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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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37.
The 1953 Historic Centennial Celebration of Lincoln, Illinois |
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Yes, it was
historic -- meaning "making history," not just "celebrating history," -- as
this page attempts to show.
37.1: Centennial Logo (Image adapted from the 144-page Centennial Edition of the Lincoln Evening Courier, 8-26-53) Note: this page was published about 2004, so most of
the email addresses and other links are probably dead now (2015). |
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A Few Memories of Lincoln's Centennial Celebration From Lincoln, Illinois, Fred Blanford (RIP, 2008) recalls, It was a magical summer. . . . I was 12. Old enough I wasn't restricted by a babysitter. I had a bike. I had no job and no responsibilities. There was a carnival (complete with a penny/nickel arcade) in Washington Park in conjunction with the Centennial celebration. There was a trapeze act on the Courthouse lawn across from Landauer's that may have performed multiple times/day. There were the Brothers of the Brush, Sisters of the Swish, and lots of gentlemen sported facial hair that was unusual for the times of "flattops." Black stovepipes and derbies were worn. Of course there were quite a few "Union" and "Confederate" campaign caps worn too. Would winter bring coonskin hats that year? Memory is an imperfect tool.
By Fred Blanford from an email message to 160+ LCHS
alums in March, 2002. His comment
speaks for all of us who were old enough to
remember the Lincoln Centennial Celebration. |
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From Springfield, Missouri, Leigh Henson recalls, I was almost eleven and remember much excitement, but not many specifics. My Granddad Wilson had derby and stovepipe hats for sale in his grocery store on Fifth Street, and he gave me my choice. I opted for a derby. Also, for kids it seems I recall Granddad sold black wax mustaches worn like a mouthpiece. I do not recall that Granddad grew any facial hair. Perhaps he believed that as a businessman and Presbyterian he had a clean-cut image of respectability to uphold. Granddad's son, my Uncle Gib Wilson, grew a full beard and won second place in the "most luxurious beard" category in the contest sponsored by the Brothers. I do not remember making any special effort to dress up for the Centennial as my cousin, Jerry Gibson, and his family did as seen in 37.2 below. Photo 37.3 shows me in street clothes -- no derby in sight. Probably I was just following Dad's example in attire. He had grown a mustache, but did not go in for a costume -- not his style. I believe my mother made her long dress and my sister, Linda's. I do remember a lot of talk about the Kangaroo Court. (For the last several years, my dad has had a mustache.) Respond to Leigh at
DLHenson@missouristate.edu. |
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37.2: Ted Gibsons, 1953 Centennial Left to right: Ted, Jill, Jerry, and Eleanor |
37.3: Darold Hensons, 1953 Centennial Left to right: Leigh, Jane, Linda, and Darold |
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The above photos were
taken in Postville Park at the time of the great Centennial Celebration at
the end of August, beginning of September. Postville Park was the
favorite location of picnics for the Wilson, Gibson, Hoblit, Leesman, and Henson clans. The photos show Aunt Eleanor and my
sister wore sandal-like shoes. A magnifying glass used on the
original photo with me in it shows that the toes of my shoes had been cut
out -- a make-do solution to fast-growing feet? More information about the
history of these families' use of Postville Park, adjacent to business Route
66, is presented at
2.
The Story of
the Postville Courthouse Replica,
Tantivy, & Memoir of the Postville Park
Neighborhood in the
Route 66 Era. |
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From South Elgin, Illinois, Jerry Gibson recalls, My Dad was a Sunbeam
delivery man for several years. He had a weird sense of humor and during the
Centennial when he had a beard, he had David Desmore of Albert Bros. take a
close up of him with his front partial plate removed, and wearing a Civil
War hat. . . smiling, mind you, with the caption "If you want bread. . .
Call Ted." Mother was horrified it would get back to the home office.
Shortly after that he went to work for PPG. |
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From Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, Jim Knecht recalls, My primary memory of that time besides the beards and sideburns was an ancient character named John Wiley, who had served in the Spanish-American War and sold newspapers -- the Courier -- out of a canvas bag on the courthouse square. He did so both before and after the Centennial as well. Respond to Jim at
j.knecht@verizon.net.
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From Chicago, David Salyers recalls, I recall there was a "Kangaroo" Court for those men who failed to grow facial hair. I also remember a kind of "son et luminaire" event one night on/in front of the courthouse square, but if you were to bet me a dollar that I was mistaken on that point, I wouldn't take the bet. I also recall a general sense of excitement that summer. [Leigh's note: "son et luminaire": I'm an English teacher, but David sent me to a dictionary for this one. Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary says this term refers to an outdoor spectacle in historic setting with narration, dramatization -- in this case, that would have to be the pageant titled Lincoln, 'Tis of Thee at the Logan County Fairgrounds as described later on this page.] Also, there was a great deal of historical material printed in the COURIER, was there not? Or was a special newspaper printed solely for the centennial? In any event, I recall eagerly reading that material over the summer. Respond to David at
dbs1128@earthlink.net. |
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From suburban Chicago, Dan Gaydosh recalls,
During that time period, any kind of facial hair was rare. Beards or
mustaches were just not in style. That is why it was so strange to see
men, starting in the spring, try to grow beards or whatever they could
grow for the August celebration. It was a memorable sight for this boy. Respond to Dan at
DGaydosh@aol.com. |
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From Montgomery, Alabama, Gwen Lisk Koda recalls, I only have one fond memory of the Centennial celebration besides the lovely long dress I got to wear. They had a talent contest on the front lawn of the courthouse, and I won first place. I was twelve years old, I believe, and my picture was on the front page of the Courier. Respond to Gwen at
yoshukai@knology.net. |
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From Florida, Nancy Hatfield Eichelberger recalls,
I
have one memory of the centennial. I was the bride in the pageant [Lincoln,'Tis
of Thee], and I think Don Pfeiffer was the groom. He wanted to kiss
me at the end of the ceremony, and I absolutely refused. I think he was
trying to win a bet the last night, and he tried to kiss me. I almost
removed his ankle at the point when I kicked him! My mother made both
Roberta's and my dresses, and we sure looked the part for the centennial.
