Our Rural Heritage
188 stories
The Diamond Coal Mine Disaster of 1883
By Sandy Vasko February and floods, they go together. The recent flooding in Wilmington proves it yet again. All across…
Farm Days Gone By
Bettenhausen Farm, John & Elizabeth Bettenhausen Family 1892 Andy Partak of Manhattan shares this photo of John & Elizabeth Bettenhausen’s…
The dangers of getting from here to there
By Sandy Vasko While stuck in traffic the other day, I expressed the wish that I had a horse. They…
Civil War: December, 1863 – Going into winter camp
By Sandy Vasko As December 1863 showed her frosty face, the brave soldiers from Will County serving on the front…
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…