Talent Time Two from Illinois

Illinois, my Home State, Fiona McGier

Ah, Illinois, home to Chicago, and everything else. Where every-so-often the everything else folks start insisting they want Chicago to secede, so they can create their own state of small towns with more cows than people. Illinois is where you can drive a few hours south of Chicago and find people with a thicker southern drawl than you'll find in the actual south. It's the state where, as I joke to high school seniors as I register them to vote, "You too, can help choose our next governor to go to jail." Yes, we're equal opportunity, jailing governors from both parties. When my dad moved here in 1948, from Glasgow, Scotland, the folks back home worried about him because of the reputation of Al Capone and the proliferation of guns and crime they associated with Chicago. Dad only thought of the blues clubs that hosted the musicians he wanted to hear live, so he ignored their fears, and lived much of his life in his adopted hometown of Chicago.

When I wrote my first book, over 10 years ago, it was because my father had passed away, leaving me in charge of caring for my mother, whose dementia he'd been covering up for many years. I desperately needed happy endings somewhere, and chose to write books that had them. When she could still read, Mom devoured romance novels by the bagful, trading them with her sisters. But I can remember her drop-kicking a book across the room, yelling at the author, "All of that build-up and no sex? I'm never reading you again!" So I kept Mom in mind as a reader when I wrote my first book, Never Too Old for the Game of Love.  

Since I've always lived in the suburbs west of Chicago, officially a part of the Chcagoland area, that's where I set my book. This allowed for me to use actual places I was familiar with, like local hospitals, as settings. It was only supposed to be one book. But then the heroine's best friend started telling me her story, so I thought it would be a set of two books, when Recipe for Love came out. Then the children of some characters in the ensemble-type books started wanting to get their stories out, and I ended up with six books, to date, in the series, one of which is a free download on Smashwords. But when I wrote Love Therapy, the sixth book, it had a crucial early scene at a high school reunion, so I had to choose a high school. I set it in West Chicago, a small community a couple of towns over from where I live. I looked up what the mascot was, and what the school colors were, and finished the book.

Flash forward a few years, and I added another high school district to the 2-school one I was already subbing for. I applied to, yes, the West Chicago high school district, and now I sub for WeGo, as well as for my other district. A school that was merely a part of my fictional book series, is now an actual part of my life. But since I don't write under my real name, I'm hoping that I can keep my secret book-relationship with their high school from the students and faculty. After all, the books I write are for readers over 18, so I want to keep my two personas separate. But it does amuse me sometimes, to walk down the halls, and imagine my Reyes characters being in the same halls.

How about you? Have you ever been in a place that was a setting in a book that you read? Did you find yourself imagining running into one of the characters there?

Contest: Let me know which of my Reyes Family Romances you'd like to read, after you check out the details about them on my website: http://www.fionamcgier.com. If you have any questions, like how long the books are, or which one has the most or least naughty bits, I'd be glad to answer your questions. Leave your response here, and I'll choose one reader to get the Reyes novel of their choice. You can either get a PDF, or a paperback. If you choose an actual book, I'll toss in a Reading is Sexy button--because it is. I'll choose a winner after a week, maybe two, to give people time to respond. Happy reading!

(Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win  Fiona McGier's great prize!! Leave a form of contact, or use the tab at the top of the blog and email Annette so, if you win, she can find you!)

And: The Great River Road through West Central Illinois with Dori McCraw

I thought I would share a bit about the towns in West Central Illinois. Farming was/is the primary industry in the region. There is also a fair amount of commerce associated with the Mississippi River which runs along the western border of the state between Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. This is also along the route of the Great River Road that runs along the Western border of the state of Illinois. Here then is a look at some of the history of the towns between Quincy and Nauvoo Illinois, with a little side trip to Carthage, Illinois, the county seat for Hancock County. 

The town of Carthage was founded around 1833 and platted in 1838. In 1858, Abraham Lincoln, then running for the Senate, visited Carthage and spoke to the crowds in the square, where the County Courthouse now stands. Recently research has brought to light that Lincoln’s second cousin, Thomas Jefferson Lincoln was one of the early settlers in the county. Carthage is also the sight of the death of Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saints movement. The conflict between the followers of Smith and the established settlers played a part in the growing pains of the region.

