Author: lbchicago1@hotmail.com

In Chicago, October 8, 1871 started out like any other Fall day, but turned into a day in Chicago history that could never be forgotten. It was the day the Great Chicago Fire started. It started around 9 p.m. on October 8th and burnt through the morning of October 10, 1871. Approximately 300 people died and thousands of buildings were destroyed with damage estimates at about $200 million. Approximately 100,000 residents were left homeless. This was a third of Chicago’s population which at the time was 300,000. It devastated the downtown area  and headed up toward the North side almost to Fullerton. The South side suffered some damages, but the West side was mostly intact. It burnt approximately 3.3 miles. It started at the general vicinity of 137 DeKoven Street on the Southwest side. It was long rumored that the fire was started by Mrs. O’Leary’s cow kicking over a lantern. That has since been disputed and likely isn’t true. The fire has also been blamed on a meteor shower (which is also unlikely). The fire most likely started due to extremely dry weather conditions and extreme heat and winds; as well as the fact that most buildings, streets and sidewalks were made of wood and there were many lumberyards in the area. Fires occurred at this time in three other nearby areas: Peshtigo WI; Holland MI; and Urbana IL.

Fortunately, most of Chicago’s physical infrastructure and transportation systems remained intact and reconstruction efforts began quickly. Many of the world’s first skyscrapers were built in Chicago at this time. By 1890 the population of Chicago had grown to 1 million and the city was a major economic and transportation hub.

And fittingly enough, today the Chicago Fire Department Training Academy is located at 137 DeKoven Street.

Chicago Worker’s Cottages were built all over the city from the late 19th through early 20th centuries. They were built of wood or masonry and were meant to provide affordable housing for the influx of blue collar factory workers in Chicago during the industrial revolution. Many of the workers were immigrants from Poland, Germany, Ireland, etc. They typically earned low wages and needed affordable housing. There were different styles of Worker’s Cottages, but they were mostly small single family homes with 2-3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom (or no bathrooms in the 1800s!), a walk-in pantry and closet, kitchen, front room/living room, porch and raised full basement (we called an English basement). I grew up in a Chicago Worker’s Cottage at 3137 N. Drake on the Northwest side of Chicago in the Avondale neighborhood. See the photo below.

Growing up there, I didn’t know it was a Worker’s Cottage. We just referred to it as a frame house. At the time, I didn’t really like the house, because some of my friends lived in nicer houses that were all fixed up. My Dad did some improvements to the house, such as new aluminum siding and paneling in the basement, but I fealt it needed much more. It was nothing like the Lincoln Square greystone my cousins lived in or the brick bungalos or two story homes my friends lived in. I sold the house when I got married and we moved to the suburbs. Now, I wish we hadn’t sold it. Even if we didn’t live there, we could have rented it out.

I just learned last week that the house I grew up in was considered a Worker’s Cottage (a term I never heard before). I read about it on Twitter from a post by www.chicagopatterns.com and Gabriel X. Michael.

If I still owned my old Worker’s Cottage (built in 1902), I would have it restored and renovated and value it as the precious jewel that it is. Below are photos of some other “precious jewels” that are still standing. Many Worker’s Cottages are being demolished to make room for new modern houses or skyscrapers. Also, shown is a sign advertising Worker’s Cottages for sale.

Reminiscing is nice, but you need to know how to come back to reality too. What I mean is, as we get older we reminisce a lot and it’s important to reminisce. But it’s also important to know what is going on around you in the present. I understand some people may have a hard time doing this, if they have alzheimers or dementia for example. They are in a different situation and I won’t be discussing them here. I’m talking about normal aging and having difficulty focusing, and what we can do to manage it. I think keeping a calendar helps, because you’ll know what day it is and what appointments you have. Having routines is important too. You don’t have to do the same exact routine everyday, but having some structure helps. And most importantly, I think we need to stay engaged as we age. That’s why it’s good that Senior Centers, Senior Residences and Nursing homes have activities such as games, group discussions, festivals and formal dinner functions. Interracting with others at these functions helps seniors stay engaged and focused while having fun at the same time!

