Columnist

To say that 2020 has been a tumultuous year would be a bit of an understatement. The best that we can all hope for amid the chaos is that we come out of this year better than we came in, and that the best of our society is yet to come. Many have found comfort in connecting virtually with others, some turned to the arts or other creative avenues, and there were a good number of us that turned our attention to the skies.

To paraphrase Yoda, “When 150 years you reach, look as good you will not.” This month is truly a remarkable milestone in Wilmington history. The Free Press Advocate was born 150 years ago this month. How many other newspapers have made it this long I cannot say. But what I do know is that it's a heck of a long time. Let's set the way back machine for 1870 and witness the birth of the Advocate.

The above statement is paraphrased from a John Wayne movie, but it nonetheless rings true. And it was certainly true for the folks in Braidwood in 1880. Let's look at who was calling who names.
The villain of our piece is one Jonathan S. McDonald, of Lockport, whose nickname was “Styx.” Mr. McDonald and his family were some of the earliest pioneers of Will County, settling in Joliet in 1838. They occupied a farm just east of the penitentiary in Joliet, right below the bluffs.