ITS A PLACE THAT TELLS THE STORY OF ONE OF THIS NATION'S GREATEST CITIES.
IT IS ALSO A PLACE WHERE
VISITORS CAN VIEW AN IMPRESSIVE
COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTING AMERICAN
HISTORY, INCLUDING AN ORIGINAL
COPY OF THE DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE.
HI.
INDEPENDENCE. HI. I AM JIM WILHELM.
THIS BUILDING HOUSES THE CHICAGO
HISTORICAL SOCIETY, THE OLDEST
CULTURAL INSTITUTION IN THE
CITY.
TODAY THE SOCIETY OVERSEES ONE
OF THE TOP HISTORICAL MUSEUMS IN
THE COUNTRY WITH THE GROWING
COLLECTION OF MORE THAN
20 MILLION ITEMS.
OF COURSE, MANY OF THE DISPLAYS HERE RELATE TO CHICAGO'S HISTORY.
BUT THE SOCIETY IS ALSO NOTED
FOR ITS COLLECTION OF ITEMS
RELATED TO AMERICAN HISTORY.
THAT'S AN AREA THAT GOT A HUGE
BOOST IN 1920 WHEN THE MUSEUM
PURCHASED THE COLLECTION OF
CHARLES GUNTHER.
HE WAS A LOCAL CONFECTION HER TO
CLAIMED TO HAVE INTRODUCED
CARMELS TO THE COUNTRY AND WAS
CONTINUE USELY SEEKING CIVIL WAR
AND HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS AROUND
THE WORLD.
HE EVEN BOUGHT THE SIVE WAR'S
INFAMOUS LIBBY PRISON IN
RICHMOND AND HAD IT MOVED TO
CHICAGO TO HOUSE HIS EXPANDING
COLLECTION.
SOME OF WHAT HE COLLECT
COLLECTED WAS HUMOROUS.
HE CLAIMED THIS WAS THE SKIN OF
THE SERPENT THAT TEMPTED EVE IN
THE GARDEN OF EDEN, ALONG WITH
TESTIMONIALS OF AUTHENTICITY.
VAST PORTIONS OF WHAT HE DID
COLLECT WERE HISTORIC TREASURES.
THIS WALNUT SPINDLE BED CAME
FROM THE BACK ROOM OF THE
PETERSEN HOUSE IN WASHINGTON
D.C.
IT WAS ON THIS BED ON APRIL 15,
1865, THAT LINCOLN WAS LAID
AFTER BEING SHOT IN THE HEAD AND
WHERE HE LATER DIED.
THE MUSEUM HAS THE BELIED SHEET
FROM THE BED, THE BLOODSTAINED
PILLOWCASE, THE SHIRT LINCOLN
WAS WEARING.
IT EVEN HAS SAMPLES OF HAIR
TAKEN FROM THE AREA OF THE
BULLET WOUND.
IN ADDITION, THE BUREAU, ROCKING
CHAIR, AND EVEN THE LITHOGRAPH
ON THE WALL ARE FROM THAT ROOM.
ON DISPLAY FROM LINCOLN'S PRESIDENCY IS THIS POCKET WATCH ENGRAVED WITH HIS INITIALS GIVEN
TO HIM BY THE OWNER OF A
SPRINGFIELD NEWSPAPER.
THIS LIFE MAST CAST FROM THE
ORIGINAL MOLD WHICH WAS MADE TWO
MONTHS BEFORE HIS DEATH.
IN ADDITION TO THE ABRAHAM
LINCOLN OBJECTS, CHARLES GUNTHER
WAS AN AVID COLLECTOR OF CIVIL
WAR ITEMS.
HE HAD BATTLE FLAGS, WEAPONRY,
AND EVEN ITEMS THAT RELATED TO
THE LIBBY PRISON WHICH WAS THE
BUILDING IN WHICH HE HOUSED HIS
COLLECTION.
THESE ITEMS ARE CARVED OUT OF
BEEF BONES BY COLONEL WILLIAM
POWELL.
HE MADE A SET OF NAPKIN RINGS
FOR HIS CHILDREN AND WAS ABLE TO
DOEK IEWMENT HIS LIFE IN THIS
SMALL DIARY.
