Book Description
Discover a Chicago That Exists Just Beneath the Surface -- About Six Feet Under.
Ever wonder where Al Capone is buried? How about Clarence Darrow? Muddy Waters? Harry Caray? Or maybe Brady Bunch patriarch Robert Reed? And what really lies beneath home plate at Wrigley Field? Graveyards of Chicago answers these and other cryptic questions as it charts the lore and lure of Chicagos ubiquitous burial grounds.
Like the livelier neighborhoods that surround them, Chicagos cemeteries are often crowded, sometimes weary, ever-sophisticated, and full of secrets. They are home not only to thousands of individuals who fashioned the citys singular culture and character,but also to impressive displays of art and architecture, landscaping and limestone, egoism and ethnic pride, and the constant reminder that although physical life must end for us all, personal note--and notoriety--last forever.
Grab a shovel and tag along as Ursula Bielski, local historian and author of Chicago Haunts, and
Matt Hucke, photographer and creator of www.graveyards.com, unearth the legends and legacies that mark Chicagos silent citizens--from larger-than-lifers and local heroes, to clerics and comedians, machine mayors and machine-gunners.
This book contains 168 photos.
Customer Reviews:
Graveyards of Chicago: The People, History, Art and Lore of Cook County Cemeteries.......2007-08-10
I love to browse cemeteries and that is what this book does. It gives us glimpses of the famous, infamous, and just ordinary folks that are buried in Chicago. I loved this book. The pictures are wonderful. The author has done his research and created an interesting read. The author has pointed out the best of the best in many of the cemeteries. If you love the beauty of a cemetery this book is for you.
It's ok.......2005-09-27
I was pretty impressed with the photography in the book, but that's about it. SOme of the stories were ok but didn't seem to flow. If your looking for quality graveyard pictures than you'd enjoy this book. Otherwise your better off looking for another book to read. I think she was better off writing about folklore than taking up a project like this book.
Resting in Local History.......2004-04-28
There are some who think it's weird to tour cemeteries. They're missing the serene tribute to a city's history -- graveyards are neighborhoods and time capsules; art museums and in some cases the final repositories of enduring secrets.
Hucke and Bielski serve as knowledgeable and respectful tour guides for some of the most impressively landscaped, richly historical acres within and adjacent to the city's urban sprawl. It's a field trip through bold headlines and unsung achievements represented by a carved catalog of famous -- and infamous (at Mount Carmel Catholic Cemetery, mob boss Sam Giancana's mausoleum is padlocked) -- names.
The book follows Lake Claremont's practical design of dividing interesting sites by sections of the city map. I know from firsthand experience that you can spend the whole day in the Metro North area touring renowned Graceland Cemetery (Chicago's second oldest burial ground, final home to many whose surnames -- Field, Getty, Palmer, Kinzie, Kimball, Goodman, Sears, Armour, and Pullman to drop just a few -- are synonymous with Chicago's growth); or Rosehill, within whose 350 acres lie bicycle king Ignaz Schwinn, water magnates Otis Ward Hinkley and George Schmitt, shoe guru Milton Florsheim, "merchandising arch-enemies" Aaron Montgomery Ward and Richard Warren Sears, and 14-year old Bobby Franks, murdered in 1924 by University of Chicago students Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb.
Hucke and Bielski devote much-deserved attention to the artistic aspect of grave markers and cemetery architecture across a span of more than a century's worth of changing styles. Additional highlights: more unusual burials (attorney Clarence Darrow's ashes scattered in Jackson Park; musician Steve Goodman's cremains under home plate in his beloved Wrigley Field); a nod to necropolises in outlying areas, and a partial directory of Chicagoland cemeteries. This unusual guide is unusually enlightening on many levels fundamental to Chicago's identity.
Fabulous, handy book!.......2003-05-18
This well-written and informative book is a must-have for anyone who is interested in Chicago history, cemeteries, or architecture. I read it cover to cover and often refer back to it for various reasons.
From the grave of Al Capone to the graves of lesser-known Chicagoans, this book seems to cover it all.
Great photos, fascinating stories!
Resting in Local History.......2003-02-19
There are some who think it's weird to tour cemeteries. They're missing the serene tribute to a city's history -- graveyards are neighborhoods and time capsules; art museums and in some cases the final repositories of enduring secrets.
Hucke and Bielski serve as knowledgeable and respectful tour guides for some of the most impressively landscaped, richly historical acres within and adjacent to the city's urban sprawl. It's a field trip through bold headlines and unsung achievements represented by a carved catalog of famous -- and infamous (at Mount Carmel Catholic Cemetery, mob boss Sam Giancana's mausoleum is padlocked) -- names.
The book follows Lake Claremont's practical design of dividing interesting sites by sections of the city map. I know from firsthand experience that you can spend the whole day in the Metro North area touring renowned Graceland Cemetery (Chicago's second oldest burial ground, final home to many whose surnames -- Field, Getty, Palmer, Kinzie, Kimball, Goodman, Sears, Armour, and Pullman to drop just a few -- are synonymous with Chicago's growth); or Rosehill, within whose 350 acres lie bicycle king Ignaz Schwinn, water magnates Otis Ward Hinkley and George Schmitt, shoe guru Milton Florsheim, "merchandising arch-enemies" Aaron Montgomery Ward and Richard Warren Sears, and 14-year old Bobby Franks, murdered in 1924 by University of Chicago students Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb.
