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Chicago History Podcast

Chicago History Podcast

Chicago History Podcast

We discuss Chicago history - the places, events, and the people behind it all! Have a listen and learn a little bit more about the greatest city in the world.

  • 1 hour 3 minutes
    Episode 823 - Ground Beneath the Diamonds: A History of Chicago's White Sox Ballparks, The

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

    Show your love of this podcast for the cost of a coffee:
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory

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

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

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

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

    https://amzn.to/4trMKF5

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

    https://amzn.to/4njlU0p

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

    https://amzn.to/3R18tWX

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

    https://amzn.to/4eDj3gy

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

    https://amzn.to/4ttcX6m

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

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

    https://moonbrew.co/TOMMYHENRY

    Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com):

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

    Support the show

    10 May 2026, 5:00 am
  • 19 minutes 42 seconds
    FROM THE ARCHIVES - Bizarre Story of the Missing Wheaton Bible College Couple, The

    Send us Fan Mail

    Originally released January 15, 2022.

     In 1988, two attractive young students attending a prominent suburban Chicago religious school disappeared, setting off a frenzied search that lasted months before the truth about what happened to them was revealed.

    Want to start a podcast of your own? Do it through Buzzsprout like I did and you can get a $20 gift card!
    https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=968401

    Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs:
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory

    Up your cocktail game with Portland craft syrups!
    https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k

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

    Amazon Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff - through these links helps benefit the show at no additional cost to you):

    Chicago History:

    City of the Century: The Epic of Chicago and the Making of America by Donald L. Miller
    https://amzn.to/33CKbtr
    History Lover's Guide To Chicago, A by Greg Borzo
    https://amzn.to/3K6weFb
    Chicago Flashback: The People and Events That Shaped A City's History by Chicago Tribune
    https://amzn.to/31ZZTP7
    History of Chicago: A Captivating Guide To The People and Events that Shaped the Windy City's History
    https://amzn.to/3HJdERo (or FREE with Kindle Unlimited)

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

    So many Chicago-related movies and documentaries can been found here:
    https://amzn.to/38F6heh

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

    chicagomovietours.com

    Chicago History Podcast Clothing, Mugs, Totes, & More (your purchase helps support the podcast):
    https://www.teepublic.com/user/chicago-history-podcast
    https://teespring.com/stores/chicago-history-pod 

    Support the show

    26 April 2026, 5:00 am
  • 50 minutes 9 seconds
    Episode 822 - B'Ginnings: Where Schaumburg Rocked The Suburbs

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

    Show your love of this podcast for the cost of a coffee:
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory

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

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

    Street Player: My Chicago Story by Danny Seraphine

    https://amzn.to/4tO4DyH

    70s Chicagoland Rock Concerts by Mark Plotnick and Jim Summaria

    https://amzn.to/3Ojmv5e

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

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


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

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

    https://moonbrew.co/TOMMYHENRY

    Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com):

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

    Support the show

    5 April 2026, 5:00 am
  • 27 minutes 39 seconds
    SPECIAL EPISODE - The Women Who Built Chicago with genealogist Nicka Sewell-Smith

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

    Tickets for the bus tour:

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

    Want to help support the show? Buy me a coffee! Buy more than one and get a personalized video thank you.
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory

    Leave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner here: https://www.chicagohistorypod.com

    Up your cocktail or Sodastream game with Portland craft syrups!
    https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k

    Anything purchased through the links below may generate a small commission for this podcast at no cost to you and help offset production costs.

    Women Building Chicago 1790-1990: A Biographical Dictionary by Rima Lunin Schultz

    https://amzn.to/479TaAB

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

    https://amzn.to/4bNKzGh

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

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

    https://moonbrew.co/TOMMYHENRY

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

    Send me an email - Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com)

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

    Support the show

    19 March 2026, 5:00 am
  • 50 minutes 34 seconds
    Episode 821 - Behind the Camera: Jun Fujita's Chicago with author Graham Harrison Lee

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

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

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

    Follow author Graham Lee on Instagram.

