by Erik Larson
The White Star Triple Screw Atlantic Liners, Olympic and Titanic. Ocean Liners of the Past. Patrick Stephens, Cambridge, 1983.
Whyte, Frederic. The Life of W. T. Stead, vol. 2. Houghton Mifflin, 1925.
Wilson, Robert E. “The Infanta at the Fair.” Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, vol. 59, no. 3 (Autumn 1966).
Wish, Harvey. “The Pullman Strike: A Study in Industrial Warfare.” Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, vol. 32, no. 3 (September 1939).
Wolman, Benjamin B., ed. International Encyclopedia of Psychiatry, Psychology, Psychoanalysis, and Neurology, vol. 10. Aesculapius Publishers/Van Nostrand, 1977.
The World’s Fair, Being a Pictorial History of the Columbian Exposition. Chicago Publication and Lithograph, 1893. Chicago Historical Society.
Wyckoff, Walter A. The Workers: An Experiment in Reality. Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1899.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
THIS IS MY THIRD BOOK with Crown Publishers and with my editor, Betty Prashker, who once again proved herself to be one of New York’s supreme editors—confident, obliquely forceful, always reassuring. Every writer needs support, and she gave it unstintingly. Every book also needs support, and once again Crown marshaled a team of committed men and women to help the book find its way to as many readers as possible. Thanks, here, to Steve Ross, publisher; Andrew Martin, Joan DeMayo, and Tina Constable, marketing wizards; and Penny Simon, the kind of veteran publicist most writers wish they had but seldom get.
I have been blessed as well with one hell of an agent, David Black, a man whose instinct for narrative drive—and excellent wine—is unparalleled. He also happens to be an excellent human being.
On the homefront my family kept me sane. I could not have written this book without the help of my wife, Christine Gleason, a doctor by profession but also one of the best natural editors I’ve encountered. Her confidence was a beacon. My three daughters showed me what really matters. My dog showed me that nothing matters but dinner.
Two friends, both writers, generously agreed to read the entire manuscript and offered their wise critiques. Robin Marantz Henig sent me a dozen pages of pinpoint suggestions, most of which I adopted. Carrie Dolan, one of the best and funniest writers I know, offered her criticisms in a way that made them seem like compliments. Hers is a knack that few editors possess.
Thanks also to Dr. James Raney, Seattle psychiatrist and forensic consultant, who read the manuscript and offered his diagnosis of the psychic malaise that likely drove Holmes’s behavior. Gunny Harboe, the Chicago architect who led the restoration of two of Burnham & Root’s remaining buildings—the Reliance and the Rookery—gave me a tour of both and showed me Burnham’s library, restored to its original warmth.
Finally, a word about Chicago: I knew little about the city until I began work on this book. Place has always been important to me, and one thing today’s Chicago exudes, as it did in 1893, is a sense of place. I fell in love with the city, the people I encountered, and above all the lake and its moods, which shift so readily from season to season, day to day, even hour to hour.
I must confess a shameful secret: I love Chicago best in the cold.
INDEX
*The following items may be used as a guide to search for information in this eBook.
Ackelow, Herman
Adams, Mrs. C. A. (pseud.)
Adams, Henry
Adams Express Company
Addams, Jane
Adler, Dankmar
“After the Ball”
Agnew, Francis
Agnew & Co.
Aheze (Amazon)
alcoholism, cures for
Allerton, Samuel W.
alternating current
Altgeld, John P.
“America”
American Railway Union
Anthony, Susan B.
Archie (Algerian)
architecture:
acoustical design in
of bridges
Chicago School of
of cities
classical
competition within
of the fair, see World’s Columbian Exposition
form following function in
foundations in
grillage in
imitation in
inventions in
landscape
load-bearing metal frame in
nature and purpose of
“Prairie” designs
public perception of
of skyscrapers
soil problem of
stone pyramids in
twentieth-century debates about
Armbrust, Mrs. J.
Armour, Philip
Armstrong, Maitland
Arnold, Charles Dudley
Arnold, C. W.
Around the World in Eighty Days
Astor, Mrs. William
Atwood, Charles B.
Aunt Jemima’s pancake mix
automobile, Burnham’s faith in
Avery Salt Mines
Bacon, Henry
bacteriology
Baker, Ray Stannard
Baker, William
Bank of England
Barber, O. Z.
Baring Brothers & Co.
Barlow, Thomas W.
Barnum, P. T.
Barrows, Rev. Dr. J. H.
Baum, L. Frank
Belknap, Jonathan
Belknap, Myrta Z.
Bellamy, Francis J.
Beman, Solon S.
Berkler, Joseph E.
Berry, John
Bertillon, Alphonse
Besant, Sir Walter
Biltmore mansion
Black, Rev. Dr. W. C.
