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The Chicago History Museum will commemorate the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 in its newest family friendly exhibition. The devastating grief and subsequent growth sparked by the destruction of the fire is remembered in City on Fire: Chicago 1871, opening to the public on Friday, October 8, 2021.
“The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 was a pivotal event in the city’s history, setting it on a path of unmatched resilience and constant evolution that still defines Chicago today,” said Julius L. Jones, lead curator for the exhibition. “We are honored to tell this important Chicago story in a way that helps our visitors draw parallels to the present-day.”
Beginning on October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire burned through the city for three days. After the flames subsided, recovery efforts exposed deep social and economic inequities as more than 100,000 people became homeless, and society placed blame upon the Irish immigrant O’Leary family. 150 years later, City on Fire: Chicago 1871 highlights the crucial events and conditions before, during, and after the fire.
Designed for families, City on Fire: Chicago 1871 explores the impact the fire had on the city and its people. The exhibition will take visitors through events and conditions that led to devastation and recovery and shed light on what life was like in 1871. Following the detailed path of the fire, from the O’Leary’s barn north and east through the city, visitors will be immersed in the destruction of the fire and the decisions that civilians were faced with as they fled danger. Visitors will learn about recovery efforts that called for reformed fire safety procedures that are still in use today, underscoring the deep and lasting impact the fire had on Chicago’s past and present.
“The Chicago History Museum is committed to sharing Chicago stories and connecting our diverse communities through shared experiences,” said Donald Lassere, president and CEO of the Chicago History Museum. “While the devastation of the Great Chicago Fire was felt by all in the city, the rebuilding efforts exposed inequities. We are honored to facilitate this important discussion and welcome visitors to City on Fire: Chicago 1871 to learn more about this monumental event in our city’s history.”
City on Fire: Chicago 1871 features more than 100 pieces from the museum’s collection, interactive multimedia elements, and personal stories from the O’Leary and Hudlin families, and other survivors of the fire. A large-scale reproduction of a cyclorama painting depicting the breadth of the fire’s path across the city is the pinnacle of the exhibition, on display for the first time in generations. The original was a main attraction during the 1893 World’s Fair, standing nearly 50 feet high and 400 feet long, it occupied its own building on Michigan Avenue for spectators to gather and observe. Historic heirlooms and cherished personal belongings damaged in the fire will also be on display.
For more information on City on Fire: Chicago 1871 please visit: www.chicago1871.org
The Chicago History Museum and OUT at CHM, in partnership with Association of Latinos/as/x Motivating Action (ALMA), is honored to present the premiere screening of “Seguimos Aqui (We’re Still Here): Pride, Pandemic & Perseverance.” The 30-minute documentary will premiere at the Museum on July 22nd at 7:00 p.m. followed by a panel discussion and reception. The screening is free to the public and will also be streamed on the museum’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
“The Chicago History Museum and OUT at CHM are proud to partner with ALMA to tell the dynamic stories of Latinx LGBTQIA+ communities in Chicago and hear first-hand of their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Donald Lassere, president and CEO of the Chicago History Museum. “It is imperative to elevate their voices and tell Chicago stories from dynamic perspectives and we are honored to bring ‘Seguimos Aqui (We’re Still Here): Pride, Pandemic & Perseverance’ to our audiences.”
Produced by SoapBox Productions and Organizing, “Seguimos Aqui (We’re Still Here): Pride, Pandemic & Perseverance” tells the stories of four LGBTQ+ identifying Latinx Chicagoans as they navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, interpersonal struggles, and community triumphs throughout a turbulent yet powerful 2020. Alma A. Vásquez “Nissa Conde”, entertainer and artist, Luis Lira, community health advocate for Esperanza Health Centers, LaSaia Wade, Founder and Executive Director of Brave Space Alliance, and Reyna Ortiz, Trans Resource Navigator and author of T: Stands for Truth: In search of the Queen Vol. 1 are Latinx LGBTQ+ leaders from different backgrounds who use the power of self-determination, love, and community to not only survive but help their communities.
