The battle of Fort Dearborn, and the Fort itself are small footnotes in the War of 1812, the battle itself lasting less than fifteen minutes and resulted in complete victory in the hands of the natives, it’s also of note that there were no British or Canadian units present at the battle as well. But for the residents of Chicago, it is their only connection to the war. A bronze relief showing what Fort Dearborn looked like in 1812 Fort Dearborn itself was built on the south shore of the Chicago river in 1804, named after US General Henry Dearborn (his name can still beRead More →

This year marked the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Stoney Creek during the War of 1812, although I have previously written about this particular battle, this year I again traded in my musket for my camera to capture this event from the sidelines (Although I was offered marching spots with the 10th RVB and 49th and I may just take them up on the offer next year). Most of the photos here are of the reenactors, the men and women who volunteer to do this for the public’s enjoyment. Probably one of the highlights was the performance put on by an actual British ArmyRead More →

City Methodist, a grand old church brought low by the slow march of time. Opened in 1925, four one million dollars, most of that being fund-raised by Reverend William Seaman, and US Steel footing some of the bills. Constructed in the English Gothic style, the sanctuary alone stands nine stories tall and could house 950 people. But the church was more than just the sanctuary. The whole complex had a school and theatre for traditional plays and films. It also had space for storefronts. At its peak, there were 3,000 members on the church roll. But when the steel industry crashed…the people moved away fromRead More →