Bloom, Sol
Bond, Alexander (pseud.)
Borden, Lizzie
Boston:
Burnham’s work in
Holmes arrested in
Bowman, George
Boyington, W. W.
Brady, Diamond Jim
Braille, invention of
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooks, Peter Chardon III
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show
Burbank, Lucy
Burlington, Vermont, Holmes in
Burnham, Daniel (son)
Burnham, Daniel Hudson
aboard the Olympic
advice given to
as architect
at architects’ dinner
biography of
birth and early years of
career of
as chief of construction
competition of
death of
degrees from Harvard and Yale to
denied admission to Harvard and Yale
as director of works
as environmentalist
and fair’s closing
foot problem of
health of
at inquest on fire
interest in the supernatural
and Midway ball
New York travel of
and Olmsted
on Opening Day
partnership of Root and, see Burnham & Root
physical appearance and personality of
and preliminary plans
and Root’s death
shanty of
and site selection
social pressures on
and time constraints
as urban planning consultant
Burnham, Frank P.
Burnham, Margaret Sherman
children of
courtship and marriage of
husband’s letters to
later years of
Burnham & Root
competition of
as lead fair designers
problems of
skyscrapers built by
spirit in
Stone Gate by
Burnham Park
cadavers, for medical schools
Campbell, Hiram S. (pseud.)
Campbell-Yates Manufacturing Com
pany
Capen, John L.
Capp, William
Capp & Canty
Carse, Mrs. T. B.
Carter H. Harrison Associations
Cassatt, Alexander
Catherwood, Mary Hartwell
Central Park, New York
Century Club, Chicago
Chalmers, William J.
Chamberlin, George B.
Chappell, Charles
Chemical National Bank, Chicago
Chicago,
accidental deaths in
architects in
Auditorium in
bank failures in
bicycle craze in
brothels in
citywide plans for
civic pride of
“cliff-dwellers” in
competition for fair in
disappearances in
filth in
fires in
gas lamps in
Grannis Block in
growth of
gumbo of
Hull House in
as industrial center
Kinsley’s Restaurant in
labor movement in
“the Loop” in
Miracle Mile of
Montauk Block in
opportunity in
politics in
population of
real estate in
Rookery in
skyscrapers in
soil problems of
stockyards in
suburbs of
trains in
unemployment in
vice and violence in
as “Windy City”
World’s Fair in, see World’s Columbian Exposition
young women moving to
Chicago & Alton Railroad
Chicago Club
Chicago House Wrecking Company
Chicago Limited
Chicago River
Chicago School of architecture
Chicago Tribune, 31, 59–60, 153, 310, 336
Cigrand, Dr. and Mrs. B. J.
Cigrand, Emeline
Cigrand, Peter
Cincinnati, search for children in
City Beautiful movement
Cleckley, Hervey
Clemmons, Katherine
Cleveland, Grover
Cleveland, Ohio, city plans for
Cobb (architect)
Codman, Henry Sargent “Harry,”
Cody, Louisa
Cody, William “Buffalo Bill,”
Cody, Wyoming, founding of
Columbia Cook Book, The (Hollingsworth)
“Columbian March”
Columbus, Christopher
Columbus Day
Conan Doyle, Sir Arthur
Congress, U.S.:
and fair’s finances
and site selection
and Sunday closings
Conner, Gertrude
Conner, Julia
Conner, Ned (Icilius)
Conner, Pearl
Cook, Alex E. (pseud.)
Cooling, W. F.
Corbett, James J.
Cotton, Sallie
Coughlin, Bathhouse John
Cowie, F. G.
Cracker Jack
Cregier, DeWitt C.
Crowe, Mr. and Mrs. John
Cuddy, Alf
Cumberland Gap
Dana, Charles Anderson
Darrow, Clarence
Davis, C. E.
Davis, George R.
Davis, John
Davis, Richard Harding
Dean, Teresa
Debs, Eugene
Decker, L. E.
Denslow, William Wallace
Depew, Chauncey M.
Detroit, Holmes in
Devil
Dewey, Melvil
De Young, Mike
Disney, Elias
Disney, Roy
Disney, Walt
Doyle family
Dredge, James
Dreiser, Theodore
Du Maurier, George
Eads, James B.
Eddy, Charles J.
Edison, Thomas A.
Eiffel, Alexandre Gustave
Eiffel Tower
electric chair, first
electricity, alternating current
elevator, invention of
Eliot, Charles
Elliott, Capt. Horace
Ellsworth, James
Empire State Building, New York
Englewood, Illinois:
annexation to Chicago
growth of
Holmes’s arrival in
Erickson (druggist)
Erie Railroad
Essen Works, Germany
Eulalia, Infanta of Spain
Evanston National Bank
Ferris, George W. G.
