over-hyped beer of all time. If you are to believe their ad campaigns, Bud tastes like the nectar of the gods, only better. But you know what? It doesn't. I've had many beers that were worse, and many beers that were better. Budweiser is simply middle-of-the-road. Okay, rant over]), made the idea of having a toast to his memory the logical choice. So in February of 1999, 100 people were led in a toast by Harry's widow, Dutchie. The toast quickly spread, first to cover the entire nation, and then beyond. The 2003 Toast became truly worldwide, featuring at least one toast in every single time zone.
Of course, most Cubs fans remember 2003 as the year that this happened. While Bartman did indeed Catch Hell for this, he didn't actually catch the ball. Somebody else did, and promptly put it up for auction. At the auction, the ball was snapped up for the tidy sum of $113,800 by Grant DePorter(the owner of Harry Caray's Restaurant Group). Then, in what was probably the most literal case of 'blowing (up) money' ever witnessed, the 2004 toast featured the ball being destroyed by an Oscar-winning effects expert. Of course, prior to its destruction the ball did receive a final meal(no record exists on whether the ball was granted its one phone call or last rites). The Ball made one last appearance as part of the 2005 Toast, where the blown-up remnants were cooked and made a part of a spaghetti sauce consumed at the Toast.
2007 marked the 99-Year anniversary of 1908. To celebrate this, Harry Caray's was offering 99 Cent Budweisers that night. The next year when the calendar hit an even 100, the 2008 Toast featured a 100-Gallon mug of beer-the world's biggest. In 2010, the new Harry Caray's Tavern opened on Navy Pier(which also includes a small museum of Chicago sports memorabilia), so the Worldwide HQ was moved from the Wrigleyville location to Navy Pier. The next year the toast served as a tribute to both Caray and the recently deceased Ron Santo.
The 2012 Toast witnessed a major milestone, as 2012 marked the year that the Five-Millionth person raised a Bud to Harry. The 2013 Toast occurred on February 28, featuring the traditional toast, but also a fireworks display afterwards, as well as this shattering performance. Rest assured, the Toast to Harry Caray will be going on for many more years to come.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Day 58: The Classy Station
When Chicago's El system was first being constructed in the late 19th Century, there were multiple companies undertaking the building of the stations. In 1895, the City Council let the Northwestern Elevated Railroad spearhead construction of all stations on what is now known as Wells Street. Later that same year, construction on the new Wells stations commenced, and on October 3, 1897, the Quincy elevated station was opened up for business.
The Quincy station was designed by A.M. Hedley in a Neoclassical style with some Palladian influences. The station itself was appointed with many fine materials, making it one of the more ornate station houses in the system. Once the CTA took things over, there were some changes made in the 60s and 70s. Chief amongst those were aesthetic changes to Quincy, including replacement of the incandescent lights with fluorescent lights, as well as putting in aids to the Ticket Agents, a program which had been rolled out at the Roosevelt Station.
One of the plans that the CTA had in the late 70s was to replace the Loop elevated with a series of subways. That plan fell through, but one side-effect was that the elevated stations weren't maintained while their demise was being planned. So, upon the notification of the El's eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places, there was a deal struck that would let the El be enshrined in the register while the CTA would only have to restore one station. The station chosen to be restored to 1890s style was the Quincy station.(one of the other stations that was redone in this time period was the Clark/Lake Station) First off, the station was closed down and all of the many layers of paint that was on the station were chipped off, revealing what was thought to be the original bottom layer(i.e. the FIRST, original color) However, it was discovered during the repainting that the original bottom layer was actually just a coat of primer, so the station was being repainted in the wrong color. The light fixtures were restored, and the enamel signs were installed(albeit with a more retro look than the originals). The interior of the station house was just as well attended to as the rest of the facility.
The project was undertaken in November of 1985 and was supposed to be completed in 4 months. Instead, the whole thing took 2 and a half years to get done, and the new station didn't open up until February of 1988. The Quincy project was the cheapest restoration of any of the loop stations, mainly because the Quincy station didn't have any elevators or escalators to install, which cut down on the price a bit. The Quincy station is within walking distance of Union Station, so next time you're in that area, you can swing by and know how historic this station really is now.
The Quincy station was designed by A.M. Hedley in a Neoclassical style with some Palladian influences. The station itself was appointed with many fine materials, making it one of the more ornate station houses in the system. Once the CTA took things over, there were some changes made in the 60s and 70s. Chief amongst those were aesthetic changes to Quincy, including replacement of the incandescent lights with fluorescent lights, as well as putting in aids to the Ticket Agents, a program which had been rolled out at the Roosevelt Station.
One of the plans that the CTA had in the late 70s was to replace the Loop elevated with a series of subways. That plan fell through, but one side-effect was that the elevated stations weren't maintained while their demise was being planned. So, upon the notification of the El's eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places, there was a deal struck that would let the El be enshrined in the register while the CTA would only have to restore one station. The station chosen to be restored to 1890s style was the Quincy station.(one of the other stations that was redone in this time period was the Clark/Lake Station) First off, the station was closed down and all of the many layers of paint that was on the station were chipped off, revealing what was thought to be the original bottom layer(i.e. the FIRST, original color) However, it was discovered during the repainting that the original bottom layer was actually just a coat of primer, so the station was being repainted in the wrong color. The light fixtures were restored, and the enamel signs were installed(albeit with a more retro look than the originals). The interior of the station house was just as well attended to as the rest of the facility.
The project was undertaken in November of 1985 and was supposed to be completed in 4 months. Instead, the whole thing took 2 and a half years to get done, and the new station didn't open up until February of 1988. The Quincy project was the cheapest restoration of any of the loop stations, mainly because the Quincy station didn't have any elevators or escalators to install, which cut down on the price a bit. The Quincy station is within walking distance of Union Station, so next time you're in that area, you can swing by and know how historic this station really is now.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Day 57: The Midway
If you've been keeping up with this blog, by now you know the story about how Paul Cornell found the area south of the city lacking in the 1850s and decided to petition the state to create a park there. You know about the South Park Commission, and how it was created in 1869 to administer the more than 1,000 acres that were set aside. You even know that there were two separate parks carved out of the land, Washington Park and Jackson Park. But here's something you don't know. There's a third park in the mix.
When the land was partitioned, Washington Park was on the western side of the plot, while Jackson Park was bordering the lake. Connecting those two parks was a mile-long strip of land that today is known as the Midway Plaisance. Originally Frederick Law Olmstead desired for the park to serve as part of a chain of lakes, which would allow people to boat all the way from Washington Park, through the Midway, and all the way through Jackson Park straight into the lake. To accomplish this feat, Olmstead wanted to have a canal running through the Plaisance, thus a trench was dug through the park. Even though the canal idea fell through, the trench remained, though it has never been filled in with water to this day.
After the initial design phase, the 1893 World's Fair came to town, and the Midway became the main thoroughfare of the Fair, introducing the westernized version of the belly dance, among other things. Also located on the Midway was the original Ferris Wheel, which made it's debut at the Fair. In another legacy, the term midway became colloquially used as a term for the main area of games and amusements in a fair(due in no small part to the flurry of activity witnessed by the Plaisance).
When the Fair ended, the Plaisance was restored to its former setting. By 1926, the University of Chicago had absorbed the Midway, and ever since then has been the de facto authority in charge. During that period of time, the U of C Maroons football team was playing in Stagg Field, just across the way from the Plaisance. Because of this, the team was called the Monsters of the Midway in deference to the park. To this day, the park remains an open-access green area. And as for those trenches that Olmstead tried to put in? Well, they now exist as soccer fields and other sporting areas. So yes, 144 years after it was first formed, the South Park Commission's mission is going stronger than ever.
When the land was partitioned, Washington Park was on the western side of the plot, while Jackson Park was bordering the lake. Connecting those two parks was a mile-long strip of land that today is known as the Midway Plaisance. Originally Frederick Law Olmstead desired for the park to serve as part of a chain of lakes, which would allow people to boat all the way from Washington Park, through the Midway, and all the way through Jackson Park straight into the lake. To accomplish this feat, Olmstead wanted to have a canal running through the Plaisance, thus a trench was dug through the park. Even though the canal idea fell through, the trench remained, though it has never been filled in with water to this day.
After the initial design phase, the 1893 World's Fair came to town, and the Midway became the main thoroughfare of the Fair, introducing the westernized version of the belly dance, among other things. Also located on the Midway was the original Ferris Wheel, which made it's debut at the Fair. In another legacy, the term midway became colloquially used as a term for the main area of games and amusements in a fair(due in no small part to the flurry of activity witnessed by the Plaisance).
When the Fair ended, the Plaisance was restored to its former setting. By 1926, the University of Chicago had absorbed the Midway, and ever since then has been the de facto authority in charge. During that period of time, the U of C Maroons football team was playing in Stagg Field, just across the way from the Plaisance. Because of this, the team was called the Monsters of the Midway in deference to the park. To this day, the park remains an open-access green area. And as for those trenches that Olmstead tried to put in? Well, they now exist as soccer fields and other sporting areas. So yes, 144 years after it was first formed, the South Park Commission's mission is going stronger than ever.
Day 35: A Tribute to the Tribune
In 1847, the Chicago Tribune first hit newsstands in the city of Chicago. 76 years later, the paper was looking for a more permanent home. The paper held a design competition, where it solicited ideas for "the most beautiful and distinctive office building in the world" from many, many different sources. In all, 260 different designs were submitted, of which a Gothic Revival design by John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood of New York was selected the winner.
The Gothic design was considered an established design method by this time, having first been used in New York's Woolworth Building in 1913. Regardless of it's perceived historicism, the design was selected. The sculputres and decorations on the outside of the building were carved by Rene Paul Chambellan, an American artist who was a frequent collaborator of Hood's(in fact, Chambellan had worked on the American Radiator Building and Rockefeller Center with Hood in New York City). Among the many images on the building, there is one of Robin Hood(to symbolize Hood), and one of a howling dog(to symbolize Howells). One other addition by Chambellan was the inclusion of a frog amongst the gargoyles, in deference to his French ancestry.
One of the most well-known traits of the building is the exterior decoration. While the building was being built, the head of the Tribune sent out correspondents to all corners of the world to bring back artifacts suitable to be embedded in the lower levels of the building. Some of the places represented on the exterior of the building include:
The Gothic design was considered an established design method by this time, having first been used in New York's Woolworth Building in 1913. Regardless of it's perceived historicism, the design was selected. The sculputres and decorations on the outside of the building were carved by Rene Paul Chambellan, an American artist who was a frequent collaborator of Hood's(in fact, Chambellan had worked on the American Radiator Building and Rockefeller Center with Hood in New York City). Among the many images on the building, there is one of Robin Hood(to symbolize Hood), and one of a howling dog(to symbolize Howells). One other addition by Chambellan was the inclusion of a frog amongst the gargoyles, in deference to his French ancestry.
One of the most well-known traits of the building is the exterior decoration. While the building was being built, the head of the Tribune sent out correspondents to all corners of the world to bring back artifacts suitable to be embedded in the lower levels of the building. Some of the places represented on the exterior of the building include:
- The Taj Mahal
- Notre Dame Cathedral
- Lincoln's Tomb
- The Great Pyramid
- The Berlin Wall
- The Alamo
- The Parthenon
- Independence Hall
- The Great Wall of China
- And in a more recent entry, a piece of steel from the World Trade Center.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Day 56: The Perfect 10
On December 5, 2011, a long-overdue judgement was handed down by the Veterans Committee of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ron Santo was to be inducted into the 2012 Hall of Fame class. This was an honor which was long overdue, and unfortunately it came one year too late...
Ronald Edward Santo was born in Seattle, Washington on February 25, 1940. Growing up, he always showed a passion for baseball, and the Chicago Cubs in particular. He was signed as a free agent by the team in 1959, before making his debut the next season. He would go on to have an above average career, leading the NL in assists seven times.
