Great Chicago Fire (1871)

Making sense of a deadly inferno in Wisconsin

2011-10-09 00:00:00

Was the Great Chicago Fire on the night of Oct. 8, 1871, really caused by one of Kate O'Leary's cows knocking over a lantern? One hundred and 40 years later, that question remains the topic of sometimes-heated debate, at least in Illinois. Three...

True north in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

2007-10-07 00:00:00

Bayfield, Wis. It was a good sunrise. It was a true sunrise. Hemingway would have liked it. I stood on the shore of Lake Superior in this tiny Wisconsin town -- not exactly Ernest Hemingway country -- but I was traveling on the way to one of Papa's...

Chicago's first archbishop was 'good prelate, good man'

2013-05-19 00:00:00

When the president of All Hallows College in Ireland saw the regal man on the framed canvas, he knew the portrait buried in a Dublin basement should head home to Chicago. The painting of Patrick Feehan, Chicago's first Roman Catholic archbishop,...

Arson: Tips may help you avoid being a victim

2013-05-08 09:24:03

Around the state, fire agencies are generating public awareness on how to prevent possibly becoming a victim of arson, something fortunately a rarity in the Jacksonville area. The Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal is promoting its yearly arson...

Chicago to 'burn' again

2013-05-05 00:00:00

In a city where the history books are filled with calamities, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 is the most legendary catastrophe of all. City officials recently announced plans to commemorate the disaster — and the remarkable urban rebirth that...

Museums

2013-05-02 07:42:38

Adler Planetarium 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive; 312-922-7827, adlerplanetarium.org America's first planetarium has one of the world's greatest collections of antique astronomical instruments. One of those is the fully restored Gemini 12 spacecraft flown by...

Taking the kids to Chicago

2013-04-18 12:30:00

The hardest thing about visiting Chicago is deciding where to take the kids first — Chicago's famous Lakefront where you can ride bikes and in-line skate, or Lincoln Park where you can visit one of the few free zoos (http://www.lpzoo.org) in the...

Review: The Glunz Tavern

2013-01-09 00:00:00

Review: The Glunz Tavern 1202 N. Wells St. 312-642-3002 Rating: !! (out of four) Give it some time The Glunz Tavern has been gathering 90-plus years worth of dust—that's not quite as long as the Cubs' World Series drought, but it's still pretty...

10 things you might not know about blame

2013-01-06 00:00:00

We take you away from the finger-pointing championship in Washington to report on other ferocious blizzards of blame occurring elsewhere: Yoko Ono, in a newly released interview, said the Beatles' breakup wasn't her fault — it was probably Paul...

Tension fills author's book, family

2012-10-05 10:32:00

Scientists have yet to prove that there is a genetic predisposition to good writing, but as they continue the search they would do well to read "The Chocolate Money," the first novel by a former Chicagoan named Ashley Prentice Norton. This novel,...

Fire fans set stands ablaze with intricate displays

2012-10-30 10:08:00

The sharp footwork on the field at Toyota Park isn't the only teamwork you'll find taking place at Chicago Fire games. � And yet to the casual fan, the action taking place as Section 8 unfurls its latest colorful tifo display can be just as...

Memorable tifos over the years

2012-10-30 12:06:00

Section 8 has earned a reputation for producing some creative displays over the years. � Perhaps the most famous was the Super Mario Bros. tifo from September 2010 during a game against the Seattle Sounders. The tifo featured Mario superimposed against...

A boat trip on Lake Michigan provides a perfect view of folks running and biking against a skyline marked by the Willis Tower, the Hancock Building and Navy Pier.

2012-10-20 00:00:00

"The Great Chicago Fire" by Annamarie Buchanan sponsored by IPGA.

2012-09-19 00:00:00

Dry, sunny days are nice, until you haven't had rain for two months and suddenly everything is so parched that one wayward cigarette could start another Great Chicago Fire.

2012-08-21 11:26:00