2010 April - August Local History in the News

By Jillian Stambaugh
The McDonough County Voice
Posted Aug 27, 2010 @ 04:13 AM
Macomb, Ill. —

Multiple updates have taken place around Courthouse Square this summer. While the Macomb Historic Preservation Commission is excited to see positive changes, they are also concerned that business and building owners - especially new ones - are not quite familiar with the permit process required for work done on the older buildings.

And in addition, Community Development Coordinator Ed Basch noted the HPC also needs to be refreshed on national rehabilitation standards.

“We need a more defined process,” said Basch of how updates and changes get approved. He suggested a checklist for work on the buildings detailing what updates would be approved directly through the city’s Building and Zoning Office or taken for a more thorough discussion to the commission.

“Having a checklist is a good thing for me because I know for sure (what is pre-approved) and so folks don’t think I’m being arbitrary,” he said.

One example given was that the new owners of Louie’s Diner removed blue glass and painted over brick that had never been covered before. Had the owners had a checklist of changes requiring permits, the HPC would have had the opportunity to halt the alterations.

“It was not part of the permit (they brought to us),” Basch explained. “The contractor just did it and thought it was no big deal...we had no indication they were to make sensitive changes.”

The commission discussed sending the checklist to businesses saying the should be more proactive in letting them know of standards and parameters.

Read the rest of the story at the McDonough County Voice website

DSC_0040.jpg
Lainie Steelman

Bob Welch displays a collection of the items a typical Civil War solider would carry. Welch participated in the Western Illinois Civil War Roundtable’s reenactment camp on Saturday, which was set up on the Courthouse Square.

By Lainie Steelman
The McDonough County Voice
Posted Aug 25, 2010 @ 04:00 AM
Macomb, Ill. —

Those browsing the farmers market on Macomb’s Courthouse Square Saturday might have gotten the sense they stumbled upon another time in history: the Civil War era. Members of the Western Illinois Civil War Round Table, a group of local history buffs working to raise awareness of McDonough County’s connection to the Civil War, set up a reenactment camp on the south side of the McDonough County Courthouse.

Don Bath, a round table member and a retired Western Illinois University chemistry professor, said many people are unaware of McDonough County’s deep involvement  in the Civil War. The county was so involved, Bath said, that “most of the male population of McDonough County was gone during that time.”

Bath said there are reminders of the Civil War era all over the county, and most people are unaware they hold them.

“In half the attics in this county, there are things that somebody stuffed in a box or an old trunk from that era,” he said.

Roundtable member Linda Cox,  co-owner of New Copperfield’s Book Service, said that unawareness is what motivates the group in its efforts, which include showing people how to preserve their Civil War memorabilia.

Cox said at the group’s first meeting, a number of people had Civil War journals “in their sweaty hands.”

“Now we’re learning how to encourage people to take care of things,” Cox said.

Cox aded added the group is also interested in putting on “living history” presentations for school and civic organizations.

read the whole story in the McDonough County Voice

Civil War Music in the Square

 

August 21, 2010

 

Civil War Displays at 10am 

 

Music will go from 11am-12pm

 

Visit the Farmer’s Market

and

stay to hear the tunes

the boys in “blue and gray”

enjoyed!

Authentic songs,

costumed re-enactors 

lots of fun!

Stones and Stories is a new web-only documentary series presented by Tri States Public Radio. Alex Degman, along with John E. Hallwas- WIU Professor Emeritus, take you to various historical cemeteries in McDonough County to discuss the history of the location and the people that are buried at these sites.

 

http://www.tristatesradio.com/cemeteries.html

The Kleinkopf Barn Stabilization Project needs your help! 

A group needs to take the lead in cleaning the old straw/hay from the loft to stabilize the structure from rot. 

Contact Bob Fischer at rjfish@macomb.com

for further information about assisting with preserving this very historic McDonough County structure!

