The Old Time Wild Wild Central Illinois

Do you ever wish you lived long ago?

Can you imagine what it was like when our ancestors first came to this little settlement?  Full of prairie dogs, muskrats, snakes, mink, gophers, fox, and wild everything, including Indians.  Our ancestors had to ford and navigate the rivers on flatboats to get long distances and ride for days on horses or in wagons through snow storms, rain, sleet and the heat of summer.

The women must have been overworked, having to spin thread from what they could find, including flax and other plants, and then weaving cloth.  Then with the cloth, they made clothing.  Of course there was cooking over open fires or in ovens made from stone and without the benefit of the ingredients we all take for granted. 

After the settlement of our town was built up I imagine there were saloons with swinging doors just like the old wild west where men bellied up to the bar and ordered a shot of whiskey.  The deputies probably wore hats and kept the area in order.  You might have seen a barber chair sitting in the corner of the saloon.  We know that in Greenview there was a bank in a store. 

 But would you have wanted to ride a horse all day just to get from one place to another....or drive a wagon through 2 feet of mud on a cow path since roads weren't paved and in many cases the roads might have been a path from one place to another.  And think about the hot clothes in summer.  Women in long dresses, including a long apron on top of the dress.  Men in heavy buckskin pants and shirts.  And there was winter to contend with....no heavy rubber boots like we have today.  No heavy parkas.  Just homemade items with the materials they could garner. 

Would you have wanted to be there?  Not me.  But I sure praise my ancestors for doing what they had to do so I could come into existence.  But when I think about it, my children's children and their children will look back and think their great great grandma (Me) had a hard living.  Those kids will probably be flying spaceships on a day to day basis and will have robots which will do all the work...I think I will return in my second life about that time!

Vintage Springfield

Building Lincoln Library 1901

Springfield Centennial Building 1925

Springfield City Hall, 1925

Capitol Motel, Springfield, 4129 Peoria Road

Coney Island Sign

Springfield Fiat Allis Plant

You can click on most photos to get an enlarged view.

Thought For The Day

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed

people can change the world.  Indeed, it's the only thing that has.

--Margaret Mead

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