Going from North to South, I’ll start with Nauvoo, for the section in West Central Illinois. Nauvoo was a town that the Mormon’s moved to after leaving Missouri. It had other names prior to the arrival of the Mormons. It began life as Quashquema, named for the chief of the Sauk and Fox tribes whose lodges numbered around five hundred. It then became Venus, then Commerce which was the name of the town when the new settlers from Missouri changed the name to Nauvoo. Even after the Mormons left the town retained the name of Nauvoo.

Next is Hamilton, also in Hancock County, was platted in 1852, incorporated in 1854 and again in 1859. It sits across from Keokuk, Iowa with the Keokuk-Hamilton bridge connecting the two across the Mississippi River. Prior to building the bridge a ferry took people across the river. A town known as Montebello near the present site of Hamilton was the casting off point for the ferry, which began in 1829.

Warsaw, also in Hancock County, is one of the older settlements in the area. It began as a fort around 1814. That original fort burned, and another fort in 1815 was founded nearby. The town itself was a prosperous one, being dependent on the river trade. As the river trade died down, the towns fortunes fell also. Warsaw was also involved in the conflict that surrounded the death of Smith.

Finally we stop at Quincy in Adams County. Originally called Bluffs, the name was changed to Quincy in 1825 in honor of the newly elected president John Quincy Adams. Because of its location on the Mississippi, and its nearness to Missouri, it became a part of the underground railroad prior to the Civil War. Quincy also thrived due to river and railroad commerce and at one time was the second largest city in Illinois. Also of note, the sixth Lincoln-Douglas debate took place in the city’s main park in 1858.

So as you travel through this part of Illinois, pause and think of all the rich history this area has to offer along with some amazing views, especially in the fall when the trees display their amazing colors.

  

Angela Raines is the pen name for Doris McCraw. Doris is an author, historian, poet and actor/musician. She moved from the historically rich region of West Central Illinois to the equally history rich Colorado. Many of her works focus on the history that has surrounded her all her life. You can find her fiction work on her Amazon author page: https://amzn.to/2JqANcU. 

(INFO PROVIDED AND RELEASED BY AUTHORS)

Illinois and All- Two Great Authors

Angela Raines: Illinois is More: 

When people think of Illinois they usually think of Chicago and/or Abraham Lincoln. Of course, there is much more to this state, of which I’ve written about before. So, for something a bit different, I thought I’d talk about the rivers that meander their way through the state.

If you look at a map, you will find the following rivers:

Rock River, Green River, Edwards River, Spoon River, Fox River, Des Plaines River, Kankakee River, Illinois River, Mackinaw River, Sangamon River, La Moine River, Kaskaskia River, Wabash River, and Big Muddy. Add to these rivers the Mississippi River which runs along the western border of the state, and the Ohio River which covers the lower eastern and bottom of the state. Of course Lake Michigan borders Chicago, but this post is about the rivers.

As you can see a fair number of waterways run through this state. Yet, there are areas where you see irrigation in many a farmland crops.

The Rock River begins in Wisconsin and runs approximately 300 miles to the Mississippi. It was called the Sinnissippi by the early natives. In Illinois, the city of Rockford, Dixon and of course Rock Island are major center along this waterway. The Green River is a tributary of the Rock River which is about ninety miles long.

The Edwards River is a tributary of the Mississippi, seventy-three miles long. This river, like the above mentioned waterways runs through the north/northwest part of the state.

Many people may recognize Spoon River from the classic Edgar Lee Masters, “Spoon River Anthology”. This river, is a one hundred forty-seven mile tributary of the Illinois River that runs through the west central part of the state.

The Fox River, running west of Chicago through Naperville, is also a tributary of the Illinois River. It also has it’s beginnings in Wisconsin. Running just over two hundred miles, it joins the Illinois at Ottawa Illinois.