Hucke and Bielski devote much-deserved attention to the artistic aspect of grave markers and cemetery architecture across a span of more than a century's worth of changing styles. Additional highlights: more unusual burials (attorney Clarence Darrow's ashes scattered in Jackson Park; musician Steve Goodman's cremains under home plate in his beloved Wrigley Field); a nod to necropolises in outlying areas, and a partial directory of Chicagoland cemeteries. This unusual guide is unusually enlightening on many levels fundamental to Chicago's identity.
Book Description
"Today, we can be nostalgic about the passing of great local children's fare such as Bozo's Circus . . . and Garfield Goose. However, I believe that today's children have more and better choices in programming . . . .
What is missing is the localism, the heart and soul that emanated from these and other programs. Economics, regulation, and expectations for what a program should look like have altered children's television forever. As you read this book, perhaps you will not only find memories or curiosities from a bygone era, but inspiration to create children's television for today's audiences. A pie in the face is still funny, kids still like to dance, and the last time I looked, you could still buy six buckets and nail them to a board and call it a Grand Prize Game."
—from the foreword by Neal Sabin, WCIU-TV, Chicago
Behind-the-Scenes Stories of the Golden Age of Chicago Children's Television as Told by the People Who Lived It
At one time every station in Chicago—a maximum of five, until 1964—produced or aired some programming for children. From the late 1940s through the early 1970s, local television stations created a golden age of children's television unique in American broadcasting. Though the shows often operated under strict budgetary constraints, these programs were rich in imagination, inventiveness, and devoted fans. The mere mention of their names brings smiles to the faces of Midwestern Baby Boomers everywhere: Kukla, Fran, & Ollie, Super Circus, Garfield Goose, Bozo's Circus, Mulqueens' Kiddie-A-Go-Go, BJ & Dirty Dragon, Ray Rayner and Friends, and a host of others. In 1972 the FCC changed the regulations governing the relationship between sponsors and local programming, effectively bringing to a close this chapter of television history.
What Chicago kids' show had American Bandstand host Dick Clark dancing on T.V. for the first time ever? Why did one have to wait months and, more often, years to get tickets for Bozo's Circus? Which very popular and successful host never wanted to do a children's T.V. show? Who really made the puppet Garfield Goose (you may not have known it was a mystery)? Remember the "talent" that bit the head off a parakeet on live TV and the shocked emcee's reaction? What sent television executives into a quandary when Kiddie-A-Go-Go went on the air? Which show was almost forced off the air because a giant soft drink company opposed a so-called rival's use of the word sip? Now, discover the back stories and details of this special era from the people who created, lived, and enjoyed it—producers, on-air personalities, and fans.
Customer Reviews:
Mulqueen's Chicago Children's Television.......2007-05-07
I did not grow up in Chicago during the golden-age of children's TV there, but I did live there as a child during the early 70's (perhaps the late-silver, early-bronze age) and remember quite fondly Bozo's Circus, Ray Rayner, and Garfield Goose with Frazier Thomas on WGN channel 9. Also, Bill Jackson's "BJ and the Dirty Dragon" show on WFLD channel 32 was an afternoon staple of my early elementary school days. After reading previous reviews of this book and seeing its cover, I decided it would be well worth the money to get a copy and relive those glory days of my childhood living in the Chicago burbs. Unfortunately, what I encountered was a lot information about shows I had never even heard of, produced by people I also had never heard of, nor cared about. This book seemed to me to be an opportunity for some local TV producers/entertainers (The Mulqueens) to get their names out there and redeem the fact they had apparently been overlooked in all other sources of Chicago's television history. After reading The Golden Age of Chicago Children's Television, I am still at a bit of a loss to understand their self-importance in this era.
The book does contain some interesting factoids, and there are some other people who even local Chicagoans have probably never realized were instrumental in creating shows they watched as kids. But even with the little bites of information about such local celebrities as Frazier Thomas and classic shows such as Bozo, in the end it is probably only going to be a book of interest for folks who grew up in the area and watched as much or more television as I did. I found more useful and fun information about this topic and era on the internet. I give it barely 3 stars.
You don't have to be from Chicago to enjoy this book; a great read for TV historians.......2005-11-01
Like the other reviewers on this page, I enjoyed the Okuda-Mulqueen "Chicago Children's Television" book very much. Unlike those reviewers, however, I'm not from Chicago and I never saw the programs and personalities under discussion.
I think it's important to point out that this book is not a "you had to be there" exercise in local nostalgia. Chicago was a bedrock of children's television, some of it on a national network scale. There's a good chance that you'll recognize at least some of the luminaries discussed here.
The authors are careful to put the "golden age" in context. Many first-person accounts, from both sides of the cameras, illuminate the high-pressure, low-budget, anything-could-happen world of live TV. Statistically-minded readers will admire the research, with dates, places, and participants fully documented.
