Back in the Roaring Twenties, cities all across the country were crawling with young people living a life that up until then was just the stuff of fantasy. Up until then, most young people went straight from their education to working on the family farm until they shook off this mortal coil. But things were changing. America's population was moving from the farms to the cities. No more did a young woman have to settle for a dreary existence as the wife of a farmer. Instead, she could move to the big city, take a job as a secretary or a telephone operator, and live her life the way she wanted to.
One of those ways was ballroom dancing. This was the new hip thing to do, the way to let young people feel free and loose, much the same way rock and roll would do so 40 years later. One associated phenomenon was the dance marathon. This is where couples would go to a ballroom, and start dancing. The last couple dancing would win. These proved wildly popular to the young folks, but just like rock and roll, it was frowned upon by the powers that be. A Chicago judge at the time said that dance marathons capitalized on "the morbid curiosity of the same class of observers who avidly view a bull fight or a cock fight". Nevertheless, dancers were able to stay one step ahead of the law. One such contest that was held in New York City was interrupted by the local police, forcing the competitors to dance over to a waiting vehicle which spirited them away to New Jersey. After another interruption, they were shuttled back to Harlem, and then finally all the way to Connecticut, where the contest was stopped and the winning couple established the record of 69 continuous hours of dancing.
However, that record was not destined to last long. On August 30, 1930, 126 couples stepped on to the dance floor at the Merry Garden Ballroom in Chicago. More than 7 months later, 1 couple was left standing. Mike Ritof and Edith Boudreaux had smashed the record for longest Dance Marathon at 5,148 hours(and 28 minutes). To this day, the record still stands.
Showing posts with label Historical Events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Historical Events. Show all posts
Friday, May 4, 2018
Monday, February 26, 2018
The Gangland Inn
In 1924, a new hotel opened at the corner of Stony Island and 67th St. It was a sparkling building with 300 rooms and a magnificent location right at the entrance to Jackson Park. Soon enough the hotel was a jewel of the South Shore. Like many hotels of that era, the Southmoor soon became a well-renowned residential hotel, much like many others that populated Chicago's finer areas. In 1955, it had a brush with fame as Elvis Presley ducked into the Southmoor to hide out from crazed fans during the first time he was touring in Chicago. 7 years later, there was a meeting held here to formally organize The Woodlawn Organization. TWO was tasked with using radical forms of resistance to prevent the University of Chicago from expanding into the surrounding neighborhood(since then, the University and TWO have settled their differences and now work together to help improve the community).
By 1969, things started to go downhill when the management unwittingly hired local gangbangers to help run the hotel. Within a matter of months, they had successfully driven away both their fellow employees(and more vital to the bottom line) most of the tenants. In 1970, Time magazine wrote an article about the deteriorating Southmoor's new status as a literal gangster's paradise. This didn't sit too well with Mayor Daley, who took the building for the city, kicked out all of the gangsters, and tried to find someone to buy the building. But nobody was interested(not even Geraldo), and the Southmoor was ultimately demolished in 1977.
By 1969, things started to go downhill when the management unwittingly hired local gangbangers to help run the hotel. Within a matter of months, they had successfully driven away both their fellow employees(and more vital to the bottom line) most of the tenants. In 1970, Time magazine wrote an article about the deteriorating Southmoor's new status as a literal gangster's paradise. This didn't sit too well with Mayor Daley, who took the building for the city, kicked out all of the gangsters, and tried to find someone to buy the building. But nobody was interested(not even Geraldo), and the Southmoor was ultimately demolished in 1977.
Sunday, February 25, 2018
Life's a Circus
Chicago children's television is synonymous with one name and one name above all others: Bozo. While Bozo is certainly a Chicago icon, his roots go back a bit further. In 1946, Alan Livingston produced a children's read-a-long book for Capitol Records titled Bozo at the Circus.(fun fact: Mr. Livingston would go on to oversee the creation of Bonanza 13 years later) 3 years after the album was released, Bozo got his first TV show, a Friday evening show in Los Angeles. In 1956, one of the actors hired to play Bozo bought the licensing rights to the character, subsequently franchising them out to various cities across the country. This is where Chicago comes into the picture.
In 1960, WGN got the rights to Bozo and started putting him into segments in between cartoons. This arrangement lasted for about 6 months until WGN moved their television operations out of the Tribune Tower to their own studio on the city's northwest side. It was there on September 11, 1961 that the Bozo craze truly hit Chicago. On that date, a one-hour program called Bozo's Circus premiered, featuring Bozo, Ringmaster Ned, a 13-piece orchestra, humor, whimsy, and the Grand Prize Game, all taped in front of a 200-member studio audience. While 200 people to watch a children's show may sound like a lot, the supply couldn't come close to meeting demand. At the height of its popularity, there was a 10-year waiting list for tickets, and many women took to reserving a spot for their children as soon as they found out they were pregnant. The Bozo mania was so rampant that even in the wake of the Great Blizzard of 1967, a full house was lined up to gain access to the show.(alas, that was one of the few instances where the taping was cancelled and a repeat was shown in its place) In 1978, WGN became a cable superstation, and much like Harry Caray and the Cubs, Bozo benefited from being seen by a national audience. In 1984, the original host (Bob Bell) retired, and so a national search was launched for the next host. Joey D'Auria (who had gained fame as a contestant on The Gong Show) was picked to replace Bell. With a new host in place, the show went into the 1990s as a Chicago institution. Unfortunately, changes that began in 1997 ultimately did the show in. That year, the FCC passed new rules mandating 3 hours of educational programming be shown by all television stations each week. The next year, one of the cast members left as a result of budget cuts. Finally, WGN announced the cancellation of the program in 2001. The final taping was a 90 minute primetime special that aired on July 14 of that year.
Bozo's legacy lives on in many different ways. Several costumes and props are on exhibit at the Museum of Broadcast Communications (also in Chicago). The Bozo character has popped up in various places over the years, from WGN specials, to parades, to even a 2008 PSA about the upcoming switch to digital television. The most recent appearance of Bozo came in 2018 when WGN re-entered the world of shows done before a live studio audience with Man of the People, which even featured a special appearance from Bozo himself.
In 1960, WGN got the rights to Bozo and started putting him into segments in between cartoons. This arrangement lasted for about 6 months until WGN moved their television operations out of the Tribune Tower to their own studio on the city's northwest side. It was there on September 11, 1961 that the Bozo craze truly hit Chicago. On that date, a one-hour program called Bozo's Circus premiered, featuring Bozo, Ringmaster Ned, a 13-piece orchestra, humor, whimsy, and the Grand Prize Game, all taped in front of a 200-member studio audience. While 200 people to watch a children's show may sound like a lot, the supply couldn't come close to meeting demand. At the height of its popularity, there was a 10-year waiting list for tickets, and many women took to reserving a spot for their children as soon as they found out they were pregnant. The Bozo mania was so rampant that even in the wake of the Great Blizzard of 1967, a full house was lined up to gain access to the show.(alas, that was one of the few instances where the taping was cancelled and a repeat was shown in its place) In 1978, WGN became a cable superstation, and much like Harry Caray and the Cubs, Bozo benefited from being seen by a national audience. In 1984, the original host (Bob Bell) retired, and so a national search was launched for the next host. Joey D'Auria (who had gained fame as a contestant on The Gong Show) was picked to replace Bell. With a new host in place, the show went into the 1990s as a Chicago institution. Unfortunately, changes that began in 1997 ultimately did the show in. That year, the FCC passed new rules mandating 3 hours of educational programming be shown by all television stations each week. The next year, one of the cast members left as a result of budget cuts. Finally, WGN announced the cancellation of the program in 2001. The final taping was a 90 minute primetime special that aired on July 14 of that year.
