This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Illinois and nearby towns in brief 1896 notes
The Joliet directory reports a population of 40 000. At Danville Martha Washington fined for disorderly conduct and used her bicycle as security. Chillicothe to begin canning operations soon. Decatur barbers cut prices with 15 cent haircuts and 10 cent children's trims. Lawn Ridge cheese factory paid $1000 plus to May patrons. Grain oats yields fall short in Minok. Copper wire work near Princeton with 100 men. Galesburg races canceled due to few entries. County supervisors pass about 6000 in bills. largest pauper bill session. Peoria directory lists 29 754 names equals 66 946 population. Oats storage rates set in Minok. Bennington Hawthorne to stay in Toluca as attorney candidate. Kankakee Herald closed by sheriff for 23 000 in judgments. Eagle pottery letter with Sabbath note. Mastodon skeleton found in Groveland Township. Senachwine Lake resort busy with fishing and friendly manager. No Lacon races this year. Bloomington claims Bryan links and De Hill doctor. Spring Valley board warned to pay Miss Mary O’Brien 360. Thompson the scavenger freed. firm dissolved. State Firemen’s tournament at Naperville July 28 20 and 30 with 50-60 teams. A Putnam rider fined for lacking a bicycle bell in Chillicothe. A Medinan county man seeks free silver under Democratic convention talk. Illinois State Fair to run Sept 28–Oct 3 with $45,000 in premiums. Spring Valley Gazette notes petition for Joliet pardon for Mrs Ford. Ford hanged at Ottawa years ago.