Viewers who grew up with the likes of Chicago's kid-TV icons Ray Rayner and Hardrock, Coco, and Joe are obviously the best audience for this book, but anyone interested in early television, popular culture, and biographical studies will find much to enjoy.
'Golden Age Is Wonderful Trip Down Memory Lane'.......2005-08-04
Ted Okuda and Jack Mulqueen's book, "The Golden Age Of Chicago Children's Television" is an incredible treasure chest of nostalgia for the beloved childhood memories of anyone who grew up in the Chicago Mid-West during the 1950's and 1960's.
Authors Okuda and Mulqueen cover the extensive and often elaborately produced Chicago area children's televison shows, along with their hosts, who became local stars of the first magnitude in the days before cable, sattelite dishes, and even UHF channels! These behind-the-scenes stories are both fascinating and riveting, and the reader can follow the rise and fall of such local, but famed legendary shows like "Garfield Goose And Friends", "Kukla, Fran & Ollie", "Ray Raynor And Friends", "B.J. And Dirty Dragon", "Bozo's Circus", "Elmer The Elephant", and "The Mulqueen's Kiddy-A-Go-Go', among many others! Readers will recall the wonderful stars of this long-gone era like Burr Tillstrom, Fran Allison, Frazier Thomas, Bob Bell, Ray Raynor, Roy Brown, Don Sandburg, John Conrad, Elaine (beautiful Pandora) Mulqueen, Bill Jackson, Mary Hartline, all the greats and many more!
Having grown up in Chicago during this era, I was unable to put down this book, and was astonished as to how many wonderful memories it brought back. The authors Ted Okuda and Jack Mulqueen have thankfully preserved for us some of Chicagoland TV's magic and history, before all traces of it vanish forever like the Buffalo!
Fond memories, fascinating information.......2005-03-17
For those of us who recall Chicago children's television, this book will bring back many wonderful memories about the shows and the performers. Bozo's Circus, Ray Rayner and Friends, and so many other great shows allowed kids to be entertained, to learn, and to free up our imaginations. Ted and Jack's book does a thorough job of tracing the history of Chicago children's television, with complete information about the shows, great illustrations, and many fascinating, amusing anecdotes. It is a book that no baby boomer should be without.
A wonderful trip through memory lane .......2004-11-09
The Golden Age Of Chicago Children's Television tells the true story of children's television produced or aired in Chicago from the 1940's to the 1970's. Even though these shows often operated under strict budget limits, the imagination that fueled them was boundless. Classic productions such as "Fran & Ollie", "Garfield Goose", "Bozo's Circus", and more, truly captivated the imagination of generations. Black-and-white photographs illustrate The Golden Age Of Chicago Children's Television, which delves deeply into the amazing history and trivia behind popular and beloved shows, from the lives of stars and hosts to what gave television executives sudden fits and much more. A wonderful trip through memory lane and fascinating repository of little-known facts.
Book Description
Completely revised and updated, this book is a comprehensive guide to the vastly complex records for this major urban area.
Thousands of immigrants around the world arriving in the U.S. found the rapidly growing Chicago city a new-found home. Chances are, you can find a branch of your family tree in the Chicago area.
This friendly guide to the vital records of Chicago and Cook County is just waiting to help you find your ancestors!
Customer Reviews:
Talk about comprehensive!.......2003-12-15
This is hands down the most comprehensive resource on all aspects of genealogical research in the Chicago/Cook County Illinois area bar none. I purchased this book when it was new and don't know how else I would have done as much Chicagoland area research without it. Without this book I would have had no idea where to start researching when visiting Chicago and really helped insure I got the biggest bang for the buck when there. Where Ms. Szucs really pays off is breaking out the various municipalities and even offers offbeat sources such as the Medical Examiners Office that I would NEVER have thought of and it's a good thing as I've used that as a resource twice now with great results. Yes, it would be great to have an updated edition with new area codes and telephone numbers, internet sources and the like, but I find those sources can get stale-dated pretty darned quickly! Mrs. Szucs delivers what you need to get the ball rolling and it's always important to double-check local numbers and use those available resources like Google.
Where are the updates and revisions?.......2003-09-27
This is the same 1996 edition in a new cover. A big clue was the list of suburban Chicago libraries still with the 708 area code. Most of them changed to 847 in 1996.
I don't see any mention of the Internet either. There is a lot of info online for Chicago/Cook County research.
The basic information is very informative and I have helped several people by using this book.
I am awaiting the revised edition.
THE BEST BOOK ON CHICAGO GENEALOGY.......2002-03-20
Chicago is rich with genealogy records but if one does not live in or near this vast city it is very hard to obtain those records.
This book, however, has helped me immensely with the research of my husband's Irish Chicago ancestors - what to look for, where to look, where to write. Besides giving a brief history of Chicago and its records, it includes information about the great fire and the destruction of the vast number of public records. But then it gives hints on what to look for when these records are needed by the genealogist and what can be used instead.
The book is chock full of information of libraries, depositories, collections, addresses - everything the genealogist needs to research the City of Chicago.
Be sure to get the most updated version because addresses and prices do change.
