Time Was

Dams, locks, and towns, all remnants of the I&M

Published by admin on Wed, 04/24/2019 - 9:00am

Just a few miles away money was to be made. Just a few miles away was the I & M Canal, the great public works project. It ran from Chicago to La Salle, and from there the world.
New Orleans was now a realistic destination. If only the Kankakee was deep enough for a canal boat to make it to the Feeder. But it wasn't. Damn that river. Or should I say Dam that river?

Miners vs. Coal Companies, Round 2

Published by admin on Wed, 04/24/2019 - 9:00am

Last week we looked at the strike of 1874 and the introduction of “black leg” miners to break the strike. We continue with the results of that action.
There was no doubt, the coal companies had won round one. Their tactic of bringing in black coal miners from the south had broken the strike. The miners had settled.
The aftermath of the strike was summed up like this, “It will be of interest to the community that is interested in the success of coal mining, to know how much has been lost or made in the recent Braidwood strike.”

Feeding the I & M Canal

Published by admin on Wed, 04/17/2019 - 9:00am

The grand public works project, the I & M Canal had birth defects.
She was supposed to have been cut deep enough that water from Lake Michigan would flow on its own into the canal.
But money was tight, and the project was built on the shallow cut with a steam engine on the shores of Lake Michigan to pump water day and night into the canal.
It was obvious from the opening in 1848 that this plan would not work. The steam pump did not provide enough water, and it was constantly breaking down.

Company vs. Strikers, Round 1

Published by admin on Wed, 04/17/2019 - 9:00am

When we last met, we learned that Braidwood miners were becoming educated and aware of the power of acting in unison against the coal companies.
But as the miners became smarter so did the companies. We continue the story in the fateful year of 1874.
To give you an idea of the workforce in Braidwood we find the following description printed in the Wilmington Advocate in January.

Politics and the labor vote

Published by admin on Wed, 04/10/2019 - 9:00am

    Last time we looked at the beginning of the labor movement among the early coal miners in Braidwood. By 1868 the miners had learned to use the court system to obtain their rights through a written contract with The Company. Today we follow their education into the political arena.
    By the early 1870's the miners had learned that there was power in numbers, and that if they all fought for a single goal, they just might win.

The what and why for what we see

Published by admin on Wed, 04/10/2019 - 9:00am

    Last week two of my gentle readers stopped by the museum for a chat. They wanted to know more about what they were seeing on their property.
    What they were seeing was remnants. There are many remnants left from this great project - the Indian Boundary Line, the Mill Race, great stone structures along the river, the commercial buildings that line Water Street, the back waters and many more, are all that are left of the grandest public project Illinois has ever seen - the I&M Canal.

Stirring up the melting pot

Published by admin on Wed, 04/03/2019 - 9:00am

    The United States has been called the great melting pot. If any place in our great country exemplifies this metaphor, it's Braidwood.
    Braidwood's population exploded overnight after the mines were open with people from many different nations. What sort of folks were these
    If we were to categorize them today, we would probably call most of them left-wing radicals who came to this country to stir up trouble.
    Not a fair description? Perhaps. Today we look at the early “trouble makers” that gave Braidwood its start.

Freedom Seekers and those who helped

Published by admin on Wed, 04/03/2019 - 9:00am

    Today when we speak of freedom seekers, we most likely think of immigrants who come to this country to escape oppression and crime in their native land. That is not what we are talking about today.
    Today we look at people who were born and raised in this country, but had no civil or political rights whatsoever - slaves.
    When Wilmington was first platted out in 1836 by Cox, slavery flourished, not only in the south, but also to some extent in the north.

Not making the history books, but should

Published by admin on Wed, 03/27/2019 - 9:00am

    There are names in Braidwood history that everyone knows, James Braidwood, McLaughlin, Mitchell and Cermak to name a few.
    These people were important to the town and to the country as a whole. But there were others, whose name means nothing to us now, but whose contribution to the community loomed large. Honorable William H. Steen was one of these.

Where they hide the knowledge

Published by admin on Wed, 03/27/2019 - 9:00am

    When my son was young he was on his break at work reading a book. One of his co-workers commented on wasting his break reading, and asked him why he did it.
    He responded, “I found out that they hide knowledge in the pages of books.” Enough said. That is why public libraries were founded. Today we look at our own library history.