Chicago Ghost Conference

It's not too late to spend your weekend, October 2 & 3, with ghosthunters, paranormal researchers, skeptics, believers, storytellers, historians, and fans of creepy fun at the Chicago Ghost Conference at the Portage Theater, hosted by local author and ghostlore historian Ursula Bielski (she'll have copies of her new book, Chicago Haunts 3: Voices from an October City there). Ursula throws a good party and a serious conference, and you won't be disappointed...

Farewell, Crystal Lee Sutton

Crystal Lee Sutton, the inspiration for Sally's Field Oscar-winning performance in Norma Rae (1979) died earlier this month of brain cancer at 68. Her many years working in the substandard environments of Carolina cotton mills for low wages led her ultimately to fight for improved conditions and unionizing Southern textile plants. The scene in Norma Rae in which Sally Field stands on a table in the plant with a cardboard sign reading UNION, bringing fellow workers and their machines to silence, actually happened just before Sutton was removed by police when her employer fired her for union activities. Sutton kindly provided an endorsement of our book on labor leader Regina Polk, who she previously had not heard of, in 2008:

"After working in the cotton mills from 1956 until 1973 when I was fired from J.P. Stevens in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, for working to organize a union, I can appreciate the hard work and challenges that Regina Polk faced as one of the first woman Teamster leaders. It is sad that I had not heard about Regina Polk before reading I Am a Teamster. Polk was a woman with so much love, courage, and knowledge of labor laws. She was a woman as dedicated, as intelligent, and as tough as her idol Jimmy Hoffa. This is a wonderful educational book for anyone who wants to know about organizing the unorganized. It also does a wonderful job of honoring a woman who ‘felt that it was more important to actually help one person than to talk about saving the world.’”

We were moved by Crystal Lee Sutton's story in the 1970s, and we were moved by her kindness and support last year. May her accomplishments be remembered and continue to inspire.

Chicago Soujourn

I love this blog and its photos. 2 recent posts to check out: 1950s & 1960s garage-door designs still lingering in the Chicago burbs and the industrial wonders of Northwest Indiana.

120 Years of Hull House

Settlement House. Settlement House. Settlement House.

This Friday, September 18, when we'll be celebrating Janice Metzger's What Would Jane Say? City-Building Women and a Tale of Two Chicagos at Northwestern University Settlement House, it will also be the 120th anniversary of the founding of Hull-House by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr. A key point of Metzger's new book is that the ethic of the settlement house leaders of the era (Jane Addams and dozens of other women building Chicago social institutions and otherwise creating solutions to social issues of their day) would have been a good complement to the Plan of Chicago set forth by Daniel Burnham and the Commercial Club. If both visions were merged we would've had a better plan and a much different city today.

Join us Friday after work to toast Jan and Jane! Details in earlier post or by calling 312/226-8400.

City of Big Organs

From the United Center chapter of Anbritt Stengele and Lydia Rypcinski's new book, Sports Traveler Chicago:

“The Legend of the Barton Organ

One of the trademarks of the old Chicago Stadium was the legendary sound of the Barton Organ. This mammoth organ was a one of a kind instrument that entertained crowds from 1929 until the Chicago Stadium was demolished in 1995. It was built in 1929 by the Barton Organ Company of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and designed by Dan Barton. The organ was so big that it could entertain a crowd of 20,000 people—and this was before microphone technology was invented! It had 3,663 pipes, six manuals, and 828 stop keys on the console. It was powered by a 100 HP Spencer blower and had a sound so immense that it would rattle the eardrums of the fans. It was instrumental, so to speak, in giving the Chicago Stadium its nickname “The Madhouse on Madison.”

Longtime Chicago Stadium organist Al Melgard once played the organ so loudly and at such a high pitch, the sound took out an entire tier of windows and most of the light bulb filaments in the building. It was in the 1930s during a boxing match as Melgard tried to stop a riot that broke out in the stands with his organ playing. He indeed was able to distract the crowd enough to break up the riot and get the crowd back under control—probably because of all the glass breaking! In recognition of his achievement, the stadium owners awarded him a lifetime position as staff organist.

The Barton Organ sat in the stands of the old Chicago Stadium in the upper level of the side court and was visible to fans who could watch the organists perform. The organ was even played during the 1932 Democratic National Convention and Mr. Melgard was said to be responsible for Happy Days are Here Again becoming the theme song of the Democratic Party.

