Chicago Time Machine with Geoffrey Baer

In this new special, Geoffrey Baer, WTTW’s intrepid tour guide, takes us on a journey through our region’s rich history via a brand new vehicle. Aided by archival film and photographs, innovative special effects, and a found “time machine,” Geoffrey gives us a unique view of incredible moments of the past that happened in seemingly ordinary places that many of us frequent every day.

[@kateospeaks9018]

I'm a history buff and I visit Chicago frequently and I have to say Sir I love your videos please keep them coming. Thank you!!!

[@kenclark1508]

Slavik

[@danthefan5378]

@@kenclark1508 VU Lou "Kicks"

[@chiefvirgobleu6744]

Makes me wonder why I ever left...best city in the whole 🌎 This guy truly knows Chicago. Love all his videos 💙

[@deborahbaker4770]

This is 2023 be happy you moved away from Chicago I just read today OCTOBER 14, 2023 that CHICAGO IS THE MOST CORRUPT CITY ISN’T THAT A NICE COMPLIMENT TO GET‼️‼️💯👍🏻😳😱

[@laurachristianson1688]

I have left and returned….last time was almost twenty years ago and I shan’t ever make that mistake ever again🎉

[@phyllishamilton165]

Geoffrey, thank you for creating such a lively body of work! Your documentaries effortlessly blend facts, history, and quirky details to present energy, accuracy, and relevance that today's viewers can both enjoy -- and learn! You take my home town to a new dimension -- your frank and honest handling of Chicago's hideous discriminatory history, and current challenges, still finds uplift and energy in today's advocates, activists, and hands-on work that gives vision and inspiration to our young people of today!

[@hto560]

This was a great vid but damn is it sad how many beautiful buildings we’ve torn down

[@sableindian]

I live in Colorado now. I'm 72. In 1992 I worked at 6 Flags in Gurnee, ILL. The Rotor was there and there was also a plaque stating it came from Riverview. It's been a while, but it was there in 1992. Your videos are only 2nd to me reading Mike Royko. Keep up the good work.

[@DLL8252]

Despite the high rent, rising food prices, violence and poverty, I've been a Chicagoan for 41yrs, having visited places such as Mississippi, Wisconsin, Philadelphia, and Louisiana, I always come back home to Illinois and I love My city, I really do 🫡🫡🫡❤ the food, architecture, monuments, history, landscapes, sports teams, music, AND people, there's no place like SWEET HOME CHICAGO !

[@paulakpacente]

My dad took me to the Edgewater Beach Hotel. My grandpa took me to Maxwell Street. They both did it because an era was passing. Little did I know then (in about 1962) that I would graduate from the University Of Illinois at Chicago in 1976. We left Illinois over 28 years ago. Even though the city has deteriorated since then, my Chicago spirit will exist in me until the day I die.

[@anonymike8280]

No way has Chicago deteriorated. Billions have been spent on real estate development in formerly blighted neighborhoods to the point where ordinary middle and lower middle income people can no longer afford to live there. Don't confuse the fiscal problems of local governments with the state of the entities these govern. The fiscal problems of local governmental entities largely are due to unfunded pension obligations contracted for decades ago. When these obligations finally sunset and funded pensions kick in, the fiscal condition of local governments will improve. If you look at the "Streets of America" Chicago videos, you will get a better idea of how things have changed. Many neighborhoods still have a lot of old buildings on their commercial streets and a lot of old houses and apartment buildings, but blighted buildings with no economic use are not allowed to stand. If there are boarded up buildings anywhere, it is because the city has determined that these are rehabilitatable and can put to use in the future when residential and commercial patterns change. I grew up in Chicago in the1950s and 1960s. I left in the 1970s. Living there again would give me nothing but a sense of futility, or call it a feeling of having gone nowhere, but I long have followed what is going on there. The internet makes it easy.

[@paulakpacente]

@@Georgian1717- Hope springs eternal.

[@iheard6888]

I enjoyed your "Time Machine", it breaks my heart that W. Jackson Blvd. is gone, it was a great place when we lived there.

[@nathanas64]

I love this series ! Mr Baer and WTTW have created an outstanding and unique historical “document” of Chicago.

[@mlradcliffe3955]

Great video, I loved going to Riverview as a child. My dad always took me to Maxwell St as a child. I loved it & the food was delicious

[@Shahrdad]

Edgewater Beach Hotel was not pink, but “Sunrise Yellow.” The Edgewater Beach Apartments that were built farther north, and still exists, was “Sunset Pink.”

