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Internet Explorer is the
only browser that shows this page the way it was designed. Your
computer's settings may alter the display.
April 24, 2004: Awarded "Best Web Site of the Year" by the Illinois State Historical
Society
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Marquee Lights of the Lincoln Theater, est. 1923, Lincoln, Illinois |
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35. A Tribute to the Historians and Advocates of Lincoln, Illinois |
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It is not difficult to identify the founding fathers and the historians who have written about the city of Lincoln and Abraham Lincoln's connections to this community he named. On the other hand, it is nearly impossible to identify all advocates of Lincoln, Illinois, without unintentional omissions. Thus, on this page I mention some of the prominent Lincolnites that others have identified, but my focus is on the historians. Here, I discuss the historians in the order they lived, although some were contemporaries. Before I present the historians, here is some information about some of the prominent advocates of Lincoln, Illinois: One group of distinguished Lincolnites was identified in the celebration of the centennial of Lincoln, Illinois, in 1953. The celebration included an enactment of the city's history titled Lincoln, 'Tis of Thee, a pageant with a cast of 400 or so performed at the Logan County Fairgrounds four nights in succession. Each performance concluded with the Hall of Fame: a portrayal of twenty-one men and women, living and deceased, regarded as among the most important people in the city's history. The following identifications for the Hall of Fame are from an article in the Lincoln Evening Courier titled "Lincoln, 'Tis of Thee Wins Crowd's Acclaim as History of City, County Reviewed" (Lincoln Evening Courier, September 2, pp. 1 and 2). In the list that follows, the person playing the honoree is given in parentheses: "Col. Robert B. Latham (William McCormick), Gov. Richard Oglesby (James Taylor), John Gillett (John R. Parker), Abram Mayfied [Lincoln's first mayor] (Frank Metelko), A.H. Bogardus [international trap-shooting champion] (Hugh Knochel), Stephen A. Foley (Floyd Durst), Capt. D.H. Harts (D.H. Harts, Jr.), Judge Lawrence B. Stringer (Dr. D.M. Barringer), Virgil Hickox (James T. Hickey), Caroline Chamberlain Lutz (Mrs. Marion Sparks). Dr. Katherine Miller [first local female physician and school board president] (Mrs. Robert Langellier), Ella Owsley Brainerd (Mrs. Jennie Gasprich), Dr. William Dyer (William Perkins), Leslie Atlass (Bill Gossett), William Maxwell (Tom Fitzsimmons), Reinhold Niebuhr (Ray Gimbel), D.F. Nickols (Franklin Nichols), Agnes Rourke Garretson (Mrs. Harry Huffman), Silas Beason (N.L. Gordon), Col. Crowe (a Marine sergeant from Springfield)." In a Courier edition a few days later, W.C. Handlin's name was added, making him the twenty-first member of the Hall of Fame. Many on the preceding list are mentioned in this Web site, as are others from the second half of the 20th Century. Paul Gleason's Lincoln, Illinois: A Pictorial History, cites Latham, Handlin, Stringer, and Gillett as among those "making a difference in Lincoln." Others named by Gleason are Larry B. Shroyer, Miss Ida Webster (librarian for more than 55 years], Earl C. Hargrove (founder of Lincoln Christian College), E.H. Lukenbill, Lester "Tiny" Sheridan (father of tourism in Lincoln), and Earl and Edward Madigan. Certainly Bob Madigan has now earned his own distinction as a major contributor to Lincoln's progress.
Most of the rest of this page is devoted to the historians of Lincoln, Illinois, and
their supporters. |
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Lawrence B. Stringer (1866-1942) In 1911 Lawrence B. Stringer published his two-volume, encyclopedic Logan County Illinois: A Record of its Settlement, Organization, Progress, and Achievement. On the title page of that work, he quotes President Woodrow Wilson: "Local history is the ultimate substance of national history."
Below is the page honoring Judge Stringer in the 1953 Centennial book titled
The Namesake Town. Click on the thumbnail image of the page
below to access a readable size: |
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35.1:
Biographical Sketch and Tribute to Judge Stringer Written by D.H. Harts,
Jr., in Note: In scanning printed material, I have taken pains to provide clarity in both photos and text (a new trick being learned by an old dog). Some flaws, such as the lack of square alignment in the Gullett's ad, above are in the original. Stan Stringer, who has contributed material to this Web site wrote briefly about seeing Judge Stringer:
"I noticed the mention to Judge Stringer. He wasn't related, but he only
lived a block away (northwest corner of Hamilton and Delavan street
intersection). I met him once, but I was no more than six at the time."
