Good morning, Chicago.
When Ford opened its Chicago plant in February 1924 on the banks of the Calumet River in the Hegewisch neighborhood on the city’s Southeast Side, it was the dawn of the automobile age and the mass production assembly line.
A century later, electric vehicles are poised to push aside the gas-powered horseless carriage, but the Chicago Assembly Plant is still going strong as the oldest Ford auto plant in continuous operation.
Built at a cost of about $8 million, the massive Torrence Avenue factory employed 2,000 workers at the outset, with the capacity to turn out 600 “flivvers” — a nickname for the Model T — each day, according to a Chicago Tribune story at the time of its launch.
The new plant built nearly 107,000 Model Ts in its first year and expanded to Ford delivery trucks in 1925. In 1927, it switched to producing the new Ford Model A.
There have been almost 16 million vehicles produced in Chicago over the course of 100 years, including iconic bestsellers such as the Taurus sedan and Explorer SUV, along with a few less successful models, such as the short-lived Ford Freestyle crossover.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Robert Channick.
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Kamala Harris is now Democratic presidential nominee, will face off against Donald Trump this fall
Vice President Kamala Harris, a daughter of immigrants who rose through the California political and law enforcement ranks to become the first female vice president in U.S. history, formally secured the Democratic presidential nomination on Monday — becoming the first woman of color to lead a major party ticket.
- Rally dates are set. Venues are chosen. The only thing missing for Harris’ blitz is her VP choice
- Kamala Harris readies a Philadelphia rally to introduce her running mate. But her pick is still unknown
At a tense time in American politics, Chicago hospitals prepare for Democratic National Convention
Each summer, Rush University Medical Center holds a drill to make sure it’s prepared for disasters — events such as mass shootings and chemical attacks.
The focus of this year’s drill? An explosion at a political convention in Chicago.
Long-awaited Damen Green Line station opens, serving United Center and housing nearby
More than a decade after planning began, a new CTA train station at Damen Avenue and Lake Street on the Green Line began serving passengers Monday.
With trains rumbling to a stop behind them, Chicago and CTA leaders heralded the station’s proximity to the United Center, Malcolm X College, the Kinzie Industrial Corridor and the mixed-income Westhaven Park housing development. They also nodded to its delayed completion weeks before the Democratic National Convention comes to the nearby Bulls and Blackhawks arena.
Neighbors frustrated as ticketed events such as Lolla, NASCAR close parts of Grant Park for more than 70 days
After the conclusion of Grant Park’s 20th Lollapalooza, the festival name still hung in red bubble letters Monday morning above Ida B. Wells Drive. Security guards lined the path to Buckingham Fountain and traffic patrols stood in the middle of major intersections, directing traffic around road closures.
Some neighbors say they are unhappy with the increase in private events that limit access to the public park during the prime summer months.
Lollapalooza arrest numbers drop for fifth year, city emergency officials say
Between Thursday and Sunday, police made nine arrests and issued seven citations or tickets, according to the Office of Emergency Management and Communications. There were 63 ambulance transports during the event, officials said.
Chicago Bears Q&A: What can Ryan Poles do if musical chairs continue on the offensive line? What are Collin Johnson’s chances of sticking?
The first preseason game is in the books, and Chicago Bears starters are expected to see some action in Saturday’s exhibition against the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y.
A series of injuries on the offensive line has raised concern among some fans, and that’s where Brad Biggs starts this week’s Bears mailbag.
Looking back on memorable Chicago White Sox moments in Oakland — for what could be their final series in the city
From opening day to the postseason, the Chicago White Sox have experienced a little bit of everything at the Oakland Coliseum.
With the Athletics gearing up to play in Sacramento next season, the Sox began what will likely be their final series at the Oakland Coliseum on Monday. With more history on the line in Oakland, here are some standout moments from previous Sox visits to the ballpark the A’s have called home since 1968.
Column: The highlights and lowlights of watching the Olympics so far
We’re more than midway through the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and the games have been full of drama, both good and bad, writes Tribune TV and film critic Nina Metz. Airing on NBC and its streamer Peacock, the games are combination of popular events and those we only get a chance to see televised every four years. Tune in and suddenly you’re invested in a sport you knew little about minutes earlier. Metz isn’t even interested in the medal count between countries, she’s just thrilled to see athletes who are this talented compete against one another.
Column: Lollapalooza kids appreciate the river that runs through our city. So do I.
A small group of young people stood on the south bank of the Chicago River early Sunday morning, a couple of these six people red-faced from a previous day in the sun and sounds a few blocks south at Lollapalooza.
Four of these people were, they said proudly, from Duke University in North Carolina, and the other two came here from Denver. They were drinking coffee and eating donuts.
Walking by, Rick Kogan said hello, and soon enough they were talking about the river.
Bud Billiken Parade 2024: Route, start time and a look back at 95 years of Chicago’s back-to-school tradition
Nicknamed “The Bud,” the parade has been a back-to-school celebration and showcase for Chicago’s talented young people since 1929. For four generations, the Sengstacke family has organized what it says is the largest African American parade in the United States.
Hundreds of thousands of spectators and generations of families will gather along the almost 3-mile route in Bronzeville Saturday to cheer on a variety of performers — bands, dance and drill teams, tumblers and cheerleaders — and watch honorary grand marshals and celebrities ride in style aboard floats and classic cars. And thousands of school supplies and other amenities will be handed out in Washington Park following the parade.
