Our Rural Heritage
184 stories
Memorial Day reminds us of the bloody battle of Chickamauga
By Sandy Vasko As we mark another Memorial Day, we need to turn away from the picnic and party, to…
A farm fit for a king, or an emperor
By Sandy Vasko It started out as a rumor when “suits” started visiting Will County. People with electronic equipment were…
Rev. Steven R. Beggs, pioneer of Plainfield
By Sandy Vasko This week, we look to Plainfield, the first township settled in Will County. Our subject is Rev.…
‘Shoving the queer,’ or how to defraud your neighbors
By Sandy Vasko I hope no one is thinking the above phrase has anything to do with homophobia. In the…
Frankfort through time, a quick snapshot
By Sandy Vasko Today, our ramble through history takes us to Frankfort, one of the earliest-settled townships in Will County.…
Meddling in other country’s politics, spy vs. spy
By Sandy Vasko Meddling in other countries’ politics scandalizes our nation. They meddle in ours; we meddle in theirs, immigrants…
Germ warfare is not over … Who will win?
By Sandy Vasko The war is not over, and may never be. I am talking about the war between mankind…
James Elwood, a man with many hats
By Sandy Vasko When I bring up the name of James Elwood at the museum, people usually say, “Oh, that’s…
Policemen of the Ditch, it wasn’t easy
By Sandy Vasko In 1894, a project known as the Sanitary Canal, or the Big Ditch, was in full swing.…
Good enough to dig, not to vote
By Sandy Vasko I think that there are few other topics these days that are more contentious than that of…
World War I — May 1918, the smells of spring … and gas
By Sandy Vasko Today we are going back to the War to End All Wars. May 1918 brought warm breezes…
Frontier justice, the case of Mr. and Mrs. O’Donnell
By Sandy Vasko An ambitious young man and a beautiful young woman had their whole lives ahead of them. On…