Our Rural Heritage
184 stories
WWI: Summer and Fall, 1917, the reality of war
By Sandy Vasko By July 1917, Will County faced the reality of war time. Folks prepared as best they could.…
Wesley boy changes local politics
By Sandy Vasko We are now into that seemingly endless time, that between the primaries and the November election. And…
The beginnings of the ‘forgotten war’
By Sandy Vasko This starts a series of articles about what I call the “forgotten war,” World War One. Looking…
Chaos and death in Lorenzo
By Sandy Vasko I ambivalent about trains. For instance, I hate them when I am stuck at a crossing for…
Civil War: July 1865: Huzzah for the 100th!
By Sandy Vasko Patriotic fever had hit epidemic proportions during the first week of July, 1865. The war was over,…
Civil War: May 1865, the long road home
By Sandy Vasko Although the streets were full of people, it was strangely quiet. May blossoms filled the air, but…
Civil War: April 1865, extreme joy and sorrow
By Sandy Vasko April, it’s spring, and things happen quickly in the spring. One minute the ground is bare and…
The short life of a canal boat: the Mohawk Belle
By Sandy Vasko What could be more pleasant than a trip on the river. Soft breezes blowing, your best gal…
When the city moves to the country
By Sandy Vasko There are times I find myself lost driving on familiar roads in what was once rural Will…
Civil War: Spring 1865, the war winds down
By Sandy Vasko Ed Conley, a musician and former printers’ devil for the Wilmington Independent, wrote back to the newspaper…
Civil War: 1865 brought turmoil on the home front
By Sandy Vasko All the signs were good. It truly seemed like the North was prevailing. Those at home believed…
Celebrating the return of the 100th, but where?
By Sandy Vasko Celebrating the Fourth these days means family picnics and relaxing with a couple of cold ones. But…