CHICAGO FOR CHICAGOANS
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OUR STAFF


Picture

​PATTI SWANSON
Founder & Executive Director
​

Patti Swanson is an
 artist, historian, educator, event planner, and brickophile. Raised near Austin, Texas, Patti came to Chicago to pursue a degree in art history at School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She stayed to explore her Midwestern roots, to research the city's rich history, to eat all the food, befriend all the people, and shovel a shitload of snow. She has been giving tours in Chicago since 2012, and strives to make community history inclusive & accessible to everyone. In her care are two cats, several chickens, and a sourdough starter named Susan Yeast Anthony.

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS


ERICA RUGGIERO
Board President
​
McKinley Park, Edgewater, industrial history, & transportation
JULIANA GLASSCO
Board Member
Logan Square, historic religious spaces, and preservation
LEYLA ROYALE
Board Member
Andersonville, Uptown, theatres, music, population growth, and historic deaths
AMY SIMONEAU
Board Member
Prairie Avenue lover, Armour Square resident, and spreadsheet wizard

(MOST OF) OUR COLLABORATORS


ANTHONY ALFARO
West Ridge, Rogers Park, cartography, deltiology
BEN ARCHER
Ravenswood, financial history, criminals, and more
AVA BATTOCCHIO
Trains, busses, advertising, and vintage attire
WENDY BRIGHT 
Rogers Park, commerce, and our Milwaukee connection
LANCE BAKER
Sports, shenanigans, strikes, and controversies
MANDY CRYPT
Women's history, queer history, & Victoriana
PAUL DAILING
Political history, corruption, and vintage journalism
LIZ GARIBAY
Old Town, Chicago, and all things booze & brews
ELSA HAARSTAD
Public housing history & vernacular architecture
MS. BEA
Pullman, black history, and civic pride in Chicago
MARGARET HICKS
Printer's Row, the Pedway, and badass winter tours
WALTER KIEFER
Lakeview, insurance maps, and historical sleuthing
DEBBIE LIU
Chinatown, South Loop, and urban planning
BARRY LOVE
Roscoe Village, genealogy, and the Pencil Factory 
TIM MORAN
Beverly/Morgan Park area & South Side Irish history
EMILY O'KEEFE DAVENPORT
Hegewisch, literature history
SAM PRESTIGIACOMO
Edgewater, Rogers Park, queer history, ghost stories, and Jewish history
WILL QUAM
More about Chicago Brick and building materials than you thought possible
BILL SAVAGE
Rogers Park, the World's Fair, neighborhood taverns, Nelson Algren, and more
ADAM SELZER
All things cemeteries, serial killers, gangsters, true crime, and ghosts
OLIVIA SOBIERAJ
Speakeasy hostess extraordinare & resident Lincoln Park expert
MARIA AVILA RISOLUTE
​West Town, Albany Park, and
​speakeasy hostess
BLANCA TORRES
Pilsen, education, and community activism
VITALIY VLADMIROV
Uptown, Edgewater, urban planning, and queer history

OUR EXTREMELY HELPFUL FRIENDS


STEPHANIE SIMS
Speakeasy hostess and super volunteer
LOREN ROSEWSKI
Principal Photographer
HAYWARD SUGGS
Principal Videographer
LAURA SCHUETZ
Co-creator, Cultural Geography program
ELIZABETH NIETO
AUDREY MARQUEZ

Albany Park historians & Spanish translators
KORENA DILL
Our #1 biggest fan
SHEIKA ​LUGTU
Merch Queen
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  • Home
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Who Are We?
    • Partners
    • Press
  • Events
    • Tours, Hunts, & Public Events
    • Private & Group Events
    • FAQ
    • Tour Guide 101
    • Lecture Recordings
    • Certified History Lover Program
  • Store
  • Donate & Volunteer
  • Contact
  • Resources