HERE IS THE MARBLE TABLE TOP ON APRIL 9, 1865 GENERAL ROBERT E LEE SURRENDERED THE ARMY OF
NORTHERN VIRGINIA TO GENERAL ULY
SEES S GRANT.
ALSO ON DISPLAY IS THIS SADDLE
AND BRIDLE USED BY GENERAL GRANT
DURING THE WAR.
HERE IS A CHAIR USED BY GENERAL
HOOKER DURING THE ATLANTA
CAMPAIGN.
THE LEFT ARM HAS BEEN DAMAGED BY
A BULLET, AND REPAIRED IN THE
FIELD WITH THE PIECE OF IRON.
THE CHICAGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
MUSEUM HAS ARTIFACTS DATING BACK
TO THE BIRTH OF OUR NATION AS
WELL AS THOSE THAT RELATE TO
CHICAGO'S HISTORY
THIS DISPLAY RECOUNTS THE EARLY EUROPEAN YEARS AT WHICH TIME THIS AREA WAS JUST BEGINNING TO
EMERGE AS AN IMPORTANT TRADING
CENTER.
IN THE BEGINNING, IT WAS MERELY
A PORTAGE INTO THE INTERIOR OF
THE NEW WORLD.
JESUIT PRIESTS CAME TO OPEN
MISSIONS TO CONVERT THE LOCAL
TRIBES.
SO, TOO, CAME THE TRADERS
BRINGING METAL ITEMS SUCH AS
THESE TO EXCHANGE FOR FIRST.
BUT OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AFTER
THE FRENCH ARRIVED, A NEW
COUNTRY CAME TO CLAIM THE LAND.
IN 1803, THE SECRETARY OF WAR,
HENRY DEARBORN, ORDERED THE
CONSTRUCTION OF A FOR THE TO
ESTABLISH THE UNITED STATES'
PRESENCE IN THE AREA.
IT ONLY LASTED NINE YEARS UNTIL
THE WAR OF 1812 WHEN SOME LOCAL
TRIBES JOINED WITH BRITISH
FORCES TO TRY TO RECLAIM THEIR
LAND.
ON AUGUST 14 OF THAT YEAR, WHILE
THE TROOPS AND SETTLERS WERE
BEING EVACUATED, THEY WERE
AMBUSHED, 50 MEN, WOMEN AND
CHILDREN WERE KILLED IN WHAT
BECAME KNOWN AS FOR THE DEARBORN
MASSACRE.
THE FOR THE WAS BURNED.
THIS TRUNK BELONGED TO THE WIFE
OF THE FOR THE'S COMMANDER.
IT IS MADE OF PINE BOARD COVERED
WITH DEER HIDE.
AFTER THE ATTACK, BOTH SHE AND
HER HUSBAND BECAME BRITISH
PRISONERS.
LATER, CHIEF BLACKBIRD WHO LED
THE RAID WAS AWARDED THIS MEDAL
BY THE BRITISH COMMANDER.
THE FOR THE WAS REBUILT IN 1816
AND USED UNTIL 1837.
ITS LAST REMAINING STRUCTURES
WERE DESTROYED BY THE GREAT
FIRE.
ON DISPLAY ARE SOME OF THE
ORIGINAL LOGS USED IN THE SECOND
FOR THE.
PLUS THERE IS A MYSTERY THAT IS
SHARED BY THE TWO FORTS.
THIS CARVED STONE IS MENTIONED
IN SEVERAL REFERENCES TO THE FOR
THE.
IT WAS LOCATED JUST BEYOND THE
STOCKADE IN THE FIRST FOR THE
AND IT WAS LATER MOVED TO THE
PARADE GROUND IN THE SECOND FOR
THE.
BUT CONTROVERSY STILL SURROUNDS
ITS ORIGIN.
IT IS SAID THE CARVING WAS DONE
BY A SOLDIER WHO USED THE
POTAWATOMI CHIEF WAUBANSEE AS
HIS MODEL.
OTHERS CLAIMED THE STONE WAS
USED AS ALTAR FOR ARAB ENTER
PEOPLES OR EVEN USED AS A
MOORING STONE BY VIKINGS.
THE MUSEUM HAS ARCHIVES,
NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF JACQUES
MARQUETTE, AND LIEUTENANT
SWEARINGEN WHO CAME HERE TO
BUILT THE FIRST FOR THE, FOR THE
DEARBORN.
