The Great Chicago Fire, As Told By Those Who Lived Through It
As the city marks the 150th anniversary of the defining event, ROBERT LOERZEL mines the archival record to offer a compelling portrait of what it was like to live through...
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50 Moments That Shaped Chicago 1970–2020
A lot has happened since Chicago published its first issue 50 years ago this month. Mayors have toppled the status quo, championships have been won and lost (and won again),...
Extra! Cow Vindicated
Think you know everything about the Great Chicago Fire? Think again: In a new book, historian Carl Smith rekindles the untold stories of our city’s most famous disaster.
Court of Chaos
A new memoir by Lee Weiner — the member of the Chicago Seven that was actually from the city — gives fresh insight into how the 1968 Democratic National Convention protests and trial really...
Chicago’s Cemeteries Offer Solace for the Living
Our copyeditor (and noted boulevardier) visits the eerie acres untouched by the stay-at-home order.
Searching for Eugene Williams
His killing catalyzed Chicago's 1919 race riot, but little else is known about the teenager's life on the South Side.
Blood in the Streets
A hundred years ago, Chicago experienced the worst spasm of racial violence in the city’s history. Here’s how the riot unfolded, in the words of those who lived it.
Chicago's Top Chefs (Circa 1900)
From epic game dinners (including ibex ham and juniper-soaked bear) to lobster palaces to revered railroad cuisine that took advantage of food available along the journey, Chicago chefs were pioneers...
The History of the Solo Cup, From the South Side to Star Wars
The ubiquitous plastic vessel has come a long way: from South Side immigrant inventors to big business in Lake Forest, a Toby Keith hit to syndicated TV specials starring its...
Documentary in the works on former Wilco member and Arlington Heights native, Jay Bennett
Two filmmakers are working on a documentary about Jay Bennett, the multitalented musician from Arlington Heights who died in 2009, eight years after leaving the Chicago band Wilco. North Riverside...