Three of Santo's most infamous moments came in the 1969 season. The first occurrence came on June 22, 1969 after a Cubs victory. It was during his exuberant celebration of the moment that he ran down the third base line and clicked his heels three times. It was a tradition that he would continue all the way up until the team started their historic collapse in September of that year. The next moment came on July 8 of that year, when a young center fielder named Don Young made two critical errors that cost the team a game against the Mets. After the game, Santo harshly criticized Young, so much so that it made the papers, bringing considerable criticism to Santo, who apologized the next day. The final moment of his 1969 season would come in September, where he was playing at Wrigley Field in a game against the Mets. As Santo was in the on-deck circle, a black cat ran past him. Many people considered this a jinx on the team, who indeed would soon take a nose-dive in the standings.
After the collapse of '69 was complete, the team would go on to have another close-call in 1970, but to avail. After the 1973 season, the Cubs had a deal lined up to send Santo to the Angels. However, Santo did not want to leave Chicago, so he took advantage of a new clause in the Collective Bargaining Agreement(in fact, he was the first one to do so) allowing players who've been in the majors for 10 years, and the last 5 with the same team to veto any trade. Ultimately, Santo was sent to the White Sox, where he played one final year before retiring after the 1974 season.
16 years after retiring, Santo rejoined the Cubs family as part of the WGN Cubs Radio team. He joined with Pat Hughes to make the Pat and Ron show, though he also would work with Harry Caray, Thom Brennaman, Bob Brenley, and Steve Stone(who he was traded to the Sox for back in '73). Santo's calling card was his passion, which made its presence especially known on September 23, 1998, when Santo was calling a game in which Brant Brown made a crucial error. Santo's reaction was so distraught that afterwards Jim Riggleman(the manager of the Cubs) had to console Santo in the clubhouse. Another important facet of Santo was the fact that he was a diabetic. He played through the grand majority of his career suffering from type 1 diabetes. He finally revealed his condition on August 28, 1971, as part of "Ron Santo Day". Ultimately the disease would cost him both of his legs, one is 2001, and the other one a year later. He was quite active in the fundraising efforts of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, even being named their Person of the Year for 2002.
Ron Santo passed away at 12:40 AM on December 3, 2010 due to complications from bladder cancer. He was memorialized and remembered all over Chicago, and his funeral was held at Holy Name Cathedral on December 10(in a slightly related story, this occasion provided the catalyst for Kerry Wood to return to the team). Santo's ashes were spread over Wrigley Field. On August 10, 2011, Santo was memorialized with a statue outside of the ball park, just 4 months before he would be voted into the Hall of Fame. On July 22, 2012, Ron Santo was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During that day's Cubs game, the team ran out to the field and clicked their heels in honor of Santo. Ron Santo stands as one of the all-time greats to ever put on a Cubs uniform, and his legacy is enduring.
Ronald Edward Santo was born in Seattle, Washington on February 25, 1940. Growing up, he always showed a passion for baseball, and the Chicago Cubs in particular. He was signed as a free agent by the team in 1959, before making his debut the next season. He would go on to have an above average career, leading the NL in assists seven times.
Three of Santo's most infamous moments came in the 1969 season. The first occurrence came on June 22, 1969 after a Cubs victory. It was during his exuberant celebration of the moment that he ran down the third base line and clicked his heels three times. It was a tradition that he would continue all the way up until the team started their historic collapse in September of that year. The next moment came on July 8 of that year, when a young center fielder named Don Young made two critical errors that cost the team a game against the Mets. After the game, Santo harshly criticized Young, so much so that it made the papers, bringing considerable criticism to Santo, who apologized the next day. The final moment of his 1969 season would come in September, where he was playing at Wrigley Field in a game against the Mets. As Santo was in the on-deck circle, a black cat ran past him. Many people considered this a jinx on the team, who indeed would soon take a nose-dive in the standings.
After the collapse of '69 was complete, the team would go on to have another close-call in 1970, but to avail. After the 1973 season, the Cubs had a deal lined up to send Santo to the Angels. However, Santo did not want to leave Chicago, so he took advantage of a new clause in the Collective Bargaining Agreement(in fact, he was the first one to do so) allowing players who've been in the majors for 10 years, and the last 5 with the same team to veto any trade. Ultimately, Santo was sent to the White Sox, where he played one final year before retiring after the 1974 season.
16 years after retiring, Santo rejoined the Cubs family as part of the WGN Cubs Radio team. He joined with Pat Hughes to make the Pat and Ron show, though he also would work with Harry Caray, Thom Brennaman, Bob Brenley, and Steve Stone(who he was traded to the Sox for back in '73). Santo's calling card was his passion, which made its presence especially known on September 23, 1998, when Santo was calling a game in which Brant Brown made a crucial error. Santo's reaction was so distraught that afterwards Jim Riggleman(the manager of the Cubs) had to console Santo in the clubhouse. Another important facet of Santo was the fact that he was a diabetic. He played through the grand majority of his career suffering from type 1 diabetes. He finally revealed his condition on August 28, 1971, as part of "Ron Santo Day". Ultimately the disease would cost him both of his legs, one is 2001, and the other one a year later. He was quite active in the fundraising efforts of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, even being named their Person of the Year for 2002.
Ron Santo passed away at 12:40 AM on December 3, 2010 due to complications from bladder cancer. He was memorialized and remembered all over Chicago, and his funeral was held at Holy Name Cathedral on December 10(in a slightly related story, this occasion provided the catalyst for Kerry Wood to return to the team). Santo's ashes were spread over Wrigley Field. On August 10, 2011, Santo was memorialized with a statue outside of the ball park, just 4 months before he would be voted into the Hall of Fame. On July 22, 2012, Ron Santo was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During that day's Cubs game, the team ran out to the field and clicked their heels in honor of Santo. Ron Santo stands as one of the all-time greats to ever put on a Cubs uniform, and his legacy is enduring.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Day 55: The Remnants of The Fair
When Paul Cornell successfully won approval for the formation of the South Park Commission in 1869, approval was given to put in a 1,000 acre park. When it was first constructed, the Park was known collectively as merely South Park. However, in 1880 the commission wanted the public to suggest new names for the park. The westernmost park was renamed Washington Park in honor of out first President. The park bordering the lake, which had originally been known as Lake Park, was renamed Jackson Park in deference to Andrew Jackson.
10 years after that, the city was awarded the right to host the 1893 World's Fair, and the Fair needed a venue. Soon afterward, Jackson Park was selected as the venue for the Fair, and work was quickly begun to ready it for the affair. Daniel Burnham assisted with the design of the fairgrounds, producing the now-famous "White City". Some of the features of the fair were the Osaka Garden(which was an authentic Japanese strolling garden), Daniel French's The Republic, a replica of a Viking ship, and a full-scale replica of Christoper Columbus' flagship Santa Maria.
When the fair closed on November 1, 1893, the area was turned back into a park, including a public golf course, which was the first one of its kind to be opened west of the Allegheny Mountains(the course opened in 1899). The Republic had been claimed by a fire in 1896, so a replica sculpture(at half the size of the original) was unveiled in 1918. During World War II, vandals came through the park and damaged the Japanese Garden. The Park District waited for many decades after the war to have it repaired before the Japanese city of Osaka finally stepped in and provided for the restoration project, and now the Island featuring the garden is known as one of the 150 great places in Illinois(at least according to the American Institute of Architects) With the advent of the Cold War, came the advent of ultra-preparedness in this country, which brought the installation of a surface-to-air missile batter at the park.
Nowadays, the park is a hot destination in the Summer months, as one of Chicago's many beaches is located within the boundaries of the park. Not just that, but the park also features two walking trails and two basketball courts. Additionally, the Park is an outdoorsman's paradise, featuring ample birdwatching opportunities with more than 24 species of bird(including feral Monk parakeets, descended from pet birds that went on the loose in the '60s), and a healthy fishing locale in the park's lagoons.
10 years after that, the city was awarded the right to host the 1893 World's Fair, and the Fair needed a venue. Soon afterward, Jackson Park was selected as the venue for the Fair, and work was quickly begun to ready it for the affair. Daniel Burnham assisted with the design of the fairgrounds, producing the now-famous "White City". Some of the features of the fair were the Osaka Garden(which was an authentic Japanese strolling garden), Daniel French's The Republic, a replica of a Viking ship, and a full-scale replica of Christoper Columbus' flagship Santa Maria.
When the fair closed on November 1, 1893, the area was turned back into a park, including a public golf course, which was the first one of its kind to be opened west of the Allegheny Mountains(the course opened in 1899). The Republic had been claimed by a fire in 1896, so a replica sculpture(at half the size of the original) was unveiled in 1918. During World War II, vandals came through the park and damaged the Japanese Garden. The Park District waited for many decades after the war to have it repaired before the Japanese city of Osaka finally stepped in and provided for the restoration project, and now the Island featuring the garden is known as one of the 150 great places in Illinois(at least according to the American Institute of Architects) With the advent of the Cold War, came the advent of ultra-preparedness in this country, which brought the installation of a surface-to-air missile batter at the park.
Nowadays, the park is a hot destination in the Summer months, as one of Chicago's many beaches is located within the boundaries of the park. Not just that, but the park also features two walking trails and two basketball courts. Additionally, the Park is an outdoorsman's paradise, featuring ample birdwatching opportunities with more than 24 species of bird(including feral Monk parakeets, descended from pet birds that went on the loose in the '60s), and a healthy fishing locale in the park's lagoons.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Day 54: Chicago's #1 Gorilla
In 1930, Chicago was descending into the throes of the Great Depression along with the rest of the country. Aside from the antics of the mayor, one other event caught the attention of the populace like no other. That event was the arrival of an orphaned gorilla from West Africa at the Lincoln Park Zoo. The animal had been acquired in Cameroon by a Presbyterian missionary and was sold to the Zoo for $3,500. His name was Bushman, and he was the first Lowland Gorilla to be displayed west of the Potomac.
The acquisition immediately proved to be beneficial to the Zoo, which had been established in 1868 from two swans donated by Central Park in New York City. The zoo went from being a cramped, urban zoo to being one of the top-flight institutions for gorilla breeding. Bushman immediately became a huge hit with the city. Not just that, but he became a star. He would appear in newsreels, in addition to catching the fancy of the Marine Corps and the nation's zoo directors. While he was on exhibit he would be known to throw things(usually his dung) from his cage at any nearby photographers. It was said that Bushman had a better throw than any pitcher on the Cubs or the White Sox.
The love that the city had for Bushman was so great that in June of 1950, he was thought to be dying, so 120,000 people came to see him in a single day. 4 months later, seemingly better, he broke out of his cage and traipsed about the kitchen and corridors for about 3 hours until he was scared back into his cage by a garter snake. Bushman finally did die on January 1, 1951, and mourners filed past his empty cage for several weeks. After his death, Bushman's body was preserved and sent to the Field Museum, where he continues to stand today as a remembrance of the most popular primate in Chicago's history.
The acquisition immediately proved to be beneficial to the Zoo, which had been established in 1868 from two swans donated by Central Park in New York City. The zoo went from being a cramped, urban zoo to being one of the top-flight institutions for gorilla breeding. Bushman immediately became a huge hit with the city. Not just that, but he became a star. He would appear in newsreels, in addition to catching the fancy of the Marine Corps and the nation's zoo directors. While he was on exhibit he would be known to throw things(usually his dung) from his cage at any nearby photographers. It was said that Bushman had a better throw than any pitcher on the Cubs or the White Sox.
The love that the city had for Bushman was so great that in June of 1950, he was thought to be dying, so 120,000 people came to see him in a single day. 4 months later, seemingly better, he broke out of his cage and traipsed about the kitchen and corridors for about 3 hours until he was scared back into his cage by a garter snake. Bushman finally did die on January 1, 1951, and mourners filed past his empty cage for several weeks. After his death, Bushman's body was preserved and sent to the Field Museum, where he continues to stand today as a remembrance of the most popular primate in Chicago's history.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Day 53: For the Hoosier Commuter
Chicago is a bustling metropolis, but a lot of people commute into the city for business or pleasure. Many of them drive, but others don't. For those people, there are two man options: the CTA(if you're close enough) or Metra(if you're not). One thing that I'm sure a lot of people forget is that there are also people who live in Indiana who commute into the city. In fact, there are some portions of Indiana that are closer to the city than some of the further-away in-state suburbs. But rest assured, there are transit options for the Hoosier commuters amongst us. And not just that, but there have been methods for them to get into the city ever since the early 20th Century.
