The Prairie State at 200 Comprehensive Illinois House desk and chair at which Lincoln purportedly wrote the Emancipation bicentennial exhibition Proclamation, on loan from the opens at Peoria Riverfront Chicago Historical Society and a very Museum rare Lincoln inaugural ball ticket on loan from Smithsonian National Exhibit: “Celebrate Illinois: 200 Years Museum of American History. in the Land of Lincoln” bicentennial Artifacts from three other U.S. exhibition presidents include a belt buckle from Dates: Feb. 3 through June 3 Ulysses S. Grant’s Galena home, Location: Peoria Riverfront Museum · Ronald Reagan’s Eureka College 222 S.W. Washington St. · Peoria, Ill. diploma and 1957 Golden Globe Cost: Standard museum admission: $11 Award and a pen used by President adults, $10 seniors (60+), $9 youth (3-17) Barack Obama to sign his first Info: Call 309.686.7000 or visit executive order. RiverfrontMuseum.org Among other rare artifacts are first edition books by President Ulysses S. comprehensive exhibition cele- Grant (edited and published by Samuel brating the Illinois bicentennial Clemens), Ernest Hemingway’s The Ais on display through June 3 at Sun Also Rises, Edgar Lee Masters’ Peoria Riverfront Museum and is the Spoon River Anthology, and Carl largest self-curated exhibition in Central Sandburg’s handwritten poetry. Illinois history, both in size, 16,000 sq. Original works from the Chicago ft. and number of artifacts displayed. Imagists are on display, including those Official and unofficial Illinois state “Celebrate Illinois: 200 Years in by Ed Paschke and Roger Brown. symbols adopted over the years. the Land of Lincoln,” presents the These painters, almost all graduates of story of the state’s past to present as the School of the Art Institute of told through more than 240 historic Chicago (SAIC), were heavily influ- objects and the narratives of notable enced by psychology and the sociopo- Illinoisans, including four U.S. presi- litical environment of the late ’60s and dents, abolitionists and reformers, early ’70s, working during the Vietnam farmers and pioneers, inventors and War era when The Beatles were at scientists, artists and authors, athletes their height of fame. and celebrities, veterans, Native Objects of wide appeal are featured Americans and immigrants. – from Chicago native Walt Disney’s Ben Zobrist’s batting helmet and One of the cufflinks that President original cels to the lab equipment gloves worn during Game 7 of the Abraham Lincoln was wearing the used during the mass production of 2016 World Series, on loan from night he was assassinated, on loan penicillin to a 1780 English sword found at Fort Crevecoeur. the Zobrist Family. One of the cuf- flinks worn by Lincoln the night he was assassi- nated, on loan from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum; silver chal- ice owned by Mary Todd Lincoln, from Peoria Riverfront Museum collections. Agricultural and industrial equipment designed in Illinois, including a model of the 1834 McCormick Reaper, on loan from the USDA National from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Center for Agricultural Utilization Research; a circa 1852 corn planter Library and Museum, is among the made by Galesburg farmer George Brown, on loan from Western Illinois rare and significant pieces on display. Museum, and a 1948 Caterpillar CAT D4 pedal car, on loan from the Also in the exhibit are the White Corporate Heritage Services, Caterpillar Inc.

44 I LLINOIS H ERITAGE A 1995 World Series championship hat signed by Peoria native Jim Thome, inducted this year into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, will be on display alongside Eureka native Ben Zobrist’s batting helmet and gloves worn during the World Series MVP’s famous Game 7 10th inning hit that led to a Cubs victory. Celebrated Illinois athletes Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, Ernie Banks, Curley “Boo” Johnson and Peoria native and NBA point guard Shaun Livingston are featured.

Sports memorabilia including a signed Walter Payton card, a Michael Jordan rookie card, and a bat signed by Peoria native and Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Thome. The original steel plow invented by John Deere in 1837 to cut through Riverfront Museum and their exhibi- individuals have lived and worked here the sticky prairie soil, on loan from tion as one of our official partners in who’ve made a positive lasting impact,” the Smithsonian Institution. the celebration of the Illinois bicenten- said exhibition curator Lottie Phillips. nial. We join with the museum in “There is truly something in this John Deere’s original plow, celebrating great achievements of exhibition for everyone.” invented in 1837 for breaking the Illinois,” said Executive Director of sticky prairie soil and Caterpillar’s first the Governor’s Office of the Illinois diesel engine, “Old Betsy,” made in Bicentennial Stuart Layne. 1930 are displayed – both on loan from Riverfront Museum curators have the Smithsonian Institution. been working for more than a year to ‘“Celebrate Illinois’ is being curated secure the objects on loan from more around the concept that objects tell than 40 organizations and individuals stories and behind each object is a around the state and country, as well person, and that person has a unique as sourcing items from the museum’s story to tell – a personal insight into own collections. the history of Illinois,” said museum “I hope visitors take away an inter- President and CEO John Morris. est and pride in the state’s history. You “We are honored to have Peoria really start to see how many amazing