For more information on the premiere screening of “Seguimos Aqui (We’re Still Here): Pride, Pandemic & Perseverance,” please visit: chicagohistory.org/event/premiere-screening-seguimos-aqui/
In our latest blog post, CHM cataloging and metadata librarian Gretchen Neidhardt writes about our ongoing critical cataloging work.
This spring, the Chicago History Museum’s Research and Access department was fortunate to host Dominican University practicum student Rebekkah LaRue, MLIS, to assist us in examining our LGBTQIA+-related language in ARCHIE, our online catalog. This work is part of the Research Center’s larger critical cataloging work, where we reflect on our own language biases—individual, institutional, and industry-wide. A vital part of this endeavor is examining our current and legacy language, researching how communities define themselves, indicating clearly when historical language is used, and creating guides to help researchers find both current and historical information about a wide variety of communities.
A view of the start of the eighteenth annual Pride Parade in Boystown, June 1987. ICHi-089096; Lee A. Newell II, photographer
LaRue’s work consisted of three main parts:
1. A survey of LGBTQIA+-related items in our research collections and what cataloger-supplied language was used in descriptions and subjects.
2. An assessment of current subjects and possible substitutions, which up until now were pulled from the Library of Congress Subject Headings.
3. Creating a research guide explaining key community terms, which keywords to use to make the most of searching in ARCHIE, and terminology contextualization.
The survey returned approximately 230 items relating to some aspect of LGBTQIA+ history in Chicago, ranging from single books to entire photography collections. It is highly likely that more items exist in our collections but are not quickly accessible using modern terminology. As we discover these moving forward, we will adopt the same descriptive standards.
Activists gather in Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington St., to protest police raids on LGBTQIA+ bars and businesses, Chicago, 1979. ST-17500885, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM
After the initial survey, LaRue created a truly impressive assessment of the terminology used within and extracted all of the subject terms. These terms are part of what librarians call a “controlled vocabulary”–they remain the same across systems so that different-but-related items can be linked together. At CHM, we primarily use the subjects found in the massive list maintained by the Library of Congress, but these terms are often slow to change and are not always appropriate for our local communities. One example is the use of “gays” to serve as an umbrella term for various LGBTQIA+ communities. Another is “female impersonators,” which (for now) LOC recommends using instead of the more well-known (and generally preferred) term “drag queens.”
The Jewel Box Revue, a traveling drag review held at Robert’s Show Lounge, 6622 South Park Way (now King Drive), Chicago, 1956. CHM, ICHi-062195; James C. Darby, photographer
Luckily, others have also addressed this issue. We incorporated many new terms from Homosaurus, an international vocabulary of only LGBTQIA+ terms. We mapped and/or replaced existing Library of Congress terms to Homosaurus terms so that the usually more inclusive Homosaurus term would display publicly. Both the previous LOC term and the new term are still searchable, so a researcher using either would still find their desired items. When Homosaurus didn’t yet have an official term, LaRue constructed a local one for CHM, based on existing syntax, for instance, replacing “gay journalists” with “LGBTQ journalists.”
Contestants line up for the 1989 Mr. Chicago Leather competition at Touché, a leather bar in Rogers Park. ICHi-89092; Lee A. Newell II, photographer
Lastly, LaRue created a subject guide to explain our changes in terminology, suggest which terms researchers should use to find items in ARCHIE, give a contextual discussion of changing historic and present LGBTQIA+ identity terms, link to the CHM research collections heavily featuring LGBTQIA+ creators/topics, and lastly, list other local and national organizations that showcase LGBTQIA+ history. This is one of several new research guides that focuses on how to research communities and identities that are not always featured in special collections, and we welcome your feedback.
Additional Resources
- See more images depicting LGBTQIA+ history from our collection
- View our Google Arts & Culture exhibit Drag in the Windy City
- Read more blog posts about Chicago’s LGBTQIA+ history
Thirty years ago today, the Chicago Bulls won their first NBA championship with a 108–101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. With a starting lineup of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright, and John Paxson, and led by head coach Phil Jackson, the Bulls won the final series in five games. This victory marked the start of the Bulls’ dominance in the 1990s, and they would go on to win five more championships in ’92, ’93, ’96, ’97, and ’98. The Chicago Sun-Times captured these images from Game 2 at Chicago Stadium on June 5, 1991.
