Chicago

Chicago A new film examines the rise of this 'city of the century'
Edited by Jennifer Fletcher

In just three decades, Chicago grew from a remote fur trading post to America's second largest city.

The new three-part American Experience film "Chicago: City of the Century," premiering Monday, January 13 at 9 p.m. on WHYY TV12, charts the city's breathtaking growth from a swampy wasteland of 300 people into a monument to unfettered capitalism.

Based on the book City of the Century: The Epic of Chicago and the Making of America by Donald L. Miller, the program tells the story of what happens when people from the east coast and 18 European nations swarm to a swamp in search of opportunity.

"They battle nature, a devastating fire, and each other," says producer Austin Hoyt. "Out of this struggle emerges America's hallmark city of the 19th century."

Chicago comes to life with vivid portraits of its buccaneering capitalists, such as Cyrus McCormick, who revolutionized the way grain was harvested; meat packers Philip Armour and Gustavus Swift, who revolutionized the way Americans ate; and Potter Palmer, whose eight-story Palmer House was Chicago's tallest building and most glamorous hotel.

Chicago also explores the neighborhoods where immigrants banded together for survival. "There was opportunity here, and if you worked hard, you could make it," recalls former Congressman Dan Rostenkowski.

Opportunity met disaster in the fall of 1871, when a devastating fire swept through the "Metropolis of the West," leaving a third of the city's population homeless. It was one of the greatest urban catastrophes of modern times.

The film dives into Chicago's brothels and gambling dens, where colorful aldermen like John "Bathhouse" Coughlin controlled the politics in what was then America's most corrupt city and traces labor unrest through the story of socialist turned anarchist Albert Parsons, a typesetter for the Chicago Times. Parsons was one of eight anarchists convicted of murder and conspiracy in the Haymarket Affair of 1886, the most sensational labor incident of the 19th century.

The World's Fair of 1893 was an attempt by the business elite to show the world a new image of Chicago. Called "The White City," the Fair was everything Chicago was not: clean, safe and orderly. But it never fully erased the image of the Black City.

As the Fair closed, Chicago's five-term mayor, Carter H. Harrison, was assassinated and a strike of Pullman workers escalated into the bloodiest labor violence in the city's brief history, yet Chicago would continue to attract newcomers. In the coming decades, black Americans migrated from the South by the tens of thousands in search of work. Like the many settlers to the area before them, they saw, not problems, but opportunity.

The American Experience film "Chicago: City of the Century" premieres Monday, January 13 at 9 p.m. on WHYY TV12.

Chicago, Chicago, I'll show you around...

Both Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra sang Chicago's praises, and so do thousands of tourists who travel to see the city's world-famous architecture, cultural attractions and diverse neighborhoods. WHYY offers viewers a personal tour:

Chicago's Loop: A Walking Tour The program highlights the city's celebrated architecture, including the world's first skyscraper, and looks at the fortune seekers, risk takers and architects responsible for the city's development. Monday, January 13 at 10:30 p.m.

Chicago's Lakefront Host Geoffrey Baer explores the 29 miles of Chicago's lakefront, sharing stories of scoundrels who scarred the landscape and heroes who fought to preserve the land. Tuesday, January 14 at 10:30 p.m.

Chicago by 'L': Touring the Neighborhoods Chicago, like Philadelphia, is one of the few American cities with an elevated train system. Hop on board Chicago's 'L' and learn about this city's hidden treasures. Wednesday, January 15 at 10:30 p.m.