Flower in the River: A Family Tale Finally Told

Eastland 101: How NOT to Lose a History in 100 Years

• Natalie Zett • Season 2 • Episode 85

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Welcome to Episode 85 of Flower in the River, where we dig deep into the enduring impact of the 1915 Eastland Disaster on Chicago and the families left behind. Inspired by my book of the same name, this episode takes us further into the lost narratives of the Eastland’s victims and heroes.

 Episode Highlights:

  •  Honoring the Forgotten: In this episode, I reflect on the countless Eastland Disaster victims and survivors whose stories remain untold. I’ll talk about how much of this history is right there in plain sight for those willing to look.
  • A Mission to Preserve Memory: I discuss my commitment to remembering my own great-aunt, a 19-year-old lost in the disaster, and the personal drive that fuels my research. This journey goes WAY beyond one family’s story; it’s a mission to honor the entire “family” of those touched by the Eastland tragedy.
  •  Misplaced Trust and the Role of Institutions: Sometimes, we rely on institutions to preserve history, only to find we must do the work ourselves. I share insights from genealogist Elizabeth Shown Mills on why it’s vital to take ownership of family history and partner with like-minded researchers.
  •  Stories Behind the Headlines: Join me as we journey back to 1915, revisiting the accounts from The Scoop and the Chicago Journal. We’ll spotlight reporters like Larry Malm and Magda West, who covered the disaster firsthand, and explore how their dedication shaped public understanding of the tragedy.
  •  Preserving Legacy in Modern Times: Whether you’re on your family history journey or simply a lover of historical storytelling, this episode offers encouragement. From online resources like Find a Grave to volunteer researchers, I highlight ways we can all help bring lost stories to light.

 Summary: 

Through the lens of early 20th-century journalism, we revisit the morning of the disaster alongside intrepid reporters like Larry Malm and the trailblazing Magda West from the Chicago Journal. Their relentless pursuit of truth in the chaos of the capsizing, and their efforts to capture the human stories behind the headlines, offer a unique perspective on the dedication and challenges faced by journalists of the era. We celebrate the passion of these journalistic heroes, including Pulitzer Prize winner Marquis James, who transformed statistics into poignant narratives, and we explore the skepticism faced by those like Malm, whose credibility was questioned.

Link:

Eastland Disaster Victims on Find A Grave

Natalie Zett:

Hello, I'm Natalie Zett and welcome to Flower in the River. This podcast, inspired by my book of the same name, explores the 1915 Eastland disaster in Chicago and its enduring impact, particularly on my family's history. We'll explore the intertwining narratives of others impacted by this tragedy as well, and we'll dive into writing and genealogy and uncover the surprising supernatural elements that surface in family history research. Come along with me on this journey of discovery. Why? Hello and welcome to episode 85 of Flower in the River podcast. I hope you had a great week. Almost a year ago, after I published my audiobook, I thought well, that's it, Mission accomplished. I'd been doing this little podcast to accompany the book and answer questions, and the most important thing to me at that moment was the fact that I kept my promise to my mother's sister, my Aunt Pearl. Aunt Pearl was a former newspaper reporter who, when she was in her mid-80s, handed me a very lofty assignment, although she probably didn't know it at that point, although even that is debatable. She gave me the family history and she said please do something with this. And front and center was the story of my 19-year-old great-aunt who died on the Eastland.

Natalie Zett:

I researched and wrote and published Flower in the River in all formats, and I thought, well, that's it Time to kick back, get back into life, maybe watch all those shows everyone kept telling me about. But then this little voice in my head would not be quiet. And don't worry, it's not that kind of voice, it was more like a persistent historical conscience. If there is such a thing and I kept thinking various versions of these thoughts Something's missing. Actually, a lot is missing. And here is what you need to do you need to build the world of Chicago in 1915. Specifically, look at the world just before, during and after the Eastland disaster and see what happens. And I thought, well, there have to be a lot more stories out there. I mean, with over 800 people lost that day, there ought to be at least 800 amazing stories to tell, and they'd all be in one place, because, after all, each person had a family, they had friends, they had dreams, they had favorite foods and they had their pet peeves and entire lives, just like you and I have. After over 100 years, not to mention 30 years, of the internet, there has to be a single digital repository of this information that has not just names and dates, but stories behind each person, right For those who have been riding shotgun with me since last year. You already know what I found. Let's just say it was interesting.