N A MOMENT, TWO OTHER
EVENTS THAT LEFT THEIR MARKS ON
THIS CITY.
BUT, FIRST, AS WE HAVE ALREADY
SAID, THIS MUSEUM CONTAINS A
VAST COLLECTION OF WHICH ONLY A
SMALL PORTION IS ON DISPLAY.
IT IS A COLLECTION THAT COVERS A
WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS.
>> YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL RANGE OF
MATERIALS HERE AT THE HISTORICAL
SOCIETY.
WHEN WE STARTED OUT COLLECTING
IN 1850'S, WE, OF COURSE, WERE
INTERESTED IN COLLECTING FROM
NOTABLE PIONEERS OF THE CITY'S
EARLY HISTORY.
ALSO EARLY MATERIALS PERTAINING
TO THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC.
WE HAVE MATERIALS OF CHARLES
GUTEAU, THE ASSASSIN OF
PRESIDENT JAMES GARFIELD, THE
DEATH MASK RESULTS FROM THE MAKT
THAT GUTEAU WAS HUNG NINE MONTHS
AFTER PRESIDENT GARFIELD DIED.
THERE ARE DOCUMENTS FROM
GUTEAU'S HAPPENED WHICH INDICATE
HE WAS EXPECTING FINANCIAL AID
FROM THE OUTSIDE.
HE WOULD WRITE TO PEOPLE SAYING
I COULD CERTAINLY USE A CHECK
RIGHT NOW, MAKE IT OUT TO ME,
CARE OF U.S. JAIL, WASHINGTON
D.C.
HE RECEIVED ACTUALLY VERY LITTLE
FINANCIAL SUPPORT.
THAT'S THE BONNET THAT
MRS. LINCOLN WORE AT FORD'S
THEATER ON THE NIGHT OF THE
ASSASSINATION.
WE ALSO HAVE A CAPE THAT SHE
WORE WHICH HAS BLOOD ON IT.
OUR CUSTOM COLLECTION AT THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY IS ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY, AND ONE
OF THE BEST.
NOT ONLY ARE THEIR HIGH END
FASHIONS AVAILABLE TO DOCUMENT
CHICAGO HISTORY, BUT ALSO WORK
MEN'S JUMP SUITS AND
STEWARDESS'S OUTFITS AND THINGS
WHICH REPRESENT THE WORKING
WORLD AS WELL AS THE
RECREATIONAL OR SOCIAL WORLD.
CHICAGO LEAPING TO SUCH A LARGE
STATUS AS MIDWEST MANUFACTURING
CENTER PRODUCED PRACTICALLY
EVERYTHING, 1880'S, 1890'S
THINGS OF NOT ONLY JUST THE
MEATS AND THE LUMBER AND ALL
THIS SORT OF RAW GOODS OF
AMERICAN PRODUCE, BUT ALSO FINER
MATERIALS.
WE HAVE A LOST CRAFTSMEN HERE,
AND THE SHOE INDUSTRY AND
FURNITURE INDUSTRY AND WHATNOT
PRODUCED A LOT OF VERY FINE
ARTIFACTS.
WE HAVE ITEMS WITHIN OUR
COLLECTION THAT REPRESENT
IMPORTANT EVENTS WITHIN THE
HISTORY OF THE CITY.
OF COURSE, THE LEOPOLD GLASSES
ARE FANTASTIC.
FOR THOSE WHO KNOW THE CRIME AND
DETAILS OF THE CRIME, TO REALIZE
THOSE GLASSES ARE HERE IS QUITE
A THRILL.
MANY PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THE
INFAMOUS CRIME OF LEOPOLD AND
LOBE WHEN HE ENGAGED ON A
KILLING ON THE SOUTH SIDE
INVOLVING A NEIGHBORHOOD BOY.
WHEN THEY WERE DISPOSING OF THE
BODY AROUND WOLF LAKE,
APPARENTLY, NATHAN LEOPOLD
LEANED OVER AND THE GLASSES CAME
OUT OF THIS COAT AND REMAINED AT
THE SITE.
POLICE DISCOVERED THE GLASSES,
AND WERE ABLE TO TRACE THEM BACK
TO NATHAN LEOPOLD BECAUSE THE
GLASSES HAD A VERY UNIQUE HINGE
ON ONE SIDE WHICH HAD ONLY
RECENTLY BEEN RELEASED FOR USE.
