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A Second Look: Doctor, sheriff held roles in early Ward County history

The two men Patrick O’Connor had met on their way to Coal Harbor, Dr. Belyea and George Akeson, were both former McLean County residents who were living in Ward County by December, 1886. Dr. Belyea’s wife had left him for another man in July, 1886, and, finding that public opinion in Coal ...

A Second Look: Mail carried on route between Burlington, Coal Harbor

The distance from Burlington to Coal Harbor was between 60 and 65 miles. The mail route between the two locations “followed the old stage road across Wolf and Snake Creeks, then in a northwesterly direction, to the present site of Garrison, where it picked up the James Johnson ox trail, ...

A Second Look: Coal Harbor began as Victoria

After the mail route between Villard and Washburn was ended in July, 1886, other arrangements were soon made to provide mail services to Mouse River Valley residents. The link between McLean County and the Mouse River Valley was kept up, when a new route was established between Coal Harbor and ...

RETIREMENT’S COMIC RELIEF: Travel delays, then and now

According to those familiar with the subject, Moses took a shining to Zipporah at a local watering hole after which she invited him to dinner at her folk’s house. Despite meeting his future in-laws, they were married anyway and had two sons. Then God sent Moses on a business trip to Egypt to ...

America at 250: Age of innovation still influences nation

The way we build things, the way we travel, the way we protect ourselves, the way we are able to save and extend lives and the way we explore could not have happened without the efforts of some of the great American innovators of the 20th century. From Henry Ford, who helped to make Detroit ...

RETIREMENT’S COMIC RELIEF: They’re our kind of influencers

The term “influencers” is a topic of discussion mentioned these days. Guess I’m just old fashioned. When I hear that word, Bad Bunny (55 million followers) or MrBeast (with 634 million) don’t come to mind. I instead think of those I’m close to — that help create “the good ...