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Exploring the segregated past of Chicago cemeteries
Mayor Harold Washington is buried in a cemetery that was once for “whites only.” Protests and legislative fights desegregated area cemeteries.
1 year ago
What happened to Chicago's Japanese community?
Lakeview once had a thriving Japanese community, but it fell victim to a push for assimilation. As one Japanese-American puts it: “You had to basical…
1 year, 1 month ago
Car towed? Listen to this on your way down to Chicago’s Central Auto Pound
If you’ve had your car towed in Chicago, there’s a decent chance you had to journey down to Lower Lower Wacker Drive — likely not in the best of mood…
1 year, 1 month ago
Lower Wacker Drive: A uniquely Chicago street
Curious City has gotten several questions about Wacker Drive over the years. We head down to the lower levels in search of some answers.
1 year, 1 month ago
Schools, Water Plants and City Hall: We search for Chicago’s nuclear fallout shelters
Nuclear fallout shelters are still among us, though they are not exactly ready for the apocalypse. These remnants of Cold War-era infrastructure do e…
1 year, 1 month ago
Why does Chicago have a law prohibiting nuclear weapons?
Tucked in the city’s municipal code is a law that prohibits the production, storage and launching of nuclear weapons in Chicago. We find out why the …
1 year, 1 month ago
Even when nothing goes wrong, moving is trash
It’s typical to see moving trucks winding through streets and alleys of Chicago on the first day of any month. The act of moving hardly sounds like a…
1 year, 1 month ago
‘Pure chaos’: Why did Chicagoans once move on the same day?
You think moving is hard work? For about 100 years, Chicagoans used to move at the same time. Moving Day: May 1.
1 year, 1 month ago
The complicated statue of labor leader Samuel Gompers
Samuel Gompers fought for the eight-hour work day and helped create child labor laws. But for all he achieved, he was also fiercely anti-immigrant. W…
1 year, 2 months ago
Maria Rodriguez: From fashion designer to restaurateur
In our last episode, Curious City question-asker Emily Porter sent us on a quest exploring the world of local fashion designers, all after she found …
1 year, 2 months ago