Time Was

Labor in the coal field, miners were ahead of their time

Published by admin on Wed, 09/06/2017 - 9:00am

    We often talk about the plight of the coal miners; long hours, little pay, dangerous working conditions.
    But they were not the only workers who faced all of those things. The men who worked for the railroads were the invisible workforce that kept things moving, and often paid the price.
    The Chicago & Alton Railroad was the first to come through the area in 1854, long before coal was being pulled from the earth. The only stopping point was at Stewart's Grove to take on more wood and water before moving on toward Springfield.

The paper mill, Wilmington's longest continuous employer

Published by admin on Wed, 09/06/2017 - 9:00am

    This week we celebrated Labor Day, dedicated to the working men, women and children of our nation. The site in Wilmington that provided a place to labor for over 100 years was the now defunct paper mill.

War, disease and chewing gum 100 years ago

Published by admin on Wed, 08/30/2017 - 9:00am

    While the war was raging in Europe and the boys were being drafted and sent into camp, the average citizen was charged with supporting the effort.
    This meant farmers were to double their crops, produce more meat and milk more cows than ever before. Folks in the city joined the Red Cross, knit sweaters and taught their children to be patriotic.
    The population looked for enemies everywhere, but the deadliest enemy was one they could not see.

Mining not the only game in town, snapshot 1870's

Published by admin on Wed, 08/30/2017 - 9:00am

    Of course, when the history of Braidwood and vicinity is talked about, the subject is mining, mining and mining. Yet we know that Braidwood was not a one-trick pony.
    Today we look at the other occupations and businesses that rounded out the community of miners.
    Let's first look at H. W. Blood, manufacturer of soda and mineral water. Blood came to Will County in 1863, farming for two years. He then entered the bottling house of J. D. Page of Joliet, and remained there some 2 years. He then moved to Wilmington where he purchased a half interest in

Taxes and the story they tell, 1878 snapshot

Published by admin on Wed, 08/23/2017 - 9:00am

    We all complain about taxes, gas tax, school tax, plastic bag tax, sugary drink tax, etc.
    It does seem that there are more and more things that we are taxed on. In the 19th century it wasn't so complicated.You were taxed on everything you owned. Pretty simple.
    Today we look at personal property tax and the story it tells.
    In July of 1879 the Joliet Signal published a chart about the recent round of personal property taxes for the year 1878, that were paid in Will County in each township.

Astronomy, science and solar eclipses

Published by admin on Wed, 08/23/2017 - 9:00am

    The astronomical event of the century? I am writing this on the day of the eclipse. We have been aware of this phenomenon for many centuries, in many cultures, in many scientific observatories.    How did we view the skies in the past? What did we know of particles emitting from the sun, the sun's corona? Today we look at the history of astrophysics.

A world turned upside down, the war effort

Published by admin on Wed, 08/16/2017 - 9:00am

    One hundred years ago the whole world was in turmoil.
    Young men were being drafted, a thing that hadn't happened since the Civil War. Food was scarce, and some things could not be found at all.
    Rumors of German spies in our midst had folks looking twice at their neighbors, especially those with an accent. Patriotism was not encouraged, it was demanded.
    The simple life that people had known was gone forever, the world had turned upside down.

Braidwood's favorite pastime, quoits?

Published by admin on Wed, 08/16/2017 - 9:00am

    That Braidwood and the surrounding coal towns were hubs for immigrants from all over the world still fascinates me.
    They came in waves, usually one nationality at a time. The prejudices they grew up with came with them. But also came the good things. Let's look at just one.
    The earliest wave of immigrants came from the British Isles, the Irish, English and the Scottish, were all familiar with life in the coal mines and for the most part they all spoke English.

A century ago, the War to End All Wars begins

Published by admin on Tue, 08/08/2017 - 9:53am

    One hundred years ago our country entered what was imagined to be the war to end all wars. With its mechanical weapons such as tanks, mustard gas and personal weapons such as machine guns and hand grenades, no one could imagine anything more devastating. Men from all over Will County, including Braidwood, were drafted. When that first draft number was drawn, the war became all too real.
    On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked for a declaration of war against Germany. The Congress obliged him and the war was officially declared.

Will County ramps up for the War to End All Wars

Published by admin on Mon, 08/07/2017 - 12:52pm

    The war effort — today that is an archaic term. There is no doubt that our nation is at war in the Middle East. And there are many families who have been directly impacted by it. But for the rest of us, it is a remote thing to be watched on the television. We make no sacrifices, we attend no rallies, we donate no time to making our boys more comfortable. One hundred years ago, it was not so.