Michael Jordan (Bulls #23) thinks about going for the steal against Lakers center Vlade Divac (#12), Chicago, June 5, 1991. ST-50004141-0006, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM
Scottie Pippen (Bulls #33) guards Magic Johnson (Lakers #32), in what would be the last championship series of Johnson’s Hall of Fame career. Though the series was billed as a matchup of Jordan vs. Johnson, Pippen defended Johnson throughout the Finals, Chicago, June 5, 1991, ST-50004141-0046, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM
A young Bulls fan holds a sign that reads “Magic is just an illusion,” Chicago, June 5, 1991. ST-50004141-0017, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM
Sam Perkins (Lakers #14) and Michael Jordan (Bulls #23) were former teammates at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1981 to 1984. ST-50004141-0008, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM
Bulls center Bill Cartwright (#24) looks for an open man while being guarded by Mychal Thompson (Lakers #43), Chicago, June 5, 1991. ST-50004141-0024, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM
John Paxson (#5), Cliff Levingston (#53), and Horace Grant (#54) help up teammate Scott Williams (#42) after a hard fall, Chicago, June 5, 1991. ST-50004141-0003, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM
Benny the Bull (played by Dan LeMonnier) keeps the cheers going during a timeout, Chicago, June 5, 1991. ST-50004141-0085, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM
The referee calls a jump ball as Horace Grant (Bulls #54, wearing goggles) and Vlade Divac of the Lakers struggle for possession, Chicago, June 5, 1991. ST-50004141-0011, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM
Michael Jordan with the ball goes up against Lakers great James Worthy (#42), who was playing limited minutes due to an ankle injury he sustained during game 5 of the Western Conference finals against the Portland Trailblazers, Chicago, June 5, 1991. ST-50004141-0020, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM
Blues Brother “Joliet” Jake Elwood (played by Fred Bevier) entertains the crowd, Chicago, June 5, 1991. ST-50004141-0081, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM
Will Perdue (Bulls #32) goes for the block as Terry Teagle (Lakers #20) and Craig Hodges (Bulls #14) fight for position under the basket, Chicago, June 5, 1991. ST-50004141-0078, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM
Scottie Pippen (#33) gets past Laker defenders Sam Perkins (#14), A. C. Green (#45), and Vlade Divac (#12), Chicago, June 5, 1991. ST-50004141-0035, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM
Bulls Coach Phil Jackson on the sidelines during the game. The 1991 championship would mark the first of eleven won by Jackson as an NBA head coach. He would go on to win five as head coach of the Lakers. Chicago, June 5, 1991. ST-50004141-0088, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM
Additional Resources
- See more images of the Chicago Bulls
- See more images from our Chicago Sun-Times photograph collection
In this blog post, CHM chief historian and Studs Terkel Center for Oral History director Peter T. Alter talks about a major event in Chicago and national labor history that is often excluded from standard historical interpretations. He sits on the website advisory board of the Southeast Chicago Historical Society, which recently launched a new storytelling website.
Content warning: violence, police brutality
The Southeast Chicago Historical Society (SCHS) and the Exit Zero Project recently launched the rich and expansive Southeast Chicago Archive and Storytelling Project. This website has two major parts: the Archive and the Storytelling Project.
The Archive includes over 1,000 items primarily from the collections of the SCHS. The Storytelling Project uses objects, documents, photographs, oral history interviews, and other materials from the archive to develop major story lines about Southeast Chicago. The two story lines currently available are “Mexican-American Journeys” and the “Memorial Day Massacre.” Two more storylines are in the works―the “Closing of the Steel Mills” and “Environmental Pollution and Activism in the Region.”
Police confronting strikers outside Republic Steel, Chicago, May 30, 1937. DN-C-8769A, Chicago Sun-Times/Chicago Daily News collection, CHM
Although a major event in Chicago and US history, standard historical interpretations often exclude the Memorial Day Massacre. As part of the Little Steel Strike of 1937, workers struck against Ohio-based Republic Steel for better treatment and working conditions and higher wages. Republic had a mill located on Chicago’s Southeast Side. Company management planned to break this strike with replacement workers and, ultimately, violence.
