Our Rural Heritage
188 stories
Finding the right place, one family’s story
By Sandy Vasko Just like a dog turning around and around to find just the right place to settle down,…
Women’s Month: It all started with a murder
By Sandy Vasko Women’s Month continues with a story that began with a murder, and it ended with a woman…
Women of Will, life of joy and sorrow
By Sandy Vasko It is Women’s Month. As a woman historian, I have come to realize that what they say…
Republicans vs. Dems, or rallying for a winner
By Sandy Vasko The office of President of the United States and the topic of elections is never far from…
Viruses and vaccines in the 19th century
By Sandy Vasko Health care is on the minds of many these days. The talk is about both how to…
Political shenanigans, 1865 style
By Sandy Vasko It was the fall of 1865. The War Between the States had only been over for five…
Now open wide … dentistry in Will County
By Sandy Vasko I doubt that going to the dentist is on the top of anyone’s favorite things to do…
An accounting of Will County, 1878
By Sandy Vasko I am old enough to remember a man coming to my parents’ house to assess their personal…
Surviving the deep snow of 1830 … or not
By Sandy Vasko Sitting in my office, I can see very little snow, and I am glad. But the temperature…
The First to Volunteer, the 20th
By Sandy Vasko One hundred and sixty-five years ago, our country was in turmoil. The southern states had seceded, and…
Looking at the earliest days, pioneers’ reunion
Editor’s Note: Sandy Vasko is taking some well-deserved time off. So we are re-running some of our favorite columns. By…
Only the name remains, Jug Town
Editor’s Note: Sandy Vasko is taking some well-deserved time off. So we are re-running some of our favorite columns. By…