Additional information
by John R. Schmidt (Author)
Discover the history most Chicagoans don't know---the real Chicago Way. The Windy City is full of forgotten landmarks and unusual stories that rarely get the benefit of a guided tour. Meet the African-American congressman who paved the way for Harold Washington and Barack Obama, the South Side Jewish girl who became the president of a South American country, and the visiting Romanian queen who charmed the city. Learn when Chicagoans were paid to smile, how furniture sprouts on Windy City streets after a blizzard and why Smell-O-Vision seemed like a good idea. From an in-city ski resort to the nation's greatest train robbery, author John R. Schmidt offers a glimpse of the overlooked scenery of Chicago's past.
Author Biography
John R. Schmidt is a fifth-generation Chicagoan. He earned his AB and MA degrees at Loyola University and his PhD in history at the University of Chicago. He has taught at all levels, from kindergarten through college, including more than thirty years in the Chicago Public School System. He has published more than five hundred articles in magazines, newspapers, encyclopedias and anthologies. This is his seventh book.
