Those who own property in Macomb’s downtown historic district will be receiving a phone call from the city.
Community Development Coordinator Ed Basch told aldermen the district has been in place for more than two years so he believes it’s time for some feedback from those most
directly impacted.
Basch thinks a phone survey will result in more responses than a mailed or web-based questionnaire. He said it’s a short survey of five questions.
He said the city will ask building and/or business owners about the value of the historic district to their particular businesses and how they feel about the district’s
architectural guidelines.
“How many people are aware of our forgivable grant program?” Basch said regarding another of the questions. “How many have heard of it but don’t know details? Well, I’d be
happy to give them details.”
The survey also seeks feedback about the city’s attempt to win National Historic District designation for the downtown, and it asks whether the district should be dissolved,
left alone, or kept with a few changes.
Basch said 98 people own buildings in the historic district. Seventh Ward Alderman Clay Hinderliter hoped to hear comments from most if not all of them.
“Hopefully we’re going to find out whether we’re doing this with them, for them, or to them,” said Hinderliter, who serves on the Community Development Committee, which came
up with the idea for the survey.
Basch indicated the city might also talk to tenants to get their thoughts.
Fifth Ward Alderman Dave Dorsett said the results are non-binding. He said the city is simply seeking information.
Local Author, Historian
John Hallwas Appearing at
New Copperfield's Book Service
Saturday, November 17
Macomb, IL - November 12, 2012 - Local historian and nationally known, award winning author John Hallwas will be at New Copperfield's Book Service, 120
North Side Square, Saturday, November 17 from 10:00 A.M. until Noon and 1:00 P.M. until 3:00 P.M. Dr. Hallwas will greet his readers, sign and discuss his recent books.
John Hallwas has written and edited many books and countless newspaper columns on the history of this area. His most recent work,Here to Stay tells the history
of the Macomb area through the lives of residents interred in Oakwood Cemetery, in Macomb.
The Bootlegger, perhaps his most popular and best known work, is the story of Kelly Wagle, the notorious bootlegger headquartered in Colchester.
Dr. Hallwas' avid readers will know of his many other works of local history, newspaper columns and his DVDs, including his most recent, Macomb's Historic
Homes.
The event is free and the public is invited. Don't miss this opportunity to have Dr. Hallwas personalize his books for holiday giving.
New Copperfield's Book Service is located on the north side of Macomb's historic downtown Courthouse Square with new, general interest books in stock and availble through special
order.
Press Release
October 3, 2012
Chalmers Township - Steve and Joan Biswell, owners of property that includes the Murray Gravesite, recently accepted a new sign to mark the site donated by the McDonough County
Historical Society.
This single monument cemetery is located in a farm field in the northwest quarter of Section 16 in Chalmers Township in McDonough County.
The 8’ x 8’ memorial area is carefully landscaped to protect the huge marble monument.
The front side of the monument records the deaths of Elizabeth and John Murray, with inscriptions.
Elizabeth Murray, 1840-1894, is remembered thusly: “She was a kind and affectionate wife and friend to all.”
John F. Murray, 1832-1896, has this epitaph: “Sleep on brother, thy work is done, Jesus has come and borne thee to him.”
The cemetery sign project is supported by Dodsworth-Piper-Wallen Funeral Homes, West Side Lumber, Assets Protection, Inc. (Bob Fischer, President), and the McDonough County Historical
Society.
The National Park Service has placed the Old Bailey House, 100 S Campbell St, Macomb on the National Register of Historic Places.
“It's a grand, beautiful old lady of a house here in town,” said Bob Fischer of the McDonough County Historic Preservation Society.
The Old Bailey House was built by William S. Bailey, who was the founder and first president of Union National Bank.
While that is significant, Fischer said those who considered the application for historic designation were even more impressed with the restoration job vocational students
completed on the Queen Anne style architecture.
“The fact that the house was so beautifully restored (in the mid-1980s) to the original style really makes it just stand out,” Fischer said.
A plaque will be placed on the building to mark its national historic designation.
Today, the house is used for wedding receptions, parties, and other special events. There is also office space available for rent. Fischer said the home is open for
self-guided tours during the day. He encouraged visitors to drop in to see what a home looked like in 1890.
The Old Bailey House is in Macomb's downtown area. Fischer believes the historic designation for the house will help the city as it pursues national historic recognition for
the entire downtown district.
The courthouse in downtown Macomb is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
Colchester Area Historical Society
will meet on Mon. Sept. 24, 2012 at 7 P.M.
at the Colchester City Hall Community Room
in Friendway Park.
For the program, members and guests
are to bring historical items for “Show and Tell”
Press Release
August 31, 2012
Industry Township - Richard Jackson, genealogist, cemetery historian, and descendant of relatives buried in the Peak Cemetery, recently
accepted a new sign to mark the site donated by the McDonough County Historical Society.
This small family cemetery is located in a dense wooded area in the northwest quarter of Section 23 in Industry Township in McDonough County.
This memorial area was once protected by some wire fencing attached to old round fence posts, but only fragments remain. A period of hogs running wild did extensive damage to this burial site.
The first burial with an extant marker (1863), was Margaret Springer, 46 year old wife of William Springer. It appears that the last burial was in 1873.
Other visible headstones mark the graves of Cordells, Osborns, and Peaks, all of whom seem to have been related by marriages.
Joseph Osborn (1781-1870) and his wife Nancy came to McDonough County from Virginia in the 1820s, appearing on the 1830 census lists as landowners in Industry Township. Joseph was a veteran of
the War of 1812.
According to veterans’ records in Illinois, Hugh Smith, another veteran of the War of 1812, is also buried in the Peak Cemetery; but no headstone for Smith is visible today.
There is a well preserved headstone for William Peak, who served in the Civil War.
The cemetery sign project is supported by Dodsworth-Piper-Wallen Funeral Home, Assets Protection, Inc. (Robert Fischer, President), West Side Lumber, and the McDonough County Historical
Society.
New Brochure and Map for Historic Cemeteries
Tamara Parker, Executive Director of the Macomb Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, announces the availability of a new free brochure and map for locating some of the historic cemeteries in
McDonough County.
The full color brochure, "A Guide to Some of McDonough County’s Historic Cemeteries," includes a map of the county with detailed directions for finding 35 of the approximate 100 cemeteries in the
county.
Each of the four quadrants of the county is color coded with numbers and driving instructions for persons interested in visiting easy to access, but old cemeteries.
Each cemetery name also includes GPS coordinates for folks who have hand held or dash mounted tracking devices or systems.
This Guide grew out of the “Cemetery Project” conducted by the McDonough County Historical Society. After publishing a story and photo of a new sign installed at one of these often remote and
obscure cemeteries, interested folks asked how to find them.
While the Guide can assist in locating 35, a map of all 100 county cemeteries can be found on the website of the Historical Society: McDHistSociety.jimdo.com. The brochure and website maps were both produced by the GIS Center of Western Illinois
University.
The new free guide and map is available at the MACVB, 201 S. Lafayette, the Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce, 214 N. Lafayette, Macomb Public Library, WIU Archives, and Macomb City Hall.
For Immediate Release
August 24, 2012
Western Illinois Museum invites people to share
Memories of what was Made in McDonough County
Windows, hammers, and potato chips? What do these things all have in common? They are all products that are made right here in
McDonough County. The Western Illinois Museum’s upcoming exhibit, Made In McDonough County looks at what the people of McDonough County are proud to make. The exhibit will
investigate the history of industry, agriculture, communications and art, revealing a portrait of a community that grows, changes, adapts and enjoys the fruits of its labors.