When the new United Center was being designed, it was first thought that the Barton Organ would be moved into the new arena. However, Bill Wirtz, then owner of the Blackhawks wasn’t interested in keeping the Barton and instead vowed to build a ‘bigger, even better organ’ for the new UC. At one point, it looked as if the Barton would go down with the demolition of the Chicago Stadium. That’s when Bob Ropolo, a local organist and owner of a club called The 19th Hole, formed a group to purchase and remove the organ and ultimately find a new home for it.

The Barton Organ would go on to be displayed inside Mr. Ropolo’s club until the club closed and the organ was disassembled and put into storage. In 1996, the organ was destroyed in a warehouse fire.

Bill Wirtz never did build a bigger and better organ for the United Center. Instead, he installed a small 3-manual organ that is hooked up to the PA system with microphones. Today, the new organ is stored in a small room above the UC, unseen by fans. The organist watches the games via a television monitor inside the room.”

My Name Is Jason, and I'm an Autoholic

From the introduction to Jason Rothstein's Carless in Chicago, coming later this fall.

“This is not an anti-car book.

True, cars congest Chicago and other cities. Cars produce pollution. Cars encourage our dependence on foreign oil. Our reliance on cars contributes to rising rates of obesity and related health conditions. And each year in Cook County alone, about 45,000 people suffer an injury in a car accident.

It’s also true that you can live without owning a car in Chicago pretty easily. We have walkable streets, miles of biking paths, incredible public transit density, and two competing carsharing organizations.

But you know what? I love cars.

No, really, I love cars, and I love driving. I remember the thrill of taking the money I made from a summer job in college and buying a used Toyota Corolla FX-16, a real pocket rocket. (And I remember the thrill of taking it above 110 mph on a highway inKentucky several months later.)

I grew up in Chicago, but attending college in semi-rural Ohio, I felt I needed a car. And then after college, when I lived in St. Paul, Minnesota, it seemed inconceivable not to have a car. (If you’ve ever transferred buses three times to get someplace four miles away in the Twin Cities, you know what I mean.)

When I returned to Chicago in late 1998, it didn’t occur to me to give up my car. Even when my car was stolen a couple of years later, I bought another without a second thought, despite the fact that doing so used cash and credit I had planned to use as a down payment on a condo, and despite the extra money it sucked out of my wallet in payments, insurance, and rising gas prices.

As my bank account got thinner, and perhaps from driving three blocks to the grocery store, I got fatter, I began wondering if car ownership was really all it was cracked up to be. From the book you hold in your hand, you already know the end of this story. But it took me more than a year to give up my car, simply because I was afraid—afraid of losing the freedom we believe owning a car gives us.

Over time, I came to understand a few things. In many cases, owning a car isn’t actually a luxury; it’s a burden. Owning a car may make one freer to hit the road spontaneously at 2 a.m. to drive to who-knows-where, but it makes most people less free to have the adventures they really want to have.

I talk to a lot of people in the city who, faced with rising gas prices, a desire to save for larger goals, or simply the hassles of keeping a car in the city, think about giving up their wheels. But they think they can’t, often for the same reason that I thought I couldn’t—fear. I hope this book will help those people (and others like them) to make an informed decision—either way—by exploring some basic questions:

Would giving up car ownership change your life for the better or for the worse? What combination of methods—walking, biking, public transit riding, and yes, driving—can keep you moving as well or better than you did with your own car?

I hope this book will also help a few others:

§ People who find themselves carless for reasons outside of their control (and persons who, due to other reasons, need to reduce their driving or stop driving altogether)

§People at a crossroads trying to decide if getting a car is right for them (e.g., those just out of college and earning a paycheck for the first time), or those contemplating a second car due to other life changes (e.g., young families with a new baby on the way)

§ Visitors and short-term residents, who I hope will take the opportunity to learn about the wider city away from their hotels, dorm rooms, or corporate apartments

For some people, the best decision may be to get or keep a car. But I think this book may help you discover that not only can you survive without owning a car (or without that second car), but your life may improve without a car.”

Visit Jason’s blog Carless in Chicago for ongoing news, tips, resources, and commentary.

Blues Legends at Rest?