I think Mom even made my "bridal" gown. |
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From Chicago, Linda Fay recalls,
I have a few memories of
the centennial, but since I was in third grade my recollections are not as
impressive as Nancy's. |
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From Lincoln, Illinois, Pat Kindred recalls, I was one of the runner-up queens for the Centennial. Pat Synder who still lives in Lincoln was also. Mary (somebody) from Mt. Pulaski-Lincoln was Queen. This was all based on the number of tickets you sold for the ice cream social. Some contest. We rode around in convertibles at the County Fair and on floats in a parade in Lincoln. I believe there are old pictures at the Courier. Respond to Pat at
plkindred@bwsys.net. |
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From Cambridge in northern Illinois, Tom Montgomery, LCHS Class of 1963, recalls, I discovered your Web site on the Internet on Lincoln, Illinois. I was 7 years old in August, 1953, when we had the Centennial Celebration in Lincoln. I remember participating in the pageant [Lincoln, 'Tis of Thee]. My character was a small boy present when Abraham Lincoln christened the town with a watermelon. I remember dressing in costume and the character who played Abraham Lincoln breaking a watermelon and christening the town in the pageant. I cannot remember anything else concerning the pageant. However, I do remember that my Father did have a black derby hat, had a mustache, wore the old fashioned style bow tie -- I believe red in color -- and was a member of the Brothers of the Brush. I remember my Mother also dressed in costume in an old fashioned style dress. Respond to Tom at
twmlaw@theinter.com. |
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Introduction to This History of the 1953 Centennial Celebration of Lincoln, Illinois Dear gentle readers, yes, as Fred says, memory is an imperfect tool. The eyewitnesses were just kids and thus were only somewhat aware of what was going on. They knew a great happening was at hand, but their grasp of it was limited -- they may not have fully realized the variety of events and the "once in a lifetime" experience of the activities. Now as we try to remember, the passing of time further diminishes and distorts, whether we sense it or not. To help offset these limitations, we can supplement memory with additional information -- jog the memory or gain the understanding that was never there. Thus, I have done a little research to discover more information and am sharing my findings with you here.
The 1953 Centennial Celebration of Lincoln,
Illinois, took place over eight days
at the end of the summer: from Saturday, August 29, through Saturday,
September 5. This spectacle was the work of hundreds of citizens,
including underwriters, contributors and financial supporters of the 80-page
book titled The
Namesake Town, promoters, and the Centennial Corporation and its various
divisions with their respective committees, including 400 who produced
the pageant titled Lincoln, 'Tis of Thee. |
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37.4: Raymond Dooley, President of Lincoln College and President of the Centennial Corporation (Photo by Larry Shroyer) |
37.5: President of Lincoln Bible Institute and Vice President of the Centennial Corporation (Photo in Gleason, p. 9 |
37.6: Alan Wyneken, Administrative Assistant at Lincoln College and Secretary of the Centennial Corporation (Photo in the 1970 Lincoln College yearbook, p. 34) |
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Daily Events Carnival rides and concessions in Washington Park provided amusement during the days and evenings throughout the Centennial Celebration. Antiques were displayed in the windows of many store fronts. Browsing these displays was a popular way of spending time between scheduled events. Examples of displays: an old "wine set" and buggy foot warmer in the window of the Empire Tavern; antique books and old photographs in the window of the Arcade Shoe Shop; old music box, 1890 washing machine, crockery, and a fire place bellows at the Lincoln Tire and Appliance; and Indian tomahawk heads and arrowheads at Molloy's Cafe ("Window Displays High on Centennial Interest List," Lincoln Evening Courier, 9-9-53, p. 6). Trapeze act, the Flying Romas from Bloomington, Illinois, performed in the afternoons and mid evenings on the Broadway Street side of the square. This side of the square was the main setting for much of the Centennial Celebration action. The photo below, taken from the roof of city hall during the main parade on Thursday, September 3, provides a good overview of this setting. This photo shows the pole-supports of the Flying Romas' aerial act; these poles are visible between the trees on the courthouse lawn as indicated by the white arrows. The photo also shows the parade reviewing stand, the dunking trough, and the jail of the Kangaroo Court, and these are all described later on this page.
37.7: Overview of Courthouse Lawn and Broadway Street During Main Parade (Photo from Paul Gleason's Lincoln: A Pictorial History, p. 151. Please click on thumbnail image to view the full-sized photo, with white arrows identifying the Flying Romas' aerial setup.)
Background about the Flying Romas is available at The two groups whose members and supporters were the most visible participants of the Centennial Celebration from the days preceding and during the 8-day celebration to the days after it were the Sisters of the Swish and the Brothers of the Brush. The Sisters of the Swish The Sisters of the Swish especially promoted interest in the cultural aspect of Lincoln's history, including clothing styles from pioneer days through the 1920s. The chairlady of the Sisters of the Swish was Ann Charter. Other committee members were Norma Amberg, Bernice Hackett, Marguerite Lindenberg, Eunice Campbell, Jane Frantz, and Helen Musa Rankin. Not as much was published about the activities of the Sisters as was published about the Brothers of the Brush, whose activities were more dramatic and, well, just plain goofier -- in other words, more "newsworthy." The following two photos show members of the Sisters of the Swish:
37.8: Photo of the Sisters of the Swish Appearing in Dooley's The Namesake Town, p. 41 I recognize Bernice Hackett, second from the left, and Jane Franz, third from the right. Jane Franz narrated the Sisters' style show on Wednesday, September 2.
On May 25, 2003, Mary Baldin Moore of Lincoln responded to my call for other
identifications that I emailed to 170 LCHS alums of mid 20th Century.
She writes as follows:
I visited with
Bernice Hackett this evening (she's a friend of my mother-in-law's and
lives in the same building), and she was able to provide names for most of
them. She will work on the others.
Sisters, left to right in 37.8 above:
1. Norma
(Armstrong) (Mrs. James) Bierman, 2. Bernice (Mrs. Horace) Hackett, 3. Helen
(Musa) (Mrs. Harold) Rankin,
4. Henrietta (Mrs. James) Gillard, 5. Mrs. Ann Charter, 6. Bertha
Van Meter (correct name provided by her daughter, Jeanne Van Meter Simms
wsimms@tampabay.rr.com), 7. Jane
(Mrs. Weldon)
Franz, 8. Eunice (Mrs. Edgar) Campbell, 9. Marguerite
(Mrs. Elmer W.) Lindenberg.
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37.9: Sisters of the Swish Photo from Paul Gleason, Lincoln: A Pictorial History, p. 150 One of the major activities conducted by the Sisters of the Swish was the style show on the courthouse lawn Wednesday, September 2, 1953, after the Sisters and Brothers' potluck lunch at 1:00 p.m. in Latham Park (Washington Park throughout the week was full of carnival rides and concessions). Information about the style show is presented below in relation to the events of that day.
37.10: Official Sisters
of the Swish Button |
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37.11: Model Centennial Dresses Sold in Various Lincoln Stores (Photo in
the Lincoln Evening Courier, April 13, 1953, p. 3. Please click on
thumbnail to open full-sized image. The women modeling the dresses are Irene
Claypool [left], Shirley Hamberg [center], and Donna Post [right]. |
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| The Brothers of the
Brush and Their Kangaroo Court
37.12: Brothers of the Brush Executive Committee (Photo from Dooley's The Namesake Town, p. 41) The chairman was Ken "Zim" Zimmerman, seated at center. Wallace "Blackie" Brookshire is seated at the left. In the back, the fourth from the left is John Bauman, who also served as Chief of Police for the Brothers of the Brush. Both Jim Knecht and Bob Madigan identify the man seated at the right as Hobart Rose. He was also called Clinton and "Shorty" Rose. Bob says the tallest fellow may be Ott Connley. The other two are probably Louis Menzel and Melvin Booker, but at this time it is unclear which is which. Mary Baldin Moore provides Bernice Hackett's identifications as follows: Brothers, left to right: 1. Wallace "Blackie" Brookshire, 2. Working on this one!, 3. Ken "Zim" Zimmerman, 4. Otto Connley, 5. John Bauman, 6. Clinton "Shorty" Rose, who was sometimes also called Hobart. One of the main activities of the Brothers of the Brush was the Kangaroo Court. The Brothers of the Brush had its own police force -- a self-appointed, "all in fun" vigilante group. These officers had their own police car, jail, and judicial proceedings-- the Kangaroo Court --, which amused and amazed thousands of locals and visitors who came to see and take part in the 1953 Centennial Celebration.