The museum is looking for help to tell the stories of those who live and contribute to what is being made in McDonough County. As a regional history museum, the Western
Illinois Museum is the caretaker of our important memories and this exhibit will provide a unique opportunity for the community to get a firsthand account of what it was like to work in the
area. Curator, Sue Scott invites people to submit their memories to accompany the museum’s artifacts that will be included in the exhibit. Memories of a typical work day, changes
experienced by workers during a company’s growth or decline, labor issues, the impact of new technologies, or the effect of major events the country faced like wars will be a welcome addition to
the exhibit. Submissions are being accepted about companies from the list below.
To submit a memory for the exhibit, please email a word document toinfo@westernillinoismuseum.org. Only digital files will be accepted. Your memory can be accompanied by digital images or artifacts. Please contact
Sue at the museum to discuss any artifacts before bringing them to the museum. (309.837.2750)
The Western Illinois Museum wants to hear from you about the following:
Manufacturing:
Clay Industry: Pech and Sons /Buckeye, Haeger, Moses King, Hemp Company (Little Brown Jug),
Illinois Electric Porcelain
Vaughn & Bushnell Manufacturing Co.
Middlebury: Drills and Air gauges
American Steel Products Co.
Macomb Calendar Clock
Zeta Consumer Products Corporation
Pella
NTN Bower
Agriculture:
Yetter Manufacturing Co. Inc.
Pioneer
Truman’s Stud Farm
Food:
Pure Pop
Macomb Dairy
Kitchen Cooked Potato Chips
Newspapers:
Macomb Journal, Eagle
Colchester Chronicle and Independent
Bushnell
Art / craft / Photography:
Verne
Cheesman
William H.
Eller
Gaites
Paterson
Press Release
August 22, 2012
On a recent sunny and crisp weekend afternoon, the members of Boy Scout Troop #315 recruited friends and family members for a service project at the Old Macomb Cemetery on Wigwam Hollow Road.
The Old Macomb Cemetery is in the process of restoration, preservation, and beautification under the auspices of the McDonough County Historical Society (MCHS).
The focus of this service project was identifying headstones that were leaning, or were partially or totally buried under earth and grass.
Fifteen members of Troop #315, chartered by Wesley United Methodist Church, plus a Girl Scout, dads, and Scout leaders learned about the citizens buried at this cemetery between 1830 and 1860.
They located the markers for the veterans of the War of 1812, the Civil War, and the Black Hawk War. And they proceeded to uncover many headstones only partially visible above ground.
In addition to lifting and cleaning some of the markers, the volunteers poked and prodded the cemetery discovering markers totally buried.
Six markers were reset in place with correct procedures for excavation, hole preparation, and filling.
After two and one-half hours, the group could step back and take pride in considerable improvement in the condition of the headstones that got excavated, elevated, reset, and cleaned.
This is the second cemetery cleanup project initiated by Boy Scout Troop #315 under the leadership of Scoutmaster Sue Nolan.
The Boy Scout cleanup was in cooperation with the McDonough County Historical Society and its expanded cemetery restoration and preservation project at Old Macomb Cemetery.
Press Release
August 20, 2012
Mike Black, cemetery historian from Industry, recently accepted a new sign for the Standard Cemetery donated by the McDonough County Historical Society.
The Standard Cemetery is located in a dense woods in the southwest quarter of section 24 in Industry Township.
The Standard Cemetery was established in 1840 with the burial of Joshua David, whose son John (d. 1906) and daughter-in-law Cassinda (d. 1904) appear to be the last burials in this
cemetery.
Government headstones mark the graves of two veterans of the Civil War, Captain John Wyatt (minister) and his son Daniel Wyatt, who died in service from disease in 1864.
Many of the approximately 75 markers in this large plot are covered with decades of mud and weeds. Many were knocked over by falling trees, tree limbs, deer, and scratching cattle.
A casual observer sees monuments of prominent McDonough County names of the late 19th century: Flack, Pennington, Pittman, and Seaward. One also is touched by the death dates of very young
infants, sometimes more than one to a family.
And any visitor is frustrated by the inability to read the weathered names, dates, or epitaphs inscribed in often soft stone.
But this abandoned, neglected cemetery is still a rich history laboratory, and is worth restoration and preservation.
The cemetery sign project is supported by Dodsworth-Piper-Wallen Funeral Home, Assets Protection, Inc. (Robert Fischer, President), and the McDonough County Historical Society.
Press Release
August 8, 2012
Old Macomb Cemetery
Gets New Fence
The Old Macomb Cemetery on Wigwam Hollow Road, has a new fence on its north and east sides.
A crew of two from Lovewell Fencing in Davenport installed the fence in two days.
This is a major component in the expanded cemetery project of the McDonough County Historical Society (MCHS).
“This is highly visible progress in our efforts to restore, preserve, and beautify the Old Macomb Cemetery,” commented Gil Belles, project director.
Gordana Rezab, MCHS president, feels that this project is long overdue and invites more participation in any of its components.
The MCHS encourages additional financial support for the fence, and is accepting donations for headstone repair and restoration in the cemetery, and gifts for trees and landscaping for the
passive prairie reflective entry space south of the cemetery.
Tax deductible donations may be sent to the McDonough County Historical Society, PO Box 83, Macomb, IL 61455. Include a note that your gift is toward the fence, headstone restoration, or
landscaping.
Western Illinois Museum announces the publication of new book
The Historic Courthouse Square:
Every Building Tells a Story
The Western Illinois Museum is pleased to announce the publication of its second book, The Historic Courthouse Square: Every Building Tells a Story. The 24-page
illustrated book was written by Museum Board Member, Heather Munro. The book includes a brief history of eleven buildings on Macomb’s Courthouse Square which tell the stories of the
region’s founders and the community they built.
“The book draws from the research the Historic Preservation Commission did to get the square recognized as a historic district, the museum’s 2010 exhibit about the square and
the walking tours offered each summer. A book is a great tool to help people learn more about the compelling history that is all around us,” commented Curator, Sue Scott. The book
explores the development of Macomb as a community. Although the early structures built on Macomb’s Courthouse Square in the 1830s are no longer in existence, the Square has never ceased to
be the stage on which the community’s successes and failures, heartaches and celebrations have been played out. Each building is a portal through which we can enter into the past to explore
the rich culture of McDonough County. “The Western Illinois Museum is pleased to publish this book and to play a role in preserving our community’s unique history and culture,” commented
Board Chair, Lois Lueck.
The Western Illinois Museum is offering the book as a thank you to new and renewing members. The museum offers a number of levels of membership including a student and
senior rate. Memberships are an important part of the museum’s annual budget, providing the financial means to create educational programs, care for artifacts, and create compelling
exhibits that bring our region’s history to the community. Membership forms are available at the museum or from a museum board member. The museum’s web site includes the option to
join online athttp://westernillinoismuseum.org. Current member who are interested in receiving the book can renew their membership and extend
their membership by one year beyond the end date.
In conjunction with the current exhibit, Legacy of Learn: A History of Our Local Schools, the Western Illinois Museum will offer a program on the history of
education in McDonough County with Dr. Louis Battin. The program will be held on Thursday, August 23 at 7:00 pm, at the museum. The event is free and open to the public; donations
appreciated. Refreshments will be served.
Dr. Louis Battin taught elementary school in Bardolph before becoming a principal in Macomb in 1959 at Wilson School. In 1965 he became the Assistant Superintendent of
Schools. Along with his professional work as an educator, he has had a longtime interest in the history of education. His research on the region’s schools is an integral part of the
current exhibit.