The Des Plaines and Kankakee Rivers meet to become the Illinois River. The Des Plaines begins in Wisconsin and flows almost straight south to Channonnon where it meets the Kankakee. The Kankakee begins in Indiana and flows west to meet the Des Plaines.

The Illinois River runs through the central part of the state from the Chicago area to just north of St. Louis, Missouri, where it joins the Mississippi. The Mackinaw, Sangamon and La Moine Rivers join up with the Illinois River on its southern trek to join the Mississippi. I remember crossing Spoon River, La  Moine and Sangamon in addition to the Illinois on various trips through Havana, Beardstown and Springfield, Illinois.

At three hundred plus miles the Kaskaskia River is the states second longest river system and a tributary of the Mississippi. It flows through the central and southern part of the state. The town of Kaskaskia was where the river originally met the Mississippi. It was a former state capital of Illinois, but when the river changes course in the 1881 flood, the town was cut off from the rest of the state.

The Wabash River is part of the eastern border of Illinois, as it flows into the Ohio River. Primarily running through Ohio and Indiana, this five hundred mile waterway has lent its name to many a story, town and county.

The last river, which also joins the Mississippi, is the Big Muddy in southern Illinois. At one hundred fifty miles long, it flows from Centralia Illinois, to South of Murphysboro, Illinois where it joins the Mississippi.

There are many other creeks, and smaller rivers that cross the state. Most are now recreational areas, or have been dammed to form lakes, but when the state was being settled these waterways were important. Take some time and see how the rivers help make the state of Illinois what it is today.

Doris/Angela has a new novel “The Outlaw’s Letter” part of the Lockets and Lace Series that will be released as an e-book on April 6, 2019. This book is also part of the Kiowa Wells series. The first two books are “Josie’s Dream” and “Chasing A Chance”. One person chosen from those who comment will have a choice of any of the three e-books

Angela Raines is the pen name for Doris McCraw. Doris is an author, historian, poet and actor/musician. She moved from the historically rich region of West Central Illinois to the equally history rich Colorado. Many of her works focus on the history that has surrounded her all her life. You can find her fiction work on her Amazon author page: https://amzn.to/2JqANcU.

Non-Fiction Author: Dr. James Baird - Feel Good Hormones:

When we ask ourselves what makes us happy, we usually think of the circumstances, possessions, or relationships. Sadly, we spend most of our lives pursuing these myths of happiness. Although these myths   may have a short-term positive affect, we   soon return to our genetic happiness setpoint {see genetic setpoint). In reality, what is commonly thought of as happiness is largely a chemical experience designed by evolution rather than our quest for fame and fortune.

Four main neurochemicals, hormones, and neurotransmitters generated in the brain are fundamentally responsible for creating the sensations and emotions we’ve come to associate with happiness. It means even when circumstances ebb and flow, there are epigenetic mechanism that can increase our happy brain chemicals and alter our emotions.

1. Endorphins

Endorphins are opioid neuropeptides, which means they are produced by the central nervous system to help us deal with physical pain. One non-painful way to induce endorphins is exercise. Endorphins are released after both aerobic and anaerobic exercise. In one study, as little as 30 minutes of walking on a treadmill for 10 days in a row was sufficient to produce a significant reduction in depression among clinically depressed subjects. If you don't participate in strenuous athletics, you can also try various activities to increase your body's endorphin levels. Studies show  that that acupuncture and massage therapy have shown that both of these techniques can stimulate endorphin secretion.

Stress and pain are the two most common factors leading to the release of endorphins. Endorphins interact with the opiate receptors in the brain to reduce our perception of pain and act similarly to drugs such as morphine and codeine. In contrast to the opiate drugs, however, activation of the opiate receptors by the body's endorphins does not lead to addiction or dependence.