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The History of Development of Building Construction in Chicago
Frank A Randall , and
John Randall
Manufacturer: University of Illinois Press
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On the afternoon of December 30, 1903, during a sold-out matinee performance, a fire broke out in Chicago’s Iroquois Theatre. In the short span of twenty minutes, more than six hundred people, two thirds of whom were women and children, were asphyxiated, burned, or trampled to death in a panicked mob’s failed attempt to escape. A century after the fire—the deadliest in American history—Nat Brandt provides the only detailed chronicle of this horrific event to assess not only the titanic tragedy of the fire itself but also the municipal corruption and greed that kindled the flames beforehand and the political cover-ups hidden in the smoke and ash afterwards.
Advertised as “absolutely fireproof,” the Iroquois was Chicago’s most modern playhouse when it opened in the fall of 1903. With the approval of the city’s building department, theater developers Harry J. Powers and William J. Davis opened the theater prematurely to take full advantage of the holiday crowds, ignoring flagrant safety violations in the process. During the matinee on this particular Wednesday, all 1,724 seats were filled and an additional two hundred people were standing.
Midway through the second act, a spark from a defective light ignited a drop curtain and the blaze spread quickly to the scenery. Roof vents designed to handle smoke and heat were sealed off, and the fire curtain snagged before it could shield the audience from danger. A blast of gaseous fumes shot across the auditorium from an open stage door and asphyxiated hundreds of theatergoers almost instantly. Others were trampled or burned to death in the panic that ensued as they struggled to escape through locked exits, succeeding only in piling body upon body as the flames closed in.
For days afterward, Chicago mourned as relatives and friends searched hospitals for missing loved ones. The aftermath of the fire proved to be a study in the miscarriage of justice. Despite overwhelming evidence that the building was not complete, that fire safety laws were ignored, and that management had deliberately sealed off exits during the performance, no one was ever convicted or otherwise held accountable for the enormous loss of life.
Lavishly illustrated and featuring an introduction by Chicago historians Perry R. Duis and Cathlyn Schallhorn, Chicago Death Trap: The Iroquois Theatre Fire of 1903 is rich with vivid details about this horrific disaster, captivatingly presented in human terms without losing sight of the broader historical context.
Customer Reviews:
Iroquois Theatre Fire.......2006-03-14
I liked this book a bit better than "Tinder Box". Chicago Death Trap has 31 pages of photos, printed on the page, not photo plates. I felt this book gave a better description of the confusing seating arrangements and terms that were used in 1903. For example, in the illustration the term Gallery refers to two areas in the lobby, which don't see the stage at all and as far as I understand were not burnt, however in the story the term Gallery is used in reference to areas of the Balcony, which were above and straight ahead of the stage and which were burnt. I found the pace of this book to be exciting and the story interesting. I found it quite amazing that people stood on the burning stage and yet lived, and that others just sat in their seats and took no action. I can imagine how terrifying it must have been to try to escape from the balconies, especially after the power went out, given that there are many up and down staircases, dead ends and locked doors. As I look at the illustrations of the confusing multitude sets of staircases, I can imagine how this must have led to needless death. Even though this story is of a 1903 event, I find myself, in 2006, looking around more carefully at fire exits after having read The Chicago Death Trap.
Not simply for disaster/history buffs.......2005-05-24
The Oriental Theatre sits on the exact site of the Iroquois; you can see a show there, you can walk or drive through the small street (Couch Place, which is really an alleyway--and true to Chicago tradition, believed to be haunted) where patrons tried to escape the Iroquois fire--a little known tragedy of Chicago history that happened in 1903, eight years before the Triangle Shirtwaist fire in NYC. Brandt gives a full picture of Chicago at the turn of the 20th century: famous people and ordinary people; businessmen and showmen; generosity of spirit and miserliness. A reader can feel him or herself at the scene, watching Eddie Foy risk his life pleading for calm as the fire sparked backstage began to singe him, yet not knowing that smoke had already overwhelmed most of the victims. A page-turner that will make you scout your exits the next time you see a show or film--and make you understand the impact of this tragedy on building codes everywhere.
"There is much graft in firetraps"---Fireproof, Nov. 1903.......2005-03-15
In Chicago Death Trap, Nat Brandt presents a very human account of the fire that killed over 600 people in Chicago's newly-built Iroquois Theatre December 30, 1903. It remains the worst fire in United State's history (p. 86). Brandt's fast-moving 147-page account covers the rush to build the theatre for the holiday seasons, the play Mr. Bluebeard and its players that was showing that tragic afternoon as well as a brief look at the theatrical syndicate system, the horror that was unleashed during the December 30 matinee, the rescue efforts, the aftermath, the fate of the Iroquois building, and a brief chapter on memorials to the tragedy. Brandt, for the most part, is very thorough in his account, particularly the technical workings and structural makeup of the theatre and its equipment including a detailed description of how the light that caused the fire worked (p. 30). He also puts the event in context with other fires in Chicago's history, a fictitious story in a 1875 Chicago Tribune about a theatre fire, and concern the Mayor of Chicago had regarding fire safety in theatres just a month before (pp. 8-9, 101).
