October 14 Illinois History Minute

It’s October 14th, and the Chicago Cubs defeated the Detroit Tigers two to nothing on this day, to clinch the 1908 World Series, four games to one. The Cubs wouldn’t win another World Series until 2016.  

Cubs catcher Joe Girardi was born in Peoria on this day in 1954. Girardi made his professional baseball debut with the minor league Peoria Chiefs, and later played for the Cubs and Cardinals --- and both played for and managed the New York Yankees.  

Women’s temperance activist Julia Ames was born on this day in 1861 in Livingston County, near Odell. After her untimely death at age 31, British journalist and spiritualist W.T. Stead published a book of messages he said were received from the departed Ames by way of automatic writing. The book went through several printings.