On a rainy Friday in Secor, Illinois, the quiet town of 300 just west of El Paso welcomed a rare diplomatic visit from the Chinese Consulate in Chicago. Consul General Wang Baodong, joined by four consulate officials, gathered with members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), directors of the Illinois State Historical Society (ISHS), […]
Miranda Bailey-Peetz
The secret life of Pvt. Albert Cashier
Pvt. Albert Cashier fought in the 95th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. A favorite of those he fought with, he was hiding a secret that didn’t come out until he was in his 60s, when he applied for his Civil War pension – that Cashier was really born Jennie Hodgers. Cashier’s life […]
