News

Chicago’s Early 20th Century Forestry Movement (Past)

Saturday, April 29, 2023 at 2:00 p.m.
Edgewater Branch, Chicago Public Library
Betty A. Barclay Community Room
6000 N. Broadway, Chicago 60660

At the turn of the 20th Century, Chicago had grown to become the largest city by territory in the country. Although a few previous suburbs – such as Edgewater – had lovely tree-lined streets, most of the city’s thoroughfares were devoid of trees or other plantings. Women’s clubs and neighborhood improvement associations soon convinced local officials to adopt a tree ordinance and create a new position of City Forester.

Jacob H. Prost became Chicago’s first forester. Working closely with local clubs and organizations, he distributed information on proper tree care and developed a “penny tree campaign” which resulted in the planting of hundreds of thousands of trees by local school children. Julia Bachrach, author of The City in a Garden: A History of Chicago’s Parks, will give a presentation on this fascinating topic in honor of Arbor Day. Click here for a flyer.

This is an in-person event. Masks are strongly encouraged in all CPL locations.

Chicago History Book Group (Past)

The next meeting of the Chicago History Book Club will be Saturday, April 8, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. in the Betty A. Barclay Community Room at the Edgewater Branch of the Chicago Public Library, 6000 N. Broadway.

This is an in-person event. Masks are strongly encouraged in all CPL locations.

The subject of the meeting is Margaret Burroughs. Click here for a flyer.

2023 Annual Meeting (Past)

Greg BorzoThe Edgewater Historical Society invites you to the 2023 Annual Meeting, presenting candidates for your Board of Directors and telling you about plans for 2023-24. The meeting will be on Saturday, March 25, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. in the Betty A. Barclay Community Room of the Edgewater Branch Library, 6000 N. Broadway. Click here for a flyer.

Our speaker, Greg Borzo, a prolific author on Chicago history, will discuss his book “Lost Restaurants of Chicago,” in which he recalls many of Chicago’s lost, but fondly remembered, restaurants.

Face masks are strongly encouraged in all CPL locations. The program is free to the Public.

Aldermanic candidates survey (Past)

As part of its public education mission, the Edgewater Historical Society polled each of the 10 candidates for the 48th Ward aldermanic position about their knowledge and attitudes about Edgewater’s built environment and the value of preservation. Five of the candidates (listed here in alphabetic order) – Joe Dunne, Isaac Freilich-Jones, Brian Haag, Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth and Larry Svabek – responded. The questions and the candidates’ unedited responses can be found at: bit.ly/ehsx101

Chicago History Book Group (Past)

The next meeting of the Chicago History Book Club will be Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. in the Betty A. Barclay Community Room at the Edgewater Branch of the Chicago Public Library, 6000 N. Broadway.

This is an in-person event. Masks are strongly encouraged in all CPL locations.

The subject of the meeting is Gwendolyn Brooks. Click here for a flyer.

Distilled in Chicago (Past)

Saturday, January 28, 2023 at 2:00 p.m.
Edgewater Branch, Chicago Public Library
Betty A. Barclay Community Room
6000 N. Broadway, Chicago 60660

Liquor has influenced nearly two centuries of Chicago’s existence, beginning with the city’s first three permanent businesses. Join David Witter, author of Distilled In Chicago: A History as he shares stories of the temperance movement and how cocktails fueled the sin in the Levee District, spawning Chicago’s first gangsters. This program is in partnership with the Chicago Public Library. Click here for a flyer.

This event takes place in person. Masks are strongly encouraged in all CPL locations.

Edgewater Beach Hotel (Past)

Edgewater Branch Library, Betty A. Barclay Community Room
6000 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL
Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m.

Nothing epitomized the glamour and excitement of Chicago’s jazz age and war years like the fabled Edgewater Beach Hotel. Join us for a trip down memory lane with authors John Holden and Kathryn Gemperle as they discuss their new book, Remembering Edgewater Beach Hotel. A limited number of copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing after the program.

How to Attend: This event takes place in person. Masks are strongly encouraged in all CPL locations.

Chicago History Book Group (Past)

The next meeting of the Chicago History Book Club will be Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. in the Betty A. Barclay Community Room at the Edgewater Branch of the Chicago Public Library, 6000 N. Broadway.

This is an in-person event. Masks are strongly encouraged in all CPL locations.

The book to be discussed is: “Jazz Age Chicago” by Joseph Gustaitis. Click here for a flyer.

EHS Annual Wyman Lecture (Past)

Saturday, October 22, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
Edgewater Branch, Chicago Public Library
Betty A. Barclay Community Room
6000 N. Broadway, Chicago 60660

How Edgewater Reversed Urban Decline

During the late 1970s, Edgewater’s Winthrop-Kenmore corridor had become a hotbed of crime, arson and overall urban decay. The effort to crack down on bad landlords and make the area a safe, affordable and welcoming environment was led by a recent graduate student in planning named Jack Markowski, who later became Chicago’s housing commissioner and the head of Chicago’s most active affordable housing lender.

Join EHS and Jack on Saturday, Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. at the Edgewater Library, 6000 N. Broadway, for a look back at one of Chicago’s most successful community rehabilitation efforts. The program is free and open to the public. Click here for a flyer.

This is an in-person event. We encourage those who are not vaccinated, may be immunocompromised, or may have family members who are immunocompromised, to wear a mask.

Chicago History Book Group (Past)

The next meeting of the Chicago History Book Club will be Saturday, October 8, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. in the Betty A. Barclay Community Room at the Edgewater Branch of the Chicago Public Library, 6000 N. Broadway.

This program will be in-person, but socially distanced, and with limited participants. Please go to the library’s event calendar (bit.ly/ehsbook6) to register.

The book to be discussed is: “Sister Carrie” by Theodore Dreiser. Click here for a flyer.

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