Karen Hanson, author of Today's Chicago Blues, searched the sheriff's department's website to confirm the status of blues musicians' gravesites at Burr Oak after the recent horrific discoveries there. She reports the findings on her blog. For more on Burr Oak, Chicago's first African-American cemetery and final resting place of Emmett Till, Dinah Washington, Willie Dixon, and dozens more notable names, see Matt Hucke's (Graveyards of Chicago) site and photography.

September 7, 1994

The official birthdate of Lake Claremont Press. 15 years down...

The Beat Cop vs. the Streets & San Man

This fall Sgt. David J. Haynes, CPD, and Christopher Garlington take on the Streets & San Man in their challenge to his (Dennis Foley's) 2003 masterpiece: The Beat Cop’s Guide to Chicago Eats. Both books bring you the tongue-in-cheek, food-in-mouth expertise of our public servants who hit the city’s streets and its mom-and-pop eateries every day. They don’t agree on much except that calories don’t count, taste trumps ambience, and you shouldn’t pay more than ten bucks for lunch. Well, they do share a liking for just a few establishments: Hagen’s Fish Market (5635 W. Montrose, bring back your fishing-trip catch to be smoked), Frank and Mary’s (2902 N. Elston, bar serves a full hot dinner at lunchtime), and, oh, yeah, Crabby Kim’s (3655 N. Western), the bar with bikini-clad bartenders. The beat cop has been to more donut shops, the san man to more hot dog stands. Both have eaten plenty of tacos, ribs, pizza, burgers, fried shrimp, and meatloaf platters while others suffer through mid-day salads.

And, now, a quick taste from the beat cop to whet your appetite:

“Uncle John’s

(337 E. 69th St., 773/892-1233, Cuisine: Barbecue)

How do you determine who makes the best ribs in Chicago? How can you possibly taste every rib at every joint in the city? Every restaurant sells ribs and everybody claims theirs is the best. The only thing you can do is break it down by neighborhood and let them fight it out at street level.

Or you can eat at Uncle John’s.

Here’s how good their ribs are: I can’t eat ribs anywhere else now. I will, I have, but I don’t really enjoy it. I drink Uncle John’s sauce straight. It’s just that good. It’s the kind of ribs that make you lose your manners, stick the whole rib in your mouth, and pull the bone out clean. In front of your grandma.

I will declare here and now that Uncle John’s makes the best ribs in Chicago—perhaps in the entire world. They sell their rub by the box but don’t think it’s going to help you recreate this ruby red masterpiece at home. You can’t. It’s some kind of magic, some kind of unholy power over pork and beef, some kind of smoker-pit-voodoo that only occurs at this take-out joint. Last time I was there I was in line behind God. That’s how good this place is.

Make sure you get the hot links. Yeah, a slab of ribs and a plate of hot links. What, are you on a diet or something? Uncle John’s hot links are divine packages of perfectly crumbled seasoned pork, cooked so they have that crisp tooth in the first bite then the inside explodes like a crowd-clearing flash grenade. I ordered two plates to go—one for my fridge and one to eat in the car on the way home. You will convert to porkism after just one serving.

But the best thing about Uncle John’s, after the world-conquering food, is the smoke. You might think Uncle John’s is run by a guy named John but it ain’t. It’s run by a pit boss named Mack. Mack tends the slabs over a smoker that pumps an intoxicating aromatic plume a mile in every direction. It gets into your uniform, it gets into your squad car, and for a while, you smell like ribs. I caught myself smelling my standard-issue white shirt (for good reasons) on the highway back from Uncle John’s and wondering how I could keep the perfume of mulberry and hickory wood in my car forever. I guess the only thing I can do is go back, fight for a parking space (you’ve been warned), and roll the windows down.

Remember this is a beat cop’s guide for cheap food, not for white tablecloths, so when you go there and find out there’s nowhere to sit down, just take a glance at those prices and your worries will vanish. Uncle John’s sells ribs so cheap, he must raise the cows in the basement.

You might consider calling ahead as they are incredibly popular--don’t be an idiot and show up at 5 and wonder why they’re out of ribs. Also, bring a wad of cash. They charge like it’s 1958 because they actually think it’s 1958 and they don’t take plastic.”

Chicago Origins of White-Collar Union Organizing and the EFCA

In honor of Labor Day.

On the 111th Congress's agenda, after the war and the economy, is the issue of labor. Thought by some an artifact of the 19th century—after all, America's never embraced unions, and our economy moves daily towards the white-collar and information sectors, never breeding grounds for union sentiment—labor is in fact hugely relevant today.

