Whiteside

Joliet Helped Tame West

The History of Joliet – Chapter 23 By John Whiteside of The Herald News (used with permission) Submitted by Nancy Vargo “He was forseeing enough to understand that there would be an immense industry built on barbwire fencing.” By John WHITESIDE of The Herald News Barbed wire helped to settle the American frontier. And much of the barbed wire that stretched across the nation was produced by Hiram SCUTT in Joliet. Early settlers used thorns and sticky shrubs along with rail and rock fences to keep in their livestock. But that all changed in 1873 when Joseph GLIDDEN invented barbed … Read more

Dangerous Celebration at War’s End

The History of Joliet – Chapter 33 By John Whiteside of The Herald News (used with permission) Submitted by Nancy Vargo “When the guns started going off at 3 a.m., one man rushed outside because he thought a neighbor had finally caught that chicken thief. ‘The chicken thief turned out to be the Kaiser,’ the man told the Joliet Evening Herald-News.” By John WHITESIDE of The Herald News When the guns started going off at 3 a.m., one man rushed outside because he thought a neighbor had finally caught that chicken thief. But he found that guns were being fired … Read more

Joliet Chief Pegged It: Inside Job

The History of Joliet – Chapter 24 By John Whiteside of The Herald News (used with permission) Submitted by Nancy Vargo “The bandits had killed the express manager and gotten away with $22,000 cash and a bag full of jewelry.” By John WHITESIDE of The Herald News From the very beginning, Joliet Police Chief Frank MURRAY told the Pinkerton detectives that the train robbery was an inside job. That’s what the clues and facts added up to, he said. MURRAY, appointed police chief by Mayor Thomas KELLY in the spring of 1884, had been brought in to reform the city. … Read more

Temperance vs. Whiskey Row in Joliet

The History of Joliet – Chapter 27 By John Whiteside of The Herald News (used with permission) Submitted by Nancy Vargo “Joliet has seldom if ever known such an anti-saloon movement.” By John WHITESIDE of The Herald News In the final months of the 19th century, the residents of Joliet were screaming that they were angry. Their anger centered around the saloons along Whiskey Row. And at the same time, the city was visited by a president. The saloons in Joliet were out of control. Drinking and brawls, muggings and robberies were disrupting too many lives in Joliet. Minors were … Read more

World War I Regiment Earns Praise

The History of Joliet – Chapter 32 By John Whiteside of The Herald News (used with permission) Submitted by Nancy Vargo “The screaming convicts had set fire to five buildings and were attempting to ram a railroad freight car through the front gate.” By John WHITESIDE of The Herald News A patriotic fever swept across Joliet on April 6, 1917, when the United States declared war on Germany and joined World War I. The local recruiting office was swamped with volunteers. By the end of the month, more than 400 local men had enlisted. The following month, a national draft … Read more

Bartleson Lost Arm, then His Life, for Nation

The History of Joliet – Chapter 14 By John Whiteside of The Herald News (used with permission) Submitted by Nancy Vargo I have still an arm left for my country, and she shall have that too, if necessary.” By John WHITESIDE of The Herald News Of all the warriors from Joliet who fought in the Civil War, the best remembered and most noble among them was Col. Frederick BARTLESON. The memory of this soldier is a city treasure. Described by George H. WOODRUFF, the local historian, BARTLESON was “a Christian in his convictions and always a man of pure morals.” … Read more

Thinned Ranks Return to Joliet from Civil War

The History of Joliet – Chapter 15 By John Whiteside of The Herald News (used with permission) Submitted by Nancy Vargo “The rebellion, in its death throes, has dealt one terrible last thrust.” By John WHITESIDE of The Herald News In the summer of 1863, bands played, cannons fired and church bells rang when the news reached Joliet about the Union victory at Gettysburg. Residents believed the backbone of the rebellion had been broken. But there was more of the Civil War to come before the end. There were more volunteers for new regiments and finally the national draft. With … Read more

Newspaper Editor Spoke Out On Slavery

The History of Joliet – Chapter 16 By John Whiteside of The Herald News (used with permission) Submitted by Nancy Vargo “Stephen A. Douglas, the Illinois senator who squared off against Abraham Lincoln in the famed debate of 1858, was often seen in Joliet seeking political advice from newspaper editor Calneh Zarley.” By John WHITESIDE of The Herald News During the early history of Joliet and throughout the Civil War, one of the most outspoken voices in the city was Calneh ZARLEY. They called him Cal. And Cal was a newspaper editor and owner of the Joliet Signal. His father, … Read more

Prison Walls Rise From Stony Joliet Turf

The History of Joliet – Chapter 17 By John Whiteside of The Herald News (used with permission) Submitted by Nancy Vargo “The ground at the new prison site was filled with limestone, which meant convicts couldn’t tunnel out. That limestone also could be used to build the prison walls and buildings.” By John WHITESIDE of The Herald News In his inaugural speech during January 1853, Gov. Joel MATTESON of Joliet spoke of the need for a new state penitentiary in the northern part of Illinois. With an ever-increasing crime rate and the population quickly expanding, a place to house criminals … Read more

City’s First Execution: Killer Hanged in 1866

The History of Joliet – Chapter 18 By John Whiteside of The Herald News (used with permission) Submitted by Nancy Vargo “I don’t think I’m guilty.” By John WHITESIDE of The Herald News They thought his name was George CHASE. But they weren’t sure, and he wouldn’t tell them. They hanged him anyway in Joliet in the summer of 1866. CHASE was the first execution in the city. He was a convicted horse thief serving time in the prison on Collins Street. While the Civil War was still going on, CHASE attempted to escape in the spring of 1864. He … Read more