Time Was

The women war left behind, Wilmington's Home

Published by admin on Wed, 08/15/2018 - 9:00am

    Many Wilmingtonians just called it The Home. It was a beautiful sight on the banks of the Kankakee - a wide sweeping veranda, a fine view of the river. It could almost be mistaken for a large resort hotel. But it was the final home for many women, those whose lives at been permanently altered by war.
    The need for a soldiers' and sailors' home was seen very quickly after the end of the War Between the States. Many a brave man had returned missing his limbs, his eye sight, and perhaps even his sanity.

Reed residents, no where to shop but Wilmington

Published by admin on Wed, 08/15/2018 - 9:00am

    Reed Township was a rural place in 1855. Although it was known there was coal in the area, no one had yet harvested it. Wilmington was the closest place to sell farm produce and to shop for the early farming community that lived for the most part in Custer Township.
    But to get to Wilmington one had to ford the Kankakee River at what is now Baltimore Stree, a dangerous proposition during times of high water.

Gardner's ups and downs and downs and ups

Published by admin on Wed, 08/08/2018 - 9:00am

    Last week we looked at how Gardner started and the coal mine that brought it prosperity. But as the old saying goes, what goes up - must come down, or in this case those who go down, must come up.
    The 1850's and 60's were good times for Gardner. The coal mine payroll kept things rolling along. But by the 1870's the mine was played out. Gardner began a slow slide downhill.  

Need something? Try shopping at home first

Published by admin on Wed, 08/08/2018 - 9:00am

    The above is a familiar concept. Today the Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Merchants both repeat that same mantra. Of course, like everything else, this is not new. Today we look at those efforts in the pre-war year of 1916.
    In March of 1916 the city was excited to learn the following, “Barry & Co., will soon display in front of their hardware store, an electric sign which was designed and is being made by G. A. Gale, one of the employees of this enterprising firm. Watch for it.”

Looking south, Gardner was here first

Published by admin on Wed, 08/01/2018 - 9:00am

    Although we think of Braidwood as the city that started the “Coal Rush” in this area, the truth is that Braidwood and Coal City are the late comers to the area. The first of the coal towns was Gardner.  
    When Illinois became a state most of the population was in the southern part. Our area did not see the first white settler until 20 years later.
    The towns on the I&M Canal were the first to prosper, then other towns that had some connection with the Canal started to grow. One of these towns was Wilmington.

August 1918, no refuge for slackers and aliens

Published by admin on Wed, 08/01/2018 - 9:00am

    The war effort was everywhere. There seemed no where you could go to forget it.
    Many thought that going to a ball game or movie would take their minds off of it for a while. But that was certainly not true in August of 1918. You took a risk that you might not return home.
    In April of 1917 Woodrow Wilson demanded the registration of all German born men, whether they had become citizens or not, in April of 1918 the law included females and children as young as 12.

Escaping from the mob, one horse thief's story

Published by admin on Wed, 07/25/2018 - 9:00am

    It is hard to make a comparison in today’s modern life of the importance of the horse in the 19th century, especially in rural areas. Without a horse most could not live. It is no wonder then that a horse thief was considered the worst of the worst. Today's story starts in Lockport and was published on March 30, 1876 in the Joliet Weekly Sun.
    We begin the story after the discovery of missing horses by Paddy Miles of Lockport, who roused his neighbors to go after Oliver Davis, the renowned horse thief.

The weed of crime bears bitter fruit, a hanging

Published by admin on Wed, 07/25/2018 - 9:00am

    This is the continuing story of George Henry Jacobs, the Homer wife murderer. The time is 1876, the place is Will County.
    Jacobs had been arrested in May of 1875 even before the Homer citizens discovered his wife Othilda's body. With the discovery Jacobs had been officially charged with murder, even though the evidence was purely circumstantial.

Wife murderer jailed, death penalty called for

Published by admin on Wed, 07/18/2018 - 9:00am

    Shades of Drew Peterson you say? Well, it caused about as much stir in Will County as did the Peterson case. Today we look at a famous Will County crime story, that of the Homer wife murderer, George Henry Jacobs.
    In Jacobs own words we know a bit of his life story. He was born in Kindare of Saxony, July 15, 1823. On the 16 of April, 1849 he sailed from Bremen to America, paying $50 in gold for his passage. He was married to Eva Ulrich, Oct. 24, 1853.  

The Broadbent House, home away from home

Published by admin on Wed, 07/18/2018 - 9:00am

    One of the earliest businesses in every early 19th century town was the hotel. And in a town like Braidwood, with new comers arriving with every train, it was even more important.
    Pack your bags and get ready for your stay at the Broadbent House, John Broadbent proprietor, the pride of Braidwood.
    In 1871 John Broadbent arrived in Braidwood and immediately went into the hotel business. He built it in the latest style and it soon filled to capacity. Of course, being a landlord does have its problems.