Our Rural Heritage
184 stories
Mining the Miners: Equal opportunity in the gold fields
By Sandy Vasko Today, we are leaving Illinois to go to that land of milk and honey – California. The…
Looking at the earliest days, pioneers’ reunions
By Sandy Vasko The 1880s in this area was a time for looking back. Many soldiers’ reunions were held, and…
It’s that time of year, Chautauqua
By Sandy Vasko If the above word is unfamiliar to you, it’s because the grand social movement that was Chautauqua…
Searching for Illinois’ roots? Start in Kaskaskia
By Sandy Vasko Ah, it’s summer, and for some it means summer vacation. If you are a history buff, and…
Teenagers in trouble, the age-old problem
By Sandy Vasko I have heard many adults describe the wild times of their youth and murmur, “That’s when I…
Riding the river, a good time for all
By Sandy Vasko Today, we step outside the boundaries of Will County to Kankakee County, specifically Rockville, located about where…
Farmers united, it was called the Grange
By Sandy Vasko While trying to put together a picture of what made Will County what it is today, I…
Riding the C & A, always something new
By Sandy Vasko Transportation in the earliest years of Will County consisted of horses and canal boats. By the 1850s,…
Sin in the city, the County Seat ‘exposed’
By Sandy Vasko WARNING, THIS COLUMN NOT TO BE READ BY YOUNGER OR MORE SENSITIVE READERS! Yes, today we need…
Labor and immigration, the beginnings of unions
By Sandy Vasko With Memorial Day in the rear view mirror, and Fourth of July on the horizon, soon, it…
War, Women, Widows and Wilmington
By Sandy Vasko Many Wilmingtonians just called it The Home. It was a beautiful sight on the banks of the…
Before Dellwood, Riverview Park ruled
By Sandy Vasko Most people in Will County are aware of Dellwood Park in Lockport. It was created by the…