The first foray into that kind of transit came in 1901 with the introduction of the Chicago & Inidana Air Line Railway. Seven years later, it was extended, and in 1912 it was finally extended into downtown Chicago. Eventually the railroad went bankrupt and was snapped up by Samuel Insull. The line's electric runnings were retooled in 1926 in order to allow it to use the Randolph Street Terminal without having to change engines beforehand. Also in 1926, the original line between East Chicago and Indiana Harbor was abandoned for good. Interestingly, the railroad managed to make money during World War II because of how much Northern Indiana was dedicated to industry.
Of course, as I already touched upon in the entry about Dearborn Station, the rise of the automobile quickly had a deleterious effect on the railroad industry, and the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad was no exception. Eventually the line had to cut all services east of south Bend, which remains the eastern terminus of the line to this day. In 1976, the CSS&SB filed to terminate its passenger rail service. However, unlike many of the other railroads of the day, that request was denied.
Instead, the issue was brought up before the voters of Indiana, at which point the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District was formed the very next year to continue administering commuter rail to and from Chicago. Eventually the old CSS&SB went bankrupt, and the passenger operation was put fully into the control of the NICTD. Today the NICTD runs service from the South Bend Airport into Millennium Station, also stopping at Van Buren Street Station. Additionally, the line shares its Chicago route with the Metra Electric Line.
The first foray into that kind of transit came in 1901 with the introduction of the Chicago & Inidana Air Line Railway. Seven years later, it was extended, and in 1912 it was finally extended into downtown Chicago. Eventually the railroad went bankrupt and was snapped up by Samuel Insull. The line's electric runnings were retooled in 1926 in order to allow it to use the Randolph Street Terminal without having to change engines beforehand. Also in 1926, the original line between East Chicago and Indiana Harbor was abandoned for good. Interestingly, the railroad managed to make money during World War II because of how much Northern Indiana was dedicated to industry.
Of course, as I already touched upon in the entry about Dearborn Station, the rise of the automobile quickly had a deleterious effect on the railroad industry, and the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad was no exception. Eventually the line had to cut all services east of south Bend, which remains the eastern terminus of the line to this day. In 1976, the CSS&SB filed to terminate its passenger rail service. However, unlike many of the other railroads of the day, that request was denied.
Instead, the issue was brought up before the voters of Indiana, at which point the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District was formed the very next year to continue administering commuter rail to and from Chicago. Eventually the old CSS&SB went bankrupt, and the passenger operation was put fully into the control of the NICTD. Today the NICTD runs service from the South Bend Airport into Millennium Station, also stopping at Van Buren Street Station. Additionally, the line shares its Chicago route with the Metra Electric Line.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Day 52: The Golden Lady
The year was 1893. There had been an announcement of the World's Fair for that year, and it was to be held in Chicago. Immediately, people started bursting into action in order to prepare for the Fair. One of the many installations was the erection of a statue in the area which would be soon occupied by the Court of Honor. The statue, a work by Daniel Chester French, was 65 feet tall, and was called the Statue of the Republic. Not just that, but it was to be the most imposing construction at the Fair, dwarfing all other sculptures, as well as standing at a point of prominence in front of the Fair's Main Building. The Columbian Exposition ran for 5 months, wowing attendees and introducing the world to countless products that we take for granted today. However, the Fair did eventually close on October 31, 1893.
After the Fair, almost all of the buildings fell victim to destruction, either by fire or by neglect. Unfortunately, one of the installations that was destroyed was the Statue, by a fire in 1896. Fast forward 12 years, and French is commissioned to erect a replica of "The Republic" as a memorial to the 25th Anniversary of the Exposition. This time, the sculpture was only 24 feet tall, and it was placed on a pedestal that was designed by Henry Bacon, who would go on to collaborate with French on Washington DC's Lincoln Memorial. Today, the sculpture sits in Jackson Park, which is a community park so named for President Andrew Jackson. In 1992, the statue was restored to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Exposition. To this day, many Chicagoans refer to the sculpture as "The Golden Lady". Regardless of its name, the statue pays tribute to the 1893 Columbian Exposition, an event that has shaped Chicago like none other before or since.
After the Fair, almost all of the buildings fell victim to destruction, either by fire or by neglect. Unfortunately, one of the installations that was destroyed was the Statue, by a fire in 1896. Fast forward 12 years, and French is commissioned to erect a replica of "The Republic" as a memorial to the 25th Anniversary of the Exposition. This time, the sculpture was only 24 feet tall, and it was placed on a pedestal that was designed by Henry Bacon, who would go on to collaborate with French on Washington DC's Lincoln Memorial. Today, the sculpture sits in Jackson Park, which is a community park so named for President Andrew Jackson. In 1992, the statue was restored to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Exposition. To this day, many Chicagoans refer to the sculpture as "The Golden Lady". Regardless of its name, the statue pays tribute to the 1893 Columbian Exposition, an event that has shaped Chicago like none other before or since.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Day 51: Getting into the Loop
The story of elevated mass transit in the city of Chicago goes back more than 120 years, and one of the stations that has been around ever since Day 1 is the one that we'll be talking about today. On June 6, 1892, the Roosevelt station opened as part of the Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad, the first of its kind in the city. In 1907, the station was rebuilt to accommodate an expansion in the South Side Line. In 1924, the South Side Rapid Transit Railroad was absorbed into the Chicago Rapid Transit Company, a consortium of different public transit outfits headed up by mogul Samuel Insull(who is better known today as the man who put up the Civic Opera House). After World War II, the CRTC was falling on hard times, so the decision was made in 1947 to combine the CRTC along with other Chicago transit companies to create the Chicago Transit Authority, which still exists to this day. On August 1, 1949, the Roosevelt elevated station was closed as part of the CTA's introduction of alternating stop service. However, even after the abandonment, the station was still used as a terminal for the Chicago North Shore Line. After the Line went defunct in 1963, the Roosevelt station was abandoned.
However, that was not the end of CTA service at Roosevelt. There was another Roosevelt station, this one devoted to the Red Line. Formerly known as the State Street Subway, the line was built in 1939, along with the Roosevelt/State station. In a unique characteristic, the station is completely self-contained, unlike the 7-block Downtown mega-platform. In October of 1943, there was an informational booklet that described the Roosevelt station like this: "Utility and beauty are blended in the modern design of mezzanine stations. Fluorescent lighting... provides unexcelled illumination without shadows and glare." About 15 years ago, the Roosevelt station was renovated to make it look much more pleasant.
In 1987, work was began on the Southwest Rapid Transit line, which was to connect the Southwest Side to the rest of the city. The project was able to use old railroad rights-of-way, including those previously used by the Illinois Central Railroad. To make the connection to the Loop, the new line used the old tracks that were put up by the South Side Line at the turn of the century. Along with this, a new elevated station was built at Roosevelt, and officially reopened on November 1, 1993. The biggest difference between the new Roosevelt station and the other stations on the now color-named Orange Line is that being in the middle of the city, the station doesn't have space for a park'n'ride lot. Also, the station was unique in the fact that it was one of the first to mark a transition from in-person fare collection to automated transit cards. The new station also features a second exit on the opposite side of the street. This past year, the auxiliary exit was renovated to also include an entrance to the station.
One of the more ambitious projects in the station's history came in 2002, when an effort was undertaken to finally link up the subway and elevated stations at Roosevelt. The new transfer tunnel was finally unveiled in December of 2002. The tunnel features a walking timeline displaying the history of the world, in part a nod to the Museum Campus, which is a mere half-mile from the station.
However, that was not the end of CTA service at Roosevelt. There was another Roosevelt station, this one devoted to the Red Line. Formerly known as the State Street Subway, the line was built in 1939, along with the Roosevelt/State station. In a unique characteristic, the station is completely self-contained, unlike the 7-block Downtown mega-platform. In October of 1943, there was an informational booklet that described the Roosevelt station like this: "Utility and beauty are blended in the modern design of mezzanine stations. Fluorescent lighting... provides unexcelled illumination without shadows and glare." About 15 years ago, the Roosevelt station was renovated to make it look much more pleasant.
In 1987, work was began on the Southwest Rapid Transit line, which was to connect the Southwest Side to the rest of the city. The project was able to use old railroad rights-of-way, including those previously used by the Illinois Central Railroad. To make the connection to the Loop, the new line used the old tracks that were put up by the South Side Line at the turn of the century. Along with this, a new elevated station was built at Roosevelt, and officially reopened on November 1, 1993. The biggest difference between the new Roosevelt station and the other stations on the now color-named Orange Line is that being in the middle of the city, the station doesn't have space for a park'n'ride lot. Also, the station was unique in the fact that it was one of the first to mark a transition from in-person fare collection to automated transit cards. The new station also features a second exit on the opposite side of the street. This past year, the auxiliary exit was renovated to also include an entrance to the station.
One of the more ambitious projects in the station's history came in 2002, when an effort was undertaken to finally link up the subway and elevated stations at Roosevelt. The new transfer tunnel was finally unveiled in December of 2002. The tunnel features a walking timeline displaying the history of the world, in part a nod to the Museum Campus, which is a mere half-mile from the station.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Day 49: Ladies and Gentlemen, start your Auto Show!
Most Chicagoans know some of the big events that go on in the city every year. One of those events is the annual Auto Show. The show has actually been going on since 1901. In that year, the first ever show was held in the Chicago Coliseum, which had been rebuilt from the exterior of a Civil War Prison that had been moved to the city for the 1893 World's Fair. Over the years, the Coliseum got to be more and more cramped, until it got to the point where some of the shows exhibits had to be shown in another hall.
As a result of this, the show was moved to the newly constructed International Amphitheatre in time for the 1935 show. Another staple of the show during this period of time was the annual revue. Twice a day, they would have dancers out there giving a show. Everything was going great, but then came the onset of World War II. After the 1941 show(which was actually held at the end of 1940), the Auto Show was suspended for the duration of the War, and in fact all the way through to 1950. The show made a triumphant return in 1950, and was actually the first auto show in the country after the war. Also at the 1950 show, plans were unveiled for the construction of the Congress superhighway, otherwise known as I-290(or for those of us who know the lingo, the Eisenhower Expressway).
The show would spend the next 10 years at the International Amphitheatre, until spacial constraints once again became an issue. In a display of good timing, the city had just unveiled it's new lakefront convention center in November of 1960. As a consequence, the Auto Show was once again moved to the newly opened McCormick Place(replete with 300,000 square feet of starting with the 1961 edition. One of these firsts came in 1965, when Nissan sold its first car in Chicago right there at the Auto Show. Unfortunately, the McCormick Place was destroyed by a calamitous fire in 1967, on the eve of that year's show. Since the show could not be held in a charred ruin, the show made a hurried return to the International Amphitheatre, where it would remain through 1970. The next year, the show returned to the newly rebuilt McCormick Place, where it remains to this day.
Moving forward into the 80s, the show pretty much remained the same, except for that one time in 1987 when Walter Payton and Michael Jordan dropped in to say hi. This past year, the show commemorated yet another outing in the city, and it also showed that everything is new again by having a revue. Not the same idea from before, but this time is was a preview performance for I Love Lucy the musical. All of this just goes to show that the Auto Show has had a rich legacy over the past 100+ years, and I can't wait to see what it has next.
As a result of this, the show was moved to the newly constructed International Amphitheatre in time for the 1935 show. Another staple of the show during this period of time was the annual revue. Twice a day, they would have dancers out there giving a show. Everything was going great, but then came the onset of World War II. After the 1941 show(which was actually held at the end of 1940), the Auto Show was suspended for the duration of the War, and in fact all the way through to 1950. The show made a triumphant return in 1950, and was actually the first auto show in the country after the war. Also at the 1950 show, plans were unveiled for the construction of the Congress superhighway, otherwise known as I-290(or for those of us who know the lingo, the Eisenhower Expressway).
