John R. Schmidt

The house Carl Sandburg built

By: John R. Schmidt | May. 23, 2012

May. 23, 2012

Hog Butcher for the World,

Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat,

Player with Railroads and the Nation’s Freight Handler;

Stormy, husky, brawling,

City of the Big Shoulders . . .

There was a time when every child in Chicago learned those words. They are the opening lines of Carl Sandburg’s poem “Chicago.” The house where he wrote them still stands at 4646 North Hermitage Avenue.

Sandburg was born in Galesburg, Ill. in 1878, the son of Swedish immigrants. As a young man, he drifted through a series of jobs–milkman, bricklayer, fireman, soldier, hobo, political organizer for the Social Democratic Party. Then he got married.

Time for stability. Sandburg moved to Chicago and became a reporter. He landed a job with the Daily News. He’d been writing poetry for years, with little success. That began to change.

His collection Chicago Poems appeared in 1916. Another anthology followed, then a series of children’s books. Sandburg was gaining a reputation. His publisher suggested he write a Lincoln biography for young people.

Sandburg did the research, and more research.

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Chicago, capital of the world

By: John R. Schmidt | May. 21, 2012

May. 21, 2012

The just-concluding NATO summit reminded me of a story I’d come across in an old copy of the Tribune. The date was December 6, 1945. On that date, Chicago was in the running to become the headquarters of the brand-new United Nations.

Let’s go back and revisit that time.

The League of Nations had been unable to prevent World War II. That war had lasted nearly six years and cost tens of millions of lives. The UN was supposed to be an improved replacement for the old League.

For now, the UN was meeting in London. Most member countries favored putting the permanent headquarters in the United States. But where? 

Among the sites being considered were Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, New York City, Westchester County (New York)–and Chicago. So a four-man delegation from Chicago traveled to London to meet with UN officials. Before boarding their plane for the trip home, they talked with reporters.

The Chicagoans were upbeat.

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How the NATO peoples settled Chicago, Part 3

By: John R. Schmidt | May. 17, 2012

May. 17, 2012

Today we conclude our capsule look at how peoples from the 28 NATO countries helped build Chicago.

Belgium—As early as 1854, the government of Belgium identified 83 Belgians as living in the city of Chicago. What there was of a Belgian neighborhood in the city later developed in the few blocks around St. John Berchmans Catholic Church in Logan Square. Since the 1960s that concentration has dispersed.

Germany—Germans were the first ethnic group to come to Chicago in great numbers. In 1850 one-sixth of the city’s population carried the “born in Germany” label. By 1900 a full 25% of Chicagoans were either first- or second-generation German.

They settled on the North Side and up the Lincoln Avenue corridor. They built churches, schools, social halls. They printed books and newspapers, and organized political clubs. They were determined to keep their culture. When one nativist mayor closed the saloons on Sunday, the city’s Germans rioted.

Then came World War I, and a national wave of anti-Germanism. The local Germans became more assimilated.

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How the NATO peoples settled Chicago, Part 2

By: John R. Schmidt | May. 16, 2012

May. 16, 2012

Today we continue the capsule stories of how people from the 28 NATO countries helped build Chicago. The final part will be posted tomorrow.

Albania—Chicago has never had a large Albanian population, and no real Albanian neighborhoods. The most prominent local person of Albanian ancestry was probably comedian John Belushi, who grew up in Wheaton.

Croatia—Because Croatia didn’t become independent until 1991, Chicago’s Croatians were commonly classified as “Yugoslavians.” Most of the local community life was centered around a few parishes, such as St. Jerome’s in Armour Square. Mayor Michael Bilandic and Alderman Ed Vrdolyak are the city’s most famous Croatians.

Denmark—Most of the Chicago’s earliest Danish immigrants settled along the axis of Milwaukee Avenue, close to other Scandinavians. By 1910 there were nearly 20,000 Danes in the city, the majority of them located near North Avenue in Humboldt Park.

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How the NATO peoples settled Chicago, Part 1

By: John R. Schmidt | May. 15, 2012

May. 15, 2012

How about something on the impending NATO summit that's free of controversy? For the next three days, I’ll be doing capsule summaries of how the peoples from the 28 countries each did their part to build Chicago.  

Bulgaria—The first Bulgarians settled in Chicago during the first years of the 20th Century. Their numbers were not great, though distinct enclaves developed in Lincoln Square and Albany Park. Immigration has increased in the last 20 years and some sources claim that over 100,000 Bulgarians currently live in metro Chicago.

Canada—In 1880, Canadians were Chicago’s third-largest immigrant group, after the Germans and the Irish. Most of them were English-speaking and could easily assimilate into the local culture.

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Finding your way in Chicago's present

By: John R. Schmidt | May. 11, 2012

May. 11, 2012

How well did you find your way around 1955 Chicago?

We are on Western Avenue at the intersection with Lincoln, just north of Lawrence. The Western station of the Ravenswood "L" (Brown Line) is in the distance. The massive building behind the streetcar is now Dank Haus, Chicago's German American cultural center. 

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Finding your way in Chicago's past

By: John R. Schmidt | May. 10, 2012

May. 10, 2012
How well could you find your way around the Chicago of the past?
 
Today's photo is from 1955. The place is the North Side--in this case, somewhere north of North Avenue and east of the Chicago River. The streetcar is long gone, but many of the landmarks remain today.
 
If you think you know the location, send in your guess as a comment.  I'll post a contemporary photo tomorrow.

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The first Mother's Day

By: John R. Schmidt | May. 8, 2012

May. 8, 2012

This Sunday is Mother’s Day. Chicago first celebrated the holiday 103 years ago Wednesday–May 9, 1909.

The American version of Mother’s Day was started by Anna Marie Jarvis, after the death of her own mother in 1905. To honor all mothers, Jarvis asked people to wear white carnations on the second Sunday in May. The first observances were held in Grafton, West Virginia, where her late mother had lived.

By 1908 Mother’s Day was being celebrated in Philadelphia, San Francisco and a few other places. Meanwhile, Jarvis worked to spread the holiday. She sent pamphlets to women’s clubs in various cities, asking for help.

In Chicago, the Mother’s Day cause was taken up by Sarah Warrell. On May 4, 1909, the Tribune ran a short interview in which she described the holiday.

Warrell called on ministers, teachers, and charitable institutions to get out the word. Wearing the white carnation was the first step. Then people should use the holiday for positive action, to help the aged, the sick, and the needy.

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