Natalie Zett:

And in my more frustrated moments I caught myself thinking frustrated moments. I caught myself thinking come on, folks, these people have been waiting since 1915 to have their stories told, to have their biographies written. That's a long time. And here's the thing that still amazes me after a year of doing this. These stories aren't actually hidden in some super secret archive or buried in a mysterious vault somewhere. Most of them are right there, in plain sight Newspapers, census records, family letters, employment records. The information is actually pretty easy to find if you do a little digging or a lot of digging. And I'm directing this conversation to people who are on their own family history journey and are getting discouraged because they're not finding things. Well, the information is out there. It's kind of like the truth is out there. It's not easy to find, but it is definitely, for the most part, findable. And why I'm sharing a lot of these stories behind the scenes with you, so you feel encouraged and empowered to do the same.

Natalie Zett:

One of the classes I took with noted genealogist I call her the genealogy goddess, elizabeth Schoen-Mills. One of the things that she said that stuck with me. She talked about misplaced trust. In other words, we place trust in institutions or in somebody else to take care of it for us and unfortunately, a lot of times we have to do the work ourselves or partner with people who have the same ethics, dedication, etc. That is what makes it hard sometimes, but it's not impossible. Hang in there, you will find what you need, I guarantee. It just might take a longer time than you think, but there's so much information that's out there.

Natalie Zett:

My podcast is a research project, is what it is, and each week I never know who I'm going to find. But if you look back as to who, I found people that aren't even on the radar, and I'm going to say that again for emphasis. I find people who are not even on the radar. I hope that encourages you. I really do, because now literally you do not have to leave the house. All you need is a computer, an internet connection and you can go to town. Not exactly Indiana Jones-level adventure here, but I ought to tell you this my commitment to uncovering these stories.

Natalie Zett:

It goes deeper than just having lost a family member on the Eastland, although that is a big motivator and it creates the emotional connection. For me, what I've come to realize as time has passed, particularly during this last year, is that, on a larger scale, all of these people who were impacted by the Eastland disaster, all of us are a family of sorts and I'm using the word family very loosely not connected by DNA, at least not usually, but we are connected. So how do we take care of each other? Demonstrating care for the departed is woven into the very fabric of who I am. In some ways, I didn't have that much of a choice about it. You see, I grew up surrounded by so many Eastern European family members who were a lot more in tune with the other side than your average folks, and I'm talking about being in tune with the dearly departed To them.

Natalie Zett:

There wasn't some rigid line between the living and the dead. It was more like one big ongoing family conversation that just happened to span multiple planes of existence. That's easy, right? Well, let me tell you this one my cousin, who is the same age as my parents. She was a well-known psychic and medium. Despite her attempts to be anonymous, she made sure that, as I was engaging with this material, that I understood that this wasn't just some kind of casual hobby. She warned me plenty of times that when you start engaging with these people, with these stories, you're not just dealing with history. You are creating connections with real souls and they deserve the same respect that you would afford a living person. Whew, it's heavy. No pressure, right. But I said yes to them and to this great adventure that we're on, because it reminds me of what my dad used to say that it's in the blood. It's in the blood.

Natalie Zett:

When I say I'm committed to getting these stories right, it's not just about historical accuracy, although that's a part of it. It's about honoring these souls with the same reverence my family taught me to have for all who crossed over. And just maybe that's why the people of the Eastland keep reciprocating in terms of the research and the people I'm able to find each week. It doesn't matter that they've been dead for so many years. They've just been waiting for people to care about them, I think and by caring I mean demonstrating care and not just giving lip service to it and not just giving lip service to it and I want to salute the people who work on the memorials, on Find a Grave. These are amazing people, just volunteers like me, they have created virtual memorials for most of the Eastland victims and I've had the joy of actually meeting some of these wonderful people and, of course, I collaborate with them and add my own research to their work. This is the easiest way, by the way, to find people who died on the Eastland disaster. Not everyone associated with the Eastland disaster died that day, but if you want a starting place, there's no better place than find a grave at the moment. Anyway, and remember, the Eastland disaster isn't just about those who died. It's about the heroes who jumped in to help the families like mine who had to somehow keep going, the witnesses who never forgot what they saw and the reporters who not only saw everything but they had to work really hard to tell the story.