[@LUIS-ox1bv]

Correct.

[@elizabethd8428]

I’m so glad I’ve found these videos. I feel like a kid again when I used to watch these type of shows on channel 11🥹

[@TimVeatch]

41:10 Edgewater Beach Hotel 46:33 Bridgeport 1:06:26 Preston Tucker 1:13:00 International Amphitheater at Back of the Yards

[@RGC198]

Excellent video. Thanks for sharing If only it was possible to have a portable time machine like that. Here in Melbourne Australia it would be possible to see the former cable car system in action, which closed in 1940.

[@bethbartlett5692]

Belmont and Western, right across from Riverview, my Parents owned a restaurant there and I went to Riverview routinely. Great memory. Edgewater area, I was born at Edgewater Hospital, so was Hillary Clinton, though she was a few years (7 yrs, I think) before me. We lived in Lincoln Park area.

[@dcotai2902]

... Go Lane Tech.. 1967... LAST SPRING...

[@DG360MaN]

Hell yeah brother

[@heatman311]

Back in the 70's and 80' we would ride our bikes thru what was then called The Vita Course now Richard Clark Park off Rockwell Ave along the river......There were still some of the foudations of a few of the rides from Riverview including some of the original pavement from the park......one in particular was the failsafe for the shoot the chutes a giant concrete block ...... my friend and his dad did an unofficial biography for my friend's school project as his father grew up going to the park

[@sableindian]

You forgot Washington Park race track.

[@DTM-Books]

Hey, this show has the same ending as The Shining. Creepy! Seriously, though, it's a great look at Chicago history. I'm a Minnesota transplant, so I enjoy all of this forays into the city's past.

[@QuaaludeCharlie]

Wee Chicago. Love all these videos :) QC

[@cynthianorthdakota1067]

Hello I am A Fuller from North Dakota/ Wrigleyville ( Halstad started when it was Residential ; ) ( My fav is Club Metro .. Cubby Bear ) n yr You Tube series is worthy of so much more!!! Tyvm .. to the point .. I jumped from my TV to my fon to make sure.. I told you... FYI .. we have 2 family tragedies You may be interested.. both From Law Enforcement POV .. one loss as a Police Officer Killed in Action the Night of The Night of the Worlds Fair 1933 and the next was Dec 29th 1969 .. 1 Police Officer 7 Shot .. only my Uncle passed ... South Side ... BP members confirmed as the shooters Wud appreciate a conversation some times... Best to You n Yours n Diaduit

[@saironer]

I fucking love the ending. Class act this guy. 👋 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@alanaadams7440]

My father was a good catcher. He tried put for the Cubs and got it but grandma said he had to be am engineer and said if he took the catcher job she would not pay for his college. Well he did become an engineer but I always wondered if he would have been happier as a catcher for the Cubs

[@gabrielortiz665]

Beautiful. Never knew about FARMER

[@mariocisneros911]

12:45 there are suburban town halls from the same era still standing all over Illinois. 1 is in the suburbs of LaGrange .

[@bethbartlett5692]

This is obviously pre-2016 GO CUBS GO !!!!!!!!!

[@fjohnson3002]

That's what I thought! He needs to add an addendum.

[@natebarry5553]

Look at the cars on the road. This is what Chicago looked like in 2009-2014 in terms of the makes and models of vehicles. Got some early nineties beaters still clinging on to life, mixed in with some brand new looking 2014 Toyota Camries and riced out Infinity G35 coupes.

[@dcotai2902]

..... 1967...winter... OMG... More....

[@dickiegreenleaf750]

Here we go again.

[@devoradamaris]

🕊🌎🕊🕊sharing🦋

[@gmac8852]

I would love to see a story of the history of the Auburn Lagoon in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood.

[@patriciaegan7244]

One of the disturbing things about some of this is how major city investments are thrown out. Doesn’t that impact our city’s debt?

[@patriciaegan7244]

It seems people are the last of anyone’s worries in mess.

[@michaelfugate2404]

To think her name would grace Cabrini Green which becomes a housing project that goes down as one of the most dangerous in all American history.

[@anonymike8280]

1:05:13 That mammoth is truckin'.

[@patriciaegan7244]

I never understood why the America Indians went through so much turmoil.