Judge Stringer's 1911 History of Logan County has a chapter on Abraham Lincoln: http://findinglincolnillinois.com/alincolnheritageimages/stringersabrahamlincoln1911.pdf A Connection Between Lawrence Stringer's Work and the Work of William Maxwell In several of his publications, William Maxwell refers to Stringer's History of Logan County 1911 as a source. Maxwell writes of Stringer's book that it "is overburdened with statistics" ("Billie Dyer," in Billie Dyer and Other Stories, p. 14). Yet, recording facts is part of the historian's job. Historians and other students of history want as many facts as they can get in order to analyze them and form the most credible interpretations of their significance. Such writers of "creative nonfiction" as Mr. Maxwell choose to work with fewer facts as they "connect the dots" to form and express their truths of human nature and life. Let's just hope the facts selected by authors of "creative nonfiction" are accurate and ample enough to warrant the "universal" truths implied through their stories. (I'm sure it was a creative writer who first expressed the notion of not letting the facts get in the way of a good story.) On the page
about William Maxwell I created for this Web site, I refer to a couple of
examples where Maxwell's information is somewhat inaccurate, but these
instances are probably unintentional. See
5. Social Class, Race,
and the Question of Universality in William Maxwell's Writings Set
in Lincoln,
Illinois. |
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Banquet for Judge Stringer on His 75th Birthday (probably in the Hotel Lincoln)
35.2: Judge Stringer's Colleagues Help Him Celebrate His 75th Birthday (Photo from The Namesake Town: A Centennial
History of Lincoln, Illinois, p. 34) |
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James T. Hickey was a widely recognized authority on Abraham Lincoln. As indicated in the tribute below, he had been a protégé of Lawrence Stringer. Mr. Hickey lived in rural Elkhart, Illinois, near the site of Governor Ogelsby's Oglehurst, and the historic cemetery on top of Elkhart Hill. Mr. Hickey was one of my favorite teachers. I was a student in his course on the life of Abraham Lincoln at Lincoln College, which I attended my freshman year (1960-61). He was a most affable teacher who spoke in a relaxed, charming, and authoritative manner about every aspect of Lincoln's life and times. Hickey "was educated at Lakeside Grade School, Elkhart High School, Lincoln College, and Western Illinois State Teachers' College. . . . He married the former Miss Betty Brooker of Mt. Pulaski and the couple are parents of three-year-old daughter, Julia Nan. Beside the time spent pursuing his historical interests, Hickey farms a 360-acre farm near Elkhart, 160 acres of which has been handed down through two generations of the family. His ancestors were here 105 years ago, before the City of Lincoln was founded. . . . Mr. Hickey had a large collection of historical pictures, documents, and information relating mostly to Lincoln and the Logan County area" ("James T. Hickey Well-Known County Historian," Lincoln Evening Courier, centennial edition, August 26, 1953, p. 12). Mr. Hickey's great-grandfather, William Hickey, accompanied Lord Scully on his excursions to buy farmland in North American. James Hickey donated his great-grandfather's rifle to the Lincoln College Museum, and a photo of that antique firearm appears at 29. Museums & Parks, Including the Lincoln College Museum.
Below is a page from the Lincoln College newsletter with information about
James Hickey. Click on the page to access a readable size. |
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The rest of the above article is as follows: ". . . of the research and informational assistance he so generously gave to Lincoln scholars over the years. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Mark E. Neely, Jr., once said that 'James T. Hickey is the greatest Lincoln curator of his generation'" (p. 6). 35.3: From Material Sent by Ron Keller, Curator of the Lincoln Museum at Lincoln College One of Mr. Hickey's publications tells the history of the lot that Abraham Lincoln owned in Lincoln, Illinois, on Pulaski Street, across from the Logan County Courthouse. In 3. The Transformation of Abraham Lincoln and the Founding of Lincoln, Illinois, I summarize that article titled "Abraham Lincoln's Lot in Lincoln, Illinois," first published in the spring 1953. I am happy that my little library contains an autographed copy of The Collected Writings of James T. Hickey from the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, 1953-1984. James
Hickey was an officer of the Logan County Historical Society and appeared in
the centennial celebrations of several towns in that county. In the
1953 centennial celebration of Lincoln, Illinois, he played the role of
founding father Virgil Hickox in the re-enactment ceremony of Abraham
Lincoln's christening of Lincoln, Illinois. He also read (and probably
helped write) the "letter to posterity" at the ceremony to bury the time
capsule in Centennial Park at the conclusion of the centennial celebration.
