Flower in the River: A Family Tale Finally Told

• A Jeweler, a Woman Diver, a Candy Butcher: Eastland’s Unlikely Trio

  Send us a textThe untold stories of the 1915 Eastland disaster continue to surface over a century later through forgotten newspaper accounts and overlooked connections. These rediscovered narratives reveal how this Chicago tragedy touched lives across America in ways rarely documented.FEATURED STORIESH.L. Bening, a West Virginia jeweler who witnessed the disaster while in Chicago on business, providing a powerful emotional account• The "candy butchers" who sold refreshments aboard the Eastland and survived to share their stories of the capsizing and rescue efforts • "Little Elsie," a professional high diver who believed her brother died in the disaster, though research suggests this may have been mistakenWhat I LearnedThe forgotten profession of "candy butchers" - traveling vendors who sold treats, souvenirs and newspapers on trains, in theaters, and aboard excursion boatsHow the golden age of women high divers represented women defying both gravity and societal expectations in the early 1900sWhy these rediscovered accounts matter in understanding how history ripples outward beyond headlinesResourcesFirst Ever Women's Diving Competition - Stockholm 1912 OlympicsNewspaper Citations Washington Herald, August 8, 1915.Beckley Messenger (Beckley, West Virginia), August 3, 1915.Richmond Times-Dispatch, July 25, 1915.The Day Book (Chicago), August 14, 1915. Book website: https://www.flowerintheriver.com/ LinkTree: @zettnatalie | Linktree LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-z-87092b15/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zettnatalie/ YouTube: Flower in the River - A Family Tale Finally Told - YouTube Medium: Natalie Zett – Medium The opening/closing song is Twilight by 8opus Other music. Artlist

  --------  

  34:58
• A Tsar, A Serial Killer (??), and a Cabinetmaker from Myjava

  Send us a textIn today's episode, I take you on a journey through my unexpected DNA discoveries and how they've connected me to both famous and infamous historical figures. This discovery some new (but very old) Hungarian connections inspired me to research Hungarian immigrant victims of the Eastland Disaster, leading to some remarkable stories of transatlantic families.My Family BackgroundAll four of my grandparents immigrated to the US from Eastern and Central Europe in the late 1800s/early 1900sUnexpected Royal ConnectionsDNA testing in 2016 revealed a surprising maternal haplogroup connection to Nicholas II Romanov, the last Tsar of RussiaThis connection was especially meaningful since my mother had always been fascinated by the RomanovsWhile this is a distant connection shared by millions, it created an emotional link to historyThe Blood Countess ConnectionRecently discovered connections to Hungarian royalty through my father’s line—specifically, the Bathory family!Hungarian Immigrants and the Eastland DisasterI profile the story of Paul Marton and his teenage son Paul Jr., who were labeled as Hungarian victims of the Eastland disasterThe Marton family came from Myjava (now in Slovakia), a stronghold of Slovak LutheranismThe Marton family's story is a rare one: multiple immigration trips, and children baptized in both Chicago and Slovakia.Reflections on IdentityEastern European identity is complex, with shifting borders, overlapping languages, and blended identitiesMany immigrants identified as Hungarian, Slovak, Austrian, or Rusyn depending on the time periodThese threads of connection to the past, whether to royalty or ordinary people, take on the meaning we give themLinks:For a thoughtful and well-researched take on Elizabeth Bathory, I recommend this episode from Reading the Past by historian Dr. Katrina Marchant :Tale of the “Blood Countess”: Elizabeth Bathory (YouTube)Encyclopedia of Chicago, "Slovaks" and Hungarians Book website: https://www.flowerintheriver.com/ LinkTree: @zettnatalie | Linktree LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-z-87092b15/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zettnatalie/ YouTube: Flower in the River - A Family Tale Finally Told - YouTube Medium: Natalie Zett – Medium The opening/closing song is Twilight by 8opus Other music. Artlist

