Time Was

Labor Day, celebrating the working man

Published by admin on Tue, 09/01/2020 - 2:10pm

“Labor being the source of all wealth and civilization, and useful Labor being possible only by and through the associated efforts of the people, the result of Labor should, therefore, in all justice, belong to Society.”
In Braidwood the debate about who was getting rich on who's labor was born with the town. We know that with the exception of James Braidwood's Eagle Shaft, all the shafts were owned by huge coal companies whose owners got rich on the backs of the miners.

Men, money and management

Published by admin on Tue, 08/25/2020 - 10:39am

Last time we talked about the management of the Penitentiary, its corruption and greed. That was 1871, let's see how the problem was fixed.

Meandering on Main Street

Published by admin on Tue, 08/25/2020 - 10:38am

Last week we ended our stroll down Main Street with the Patterson Sisters Millinery Shop. Let's pick up where we left off, meandering down Main Street, Braidwood — 1880.
We pass Findley Littlejohn's saloon, knowing he's not there right now. He's throwing quoits with the boys. Polish dry goods' merchant Samuel Jacob's place is next, right next to Hungarian Nathan Goldfinger's clothing shop.
School teacher Alice Brophy's house is next. Her little 15-year-old sister lives with her, a pretty tight squeeze on a teacher's pay.

Strange bedfellows, profiteers and prisoners

Published by admin on Tue, 08/18/2020 - 11:46am

The rule of ethics regarding use of a government office for private gain has been much talked about lately. Of course, like most things, this conundrum has been with us a very long time. Another thing that has been much talked about is the opening of the Penitentiary in Joliet to visitors. Both these things come together as we look at the history of profiting at the Pen.

A stroll down Main Street, 1880

Published by admin on Tue, 08/18/2020 - 11:45am

Main Streets have changed over the years. Time was when Main Street had all the shops, places of entertainment and excitement in town. Malls, and now the internet, have changed all that. But thank goodness for the way back machine, set it for Main Street, Braidwood — time — 1880.

The beginnings of Carbon Hill

Published by admin on Tue, 08/11/2020 - 9:56am

Today we turn our attention to the north and west a bit to look at neighboring Carbon Hill. Officially Carbon Hill has only existed since 1892, but the camps of Scotch Hill, Bunker Hill and Oklahoma were there long before.
Although there was coal mining going on all over, the real history of Carbon Hill as a village started in 1884 when the Preston family heirs sold their acreage to the Star Coal Company. The Company immediate opened shaft #2 north of Coal City. Potential settlers were drawn to the area of “the Hill,” even before the village of Carbon Hill was platted in 1891.

Florence township's famous Forsythe

Published by admin on Tue, 08/11/2020 - 9:48am

So often we see names of places or streets without giving a thought to why they have those names. Most Wilmingtonians know of Forsythe Woods. So, who was Forsythe and why does he have woods named after him? Let's find out.
In 1900 David Forsythe was one of the largest land owners and cattle-buyers in Florence Township. He was born in Ballynure, County Antrim, Ireland, April 25, 1850. His was a story of hardship, not just because he was a farmer, but also because of his family's intense devotion to the Irish cause.

Never underestimate the water, the result may be death

Published by admin on Tue, 08/04/2020 - 10:09am

A few years back I was called to the South Island by a television reporter who was reporting on the death of an elderly woman and her relative who had both drowned in the river near the dam. They wanted a historians' take on it, asking me how many people have drowned there. I couldn't give them a number, nor had I kept track. But over the weekend I was out on the river watching hundreds of people zooming around in boats, rafts, jet skis, etc. It came to my mind again, so I did look back in my files. Warning, some descriptions in this article may not be for the faint at heart.

Welcome home Braidwood style

Published by admin on Tue, 08/04/2020 - 10:07am

Braidwood was in an in between time. Shaft mining was all but gone and the technology for strip mining was not yet available. Consequently, times were tough in the 20s. Many folks had moved on to greener pastures, but others stayed to help their town survive. Morale was probably not high, and a good celebration helped drive the blues away. Set the way-back machine for September 1920.

From a relic to a resort, the Stewart House

Published by admin on Tue, 07/28/2020 - 12:23pm

I have previously talked about the Stewart House and its role in the Underground Railroad, having been built by Peter Stewart, the famous abolitionist. It was built at a time when every small town had a hotel, reason being that in the age of the horse even small trips required an overnight stay. By the 1880s though it had become sort of run-down and shabby. But things would turn around for the old girl, it only took 40 years.