Natalie Zett:

Speaking of which, today we're going to go back into the scoop, and that would be the trade journal for the newspapers of 1915 in Chicago, and we're going to take a look at how another newspaper called the Chicago Journal covered the Eastland disaster Again. So this article was originally printed in the scoop in 1915, after the Eastland disaster, and the heading is the Journal. If circulation managers were Kaisers empowered to snap their fingers at sacred publishers' agreements and contemptuously dub them quote mere scraps of paper. The Daily Journal in all probability would have scooped the world on Chicago's greatest news story since 1871. The Journal was the first paper to receive in its office word of the Eastland catastrophe. It could have been on the street with a rattling story an hour after the boat capsized, but there protruded the publisher's agreement that no evening paper is to appear before 9.45. It was a case of reporter's luck.

Natalie Zett:

Larry Malm was crossing the Clark Street Bridge on his way to work. At precisely 7.40 o'clock am. He heard shrieks below him and the noise of commotion. He looked into the river and the noise of commotion. He looked into the river. A lake steamer was careening, crushing its passengers against the deck rails and spilling them into the river. Larry's eye caught the name Eastland. As the boat took its plunge, the reporter was dashing to a telephone in Southwater Street. To a telephone in South Water Street. Before the Eastland had fairly settled in the water, he had the journal's city desk on the wire. Paul Hertenstein answered the phone. Quote Steamer Eastland capsized at Clark Street Dock, shouted Larry, and there's hundreds of people drowning in the river. Then he headed for the office. Hertenstein shouted the word to Joseph Salkald.

Natalie Zett:

City editor Salkald, taking the wire, verified the startling intelligence and called for CB Howard, news editor, and WA Blinn, head of the copy desk. Clear the paper and get up the heads, he said, breaking the big news, and I'll have the copy back in a jiffy. Nothing else goes. We'll take our time and beat them with our first. Mom had been sent back to the scene and every reporter and photographer in the office rushed down to the river. Reporters were called in from all other assignments and sent there too. Emergency and district men and ex-reporters retired from the game were summoned by wire. Like the fable of the old fire horse. There was no keeping the old-timers away from the colors when the fire of the story got in their veins.

Natalie Zett:

Paul Chrissy beat the office to it. He heard of the story before. The office called him and bolted the glass top desk where he presides as assistant advertising manager of the Standard Oil Company and hide for the river there. He called up the journal and told them he was on the job. Get names. Get names of identified dead and descriptions of unidentified dead. That's what interests them most and that was Salkheld's order from the start. As a result, the journal showed the heaviest actual casualty list through all editions.

Natalie Zett:

The brunt of writing the three main stories slugged boat, general account of the disaster, rescue, story of rescues and tales of survivors and blame, cause and responsibility for the accident, with their new leads, ads, proceeds and inserts and other changes through the innumerable editions, fell upon Arthur James Pegler and Melville Slater. Rewrite men and Marquis James, assistant city editor. Men and Marquis James, assistant city editor. Mrs Magda West, in a signed story told of the disaster as seen through a woman's eyes. While the men in the office went to their work with great thoroughness, the men on the federal county criminal court and city hall and central assignments took up their parts systematically and more than one exclusive story rolled into the office from these sources. District Attorney Charles F Klein, william F Nicholas, captain Ira B Mansfield and other government officials were interviewed and their versions of the affair were written by W A Feeney, bringing out the importance of the ballast of the boat in the present investigation. Coroner Hoffman and his staff of assistants were sought out by Frank Honeywell and that member of the staff rushed their views into print at top speed. Enoch Johnson trudged along with state attorneys Hoyne and flashed his doings with great promptness. Jimmy Murphy was on the job with Deputy Superintendent of Police Schuttler and other city officials, were interviewed by Preston Gass. Managing Editor MJ Hutchins addressed his compliments to the local room executives and the staff for their work.