NATHAN LEOPOLD WILLED THESE
GLASSES TO THE HISTORICAL
SOCIETY.
THE CAP SIEGZ OF THE EASTLAND IN
1915, WITH THE LOSS OF LIFE OF
800 PEOPLE IS ONE OF THE SADDER
WELL-KNOWN EVENTS IN CHICAGO
HISTORY.
THIS CERTIFICATE WE HAVE DATES
FROM THE 1913 SEASON AND
INDICATES THAT THE EASTLAND WAS
AUTHORIZED TO CARRY 2,000
PASSENGERS.
BUT ON THE MORNING OF THE
DISASTER IN JULY OF 1915, THEY
HAD IN EXCESS OF 2,000 WHO HAD
COME ON BOARD AND, OF COURSE,
THE TOP-HEAVY CONDITIONS AND
POOR BALLAST CONDITION RESULTED
IN OVERTURN OF THE SHIP.
THIS IS A SOLID STEEL MEAT CLEAVER FROM THE CHICAGO STOCK STOCKYARDS ERA.
I WILL GUESS AS TO ITS WEIGHT.
BUT THIS IS SIGNIFICANT.
IF YOU CAN GET THIS TRAVELING
WITH A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF FORCE
ARE IT IS GOING TO COME DOWN
WITH A LOT OF ATTACK PRESSURE.
IT IS VERY HEAVY.
THAT WILL CUT THROUGH JOINT
MATERIAL EASILY.
BUT AS WE MOVE INTO THE 20TH
CENTURY WE CONTINUE TO
COLLECTING THOSE HIGH END
MATERIALS, BUT WE ALSO BECAME
MORE DETERMINED TO COLLECT MORE
BROADLY SO WE WOULD HAVE THINGS
THAT AVERAGE PEOPLE COULD COME
IN AND SAY "I USED TO PLAY WITH
A SET OF THOSE WHEN I WAS A
CHILD OR I USED TO SEE THAT
FACILITY ON THE SOUTH SIDE WHEN
I WAS GROWING UP."
WE HAVE A VEG OMATIC AND NUMBER
OF RELATED ITEMS WERE INVENTED
BY A CHICAGO AND BY THE NAME OF
RON POPEIL.
THESE A LARGE PART OF PEOPLE'S
EXPERIENCE IN THE MID 20TH
CENTURY.
IN ADDITION TO THE MATERIALS WE
HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT HERE, WE
HAVE A VERY EXTENSIVE
PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION, ONE OF
THE GREATEST WITHIN THE UNITED
STATES IN TERMS OF DOCUMENTING
THE URBAN EXPERIENCE.
OUR COLLECTIONS ARE QUITE OPEN
TO THE PUBLIC.
WHEN WE RECEIVE OFFERS OF
DONATIONS TO THE HISTORICAL
SOCIETY, WE TRY TO COAX THE
DONORS INTO TURNING OVER AS OPEN
ACCESS AS POSSIBLE TO THESE
MATERIALS.
>> MENTION CHICAGO, AND MOST
PEOPLE THINK OF THE GREAT FIRE.
SO IT IS ONLY APPROPRIATE WE
WOULD HAVE ON DISPLAY THE
SATISFIES'S FIRST FIRE ENGINE
FROM 1832.
BUT THIS FIRE ENGINE DID NOT
PARTICIPATE IN THE GREAT FIRE 39
YEARS LATER.
IT HAD BEEN REPLACED BY MORE
MODERN EQUIPMENT.
THE GREAT FIRE HAPPENED ON OCTOBER 8, 1871. IT ONLY DESTROYED 3.2 MILES OF
CHICAGO'S 35 SQUARE MILES.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE AREA THAT
BURNED CONTAINED THE ENTIRE
CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.
HERE ARE SOME EVERY DAY ITEMS
FUSED TOGETHER BY THE HEAT WHICH
WERE FOUND IN THE DEBRIS.
THE FIRE TOOK 300 LIVES WHILE
CAUSING AN ESTIMATED
$192 MILLION IN PROPERTY DAMAGE,
BUT THE PEOPLE AND THE CITY
QUICKLY SPRANG BACK.