37.13: Official Brothers of the Brush Button
(Photo provided by Fred Blanford) |
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The Officers
37.14: Some of Lincoln's "Finest" Officers of the Law (Photo from Lincoln Evening Courier, August 4, 1953)
Officers from left to right: Paul Forehand,
Bob Lunt (both hands holding billy club), Chief John Bauman (with large
star-badge), "Red" Emmons, and "Shorty" Schreiber. The caption says
the men were wet as a result of struggling with resistant prisoners when
they were doused in the dunking trough. (The quality of this image is reduced because it was
scanned from a printout of microfilm copy.) Note that Chief Bauman
wears a large star-badge as a symbol his unlimited authority. |
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The Squad Car
37.15: Chief of Police John Bauman in the Driver's Seat (Photo from Lincoln Evening Courier,
Centennial
Edition, Section Two, p. 5.
Please click on image to open full-sized view.) |
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The Reviewing Stand and the Dunking Trough
37.16:
Scene from the Main Centennial Parade Showing the Review Stand and (Photo from Gleason, Lincoln: A Pictorial History, p. 154) The
vertical arrow points to the horse trough used as the dunking tank, and the
corn-crib-converted jail was immediately to the right of the horizontal arrow.
The event is the main parade on Thursday, September 3rd. On the reviewing
stand are E.H. Lukenbill (in black hat and suit), and right of him are Mayor
Alois Feldman and Governor Richard Stratton. |
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The Dunking Trough and Jail
37.17: The Centennial Parade Showing the Band of the Lincoln State School, the Dunking Trough (at far left), and the Brothers of the Brush Two-Story Kangaroo Court Jail (background center) (Photo from Beaver, Logan County History 1982, p. 133) The sign on the front of the jail reads "City of Lincoln. Brothers of Brush. Kangaroo Court." In the planning phase, the dunking trough was going to be located on the review stand. Perhaps certain problems were anticipated, such as the prohibitive weight of the trough filled with water. Also a lot of scrambling occurred near the trough when reluctant folks were tossed in, and so someone was bound to tumble off the stand and get hurt. The immediate area of the dunking trough was enclosed by a red picket fence. Was it mainly to keep spectators at a safe, dry distance or to prevent prisoners from escaping?
A modified metal corn crib served as the jail, which was erected on
Thursday, July 30, 1953, several weeks prior to the official beginning of
the Centennial Celebration (Lincoln Evening Courier, Friday, July 31,
1953, p. 1). Apparently an effort was made to anchor the jail so that
prisoners could not lift it and escape. As indicated later on this
page, at one point there were so many prisoners that they could have carried
away their prison except for the surrounding crowd. |
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Dedicated Chief of Police, Prosecutors, Judges, and Jury of the Kangaroo Court
37.18:
An Official Session of the Kangaroo Court on (Photo by Larry Shroyer and provided by Fred Blanford. Please click on the thumbnail for a full-sized image.) The location is the courthouse square on Broadway Street next to the Brothers' jail and dunking trough. Left to right sitting: Harry Hahn (wearing Lincoln-like beard and Brothers of the Brush button, also holding a cigarette in his right hand), Chief Justice Don Shay, and Fred Kavelman. Standing left to right: Roscoe Patterson (arm around Harry), Wallace "Blackie" Brookshire (behind Patterson), John Bauman (chief of police), unidentified, WPRC Legend Earl "Hoople" (or "Whoople?") Layman at mike. This photo shows that Harry Hahn and "Blackie" Brookshire were Lincoln-look-alikes, in addition to George Rohrer, who officially played Mr. Lincoln's part in the re-enactment of the lot sales and christening. Houser Crain was also a justice of the court and sometimes presided as he did on during the first court sessions on August 1.
The Brothers' cops arrested and the court tried men for breaking several
rules that required men to have facial hair, be members of the Brothers of
the Brush, and wear their special buttons and the old-time Centennial
Celebration hats. Apparently the court could issue warrants for the
arrest of individuals, and of course Chief Bauman and his officers were
authorized to arrest folks, having a free hand at enforcing the laws.
Indications are that some guys were rather arbitrarily arrested and tried.
Some brought before the court were fined; others were thrown into
the trough and immersed. |
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The Brothers did not wait till the official beginning of the celebration (August 29) before going into action. The caption of the photo at right says the Brothers initiated their version of "the rule of law" on Saturday, August 1. The photo
shows Weldon Lowe's punishment in the trough. Others "doused" were
Frank Baras, Jim Allison, and Jim Morrow. Leland Earhart of Pekin had
been arrested but avoided the trough by paying a fine. Please click on
the thumbnail image to see the full photo and read the caption. (The quality of
this image is reduced because it was scanned from a printout of microfilm
copy.) |
37.19: First Photo of a Dunking (Photo from Lincoln Evening Courier,
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The
caption says that at one point the police chief entered the cage and was
"divested of his badge of authority." Brushers and Shavers: A Sample of the Male Population During the Centennial Celebration
37.20: Employees of the Lincoln Post Office in 1953 (Photo from the Lincoln Evening Courier, Centennial Edition, Section Eight, 8-26-53, p. 3. Click thumbnail for larger version.) Below I present the caption of the Courier photo. The above photo, however, is adapted from a scan sent by Leon Zeter, LCHS Class of 1953 -- the Centennial class--, because his version is clearer than the one I would have done from my faded paper copy of the Courier. "POST OFFICE EMPLOYEES pose smilingly for an early morning picture before starting their round of duties. Reading left to right in front row: John W. Cronin, John J. Dougherty, Harold H. Kissinger, Postmaster Floyd Durst, and John W. Primm. In the second row, Travis Hardin, Claude Marrs, Wilbur Wilmert, Russell Laughery, and George Zeter. In the third row: Ray Roberts, Paul Yarcho, Ray Sharp, Leonard Cronin, and Richard Small. In the back row, Thomas Watson, Emil Moos, Louis Metelko, Steve Jurjevich, and Ralph Davis." In 1953, did the
Lincoln Post Office employ no females? |
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| Second Day: Sunday, August 30, 1953 -- Faith
of Our Fathers Day Chairman: Paul Marshall a.m.: special services at individual churches. No other information is available. 1:00 p.m.: horsemen in the pageant Lincoln, 'Tis of Thee report to the Logan County Fairgrounds for rehearsal at 2:00. Information about this pageant appears later on this page.