Bozo's legacy lives on in many different ways. Several costumes and props are on exhibit at the Museum of Broadcast Communications (also in Chicago). The Bozo character has popped up in various places over the years, from WGN specials, to parades, to even a 2008 PSA about the upcoming switch to digital television. The most recent appearance of Bozo came in 2018 when WGN re-entered the world of shows done before a live studio audience with Man of the People, which even featured a special appearance from Bozo himself.
Saturday, February 24, 2018
Saving Cornish
Daniel Hale Williams isn't a name that jumps off the page like other notable names. But his accomplishments stand tall nonetheless. He was one of the first African American surgeons in the country. In 1883, he got his degree from what is now known as the Northwestern University Medical School. He then ran into a roadblock, as African Americans weren't generally allowed to work in hospitals in Chicago. He solved this problem by starting his own hospital. In 1891 he opened up Provident Hospital, the country's first African American owned and operated hospital. This valuable resource provided educational opportunities to aspiring doctors in the black community, as well as care options for patients that previously may not have been able to be treated at other hospitals.
By 1893, the hospital was up and running. And while the energies of the city may have been concentrated in other places that year, life went on. On July 9 of that year, life would conspire to put Dr. Williams in the history books once more. On that day, a gentleman by the name of James Cornish was involved in a bar fight. After ostensibly losing the fight, Cornish was brought into Provident with a knife wound in his chest. With the patient dying, Dr. Williams didn't have much time to think. So, he opened him up right there and operated directly on the heart. There were no antibiotics, x-rays, or anesthesia as we know it today. Even with all that against him, Dr. Williams saved Cornish's life and he walked out of Provident 51 days later with a clean bill of health. Not just was Cornish's life saved, but Dr. William had performed one of the first successful pericardium heart surgeries in the United States.
By 1893, the hospital was up and running. And while the energies of the city may have been concentrated in other places that year, life went on. On July 9 of that year, life would conspire to put Dr. Williams in the history books once more. On that day, a gentleman by the name of James Cornish was involved in a bar fight. After ostensibly losing the fight, Cornish was brought into Provident with a knife wound in his chest. With the patient dying, Dr. Williams didn't have much time to think. So, he opened him up right there and operated directly on the heart. There were no antibiotics, x-rays, or anesthesia as we know it today. Even with all that against him, Dr. Williams saved Cornish's life and he walked out of Provident 51 days later with a clean bill of health. Not just was Cornish's life saved, but Dr. William had performed one of the first successful pericardium heart surgeries in the United States.
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
The Wrath of the Auto Vamp
In the Summer of 1922, the streets of Chicago were greeted by a new horror: the Auto Vamp. Jeane Miller, the 21-year-old bodacious beauty that she was, had been making a habit of flagging down passing motorists, jumping in their cars, and then blackmailing the hapless men, who certainly wouldn't want their wives to find out that they'd been taking attractive young ladies for rides around town. In August, Chicago's Finest bravely put an end to the vamping by arresting Miller. Alas, she skipped bail. Fast-forward to the evening of January 17, 1923, and Ms. Miller was walking down Oak Street when a passing citizen decided to take matters into his own hands. Just as a citizen's arrest was about to be made, another passerby surmised that Jeane was being kidnapped, and immediately spirited her away to safety in his own vehicle. The first gentleman gave chase, and a pursuit was at hand. Heading east, a motorcycle cop saw the commotion and joined the pursuit. When the chase hit Lake Shore Drive, the policeman finally caught up to the situation, informed the two drivers that he would sort out the misunderstanding, and booked Ms. Miller for bond forfeiture. And never again would the Auto Vamp strike fear into the hearts of Chicago motorists.
Connect With Your City
Friday, January 23, 2015
That Commercial Could Be Worth Money!
Growing up in the Chicagoland area, there are certain commercials that stick with you. The Empire Carpet commercial(or more specifically the jingle at the end). The Luna Commercial(or once again, the jingle) is another legendary earworm. But in the category of commercials that get stuck in your head, nothing takes the cake quite like this:
Victory Auto Wreckers has used the above commercial continuously since 1985, only replacing the narrator over the intervening time. Originally it was made by pulling a Victory tow truck driver(Bob Azajdel) off of his shift and having him film the spot. He was paid $25 for his time, and the rest was history. Now, 30 years later, Victory is celebrating the commercial by asking for new ones! Just send your idea over to Victory, and it could win $500 and be featured in a new ad.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Chicago Style Poles
Life in a firehouse. You've got the ever present firefighters, the engines, the chili(of course the chili), and the fire pole(plus a few other things). Let's talk about that fire pole. Such a basic piece of fire technology, so simple in fact that it could have been in use when Marcus Crassus started running around Rome extorting people into paying for his services. However, it's not quite that old. Legend has it hat the first fire pole was used in Boston. I'm here to tell you that legend has it wrong.
To get the story, we need to go back to 1878 Chicago. Seven years after the Great Chicago Fire, the city is still making its comeback, and is 15 years away from hosting the Columbian Exhibition. One day that year, Engine Company #21(an all-black fire unit) was responding to a call when fireman George Reid slid down from the third floor using a pole that was intended to help stock the loft with hay for the horses(this was 1878, how else do you expect the firefighters to get to the fire?). Captain David Kenyon saw the wisdom here and convinced the Chief to make the change. Initially, other fire departments looked at them like they were crazy and even started to ridicule their pole method. That all changed when Company #21 started consistently being the first on the scene to fires in the city, at which point they (I imagine somewhat sheepishly) picked up the trend.
By the early 20th Century, the trend had caught on around the world. Today, fire poles are on the decline, (due to their many risks) with many new fire stations being built ranch-style. However, many historical multi-level houses still have them, a continuation of a 136 year old Chicago tradition.
To get the story, we need to go back to 1878 Chicago. Seven years after the Great Chicago Fire, the city is still making its comeback, and is 15 years away from hosting the Columbian Exhibition. One day that year, Engine Company #21(an all-black fire unit) was responding to a call when fireman George Reid slid down from the third floor using a pole that was intended to help stock the loft with hay for the horses(this was 1878, how else do you expect the firefighters to get to the fire?). Captain David Kenyon saw the wisdom here and convinced the Chief to make the change. Initially, other fire departments looked at them like they were crazy and even started to ridicule their pole method. That all changed when Company #21 started consistently being the first on the scene to fires in the city, at which point they (I imagine somewhat sheepishly) picked up the trend.
By the early 20th Century, the trend had caught on around the world. Today, fire poles are on the decline, (due to their many risks) with many new fire stations being built ranch-style. However, many historical multi-level houses still have them, a continuation of a 136 year old Chicago tradition.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Trivia Tuesday: The Deadliest Accident
Okay folks, we're back for more trivia. But first, here's the answer to last week's question. The Chicago Sports Museum has any number of items on display, and I asked you to name 3 of them. You could have said any of the following:
The home plate from Kerry Wood's final game before retiring(signed by Woody himself, of course)
The blasted smithereens of what used to be a baseball(that fell by a certain seat) used in a certain baseball game on October 14, 2003
Several pieces of memorabilia from the actor James Denton(who used to bus tables at the establishment when he was a struggling young actor)
Richard Dent's 1985 Super Bowl trophy
The bat used to make the final out of the 2005 World Series
Several old newspaper clippings reporting on classic moments in Chicago Sports History
And now, on to this week's question:
The deadliest aviation accident on American soil happened right here in Chicago. What date did it happen on? For bonus points, what airport did the plane fly out of? For extra bonus points, what was the name of the pilot of the plane?
