Our Rural Heritage
188 stories
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…
The Indian Wars of Will County
By Sandy Vasko It’s at this season that the old myths about the origin of Thanksgiving pop up. And they…
WWI — December of 1917 at home and away
By Sandy Vasko One hundred and seven years ago, the world was at war. The United States was sending her…
Get your hands off of my horse or I’ll shoot!
By Sandy Vasko As a fan of John Wayne, Roy Rogers and Mr. Dillon (not necessarily in that order), the…
WWI — November 1917, somewhere ‘over there’
By Sandy Vasko We will soon celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States. It is a time when families get together…
Women in mining communities
By Sandy Vasko The subject of women has been much bandied about in recent weeks. Respect for women, equal pay…
The newest weapon of war, the knitting needle
By Sandy Vasko October of 1917 saw many Will County boys away from home. Some were in training camps; some…
WWI: A world turned upside down, the war effort
By Sandy Vasko A little over one hundred years ago, the whole world was in turmoil. Young men were being…
WWI: An army hospital somewhere on the front
By Sandy Vasko One hundred and seven years ago, the whole world was truly at war. The center of it…