New Book Honors History of Lithuanian Chicago

Jan. 3, 2013 - PRLog -- New to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series is Lithuanian Chicago by local author Justin G. Riskus. This pictorial history boasts more than 200 vintage images and provides readers with a unique opportunity to reconnect with the history that shaped their community.

Today there are more than 100,000 Lithuanians in Chicago making the city home to the greatest concentration of Lithuanians outside of the country itself. Their presence in Chicago began in 1834 and drastically increased during the 20th century as immigrants and their descendants sought work in the stockyards and other industries.

Lithuanians in Chicago were dedicated to celebrating and preserving their unique culture, evident in its churches, schools, museums and community centers in neighborhoods such as Bridgeport and Marquette Park. They also maintained ties to the homeland and played an important role in Lithuania’s struggles for independence throughout the 20th century.

Many prominent Lithuanian Americans are from the “City of the Big Shoulders” including football great Dick Butkus, actor John C. Reilly, and director Robert Zemeckis. The former president of Lithuania, Valdas Adamkus, was a resident of Chicagoland for nearly 50 years.

A portion of the author proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to various Lithuanian organizations.

Highlights of Lithuanian Chicago include:
•   Through 200 carefully chosen and researched images Lithuanian Chicago immortalizes the largest community of Lithuanians outside the country’s capital of Vilnius.
•    The book contains more than a century of Lithuanian-American history.  Within its pages readers will be able to see how the community has changed and stayed the same over the years.  
•   Numerous famous Lithuanian Americans are featured in this book including U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and one time resident of Chicagoland and former President of the Republic of Lithuania, Valdas Adamkus.

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or online.

Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States.  Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places.  Have we done a book on your town? Visit arcadiapublishing.com.