Robert Pershing Wadlow, World's Tallest Man, Alton, Illinois. (1918-1940)

Robert Pershing Wadlow, born February 22, 1918, to normal parents in Illinois, Robert Wadlow weighed a healthy almost nine pounds. While this may seem like a typical start to life, who could have guessed that the baby would one day be known as the Giant of Illinois.

By the time Robert turned one year old, he was already over three feet tall and weighed 45 pounds.

His growth spurt started in infancy and kept growing throughout his life, thanks to a hyperactive pituitary gland problem. The condition caused his system to produce an abnormal amount of human growth hormone, and Robert would continue to grow until the end of his short life.

In his early teenage years, he was well over seven-feet tall, which, combined with his quiet disposition, earned him the nickname "gentle giant." He was a Boy Scout enjoying photography and learning to play the guitar.

 

 

In high school, Robert was popular and active in many extracurricular activities, even serving as the advertising manager for the yearbook. He was wholly accepted by his peers. However, he lost that acceptance when he attended college and struggled with the stares, and it bothered him so much that he dropped out and returned to his parents quite penniless.

That is when his brief stint with Ringling Bros. began. His 1937 contract was brief and had strict conditions and terms. First, Robert would only attend shows at Madison Square Garden and the Boston Garden. He would display himself only two times a day for three minutes. He refused to allow any exaggeration of his height via media releases or standard height-enhancing sideshow trickery like platform shoes, top hats and trick photography. Furthermore, Robert would only display himself in the center ring and refused any association with the sideshow. Despite all of these restrictions, Robert proved to be incredibly popular.

Robert was so popular that following his time with Ringling Bros., he signed a fabulous contract with The International Shoe Company. The deal included quite a bit of travel and personal appearances, and in just under a year, Robert had made over 800 appearances and traveled over 300,000 miles.

Perhaps most importantly, the company provided Robert with free shoes – a big deal when you are a size 37 and your shoes cost over $100 a pair (over $2,075 today, 2023).

Robert broke the world record as the tallest man in history when he was 19, but he didn't stop growing. He measured in at eight feet four inches tall at the time.

In addition to custom clothing to accommodate his size— he required massive 37AA size shoes— he needed customized furniture as regular tables and chairs were not large enough.

Eventually, his hands would grow too large to participate in his favorite hobbies, but this wasn't the only downside to his larger frame. The physical toll on his health would ultimately bring his life to an abrupt and premature end.

He suffered from weak legs and commonly experienced loss of feeling and numbness in his limbs and extremities. He depended on specially designed leg braces and a cane to move around—although he never used a wheelchair.

During an infection from a blister caused by one of these ill-fitted leg braces, Robert's health took a turn for the worst. He underwent blood transfusions and emergency surgery to control the infection, but ultimately the doctors' efforts weren't enough. His condition continued to decline because of an autoimmune disorder, and he succumbed to the infection. He died in his sleep on July 15, 1940 - he was only 22 years old. When he passed away, he measured 8 feet 11.1 inches and weighed an astounding 439 pounds.

Robert Wadlow's body was viewed by 33,295 within 28 hours after his death. His funeral was attended by 40,000 mourners, and it took twelve pallbearers to hoist his thousand-pound casket. Robert was buried in Oakwood cemetery in Alton, Illinois, on July 19, 1940, and required two standard-size grave plots.

A life-sized statue of Robert Wadlow still stands in his hometown of Alton, Illinois.

The Story of Robert Wadlow.

[runtime - 26:38]

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

The January 16, 1967 McCormick Place Fire, Chicago, Illinois.

McCormick Place, an exhibition center on Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive, opened in November 1960. The center included a theater, several restaurants and banquet rooms, and over 500,000 square feet of exhibition space.

In January of 1967, McCormick Place hosted the National Housewares Manufacturers Association Show, which featured nearly 1,250 booths selling kitchen and household appliances. The event was scheduled to open on Monday, January 16, but, at around 2 AM that morning, McCormick Place janitors noticed smoke rising from a small fire at the back of an exhibition booth.

The janitors waited to raise the alarm and instead attempted to extinguish the fire themselves by beating at it with brooms and pieces of carpeting. The flames quickly spread to the walls of the booth, prompting the janitors to call the Chicago Fire Department. Firefighters responded immediately and, within five minutes of the first alarm, an officer on-scene ordered a second alarm.

By 2:30 AM, five alarms were sounded, bringing 94 apparatus and over 500 fire and rescue personnel to the scene. Fire fighting efforts were severely delayed, however, as four of the seven McCormick Place fire hydrants were shut off.