Ferris, Margaret
Ferris Company
Ferris Wheel
in construction
final days of
operation of
romance on
test runs of
Fidelity Mutual Life Association of Philadelphia
Field, Marshall
Field Museum, Chicago
Filene’s building, Boston
Finn, Mickey
Fire Queen,
First National Bank, Chicago
First Presbyterian Church, Chicago
Fitzpatrick, Capt. James
Flatiron Building, New York City
Fogg, Phileas (fict.)
Fort Worth, Texas, Holmes in
Fouse, L. G.
Francis Ferdinand, Archduke
Franke, David
Frazier, A. A.
French, Daniel Chester
Gage, Lyman
Garfield, James A.
Gary, W. E.
General Electric Company
George, Henry
Geraldine, Dion
Geyer, Esther
Geyer, Frank
Geyer, Martha
Gimbel’s department store, New York
Ginty, Flora
Gompers, Samuel
Gordon, Henry “Harry” (pseud.)
Gottlieb, Abraham
Graham, Ernest
Graham, George S.
Graves, Dexter
Great Fire (1871)
Greeman, Milton
Gronau, W. F.
Guiteau, Charles
Hall, Frank Haven
Hall Braille Writer
Hanson, Mary
Harrison, Benjamin
Harrison, Carter Henry
and American Cities Day
and Annie
campaign for reelection of
and Chicago Day
death and funeral of
and Infanta Eulalia
and Midway ball
and Prendergast
on unemployment
and Waif’s Day
Harrison, Preston
Harrison, Sophie
“Hatch” (fict.)
Hawthorne, Julian
Hayden, Sophia
Hayes, A. C. (pseud.)
Hayes, Laura
Hays, D. S.
Hecht, Ben
Hercules Iron Works
Herrick, Robert
Highleyman, J. W.
Higinbotham, Harlow
Hill, Henrietta
H.M.S. Camperdown
H.M.S. Victoria
Hollingsworth, Adelaide
Holmes, H. H.
arrival in Illinois
book about
building developed by
businesses of
chloroform purchased by
confession of
and Conner family, see Conner, Julia; Conner, Ned; Conner, Pearl
creditors of
death and burial of
and the devil
early years of, see Mudgett, Herman Webster
and Emeline
forgery by
and Georgiana
as Gordon
hotel
of, see World’s Fair Hotel
and insurance fraud
memoir of
and missing women
modus operandi of
names used by
pharmacy of
physical appearance and personality of
and Pitezel children
in prison
and Silver Ash Institute
time to leave Chicago
trial of
and Williams sisters, see Williams, Anna; Williams, Minnie R.
wives of
Holmes, Lucy
Holmes, Myrta Z. Belknap
Holton, Mrs. E. S.
Horseshoe Curve
Houdini, Harry
Howard, Annie
Howard, Georgia (pseud.)
Howard, Henry Mansfield (pseud.)
Howe, Mr. and Mrs. G. (pseud.)
Hughes, W. C.
Hull House, Chicago
Humboldt Park, Chicago
Humphrey, B. D.
Humphrey, Cephas
Hunt, Richard M.
Hunt, Robert
If Christ Came to Chicago (Stead)
Illinois Central Railroad
Illinois Trust and Savings Company
incandescent bulbs
Indianapolis:
grand jury in
search for children in
Ingalls, John
Iowa State Marching Band
Irvington, Indiana, search for children in
Ismay, J. Bruce
Jackson Park
architects’ visit to
entrances to
as fair site; see also World’s Columbian Exposition
permanent structures of
plans for transformation of
soil of
Jack the Ripper
Jefferey, Edward T.
Jenney, William
Johnson, Charlie
Joplin, Scott
Juicy Fruit gum
Kansas City, hotel collapse in
Keeley cure for alcoholism
Keller, Helen
Kelly, Mary
Kiler, Charles
Kinetoscope
King, John
Kingsbury, Fred
Kipling, Rudyard
Kirk’s Soap
Klausmann, Caroline
Koch, Robert
Kraus (city official)
Krupp, Fritz
Lafayette Collection Agency
Lake Michigan
Latimer, Robert
Laurean, L. G.
Lawrence, Mr. and Mrs. M. B.
Lazarus Silverman bank, Chicago
L’Enfant, Pierre Charles
Leopold, Nathan
Lewis, Mrs. H. B.
Lincoln Memorial
Lindau, Paul
Lloyd, Henry Demarest
Loeb, Richard
Lola (South Sea Islander)
Loring & Jenney
Louisiana Purchase Exposition (1904)
Lovering, Clara A.
Lyman, Benton T. (pseud.)
McAllister, Ward
McArthur Brothers
McCarthy, Joseph
McClaughry, R. W.
McComber, J. B.
McElroy, J. E.