The region’s schools have a rich history that begins shortly after the founding of the county in the early 1830s. The story takes a dramatic turn on April 24, 1899, when
the bill to establish the Western Illinois State Normal School in McDonough County was passed. The Chicago Herald reported, “It will be the only normal school in this country … that
will confine its work wholly to preparing teachers for the common grades and primarily for country and village schools.” The establishment of a Normal School in Macomb shaped the
educational practices in the region and created broader opportunities for the residents of the surrounding communities. Dr. Battin’s presentation will look at these pivotal times in the
history of education in the county and he will offer his insights from the point of view of a historian, teacher and administrator.
The Western Illinois Museum is located at 201 South Lafayette Street, one block south of Macomb’s Courthouse Square. For more information contact the museum at
309.837.2750 orinfo@westernillinoismuseum.org.
Volunteer Cheyenne Chalkus resets a headstone in the Old Macomb Cemetery for Thomas Smithers, a veteran of the War of 1812.
Press Release
July 9, 2012
Cemetery Project Expanding
The McDonough County Historical Society (MCHS) is taking a new and exciting next step in its five year old county cemetery project.
In summer 2008, the historical society began searching for the unmarked and neglected cemeteries in our county. With cooperation from many various sources (individuals, agencies, churches,
businesses, organizations, volunteers, and media outlets), 95 cemeteries have been located and have had new signs installed, and in some cases, benefitted from cleaning-up and modest restoration.
There are perhaps five or six abandoned cemeteries continuing to elude discovery.
The MCHS now turns to a new challenge, the Old Macomb Cemetery on Wigwam Hollow Road in Macomb. Although not abandoned, this inactive and somewhat deteriorating cemetery needs restoration and
preservation.
The Macomb City Council has taken two steps to support the restoration and beautification process. On January 16, the council granted the MCHS permission to erect a new fence on the north
and east sides and properly inventory and restore the headstones in the cemetery.
On June 18, the council accepted ownership of the two acres adjacent to the south border of the cemetery, land which will be developed into a pioneer prairie and reflective passive entry into the
cemetery.
Together, as these two components evolve and mature, the site will be an attractive gateway into Macomb and the Western Illinois Campus. It will offer an educational area for historical study of
the landscape of the 1830s as well as insights into genealogy, archeology, culture, and early citizenry reflected in the cemetery markers.
Members of the MCHS extend an invitation to everyone to become supporters of this venture. We will be conducting restoration workshops where folks can learn the correct methods of headstone
excavation and resetting. And we will appreciate any donations to the first two additions to the project: the cemetery fence and prairie area trees.
This summer or early fall we are going to have the fence installed and the first trees planted. To that end the MCHS needs financial support to erect the fence. The trees will be
planted in fall if the ground is sufficiently moist. The City will plant memorial trees for $200 each. The trees can be sponsored by individuals, businesses, or organizations. Each
tree will have a plaque identifying the kind of tree, the sponsor, and to whom it honors. Donations of any amount will be appreciated toward the new fence and
trees.
The MCHS is a 501.c.3 nonprofit organization for tax deductible purposes. Gifts can be sent to the McDonough County Historical Society, PO Box 83, Macomb, IL 61455.
Please mark checks “Cemetery Project.”
Gifts over $100 include a one year free membership in the MCHS.
Girl Scouts Cleanup King Cemetery
Several members of Troop #5300, Girl Scouts of Central Illinois based in Blandinsville, together with their leader and some descendants of persons buried in historic King Cemetery (1836-1954),
spent two Saturdays cleaning out the fallen trees, tree limbs, and dense underbrush which had taken its toll on this abandoned cemetery in Lamoine township.
Harry Waddell of Macomb, a direct descendant of over 30 of the burials in the King Cemetery, knew of the existence of this cemetery, but was unsure of its location. When he saw a story and photo
in the McDonough County Voice announcing the installation of a new sign by the McDonough County Historical Society, he found the cemetery where many of his forbears are
located.
"Our first visit overwhelmed us,” said Waddell. “A short trip around the edge of a farm field led us to the cemetery. The undergrowth, overgrowth, fallen trees, tree
limbs, and displaced headstones of some nearly 40 years of Mother Nature's Way was astonishing. A survey of this cemetery was done in 1976, listing over 150
interments. The condition at that time was not good due to overgrowth of woods and brush. But most stones were standing upright; although badly weather-worn. An earthquake, at
some point, displaced many of the larger headstones from their base.”
Waddell organized some family work crews. His wife Virginia has ties to the Girl Scouts, resulting in Troop Leader Samantha McGaughey getting some of her members to lend a hand in the cleanup
efforts. The girls were looking for an outdoor service project, and they came prepared to work and learn about local and family history.
Waddell knows he is a direct line descendant of at least 30 burials. "There may be more, but we won't know until we can accurately survey the headstones and do additional genealogical work.
We know that James Waddell was the first person buried in the King Cemetery in 1836. James was my Great-Great Grand Uncle. We found the headstone of my
Great-Great-Grand Father and Mother, Col. Charles Wesley Waddell who died in 1857 and Mary Eve (Lawyer) Waddell who died in 1907. It's been so gratifying to discover my roots." said Harry.
Edmund Badger, a veteran of the War of 1812, rests here with four veterans of the Civil War, one of whom, Daniel Badger, was his son.
The Girl Scouts and Waddell family have cleared about two-thirds of the area but intend to restore dignity and respect to this historic cemetery of McDonough County.
Cemetery Restoration Workshop
A group of enthusiastic historic preservationists attended a day-long workshop on basic cemetery restoration last Saturday in Macomb. The goal was to learn correct and acceptable techniques in
locating, elevating and resetting headstones and markers.
The workshop was conducted by three State of Illinois professionals who began with a classroom setting at the Old Dairy. The workshop was moved to the Old Macomb Cemetery for an afternoon of
hands-on and practical application.
Participants came from Hanover Park, a Chicago suburb, central Illinois, and southern Illinois, including two from Macomb. A high school Girl Scout from Salem was planning her major project.
After three hours of education, based on a manual and illustrated with slides, the group reconvened after lunch at the Old Macomb Cemetery on Wigwam Hollow Road.
Hal Hassen, an archaeologist with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and Dawn Cobb, a physical anthropologist with the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, began with a discussion of
the Human Skeletal Remains Protection Act, which protects all unregistered graves, grave artifacts, and grave markers.
This law offers protection of grave sites from all disturbances including, but not limited to, cultivation, excavation, vandalism, removal, defacement, or desecration (20 ILCS 3440/1).
Any cemetery restoration work requires a permit from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.
On an earlier visit last December, the team from Springfield assessed the Old Macomb Cemetery and selected it as an ideal site for this June workshop.
During the afternoon session, eleven headstones were excavated, elevated, cleaned and reset using the established techniques based on “Do no harm!”
The participants in this workshop are charged with educating volunteers in their respective communities to adhere to the correct methods of cemetery restoration.
The two Macomb participants, Marty Fischer and Gil Belles, will be calling for volunteers to help with the restoration and preservation of the Old Macomb Cemetery.
Ann and Kendall Knowles accept a new sign for the Post-Shippey-Dew Cemetery, located on their property.
Press Release
June 1, 2012
Emmet Township - Kendall and Ann Runner Knowles, owners of property that includes the Post-Shippey-Dew Cemetery, recently accepted a new sign to mark the site donated by the McDonough
County Historical Society.