    Want to help support the show? Buy me a coffee! Buy more than one and get a personalized video thank you.
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory

    Leave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner here: https://www.chicagohistorypod.com

    Up your cocktail or Sodastream game with Portland craft syrups!
    https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k

    Anything purchased through the links below may generate a small commission for this podcast at no cost to you and help offset production costs.

    Jun Fujita: Tanka and Other Verse by Jun Fujita

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

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

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

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

    https://moonbrew.co/TOMMYHENRY

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

    Send me an email - Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com)

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

    Support the show

    7 March 2026, 6:00 am
  • 51 minutes 52 seconds
    Episode 820 - People Wasn't Made To Burn: The James Hickman Story

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

    Want to help support the show? Buy me a coffee! Buy more than one and get a personalized video thank you.
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory

    Leave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner here:
    https://www.chicagohistorypod.com

    Up your cocktail or Sodastream game with Portland craft syrups!
    https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k

    Anything purchased through the links below may generate a small commission for this podcast at no cost to you and help offset production costs.

    People Wasn't Made To Burn: A True Story of Housing, Race, and Murder in Chicago by Joe Allen

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

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

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

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

    https://moonbrew.co/TOMMYHENRY

    Send me an email - Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com)

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

    Support the show

    22 February 2026, 6:00 am
  • 31 minutes 47 seconds
    FROM THE ARCHIVES - Sundown Towns of Chicago with Ernest Crim III

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

    Many towns in the Chicago area were established to be all-white, keeping out Blacks, Asians, Jews, Native Americans, and others, allowing minorities to work in those towns but not live there. Those individuals also needed to be gone by sundown.

    Find all things Ernest Crim III at ernestcrim.com. Signed copies of Mr. Crim's book “The ABC’s of Affirming Black Children" can be found at https://www.ernestcrim.com/shop.

    Show your support of the show for the cost of a coffee:
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory

    Leave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner here:
    https://www.chicagohistorypod.com

    Up your cocktail or Sodastream game with Portland craft syrups!
    https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k

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

    Anything purchased through the links below may generate a small commission for this podcast at no cost to you and help offset production costs.

    BOOKS:
    Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism by James W. Loewen
    https://amzn.to/3xBW8va (Hardcover)
    https://amzn.to/3KihHZj (Kindle)
    Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your History Textbook Got Wrong  by James W. Loewen
    https://amzn.to/3xAsXJb
    Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong by James W. Loewen
    https://amzn.to/3I4SLBY
    Black History Saved My Life: How My Viral Hate Crime Led to an Awakening by Ernest Crim III
    https://amzn.to/3S8xtrG
    ABCs of Affirming Black Children, The by Ernest Crim III
    https://amzn.to/3KjN3im

    Try Amazon Kindle Unlimited for FREE here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GH

    Chicago History Podcast Clothing, Mugs, Totes, & More (your purchase helps support the podcast):
    https://www.teepublic.com/user/chicago-history-podcast
    https://chicago-history-podcast.creator-spring.com/

    Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com):
    https://www.chicagohistorypod.com

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

    Support the show

    15 February 2026, 6:00 am
  • 44 minutes 26 seconds
    Episode 819 - Frozen in Time: Chicago's Ten Coldest Days

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

    Show your love of this podcast for the cost of a coffee:
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory

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

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

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

    https://amzn.to/4jYrDXH

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

    https://amzn.to/4qF93Xa (Hardcover)

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

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

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

    https://moonbrew.co/TOMMYHENRY

    Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com):

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

    Support the show

    25 January 2026, 6:00 am
  • 23 minutes 58 seconds
    FROM THE ARCHIVES - Chicago's Skid Row Flophouse Fires

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    In the late 1940s and well into the 1950s, Chicago was plagued by fires that had one key thing in common – they took place at often unsafe, threadbare hotels, injuring and even killing those who were already down on their luck. This is the story of Chicago’s Skid Row Flophouse Fires.

    Originally released in January 2022.

