History – Page 7 – ROBERT LOERZEL

Native numbers: How many Chicagoans were born in the city?

WBEZ’s Curious City, February 10, 2014 — Tracy Miller noticed something about Chicago when she moved here nine years ago. “I meet many people who say they are native Chicagoans,” she says. “It seems like there are more natives still residing here than in other cities I have lived in.” … Read — and hear… Continue reading Native numbers: How many Chicagoans were born in the city?

Chicago’s Strange History With Pneumatic Tubes

Chicago magazine, September 5, 2013 — The Hyperloop may be in the news now, but shuttles powered by a burst of air were supposed to be the future of transportation in Chicago a century ago… Read my story for Chicago magazine. Photo: Chicago Tribune archives

Hot time in the old town again

City marked 1871 fire with a party in 1903 — and it’s gearing up for another fest next year This article by Robert Loerzel was originally published in the Chicago Tribune on May 5, 2013. In a city where the history books are filled with calamities, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 is the most… Continue reading Hot time in the old town again

The story of Dunning, a ‘tomb for the living’

WBEZ’s Curious City, April 30, 2013 — For a long time, Chicagoans were scared of Dunning. The very name “Dunning” gave them chills. People were afraid they would end up in that place… Read — and hear — my story for WBEZ’s Curious City. Chicago Daily News photo

A new look at Hinky Dink’s star

The Huffington Post, March 5, 2013 — One of Chicago’s most famous City Council members, Michael “Hinky Dink” Kenna, got a quite a gift from his supporters in the First Ward on April 22, 1897: an “alderman’s star.” … Read my blog post for the Huffington Post. Photo from the Chicago History Museum’s blog

We solve the mystery of the Cubs’ early name: The Microbes

Time Out Chicago, April 3, 2012 — Historian Robert Loerzel digs through historical documents to find out just why the Cubs were once called the Microbes. Read the story at Time Out Chicago.

In search of Mrs. Luetgert’s ghost

The Huffington Post, October 31, 2011 — It isn’t easy pinning down the details of a ghost story. Rumors and urban legends circulate, but how often do you read a firsthand account from someone who says they actually saw one of those supposedly famous ghosts? Read my blog post at the Huffington Post.

Chicago, ‘Puppeteer’ City

The Huffington Post, July 6, 2010 — Did the word puppeteer originate in Chicago? The evidence suggests that it did, although it’s never easy to close the book on any etymological investigation. Read my blog post at the Huffington Post.

Privatize Public Transit? Chicago’s tried it before. Here’s how that went.

Chicago Reader, June 10, 2010 — In December 1898, some Chicagoans began wearing twine—twisted into the shape of a hangman’s noose—in their buttonholes. It was their way of sending a message to the City Council about an upcoming vote. “I will not be surprised to see some hanging done in the streets of Chicago,” said Mayor… Continue reading Privatize Public Transit? Chicago’s tried it before. Here’s how that went.

Joseph Dunlop, a newspaper publisher imprisoned for obscenity

Chicago magazine, March 2010 — By the summer of 1895, anyone who glanced through the classified ad section of a feisty young newspaper called the Chicago Dispatch would have noticed a curious phenomenon: Dozens of women used the forum to announce their desire to meet gentlemen. Many ladies specified the sort of men they wanted to see:… Continue reading Joseph Dunlop, a newspaper publisher imprisoned for obscenity