Artifact of the Month book published by Western Illinois MuseumArtifact of the Month Book

Book Signing Saturday, July 31 at 10:30 am

 

The Artifact of the Month book is a compilation of informative essays written by Heather Munro to highlight the diverse collection of the Western Illinois Museum. Each artifact tells an engaging story and provides a direct connection to the past. The Artifact of the Month series creates an opportunity to delve into our regional history and learn what is unique about West Central Illinois.

 

Join us for a book signing and meet author, Heather Munro, Saturday, July 31 at 10:30 am. The event will be at the Western Illinois Museum and is free and open to the public.

 

Become a member or renew your membership and receive this 24-page, fully illustrated book as a thank you. Memberships support the Western Illinois Museum's collection, exhibition and educational programs.

Come help and plan Celebration Events for next year  !

the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War

Be a part of history!

All Invited !

 

WHAT:  Planning meeting for Sesquicentennial Celebration Events- West Illinois Civil War Round Table - All Invited !

WHEN:  July 22, 2010 at 7 pm

WHERE: Copperfield's Book Service, 120 North Side Square, Macomb IL

The Western Illinois Museum will be hosting the Smithsonian travel exhibit New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music from October 23 through December 4, 2010. In partnership with the Illinois Humanities Council and Illinois State University faculty the museum is pleased to offer a workshop for teachers in the region.  It will be held on Tuesday, August 17th from 10:00 to 11: 30 am.  Teachers will receive 2 CPDU credits for attending the workshop.

 

Our country’s love for music has been the bridge to bring people together.  It reconciles differences and provides common ground to share ideas, beliefs and customs.  In the same way, the topics explored in the New Harmonies exhibit provide a unique opportunity for cross-discipline learning.

 

This workshop will provide teachers the opportunity to think about new ways of teaching: using the exhibit as a teaching tool. It will provide an in-depth look at the topics in the New Harmonies exhibit which teachers can bring to their classrooms and share with their students. The workshop will demonstrate innovative techniques and approaches to bring the exhibit to life to engage and challenge students.   Teachers will also learn hands on activities to use in the classroom related to the themes of the exhibit.

 

The workshop will be given by Associate Professor Richard Hughes and Professor Andrew Hartman both from Illinois State University.  Professor Hughes teaches courses in both United States history and history education, and Professor Hartman focuses on twentieth-century United States history.

 

There is no cost to attend the workshop. Please RSVP for the workshop at info@westernillinoismuseum.org or call 309.837.2750.

 

For more information visit the museum’s Web site at http://westernillinoismuseum.org

Headstones for Lucinda and Wesley Wayland in the Bowlin-Wayland Cemetery.
Headstones for Lucinda and Wesley Wayland in the Bowlin-Wayland Cemetery.
A new sign for the Bowlin-Wayland Cemetery provided by the McDonough County Historical Society recently installed by volunteer Craig L'Hommedieu.
A new sign for the Bowlin-Wayland Cemetery provided by the McDonough County Historical Society recently installed by volunteer Craig L'Hommedieu.
July 1, 2010
Chalmers Township  -  Craig L’Hommedieu, volunteer with the McDonough County Historical Society, recently installed a new sign for the Bowlin-Wayland Cemetery donated by the society.
 The  Bowlin-Wayland Cemetery is located along N700 in south central Chalmers Township 2.5 miles east of Fandon in McDonough County. It is an inactive and neglected cemetery with approximately four family graves.
 The original cemetery, established by the Bowlin and Wayland families in 1870, covered about a quarter acre of land. Only a few markers remain on this much smaller plot.
The families were related through marriages. Wesley Wayland was the last person buried there in 1874.
The cemetery sign project is supported by Dodsworth-Piper-Wallen Funeral Home in Macomb, the McDonough County Genealogical Society, the McDonough County Highway Department, and the McDonough County Historical Society.