Best of luck, and we'll be back next week with the answer and more trivia.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Spider Dan: Surreal Chicago Week Day 2
The 1980s in Chicago. A time of Chicagofest, big hair, NO DISCO, Da Bears(and their Superfans), and many other things. One of the more surreal Chicago events from that decade came in 1981. First, on Memorial Day, a gentleman by the name of Dan Goodwin scaled the Sears Tower using (among other things) suction cups in an effort to call attention to the challenges of rescuing people from high-rise fires(a peril he knew firsthand from watching the infamous MGM Grand fire a year earlier in Las Vegas). His climb took seven hours, and aside from a few attempts by the Fire Department to stop him, he reached the top of the tower and unfurled the flag to honor his father.
Six months later Dan came back for Veterans Day. After having just climbed 56 stories in Dallas 4 days earlier, this time he had his sights set on the 100 story John Hancock Center. He started out, this time in a wetsuit made to resemble a Spider Man outfit. As he went, he swung across the building on a rope in order to elude firefighters who were trying to catch him with a window-washing machine. The firefighters then switched to using fire hoses in an attempt to blow him off the side of the building, while at the same time using axes to break the windows of the Hancock in order to deprive Goodwin of handholds. In addition to all of that, they also stuck poles through the windows to dislodge him. Finally, Mayor Jane Byrne stepped in to stop the madness and allowed Spider Dan to finish his climb unimpeded. Of course he was arrested at the top of the building, but he raised awareness anyway.
Over the intervening 33 years, Goodwin has climbed several more buildings, including the CN Tower, the North Tower of the World Trade Center, and even a building in Chile this past March, but Chicagoans will remember him as the man who took on the 2 tallest buildings in the city-and lived to tell the tale.
Six months later Dan came back for Veterans Day. After having just climbed 56 stories in Dallas 4 days earlier, this time he had his sights set on the 100 story John Hancock Center. He started out, this time in a wetsuit made to resemble a Spider Man outfit. As he went, he swung across the building on a rope in order to elude firefighters who were trying to catch him with a window-washing machine. The firefighters then switched to using fire hoses in an attempt to blow him off the side of the building, while at the same time using axes to break the windows of the Hancock in order to deprive Goodwin of handholds. In addition to all of that, they also stuck poles through the windows to dislodge him. Finally, Mayor Jane Byrne stepped in to stop the madness and allowed Spider Dan to finish his climb unimpeded. Of course he was arrested at the top of the building, but he raised awareness anyway.
Over the intervening 33 years, Goodwin has climbed several more buildings, including the CN Tower, the North Tower of the World Trade Center, and even a building in Chile this past March, but Chicagoans will remember him as the man who took on the 2 tallest buildings in the city-and lived to tell the tale.
Monday, November 17, 2014
George Streeter-The Man, The Myth, The Squatting: Surreal Chicago Week Day 1
War Veteran. Squatter. Captain. Gun-runner. Pioneer. Criminal. Land owner. Scoundrel. Liar. All of these words(and many others) could be used to describe George 'Cap' Streeter, an eccentric Chicagoan from the late 19th Century who inadvertently played a large part in helping create the Chicago we all know today.
According to his own self-aggrandizing legend, the whole thing started in 1886 when he ran his boat (named the Reutan) aground off the shore of Lake Michigan. Finding that the boat was impossible to extricate from he sandbar, Streeter just left it there. At this time, the Lake was still a popular dumping ground for all sorts of waste produced by the city(a practice that had started in the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire). This, combined with the natural accumulation of silt, meant that eventually Streeter's boat was connected to the mainland of the city. By this time Streeter had organized the "United States District of Lake Michigan" around his wreck, refusing to recognize any outside authority, and inviting other squatters to join him. In 1889, he moved to another ship that had run aground in the dump, naming it the Castle. This touched off a period where Streeter and his fellow squatters would periodically fight off interlopers, be they dismayed wealthy land owners and industrialists in a court of law, or constables with gunfire and pots of boiling water(he beat the rap on the gunfire on account of the fact that buckshot wasn't considered to be a deadly weapon).
By 1892, the land that made up Streeter's squatter village was valued at approximately $300,000(which is equal to roughly $7.9 Million today). The following year, the District had accumulated quite the underworld element, attracting prostitutes, the homeless, and other 'undesirables'(somewhat reminiscent of another infamous red-light district). That same year, Streeter took advantage of the Colombian Exposition to make some more money. He re-floated the Reutan(the original boat he ran aground in 1886) and used it to ferry folks back and forth from his District to Jackson Park(the site of the fair). In the aftermath of the fair, there were many subsequent attempts to remove him, all of which were fought off either in the courts or in person. Streeter maintained his right to the District until his death in 1921(even though he moved to East Chicago 3 years earlier). Despite all the bad blood he'd had with the city through his life, the mayor of Chicago(who at that time was the infamous Big Bill Thompson) allegedly attended his funeral.
The actual facts of Streeter's life are a bit different. While he did serve in the Civil War, he wasn't a captain. He had acquired his boat in an attempt to take up a gun-running operation to Latin America. Coming upon the lakefront, he saw an opportunity to make a quick(and illegal)buck. He obtained permission from a landowner to dock his boat on the shoreline, and from there plotted to have the shoreline filled in so as to obfuscate the land titles, letting him "claim" land that was owned by(amongst others)the estate of William Ogden(Chicago's first mayor), Potter Palmer, and the Chicago Title and Trust Company. He then sold plots of land to other squatters, even going so far as to keep detailed records of collected property taxes. Eventually, Streeter claimed to own 186 acres of land right off of the lake. In reality, much of that landfill had actually been created for the building of Lake Shore Drive. To reassure skittish investors(as well as pressure landowners into paying him off) Streeter would periodically stage 'invasions' where he would lead a band of squatters onto his land with shanties. They would set up shop, the landowners would quickly send their goons after them, and then Streeter would complain that his rights were being infringed by the big, bad landowners. This process repeated itself until Streeter was convicted of manslaughter in 1902. After being sent to prison, Streeter eventually died at the age of 84 in 1921 from pneumonia.
While many of the facts of Streeter's life rest on the fence of him either being a folk hero or just a low-rent thug, what cannot be argued is his impact on the city. After all the squatters were evicted from Streeter's 'District', the developers moved in and started building. The building never stopped, and today the site of the John Hancock Center and the surrounding neighborhood is known as Streeterville.
According to his own self-aggrandizing legend, the whole thing started in 1886 when he ran his boat (named the Reutan) aground off the shore of Lake Michigan. Finding that the boat was impossible to extricate from he sandbar, Streeter just left it there. At this time, the Lake was still a popular dumping ground for all sorts of waste produced by the city(a practice that had started in the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire). This, combined with the natural accumulation of silt, meant that eventually Streeter's boat was connected to the mainland of the city. By this time Streeter had organized the "United States District of Lake Michigan" around his wreck, refusing to recognize any outside authority, and inviting other squatters to join him. In 1889, he moved to another ship that had run aground in the dump, naming it the Castle. This touched off a period where Streeter and his fellow squatters would periodically fight off interlopers, be they dismayed wealthy land owners and industrialists in a court of law, or constables with gunfire and pots of boiling water(he beat the rap on the gunfire on account of the fact that buckshot wasn't considered to be a deadly weapon).
