Our Rural Heritage
184 stories
Civil War: November 1863, Revenge for Chickamauga
By Sandy Vasko When November of 1863 came around, the Union was still reeling from the losses at Chickamauga. When…
Remembering those we lost
Editor’s note: Sandy Vasko is on vacation. We are re-running one of her past columns. By Sandy Vasko I’ve been…
Civil War: Chickamauga and after, October 1863
By Sandy Vasko We left the troops sleeping where they dropped before the battle commenced. Again, in Woodruff we read:…
Civil War: August of 1863, no end in sight
By Sandy Vasko After the Union victory at Vicksburg, there was a hope that it would cripple the South, and…
The last local home for the poor, insane and helpless
By Sandy Vasko Last time, we visited the Will County Poor House. It was August of 1877, and the Joliet…
A visit to the Poor House, 1877
By Sandy Vasko A while back, we talked about the Poor House, once located in Troy Township. Today we get…
July 1863, could the war be over?
By Sandy Vasko July of 1863 found the citizens of Will County full of hope — hope that they would…
Thanksgiving in Peace and War
By Sandy Vasko It has become a holiday of gluttony, but oh what glorious gluttony! And it has been so…
Civil War: May and June 1863, to fight or flee
By Sandy Vasko It is May of 1863; we continue our look at Will County in the Civil War. McAllister’s…
The noble Sheriff Noble, good guy or …?
By Sandy Vasko It is a story that is as old as society: A good guy, with his heart in…
Thar’s gold in them thar’ hills!
“Thar’s gold in them thar’ hills!” That’s what people shouted in those old westerns showing the Gold Rush in California.…
