Past Events

Rob Case with students doing a Great Chicago House Hunt on Loyola's Day of Service. Be a digital history detective. Help identify photos in our archive. Over the years, we've accumulated many photographs of homes, commercial buildings and other places in the neighborhood with limited information as to their location, date or subject matter. We're filling in the details for as many as we can, and you can help. Join Rob Case, our Ace Photo Archivist, for a Great Chicago House…

Honor the early leaders of Rogers Park and West Ridge when you join neighborhood historian Glenna Eaves on a  tour of Rosehill Cemetery that highlights the graves and monuments of men and women who helped build our neighborhood. Farmers, soldiers, business owners, artists and a host of others all played a role in our history. Glenna will tell the stories of local residents whose vision, enterprise and dedication shaped the history of the community we live in today.  Tour begins at Rosehill East…

Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society Lifetime member and volunteer June Finfer has written the book and lyrics for a new musical telling the story of visionary architect Daniel H. Burnham and Chicago’s great World’s Fair. Previews begin June 2 at Theater Wit. A lively new look at the story of an important chapter in Chicago history, BURNHAM'S DREAM: THE WHITE CITY celebrates the 125th anniversary of the 1893 World’s Fair and is endorsed by the State of Illinois Bi-Centennial Committee. Lost and Founds…

Art in Unexpected Places: Chicago’s lakefront is lined with a vast collection of outdoor sculpture…paintings too…, yet this virtual museum of public art is virtually unknown. Just Look Down: Maybe you’ll see a name, or some initials in a heart, but also portraits, animals, buildings and more. Millions have strolled, swam, fished and hung out, and some looked to pass the time with pen knives, screwdrivers or chisels, carving a legacy into those miles of lakefront. Chicago’s waterfront stone-carving extravaganza…

Devon Avenue around the intersection of  Clark Street is one of the oldest business districts in Rogers Park. Over the years, the southern gateway to our community has continuously evolved, and is still changing every day. Groceries and taverns, theaters and a funeral home, have come and gone, while other businesses have been neighborhood stalwarts for decades. Get to know old and new businesses on Devon Avenue and discover how the area's unique culture evolved throughout the 20th Century, and…

Your chance to find great gifts for Mother's Day and other spring gift-giving occasions and help two non-profit organizations with your purchases. Shop for unique, handmade gifts from around the world including fair trade baskets, jewelry, crafts and other items from international artisans at Ten Thousand Villages, and RPWRHS will receive 15% of sales that take place during the event. We'll be on site with refreshments, and we'll also be selling The World In One Neighborhood: The Varied Cuisines of…

Noted food historians Colleen Taylor Sen, Carol Mighton Haddix and Bruce Kraig co-edited the recently-published Chicago Food Encyclopedia. They will share stories of the foods and food establishments that make Chicago "an American culinary paradise," focusing on iconic classics with ties to Rogers Park and West Ridge. About the Speakers Carol Mighton Haddix is a former food editor of the Chicago Tribune. She has edited many Tribune cookbooks, as well as Chicago Cooks: 25 Years of Food History with Menus, Recipes, and…