  --------  

  43:26
• Santa Fe Railway's Eastland Victims

  Send us a textA cemetery caretaker's steady act of tending graves becomes a powerful lesson in historical preservation and honoring forgotten lives. I'll share how this unassuming influence shaped my approach to uncovering and preserving stories of the people of the Eastland Disaster. This episode includes:The story of Mr. Schmidt, a German immigrant who tended church graves because, "I lost everyone over there."Continuing connections with Eastland disaster descendants seeking stories beyond names and datesUnexpected discovery of two Santa Fe Railway employees who perished on the EastlandDetails about Charles Stehlik, a 24-year-old machinist who died two weeks before his weddingInformation about Joe Hutchinson, a 20-year-old railway clerk whose brother, William, survived the disasterThe importance of fraternal organizations like the Modern Woodmen of America and Knights of Columbus in providing supportHow individuals rather than institutions often preserve the most meaningful historical detailsThe parallel between tending physical graves and preserving historical memoryResources:The Santa Fe Magazine (Google Books)Chicago Tribune, April 16, 1909The Inter Ocean, April 22, 1909 Chicago Tribune, July 31, 1915 Book website: https://www.flowerintheriver.com/ LinkTree: @zettnatalie | Linktree LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-z-87092b15/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zettnatalie/ YouTube: Flower in the River - A Family Tale Finally Told - YouTube Medium: Natalie Zett – Medium The opening/closing song is Twilight by 8opus Other music. Artlist

  --------  

  40:14
• Good-Bye, Everybody: A City, A Ship, A Song

  Send us a text🛳️🎶 “Goodbye, Everybody…” That was the jaunty tune Benton Harbor residents remembered the Eastland playing from its calliope — long before the disaster.🎙️ In Episode 112 of Flower in the River, we travel to Benton Harbor and St. Joseph, Michigan — twin port cities on Lake Michigan — to uncover their overlooked connection to the Eastland. A year before the tragedy, the ship raced across the lake in a friendly steamer rivalry, cheered on by local crowds. It was a different time, full of hope and hometown pride. Then came July 24, 1915. And everything changed. 💬 This episode includes:Rare interviews with survivors and local witnessesForgotten details from small-town newspaper archivesThe eerie legacy of “Goodbye, Everybody” — remembered years later as the song that once echoed from the Eastland’s decks A city that cheered… and then mournedResources:The News-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Michigan), June 15, 1914The Herald-Palladium (Benton Harbor, Michigan), July 24, 1965“Good-Bye, Everybody,” Henry Burr, 1912. Library of Congress National Jukebox• Hilton, George W. Eastland: Legacy of the Titanic. Stanford University Press, 1995. See Chapter 3 for coverage of the St. Joseph–Chicago Steamship Company Book website: https://www.flowerintheriver.com/ LinkTree: @zettnatalie | Linktree LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-z-87092b15/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zettnatalie/ YouTube: Flower in the River - A Family Tale Finally Told - YouTube Medium: Natalie Zett – Medium The opening/closing song is Twilight by 8opus Other music. Artlist

  --------  

  40:25
• From Valhalla Halls to River Graves — The Danish Heartbreak of 1915

  Send us a textGrief knows no borders. When Chicago's SS Eastland capsized in 1915, the tragedy didn't just devastate local families—it sent shockwaves all the way to Denmark, where anxious relatives waited for news that would forever change their lives.This episode unveils the forgotten Danish dimension of the Eastland disaster through contemporary Danish newspaper accounts that captured both the personal heartbreak and systemic failures behind the tragedy. We meet Anna Clausen and her eight-year-old daughter Ella, Danish immigrants who perished when the ship rolled over, leaving behind a husband/father and young son. Through Danish journalists' eyes, we witness how their community mourned—with Valkyrie Society members as pallbearers and little girls in white standing beside Ella's casket.The Danish perspective brings surprising depth to our understanding of the disaster. While Chicago officials worked to contain the narrative, Danish reporters asked pointed questions about safety, oversight, and accountability. "The American is certainly strong in a crisis," wrote one Danish journalist, "but he does not know how to prevent great disasters." This prescient observation feels as relevant today as it did over a century ago.Beyond the tragedy itself, we explore how Danish immigrants built vibrant communities in Chicago, creating cultural organizations, churches, and networks that connected them both to their new home and to the country they left behind. Their story reminds us that immigrant histories are transnational histories, flowing back and forth across oceans rather than existing in isolation.How about you? Have you discovered unexpected international connections in your family history research? Resources:Newspaper articles accessed via Mediestream, Royal Danish Library.Danish newspaper articles were translated using a combination of AI tools (ChatGPT, Google Translate) and historical handwriting recognition software (Transkribus), with final review and edits by the author.Encyclopedia of Chicago, “Danes” entry, Chicago History Museum. Book website: https://www.flowerintheriver.com/ LinkTree: @zettnatalie | Linktree LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-z-87092b15/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zettnatalie/ YouTube: Flower in the River - A Family Tale Finally Told - YouTube Medium: Natalie Zett – Medium The opening/closing song is Twilight by 8opus Other music. Artlist

  --------  

  32:10

More History podcasts

Trending History podcasts

About Flower in the River: A Family Tale Finally Told