More information about these activities, including a photo of James Hickey
as Virgil Hickox, is presented at
37. The 1953
Historic
Centennial Celebration of Lincoln, Illinois. |
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Obituary of Florence Dooley LINCOLN -
Florence Adams Dooley of East River Road, Tucson, Ariz., and formerly of
Green Valley, Ariz., and Lincoln, died after a brief hospitalization on
Sunday (Nov. 12, 2006) at age 93. |
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Raymond Dooley and Ethel
Welch's The Namesake Town: A Centennial History of Lincoln, Illinois |
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35.6: Cover
of The Namesake Town: A Centennial History of |
35.7:
Raymond Dooley Addressing Readers of the Centennial History of |
35.8:
Interview with |
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versions. |
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Memoir of Mrs. Dooley In high school I had
become curious about English as a result of the teaching of Mr. Jack Bass.
At Lincoln College during my freshman year, the teaching of Mrs. Florence Molen
increased my interest in the study of English. By the spring semester
of 1961, I had decided that for my sophomore year I would transfer to
Illinois State (Normal) University, where I could earn a bachelor's degree
in my favorite subject. In the spring of 1961, I talked to Mrs. Dooley
about my plan and requested my transcript be sent to Illinois State as part of the application process. Mrs.
Dooley was very supportive, although my transfer meant one less student
paying tuition and fees at Lincoln College. |
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35.9:
Raymond Dooley, Florence Dooley, and Friends, (Photo from Lincoln, the Namesake College: A Centennial History of Lincoln College, Lincoln, Illinois, 1865-1965, p. 98) The above photo appears in a chapter titled "Raymond Dooley and Lincoln's Leap Forward" in Lincoln, the Namesake College. The caption says, "President Raymond Dooley offered a brave new world to Lincoln College. With him on his immediate right are Mrs. Dooley, Mrs. David Hanger, Dean and Mrs. Elva Bailey, Mr. and Mrs. David Harts, Reverend and Mrs. John Burns" (p. 98). The four people on the far side of Mr. Dooley are unnamed, and I do not recognize any of them, even when looking at the photo with a magnifying glass, a favorite technique of mine. |
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35.10: Mr. Dooley Presenting Honorary Doctorate to the Great Gospel Singer, Mahalia Jackson (Photo from Lincoln, At left is
distinguished Historian Ralph Newman of Chicago, who sponsored Ms Jackson
for this award. (Punctuation note: "Ms" with a period is
an abbreviation for manuscript.) |
35.11:
Dedication of Statue (Photo from Lincoln, Caption: "President Dooley accepts the statue, while degrees went to John E. Stipp, Merrell Gage, and E.B. Long" |
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Note: For an example of Ms. Jackson's evocative voice, access http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlxAFq_9Mak. One more (Newport Jazz Festival) to show the range and passion (letting her hair down): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzB3RVal_Iw. Photo 35.11 shows President Dooley accepting and dedicating the famous Sculptor Merrell Gage's larger-than-life statue titled Lincoln the Student, which is located on the southeast corner of the campus (near the intersection of Keokuk and Ottawa Streets). In this ceremony, President Dooley said: "The statue, like any great work of art will be visited, enjoyed, and loved by all, from infants who will climb upon its knee to oldsters who come to pay the revered respects of their own generation. The status will forever symbolize the ideals of simplicity and service forever embodied in the name of Abraham Lincoln" (Lindstrom and Carruthers, Lincoln: the Namesake College, p. 114). The reference above to infants climbing the knee of Lincoln the Student, reminds me of a story I heard about Raymond Dooley when I attended Lincoln College as a freshman (1960-61). I cannot recall who told the story, and perhaps it is apocryphal. When Mr. Dooley was a student at Harvard University, he had allegedly traveled to Washington, D.C. While there, he had visited the Lincoln Memorial late one night and was so moved by the spirit that he found a way to climb up into Lincoln's lap
35.12: Undated Picture Postcard Photo of Lincoln, the Student Access Carl Volkmann's article on Lincoln the Student in Illinois Heritage magazine. [Note: this article says that Mr. Lincoln's train taking him as President-elect to Washington, D.C., stopped briefly in his first namesake city, where he gave a few remarks. Fact is the train taking him to D.C. did not go through Lincoln, Illinois, because it went directly from Springfield to Indiana. Yet, Lincoln as President-elect did travel by train to Chicago in November of 1860, and the train did stop in Lincoln, where he spoke briefly. Lincoln was then traveling to Chicago to meet his Vice President-elect, Hannibal Hamlin, and to discuss possible members of the Cabinet.] Another Lincoln statue owned and exhibited by Lincoln College is a life-size standing white plaster Lincoln statue in the foyer of its Meyer-Evans Student Center. This statue titled Lincoln the Lawyer is exhibited in a glass case and is a copy of Lorado Taft's bronze statue, dedicated in 1927 and located in Carle Park at Urbana, Illinois. This statue depicts Lincoln in a frock coat, hands resting on a table behind him, as he would have appeared to citizens of Urbana when he practiced law there on the Eighth Judicial Circuit. A full-length statue of Lincoln was installed at the new Lincoln Center, which will house the College's Lincoln Heritage Museum. This statue by Andrew Jumonville of Bloomington, Illinois, depicts Lincoln with a book to correspond with the theme of Lincoln's fondness for self-education through reading as also seen in Gage's Lincoln the Student. Note: My book titled The Town Abraham Lincoln Warned discusses the other statues of Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln, Illinois--including the proposed statue to commemorate his "monster" 1858 political rally and speech--, as well as such other Lincoln-related topics such as busts, paintings, drawings, historic sites and their historical markers, celebrations, festivals, and re-enactments.