A lot of names are mentioned in this book, but not just those of famous people like the owners and architect of the theatre and Eddie Foy, the comedian who tried to calm the crowd during the early stages of the fire. Brandt also describes the many ordinary people who would be victims of the lack of safeguards in the new theatre. As is mentioned early in the book, the shopping district where the Iroquois resided was seen as a safe haven for women and children and, during the matinee presentation, most of the audience comprised of women and children (over 400 of the 600 deaths were female). Sometimes it is difficult to keep track of all of the names, but the point being made of how horrible the tragedy was (bodies stacked ten feet high in front of locked exit doors) is clear no matter the names. Thirteen pages of photos of fire victims taken from a 1904 book seemed a bit superfluous and only interesting to those related to a victim. The first section of photos and illustrations showing the theatre's design and how it looked just following the disaster are more useful.
Although this book presents a very human account of the event, the most interesting aspect of the story, to me, were the scores of fire safety violations found at the Iroquois. "Sacrificing safety for beauty," exit doors were camouflaged by heavy drapes, buckets of water were not set near the stage, temporary exit signs were not up while the permanent signs were still being made, doors had confusing European style bolts that not even the staff knew how to work, and so on. The sky vents which would have caused the noxious fumes to lift out of the theatre were still bound and thus not operational. Witness saw the bindings to these vents being pulled after the fire (p. 117). Brandt should have explained the importance of the asbestos curtain better as "asbestos" is such an ugly word today. Asbestos was used for its fire proof properties and, only a few decades ago, projection booths in movie houses had an asbestos covering so that, if the highly flammable type film that was used at the time caught fire, only the projection booth would burn.
The Iroquois story proves very maddening as, though fire regulations changed in Chicago and throughout the nation because of the event, none of the people involved in the building of the play house and in its being cleared to open were punished. Aside from the initial shock, people like co-owners William Davis and Harry Powers and architect Benjamin Marshall were satisfied with the theatre's structure (it still stood) and, in the beginning, even blamed the victim's state of panic as the cause of so many lost lives (p. 97). Marshall went on to have a successful career and the Iroquois was not even mentioned in his obituary. What is even more disappointing is that so many memorials to the tragedy have been lost. Luckily, Brandt's book as well as several others are available so readers can learn about what happened on the current site of the Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre.
Remember the Victims of This Tragedy.......2005-02-27
Remember the victims of this tragedy the next time you're in a public building and see an outward-opening exit door marked by a lighted sign. It took a tragedy of this scope to make these fire codes require these simple but incredibly important safety measures. I have a copy of the 1924 National Electrical Code, and several of its provisions can be directly attributed to the Iroquois fire.
This book is largely a more-coherent retelling of the information that was published shortly after the tragedy in a now extremely-rare book titled Chicago's Awful Theatre Horror. A great deal of inaccurate/incomplete information about this incident has been published; for example one book I own states that people found fire escapes to be uncompleted once they finally made it through the exit doors. A photograph of the alley behind the theater shows all fire escapes complete all the way to the ground. Fire from open doors farther down is actually what made some fire escapes unusable.
The infuriating thing about this story is that those responsible for the tragedy went completely unpunished. The theater's architect in particular was especially unrepentant.
Contrasting with their reprehensible actions were those of bystanders, police officers, firemen, newspaper reporters, neighbors, doctors, nurses, and medical students who all responded the moment they heard of the disaster. Many of them must have suffered longterm psychological effects of their experiences, but such conditions weren't even recognized, let alone treated in the early 1900's.
Chicago Death Trap.......2004-08-03
I have been a loyal fan of Nat Brandt for many years. I am fascinated by his ability to find little-known historical events and bring them to life with style and urgency. I was particularly drawn to this book because I love Chicago and I love the theater. The book unwinds like a novel -- the hope, the horror, the dirty dealing -- the utterly human story. What a good read.
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- Revitalizing underutilized industrial sites---how it's done
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Brownfields: Redeveloping Environmentally Distressed Properties
Harold J. Rafson , and
Robert N. Rafson
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Redeveloping Brownfields: Landscape Architects, Site Planners, Developers
ASIN: 0070527687 |
Book Description
The most practical, up-to-date guide for turning Brownfields into Greenfields
This ready-to-use, how-to manual--edited by active developers who have bought, remediated, and sold brownfields--gives you a commanding look at one of today's leading environmental issues. Filled with the latest hands-on tools, Harold and Robert Rafson's step-by-step book simplifies the task of removing the barriers to redevelopment that plague environmentally distressed properties.
Brownfields goes beyond the legal and technical issues that preoccupy other current books, to focus on all the critical aspects of putting together a successful brownfields project--mortgages, marketing, and more. Complete with case studies drawn from the authors' own experience, this guide is required reading not just for owners or developers, but for every stakeholder--from environmental regulators, to bankers, realtors and prospective buyers.
Customer Reviews:
Revitalizing underutilized industrial sites---how it's done.......1999-10-29
The authors clearly present the factors that, on one hand, allow industrial and commercial property eyesores to exist, and on the other hand, those factors that can redevelop them into valuable modern real estate. The NST/Engineers, Inc. reviewers have participated in brownfields remediation designs and in the development of estimated costs for remediation, sometimes extending decades into the future. Brownfields are, according to an EPA definition, "...abandoned, idled, or underused industrial and commercial sites where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination that can add cost, time and uncertainty to a redevelopment project."