8:00 p.m. a united religious service at the Fairgrounds |
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Third Day: Monday, August 31, 1953 -- Young
America Day Chairman: Art Gimbel 9:00 a.m.: Sound off. "The Centennial committee requests that all churches, industries, schools and others ring bells and blow whistles for a minute Monday, August 31. Thus will be saluted the 100th birthday observance of Lincoln. At the same time a salvo of ground bombs will be set off to split the air. The 'big gang' hour is 9:00 a.m. and full cooperation is asked by the Centennial committee" (Courier, 8-28-53, p. 1). 2:00 p.m. Kiddies Parade followed by kiddies' ice cream bar feed in Washington Park. This parade had an estimated 2,000 kids with many thousands of viewers. The temperature reached 101. "The parade began near Central School, proceeded east up Broadway, south on Chicago, east on square, and over to Washington park, where free ice cream [bars] came as a cool reward (Courier, 9-1-53, p. 1). "The police squad car led the way, followed by the mayor in a convertible, Fire Chief Edgar Smith in his red coupe, the Leesmans on horses, then the new fire truck, driven by Assistant Chief Hobart Rose, with the firemen's mascot, Smoke, panting away just behind, the driver's seat. Then came the kiddies!" Many groups were formed according to different schools. Teachers marched, too. Groups of Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts marched near the front of the parade and were led by Houser Crain. Much of the parade consisted of two large contingents of decorated bicycles. "While most of the riders exhibited some driving skill, there were a few cyclists who tried to move ahead or put on a show. The result: you guessed it, a Centennial traffic snarl" (Courier, 9-1-53, p. 1). Many kids dressed as cowboy and Indians. "One lad attempted to control the climate by dressing as an Indian, that is, he wore little more than a loincloth (Courier, 9-1-53, p. 1). 9:30 p.m. Centennial Ball at the Lincoln Community High School gym. Advanced tickets, $1.00. Music by the Lou Hahn orchestra. Chairperson of the queen contest was Mrs. Roger Mitchell. Chairman of the Centennial Ball was Jack Diers. 10:00 p.m. The time for announcing the winner of the Centennial Queen contest. Winner had a choice of a $1,000 defense bond, a trip to Hollywood, or a trip to Bermuda. A special stage was constructed in the gym for the queen contestants, and Congressman Les Arends of Melvin, Illinois, presided. The queen led a grand march, and birthday cake was served to all (Courier, 8-31-53, p. 1). "The contestants were escorted over the gym floor by boy friends, crossed the stage and cut through the wings. Raymond Dooley, Centennial president, introduced Congressman Arends, who then called in the contestants according to their ranking, reserving the queen until last. . . ." Mary Elaine Buckles,
dressed in a red gown, was Miss Centennial, and Nadine M. Bell as runner-up
was Miss Lincoln. Miss Buckles had planned to attend Florida Southern
College in preparation for a teaching career. She was inclined to
accept the $1,000 defense bond. Miss Bell, wearing a white gown,
had been employed in the home of the Lyman Dawsons for the past five years. |
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37.24: Congressman Arends
Crowns Mary Elaine Buckles as Miss Centennial |
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(Photo above left is from the Courier, Tuesday, September 1, 1953, p. 1. Photo above right is from the Courier, 9-2-53, p. 7.) The quality of these images is reduced because they were scanned from printouts of microfilm copy. Please click on thumbnails to view the full-sized images. In the Courier, some of the description of the crowning says, "Enthusiastically, Rep. Arends declared that as long as there is such fine youth and public recognition of it, 'America is safe.' He bestowed a kiss on each of the honored young ladies" ("Miss Mary Elaine Buckles Rules as Miss Centennial; Nadine M. Bell Miss Lincoln," Lincoln Evening Courier, Tuesday, September 1, 1953, p. 1). Arends repeated his kissing of both young ladies so that photographers could take pictures (Courier, 9-1-53, p. 1). The article does not describe or show a photo to indicate whether the kisses were placed on the cheeks or the mouths, but whether to kiss the queen or not and if so how became repeated questions as she was honored at other times and places during her reign for the rest of the week, as noted later on this page. The caption of the cake cutting photo says, "Mary Buckles, Centennial queen, is pictured as she makes the first cut in the 160-pound cake furnished by Ey's bakery for the Centennial queen ball in the high school gymnasium Monday night. Miss Nadine Bell, named Miss Lincoln because she was runner-up in the queen contest, is at left" (Courier, 9-2-53, p. 7).
37.26: Congressman Arends Surrounded by Centennial Celebration Beauties (Photo in Beaver, p. 51) |
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Fourth Day: Tuesday, September 1, 1953 -- Lincoln
Day Chairman: D.H. Harts 2:45 p.m. Convocation at Lincoln College. Two men distinguished in their fields received honorary doctorates: Benjamin P. Thomas, Abraham Lincoln scholar and author, and Carl Haverlin, "a pioneer in radio and president of Broadcast Music, Inc." Former Vice President of the United States Alben Barkley was the main speaker. Radio station WBBM, which originated in Lincoln, Illinois, broadcast this event (Courier, 9-2-53, p. 9). Benjamin P. Thomas wrote the 20th-Century authoritative biography of Abraham Lincoln titled Abraham Lincoln: A Biography (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1952). This biography was the main textbook used by Lincoln Scholar James T. Hickey when I took his course on Abraham Lincoln for two semesters at Lincoln College in 1960-61. Thomas is also the author of Lincoln's New Salem (no place of publication: Lincoln's New Salem Enterprises, Inc., 1953). Books on Abraham Lincoln by Benjamin Thomas are available at amazon.com. In April
2010, I discovered a copy of the program for Lincoln College's 1953
Convocation on Lincoln Day for sale on Abebooks.com. That program had the
signatures of Dooley, Thomas, McClelland, Newman, Haverlin, and Barkley.
The description notes the Convocation included the world premier of
African-American composer Ulysses Kay's work titled "A Lincoln Letter."
Access
the
description of this program sale item. In 1963 Lincoln College
awarded an honorary doctorate to Professor Kay (Lincoln: The Namesake
College, p. 121). Google search results for "Ulysses Kay" = "A Lincoln
Letter": |
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37.27: Photo and
Biographical Sketch of Lincoln Author Benjamin P. Thomas from the Jacket of
His Book titled Lincoln's New Salem |
37.28: Former VP of the US Alben Barkley Kisses Centennial Queen Mary Buckles on the Mouth Prior to the Premier Performance of Lincoln, 'Tis of Thee on September 1, 1953 |
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The photo above showing Mr. Barkley kissing the Centennial Queen is from the Courier, September 2, 1953, p. 12. Such were the days before PC. Please click on thumbnails to view full-sized images and read the captions. Early evening: Dinner meeting of the Civil War Roundtable at the Lincoln Elks' Country Club. The meeting was arranged by Raymond Dooley. The Civil War Roundtable was (is?) a well-established assembly of people whose hobby is researching topics associated with the Civil War period, including of course Abraham Lincoln. This meeting had members from Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Boston. "Guest No. 1 was Alben W. Barkley, formerly Vice President of the United States. Due to the shortness of time, his remarks were the briefest, as were those of others who attended." Speakers were brief because the group was pressed for time in order to attend the premier performance of Lincoln, 'Tis of Thee" ("Barkley Guest at Roundtable," Lincoln Evening Courier, 9-2-53, p. 9). 8:15 p.m.: History pageant titled Lincoln, 'Tis of Thee (the first of four successive nightly performances). The premier performance of Lincoln, 'Tis of Thee began with Alben Barkley, former Vice President of the United States, repeating the crowning of the Centennial Queen and Miss Lincoln. "Barkley first placed the diadem on the head of Miss Bell as Miss Lincoln, remarking that he also wanted to 'perform the other functions' that go with the crowning. He then emulated Rep. Leslie Arends, who the night before kissed the winners after he had placed the crowns. As the Veep placed the diadem on the head of Miss Buckles, Centennial Queen, he again declared he was going to perform the other functions 'required by law.' Once more he planted a kiss." Feeling he may not have performed the 'other functions' correctly, Veep then said, 'I'll do that over if it hasn't been done right.' He kissed the young women again" (Courier, 9-2-53, p. 1).