See also my proposal: The
Lincoln Statues of His First Namesake City and a Long-Range Plan to Brand It
as the Second City of Lincoln Statues. |
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35.13:
Business Card of Raymond Dooley |
35.14:
Back of Dooley's Business Card |
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The above business card, yellowed after about forty years, was stapled to a copy of The Magnetism of Lincoln by Lloyd Ostendorf, allegedly the greatest scholar of Lincoln photographs and author of Lincoln's Photographs: A Complete Collection -- the definitive source. The Magnetism of Lincoln, a twenty-page booklet which highlights certain photos of Lincoln, was published by Lincoln College (no date). The booklet was occasioned by an "Abraham Lincoln Memorial Lecture." Apparently the booklet was published at the expense of Lincoln College and reflects President Dooley's interest in Abraham Lincoln and in promoting Lincoln College's connection to the Great Man. The handwritten note on the business card suggests Mr. Dooley sent complimentary copies of the booklet to friends and colleagues. I have no translation or other information about the oriental language(s) on the back of the card.
During the administration of Raymond Dooley at Lincoln College (1948-1971),
Lloyd Ostendorf was granted an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. |
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A Connection Between Raymond Dooley and William Maxwell In "Billie Dyer," William Maxwell alludes to Raymond Dooley. Billie Dyer had spent his childhood in Lincoln, Illinois, had served in World War I, and had become a prominent black physician. Dr. Dyer had been honored during the centennial celebration of Lincoln, Illinois, in 1953, as a member of "the Hall of Fame" (see above on this page). Maxwell writes that two years after the centennial Dr. Dyer revisited Lincoln, attending a banquet of the Lincoln College Alumni Association, "where he was given a citation for outstanding accomplishments in the field of medicine" ("Billie Dyer," in Billie Dyer and Other Stories, p. 5). At that time, Dyer and the college president visited ("Billie Dyer," p. 5). Maxwell describes a conversation he had many years later with the college president about Dr. Dyer's visit and refers to the college president as "a childhood friend of mine. 'What did you talk about?' I asked. . . , regretting the fact that so far as I knew I had never laid eyes on William Dyer. My friend couldn't remember. It was too long ago. 'What was he like?' I persisted, and my friend, thinking carefully, said, "'Except for the color of his skin he could have been your uncle or mine'" (p. 5). Raymond N. Dooley was the President of Lincoln College at that time and so had to be the unnamed person Maxwell refers to. Most likely Maxwell had met Raymond Dooley around 1921 or 1922 when Maxwell visited (and possibly lived with) his Aunt Edith Blinn Young and her M.D. husband in Bloomington, Illinois, where Raymond Dooley had grown up. William Maxwell had spent time with his aunt in Bloomington before his father moved the family to Chicago, where the senior Maxwell was transferred as a result of a promotion. Note: Evidence indicates that William Maxwell and the Dooleys continued to communicate. The collected papers of William Maxwell contain, for example, a personal letter that Mrs. Dooley wrote to William Maxwell on April 6, 1991, in which she describes the life and love she and her husband shared. The letter seems to be a response to condolences that Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell had sent to the Dooley family. In addition to the
letter, the Maxwell papers include obituaries of Raymond Dooley that Mrs.
