Time Was

Christmas traditions in the 1870's

Published by admin on Mon, 12/09/2024 - 12:04pm

Today we are going on a journey, not unlike Scrooge's journey, to the past, the long past. Get aboard my time machine, turned sleigh, and together we will travel to the 1870's to find Christmas as it was celebrated then.
The 1870's was not a prosperous decade in Will County. During the early part of the decade, people were still recovering from the Civil War. An army of tramps, usually ex-soldiers who could not adjust to civilian life, were marching across the country - begging and stealing.

The entrepreneur of the coal fields, Wm. Odell

Published by admin on Mon, 12/09/2024 - 11:45am

Anyone who has driven south on I-55 sees a sign for the town of Odell. Some of us have even been there. Named after a guy named Odell we guess. William Odell not only had a town named after him, but he left his name in the history books of every small and large town in this area. Today we look at the entrepreneur of the coal field.

Braidwood Christmases of long ago

Published by admin on Mon, 12/02/2024 - 12:52pm

When you think of Christmas of yesteryear you tend to think along the lines of Bob Cratchett and Scrooge sitting by the fire watching the plum pudding boil. That wasn't the style in early Braidwood, perhaps because Braidwood didn't spring into being until the 1870's. By that time things had changed.
The earliest mention of Christmas I can find is in 1872. “The young folks in Braidwood are to have dancing parties on both Christmas and New Year's Nights.”

December 1862, Christmas on the battlefield

Published by admin on Mon, 12/02/2024 - 11:39am

With wars and rumors of wars swirling all around us, I thought it appropriate that we look at other holiday seasons during other wars our country has had. We begin with the Civil War, the first war that Will County folks experienced.
As the winter of 1862/63 approached, the Will County regiments headed for winter camp. The 20th, Will County's first regiment to enter the War, found themselves in Mississippi. They marched from Holly Springs, crossed the Tallahatchie, marched to Oxford, then on Christmas Eve returned to the Tallahatchie.

What to believe? Your eyes or the Net?

Published by admin on Mon, 11/25/2024 - 10:50am

I would be lying to you if I said that I never did research on the Internet. I do use many trusted sources for information. I think we all do. But how many times have you used Google Maps to find your way, and it took you in circles? Or the net recommended a restaurant and when you got there it had been closed for ages.
Today, while doing research on the internet about Symerton, a place well known to Wilmingtonians, I came across the following description on a website called Best Places of that tiny burg.
About Symerton, IL:

Dangers at Diamond, air, water and land

Published by admin on Mon, 11/25/2024 - 10:34am

I guess most of us know that mining is a dangerous occupation. In the 1870's, when the Industrial Revolution was just beginning, the demand for coal far exceeded the amount taken out of the ground. Shafts were sunk without much forethought. And, it seemed, life was cheap. Today we look at the birth of yet another coal town on the great Wilmington Coal Field.

The heart of a small town, the post office

Published by admin on Mon, 11/18/2024 - 12:33pm

Many, like myself, complain about mail delivery. What used to take three days, now takes a week, But time was when there was no delivery at all. Everyone had to come to the post office to get their mail. The post office was the heart of every small town. Today we look at the local history of the post office.

Charity for fun and profit, the Soldiers' Widows' Home

Published by admin on Mon, 11/18/2024 - 12:30pm

Ten years ago, the last remaining piece of the old Soldiers' Widows' Home was demolished, even after it had attained landmark status. It is just too far gone to save. The Home is a legend in Wilmington history, but that does not mean it was without its faults, especially in the early days. Today we look at the controversial woman who headed up the Home in its earliest days.

Kill or keep? Will County wild things

Published by admin on Mon, 11/11/2024 - 2:04pm

Every once in a while, we hear of sightings of animals that have long since left our neck of the woods. When I was young, to hear of a coyote sighting was rare, Canadian geese were still a marvel and people traveled long distances to see large flocks. Today all we have to do is go to the nearest golf course.

Parades, politics, parties and priests

Published by admin on Mon, 11/11/2024 - 2:00pm

We have talked about the diverse nationalities that came to Braidwood to mine coal and start a new life. While the first wave of immigrants was mainly from the British Isles, the second wave, in the mid 1870's, was from countries all over Europe.
They were separated by custom, dress, and language but they had two things in common - willingness to take a chance on a new country and life, and the Catholic religion. Today we look at the early history of the Catholic Church in Braidwood.