The show would spend the next 10 years at the International Amphitheatre, until spacial constraints once again became an issue. In a display of good timing, the city had just unveiled it's new lakefront convention center in November of 1960. As a consequence, the Auto Show was once again moved to the newly opened McCormick Place(replete with 300,000 square feet of starting with the 1961 edition. One of these firsts came in 1965, when Nissan sold its first car in Chicago right there at the Auto Show. Unfortunately, the McCormick Place was destroyed by a calamitous fire in 1967, on the eve of that year's show. Since the show could not be held in a charred ruin, the show made a hurried return to the International Amphitheatre, where it would remain through 1970. The next year, the show returned to the newly rebuilt McCormick Place, where it remains to this day.
Moving forward into the 80s, the show pretty much remained the same, except for that one time in 1987 when Walter Payton and Michael Jordan dropped in to say hi. This past year, the show commemorated yet another outing in the city, and it also showed that everything is new again by having a revue. Not the same idea from before, but this time is was a preview performance for I Love Lucy the musical. All of this just goes to show that the Auto Show has had a rich legacy over the past 100+ years, and I can't wait to see what it has next.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Day 48: #23
When I mention the number 23 in relation to Chicago, you might think I'm talking about Devin Hester of the Bears, or maybe Jermaine Dye of the White Sox, or you just might think I'm talking about Ryne Sandberg of the Cubs. Okay, let's get real, you thought of none of those. The second I mentioned 23 and Chicago in the same sentence, you instantly thought of Michael Jordan. As well you should. By most accounts, he is the greatest player in the History of the NBA.
On February 17, 1963, Michael Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York. Early on, his future prowess was not a sure thing, given that he got cut from his High School's team. But he would eventually move onto success at the University of North Carolina, where he would lead the Tar Heels to the 1982 NCAA Title. He left after his Junior Year in 1984, a year which would see him win the Gold Medal at the Olympic Games held in Los Angeles. After that, he was taken in the 3rd round of the draft by the Chicago Bulls.
For the first two seasons, they made the playoffs, but got bounced in the first round. The one highlight from this part of his career came on April 20, 1986, where he scored 63 points against the Celtics in a playoff game. After the game, Larry Bird famously declared that Michael was "God disguised as Michael Jordan". After those early struggles, Jordan's Bulls ran into their next roadblock: The Detroit Pistons. For three straight seasons, the Bulls would make it past the first round, only to get stalled by the Pistons. The Pistons actually came up with an entirely new way of guarding Jordan to gain the edge in those games. Using the Jordan Rules aided them in curtailing Jordan's influence. But then in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, the Bulls FINALLY rose over the peak. Tellingly, the Pistons walked off the court in the game's final minutes and failed to congratulate the Bulls on their win.
After that, the Bulls went on to win three titles in a row. And then in a shocking move, Michael Jordan quit the game of Basketball. Claiming that his father's murder was having a lingering effect on him, he played 2 seasons of Minor League baseball. He then came back to the Bulls just in time for them to assemble the best ever record in the history. The team went 72-10, both the least amount of losses in NBA history, as well as the only time a team has won more than 70 games in a season. Additionally, Jordan became only the second player ever to win the All-Star Game, Regular Season, and Finals MVP Awards in a single season. The end of this year saw them win their fourth title. The next two years saw the completion of the second three-peat, as well as Jordan's second retirement. However, after just three years away, Jordan returned to the game yet again with the Washington Wizards.
He finally retired in 2003, leaving a legacy that is almost insurmountable. His number 23 was retired by the Bulls after his retirement. In 2003, his number was retired by the Miami Heat. On numerous occasions, he was voted the greatest athlete of the 20th Century. And in one case, his influence has escaped the bounds of North America. When David Beckham moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid, he switched his jersey number to 23 in part to honor Michael Jordan. Jordan was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009, a fitting conclusion to his stellar and groundbreaking career.
On February 17, 1963, Michael Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York. Early on, his future prowess was not a sure thing, given that he got cut from his High School's team. But he would eventually move onto success at the University of North Carolina, where he would lead the Tar Heels to the 1982 NCAA Title. He left after his Junior Year in 1984, a year which would see him win the Gold Medal at the Olympic Games held in Los Angeles. After that, he was taken in the 3rd round of the draft by the Chicago Bulls.
For the first two seasons, they made the playoffs, but got bounced in the first round. The one highlight from this part of his career came on April 20, 1986, where he scored 63 points against the Celtics in a playoff game. After the game, Larry Bird famously declared that Michael was "God disguised as Michael Jordan". After those early struggles, Jordan's Bulls ran into their next roadblock: The Detroit Pistons. For three straight seasons, the Bulls would make it past the first round, only to get stalled by the Pistons. The Pistons actually came up with an entirely new way of guarding Jordan to gain the edge in those games. Using the Jordan Rules aided them in curtailing Jordan's influence. But then in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, the Bulls FINALLY rose over the peak. Tellingly, the Pistons walked off the court in the game's final minutes and failed to congratulate the Bulls on their win.
After that, the Bulls went on to win three titles in a row. And then in a shocking move, Michael Jordan quit the game of Basketball. Claiming that his father's murder was having a lingering effect on him, he played 2 seasons of Minor League baseball. He then came back to the Bulls just in time for them to assemble the best ever record in the history. The team went 72-10, both the least amount of losses in NBA history, as well as the only time a team has won more than 70 games in a season. Additionally, Jordan became only the second player ever to win the All-Star Game, Regular Season, and Finals MVP Awards in a single season. The end of this year saw them win their fourth title. The next two years saw the completion of the second three-peat, as well as Jordan's second retirement. However, after just three years away, Jordan returned to the game yet again with the Washington Wizards.
He finally retired in 2003, leaving a legacy that is almost insurmountable. His number 23 was retired by the Bulls after his retirement. In 2003, his number was retired by the Miami Heat. On numerous occasions, he was voted the greatest athlete of the 20th Century. And in one case, his influence has escaped the bounds of North America. When David Beckham moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid, he switched his jersey number to 23 in part to honor Michael Jordan. Jordan was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009, a fitting conclusion to his stellar and groundbreaking career.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Day 47: The Park that was almost a Stadium
In the early days of Chicago, a real estate magnate by the name of Paul Cornell wanted to develop some green space in his city. So he lobbied the Illinois General Assembly to let him form an enterprise to ensure that this happened, and they responded by forming the South Park Commission. In 1869, the Commission identified nearly 1,000 acres that could be turned into park space. Cornell hired Frederick Law Olmstead, who had built Central Park in New York City 10 years earlier(and was also a contemporary of Daniel Burnham). Unfortunately, the Great Chicago Fire burned down the Commission's office(along with all the plans for the park) in 1871.
The city stood up and dusted themselves off after the fire, and Olmstead was no exception. Olmstead's vision for the park included a meadow, which would be maintained by keeping sheep who would graze on the grass, thus eliminating the need for landscaping measures. Cornell did manage to convince Olmstead to put a sporting area in the park over his objections. In 1881, the park was named in honor of President George Washington.
The park was meant to be a connection between the lakefront and the city(and later on, a passage to Midway International Airport). Today, the park houses the DuSable Museum of African American History. Additionally, the park makes good use of the athletic facilities that Cornell lobbied for, as Washington Park is the site of the largest 16" softball league in the city. Today, the park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, joining such Chicago Landmarks as:
The city stood up and dusted themselves off after the fire, and Olmstead was no exception. Olmstead's vision for the park included a meadow, which would be maintained by keeping sheep who would graze on the grass, thus eliminating the need for landscaping measures. Cornell did manage to convince Olmstead to put a sporting area in the park over his objections. In 1881, the park was named in honor of President George Washington.
The park was meant to be a connection between the lakefront and the city(and later on, a passage to Midway International Airport). Today, the park houses the DuSable Museum of African American History. Additionally, the park makes good use of the athletic facilities that Cornell lobbied for, as Washington Park is the site of the largest 16" softball league in the city. Today, the park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, joining such Chicago Landmarks as:
- The Marshall Field's flagship store
- The Water Tower
- The Pumping Station
- The Cultural Center
- Dearborn Station
- The site of Chicago's first home
- And many others
Friday, February 15, 2013
Day 46: The Man with The Plan
Before we get too terribly far into this year-long journey, I think we should all pause for a moment to acknowledge one of the men who was responsible for making Chicago the way it is today. I am of course referring to Daniel Burnham. If you ask any Chicagoan about Burnham, you'll probably hear something about "making no small plans", and maybe something about some plan that came out in 1909. Those are both truisms, but to be frank, they don't scratch the surface of what Burnham was all about.
Daniel Burnham was born in 1846 in New York, and was raised in Chicago. He initially applied for admission to both Harvard and Yale, but was denied to admittance to both places. Eventually he entered into an apprenticeship with William Jenney, the man responsible for the first skyscraper ever built(which just so happened to be in Chicago). After that, he moved into working at a firm by the name of Carter, Duke, and Wright. It was here where he would meet his future business partner John Root. While partnered with Root, he would design the Masonic Temple Building, one of the first skyscrapers in the country, as well as the tallest building ever at the time of its construction. Root died in 1891, and the firm was renamed to D.H. Burnham & Company.
In 1892, the Burnham company was commissioned to work on the new flagship store for Marshall Field & Co.(a building that stands to this day.) Then comes 1893. In that year, the World's Columbian Expostion was awarded to Chicago. The responsibility for constructing what would become the White City fell upon Burnham's company. Mr. Burnham teamed up with Louis Sullivan, Frederick Law Olmstead, and other prominent architects to realize the dream of the White City in a Classical Revival style. Eventually, the design became so popular that it was reinterpreted as the legendary Beaux-Arts style.
However, Burnham's most well-known legacy would not come around for more than 15 years. In 1909, Burnham co-authored "The Plan of Chicago"(which had been in the works for 3 years.) In it, he laid out his plans for the future of the city. This was the first time anything like this had been attempted for an American city. The concept recalled a "Paris on the Prairie", where fountains and boulevards would radiate from a central municipal palace, and also where every citizen would be within walking distance of a park. Ultimately, only parts of the plan were implemented, but Burnham's plan set the tone for both city planning and the future development of Chicago. Some of his other well-known legacies are a plan for San Francisco as well as the building of Washington D.C.'s Union Station
One of Burnham's most oft-repeated quotes is "Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably will not themselves be realized." Interestingly enough, there is no solid evidence that he actually said these words. Daniel Burnham's legacy is carried forward to this day through the firm Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, which is what his firm was renamed to in 1917. They have continued his legacy by erecting a laundry list of buildings essential to the Chicago we know today.
Daniel Burnham was born in 1846 in New York, and was raised in Chicago. He initially applied for admission to both Harvard and Yale, but was denied to admittance to both places. Eventually he entered into an apprenticeship with William Jenney, the man responsible for the first skyscraper ever built(which just so happened to be in Chicago). After that, he moved into working at a firm by the name of Carter, Duke, and Wright. It was here where he would meet his future business partner John Root. While partnered with Root, he would design the Masonic Temple Building, one of the first skyscrapers in the country, as well as the tallest building ever at the time of its construction. Root died in 1891, and the firm was renamed to D.H. Burnham & Company.
In 1892, the Burnham company was commissioned to work on the new flagship store for Marshall Field & Co.(a building that stands to this day.) Then comes 1893. In that year, the World's Columbian Expostion was awarded to Chicago. The responsibility for constructing what would become the White City fell upon Burnham's company. Mr. Burnham teamed up with Louis Sullivan, Frederick Law Olmstead, and other prominent architects to realize the dream of the White City in a Classical Revival style. Eventually, the design became so popular that it was reinterpreted as the legendary Beaux-Arts style.