By 1892, the land that made up Streeter's squatter village was valued at approximately $300,000(which is equal to roughly $7.9 Million today). The following year, the District had accumulated quite the underworld element, attracting prostitutes, the homeless, and other 'undesirables'(somewhat reminiscent of another infamous red-light district). That same year, Streeter took advantage of the Colombian Exposition to make some more money. He re-floated the Reutan(the original boat he ran aground in 1886) and used it to ferry folks back and forth from his District to Jackson Park(the site of the fair). In the aftermath of the fair, there were many subsequent attempts to remove him, all of which were fought off either in the courts or in person. Streeter maintained his right to the District until his death in 1921(even though he moved to East Chicago 3 years earlier). Despite all the bad blood he'd had with the city through his life, the mayor of Chicago(who at that time was the infamous Big Bill Thompson) allegedly attended his funeral.
The actual facts of Streeter's life are a bit different. While he did serve in the Civil War, he wasn't a captain. He had acquired his boat in an attempt to take up a gun-running operation to Latin America. Coming upon the lakefront, he saw an opportunity to make a quick(and illegal)buck. He obtained permission from a landowner to dock his boat on the shoreline, and from there plotted to have the shoreline filled in so as to obfuscate the land titles, letting him "claim" land that was owned by(amongst others)the estate of William Ogden(Chicago's first mayor), Potter Palmer, and the Chicago Title and Trust Company. He then sold plots of land to other squatters, even going so far as to keep detailed records of collected property taxes. Eventually, Streeter claimed to own 186 acres of land right off of the lake. In reality, much of that landfill had actually been created for the building of Lake Shore Drive. To reassure skittish investors(as well as pressure landowners into paying him off) Streeter would periodically stage 'invasions' where he would lead a band of squatters onto his land with shanties. They would set up shop, the landowners would quickly send their goons after them, and then Streeter would complain that his rights were being infringed by the big, bad landowners. This process repeated itself until Streeter was convicted of manslaughter in 1902. After being sent to prison, Streeter eventually died at the age of 84 in 1921 from pneumonia.
While many of the facts of Streeter's life rest on the fence of him either being a folk hero or just a low-rent thug, what cannot be argued is his impact on the city. After all the squatters were evicted from Streeter's 'District', the developers moved in and started building. The building never stopped, and today the site of the John Hancock Center and the surrounding neighborhood is known as Streeterville.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Poopgate
On August 8, 2004, several people taking one of the many tours of the Chicago River got way more than they bargained for. In fact, it could be said that they had a downright shitty experience. And it all had to do with the Dave Matthews Band. No, their music isn't that bad(I actually think their stuff is pretty good, but that's just me talking), but the judgment of one of their bus drivers might have been.
On that day the bus was going throughout the city and crossing the Kinzie Street bridge when driver Stefan Wohl decided to empty the septic tanks on the bus. Now dumping waste into the Chicago River is a time-honored tradition just as old as the corruption(it was even the indirect cause of reversing the river in the first place), but being that it was 2004 and not 1904, that kind of stuff was frowned upon. Additionally, that kind of stuff is really frowned upon when there happens to be an open-air tour boat crossing underneath the bridge at the moment you let loose. Long story short, about 800 pounds of human waste fell onto the boat, the Chicago Architecture Foundation had to issue refunds as well as decontaminate the boat, the bus driver was fired, and the band wound up paying around $300,000 in restitution to various sources.
Ironically, the band was nowhere close to its bus at the time of the incident. Dave Matthews himself was on a plane and didn't know a thing about it. All he knew was that some bus had dumped its tanks on top of a tour bus, which seemed slightly humorous at the time-until he touched down and realized that one of his buses was responsible for the incident. While definitely remorseful, he does offer some thoughts on it. "If Snoop Dogg had done it, it probably would have raised his record sales, but it applies differently to everyone".
On that day the bus was going throughout the city and crossing the Kinzie Street bridge when driver Stefan Wohl decided to empty the septic tanks on the bus. Now dumping waste into the Chicago River is a time-honored tradition just as old as the corruption(it was even the indirect cause of reversing the river in the first place), but being that it was 2004 and not 1904, that kind of stuff was frowned upon. Additionally, that kind of stuff is really frowned upon when there happens to be an open-air tour boat crossing underneath the bridge at the moment you let loose. Long story short, about 800 pounds of human waste fell onto the boat, the Chicago Architecture Foundation had to issue refunds as well as decontaminate the boat, the bus driver was fired, and the band wound up paying around $300,000 in restitution to various sources.
Ironically, the band was nowhere close to its bus at the time of the incident. Dave Matthews himself was on a plane and didn't know a thing about it. All he knew was that some bus had dumped its tanks on top of a tour bus, which seemed slightly humorous at the time-until he touched down and realized that one of his buses was responsible for the incident. While definitely remorseful, he does offer some thoughts on it. "If Snoop Dogg had done it, it probably would have raised his record sales, but it applies differently to everyone".
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
One Day in Chicago: Baseball Heartbreak
45 years ago today. September 24, 1969. Two sides of town, two groundbreaking moments, and two infamous stories that live on to this day.
In 1969, the Cubs were entering Leo Durocher's 4th season as manager. After coming in with a thud in a 101-loss first season(the last time before 2012 that the team would lose over 100 games), the team had performed better every year, culminating with an 84-78 record in the 1968 campaign. With the core back and getting hot at the right time, things looked great. Ernie Banks even said that "The Cubs will be fine in sixty-nine" And for the first several months of the season, it looked like Banks was right. They led the National League East for 155 days, a welcome sight for a fan base that hadn't seen postseason baseball since 1945. The team sent its entire infield to the 1969 All-Star Game, putting the world on notice that these Cubs were for real. All throughout the rest of the summer the team dominated. But then September reared its ugly, ugly head.
It all started when the Cubs were at Shea Stadium playing the Mets on September 2nd. Ron Santo was in the on-deck circle when a cat got loose and made its way onto the field. Not a big deal, right? Did I mention that the cat was black? That was just the first nail in the coffin. After that you had Santo mercilessly castigating a young player for a rookie mistake, the Cubs going 18-27 down the stretch, Leo Durocher riding the players too hard for too long, day baseball, and before you knew what hit you, it was September 24, 1969, and the Mets won the NL East. The Cubs' postseason dreams were crushed. Those freakin' New York Mets. After coming on the scene in 1962 and setting the modern day record for futility with 120 losses(never fear 1899 Cleveland Spiders, your actual record will never be touched), they'd spent the next 6 seasons as the universal joke of Major League Baseball. Then they came out of nowhere in 1969, not only overtaking the Cubs, but also leapfrogging established powers like the St. Louis Cardinals to win the pennant and the World Series. The collapse of 1969 left the city and the fan base numb with shock and disappointment, and many fans of a certain age remember the Fall of 1969 like it was yesterday.
In 1969, the Cubs were entering Leo Durocher's 4th season as manager. After coming in with a thud in a 101-loss first season(the last time before 2012 that the team would lose over 100 games), the team had performed better every year, culminating with an 84-78 record in the 1968 campaign. With the core back and getting hot at the right time, things looked great. Ernie Banks even said that "The Cubs will be fine in sixty-nine" And for the first several months of the season, it looked like Banks was right. They led the National League East for 155 days, a welcome sight for a fan base that hadn't seen postseason baseball since 1945. The team sent its entire infield to the 1969 All-Star Game, putting the world on notice that these Cubs were for real. All throughout the rest of the summer the team dominated. But then September reared its ugly, ugly head.