Ann’s family has farmed this property for many years, and she recalls seeing the headstones when she was a young girl. But there is little historical record of the folks resting there.
This cemetery is located in the southwest quarter of Section 32 in Emmet Township in McDonough County.
The headstones are all fallen and partially buried under sod and weeds. They are in two groups separated by about 15 yards, and memorialized over a 20 year period (1839-1859).
David Shippey and his wife Lydia both died in September 1839. A nearby headstone marks the grave of Margaret Post, 1840.
Approximately 15 yards east are headstones for Elizabeth Dew (March 1859) and her infant daughter (October 1859). Nothing could be found about any of these early settlers.
A sophisticated “poking” between these two groups might reveal more headstones marking burials between 1839 and 1859.
The cemetery sign project is supported by Assets Protection Inc. (President Robert Fischer), West Side Lumber, and the McDonough County Historical Society.
The Western Illinois museum is making plans for its annual Ice Cream Tasting Festival. This year’s festival will be held at The Old Dairy on Saturday, June 30 from 2:00 to
4:00 pm.
Blue Bunny will again be donating its premium ice cream for the event. The Old Dairy Owners, Emily and Marc Gamage, are pleased to announce the twelve flavors that
will be available at this year’s event. The roster includes a wide range of tasty treats including Pistachio Almond, Maple Nut, White Chocolate Caramel Cluster, Just Peachy,
Banana Split, Vanilla Storm, Bubble Gum, Scooper Hero, Peanut Butter Fudge, Mango, Huckleberry Berry, and Sugar Free Butter Pecan. Ms. Gamage commented, “We are pleased to
again host this fundraising event for the museum. Everyone enjoys ice cream. It’s one of summer’s most loved treats.”
Guests to the festival will be entertained by the local musical group, The Mad Hatters. The group will perform a selection of favorites from The American
Songbook.
Tickets for the event are available at the Western Illinois Museum or at the door. The $6.00 ticket gets you a sample of all twelve flavors. Lois Lueck, museum
president, commented, “This annual event is an important fundraiser for the museum. The proceeds help us to present quality exhibits and education programs, like this
summer’s Time Travelers Camp. We’re grateful to The Old Dairy and Blue Bunny for their support of the museum.” Tickets are available at the Western Illinois Museum and
at the door the day of the event.
The Old Dairy is located across the street from the Western Illinois Museum at 210 South Lafayette Street, one block south of Macomb’s Courthouse square.
Dick Jackson accepts a sign for the Osborn Cemetery in Industry Township.
Press Release
May 21, 2012
Industry Township - Dick Jackson, genealogist, cemetery historian, and descendant of relatives buried in the Osborn Cemetery, recently
accepted a new sign to mark the site donated by the McDonough County Historical Society.
This small family cemetery is located in a wooded area in the northwest quarter of Section 22 in Industry Township in McDonough County.
The memorial area was once protected by some wire fencing attached to old round fence posts, but only fragments remain.
The first burial with an extant marker, was Nancy Lane, 15 month old daughter of William and Sarah Osborn, who died April 22, 1857.
William Osborn’s mother, Dicy Smith Osborn, wife of Solomon, was also buried here, in 1861.
The other two visible headstones mark the graves of Sarah Osborn, who died at the age of thirty, and the grave of an infant family friend, Charles Frisbie (1872).
The Osborn’s came to Illinois in the 1820s from North Carolina and to McDonough County from eastern Illinois in the 1830s, appearing on the census lists as landowners in Industry
Township.
The cemetery sign project is supported by Dodsworth-Piper-Wallen Funeral Home, West Side Lumber, and the McDonough County Historical Society.
Press ReleaseMay 10, 2010
The McDonough County Historical Society (MCHS) took another step forward this week on its project to preserve and restore the Old Macomb Cemetery on Wigwam Hollow Road. As a result of the
generosity and support of Jack Laverdiere and Laverdiere Construction, Inc., the steep, dangerous, and destructive former entry drive off of Wigwam Hollow Road has been removed (or filled in).
When he was asked a month ago for his expert advice on how to accomplish this task, to accommodate a future new ornamental fence along the east side of the cemetery, Laverdiere offered to donate
the time, labor, and material as his gift to the City of Macomb and the restoration project sponsored by the Historical Society. Like many cities with deep roots in early nineteenth century
United States history, Macomb has an outdoor archive full of fascinating information. Our Old Macomb Cemetery has the potential of drawing descendants, students, and visitors interested in family
and community genealogy, local history, prominent citizens, immigration trends, impact of disease, and artistic sculpting. Sadly, much of this potential is being lost to neglect and
weather. Headstones once erect and connecting the past with the present, lay flat, damaged and gradually disappearing under soil, grass, and weeds. Genealogist Marge Harris once documented at
least 315 burials on the basis of incomplete records. There were probably more. The first burial in the Old Macomb Cemetery, in 1830, was the young daughter of Peter Hale, who owned
the land and a log cabin on it. She fell into a fire and burned to death. Hale sold the two acres to a merchant William Bailey and Dr. Charles Hays. They in turn sold the property to Robert
Garrett in 1835. One year later, Garrett sold the land to the county to be used as a public cemetery. Scattered among the visible headstones are several with distinctive artistic sculpting
and inscriptions as well as bearing the initials “JL” near the base. These stones with elaborate borders and short poems were created by pioneer stone carver John Long. In one of his essays about
the Old Macomb Cemetery, John Hallwas reminds us that Long’s “hand-carve headstones are the oldest historical artifacts in McDonough County that can be connected with the person who produced
them, and they lend a quaint character to the long unused pioneer burial ground.” The MCHS, by drawing attention to the 100 cemeteries in McDonough County, hopes to raise the collective
consciousness of our community to its obligation to these resting places of our ancestors. It seems a bit peculiar that we go to such lengths and expense to honor our deceased parents,
children, and siblings, but with such cavalier abandon neglect the resting places of our earlier forebears who were once the objects of similar love, compassion, respect, and honor. Before more
stones are damaged or buried, the historical society has launched a project to restore this historical landmark cemetery to a more acceptable condition. Markers need to be reset, many need to be
repaired, and countless need to be unearthed. The Old Macomb Cemetery has two veterans of the War of 1812, two from the Mormon War, 11 Civil War, and one who served in the Black Hawk war.
The restoration project includes a June workshop sponsored by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Commission on Historic Preservation. This seminar will focus on correct
practices in cemetery restoration. A new ornamental fence will be installed on the north and east sides of the cemetery directing visitors to access from the gentle grassy slope from the south.
The Historical Society is inviting donations for this considerable effort, which are tax deductible. If you wish to support the preservation and restoration of the Old Macomb Cemetery, please
send your gift to the MCHS, PO Box 83, Macomb, IL. Mark your check “Cemetery Project.”
Dr. Gil Belles
Daughters of the American Revolution - General Macomb Chapter, Macomb IL
You and your organization are invited to a reception honoring Dr. Gilbert Belles, W.I.U. Professor Emeritus, at which he will be presented the NSDAR Medal for Historic Preservation. He has
been awarded this national medal for his exemplary leadership in restoring and marking more than ninety seven cemeteries in McDonough County, four of which contain the graves of Revolutionary
Patriots. The reception will be on Sunday, June 3, 2:00 until 4:00 p.m. at the Macomb City Hall. We look forward to seeing you there.
