
SPECIAL DELIVERY - A Messenger Boy’s Path to the Eastland
From Flower in the River: A Family Tale Finally Told by Natalie Zett
May 21, 2026 · 36 min · Season 4 · Episode 167
About this episode
The episode continues the biography of Eastland disaster survivor Charles Borovansky, exploring his life and experiences leading up to the disaster.
Send us Fan Mail This week, we’re continuing the biography of Eastland disaster survivor, Charles Borovansky. He has a lot more to say! When I wrapped up my research on Charles for a previous episode, I felt that his story wasn’t finished. Tracking him backward through Chicago’s industrial labyrinth led to records hiding in plain sight. Long before the Eastland ever listed in the river, Charles’s life was a guided tour of American industrial ambition. We follow him from his Bohemian immigrant...
People in this episode
Host: Natalie Zett
Topics covered
- biography
- Eastland disaster
- American industrial ambition
- immigration
- historical research
Keywords
- Eastland disaster
- Charles Borovansky
- biography
- Chicago
- immigrant story
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Chicago, Bohemian
More episodes of Flower in the River: A Family Tale Finally Told
- The Clue in the Old Almanac: Solving an Eastland Mystery · June 11, 2026 · 31 min
- The Scars That Wouldn't Heal: Two Priests, Two Parishes · June 4, 2026 · 38 min
- A City of Sorrow, a Voice of Fire — Edith Franklin Wyatt & the Eastland · May 28, 2026 · 33 min
- One Survivor. Two Surnames. A 1940 Eastland Time Capsule · May 14, 2026 · 27 min
- The "Elephant," the Eastland, and the Catholic Columbian Discovery · May 7, 2026 · 34 min
- Louella Parsons: Ink, Influence, and the Eastland · April 29, 2026 · 32 min
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