A few decades ago industrialists eyeing real estate for acquisition would be concerned about the use they could foresee, the asking price, zoning potential, the neighborhood, and a few other particulars. Rarely were they deeply concerned about what had gone on at the property in past years. Now, one of the first things a prospective buyer wants to know is "what might have gone on here in past years that has resulted in contamination of structures, the grounds, subsurface, or any water bodies." Property owners have similar concerns, but they have more information. So that both buyers and sellers wonder what magnitude of environmental remediation costs would be required for various redevelopment projects. The authors take the reader through the major considerations of both buyer and seller. They treat both the private and municipal redeveloper.
Their case studies, though largely drawn from their Chicago experiences, emphasize the careful planning and execution steps required in redevelopment anywhere. Based on data from less than 200 sites, the cost of brownfields redevelopment has been estimated to be just under $60,000 per acre. Cleanup of contamination, where it occurs, has been estimated at 8% of the total cost of redevelopment. The authors make an excellent point that much more cooperation is needed between interested parties to expand brownfields redevelopment. Venture groups are needed consisting of environmental scientists and engineers, capital providers, insurance specialists, real estate experts, and an experience project management team. Not to be forgotten is "due diligence". For a brownfields purchaser this means an in-depth analysis of the physical, economic, and legal conditions of any property in question. The authors describe how this analysis must have much more depth to it than the due diligence involved with purchase of an uncompromised industrial property. Federal, state, and local environmental officials, and governmental officials must appreciate the importance of rejuvenating unused brownfields as opposed to converting more fertile farms to industrial properties. And finally those officials must have the will to find ways to make a remediation happen. Individuals in all of the above occupations are well-advised to read this book.
As a model of an up-to-date state initiative to hasten brownfields remediation, the authors provide the details of the Illinois Pollution Control Board's Tiered Approach to Corrective Action Objectives ("TACO").
Book Description
This is the one-hundredth anniversary year of the worst single building fire and the most horrible theater disaster in US history.
At a Christmas week matinee December 30, 1903, more than 600 people, mostly women and children, perished in less than 30 minutes in a five-week-old theater that was advertised as being "Absolutely Fireproof" and one of the most luxurious playhouses ever built in America—the epitome of Twentieth Century luxury, comfort and safety. Rushed to completion because of corporate greed, the Iroquois opened in Chicago's Loop without exit signs, firefighting equipment, sprinkler system, fire alarm, telephone, a completed ventillation system and exterior fire escapes because city buiding inspectors had been paid off in free tickets and fire department and other officials looked the other way. Published warnings went unheeded. When fire broke out from a short circuit in a backstage spotlight, the panicked audience found itself locked in by untrained ushers and though leading comedian Eddy Foy begged for calm, people trampled one another in a mad dash to escape and piled up at exit doors that, even when broken open, swung in rather than out. Hundreds jumped or were pushed from the incomplete fire escapes into what became known as "Death Alley."
The disaster, which for 1903 had the impact that the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, stunned the world, closed theaters and ultimately resulted in fundamental changes in building and safety codes now taken for granted, such as illuminated exits signs, panic bars, doors that swing out, not in and fire retardant materials. However, questions remain as to whether today's theaters and movie houses are any safer in a panic situation, and some fire experts interviewed by the author say that another Iroquois disaster could again occur.
Customer Reviews:
Well Written and Well Researched.......2007-01-04
On December 30, 1903, the Iroquois Theatre in Chicago was crowded beyond capacity with theatergoers eager to see Eddie Foy in "Mr. Blue Beard". The well-written and well-researched "Tinder Box" by Anthony Hatch describes what happened that tragic afternoon when a spotlight short-circuited starting a fire that eventually killed over 600 people.
Considering the fact that the fire happened over 100 years ago, with no living witnesses to interview and many facts have been lost in time, Hatch does an admirable job describing the events leading up to the fire, the fire itself, and the aftermath. He does an excellent job describing how the Iroquois came to be built and the haste with which it was built (it only took five months) and the shoddy workmanship involved, as well as how many officials were willing to turn their heads and ignore the many fire code violations at the Iroquois. His description of the crowded theatre the day of the fire is mind boggling; one victim in fact called the theater a fire trap as she went to her seat. There were over 500 more people than capacity in attendance; the exit doors opened in instead of out; and the person who was supposed to operate the fire curtain was a substitute who didn't know which lines actually worked the curtain. There was little done to help the audience and incredibly enough the actors continued to perform while the fire was burning. Hatch also gives descriptions of the fire victims and survivors, which make the tragedy even more real. Some of the ways people escaped the fire were incredible and there were many heroes that night. There were also many villains that night and Hatch describes they way people robbed some of the dead. Hatch also covers the aftermath of the fire including the trial and how the owners tried to blame the victims and how evidence was tampered with.
Although Hatch did not write the book until 2002, he had started to research it back in the 1960's and at that time had interviewed a fireman who had fought the fire and a newspaper reporter who covered the fire. Those accounts helped make the scene of the fire real as I was reading the book. There was no spot photography at the time, so while there are pictures of the theatre before and after the fire, there are no actual pictures of the fire itself. But Hatch includes many drawings done at the time of the fire that show how horrible it was. He also includes editorial cartoons that show how much the fire touched the lives of people in Chicago. There is not a list of people who died in the fire because there was never an exact count of how many people did die.
