Time Was

The role of reading in the miner community

Published by admin on Tue, 10/06/2020 - 11:01am

Our view of early Braidwood is a rough and ready town, full of saloons and fist fights. But that is perhaps only the most obvious activities that took place. Hidden away in a small room many early Braidwoodites were doing something which required peace and quiet. Tip-toe back into the past with us to look at this clandestine activity.
In April of 1876 we read the following in the Joliet Weekly Sun, “And now Braidwood wants a public library and reading room.” Yes, those rough and ready miners wanted a library. They wanted to read, who would have thought it?

One century ago, October 1920

Published by admin on Tue, 09/29/2020 - 12:27pm

This is the first in a series of columns, appearing the first week of each month, documenting what was happening in the world and in Wilmington 100 years in the past. It seems a bit odd for me to think of; a century seems like such a long time, yet my father was born in 1920 so it doesn't seem that long ago to me. Set the wayback machine for October 1920.

October 1880, what's happening

Published by admin on Tue, 09/29/2020 - 12:25pm

This is the first in a monthly series that will give an overview of what was happening in Braidwood in 1880, 140 years ago. I know that 140 years is a weird number to pick, but then Braidwood history is also a bit strange. Although Braidwood did have several newspapers through its history, very few of them survived. Wilmington papers did cover Braidwood, but even they are missing great chunks of time. For instance, almost all 1870 papers are missing. So set the wayback for October of 1880.

Prophets and planets, is there anybody there?

Published by admin on Tue, 09/22/2020 - 10:06am

I read this week that the Russians are claiming the planet Venus as Russian territory after finding evidence of potential life. The planets fascinate us. They are so close we can see them, but so far, we can barely reach them. Looking back in my files, I find that we have been talking about them for a very long time.

Growing up in Braidwood, a risky business

Published by admin on Tue, 09/22/2020 - 9:59am

In the booming economy of 1879, many were doing better than they had in a long time. Single men could afford to marry; married men could afford more kids. But being a kid in Braidwood could be a very risky business.
Perhaps Braidwood's birth rate was higher than most because it was a town of young strong immigrants, the older family members stayed in the old country. Whatever the reason, we read in the Jan. 31 edition of the Wilmington Advocate,

A taste of 1910, autumn recipes

Published by admin on Tue, 09/15/2020 - 11:32am

We are all staying home more, and consequently eating our own cooking. I thought this might be a good time to print some recipes from years gone by. These are from 1910, a time of prosperity for most. They all appeared in the Wilmington Advocate. Author's note, many of these recipes do not give specific oven temperatures, etc. Like 1910 readers, we will just have to wing it.
The temperatures are dropping, a hardy stew would be nice.

Insanity, a crime or a condition?

Published by admin on Tue, 09/15/2020 - 11:30am

In the archives of the Will County Museum & Research Center are four court record books labeled “Judges Docket.” In them are the findings of the “insanity court.” Time was when a person had to be declared insane by a judge before being sent to an institution. Those books have been indexed for genealogical purposes. But more than that, they give us an insight into the world of mental illness in the 19th century.

How much do you remember?

Published by admin on Tue, 09/08/2020 - 10:14am

Time has come once again to see how much you remember. All questions come from the Time Was column published in the Free Press Advocate in the past 9 months. Pencils ready? Begin.

1. The I & M Canal connected which two bodies of water?
a. The Illinois River and the DesPlaines
b. Lake Michigan and the Kankakee River
c. Lake Michigan and the Illinois River
d. The Illinois River and the Mississippi

School’s in session, time for a test

Published by admin on Tue, 09/08/2020 - 10:13am

Kids are back in school in one form or another, and so are we. These questions are taken from Time Was articles published in the Braidwood Journal from this year. How well can you remember? Pencils ready? Go.

1. In 1868 70-year-old Mrs. Joyce was killed. What was she doing at the time?
a. Crossing the street
b. Passing in front of a saloon while a fight was going on
c. Picking up coal along the railroad track
d. Lighting a kerosene lamp

Whistle blowing signaled the end

Published by admin on Tue, 09/01/2020 - 2:11pm

Last time we looked at the penitentiary, Governor Beveridge had replaced some of the Commissioners and the Warden. However, Warden Edwards was not so easy to get rid of. Let's go back to 1873 to how our story ends.
Col. A. W. Edwards was not a man to be taken lightly. How, exactly he got the title of colonel is a mystery, but we know he was the editor of the Carlinville newspaper before he signed the contract to operate the Joliet Penitentiary.