E. Betty Kaspar
Regent
Western Illinois Museum to celebrate its Roots
In its 38th year, the Western Illinois Museum will hold a recognition event on Tuesday, May 15th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Honorary Chair Jack Thomas, President,Western
Illinois University, invites guests to Sherman Hall Revisited: Celebrating the Museum’s Roots to celebrate the museum’s 38th anniversary. A brief program will include
remarks by Brad Bainter, Vice President for Advancement and Public Services, Western Illinois University, a slide show and brief program with anecdotes by founding members and students who
established the museum. Special guests will include those who were pivotal in shaping the museum, including past faculty advisors, curators and interns.
The roots of the museum go back to its founding on May 4, 1974, on the campus of Western Illinois University. The third floor of Sherman Hall was the first home of a much
admired collection of artifacts that reflect the region’s distinct history. The museum, begun by faculty and students, continues its mission of providing students professional experience in
museum practices and educating the public with exhibits and programs.
“The event is a way to acknowledge the museum’s rich history and to showcase how it continues to move forward. We are grateful for those who have made it what it is today,”
commented museum chair, Lois Lueck. In 2002 the museum opened its doors in a new location in downtown Macomb. In the current facilities the museum offers temporary exhibits and
diverse public programs, each bringing people together to learn about the region's unique history, customs and traditions. The museum offers nearly all its programs to the public without a
fee.
In 2009, the museum began an internship program. Each semester the museum benefits from both undergrad and graduate students who gain professional experience in museum
practices. Each intern selects an area of museum operations to work on a project during the semester. In the past they have assisted with researching exhibits, collecting oral histories,
developing outreach programs for schools, and designing and installing exhibits. Curator Sue Scott explained, “The museum benefits from the help of interns and graduate assistants who bring a
fresh perspective to the museum, much like I imagine, the first students who worked to open the museum on the third floor of Sherman Hall.” Since the program began, 12 interns and a
graduate assistant have completed the program receiving college credit or a stipend for their work at the museum. Ben Justman, intern in the fall of 2009, was recently appointed Director of the
Sarpy County Museum, in Omaha, Nebraska, and credits his internship with setting him apart from other applicants.
Sherman Hall Revisited: Celebrating the Museum’s Roots will include a silent auction of collectables to benefit the museum’s Leon Clements Internship Award, which
provides funding for both interns and graduate assistants.
Guests to the event will enjoy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Tickets for the event are $20.00. RSVPs with payment are being accepted until Friday, May 11. Contact
309.837.2750 orinfo@westernillinoismuseum.org to make a reservation or purchase a ticket online athttp://westernillinoismuseum.org.
The Western Illinois Museum to hold
Time Travelers Summer Camp
The Western Illinois Museum is pleased to offer the Time Travelers Camp. Registration is now open for this exciting two-hour session, one morning a week for the months of June and
July. Children entering 2 through 6 grade are invited to journey back in time to explore key events in history and investigate how they impacted the lives of those in our region.
Campers will learn in a fun and engaging environment as they study the museum’s artifacts, visit with guest speakers and participate in hands-on activities.
The Time Travelers Camp will be offered June 4 through July 27 and will be held at the Western Illinois Museum from 9:00 to 11:00 am. Three sessions will be held each week. On
Mondays, camp is offered for children entering 2 and 3 grade. The Wednesday sessions are for 3 and 4 graders, and camp on Fridays will be for those children entering 5 and 6 grade. Topics
will range from local Indians and US Rangers to the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln to the Great Depression.
The museum is pleased to partner with the YMCA of McDonough County. Children enrolled in the YMCA’s day camp can participate in the morning Time Travelers Camp at the
museum. Select that option on your child’s YMCA application.
The cost of the camp is $8.00 per session. The museum will offer scholarships to children in families that can prove financial need. Sign up for individual weeks or the
entire eight weeks of sessions. Each session is limited to 16 participants. Applications are available at the Western Illinois Museum or online athttp://westernillinoismuseum.org/time_travelers_camp.html. Contact the YMCA at 309-833-2129 to register for the Day Camp with the Time Travelers morning
program.
Two generous grants have helped make the Time Travelers Camp possible. The museum received a grant from the Walmart Foundation, which supports the needs of local communities by
providing funding for programs like the summer camp. The museum also received a grant from Altrusa International, a service organization specializing in community needs such as
literacy.
The Western Illinois Museum is located at 201 South Lafayette Street, two blocks south of Macomb’s historic Courthouse Square. For more information about the Time
Travelers Camp contact 309.837.2750 or info@westernillinoismuseum.org.
Dick Hainline accepted a new sign marking the relocated graves of his descendants. It has been mysteriously removed.
Press Release
April 23, 2012
Emmet Township - Dick Hainline, descendant of relatives in the Hainline
Cemetery, recently accepted a new sign to mark the site donated by the McDonough County Historical Society.
Ten days after the sign was installed, someone has removed it. Please help us locate the Hainline Cemetery sign.
This family cemetery was once located in the southwest corner of Sciota Township in McDonough County. In about 1913, 37 graves were moved to the western part of the Spring Creek Cemetery in
Emmet Township. Today, no one knows why they were moved. There are 37 markers for the people buried between 1839 and 1901 in the original cemetery.
The first burial was Jacob Ennis Hainline in 1839, infant son of George and Flora.
Three veterans of the Civil War rest in the Hainline Cemetery, two of whom died in uniform: George L. Hainline (d. 1865), and David T. Hainline (d. 1865).
There are many branches of the Hainline family tree in McDonough County. And many members of this prominent family are resting in other cemeteries throughout the county.
Perhaps one of those left a legacy more familiar to local historians. William T. Hainline, born in 1841, farmed until he enlisted in the Civil War in 1861. He was taken prisoner in 1864 and
spent two months at Andersonville. After returning home, he owned and became editor of the original Macomb Journal in 1881.
The current maintenance of these combined and attractive two cemeteries is supported by volunteers Fred and Steve Kitch.
The cemetery sign project is supported by Assets Protection, Inc., West Side Lumber, and the McDonough County Historical Society.
Betrayal and murder in a struggling midwestern coal town.
More than 80 years after his death, Kelly Wagle is still the most notorious man in Western Illinois history. He was the top bootlegger of his day, a controversial figure in his hometown of
Colchester, where prohibition lasted for 27 years. Wagle’s career was full of shrew moves and close calls. He had an uncanny knack for getting out of trouble. It helped that half the town owed
him a favor -- Wagle was known for his generosity and kind deeds. But the bootlegger also had a violent temper, and his personal life was full of dark secrets.
Kelly Wagle was shot and killed in 1929, only a few hundred feet from his front door. He had expected it, told everyone it was coming, but no one saw anything except a green Ford Roadster heading
out of town. The murderer was never caught. But to the present day in tiny Colchester, as Kelly’s widow used to say, “everyone knows who did it.”
THE FILM
The film is based on The Bootlegger (1998),
written by John E. Hallwas, which was nominated for the National Book Award for Nonfiction and the Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction.
It will be a documentary feature, filmed on location in Colchester, Macomb, Galesburg, Chicago, St. Louis, and Omaha. It will feature author John Hallwas, interviews with Colchester residents,
and historical images from the Archives of Western Illinois University.
THE FILMMAKER
Ryan Walker has been working on the Bootlegger film project since 2009. He is a native of Macomb, Illinois - just 3 miles from Colchester. Ryan is an award-winning documentary
filmmaker and freelance video producer. He co-directed ZiELiNSKi (2011), which was an official selection of Slamdance, True/False, and Radar Hamburg film festivals, among others.