However, Burnham's most well-known legacy would not come around for more than 15 years. In 1909, Burnham co-authored "The Plan of Chicago"(which had been in the works for 3 years.) In it, he laid out his plans for the future of the city. This was the first time anything like this had been attempted for an American city. The concept recalled a "Paris on the Prairie", where fountains and boulevards would radiate from a central municipal palace, and also where every citizen would be within walking distance of a park. Ultimately, only parts of the plan were implemented, but Burnham's plan set the tone for both city planning and the future development of Chicago. Some of his other well-known legacies are a plan for San Francisco as well as the building of Washington D.C.'s Union Station
One of Burnham's most oft-repeated quotes is "Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably will not themselves be realized." Interestingly enough, there is no solid evidence that he actually said these words. Daniel Burnham's legacy is carried forward to this day through the firm Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, which is what his firm was renamed to in 1917. They have continued his legacy by erecting a laundry list of buildings essential to the Chicago we know today.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Day 45: Worst. Valentine's Day. Ever.
The year is 1929. Herbert Hoover is assuming the office of the Presidency after assuring "a chicken in every pot"(in totally unrelated news, the stock market would crash by the end of October), the Cubs are gearing up for yet another one of their close-but-no-cigar trips to the postseason, and Al Capone is getting more and more fed up with Bugs Moran and his cronies in the North Side Gang stealing his business.
Prohibition had by this point been in full effect for 9 years, and there seemed to be new criminal enterprises related to alcohol popping up every day. And of course, if there was any business to be had, Capone demanded a piece of the action. So one can imagine that Capone wouldn't be too pleased with a pushy bunch of upstarts competing with him. The final straw was the murder of two of Capone's close associates at the hands of the Moran gang.
So on the morning of February 14, Capone initiated a plan for revenge. It was planned out that they were going to lure Bugs Moran to a warehouse on North Clark St. Various theories exist about what the lure was, but it is generally agreed that they fed the Moran gang information about a stolen shipment of whiskey, courtesy of the Detroit Mob. By 10:30 AM, most of Moran's gang had shown up to the garage, with the exception of Moran himself, who was running late. As Moran was walking with one of his men to the warehouse, they happened to see a police car. Being logical mobsters, they immediately turned tail and ran. On their way, they happened across another one of Moran's men, who they warned away from the warehouse. The others who were already waiting at the warehouse weren't so lucky. The police car that Moran saw on his way to the warehouse was a fake, as were the men wearing uniforms. Once the impostor cops saw the person that they thought was Moran enter the building, they immediately rolled into the building and told the seven mobsters in the garage to line up against the wall. At that very moment, two Tommy Gun-toting folks in civilian garb opened fire on the mobsters, painting the wall with bullets.
To effect their getaway, the phony cops(who were really hit men working for Capone) ushered the trigger men out of the garage so as to make it look like they were merely making an arrest. Two women who happened to be staying across the street heard the ruckus and alerted the authorities. When the police(the real ones this time) arrived on the scene, they saw the grisly aftermath. Five of the men were ripped apart by the hail of bullets, and the other two had their faces obliterated by shotgun blasts after the fact. The only two organisms left alive were a German Shepherd owned by one of the deceased mobsters, and Frank Gusenberg, who was somehow still clinging to life despite having been shot fourteen times. He maintained consciousness and life for another three hours, but in true gangland fashion the only thing he would say was that "nobody shot me."
This sense of mystique carried over into the investigation. Initially under the impression that this had to be the work of the Detroit Mob, authorities went after several members of the Purple Gang. However, the men were quickly cleared by the police. Then, a week after the massacre, a 1927 Cadillac was found on fire in a garage on Wood Street. This was found to be the car used by the mobsters to get away. Eventually a lead was found on the killer though. A truck driver later came forward to say that he'd fun into the phony cops the morning of the massacre. While trying to make it right, he got a description of one of the mobsters, who was discovered to be Fred Burke. Eventually Burke's home in Wisconsin was raided, and much of the materials found could be traced back to the massacre. Burke was sent to prison for other crimes and died there in 1940. To this day, nobody has ever been formally brought up on charges, and the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre has gone down in history as the most infamous killing in Chicago's gangland history.
Prohibition had by this point been in full effect for 9 years, and there seemed to be new criminal enterprises related to alcohol popping up every day. And of course, if there was any business to be had, Capone demanded a piece of the action. So one can imagine that Capone wouldn't be too pleased with a pushy bunch of upstarts competing with him. The final straw was the murder of two of Capone's close associates at the hands of the Moran gang.
So on the morning of February 14, Capone initiated a plan for revenge. It was planned out that they were going to lure Bugs Moran to a warehouse on North Clark St. Various theories exist about what the lure was, but it is generally agreed that they fed the Moran gang information about a stolen shipment of whiskey, courtesy of the Detroit Mob. By 10:30 AM, most of Moran's gang had shown up to the garage, with the exception of Moran himself, who was running late. As Moran was walking with one of his men to the warehouse, they happened to see a police car. Being logical mobsters, they immediately turned tail and ran. On their way, they happened across another one of Moran's men, who they warned away from the warehouse. The others who were already waiting at the warehouse weren't so lucky. The police car that Moran saw on his way to the warehouse was a fake, as were the men wearing uniforms. Once the impostor cops saw the person that they thought was Moran enter the building, they immediately rolled into the building and told the seven mobsters in the garage to line up against the wall. At that very moment, two Tommy Gun-toting folks in civilian garb opened fire on the mobsters, painting the wall with bullets.
To effect their getaway, the phony cops(who were really hit men working for Capone) ushered the trigger men out of the garage so as to make it look like they were merely making an arrest. Two women who happened to be staying across the street heard the ruckus and alerted the authorities. When the police(the real ones this time) arrived on the scene, they saw the grisly aftermath. Five of the men were ripped apart by the hail of bullets, and the other two had their faces obliterated by shotgun blasts after the fact. The only two organisms left alive were a German Shepherd owned by one of the deceased mobsters, and Frank Gusenberg, who was somehow still clinging to life despite having been shot fourteen times. He maintained consciousness and life for another three hours, but in true gangland fashion the only thing he would say was that "nobody shot me."
This sense of mystique carried over into the investigation. Initially under the impression that this had to be the work of the Detroit Mob, authorities went after several members of the Purple Gang. However, the men were quickly cleared by the police. Then, a week after the massacre, a 1927 Cadillac was found on fire in a garage on Wood Street. This was found to be the car used by the mobsters to get away. Eventually a lead was found on the killer though. A truck driver later came forward to say that he'd fun into the phony cops the morning of the massacre. While trying to make it right, he got a description of one of the mobsters, who was discovered to be Fred Burke. Eventually Burke's home in Wisconsin was raided, and much of the materials found could be traced back to the massacre. Burke was sent to prison for other crimes and died there in 1940. To this day, nobody has ever been formally brought up on charges, and the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre has gone down in history as the most infamous killing in Chicago's gangland history.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Day 30: In the Fold
Today's entry takes us to the lakefront art walk again(the same place we saw the tooth/lightbulb hybrid and the airship). Today's entry will be about another one of the entries on that walk, this time a piece called Folding Forms. This sculpture is by the artist Christopher Newman. For a little bit more about the work, let's turn to his profile on artcommission.com: "Chris Newman's work encompasses large-scale abstract sculptures, full-size figures, tabletop maquettes, and figures...The Wilmette, Illinois Park District has several of his outdoor abstract pieces, and his dalmatians guard a fire truck at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Newman has worked extensively on projects with architects and welcomes collaboration on outdoor or indoor sculptures for public corporate office buildings, healthcare facilities, and parks. He operates a full-service fabrication studio in Chicago and holds an M.F.A in sculpture, a subject he has also taught." In addition to all that, the Folding Forms is a part of the Chicago Sculpture International tour, which is the same exhibition that Kelpies is here with. There you go, yet another slice of weird public art. Happy Day 30!
Day 44: The Downtown Hub
What would you call a place where you can connect to City Hall, Daley Center, the Thompson Center, 203 N. LaSalle, the Chicago Pedway, and six of the eight CTA rail lines? If you said a godsend, you'd be correct. Of course, you'd also be correct if you answered with the Clark/Lake CTA Station. This mega-station was bred from the amalgamation of two different stations that was executed in the early 1990s.
The elevated portion was a station that had been part of the system since its original inauguration in 1895, and as such it had all the trappings of a station of that period(ornately appointed decorations and the such.) In 1913, the stations in the Loop underwent some renovations, chief among them being the removal of the original waiting rooms. However, much of the ornate architecture was left intact. Unfortunately, the station had fallen into a severe state of disrepair by the time renovations began in 1988. Ultimately, these renovations linked the Elevated Clark station with the Lake Transfer on the Blue Line to create a new station.
The station that the former Clark station linked up to had a comparatively shorter lifetime, having been established in February of 1951. It was built in the Art Moderne style, which at the time was considered a modern design. The actual roots of the joint complex can actually be traced all the way back to 1958. At that time, there was a through route built between the elevated tracks and the subway. Thus, commuters could transfer up between the Lake and Clark stations for the first time. Interestingly enough, commuters were not allowed to go in the opposite direction. Finally, a change to the service brought a reversal to the policy in 1969.
In 1992, the two stations were combined so as to allow free movement between the levels without having to pay a transfer. The process itself was not fully completed until 1996, when the new entrance to the mega-station was completed. Various updates have occurred throughout the years, including the transition to a transit card system in 1997, as well as making the entrances open 24 hours a day starting in 2000.
The elevated portion was a station that had been part of the system since its original inauguration in 1895, and as such it had all the trappings of a station of that period(ornately appointed decorations and the such.) In 1913, the stations in the Loop underwent some renovations, chief among them being the removal of the original waiting rooms. However, much of the ornate architecture was left intact. Unfortunately, the station had fallen into a severe state of disrepair by the time renovations began in 1988. Ultimately, these renovations linked the Elevated Clark station with the Lake Transfer on the Blue Line to create a new station.
The station that the former Clark station linked up to had a comparatively shorter lifetime, having been established in February of 1951. It was built in the Art Moderne style, which at the time was considered a modern design. The actual roots of the joint complex can actually be traced all the way back to 1958. At that time, there was a through route built between the elevated tracks and the subway. Thus, commuters could transfer up between the Lake and Clark stations for the first time. Interestingly enough, commuters were not allowed to go in the opposite direction. Finally, a change to the service brought a reversal to the policy in 1969.
In 1992, the two stations were combined so as to allow free movement between the levels without having to pay a transfer. The process itself was not fully completed until 1996, when the new entrance to the mega-station was completed. Various updates have occurred throughout the years, including the transition to a transit card system in 1997, as well as making the entrances open 24 hours a day starting in 2000.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Day 43: The Magical Fruit
So, you've walked out of Millennium Station and now want to go see some sculpture. Well, you're in luck because Millennium Park has many works of public art in it, some of which can be considered bizarre. From the water-emitting photos of the Crown Fountain, to the winding nature of the BP Bridge, even to the Frank Gehry metalgasm that is the Pritzker Pavillion, Millennium Park certainly has the market cornered on quixotic sculptures. However, the most interesting piece in the Park has to be a certain highly-reflective metal sculpture.
When Millennium Park was first being planned out, a panel of art experts solicited and judged the entries of 30 different artists and asked two of them for a proposal for a work of art to put into the park. The first proposal was by the artist Jeff Koons, and can be best described as a 150-foot tall sculpture of a slide, featuring an observation deck 90 feet off the ground. Ultimately, this design was not selected, the panel opting for the second design, a 100-ton work by Internationally acclaimed artist Anish Kapoor. Officially known as Cloud Gate(owing to the fact that most of the sculpture reflects the sky and can be interpreted as a gate to such a place), the fact that it is shaped like a giant bean has lead everyone to merely refer to it as that: The Bean.
One of the more fascinating stories surrounding The Bean has to do with its construction. In 2004, construction of The Bean was started. The first step was the installation of two giant steel rings to act as the skeleton of the sculpture. After that, workers affixed 168 stainless steel panels(each one weighing as much as 2,000 pounds) to the framework. Finally, the whole sculpture underwent five stages of buffing to ensure that the exterior of the work would be totally seamless.