On Sunday, May 30, 1937, striking Republic workers and their allies attempted to set up a picket line in the prairie in front of the mill. Chicago police, who were already on the scene, responded with guns and clubs, injuring roughly one hundred people and killing ten men: Sam R. Popovich, Earl J. Handley, Kenneth Reed, Hilding Anderson, Alfred Causey, Leo Francisco, Otis A. Jones, Joseph Rothmund, Anthony Taglieri, and Lee Tisdale. Officers claimed they responded to violence with violence to protect the mill and the country from “communists.” A congressional investigation showed the claims of worker violence to be false, and only a small fraction of those there that day held radical left-wing political beliefs.
Protests in support of Republic Steel strikers continued after the Memorial Day Massacre, such as these women picketing at City Hall, Chicago, June 2, 1937. DN-C-8805, Chicago Sun-Times/Chicago Daily News collection, CHM
Protests in support of Republic Steel strikers continued after the Memorial Day Massacre, such as this group of strikers and sympathizers at a Republic Steel rally, Chicago, June 2, 1937. DN-C-8741, Chicago Sun-Times/Chicago Daily News collection, CHM
The Southeast Chicago Archive and Storytelling Project brilliantly tells the “Memorial Day Massacre” story using the scrapbook of Gerry Jolly Borozan as the central artifact. Mrs. Borozan, who was a teenager when the events unfolded, created a scrapbook with newspaper articles, letters, and photographs documenting the Massacre and its aftermath. She eventually donated it to the Southeast Chicago Historical Society. Using the scrapbook, photographs, oral histories, film footage, congressional testimony, and a striking interpretative framework, the story line recounts the events of late May 1937 and its consequences.
A woman and a man look at a sign on an automobile at the Republic Steel strike, Chicago, 1937. CHM, ICHi-076408; Lawrence Jacques, photographer
Users, for example, can learn about the men who perished. The story line includes a Chicago Defender article stating that African American steelworker Lee Tisdale would “go down [in history] as one who gave his life that all workers may be freed from industrial slavery.” Sam Popovich, a forty-five-year-old immigrant from southeastern Europe, died on the field that day after the police clubbed and shot him. Eventually, by 1941, Republic Steel recognized the steelworkers’ right to organize. Anyone interested in the city’s history should definitely visit the Southeast Chicago Historical Society and the Exit Zero Project’s website to learn more.
Additional Resources
- See more images of the Memorial Day Massacre and the continued protests
- Listen to Dr. Lewis Andreas talk to Studs Terkel about being at the Memorial Day Massacre
In 1889, an international group of socialist party members and trade union representatives designated May 1 as a day in support of workers in commemoration of the 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago and the subsequent trial and executions. Since then, May Day (also called Workers’ Day or International Workers’ Day) has been celebrated in many countries and recognizes the historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labor movement.
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Chicago was a hotbed of activity for the labor movement. As such, the city was a creative center for working-class protest songs and poetry from about 1865 to 1920. Labor publications and organizations featured thousands of compositions by workers and their allies as they sought to rally support. Songs appeared in newspapers, songbooks, and posters, and at rallies, strikes, meetings, and social events. Literary and musical influences included folksongs, hymns, Civil War music, poetry, and literature. The majority offered social criticism and a prolabor message, but also addressed specific issues including wages, hours, strikes, among others.
After 1900, mainstream unions moved away from broad-based social reform, as well as cultural activities such as music and poetry. Additionally, workers began seeking their entertainment from the burgeoning popular culture industry. Radicals, however, maintained and refined the labor song tradition, producing important work. The Chicago-based Industrial Workers of the World (“Wobblies”) proved adept at the craft, publishing IWW songbooks that were often sold at protests for a few cents apiece. Singing at union gatherings would continue into the 1940s, as workers still sang Chicago “Wobbly” Ralph Chaplin’s famous 1915 labor hymn: “Solidarity Forever! For the Union makes us strong.” The days when labor songs permeated the labor movement, however, had passed.