It all started when the Cubs were at Shea Stadium playing the Mets on September 2nd. Ron Santo was in the on-deck circle when a cat got loose and made its way onto the field. Not a big deal, right? Did I mention that the cat was black? That was just the first nail in the coffin. After that you had Santo mercilessly castigating a young player for a rookie mistake, the Cubs going 18-27 down the stretch, Leo Durocher riding the players too hard for too long, day baseball, and before you knew what hit you, it was September 24, 1969, and the Mets won the NL East. The Cubs' postseason dreams were crushed. Those freakin' New York Mets. After coming on the scene in 1962 and setting the modern day record for futility with 120 losses(never fear 1899 Cleveland Spiders, your actual record will never be touched), they'd spent the next 6 seasons as the universal joke of Major League Baseball. Then they came out of nowhere in 1969, not only overtaking the Cubs, but also leapfrogging established powers like the St. Louis Cardinals to win the pennant and the World Series. The collapse of 1969 left the city and the fan base numb with shock and disappointment, and many fans of a certain age remember the Fall of 1969 like it was yesterday.
One Day in Chicago: Courtroom Drama
45 years ago today. September 24, 1969. Two sides of town, two groundbreaking moments, and two infamous stories that live on to this day.
In 1968, the youth of Chicago gave the Democratic Party a welcome that they would not soon forget. Amidst all the fracas and police riots, several people were arrested. More than a year later, on September 24, 1969, 8 of them were brought up on charges, and the circus was all set to go.
This was where the flippant and authority-challenging Abbie Hoffman would run headlong into the Hon. Julius Hoffman, with all the showboating, disrespect, and theatrics that you could imagine. This was where Bobby Seale, after going through two different lawyers, eventually found himself bound and gagged in the courtroom, and soon thereafter dropped from the case. This was where Judge Hoffman seemed hell-bent on obtaining justice his way and his way only, going so far as to briefly jail two lawyers who were ill prepared, and even threatening to detain the jury until they reached a verdict. This was the trial that featured legal professionals, experts, and counter-culture luminaries all sharing the courtroom. This was where the outside of the courthouse was just as much of a circus as inside, with the roster including such groups as infamous 1970s terror group The Weather Underground. This was the trial that cemented the Chicago Seven's place in history. This was a trial for the ages.
But this wasn't even the most pressing thought on the minds of many Chicagoans 45 years ago today. For that, we must turn to the North Side and the type of heartbreak that strikes sports fans but once in a generation. We must turn, to the 1969 Chicago Cubs.
In 1968, the youth of Chicago gave the Democratic Party a welcome that they would not soon forget. Amidst all the fracas and police riots, several people were arrested. More than a year later, on September 24, 1969, 8 of them were brought up on charges, and the circus was all set to go.
This was where the flippant and authority-challenging Abbie Hoffman would run headlong into the Hon. Julius Hoffman, with all the showboating, disrespect, and theatrics that you could imagine. This was where Bobby Seale, after going through two different lawyers, eventually found himself bound and gagged in the courtroom, and soon thereafter dropped from the case. This was where Judge Hoffman seemed hell-bent on obtaining justice his way and his way only, going so far as to briefly jail two lawyers who were ill prepared, and even threatening to detain the jury until they reached a verdict. This was the trial that featured legal professionals, experts, and counter-culture luminaries all sharing the courtroom. This was where the outside of the courthouse was just as much of a circus as inside, with the roster including such groups as infamous 1970s terror group The Weather Underground. This was the trial that cemented the Chicago Seven's place in history. This was a trial for the ages.
But this wasn't even the most pressing thought on the minds of many Chicagoans 45 years ago today. For that, we must turn to the North Side and the type of heartbreak that strikes sports fans but once in a generation. We must turn, to the 1969 Chicago Cubs.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Everybody Gets a Car!
On September 13, 2004, Oprah Winfrey kicked off the 19th Season of her acclaimed talk show with Harpo Studios filled to the brim with 276 screaming fans. As the episode went on, Oprah was teasing some big thing happening at the end of the show, leading all the viewers on and making them wonder what it could possibly be. Then the moment came, and Oprah announced that 11 members of her audience were going home with brand a new Pontiac G6. As a final act, she distributed boxes to every member of the studio audience under the pretense of one of the boxes containing keys to a final car being given away. She even told the audience: "Do not open it[the box). Do not shake it,". And then, they opened the box. And one lucky audience member found the keys to a new car. And then the person sitting next to them found the same thing. And then the next guy too. And so on and so forth until...Well let's just let Oprah say what happened next, shall we?
Yes, all remixed and everything. Alas, the aftermath of the giveaway wasn't nearly as rosy as the buildup to it. You see, all 276 models of the Pontiac G6 that were given away that day were prizes. And thanks to the quirks of U.S. tax law, the winners(audience members) had to pay taxes on the value of those cars, which worked out to roughly $6,000. Some winners chose to either forfeit the cars, or sell them to pay the tax bill. Of course some people kept the cars, and a few of them are even still on the road today 10 years later(On a separate note, in 2010 Oprah did the same kind of giveaway, except this time the taxes were taken care of already.) While many of those cars aren't with their original winners anymore, the Oprah Winfrey show has been off the air for over 3 years, and the Pontiac brand has even been shuttered by GM, the legacy of that day and its immediate impact will live on for years to come.
Monday, September 1, 2014
The Chicago Way for a Chicago Union: Labor Day Digest 6/6
After 5 entries about Labor History in Chicago, it's time for one final post. As a recap, so far today we have talked about The Jungle, the Pullman Strike, Samuel Gompers, the Haymarket Affair, and International Worker's Day(aka May Day). But now, we wrap it all up by getting acquainted with the Teamsters...
Ever since 1887, the American Federation of Labor had been organizing groups of teamsters(the term is derived from workers who would lead teams of draft horses that moved goods from place to place) into groups to better advocate for themselves and their causes. In 1898, the AFL created a separate division specifically for Teamsters. However, this failed to satisfy a group of Teamsters in Chicago, who created the Teamsters National Union in 1901. 2 years later, the AFL arranged for its teamster union to merge with the Teamsters, creating the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which is what the union is known as to this day. Even in the very first election held by the Teamsters, the future corruption of the union was evident, as the man elected President of the Teamsters(Cornelius Shea) was accused of embezzlement prior to the election.
Once taking office, the accusations against Shea were borne out in the actions of the Teamsters. As the Teamsters were the union representing drivers, a strike by them could quite literally paralyze commerce throughout an entire city. During Shea's administration, the Teamsters would routinely abuse this trait by soliciting bribes from city officials to avert Teamster strikes. The Teamsters did participate in some legitimate actions during Shea's time, including strikes in support of railway workers and meat cutters. In 1905, the union walked out in support of tailors at Montgomery Ward. Everything went great, until it was revealed that Cornelius Shea had spent the duration of the strike carousing in a brothel hosting lavish parties all in the company of his 19-year-old mistress. This marked the beginning of the end of the Shea era, and his successor was elected President in 1907.
For the next 45 years, Daniel Tobin took the helm, a period of time that saw the union reach new heights in both membership and levels of corruption. By the dawn of the 1950s, the Teamsters' corruption reached new levels when they started mingling with organized crime. It was also during this time that the Teamsters started trying to absorb other unions into their ranks. This started with the International Longshoreman's Association, a union that was even more corrupt than the Teamsters, even to the point of electing a known mob associate as VP of the union. This attempt was vetoed by the AFL, but another attempt was made to merge with the Brewery Workers Union. When this was vetoed by the Brewers, the Teamsters raided the union anyway, an action that drew harsh criticism from the AFL, which wound up passing an anti-raiding bill in the wake of the incident.
In 1957, the Teamsters elected Jimmy Hoffa to be their president, and he once again upheld the status quo of corruption that was the Teamsters' trademark. This time, the graft of choice was taking monies from the union's pension plans and funneling them to the Mafia in order to aid their erection of Las Vegas as we know it today. This involvement with The Mob got Hoffa caught up in the anti-organized crime crusade that was being led by Robert Kennedy, and Hoffa was sent to prison in 1967. President Nixon pardoned him in 1972, but on the condition that he suspend all involvement with the Teamsters until 1980, at which point Hoffa could make a comeback. This was not to be however, as Hoffa disappeared without a trace in 1975, never to be heard from again.