In the many years of its existence, it has quickly become an obligatory Chicago destination. Just go onto Facebook and look up a photo album of your friends in the city, and I guarantee that you'll see several shots of them taking a photo if their reflections in The Bean. Interestingly enough, this was not always the case though. When the work was first unveiled, the city attempted to prevent the taking of photos at The Bean, so as to protect the rights of the artist. Clearly, that initiative did not last long, and so The Bean carries on as likely what is Chicago's most photographed landmark.
When Millennium Park was first being planned out, a panel of art experts solicited and judged the entries of 30 different artists and asked two of them for a proposal for a work of art to put into the park. The first proposal was by the artist Jeff Koons, and can be best described as a 150-foot tall sculpture of a slide, featuring an observation deck 90 feet off the ground. Ultimately, this design was not selected, the panel opting for the second design, a 100-ton work by Internationally acclaimed artist Anish Kapoor. Officially known as Cloud Gate(owing to the fact that most of the sculpture reflects the sky and can be interpreted as a gate to such a place), the fact that it is shaped like a giant bean has lead everyone to merely refer to it as that: The Bean.
One of the more fascinating stories surrounding The Bean has to do with its construction. In 2004, construction of The Bean was started. The first step was the installation of two giant steel rings to act as the skeleton of the sculpture. After that, workers affixed 168 stainless steel panels(each one weighing as much as 2,000 pounds) to the framework. Finally, the whole sculpture underwent five stages of buffing to ensure that the exterior of the work would be totally seamless.
In the many years of its existence, it has quickly become an obligatory Chicago destination. Just go onto Facebook and look up a photo album of your friends in the city, and I guarantee that you'll see several shots of them taking a photo if their reflections in The Bean. Interestingly enough, this was not always the case though. When the work was first unveiled, the city attempted to prevent the taking of photos at The Bean, so as to protect the rights of the artist. Clearly, that initiative did not last long, and so The Bean carries on as likely what is Chicago's most photographed landmark.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Day 42: The Station in The Park
Imagine for a second the city of the future. Commuting in on a sleek, quietly-running electric train car, then disembarking into a subterranean station appointed with all manner of kiosks and shops. Then on your way out, you pass a connection to a great underground walkway connecting you to half of the city. And then to top it all off, you emerge into a beautifully arranged park, with any number of cultural locales at your fingertips. Now what if that fantasy were to become a reality? Well actually, it already is a reality right now. Welcome to Millennium Station.
First off, a little back story: in 2004, Millennium Park was finally completed(albeit four years late). Along with being one of the crowning achievements of Mayor Richard M. Daley, the park also served to beautify what for many decades had been an open-air train yard. That yard had served Metra Electric trains,(as well as the NICTD's South Shore Line) for many years under the name Randolph St. Station. When Millennium Park was built, Randolph Station became fully enclosed. The station itself had been a very spartan place for years, and so it was decided to spruce it up a bit. The new Millennium Station opened its doors in 2005.
As preciously mentioned, the station serves the Metra Electric line(which is also serviced by Van Buren St. Station, making it the only Metra line served by two different downtown stations.), as well as the South Shore Line in the track level. Along with the preexisting trackage, the station features a centralized ticket counter and waiting area. There are a variety of shops on the Mezzanine level, as well as a walkway to the South Shore gates. At the exit to the station, you can choose to either walk upstairs into Millennium Park, connect to the Pedway system, or take an elevator up into the lobby of the Cultural Center. Wherever you decide to go, Chicago's newest Metra station is a fitting tribute to the city motto: Urbs in Horto(which means City in a Garden), as well as a tantalizing glimpse into the future.
First off, a little back story: in 2004, Millennium Park was finally completed(albeit four years late). Along with being one of the crowning achievements of Mayor Richard M. Daley, the park also served to beautify what for many decades had been an open-air train yard. That yard had served Metra Electric trains,(as well as the NICTD's South Shore Line) for many years under the name Randolph St. Station. When Millennium Park was built, Randolph Station became fully enclosed. The station itself had been a very spartan place for years, and so it was decided to spruce it up a bit. The new Millennium Station opened its doors in 2005.
As preciously mentioned, the station serves the Metra Electric line(which is also serviced by Van Buren St. Station, making it the only Metra line served by two different downtown stations.), as well as the South Shore Line in the track level. Along with the preexisting trackage, the station features a centralized ticket counter and waiting area. There are a variety of shops on the Mezzanine level, as well as a walkway to the South Shore gates. At the exit to the station, you can choose to either walk upstairs into Millennium Park, connect to the Pedway system, or take an elevator up into the lobby of the Cultural Center. Wherever you decide to go, Chicago's newest Metra station is a fitting tribute to the city motto: Urbs in Horto(which means City in a Garden), as well as a tantalizing glimpse into the future.
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Sunday, February 10, 2013
Day 26: America's unofficial Polish Outpost
One of the hallmarks of Chicago (just like any other big city) is its rampant multiculturalism. Different ethnicities emigrating to the big cities and then carving out their own sectors is a trend that has been alive and well since the early days of Ellis Island. However, there is one group in Chicago that has taken hold like no other. According to the Census, Poles make up one of the largest European-American groups in the city, accounting for 6.7 Percent of Chicago's population. And it isn't just the city of Chicago itself either, since according to some estimations, there are as many as 1.5 Million Poles living in the Chicago Metropolitan Area.
Over the entire history of Chicago, Poles have contributed to the development and growth of the city. In fact, it is recorded that two Poles who had beat back a Russian uprising in their home country were among the people to vote for the first Mayor of Chicago. Over the ensuing years, Chicago has been settled by Poles in 5 distinct neighborhoods. Even today, there are many celebrations of Polish culture, including the Taste of Polonia festival held every Labor Day weekend, the Polish American Film Festival, and much more. The relevant part to this blog is that there are numerous tributes to Poles and Polish culture throughout the city, so we're bound to touch on them again over the course of this blog(in one case, we already have.) So just file this one away in your minds to recall when I ask you to later on.
Over the entire history of Chicago, Poles have contributed to the development and growth of the city. In fact, it is recorded that two Poles who had beat back a Russian uprising in their home country were among the people to vote for the first Mayor of Chicago. Over the ensuing years, Chicago has been settled by Poles in 5 distinct neighborhoods. Even today, there are many celebrations of Polish culture, including the Taste of Polonia festival held every Labor Day weekend, the Polish American Film Festival, and much more. The relevant part to this blog is that there are numerous tributes to Poles and Polish culture throughout the city, so we're bound to touch on them again over the course of this blog(in one case, we already have.) So just file this one away in your minds to recall when I ask you to later on.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Day 25: This Welcome Center will PUMP YOU UP!
When you are exiting Water Tower Place, you have an option to turn left or right onto Michigan Avenue. Take a left, cross the street, and go into the next building you see. Congratulations, you've just found your way into the historic Chicago Pumping Station. Built by William Boyington in 1869 (at the same time as the Water Tower), the pumping station was (obviously) also one of the few buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire. The takeaway here is this: if you want your buildings to survive a cataclysmic fire, build them using stone!
Of course, just like its neighbor from across the street, the Pumping Station isn't used for its original purpose, but that doesn't mean that it hasn't found a new purpose. That first room you walked into? That is now another Choose Chicago tourism office(you know, like the one in the Cultural Center) in one area of the building, if you go to another area, you can still see the pumping equipment preserved as it was in another room, and another area of the building is now being rented out by the Lookingglass Theater Company. Not only is this arrangement advantageous to the Pumping Station, it is also good for the Theater Company, as it now had a home for the first time ever. In relation to the renovations related to bringing in the Lookingglass Company, in 2003 and 2004 the building won several awards for something called adaptive reuse (which is taking a building and renovating it rather than outright destroying it.) Among the awards they won were the Honorable Mention for the 2003 Richard H. Driehaus Public Innovator Award, the 2003 Chicago Landmark Award for Preservation Excellence, the 2003 ACEC Engineering Excellence Honor Award for the state level, along with many others. The Pumping Station is merely one more example of how it is possible to integrate the past with the future without losing sight of who we are in the process, a skill that is extremely helpful to coexisting with a 176 year-old city.
Of course, just like its neighbor from across the street, the Pumping Station isn't used for its original purpose, but that doesn't mean that it hasn't found a new purpose. That first room you walked into? That is now another Choose Chicago tourism office(you know, like the one in the Cultural Center) in one area of the building, if you go to another area, you can still see the pumping equipment preserved as it was in another room, and another area of the building is now being rented out by the Lookingglass Theater Company. Not only is this arrangement advantageous to the Pumping Station, it is also good for the Theater Company, as it now had a home for the first time ever. In relation to the renovations related to bringing in the Lookingglass Company, in 2003 and 2004 the building won several awards for something called adaptive reuse (which is taking a building and renovating it rather than outright destroying it.) Among the awards they won were the Honorable Mention for the 2003 Richard H. Driehaus Public Innovator Award, the 2003 Chicago Landmark Award for Preservation Excellence, the 2003 ACEC Engineering Excellence Honor Award for the state level, along with many others. The Pumping Station is merely one more example of how it is possible to integrate the past with the future without losing sight of who we are in the process, a skill that is extremely helpful to coexisting with a 176 year-old city.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Day 39: The Thousandth Pageview
Okay guys, so technically this isn't a Chicago destination, but I figured that this milestone was important enough to devote a day's entry to. Yesterday this blog turned over to 1,000 pageviews. This is a BIG deal, and I have nobody but you my readers to thank for it. It's been a fun journey so far, and I guarantee you all that this is just the beginning. To give you all a preview of things to come, here's a quick list of a few of my future topics:
- Sears Tower
- Millennium Park
- The Marshall Field's windows
- Chinatown
- The Wrigleyville scene
- Ice Skating
- More Museums than you can shake a stick at.
- Historical sites of interest throughout the city
- Different landmarks and statues
- And a big, BIG feat that I am going to attempt to accomplish this summer using the CTA.
Day 23: Here's Lookin' at you, kid!
So, we are looking at yet another blast from Chicago's statuary past here, and I guarantee you'll all be getting an eye full. On July 7, 2010, there was an unveiling in Pritzker Park of a very eye-catching piece of work by local sculptor Tony Tasset. The piece, a 30-foot tall eyeball(which was a representation of Tasset's own) was simply called Eye. The sculpture was manufactured at a studio in Sparta, Wisconsin and was assembled in Chicago. At the time of its installation, Tasset had this to say about what he thought of how the piece would be received: "I've always wanted to make work that people either loved or hated. The worst thing would be a kind of innocuous decorative work that you can just pass by, that doesn't do one thing or another." Of course when you look at it that way, isn't that what most public art is about? If it was just like art in a museum, nobody would ever stop to look at it, thus abrogating the reason for putting art into the public square in the first place. One other piece of note, at the same time that he put up Eye, Tasset also placed 156 Banners along State Street that feature sequential images of a Cardinal(think like a flip book), entitled(oddly enough) Cardinal. The choice of the Cardinal is obvious, as it is the State bird of Illinois. Unfortunately for all ocular and ornithological enthusiasts, the two installations came down on October 31, 2010. However, they shall all live on in our memories(whether those memories are infamous or not is up for interpretation.)
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Day 38: The Original Monsters of The Midway.
In 1895, famed coach Amos Alonzo Stagg helped to found the conference that would become known as the Big Ten. One of those founding members was the football team from the University of Chicago, known as the Maroons. The Chicago Maroons were one of the early powers of the Big Ten, and they actually won two National Titles and seven Big Ten Championships in their first 30 years of play. In 1935, Jay Berwanger(Chicago's halfback for that season) became the first player to ever win what would eventually be known as the Heisman Trophy. The Maroons played their games at Stagg Field(named in honor of their coach). In 1939, the University dropped football and withdrew from the Big Ten by 1946.
However, the team left several legacies. First off, remember Stagg Field? Well, it was still standing in 1942, when the first ever controlled nuclear reaction was set off using a reactor that had been placed beneath the stands. Also, what's with that name, Monsters of the Midway? Isn't that more of a Bears thing? Well, it is, but have you ever wondered what "the Midway" has to do with the Bears? Here's the thing: it doesn't. The Chicago Maroons were originally known as the Monsters of the Midway in deference to the Midway Plaisance, a thoroughfare that cuts through the middle of campus very close to where Stagg Field was first located. Around the same time that the University shut down their football program, the Bears were entering a period of greatness, so they reappropriated the nickname for their own usage. Later on in 1985, the Bears picked the moniker back up and have used it on and off ever since. In addition, they also borrowed the "C" on their helmets directly from the Maroons.
