1877: Winters like that are now rare

Climate change? Maybe not such a ridiculous idea! No one today would dare drive a sleigh out onto the Lake—though it might have been briefly possible in the January 1985 Arctic outbreak, when Chicago reached -27°F (-33°C), tying the city's all-time record low.

This 1877 picture shows the old Crib at a time when the Lake was frozen over so that even a sleigh could drive safely. Winters like that are now rare.
[Source: Courtesy of “Chicago and Its Makers” (Chicago: Felix Mendelsohn, 1929)]

Heat Wave!

Heat waves are no stranger to Chicago's residents, nor is a plunge into Lake Michigan or the neighborhood pool—though, for the former, it is much safer and cleaner than 1890s Chicago when sewage flowed directly into the Lake! In 1902 the Chicago River was engineered to reverse the flow and send the effluent downstate.

A large group of children swimming and standing on the wet concrete edge of an outdoor public pool, captured by a staff photographer for the Chicago Daily News.

A formidable foe

Levy Mayer organized the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and spearheaded the fight against the factory inspection law and Florence Kelley and her staff. A

In Ritchie v People (1895) the courts ruled in favor of an 8-hour working day limit for women employed in factories, workshops, and similar establishments. Although the Illinois Supreme Court struck down the ruling as unconstitutional, finally in Muller v. Oregon (1908), the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a law limiting women's working hours, relying heavily on evidence that long hours harmed women's health.

Levy Mayer, attorney (R) with Armour, J. Ogden. 1918
[Source: Harris & Ewing Library of Congress]

We must learn from history

What do you do when evil people, mean people, ignorant people have taken over the reins of power. It doesn’t end well. They know no history, know nothing of Stalin or Mussolini. We must learn from history. Help us, Jane. Help us find, to remember what good government is, what service to the people is—rather than stealing from them!

A scene on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade, commonly known as 'The ‘Pit.’ Many memorable ‘battles of the giants’ took place in this historic building, which stood from 1884 until 1929.

[Source: Courtesy of “Chicago and Its Makers” (Chicago: Felix Mendelsohn, 1929).

So much evil, meanness, mindless, endless cruelty – what to do?

When faced with so much evil, meanness, mindless, endless cruelty – what to do? 

Certainly protest. Speak up! But that seems not enough. 

The killing, the torture, the corruption of government, the stealing just gets worse.

Our democracy, our constitution—Jane Addams knew this, told us this—is designed to protect us from the demagogues, the rule by greedy fools and madmen, the dictators. 

Jane, Jane, tell us what to do now!

Firefighters and equipment working to extinguish the devastating Iroquois Theater fire, which remains the deadliest single-building fire in U.S. history. There were some reports that the construction company that built the theater had tampered with evidence after the fire, possibly trying to unseal the skylights that had been nailed shut. But even with 602 deaths, no one was ever held criminally responsible.
[Source: Library of Congress Chicago Daily News Collection 1902-1930]

Undermining tyrants and dictators

Jane Addams and I always undermined tyrants and dictators, small and hurtful, large and disastrous. Nothing a dictator, large or small, hates more than laughter and ridicule at his expense. Tee hee.

Johnny Powers reigned triumphant in the 19th Ward, despite his corruption and tolerance of crime. Jane Addams also fought his backroom dealings, bribery and cronyism. As the director of Hull House, situated in the 19th Ward and an advocate of social reform, Addams strove for proper public educational facilities to house the 3,000 children who could not attend the ward’s overcrowded schools. [Source: By Bodine & Co. (publishers) - Illinois Political Directory and Sketch Book, 1898: With Portraits of Party Leaders, Volume 1, Public Domain]