37:29:
Legendary Lincolnite Chuck Bennis Prepares to Fly Mr. Barkley out of Town (Photo from Gleason's Lincoln: A Pictorial History, p. 141) Note: Lake Barkley,
the companion impoundment to and parallel with Kentucky Lake, was named for this Vice
President. My family spent many fun days boating, water skiing, and
crappie fishing on Lake Barkley near Cadiz, KY, with former colleague and
biology teacher, John Westfall, who lives in a subdivision near the water's
edge. After he retired from Pekin High, he remarried, bought an old
houseboat to renovate, and has not been heard from since.) |
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The Premier Performance of the Centennial Pageant, Lincoln, 'Tis of Thee The Centennial Corporation hired a professional, George Elias, of the John Rogers Production Company to direct and produce this pageant. Performed for four successive nights from Tuesday, 9-1. through Friday, 9-4, at the Logan County Fairgrounds grandstand, Lincoln, 'Tis of Thee consisted various episodes. The exact number of these episodes is unclear. The chairman of the Spectacle Division was James McCarthy. Other chairpersons of the pageant were Mrs. Saunders Devine, cast; Eileen McNalley, costumes; Dorothy Roberts, make-up; Tom Kuntzi, construction; William Tagg, music; Fletcher Taft and Louise Dehner, properties; James Hickey, scenario and title. Also, William Tagg directed the Centennial Choir; Mr. and Mrs. David Hanger played the organ; and set designs were the responsibility of Harry Goodman. Lincoln, 'Tis of Thee consisted various episodes. The exact number of these episodes is unclear. The Courier article of September 2, titled "Lincoln, 'Tis of Thee Wins Crowd's Acclaim as History of City, County Are Reviewed," begins identifying them by number but stops clearly numbering them with episode 10. In the editions of the Courier reported on this pageant, I find no photos of it. 1. The history of the name Lincoln from its Roman roots to Illinois; 2. The mound builders, pre-historic inhabitants of central Illinois; 3-4. Indian scenes, including a portrayal of the 1790 Kickapoo Indian capture of the Gilham family in 1790 and their subsequent rescue; 5. A montage of the early pioneer life; 6. The dawn of education on the frontier; 7. Pre-civil war church scene; 8. Lincoln the circuit rider (a scene dramatizing an event in Lincoln's early adult life that helped to earn him the nickname of "Honest Abe"); 9. The sale of lots and naming of Lincoln, Illinois (key players the same as those who participated in the re-enactment ceremony of Saturday, August 29, 1953 as described above); 10-11. Here the Courier article is unclear about exactly what scenes 10 and 11 were about, but one event dramatized was the fire that destroyed the 1856 Logan County Courthouse; 12. The Civil War, including Lincoln's Gettysburg address; 13. The founding of Lincoln College; other episodes are devoted to the Gay '90s, WW I, the Roaring Twenties, and WW II. The final episode was a Hall of Fame of Lincoln, Illinois, "personages, past and present." The Courier article of 9-2-53 lists 20 personages. The Courier of Thursday, September 3, contained a brief article titled "Handlin Named in Hall of Fame": "The name of William C. Handlin, who for more than 30 years served as principal of Lincoln high school, inadvertently was omitted from Wednesday's list of names of Lincolnites in the Centennial pageant's Hall of Fame" (p. 7). Below are the members of the Hall of Fame and the people who portrayed them (in parentheses): 1. Col. Robert B. Latham (William McCormick); 2. Gov. Richard Oglesby (James Taylor); 3. John Gillett (John R. Parker); 4. Abram Mayfield (Frank Metelko); 5. A.H. Bogardus (Hugh Knochel); 6. Stephan A. Foley (Floyd Durst); 7. Captain D. H. Harts (D.H. Harts, Jr.); 8. Judge Lawrence B. Stringer (Dr. D.M. Barringer); 9. Virgil Hickox (James T. Hickey); 10. Caroline Chamberlain Lutz (Mrs. Marion Sparks); 11. Dr. Catherine Miller (Mrs. Robert Langellier); 12. Ella Owsley Brainerd (Mrs. Jennie Gasprisch); 13. Dr. William Dyer (William Perkins); 14. Leslie Atlass (Bill Gossett); 15. William Maxwell [Jr.] (Tom Fitzsimmons); 16. Reinhold Niebuhr (Ray Gimbel); 17. D.F. Nichols (Franklin Nichols); 18. Agnes Rourke Garretson (Mrs. Harry Huffman); 19. Silas Beason (N.L. Gordon); 20. Col. Crowe (a Marine sergeant from Springfield); 21. W.C. Handlin (unidentified). During the Hall of Fame,
the people portraying the historic figures first appeared on center stage
with their backs to the audience, and as each name of the famous person was
read, the actor turned to face the audience. |
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| Fifth Day: Wednesday, September 2, 1953 -- Veterans,
Fraternal, and Civic Organizations' Day Chairman: Hugh Knochel 1:00 p.m.: Sisters of the Swish and Brothers of the Brush potluck in Latham Park followed by the Sisters' style show on the courthouse lawn
The photos of the following six women were taken at the Sisters' style show.
Please click on these thumbnail images to see the full photos and read their
captions: |
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37.30: Mrs. McCormick &
Mrs. Logeman from Courier, 9-3, p. 3 |
37.31: Mrs. Koch & Mrs. Alvey from Courier, 9-3, p. 9. |
37.32: Mrs. Newman & Mrs. Ey from Courier, 9-3, p. 9. |
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3:30 p.m.:
Amateur talent contest held on the north side of the
courthouse lawn. Pictured below at the left is Gwen Lisk, 12, who won first place in the amateur talent contest for her unaccompanied version of "Going Away." Her prizes were 10 silver dollars, a centennial plate (depicted below on this page), and a Centennial booklet (The Namesake Town described below on this page). Below at the right is Lynn Kavelman, 11, who won third place for performing his own piano arrangement of The St. Louis Blues. All winners received silver dollars and a Centennial booklet. Beneath the photos of Ms.