Having some control is good. It’s good to have self-control; control of your life; and control over your emotions. It’s even okay to have some control over others, such as children, spouses and co-workers (if you’re a manager).  Such control is needed to give others direction and guidance when needed. But, then we must ask the question, “how much is too much control over others”? Some people have an obsessive need to control others. We’ve all heard the term “control freak”. According to the Wikipedia definition, a control freak is someone who has antisocial personality disorder and because of a lack of empathy cons and manipulates others. It can also be their own fears that drive their need to control the actions of others. They may be afraid that bad things will happen to them if things get out of control or they may be afraid their own imperfections will become known. So, instead of controlling their own behavior they try to control the behavior of others; then they won’t have to change. This obsessive need to control others’ actions can turn into bullying. At work it turns into managers micromanaging their employees. Bullying is the use of force or threats to dominate and intimidate others. It is frequently done by young people to others that seem weaker than them (those that are easier to intimidate). Of course bullying can occur in any relationship. The “bully” is just like the “control freak”. They both try to change others instead of changing themselves. It’s very difficult (if not impossible) to change the behavior of a bully or control freak, but there are some things you can try. First, try ignoring the hurtful behavior. If that doesn’t work, try confronting the bully/control freak and ask them to stop the behavior. Lastly, if all else fails, try to distance yourself from the bully/control freak. If you can’t distance yourself, because you have to see them at school or work, then report their behavior to someone in authority that can try to get them to stop the behavior.

A disaster or emergency situation can happen at any time, and usually there is little or no warning. But it’s important to know there are steps you can take to protect you and your family in an emergency. Whether it’s a fire, hurricane, tornado, flood, active shooter or earthquake, etc., you can take steps to be prepared. It’s important to have a plan for different types of emergencies. It doesn’t have to be a highly detailed and complex plan. It should be a basic plan that is easy to understand and follow. Some people don’t develop a plan because they think it’ll be too difficult. It won’t be difficult if you keep it simple. You should discuss and develop the plan with your family, so you all know what to do, where to go and what your roles are. Communication is one of the most important elements in an emergency. It can be the difference between life and death. You should put the plan in writing, making sure you have the resources to carry out your plan and practice it with your family before a real emergency occurs.

We hope disaster never strikes, but if it does, it helps to know there are things we can do to mitigate some of the damages to lives and property. Please go to www.Ready.gov for guidance on how to prepare for different types of disasters. The website is very user friendly and teaches you how to be informed, plan ahead and take action to be prepared for specific types of emergencies.

Having a good transit system is important for a thriving city. It’s especially important for a large city like Chicago. Chicago has the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority). The CTA is marking it’s 70th year of operation this Sunday, October 1, 2017. The CTA started operations on October 1, 1947. It came about because the State of Illinois passed an act that created the CTA. This consolidated numerous systems that were operating independently and competing with each other (and were largely inefficient) into a centralized system that would run the elevated trains and buses.

Today, the CTA is the second largest mass transit system in the U.S. It services an average of 1.6 million riders on an average weekday; and runs about 1,888 buses on 130 routes and 1,301 miles. Buses make about 18,843 trips a day and have 10,813 bus stops. On the rapid transit system,CTA’s 1,492 rail cars operate eight routes and 224.1 miles of track. CTA trains make about 2,276 trips each day and serve 145 stations.

The Chicago “L” celebrated it’s own anniversary on June 16, 2017. The “L” (elevated trains) have been in operation for 125 years! Chicago’s first elevated railway was built by the Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad Company on June 6, 1892. It was known as the “Alley L” and ran from Congress to 39th Street just east of State Street.

To thank customers for a great 70 years, CTA is having a celebration in Daley Plaza on Sunday October 1, 2017. There will be live music by local artists who perform on CTA subway platforms and vintage bus and train rides around the Loop.

I didn’t think they were. I thought they were a thing of the past….a part of Chicago history. Well, they are a part of Chicago history, but I saw one still in operation yesterday! I was on a METRA train approaching Union Station and I saw a rail car that said Pullman Federal on it. It looked to be in excellent condition and was operating as the last car attached to an AMTRAK train. At first I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, so it took me awhile to reach for my iphone camera. Luckily I was able to take the photo below while passing the car. The sun was very bright, so it’s hard to read, but trust me it said Pullman Federal!