2. Serotonin

Serotonin may be the best-known happiness chemical because it’s the one that antidepressant medication primarily addresses. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is naturally triggered by several things we can do each day. Exercise and happy thoughts also stimulate production of this chemical. Some research has found that a higher intake of tryptophan-heavy foods, relative to other foods in the diet, may do the trick as well. Less sunlight may cause a drop serotonin, a neurotransmitter (chemical messengers that help the brain to function) which in turn, can trigger low mood. While serotonin levels may dip with less exposure to sunlight, many people suffer from low serotonin year-round. Serotonin is known as the “don’t worry, be happy” soothing neurotransmitter. It plays multiple roles in the brain’s biochemistry.

  

If you find yourself worried, rigid, having low mood or energy, or experiencing poor sleep, you may have a serotonin issue. Try one of these strategies to increase your serotonin levels:

1.    Exercise is a serotonin intervention – it boosts serotonin in your brain. The more you exercise the more serotonin you have available in your system. In fact, multiple research studies have demonstrated that exercise is at least equally effective at increasing available serotonin as serotonin-enhancing medications are, and in some cases,  exercise is more effective.

2.    As much as 95 percent of the serotonin in your body is produced in your gut, so strategies designed to optimize gut production of serotonin could certainly go a long way toward optimizing your mental health. Make sure you are taking a quality probiotic, properly hydrating, and eating a brain-healthy diet.

3.    There are two ways that food can increase serotonin levels. Foods high in simple carbohydrates, such as pastas, potatoes, bread, pastries, pretzels, and popcorn, increase insulin levels and allow more tryptophan (the natural amino acid building block for serotonin) to enter the brain, where it is converted to serotonin.

4.    The calming effect of serotonin can often be felt in thirty minutes or less by eating these foods. This may be one of the reasons simple carbohydrates are so addictive. They can be used to make you feeI happy, but more healthy are complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes, apples, blueberries, carrots, and garbanzo beans, as a healthier way to boost serotonin.

3. Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter often referred to as the “chemical of reward.” When you score a goal, hit a target, or accomplish a task, you receive a pleasurable hit of dopamine in your brain that tells you you’ve done a good job. But you can also get a natural dose of dopamine when you perform acts of kindness toward others.

Volunteering has been shown to increase dopamine as well as have other long-term health benefits. And some research has even found that it only takes thoughts of loving kindness to bring on the dopamine high.

Dopamine is the chemical that mediates pleasure in the brain. It is released during pleasurable situations and stimulates one to seek out the pleasurable activity or occupation. This means food, sex, and several drugs of abuse are also stimulants of dopamine release in the brain, particularly in the prefrontal cortex.

Dopamine and addiction

Cocaine and amphetamines inhibit the re-uptake of dopamine. Cocaine is a dopamine transporter blocker that competitively inhibits dopamine uptake to increase the presence of dopamine.

Amphetamine increases the concentration of dopamine in the synaptic gap, but by a different mechanism. Amphetamines are similar in structure to dopamine, and so can enter the presynaptic neuron via its dopamine transporters. By entering, amphetamines force dopamine molecules out of their storage vesicles. By increasing presence of dopamine both these lead to increased pleasurable feelings and addiction.

Dopamine helps in focus and attention. Vision helps a dopamine response in the brain and this in turn helps one to focus and direct their attention. Dopamine may be responsible for determining what stays in the short-term memory based on an imagined response to certain information.

Dopamine in cognition

Dopamine in the frontal lobes of the brain controls the flow of information from other areas of the brain. Disorders of dopamine in this region lead to decline in neurocognitive functions, especially memory, attention, and problem-solving.

of dopamine.

4.Oxytocin

Mothers may be familiar with oxytocin, the hormone produced in abundance during pregnancy and breastfeeding.   Oxytocin is primarily associated with loving touch and close relationships.

This hormone provides a multiple whammy of warm fuzzies, by stimulating dopamine and serotonin, while reducing anxiety. To get your hit of oxytocin, give someone you love a cuddle. Even a pet will do.

 But luckily, our brains and bodies are constantly undergoing complex chemical processes that we can affect with our daily actions. Once we understand how our feel-good hormones and neurotransmitters work, we may be able to trigger them more easily than we realized.