Lisk and Mr. Kavelman is a thumbnail image of the Three Teens, who placed
second. The Three Teens were, left to right, Judy Littleton, Judy
Alexander, and Pat Hoagland. Additional information about them is
contained in the photo's caption. Please click on the image to see a
fuller version and read the caption. |
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Respond to Gwen at
yoshukai@knology.net. |
37.34: Lynn Kavelman in Courier, 9-3, p. 10. Respond to Lynn at Lynn@jazzisforever.com. |
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37.35:
The Three Teens (Vocalists), from Left to Right: (Photo and caption from Lincoln Evening Courier, 9-3-53, p. 10.) "The flying Romas in their Wednesday night performance on the high towers had a big crowd looking on. Parking space for cars was at a premium and everybody was entering freely into the Centennial spirit -- some a bit overly much so, it was evident" ("Centennial Sidelights," Lincoln Evening Courier, 9-3-53, p. 7). "Queen
Mary Buckles was presented to the pageant audience Wednesday night by
Centennial Corp. Pres. Ray Dooley. He intimated he'd like to bestow a
kiss as had Alben W. Barkley before him but passed it up. Dooley
escorted Queen Mary to the 'mike' where she spoke a word to her 'subjects.'
Miss Lincoln (Nadine M. Bell) was also presented and the court of princesses
was paraded in convertible automobiles" ("Centennial Sidelights,"
Lincoln Evening Courier, 9-3-53, p. 7). |
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| Sixth Day: Thursday, September 3, 1953 -- Logan
County Day Chairman: Spencer Littleton
11:00 a.m.: Dedication of the Postville Courthouse replica
featuring Governor William G. Stratton as the principal speaker. An
account of this ceremony is presented at
2.
The Story of
the Postville Courthouse Replica,
Tantivy, & Memoir of the Postville Park
Neighborhood in the
Route 66 Era. |
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1:15 p.m.: The Centennial Parade "Featured by elaborate floats, old cars, horses and buggies, and men and women attired in the modes of from 50 to 100 years ago, a parade described as the biggest ever presented in the city of Lincoln wended its way for 19 blocks through the center of the city Thursday afternoon." The crowd was estimated at between 15,000 and 30,000 ("19-Block Centennial Parade Thrills Thousands Thursday," Lincoln Evening Courier, 9-4-53, p. 1). |
37.36:
Route of Centennial Please click on the image for a full-size view. |
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Governor William G. Stratton, who was the main speaker of the dedication of the Postville Courthouse replica in the late morning that day, was in the first car, a 1953 Ford convertible, with Mayor Alois Feldman. |
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The governor must have taken an abbreviated route because he also appeared on the reviewing stand to witness the parade as seen in 37.16 above. The temperature at mid afternoon was 98, but many, including the governor, had coats and ties. Many women had umbrellas for protection from the sun. The parade featured about 40 floats
and 35 old cars. |
37.37:
The Governor and the Mayor (Splice of a double-page photo in Gleason, Lincoln a Pictorial History, pp. 152-153). |
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Below is a list of the first several entries as reported in the Courier article titled "19-Block Centennial Parade Thrills Thousands Thursday." The remainder of the entries are found in a copy of the rest of the article accessible by clicking on the thumbnail image of 37.39 below. First parade entries: Lincoln, Illinois, police
car followed by four horsemen, then a color guard composed of personnel
representing the Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Army and Air Force band from
the Chanute base |
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A series of fire-fighting vehicles: red Fire Department car with Fire Chief Edgar Smith, various antique fire trucks, and the new Lincoln pumper A mule ridden by Charles Tiffany A red car of the early
1900s, an 1898 Sears car, and a VFW float depicting the role of Lincoln men
in all wars |
37.38:
Lincoln Grade School Band (Gleason, Lincoln: A Pictorial History, p. 164) |
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Lincoln State School drum and bugle corps, followed by the 1918 squad car of the Brothers of the Brush, then another old car, and the float of the Trinity Episcopal Church A Model T Ford, the DAR float, a white sports car, the Eagles Auxiliary Float, an antique Ford, a surrey with the fringe on top, the deacon's one-horse chaise Various horses entries and two covered wagons, an Indian travois The "newly organized Lincoln Grade School band, dressed in white" An antique Ford of the Roaring Twenties and two other old Fords For the rest of the list,
click on 37.39. |
37.39: Remainder of
Entries in the |
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37.40:
PTA Float |
37.41:
One of Three Covered Wagons |
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The above photos are from Paul Gleason's Lincoln: A Pictorial History, pp. 144 and 155, left-right, respectively. On the PTA float, the frontier schoolmaster is portrayed by legendary Lincoln teacher and principal of Washington-Monroe, Bob Taylor. In response to my email to 170 LCHS alums, Linda Layman was identified by Nancy Bauer Ireland, Fred Blanford, Judy Lohrenz Perkins, Jo Williams, and David Salyers. Linda Layman, LCHS Class of 1958, is the girl in the dark dress with arms folded around her knees. Fred suggested the boy sitting behind her in the checkered shirt may be Jerry Crum. The other girls and the boy in the window remain unidentified as do the occupants of the covered wagon in the other photo. Photo 37.41 shows the lady holding two items essential for frontier survival: a
long rifle and a jug. Perhaps the third essential item, a Bible,
was in the wagon. |
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"Miss Centennial must have felt that she was riding in the Tournament of Roses at Pasadena. There were 10,000 Gullett-donated roses in the fancy float bearing her highness -- 10,000 that is in the float for her Thursday and again Saturday [for the Progress Parade]" ("Centennial Sidelights," Courier, 9-8, p. 6). |
37.42: Miss Centennial Float (Photo from Courier, 9-4, p. 16) |
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The Centennial Parade had the governor and two entries that portrayed Abraham Lincoln: the League of Women's float with Wallace Brookshire and the float of the Lincoln Paper Company with George Rohrer. In addition, Jesus Christ was portrayed on the Immanuel Lutheran float. There is no evidence, however, to show that Alben W. Barkley had remained in Lincoln long enough to participate in or review the parade. Did he leave early because he had heard about the justice administered by the Brothers of the Brush? After all Mr. Barkley had stolen several kisses from beautiful young Lincoln females (two kisses from the Centennial Queen and two from Miss Lincoln on the night of Tuesday, September 1).
