Eastland Disaster Historical Society

06/05/2026

Eight-year-old Elizabeth Rackow boarded the Eastland with her grandmother, Augusta Wiese, excited for a day at the Western Electric employee picnic.

They were supposed to be joined by Elizabeth's aunt Minnie, her uncle Daniel Quinn, and her cousin Lauretta. But that morning, Daniel and Minnie argued and decided to return home instead.

When the Eastland rolled into the Chicago River, both Elizabeth and her grandmother lost their lives.

What was meant to be a joyful summer outing became a tragedy that forever changed a family. One decision spared some family members, while two generations never returned home.

05/29/2026

Soon Thereafter He Got Terribly Ill

Daniel Johan Reuther left his West Side Chicago home on July 24, 1915 and took the Douglas Park Elevated to join his Western Electric coworkers for the picnic trip to Michigan City. His wife Charlotte insisted she and their two young children stay home.

When news spread through the neighborhood that the Eastland had capsized, Charlotte feared the worst. Daniel could not swim, and neighbors whispered that many had died.

Late that afternoon Daniel staggered home, soaked in filthy river water. Rescue workers had spotted him almost by chance. One reportedly said, “That little black-haired guy over there is still alive. Get him out.” Daniel was among the last rescued.

Soon afterward he became terribly ill and spent two weeks in bed with a severe infection from the polluted water. He survived and lived to the age of 86, but he never stepped into a boat again.
Charlotte’s decision to keep the family home may have saved their lives.



Learn more at https://eastlanddisaster.org/eastland_people/reuther-daniel-johan.

05/28/2026

Every name has a story. Now those stories go even deeper.

Our upgraded people profiles bring together biographies, family connections, photos, documents, and more, creating a richer way to understand the lives connected to the Eastland disaster.
Members help make work like this possible.

Explore the stories. Support the work. https://ow.ly/LuKh50YEm18

05/22/2026

They Decided to Take the Second Boat

Elizabeth Mueller and Sophie Heine planned a joyful day at the Western Electric picnic with their fiancées, twin brothers Charles and William Zitt. The group originally intended to board the first excursion boat, the Eastland.

But plans shifted that morning. Charles hoped to play baseball later that day, and Elizabeth suggested they take the second boat instead.

Bill and Sophie were running late and missed the Eastland entirely. Charles boarded the ship and perished only minutes later when it rolled in the Chicago River.

Elizabeth never married after losing Charles. Yet she remained close to the Zitt family for the rest of her life. She later served as maid of honor at the wedding of Charles and Bill’s sister Edna, who in turn became godmother to one of Elizabeth’s nieces.

Bill and Sophie married and went on to have a child, their lives shaped forever by the events of that morning.


Learn more at https://eastlanddisaster.org/eastland_people/mueller-elizabeth.

05/20/2026

Tonight at 6:30 p.m. (Central) | Join us for History From Home: Answering the Call: Nurses in the Eastland Aftermath

Featuring guest researcher Tyler Rodriguez and the extraordinary story of Helen Repa, a nurse connected to the Eastland response whose story is finally receiving the attention it deserves.

There’s still time to register. https://ow.ly/r98150Z0THi. Join us tonight from the comfort of your home.

History From Home is a quarterly Zoom series that brings the story of the Eastland Disaster directly into your home. These programs go beyond our standard library presentations, offering custom, in-depth conversations shaped by more than 27 years of dedicated research.

05/18/2026

This Wednesday, history gets personal.

Join us for History From Home:
Answering the Call: Nurses in the Eastland Aftermath

Featuring guest researcher Tyler Rodriguez and the remarkable story of Helen Repa, one of the nurses who stepped forward after the Eastland Disaster.

Original research. Powerful stories. A side of the tragedy too often overlooked.
Register today on our website. https://eastlanddisaster.org/get_involved/history-from-home-registration

05/15/2026

A Daughter Named After Her Late True Love

Edward Henry Garner was a draftsman at Western Electric and an accomplished amateur photographer. He and his wife Friederika lived on Lawndale Avenue on Chicago’s west side and were expecting their first child in 1915.

Though they married later in life, their love was deep and enduring. Friederika was in the first trimester of her pregnancy when Edward boarded the Eastland. He never returned home.

The loss devastated her. Friederika removed all photographs from the house and rarely spoke of her husband again. Months later, when their daughter was born, she named the child Edros Henrietta Garner in memory of Edward, her one true love.

Friederika never remarried.

The photograph taken on July 11, 1915 is the last picture of Edward and Friederika together.


Learn more at https://eastlanddisaster.org/eastland_people/garner-edward-henry.

05/11/2026

Every name has a story. Now those stories go even deeper.

Our upgraded people profiles bring together biographies, family connections, photos, documents, and more, creating a richer way to understand the lives connected to the Eastland disaster.

Members help make work like this possible.

Explore the stories. Support the work. https://ow.ly/FwuC50YEm0E

05/08/2026

Her Sister Had Just Had an Appendectomy and Was Weak

Clara and Emma Reisner boarded the Eastland early that morning and found seats near the railing at the back of the boat. When the ship began to tip, Clara did not panic at first. “I didn’t think it was so serious,” she later said. “I didn’t think we or anyone else would drown.”

The chairs slid away as the ship rolled, and Emma told Clara to grab the railing. They held on while people in the water struggled nearby and workmen threw boards and boxes to help them stay afloat.

When rescuers arrived, Clara urged them to take Emma first. Her sister had undergone an appendectomy only three weeks earlier and was growing weak.

The sisters were among the first rescued. Unable to reach a telephone through the crowd, they boarded a streetcar and were home by noon. Their names had already been reported missing.

Clara later remembered that the week after the disaster was filled with funerals. Many from her department at Western Electric had been lost. She often said she survived because she had been standing in exactly the right place at the right time.



Learn more at https://eastlanddisaster.org/eastland_people/reisner-clara-anna.

05/07/2026

In the aftermath of the Eastland Disaster, the rescue was only the beginning. What came next was care.

Join us May 20 at 6:30 p.m. (Central) for History From Home:
Answering the Call: Nurses in the Eastland Aftermath

This special program for National Nurses Week explores the vital role nurses played in the hours and days that followed, with a focus on Helen Repa and the lives she helped steady in a moment of crisis. Featuring guest researcher Tyler Rodriguez, whose work has helped bring renewed attention to Repa’s life and contributions.

Through original research, archival materials, and powerful storytelling, we’ll look at the people who stepped forward when it mattered most.

Register now on our website at https://ow.ly/OR4250YVukG