THE KICKSTARTER
Ryan has launched a Kickstarter page to help raise funds for the project. Here is how it works:
Kickstarter is powered by a unique all-or-nothing funding method, where projects must be fully-funded or no money changes hands. Why do people support projects? Rewards! Project creators offer
fun, tangible rewards.
Rewards for supporting the Bootlegger film project: DVDs, movie posters, T-shirts, guided tours of Colchester, onscreen credit, Executive Producer credit, and custom-made
videos.
For more information, please visit this link and watch Ryan’s VIDEO:
Gordana Rezab (left), president of the McDonough County Historical Society, accepts a matching grant donation from Larry Jameson, representing Dodsworth-Piper-Wallen Funeral Home, to support the Cemetery Sign Project of the MCHS.
For Immediate Release
April 19, 2012
Gordana Rezab, president of the McDonough County Historical Society, received a matching grant donation for the MCHS cemetery sign project from Dodsworth-Piper-Wallen Funeral Home in Macomb,
owners Larry and Eric Jameson and Jim Burke.
The gift of $250, when matched by the society, will support five signs installed on cemeteries in McDonough County.
In the last five years over 85 signs have been installed with the help of the McDonough County Highway Department, funeral homes, banks, local businesses, family members, anonymous donors, the
Quality of Life Committee, the McDonough County Genealogical Society, and the McDonough County Historical Society.
There are over 100 cemeteries in McDonough County. Project director Gil Belles, with help from Dick Jackson, Dick Hainline, Tom Green, and Bob Fischer put up 30 new signs in 2010 and 2011.
The cemetery sign project has brought attention to the poor condition of many of these abandoned cemeteries, generating interest among volunteers to clean up and restore dignity to these resting
places of our forebears.
Bob Fischer, left, president of Assets Protection, Inc., presents a check for $250 to Gordana Rezab, president of the McDonough County Historical Society to support the cemetery sign project.
For Immediate Release
April 2012
The McDonough County Historical Society received a matching grant donation for its cemetery sign project from Bob Fischer, President of Assets Protection, Inc., and member of the society.
This gift of $250, when matched by the society, will support five signs installed on cemeteries in McDonough County.
In the last five years many cemeteries have been located in the county and with the help of Bob as a volunteer, new signs have been installed.
There are over 110 cemeteries in McDonough County. Eighty-eight have received new signs over five years, with 30 installed in 2010 and 2011.
According to Fischer, “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.”
The first sign installed in 2012, the Amanda Freel Peterson Grave site, was cosponsored by Assets Protection, Inc., Bob Fischer, President, and the McDonough County Historical Society.
Heather McIlaine-Newsad (right), president of the board of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Macomb, and Russell Hamm (left), treasurer, accepted the newest sign in the cemetery marking project sponsored by the McDonough County Historical Society.
For Immediate Release
April 4, 2012
Heather L. McIlvaine-Newsad, president of the board of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Macomb, and Russell Hamm, treasurer, accepted the newest sign in the cemetery marking project
sponsored by the McDonough County Historical Society.
The Unitarian Cemetery, just south of the Unitarian Fellowship building on Wigwam Hollow Road, was established in 1991, when the cremains of Clifford Julstrom were interred. Along side his urn
were the cremains of a grandson, Keith Julstrom-Agoyo, who died at childbirth in 1988.
Cliff and his wife Rosa were among the founders of the Unitarian Fellowship in Macomb in the 1960s. Rosa now resides in the Skokie area where she continues to perform on the piano.
In 1999, the cremains of Maya Gronstrand were added to the small cemetery area near the church. Maya had worked as a radiological technologist for 34 years at both St. Francis and McDonough
District hospitals.
The cemetery sign project is supported by Dodsworth-Piper-Wallen Funeral Home, West Side Lumber, and the McDonough County Historical Society.
The City of Macomb, the Public Macomb Library and the Western Illinois Museum will host
A Celebration of the birth of
General Alexander Macomb
On Tuesday, April 3, 2012, at Chandler Park
The City of Macomb will honor its namesake, General Alexander Macomb on Tuesday, April 3 with a community birthday party from 4:00 to 5:00 pm. The event will be held in
Chandler Park where the there is a monument dedicated to Generals Macomb and McDonough. (The monument is located east of the gazebo) The party will kick off with a proclamation
by Mayor Inman declaring April 3, General Macomb Day. The event will include a brief presentation of the life and contributions made by Alexander Macomb.
Birthday cake will be available after the presentation. Event organizers include the City of Macomb, the Macomb Public Library and the Western Illinois Museum.
“We hope people will come out for the party and join in celebrating our community. It is a great opportunity to learn more about our rich heritage,” commented Mayor
Inman. In the event of inclement weather, the party will be held in the Community Room of City Hall, 232 E. Jackson Street.
“This is a great occasion to take a look at the significance of our town’s history,” commented Sue Scott, curator of the Western Illinois Museum. General Macomb (April 3,
1782–June 25, 1841) was a key figure in the war of 1812, contributing to a decisive victory at the Battle of Plattsburg. His stunning victory and his being awarded a
Congressional Gold Medal made him a well known figure in the country. The choice to name the town in his honor speaks to Alexander Macomb's prominence as well as reflecting the fact that
the land in the region was issued as payment to the soldiers who volunteered in the War of 1812."
Ukulele Macomb will be on hand to lead the singing of happy birthday as well as to play period music. Song sheets will be available for anyone wishing to
join in the singing. The General Macomb Chapter of the DAR will also participate in the event and display their chapter flag.
The Western Illinois Museum will host John Goldsmith, curator of the DeMoulin Museum in Greenville, Illinois, who will present a program on one of the state's most unusual
factories–DeMoulin Bros. & Co. The program will be Saturday, March 3 at 2:00, at the Western Illinois Museum. The event is free and open to the public.
Mr. Goldsmith recently contacted the museum after reading about the wooden goat on display as the February Artifact of the Month. DeMoulin Bros. & Co. was founded in
1892, as a manufacturer of lodge initiation devices and paraphernalia for the Modern Woodmen of America and other fraternal orders. The goat in the museum’s collection is very similar to
those produced by the DeMoulin factory, but Mr. Goldsmith believes it to be a handmade copy of the company’s product. Goldsmith will explain why DeMoulin made devices, like the Practical
Goat, Lifting and Spanking Machine, and Lung Tester and how they were incorporated in the fraternal lodges’ popular initiations. The program will include artifacts from the DeMoulin
Museum’s collection and photos. The Western Illinois Museum’s goat will also be on display.
Curator Sue Scott commented, “We are pleased to welcome and share information with Mr. Goldsmith. He is very knowledgeable about the history of the Modern Woodmen of
America as well as the DeMoulin’s history of manufacturing this curious part of the lodge tradition.”
John Goldsmith has been the curator of the DeMoulin Museum since March 2010. John is the author ofThree Frenchmen and a Goat: The DeMoulin Bros.
Story and was an adviser on the books Catalog 439: Burlesque Paraphernalia and Side Degree Specialties and Costumes by Charles Schneider, and The
Extraordinary Catalog of Peculiar Inventions: The Curious World of the Demoulin Brothers and Their Fraternal Lodge Prank Machines by Julia Suits.
Today, DeMoulin is one of the world's top makers of band uniforms. The company has survived for over 100 years due to its diversity, having made everything from graduation
caps and gowns to church furniture. But the lodge initiation devices, made mostly during its first 40 years, are what attract collectors and historians.
