News Progress

•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 … 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 … Read More