McDonough County Civil War Sesquicentennial Volunteer Opportunity I

To celebrate the Sesquicentennial next year, The McDonough County Voice newspaper will be  periodically running the front page from McDonough County newspapers from the time of the Civil War.  

 

Your help is needed!  

The newspaper needs either a group or individual

to help in identifying what cover pages to run. 

 

Here is a fun volunteer opportunity  for someone or a group to take on!

To volunteer, contact Marty Fischer at  marty_fischer@msn.com

Art, History & A Rascal

MACOMB, IL (wium) - An exhibit and a play will celebrate a legendary ghost town in McDonough County. The town is Vishnu Springs. The exhibit is called Vishnu Springs: Art & History. The play is called The Inadvertent Rascal. Both can be seen at the West Central Illinois Arts Center in Macomb. The exhibit was put together by the group Friends of Vishnu. The group's Marla Vizdal said it contains three parts. One is a historical look at Vishnu. The second part explains how the site is being used today. It's now officially called the Ira and Reatha T. Post Wildlife Sanctuary in honor of the family who once lived there and donated the 142-acre site to Western Illinois University. The third part is art that was inspired by Vishnu Springs and its history. The works were done by local artists and photographers. Vizdal said Vishnu Springs continues to intrigue people. "There are a lot of different stories that are associated with it," said Vizdal. "It's one of those places that's out in the middle of nowhere so people don't know what's there and how to get there." Most of the art work will be for sale. The money collected will be shared by Friends of Vishnu and the WCIAC. An opening reception for Vishnu Springs: Art & History will take place Friday June 18 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm. It will remain on display through July 24.  Read the full story here:

 http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wium/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1663426

The McDonough County Historical Society

has a new website:

http://www.mcdhistsociety.jimdo.com

Check it out!

Help for Adair’s Township Hall

Heather Munro

Shirley Weaver, left, accepts a check representing the first business owner donation Cheryl and Larry Beal of Beal's Garage of Adair.

The McDonough County Voice
Posted Jun 10, 2010 @ 04:00 AM
Adair, Ill. —

New Salem Township citizens are concerned about their Township Hall and they are preparing to do something about it.

Built in 1895, some say the building is the oldest continuously operating township hall in McDonough County. The building has been used by the township board for meetings and by residents for gatherings for the past 115 years.

However, the Township Hall is starting to show its age; the roof needs to be replaced and shingles have started falling off in the last few recent storms.

The problem with restoring the Township Hall is that there is no money available for the project.

The township has no fund for township hall repairs in its budget.

At the beginning of the year, the Township Board sent out a survey to all the township residents asking for input about what to do about the deteriorating hall.

Residents were informed that the hall needed repair; there were no repair funds, and the survey asked what the residents wanted to see happen to the township hall.  Various options were put forth, repair and preserve it, or tear it down and build a new hall.  Raising taxes was noted as a way to raise money to deal with the deteriorating building.

Overwhelmingly, residents responded to the survey stating that they wanted to repair the hall and preserve it, but they did not want to raise their taxes in order to do it.

At the Annual Township Meeting in April, where all the residents of the township gather each year to discuss township business together, the results of the survey were presented.  It was clear that without increasing taxes, there would be no funds for the repair of the hall.  However, the township decided not to raise taxes for restoration.

Shirley Weaver, a resident of Adair for the past 38 years, was at the township Annual Meeting and when she heard that there was no money to fix the township hall, she felt she had to do something.

She felt the message was straightforward- if the building was going to be repaired, it was not going to happen by itself.   The money had to come from somewhere.

She and her neighbor, Mary Wolf, came up with a unique, clear-cut, solution to get restoration funds – they made up a flier asking for donations and distributed it to all the residents of New Salem Township.

Hoping that residents would “do the right thing”, the request was sent to each of the 180 homes in the township simply asking to contribute towards the restoration of the Township Hall.

Shirley regards the township hall as “a mainstay of the community”.  She believes that other community members feel the same way and care about what happens to the hall. Shirley added, “Personally, I love old buildings…” and that is why she could not sit idly by and see this important and historically significant structure fall into disrepair.

