Chicago from A to Z...C is for Columbian Exposition of 1893

Grand Entrance to the White City

We are on the third day of A To Z and things are rolling right along. Today I'm taking a trip back to one of Chicago's defining moments, the great Columbian Exposition of 1893. In order to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus' voyage and to promote Chicago as officially back on track after the Great Fire of 1871, the city vied for the new World's Fair. They had beat out New York, Washington D.C.and St. Louis for this honor.

The fairgrounds were located on 630 acres in Jackson Park, Hyde Park, South Shore and Woodlawn neighborhoods. Famed Central Park designer Frederick Law Olmsted designed the layout of the grounds and the lagoon system while renowned architect Daniel Burnham supervised the overall design of the buildings which were designed to look like a white marble, neo-classical city, hence its nickname, The White City.

Ferris Wheel and Midway

There were many precedents set at this exposition. It was at that time the largest fair event in the world, drawing over 27 million visitors in its 6 month run. An astounding 46 nations sent delegations and cultural exhibits. The Columbian Exposition was the first event of its kind to feature a building designed by a woman and one that was dedicated to women and their accomplishments. The Women's Building was designed by Sophia Hayden, the first female graduate of MIT's architecture program. The fair also featured the very first Ferris Wheel. Located right on the Midway, the ride was some 264 ft. tall and had 36 cars that accommodated 60 riders each. New snacks and candies were also featured. F.W. Reuckheim introduced his popcorn nut confection, Cracker Jack, while Wrigley unveiled its Juicy Fruit gum. Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, a Midwest staple, also made its debut.

The fair also contained many scandalous events. On the Midway,  a popular dancer known as Little Egypt, introduced America to the seductive charms of the belly dance. And serial killer H.H. Holmes began his murder spree. On October 30, 1893 the fair ended its run and many of the beautiful buildings and lagoons were left to ruin. some of the remnants of the White City survive, including the former Liberal Arts Building which is now the Museum of Science and Industry. It's still there in its original location on 57th Street with a reflecting pool and lagoon system behind it that were part of the great exposition. the Japanese garden, a gift from Japan, also remains on the wooded isle that was created for the fair. Statues like the great golden Columbia that greeted guests are found  in various areas throughout the city. Columbia is actually near her original spot on what is now Hayes Drive at the southern edge of Jackson Park.

What do you think? Would like to tour the city to find more cool things from the Columbian Exposition? Surprised by the firsts? Happy A To Z ing and thanks for stopping by. Click on the badge at the top right or here to visit my fellow Challengers.

Museum of Science and Industry frmly Fine Arts Building

Happy Halloween!

It is my favorite day of the year, Halloween. Time for a marathon of scary movies, trick or treating and costumes galore. The South Side does it up right and I'll have some pictures posted tomorrow. I'm taking the nephews out to get their haul tonight and we'll be seeing some spooktacularly decorated houses round these parts.

Halloween in Chicago is the best. With all of our local ghost stories and lurid tales of murder and mayhem, Chitown is one hell of a town for scary. Let me share one of our local nightmarish tales

H.H. Holmes and the Murder Castle

Herman Mudgett aka H.H. Holmes came to Chicago in 1885 where he began working at a drugstore in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood, which was then a suburb. A charmer, H.H. was a popular fixture at the store, building a social reputation, drawing in customers with his wit and his skill as a pharmacist. After he considerd himself "established", he struck like a raptor. His first victim here is believed to be the store owner, Mrs. Dr. Holden, who mysteriously disappeared one day while Holmes took charge of the store. He told customers she had decided to "move West." His true plans began in earnest.

Acquiring the large lot across from the store, Holmes started to construct the enormous building he told everyone would be a hotel for the upcoming Columbian Exposition. The locals referred to it as the Castle. He was very secretive about the construction, changing crews constantly, showing  no one the entire plan. While the first floor had the typical shops, inside, however, was a different story. There were legitimate guest rooms, but there were also rooms with peepholes, rooms lined with metal that had primitive blow torch equipment and a few were asphyxiation chambers that had exposed gas nozzles. Holmes would poison his guests, then remove them for experimentation. There was  also a maze of 100 windowless rooms, oddly angled hallways, doors that could only be opened from the outside and stairs that went nowhere. In the basement was a dissecting table and a crematorium as well as an acid vat and pits filled with quick lye.

Holmes chose his victims from amongst the unsuspecting visitors to the White City of the Columbian Exposition. They were excited, many having never left home before and were naively trusting. Holmes spread the word about his "hotel" and the people came, many never to be heard from again. He also lured many of his female victims with ads promising jobs and safe lodging to young ladies alone in the world. When these eager young women arrived, he kept them prisoner until he was ready for them. Some he locked in a soundproof bank vault near his office, others in the windowless rooms. He tortured his victims to death, stripped them of their flesh and sold their skeletons and organs to medical schools. Some he just disposed of in the crematorium and pits.

He probably could have continued his spree unabated for a few more years, but the economy here had taken a hard hit after the fair closed. Holmes fled Chicago in 1894 as creditors closed in on him. By this time he had taken on a business partner, Benjamin Pietzel, and they began insurance swindles. Holmes would later kill Pietzel and three of his children, two of whom were found buried in a cellar in Toronto. By the time the Pinkertons caught up with Holmes in Boston in November of 1894, the Chicago police were well into the gruesome investigation of the killings here and what became known as the Murder Castle. The picture above is a rare photo of the place from the Chicago Historical Society.

Holmes confessed to 27 murders, including the Pietzels, but the body count is estimated to be as high as 200. There were too many body parts found to get an actual identifiable count. Holmes was sentenced to death by hanging and died on May 8, 1896 at Moyamensing Prison in Philadelphia

H.H. is America's first known serial killer and probably the most prolific. I tell you, Jack the Ripper had nothing on this guy. A very good book to read if you want to know more is Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America.

Now after reading this gruesome tale, go enjoy your Halloween.