Some Dark History Built Over an Old Cemetery

You know the trope. Weird things happen. People behave in ways they NEVER would ordinarily. And then it’s discovered. The house was built over an old cemetery!! ~Bum, bum, bummmmmm.~ (That’s the scary reveal music, FYI.) This week I got visit the Chicago History Museum. If you’re into some dark history, built over an old cemetery, this one’s for you! (However if this isn’t your jam, check out our Ferris Bueller-like tour of the Chicago Art Museum instead.)

Two story red brick building in neo-classical style. There is a large lawn in front and two sky scrapers on either side. it’s the Chicago History Museum. — Chicago History Museum

About The Museum

The museum began back in 1856, just 19 years after Chicago became a city. It was relocated to this spot after the Great Fire of 1871. (You can read more about that below.) It was created to document all the layers that made Chicago what it is. And just WAIT to see what some of those layers contained.

Round neon sign that reads “Gas for Less” in the lobby of the Chicago History Museum — The Jubilee Gas – “Gas for Less” sign

Terra Cotta Owl that sits upon a shelf and looks down at the lobby of the Chicago History Museum — The Jubilee Gas – “Gas for Less” sign

Chicago – Crossroads of America

The first gallery explores Chicago’s strategic location along Lake Michigan and multiple rivers systems that allowed for robust trade and transport. From fur trappers to stock brokers, this city has always been on the forefront of industry.

The crossroads of America exhibit at the Chicago History Museum — Crossroads of America Exhibit

Display of the furniture making in Chicago — Furniture making in Chicago

Display of items from Chicago breweries — Furniture making in Chicago

Dark History

The Great Fire – 1871

A city made of mostly wood coupled with a summer’s drought resulted in a fire that raged for 3 days. It burned nearly 1/3 of the city and destroyed over 17,000 buildings.

Diorama of the city of Chicago burning in the fire — Diorama of the Great Fire

Abraham Lincoln’s Last Repose – 1865

Portrait of Abraham Lincoln before he ran for Presiden — Portrait of Young Mr. Lincoln

Since Illinois is the “Land of Lincoln”, the museum has an exhibit chronicling his life. They have artifacts from his campaign to his untimely death at the hands of John Wilkes Booth. This room was the first peek into the dark history housed at the museum.

Replica of the room that Lincoln died in, including a “life mask” that was made shortly before he died — A replica of the room where Lincoln died along with his “life” mask.

Haymarket Riot – 1886

A peaceful protest of about 1,500, turned deadly when someone threw a bomb into a line of police officers. 7 police men and 4 civilians were killed but the bomber was never caught. Instead, the leaders of the labor movement were arrested and hanged for inciting the riot.

Picture of the Haymarket Riot Monument — Haymarket Riot Monument

Picture from the newspaper, showing the 4 organizers of the Haymarket demonstration — Haymarket Riot Monument

The Eastland Disaster – 1915

Okay, so this one is pretty rough. If you have a gentle soul, you may want to skip down a couple sections. The SS Eastland was a passenger steamer that was built for leisure excursions to the Great Lakes. It was known to be both top-heavy and unstable, having nearly capsized several times before. Without working on the structure, the number of passengers allowed to ride increased to 2,500.

On July 24th, the ship departed for Michigan City, Indiana, filled with the employees of the Western Electric Company and their families. Within moments of leaving the dock, the ship rolled onto its port side. 844 people died from being trapped below decks, crushed and drown.

Newspaper photo of the Eastland ship, on its size and in the water. — The Eastland, rolled on its size

Photo of a police man, holding a child he rescued from the water who is limp in his arms. There is also a chair from the deck of the boat in the display. — The Eastland, rolled on its size

Gangland – 1920 – 1933

Al Capone, aka “Scarface”, led the “Chicago Outfit”, a south-side organization that featured bootlegging, gambling and prostitution. George “Bugs” Moran, led the “North Side Gang” and was Capone’s main rival. The feud culminated on St. Valentine’s Day in 1929, when seven Moran men were lined up and gunned down in a garage on North Clark Street.

Photo of the crime scene from the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre behind a still used to make moonshine — Map of Gangland Chicago

The Murder of Emmett Till – 1955

I couldn’t get past the front of the gallery that talked about Emmett’s murder. He was a beautiful, bright teenager, that looked a lot like one of my neighbor’s children. His death was the beginning of the civil rights movement. If you’d like to know more, please visit his Wikipedia page as I just cannot.

Wall showing the photo of a black teenaged boy in a tie, next to his mother. On the wall is the story of Emmett Till, who was murdered in 1955. — The Emmett Till exhibit

Needing a Minute

After all that, I really needed a minute to regroup. Thankfully, they had a cafe with a great view of the street. And they had cookies.

Sugar cookie that looks like an oak leaf, next to a cup of coffee on a wooden table — Cookie and coffee

Reset with Some Fun Stuff

After the heavy history from Chicago, I was really happy to come across some of the more fun layers.

Madam Ophelia Ooglepuss from the children’s show Kukla, Fran and Ollie — Madam Ophelia Ooglepuss from the children’s show, “Kukla, Fran and Ollie”

Horse from a carousel that was created for the World’s Fair — Madam Ophelia Ooglepuss from the children’s show, “Kukla, Fran and Ollie”

The Hot Dog is Pretty Great Too

On the main floor, there is a hands-on section for children that includes building yourself into a Chicago-Style hot dog.

Young lady burying her mother in a person sized hot dog with foam pieces that look like peppers, onions and mustard — Hold the ketchup!

Oh and then there’s…the matter of the Cemetery

After the fire back in 1871, the museum was rebuilt on its current site, which was the city’s cemetery. But not all the former residents moved on. In fact, the Couch tomb is the only structure that remained standing in the Chicago Fire Zone. The reason why this one tomb remains in Lincoln Park isn’t fully known. Nor is the number of people who are interred there. Couch’s grandson believed Ira Couch, his wife, his parents and two of his brothers were there. But a maintenance man who entered the tomb in early 20th century stated that it was, in fact, empty. So, where are the Couchs? Why didn’t their tomb burn like the rest of the buildings? Why was it left behind? And most importantly, why didn’t I get into the Chicago Hot Dog bed?? We just may never know.

Brown historical sign talking about the Couch tomb in Lincoln Park — Historical marker about the Couch Tomb

Stone tomb of the Couch family in Lincoln Park, Chicago — Historical marker about the Couch Tomb

That’s all for this week! Thanks for joining on this interesting and at times, unsettling adventure. If you want more spooky travels, check out our collection. And to stay up to date with all the stories, subscribe today for free and follow us on Instagram at The__Travel__Oracle.