Since the flier went out about two weeks ago, Shirley says donations have been coming in and residents are stepping up.   In cooperation with the Township Supervisor, Steve Farr, a fund has been set up to handle the donations.

The donations already coming in show that just as their pioneer ancestors did, starting back in 1895, so too, do the present residents of New Salem Township want to come together, and govern themselves in their hall.

Estimated to cost about $6,500 to replace the roof, it is hoped that enough money will be raised, so that by the end of the summer the roof work can be completed.

Shirley Weaver has begun a personal appeal to all the local businesses in New Salem Township.  Visiting each business owner individually, she hopes owners will want to illustrate their community spirit and civic pride by making donations towards such a worthy cause as preserving the local hall.

Beal’s Garage located on Highway 136 in the heart of Adair, was the first local business to step forward and give a donation.  Owned and operated by the Beal Family, Larry, Cheryl and their son, J.D., Beal’s has been in the same location since 1957.  Cheryl noted “…you can’t get more home-town than us!”  She added, the Beals were motivated to donate because they thought it “important to the community to preserve” the township hall.

Shirley Weaver hopes that other businesses in the area will follow the lead of Beal’s Garage. In addition, she hopes that others, both individuals and businesses, beyond the township, will consider donating too.

So the scope of this grass-roots fundraising campaign is extending beyond township borders, and the request for donations is going out to all of McDonough County, indeed, to all of Illinois, or to anyone, anywhere, who cares about preserving history or historic architecture.

To anyone who cares about losing a piece of McDonough County history -- Shirley says, for “anyone who cares about old buildings”, this is a worthy cause.

Township residents are starting to dig deep into their own pockets; the hope is that others will consider making a donation too, and that the roof will be repaired by this summer, so the New Salem Township Hall will survive far into the future.

To make a donation, please make all checks payable to Adair Town Hall Repair Fund and send donations to New Salem Township, 416 Maple Street, Box A, Adair IL 61411.

Carol Hendrickson and her brother Richard accept a new sign from the McDonough County Historical Society
Carol Hendrickson and her brother Richard accept a new sign from the McDonough County Historical Society
Bethel Township - - Carol and her brother Richard Hendrickson,
family descendants, accepted a new sign for the Waymack Cemetery provided by the McDonough County Historical Society. Carol from Rock Island, Dick from Columbus, Indiana, and brother Robert from Colorado have great, great grandparents in the cemetery. Carol and Dick recall some interesting facts and stories while reminiscing about this rural cemetery south of Fandon in Bethel Township.
Waymack Cemetery is inactive but maintained by the family
through a local nursery.
 The cemetery sign project is supported by the
McDonough County Genealogical Society,
Dodsworth-Piper-Wallen Funeral Home,
the McDonough County Highway Department
and the McDonough County Historical Society.
===============================
Waymack Cemetery
by Carol and Dick Hendrickson


