Fun Fact #428 The Wisp Herders

Fun Fact # 428

The Wisp Herders (Local Myths week)

When I was a kid in Caledonia, I remember hearing tall tales from my friends about how at night, “Strange Men with abnormally long limbs came down from Orion and herded Will-o-Wisps through the fields, eating the souls of the freshly harvested crops or Children wandering alone.” It always scared me while waiting for the bus before school.

However, it is clear to see these weren't Wisps or Orions, but rather tricks of the light. Most of the land around Caledonia is used for farming, with two natural streams flowing through and another close by. Today these streams are tiled, with the water flowing just under the surface, but it also means that the ground is almost perpetually wet. This water somtimes pools in places then reflects the light, especially on bright nights, while the raised roads allow people’s shadows to stretch creating “The Wisp Herder”. These streams are also why the fields surrounding Caledonia have the odd habit to turn shades of yellow-green during the early spring making them look like an unnaturally sick land, even though it's just moss, and mildew. Neither of these honestly have a very scary effect, but are enough to scare some superstitious kids. 

However if you’re disappointed that there are no sky people in Caledonia, then you haven't heard of “The Sky Soldiers”. More accurately Illinois Route 173 was dedicated to the 173rd Airborne Brigade (Special Designation: “Sky Soldiers”) of the US Army, who helped maintain the road until they were relocated to Italy to support US allies in the area (2014). As of 2023 they consist of 3,300 Paratroopers, and are the only Airborne IBCT in the US army. They’re really cool and deserve to be discussed for events such as “The Battle of Dak To” or “Operation Atlantic Resolve”, but alas that is a fun fact for another day. 

As always thanks for reading and please have a Fang-Tastic October.