Chicago History Podcast

Chicago History Podcast
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Apr 5, 2026 • 50min

Episode 822 - B'Ginnings: Where Schaumburg Rocked The Suburbs

Send us Fan MailSome 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/chicagohistoryNeed music for YOUR projects? Audiio has got you covered. Try a free trial here:https://audiio.com/pricing?oid=1&affid=481Items 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 Seraphinehttps://amzn.to/4tO4DyH70s Chicagoland Rock Concerts by Mark Plotnick and Jim Summariahttps://amzn.to/3Ojmv5e101 Facts About Chicago: The Legendary Rock Band That Became a Cultural Phenomenon by Farrah Williamshttps://amzn.to/4sWwo82 (Paperback)Join Kindle Unlimited here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GHWant 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/TOMMYHENRYChicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com):Chicago History Podcast Art by John K. Schneider (angeleyesartjks AT gmail.com) Support the show
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Mar 19, 2026 • 28min

SPECIAL EPISODE - The Women Who Built Chicago with genealogist Nicka Sewell-Smith

Send us Fan MailGenealogist 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-1983596857598Want to help support the show? Buy me a coffee! Buy more than one and get a personalized video thank you.https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistoryLeave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner here: https://www.chicagohistorypod.comUp your cocktail or Sodastream game with Portland craft syrups!https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1kAnything 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 Schultzhttps://amzn.to/479TaABQueen: The Life and Music of Dinah Washington by Nadine Cohodashttps://amzn.to/4bNKzGhGet access to millions of books  with Kindle Unlimited. Not an Unlimited subscriber? Get a free 30-day trial here:  https://amzn.to/2WsP1GHWant 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/TOMMYHENRYNeed music for YOUR projects? Audiio has got you covered. Try a free trial here:https://audiio.com/pricing?oid=1&affid=481Send 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
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Mar 7, 2026 • 51min

Episode 821 - Behind the Camera: Jun Fujita's Chicago with author Graham Harrison Lee

Send us Fan MailJun 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-002Follow 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/chicagohistoryLeave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner here: https://www.chicagohistorypod.comUp your cocktail or Sodastream game with Portland craft syrups!https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1kAnything 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 Fujitahttps://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/2WsP1GHWant 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/TOMMYHENRYNeed music for YOUR projects? Audiio has got you covered. Try a free trial here:https://audiio.com/pricing?oid=1&affid=481Send 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
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Feb 22, 2026 • 52min

Episode 820 - People Wasn't Made To Burn: The James Hickman Story

Send us Fan MailAn 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/chicagohistoryLeave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner here:https://www.chicagohistorypod.comUp your cocktail or Sodastream game with Portland craft syrups!https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1kAnything 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 Allenhttps://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/2WsP1GHWant 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/TOMMYHENRYSend 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
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Feb 15, 2026 • 32min

FROM THE ARCHIVES - Sundown Towns of Chicago with Ernest Crim III

Send us Fan MailHere'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/chicagohistoryLeave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner here:https://www.chicagohistorypod.comUp your cocktail or Sodastream game with Portland craft syrups!https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1kNeed music for YOUR projects? Audiio has got you covered. Try a free trial here:https://audiio.com/pricing?oid=1&affid=481Anything 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. Loewenhttps://amzn.to/3xBW8va (Hardcover)https://amzn.to/3KihHZj (Kindle)Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your History Textbook Got Wrong  by James W. Loewenhttps://amzn.to/3xAsXJbLies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong by James W. Loewenhttps://amzn.to/3I4SLBYBlack History Saved My Life: How My Viral Hate Crime Led to an Awakening by Ernest Crim IIIhttps://amzn.to/3S8xtrGABCs of Affirming Black Children, The by Ernest Crim IIIhttps://amzn.to/3KjN3imTry Amazon Kindle Unlimited for FREE here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GHChicago History Podcast Clothing, Mugs, Totes, & More (your purchase helps support the podcast):https://www.teepublic.com/user/chicago-history-podcasthttps://chicago-history-podcast.creator-spring.com/Chicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com):https://www.chicagohistorypod.comChicago History Podcast Art by John K. Schneider (angeleyesartjks AT gmail.com)Support the show
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Jan 25, 2026 • 44min

Episode 819 - Frozen in Time: Chicago's Ten Coldest Days

Send us Fan MailChicago’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/chicagohistoryNeed music for YOUR projects? Audiio has got you covered. Try a free trial here:https://audiio.com/pricing?oid=1&affid=481Items 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-Shirthttps://amzn.to/4jYrDXHChicago 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/2WsP1GHWant 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/TOMMYHENRYChicago History Podcast (chicagohistorypod AT gmail.com):Chicago History Podcast Art by John K. Schneider (angeleyesartjks AT gmail.com) Support the show
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Dec 20, 2025 • 24min