The latest flashpoint is the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). This bill seeks to reform the procedure by which workplaces may unionize. Currently, there is a two-stage process. First, a card check is performed, essentially a workplace-wide petition wherein organizers take a simple yes or no vote to see if the majority wishes to pursue unionization. If the majority signs their cards and says yes, let's unionize, only then does the real vote take place, a secret ballot administered by the employer. If this vote succeeds, then the employers are obligated to negotiate with the newly-formed union. The EFCA, if passed, would remove the secret ballot step, which would make union-forming far more simple.

The EFCA has roused partisan sentiment, as the Democrats are firmly in favor of it, while the Republicans strongly oppose. The labor-friendly Democrats believe workers must be protected from the coercions of their employers, all too common in the current secret ballot system. Meanwhile, the Republicans are pointing to the Constitution and insisting that the secret ballot is a sanctified right of the American citizen, while suggesting that the proposed card check system would mean the organizers would be doing the coercing, rather than employers.

While the Employee Free Choice Act is batted around in the halls of DC, it got its start on the streets of Chicago. Not only because it was co-sponsored by then-Senator Obama in 2007, but because of Chicago's rich labor history, from Pullman to Haymarket.

Within such a complex history, one woman, the pioneering Regina V. Polk, is a footnote, but undeservedly so. The Employee Free Choice Act brings new relevance to Regina's story, as before her untimely death, Polk pushed for white collar workers to organize and was on path to become the first woman head of the Teamsters.

Unions are more enticing than ever for white-collar workers, especially in lean times like these. Furthermore, health benefits are never far from the minds of Americans, and a union can bargain on their behalf to ensure their benefits. Polk's singular story deserves retelling in light of the EFCA, as more and more American workers become leery of management, and unions are in the news.

Our recent book about Polk, I Am a Teamster: A Short, Fiery Story of Regina V. Polk, Her Hats, Her Pets, Sweet Love, and the Modern-Day Labor Movement by Terry Spencer was recently named a finalist in the 2009 Indie Excellence Book Awards. To read more about inspiring story of the tough and glamorous, Regina V. Polk, visit Amazon.com.

—Written by Erik Germani

The Neighborhood, City, Fans that Jordan Built

From Anbritt Stengele and Lydia Rypcinski's book Sports Traveler Chicago, arriving today from the printer. Congratulations!

"Michael Jordan will forever be the most beloved Chicago basketball player in the history of the city. He not only lit up the basketball court for the Chicago Bulls for a total of 13 seasons, but he also helped spark the revitalization of the neighborhoods that surrounded the old Chicago Stadium and now, the United Center. They call the United Center 'the house that Jordan built' although this part of the West Side of Chicago could also be called 'the neighborhood that Jordan built.'

Before Jordan, the neighborhood was run-down and filled with crime and poverty. Games were sparsely attended, and most weren’t even broadcast in prime-time.

Jordan joined the team in 1984 and from that moment on, something happened in Chicago. Fans began coming to the old Chicago Stadium in droves to see him play. Jordan started to set records and rack up awards. Restaurants sprung up along Madison Avenue to entertain the thousands of fans who sold out every game. The housing projects started coming down, and the luxury condos started going up. And a ticket to see Jordan and the Bulls became the hottest in town.

The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce commissioned a study in 1993, after Jordan retired for the first time to try to attach a dollar figure to what he meant to Chicago. The study found that Jordan boosted the bottom line of Chicago businesses by approximately $10.5 million, each time he played at the United Center from 1991–1993 when the Bulls won three NBA championships. Multiply that figure by at least 40 regular season games at home a year, plus playoff games, and we’re talking nearly a half-billion dollars pumped into the city per NBA season! Economist John Skorburg, who conducted the study, attributed much of that to the extra tourism dollars brought to the city by fans traveling in to see him play (plane tickets, food and lodging, parking fees, souvenirs, etc.).

Jordan created an excitement and a worldwide fan following that comes just once in a generation, maybe a lifetime. Fans are still talking about what it was like to see Jordan play. Those who never got that opportunity, still wish they could.

The Michael Jordan Statue outside the United Center is the best opportunity to see Jordan’s likeness these days. Fans can still flock to NikeTown (669 N. Michigan Ave., 312/642-6363) to see the entire collection of Air Jordans on display in glass cases.

