Chicagology is a study of Chicago history with a focus on the period prior to 1930. The purpose of the site is to document common and not so common facts about the City of Chicago as they are discovered. It is not intended to be a nostalgia site nor to collect info in order to promote services or products of any kind. Chicagology was created on March 17, 2003.
Architecture—1830-1939
1830-1871 Pre-Fire Chicago
1871 Chicago Fire
1872-1879 Rebuilding of Chicago
1880-1900 Golden Age of Chicago
1901-1929 Skyscraper Era
World’s Fairs
1893 World’s Columbian Exposition
1933 Century of Progress World’s Fair
Advertising in Chicago
Bicycle Capital
Chicago Name & Nickname Origins
Chicago Name Origins
Origins of the “Windy City”
Retail Institutions
Allied Radio
Marshall Field & Company
Montgomery Ward
Sears, Roebuck & Co.
Zenith Radio Corp.
Sports
Baseball
Bowling
Football
Golf
Horse Racing
Sporting Goods Capital
Suburbs
Tallest Buildings — Tables that show the history of the tallest buildings in the United States and Chicago
History of The Arts in Chicago
I am researching Chicago Fire Fighters who died in the line of duty. There were several incidents that occurred in the commission houses on South Water. I was wondering if you could shed some light on how those businesses worked. I have a good idea but wanted to confirm with someone who might actually know. Currently I am working on an incident that occurred on block 19. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I am looking for anything about the taste of honey club in 1973
I have a ceramic Made in Japan.
Salt,Pepper, Sugar that sit’s in a boat of my Great Grandmother’s.
It read’s CHICAGO 1833-1933 Century of Progress on it.
Would this be of interest to someone I could sell it to?
I am trying to locate a full-page spread in the Daily Journal, Chicago, Illinois about my mother MARY DARDUGNO winning Chicago broad jump. I believe this article was featured in July, 1923 or 1924.
Any help or direction will be very much appreciated.
Regards,
Michael Daly
It will be interesting to see what artifacts are preserved from this year’s Cubs’ World Series victory over the Cleveland Indians last evening. Hopefully, it won’t be another 100+ years before they repeat. I am also wondering how odd those artifacts will look when the next century turns over. It was a great series with really good baseball. That’s something to remember for sure.
I was wondering, did you had any pictures of pre-fire warehouses or pre-fire stables? Also, were there other stables in pre-fire Chicago after the union stockyards opened?
I am writing the first spreadsheet from the American point of view about 19th century rotunda panoramas. These were the biggest paintings in the world, 50 x 400=20,000 square feet, housed in their own rotundas which were 16-sided polygons. Chicago in 1893 had 6 panorama companies and 6 panorama rotundas
[]The Reed & Gross company was located in Englewood (the studio may have been at NE corner Harvard Avenue & 65th Street aka H.H.Gross Subdivision) 1885-88. They produced units of BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG and JERUSALEM ON THE DAY OF THE CRUCIFIXION for cities from coast to coast and beyond: Australia, New Zealand, Canada, England, Europe, West Indies, South American.In autumn 1888 they removed to Australia to set up 2 rotundas in Melbourne,1 in Adelaide,1 in Sydney, and later in New Zealand. They returned by 1890 and produced THE CHICAGO FIRE Panorama ,using two 5 x 40 1/10th scale prototypes (1) from the site of Fort Dearborn, which was donated to Chicago Historical Society in 1905), and (2) from the point of view of the former BATTLE OF SHILOH panorama rotunda which stood on Michigan between Madison and Monroe; this latter prototype canvas was on display at WHITE CITY AMUSEMENT PARK, courtesy Emmett W. McConnell, “The Panorama King”.
[] A.T.Andreas, who published the three volume HISTORY OF CHICAGO, produced BATTLE OF SHILOH in Chicago, BATTLE OF MANASSAS for Washington, D.C., and MONITOR & MERRIMAC for NYC
[]William Wehner of Chicago built his panorama studio in downtown Milwaukee. From 1885-88 he produced 2 units of BATTLE OF ATLANTA,2 units of MISSIONARY RIDGE & LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, and 3 units of JERUSALEM ON THE DAY OF THE CRUCIFIXION. On September 18,2003 I found in the display case of Milwaukee County Historical Society the F.W.Heine diaries 1879-1921. This is the only narrative of a panorama company. The Heine diaries are as important to the history of 19th century rotunda panoramas as the letters of Theo and Vincent Van Gogh are important to the history of Post Impressionism. The diaries needed to be transcribed in German, translated to English, scanned to computer. Michael Kutzer, born 1941 in Leipzig, is transcriber of the project. When Van Gogh died in 1890 his letters were already considered a National Treasure in France and were soon published. A short time later this material was translated and published the world wide. When Heine died in 1921 the importance of his illustrated journals ( begun in 1860 when he was 14) were acknowledged in the German language press but were NEVER PUBLISHED. The Heine family donated these to Milwaukee County Historical Society in the 1960s.Some volumes were displayed in a display case out front, the rest put in a pasteboard box and put beneath the desk of the curator, which he kicked every time he sat at the desk to work. THE FIRST VOLUME IS MISSING. Heine was a war correspondent for GARTENLAUBE, and witnessed the 1866 Austrian-Prussian War,1870-1 Franco Prussian War and the declaration of the German Empire at Versailles.Michael released years 1885-1893 to me to edit,index and annotate, and share with interested parties. He presently works on years 1880-mid 1885, which tell of formation of early panorama cartels in Brussels and elsewhere in Europe, the early phase 2 rotunda panoramas, and meeting with Wehner in Europe, and his emigration.Info to share
Why no mention of Du Sable in the Fort Dearborn segment?
I’m trying to uncover more information about the historic Great Lakes Building built in 1890 that still stands. Adress is 180 N. Wacker Dr. Literally searched everywhere and still can’t find anything
Anybody know what happened to the Chicago branch plant of the Ford Motor Company located at 39th Street and Wabash Avenue, built in 1914? It was one of 25, or so, plants built at that time, and may be the only one that has been demolished. Thanks, Brian McMahon
Dear sir/madam,
what a wonderful website! I used it for my PhD research. Can I re-use some images of the Chicago Board of Trade Building?
Happy to know.
With kind regards,
Thomas van den Brink