However, the team left several legacies. First off, remember Stagg Field? Well, it was still standing in 1942, when the first ever controlled nuclear reaction was set off using a reactor that had been placed beneath the stands. Also, what's with that name, Monsters of the Midway? Isn't that more of a Bears thing? Well, it is, but have you ever wondered what "the Midway" has to do with the Bears? Here's the thing: it doesn't. The Chicago Maroons were originally known as the Monsters of the Midway in deference to the Midway Plaisance, a thoroughfare that cuts through the middle of campus very close to where Stagg Field was first located. Around the same time that the University shut down their football program, the Bears were entering a period of greatness, so they reappropriated the nickname for their own usage. Later on in 1985, the Bears picked the moniker back up and have used it on and off ever since. In addition, they also borrowed the "C" on their helmets directly from the Maroons.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Day 37: The Atomic Statue
The year is 1942. The United States is firmly entrenched in World War II, a two-front war that between the might of the Germans and the tenacity of the Japanese seems to be quickly slipping out of the grasp of the Allies. We needed an edge, and we needed it badly. Then, science came to the rescue. It had been theorized for many years that splitting the atom could be harnessed to form a large explosion, nuclear fission having been discovered in 1938 by three German physicists. In 1939, Leo Szilard, Eugene Wigner, and Albert Einstein drafted a letter to President Franklin Roosevelt warning of the potential that this new technology could be harnessed to produce "extremely powerful bombs of a new type". Therefore, they urged the government to pursue research into nuclear chain reactions and their potential weaponization. So FDR formed a committee to investigate this possibility.
Thus enters Dr. Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer is known as the "father of the atomic bomb", and for good reason. He was brought into the fold in May of 1942, and made several vital contributions that allowed the United States to build the bomb. Finally, on December 2, 1942, there was a breakthrough. A team led by Enrico Fermi, that was working underneath the stands at the old football stadium of the University of Chicago, used the reactor Chicago Pile-1 to successfully set off the world's first self-sustaining controlled nuclear reaction. We would of course, go on to build the bomb, beat the Germans, and then win the war, thus ensuring the safety of freedom and democracy on this earth.
But our story doesn't end here. In 1966, the National Register of Historic Places was created to notate and preserve places of historical significance in this country. The site of the first self-sustaining controlled nuclear reaction was one of the first four sites included in the register. The next year, sculptor Henry Moore was commissioned to erect a sculpture paying tribute to the accomplishment. The sculpture itself is 14 feet tall and 8 feet in diameter, and is often recognized as either a human skull or a mushroom cloud, depending on the observer. It stands as just one of many tributes to a group of people who never gave up, had tenacity, and ended up saving the world because of it.
Thus enters Dr. Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer is known as the "father of the atomic bomb", and for good reason. He was brought into the fold in May of 1942, and made several vital contributions that allowed the United States to build the bomb. Finally, on December 2, 1942, there was a breakthrough. A team led by Enrico Fermi, that was working underneath the stands at the old football stadium of the University of Chicago, used the reactor Chicago Pile-1 to successfully set off the world's first self-sustaining controlled nuclear reaction. We would of course, go on to build the bomb, beat the Germans, and then win the war, thus ensuring the safety of freedom and democracy on this earth.
But our story doesn't end here. In 1966, the National Register of Historic Places was created to notate and preserve places of historical significance in this country. The site of the first self-sustaining controlled nuclear reaction was one of the first four sites included in the register. The next year, sculptor Henry Moore was commissioned to erect a sculpture paying tribute to the accomplishment. The sculpture itself is 14 feet tall and 8 feet in diameter, and is often recognized as either a human skull or a mushroom cloud, depending on the observer. It stands as just one of many tributes to a group of people who never gave up, had tenacity, and ended up saving the world because of it.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Day 36: The Bud Man
Outside of Wrigley Field stands four statues. One of those statues is of the larger-than-life broadcaster Harry Caray. Harry was born in 1914 in St. Louis. After a period of time working his way up the broadcasting ranks(including stops in Joliet and Kalamazoo, Michigan), he started calling games for the St. Louis cardinals in 1945. He proceeded to call their games for the next 24 seasons, until he was ultimately fired after the 1969 season(allegedly due to an affair that he was having with the daughter-in-law of the owner of the Cardinals). Regardless, he moved on and spent the 1970 season broadcasting for the Oakland Athletics. After one year of that, he moved on to Chicago, where he would go on to cement his legacy with the...White Sox?
Yup, he called Sox games for 10 seasons, a time in which his partying became legendary(he acquired the nickname "Mayor of Rush Street" during this time), as well as his singing(it was through a Bill Veeck prank that Caray's treatment of Take Me Out to the Ballgame became famous). In 1979, Caray was a spectator to one of the craziest events in White Sox history: Disco Demolition Night.(this will be discussed at length in a future entry, but suffice it to say that the following equation holds true: Steve Dahl+Disco Records+Intoxicated Fans=Chaos). After the 1981 season, the owners of the White Sox were toying with the idea of moving televised coverage to a new pay-TV venture called SportsVision. Caray balked at this idea. Coincidentally, Jack Brickhouse was nearing the end of 33 years covering the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs needed a new broadcaster, Caray didn't like the way things were going on the South Side, it seemed to be a perfectly natural fit.
So, the 1982 season dawned with Harry Caray calling from the booth. Of course, when you consider that the Cardinals and the White Sox are the two biggest rivals of the Cubs and that Caray spent 35 years calling games for them(along with the fact that the '82 and '83 teams were not that good), there was a bit of an acclimation period. But once 1984 rolled around, the Cubs started winning, and all of Chicago(and soon the country) fell in love with Harry. Because the Cubs were broadcast on WGN nationally, Harry soon developed a following spanning the entire nation. It was also during this time where Harry started doing Budweiser commercials, where he proclaimed that he was a "Cubs Fan and a Bud Man". Additionally, he brought his Seventh-Inning Stretch tradition with him to Wrigley. Harry would go on to call games in the Cubs booth through the 1997 season.
In February of 1998, Caray had a heart attack and died. The Cubs proceeded to have many remembrances of him in the 1998 season. One of the most lasting tributes has been the Guest Conductor that the Cubs have come out for every home game and sing the stretch like Harry Caray did. Another annual tribute is the Worldwide Toast to Harry Caray, an annual tradition that we'll be talking more about soon. For now though, the next time that you crack open a Bud, just remember Harry.
Yup, he called Sox games for 10 seasons, a time in which his partying became legendary(he acquired the nickname "Mayor of Rush Street" during this time), as well as his singing(it was through a Bill Veeck prank that Caray's treatment of Take Me Out to the Ballgame became famous). In 1979, Caray was a spectator to one of the craziest events in White Sox history: Disco Demolition Night.(this will be discussed at length in a future entry, but suffice it to say that the following equation holds true: Steve Dahl+Disco Records+Intoxicated Fans=Chaos). After the 1981 season, the owners of the White Sox were toying with the idea of moving televised coverage to a new pay-TV venture called SportsVision. Caray balked at this idea. Coincidentally, Jack Brickhouse was nearing the end of 33 years covering the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs needed a new broadcaster, Caray didn't like the way things were going on the South Side, it seemed to be a perfectly natural fit.
So, the 1982 season dawned with Harry Caray calling from the booth. Of course, when you consider that the Cardinals and the White Sox are the two biggest rivals of the Cubs and that Caray spent 35 years calling games for them(along with the fact that the '82 and '83 teams were not that good), there was a bit of an acclimation period. But once 1984 rolled around, the Cubs started winning, and all of Chicago(and soon the country) fell in love with Harry. Because the Cubs were broadcast on WGN nationally, Harry soon developed a following spanning the entire nation. It was also during this time where Harry started doing Budweiser commercials, where he proclaimed that he was a "Cubs Fan and a Bud Man". Additionally, he brought his Seventh-Inning Stretch tradition with him to Wrigley. Harry would go on to call games in the Cubs booth through the 1997 season.
In February of 1998, Caray had a heart attack and died. The Cubs proceeded to have many remembrances of him in the 1998 season. One of the most lasting tributes has been the Guest Conductor that the Cubs have come out for every home game and sing the stretch like Harry Caray did. Another annual tribute is the Worldwide Toast to Harry Caray, an annual tradition that we'll be talking more about soon. For now though, the next time that you crack open a Bud, just remember Harry.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Day/#34: One number, two great sportsmen
Author's note: Today's entry is slightly different, as we're not looking at a landmark, but rather the number of this entry is what is significant. Regardless, this is still profiling an important part of the city, so I feel justified in running it this way. Enjoy!
One of them won a championship with a team that is still revered in Chicago legend to this day. One of them was a young phenom who never was able to reach his full potential. Walter Payton and Kerry Wood. Two athletes who on the surface, don't seem to share much more than a uniform number(34). But once you dig deeper, you see that both of them are among the best-loved and most well-known players that their teams ever put on the field.
Walter Payton grew up in Mississippi during the 1960s. He played in the Marching Band at his high school. Interestingly, he didn't play football for his first two years of High School out of deference to his brother, who was already on the team. Once he started with the team as a Junior, he made his prowess known. During his Senior season, he was named to the all-state team and led his high school to a rather unexpected 8-2 record. After High School, Payton decided to attend Jackson State University. While in college, he rushed for more than 3,500 yards, and was named to the All-American team in 1973. It was also during this chapter of his life where he received the name Sweetness. The exact origin of the name is unclear, but it is said to have stemmed from either his personality or his athletic grace. Whatever the reason, the name stuck for the rest of his life. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1975. The team had been in a slow decline ever since the retirement of Gale Sayers. Although the team struggled at first, by the mid 80s, the team was stringing together successful seasons. During the 1985 season, Payton rushed for around 1,500 yards, serving as a touchstone of their highly vaunted offense. However, in the Super Bowl, Payton failed to score a touchdown, a statistic that Mike Ditka would regret many years down the road. Payton would play for two more seasons and then retire after the 1987 season. After his playing career ended, Payton remained active in the area, maintaining several business interests, such as his 1995 purchase of a former railroad roundhouse to serve as a multipurpose dining establishment. On November 1, 1999, Payton died from a rare liver disease. In a true testament to his legacy, he received a public funeral at Soldier Field, as well as a private service with 1,000 attendees, which was attended by the likes of John Madden, IL Governor George Ryan, and Mayor Richard M. Daley.
Growing up in Irving, Texas, Kerry Wood idolized the fireball-throwing Texan Roger Clemens. Little did he know that eventually he would match one of Clemens' greatest feats. But before he could wow Cubs fans everywhere with his potential, Wood dominated High School batting lineups in Texas. In 1995, he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the amateur draft. Immediately he started working his way through the minor league system, where he went 10-2 for the Daytona Cubs in 1996. He was finally called up to the big leagues on April 12, 1998. Just over 3 weeks later, he would announce his arrival to the baseball world in a big way. On May 6, 1998, Wood struck out 20 batters, tying a major league record that had been set twice by his mentor Roger Clemens. Unfortunately, that was the highlight of Wood's first two years in the majors(and quite possibly his career). He did not pitch at all in 1999, having just undergone surgery on his arm. The following season he struggled as well, but regained his form in 2001, turning in a 12-6 record. He matched his previous year win total in '02, before winning 14 games in 2003. However, after that, he was never quite the same pitcher. Over the course of his career, Wood was sent to the Disabled List 14 times, including missing the entire 1999 season. At a certain point, it was surmised that he could no longer be an effective starter, so there was a plan hatched to convert him to a closer. In 2008, Wood saved 34 games out of 39 possible, a result that showed the merits of the plan. However, the Cubs chose not to keep him around after the season, so he went to the Cleveland Indians. In 2010, the Indians traded him to the Yankees, who released him after the season. Shortly thereafter, he was picked back up by the Cubs, where he played a season and a half more before retiring on May 18, 2012. Irrespective of his frequent-flyer status with the team doctors, Wood's tenacity and willingness to come back to the sport have endeared him to a generation of Cubs fans(this blogger being one of them). Outside of baseball, Wood is married with children, lives in Chicago, and regularly conducts philanthropic work through his charitable organization.