James D. Baird, Ph.D. has more than forty years of experience as a successful inventor and graduate engineer. A pioneer in the new science of ultrasonics, Baird has earned several patents and as a successful entrepreneur founded Dynasonics, Inc. a design and manufacturing company of ultrasonic sensors and computers. 

His inventor background instilled in him a persistent curiosity about how things work, translating from mechanisms to life. His passion for understanding the bioengineering that makes us human combined with his religious and spiritual beliefs has led him to research the subject of happiness for more than 20 years, and in the process, earned him a Ph.D. in Natural Health.
Contact http://breakthroughpromotions.net  for more information

(Info provided and released by authors)

Fiona McGier of Illinois, the Rodney Dangerfield of States-No Respect

No respect? Yup. We seem to be the laughing stock of the country. We have our useless governor who blows with the wind, and who forced us to live without a budget for two years, leading to a backlog of bills we might never get out from under. Then we have our entrenched state representatives, who gerrymandered every section of the state to preserve their power. Between those two things, nothing ever gets done. "Vote the bums out," you suggest? Nah. In Illinois, we send our ex-governors to jail.

Downstate is the capital, but our economic powerhouse, Chicago, is on the northwest end of the state. Whenever we get mentioned in the news, it's for the ridiculous rate of gun violence on the South side. See, Chicago is a city of neighborhoods. So while not every "hood" has daily shootings, the ones that do are overwhelmed by poverty and violence. Unfortunately, those who live in hoods where this isn't a problem, pay no attention unless it creeps into their neighborhoods. So, yes, Chicago does have a gun violence problem. But after the recent school shootings, I think we can all agree that the country as a whole has the same problem.

The Chicagoland area has restaurants and grocery stores that cater to almost every ethnic group. In the city proper, you can find neighborhoods like Greektown, Chinatown, Boystown (just what you think it is), and many others. Skokie is north of the city, with a huge population of devout Hasidic Jews. Many of the streets are crowded on certain days of the week, with men with long black hair and beards, wearing long black coats and tall hats, accompanying their families to the temples. This is where, years ago, the Skokie Council reluctantly agreed to give a permit to Nazi-wannabes, to march through their streets. The march never happened...maybe the Nazis were afraid of the streets being lined with the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors. 

Go a little bit south, into Chicago proper, and you can find many ethnic neighborhoods, like along Devon Avenue on the near north, where you'll find many Indian and Middle-Eastern immigrants, eager to share their culture and their foods with their new American neighbors. Here you find many women wearing hijabs, celebrating Ramadan, and others who celebrate Divali, the Hindu Celebration of Light.

The near west neighborhood where my Polish mom was raised, gradually changed to Hispanic, and now is gentrifying. This means that young professionals who work downtown are buying up the old two-flats, renovating them, living in one of the flats, and charging exorbitant rent for the other. I wonder what my Busia's place goes for today!

Illinois also gets no respect for the many fine areas surrounding Chicago, in which to live and raise a family. I'm most familiar with the collar communities and suburbs west of Chicago. I was raised in Bensenville, which used to be a small farming community on the northwest side of the city. When my parents bought in B'ville, there was a small army base on the eastern edge of the town, where a small number of military planes were stored. Then the first Mayor Daley decided to make it a world-class airport, and he annexed the land, though none of it abutted Chicago-proper, and he renamed it O'Hare International Airport, or ORD. I liked B'ville well enough, though as a teen I found it boring. So I'd hop the train for the 40-minute ride into downtown, and hang out on the streets of Chicago, pretending to be a city kid. I'm sure it was obvious that I wasn't...but I didn't care.

The collar communities are Rockford, Elgin, Aurora, Joliet, and Kankakee. All of these are cities in their own rights, and all are about two hours from downtown Chi-town. They all have downtowns, and due to ridiculously typical Illinois laws, the ones that have water access have floating casinos. The law says casinos aren't allowed on land. But Rockford, Elgin, Aurora, and Joliet are along the Fox River, so they all have permanently anchored casinos conveniently located in their downtowns. We may have outlived Al Capone and his devious ways, but we still manage to work around laws we don't like.

