Chicago Lives

Overview

A unique journey through the 20th century in Chicago, this work reveals the characters whose lives put an indelible stamp on the city. Some were famous, like Richard J. Daley and Harold Washington, while others were infamous or unacknowledged, living fascinating lives that helped shape the city while remaining anonymous at the same time like, such as Emma Schweer, who is believed to have been America’s oldest elected office holder; Zofia Kuklo, a shy church-going, Polish immigrant grandmother who hid Jewish individuals from the Nazis during World War II; and James Tuach MacKenzie, the dashing and charismatic former drum major and band manager of the Stock Yard Kilty Band, among the most prominent of Chicago’s many pipe bands. In Chicago Lives readers explore the struggles of immigrants, the innovation of architects and artists, the dedication of activists and city officials, and the actions of Chicagoan’s whose feats were never recorded by history books, until now.

Author Biography

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Press Releases

Until you read the obituary section of the Chicago Tribune and notice the friendly face you encountered each day on the Metra ride in from the suburbs, you may never have realized that he was a world famous musician or that your neighbor of 30 years owned and operated the last of 50 Chicago bathhouses. 

It’s not just legendaries such as Al Capone, George Solti, or Walter Payton who have defined Chicago. It has also been the unknown, personal contributions of individuals who have inspired, stunned and amused us that made Chicago everyone’s kind of town. 

Chicago Lives: Men and Women Who Shaped Our City by the Chicago Tribune is a tour through history the likes of which has never been printed before. Anyone can read the historic actions and moments in the formation of Chicago. But Chicago Lives takes readers on a unique journey through the 20^th century in Chicago by revealing the characters whose lives put an indelible stamp on the city. 

Some were famous, like Richard J. Daley and Harold Washington.

Others were infamous or unacknowledged, living fascinating lives which helped shape the city while remaining anonymous at the same time like:

Emma Schweer, believed to have been America’s oldest elected office holder

Zofia Kuklo, a shy church-going, Polish immigrant grandmother who hid Jewish individuals from the Nazis during World War II

James Tuach MacKenzie, the dashing and charismatic former drum major and band manager of the Stock Yard Kilty Band, among the most prominent of Chicago’s many pipe bands.

Chicago Lives reveals that a city cannot be simply defined by what it has built, prosecuted, planned or accomplished. The people behind such great achievements (and sometimes nefarious activities) reveal a city’s true character as much as anything else.

In Chicago Lives readers explore the struggles of immigrants, the innovation of architects and artists, the dedication of activists and city officials and the actions of Chicagoan’s whose feats were never recorded by history books … until now.