Dooley had sent to the Maxwells. Among these papers are two articles
about Mr. Dooley from the Lincoln Courier, one dated February 21,
1991. Mr. Maxwell's papers are being sent to the Rare Book & Special
Collections Library of the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, by his
daughters in New York City. |
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Larry B. and Halcyone Shroyer Larry B. Shroyer was a talented reporter, photographer, and civic leader in Lincoln, Illinois, for most of the 20th Century. Mr. Shroyer's historical writing is featured in Paul Beaver's Logan County History 1982. A major contribution of Mr. Shroyer to Beaver's publication is titled "I Remember the '20s and Before" (pp. 8-14). That essay discusses pre-WW I, WW I, the flu epidemic of 1918, Home Guards of the WW I era, the KKK, "natural disasters," and a variety of other developments in the social and political history of Lincoln and Logan County. Another of Mr. Shroyer's contributions to Beaver's book is a summary of the history of the City of Lincoln (pp. 50-51). The following summary comes from the Shroyers' autobiographical sketch in Paul Beaver's History of Logan County 1982: "Lawrence B. 'Larry' Shroyer and Halcyone Merry Shroyer were born in Lincoln at the turn of the century. He was born October 4, 1900, a son of Alonzo D. and Effie Richardson Shroyer. She was born August 26, 1900, a daughter of Professor Herbert O. and Maude Tandy Merry. They attended local schools and were married November 16, 1921, in Bloomington" (p. 522). |
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35.15: Halcyone and Larry Shroyer (Photo in Beaver, |
35.16: Larry B. Shroyer as Photographer (Photo in Gleason, Lincoln, Illinois:
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"Starting as a carrier in 1911 on the old Morning Star, Larry became a pressman but in 1920 shifted careers and became a 'cub' reporter. Shroyer spent more than 60 years in the newspaper, advertising, radio and television field, serving major central Illinois and metropolitan newspapers, radio and television stations. He had a stint as editor-share holder of the Evening Star; a member of Gordon and Shroyer, Inc., commercial printers; eight years as editor-sports-writer-photographer of the Lincoln Courier. For 18 years news director of radio station WPRC, Shroyer devoted much of his career as a 'free lance' reporter-photographer" (p. 523). In addition to his diverse career, Larry Shroyer provided civic leadership. Mrs. Shroyer, a member of the D.A.R., was her husband's partner in much his public service (Beaver, p. 523). He served in the National Guard during World War I. He was City Collector of Assessments and a member of the County Board, 1938-39. He was active in Red Cross and Cancer organizations. "During World War II he was press representative of various War Defense Agencies and a member of the County Airport Commission, builders of the Logan County Airport. The Shroyers organized the first Red Cross Blood Bank in the county during World War II" (p. 523). "In 1951 he was appointed
director-coordinator of the Lincoln-Logan County Civil Defense, a post which
he filled for 26 1/2 years. He was also active on the state and
national levels of Civil Defense. Major projects developed included
county wide radio net in law enforcement, fire and emergency services; siren
warning system and established the Logan County Safety and Emergency Control
Complex and the city-county-wide ambulance and rescue services" (p. 523). |
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The publications of Paul J. Beaver, Jr., have concerned local history and Abraham Lincoln in Illinois. Mr. Beaver published his master's thesis titled "William Scully and the Scully Estates of Logan County, Illinois" (OCLC: 14050241), and it was also available in soft cover. He wrote "Lincoln's Political Rise in Logan County, Central Illinois" as an address delivered to an international conference in 1986, and this work was published in Redlands, CA, by the Lincoln Memorial Shrine.
Paul J. Beaver was professor emeritus of history at Lincoln College. He was also the curator of the Lincoln
Museum there. A native of rural Middletown, Illinois,
he grew up on his family's farm, which was founded in 1853--the same year as
the founding of the First Lincoln Namesake Town. Mr. Beaver
graduated from Middletown High School, attended Lincoln College, and earned
his master's degree in history from Illinois State University. His wife, Sue,
also graduated from Illinois State and taught in the Mt. Pulaski school
system. Their daughters attended schools in Lincoln, Illinois (Logan
County History 1982, p. 181).
35.17: Paul Beaver (right), Raymond Dooley (left), and Students (1970) The above photo (vertical line caused by book center crease) is from the 1970 Lincoln College yearbook titled Lincoln College, Lincoln, Illinois, 1970 (by then the title Lynxite had been dropped). The caption reads, "President Dooley accepts a World War I scrap book from Mr. Paul Beaver, curator of the Lincoln Museum. Students Kenneth Lanning and Domina Frankovic are on hand as Mr. Beaver discusses the significance of the record of Lincoln's participation in the Great War" (p. 19). History of Logan County 1982, edited by Paul Beaver Paul Beaver fulfilled a major contribution to the history of Logan County and Lincoln, Illinois, with the publication Logan County History 1982, which was published by the Logan County Heritage Foundation and printed by Taylor Publishing Company of Dallas, TX. In this one-volume, encyclopedic work (727 pages), Mr. Beaver coordinated the work of several dozen citizens, who solicited material from countless family members and other locals. This book, including Mr. Beaver's essay titled "I Remember the '50s" (pp. 19-20), features local citizen-historians writing about decades well remembered and family history. Many church histories and histories of rural families appear throughout.