In more recent times, the Teamsters have tried to initiate reforms, stemming from the organization of individual union members into groups such as Teamsters for a Democratic Union, which has been a force since the late 1970s. Over the years, the TDU has fought for and won much greater transparency at all levels of the Teamsters. No longer could upper management strike deals on contracts and pensions in smoke-filled rooms and keep the everyday union man in the dark. Also in this period, the rank-and-file teamsters won the right to directly elect the top leadership of the union for the first time. Today, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters still advocates for the rights of haulers everywhere, while continuing to clean up its checkered past
Ever since 1887, the American Federation of Labor had been organizing groups of teamsters(the term is derived from workers who would lead teams of draft horses that moved goods from place to place) into groups to better advocate for themselves and their causes. In 1898, the AFL created a separate division specifically for Teamsters. However, this failed to satisfy a group of Teamsters in Chicago, who created the Teamsters National Union in 1901. 2 years later, the AFL arranged for its teamster union to merge with the Teamsters, creating the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which is what the union is known as to this day. Even in the very first election held by the Teamsters, the future corruption of the union was evident, as the man elected President of the Teamsters(Cornelius Shea) was accused of embezzlement prior to the election.
Once taking office, the accusations against Shea were borne out in the actions of the Teamsters. As the Teamsters were the union representing drivers, a strike by them could quite literally paralyze commerce throughout an entire city. During Shea's administration, the Teamsters would routinely abuse this trait by soliciting bribes from city officials to avert Teamster strikes. The Teamsters did participate in some legitimate actions during Shea's time, including strikes in support of railway workers and meat cutters. In 1905, the union walked out in support of tailors at Montgomery Ward. Everything went great, until it was revealed that Cornelius Shea had spent the duration of the strike carousing in a brothel hosting lavish parties all in the company of his 19-year-old mistress. This marked the beginning of the end of the Shea era, and his successor was elected President in 1907.
For the next 45 years, Daniel Tobin took the helm, a period of time that saw the union reach new heights in both membership and levels of corruption. By the dawn of the 1950s, the Teamsters' corruption reached new levels when they started mingling with organized crime. It was also during this time that the Teamsters started trying to absorb other unions into their ranks. This started with the International Longshoreman's Association, a union that was even more corrupt than the Teamsters, even to the point of electing a known mob associate as VP of the union. This attempt was vetoed by the AFL, but another attempt was made to merge with the Brewery Workers Union. When this was vetoed by the Brewers, the Teamsters raided the union anyway, an action that drew harsh criticism from the AFL, which wound up passing an anti-raiding bill in the wake of the incident.
In 1957, the Teamsters elected Jimmy Hoffa to be their president, and he once again upheld the status quo of corruption that was the Teamsters' trademark. This time, the graft of choice was taking monies from the union's pension plans and funneling them to the Mafia in order to aid their erection of Las Vegas as we know it today. This involvement with The Mob got Hoffa caught up in the anti-organized crime crusade that was being led by Robert Kennedy, and Hoffa was sent to prison in 1967. President Nixon pardoned him in 1972, but on the condition that he suspend all involvement with the Teamsters until 1980, at which point Hoffa could make a comeback. This was not to be however, as Hoffa disappeared without a trace in 1975, never to be heard from again.
In more recent times, the Teamsters have tried to initiate reforms, stemming from the organization of individual union members into groups such as Teamsters for a Democratic Union, which has been a force since the late 1970s. Over the years, the TDU has fought for and won much greater transparency at all levels of the Teamsters. No longer could upper management strike deals on contracts and pensions in smoke-filled rooms and keep the everyday union man in the dark. Also in this period, the rank-and-file teamsters won the right to directly elect the top leadership of the union for the first time. Today, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters still advocates for the rights of haulers everywhere, while continuing to clean up its checkered past
May Day! May Day!: Labor Day Digest 5/6
For our pentultimate Labor Day post, I ask a question: Why is May 1 always commemorated with a smattering of rallies and protests across the nation? This is why.
As was mentioned in the entry about Haymarket, there are still commemorations nowadays in honor of the Haymarket Strike and the sacrifices made as part of it. In 1889, the Second International(a worldwide confederation of socialist groups) met for their First Congress in Paris. At this meeting it was decided that there should be a commemoration the following year of the Haymarket Affair. The holiday became a routine occurrence following the Second Congress in 1891.
By 1904, the holiday was going along strong, when the International Socialist Conference called upon all workers to stop work on May 1 so as to demonstrate for an 8-hour workday. Over the years, the working classes in many different countries tried to have May 1 recognized as an official holiday. In most of those countries, May 1 became officially recognized as Labor Day, a day set aside each year to celebrate the contributions of workers to society.
However, one obvious exception is the United States of America. In this case, President Grover Cleveland was worried that observing Labor Day on May 1 would give different Labor groups a reason to politicize the holiday as a commemoration of the Haymarket Affair. So instead, the United States adopted the first Monday in September as the official Labor Day holiday(this may or may not have been in commemoration of the recent cessation of the Pullman Strike). However, that hasn't stopped the date from being known as an annual day of protest. On May Day you can find groups organizing in support of many different causes. In 2006, the day was selected as the date of the Great American Boycott, a march advocating for Immigration Reform, and in 2012 it was celebrated with several marches and rallies, some of them led by members of Occupy Wall Street.
As was mentioned in the entry about Haymarket, there are still commemorations nowadays in honor of the Haymarket Strike and the sacrifices made as part of it. In 1889, the Second International(a worldwide confederation of socialist groups) met for their First Congress in Paris. At this meeting it was decided that there should be a commemoration the following year of the Haymarket Affair. The holiday became a routine occurrence following the Second Congress in 1891.
By 1904, the holiday was going along strong, when the International Socialist Conference called upon all workers to stop work on May 1 so as to demonstrate for an 8-hour workday. Over the years, the working classes in many different countries tried to have May 1 recognized as an official holiday. In most of those countries, May 1 became officially recognized as Labor Day, a day set aside each year to celebrate the contributions of workers to society.
However, one obvious exception is the United States of America. In this case, President Grover Cleveland was worried that observing Labor Day on May 1 would give different Labor groups a reason to politicize the holiday as a commemoration of the Haymarket Affair. So instead, the United States adopted the first Monday in September as the official Labor Day holiday(this may or may not have been in commemoration of the recent cessation of the Pullman Strike). However, that hasn't stopped the date from being known as an annual day of protest. On May Day you can find groups organizing in support of many different causes. In 2006, the day was selected as the date of the Great American Boycott, a march advocating for Immigration Reform, and in 2012 it was celebrated with several marches and rallies, some of them led by members of Occupy Wall Street.
Haymakers in the Haymarket: Labor Day Digest 4/6
Halfway down, halfway to go. Let's turn our eyes to Chicago's old Haymarket Square for our next entry.
If there's one thing that almost everyone who works has in common, it is the 8-hour workday. Some of us might work more than that on occasion, and some of us may work less, but 8 hours is the standard. But it wasn't always this way. The 8-hour workday is yet another result of the acts of unions throughout the years. Today we're talking about one particular instance where the 8-hour day was crusaded for.