To attack the flames, firefighters had to draft water from Lake Michigan and rely on fire hydrants a quarter-mile away. The fire was extinguished by 10AM, around the time the N.H.M.A. show was scheduled to begin, but McCormick Place was essentially destroyed.

Initial investigations by the City of Chicago exposed several serious fire safety issues that had been overlooked by McCormick Place management. The exhibition area did not have fire sprinklers or fire walls, and fire proof materials did not protect the steel roof supports. Also, most of the electrical wiring for the booths did not follow electrical safety standards, as the facility was still using temporary electrical systems for the exhibition are as. Most tragically, one McCormick Place security guard was killed in the fire, presumably because he could not find an unlocked emergency exit. Other employees who escaped the blaze confirmed that they had never been told how to find unlocked emergency exits.

In the months following the fire, the Illinois Inspection and Rating Bureau launched a comprehensive investigation into the McCormick Place Fire and published a detailed report on its findings. The investigators did not determine a definitive cause, but it is assumed that the temporary electrical wiring started the fire. The report did, however, shine light on many of the difficulties the firefighters faced, noting how “firefighting was seriously hampered because of lack of adequate water, intense heat, rapid fire spread, early roof collapse and unstable exterior panel walls.” The report helped to bring about numerous changes to the Chicago Municipal Code, as ordinances on exhibition halls, electrical facilities, emergency exits, fire walls, and smoke and heat vents were soon revised based on the lessons learned from the McCormick Place Fire. 

by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Edited by Neil Gale, Ph.D. 

Kiddieville (Amusement Park), Niles, Illinois. (c.1936-c.1966)

Amusement Park Name History: 
Kiddieville (Amusement Park), Niles, Illinois (c.1950 – c.1966)
East Maine Miniature Rides, Niles, Illinois (c.1939 – c.1949)
East Maine Miniature Train, Niles, Illinois (c.1936 – c.1939)

Long ago, the property at the very north end of what is now the Golf Mill Shopping Center in Niles, Illinois (Incorporated 1899), was land owned by farmers John and Anna Schwinge (pronounced 'swing'). He owned 80 acres bounded by today's Greenwood Avenue on the west, Golf Road on the north, the Bruhn farm on the south (approximately where Emerson Street is now), and crossed over Milwaukee Avenue.

Sometime around 1935, Anna Schwinge was approached by a carpenter from the northwest side of Chicago named Herbert Fritz (a relative of Art Fritz, the founder of Kiddieland in Melrose Park, Illinois in 1929). Herbert Fritz purchased a miniature train in Chicago. Unfortunately, he didn’t have room for it in the city, so Herbert offered to purchase 10 acres from the Schwinge's, but settled for a lease. 

On the northeast corner of Schwinge's property was the perfect location for a miniature train. Milwaukee Avenue was the only paved road in 1936. By the following summer, Schwinge's “East Maine Miniature Train” sold rides for 3¢ to the area families and travelers from the city.

There was a story about Herbert Fritz attending the Bruhn-Pries wedding in the late 30s and took the entire wedding party on a midnight train ride. The train track was a huge oval running north and south along the east side of Milwaukee Avenue up to Golf Road at the north end of the property.

Over the next few years, Herbert Fritz and his wife, Laura, bought and built new rides, including pony rides. Three years later, they changed the park's name from “East Maine Miniature Train” to “East Maine Miniature Rides.” Their son, Herbert "Herby" Fritz Jr., joined the armed forces in 1942, and after his tour of duty ended in 1946, he joined his family's amusement business.

The business began to flourish as soldiers returned home from WWII and started families. Schwinge added a merry-go-round, a boat ride, a Ferris wheel, a small car ride, a tilt-a-whirl ride, airplane ride, fire truck ride, rocket ride, and finally added the miniature roller coaster.

The Schwinge's changed the name of their park to “Kiddieville.”

Many of the locals, kids, and adults, were employed at Kiddieville. The miniature railroad was expanded with more train cars and a longer track, which then encompassed the entire ten-acre park perimeter.

There were plenty of jobs to be had, from selling tickets, walking the ponies, operating a ride, or working in the concession stand. Unfortunately, some rides were rickety and unsafe, and the park was sued a few times by riders claiming injuries.

50 Rides $43.50 Today (or 87¢ per ride).

The park was sold in 1966. It became Finks Links” a miniature golf course, and the location of the “Children’s Bargain Town, U.S.A.” toy store. In 1971, Toys "R" Us merged with the chain and continued using the "Children's Bargain Town" as their slogan until the early 1980s. Today, the location is a Patel Brothers grocery store.

