The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America Change Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

It was so easy to disappear, so easy to deny knowledge, so very easy in the smoke and in to mask that something dark had taken root. This was Chicago, on the eve of the greatest fair in history. (1.1.7-8)

Danger accompanied some change. In the modern Chicago, during the time of the fair, it was easy to fly under the radar, assume anonymity, and hide within the city crowds.

Quote #2

Holmes understood that powerful new forces were acting upon Chicago, causing a nearly miraculous expansion. The city was growing in all available directions. (1.3.48)

A plot of land opens up across the street from Holmes' Englewood drugstore, and Holmes sees that Chicago's rapid changes will bring opportunity.

Quote #3

The White City had drawn men and protected them; the Black City now welcomed them back, on the eve of winter, with filth, starvation, and violence. (3.20.11)

Not all change lasted, as the Chicago that existed beyond the White City was still as bleak as it had been before the fair consumed the city. Unemployment was high, winters were harsh, and murder still shrouded.