"Tinder Box" is a well-written account of a tragic event in Chicago's history.
Interesting read.......2006-10-14
I found the book very interesting. What a sad and tragic event! The author did a pretty good job considering how long ago it was. I would like to have known more but, due to the time period and the lack of modern technology and forensics noone may know the answers to the questions I had after reading this book. I guess I'm spoiled to computer generated re-enactments and "CSI"-type forensics. But why did some people stay in their seats knowing the place was on fire? How come the people, in their seats, died of burns or body trauma or suffocation? It looks like they would have all died of one or all three things but some people in their seats were burned to death while others were suffocated with no visible burns and others died of body trauma such as broken back or decapitation. One woman had no burns and was checked out by her doctor but she died 4 days later. Why? It was this sort of thing that kept niggling me after reading the book. The fire only lasted about 30 mins and yet the horror in that 30 mins! At times it was a little difficult to follow the chronology. To me, events were sometimes hard to place because the writing was a little erratic but a lot was going on in that 30 mins. I couldn't place when all the production crew was getting out vs. all the theater-goers who were sitting in their seats as though nothing was happening or stampeding the exits. But the author did give us personal stories to get us emotionally involved. It would be interesting to know how it affected the survivors for the rest of their lives. Did they talk about it with their families? Were they fearful? Did they ever go back into public buildings again? Were they afraid of fire? How long did they live after this event? Could the emotional or physical trauma have shortened their lives? All these unanswered questions may never be known but this book left me wondering.
Highly recommended.......2006-08-30
It was the end of 1903, and many people were looking for entertainment for themselves and their out-of-school children. The new Iroquois Theatre was widely hailed as fire-proof, and the matinee performance of Eddie Foy in the musical fantasy Mr. Bluebeard sounded perfect. The theatre filled to capacity, and beyond, as people packed the standing room areas and prepared for a good time. However, when a sparking spotlight set a curtain on fire, the theatre proved to be a death trap, leaving some 600 people dead, mostly women and children.
In the resulting investigation, it was found that the Iroquois was built without proper, legally required, safety features, and that city inspectors had been bribed with free tickets into turning a blind eye towards the theatre's many violations. However, when all was said and done, only one person was convicted of anything, a man convicted of robbing the dead! Just what happened on that December day in Chicago, what brought it on, and what was the result? Read this book to find out!
Overall, I really liked this book. The author does a great job of explaining what happened to make the Iroquois a death-trap. And, I must say that I was surprised to see that even back then the theatre owners could hire themselves a sharp, unscrupulous lawyer, who would see to it that they were not held responsible for their actions...or perhaps I should not be.
This is a very informative and highly entertaining book, one that I highly recommend to everyone. (By the way, the Iroquois Theatre disaster was the second worst in Chicago history, the sinking of the Eastland claimed some 844 lives.)
The death of 600 people in 1906........2006-05-04
What was the deadliest disaster in Chicago. If you said the Chicago Fire of 1871 or the Eastland sinking, you are wrong. The Iroquois Theater Fire killed close to or over 600 people in 1903. Like the Titantic, the Iroquois was brand new, but the owners cut corners and the result was a fire trap. On a matinee performance during the Holiday Season of 1903, the theater was crowded with women and children watching a spectatular performance when a light started a fire. This fire ignited the overhead scenery in minutes. People panic brought people running towards the doors, many of which were locked. Hundreds died of fire, suffocation, and being run over by other people.
If you are interested in the history of Chicago, this is a nice book to read. Many disasters have gripped Chicago. This one was one of the worst. Hatch provides a glimpse of the times in his book. He not only covers the disaster itself, but also some of the issues with theater management at the turn of the century. A nice read.
Human Drama.......2004-05-22
With extraordinary thoroughness and an obvious love of his subject, Anthony Hatch makes vivid the story of Chicago's Iroquois Theatre fire of 1903.
With eerie parallels to the Titanic disaster, the Iroquois' programs boasted that the theater was "Absolutely Fireproof"-- but everyone involved seemed to think somebody else had done whatever was necessary to make that claim a reality.
The most deadly theater fire in U.S. history, the event is heartbreaking to read about, but Hatch has ferreted out the many human stories of the victims, survivors, reporters, firefighters, theater managers, and politicians who were involved, and found heroes as well as villains in this tragedy.
In spite of the lessons learned and laws changed as a result of this terrible loss, Hatch's research shows that many modern theaters repeat some of the careless mistakes of the Iroquois. Everyone who frequents public buildings would be well-advised to read this fascinating story and take its lessons to heart.
Book Description
"Free speech no longer exists in America!"
