Columnist

Dr. James Backus, left his mark in Braidwood

Published by admin on Wed, 03/14/2018 - 9:00am

    Frequently we have spoken about the brave miners who were injured in the mines. Many a miner had to fight for his life against the odds. But he was not alone; fighting on his side was a doctor. One of the most successful doctors in early Braidwood was Dr. John Backus.
    Backus was born in 1845 at Ontario, Canada to wealthy parents. His father is described like this, “He was educated as a lawyer, but was a retired gentleman.” John got his first medical degree at McGill University at Montreal and a second medical degree at College of Physicians and Surgeons at Ontario.

Wesley, the Wabash and Aunt Peggy - 1879

Published by admin on Wed, 03/14/2018 - 9:00am

    Today we set the way back machine for 1879, destination Wesley Township. Nothing special happened, but sometimes the small stories tell us more than the great ones do.
    The year had started out on a sour note. Late in December of 1878 a fire had burned a small shack to the ground. Not a great loss, until it was found out that it was all Mrs. Margaret Lamb, better known as Aunt Peggy, had in the world.

In remap fight, you’ve got to know when to go ‘all in’

Published by admin on Mon, 03/12/2018 - 4:14pm

    House Speaker Michael Madigan cares most about three House votes: The votes every two years for both the next Speaker and the House rules; and the vote every 10 years on the new state legislative district maps.

Propaganda or patriotism, why did they go to war

Published by admin on Wed, 03/07/2018 - 9:00am

    Recruiting soldiers during war time is not easy, especially as the war wears on.
    Part of the recruitment effort usually involves some sort of patriotic images, on paper during the Civil War, in photos and print during World War I.
    However, in 1918 a new media was to be used for the first time in the recruitment effort, moving pictures.

Sommerville, the right man for changing times

Published by admin on Tue, 03/06/2018 - 12:56pm

    When the 20th century dawned, technology was advancing by leaps and bounds. New inventions such as moving pictures, automobiles and “aeroplanes” were zooming into the headlines. One local man embraced these changes, William E. Sommerville of Coal City.
    Sommerville was born in Scotland in 1870, spending his youth at Glasgow Technical College and at the Clyde shipyards learning the trade of electrician and marine engineer.  

Just tapping the brakes in the governor’s race

Published by admin on Mon, 03/05/2018 - 10:38am

    Sources in both parties said last week that their tracking polls were showing a dip in support for Sen. Daniel Biss and a trending increase for Chris Kennedy in the Democratic primary race for governor.
     That's the most likely reason why billionaire JB Pritzker's campaign began airing negative ads against Kennedy last week.  Pritzker has been playing a fascinating game of “whack-a-mole” with his two opponents while Gov. Bruce Rauner has tried to make Pritzker’s task difficult.

Summer of 1880, a time of sorrow and hope

Published by admin on Wed, 02/28/2018 - 9:00am

    It is impossible to determine which year in Braidwood's history was “the worst” or the “best.” Most are a mix of up's and down's. So today we look at the year 1880 to experience those highs and lows.
    In a town where people were coming in from all parts of the country and world, it would not be unusual to think that they would be bringing with them whatever diseases were afflicting their country of origin. And this was certainly true.  

March 1918, a startling discovery, women in the workplace

Published by admin on Wed, 02/28/2018 - 9:00am

    Being an old equal rights amendment worker, I can tell you that the issue of women's role in the workplace is not a new one. It seems to me that the greatest strides in this area came when society as a whole valued what women could offer.
    In times of war, this issue quickly comes to “the front” (pun intended, of course). We all know of Rosie the Riveter, but she was only following in the footsteps of the previous generation.  

The highly underrated Vieux Carre

Published by admin on Wed, 02/28/2018 - 9:00am

    Mardi Gras 2018 is in the books and surely by now the French Quarter is free of plastic Hurricane glasses, beads, masks and who knows what else.
    At midnight sharp on Fat Tuesday the local mounted patrol ceremoniously clears the streets of the French Quarter marking the official end to Mardi Gras and the beginning of the Lenten season.
    I would estimate that by volume the most consumed cocktails of the Mardi Gras season are the Hurricane, followed by the Pimm's Cup, and coming in third is the Sazerac.

Candidates sometimes suffer a Madigan tax

Published by admin on Sun, 02/25/2018 - 3:16pm

 

Every election cycle, House Democratic candidates have to pay what can be thought of as a "Madigan Tax."