[@DerrickBoundsMusic]

I thought troops left Fort Dearborn to help in War of 1812. That's what I heard/read.

[@alanaadams7440]

Have you noticed all the projects for the poor Never works

[@deborahbaker4770]

There is no more Maxwell Street in 2023 ☹️ there are tiny home’s now and they cost more then $125.00

[@CJinsoo]

Love these videos but pointing out how crime and poor conditions are generally underscored when they happened decades ago, and pretty much glossed-over for any recent reviews and that seems to be true for the entire Baer series.

[@janetrmn]

"...gave up their land." LOL

[@alanaadams7440]

Why do cities tear down so many beautiful old buildings

[@LUIS-ox1bv]

Money, coupled with crass stupudity.

[@danielmarsala849]

Way out!

[@anonymike8280]

46:06 No steroids in those days. Back then, people had to live on food and water. It was terrible.

[@natebarry5553]

I could never go back in time. Food and water 🤮

[@lindagonzalez2378]

Way too much commercials WOW! 😫

[@shaungorham7959]

ABD.

[@alanaadams7440]

Our school watched this debate and then voted Kennedy won

[@electricjellyfish375]

You better be careful when you buy time machines at flea markets.

[@RomanGecko]

Isn’t it amazing what Chicago was like before corporate welfare and pandering Just imagine how beautiful and advance Chicago could have been. But now a casino on River so you can loose money to , so the city and state can give better tax cuts to multinational corporations that do not reinvest

[@leeatterberry1453]

And let's not forget about the homicide rate

[@RobertPahlavi-ko4gj]

I dont Need false time memories. Save your dna from mutations and dont travel at high speeds or in the cold tunnels #chicagomayor #fubu #beyonce save the Native and cowboys etc. #Barbbie

[@jamesanonymous2343]

HO HUMM,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,BYE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111

[@CrisDell-fh9zp]

It's disappointing that so many African-American neighborhoods were demolished by the city, can't say I'm surprised though

[@woodehinz4726]

We don't know what dude actually looked like or clear on who he was or what he did...... But we'll tear down a statue of somebody else to make room for Du Sable who we think "maybe"??? Yeah brilliant and not racist at all..............

[@carstarsarstenstesenn]

Aww are you gonna cry?

[@redrobbo1896]

Here you're again showing your true colors.

[@iwouldliketoorderanumber1b79]

I smell a hater, out of this entire hour long video the only thing you question is the one significant thing he said about a black person. It bothered you that much that you posted twice in this thread about it. I can bet my last dollar you didn’t like Obama, I can bet my last dollar you also thought the police killing George Floyd was justified too. How I know is because you can smell a hater a mile away.

[@piper888]

There's some rule that says you have to have statues 🙄🤔??

[@HappyMuffin]

The transition music is so obnoxious this is hard to even watch this isn’t the 90s anymore dude grow up

[@woodehinz4726]

Du Sable, 'may have been, might have been, could have been and some historians believe'? Whatever is great and I'd love to hear about whatever the history is. But it's pretty sad we can't nail down facts on PBS to tell history without spinning a narrative. I'm from Chicago and you can name every street Du Suble, but let's do that based on facts and history. Not what might, would, could or should have been because it fits some stupid SJW narrative. If you want to report Chicago History do it and I'll dig it. Waiting for how Capone "may have been", a black transexual social justice Warrior advocating for mixed bathrooms instead of bootlegging.

[@carstarsarstenstesenn]

Research the facts or go cry about it haha

[@redrobbo1896]

You're creating strawmen to argue. Turn fox News off you'll live longer.

[@iwouldliketoorderanumber1b79]

You sound like a hater, I swear these people can have all the success and as soon as one black person is named for something significant they began to hate. Like damn can’t anybody else shine Jesus Christ, is that the only thing that bugged you. You didn’t care about how they demolished a lot of black neighborhoods and the segregation that was happening, the only thing that bug you was the black guy who settled on the river. Your a true hater my friend.

[@iwouldliketoorderanumber1b79]

@@redrobbo1896 he’s just a hater, they only want to hear about how black people are doing bad or suffering, no problems with that. As soon as it’s something significant a black person does they began to hate. It’s just sad to be honest.

[@redrobbo1896]

@@iwouldliketoorderanumber1b79 it's just lame honestly. It's history, I'm a fan of history. I never knew a black dude founded chicago. I learned something new, no reason to hate on that because I'm white.