Time Was

The elections of 1908, Wilmington's pressing issues

Published by admin on Tue, 05/10/2022 - 9:17am

Our focus today is on the election questions that came before the voters in 1908. It was a time of change in America, and the cause of the day was temperance, that is, the demon alcohol.
The entire state was looking at the “wet/dry” option that spring. Early in April the first elections on the subject were held and it was a toss up. Springfield, Kankakee, Aurora and Marengo had all stayed wet. Pontiac, DeKalb, Decatur, and Rockford all went dry.

A down year for Braidwood, 1910

Published by admin on Tue, 05/10/2022 - 9:16am

We all know what a hybrid is, it's part this and part that, part electric part gas, etc. My description of Braidwood in 1910 is hybrid.
There were automobiles on the streets, but there were also horse and buggy rigs. Electricity was the wave of the future, but houses were still being lit with candles and oil lamps. Set the way-back machine for January, 1910.
By 1910, most of the old shaft mines had closed down, although there were still a few in business. Technology for strip mining had not yet been invented.

Horse thieves and the long arm of the law

Published by admin on Tue, 05/03/2022 - 10:57am

Time was when taking the law into your own hands was not only necessary, but legal. Today we read the story a farmer and his friends from Reed Township who took the law, a warrant and a pair of handcuffs into their own hands to catch a horse thief.
From the February 26, 1876 edition of the Wilmington Advocate:

May 1922, a time of remembering

Published by admin on Tue, 05/03/2022 - 10:56am

Although the first World War was over, war was on the mind of many in Wilmington. Not the recent war, but one that many old timers could vividly remember. At the Soldiers' Widows' Home, a service was held to commemorate a fallen comrade.

Fun, frolic, and flight - 1885 had it

Published by admin on Tue, 04/26/2022 - 10:21am

Face it, when we think of early Braidwood, we think coal, saloons, murder and poverty. But those things were only part of life in the 19th century. There were also good times, dancing, singing, and going out to see a show. And times being what they were, enjoy today because tomorrow you may be out of work. Today we look at that side of Braidwood in 1885.

Charity for fun and profit, the Soldiers' Widows' Home

Published by admin on Tue, 04/26/2022 - 10:19am

There is no evidence of the old Soldiers' Widows' Home. The Home is a legend in Wilmington history, but that does not mean it was without its faults, especially in the early days. Today we look at the controversial woman who headed up the Home in its earliest days.

The man on the drum, who was he?

Published by admin on Tue, 04/19/2022 - 10:11am

One of the artifacts in the possession of the Wilmington Area Historical Society is a Civil War drum from the 100th Illinois Voluntary Infantry. It is in remarkable shape. The colors are bright and the name of the regiment can still be clearly read.
There is also another name on the drum - that of C. J. Jukes. Never heard of him? Me neither until I saw that drum come out of a plastic trash bag many years ago when it was first donated. Recently, I was able to do a bit of research about him. Here is what I found.

Sons of patriots abounded in Braidwood

Published by admin on Tue, 04/19/2022 - 10:10am

Of all the many social and political organizations that existed in Braidwood in 1886, one stood out as having the youngest most active members. This week we will look at the Sons of Veterans and their role in Braidwood society.
It must be remembered that during the Civil War, Braidwood was just a flat, open, boggy prairie with only a few hardy residents scratching their living out of the poor soil.

Wilmington the center of the fever, and no cure

Published by admin on Tue, 04/12/2022 - 12:14pm

Being the daughter, sister, wife and mother of men who have caught the fever young in life, and having had small bouts of it myself, I can tell you that there is no cure. It starts with an itch in January, by the end of February it is a full-blown fever. Symptoms range from a feeling of anxiety to an overwhelming interest in the weather, or perhaps a strange feeling in your hand and wrist, like something is missing.

Health problems in the City of Coal

Published by admin on Tue, 04/12/2022 - 12:13pm

Today we look a bit west to the City of Coal. It was a planned community, with the only criteria for its location was that it was near the coal mines. Like Braidwood, it sprang up almost over night.
It was truly like a newborn child, with all the hopes and dreams of its future. But there were also the perils that all children face, especially in the 19th century.
The location of the town was picked for its proximity to the coal mine that was sunk there. They didn't have to move anybody out of the way, because, like Braidwood, no one was living there at the time.