35.18: Cover of History of Logan County 1982 Besides Mr. Beaver's essays in Logan County History 1982, examples of other local historians and their essays contained in this work are Sanford Patterson, "I Remember the '30s," "Will Coal Mining Return to Logan County," and "The Prohibition Era"; Mary Lou Fink (Lincoln Community High School, Class of 1947), "I Remember the '40s"; Sandra Heinzel Crews (Lincoln Community High School, Class of 1965), "The Sixties: Decade of Change"; Sara L. Harris (Lincoln Community High School, Class of 1977), "I Remember the '70s"; Gloria Dowson Harper, "Courtship in Logan County"; Sue Cause, "Logan Newspaper Update"; Emil McElhaney, "Storms and Weather Disasters in Logan County"; Henry Mayes and Paul Beaver, "Logan County Sports 1920-1982"; Emily P. Gordon, "Logan County Genealogical Society"; Dwight F. Zimmerman, "Logan County Board"; Tom Oas, "Logan County Health Department"; Paul E. Gleason, "Presidential Visits to Logan County"; and Mildred Stuckel, "Molloy's Cafe."
Key Personnel in the
Development of Mr. Beaver's Logan County History 1982 |
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35.19: History of Logan County 1982, p. 357. |
35.20: History of Logan County 1982, p. 358. |
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Paul Beaver wrote the foreword to Lincoln, Illinois: A Pictorial History (1998) by Paul E. Gleason. In this foreword, Mr. Beaver acknowledges the contributions of many, including Richard Sumrall, Director of the Lincoln Public Library, and David Shroyer, son of Larry Shroyer (cited above), who allowed the use of his father's collection of photographs. In 2000, Paul J. Beaver collaborated with Paul E. Gleason in the publication of Logan County, Illinois: A Pictorial History. In 2003, Paul Beaver published William Scully and the Scully Estates of Logan County, Illinois. Access a link to a PDF of the front cover, title page, table of contents, preface, page one, and the back cover, which includes a summary of his career. In 2008 Paul Beaver, professor emeritus of history at Lincoln College, received the Courier's Citizen of the Year award: http://www.lincolncourier.com/homepage/x1621229021/Paul-Beaver-gets-icing-for-his-cake. Paul Beaver and I became
friends as we communicated about local history and collaborated on the
Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration at Lincoln, Illinois, in 2008. I
was saddened by his passing at the end of February 2019. Obituary for Paul
J. Beaver, Jr.:
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/lincolncourier/obituary.aspx?n=paul-james-beaver&pid=191684509&fhid=10030.
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Les "Tiny" and Jackie Sheridan (advocates of Lincoln, Illinois)
35.21:
Memorial Page in Paul Beaver, Logan County History 1982,
p. 655. |
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Paul E. and Cheryl Gleason Like his colleague, Paul Beaver, Paul E. Gleason is a teacher, historian, and author. Paul is a member of the Lincoln Community High School Class of 1956. His wife, Sheryl, has worked in the library of Lincoln College and has collaborated with her husband on many historical projects. The following information about the Gleasons comes from Paul Beaver's History of Logan County 1982. Mr. Gleason attended public schools in Lincoln, Illinois, and earned bachelor's and master's degrees in history from Illinois State University. His master's thesis was written on John Dean Gillett, who was one of the founders and owners of Lincoln, Illinois, and was known as "the Cattle King of America." Mr. Gleason's "additional educational activities included studies at the University of Illinois in the field of agricultural history and in the area of Illinois history at Sangamon State University. Courses on Logan County history were taken at Lincoln College. [He] and his wife have attended American Revolutionary workshops at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, during the summer. There they were able to gain a more in-depth understanding of the Revolutionary era culture and way of life in order that such information can be utilized in their jobs of working with students. Religious history course were studies at Lincoln Christian College. . ." (p. 302).
