Busse Library provides these resources for students and faculty researching the history of Chicago. Websites and Busse Library items reflect a portion of available information.
Scroll down the desktop or select a topic of interest:
- History and Foundations of Chicago
- Local Government and Politics
- Industry, Business, and Unions
- Education
- Social Issues and Living Conditions
- Immigration: History and Issues
- Transportation
- Demographics: Major Shifts and Issues
- Architecture and Urban Planning
- City Landmarks
- Maps of Chicago
- Major Historical Events
- Annual Events
- Culture and the Arts
- Feature Films Set in Chicago
- Busse Library Resources
History and Foundations of Chicago
- Chicago History Museum
- Chicago Timeline: Chicago Public Library
- Chicago Anarchists on Trial: Evidence from the Haymarket Affair (1886-1887): American Memory Project, Library of Congress
- The History Files: Chicago History Museum
- Jazz Age Chicago: Urban Leisure from 1893 to 1945
- 1983: Harold Washington is Elected--first African-American mayor
- Chicago at the Time: Political Conventions in 1860, 1864, and 1868
- Chicago City Council
- Chicago City Hall--history of building
- Chicago's Mayors: A History
- City of Chicago--official site
Industry, Business, and Unions
- 2002 Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates: Chicago, IL--US Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Chicago Fact Book: Manufacturing
- Chicago Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
- Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
- Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center
- Chronology of Illinois Labor History
- Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
- "Fight Like Hell for the Living: A Brief Sketch of Working People's History in Illinois." -- by Dr. Robert D. Sampson, UIUC
- Illinois Labor History Society
Education
General and Public
- Catalyst Chicago: Independent Reporting on School Reform
- Chicago Foundation for Education
- Chicago in 1900: Education -- Chicago Public Library resource
- Chicago Public Education Fund
- Chicago Public Schools -- main site
Higher Education
- A Brief History of the University of Chicago
- Art Institute of Chicago
- DePaul University
- John Marshall Law School
- Loyola University Chicago
- Northwestern University
- University of Chicago
- University of Illinois at Chicago
Social Issues and Living Conditions
- American Housing Survey for the Chicago Metropolitan Area, 1999: US HUD
- The Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance (CAFHA)
- Chicago Housing Authority (CHA)
- Chicago Urban League
- Greater Chicago Housing and Community Development Website
- "Public Housing That Works." By Jennifer Halperin.
- Urban Family Life and Poverty Project: University of Chicago
Immigration: History and Issues
- Metro Area Factsheet: Chicago, Illinois -- Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)
- Global Chicago -- Chicago Council on Global Affairs
- Global Communities: Chicago's Immigrants and Refugees: Chicago Historical Society
- Metro Chicago Immigration Fact Book. By Rob Paral and Michael Norkewicz. (June 2003) Institute for Metropolitan Affairs, Roosevelt University
- Chicago in 1900: Transportation
- Chicago L. org: Chicago Rapid Transit Internet Resource
- Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)
- Chicago Tunnel Company Railroad Homepage--tunnel network below downtown area
- Chicago Department of Transportation
- CTA Rapid Transit History: Chicago's Elevated Railroads (The "L")
- Illinois Central Historical Society (ICHS)--railroad heritage
- "Only the Riders Have Changed." By Sam Walker. Christian Science Monitor (11/25/97)
Demographics: Major Shifts and Issues
- Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
- Chicago Community Area Demographics: University of Illinois, Chicago
- Chicago Crime Commission
- Chicago Demographics: Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau
- Chicago: Destination for the Great Migration: The African-American Mosaic, Library of Congress -- Library of Congress Resource Guide for the Study of Black History & Culture
- Chicago Imagebase: University of Illinois, Chicago
- Crime in Illinois, 2007: Illinois State Police
- Metro Chicago Information Center (MCIC)
- Population of Chicago by Decades, 1830-2000
- U.S. Census Bureau: Illinois Quick Links--demographics for city and state level
Architecture and Urban Planning
- Chicago Architects Oral History Project: Art Institute of Chicago
- Chicago Architecture and Photography: yelodog.com
- Chicago Architecture Foundation
- Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design
- Down the Drain: Chicago's Sewers: The Historic Development of an Urban Infrastructure
- Historic Chicago Bungalow Initiative
- Hyde Park/Kenwood: Chicago Museum of Science and Industry (MSI)--America's first urban renewal project
- National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary: Chicago
- City In A Garden: Parks and Plans -- virtual tour of Chicago's landmarks
- Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Brookfield Zoo -- Chicago Zoological Society
- Chicago Museum of Science and Industry
- Chicago's Front Door: The Lakefront from Pioneer Days to the Century of Progress: Chicago Public Library Digital Collection
- Chicago Landmarks: City of Chicago--offers interactive maps and resources
- DuSable Museum of African American History
- Field Museum of Natural History
- Lincoln Park Zoo
- Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Chicago
- Navy Pier
- The Newberry Library
- Chicago Airport System
- The Sears Tower
- Shedd Aquarium
- Soldier Field Stadium: Chicago Bears
- U.S. Cellular Field: Chicago White Sox
- United Center--home to Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks
- Wrigley Field: Chicago Cubs
- Chicago, 1871: The Great Fire
- Chicago GIS Maps: University of Chicago Libraries
- The David Rumsey Historical Map Collection--search for detailed, historical maps
- Digital Atlas of Chicago and Cook County, IL. By Prof. William A. Bowen, CSU, Northridge.