Learn more about the history of labor songs in Chicago in our Encyclopedia of Chicago entry.
Image: Cover and pages from the Industrial Workers of the World songbook Songs of the Workers, 28th ed., July 1945. CHM Abakanowicz Research Center, M1664.L3 I6. Photographs by CHM staff.
Grant to Support Upcoming Exhibition, “City on Fire: Chicago 1871”, to Commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire
The Chicago History Museum this month received a $376,503 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in the public humanities category to support upcoming exhibition, City on Fire: Chicago 1871. The family friendly exhibition commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire and will guide guests through the crucial events and conditions before, during, and after the fire – many of which draw striking comparisons to today’s social climate. City on Fire: Chicago 1871 opens to the public on October 8, 2021.
“The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 is part of the fabric of Chicago, shaping the city’s strength and resilience that defines us today,” said Donald Lassere, president and CEO of the Chicago History Museum. “We are grateful to NEH for allowing us to further our mission to share Chicago stories by making this pivotal history available for visitors of all ages and interests.”
The Chicago History Museum is one of 225 organizations that received grants from NEH, all directly supporting the preservation of historic collections, humanities exhibitions and documentaries, scholarly research, and curriculum projects. NEH grants totaled $24 million across the country. This grant will also support public programs and educational opportunities related to City on Fire: Chicago 1871.
Created in 1965, NEH is an independent federal agency and one of the largest funders of humanities programs in the United States. NEH awards grants to top-rated proposals examined by panels of independent, external reviewers.
For more information on City on Fire: Chicago 1871, please visit: https://www.chicago1871.org/
In this blog post, learn about how a painted mantelpiece was prepared before it went on display in our exhibition American Medina: Stories of Muslim Chicago, from cleaning and repair in the conservation lab to being installed in the gallery.
Any object that is considered for display in an exhibition, whether from the Chicago History Museum’s collection or a special loan, is brought to the conservation lab to be assessed for its current condition and any treatment needs, and to establish the best parameters for its display. This assessment is an important and necessary step in the exhibition process as it ensures that each object is stable enough to withstand the rigors of display and are not damaged or harmed as a result.
CHM conservator Holly Lundberg carefully cleans the mantelpiece. All photographs by CHM staff.
Most objects require some level of preparation and conservation treatment such as cleaning, stabilization, and/or repair, and the creation of a custom mount before they can be displayed in a safe and appropriate way. Upon examination of this painted wood mantelpiece, which MarQ Shaheer loaned to the Museum for our exhibition American Medina: Stories of Muslim Chicago, CHM conservator Holly Lundberg noted that the paint and ground layers were cracked, lifting, and actively flaking from the wood substrate, and significant losses had occurred in spots overall. The piece was also covered with a layer of surface dust, dirt, and grime.
A closeup view of paint that has lifted from the wood substrate of the mantelpiece.
To stabilize areas of loose and actively flaking paint, Lundberg used a syringe to inject a conservation grade adhesive between cracked, loose, and lifting areas of paint and ground and the wood substrate to consolidate them. And, where necessary, she used a small heat-spatula and a barrier layer of double-sided silicone release film to soften and lay down lifting paint fragments. Consolidation of the unstable paint and ground layers took several weeks to complete, and in some spots more than one application of the consolidant was required.
A closeup view of Lundberg using a soft-bristle brush to sweep dust toward a low-suction vacuum.
Once the surface layers were stabilized, Lundberg was able to use soft, natural-bristle artists brushes and a low-suction vacuum to remove any loosely adherent dust and dirt from the surface, and lightly moistened cotton swabs to remove dirt and grime.
At right, the mantelpiece on display in American Medina: Stories of Muslim Chicago, courtesy of MarQ Shaheer.
The decoratively painted wood mantelpiece ornamented the Nation of Islam (NOI) mosque in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood in the early 1970s. Under Elijah Muhammad’s leadership, the NOI bought the former Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church. After his father died, W. D. Mohammed renamed it the Elijah Muhammad Mosque, No. 2. Eventually, it became Mosque Maryam, named for Jesus Christ’s mother, who is the only woman named in the Quran. The Arabic words, reading from right to left, are the shahādah, the Muslim profession of faith: “There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his messenger.”