Besides the books described below, Mr. Gleason's publications include The
Celebration of Lincoln, Illinois, 1953-1978 (1978) and A Celebration
of Logan County--1839-1989 (1989). He has researched a book
about "forgotten Logan County and Lincoln stories" (back inside panel of
book jacket of Lincoln: A Pictorial History). |
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35.22: Paul E. Gleason |
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35.23:
Cheryl A. Gleason |
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(Photos from Beaver, Logan County History 1982, p. 302). "Throughout their thousands of miles of travel in the United States and the development of their slide, tape, news, and Presidential library, the Gleasons have been able to establish or build collections which are used in their work where they seek to encourage those persons whom they are contact with to seek out their past heritage which has enabled them to live in the present and to hope for their future" (Beaver, p. 302). Mr. Gleason is also
active in community service: he has worked as a member of the Logan
County Board as well as serving as Logan County Historian for the Board. He is
president of the Central Illinois Economic Development Corporation
(community Action). He has chaired the Logan County Historic
Preservation Commission and the Elkhart Historic Society and served on the
boards of the Middletown, Knapp, Chestnut, Becker Historical Society, the
Logan County Genealogical and Historical Society, the Abraham Lincoln
Tourism Board of Logan County, and the Illinois Route 66 Association of
Illinois (back inside panel of book jacket of Lincoln: A Pictorial
History). |
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Lincoln, Illinois: A Pictorial History (1998) by Paul E. Gleason With the cooperation and support of the State Bank of Lincoln and the G. Bradley Publishing Company of St. Louis, Paul E. Gleason authored Lincoln, Illinois: A Pictorial History, a coffee-table-sized book of 200 pages, including hundreds of photographs. Many of the sections and photo captions are rich in historical information. This book is composed of
the following sections (in order presented): early history, Postville,
the establishment of Lincoln (1852-1865), Civil War, Logan County
Courthouse, transportation, industry, Lincoln Garment Company, mining, Lehn
and Fink, Pittsburgh Plate Glass, Stetson China Company, Lincoln Glass
Factory, business, agriculture 1850-1900, William Scully, early banking,
State Bank of Lincoln, Gullett and Sons, hotels, hangouts, general
businesses, auto dealers, government, making a difference in Lincoln
(community leaders), Madigan, Presidential visits, Lincoln and the wars, the
day Lincoln was "attacked," churches, education, Lincoln High School,
Lincoln College, Lincoln Christian College, sports, and his name was
Michael, Lincoln College sports, LCC sports, a local legend (sports figures
with national reputations), entertainment, Chautauqua, 1953 Lincoln
centennial, Logan County Fair, Lincoln Lakes, bands and the sounds of music,
theaters, Christmas, railsplitting festival, art fair, serving others,
Prohibition, fire department, Lincoln Public Library, Lincoln State School
and Colony, hospitals, I.O.O.F. Orphans' Home, homes of Lincoln, balloon
festival, new development, postscript--Lincoln today, acknowledgements,
sources for further reading, and publication staff. |
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Concluding Material in Lincoln: A Pictorial History
The pages below from Mr. Gleason's Lincoln:
A Pictorial History are presented because they identify sources that
some readers will find useful for additional information. |
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35.24: Lincoln: A Pictorial History,
p. 196. |
35.25: Lincoln: A Pictorial History, p. 197.
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Logan County, Illinois: A Pictorial History (2000), Co-authored with Paul Beaver In Logan County, Illinois: A Pictorial History (2000) by Paul Gleason and Paul Beaver, the authors present a six-page overview and devote most of this book to depicting the life and times in rural communities of this central Illinois county. The numerous photos of this work, accompanied by detailed captions, show the evolution of farming technology and of life on the prairie farms and farming communities of this county. Here are the topics and parts of this
book: Atlanta, Beason, Broadwell, Burtonview, Chestnut, Cornland,
Elkhart, Emden, the [19]50s in Logan County, Hartsburg, Lake Fork, Latham,
Lawndale, Middletown, Mount Pulaski, New Holland, San Jose, Lincoln,
epilogue, acknowledgements and dedication, index. |
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Concluding Material in Logan County, Illinois: A Pictorial History
The pages below from Logan
County, Illinois: A Pictorial History are presented because
they identify sources that some readers will find useful for additional
information. |
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35.26 Logan County, Illinois: A Pictorial History, p. 196. |
35.27 Logan County, Illinois: A Pictorial History, p. 197.
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The books of Mr. Gleason and Mr. Beaver published by the G. Bradley Publishing Company are essential to an understanding of central Illinois. These works are copyrighted with all rights reserved. Material used in this Web site from these publications is with permission from the G. Bradley Publishing Company, 461 Des Peres Road, St. Louis, MO 63131. Call 1-800-966-5120 to inquire about purchasing Lincoln, Illinois: A Pictorial History (1998) (200 pages of rare photos and text) or Logan County Pictorial History (2000) (also 200 pages of rare photos and text). Visit http://gbradleypublishing.com/. |
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Corporate Support for Lincoln: A Pictorial History and Logan County Pictorial History
35.28 Board of State Bank of Lincoln (Founded, 1904) (Photo
in Lincoln: A Pictorial History and Logan County Pictorial
History) |
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Jerry and Nancy Lawrence Gehlbach and Our Times Paul Beaver's Logan County History 1982 includes a sketch of the Gerald and Nancy Lawrence Gehlbach family written by Mrs. Gehlbach (pp. 294). Her husband and I were on the Lincoln Community High School yearbook (Lincolnite) staff in 1958-59. He was a senior; I, a junior. Mrs. Gehlbach was born in Hinsdale, a suburb of Chicago, and met Gerald in 1960 while they were students at the University of Illinois. There, Mr. Gehlbach earned a master's degree in animal science, and Mrs. Gehlbach earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education. In Logan County History 1982, Mrs. Gehlbach describes the vigorous life of a family that is equally at home in the country and in contemporary Lincoln, Illinois. Her family autobiographical sketch tells about her husband's business accomplishments in agriculture, their active church participation, their two sons' exemplary achievements in school, and various leisure-time activities. Mrs. Gehlbach says she is "most grateful for the friends I have made in the community. . . " (p. 295). In the fall of 1996, Mrs. Gehlbach wrote and edited the first issue of Our Times, a quarterly publication whose mission is "to publish well-researched, interesting articles about the people, history, and culture of Logan County, Illinois" (Our Times 1.1, fall, 1996, p. 2). Since the beginning of this publication, Mrs. Gehlbach has been its principal researcher and writer, and her articles have covered diverse aspects of community history, as indicated by the titles in her publications listed below. She draws upon information carefully selected from local historical publications, and her special writing strategy is to find and interview the people who were closely involved in the places and events that she writes about. She concisely presents the experiences, wit, and wisdom of these people, who literally made local history. Their stories would remain untold without Mrs. Gehlbach's skill and devotion to her craft, and her good work continually delights and instructs readers of all ages.