8:30 p.m.: The Flying Romas on the courthouse lawn (Broadway Street
side) |
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Special session of the
Kangaroo Court following the Flying Romas "For days and weeks and weeks the Brothers of the Brush and Centennial Cops have been holding Kangaroo Court in the 'courtroom' on the north side of the square. During this time, many individuals have been arrested and sentenced to a dip in the horse trough for one thing or another. The worm turned
Thursday night and the Centennial Cops and Bearded Brethren got a dose of
their own medicine. |
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Kangaroo court had been in session about 30 minutes when Lincoln fire and police departments invaded the 'courtroom,' threw the court officials in the jail, and then proceeded to dunk each of the them in the chastising trough. First man in was John Bauman, red-bearded Centennial cop. Don Shay, chief justice, was next. Then came George Hunter and more of the Brethren. The fun wasn't over yet. |
37.43:
Horse Trough Dunking Tank (Lincoln Evening Courier, 9-5, p. 5) |
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The dunked Beardsters rallied, got control of the situation dropped Fire Chief Edgar Smith, and Deputy Sheriff Charles Stoker, in the pot, one after the other. Then as a finale, they
up-ended the trough, spilling the water out on the nearest spectators"
("Worm Turns for Dunking," Lincoln Evening Courier, 9-4-53, p. 16). |
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| Seventh Day:
Friday, September 4, 1953 -- Pioneer and Homecoming Day Chairman: Lyman "Duke" Dawson Curiously, as I looked through microfilm of Courier editions on the days before and during the Centennial Celebration, I saw a detailed timetable-schedule printed only for one day of the celebration -- Friday, September 4 --, and use it below. That's not to say there were not other days for which the Courier had published detailed schedules. My scrutiny of the several editions of the Lincoln Evening Courier before, during, and after the 1953 Lincoln Centennial was not as thorough as I had wanted. I was under time constraints because I had borrowed microfilm copy of the Courier in the fall of 2002 while I was teaching full time, and I wished I could have kept the borrowed microfilm copy for a prolonged period. The schedules I present on this page for other days of the celebration were constructed from information in The Namesake Town and information scattered among the pages of various editions of the Courier during this period. 9:00 a.m.: Registration of old timers and guests at Centennial Headquarters [in the courthouse?] 1:00 p.m.: Pioneer presentation -- prizes for longest distance, oldest, etc. 2:00 p.m.: Old time fiddlers contest. Put your best foot forward and swing that fiddle. County courthouse -- on the square. 3:00 p.m.: Kitchen band concert -- Sisters of the Swish -- swing forward and take the center spotlight. 4:30 p.m.: Simultaneous events -- the Flying Romas on the courthouse north lawn and the water battle -- The Brothers of the Brush versus the Lincoln Firemen in a water battle at Latham Park. The following is the Courier article that reported on the epic water battle: "Two teams of stalwart men met in battle on Pekin Street Friday afternoon, but the sextet led by Don Shay proved to be the more hardy. Though George Hunter's crew put up a tough fight, Shay's men managed to clear the opposition from the battle area. It was the old time water fight that dampened the street, and a lot of spectators too, in front of the public library. Each team was armed with a fire hose and plenty of water. The goal was to capture the other group's hose by forcing its members away from the nozzle by sheer force of water. Members of the winning crew were: Shay, Willard Orten, Joe Gregor, Scoop Naugle, Hugh Bell Hunter, and Bill Buss. The losers were Hunter, Dewey Barrow, Bob McAfee, Emil Shaw, George Bell, and Loren Wood. The tussle lasted for almost half an hour. After sides were picked, each team took up position at opposite ends of the block. On a signal they advanced toward each other, nozzle spitting fluid. As the water gladiators neared each other the force of the fluid increased until water jets were crossed in mid block and the battle was on. Shay's men had the advantage from the start, probably because they were able to keep a steady stream of water against the other crew. This forced Hunter's men to turn their backs to the foe, and this spoiled the aim of the former. Shay's men, meanwhile, kept their faces to the enemy, and it looked for a while the battle would be brief. Back, back, back, went the Hunter men. Once or twice the losers rallied and in one counter assault almost captured the Shay men's nozzle, but the winners recovered and finally Hunter and company dropped the nozzle, and the battle was over. Hundreds of spectators were on hand for the affair, many cheering on the losing sextet in the form of advice as to where to aim the nozzle. The air was filled with spray and cries of "lower, lower." Occasionally one of
the crews would lose control of the hose, and a heavy blast of water would
mow down the spectators ("Centennial Water Battle Attracts Immense
Crowd," The Lincoln Evening Courier, 95-53, p. 1).
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37.44:
Fire Department's Team in (Lincoln Evening Courier, 9-5, p. 8) |
37.45:
Scene in the Water Battle |
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Footnote fifty years after the
battle: one member of the losing team is my Uncle Loren Wood,
who tells me that he got very cold during the battle because he did not have
the protection of a fireman's suit as the opposition did -- the Fire
Department's team. |
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7:30 p.m.: Judging of the beards in the final Brothers of the Brush
contest |
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Wallace "Blackie" Brookshire won the contest for the best Centennial beard. The following is from the caption that accompanied his photo in the Courier of September 5, 1953: "It was last winter when
it all began. Mayor Alois M. Feldman issued a proclamation calling
upon Lincoln men to grow whiskers in observance of the Centennial.
Among the early starters was one Wallace Brookshire, who, it seems, displays
a marked resemblance to Abe Lincoln when his beard flourishes. Through
the spring and a searing summer, Wallace nursed along that whisker crop.
Then came the Centennial week and the young Lincolnite found himself entered
in the beard competition. |
37.46: Wallace Brookshire, Winner of the Centennial Beard Contest (Lincoln Evening Courier, 9-5-53, p. 1) |
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In the Abraham Lincoln type class he walked away with first place. Friday night he once more came under the scrutiny of beard judges and this time his beard won him an electric razor, for the judges declared him the man with the best Centennial beard. This a story with origin back in the dark days of winter drew to a close atop a platform on Broadway. The reign of the whisker is over, and Wallace is going to find a lot easier to keep clean shaven in the future because he took time to cultivate a beard" (Lincoln Evening Courier, September 5, 1953, p. 1). Epilogue to the Saga of the Brothers of the Brush The following article in the Lincoln Evening Courier appeared about a week after the Centennial Celebration ended: "Future plans for Brothers of the Brush, the Centennial organization of bearded men, were outlined Wednesday by their president, Ken Zimmerman. Each August in the future, he said, the Centennial will be re-lived in part. During that month Brush members will let their whiskers grow. They expect to annually sponsor the watermelon festival the day of Aug. 29 at Latham Park. In this way, he pointed out, the membership will have something to look forward to and hold it together without entirely disbanding now that the Centennial is history. The president voiced his appreciation to Virgil Leesman for furnishing the 'high lift' for the Brothers in the Saturday Progress parade [see photo later on this page] as well as to his assistant Paul E. Schroeder. With the sponsorship of the Centennial melon festival under their belts, the Brothers will know better how to proceed in coming years, Zimmerman pointed out. Among the first as well as the last in the whisker-sprouting fun was Charles Tiffany, night merchant police officer. Way back when Tiff started letting his beard as well as his hair grow with the vow he'd keep at it until the Centennial was over. The results were really 'hairy.' Officer Tiffany visited a
barber shop Tuesday. Today some of his friends looked twice before
assuring themselves of his identify. But then it was the same when he had his
beard and flowing hair -- some of his closest friends didn't recognize him
at first glance" ("Brush Brothers to Stay 'Alive,'" Lincoln Evening
Courier, September 9, 1953, p. 7). |
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8:00 p.m.: Prologue and salute to Lincoln. Arrayed in colorful costumes, 150 local actors took part in commemorating the one hundredth birthday of a city. 8:15 p.m.: Final performance of Lincoln, 'Tis of Thee, a cast of 400 telling in gay pageantry the colorful history of "our town." 8:30 p.m.: Free aerial act. The Flying Romas
10:00 p.m.: Final and biggest fireworks display |
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| Commemorative
Souvenirs: The Coins |
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37.54: Metal Coin Commemorating the Centennial of Lincoln, Illinois The Centennial coin above could be purchased through the mail for 50 cents each or $5.00 per dozen. An order form was published in the Lincoln Evening Courier, Centennial Edition, Section Seven, August 26, 1953, p. 16. Prior to the Centennial Celebration, Lincoln, Illinois, issued its own currency. The August 1, 1953, Lincoln Evening Courier has a photo of Frank Oresteen using stacks and stacks of wooden nickels and dickels to buy merchandise at Jacobs' Clothing Store. This commemorative currency was "legal tender in the city of Lincoln until Aug. 29" (p. 8). The photo shows Jacobs' employee Mr. "Hoot" Hayes scratching his head in anticipation of the formidable counting task ahead of him. (Maybe he took them over to Bushel's where he could get help from the patrons.) Next to this photo is another photo showing Nadine Bell attempting to insert a wooden nickel into a parking meter, and the "coin" of this mini-realm clearly does not fit.