A group of families emigrated from Tennessee to McDonough County in the 1840s. Two families, the Wormacks and the Masons, started farms in the area. Jacob Wormack, son of Buckner, and Nancy Mason, daughter of Adin and Mary Mason, married in McDonough County on March 5, 1840. They were both buried in the Waymack Cemetery in 1863 and 1893, respectively.
Two of their eight children, Adan and Francis, rest beside them, both dying at an early young age. There are more descendants from the Wormack Family (also spelled Womack and Waymack), buried in cemeteries in and surrounding McDonough County.
The cemetery is inactive and maintained. It was not always well maintained as it is now. We remember in 1997 a day was set aside to attempt to locate the cemetery. We asked a local farmer, Albert Mullett, who took us to the site. It is in the NW 1/4 of Section 9.  We found only two stones on that trip but resolved to return and cleanup the area.
In November 2001, we returned with many descendants of the family bringing scythes, axes, and other tools to clean up the cemetery. More corn crop now totally surrounded the plot we discovered in 1997. After locating the two stones found earlier, we cleared weeds and brush and probed the area with a steel rebar. We found more stones just beneath the ground surface. 
These newly reclaimed stones reflected the three spellings of the name: Wormack, Warmack, and Waymack. 
We got another surprise finding a grave marker for Jeremiah Barbon, hand chiseled on the flat side of an oval shaped rock (1843-1864). We cannot connect him to our family.
With the help of original underground slabs, we organized the headstones in a way that we suspect accurately positions their original location.
We installed a sturdy wooden fence to protect the grave site for  future descendants of Jacob Waymack.
Our family is proud to have the McDonough County Historical Society mark our family cemetery with a new sign.
Dick Jackson, left, presents a gift to the cemetery sign project sponsored by the McDonough County Historical Society,
Dick Jackson, left, presents a gift to the cemetery sign project sponsored by the McDonough County Historical Society,
The McDonough County Historical Society received a matching grant donation for its cemetery sign project from Marilyn and Dick Jackson of Berwick, members of the McDonough County Genealogical Society.
Their gift of $100, when matched by the society, will support four signs installed on cemeteries in McDonough County.
According to Louis Battin, president of the MCHS, in the last four years "many cemeteries have been selected with the help of Dick as a volunteer in the research center of the Genealogical Society."
There are over 110 cemeteries in McDonough County. Sixty have received new signs over four years, with 30 installed in 2009 and 2010.
The Jacksons support the cemetery sign project "because it has brought attention to the poor condition of many of these cemeteries, generating interest among volunteers to clean up and restore dignity to these resting places of our forebears.”

Western Illinois Museum celebrates the new exhibit

The Courthouse Square:

A History in the Making

with a reception Friday, June 4th, 5:30 to 8:00 pm

 

McDonough County’s Courthouse Square, built in the center of the county, has long been the focal point for area residents and visitors.  The Western Illinois Museum’s new exhibit, The Courthouse Square: A History in the Making, showcases the over 175 years of our regions unique history as it was lived on the square. The exhibit includes photographs that trace changes in the physical features of the square, oral histories from seven long time residents, and a number of artifacts from the museum’s collection and on loan from the community. 

 

Since the first business opened on the square in 1833 it has been the place where the history and culture of our region has been created.  Artifacts like an 1867 legal ledger from the law firm Tunnicliff and Matteson provides a record of how early settlers established McDonough County as a vibrant community and built the physical place we call the square. 

 

The exhibit offers visitors a number of ways to delve into the history of the Courthouse Square.  On display are photographs and artifacts, newspaper accounts of events and important dates, stories of families, along with explanation of business practices and social concerns on the square.  For the first time at the Western Illinois Museum, visitors can listen to recently collected oral histories.  Recording stations through out the exhibit have short recollection from local residents Suzie Melton, Tweed Mummert, Harold Morrow, Chris Strong, Leona Waller, and George Wannamaker.

 

Examining the history of a location, like the Courthouse Square, reveals what a community chooses to value. The current exhibit at the Western Illinois Museum is an entryway into the unique past of the region and offers a chance to appreciate what we have today while informing what could be preserved for tomorrow.

 

Research assistance for the exhibit has been provided by Sally Adams, Dustin Hinrichs, Heather Munro, Lottie Phillips and Miriam Rauschert.  Members of the Historic Preservation Commission have acted as advisor for exhibit, and installation assistance was provided by Gil Belles, Elaine Goldfarb, and Lowell and Lois Lueck.  The oral history project was made possible with support from the Friends of the Museum and Walmart.

 

The opening reception for the exhibit will be Friday, June 4 from 5:30 to 8:00 pm at the Western Illinois Museum.  Refreshments will be served.  The exhibit will be on view through September 11, 2010. 

