Time Was

April 1922, getting warmed up for summer

Published by admin on Tue, 04/05/2022 - 10:02am

As happens every year at this time, we start thinking about summer travel and the good times to come. 1922 was what I call a lay-back year.
It's true there was prohibition, but it was not being rigorously enforced, and I have been told by Mr. S. Cinotto in an interview done many years ago, that the saloons never closed in Wilmington, Braidwood or Braceville. Jobs were plentiful and money was not an issue for most people. Set the way-back machine for 100 years ago this month.

Spring 1874, an eye-witness account

Published by admin on Tue, 04/05/2022 - 9:37am

The Joliet Signal newspaper was not known for its newsy items. It was mainly all politics with them. But in the spring of 1874 another Joliet newspaper, the Daily News started printing. It did have all those juicy little items, like who got arrested and who shot who. They were also known for sending their reporters into the field to capture the mood of a town or perhaps drum up business for the locals.
The Signal, not to be outdone, decided to send a reporter to Braidwood at the end of April 1874 to pick up the newsy bits. This is what he came back with.

Fun at the old ball field, let's back the Deadbeats

Published by admin on Tue, 03/29/2022 - 12:23pm

I am sick of winter, so if I can't have warm weather, I will talk about the all time top summer sport, baseball.
The history of baseball can be debated, but we do know that Abner Doubleday did not invent the game, and most think it came from the English game of rounders. We do know that it was played by Civil War soldiers to while away the long days in camp.
It was, at first, more of an adult game than one that kids played. It was also a way to show community pride. Almost every small town had a team, or “nine,” as they called it.

The art of being social, Alonzo Towle

Published by admin on Tue, 03/29/2022 - 12:18pm

Knowing how to make a person feel at home, that's the art of being social. It works well for politicians and business men alike. In the 19th Century it was essential if you were a hotel keeper. One such man, Alonzo Towle, was skilled in the social arts.
Our story starts with the Stewart House Hotel, used before the Civil War as a stop on the Underground Railroad. After the war it was immediately put up for sale.

Dreaded spring, Braidwood's worst season

Published by admin on Tue, 03/22/2022 - 8:14am

While there are still a few cold days, most of us have greeted spring with open arms. What's not to like? Warm weather, beautiful flowers, good fishing - life is flourishing all around us.
That was not the attitude in Braidwood when spring showed her lovely face. Today we talk about dreaded spring in Braidwood.

Small crimes and local courts, nothing new

Published by admin on Tue, 03/22/2022 - 8:05am

It has been said that we live in a litigious society. Anyone can sue anyone about any thing. In today's society, people suing each other in court is common practice. And we tend to think this is something new, say in the last century, but it's not. Taking people to court is a long and honored tradition.
First let’s look at criminal court. Most small offenses against society were taken to the Justice of the Peace immediately after the arrest. The calaboose was small and the city did not want the financial burden of feeding prisoners.

The Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Irish in all of us

Published by admin on Tue, 03/15/2022 - 11:21am

In 1836, the year Will County was formed, a group of Irish coal miners in Pennsylvania founded an organization called the Ancient Order of Hibernians, mainly in response to bigotry against both the Irish and the Catholics. By 1874 the Irish coal miners of Braidwood had formed a very active Braidwood Division. Today we set the way-back machine to August 15, 1879 when Braidwood was the center of Hibernian activity.

A visit to a bizarre bazaar, St. Rose, 1878

Published by admin on Tue, 03/15/2022 - 10:49am

Ah, the charity fund raiser! Who hasn't been to one? From mush and milk festivals to spaghetti dinners, from charity bazaars to card parties, Wilmington has had a long list of charitable fund raisers from day one. Today we are going to attend the Charity Bazaar at St. Rose to see what delights await us. Set the way back machine for March 1878.
Ed Conley, editor of the Wilmington Advocate was an active member of St. Rose Parish. He wrote about St. Rose every chance he got. The following is his account of his visit to the bazaar.

Dirty stories for dirty days

Published by admin on Tue, 03/08/2022 - 10:47am

It's almost that time of year, the dirty days. Early spring when the precipitation is partly frozen. Nothing is growing yet and the water sits on the ground or just beneath it. Kids and husbands track mud into the house. The dog leaves muddy paw prints on the furniture. Today our topic is mud.

Picturing Braceville, a paradise lost

Published by admin on Tue, 03/08/2022 - 10:39am

Before there was a Braidwood, there was a Braceville. Not the rough and tumble coal mining Braceville we usually think of, but a quiet farming village. Today we try to picture what Braceville was like in the day.
First let's address the question of why Braceville was settled before Braidwood. The answer lies in the type of soil at each location. Braidwood was located on poor soil, with bogs and wetlands everywhere. The soil at Braceville on the other hand, was deeper and richer, and would, with a little coaxing, grow a crop.