How Rogers Park was “Built by Thompson”
C. H. Thompson (1859-1945): Developer of Luxury Homes by Gustavo Azevedo Three centuries ago, not much of modern-day Rogers Park existed. Where houses, apartments and shops now line the streets, […]
Noted and Notorious
Cult or Religion? The Unification Church in Rogers Park
A mansion sits on the corner of North Sheridan Road and West Fargo Avenue. Built in 1912, the 6,600 sq. ft. home has six and a half baths, two sunrooms, an open eat-in kitchen with an island, a formal living room, and a basement decked out with an exercise room and a wet bar. Typically, a home like this would house a family, and in some ways, it did.
Cora, Edward and Newell Ware: A Gold Star Family Story
Edward Newell Ware (1892-1919): A Unique Life of Selfless Service By Gustavo Azevedo In 1930, the first Gold Star pilgrimage took place. Hundreds of American mothers and widows of fallen […]
The Secret Hideaway of the War Hero’s Notorious Father
Eddie O’Hare was known as a “front man” for Al Capone who kept a secret hideaway apartment in Rogers Park to hide from his enemies. After his murder in 1939, his son “Butch” O’Hare became a war hero whose name lives on in Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
John Downs: Sketching Justice As It Happened
Courtroom Artist John Michael Downs was a witness to some of the most significant legal cases in Chicago history the Chicago Daily News and Chicago Sun-Times.
Joe Aiello: Chicago’s “Tony Soprano” of the Roaring Twenties
The Notorious Joseph Aiello (1890-1930) By Hanna Houser and Dona Vitale You already know about Al Capone. You may recognize names like Dean O’Banion or Bugs Moran. But do you […]
The Pioneering Spirit of Naomi Pollard Dobson (1883-1971)
Wilhelmina Naomi Pollard was the first Black woman to earn a degree from Northwestern University, beginning her life as a trailblazer. But as often has happened, Naomi Pollard’s story has been buried under the weight of the accomplishments of others of the time, including her far more well-known brother, Fritz Pollard.
Nathan “Nik” Krevitsky: Artist, Educator and “Busiest Man in Town” (1914-1991)
Nathan Krevitsky, son of Jewish immigrants, grew up in Rogers Park but became a nationally known art educator and multidisciplinary artist. as well as a valued member of the Tucson Arizona arts and cultural community.
Impact After Forced Removal: Sam and Harue Ozaki Inspire A Neighborhood
Sam Ozaki and Harue Kawano Ozaki By Hanna Houser Editor’s Note: The forced removal of Japanese immigrants and their American-born children from the West Coast after the Japanese attack on […]
Did You Know That Al Capone Lived in Rogers Park?
Al Capone (1899-1947) Principal author: Homer Johnson. Tom Nall and Dona Vitale also contributed. Gangster Al Capone reportedly came to Chicago in 1920 from New York at the behest of […]