Don Wildman

Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan in the state of Illinois, largest city in Illinois, but not the capital, which is Springfield down south.

It is called the Windy City for a very good reason, and the Second City for questionable ones.

It has great culture, world-class museums, cutting-edge restaurants.

It was the backdrop for legendary cinema, Sinatra, Ferris Bueller, The Untouchables, today, TV shows like The Bear.

It is still the big stop on the Transcontinental Railroad route, which made it an industrial powerhouse.

It's the Cubs, the White Sox, the Bulls, the Blackhawks, the Bears.

It's the Obamas, the Bean, deep dish pizza, and the Chicago River made green on St.

Paddy's Day, not to mention it's a very nice place for a bike ride.

That about cover it, Anne?

That's a great synopsis.

We can just stop it right there.

As you can tell, I have an adoration for Chicago.

But what about you, Anne?

What brought you to the history of Chicago as a subject?

I share your passion and Chicago is really dear to my heart because you get so much of a concentrated history of what makes the modern American city happen.

Today's conversation predates that modern version of Chicago history.

One day we will tell that story, I promise you.

This was called the City of the Century, meaning the 19th century by all rights.

And it shouldn't be there at all, really, when you consider what an unlikely place this really was to build a city.

Why was that?