The Devil in the White City Characters

John Root’s wife, and later his widow.

The talented painter who develops the distinctive white paint that helps earn the World’s Fair the nickname, “The White City.” Millet is also responsible for organizing entertainment at the Fair in order to attract more visitors.

A wealthy slaughterhouse superintendent, Daniel Burnham’s father-in-law, and Margaret Burnham’s father. Early in his career, Burnham designs a mansion for Sherman.

Louis Sullivan’s architectural partner.

The elderly woman from whom Holmes buys his drugstore shortly after arriving in Chicago.

The first woman Holmes marries, and then abandons.

The temperamental landscape architect who designed Central Park, as well as the grounds for the World’s Fair.

Olmsted’s architectural partner and frequent stand-in during the World’s Fair. When Codman dies mid-way through the Fair, Olmsted replaces him with Charles Eliot.

The charismatic, blue-eyed, five-time mayor of Chicago who enjoys a reputation as a “man of the people” despite his actual elite education. He is assassinated during his fifth term, casting a pall over the last months of the World’s Fair.

Prendergast is a young, mentally disturbed man who believes that Mayor Harrison will appoint him to a government position in return for Prendergast’s vigorous campaigning. Prendergast ultimately assassinates Harrison when he fails to get the role he believed he should.

Holmes’s second wife.

Holmes’s child with Myrta Belknap.

A loyal friend of Holmes’s who converts corpses into skeletons without asking any questions.

Caretaker at Holmes’s hotel who seems to have plotted with Holmes to murder Jonathan Belknap.

A loyal helper of Holmes who also goes by the aliases Howard E. Phelps and Benton T. Lyman and helps Holmes with his murders and confidence tricks. Holmes later betrays Pitezal when he murders him and his children.

Benjamin Pitezal’s son, murdered by Holmes.

Benjamin Pitezal’s daughter, murdered by Holmes.

Benjamin Pitezal’s daughter, murdered by Holmes.

Benjamin Pitezal’s wife.

Notorious English serial killer of prostitutes who terrifies London, England and whose deeds titillate and terrify America as well.

A woman Holmes convinces to take out an insurance claim in his name.

An architect from the Eastern United States who commits to working on the World’s Fair early on.

John Root’s sister-in-law. She writes a long poem that’s performed at the Dedication Day ceremonies for the World’s Fair, but no one can hear it.

An employee in Holmes’s building, who Holmes cons into running his failing drug store. Ned dooms his daughter and wife by leaving them in Holmes’s care.

Ned and Julia’s daughter, murdered by Holmes.

Ned’s wife, seduced and then murdered by Holmes.

Julia Conner’s sister, who travels to Chicago to live in Holmes’s building, then leaves after Holmes is indiscreet with her.

President of the World’s Fair.

A famous attorney who negotiates with unions leading up to the World’s Fair construction, and later tries, unsuccessfully, to save Patrick Prendergast from the death penalty.

Root’s replacement after his death.

A World’s Fair organizer who dies traveling to Africa looking for pygmies to bring to Chicago.

The inventor, who tries to negotiate the use of DC (rather than AC) light bulbs at the World'

A businessman who successfully negotiates the use of AC light bulbs at the World’s Fair.

A scientist and inventor, and the designer of the AC bulbs used to light the World’s Fair.

Legendary hero of the “Wild West” who organizes a highly popular Wild West show adjacent to the site of the World’s Fair at Jackson Park in 1893 (and which pulls visitors from the Fair).

An intelligent businessman, Sol Bloom organizes the entertainment at the Midway at the World’s Fair, and later becomes a congressman.

The architect who designed the Eiffel Tower, the building that helped to inspire the Ferris Wheel at the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893.

Father of Walt Disney, a construction worker during the World’s Fair.

A young woman to whom Holmes proposes marriage. Holmes later murders her in the walk-in vault in his building.

Myrta’s wealthy great-uncle, who Holmes attempts to murder.

