Reminiscences of Chicago's Early Pioneers and Landmarks
A compilation of tales about early Chicago figures and milestones. James B. Allen recalls 1833 settlement origins, the fort site, General Scott, and the Allen family’s roles in founding the city’s water works, ferries, river docks, and early vessels. The piece weaves ancestry, local industry, and historic firsts into a nostalgic panorama.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
James B. Allen
Chicago
Iil
Ogdensburg
Winfield Scott
Allen
Court House
Old Allen
River Street
Esus
Nic Reiss
Nick Reiss
Virgil C. Walter
Allen & Walter
Lake Street
Rush Street
Galena
Chicaco
Marguerite Allen
Perry
Lake Erie
Green Tree House
John Gray
James Allen
Ethan Allen
Easy to Become Ambidextrous and City at Amador
A Detroit Free Press excerpt argues most arm loss favors the left arm but some lose a right arm and urges daily practice to train the left hand to write legibly and reasonably fast. It notes a 100 ton marble block quarried at Amador, California.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Detroit Free Press
Amador
Cal
Do Duties of Every Cay Coil Closely Fron to Heart
Poem fragment quotes counsel on duty, ambition, and piety. It contrasts greed with giving first things to God and seeks peace of heart as life’s maze unwinds toward the end of days. The lines reference a quotation style from Alice Armstrong in Frank Leslie's.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Alice Armstrong
Frank Leslie
The First Delegate Becomes the Groom at Conference
Annie arrives busy for a church conference hosting, only to discover the visiting delegate is her absent fiancé Joe in disguise. He reveals plans to marry, credits a wild beard and coat, and promises to stay until the conference ends. The couple reconciles as Lorenzo and Tilly note the irony.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Annie
Lorenzo Fraser
Lorenzo
Loren
Mrs. Fraser
Tilley
Tilly
Wiitbeck
Whitcomb
Whitby
Fraser
Mrr
Tie
Cornellsville
Jess
Joe
Wisconsin
Whitlock & Co
Prairie Fires and Fire Fighters on the Northern Plains
The article describes prairie fires across the Dakota regions, detailing how fires begin from drifting embers, the role of winds, and protective fire-breaks. It explains a drastic extinguishing method using carcasses dragged along the fire line by paired horse riders, and notes the dangers of night winds and dawn resumption.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Great Northe West
Chicago Herald
The Dismal Swamp and its strange life and worth
The Dismal Swamp in Virginia spans about 1500 square miles with limited current value beyond timber. It features Lake Drummond, peculiar cypress knees, and unique wildlife including dangerous wild cattle and bears. Draining could reclaim up to 160000 acres at an estimated $4 million, boosting garden crops and regional trade.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Virginia
America
Texas
Drummond
Shaler
United States Geological Survey
Lake Drummond
Norfolk
American Agriculturist
Snake River
Boisco
Weiser
Ada County
Idaho
Blackfoot
Bingham County
New York Times
Rangers Show Off in Texas Shooting Impromptu Trials
Richard Harding Davis describes Texas Rangers as the state’s largest men, calm and wary with strangers, then perform reckless shooting stunts under General Mabry’s watch. The group demonstrates rapid lever action, precise shots, and remarkable agility, while the author and Captain Brooks compete to test a Winchester. The piece shifts to a fishing anecdote about smallmouth bass leaping from water, debating height records and personal experiences with large and small fish.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Rangers
Texas
Richard Harding Davis
Marper’s
Mabry
Sheeley
Joe
Brooks
Remarkable Battle Expedients and Early War Engines
A Boston Transcript note describes Mithridates use of gold on the field to slow Roman pursuers. It details ancient siege engines such as movable towers, battering rams, terebras, catapults, and flaming-dart machines. It notes the Eateric Isles slingers as supreme marksmen and shows training methods. The text also mentions camel skins arriving from Arabia for New York morocco leather firms.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Mithridates
Pontae
Lucullus
Eateric Isles
Boston Transcript
Throttle engineer recalls crash but stays safe on track
A Rochester Democrat-Chronicle segment recalls a stormy collision where an engineer, after a wreck, kept his engine on the rails and escaped unharmed while passengers and crew faced injuries. The tale includes a fireman with a broken leg and flour barrels scattering through the cab.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Hastings
Syracuse
Rochester Democrat-Chronicle
Also Mentioned on This Page
Indiana Progress
Weeresday
Tolstoi
Boston
Denmark
Countess Gyldemore
Dorothes Krag
Brooklyn
N. Y
Arkansas
Eagle
Saratoga
Poe
Emma A.opper
James Paget
Mlle
Janotha
Mendelssohn
St Louis Republic
Edwin Arnoldesys
Chicago Tribune
American Indies
Ormuz
Ceylon
Burmsh
Jeypore
Baroda
Gujarat
Eatate
India
Santesha
Sam
Russia
Washington Star
Wharf Company
Galventon
Itn
The
Texas Rangers
Sm Editoria
Brother Harris
St. Louis Republic
Morocco
New York
Arabia
Sin
Echo
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!