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It was an innovative idea in its day - a 200 store indoor shopping center 35 miles outside of Chicago with a 31-ride amusement park in the middle. Unfortunately, once you throw in costly delays, waning attendance, lackluster store selection, competition, and a trapeze death, that's when trouble starts.

This is the story of Old Chicago, billed at the time as the "world's first enclosed combination theme park and shopping center," which in five years went from the next big thing to bust.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN MAY, 2020. This version contains some changes.

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History Lover's Guide to Chicago, A by Greg Borzo
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Fodor's Chicago (Full Color Travel Guide)
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It is the largest train robbery in U.S. history, and it occurred just 32 miles north of Chicago. Hear how the Rondout Train Robbery unfolded 100 years ago in June 1924.

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The Newton Gang Speaks (including Joe Newton on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson (1/20/1980):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fenpjqq-UBo&t=6s

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Newton Boys: Portrait of an Outlaw Gang, The by Claude Stanush and David Middleton
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Last Train Robber, The: The Life and Times of Willis Newton by W.C. Jameson
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Willis Newton: The True Story of the Notorious Newton Gang by G.R. Williamson
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It was one of the defining moments for the United States during World War II - the capture of a German U-boat on the Atlantic Ocean. Hear the story and the event's many Chicago connections before the 80th anniversary of the event (June 4, 1944), and then see the submarine at the Museum of Science and Industry.

#ChicagoHistory #USNavy #MuseumOfScienceandIndustry #U505Submarine #WorldWarII

U-505 Live Submarine Tour:
https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/u-505-submarine/

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Captured World War II enemy combatants were often brought back to the United States to be housed in facilities across the country, including here in Illinois. Today we’re discussing Chicago’s World War II POW Camps.

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The Enemy in Our Hands : America's Treatment of Enemy Prisoners of War, From the Revolution to the War on Terror by Robert C. Doyle
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Men in German Uniform: POW’s in America during World War II  by Antonio Thompson
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Fort Sheridan (Images of America) by Diana Dretske
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It is one of the oldest original ballparks in the country, and with that lengthy run is an interesting history as well. Hear all about the area before the ballpark was even built and much more.

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Wrigley Field Year by Year; A Century at the Friendly Confines by Sam Pathy
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Wrigley Field: The Long Life and Contentious Times of the Friendly Confines by Stuart Shea
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Wrigley Field: 100 Stories for 100 Years by Dan Campana
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His funeral was the largest in Chicago since that of Abraham Lincoln. Who was Dr. Patrick Henry Cronin, and how did his connection to secret Irish organizations lead to his murder?

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Blood Runs Green: The Murder That Transfixed Gilded Age Chicago by Gillian O'Brien
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No sport is more closely identified with Chicago than 16-inch softball. Enjoy the history of 16" softball along with some insights about the game from a few guys who know it best - the 16" Softball Hall of Fame co-founder Al Maag, Hall of Fame President Ron Kubicki, and Hall of Fame Vice President Ray Topps.

#Chicago #History #ChicagoHistory #ChicagoSports #16InchSoftball

16-Inch Hall of Fame:
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16-Inch Hall of Fame Documentary with Jack Brickhouse
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Check out If The Walls Could Talk, a podcast about the downfall of Edgewater Hospital in Chicago:
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Secret History Of Balls: The Stories Behind The Things We Love To Catch, Whack, Throw, Kick, Bounce, and Bat, The by Josh Chetwynd
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Second City Sinners: True Crime From Historic Chicago's Deadly Streets  by Jon Seidel
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Unknown Chicago Tales by John R. Schmidt
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With all the talk of the Chicago Bears plans for a new stadium by the lake, it seemed like a good time to revisit this episode about the Bears' current home, Soldier Field.

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Soldier Field: A Stadium and Its City by Liam T. A. Ford
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Friend of the podcast Geoffrey Baer is BACK with a new special on WTTW called "Chicago Mysteries." Listen as Geoffrey and I discuss a few of the stories from the program.

https://www.wttw.com/mysteries

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Alchemy of Bones: Chicago's Luetgert Murder Case of 1897 by Robert Loerzel
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Secret Chicago: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure by Jessica Mlinarik
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Chicago Scavenger by Jessica Mlinarik
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Graceland Cemetery: Chicago Stories, Symbols, and Secrets by Adam Selzer
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Not long after The Beatles invaded America and kids everywhere picked up guitars and drumsticks and formed their own bands, enterprising individuals all over Chicago and the suburbs saw… opportunity. This is the story of Chicago's Teen Rock Clubs of the 1960’s.

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The Who: Concert File by Joe McMichael and "Irish" Jack Lyons
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The Chicago Music Scene: 1960s and 1970s by Dean Milano
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