Naperville has grown from being a small farming community, to being a huge, rambling suburb, home to many white collar companies, with a wide variety of price points in housing. The joke is that it's called IBM town, because no one lives there for more than a few years, until their companies move them again...hence, "I Been Moved."

For many years I've lived in Wheaton, which is home to Wheaton College, founded by Billy Graham. They train missionaries to go all over the world to proselytize. This means that they funnel refugees into the country whenever there is a "hotspot" anywhere, and those families are given housing very close to my house. The schools my kids went to had 15% of the children living in houses where English was not spoken at home. I liked the multi-cultural exposure for my kids, despite us living 30-miles west of the city.

Two towns west of Wheaton is West Chicago. That's where I set my Reyes Family Romances. West Chicago has a large population of Hispanic people, since it's close to Aurora, the bigger city that has lots of employment opportunities. There are currently six books in this series about a large Hispanic family, and the romances experienced by the various family members, over a couple of generations. The heroes and heroines of past books make guest appearances in subsequent books, so you can enjoy finding out how their HEAs are working out.

This excerpt is from Love Therapy, the sixth book in the series.

Set-up: Miguel Reyes fell in love in high school, with the woman he wanted to marry. She had other ideas, and left town. Now it's twenty years later, and he still lives locally. He reluctantly accepts the invitation to his 20th reunion. He is not consciously hoping she'll be there, but still...

The twentieth reunion for the West Chicago High School class of 1988 was on a Saturday night in mid-September.  The weather was pleasant enough, with a chill to the air at night, after a moderate day that had started out rainy, but ended with warm golden sunshine that made everyone glad that the heat of the summer had finally ended.

Since the invitation had said Business casual as the dress code, Miguel decided that the clothes he wore to work when he had to meet with clients, were what was called for.  As a computer engineer, he usually wore jeans with polo shirts, or flannel shirts, depending on the weather.  But when he had to meet with clients, he had to dress more professionally.  So for the reunion, he chose a pair of khakis, a light brown short-sleeved shirt, and a tie that tied the colors together.  He also threw a dark brown jacket on over the shirt, in case the night got chilly during his drive home. 

 Miguel looked at himself in the mirror as he applied gel, to make his short black hair stand up straight, instead of curl on his forehead, the way it did when he was sweating…in fact, the way it had looked all summer.

He made a face at himself, saying ruefully, “Not bad for a thirty-eight year old man.  Let’s see how the rest of the class looks, after twenty years of living after high school.”

     Then he got into his car, and drove to the same banquet hall that their prom had been held at.  As he got out of the car in the parking lot, he lit a cigarette, and stood leaning against his car for a long moment.  Memories began to flood his mind, and since the woman he had taken to prom was a memory he did not want to revisit, he had to force himself to think about other things, in order to get his mind ready to go in and make small talk with the rest of the people who were arriving and entering the place.  He shook his head to physically clear his mind, then he resolutely walked up to the front door, stubbed out his cigarette in the convenient ashtray there, and entered the building.

     Immediately, the sound of music from twenty years ago, blasted its way into his consciousness.  He smiled briefly, having not missed most of it in the ensuing years.  Yes, there were some songs that he still would listen to, once in a great while…but most of it was the kind of pablum popular on the hit radio stations, and most of it deserved to be forgotten.  He heard his name called, and was pulled into conversation with people he had not thought about in at least ten years, since their last reunion. 

*                                        *                        *                          *                             *

Of course, his prom date appears, so he has to deal with memories. This is a romance,

after all, but with the baggage she carries, it's not easy for them to get to their HEA.

If you want to read one of the Reyes novels, leave a comment here, and on Sunday, March 25th, I'll choose someone who comments, to win a free eBook of their choice of the Reyes Family Romances.

Head over to my website, http://www.fionamcgier.com, and check out all of the titles. If you wish, you can leave your preferred title in the comment you submit. Make sure to also leave a form of contact.

And since one of the titles, Prescription For Love, the fifth book, is a free eBook on Smashwords, you'll be able to enjoy getting to know my Reyes people.