VISIT OUR KIDDIEVILLE SOUVENIR SHOP

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Looking North West from Lake Michigan, Chicago, Illinois.

Looking North West from Lake Michigan, Chicago, Illinois.

The S.S. Aquarama, a luxury cruiser, docked at Navy Pier, Chicago, for the Summer of 1955.

The S.S. Aquarama spent the summer of 1955 at Navy Pier as a floating entertainment venue. It was the first stop in the Aquarama’s troubled history.

The S.S. Marine Star was built in 1945 as a troop transport ship for the Navy during World War II. Designed as a transoceanic troop carrier, the ship made one trip across the Atlantic before combat ceased.

The ship remained unused for a few years until it was bought in 1952 by the Sand Products Company of Detroit. After being purchased, the ship was towed to Muskegon, Michigan where it was converted into a commercial cruise ship. The entire process took approximately two years to complete and cost nearly $8 million. The president of the Sand Products Company at the time, Max McKee, wanted the Aquarama to be an ocean liner for the Great Lakes.

Click the image for a full size view.

The Aquarama was sent to Chicago, Illinois, and docked at Navy Pier in the summer of 1955 before touring other Great Lakes ports. While in Chicago the Aquarama had activities off the ship too. The now famous Tommy Bartlett water ski show in the Wisconsin Dells actually started in Chicago and preformed at Navy Pier. There were high divers that jumped off the Aquarama for the Aquarama passengers' entertainment.

The Aquarama docked at Navy Pier.

View of the Club, Sports and Sun Decks and "Flying Bridge"

Passengers Relaxing on the Club Deck

Looking Down on the Club Deck

Corner of the Main Lobby on Upper Deck

Orchestra on Main Stage, Main Dance Deck on Upper Deck

On the ship there were numerous sources of entertainment for the passengers. Among many other things there was a "carnival room" that had a gift shop, games, and a photo booth. Two television theaters were available to be used for conferences or special programs. Along with the theaters, the ship contained two dance floors that were accompanied by a stage for an orchestra, or other performances. For those traveling with their families, there were even baby-sitting services available. People had the choice of four different types of restaurants that varied in style and price. Along with the restaurants, there was a main cafeteria that was able to fit nearly 300 people.

The Main Bar on Upper Deck

Corner of the Club Lounge on Club Deck

Romantic View Aft on Upper Deck

Lounge Buffet Forward on Upper Deck

Children's Playroom on the Club Deck (Note the Nurse checking for head lice)

Part of Mariner's Bar on Upper Deck

In 1957 the Michigan-Ohio Navigation Company, began service (a very large ferry) from Detroit to Cleveland, carrying automobiles and passengers. At 520 feet long and 12,000 tons, the S.S. Aquarama was the largest passenger ship to operate on the Great Lakes. She could carry 2,500 passengers and 160 automobiles, with a maximum cruising speed of 22 miles per hour. Once in service, the ship was able to transport its passengers and their automobiles from Detroit to Cleveland in under six hours.

The ferry runs between Cleveland and Detroit lasted only 5 years from 1957 to 1962.

The Aquarama docked at Detroit Pier, Michigan in 1956

The ship’s size, operating costs, and the fact that there were no overnight accommodations on-board made it hard to run profitably. And, several accidents due to poor maneuverability gave the Aquarama a reputation as an accident-prone ship given the unflattering nicknames “Aquarammer” or “Crusherama.” She rammed a seawall in Windsor, Ontario. On her maiden voyage out of Muskegon, Michigan, she dragged along the dock’s steel sheet-piling. And in another incident, she bumped into a docked U.S. warship, the U.S.S. Macon, in Cleveland, Ohio.

On September 4, 1962 the ship made its last trip before being towed to Muskegon, Michigan. Operating the ship from Muskegon to Milwaukee as a replacement for the older Milwaukee Clipper was proposed, but $700,000 for dredging so the Aquarama could be accommodated in Milwaukee harbor was needed. As a result, the ship sat idle until 1987 when it was sold to the North Shore Farming Company for around $3 million. The Aquarama was briefly docked at Sarnia, Canada, then Windsor, Canada before returning to its original name of Marine Star and moving under tow to Buffalo, New York. 

On August 3, 1995 the Marine Star berthed at the Cargill Pool Elevator where it stayed until it was towed overseas to Aliağa, Turkey for scrap in September of 2007.