FROM THE ARCHIVES - Chicago's Skid Row Flophouse Fires

Send us Fan MailIn 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/chicagohistoryUp your cocktail game with Portland craft syrups!https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1kNeed music for YOUR projects? Audiio has got you covered. Try a free trial here:https://audiio.com/pricing?oid=1&affid=481Amazon 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 Cowenhttps://amzn.to/3Ga2rJ9It's Not The Trauma, It's The Drama: More Stories by a Chicago Fire Department Paramedic by Marjorie Leigh Bombenhttps://amzn.to/3q6DRn9History of Chicago: A Captivating Guide To The People and Events that Shaped the Windy City's Historyhttps://amzn.to/3HJdERo (or FREE with Kindle Unlimited)Join Kindle Unlimited here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GHCHICAGO MOVIES discussed on the podcast!Backdrafthttps://amzn.to/3y33plMAbout Last Night (1986)https://amzn.to/2W8v4EUCall Northside 777https://amzn.to/3ggBPeSSo many Chicago-related movies and documentaries can been found here:https://amzn.to/38F6hehWant to Enjoy Outdoor Movies? Here's the gear I use:Epson Home Cinema Projector:https://amzn.to/3RtIr9V120" Projector Screen/Stand:https://amzn.to/3KtYm5BLooking to get out and explore Chicago? Here are a few ideas:Chicago Movie Tourschicagomovietours.comChicago History Podcast Clothing, Mugs, Totes, & More (your purchase helps support the podcast):https://www.teepublic.com/user/chicago-history-podcasthttps://teespring.com/stores/chicago-history-podSupport the show
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Dec 7, 2025 • 48min

Episode 818 - Chicago's Deadly December: The Crash and Conspiracies of United Flight 553

Send us Fan MailOn 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/chicagohistoryLeave me a voice message - just click on the microphone in the lower right corner here:https://www.chicagohistorypod.comUp your cocktail or Sodastream game with Portland craft syrups!https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1kAnything 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 Lynchhttps://amzn.to/44fos7DMidway Airport: Images of Aviation by David E. Kenthttps://amzn.to/48WiVW7When Hollywood Landed at Chicago's Midway Airport: The Photos and Stories of Mike Rotunno by Christopher Lynchhttps://amzn.to/4iH4bxDJoin Kindle Unlimited here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GHWant 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/TOMMYHENRYSend 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
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Nov 22, 2025 • 57min

Episode 817 - Chicago's Bloodshot Records with author Rob Miller

Send us Fan MailAuthor 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.comGet Rob's book here:https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p088964Save 30% with the following code: F25UIPGet 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 Millerhttps://amzn.to/4oYw1Ia (Paperback)https://amzn.to/4idb89D (Kindle)Bloodied But Unbowed: Bloodshot Records Life in the Trenches (DVD)https://amzn.to/3XGc2SqShow your love of this podcast for the cost of a coffee:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistoryWant 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/TOMMYHENRYSend 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
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Nov 8, 2025 • 40min

FROM THE ARCHIVES - Chicago's Mass Transit Decoy Squad of the 1970s plus EXTRAS

Send us Fan MailPlease enjoy this FROM THE ARCHIVES + EXTRAS episode from the summer of 2022.One man was robbed more than 190 times, knocked unconscious at least four times, and had an eardrum burst aboard Chicago’s L, each time with Chicago cops nearby watching, all in the name of public transportation safety.This is the story of Chicago’s Mass Transit Decoy Squad of the 1970’s.Show some love for the podcast for a one-time cost of a cup of coffee and help offset production costs:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chicagohistoryAnything purchased through the links below may generate a small commission for this podcast at no cost to you and help offset production costs.Books:Chicago Street Cop: Amazing True Stories from the Mean Streets of Chicago and Beyond by Pat McCarthyhttps://amzn.to/3BcwRenChicago Cop: Tales from the Street by Andre Van Vegtenhttps://amzn.to/3vcsYlH (Paperback)https://amzn.to/3PA1YVp (Kindle Unlimited)Second City Sinners: True Crime from Historic Chicago's Deadly Streets by John Seidelhttps://amzn.to/3OIG3u9Chicago Cop: Tales from the Street by Andre Van Vegtenhttps://amzn.to/3vcsYlH (Paperback)https://amzn.to/3PA1YVp (Kindle Unlimited)Join Kindle Unlimited here: https://amzn.to/2WsP1GHUp your cocktail game with Portland craft syrups!https://portlandsyrups.com/collections/all?sca_ref=1270971.MO4APpJH1kNeed music for YOUR projects? Audiio has got you covered. Try a free trial here:https://audiio.com/pricing?oid=1&affid=481Podcast art by John K. Schneider - angeleyesartjks AT gmail.comCONTENT CREATION:DJI Mini 2 - Ultralight and Foldable Drone Quadcopterhttps://amzn.to/3l8SZNKAFHT 5'x7' Portable Green Screen Backdrop with Standhttps://amzn.to/3cUA7gWChicago History Podcast Clothing, Mugs, Totes, & More (your purchase helps support the podcast):https://www.teepublic.com/user/chicago-history-podcasthttps://teespring.com/stores/chicago-history-podSupport the show

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