Frank Lloyd Wright reclining chair designed in 1903 for the Francis W. Little House, Peoria, Ill., from the Peoria Riverfront Museum collections. Visitors will also see artifacts from architects Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies Van Der Rohe, comedian and Peoria native Richard Pryor, Peorians Betty Freidan and Susan G. Komen, Ephemera from the 1893 Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition of the nuclear scientist Enrico Fermi, poets original 266-ft. Ferris Wheel invented for the fair by Galesburg native Vachel Lindsay from Springfield and and engineer George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr., on loan from Knox Galesburg native Carl Sandburg, College archives, Seymour Library. U.S. astronaut and Pekin native Scott

I LLINOIS H ERITAGE 45 Altman, sculptor and Elmwood native Illinois Bicentennial Lorado Taft, the pioneering Funk fam- Commission Statement ily, Galesburg abolitionists behind the On Dec. 3, 1818 Illinois became first Illinois Underground Railroad, the 21st state in the union. The Illinois Ferris Wheel inventor and Galesburg Bicentennial is a yearlong celebration native George Washington Gale Ferris of what has been BORN, BUILT & Jr., Bishop Hill painter Olaf Krans, and GROWN in the state whose mission U.S. Senator and Civil Rights leader is to inspire all Illinoisans to be Everett Dirksen from Pekin. #IllinoisProud. Citizens are encouraged Artifacts in the exhibition include to participate in the celebration by those on loan from: National Park visiting www.illinois200.com and using Service and Lincoln Home National the hashtag #IllinoisProud. Partners and Historic Site, Abraham Lincoln event and project managers planning Presidential Library and Museum, activities between December 3, 2017 and Chicago Historical Society, Smithsonian December 3, 2018 can apply for endorse- National Museum of American History, ment to become an official part of Illinois Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bicentennial by visiting the PARTICI- Illinois State Museum, Caterpillar Inc. PATE page at www.illinois200.com. archives, Knox College archives and Seymour Library, Knox College Peoria Riverfront Museum Galesburg Colony Underground Peoria Riverfront Museum is a Railroad Freedom Center, Carl privately funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit Sandburg Historic Home, Eureka museum of art, science, history and Plaster maquette made in 1913 for College, Elmhurst College, Dirksen achievement housed in a public building the 48-ft. concrete Black Hawk Congressional Center, Bradley overlooking the Illinois River. The statue (The Eternal Indian) over- University Archives, Jane Addams-Hull AAM-accredited, Smithsonian-affiliated looking the Rock River at Oregon, House Museum, McHenry County museum features international exhibi- Ill. by Elmwood native Lorado Historical Society, Galena History tions, interactive galleries, a dome Taft, from Peoria Riverfront Museum, General John A. Logan planetarium, giant screen theater and Museum collections. Museum, St. Clair County Historical robust programming designed to provide Museum, Western Illinois Museum, display at the museum through June 3 inspirational, hands-on educational Ray LaHood, Nancy Brinker, Carl and is included with standard museum experiences to visitors of all ages. The Soderstrom and the Zobrist Family. admission. museum’s “Every Student Initiative,” The museum installed artist “Celebrate Illinois: 200 Years in the created in partnership with Peoria Seward Johnson’s 31-ft. bronze Lincoln Land of Lincoln” is presented by Prairie Public Schools curricula, aims to sculpture, “Return Visit,” facing the Home Alliance and sponsored by the provide an annual museum experience Illinois River, with the assistance of Peoria Journal Star, WMBD 1470 for all Central Illinois students. The local businesses and individuals, to radio, the Visionary Society and Tom mission of the museum’s Board of usher in the Illinois Bicentennial. and Lois Mayer. Directors and staff is to inspire lifelong Peoria Riverfront Museum is an The exhibition is included with learning for all – connecting art, official partner of the Illinois Bicen - standard museum admission - $11 history, science and achievement tennial Commission and the exhibition adults, $10 seniors (60+), $9 youth through collections, exhibitions and is an officially sanctioned program. (3-17). For more information or programs. For more information visit “Celebrate Illinois: 200 Years tickets call 309.686.7000 or visit RiverfrontMuseum.org. in the Land of Lincoln,” will be on RiverfrontMuseum.org.

Original edition of President Ulysses S. Grant’s biog- raphy, The Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant, 1885, edited and published by Samuel Clemens and Grant’s 1851 officer’s sword belt buckle, on loan from Galena 19th and 20th century coal mining equipment, on loan Historical Society. from the Illinois State Museum. 46 I LLINOIS H ERITAGE