House in Progress Diary

Other Valentine's Days in Chicago History

In order to fall asleep at night, I've been reading the book Gangs of Chicago (the original title was Gem of the Prairie...before they tried to link it to the movie, Gangs of New York, by the same author).

This book is anything but boring. I might have a better chance of falling asleep to Demystifying Land Boundaries Adjacent to Tidal or Navigable Water: Practical Rules for Establishing the Location of Property Boundaries of Lands Adjacent to Tidal or Navigable Water Bodies.

It begins with the founding of the city and then charges right into the crime, the vice and the politics. (All connected here...at one time :)

Strangely, the real upswing in Chicago crime occured PRIOR to its most famous criminal, Al Capone. Capone showed up in Chicago 5 years AFTER our house was built.

That is pretty wild.

We really can't fathom history properly until we examine its relationship to us. What were the occupants doing when they heard about THIS Valentine's Day in 1929? I'm sure this event was highly traumatic.

The site of the Valentine's Day Massacre is 8 miles from our house...approximately 13 minutes in city traffic. I lived up the street from the garage where is occured, at 2300 N Clark, for 7 years...1990-1997.

So much history has swirled around this house and through this city over the years...it is overwhelming to think of it all.

So. Happy 90th birthday, house. And Happy Valentine's Day as well. In a roses and cupids versus Tommyguns kind of way.

Posted by jeanne on February 14, 2004 at 12:21 AM