Natalie Zett:

Here's a little backstory about the Chicago Journal. Chicago Journal, sometimes called the Chicago Daily Journal, had several iterations and names. To confuse things further, there are other papers that came after the original journal with the same name. Are you following that? The Chicago Daily Journal was a Chicago-based newspaper, obviously, that published from 1844 to 1929. Originally a Whig paper, by the end of the 1850s it firmly became a Republican paper and a strong supporter of Abraham Lincoln. Editor Charles L Wilson made the motion to nominate Lincoln as the Republican candidate for the US Senate for Illinois in 1858, and Wilson, with others, helped Lincoln draft his challenge to Stephen A Douglas to conduct the Lincoln-Douglas debates In later years. After a 1904 sale, it became a Democratic paper.

Natalie Zett:

The Journal was the first newspaper to publish the story, now believed false, that a cow owned by Catherine O'Leary was responsible for the Chicago Fire in 1871. I'm sure you heard of that. In 1875, reporter Newton S Grimwood died as the sole passenger in a balloon flight with noted balloonist Washington Harrison Donaldson when screenwriter Ben Hecht was a young reporter for the paper in the 1910s, he dug a trench in Lincoln Park for a photograph to support a hoax story that the city had suffered a great earthquake. So there's your summary of the life and times of the Chicago Journal. It covered the Eastland disaster. So the Journal had the scoop, so they say, but they were bound by an agreement with other publishers that delayed their ability to release the news. This very well might have been the case, but there's another story that I found later that calls this into question and I'm going to read that shortly.

Natalie Zett:

But first here's some really good things about the Chicago Journal, this old school reporting. Well, back then you couldn't just blast out or tweet or hit a publisher online, because that didn't exist and every word had to be as close to perfection as it could be before it hit the press. So the pressure was high on these folks not just to be first but to be right, and the one well, several things that they did that I thought were noteworthy was the fact that they mentioned a woman reporter, magda West. Women reporters and writers do appear in these publications. Being a woman reporter back in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century was no small feat, so we'll talk about Magda as well as Larry Mom in a few minutes.

Natalie Zett:

The other thing that I thought the journal did beautifully was humanize the tragedy. So, instead of just reporting casualty numbers, the journal prioritized getting names. They understood that these were not just statistics. They were people with lives and it was their job to help readers connect with that. Whatever their motivation, they knew they had to hit their readership on all levels, and the journal's handling of the Eastland disaster also gives us a snapshot another snapshot, I should say of how journalism operated over a century ago. The methods might have changed, but the dedication to telling the truth and sharing important stories remains, and, if you noticed from that article, even retired reporters came out of retirement to help with this. It is similar to police officers and other helpers that, once this is in the blood, it's no longer a job for many people, but it is a calling. So the Eastland disaster coverage reminds us of the immense work that goes into delivering news then and now, and it's a testimony to the staying power of solid journalism.

Natalie Zett:

Let's talk about some of these people, though, who were mentioned. So there was a writer, a reporter called Marquis James and he was briefly mentioned and I didn't get a ton of information about him. But here's his obituary. This is from the Nashville Banner in Nashville, tennessee, saturday November 19th 1955. Marquis James, biographer of Jackson, dies, rye, new York. This is from the Associated Press. Marquis James, 64-year-old Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and historian, died at his home early today of a cerebral hemorrhage. James had been convalescing in an earlier attack suffered in August.

Natalie Zett:

James won Pulitzer Prizes in 1930 for his biography of Sam Houston titled the Raven, and in 1938 for his two-volume biography of Andrew Jackson. Survivors included his widow, jacqueline Parsons James and a daughter, mrs John Norwood, of Rye, new York. So after the Chicago Journal, marquis James went on to become a Pulitzer Prize winning author. That's fascinating. I also couldn't find a ton of information about Larry Malm, who was the Chicago Journal reporter who broke the story of the Eastland capsizing. But although they said in the article that there was some kind of rule that they couldn't publish the paper until a designated time, here's another story from the Chicago Daily News, march 13th 1958. And it's about a number of people, but I'm going to read the section that's about Larry Malm, but the headline is the Days of Pickled Reporters and it's by Tony Weitzel, and here's the opening paragraph.