Both of these men performed well when they had the opportunity to, and by doing so endeared themselves to fans of each of their teams. While only one of them may have ultimately wound up in the Hall of Fame and retired as a champion, both of them made many contributions to their teams fandom for years to come.
One of them won a championship with a team that is still revered in Chicago legend to this day. One of them was a young phenom who never was able to reach his full potential. Walter Payton and Kerry Wood. Two athletes who on the surface, don't seem to share much more than a uniform number(34). But once you dig deeper, you see that both of them are among the best-loved and most well-known players that their teams ever put on the field.
Walter Payton grew up in Mississippi during the 1960s. He played in the Marching Band at his high school. Interestingly, he didn't play football for his first two years of High School out of deference to his brother, who was already on the team. Once he started with the team as a Junior, he made his prowess known. During his Senior season, he was named to the all-state team and led his high school to a rather unexpected 8-2 record. After High School, Payton decided to attend Jackson State University. While in college, he rushed for more than 3,500 yards, and was named to the All-American team in 1973. It was also during this chapter of his life where he received the name Sweetness. The exact origin of the name is unclear, but it is said to have stemmed from either his personality or his athletic grace. Whatever the reason, the name stuck for the rest of his life. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1975. The team had been in a slow decline ever since the retirement of Gale Sayers. Although the team struggled at first, by the mid 80s, the team was stringing together successful seasons. During the 1985 season, Payton rushed for around 1,500 yards, serving as a touchstone of their highly vaunted offense. However, in the Super Bowl, Payton failed to score a touchdown, a statistic that Mike Ditka would regret many years down the road. Payton would play for two more seasons and then retire after the 1987 season. After his playing career ended, Payton remained active in the area, maintaining several business interests, such as his 1995 purchase of a former railroad roundhouse to serve as a multipurpose dining establishment. On November 1, 1999, Payton died from a rare liver disease. In a true testament to his legacy, he received a public funeral at Soldier Field, as well as a private service with 1,000 attendees, which was attended by the likes of John Madden, IL Governor George Ryan, and Mayor Richard M. Daley.
Growing up in Irving, Texas, Kerry Wood idolized the fireball-throwing Texan Roger Clemens. Little did he know that eventually he would match one of Clemens' greatest feats. But before he could wow Cubs fans everywhere with his potential, Wood dominated High School batting lineups in Texas. In 1995, he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the amateur draft. Immediately he started working his way through the minor league system, where he went 10-2 for the Daytona Cubs in 1996. He was finally called up to the big leagues on April 12, 1998. Just over 3 weeks later, he would announce his arrival to the baseball world in a big way. On May 6, 1998, Wood struck out 20 batters, tying a major league record that had been set twice by his mentor Roger Clemens. Unfortunately, that was the highlight of Wood's first two years in the majors(and quite possibly his career). He did not pitch at all in 1999, having just undergone surgery on his arm. The following season he struggled as well, but regained his form in 2001, turning in a 12-6 record. He matched his previous year win total in '02, before winning 14 games in 2003. However, after that, he was never quite the same pitcher. Over the course of his career, Wood was sent to the Disabled List 14 times, including missing the entire 1999 season. At a certain point, it was surmised that he could no longer be an effective starter, so there was a plan hatched to convert him to a closer. In 2008, Wood saved 34 games out of 39 possible, a result that showed the merits of the plan. However, the Cubs chose not to keep him around after the season, so he went to the Cleveland Indians. In 2010, the Indians traded him to the Yankees, who released him after the season. Shortly thereafter, he was picked back up by the Cubs, where he played a season and a half more before retiring on May 18, 2012. Irrespective of his frequent-flyer status with the team doctors, Wood's tenacity and willingness to come back to the sport have endeared him to a generation of Cubs fans(this blogger being one of them). Outside of baseball, Wood is married with children, lives in Chicago, and regularly conducts philanthropic work through his charitable organization.
Both of these men performed well when they had the opportunity to, and by doing so endeared themselves to fans of each of their teams. While only one of them may have ultimately wound up in the Hall of Fame and retired as a champion, both of them made many contributions to their teams fandom for years to come.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Day 33: It's Field's, not Macy's!
One of the most groundbreaking department store chains in history had a relatively auspicious start. In 1852, Potter Palmer opened up a dry goods store at 137 Lake Street. Four years later, a 21-year-old kid from back East named Marshall Field showed up in town and started working for the largest dry goods outfit in Chicago: Cooley, Wadsworth, & Co. While working there, Field rose up the ranks accompanied by Levi Leiter. Eventually, Field was promoted to a marquee partner, however he and Leiter left the company in 1864 to assist Potter Palmer with his dry goods enterprise, thus creating Field, Palmer, Leiter, & Co. Three years later, Palmer withdrew from the partnership to focus on retail opportunities on State Street(he may have also found time to build a hotel or two). However, in 1868, Palmer convinced Field and Leiter to lease a building he had built at the corner of State and Washington Streets. Eventually they moved, and by 1871 they were thriving in their new location.
Of course fate(and maybe Mrs. O'Leary's cow) had other plans. On the evening of October 8, the Great Chicago Fire swept through the city with an otherworldly rage. Seeing the oncoming conflagration, Levi Leiter ordered the store's workers to haul out as many items as they could possibly handle, and take them to his house(which was out of the path of the flames.) An enterprising young salesman ran down to the basement in order to bring the steam pumps online. This effort was ultimately successful, as so many wares were saved that the store was able to open in a temporary location until the renovations were done with. In the aftermath, the store was rebuilt on the same location, but was destroyed in another fire in November of 1877.
To prepare for the Colombian Exposition of 1893, the architectural firm of Daniel Burnham was tasked with building the new building. After the construction, Field & Co. were left with what some called the largest department store ever. On Janurary 16, 1906, Marshall Field died, and the board appointed John Shedd to be his successor. John Graves Shedd had come to Chicago in 1871 and started working for Field as a stock clerk. At the time of Field's death, Shedd was a vice president in the company, and by Field's own admission, "the greatest merchant in the United States". This honorific proved to be no misnomer, as the company enjoyed its rise to national prominence under Shedd. Over time, the store would pioneer many firsts in the department store world, such as:
Of course fate(and maybe Mrs. O'Leary's cow) had other plans. On the evening of October 8, the Great Chicago Fire swept through the city with an otherworldly rage. Seeing the oncoming conflagration, Levi Leiter ordered the store's workers to haul out as many items as they could possibly handle, and take them to his house(which was out of the path of the flames.) An enterprising young salesman ran down to the basement in order to bring the steam pumps online. This effort was ultimately successful, as so many wares were saved that the store was able to open in a temporary location until the renovations were done with. In the aftermath, the store was rebuilt on the same location, but was destroyed in another fire in November of 1877.
To prepare for the Colombian Exposition of 1893, the architectural firm of Daniel Burnham was tasked with building the new building. After the construction, Field & Co. were left with what some called the largest department store ever. On Janurary 16, 1906, Marshall Field died, and the board appointed John Shedd to be his successor. John Graves Shedd had come to Chicago in 1871 and started working for Field as a stock clerk. At the time of Field's death, Shedd was a vice president in the company, and by Field's own admission, "the greatest merchant in the United States". This honorific proved to be no misnomer, as the company enjoyed its rise to national prominence under Shedd. Over time, the store would pioneer many firsts in the department store world, such as:
- The first department store "tea room"
- The first bridal registry
- The first store to feature personal shoppers
- The first store to have escalators
- Marshall Field's book department pioneered the idea of the book signing
- And many other historic firsts
Friday, February 1, 2013
Day 32: The ol' IC
In the middle of the 19th Century, the powers that be in Illinois wanted to link up the northern and southern parts of the state via rail. Eventually in 1850, President Millard Filmore(rolls right off of the tongue, doesn't it?) signed a land-grant bill to allow construction to proceed. Finally, in 1851, the Illinois General Assembly chartered the Illinois Central Railroad. Construction commenced immediately, and upon its completion in 1856, the IC was the longest railroad in the world. During construction, a branch line was built connecting Centralia(a town which was named for the IC) to Chicago (what at that point had only been around for 14 years). The idea was to take the line into the city along the lakefront. In a somewhat fortuitous coincidence, the city of Chicago was looking to put a breakwater in on its lakefront, so the IC offered to pay for it if they would be allowed to build tracks into the city. On its way into the city, the IC passed through the up-and-coming town of Hyde Park(which did not become part of Chicago until 1889). So in 1854, the IC inaugurated its passenger service into the city, running into its downtown station on offshore trestles in Lake Michigan.
In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire tore through the city while leaving the South Side virtually untouched. This allowed for city dwellers who had lost their homes to the flames to easily relocate to the South Side, which just so happened to be directly in the path of the IC. In addition to that, the fire created a lot of debris. So much so that all of the debris was dumped into the lake, forming what would become Grant Park, but also making the formerly offshore IC tracks shore-based once again. In 1893, the Colombian Exposition came to Chicago, and with the White City being located in the general vicinity of Hyde Park, the IC once again rose to prominence. In fact, it got so big that by the turn of the 20th Century, there were 300 trains running every single day. All of that pollution made the city council mandate that the IC electrify its line. By 1926, the IC had electrified its entire operation in the Chicago Metro area.
After the electrification, the IC continued to have several more decades of success, but then fell upon hard times (as did all the other old passenger railways). It was at this point, in 1974, when the state of Illionis formed the Regional Transportation Authority(RTA) to oversee and subsidize commuter rail in the metro area. Unfortunately, this proved to be insufficient, and the old railway icons began to fall victim to bankruptcy. This forced the RTA to go from merely supporting the railroads, to outright running them. To better facilitate this, Metra was formed in 1983. In 1987, the IC sold its Chicago commuter system to Metra for $28 Million. Upon the sale, Metra renamed the line the Metra Electric.
There are two things about this line that make it unique. First off, it is the only Metra line that runs off of electric power. Also, it is the only Metra line that is served by two separate downtown terminals: Van Buren Street Station and Millenium Station. One more fact: Metra does not refer to it's lines by color, but the time tables for the Electric line are colored orange in deference to one of the IC's most well-known trains, the Panama Limited
In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire tore through the city while leaving the South Side virtually untouched. This allowed for city dwellers who had lost their homes to the flames to easily relocate to the South Side, which just so happened to be directly in the path of the IC. In addition to that, the fire created a lot of debris. So much so that all of the debris was dumped into the lake, forming what would become Grant Park, but also making the formerly offshore IC tracks shore-based once again. In 1893, the Colombian Exposition came to Chicago, and with the White City being located in the general vicinity of Hyde Park, the IC once again rose to prominence. In fact, it got so big that by the turn of the 20th Century, there were 300 trains running every single day. All of that pollution made the city council mandate that the IC electrify its line. By 1926, the IC had electrified its entire operation in the Chicago Metro area.
After the electrification, the IC continued to have several more decades of success, but then fell upon hard times (as did all the other old passenger railways). It was at this point, in 1974, when the state of Illionis formed the Regional Transportation Authority(RTA) to oversee and subsidize commuter rail in the metro area. Unfortunately, this proved to be insufficient, and the old railway icons began to fall victim to bankruptcy. This forced the RTA to go from merely supporting the railroads, to outright running them. To better facilitate this, Metra was formed in 1983. In 1987, the IC sold its Chicago commuter system to Metra for $28 Million. Upon the sale, Metra renamed the line the Metra Electric.
There are two things about this line that make it unique. First off, it is the only Metra line that runs off of electric power. Also, it is the only Metra line that is served by two separate downtown terminals: Van Buren Street Station and Millenium Station. One more fact: Metra does not refer to it's lines by color, but the time tables for the Electric line are colored orange in deference to one of the IC's most well-known trains, the Panama Limited
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