Curious City

05/22/2026

What’s up with Chicago’s sidewalk stamps?

Some keen-eyed Chicagoans have found sidewalk stamps that date back to 1904, like one that reads “Young and Olmsted” in the Rogers Park neighborhood. Another, on the 7000 block of N. Hamilton Ave., reads “Arthur Bairstow” from 1906.

At the turn of the 20th century, local U.S. governments made it a requirement for sidewalk contractors to sign their work. And Chicago’s municipal code still requires it so the city knows who did the (good or bad) job.

While many sidewalk stamps today are dated within the last 50 years, some read “WPA 1938,” which stands for the Works Progress Administration, a depression era workforce program.

If you see WPA sidewalk stamps today, a bridge or overpass has likely protected it from the elements, or it’s on a less trodden path. Unlike the writing, murals and propaganda posters created by artists of the WPA, the city of Chicago does not preserve sidewalk stamps. The history they symbolize is lost with each new sidewalk installed in their place.

Story by Erin Allen
Video by /Sun-Times (edited)

05/11/2026

Ever feel like you’re in another Chicago neighborhood while visiting Milwaukee? Or notice some Detroit energy while roaming around Chicago?

’s CuriosiD, WBEZ’s , ’s Bubbler Talk are teaming up to answer your questions about Chicago, Detroit and Milwaukee connections and rivalries.

Drop your question in the comments below 👇

03/18/2025

Silent headphones. Awesome podcasts. This Friday. Join Curious City’s Erin Allen at The Podcast Salon for an evening of deep-dive stories & live conversation. Don’t miss it!
More info: https://events.eventnoire.com/e/the-podcast-salon-march-edition

03/11/2025

Curious City is working on a story about Chicago's beatnik and folk coffeehouse scene during the 1960s and 1970s. Did you or someone you know hang out at It's Here Cafe, Medici on 57th, or similar cafes during this era? Send us your favorite memories, stories, photos and flyers to [email protected]. You might be featured in our audio or digital story!

11/15/2024

Curious City’s Erin Allen talks with a family enterprise consultant about the ups and downs of getting into business with family and why family business is the “backbone of the economy.”

When you think of a family business, one of two images probably comes to mind: either the mom and pop shop around the corner or the dysfunctional family from “Succession.” But actually, “it could be anything,” says Jennifer M. Pendergast, family enterprise consultant and professor at Northwe...

11/15/2024

Tracking down the oldest family-owned business is tougher than it sounds. We found two contenders that predate the Chicago fire.

10/30/2024

Some visitors say they’ve seen movement in empty cells, heard unexplained voices and felt an overall eerie vibe at the Old Joliet Prison. But do ghost stories detract from the specter of a truly dark history?

Visitors say they’ve seen unexplained movement on the prison grounds. But do ghost stories detract from the specter of a truly dark history?

10/03/2024

Margaret Burroughs is an icon of the Chicago Renaissance and is well known as the founder of the DuSable Black History Museum. Perhaps lesser known is her decades long work teaching visual art and writing in prison. Chicago high school students with the Invisible Institute interviewed Burroughs' former students about her legacy.

Margaret Burroughs is well known as the founder of the DuSable Black History Museum. Her legacy lives on through men she taught in prison.

09/27/2024

During the 1980s and 90s, many Polish immigrants came to Chicago in search of work, including some of Poland’s biggest stars who regularly performed at the Cardinal Club.

Polish immigrants came to Chicago looking for work. Some found their country’s biggest rockstars at the neighborhood bar.

09/21/2024

In Chicago, bicycle culture runs deep. And no bike company has had as big an impact on this city as Schwinn.

For nearly a century, Schwinn bikes were made in Chicago. Today, echoes of the company’s golden age are found in independent bike shops.

09/19/2024

For nearly a century, Schwinn bikes were made in Chicago. Today, echoes of the company’s golden age are found in independent bike shops.

For nearly a century, Schwinn bikes were made in Chicago. Today, echoes of the company’s golden age are found in independent bike shops.