Category Archives: Illinois History

For Halloween: The Ghosts of the Quarries!

Halloween is almost here! A good time to rell you about the Ghosts of the Quarries! Ghost hunters sometimes describe a phenomenon called the “stone tape theory.” The theory proposes that certain rocks have the ability to imprint—or “record” —energy … Continue reading

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Submarines on the Chicago Sanitary Canal – No kidding!

My last post revealed some amazing information about the building of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. If you missed that post, you can read it here: The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal | Pat Camalliere – The Cora Tozzi … Continue reading

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Illinois and Michigan Canal Celebrates 175th Anniversary.

In April of 1848, the I & M Canal officially opened. From April of 2023 through March of 2024, the I & M Canal Corridor Association is having a year-long celebration of this event. Continue reading

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The Des Plaines River

I get excited when I talk about Lemont’s waterways, because they are so important not only to the growth of Chicago, but to westward expansion across the entire continent. The only place all these important waterways come together is Lemont. … Continue reading

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Train Wreck in Lemont, July 1905

Last month’s post was about a train wreck in Lemont on the Alton-Chicago Railroad in 1873. Today we continue the subject of train wrecks with the Santa Fe derailment that also occurred in Lemont in 1905. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa … Continue reading

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Admiral Dewey and the Battle of the Sanitary Canal

The I & M Canal had been a tremendous success in opening up shipping and transportation between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River. However, during dry periods the level wasn’t sufficient to float the barges and boats, and during heavy … Continue reading

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Lemont Streetcars – The Joliet and Chicago Electric Line

NewsOn Sunday, February 26, at 2 p.m. I will be speaking at the Lemont Historical Society about the “Lost Town of Sag Bridge.” If you have not already attended this talk, I hope you will come. If you have attended … Continue reading

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The Ghosts of Sag Bridge

Recently I’ve been speaking at libraries and other local organizations about the history of Sag Bridge, a town that once existed near Archer Avenue, where Route 83 makes a turn from a north-south road to an east-west road. Although it … Continue reading

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QUARANTINE 1903 – THE SIEGE OF LEMONT

Due to recent events I thought you would be interested in reading about how epidemics were handled over a hundred years ago, with both similarities and differences to today’s pandemic. Continue reading

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Taming the Wilderness #3

Exciting news! My new novel, The Mystery at Mount Forest Island. is now in the design phase at Amika Press and should be out soon! Meanwhile, enjoy reading the last article in the series about surveying Northern Illinois. If you … Continue reading

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