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A Few Interesting Facts About the S.S. Aquarama

• Length 520 feet... breadth 72 feet.
• Four 135-passenger lifeboats.
• Single screw... turbine propelled... oil-fired... 10,000 available horsepower.
• Cruising speed over 22 miles an hour.
• * Automatic, push-button controlled car entrance doors, dog and undog [a device operated to open or unlocked], open and close in seconds.
• Safety devices meet or exceed all latest U.S. Coast Guard regulations.
• Escalators operate between Upper and Club Decks.
• Elevators service all nine decks.
• * Closed television circuit enables observation aft direct from pilot house.
• Equipped with gyro compass, radio direction finder, a Pathometer, ship-to-shore telephones.
• Pilot house controlled, folding, sliding, magnetic-released fire doors.
• Auto decks fully sprinklered... smoke detecting system... all furnishings fire-resistant.
• * Expanse of glare-free, heat-resistant panoramic picture windows.
• * Lighted flasher traffic signal control system on auto decks.
• * Many other unusual and astonishing features.

*Star indicates only some of the firsts in marine history you will see aboard the Aquarama.

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A MESSAGE FROM THE VESSEL OWNERS
Culminating many years of architectural design, planning and engineering, it is with pleasure and a high degree of satisfaction that we present what many have been good enough to call a personality ship, the S.S. Aquarama.

Our definite aim and purpose has been to build an unusually attractive ship outwardly and inwardly which in operation will bring prestige to the entire Great Lakes area.

We have been particularly mindful of having a staunch, safe vessel in all respects which the public may travel in confidence. Vast sums of money have been expended for this single objective.

Building a passenger ship for Lakes service because of the imposed short service season is definitely a risk undertaking. It is our belief that commercial success depends in no small degree on a high level of attainment in the ship's physical development coupled with the ultimate in appointments and service features. Certainly there must be no compromise with quality.

There is little contrary opinion that most Americans are water minded. We are traditionally a sea faring people, for whom an expanse of water has an irresistible lure. As it is steeped in us, so the coming generations will be imbued with the same longing. It would be tragic indeed should all of us be denied the advantages and advancements for inland water travel that the forward surge of progress will bring on land and in the air.

We believe the "Aquarama" has a great future service to perform as an agency for safe, speedy travel between the metropolitan centers of Detroit and Cleveland. The water route offers a carefree, uncongested, refreshing and relaxing avenue for the traveler, tourist, vacationer, convention and other group bodies. A voyage on such a ship over scenic waters is unmatched and will offer spice and zest to our every day living far removed from the commonplace. We are privileged to hope that the new serv­ice will afford a maximum of enjoyment to many, many thousands of budget minded pleasure seekers each summer as well as making the water highway between these gateway communities a veritable must on the nation's summer travel itinerary. The convenience of volume automobile transport which the vessel supplies, it is also hoped, will offer enjoyable relief and reduce accidents for the car user. 

We wish herein to gratefully acknowledge the patient able assistance rendered by the various Agencies of Government. The finished ship is the product of the energies of a multitude of earnest capable co-workers who have labored zealously; throughout design and construction, with pride, artistry and ingenious craftsmanship. To all of these we wish to express our sincere appreciation.

We hope you as a patron truly find the qualities we have tried to conceive and express in this rugged ship and its appointments, comforts and conveniences. If you so find, for it has been conceived for your pleasure and enjoyment, we are well requited.

Respectfully Yours,
The Vessel Owners

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GREETINGS FROM THE VESSEL'S CHARTERERS

Dear Friends:

We are highly honored to have the "Aquarama" entrusted to us for operation. We will do our utmost to conduct our operations on a plane comparable to the high character and refinement of this dignified ship. 

Leaders in Detroit and Cleveland have been acutely conscious for years of the vital need of restoration of an inter-city water service. It is well recognized that such a service will do much to advance the economy of these rapidly growing communities. This spectacular ship will act as an alluring feeder for tourism which is economically  important. Of  transcending  impor­ tance, it will furnish an appealing medium for limited lake voyages, diversion  and enjoyment, within the range of all income levels who have long been denied such cruising advantages.

Such a strikingly unusual vessel as the "Aquarama" will grace the water route between Detroit and Cleveland in a manner and degree never expected by the most forward-looking of these neighboring communities. As well, it is certain to attractively fill a niche in our growing water commerce, supplying lustre and giving prominence to the entire area.

We, as the operators, as well as the public, are fortunate to possess in the "Aquarama" a ship wherein meticulous attention has been given to detail in providing for passenger comfort, convenience and safety. Not always mentioned but, to all associated in operation, of no lesser importance is the quality of accommodation afforded crew and ship personnel. You may judge of the pride of our ship environment and our capacity and desire to please you when you step aboard. Travel elegantly with us regularly.

Cordially yours,
The Vessel Operators