A carding mill for Cass County
Few tasks were more tedious than carding wool, a process by which clean but tangled wool is stretched and brushed so it can then… Login to continue reading Login…
Looking to the Past
In search of what has been lost
Our search begins at Ravenswood. What? You’ve never heard of Ravenswood? Well, that’s understandable. You see, Ravenswood was never more than a 19th… Login to continue reading Login…
Horses that our Western heroes rode
When I was a lad, my first Western hero was Red Ryder along with his American Indian sidekick, Little Beaver. Looking back, I… Login to continue reading Login…
1871: the year of the great fires
In 1922 the National Fire Protection Association named the second week of October as Fire Prevention Week in remembrance of the Great Chicago Fire.… Login to continue reading Login…
Springfield’s Public Service Building
On Dec. 23, 1930, the Illinois State Journal had this to say about the new Public Service Building’s exterior lights: “Springfield’s Christmas stocking… Login to continue reading Login…
A most magnificent building
It has been more than eight years since the Illinois Building was sold, ending an interesting chapter of Central Illinois history. The Illinois… Login to continue reading Login…
From dirty laundry to clean teeth
According to Advertising Age, that bible of Madison Avenue, the 20th century produced 10 advertising jingles that out-jingled all the rest. From the… Login to continue reading Login…
A place for paupers, not princes
Well before the American Revolution, Americans began debating the role of government in the provision of welfare. It was Benjamin Franklin who warned… Login to continue reading Login…
Confederate flags, contentious symbols
“Pictures have a lot more power than text. Text is just a bunch of little symbols. You have to actually read it and imagine… Login to continue reading Login…
Looking to the Past: When all the lights suddenly go out
Since the dawn of the age of electricity more than a century ago, humanity has been showered with an unequalled array of goodies. Of… Login to continue reading Login…