Wooden Coins of the Lincoln,
Illinois, Centennial |
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37.55:
1953 Lincoln, Illinois, |
37.56:
Reverse Side of 1953 Centennial |
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From Leigh Henson's collection of
Lincoln, Illinois, memorabilia. |
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37.57:
1953 Lincoln, Illinois,
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37.58:
Reverse Side of 1953
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| Commemorative
Souvenir: Centennial Plate Produced by the Stetson China Co. |
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37.59: 1953 Stetson
Centennial Plate |
37.60: Stetson
Numerous products of this company can be purchased from such outlets as the Internet, where the plates seen here were sold on eBay.
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The following story of the 1953 Centennial plate (above) appears in the Lincoln Evening Courier, centennial edition, Wednesday, August 26, 1953, section one, page 13: "The Logan County Historical Society, headed by E.H. Lukenbill, has placed on the market a beautiful souvenir dinner plate to commemorate the Atlanta and Lincoln centennials. The Atlanta centennial was celebrated June 11, 12, and 13, 1953. The Lincoln centennial celebration will be from August 29 to September 6th, 1953. Mr. Lukenbill tells us a year was devoted to the planning and production of the plate. Using historical information and photographs, the Society called upon Charles E. Murphy, artist at Stetson China Company, Lincoln, Illinois to design the plate." [DLH Note: If Charles E. Murphy were ever a resident artist at Stetson's, he must not have stayed there long. Much of his career was spent at the well-known china factory in Red Wing, Minnesota. In that state, he became interested in wildlife and began painting it. Indeed it is unclear to me at this time whether Murphy was ever a regular employee at Stetson's or did the Lincoln Centennial Plate on commission. For more information, try using Google.com: type "Charles E. Murphy" plus terms like "wildlife," "wildlife artist," etc.] "The plate was designed not only to create interest in the Atlanta and Lincoln centennials but to emphasize Logan County's historical heritage and to provide a souvenir which would be kept and cherished by the families participating in the 1953 celebrations. In the center of the plate, the artist reproduced the picture of Abraham Lincoln which Mrs. Lincoln pronounced the best likeness ever taken of her husband. Below the picture are the words "Abraham Lincoln, 1853," and around the picture is the inscription "Commemorating the Centennial of Abraham Lincoln's Christening of Lincoln, Illinois, August 27, 1853." Around the border of the plate are eight panels depicting places and events in the history of Logan County. They include: Elkhart Hill, first settlement in Logan County by James Latham, 1819; Middletown, first town established in 1832; Logan County, established 1839 named in honor of Dr. John Logan; Postville, county seat 1839-1848; Mt. Pulaski, established in 1836 and county seat 1848-1855; Atlanta, established 1853; Logan county courthouse 1858-1903; Atlanta centennial, 1953. Between the panels are oak leaves and acorns representing our state tree, a symbol of strength. The panels are connected by blossoms and leaves of the violet, our state flower." Somewhere I read that there were 2,000 of these plates made. Note: Mrs. Lincoln's alleged favorite photo used as the model for the image on the Centennial plate was also Mr. Lincoln's favorite. That photo, taken by Alexander Hester on June 3, 1860, appears in the series of Lincoln photos on the homepage, second from the right. A larger version appears below:
37.61: 1860 Alexander
Hester Presidential Campaign Photo of Lincoln Used by Artist Charles E. Murphy
in Creating the 1953 Centennial Celebration Plate of Lincoln, Illinois |
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| The Centennial Publications
37.62: Dignitaries Display Centennial Publications in front of "White Lincoln" Statue (Photo from Paul Beaver, Logan County History 1982, p. 21) The men are from left to right: Larry Shroyer, photojournalist, who holds photos of the town christening re-enactment; Mayor Alois Feldman, whose left hand extends toward a copy of The Namesake Town: A Centennial History of Lincoln, Illinois; and John Nugent, co-publisher of the Lincoln Evening Courier, who holds the regular daily edition of the August 26, 1953, Lincoln Evening Courier. It is the first part of the special Centennial Edition of the Lincoln Evening Courier, which contains eight additional sections with a total of 144 pages. This Centennial Edition, weighing more than two pounds, presents more than 500 pictures, many from the 19th Century. The Special Centennial Edition of the Lincoln Evening Courier of August 26, 1953 The daily edition of the August 26, 1953, Courier is titled "Poised for Lincoln Centennial"; the special section titles are as follows: 1. "Logan County and Abraham Lincoln Are Synonymous" 2. "Kickapoo Indians Were Once Masters of this Region" 3. "Community Showed Progress Just Two Years Following its Humble Beginning" 4. "City's Public Schools Show Effort of It's [sic] Citizens" 5. "White Man's 'Medicine' Begun in Logan County in 1836" 6. "Postville Rich in Tradition" 7. This section has no main title. Lead stories are "Lawrence B. Stringer Was Endeared to All of Logan County During His Lifetime" and "County Records and Stories Indicate Spirited Sale of Lots Prior to Naming Town" 8. "City of Lincoln 100 Years Old" Over the
years, my copy's pages began to grow dry and fragile, and so I had each page
of the entire Centennial Edition laminated. That protects the pages very well and
allowed me to handle them for scanning as I developed this Web site.
Otherwise, the pages would had disintegrated. |
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The Namesake Town: A Centennial History of Lincoln, Illinois This 80-page book was produced
by the Centennial Booklet Committee, chaired by Miss Ethel Welch, Langston
Hughes's eighth-grade English teacher.
The book was edited by Raymond Dooley. The front cover appears below: |
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37.63: Front Cover of the Centennial Book
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Email comments, corrections, questions, or suggestions.
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"The Past Is But the Prelude" |
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