Digging Up The Dirt

About the Book

The Will County Poor Farm was a home for the less fortunate, terminally and mentally ill, elderly, and orphaned children. Hundreds resided there over the years and despite the closing in 1955, hundreds of them still remain, somewhere within the 180 acres.

About the Author

Gina Wysocki has lived in Illinois all of her life. She has been an advocate for preservation for the counties first settlers, events, and buildings of historical importance. She seeks opportunities to "dig up the dirt" pertaining to their untold histories. Her self published book titled, "Digging up the Dirt, the History and Mysteries of the Poor Farm and Potter's fields of Will County" unearths the unwritten history of how the county's poor and underprivileged lived during an era that witnessed the birth of the I & M canal to the beginning of economic development in Will County.

Her extensive research has helped reunite families with ancestral knowledge that was once lost to history.

Gina has held several director positions in respects to the history of the Illinois’ prehistoric past and currently serves as a Board Director for the Will County Historical Museum and Society.

Gina operates and directs a Tour Service for those interested in Illinois Fossil Treasures and provides guided tours to the famous sites in Illinois. Gina currently resides in Wilmington, IL with her two children.