    Show some love for the podcast for the cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs:
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory

    Up your cocktail game with Portland craft syrups!
    https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k

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

    Amazon Affiliate Links (anything you buy - not just this stuff - through these links helps benefit the show):

    Chicago Fires:

    Great Chicago Fires: Historic Blazes That Shaped A City by David Cowen
    https://amzn.to/3Ga2rJ9
    It's Not The Trauma, It's The Drama: More Stories by a Chicago Fire Department Paramedic by Marjorie Leigh Bomben
    https://amzn.to/3q6DRn9
    History of Chicago: A Captivating Guide To The People and Events that Shaped the Windy City's History
    https://amzn.to/3HJdERo (or FREE with Kindle Unlimited)

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

    CHICAGO MOVIES discussed on the podcast!

    Backdraft
    https://amzn.to/3y33plM
    About Last Night (1986)
    https://amzn.to/2W8v4EU
    Call Northside 777
    https://amzn.to/3ggBPeS

    So many Chicago-related movies and documentaries can been found here:
    https://amzn.to/38F6heh

    Want to Enjoy Outdoor Movies? Here's the gear I use:
    Epson Home Cinema Projector:
    https://amzn.to/3RtIr9V
    120" Projector Screen/Stand:
    https://amzn.to/3KtYm5B

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

    chicagomovietours.com

    Chicago History Podcast Clothing, Mugs, Totes, & More (your purchase helps support the podcast):
    https://www.teepublic.com/user/chicago-history-podcast
    https://teespring.com/stores/chicago-history-pod

    Support the show

    20 December 2025, 6:00 am
  • 48 minutes 7 seconds
    Episode 818 - Chicago's Deadly December: The Crash and Conspiracies of United Flight 553

    Send us Fan Mail

    On a cold and snowy day in December 1972, United Airlines flight 553 crashed into a neighborhood near Midway Airport, resulting in 45 deaths. The tragedy was soon followed by conspiracies. Was the plane brought down to silence those who might jeopardize powerful people in the government?

    Want to help support the show? Buy me a coffee! Buy more than one and get a personalized video thank you.
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory

    Leave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner here:
    https://www.chicagohistorypod.com

    Up your cocktail or Sodastream game with Portland craft syrups!
    https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1k

    Anything purchased through the links below may generate a small commission for this podcast at no cost to you and help offset production costs.

    BOOKS ABOUT CHICAGO!

    Chicago's Midway Airport: The First 75 Years by Christopher Lynch

    https://amzn.to/44fos7D

    Midway Airport: Images of Aviation by David E. Kent

    https://amzn.to/48WiVW7

    When Hollywood Landed at Chicago's Midway Airport: The Photos and Stories of Mike Rotunno by Christopher Lynch

    https://amzn.to/4iH4bxD

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

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

    https://moonbrew.co/TOMMYHENRY

    Send me an email - Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com)

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

    Support the show

    7 December 2025, 12:00 pm
  • 56 minutes 50 seconds
    Episode 817 - Chicago's Bloodshot Records with author Rob Miller

    Send us Fan Mail

    Author Rob Miller (one of the founders of Chicago's Bloodshot Records) joins me to discuss his new book, “The Hours Are Long But The Pay Is Low: A Curious Life in Independent Music.”

    www.robmillerwriting.com

    Get Rob's book here:

    https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p088964

    Save 30% with the following code: F25UIP

    Get your Brick of Chicago 2026 Calendar!

    Purchasing items through the links below helps support our efforts at no additional cost to you:

    The Hours Are Long But The Pay Is Low: A Curious Life in Independent Music by Rob Miller

    https://amzn.to/4oYw1Ia (Paperback)

    https://amzn.to/4idb89D (Kindle)

    Bloodied But Unbowed: Bloodshot Records Life in the Trenches (DVD)

    https://amzn.to/3XGc2Sq

    Show your love of this podcast for the cost of a coffee:
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistory

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

    https://moonbrew.co/TOMMYHENRY

    Send me an email - Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com):

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

    Support the show

    22 November 2025, 6:00 am
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