(Info Provided by Author)

Illinois-Through the Eyes of Author Doris McCraw/Angela Raines

I write history and poetry under my own name Doris McCraw and have had papers published through the Pikes Peak Library District in Colorado Springs, CO. Most recently an anthology of haiku poetry: “Everyday Haiku, an anthology”, contains some of my work.  I also write fiction under the pen name Angela Raines with the novel “Josie’s Dream” as the latest.  I’ve also have short stories and novellas available on Amazon available for purchase Here. 

Illinois, pronounced: il-uh-noi, is a state dear to my heart. I spent my early years in this “Land of Lincoln” as the license plate says. They were storied years, at least as I look back. Who I am, my love of history, all date back to those early years.

When you say Illinois, most people immediately think of Chicago and its suburbs, or the flat farming land. But Illinois is made up of so much more, and the history...well read on.

I grew up in West Central Illinois, where Illinois, Missouri and Iowa meet. I fished and swam the Mississippi river and hunted geodes near its banks. The largest town was Quincy, a town with history you can’t make up. Founded in 1819, it saw many people take refuge in its settlement. For a more complete history, click  on the following link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincy,_Illinois

Carthage, Illinois, the next largest town near my childhood home was the site of the death of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saints movement. Smith and his brother Hyrum were killed by a mob in 1844, while they were being held at the jail. Abraham Lincoln was the attorney for the only legally hanged man in Carthage. Even after that loss, Lincoln returned to Carthage to speak when campaigning for the Senate in 1858. Here is a link to additional information about this storied town: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carthage,_Illinois

Dallas City, Illinois, founded in 1848, was the home of my grandparents until my grandmothers death in 1937. Founded along the Mississippi River, where the low rapids were located before damming the river saw their demise, saw many a famous people, such as President Polk, Abraham Lincoln, come through the area. It is just across the river from Ft. Madison, Iowa. The town of Nauvoo is also close by, and is about thirty-five miles from my home. http://www.dallascity-il.com/history/

To the east of my hometown is the town of Plymouth. Founded in 1836, it is on the far eastern corner of Hancock County. It is near the town of MacComb, Illinois, McDonough County, where Western Illinois University is located. Other towns in the area; Augusta, Nauvoo, Bently, Basco, all were a part of the region I spent my childhood in. They are also part of the area of Illinois that was known as ‘Forgotonia’. That story is worth reading, and is far to lengthy to cover here. Let’s just say, there was a movement to secede from the US and form their own country. You can start that journey here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgottonia

There were also numerous forts located in Illinois in the early years before . In Hancock County, the county of my birth there were three: Fort Edwards, Fort Johnson, Fort La Harpe. Adams County, where Quincy is located had  Camp Wood. McDonough County, just east of Hancock had Cross Roads Fort.  For information about these forts you can visit: http://genealogytrails.com/ill/forts.html

For some great photos of the areas I’ve been speaking of, check out this site: http://www.illinoisinfocus.com/plymouth.html -    http://hamiltonillinois.org/Final%20Photo%20Album/Covered%20Bridge/index.html -    http://hamiltonillinois.org/Final%20Photo%20Album/Historical/index.html

So if anyone ask why I love history, I grew up surrounded by it. It is in my DNA. It was part and parcel of the land of my birth. I do hope you have enjoyed the journey and history to the land of my childhood. So if you are ever in Illinois, make sure to stop by and say hello to some great views, history and wonderful people.

  

                                                       Doris offers
Two prizes! First- three Agate Gulch novellas (in Ebook format) and second (her soon to be released
Disasters of the Pikes Peak Region (in trade paperback--and a brand new release-be the first to score your copy right here!)    Leave a comment for your chance to win.  Leave a contact link so we can reach you! Good Luck.

Doris Gardner-McCraw
Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

For a list of Angela Raines Books: Here 

Photo and Poem: Click Here –its an interesting poem page based on Life in Seventeen Syllables.

Angela Raines FaceBook: Click Here

(all material provided by author)