Our Rural Heritage
184 stories
Healer or faker? … a visit from royalty
By Sandy Vasko When the railroad came through Will County in 1854, it did more than give our citizens a…
There’s a land rush on, by George
By Sandy Vasko It is December 17, 1878. We are listening to George Woodruff give a presentation documenting the very…
What George remembered, a portal into the past
By Sandy Vasko What did it look like to the first ones? The first few white men to come to…
Finding true love … and choosing wisely
By Sandy Vasko It’s that romantic time of year; Valentine’s Day is when we express our feelings for the one…
WWI — A startling discovery, women in the workplace
By Sandy Vasko Being an old equal rights amendment worker, I can tell you that the issue of women’s role…
WWI — February 1918, things were rough all over
One hundred and seven years ago the War to End All Wars was raging in Europe. Our doughboys were on…
The I & M Canal, the men who built it
By Sandy Vasko 1836 was a banner year in many ways. The massacre at the Alamo stunned the nation, but…
The last escape of Mollie Brown
I am sure that almost all of us have had the experience of trying to tell a stranger where we…
WWI: Patriotic spirit or youthful enthusiasm, January 1918
By Sandy Vasko War is not an old man’s game. It requires physical fitness and mental sharpness. It is the…
Fads and traditions from New Year’s history
By Sandy Vasko I have been researching New Year’s traditions around the world and have found some mighty strange ones.…
WWI — Christmas in war time, 100 years ago
By Sandy Vasko I know that many of my gentle readers have loved ones away from home this holiday season.…
The Black Hawk War: A place of refuge, Fort Dearborn
By Sandy Vasko When we left the fleeing settlers, they had arrived at Fort Dearborn. However, they weren’t the only…