DAYS AFTER THE FIRE, BUSINESSES
BEGAN TO REAPPEAR ALONG THE
RUBBLE.
ONE OF THE FIRST BUILDINGS TO GO
UP BELONGED TO WILLIAM KERFOOT
WHO HUNG THIS SIGN ON HIS NEW
STORE.
IT READS "ALL GONE, BUT WIFE,
CHILDREN, AND ENERGY."
>> THIS IS THE ONLY NORMAN
ROCKWELL PAINTING ON PUBLIC
DISPLAY IN CHICAGO.
OF COURSE, IT DEPICTS
MRS. OLEARY AND HER COW.
WHILE THE FIRE DID START ON OR
NEAR HER BARN, THE ACTUAL CAUSE
OF THE FIRE WAS NEVER OFFICIALLY
DETERMINED.
IRONICALLY, HER HOME WAS SPARED.
ANOTHER EVENT THAT LEFT ITS MARK ON CHICAGO HISTORY, BUT IN A POSITIVE MANNER, WAS THE
COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION OF 1893.
IT CONSISTED OF OVER 65,000
EXHIBITS HOUSED IN MORE THAN 200
BUILDINGS.
THE MOST STRIKING AND POPULAR
RIDE WAS WORLD'S FIRST FERRIS
WHEEL.
IT WAS A MASSIVE STRUCTURE
STORING 200 R50 FEET WITH 36
CARS EACH -- 250 FEET WITH 36
CARS, HOLDING 60 PEOPLE FOR 20
MINUTE RIDE, TWO REVOLUTIONS,
THE COST WAS A WHOPPING 50
CENTS.
ANOTHER POPULAR ATTRACTION WAS
THE REPLICA OF CAIRO STREET
WHICH INTRODUCED EXOTIC DANCING
INTO AMERICA.
INTERESTING BECAUSE THE 1933
WORLD'S FAIR ALSO HELD IN
CHICAGO FEATURED THE SCANDALOUS
DANCING OF SALLY RAND AND HER
FANS.
IN FACT, THE MUSEUM HAS THOSE
FAMOUS FANS ALONG WITH HER
PERSONAL COLLECTIONS.
IN A CASE HOLDING MEMORABILIA
FROM BOTH FAIRS IS THIS SMALL
STATUTE TIDAL "I WILL" THE
OFFICIAL SYMBOL OF CHICAGO.
LIKE THE CITY, THE HAT DEPICTS
THE PHOENIX RISING FROM THE
FIRE.
WELCOME BACK TO THE CHICAGO'S HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND MUSEUM WHICH HAS A COLLECTION OF MORE
THAN 20 MILLION ITEMS AND IT IS
STILL GROWING.
WHAT IS ALSO STILL GROWING IS
THE SCOPE OF WHAT THE
RESEARCHERS ARE COLLECTING.
IN SOME CASES, THE EMPHASIS HAVE
SHIFTED FROM JUST DOCUMENTING
EVENTS TO REDISCOVERING HOW
PEOPLE LIVED, AND REACTED AND
FELT.
THIS AREA FEATURES VARIOUS
VOICES FROM SURROUNDING
NEIGHBORHOODS TOUCHING ON THE
ISSUES THEY DEEMED IMPORTANT.
THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, THE MUSEUM
OFFERS SPECIAL TOURS WITH
HISTORIC THEMES.
ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR BEING
THE OCTOBER TOUR OF HISTORIC
CEMETERIES.
ALSO DURING THE YEAR, COSTUMED
ACTORS ARE IN THE MUSEUM
PORTRAYING FIGURES FROM OUR
NATION'S PAST.
WHAT WE HAVE SHOWN YOU TODAY IS
JUST A SMALL FRACTION OF THE
VAST NUMBER OF ITEMS OWNED BY
THE CHICAGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
MANY OF THE ITEMS NOT ON DISPLAY
MAY BE SEEN ON THE MUSEUM'S WEB
SITE OR USING COMPUTER TERMINALS
LOCATED IN THE MUSEUM.
MORE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE
CHICAGO HISTORIC CAL SOCIETY,
MUSEUM, TOURS OFFERED OR SPECIAL
GUEST LECTURE US CALL
(312)642-4600 OR VISIT THEIR WEB
SITE AT WWW.CHICAGOHISTORY.COM.