In the 1890s and early 1900s, rising population in the Chicago made the countryside more appealing. Chicago business leaders looked to rural areas within commuting distance of the city to build country homes for their families and indulge their passion for farm pursuits, including raising horses. Chicago restauranteur John R. Thompson and railroad executive J.W.…
If thoroughbred racing is the Sport of Kings, harness racing, also known as trotting, could be called the sport of the people. Anyone could train their horse to trot and the cost of entry to the sport was much lower than that of thoroughbred racing. In harness racing, instead of a rider atop a horse,…
Join us in celebrating the vital role women have played in our collective history. Attend a program, choose your next great book, read staff reviews, or check out a podcast episode. You can also explore and learn more through research databases and other blog posts.
How many movies have you watched from home over the last few years? What TV shows have you been binge watching? Today we take for granted the wide range of visual and audio entertainment that is available to us on demand, whenever and wherever we want it, but it was not much over one hundred…
Anyone who has driven by the Vernon Hills Hawthorn Mall recently can see big changes are in store (no pun intended). But how did it all start? From millionaire farmers to small scrappy towns, there’s a surprisingly rich history prior to the arrival of the mall in early 1970’s. During the late 19th and early…
Shelf Life 