Officially, retired from basketball since 2003, Jordan now keeps a low profile in Chicago. His restaurant, Michael Jordan’s, closed in 1999. He is sometimes seen out to dinner downtown with friends, at the high-stakes tables in one of the local casinos, or playing golf on one of Chicago’s top courses. He has been quoted saying that he likes to ride his motorcycle around town on summer nights with a helmet on, so no one knows it’s him. He currently owns a professional closed course motorcycle racing team and sometimes practices on a local indoor course with his team’s riders.

Being a fan of the Chicago Bulls has never been the same since Jordan left. We still love the Bulls and going to the UC on game day, but those of us who watched him play will forever be comparing the team today to the way it used to be…when the greatest basketball player of all time was here. Number 23, we miss you!"

Meet David Witter, Author of Oldest Chicago

What qualifies journalist and Renaissance man David Witter to write our upcoming book Oldest Chicago (fall)? How about...

· David Witter was born in Miller, Indiana, across the lagoon from the former Summer home of Nelson Algren and Simone de Beauvior.

· As a teen, Witter grew up in the old Lincoln Park, and was briefly associated with the street gang, The Insane Unknowns.

· Witter worked as a lifeguard at the Raddison Hotel, now the Intercontinental Hotel. During this span he was responsible for protecting famous swimmers including playwright Tennessee Williams, who lived in the hotel while working with the Goodman Theater, and author Sara Paretsky, who swam there every day.

· Witter has worked as an extra, stand-in, and stunt-person in over 15 films and TV shows including Hoffa, Natural Born Killers, While You Were Sleeping, and Class.

· Witter has one degree of separation from Kevin Bacon, as Bacon’s feature film, Stir of Echoes, was partially filmed in his house.

· Witter is an amateur blues musician and songwriter who performs in small clubs and bars across the North Side.

· Witter is a graduate of the Chicago Public Schools (elementary and high school). He has been an English and Special Education Instructor in the CPS system for over 16 years.

Oldest Chicago is about the places that have survived the passage of time.

Oldest business: Peacock Jewelers (1838); oldest apothecary: Merz Apothecary (1875); oldest tavern: Schaller's Pump (1889); oldest theater: the Biograph Theater (1914), and oldest drive-in restaurant: Superdawg (1948). In Oldest Chicago, journalist David Witter highlights dozens of the oldest local treasures in Chicago and its suburban and exurban areas. Remarkable for having survived demolition and extinction for decades, these beloved landmarks have also helped define our city's landscape, offering continuity and civic identity across generations.

Rather than celebrate the past, many of Chicago's business and political leaders have risen to power by tearing it down. Chicago has lost, and continues to lose, many great civic and cultural landmarks. In recent years, Marshall Field's and Carson Pirie Scott have vanished from the city's landscape. Other structures like the Uptown and Ramova Theaters are also in danger of being permanently lost. Oldest Chicago is a reminder of the value of these familiar places and a call to preserve them for a future sense of place.

Everyone tries the newest...have you tried the oldest?

Visit the oldest house. Worship at the oldest church. Get on your soap box at the oldest park. Party at the oldest nightclub. Try some herbal remedies at the oldest drugstore. Taste the foods that generations of Chicagoans have savored at the oldest hot dog stand, pizza parlor, soda pop maker, ice cream parlor, diner, chili parlor, Italian restaurant, liquor distributor, soul food restaurant, and bakery.

Don't just read about Chicago's history--experience it!

Invite Yourself!

Lake Claremont Press warmly welcomes you to a distinctive evening of Chicago history, looking ahead, and festive mingling with friends, colleagues, and other interesting Chicagoans.

Please join us at the historic and lovely Northwestern University Settlement Association building (upstairs from Harriet Vittum Theater, 1012 N. Noble) to celebrate the release of Janice Metzger's new book What Would Jane Say? City-Building Women and a Tale of Two Chicagos and its contributions to the discussions of ongoing planning for the Chicago region.

Enjoy:

~ Food and drink.

~ Appreciation of the landmark building.

~ A few theatrical scenes from the book.

~ Some words from Janice.

~ Book signing.

~ Lake Claremont Press books and representatives.

~ Your delightful company and conversation.

Friday, September 18, 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.

1012 N. Noble, 2nd Floor

Would you like to join us? Please email lcp@lakeclaremont.com to add yourself to the guest list. We have limited spaces available.