How it all got started...

It's hard to believe, but this week marks the one year anniversary of my Throwback Thursday blog. I have always been interested in the history of Raymond, Illinois, and had the opportunity to learn a lot about it when I served on the committee that published Raymond’s 125th Anniversary Book back in 1996. Prior to that in the late 80’s/early 90's, I worked for The Raymond News shortly after John and Sheryl Bandy sold the newspaper to The Hillsboro Journal. Each week, I included a column called “Flashbacks” that featured interesting news items from the past. I spent a great deal of time at Doyle Public Library in Raymond perusing archived issues of The Raymond News. I copied articles that I thought would be of interest to the community, and shared them in the paper each week.

I also copied news items pertaining to my family and friends. I found the article to the right in the November 26, 1942 issue of The Raymond News. It features a letter to to the editor that was written by our family friend, Raymond "Jiggs" Hough, when he was serving in the Army during WWII. (Jiggs enlisted in the Army on October 6, 1942 and served until December 23, 1945). I love this letter and I think it captures the true spirit of Raymond. I dug it out on a Thursday in December of 2013, and posted it on my Facebook status for "Throwback Thursday." My Facebook friends from back home also loved it and I received many comments. That's when I got the idea to launch a TBT blog. My very first Throwback Thursday blog post appeared on February 20, 2014. Now, one year later, I am happy to report that my little weekly blog about Raymond, Illinois (population 950), has had over 22,500 page views. It has also been viewed by people in over twenty different countries (see the full list of countries below).

When I started out blogging just for fun, I did not anticipate such an overwhelming response. I have heard from so many people -- classmates from elementary and high school, former colleagues, a long lost cousin, folks from New Jersey who have ties to the Panhandle area, and even from complete strangers who read my blog and either have some connection to back home or are simply interested in the subject matter. I would like to thank all my readers for your kind words and weekly encouragement. I love hearing from all of you and enjoy reading about your memories as well. It's a great feeling to know that something I enjoy doing so much helps keep the history of our little hometown alive.

And now, here's a little more on Jiggs...

After the war, Jiggs did “make a beeline” back to Raymond. He married Marjorie Trinkle on February 23, 1946 and returned to his job at the First National Bank of Raymond where he worked his way up from cashier, to vice-president, and then to bank president. He served in that capacity until he retired in 1986, and then remained on the board of directors until 1991. Jiggs had a genuine concern for the folks in Raymond, and through his job at the bank, he helped many people get a start in life and survive some tough times. Jiggs will always be remembered as one of the great leaders of our community.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Jiggs Hough. It appeared in Stars and Stripes magazine during WWII:

-- SIGNAL CORPS PHOTO

RAYMOND MAN IN CHINA – Tech. Sgt. Raymond R. Hough of Raymond, a veteran of the Salween river campaign, is pictured at a Chinese training center directed by the U.S. army forces somewhere in China, with his youthful Chinese friends. The Raymond soldier was recently decorated with the Bronze Star for his service at one of the American portable surgical hospitals on the Salween front. He is the son of Mrs. Clara P. Hough of Raymond. 

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The TBT Blog about Raymond has been viewed by people in the following countries: 
United States

Ukraine

France

Venezuela

United Kingdom
Trinidad & Tobago

Italy

Russia

Poland

Germany

Romania

Canada

Afghanistan

Pakistan

Egypt

Singapore

China

Japan

Kazakhstan

Mariana Islands

Ireland

Mexico

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