We are still living with many of the changes brought about by the Great War. The war to end all wars as World War I was called and the war’s impacts dramatically changed Chicago and the world. As we discuss, WWI tipped society to institute Prohibition, playing the national anthem at sporting events, spurred The Great Migration, suppressed of Chicago’s German culture, and made Jazz popular. All of these changes and more still affect and resonate in Chicago today.

In this episode join us as we talk with historian Joe Gustaitis about these fascinating stories from his third book Chicago Transformed: World War I and the Windy City. Don’t miss this great discussion about the early 20th Century transformation by WWI of Chicago from a strongly German city into an even more diverse patchwork quilt of peoples and ethnicities of today.

<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption>Parade of 370th Infantry in 1919</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption>Author Joseph Gustaitis</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption>Armistice Day in Chicago</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption>ROTC Drills on Stagg Field in 1917</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption>370th Infantry (Old Illinois 8th)</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption>15th New York singing during return from WWI</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption>Dough boys marching in Chicago in 1917 </figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption>ROTC Drills at Stagg Field on Univ. of Chicago Campus</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption>U.S. Government War Exposition at Grant Park – Sept. 2-15, 1918</figcaption></figure>
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Links to Research and Historic Sources:

• “History of American Music, as Recorded in Richmond, Indian”, by Avery Gregurich, Belt Magazine, Dec. 3, 2021


• “Richmond: Birthplace of Recorded”, Originally submitted by: David M. McIntosh, Representative (2nd District) Library of Congress, Local Legacies website


• “The Paramount Records story: How Grafton left an unlikely legacy on American blues music”, by Maddie Burakoff, Spectrum News 1, Feb. 20, 2022


• “The Chicagoans who served in World War I” by Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, March 18, 2018


• “Germans” from the Encyclopedia of Chicago


• About Kennesaw Mountain Landis, “Baseball’s first commissioner faced impeachment for taking the job” by Frederic J. Frommer, The Washington Post, April 9, 2022


• “About Jane Addams and Hull House”, Jane Addams-Hull House Museum website


• “History” About Contigny Park from their website


• “Samuel J. ‘Nails’ Morton: From War Hero to Ganster” by Jay Robert Nash from the Annals of Crime website


• “Why the Star Spangled Banner is Played At Sporting Events” by Becky Little, History Channel website, Aug. 31, 2018


• “Forgotten Story of Illinois’ Black World War I Regiment”, by Daniel Haultzinger, WTTW, Nov. 10, 2017


• Book Chicago Transformed: World War I and the Windy City by Joe Gustaitis