Alonzo Chappel, “The Last Hours of Abraham Lincoln,” oil on canvas, 1868. CHM, ICHi-052425
On April 15, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln died in the Petersen family’s boarding house in Washington, DC, at 7:22 a.m. The night before, John Wilkes Booth shot him during a performance of Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theatre, and soldiers carried Lincoln across Tenth Street so that he could pass his last moments peacefully and not risk a bumpy carriage ride back to the White House.
The bedroom at the Petersen House just after Lincoln’s remains were carried out, Washington, DC, April 15, 1865. CHM, ICHi-011209; Julius Ulke, photographer
After Lincoln’s body was removed, the bed on which Lincoln died followed a circuitous route to Chicago. The owner of the Petersen House, William Petersen, died in 1871. His wife died later that year, and their adult children auctioned off all the furniture at the inn. Washington William Boyd purchased the deathbed and some other furnishings and later gave them to his brother, Andrew Boyd, a New York City publisher and Lincoln biographer. In 1877, Andrew Boyd found himself in financial trouble and ended up selling the deathbed and other furnishings to Charles F. Gunther, a wealthy confectioner whose success allowed him to collect historic memorabilia. He acquired many Civil War items shortly after hostilities ended and traveled the country looking for what might have been considered junk at the time.
A group of schoolchildren viewing Lincoln’s deathbed at the Chicago Historical Society (now Chicago History Museum), c. 1975. CHM, ICHi-066997
In 1920, the Chicago History Museum (then the Chicago Historical Society) acquired thousands of manuscripts and artifacts from Gunther’s estate, which included materials from the seventeenth century, eighteenth century, and the Civil War. The objects relevant to the Lincoln family are now part of the Museum’s John and Jeanne Rowe Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln Collection. Abraham Lincoln’s deathbed is currently on display at the Museum.
You can see the bed up close or explore our online exhibition A House Divided: America in the Age of Lincoln, which delves into the institution of slavery, the economic development of the antebellum North and West, and traces the antislavery movement and the sectional political controversies that led to war.
Children march in a parade to celebrate Songkran, the Thai New Year, at the Albany Park Community Center, 5101 N. Kimball Ave., Chicago, April 12, 1993. ST-11002573-0007, Chicago Sun-Times collection, CHM
April 13 marks the start of Songkran, the traditional Thai New Year. The holiday was Thailand’s official New Year until 1888 when it was switched to a fixed date of April 1. In 1940, the date of the New Year was changed again to January 1, and Songkran became a three-day national holiday held each April.
Thai immigration to metropolitan Chicago has mirrored national immigration patterns for this Southeast Asian population group. Few Thais came prior to the expansion of US immigration laws in 1965, but steady increases since the 1970s made Thais one of the ten largest Asian groups in the region by the end of the twentieth century with more than 6,000 counted in the 2000 census.
Thai nurses, among the first groups to arrive locally, hosted community gatherings in their homes during the early years and were instrumental in organizing the first notable public event—commemorating the king of Thailand’s birthday in December 1965. Community leaders founded the Thai Association of Greater Chicago in 1969, which incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1982 and changed its name to the Thai Association of Illinois in 1989. The Thai Association serves both cultural and advocacy functions for the local Thai community and each year sponsors a celebration of the king’s birthday.
A significant number of Thais practice Theravāda Buddhism, along with Cambodians and Laotians. These three communities have established a number of Buddhist temples in the Chicago area, including Wat Phrasriratanamahadhatu (1992) in the Uptown community area, Wat Dhammaram (1976) near the suburb of Bridgeview, and Wat Lao Phothikaram (1982) in Rockford, Illinois.
As in other US cities, Thai settlement has dispersed throughout greater Chicago. Substantial residential presence can be found on the city’s North Side and in northern and southern suburban Cook County, with DuPage County claiming the next highest number of Thais.
Learn more about the history of Chicago’s Thai community in our Encyclopedia of Chicago entry.