Natalie Zett:

You can't fight City Hall For one reason the joint is populated with a hard core of poignant old boys like Spike Hennessy, who can dissolve into nostalgia at the drop of a pencil. You bring up some current journalistic problem and Spike eyes you sadly. Slowly he dissolves into a chiffon pudding of nostalgia and he allows mournfully that the fourth estate ain't what it used to be. And Spike is reminiscing here and he talks about Larry Mom. So here is the section about Larry.

Natalie Zett:

There was the capable old news hawk, larry Mom, who suffered somewhat from the ill repute of his colleagues Coming to work on the L. One day he happened to look toward the river there, in his mingled horror and delight he saw the Eastland capsizing. With haste he alighted from the train, took one more glance at the hundreds of victims struggling in the water and phoned the journal office. The Eastland, he half-sobbed, is sinking. The big steamer has hundreds aboard. The city editor sighed Go home, larry, you're stiff. That's all I'm going to read from that. But the phrase you're stiff means you're drunk. So there might be more to this story than what was reported. But we'll never know, will we? Now I want to go on to another reporter who was on the scene, apparently, and that would be Mrs Magda West. I actually found out quite a bit about her and I'm going to share an article that was written about her shortly after her death. This is from the Chicago Sunday Tribune, february 3rd 1963.

Natalie Zett:

Even at 80, magda was irrepressible. The death last week of Magda West, said to be Chicago's first writer of social news, recalled to Eleanor Page, the Tribune Society editor, a chat she had with Mrs West on the eve of another in a series of operations to improve a broken hip. The elderly Mrs West was clearly blue over her long illness, but her tongue had not lost its tartness. I'm going to surgery again tomorrow and I'm scared stiff. I had five blood transfusions last time. What's to become of me? I ought to die. I'm sick and tired of hearing that my bones are old, but I don't mind admitting now that I was 80 last August 18th. I've always said I'm just over 55.

Natalie Zett:

This was Magda West speaking, a former newspaper woman who had lost all in life husband, child, job, home, wardrobe but not her sense of humor, nor her will to live. Hauling herself up in her hospital bed by means of straps hanging overhead. She said my hair's falling out. It's white and thin, but shaking her head. I still cling to my youth. I have my ponytail. The patient settled back among her pillows again and stared at the walls of her small room in Wesley Memorial Hospital, where she had been confined for many weeks recovering from a broken hip. Shielding her eyes were the thick lenses needed by those who have had cataracts removed.

Natalie Zett:

If you are an attractive active young woman or one in your middle years enjoying life, a family and a home, can you imagine yourself in a similar plight? Eyesight dimmed, teeth gone light. Eyesight dimmed teeth gone, dependent on friends and with no family to give you love, comfort and security? Will you be able to look into the past and face the future in the same way Magda West did? Question Will you recall the old days? Answer I adored my grandmother.

Natalie Zett:

I remember her garden with oleanders and honeysuckle and the parlor with its black tables, the kind with the dog's heads on them. She taught me to read when I was three. I sat beside her on a footstool and sipped tea while she drank coffee and read to me. She pointed out the words. All these words are pictures of something she said. See that little word and that holds things together and looks like a church. The A and the N are the body of the church and the D the steeple. Grandma had luxuriant hair. She told me you'll always be my little brown-eyed daisy.

Natalie Zett:

My grandfather got to Illinois before the first Marshall Field and William Woodruff. And grandfather wasn't an Indian either. He was Matthew J Gannon, a friend of Lincoln, and he lived in Belleville. His first wife, margaret, was the sister of Governor Reynolds Question Will you relive the troubled days? I never washed a dish in my mother's house, but when I was sent to live with my half-sisters in Denver so I could go to the marvelous high school there, I never did anything but wash dishes for Ella and Kit. I ran away and got married, but my husband was no good. I had a child and when she was five I took her and left my husband. He said I couldn't take care of a child, but I did and educated her too. My daughter died in 1947. I've been fired more times than I've been hired.

Natalie Zett:

What could you call my life except frustrated? I've always had imagination. I read about that newspaper woman, nellie Bly, and made up my mind to write like her, to be a newspaper woman. And I've had a hard life with little affection. That's what I've missed the most. That's what every woman needs, whether she admits it or not. Not sensual love, but the knowledge that she's needed.

