Private detective Leonard C.M. Johnson had a career that could fill countless crime thrillers. Working the streets of Chicago since 1919, he was at the […]
Leader of war-torn Poland speaks at Chicago’s Soldier Field, 1941
On a brisk Sunday afternoon, April 20, 1941, the roar of 75,000 voices filled Chicago’s Soldier Field- not for a game, but a wartime rally. […]
Target Des Plaines: Local Police Hunt Down Wartime “Saboteurs,” 1943
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 […]
Workplace discoveries (#6): a pennant signed by players from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball LeagueÂ
The pennant hung on the wall above the bed in a plastic sleeve. Its colors somewhat faded from exposure to the sun. Still, both the […]
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 […]
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 […]
A good boy that served: Pal, the Jefferson Park war dog who returned home
All his family knew was that he spent thirty-one months overseas. When he returned to his Jefferson Park home in early 1946, the army veteran […]
Books for Russia: Glenview sends aid to Soviet students, 1946
In February 1946, the residents of Glenview joined a nationwide drive to collect books for students in the Soviet Union. The ‘Books for Russia’ campaign […]
Dance crazy: swinging to the music in wartime Chicago
During World War II, Chicago’s ballrooms, hotels, and other dance venues, buzzed with activity. In those uncertain times Americans celebrated life with dance. Providing a […]
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 […]
Writing home: life in the Navy’s ‘black’ boot camp
The small manila envelope sat on top of a tray of old documents. Curious to know what was inside, I picked it up and slid […]