OK, here it is, the last day of our fantastically fun and extremely fast trip to Chicago! I don’t know if I’m happy for the experience and getting back to my own bed soon or sad to see the trip end? It rained this morning and made our bus tour a bit challenging but like the troopers we are we splashed through it! Will I miss the rain? Actually yes because it is a part of the experiences we had and those are things I will never give away!!!!!   

The Haymarket Square:

I have to say that I have been looking forward to today and connecting places with the events we read about in class. So early in the morning we boarded the bus and drove to where the Haymarket Square Massacre took place.

“This was the spot that the bloody Haymarket riot of May 4, 1886 took place. This “Riot/Massacre” changed American labor history forever. Radicals, reformers, union activists, and even foreign born Americans were blamed. The Haymarket incident showcased police brutality, injustice, and prejudice that infested Chicago during the 1880’s. Even though the person responsible for throwing the bomb was never identified, labor leaders August Spies and Albert Parsons, along with six more “anarchists” were convicted of murder. Four of them were hung in 1887 while another committed suicide. The Knights of Labor which was America’s largest and most active union received the blame for the riot. This led to a decline in labor as many workers joined less radical unions or quit the movement altogether.

The Haymarket Massacre Statue didn’t have any faces. The missing faces represented the different ethnicity of the workers. They were posed rebuilding a wagon that stands for Free Speech. We got back into the bus and drove to the courthouse (NOT THE ORIGINAL) for a presentation by our speaker Dr. Adelman. Then off to to the graveyard where many of the labor leaders are buried. Several members of our group laid red roses on the statue and graves in honor of their sacrifices. I was now hungry since I didn’t have time for breakfast so happily we headed to lunch at a Lithuanian restaurant.

The food? Well it was good, at least it tasted good. I should have wondered when they wouldn’t tell us what was in the cabbage rolls. By the end of the night, lets just say it didn’t agree with me. It’s not food poisoning, it’s not just an upset stomach. I like to think of it as being: LITHUANIANED! But the people were so very nice!   

After lunch it was back in the bus and off to what is left of the stock yards. This was important to me since reading THE JUNGLE getting prepared for this trip. The stockyards are not there anymore, just the gate and a STEAK COMPANY.

WE made our way to the Pullman Museum and to the Florence Hotel. This hotel is under refurbishment but there were awesome artifacts on display. As I walked around the rooms I found the motivation for my lesson plan. I am going to do a lesson on immigration in Chicago. I saw a “Great Migration” quilt which was very cool. Looking at it gave me an idea for my assessment. Stay tuned and see what idea I came up with!

Next we walked to the Pullman factories. A fire of 1998 destroyed much of the factory but some was still accessible for a private tour that we “special” teachers got. It was very educational and we found out that they would really like to make it a working “living history” town like Lowell Mass. . It all depends on getting the funding and teachers understand that challenge. The day was winding down and we took a mini tour on our way back downtown to Chicago. The good news though was that the rain had stopped, the sun was shining, and we still had one more night in the “WINDY CITY.” 

So what to do on our last night in Chicago? I’m sure I felt the same way as everybody, lets blog; NOT!!!!! Can’t waste my last night in a boring, stuffy dorm room! This is Chicago, the WINDY CITY, THE SECOND CITY!!!!! So the a new “POSSE-2009″ went out for adventure! Off to the Sears Tower, first in a series of unfulfilled desires in my heart! We went to the Sears Tower earlier in the trip but didn’t go up. So Wendy and Ann (who already visited the ”almost top” floor) waited for us as David, Bridgeman, and I took a 55 second trip to the 103 floor(floors 104-110 were closed for maintenance). My ears popped 3 times going up. Then the doors opened and wham, what a spectacular view! From all sides we could see miles around us. It was just absolutely great! Then off in a taxi (we were so much fun that the cabbie wanted park his cab & go with us) to Navy Pier. Have you ever tried to pile5 adults in a taxi, kinda tight! But we got there OK and enjoyed a great night of food, fun, and entertainment. Eventually Jed “The Hunter”, Linsey, Melissa, Chris, and Amy joined us at Billy Goats Tavern on the pier. It was a night of Ferris Wheel riding, reminiscing, and fireworks galore!! Everyone had a great time but the night was not over, at least for some of us!

When we left the pier we caught a ride on a free trolley until we somehow parted company with some of the “traveling troupe of entertainment from Colorado.” Four of us wanted to do a social experiment in the nightlife of downtown Chicago so we stopped by a downtown “club” for an “educational” hands on experiment. During this cultural activity we somehow became seperated and I was virtually abandoned by all but one true friend. So as part of this social, cultural, educational experiment we (my true friend who didn’t ditch me) began the long walk home and somehow, now hold on to your hats all you Boston Trip people, I got us lost. We (Melissa & I) zigged and we zagged and zigged again up and down the Chicago streets. Under the L then turn and under the L again and somehow I took us under the L again. Come on KING HUTCH, what was up with that? We went through Greek town, Little India, Chinatown, heck, I think we somehow even found Harlem. LOL Revelation struck when the Sears Towel was “walking” away in the wrong direction, huh/duh???  Some “punk” even jumped out at us and wanted the girl but our hero “THE KING” wouldn’t hear of that and saved the pretty princess! Finally our hero asked someone who sent us 9 blocks in the correct direction. We arrived from our “social experiment” at our destination (hotel) at 4:30am, just in time for a 8:00am departure. So there it is all you rumor mill people, the truth, at least as I remember it. JJ/LOL/LMAO/ & MUAH!!!!!

In honor of our trip to Chicago we present:

We The People Stimulus Package:

Chicago/Immigration & Labor History

http://www.scribd.com/doc/11483563/Industrialism-Urbanization-And-Immigration-Timeline#page=16

LIFE TODAY