 

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am – 4pm.  Admission to the reception and the museum is free and open to the public. Donations appreciated.  The Western Illinois Museum is located at 201 South Lafayette Street in Macomb, Illinois.  For more information call 309.837.2750.

 

In conjunction with the exhibition at the Western Illinois Museum:

The Courthouse Square: A History in the Making

 

Guided Walking Tours of Macomb Courthouse Square

will be conducted on

 

May 29 at 1pm

 

June 25 at 6pm

 

June 26 at 1pm

 

July 31 at 1pm

 

August 21 at 1pm

 

œ

Tour will leave from the

Western Illinois Museum.

Tours are free and

open to the public.

Donations appreciated.

Historic Downtown Facade Will Come Down

 (2010-05-26)

This downtown facade, built in 1896, will be torn down.

MACOMB, IL (wium) - An historic brick facade in downtown Macomb will be torn down, after standing on the Courthouse Square for 114 years.

Macomb's Historic Preservation Commission unanimously granted the building's owner, Don Dieke, permission to tear down the facade should he maintain ownership. Dieke says he's in negotiations with someone who wants to purchase the property, but those details have not yet been finalized.

The building at 119-121 South Side Square was destroyed by fire in early March. The facade was preserved, but Dieke says maintaining the facade is too much of a liability. At the Commission's special meeting last week, it appeared the potential new owner wanted to keep the facade intact. That is apparently no longer the case.

Macomb Mayor Mick Wisslead says any potential new owner will likely leave the property vacant.

"As far as the economics of building a brand new building, you're talking upwards of $1 million to replace that square footage," says Wisslead. "In this economy, I don't think there's anyone that's got that deep of pockets."

Community Development Coordinator Ed Basch says the demolition orders are a done deal unless the city council intervenes. He says aldermen could halt him from proceeding with the order if they want to review the information.

Dieke says he and his wife are "too old" to rebuild their business and start from scratch, so a sale of the property is imminent. But it's still unclear what, if anything, will replace the historic brick facade, and the building that once stood behind it.
© Copyright 2010, wium

Eric Jameson (from left), Larry Jameson, and Pat Burke present a donation to Louis Battin to support the cemetery
Eric Jameson (from left), Larry Jameson, and Pat Burke present a donation to Louis Battin to support the cemetery
May 26, 2010

Donation to Cemetery Sign Project
 Louis Battin, president of the McDonough County Historical Society, received a matching grant donation for the MCHS cemetery sign project from Jim Burke and Larry and Eric Jameson of the Dodsworth-Piper-Wallen Funeral Home in Macomb.
 The gift of $400, when matched by the society, will support 15 signs installed on cemeteries in McDonough County.
In the last four years over 60 signs have been installed with the help of the McDonough County Highway Department, funeral homes, banks, family members, anonymous donors, the McDonough County Genealogical Society, and the McDonough County Historical Society.
There are over 110 cemeteries in McDonough County. Project director Gil Belles, with help from Roger Frowein and Craig L’Hommedieu, put up 30 new signs in 2009 and 2010.
The cemetery sign project has brought attention to the poor condition of many of these cemeteries, generating interest among volunteers to clean up and restore dignity to these resting places of our forebears.
Marla Vizdal, left, President of the McDonough County Genealogical Society, presents a donation to Louis Battin,President of the McDonough County Historical Society, to support the cemetery sign project of the MCHS
Marla Vizdal, left, President of the McDonough County Genealogical Society, presents a donation to Louis Battin,President of the McDonough County Historical Society, to support the cemetery sign project of the MCHS
May 14, 2010
The McDonough County Historical Society received a matching grant donation for its cemetery sign project from  the McDonough County Genealogical Society. Marla Vizdal, president of the MVGS presented the gift to Louis Battin, president of the MCHS.
The gift of $400, when matched by the society, will support 16 signs installed on cemeteries in McDonough County.
In the last four years over 60 signs have been erected with the help of the McDonough County Highway Department, funeral homes, banks, family members, anonymous donors, and the McDonough County Historical Society.
There are over 110 cemeteries in McDonough County. Project director Gil Belles, with help from Roger Frowein and Craig L’Hommedieu, put up 30 new signs in 2009 and 2010.
The cemetery sign project has brought attention to the poor condition of many of these cemeteries, generating interest among volunteers to clean up and restore dignity to these resting places of our forebears.

