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This is a five-installment post about the connections between the Ridge and the Iroquois Theater fire. To read all the posts go to the Ridge Historical Society Facebook page.

Part 4. The Iroquois Theater fire on December 30, 1903, which resulted in at least 602 deaths, spread shock waves and fear throughout the entire world. Even in faraway Germany, the Kaiser closed the royal opera house in Berlin until it could be remodeled with better safety features.

The fire led to immediate government and legal action in Chicago and Cook County. The coroner’s office began an investigation into the causes of the fire. Anticipating criminal charges, a special grand jury was appointed to deal solely with the fire.

Beverly resident Richard A. Paddock was selected to serve as one of the 23 members of the special grand jury panel. Paddock, 45, and his wife Rosa, lived at 9648 Howard Court, now Vanderpoel Ave. No children are listed on the U. S. census.

Paddock was president of Richard A. Paddock & Co., a real estate, general contractor and mortgage loan business with its office at 115 Dearborn St. Born in Antioch, IL, he began his career as a carpenter. He moved to Chicago to be a supervisor of construction companies and started his own company. One can assume he was a very knowledgeable member of the jury.

Paddock was considered a genial, likable man. He was known for his skills as an avid fisherman and hunter. The Paddocks eventually retired to Florida.

The special grand jury began its work by touring the theater ruins. The panel studied numerous reports and heard testimony from the fire and police departments, and witnesses and survivors.

The jury concluded its work on February 23, 1904 by bringing indictments against five men. Included were manslaughter charges against the theater manager and treasurer, who were part of the ownership group of the theater, and the head carpenter. Charges were brought against the city’s building commissioner and a building inspector for not having adequately inspected the building.

However, in February 1905, the manslaughter indictments against the theater defendants were quashed in court on technical grounds. Although legal action continued for several more years, ultimately no one was ever held criminally liable.

The last installment will look at a related story involving the fire department.

This is the last installment from the Ridge Historical Society about the connections between the Ridge and the Iroquois Theater fire. All the sections may be viewed on the RHS Facebook page.

Part 5. A side story to the Iroquois Theater fire involves the Chicago Fire Department.

December 1903 found the Chicago fire department dealing with two important and complicated issues. First, the city council was investigating charges of graft and incompetence brought against Fire Chief William H. Musham.

Second, firemen were beginning to join and form unions. They sought to improve their working conditions, specifically, reducing the workday from 21 to 12 hours and hiring more fire fighters. Firemen only got off every tenth day to spend with their families.

City officials, and many members of the public, were against firefighters and police joining unions, fearing there could be a conflict of interest between public welfare and union demands. Strikes were especially worrisome. At Musham’s insistence, Mayor Carter Harrison, Jr., issued a rule prohibiting fire department employees from joining any organization that could conflict with their employment duties.

The Chicago Underwriters Association, made up of men who assessed the risk of applications for insurance, was a vocal critic of Musham. The members believed that his poor management was causing undue fire losses and demanded his removal. It was widely surmised that they were behind the charges pending in the city council although they denied this.

Musham, with the mayor’s backing, accused six firemen of sharing their grievances against him with the underwriters in order to advance their labor causes, leading to the city council charges. He retaliated by suspending the six men, pending their appearances before the fire trial board, which was expected to result in their dismissals from the department.

One of the six was William L. Sullivan of Hook and Ladder Company No. 8. He was born in Illinois and his father was from Ireland. He and his wife Katherine had a growing family and were living in the Pullman area at the time.

On December 30, at 2:00 p.m., the trial of the six men began at city hall. At 3:33 p.m., the fire alarm rang. News of the magnitude of the fire at the Iroquois Theater reached them. The trial broke up in confusion and Musham led everyone, including the accused, to fight the fire.

By the time they got to the theater, the worst of the fire was over. They worked their way through the smoke to the top of the theater. The first firemen to reach the second balcony, they were confronted with a wall of bodies so high they could not see over the top. They began the gruesome task of removing the dead. Being late December, it soon turned dark and they worked into the night.

On January 5, 1904, Musham restored to duty the six firemen for “gallant and heroic conduct at the Iroquois Theater fire.” He also announced he was hiring 200 additional fire fighters.

The firemen secretly organized a union, and with other organized labor help, convinced the city council to reduce their workday to 12 hours, over Musham’s objection. This necessitated hiring hundreds more firemen.

The coroner’s jury laid considerable blame for the fire on Musham, who had inspected the theater himself, although no formal charges were brought against him. The insurance underwriters continued their complaints about Musham, and he left the fire department in October of 1904.

William Sullivan died on St. Patrick’s Day in 1911 at the age of 37 and was buried with honors in Mt. Olivet Cemetery on 111th Street. He died of chronic smoke inhalation and other health issues.

The Sullivans had a large family and Katherine raised them on the pension she received as a fireman’s widow. Their sons became firefighters and a policeman.

Daughter Margaret, who married John Sullivan (same last name), and her family moved to Washington Heights and lived at 9956 S. Throop Street. They were members of St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, where the children went to school. Margaret had attended Academy of Our Lady on 95th Street and her daughters did also.

Sullivan family descendants continue to live on the Ridge.

This picture is of a group of firemen in the top gallery of the burned out theater. Musham's group was the first to reach the top of the theater. Chicago Tribune, December 31, 1903

It’s been an incredible four months but they say all good things must come to an end. The closing reception for the “Threads of Imagination” exhibit at the Ridge Historical Society will be on Friday, January 17, 2020, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at RHS, 10621 S. Seeley Ave., Chicago.