- Fire Insurance Maps of Chicago, 1886: UIC Rare Books Collection
- Map of Chicago, 1812
- Map of the Grounds: World Columbian Exhibition, 1897
- Mapping the Fire, Chicago, 1871: Chicago Historical Society
- University of Chicago Maps--Chicago and regional maps
- The 1909 Chicago Plan
- Chicago: 1885, First Skyscraper
- The Chicago Seven Trial, 1969-1970
- Chicago Union Stockyard, 1865
- The Completion of the Sears Tower (1973)
- Famous American Trials: The Chicago Black Sox Trial, 1921
- The Great Chicago Fire and the Web of Memory--exhibition by the Chicago Historical Society
- The Haymarket Affair Digital Collection: Chicago Historical Society
- The Haymarket Riot, 1886
- Interactive Guide to the World's Columbian Exposition, 1893
- Jane Addams Hull-House Museum: University of Chicago
- Retrospective: Going Back to Chicago: PBS NewsHour Online: The 1968 Democratic Convention
- Richard J. Daley Elected Mayor (1955)
- The World's Columbian Exposition: Idea, Experience, and Aftermath--interactive site
Annual Events
Privately-Sponsored
- Art Chicago : Art at the Navy Pier
- Chicago Humanities Festival
- Printer's Row Book Fair
- St.Patrick's Day Parade
City-Sponsored Events: The Mayor's Office
-- Chicago Blues Festival
-- Chicago Gospel Music Festival
-- Chicago Jazz Festival
-- Chicago Venetian Night
-- Taste of Chicago
-- Mayor's Office on Special Events (MOSE)
- Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier
- Chicago Symphony Orchestra
- Famous Door Theater
- The Goodman Theater
- House of Blues, Chicago
- Hubbard Street Dance
- The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago
- Lyric Opera of Chicago
- Second City Theater
- Steppenwolf Theater Company
- Airplane (1980)
- Barbershop (2001) and Barbershop 2 (2003)
- The Blues Brothers (1979)
- Blues Brothers 2000 (1999)
- Chicago, The Musical (1927, 2002)
- Chicago Sons (1997)
- Crime Story (1986)
- Eight Men Out (1988)
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1985)
- The Fugitive (1993)
- The Great Ziegfeld (1937)
- High Fidelity (2000)
- His Girl Friday (1940)
- Home Alone (1990)
- Hoop Dreams (1994)
- The Hudsucker Proxy (1993)
- I Love Trouble (1994)
- My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)
- National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
- Never Been Kissed (1999)
- Pennies From Heaven (1981)
- Return to Me (2000)
- Risky Business (1983)
- Road to Perdition (2002)
- Rookie of the Year (1993)
- Running Scared (1986)
- Show Boat (various versions)
- Uncle Buck (1989)
- The Untouchables (1959, 1993)
- Vinnie and Bobby (1992)
- V.I. Warshawski (1991)
- Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2 (1991, 1993)
- When Harry Met Sally (1989)
- While You Were Sleeping (1985)
Chicago Film Office: Office of the Mayor -- offers filmography and current filming details
- Addams, Jane. The second twenty years at Hull-House / 1930. HV4196.C4 H72
- Asinof, Eliot. Eight men out: the Black Sox and the 1919 World Series / 1987. GV875.C6 A8 1987
- Avrich, Paul. The Haymarket tragedy / c1984. HX846.C4 A97 1984
- Bryan, Mary Lynn McCree. 100 Years at Hull-House / c1990. HV4196.C4 H74 1990
- Chicago, Cathedral of the Holy Name. 100 Years / 1949. BX4603.C5 C3 q
- Cohen, Elizabeth. Making a new deal: industrial workers in Chicago, 1919-1939 / 1990. HD8085.C53 C64 1990
- Cronon, William. Nature's metropolis: Chicago and the Great West / 1992. F 548.4 .C85 1992
- Farber, David R. Chicago '68 / 1988. F548.52 .F37 1988
- Grossman, James R. Land of hope: Chicago, Black southerners, and the Great / 1989. F548.9.N4 G76 1989
- Hirsch, Arnold R. Making the second ghetto: race and housing in Chicago / 1983. HD7288.72.U52 C454 1983
- Kaplan, Jane. Remembering Chicago / c1994-1995. VIDEO F 548.5 .R4
- Karamanski, Theodore J. Rally 'round the flag: Chicago and the Civil War / 1993. F 548.4 .K37 1993
- Kelly, Robert J. Handbook of organized crime in the United States / 1994. HV6446 .H345 1994, REF
- Murphy, Jim. The great fire / c1995. Curr.C. j977.3 Mur6
- Pruter, Robert. Chicago soul / c1991. ML3537 .P78 1991
- Smith, Carl S. Chicago and the American literary imagination, 1880-1920 / 1984. PS285.C47 S6 1984
- Spinney, Robert G. City of big shoulders: a history of Chicago / 2000. F 548.3 .S75 2000
- Warren, Lynne. Art in Chicago, 1945-1995 / 1996. NX511.C45 A78 1996b
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