It all starts in October of 1884, when the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions met and declared that by May 1, 1886, all employers would be using the 8-hour workday as a template for the hours of their employees. As the date approached and employers did nothing, the powers that be called for a general strike so as to show support for the 8-hour workday. On the morning of May 1, roughly 40,000 workers in Chicago walked off the job and started marching in favor of the new hours. On the third day of the strike, the workers gathered near the McCormick(a relative of the Tribune's McCormick) Machine Company plant and rallied there. They heard speeches from various people there, including several beseeching them to keep the peace. And up until that point, they did. And for the rest of that day, they did.
But on the 4th day of the rally, things started out pretty calmly. For that matter, even Mayor Carter Harrison Sr. stopped by for a time. Later on in the evening, the weather was worsening, so many folks went home. At about 10:30, the police came in to force the ceasing of the speeches. As the officers were advancing towards the stage, there was a small homemade bomb thrown directly in front of the officers. The force of the blast killed 7 officers, injured several more, and touched off a straight-up riot in the middle of the street.
In the fracas, more than 100 marchers were arrested. Eventually 8 of them were charged with various crimes carrying sentences up to and including the death penalty. 1 person was sent to prison for 15 years, while the other 7 were sentenced to die. While on Death Row, one of the condemned men committed suicide, while 2 more had their sentences commuted to life in prison(and were eventually given full pardons)by the governor of Illinois. On November 11, 1887, the remaining four men were hung, carrying out the death sentence.
In the years since then, the Haymarket Affair has become a common rallying cry and shibboleth amongst supporters of organized labor. In fact, one particular aspect of the strike is commemorated every year in May. There will be more on that in another entry later on this week though. For now, we see now that the Haymarket Affair is yet another linchpin in the history of organized labor coming to us from Chicago.
If there's one thing that almost everyone who works has in common, it is the 8-hour workday. Some of us might work more than that on occasion, and some of us may work less, but 8 hours is the standard. But it wasn't always this way. The 8-hour workday is yet another result of the acts of unions throughout the years. Today we're talking about one particular instance where the 8-hour day was crusaded for.
It all starts in October of 1884, when the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions met and declared that by May 1, 1886, all employers would be using the 8-hour workday as a template for the hours of their employees. As the date approached and employers did nothing, the powers that be called for a general strike so as to show support for the 8-hour workday. On the morning of May 1, roughly 40,000 workers in Chicago walked off the job and started marching in favor of the new hours. On the third day of the strike, the workers gathered near the McCormick(a relative of the Tribune's McCormick) Machine Company plant and rallied there. They heard speeches from various people there, including several beseeching them to keep the peace. And up until that point, they did. And for the rest of that day, they did.
But on the 4th day of the rally, things started out pretty calmly. For that matter, even Mayor Carter Harrison Sr. stopped by for a time. Later on in the evening, the weather was worsening, so many folks went home. At about 10:30, the police came in to force the ceasing of the speeches. As the officers were advancing towards the stage, there was a small homemade bomb thrown directly in front of the officers. The force of the blast killed 7 officers, injured several more, and touched off a straight-up riot in the middle of the street.
In the fracas, more than 100 marchers were arrested. Eventually 8 of them were charged with various crimes carrying sentences up to and including the death penalty. 1 person was sent to prison for 15 years, while the other 7 were sentenced to die. While on Death Row, one of the condemned men committed suicide, while 2 more had their sentences commuted to life in prison(and were eventually given full pardons)by the governor of Illinois. On November 11, 1887, the remaining four men were hung, carrying out the death sentence.
In the years since then, the Haymarket Affair has become a common rallying cry and shibboleth amongst supporters of organized labor. In fact, one particular aspect of the strike is commemorated every year in May. There will be more on that in another entry later on this week though. For now, we see now that the Haymarket Affair is yet another linchpin in the history of organized labor coming to us from Chicago.
A Recreation Area for a Labor Icon: Labor Day Digest 3/6
As Labor Day winds on, here is a tale about an integral person in the Labor Movement, who has also been honored with his own park in Chicago.
How could a child born in 1850 England go on to influence the entire history and legacy of labor unions to this very day? Pretty easily actually, just ask Samuel Gompers. For the first 10 years of his life, he lived in London, and attended the Jewish Free School. All of that changed in April of 1860, when he was pulled out of school and apprenticed off as a cigarmaker in order to help his family out with their crushing levels of debt. Alas, even this did not help, and the family immigrated to the United States in 1863.
Once in the states, Gompers promptly started working once again as a cigarmaker in Manhattan, becoming active in the Local 15 Union the very next year. In 1873, he jumped to another company, one that was more in line with his advanced abilities. While there, he started to become influenced by the more socialist ideas that were propagated in the talk in that shop. 2 years after that, he became president of the Local 144 Union. In 1881, he was instrumental in founding the organization that would become the American Federation of Labor(which merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1955 to become the AFL-CIO, the largest labor federation in the United States). In 1894, he was instrumental in promoting the new Labor Day holiday that had been recognized by Congress to placate the Pullman strikers.
A number of years later, he popped back up when the United States got involved in World War I, urging all unions to hold off on striking and other labor actions during wartime so as to give America and its companies every advantage possible. Gompers died in 1924, but many of his methods of organizing labor are used to this day even. Additionally, there is both a park and a statue in downtown Chicago memorializing his roles in the labor history of this city and all others as well.
How could a child born in 1850 England go on to influence the entire history and legacy of labor unions to this very day? Pretty easily actually, just ask Samuel Gompers. For the first 10 years of his life, he lived in London, and attended the Jewish Free School. All of that changed in April of 1860, when he was pulled out of school and apprenticed off as a cigarmaker in order to help his family out with their crushing levels of debt. Alas, even this did not help, and the family immigrated to the United States in 1863.
Once in the states, Gompers promptly started working once again as a cigarmaker in Manhattan, becoming active in the Local 15 Union the very next year. In 1873, he jumped to another company, one that was more in line with his advanced abilities. While there, he started to become influenced by the more socialist ideas that were propagated in the talk in that shop. 2 years after that, he became president of the Local 144 Union. In 1881, he was instrumental in founding the organization that would become the American Federation of Labor(which merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1955 to become the AFL-CIO, the largest labor federation in the United States). In 1894, he was instrumental in promoting the new Labor Day holiday that had been recognized by Congress to placate the Pullman strikers.
A number of years later, he popped back up when the United States got involved in World War I, urging all unions to hold off on striking and other labor actions during wartime so as to give America and its companies every advantage possible. Gompers died in 1924, but many of his methods of organizing labor are used to this day even. Additionally, there is both a park and a statue in downtown Chicago memorializing his roles in the labor history of this city and all others as well.
The Train Strike: Labor Day Digest 2/6
And now for the 2nd in our Labor Day series
In 1893, several things happened. The Vienna beef hot dog was first shown to the world, the 1893 World's Fair rolled into town, Carter Harrison was assassinated, Harry Grossman was 4 years away from being born, and an economic Panic hit the country that caused the fortunes of the Pullman Palace Car Company to flounder(and for demand to take a hit as well). This slackening of demand induced George Pullman to cut back on what he was paying his workers. Okay, that seems fair enough, if profits are down, then there simply isn't as much work to give out, and dem's the breaks.
Except I'm leaving one tiny thing out. Those of you who read my entry about George Pullman know that most of the workers he had in his employ lived in an absolutely massive company town right by the factory. All of the prices and rents in this community were also set by Pullman. Well, when Pullman started losing cash, he cut the wages of all the employees. Not just that, but remember that factory town I told you about? Well, even with the wages being cut, Pullman still charged his workers the same amount of money in rent each and every month. Eventually, this got the workers to the point where they had had enough, and they started to organize.
