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Barb and Ted Wachholz

Barb and Ted Wachholz Profile Photo

The Eastland Disaster Historical Society (EDHS) is a charitable 501(c)(3) organization co-founded in 1998 by Susan Decker and Barbara Decker Wachholz, the granddaughters (and only grandchildren) of brave survivor Borghild Amelia Aanstad. Together with Susan and Barbara's mother, Jean Decker, and Barbara's husband, Ted Wachholz, these four were the EDHS founding family.

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Feb. 27, 2023

The Eastland Disaster

On the morning of July 24, 1915, employees of the Western Electric Company and their families excitedly boarded the SS Eastland near the Clark Street Bridge in Chicago, eager to set off for a day of fun in Michigan City, Indiana, during their annual company picnic. Tragically, the ship capsized just 19 feet from the wharf in the Chicago River, killing 844 people in one of the worst maritime disasters in United States history. Joining me on this episode to help us understand more about the tra...