Downtown Facade Might Come Down

 (2010-05-11)
The facade is all that's still standing at 119 & 121 South Side Square

MACOMB, IL (wium) - The red brick facade is all that remains standing of the building that burned down on Macomb's courthouse square on March 3. Now the building owner wants to tear down the facade.

Nelson Dieke, Inc filed a Certificate of Appropriateness application with the city on May 5. The application is necessary because - like the rest of the square - the building is in the city's downtown historic district.

The Macomb Historic Preservation Commission will hold a public hearing Tuesday, May 18, 3:00pm at City Hall. Immediately after the hearing the commission will be asked to approve or reject the application.

If the application is approved, a demolition permit will be issued. If it is rejected, Nelson Dieke could appeal to the Macomb City Council.

The application does not indicate what might be done with the site once the facade is removed. If the owner chooses to rebuild, the new structure would need to match the size, style, and historic character of the surrounding buildings.

The building dated back to 1896. It most recently housed Chelsea's Hallmark Store and Vision Consultants Ltd.

The fire department was unable to pinpoint the cause of the smoky fire that destroyed the building. Chief Andy Taylor said the damage was too extensive to determine anything.

© Copyright 2010, wium

from the McDonough County Choice, May 11, 2010
from the McDonough County Choice, May 11, 2010
Jennifer Cook (from left), Stephanie Bieschke, and Sarah Medina find Civil War veteran's headstone at Barber Cemetery
Jennifer Cook (from left), Stephanie Bieschke, and Sarah Medina find Civil War veteran's headstone at Barber Cemetery
May 8, 2010
Three AmeriCorps volunteers who have been working this year for Mississippi Valley Big Brother, Big Sister, added another service project to their resumes. 
On an unseasonably cold and windy Saturday morning they attacked the Barber Cemetery with loppers, hedge shears, shovels, and rakes.
Sarah Medina of Macomb, a military wife about to relocate to Ft. Hood, Texas to join her husband returning from Afghanistan, Jennifer Cook, a newly minted Masters graduate from the Recreation, Park, and Tourism Administration department at Western Illinois University, and Stephanie Bieschke, a May graduate from Monmouth College, offered to help the McDonough County Historical Society with its cemetery cleanup projects.
Barber Cemetery is located on a bulge in road 700 East on the border of Colchester and Chalmers Townships south of the new highway in McDonough County. It is an inactive and neglected cemetery with approximately 20 family graves.
The original cemetery, established by the Barber family in 1835, covered about an acre of land. Only a few markers were visible when this crew arrived. But by the time their hands were numb from the cold, 14 headstones and about 10 footstones could be seen and counted.
Some of the larger monuments were too heavy to lift up and restore to their original position. But these volunteers did uncover the marker for William Lucas, a Civil War veteran.
The three then moved to the more protected Lower Cemetery to trim back some of the fast growing brush around markers in this much larger family plot.
Medina, Cook, and Bieschke gained much satisfaction and knowledge from a productive and rewarding project.
April 24, 2010
Abandoned Cemetery Rescued
Macomb -- Thirty-four students from four universities devoted the first morning of their weekend conference restoring the neglected Lower Cemetery in southern Colchester Township.
 The local Western Illinois University chapter of the national organization Students Today, Leaders Forever (STLF) invited students from John Carroll College (Ohio), the University of Iowa, and Illinois State to convene at WIU for a regional Spring conference.
 One of WIU’s core leaders, Dan Boyles, responded to a request from the McDonough County Historical Society for assistance in cleaning up some of the county’s abandoned cemeteries.
“We traditionally open our conferences with a local service project,” Boyles said. “After visiting three cemeteries recommended by the historical society, I selected the largest for our efforts.”