At this point, the American Railway Union comes into the picture. This outfit had been formed in the Summer of 1893 by Eugene Debs, and was already earning a name for itself(having successfully negotiated a deal with the Great Northern Railway in August of that year.) The ARU aided the situation by calling for a general boycott of all Pullman cars. As a result 125,000 workers all across the country refused to handle trains carrying Pullman cars. To combat this, the General Manager's Association(a national federation of 24 Railroad owners) immediately brought in strikebreakers to keep the trains running. In time, the Federal Government got involved, as President Grover Cleveland considered it his responsibility to keep the mail running. To further that objective, federal troops were sent in to restore order and get the trains back up and running.
Eventually, the strike was broken, Eugene Debs was thrown in prison for six months, and everything returned to normal. However, the strike did leave one important legacy that persists to this day. In an effort to pacify organized labor in the aftermath of the strike, Congress passed a bill that recognized Labor Day as a national holiday.
In 1893, several things happened. The Vienna beef hot dog was first shown to the world, the 1893 World's Fair rolled into town, Carter Harrison was assassinated, Harry Grossman was 4 years away from being born, and an economic Panic hit the country that caused the fortunes of the Pullman Palace Car Company to flounder(and for demand to take a hit as well). This slackening of demand induced George Pullman to cut back on what he was paying his workers. Okay, that seems fair enough, if profits are down, then there simply isn't as much work to give out, and dem's the breaks.
Except I'm leaving one tiny thing out. Those of you who read my entry about George Pullman know that most of the workers he had in his employ lived in an absolutely massive company town right by the factory. All of the prices and rents in this community were also set by Pullman. Well, when Pullman started losing cash, he cut the wages of all the employees. Not just that, but remember that factory town I told you about? Well, even with the wages being cut, Pullman still charged his workers the same amount of money in rent each and every month. Eventually, this got the workers to the point where they had had enough, and they started to organize.
At this point, the American Railway Union comes into the picture. This outfit had been formed in the Summer of 1893 by Eugene Debs, and was already earning a name for itself(having successfully negotiated a deal with the Great Northern Railway in August of that year.) The ARU aided the situation by calling for a general boycott of all Pullman cars. As a result 125,000 workers all across the country refused to handle trains carrying Pullman cars. To combat this, the General Manager's Association(a national federation of 24 Railroad owners) immediately brought in strikebreakers to keep the trains running. In time, the Federal Government got involved, as President Grover Cleveland considered it his responsibility to keep the mail running. To further that objective, federal troops were sent in to restore order and get the trains back up and running.
Eventually, the strike was broken, Eugene Debs was thrown in prison for six months, and everything returned to normal. However, the strike did leave one important legacy that persists to this day. In an effort to pacify organized labor in the aftermath of the strike, Congress passed a bill that recognized Labor Day as a national holiday.
Welcome To The Jungle: Labor Day Digest 1/6
For those of you who were reading my blog last year, this might look familiar. For those of you who weren't, here's what's up. Last year I celebrated the entire first week of September as Labor Week, commemorating the many anchors that Chicago has given the Labor Movement. For this year's Labor Day, I figured I'd condense all those entries into a single day of reposting. For the next 12 hours, keep an eye to this blog as I will be putting up a new post about Chicago's Labor history. And we're gonna get things rolling with Mr. Upton Sinclair's take on the meatpacking industry.
Happy Monday everybody, and Welcome to Labor Week! For those of you who read about George Pullman, you got a small teaser for this. For all of you, here's more about what's going on this week. Today most of the country has the day off. But why is that? That is to acknowledge the many contributions to our current workplace life that have been won by Unions, including an 8-hour workday, Child Labor Laws, safety standards, health benefits, and overtime pay, just to name a few. So, between now and Friday I will be putting up an article every day talking about some facet of the history of Organized Labor and how it relates to Chicago. And trust me, I've got some heavy topics on deck for this week. From the roots of the May Day rallies that happen every year throughout the country, to the labor action that inspired the very creation of the Labor Day holiday, this week has it all. But to start off with, I'd like to show you around...The Jungle...
By 1906, the meatpacking industry had been a Chicago institution for well over half a century. However, it was about to get a rude awakening. For that was the year that Upton Sinclair threw the book(no pun intended) at the industry. In 1904, Upton Sinclair was a young writer working for a Socialist newspaper in Chicago. As part of an expose they were planning, Sinclair was sent to work undercover in the infamous Union Stockyards for seven weeks, where he eventually gathered material for the necessary articles. About a year later, Sinclair sought to fictionalize his experiences and publish them in book form. After much consternation(his novel was rejected five times before it was finally accepted) he finally found a publisher for his book. Doubleday released The Jungle on February 26, 1906.
Once published, the book left the American people shocked and disgusted, just not in the way that Sinclair had hoped. You see, Sinclair had intended the book to be a clarion call alerting the public about the despicable condition of the working class in Gilded Age America. Such passages as the protagonist's wife getting raped by her boss, the terrible work conditions, and even some workers falling into mixing vats and being turned into lard were meant to tug at the heartstrings of America. And stories like the lard one did force America to think some things over, things like the safety of their food. The Jungle led to expanded oversight of meatpacking, the increased scrutiny of the industry by President Teddy Roosevelt, and even the establishment of the FDA. Even with all of this impact, Sinclair lamented that he wanted to "aim at the public's heart, but instead [he] hit it in the stomach" The Jungle remains in print to this day, more than 107 years after its initial release, and it still serves as a testament to the state of both worker's rights and the meatpacking industry at the turn of the century.
Happy Monday everybody, and Welcome to Labor Week! For those of you who read about George Pullman, you got a small teaser for this. For all of you, here's more about what's going on this week. Today most of the country has the day off. But why is that? That is to acknowledge the many contributions to our current workplace life that have been won by Unions, including an 8-hour workday, Child Labor Laws, safety standards, health benefits, and overtime pay, just to name a few. So, between now and Friday I will be putting up an article every day talking about some facet of the history of Organized Labor and how it relates to Chicago. And trust me, I've got some heavy topics on deck for this week. From the roots of the May Day rallies that happen every year throughout the country, to the labor action that inspired the very creation of the Labor Day holiday, this week has it all. But to start off with, I'd like to show you around...The Jungle...
By 1906, the meatpacking industry had been a Chicago institution for well over half a century. However, it was about to get a rude awakening. For that was the year that Upton Sinclair threw the book(no pun intended) at the industry. In 1904, Upton Sinclair was a young writer working for a Socialist newspaper in Chicago. As part of an expose they were planning, Sinclair was sent to work undercover in the infamous Union Stockyards for seven weeks, where he eventually gathered material for the necessary articles. About a year later, Sinclair sought to fictionalize his experiences and publish them in book form. After much consternation(his novel was rejected five times before it was finally accepted) he finally found a publisher for his book. Doubleday released The Jungle on February 26, 1906.
Once published, the book left the American people shocked and disgusted, just not in the way that Sinclair had hoped. You see, Sinclair had intended the book to be a clarion call alerting the public about the despicable condition of the working class in Gilded Age America. Such passages as the protagonist's wife getting raped by her boss, the terrible work conditions, and even some workers falling into mixing vats and being turned into lard were meant to tug at the heartstrings of America. And stories like the lard one did force America to think some things over, things like the safety of their food. The Jungle led to expanded oversight of meatpacking, the increased scrutiny of the industry by President Teddy Roosevelt, and even the establishment of the FDA. Even with all of this impact, Sinclair lamented that he wanted to "aim at the public's heart, but instead [he] hit it in the stomach" The Jungle remains in print to this day, more than 107 years after its initial release, and it still serves as a testament to the state of both worker's rights and the meatpacking industry at the turn of the century.
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