Today I did some research and found out that what I saw was a restored privately owned Pullman Federal rail car. It was built by the Pullman Company and was one of the first all steel business cars. The Federal car started service on February 3, 1911 and it’s the oldest private car certified for Amtrak operations. It was used by presidents Taft and Wilson for their travels from 1911-1916. The Federal car was sold to DL&W RR in 1933. It was acquired by AAPRCO (American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners) in 1992. It underwent extensive restoration and started operating again in October 2002.

The interior has a formal dining room with a 1911 mahogany dining set. There are two bedrooms with brass beds and a full service kitchen (as well as some modern day conveniences such as TV and DVD player)! Awesome!!

This year Streetwise Magazine is celebrating it’s 25th year of helping homeless Chicagoans (or those at risk of being homeless) earn money on their own and become self-sufficient. It is a weekly magazine that sells for $2.00. It costs the individual Streetwise vendor $ .90 to buy one magazine; and they make $1.10 in profit. I try to buy the magazine every week and pay $5.00 for one magazine. It’s a good feeling to know this extra amount is going to the individual vendor so they can reinvest it in their business by buying more magazines or keep it for living expenses.

Streetwise was started in 1992 as a social service organization that empowers the entrepreneurial spirit by offering self-employment as well as supportive social services and resources to assist in meeting basic needs and getting out of crisis. Participants go through a one month training period and become a badged vendor upon completion. They learn customer service skills, financial skills and time management. And the S.T.E.P. Program provides continuous job readiness training and support to ensure participants’ success in the workforce. Since 1992 more than 12,000 people have been employed as Streetwise vendors.

The best part is that it’s not only for a good cause…..it’s also a great magazine with articles about Chicago events, restaurants, sports, books and city life in general. So, if you haven’t read Streetwise yet, get a copy and if you read Streetwise only once in awhile, buy one every week! You won’t regret it.

As this Summer comes to a close (this Friday is the first day of Fall). I started thinking about another Summer that happened 50 years ago. It was called the “Summer of Love”. Some of you may have lived through it at the time, and others, like me only learned about it from popular culture. It happened in 1967 and was kind of overshadowed by Woodstock a couple of years later. About 100,000 young people known as hippies or flower children poured into the Haight-Ashbury area of San Francisco. They generally opposed the Vietnam War and were into art, music and poetry. They rejected materialism and capitalism and other trappings of modern society. They were into communal living and folk and rock music. Many music festivals were held in the area, such as the Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival and the Monterey Pop Festival with artists like The Who, The Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. The Mamas and Papas song lyrics…”if you’re going to San Francisco be sure to where some flowers in your hair” were written for the Summer of Love. I think the young people were rebelling (mostly in a peaceful way) and trying to find themselves at the same time. I was only five years old at the time, but I always wished I had been a part of that generation.

At the end of the Summer some locals actually held what they called a hippie funeral because they wanted to signal this was the end of it, that people should stay where they live and not come back because it’s over. Still, much in society resonated from the events of the Summer of Love. They fueled the antiwar and environmental movements, but more than anything I think they taught us it’s okay to pursue personal freedom and be more open minded.

Courting is a term we don’t hear too much anymore. The term we commonly use now is dating. When I was growing up we called it dating. I only know the term courting from old TV shows or books and I thought it was just an “old fashioned” way of saying “dating”. Still, my perception was that there were slight differences between dating and courting. So, since I was curious, I googled it. After reading the definitions of both terms the primary difference between the two seems to be intent.

Courting is done with the intent of marriage or commitment to a monogamous romantic relationship. It includes ongoing activities to gain the trust of the person being courted, as well as trying to gain the trust of the person’s family, friends and community. The person courting is doing two things simultaneously. They are trying to market themselves to the person being courted and family and friends. And in the process they are also learning more about the person being courted, i.e. her personality, likes and dislikes, etc. I think courting is a positive thing for a relationship, mainly because it’s done over a longer period of time. So, you get to know the person well before commitment/marriage. It also shows a sense of true interest and devotion to the individual, since they’re willing to put forth all that effort!

I guess courting is probably similar to “serious dating” vs. “casual dating”.