Columnist

    Reed Township was a rural place in 1855. Although it was known there was coal in the area, no one had yet harvested it. Wilmington was the closest place to sell farm produce and to shop for the early farming community that lived for the most part in Custer Township.
    But to get to Wilmington one had to ford the Kankakee River at what is now Baltimore Stree, a dangerous proposition during times of high water.

    Many Wilmingtonians just called it The Home. It was a beautiful sight on the banks of the Kankakee - a wide sweeping veranda, a fine view of the river. It could almost be mistaken for a large resort hotel. But it was the final home for many women, those whose lives at been permanently altered by war.
    The need for a soldiers' and sailors' home was seen very quickly after the end of the War Between the States. Many a brave man had returned missing his limbs, his eye sight, and perhaps even his sanity.

    Last week we looked at how Gardner started and the coal mine that brought it prosperity. But as the old saying goes, what goes up - must come down, or in this case those who go down, must come up.
    The 1850's and 60's were good times for Gardner. The coal mine payroll kept things rolling along. But by the 1870's the mine was played out. Gardner began a slow slide downhill.  

    The above is a familiar concept. Today the Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Merchants both repeat that same mantra. Of course, like everything else, this is not new. Today we look at those efforts in the pre-war year of 1916.
    In March of 1916 the city was excited to learn the following, “Barry & Co., will soon display in front of their hardware store, an electric sign which was designed and is being made by G. A. Gale, one of the employees of this enterprising firm. Watch for it.”