Time Was

The walking food of Braidwood, or watch where you step

Published by admin on Tue, 05/17/2022 - 11:46am

Living in Braidwood in the 19th century is difficult for me to imagine for so many reasons. It was a melting pot of languages, customs, religions, styles of dress and more. But one thing everyone had in common, and that was the necessity of eating.
And in a time when refrigeration was not at hand, one must keep one's food as fresh as possible. And that was done by keeping it alive until needed. And this they did. So today we look at the food on the hoof, so to speak, in Braidwood.

Following a thread, pioneer merchant Isaiah Cracraft

Published by admin on Tue, 05/17/2022 - 11:42am

Back when I started this column 23 years ago, finding information about a local well-known person was incredibly hard. If he was not in one of the two or three history books, we knew nothing. But today, with the internet and programs like Ancestry, we can do it at home with our PJ's on.

The elections of 1908, Wilmington's pressing issues

Published by admin on Tue, 05/10/2022 - 9:17am

Our focus today is on the election questions that came before the voters in 1908. It was a time of change in America, and the cause of the day was temperance, that is, the demon alcohol.
The entire state was looking at the “wet/dry” option that spring. Early in April the first elections on the subject were held and it was a toss up. Springfield, Kankakee, Aurora and Marengo had all stayed wet. Pontiac, DeKalb, Decatur, and Rockford all went dry.

A down year for Braidwood, 1910

Published by admin on Tue, 05/10/2022 - 9:16am

We all know what a hybrid is, it's part this and part that, part electric part gas, etc. My description of Braidwood in 1910 is hybrid.
There were automobiles on the streets, but there were also horse and buggy rigs. Electricity was the wave of the future, but houses were still being lit with candles and oil lamps. Set the way-back machine for January, 1910.
By 1910, most of the old shaft mines had closed down, although there were still a few in business. Technology for strip mining had not yet been invented.

Horse thieves and the long arm of the law

Published by admin on Tue, 05/03/2022 - 10:57am

Time was when taking the law into your own hands was not only necessary, but legal. Today we read the story a farmer and his friends from Reed Township who took the law, a warrant and a pair of handcuffs into their own hands to catch a horse thief.
From the February 26, 1876 edition of the Wilmington Advocate:

May 1922, a time of remembering

Published by admin on Tue, 05/03/2022 - 10:56am

Although the first World War was over, war was on the mind of many in Wilmington. Not the recent war, but one that many old timers could vividly remember. At the Soldiers' Widows' Home, a service was held to commemorate a fallen comrade.

Fun, frolic, and flight - 1885 had it

Published by admin on Tue, 04/26/2022 - 10:21am

Face it, when we think of early Braidwood, we think coal, saloons, murder and poverty. But those things were only part of life in the 19th century. There were also good times, dancing, singing, and going out to see a show. And times being what they were, enjoy today because tomorrow you may be out of work. Today we look at that side of Braidwood in 1885.

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

Published by admin on Tue, 04/26/2022 - 10:19am

There is no evidence of the old Soldiers' Widows' Home. 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.

The man on the drum, who was he?

Published by admin on Tue, 04/19/2022 - 10:11am

One of the artifacts in the possession of the Wilmington Area Historical Society is a Civil War drum from the 100th Illinois Voluntary Infantry. It is in remarkable shape. The colors are bright and the name of the regiment can still be clearly read.
There is also another name on the drum - that of C. J. Jukes. Never heard of him? Me neither until I saw that drum come out of a plastic trash bag many years ago when it was first donated. Recently, I was able to do a bit of research about him. Here is what I found.

Sons of patriots abounded in Braidwood

Published by admin on Tue, 04/19/2022 - 10:10am

Of all the many social and political organizations that existed in Braidwood in 1886, one stood out as having the youngest most active members. This week we will look at the Sons of Veterans and their role in Braidwood society.
It must be remembered that during the Civil War, Braidwood was just a flat, open, boggy prairie with only a few hardy residents scratching their living out of the poor soil.