Whirligigs were invented centuries ago. They are both toys and tools, indicators of wind direction and the weather. Sources disagree on where the first were made; it was probably in…
George Washington has had at least three official birthdays. He was born Feb. 11, 1731. But that was according to the Julian calendar used at the time. When the Gregorian calendar was…
Company logos are a quick message to customers that identify a product on a store shelf or in an ad on TV explaining quality or improvements. Very few have been changed but many have…
The “New Year” is celebrated in many ways, but in the United States, there are always midnight celebrations with pictures of an old man representing the past and a baby, the new…
Belsnickel is part of the Christmas lore of Germany, other German-speaking countries and the Pennsylvania Dutch, a community in the United States since the 1830s. He is a companion…
Artist Dan Johnson (1918-1979) designed furniture for many companies with the midcentury modern look. He worked in Rome and California, and designed a number of lines of modern furniture,…
Bell toys, a type of pull toy that had moving parts that rang a bell, were made in America just after the Civil War. The Gong Bell Co. of Connecticut made the first one. It was an iron…
It is easy to guess what this is — a rainbow spatterware water pitcher. But how old is it? Spatterware was first made in the late 1700s in England, but most found today dates from…
Hinsdale couple file $500 million ...A Hinsdale couple have filed a $500 million claim against a car ...
Renovations close RiverEdge for seasonAurora’s RiverEdge Park is known around northern Illinois as a gem when ...
Chicago police shoot two suspects ...Chicago police shot two suspects – one fatally – in separate incidents ...
Police officers receive Medal of ...Twenty-three officers from 10 law enforcement agencies in Illinois have been awarded ...
