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Historically Speaking

My husband and I recently went to Chicago to visit our daughter who has been living and working there now for over a year. I had never stepped foot in the Windy City and was excited to get to know this place our daughter calls home. Spending time with her was a huge bonus. We live in a suburb of Seattle where our greatest fear tends to come in the form of four-legged creatures that roam through our backyard looking for a den or their next meal in an ever-diminishing habitat. We don't own any small pets, so their presence doesn't tend to affect us much. Life is pretty quiet and safe in our neck of the woods. So when our daughter landed this job in Chicago, I wondered how her transition would go. She has always loved the outdoors; would city life suit her? Our eighteen years of suburban parenting didn't exactly prepare her well for an urban adventure.

Thrive she has. More comfortable than me in a big city she is. I had nothing to do with this, and yet it made me proud to see my offspring enjoying all the vibrancy that Chicago offers and finding her way as an adult all by herself. As a parent you spend many years as the teacher, so the realization that these tables are turning was certainly not lost on me. My one moment of concern came when she returned back to her apartment after joining us for dinner. "Am I worrying too much?" I asked my husband. "Yes. She does this all the time." True. But now I had a view in my head of the subway line and the bus route she would follow. In the dark. By herself. The Mama Bear in me was just doing what Mama Bears do, looking out for the welfare of her cubs. Those fears for my kids subside when I'm thousands of miles away and unaware of their comings and goings, but when they are near me and I know their itinerary, something instinctual kicks in. I just can't help it.

Since my role as parent and teacher is currently diminishing, let me make a slight detour here to teach you about a piece of Chicago history that is surprisingly unknown to most. What did I know about Chicago before this weekend? It sits on Lake Michigan, had a big fire once, has had some issues with political corruption, was once home to a guy named Capone, and they love their baseball team. Not exactly a wealth of information. Then I spent time with a docent from the Chicago History Museum.We all know about Al Capone -- even many elementary students know about the famed Chicago gangster thanks to the successful children's book "Al Capone Does My Shirts". But the name of the SS Eastland is not one that rings many bells. The Eastland was a steamship built in Michigan at the turn of the 20th century. Flawed from the beginning, it was a ship with issues of listing. The dang ship couldn't float upright. Despite its top-heavy design and several complaints about this after initial sailings, the Eastland somehow avoided dry dock and was chartered by the Western Electric Company to take its workers on a trip across Lake Michigan for a picnic. This was a big deal for these workers who rarely received time off from their jobs. Dressed in their Sunday best, 2,572 passengers boarded the boat on July 24, 1915 and within fifteen minutes the boat rolled sharply to the port side while still tied to the dock that was just 20 feet away. The boat instantly capsized, trapping many of the women and children who had gone below decks to warm up from the cool damp morning air. 848 people died.

Even more shocking than the sad tale itself is that no one was ever punished for operating a boat with known design flaws. With the help of Clarence Darrow and a favorable Michigan judge, the six indicted men from the steamship company were found not guilty of any crimes and could not be extradited to Illinois to stand trial where the incident occurred. Al Capone is someone we all know, but the SS Eastland left a far more damaging legacy.

So on that cheery note, let us drown our sorrows in a drink called The Chicago Cocktail. Until recently Chicago's drinking history revolved around two staples, beer and whiskey. Ironically, the Chicago Cocktail has neither. The history of this drink is sketchy at best but was thought to have been created in the early 20th century. Recipes vary, but here is one I found quite tasty. Should the Cubs make it into the World Series again this year, you can toast 'em with a Chicago Cocktail.

Chicago Cocktail
2 oz. brandy
Dash of Cointreau
Dash of bitters
Prosecco
Rim a chilled champagne flute with lemon and then dip into extra fine sugar. Stir the brandy, Cointreau, and bitters in a mixing glass with ice, then strain into the flute. Top with Prosecco and garnish with a lemon peel.

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