On the dark and stormy night of August 2, 1943, the Des Plaines police department prowled the city’s dimly lit streets. Their mission: stop three […]
Hidden in plain sight: German prisoners buried at Fort Sheridan
Buried at Fort Sheridan National Cemetery, in Lake Forest, Illinois, are over 2,300 veterans. Their presence represents more than 150 years of American military history, […]
Archaeologists uncover relics from Camp Pine, a WWII prisoner of war camp near Des Plaines
In May 2019, a team of archaeologists and volunteers met in Camp Pine Woods, near the Chicago suburb of Des Plaines. Their mission: survey a […]
The time an airplane nose stuck out from a Downtown Chicago skyscraper
In July 1944, a curious sight greeted pedestrians at the corner of State and Madison streets in Downtown Chicago. Sticking out from the Mandel Brothers […]
Jewish boys and German PoWs: the curious history of a WWII farm labor camp near Des Plaines
Camp Pine Woods is a part of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPDCC), located north of Des Plaines. The entrance is on Lake […]
Celebrating Polish Armed Forces Day 2022 in Niles
On 14 August 2022, in celebration of Poland’s Armed Forces Day, the Polish Consulate General in Chicago headed a series of ceremonies all across the […]
Soldiers learn important lesson in backpacking at Harms Woods
Once the soldiers from Camp Skokie Valley arrived at Harms Woods in Glenview, they quickly set to task pitching up tents and preparing for a […]
A serendipitous photo-taking trip to Fort Sheridan on Lake Michigan
After a long week at work, I decided to go up to Fort Sheridan to take some photos on my day off. I set out […]
Glenview’s Baxter Laboratories saves American war wounded
Baxter International Inc. is a healthcare company with a global presence. Its first major production facility was in Glenview, Illinois, and within the space of […]
The 28 submarines that sailed up the Chicago River
On the Chicago Riverwalk just west of Outer Drive Bridge, before the Columbus Drive bridge, exists a memorial dedicated to the United States Navy’s submariners. […]
Hackney’s on Harms, and the time they served patrons tear gas
Just south of Lake Avenue on Harms Road in Glenview is ‘Hackney’s on Harms’. Serving customers ever since the Prohibition Era, Hackney’s is a popular […]
Big noise in a little forest: Camp Skokie Valley
Blue Star Memorial Woods is located in the Village of Glenview, a community on Chicago’s affluent North Shore. Inside these woods was once a vibrant […]
Graves of Polish Veterans in an ‘All-American City’
Entering Maryhill Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum in Niles, Illinois, visitors are immediately greeted by a large information panel. A map shows the location of the […]