Tune in to University Television this weekend to celebrate the premier of a locally crafted miniseries.

On Saturday, at both 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., enjoy the first hour of “Macomb’s Historic Places with Dr. John Hallwas.” The second hour premiers on Sunday, Dec. 6; the third hour on Monday, Dec. 7:, both showing at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.  All three segments can be seen at various times thereafter.

A Distinguished Professor Emeritus at WIU, Hallwas is a historian who’s dedicated long, passionate hours to the lively study of McDonough County and Macomb. To share the results of that research, he’s authored numerous books, including “Dime Novel Desperados” and the recent “Remembering McDonough County.” You’ve no doubt already seen on University Television at least part of his eight-part interview series with Gordy Taylor entitled “A History of Western Illinois University.”

Hallwas was an undergrad at WIU during the Sixties and taught in the English Department for many years. The warmth and charm of this miniseries springs from his amiable demeanor and his enthusiasm as he reveals Macomb’s secrets that hide in plain sight.

Part 1 brings to life “Macomb’s Historic Downtown.” Watch Hallwas walk the Square as you have – except now you’ll live and breathe with him almost two hundred years of history. Like an eager detective on the trail of notorious murder, Hallwas draws us in as he uncovers a dilapidated bedroom in the old Randolph House -- where Lincoln slept in 1858 during the historic Lincoln/Douglas debates.  Another highlight is John’s climb into the Courthouse’s cupola -- where he examines the clock mechanism and bell cast in 1871. At the Western Illinois Museum, the artifacts of our past come to life through John’s inquisitive eyes and fervent voice. Now I’ll make sure to visit this local tourist trap.

Part 2 highlights “Western’s Historic Campus.” Hallwas’ keenness -- to show you the often forgotten outdoor theater in the Ravine, and the neglected auditorium on the third floor of Sherman Hall -- is heart warming. When he climbs into Sherman’s old fashioned bank vault with WIU President Al Goldfarb, John makes you feel like a kid discovering a lost room in the attic. You’ll also learn whom Lake Ruth was really named after. I found particularly involving Hallwas’ tour of Simpkins Hall -- where he taught for many years, and where I was a student and instructor too long ago.

Part 3 memorializes “Historic Oakwood Cemetery.” Could there be a better place for a history buff like Hallwas to prove his intrigue with the past? To illustrate Macomb’s history of racial segregation, he  marches into a corner that’s home to our Potter’s Field. Then there are the graves of those who championed the Underground Railroad, and the tombstones dedicated to Macomb’s Civil War heroes. Memorializing other fallen heroes as well, John also highlights the burial place of the cemetery’s founder William Randolph, the victim in a headline grabbing murder. Most intriguing is Hallwas’ tour of Oakwood Abbey: a mausoleum which holds the crypt of Macomb’s most famous 20th century resident.

A theme throughout the three parts is the town/gown alliance that has been so beneficial to Macomb. This miniseries is a testament to that.  A big step on the road to having the Square designated as a national historic district, “Macomb’s Historic Places” is also a notable step forward for University Television. Not bound to in-studio interviews, this production takes us on location in the bright sunshine of our home town. Director/producer Roger Kent keeps the action lively and the production values top notch. Kathy Nichols provided archival photographs that bring the past alive.
Thanks to the WIU Foundation and McDonough County Historical Society for their sponsorship, and executive producer Al Goldfarb for his expertise. Tune in this weekend and discover Macomb’s hidden history with a master detective, Dr. John Hallwas. 

The Macomb Historic Preservation Commission is a few alterations and several postage stamps away from submitting a grant application to pay for an extensive survey of the city’s historic district.

Included in the grant application are 30 photographs and block views of the historic district along with all the necessary paper work detailing the proposed project.
The grant application needs to be postmarked by Monday, Nov. 30. Community Development Coordinator Ed Basch told the commission he sent the application to a consultant he worked with in the past for her review.

“I sent the narrative, schedule and budget to her for review free of charge...she thought the budget was good and just saw a minor conflict in the time schedule, which I will need to double-check,” Basch told the commission.

In addition, it was suggested commissioners hold off on conducting an informational meeting for the public until their consultant will be available, most likely around mid-July.

“I’m assuming we get the funds by April 15, 2010; that’s the state’s expected turn-around time,” Basch added.

The amount the commission is requesting for the grant totals $14,850 and the city of Macomb will contribute $990.

“It’s a good deal in today’s world - you don’t see a grant for that amount,” Basch said.
The required end date for the project is the end of September 2011, and a total of 300 hours of work must be completed on the project by Basch, clerical support, volunteers, interns or other means.

Each hour applied towards the match must be accounted through weekly documentation of time sheets.

In other business:
• Sam Parker was added as a new member of the Historic Preservation Commission, while Marty Fischer was re-elected chairman and Dennis Danowski maintained his vice-chair position.
• When Macomb became a Certified Local Government, the commission had also asked the state to make it eligible for owner occupied tax freezes within the district.
Basch said while there are no property owners residing in single-family homes in the historic district right now, he would create a form for the purpose if it does present itself in the future.
• Basch told the commission he has not heard anything back regarding the businesses within pre-1900 homes along the 400 block of East Jackson Street.
• The HPC will not hold a December meeting unless urgent business presents itself.
The next meeting will be Tuesday, Jan. 25 at 3 p.m in the Macomb City Council Chambers.

After almost two years of planning and construction, the city of Bushnell unveiled its new veterans memorial Saturday in the VFW Park.

Several hundred people attended the event. Bushnell Mayor Steve Russell, Bushnell City Clerk Donna Coates, Bushnell American Legion Commander Lyle Payne, Illinois State Police Capt. Robert Elliott, Rep. Rich Myers and Congressman Phil Hare’s District Director Pat O’ Brien made remarks before the centerpiece stone of the memorial was uncovered.