The DeMoulin Museum is located in Greenville, Illinois, about three hours south of Macomb. The museum opened in 2010, after six years of planning and searching for items
related to the factory. The museum has a collection of over 500 artifacts and celebrates the history of the company, its founders, employees, and unique products.
The Western Illinois Museum is located at 201 South Lafayette Street, just one block south of Macomb’s historic Courthouse Square. For more information contact the museum
at 309.837.2750 orinfo@westernillinoismuseum.org.
Press Release
February 15, 2012
Colchester Township - Ann Hiland, owner of a property that includes the Peterson grave site, recently accepted a new sign to mark the site donated by the McDonough County Historical Society.
Ann’s mother, Bernadine Gustafson, alerted the historical society about this grave.
This single monument cemetery is located on Hiland’s front yard in the southwest quarter of Section 6 in Colchester Township
in McDonough County.
The single pink marble memorial was discovered when Ann and her husband were installing a new fence. The gravestone had sunken and been buried by flood waters and soil for over a century.
The monument, about three feet long, two feet wide, and 18 inches high, marks the grave of Amanda Freel Peterson, born December 22, 1861, died December 11, 1910.
Only local legend offers some insight into this person and her death. Hiland said the story had Peterson on a wagon ride across Illinois. She got sick and died where she was buried. Her relatives
returned later to mark her grave.
The cemetery sign project is supported by Assets Protection (President Robert Fischer) and the McDonough County Historical Society.
For Immediate Release
February 18, 2012
The Western Illinois Museum announces
schedule of programs to accompany current exhibit,Home Front: Life During the CivilWar
The Western Illinois Museum has a full line up of programs to accompany the newest exhibit, Home Front: Life During the Civil War. There is something for everyone:
lectures, book discussions, and even genealogy. The programs center around the themes in the exhibit which looks at the impact the Civil War had on our region.
Programs are free and open to the public. Additional information can be found on the museum’s facebook page, web site at www.westernillinoismuseum.org or by phone at 309.837.2750.
Fifty Miles to Slave Country: Slavery in Missouri and Why It Matters
Saturday, February 25th at 1:00 p.m.
Katie Benson, WIU History Graduate Student and Intern at the Western Illinois Museum, will share her research on the uniqueness of slavery in Missouri, who these slaves were and what
they were doing. Missouri, being only fifty miles from Macomb, brings the issue close to home and the lecture will show its impact on the freed Missouri slaves who settled in
Macomb.
Find your Civil War Relative
Saturday, March 17 at 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
The West-Central Illinois Civil War Round Table and the McDonough County Genealogical Research Center in partnership with the Western Illinois Museum will hold a program to help
participants explore their own Civil War heritage. The program will be held on Saturday, March 17, from 1:00 – 4:00 at the museum. Participants will have a one-on-one
session with a Round Table member to search for their Civil War relatives using various internet resources, an introduction to the Genealogical Society's Research Center and what it offers, and a
tour of the current exhibit, Home Front: Life During the Civil War, with the museum’s curator.
Participants are encouraged to bring what information they have about the family member they are interested in researching.
Let’s Talk About It, Making Sense of the Civil War
Thursday, March 1 and April 5 at 7:00 p.m.
Join us for a reading and discussion about the Civil War, led by WIU History Professor Tim Roberts. The program will be held at the Malpass Library on the WIU campus. Copies of
the books can be checked out from the museum. Find more information on the museum’s web site: www.westernillinoismuseum.org.
Civil War Letter between Thomas and
Lovinia Woof with Peggy and Wilbur Meyer
Saturday, May 5th at 1:00 p.m.
Married on July 4, 1854, Thomas and Lovinia Woof settled in Concord, Illinois, and started a family. With the onset of the Civil War, Thomas enlisted with the 101st Illinois
Infantry and their lives changed dramatically. Peggy and Wilbur Meyer found a collection of the couple’s letters in their attic and have done significant research into their relatives’
lives. This program is full of history, a lesson in genealogy and a captivating love story.
The current exhibit is on view through May 26, 2012. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The museum is located at 201 South Lafayette
Street, one block south of Macomb’s Courthouse Square.
The Western Illinois Museum is pleased to share the important stories of local war veterans ina
New Oral History Exhibition Opening February 11, 2012
The Western Illinois Museum will open a new oral history exhibit that celebrates our local war veterans. Beginning February 11, 2012, eleven interviews with both WWII and
Vietnam War veterans will be available so visitors can hear about personal war experiences. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, February 11, from 1:00 – 4:00 pm.
Refreshments will be served and the event is free and open to the public.
This past October the museum began working on an oral history project to record the stories of those who served our country. Oral histories are a rapidly growing part of the
museum’s collection. Museum Curator, Sue Scott, commented, “In addition to preserving artifacts, it is also important that the
museum capture the personal stories. Having a record of the experiences of these men and women is a valuable part of our regional history.”
The interviews were all conducted by museum volunteers who attended a training workshop on how to conduct an oral history interview. Museum volunteers who participated in
the project include Tim Howe and Max Nash-Howe, Mike Kirby, Tom Lonergan, Allyson Ray, and Will Seaton. “I saw each volunteer come away with a greater respect and knowledge about how our
veterans served. The veterans, I think, felt that respect and were pleased that their stories will be preserved for future generations,” observed Joe Glenn, the museum’s Education and
Programming Coordinator, who managed this project.
Included in the exhibit are pictures and information about each veteran providing an overview of his or her life and time in service to our country. There will be listening
stations with mp3 players with the complete interviews which range in length from 20 to 60 minutes.
Veterans who were included in the project include: Dorothy Anderson, Grace Baker, John Hopping, Danny Irwin, James Lantz, Rick Melvin, John Moon, Tweed Mummert, Paul Murphy, Joe
Wayland, and Wayne White.
The Veterans Oral History Project is made possible by a generous grant from Serve Illinois.
The Western Illinois Museum is located at 201 South Lafayette Street, one block south of Macomb’s Courthouse Square. For more information contact the museum at 309.837.2750
orinfo@westernillinoismuseum.org.
Home Front: Life During the Civil War
With an opening reception
Saturday, February 11th, 1:00-4:00
The Western Illinois Museum is pleased to announce the opening of a new exhibit, Home Front, Life during the Civil War on view from February
11 – May 26, 2012. The museum will celebrate the opening with a reception Saturday, February 11th, from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. There will be a tour of the
exhibit at 2:00 pm with Dr. Robert Welch who assisted with the research of the exhibit along with Curator, Sue Scott. John Lane and Chanel Miller, recent graduates from Knox College,
will perform Civil War era music at 3:00 pm. Refreshments will be served and the event is free and open to the public.
We are at the beginning of a five year commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Americans will celebrate epic battles, remember famous politicians, and watch
cinematically glorified, romanticized tales of cultures lost. These ideas seem so distant to a Western Illinoisan. Home Front: Life During the Civil War takes a
different approach, bringing the issues closer to home as it considers the Civil War's impact on our region.
In 1860, Macomb was a growing city with a growing population. The railroad had recently come into town in 1855. Businesses were booming around what we now refer to as the
Courthouse Square. There were two local newspapers, the Democratic Macomb Eagle and the RepublicanMacomb Journal. With Abraham Lincoln recently elected to the
presidency, political debate was a lively as ever. Only thirty years after it was established, Macomb was on the verge of becoming involved in one of the most significant events in
American history.
