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How has the Black Chicago accent retained its Southern roots?
How have Black Chicagoans kept so many features of the Southern dialect? To answer starts with the Great Migration.
2 months, 1 week ago
The story of the Lady Elgin, the deadliest shipwreck in Great Lakes history
The Lady Elgin left Chicago for Milwaukee on a stormy September night in 1860 with around 400 passengers aboard. Another vessel was also out in the s…
2 months, 3 weeks ago
What are Chicago area lighthouses used for?
Lighthouses were manned by keepers until automation took over. Now, preservationists are working to restore Chicago’s most iconic one.
2 months, 3 weeks ago
How early Black Chicagoans used photography to redefine their image
At the turn of the 20th century, Black photographers were starting to make a name for themselves. Photographers like William E. Woodard, James Van De…
3 months ago
What was Chicago's first art gallery?
What was Chicago's first art gallery? Curious City investigates. Nowadays, it’s easy to see and experience art all over Chicago. But where did it all…
3 months ago
Chicago came under martial law after the Great Fire. Did it help?
The mayor of Chicago declared martial law after the Great Fire in 1871. The military occupation ended days later, after the death of a civilian. We l…
3 months, 1 week ago
The ‘windmill capital of the world’ used to be down the road from Chicago
Suburban Batavia, just 30 miles west of Chicago, used to be known as the windmill capital of the world. But eventually, technological advances took t…
3 months, 2 weeks ago
Why aren’t there wind turbines in Lake Michigan?
Strong and consistent winds that sweep across Lake Michigan could provide significant electricity generation. But there are no wind turbines in the l…
3 months, 2 weeks ago
No cars, no road salt: How one Midwestern community avoids salt all winter
Chicago — like so many other frigid American cities — can’t seem to kick its dependence on road salt. In our last episode, we learned how winter w…
4 months ago
How does a mild winter affect Chicago’s economy?
Each Chicago winter’s wintery-ness has big implications for your sanity and your wallet. That led one Curious City listener to ask us if mild winters…
4 months ago