So says Mancow Muller, one of the nation's most famous radio personalities and the man who shut down the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a political act. Mancow is the creator, writer, and ringmaster of what has been called the "funniest, fastest-moving, and most diverse radio show in history," Mancow's Morning Madhouse, syndicated nationally from Chicago. He has received so many prestigious awards for excellence in radio that his arm is constantly sprained from patting himself on the back. With political commentary, comedy bits, and whatever else comes into his head, Mancow also appears regularly on Fox News Channel's morning program Fox & Friends. And now, in his first book, Dad, Dames, Demons, and a Dwarf, Mancow rushes headlong into an adventure cross-dressed as a memoir.
When Mancow loses his dad -- his number one fan -- to cancer, he has a meltdown, spiraling down Freedom Road on a nonstop death ride: racing the autobahn at breakneck speeds, inhaling Amsterdam's pleasures, narrowly escaping an illegal visit to Castro's Cuba, suffering a near-fatal nervous breakdown, and cavorting under dog piles of women. All of these adventures send him on a mind trip through his past.
Terrorist teachers, hellfire preachers, and jails masquerading as public schools attack his intelligence and independence. But Mancow resists, screaming, "I'm not like everybody else! I'm not another brick for your wall!"
Mancow questions everything! "Do we already live in a police state?" "Must individual spirit be crushed?" "How much is that woman in the window?" "Who will join my fight against dwindling freedoms in this so-called Land of the Free?" "Do you want to get laid?"
Finding his soul again, he discovers a strange new freedom that only members of The Dead Dad's Club can understand. In this, his first humble masterpiece, Mancow wakes people up, makes you laugh, makes you think, makes you feel. Described as "a combination of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Don Quixote, but with more sex," Dad, Dames, Demons, and a Dwarf takes you on a journey that kindles your independent spirit and knocks you to the floor with laughter.
Customer Reviews:
An unfortunate let down........2007-07-23
This work came off as a false collection of stories that do not mirror the voice of Muller at all. Perhaps it's a ghost written project designed to cash in on it's subject.
Brilliant!.......2006-04-28
Hey for all those Mancow haters out there, do you hate freedom? Because Mancow is one of the last peeps willing to stand up and say what has to be said. Do you want the government limiting your free speech? I won't listen to the millions of Mancow detractors, they don't get what he's trying to do. They should just keep their opinions to themselves. I would love it if the government would make them shut up or they'd take their homes, right? I love how Mancow has acknowledged that he's always been comfortable with his lifestyle. He doesn't let narrow-minded or bigoted people get him down. He realized who he was early in life and said hey, "I make no apologies for who I am. This is the US of A and I'm free to love anyone I want, regardless of race, creed, religion or gender." So I salute you Mr. Mancow. We need more people willing to take on the establishment regardless of their intelligence level, poor facial hair choices and darkly Freudian attachments to their dads. Thank you!
better than expected from a cow.......2005-11-08
first i have never listened to mancow- only catching him a few times on the fox news channel morning show.(far right news is always funny). I bought the book at a disount bookstore because the cover intrigued me as did the hunter thompson references. Not expecting much really- i was suprised at a pretty decent counterculture read. Overall- there are some funny stories random "weird facts" and some personal antidotes,rants, and some views on our "corporate culture". Mancow muller makes some valid points and really can write at times. I was suprised to find that a man who loves the kinks could also love the moody blues-thats funny. Still its no "gonzo"- muller borrows thompsons style but really does not come close to the brilliance of the classic fear and loathing which some have said this book approaches. In the end i would recommend this book to certain friends - regular folks cant relate- or just wont understand a view that doesnt believe in marriage- that america is not the land of the free- and that sex with prostitutes and weed could be legal and not frowned down upon.
Short & Sweet Summary.......2005-10-04
Short and sweet: An excellent read if you're a Mancow fan, but the curious might find the book a little slow. It skips from life event to life event instead of having any natural progression. Cow needs a better editor.
..I don't understand.......2005-08-13
I brought this book over 4 months ago for $1.75. I am still trying desperately to read or finish this book..but..I can't. Sure I'm from Chicago and I listen to Mancow. I can understand his radio show...more then I can read his book.. and that puzzles me a lot..Maybe if mancow signes my book..maybe..just maybe. I could finish it...
Book Description
Most people, specialists or not, typically think of New York City or Boston when considering the early development of parks and open spaces in American cities. Despite the size and importance of the Chicago park system, its history is less well known-even to many of those Chicagoans who regularly enjoy its facilities.
City in a Garden, developed in association with the Chicago Park District itself, changes that: its 184 large--format pages, packed with 140 images and a closely integrated text, provide the first official documentary chronicle of Chicago's parks. Thirty-one of the city's finest spaces are profiled, using photographs--both contemporary and historical-along with detailed vignettes and captions to trace their development. The visual treat of the book's fine-art duotones combines with its emphasis on narrative history to create a rich and magnificent exploration of a city's most beautiful sites.
Customer Reviews:
ASLA Award Winner.......2005-01-31
This book received an Award of Merit from the American Society of Landscape Architects Professional Awards Program in 2003.
Books:
- Greek Islands (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
- Hiking Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks, 3rd: A Guide to More Than 60 of the Area's Greatest Hiking Adventures (Regional Hiking Series)
- Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway: The Ultimate Travel Guide to America's Most Popular Scenic Roadway
- Hiking Vancouver Island: A Guide to Vancouver Island's Greatest Hiking Adventures
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Books Index
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