It’s a historic day for Mike Stephen as he chats with Craig Pfannkuche of the Chicago and North Western Historical Society about the ambitions of Chicago’s first mayor, author Daniel Kay Hertz about his book The Battle of Lincoln Park, and pays a visit to Steve Krakow (aka Plastic Crimewave) to learn about the Secret History of prog-rockers Mugicians. Local music this week is powered by Aurora L’Orealis. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

OTL: Episode #576- Inside Space Oddities, The Secret History of Aliotta, Haynes, Jeremiah, Underneath Read-Dunning Park

Mike Stephen exchanges tasty words with with:   Sarah Luczko, owner of Chicago Space Oddities;   Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) about 70’s rockers Aliotta, Haynes, Jeremiah for this week’s edition of The Secret History of Chicago Music; and,   Craig Pfannkuche, former president of the Chicago Genealogical Society about the mass grave in Dunning.    This week’s local music is provided by 13 Angels. Mike Stephen and Craig Pfannkuche discuss the mass grave at Read Dunning Memorial Park. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.  

OTL: Episode #502- Draining Chicago, Turning Asian carp into pet food, The Secret History of The Bare Facts

Mike Stephen talks with:   Richard Lanyon, former executive director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, about the history of Chicago’s sewer system as detailed in the second book in his four-book series Draining Chicago: The Early City and the North Area;   BareItAll Petfoods co-founders Logan Honeycutt and Michael Cody about saving the environment by turning invasive Asian carp into dog treats; and   Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) about 1960s Indiana-based horn rockers The Bare Facts for this week’s edition of The Secret History of Chicago Music.   Meanwhile, we how the CTA is renting parking spaces under the Brown Line.   This week’s local music is provided music provided by Walcot.   Future OTL producer Andy Hermann and host Mike Stephen cruise the Chicago River post-flow reversal and pre-Asian carp threat. [circa September 2005]   To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

OTL: Episode #487- O’Hare’s runway allocation, The history of Chicago’s water intake cribs, How to save the Sun-Times

Mike Stephen talks with:   Fair Allocation in Runways (FAiR) Coalition leadership team member Helen Rosenberg about the ongoing fight with Mayor Rahm Emanuel over O’Hare noise pollution;   Chicago History Museum senior curator Libby Mahoney about the background of Chicago’s water intake cribs in Lake Michigan; and   Newcity editor/publisher Brian Hieggelke about how to keep Chicago a two-newspaper town with his plan to save the Sun-Times.   Meanwhile, we get fired up about a RedEye columnist defending the fact that she’s never voted.   This week’s local music is provided by Badwater Sound.   OTL host Mike Stephen takes great pleasure in contributing to the O’Hare noise pollution over OTL producer Andy Hermann’s neighborhood.   To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.