The exhibit examines the impact the Civil War had on both the domestic and agricultural spheres. Pieces from the museum’s extensive agricultural collection will be on
display, including an 1855 George Brown corn planter, built in Knox County, Illinois. The war also brought new customs and traditions to the region and the exhibit uses music, letters, and
artifacts from the newly formed veterans’ groups to illustrate these new practices. The region mirrored the divisions in our country, and the exhibit displays the few accounts of the
Underground Railroad and the political tone that have been recorded.
Research for the exhibit has been provided by Dr. Carmen Keist, Dr. Robert Welch, and WIU History Graduate Student and intern, Kaitlin Benson. Installation assistance has
been provided by Lynne Brinker, John Cox, and Lowell Lueck.
The Western Illinois Museum is located at 201 South Lafayette Street, one block south of Macomb’s Courthouse Square. For more information contact the museum at 309.837.2750
orinfo@westernillinoismuseum.org.
New life for old cemetery
The Western Courier-Jan. 27, 2012
Canaan Daniels Courier Staff
Old Macomb Cemetery
Dating back to as early as 1830, the Old Macomb Cemetery has garnered attention from the McDonough County Historical Society, an organization looking to renovate the now
decaying cemetery.
Posted: Friday, January 27, 2012 1:45 pm |Updated: 2:47 pm,
Mon Jan 30, 2012.
The Old Macomb Cemetery is in a state of disarray, with broken tombstones scattered on the ground and propped up against trees.
In an effort to improve its appearance he City of Macomb recently passed a resolution of support to renovate the Old Macomb Cemetery located on Wigwam Hollow Road.
To fix this problem, the McDonough County Historical Society (MCHS) has applied for a grant from the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution for $10,000. In order to qualify
for this grant, MCHS must match the amount in local donations.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Historical Preservation Commission surveyed the property in December and strongly recommended the renovation. The three-part project
includes restoring and beautifying the Old Macomb Cemetery, as well as installing protective fencing around small rural cemeteries that are threatened. MCHS also plans to publish a
brochure titled A Guide to Historic Cemeteries in McDonough County.
The Old Macomb Cemetery is the oldest existing cemetery in the area, with the earliest burial dating back to 1830 and the most recent in 1864. When the cemetery by Glen Wood Park opened
in 1857, many of the buried were legally moved to the new cemetery. It is currently unknown exactly how many people are buried in the old cemetery.
"We don't know how many people were moved or gravestones stolen," said Gil Belles of MCHS and head of the cemetery project. A lot of the tombstones are buried under sod and grass. We will
have a concentrated effort to try to locate them."
Broken stones are rehabilitated using a cement epoxy. Buried stones are located through a technique called "poking" that uses rods to find the stones, then carefully uncovering them and
trying to locate where they originally belong. During the resetting process, volunteers will dig new troughs, put sand or gravel in the base, and stand the stone up as it originally was.
"One of the major goals of this project is to recover the buried and broken headstones before too much more of it gets completely obliterated," said Belles.
The stones have become fragile over the years, so volunteers must go through special training and use extreme caution. If it is unknown where a stone belongs, it will be reset in a
special memorial section of the cemetery.
What makes the Old Macomb Cemetery so important is its historical value. Some stones were engraved in the 1830's and 40's by Macomb native John Long. Long's style includes embellishments
and lengthy epitaphs. Four of the original 1830's stones are visible.
"These are the only hard artifacts from a Macomb person from that era," said Belles. He also says that a lot of valuable information can be found in the cemetery, such as ethnic migration
and patterns of death and disease that shaped the Macomb area. WIU students have been known to use the cemetery for research, art and reflection.
Fifth Ward Alderman Dave Dorsett helped to pass the resolution of support for the renovation in hopes that it would help with receiving funding.
The property is owned by the City of Macomb, but has been overlooked throughout the years due to financial reasons. "It's been neglected," said Dorsett. "We should have done more, but
there just weren't enough dollars to go around. We would prefer that all of the properties be as well-kept as possible."
He finds the immense support for the project to be impressive, with many volunteers taking the initiative to improve the cemetery on their own. "That's the kind of citizens we have that
we are very proud of," he said.
Through this project, MCHS hopes to restore the cemetery to its former glory. If they receive funding, many volunteers will be needed to make the project a success. "We're trying to
restore their dignity," Belles said. "They helped carve out the community we now live in. We need to respect the contributions they made."
News Release
Immediate - January 23, 2012
Macomb - At its January meeting, members of the McDonough County Historical Society (MCHS) endorsed an
expansion of its successful cemetery project.
In the summer 2008, the Society launched an effort to locate and install signs at the estimated 110
cemeteries and grave sites in McDonough County. Most of these are inactive, abandoned, and neglected, on the verge of being lost forever (about ten have already been destroyed by
neglect).
After locating and signing these orphaned sites, the Society encouraged Scouts, church youth groups,
school athletic teams, and other volunteers to cleanup and restore dignity and respect to these hallowed grounds.
Thus far, 96 have new signs, identity, and perhaps long term preservation. Many of them still need
restoration. And MCHS is still attempting to locate about ten elusive cemeteries.
As this “locate and sign” phase of the project concludes, the Society voted to enlarge its vision and
initiate another phase. This next step requires more resources beyond buying and installing signs and calls on wider community support.
An application for a National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) grant for historic
preservation seems appropriate for the next step. To qualify for this grant of $10,000, MCHS must secure $10,000 from local donations and pledges to match this $10,000 DAR
grant.
This new cemetery project has three components: (1) publication of A Guide to Historic Cemeteries
in McDonough County; (2) installation of protective fences around some threatened, isolated small cemeteries; and (3) restoration, beautification, preservation, and fencing of the Old Macomb
Cemetery on Wigwam Hollow Road.
Four of our rural cemeteries are the final resting places of Patriots of the American Revolution.
Fortunately, these four cemeteries are not abandoned or neglected, but require regular maintenance. Many other cemeteries now abandoned and neglected have graves of over 45 veterans of the War of
1812. A large number of our 96 located cemeteries, many small family or church burial grounds, have graves of scores of veterans of the Civil War. Our proposal includes installing
protective fences around some of the most isolated and endangered rural grave sites that are threatened for extinction if not protected.
The largest component of our proposed preservation project is focused on the Old Macomb Cemetery on Wigwam
Hollow Road. A team from both the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Historical Preservation Commission (Springfield, Illinois) conducted an onsite survey and evaluation in December
2011. Their recommendations constitute the basis of our plans to install a protective, attractive fence; locate, clean, lift, and reset scores of buried and decaying headstones; and create a safe
and attractive new entrance into the cemetery.
John Long, a famous local Macomb engraver in the 1830s, created headstones with artistic designs and
inscriptions that invite people to meditate on life and death, thus enriching their spirituality. The Old Macomb Cemetery has at least four of his beautiful headstones visible and probably four
more hidden from view. These and all of the other headstones deserve protection and preservation. At one time the Old Macomb Cemetery had approximately 350 graves, citizens buried predominantly
in the early 1800s, before a new Macomb cemetery was established in 1857. But this beautiful historic cemetery has suffered from neglect, roaming animals, falling trees, and
weather.
The McDonough County Historical Society is calling on all residents who wish to improve, protect, and
beautify this valuable community asset to help us raise the local matching funds. Donations may be sent to McDonough County Historical Society, PO Box 83, Macomb, IL 61455. Please identify
your donation for the “Cemetery Project.” All donations to the Society, a 501.c.3 non-profit organization, are tax deductible. Any donation over $100 will entitle the donor to a one-year
membership in the Society.
The MCHS will keep the community informed of the progress of its DAR grant application and of every major
step forward in the project.