The event is titled “Final Threads with Sandra Leonard.” Sandra creates sculptural costumes that turn the human form into living sculpture. Performance artists arrayed in some of Sandra’s creations will interact with the guests. Sandra’s work appears internationally in performance art productions, improvised theater, alternative fashion shows and installation projects.

This will be the last chance to view the “Threads of Imagination” exhibit, a look at the intersection of fashion, art and business through the creative work of five Beverly artists. Featured are the historic Madame Alla Ripley, a famous fashion designer and savvy businesswoman who lived on the Ridge 100 years ago, and four current artists.

Judie Anderson displays a selection of her fashion illustrations from the 1960s-70s. Nicole Burns of NiBu Design shares her eclectic artwork inspired by vintage fabrics, and her collection of antique sewing items. Maggie O’Reilly showcases items from her two entrepreneurial companies – Maggy May line of girls’ clothing, and The MAYTA Collection of personal and home accessories produced by artisans in Peru and Morocco through fair trade agreements. These three artists have been profiled in recent programs and plan to be at the reception. And the fourth artist, Sandra Leonard, will be profiled this evening.

Admission is free; refreshments will be served. Reservations are requested but not required. Contact RHS at 773/881-1675 or ridgehistory@hotmail.com.

Be sure to get this event on your calendars!

Tomorrow night, Friday, January 17, 2020 – the closing reception for the "Threads of Imagination" exhibit at the Ridge Historical Society, 10621 S. Seeley Ave., Chicago, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The featured artist will be Sandra Leonard who will have performance artists there in some of her sculptural costumes. Free admission, refreshments will be served. Send a Message to RHS with any questions.

Last reminder! Attend this event before we get snowed and iced in for the next few days – the storm is due to get pretty bad during the night, after this is over. Tonight, 7 to 9 p.m., at the Ridge Historical Society, 10621 S. Seeley Ave., Chicago, the closing reception for the "Threads of Imagination" exhibit featuring performance artists wearing the sculptural costumes of Sandra Leonard. Free, great refreshments! Come on over! Reservations not required! Last chance to see this great exhibit!

Oh, the weather outside was frightful, but the party inside was delightful …. Thank you to the brave souls who came out tonight during Chicago's first major snowstorm of the season for the closing reception for the "Threads of Imagination" exhibit at the Ridge Historical Society.

Performance artists donned Sandra Leonard's sculptural costumes for an improvised art performance event. Sandra offers a rich visual experience often based on birds and that was tonight's theme. The performers distributed origami birds to the guests which made for a nice keepsake. Some of the birds found a new home at RHS.

It's cold and windy outside, and most folks are probably settled in for the night. This is a chance to catch up on neighborhood news – from 100 years ago. The Suburbanite Economist newspaper ran columns every Friday with news from various south side communities, and there was one for "News from the Ridge – Morgan Park, Washington Heights, Beverly Hills, Walden, Longwood and the Southern Suburbs." These are the five columns from January 1920.

Note you will see Fr. Hurley of St. Margaret's mentioned several times. In a few years, Fr. Timothy D. Hurley would be assigned to start a new parish, St. Barnabas. The first Mass at this new parish was said on Christmas 1924.

The event, "Speaking of Unmentionables: History of Ladies' Underwear," has been cancelled for this Sunday, January 26, 2020. It is being rescheduled for Sunday, February 9, 2020. We are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused. Thank you.

Today the Ridge Historical Society revealed a recent donation and plans for a new exhibit. Beverly resident Joan Regnier O'Connor has donated her family's collection of five original American Girl dolls and numerous furniture items and accessories.

The American Girl dolls, of course, are a well known and beloved phenomenon. They are a line of 18-inch dolls first introduced in 1986 by the Pleasant Company, founded by Pleasant Rowland. The original dolls focused on various periods of American history, with accompanying books told from the viewpoint of the girls. Rowland sold the company to Mattel in 1998.

Joan began collecting the dolls with her daughters Michelle and Christina, who are now in their 30s. They first got interested in the dolls thanks to Joan's mother-in-law, the late Grace O'Connor, who was a children's librarian in Beverly and Mt. Greenwood. Grace shared the books with her daughter-in-law and granddaughters. She used to hold parties for the dolls at the libraries.

Joining the RHS collection are Felicity from the Colonial period, Kirsten the Pioneer girl, Addy from the Civil War era, Samantha from late Victorian times, and Molly from World War II.

RHS will be showcasing the dolls in a new exhibit, "Real American Girls of the Ridge." Three of the dolls, Addy, Samantha and Molly, will be paired with stories of actual girls who grew up connected to the Ridge communities during the appropriate time periods.

Addy will be paired with the story of the late Cornelia Reeves, an ex-slave who settled in Morgan Park in 1885-86. Her descendants are believed to still be in the area and RHS Historian Linda Lamberty, the Curator for this exhibit, is tracking them down for the story.

Samantha will be paired with the late Margaret Gear Lawrence who grew up on the Ridge around 1900. Margaret became very active with the new Girl Scouts organization founded in 1912. RHS Board Secretary Carol Macola, also very active with the Girl Scouts, will help with this exhibit entry.

Molly will be paired with Elaine Spencer, RHS President, who grew up on the Ridge during World War II. Elaine will share first-hand stories of life in the early 1940s during the turbulent war years.

Pleasant Rowland, the "inventor" of the American Girl dolls, has a strong connection to the Ridge. Her paternal grandparents lived at 96th and Winchester and her father spent his formative years here.

All of these stories will be shared in upcoming Facebook posts.

The soft opening for the "Real American Girls of the Ridge" exhibit will be at the annual meeting of RHS members on February 23rd. The following Sunday, March 1, at 2:00 p.m. will be the free grand opening reception for the public at RHS. The exhibit will run through the summer. Watch this page for more information.