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Tag: murder castle

Posted on December 12, 2016December 14, 2016 by adam

HH Holmes “Murder Castle” Architect’s Diagram Discovered

I’ve been sitting on the above photo for quite a while, but now that advance copies of my book, HH Holmes: The True History of the White City Devil, are going around and they include it, I figure it’s time to release this one to the wilds of the internet. The initial construction of the Read More…

Posted on February 18, 2016March 8, 2016 by adam

Detective John W. Norton: From H.H. Holmes to Al Capone

Back when Franklin D. Roosevelt was in his second term as president, an old pickpocket named George Summers spoke to the Tribune about the old days. “You know what’s the matter with the cannon (pocket picking) racket today?” he asked. “Stickups! These young punks ain’t willing to go through a long apprenticeship anymore, like we Read More…

Posted on November 13, 2014November 16, 2015 by adam

The Murder Castle Sign Shop Kidnapping (updated!)

1896 new info at the bottom of the post! A few weeks ago, the Chicago Tribune posted a few 1930s-era photos of the H.H. Holmes murder castle from their archives online. All of them have circulated before, but never in nearly such great quality, or, in some cases, uncropped. I’ve seen the photo of the stove and Read More…

Posted on July 15, 2014November 22, 2015 by adam

New H.H. Holmes “Murder Castle” photo found

Now and then someone will show me a “new” picture of the H.H. Holmes “Murder Castle.” They’re almost never real – there are plenty of buildings that looks similar to it around today, and there were hundreds more a century ago. But now and then I do still run across a new shot of the Read More…

Posted on May 8, 2014November 16, 2015 by adam

The Man Who Died in the Holmes Murder Castle: John DuBrueil, 1823-1891

Over the winter I went on a quest to catalog and document ALL of the HH Holmes sources I could find here in town that weren’t available online – lawsuit records, defunct Chicago papers, etc. The best of the Chicago papers constitute the best primary sources we have on the Chicago angle of the case, Read More…

Posted on December 26, 2013November 16, 2015 by adam

Murder Castle of HH Holmes Ebook EXPANDED!

Our first ebook, THE MURDER CASTLE OF HH HOLMES, has now been expanded to a FULL LENGTH book. Re-organized with tons of new info, new diagrams, and more to tell a more complete picture of the famous “castle” through eyewitness accounts from people lived and worked in the building. Now over 55,000 words to tell Read More…

Posted on October 25, 2012November 16, 2015 by adam

The Murder Castle “Ghost Audio”

It was about four months ago now that I went into the basement of the post office on 63rd street – the one built over a portion of the site where the H.H. Holmes Murder Castle stood. Pictures and video are available here. I was officially just there as a historian, but naturally I did Read More…

Posted on June 25, 2012November 22, 2015 by adam

The Murder Castle: Today (or: Good Grief, More HH Holmes) #2

So, is there anything left of the infamous H.H. Holmes “Murder Castle?” “The Holmes Castle” was a well-known building in Englewood well into the 20th century; contrary to popular belief, the 1895 fire did not burn it to the ground. The top two floors had to be rebuilt and remodeled, but the place was still Read More…

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Adam Selzer is a tour guide and Atlas Obscura field agent with 10+ years experience in Chicago and New York. The author of more than 20 books, he is frequently seen on The History Channel, The Travel Channel, and more. Check out the new Cemetery Mixtape podcast!   Email

UPCOMING TOURS BY DATE

We haven't restarted in-person tours yet, and don't plan to this year. But these virtural tours and lectures will run on the Mysterious Chicago Facebook page, and most will be archived on the new Patreon. Free, with suggested donations. All times CDT.

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Virtual Tour: Treason! Camp Douglas and the 1864 Chicago Insurrection


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