•April 19, 2017•

By Jerry L. Ginther
NP Columnist

This was the iconic name for the old steam locomotive. When they first came on the scene of American history, horses still powered nearly all machinery and were the primary mode of transportation. “The Great Iron Horse,” and the steel rail could move more passengers and freight over long distances at higher speeds than a twenty-mule team. The steam engine became as much of an icon in the early days of America and the unsettled west as the horse and cowboy.

In previous articles, I’ve written about the romance of railroading as it pertained to the various jobs performed by both men and women in the daily operation of a railroad. However, the trains themselves contributed much to this nostalgia. In the not too distant past, trains had identities and personality, if you will. When streamliners were eloquent, schedules were frequent, and fares were less expensive than for airliners, America traveled coast-to-coast and border-to-border on passenger trains. The names of those trains became as familiar as the names of family members. Some will remember, The Panama Limited and The City of New Orleans, two famous trains operated by the Illinois Central Railroad. Read More

•April 12, 2017•

By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist

There are saving graces in rural venues like Stark County, Illinois (pop. 5,900, 1,000th that of Cook County).

I am filling in at the courthouse for my ace reporter (my only reporter, for that matter), who is recovering from surgery.

Here is the scene at the stately Greek Revival courthouse, where Lincoln and Douglas spoke on back-to-back days in 1858:

A former federal prosecutor, Judge Thomas Keith presides, looking like your favorite uncle, twinkly blue eyes and a broad face looking for every opportunity to break out into a warm smile.

To Keith’s right is circuit court clerk Julie Kenney. Her dark brown hair and matching eyes contribute to a professional presence. She handles the paperwork for the judge. Read More