Whiteside

Escaping Slaves Found Help in Joliet

The History of Joliet – Chapter 10 By John Whiteside of The Herald News (used with permission) Submitted by Nancy Vargo “Although Illinois didn’t have slavery, state laws imposed a severe penalty upon anyone aiding a fugitive slave.” By John WHITESIDE of The Herald News In the two decades before railroads began to span across the nation, another rail system grew quickly with freedom at the end of the line. And the underground railroad ran right through Joliet. Its chief conductor in Joliet was Samuel CUSHING, better known as Deacon CUSHING. “He has a history that would make a respectable … Read more

Cobbler Tried Thrice in Murder of Benjamin Pickles

The History of Joliet – Chapter 11 By John Whiteside of The Herald News (used with permission) Submitted by Nancy Vargo “The bullet hit Pickles in the head, between the left eye and ear. His sons watched him die.” By John WHITESIDE of The Herald News With the beginning of the Civil War, crime came to Joliet. Like that night in the blacksmith shop on Eastern Avenue. These were some wild times in Joliet. Although there was a strong patriotic spirit in the city, the war had created problems with all the people passing through Joliet. William STEVENS, a local … Read more

Joliet Patriots Hear Call of Civil War

The History of Joliet – Chapter 12 By John Whiteside of The Herald News (used with permission) Submitted by Nancy Vargo “Nothing was talked of or thought of but war …” By John WHITESIDE of The Herald News When the Confederate cannons fired at Fort Sumter, Joliet quickly became a city filled with a patriotic fever. Filled with speeches, flags and bands. Filled with volunteers ready to fight and save the Union. The news of the war reached Joliet on a Sunday — April 14, 1861. From the pulpit to street corners, everyone talked about the war. That following Wednesday, … Read more

Rich, Undisturbed Land First Home to Native Americans

The History of Joliet – Chapter 1 By John Whiteside of The Herald News (used with permission) Submitted by Nancy Vargo Native American tribes hunted and fished here for hundreds of years “The most numerous tribe were the Illinois, from which this state eventually would take its name. In their native tongue, Illinois meant ‘superior men.’” By John WHITESIDE of The Herald News In the beginning, there was the land and its people. The Native Americans. They were the Pottawottamies, the Foxes, the Sacs, the Mascoutens and the Illinois. They lived here for hundreds of years hunting and fishing in … Read more

An Unlikely Start

The History of Joliet – Chapter 2 By John Whiteside of The Herald News (used with permission) Submitted by Nancy Vargo Sisters’ kidnapping the beginning of Joliet “Although they never lived here, Sylvia and Rachel Hall could be thought of as the mothers of Joliet. Or rather, the mothers of Juliet.” By John WHITESIDE of The Herald News Although they never lived here, Sylvia and Rachel HALL could be thought of as the mothers of Joliet. Or rather, the mothers of Juliet. Juliet was this city’s first name. Sylvia and Rachel HALL were part of a family of settlers living … Read more

Joliet: Our Town, Our History

The History of Joliet – Introduction By John Whiteside of The Herald News (used with permission) Submitted by Nancy Vargo Did you know? City’s vibrant story leaps off page “Our city’s founders were just plain people with the same kind of worries and concerns we often have today. But in living their lives here, they solved their problems, raised their families and built a great city.” By John WHITESIDE of The Herald News Did you know? The good citizens of Joliet in 1858 almost lynched an innocent man. They thought he had corrupted and then brutally murdered a 16-year-old girl. … Read more