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One-Room School Teacher, Fanny Hinkston
A picture is worth a thousand words.In the case of Frances "Fanny" Hinkston, her photo was my starting point for uncovering a forgotten life.Fanny Hinkston Bacon (1831 - 1858)Photo circa 1855....
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James T. Bacon (1830 - 1895)
In the early winter of 1834, citizens of the village Hannibal, New York were stirring about the prospect of moving west.James Bacon, who was just a toddler, did not understand the great fuss of the...
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The Bain Wagon
For museums, an object's story is essential to preserving and telling a community's history. And sometimes an object has more than one story to tell.Take for instance, "The Bain" wagon donated to the...
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George Shatswell, 15th Illinois Infantry
Caught up in patriotic fervor to preserve the Union, George P. Shatswell enlisted with the 15th Illinois Infantry in May 1861. When Shatswell left Waukegan, he was a strong young farmer, but on his...
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1861 Map of Lake County, Illinois
Map of Lake County, Illinois 1861. The Lake County, Illinois map of 1861 was the county's second official map. An earlier map was commissioned by the County in 1841, but no copies are known to exist....
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Captain Minskey's Patent Log
In the mid-1800s, Great Lakes shipping was key to the economic boom of the newly settled Midwest. Port cities big and small, such as Chicago, Milwaukee, Waukegan and Kenosha thrived from abundant...
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Rags, Hero Dog of the First Division
On July 14, 1918, a homeless terrier on the streets of Paris, France was rescued by two American soldiers of the First Infantry Division. Named Rags, the dog became a war hero and mascot, and spent two...
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A Century of Wolf Hunts
The American frontier of northeastern Illinois posed many challenges for settlers leaving behind established communities in the eastern United States and Europe. Here they faced the task of forging a...
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Lake County's Dr. King
Dr. Eugene P. King, M.D. (1893-1961), or "Ole Rex" as he was affectionately known, dedicated himself to the communities of Waukegan, North Chicago and Zion through his medical practice, and sponsorship...
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Reverend Dodge and the Anti-Slavery Movement
The Reverend William B. Dodge (1783-1869) of the Millburn Congregational Church was an outspoken abolitionist and leader in Lake County's anti-slavery movement. Rev. William B. Dodge (1783-1869), shown...
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The Historic Logue Log House
Irish immigrants, William Logue and Bridget Collins Logue, brought their young family to Lake County, Illinois in 1844.The Logue home was one of the longest inhabited log structures in Lake County, and...
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Sinking into the Grave: the 19th Century's Tuberculosis Epidemic
A French illustration of a young consumptive from Le Journal Illustré, No. 34, October 2-9, 1864. Library of Congress.In the 19th century, waves of epidemics such as cholera, smallpox, and the measles...
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Flowers for Hull House
Guest post by Steve Ferrigan, Collections Digitizer for the Dunn MuseumWhen the Dunn Museum staff were told to shelter in place back in March and work remotely, one of the first things collections...
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Women's Army Corps at Fort Sheridan
Women's Army Corps member at Fort Sheridan, circa 1943. Fort Sheridan Collection, Dunn Museum 92.24.1112In September 1939, Americans were in the tenth year of the Great Depression when war broke out...
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Private Henry McIntosh, 102nd U.S. Colored Troops
Battle flag of the 102nd U.S. Colored Troops (1st Michigan), presented to the regiment by the Colored Ladies Aid Society on January 5, 1864. Henry McIntosh served in Company G. Image source:...
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The Dairy Queen: Grace Garrett Durand
Grace Garrett Durand with her cows. Crab Tree Farm, circa 1910. lflb.passitdown.comGrace Garrett Durand (1867-1948), founder of Crab Tree Farm in Lake Bluff, Illinois, was one of the most forward...
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From Cavalry to Tanks: George S. Patton Jr.
The most famous cavalry officer to be stationed at Fort Sheridan was George S. Patton Jr. (1885-1945). Though the cavalryman-turned-tanker had a relatively brief stay at Fort Sheridan (1909-1911), he...
View ArticleBlog Update: Email Subscription Service
Hello Lake County History Blog Followers, The Feedburner email subscription service is being discontinued in July 2021. As a result, Blogger's email subscription widget will be turned off. The new...
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Portrait of Levi H. Mead, 65th Illinois
This handsome portrait of Levi H. Mead, from the collections of the Bess Bower Dunn Museum, prompted me to research his life in Newport Township, Lake County, Illinois and his service with the 65th...
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Mary Louise Spoor Brand - Children's Book Illustrator
Mary Spoor Brand's illustration for Bobby and Betty With the Workers by Katharine Elizabeth Dopp, published by Rand McNally & Company, 1923. The Golden Age of American illustration (1880 - 1914)...
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