Hyde Park Historical Society Open House – Saturday, October 15, 2-4pm in person! This is your chance to see the inside our restored cable car station, be one of the first to get the newly designed maps of Oak Woods Cemetery created by the Historical Society, learn more about the cemetery project, visit the Nancy Hays photo gallery, and learn more about upcoming programs. 5529 S Lake Park Avenue
Monday, October 17, 7:30pm via Zoom—Hyde Park Book Club –Christopher Blattman, professor at the University of Chicago and author of Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Path to Peace will join us. This book is particularly timely in view of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Register here.
Past, Present, and Future of Olmsted Landscapes in Chicago – Tuesday, October 25, 6-7:30pm virtually. In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Frederick Law Olmsted’s birth, the Hyde Park Historical Society and the Washington Park Camera Club present this virtual program exploring the impact of his landscapes in Chicago. With Julia Bachrach – Parks Historian, Duane Savage – Washington Park Camera Club, and, Patricia O’Neal – Heritage Landscapes. Details and registration information here
November
When Hyde Park was Happening – Sunday, November 13, 2pm via Zoom. Join Trish Morse and learn about Hyde Park when the Armory was hosting big sports, amusement parks were just across Cottage Grove, the parks were full of winter sports, the Trianon Ballroom was broadcasting dance music, and the most famous jazz musicians were playing at the Sutherland and the Beehive. Details and Registration Information Here.
Monday, November 21st, 7:30pm via Zoom—Hyde Park Book Club – Jeff Deutsch, director of the Seminary Coop Bookstore and author of In Praise of Good Bookstores will join us. More Details to come.
Time for Frankie Coolin by Bill Granger with Bill Savage Monday, September 19, 2022
The September book club meeting featured a discussion of the novel Time for Frankie Coolin (1982) by Bill Granger (1941-2012), a Chicago author and journalist for the UPI Chicago bureau, the Chicago Tribune, and the Chicago Sun-Times. When his career in journalism ended with the dwindling newspaper business, Granger successfully published more than twenty novels, lived most of his life in Chicago in on South Side and was a nationally acclaimed author in the 80s.
The Club was honored to have Bill Savage, professor of American Literature at Northwestern University, as the discussant. Savage is the author of the foreword to the 2014 reprint and considers this novel Granger’s great and underrated work. Savage pointed out that the book is both a psychological thriller and a ’70s period piece that shines a surprisingly sympathetic light on the often-ignored stories of the people who lived, worked and died at the city’s margins in the midst of the period’s politically incorrect times.
The discussion was recorded and can be viewed here.
Hyde Park Historical Society on WTTW Chicago Tonight, Wednesday October 5
Chicago Tonight – In Your Neighborhood: Recovery and Development in Hyde Park. This episode features interviews with the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce, the owner of Ja’Grill, Alderman Hairston and our own Mallory Price on the Hyde Park Historical Society and the Oak Woods Cemetery project.
Over the summer of 2022, two HPHS interns – Selali Potakey, right, and David Davidson, left – along with HPHS board member Mallory Price explored and researched Oak Woods Cemetery and the individuals interned there. The results are an interactive map of the cemetery and much, much more.
The Hyde Park Historical Society strives to make programs and activities as accessible to the community as possible, which means that the website, newsletter, archives, open houses and nearly all programs are free and open to the public. To make this possible- we need your support!
