V28-3 Chicago History Book Club

By Bob Remer

On June 10th, the book club drew a full house of readers interested in the book “After the Strike,” by Susan Hirsch, tracing the long term historical impact on the Pullman Corporation and American labor resulting from the Pullman strike of 1894.

On August 12th, the group tackled “Chicago Transformed: World War I and the Windy City,” by Joseph Gustaitis. The book was a revealing connection of cultural, social, and economic developments that coincided or resulted from “The Great War,” which we now call World War I. An interesting neighborhood connection as the Edgewater Catholic Women’s Club held a food exposition that celebrated the new “cubist” art phenomenon.

Future meetings will be held at 10 a.m. at the Edgewater Branch Library, 6100 N. Broadway, on October 14, and December 9. The October 14th book club will be a particularly interesting review of books about the infamous Chicago 7 Conspiracy Trial that followed the 1968 Democratic Convention. Our special guest will be Edgewater’s own Marge Fritz Birch, whose mother was one of the crucial jurors whose testimony at the appeal contributed to overturning the convictions; she will have some fascinating materials about the trial. The Edgewater Branch Library and Joanna Hazelden have again been very hospitable and helpful to the group in title selection and obtaining copies throughout the Chicago library branch system. Check the EHS website for upcoming titles or visit the reference desk at the library.