Natalie Zett:

Question what is the pain like? It's like a toothache in every pore of my leg, from the hip down, and that's how it feels. What thoughts cross your mind? I've buried so many people. I'm getting scared Three times and out. I'm afraid to go to the operating room in the morning. My brother's sweet he writes me letters in capital letters so I can see to read them. Question Would you call your life a success? I should have set my eyes on far parts and had a shot at success. I was going to write a great dramatic novel. I had bows, lots of them.

Natalie Zett:

When I was a girl, willie Mac used to pull me home from school on a sled. Mother gave him cookies, but I'm fickle. Always was Friends ask why don't you live with your people? They don't want me. I've been estranged from my sisters for years. I'm living in a post office box. I had two good suits, one hat, a coat and some summer dresses. Where are they? I never was a good housekeeper. When I left my husband he said I'd get along. But there were two things I should never do keep house or sing. Question will you have friends? Friends are everything. Mrs Pat Valentine sent me flowers. Mrs Harry Lobdell and Bertha Bauer are getting along in years, like me. I'll tell you who was wonderful to me Ben Lindheim, and I don't know what I'd do without my doctor and his wife. I've got some of my things at Mary Sethness House, in a nursing home, at Arlington Park, in a convent and at Dr and Mrs Hilkers.

Natalie Zett:

Question what would you do if you had to live your life over again? I'd go on the stage I had a chance to. Once I found out, they asked my mother permission for me to act. Mother said what? My daughter a mountebank. I'd be glad to be a mountebank If I could get the money that actresses get. Now.

Natalie Zett:

Question what do you want to do? I wish I could get out of the hospital. I wish I could walk. You don't know what it means to be able to walk. This is the best rest I've had in my life, but I'm not enjoying it.

Natalie Zett:

Question what advice would you have for other lonely old women? Don't admit you're old, don't act your age, forget about it. Question Can you be philosophical. How did I manage to live all these years without being shot? One day I woke up and suddenly I'm an old woman. That's hard to swallow. That's hard to swallow. What will sustain you? I have a prayer of my own that I say when things are bad. I say Lord, god, almighty Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, grant me the privilege of learning to love Thee and the Blessed Mother, and help me now.

Natalie Zett:

And you're probably wondering what is a mountebank? I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly. A mountebank is an old term for a charlatan or a trickster, someone who deceives others, often for personal gain. In this context, magda West is probably using it humorously or self-deprecatingly, saying she'd be happy to be a mountebank if she could get paid as much as actresses. It's her witty way of making light of a serious or challenging situation, showcasing her irrepressible spirit, even in her later years. And this article, I think, gives a glimpse into her personality Sharp, humorous and full of life, even as she's facing all of these difficulties.

Natalie Zett:

And make no mistake, she worked hard in her life. She was very prolific as a writer, writing serialized novels, I guess you'd call them, or just serial stories. She did a lot of interviews. She worked not just with society pages, but she also did an expose of sorts on the YWCA, a place where young women were living at the turn of the century. She wanted to make sure they were safe. And she also wrote quite a bit and was involved in the women's suffrage movement. She was a very intelligent, very complex person and she was the only woman in the newsroom, as far as I could tell, of the Chicago Journal from maybe around 1906 to at least past 1915. So, being the only woman back then doing this kind of work, she has my ultimate respect. Respect, and she's an interesting woman.

Natalie Zett:

I hope I can find more information about her. I can't prove this, but I do think that the article that she wrote about the Eastland disaster is probably out there somewhere. I need to do a little deeper digging and see what I can come up with. And the other reference that Magda made in the article was to her daughter. Her daughter died when she was when the daughter was 39 years old.

Natalie Zett:

There's not much information about her other than the fact that she was a sculptor. There's a lot more, but we'll save that for next week. In the meantime, I hope you have a great week, take care of yourself and I will talk to you soon. Hey, that's it for this episode and thanks for coming along for the ride. Please subscribe or follow so you can keep up with all the episodes, and for more information, please go to my website, that's wwwflowerintherivercom. I hope you'll consider buying my book available as audiobook, ebook, paperback and hardcover, because I still owe people money and that's my running joke. But the one thing I'm serious about is that this podcast and my book are dedicated to the memory of all who experienced the Eastland disaster of 1915. Goodbye for now, you.

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