35.29: Nameplate of Our Times
35.30: Masthead of
Our Times |
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Nancy Lawrence Gehlbach's Articles "Cars. . . and Drivers." Our Times 3.4, winter, 1998. (story of the attempt to manufacture the Lincoln automobile and the Lincoln Speedway race track). "Chautauqua Summers." Our Times 3.2, summer, 1998. (history of the largest Chautauqua organization in Illinois, circa 1900-1937) "Come Fly with Me!" Our Times 5.1, spring, 2000. (history of flying in central Illinois and the Logan County Airport) "Factories of Yesteryear." Our Times 7.3, fall, 2002. "Factories to Remember." Our Times 7.1, winter, 2002. "Farm Life in Logan County." Our Times 2.2, summer, 1997. "First Do No Harm." Our Times 4.3, fall, 1999. (history of medicine and hospitals in Lincoln, Illinois, and Logan County) "God's People in Logan County." Our Times 2.1, spring, 1997. (diverse religions in Lincoln, Illinois) "Home, Sweet Home." Our Times 6.4, winter, 2001. (history of the Illinois Odd Fellows' Children's Home) "Keeping in Touch." Our Times 6.2, summer, 2001. (history of the mail, telephone, and telegraph) "Let's Eat Out." Our Times 6.1, spring, 2002. (history of restaurants) "Let’s Play." Our Times 7.1, spring, 2002. (history of parks) "Light, Giving, and Joy! Our Times 2.4, winter, 1997. (Christmases in Logan County and Lincoln, Illinois) "Lincoln State School: A Little History of a Big Place." Our Times 5.4, winter, 2001. "Milk and Eggs." Our Times 5.2, summer, 2000. (history of Sieb's Hatcheries, Inc.) "Pity Our Beautiful Trees." Our Times vol. 7, issue 1, spring 2002. (history of the American Dutch elm disease) "Read All About It." Our Times 7.2, summer, 2000. (history of newspapers) "Riding the Rails." Our Times 3.3, fall, 1998. (history of the interurban, streetcar, and steam trains) "Saturday Night in Logan County." Our Times 1.2, winter, 1996. "They Also Serve. . . " Our Times 4.4, winter, 1999. (emphasis on citizens' roles in WW II) "To Market, to Market. . . " Our Times 6.3, fall, 2001: (history of grocery stores and fish and meat markets) "Water Works." Our Times 4.2, summer, 1999. (history of Lincoln Sand and Gravel Company and the Lincoln Lakes recreation) "What Did We Do for Fun? Saturday Night in Logan County." Our Times 1.2. winter, 1996. "Whatever Happened to the Country Schools?" Our Times 1.1, fall, 1996. "What's on the Radio?" Our Times 5.3, fall, 2000. (history of public and college radio stations) "When Coal Was King." Our Times 2.3, fall, 1997. |
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Businesses Supporting Our Times
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Willie Aughton and Darold Henson:
Octogenarian Witnesses to Most of the Twentieth Century History of Lincoln, Illinois
Throughout this Web site, I have included information offered by these
gentlemen during informal, "all too brief" conversation. With Willie,
this talk was mostly in the summer of 2002. With Darold, it has been
throughout my lifetime, but still "all too brief." |
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Willie
Aughton |
Darold
Henson, a Veteran of WW II and the Battle of the Bulge, in Normandy Hat |
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Email comments, corrections, questions, or suggestions.
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"The Past Is But the Prelude" |
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