Coming home to Braidwood

By: 
Sandy Vasko

    We have often talked about the many immigrants coming and going in early Braidwood. This might leave the impression that Braidwood was a place that few wanted to call home.
    But we also know that Braidwood was a caring community no matter what your age or financial status.    
    As we can well imagine, coming to a new country to start a new life in a new town is a scary thing, and especially so for children.
    The following is an account of that experience seen through the eyes of two young girls that were interviewed shortly after their arrival in Braidwood. We read in the May 7, 1880 Wilmington Advocate:
    “They seemed quite at ease, and answering our interrogatories said that their names were Florence and Isabella Creswell, aged 11 and 9 years, respectively. Their home was in Birmingham, England, and they left it on the fifth of April, accompanied by their mother as far as Liverpool, where they arrived on that night. There their mother put them in charge of the captain of the City of Chester and kissed them adieu on the day following.”  
    “Oh, yes, we cried a little, and were seasick about three days, but after that all was lovely. When about mid way,” said the eldest, “we saw a very large iceberg, one of the largest the sailors had seen. The sea was rather rough at times, but not more than was expected. There were three burials from the vessel, but the weather was so bad on deck that we did not venture out to see them.”  
    “Everybody seemed very kind to us, though we met few of the cabin passengers; you see we were in the steerage. Well, we finally got to Castle Garden, New York on the 17th, where father's cousin met us, and we were so glad. He put us on board of the proper train for Chicago, and after more kind usage by most everybody we got to Chicago and were directed to the Washington House, and there we were fast asleep when grandma and grandpa (Mrs. and Mr. Wm. Mainwarring of Braidwood,) found us, and here we are.”  
    “On the vessel we had plenty of good, wholesome food, and we used to go to our berth at about 8 o'clock every night; but 'twas hard to go to sleep, there was so much unnatural noise. Father is an invalid, and still remains in Birmingham, a place as big as Chicago. We both read in the second reader, and after a few days we're going to school. We like this country first rate, so far, and now have no desire to return.”
    And then the bright little dears bade us a polite adieu, promising to call again.”
    These two seemed to like Braidwood, and many who left, found that they longed to come back when they found out what conditions were elsewhere. Some had left for the silver mines in the west, especially Leadville, Co. But we read the following on May 14, 1880, “Several Braidwood men in Leadville, Co., write back discouragingly. “Wages, $3 a day: board, $7 a week and you furnish your own bedding and sleep crowded and filthy like so many hogs. They wish they were back in Braidwood.”
    And a few weeks later we learn that the many “benevolent societies” that had sprung up in Braidwood were truly that, “David Earl left here two months ago for Leadville.  He found it in due time, and with it bad luck and sickness. The Free Gardeners will help him home again, when he will rejoice and be glad.”
    David Earl lived to raise a beautiful family, not so lucky was John Thornton.
    “John Thornton, who left this place some weeks ago for Leadville, started to return this week on account of failing health. He got from bad to worse while en route, and finally died at Alton, this State, on Thursday. Brother of the deceased left for Alton on yesterday to convey the body here for burial. It is some consolation to know that Mr. Thornton was cared for in his hours of sickness and death by the Odd Fellows' fraternity.”
    Others had left Braidwood to begin a business elsewhere, where they thought they could make more money.
    We read on June 25th, “Tom Dyer will return to his first love - in other words, will abandon Morris and come back to Braidwood with his livery stable at an early date.”
    So, we find that finally 1880 Braidwood was no longer a boom town, full of people who were constantly coming and going, but a real place that felt like home, and truly a place “to come home to.”

    

    
    
 

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