Windy City Historians

Not Your Granddad's Podcast!

Available almost anywhere you get these things & our website.
“I find it to be [an] incredibly compelling, and entertaining and enlightening podcast.”Rick Kogan, newspaper man, radio personality, & noted author
“I just finished listening to the first three episodes of Windy City Historians.  Great stuff.  Congrats!”Ethan Michaeli, author of The Defender: How the Legendary Black Newspaper Changed America
“I don’t think I thanked you guys for your wonderful podcast on the canoe adventure. It was a fun listen. Honored to be part of the Windy City Historians podcast.” — Paul Meincke, Veteran Reporter, ABC 7 Eyewitness News

Latest Episodes

  • All
  • Chicago Firsts
  • Chicago's Origins Story
  • Laying the Foundation
  • Special Episode
  • Star on the Chicago Flag Story
  • The Canoe Chronicles
  • Uncategorized

Special Episode – Champlain’s Dream

In this special episode of the Windy City Historians we revisit our discussion of Jean Nicolet in late historian John Swenson's last interview.

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Special Episode – Buzzing Through Time

In this Special Episode we take a view of Chicago History — Cicada style. For in the world of entomology, 2024 was a big year.  As two cicada broods...

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Episode 30 – The Front Page

Chicago's newspaper heyday boosted stories about murderers, high-society scandals, gangsters and more. Join us for this extended episode.

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Episode 29 – The 1919 Race Riots

All too often history repeats itself — with tragic results. During the last 100-years, the killing of one person becomes symbolic and spawns a larger tragedy. Irregularly bubbling to...

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Episode 28 – WWI & Chicago Transformed

Hear from author Joe Gustaitis as we discuss how World War I transformed Chicago from a strongly German city into a modern metropolis.

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Episode 27 – The Great Migration

In American history, we were taught that pioneers and homesteaders moved from east to west settling the continent in the greater pursuit of “Manifest Destiny” — killing and obfuscating...

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Episode 26 – 1909

In 1909 Chicago changed dramatically both physically and intellectually. Having grown through fits and starts via annexation and experiencing the most rapid population growth of any city in history,...

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Episode 25 – A Book and A Beer: George Ade and the Old-Time Saloon

The path to riches is not often associated with journalism, but in the case of George Ade, writing for Chicago newspapers was his road to wealth and fame. Ade,...

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Episode 24 – Bonus: Working on the Railroad

October is Railroad history month in Chicago. Although we already released Episode 24 - The Railroads in honor of railroads history month there was too much good stuff...

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Episode 24 – The Railroads

For 150 years, Chicago has remained the country’s busiest rail hub at the center of the nation’s rail network. In all, 40 railroads provide services from Illinois to every...

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Episode 23 – Reversing the Chicago River

Native Americans held great respect for natural systems while also managing the landscape to support their people and way of life. As “civilization” came to this area Chicago became...

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Episode 22 – Eyewitness to History: From the Pullman Strike to H.H. Holmes

Looking back on historical events, whether it is the Civil War or the Chicago Fire, they are usually presented in isolation, a individual events separated by subject, pinned to...

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