Each of the speakers noted Bushnell’s extraordinary efforts to continually honor its veterans.
“I don’t ever recall one with this kind of a crowd,” Myers said about the memorial’s unveiling. “We and Western Illinois are proud of Bushnell and its dedication to veterans.”

Elliott said the efforts of the Bushnell Flag Crew, which sets up several hundred American flags along city streets on holidays and whenever Bushnell military personnel return home.

“When you place 350 flags when a soldier returns, it means a lot,” Elliott said.

Each speaker also mentioned the efforts of Bushnell City Clerk Coates, who was largely responsible for the memorial’s construction.

“I would like to thank a little lady who had a dream a couple of years ago,”  Russell said. “Her name is Donna Coates.”

For the rest of the story go to: http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/homepage/x2087390610/Bushnell-honors-veterans-with-new-memorial-unveiled-Saturday
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The Western Illinois Museum board and staff hosted a program called “What Friends are For” Wednesday evening to inform residents about upcoming exhibitions and events, as well as how to become a “friend” of the museum.

Friends of the Museum is a membership program that supports the museum in a variety a ways, whether it's through financial support or volunteering time as a docent or helping with an event or exhibit.

Western Illinois Museum Curator Sue Scott said without the Friends of the Museum, they would not be able to stay open 30 hours a week.

“My position is part time, so we rely on docents just to keep the doors open, and for each exhibit at least 100 hours of staffing is provided by these volunteers,” said Scott. “They are the unsung heros that keep the museum running.”

In addition to Friends of the Museum, Scott said Western Illinois University student interns, groups and Greek organizations offer a number of services.

“They bring an energy and curiosity to the museum that's invaluable,” said Scott. “The museum was started and run by students 35 years ago, and I'm so pleased this tradition continues today.”

The program also included guest speakers Richard Fishel, who gave a 3,000-year history of Native American pottery from his work as an archaeologist, and Tim Schroll, who provided a historical overview of the Moses King Brick and Tile Works National Historic District in Colchester.

For the rest of the story go to:
http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/news/x1312017752/Museum-has-friends
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History will come to life in Macomb’s Chandler Park Saturday when 19th century soldiers set up camp to share their stories with the locals.
Civil War in the Park, a living history event sponsored by Western Illinois Civil War Roundtable, will be an opportunity to recognize the upcoming Civil War Sesquicentennial.
“We’re not going to be shooting at each other, but we will have muskets, swords and other artifacts on hand and be dressed in period uniforms,” said WICWR member Don Bath. “We’ll also have demonstrations going on in the camp.”
Characters at the camp will include Union soldiers, wives, servants and possibly a prisoner of war.
“Ray Krey has a Louisiana Tiger uniform,” said Bath. “I suggested that since he’s the only Confederate, we ought to use him as a prisoner of war, but he hasn’t agreed to that, yet.”
Bath said Civil War in the Park stemmed from the History Day tour Macomb fifth graders take each fall.
Bath has dressed in Civil War uniform and spoken on the tour for a few years now, but he and a number of other amateur and professional historians want to expand by sharing the history with the general public.

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The Macomb Historic Preservation Commission agreed Tuesday to take the next step toward getting national recognition for the downtown historic district by putting together an intensive survey.

Community Development Coordinator Ed Basch told the commission they had received the official notice from the state for the Certified Local Government (CLG) program, meaning they can now apply for and receive grant money.

At the last meeting on Oct. 6, the group considered either going for a national nomination or conducting the historic survey.

In talking to representatives from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, Mike Ward and Andrew Heckenkamp, Basch informed the group both individuals didn’t think enough information had been gathered to proceed directly to national recognition.

“They suggested doing the intensive survey, analyzing it, then having the nomination done a year later,” Basch said. “It would be an awful lot to try and do both at once.”

The grants typically range from $7,500 - $10,000, Basch added. Using the grant money for signage on historic buildings is not an option, but he thinks the survey would be their best choice.
“To me, it appears that doing the survey is a logical act for us to pursue the grant,” he said.
For the rest of the story go to: 

http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/news/x23528863/HPC-plans-historic-district-survey

A thriving community in the late 1880s that faded away to a ghost town is being revitalized.
All that remains of Vishnu Springs, a 140-acre wooded property hidden away in a remote McDonough County valley near Tennessee, is a crumbling old hotel covered in graffiti and a pond. But Western Illinois University, along with the Friends of Vishnu, is re-developing the property as a wildlife sanctuary.

The Friends of Vishnu, along with WIU, held an open house Sunday at the Vishnu site to re-introduce the property as The Ira and Reatha T. Post Wildlife Sanctuary.
The Western Illinois University Foundation acquired the property in 2003 from the Posts’ granddaughter with the stipulation that it be used as a wildlife sanctuary.

Marla Vizdal, Friends of Vishnu co-chair and a member of the Macomb Historic Preservation Commission, gave an historical overview of the property at Sunday’s open house.

According to Vizdal’s speech, turning Vishnu Springs into a wildlife sanctuary is a return to the property’s roots. Named for the Hindu god Vishnu, preserver of the universe, the property was once a place where people went to restore themselves and enjoy the serenity of the natural environment.
For the rest of the story go to:
http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/archive/x536357158/Vishnu-Springs-finds-new-life-as-sanctuary

For another story on Vishnu Springs,

"Hope Springs Eternal at Vishnu Springs"

at the Tri-States Public Radio website, click here:  www.publicbroadcasting.net/wium/news.newsmain/article/3007/0/1569587/Local.Specials/