Category: Yesterday

A Curious City listener wanted to know about the decline of frogs in our area. We looked into what’s been happening with these species over the last couple decades in Chicago. It turns out, frogs are some of the animals we call “indicator species.” How well or poorly they’re doing in their habitat can tell us about the health of our own. And they’re not the only ones; there are numerous plants and animals that serve as nature’s alarm system, so to speak. Erin Allen talks with conservation researcher, Dr. Allison Sacerdote-Velat, about the indicator species that are most vital to us in the Chicago area and why we should be paying attention.

Frogs have been on the decline in the Chicago area. The health of the frog population tells us a lot about the health of our environment.

It’s spooky season, a time when we often visit haunted houses and think about the paranormal. And if you live in the Chicago area, you’ve probably seen billboards and ads for the Old Joliet Haunted Prison. But at one point, it was an actual prison. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, questions about the paranormal can serve as an entry into the historical context of a place. Last episode, we visited the Old Joliet Prison to look into a lister’s question about whether it’s haunted. And that got us thinking about the ethics of “prison tourism.” Is it OK to take a place where people suffered and died and turn it into a site of entertainment? Today, we get into this question and more with Hope Corrigan, who reported on it for The Marshall Project.

The Old Joliet Prison has been around since the 1800s. Some visitors swear they’ve experienced the paranormal there. But do ghost stories detract from the specter of a truly dark history?

The origins of "Chicagoland" can be traced back to nearly 100 years ago. Back then, it encompassed an area that went beyond the suburbs.

Chicago collects thousands of tons of garbage each year. We answer some questions about garbage, and follow an all-women collection crew on the job.

Margaret Burroughs is well known as the founder of the DuSable Museum. Perhaps lesser known is her decades long work teaching art to incarcerated men. In collaboration with the Burroughs Legacy Project at the Invisible Institute, we hear reflections from Burroughs' former students.

Polish immigrants came to Chicago to make a living, and for a time, they got to hang out every weekend with some of Poland’s biggest stars at a small club in the city.

It's easy to spot a vintage Schwinn bike zooming around the city. The family business was rooted in Chicago.

CTA workers compete against each other to see who is the best bus driver, train operator, mechanic and janitorial staff. The annual competition dates back to the early 1980s.