One of the Eastern architects Burnham hires to work on the World’s Fair.

A prominent Chicago attorney who prosecutes Patrick Prendergast, having received multiple letters from him.

The engineer who designs the Ferris Wheel.

A lodger in Holmes’s building who presses Holmes for information when Emeline Cigrand disappears.

Olmsted’s partner after the death of Henry Codman.

Olmsted’s superintendent.

A porter whom Holmes bribes to pretend to be his business partner.

The Democratic candidate who loses in the mayoral primaries to Carter Henry Harrison for the 1893 election.

The politician who loses to Carter Henry Harrison in Chicago’s mayoral elections.

The President of the United States, who leads the Opening Day parade at the World’s Fair.

A British journalist who criticizes the dirtiness of the World’s Fair. He is the brother of William Stead.

A British journalist who writes about the World’s Fair and dies on the Titanic. The brother of F. Herbert Stead.

An engineer and businessman who oversees the assembly of the Ferris Wheel.

A Spanish princess who offends Chicago high society by not attending the parties and balls held in her honor.

The designer of the Braille printer. He meets Helen Keller, who learns how to read by using his invention, at the World’s Fair.

A woman who overcomes being deaf, mute, and blind to learn how to communicate. She meets Frank Haven Hall, the inventor of the Braille printer that teaches her to read, at the World’s Fair.

The woman’s suffrage organizer who amuses Buffalo Bill by saying that she’s rather her child go to Bill’s Wild West show than to church, since he’d learn more.

A Chicago socialite who organizes the decoration for building at the World’s Fair and parties for famous guests from Europe.

An architect at the World’s Fair who is committed to an asylum after arguing with Bertha Palmer.

A visitor to the World’s Fair who panics while riding the Ferris Wheel.

A firefighter who dies in the Cold Storage Building explosion in 1893.

The famous American author of American Tragedy, who meets Sara Osborne White at the World’s Fair, and later marries her.

The schoolteacher who marries Theodore Dreiser after meeting him at the World’s Fair.

Holmes’s fiancée, who leaves Chicago with him after the World’s Fair.

The young woman to whom Mayor Harrison is engaged at the time of his death.

The famous psychic who attends Francis Millet’s Midway Ball.

An important union organizer.

An important union organizer, and eventual Presidential candidate.

The Chicago corporation counsel who humiliates Prendergast.

The great American architect who works for Louis Sullivan as a young man, and is quickly fired by Sullivan. Wright later befriends Sullivan and argues that he is one of America’s greatest architects.

An insurance claim investigator who suspects Holmes of arson.

An attorney who investigates Holmes for avoiding his debts.

Mayor Harrison’s neighbor, with whom Harrison argues on his deathbed.

A noted Philadelphia detective who is responsible for finding evidence that Holmes murdered the children of Benjamin Pitezal.

A doctor who murdered his patients in the 1990s and, in the notebooks he kept, cited Holmes as an inspiration.

A Cincinnati man who helps Geyer track down Holmes.

A woman who sees Holmes with a large iron stove in Cincinnati.

A detective who helps Geyer with his investigation into Holmes’s crimes.

A West Indianapolis man who helps Geyer investigate Holmes’s crimes.

A Toronto man who lent Holmes the shovel he used to bury Pitezal’s children.

The Assistant District Attorney during Holmes’s trial.

The author of The Wizard of Oz, who may have based Oz on his impressions of the Chicago World’s Fair.

The designer of the Titanic and the Olympic.

A New York architect who designs the Administration Building at the World’s Fair.

A New York architect who designs the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building at the World’s Fair.

A Chicago social worker and Nobel Peace Prize winner whose purse is stolen while she’s visiting the World’s Fair.

A naïve heiress to land in Texas who Holmes easily seduces and then murders. Sister of Anna Williams.

The sister of Minnie R. Williams. She is initially skeptical of Holmes but eventually comes to trust him, only to be murdered by Holmes in his walk-in vault.