History – Page 8 – ROBERT LOERZEL

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Time Out Chicago, April 3, 2012 — Historian Robert Loerzel digs through historical documents to find out just why the Cubs were once called the Microbes.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

Steamer Trunk Diaries

This article by Robert Loerzel was originally published in the December 2009 issue of North Shore Magazine. They boarded grand 19th-century steamships in their finery — well-heeled men and women embarking on what promised to be the adventure of a lifetime. What they saw abroad would inspire them and, in a few cases, would ultimately change the… Continue reading Steamer Trunk Diaries

A man with a gun: A primer on John Dillinger

Chicago magazine, July 2009 — Just in time for the Chicago-filmed movie Public Enemies, out July 1st, here’s a primer on the real life of John Dillinger, according to his biographer Bryan Burrough and other historians. Read my story in Chicago magazine.

When another Senate seat was up for sale

The Huffington Post, February 6, 2009 — A hundred years ago, political tensions were running high in Illinois. Everyone wanted to know the answer to one suspenseful question: Who would be the new U.S. Senator from Illinois? The struggle to answer that question would stretch on for four years, as charges of bribery and corruption rocked… Continue reading When another Senate seat was up for sale

Some critics enjoy shooting ‘Buffalo’

Pictured (l to r) in the Goodman's 1975/76 production of David Mamet's AMERICAN BUFFALO are J.J. Johnson, Mike Nussbaum and William H. Macy. Photo courtesy of the Goodman Theatre

The Huffington Post, December 27, 2008 — American Buffalo came and went pretty damn fast on Broadway this fall. The reviews were not exactly glowing for director Robert Falls’s revival of David Mamet’s drama, which is widely regarded as one of the playwright’s best plays. It’s worth remembering, though, that critics did not greet American Buffalo with universal acclaim… Continue reading Some critics enjoy shooting ‘Buffalo’