Another factor in this decision was the recent death of Vera Cordell, a rural resident close to the Lower Cemetery, who tried to care for the cemetery until it deteriorated beyond her control. Margaret Foster, on whose farm the cemetery is located, considered the cleanup an apt tribute to Cordell. Both were long time members of the historical society.
The Lower Cemetery was established in 1841 with the burial of Lucy Horrell, whose majestic tall monument was raised from the mud Saturday morning. Government headstones mark the graves of three veterans of the Civil War, William Blanchard, William Hill, and Alvin Martin. The volunteer students found all three.
Many of the 40-60 markers theoretically in this large plot were covered with decades of mud and grass. Many were knocked over by falling trees, tree limbs, deer, and scratching cattle. 
Dan Oliver, resident manager of the Foster Farm, used his chain saw to help the students clear off many layers of accumulated debris. Roger Frowein, past president of the historical society, brought shears, shovels, loppers, and hoes for the students to use.
A Foster Farm cat strolled through the busy activity as students used gloves and old fashioned stoop labor to lift and heave limbs and logs from the grounds. 
Through out the morning, as an area was newly opened, shouts of “I found another marker,” were heard, attracting a swarm of shovels, hoes, and strong arms. Some of the students were fascinated by the history that unfolded before them. A few identified a wide variety of plants and trees.
Many volunteers were touched by the death dates of very young infants, sometimes more than one to a family. Others were struck by the intricate and artistic designs engraved in the stone. Some were frustrated by the inability to read the weathered names or dates inscribed in often soft stone.
But the fulfilling pay off at the end of the project was to stand back and look at the cemetery which two hours before had been virtually invisible, hiding under tall grass, brush, and weeds, overlaid with branches and limbs.
Before disappearing in the still wooded trail out, the kids could look back and see most of the monuments extending from fence line to fence.
The Lower Cemetery still needs some work and fine tuning. But it is now eligible for a new sign donated by the McDonough County Historical Society, cosponsored by the McDonough County Genealogical Society, and the McDonough County Highway Department.
In addition, Pat Cordell (son of Vera), Margaret Foster, and the Foster Farm will sponsor a second sign to commemorate the dedication of Vera Cordell who honored this final resting place of early pioneers in our county.
Lindsay Snetcher (left to right), Vlad Ivanyshyn, Corey Brown, Andrew Brown, WAVE volunteers.
Lindsay Snetcher (left to right), Vlad Ivanyshyn, Corey Brown, Andrew Brown, WAVE volunteers.
April 21, 2010
Macomb---
 On a beautiful, sun drenched balmy afternoon when many students were tossing Frisbees, basking in the sun, jogging, or taking a stroll, four WIU students were pulling weeds, shoveling earth, lifting heavy stone, and restoring a sense of order and respect to a local abandoned and neglected cemetery.
 Corey Brown, Andrew Brown, Lindsay Snetcher and Vlad Ivanyshyn, members of Western's All Volunteer Effort (WAVE) offered to cleanup the Craig Cemetery as their contribution to WAVE Week.
In addition to clearing off decades of brush, weeds, and other waste, these volunteers discovered many head and foot stones than had fallen and been covered up with mud and grass.
Craig Cemetery was a private, family plot with the first burial in 1847. It is the final resting place of Richard Craig, a veteran of the War of 1812. 
Another government headstone commemorates the grave of Daniel Miller, a veteran of the Civil War.
A list of suspected graves found in the WIU Archives and Special Collections and the McDonough County Genealogical Society contains 25 names. 
The WAVE students counted about ten when they arrived and could see about 20 when they left.
Some of the toppled monuments were too heavy to set up and were left for another day.
But these WAVE volunteers can take pride in returning some dignity to this rural cemetery.