Page 35 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Chicago

CHIC A GO A T A GLANCE  33

gone on to international fame. rejected the conservative Entrepreneurs and
One of the city’s best-known mindset of this Chicago
TV personalities is talk-show suburb at that time, saying Industrialists
host Oprah Winfrey, whose it was full of “wide lawns Young Chicago
show was watched by nearly and narrow minds.” attracted many
15 million Americans each Theodore Dreiser (1871–1945), enterprisers.
weekday. It was in Chicago that considered the father of American Cyrus Hall
the concept of the TV talk literary naturalism, wrote about McCormick
show was born, in 1949, with Chicago, his home city, in his (1809–1884)
NBC’s Garroway at Large. masterpiece Sister Carrie. transformed
African-American novelist wheat farming Charles Wacker,
Richard Wright (1908–1960) with his invention city planner
Athletes
moved to Chicago at age 19, of the Virginia
Sports teams in Chicago are not though he wrote his reaper. In 1848, he concentrated
known for their winning streaks, bestselling novel Native Son, his farm-implement empire in
but they do boast a number of about a man raised in a Chicago. He died the richest
superstars. Former Chicago Chicago slum, in New York. man in Illinois.
Bulls basketball player Illinois-native poet Carl Real-estate developer Potter
Michael Jordan is perhaps Sandburg (1878–1967) Palmer (1826–1902) built
most famous, known as moved to Chicago in 1912, luxury hotels and is credited
much for his product where he worked as a with creating the wealthy Gold
endorsements as for literary critic. His 1914 Coast area (see pp74–9).
his scoring. poem “Chicago” Marshall Field (1834–1906)
Hockey legend describes it as the built his fortune as a department
Bobby Hull, as the star “City of the Big store owner (see pp52–53),
of the 1961 Chicago Renowned poet Shoulders.” Poet funding some of Chicago’s
Blackhawks team, Carl Sandburg Gwendolyn Brooks most important institutes.
helped bring the (1917–2000) lived in Brewer Charles H. Wacker
Stanley Cup to the city – the Chicago her whole life, writing (1856–1929), son of Frederick
team’s only cup win in more exclusively about it. She was, Wacker (see p73), helped shape
than half a century. in 1950, the first African- the city as chair of the Chicago
Johnny Weissmuller (1904– American to win a Pulitzer Plan Commission, overseers of
1984) may be best known as Prize, for Annie Allen, her coll- the 1909 Plan of Chicago (see p32).
the star of 18 Tarzan movies; ection exploring the Black
however, the boy who swam experience in Chicago. Social Reformers
at Oak Street Beach (see p79)
became the man who held Gangsters and Criminals At the turn of the 20th century,
every world freestyle swimming Chicago was home to three
record of the 1920s. The city’s reputation for of the most influential women
lawlessness was secured in the US.
in the 1920s with the rise Black civil-rights activist Ida B.
of the US’s infamous crime Wells (1862–1931) successfully
lord, Al Capone (1899–1947). sued a railroad company for
Prohibition set the stage racial discrimination. Her
for mob warfare as gangsters columns appeared in many of
monopolized the lucrative the nation’s 200 Black papers
market of banned alcohol. More during the 1890s (see p97).
than 300 gang-related murders Jane Addams (1860–1935)
occurred in the 1920s, includ- was involved with almost every
ing the Capone-orchestrated US social movement of the
St. Valentine’s Day Massacre early 20th century, winning a
(see p20). Nobel Peace Prize for her work.
Bank robber John In 1889, she co-founded
Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls’ no. 1 Dillinger’s daring made Hull-House (see p118).
basketball player him a folk hero of sorts. Suffragist Frances
When he was killed by Willard (1839–98)
the FBI outside Lincoln helped found the
Writers Park’s Biograph Theatre WCTU, the first
Chicago’s most famous literary in 1934, onlookers international
figure is Ernest Hemingway dipped handkerchiefs women’s organi-
(1899–1960), who grew up in in his blood for A bank robber as folk zation (see Frances
Oak Park (see pp116–17). He morbid mementos. hero, John Dillinger Willard House, p132).

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