Tag Archives: illinois

Baby Face Killer

Lester Joseph Gillis may have had a baby face, but he was no innocent. The fact is that he seldom went by his real name. His alias was George Nelson and Baby Face Nelson. While he had a baby face, he was not a nice man, in fact, he was a cold-hearted killer, Continue reading →

Posted in Family, History, Reminiscing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

America’s Bloodiest Gang

During the Prohibition-era there were many people who opposed the new laws prohibiting the sale and manufacturing of alcohol, in any form. As with any such restriction, there were plenty of people who were willing to take matters into their own hands and make, in this case, illegal liquor. Continue reading →

Posted in Family, History, Reminiscing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Car Parking Machine

In 1932 Chicago was a city that was on the cutting edge of things, including car ownership. It wasn’t that everyone owned a car, but enough people did that there was beginning to be congestion problem where parking is concerned. Continue reading →

Posted in Family, History, Reminiscing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Private Rail Cars

These days, people can buy a ticket to ride a train and have a private room with a bed and bathroom in it to make their trip more comfortable. Since I have taken a train trip from Seattle, Washington to Chicago, Illinois, Continue reading →

Posted in Family, History, Reminiscing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mother Bickerdyke

Nurses are the cornerstone of medicine in many cases. Yes, we must have doctors, but nurses are the support system that allows doctors to do their jobs. Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Grandchildren | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

No Way Of Escape

For many years, levee systems were built along rivers to hold back flood waters. They work very well…until they don’t. When a levee ruptures, the resulting flood is usually devastating. From June through August of 1993, the midwestern United States … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, History, Loss, Reminiscing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fire Hazard

Much has been learned over the years about fire safety and about the things that can be extremely hazardous. Unfortunately, as with most things humans learn about, this information came at a price. Just before midnight on April 4, 1949, … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, History, Reminiscing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Storm Chasers

I think that were it not for the danger involved, I could be a storm chaser. I love to watch the shows about storm chasers and about tornadoes themselves. I suppose the main reason I like those shows is that … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, History, Reminiscing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Back To Springfield

These days, when a new president makes the move from their current home to the White House, it is a huge production. Very little of the packing is actually done by the first family. Things were much different in 1861, … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, History, Politics, Reminiscing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Most Destructive Tornado In History

After writing about the worst winter ever, I began to look into other severe weather that made a big impact on a lot of lives, and might possibly have had an impact on my own family. I came across a … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment