Columnist

From horse to iron horse, the C. & A. Railroad

Published by admin on Tue, 12/03/2019 - 11:18am

Transportation has changed radically since Wilmington was first put on the map. Early pioneers arrived here by horse and wagon, over muddy roads, with poor accommodations along the way, exposed to the elements and bounced over every stone and stick in the way. There was no other choice.

Bring in the holiday season with Eggnog

Published by admin on Mon, 12/02/2019 - 1:10pm

Thanksgiving arrived a bit later on the calendar than usual this year, meaning that we have three weeks and some change to prepare for Christmas. We have even less time to prepare for the pre-Christmas parties. When preparing your holiday cocktail menu, you may find yourself caught in a Christmas cocktail conundrum: to Eggnog, or not to Eggnog?
If Eggnog has been present at your Christmas gatherings as long as you can remember, the question answers itself and it is highly likely that a family recipe is also part of that tradition.

Hunting, an old autumn tradition

Published by admin on Tue, 11/26/2019 - 12:10pm

Autumn signals the start of the school year, the beginning of cool weather, the raking of leaves and for some, the start of the hunting season. This also means buying a hunting license, reading the new game laws, and trying to find a good duck or goose blind. Laws governing the shooting of game are fairly recent in our history. Let's look at the 19th century sportsman and hunting on our Kankakee.

The paving that tripped up a mayor, very Hazzard-ous

Published by admin on Tue, 11/26/2019 - 11:59am

Elections are now starting to gear up for the spring primary. Who will win is not always obvious, especially when a hot-button issue is brought before the voters. The issue doesn't have to be huge, sometime a small thing, like snow plowing, can bring down a candidate. Set the way-back for the spring of 1921 and the Wilmington mayor's race.

Madigan insider put it in writing which is a big mistake

Published by admin on Tue, 11/26/2019 - 8:00am

The Chicago Tribune recently reported that Mike McClain, the most prominent insider connected to House Speaker Michael Madigan, sent a blind-copied email to what he called the "Most Trusted of the Trusted" asking for help raising money in the closing weeks of the 2018 campaign.

Madigan insider put it in writing which is a big mistake

Published by admin on Mon, 11/25/2019 - 1:29pm

The Chicago Tribune recently reported that Mike McClain, the most prominent insider connected to House Speaker Michael Madigan, sent a blind-copied email to what he called the "Most Trusted of the Trusted" asking for help raising money in the closing weeks of the 2018 campaign. After thanking them for their work on behalf of "Himself" (presumed to be Madigan), McClain claimed to have reviewed a "magic Excel sheet" and asked for more contributions, which were to be directed to a Madigan person at the Democratic Party of Illinois so their money could be tracked on said "magic" spreadsheet.

Taking J&B and Ginger to the next level

Published by admin on Mon, 11/25/2019 - 12:56pm

Think back to the bar scene in a movie, any movie.

Beauty in bottle, 19th century cosmetics

Published by admin on Tue, 11/19/2019 - 9:24am

Page through any women's magazine and you will find all the beauty preparations you could possibly think of. It is a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. But time was, when you had to concoct those potions and lotions yourself.
Our reference today is a book entitled, “Our Deportments or The Manners, Conduct and Dress of the Most Refined Society” published in Chicago in 1881.
In the section titled “Toilet Recipes” we read the following:

Get your hands off of my horse or I'll shoot!

Published by admin on Tue, 11/19/2019 - 9:23am

As a fan of John Wayne, Roy Rodgers, and Mr. Dillon (not necessarily in that order) the above words were familiar to me. They were also familiar to 19th century folks who lived in these parts. Let's look at the worst kind of criminals there ever was — the horse thief!

Ti’ Punch: small, but big on taste

Published by admin on Mon, 11/18/2019 - 4:37pm

Not all punch is served in bowls. Some punches are served in pitchers while others are simply served by the glass. On the island of Martinique the local punch is petite, or “Ti'” in Creole, but big on taste. This week we will take a few sips of the official cocktail of Martinique — Ti' Punch.