HISTORICOHISTORICO Sangamon County Historical Society Newsletter Mailing Address: P.O. Box 9744, Springfield, IL 62791-9744, Phone: 217-525-1961, e-mail: [email protected] web: www.sangamonhistory.org, SangamonLink.org VOLUME 51 NO. 6 MARCH 2015 Will you be among the Sangamon Fun Filled Evening Ahead! County Historical Society members playing History Trivia on Saturday, March 21 at the Old State Capitol? Only if you move quickly to get a 3rd Annual seat at one of the Society’s tables of 10 as it gets challenged by history buffs (and just some good Trivia play- ers) from history organizations and History Trivia individuals from around Sangamon County. This fun night out, in an unusual setting, benefits the Lincoln Trouba- Night dours, a group of local high school students who don period costumes and perform Civil War era music a cappella for free at historic sites across Central Illinois throughout the summer. The students, under the direction of Lincoln Land Community College music chair Sue Hamilton, get a small stipend from the state. Last year, His- tory Trivia Night raised over $3,000 to help supplement their costs. The Troubadours will perform during the (Continued on page 6) Register for Members-Only Tour of Edwards Place On-line registration is now open for nearly a year. It will reopen to the gen- son of Governor Ninian Edwards and a free, SCHS members-only preview eral public on April 11. You can also brother-in-law of Mary Lincoln’s sister tour of the newly restored Edwards register by calling the Society at 217- Elizabeth. In the years before the Civil Place historic home on Tuesday, April 525-1961. War prominent citizens such as Abra- 7 starting at 5:30 p.m. The historic Built in 1833 and restored to reflect ham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas home, owned and operated by the the time immediately following an were entertained there at lavish dinner Springfield Art Association, has been 1857 remodeling, it was the home of parties and receptions. closed for first-floor renovations for attorney Benjamin Edwards, youngest (Continued on page 4) INSIDE March Primer for Lincoln Funeral WHAT’S NEW on From the President’s Desk……...….2 SangamonLink.org Grant Competition Opens....….……3 Re-Enactment UIS Lincoln Symposium …..………..4 Page 5 Page 3 From the President’s Desk……………......Mary Alice Davis Paying Forward to Support Local History Efforts The terrific turnout for the Society’s membership fees, our annual dinner si- general meeting last month on Oak lent auction, and donations. Ridge Cemetery served to confirm what This spring, when we send out our we instinctively knew: that there’s huge dues notice to those who pay annual interest in this priceless piece of local dues ( and in a similar fashion, an update history whose impact is national in letter to Life Members), we will be ask- scope. ing you to consider the concept of The cemetery’s executive director “paying forward” to support the work Michael Lelys’s fascinating presentation that we do. only whetted the appetite for more and What that means is to think about the Society will fulfill that come October making a donation in addition to your when it resumes the popular Oak Ridge dues, or including an endowment to the Cemetery Walk on October 11 Society in your estate planning so that in Many of those who attended the Feb- the long-term, we can continue to sup- ruary 17 session indicated they wanted plement our major efforts. to work on the project and they will be These include proving the financial contacted. If you want to work on some underpinnings for such things as the op- aspect of the event, please call the office eration of the Sangamon Valley Collec- or contact me through our website. Com- tion at the city library that we helped mittees will be forming over the next create; our Special Projects Fund that several weeks. We have a lot of work to provides helps underwrite small but sig- do but are confident it will be a great nificant local history projects; our San- success! gamonLink.org on-line and searchable * * * encyclopedia of county history, and The Oak Ridge Cemetery Walk is one many more history-related efforts that of many long-term projects that your So- need your financial support now and in ciety sponsors, underwritten by your the future. Mary Alice Historico, published 10 times a year, is the official monthly bulletin for members of the Sangamon County Historical Society. Winner, 2013 Certificate of Excellence, Illinois State Historical Society. You can download back issues of Historico in PDF format by going to our website, sangamon- history.org or sancohis.org. Send event announcements to [email protected]. Vicky Whitaker, Historico Editor, Donna Catlin, Photographer PAGE 2 HISTORICO www.sangamonhistory.org, SangamonLink.org MARCH 2015 HISTORY NEWS YOU CAN USE...HISTORY NEWS YOU CAN USE...HISTORY NEWS YOU CAN USE... Society Grant Competition Opens, Application Deadline April 20 The Sangamon County Historic Soci- ing the 150th Anniversary of the Emanci- ety’s Special Projects Committee is now pation Proclamation; and for a National accepting applications for the Society’s Public Radio series on WUIS-FM on San- annual grant program to help underwrite gamon history. individual and group projects that preserve Individuals and groups can apply and promote interest Sangamon County grants of up to $1,000 each. An appli- History. Filing deadline is April 20. cation form and related material can be Over the past two years, the Society has found on-line at the Society’s website, given Special Projects grants to a variety of www.sangamonhistory.org. Completed projects such as the Clayville Historic Site forms can be submitted online or for permanent flora and fauna markers for mailed to the Sangamon County His- its new nature trail; the Village of Wil- torical Society, Special Projects Com- OFFICERS liamsville to help underwrite public sign- mittee, P.O. Box 9744, Springfield, IL age that links the community to the historic 62791-9744. President……...............Mary Alice Davis Interurban railroad; the Springfield Boys & Award winners will be announced at the Vice-President…………....…Ruth Slottag Girls Club to participate in activities mark- Society’s annual dinner in June. Secretary……….…..….……...Sue Massie Treasurer…………..…..Richard Herndon Past President…………...Roger Whitaker What’s New on SangamonLink.org DIRECTORS Neighborhood Support, Demo Plan, Term Ending 2015 Old Library, Out With Todd, Gay Bar Donna Catlin Les Eastep The Society’s new on-line and search- ring problems at the Illinois Executive David Grimm able county history encyclopedia provides a Mansion – most recently in 2014 and 2015, Francie Staggs wide slice of local history this month, from when a leaky roof and mold in the base- Vicky Whitaker testimony by a former Springfield Mayor ment became critical. But the mansion, Term Ending 2016 supporting federal creation of the Lincoln completed in 1855, probably faced its big- Kathy Dehen Home neighborhood to why we shouldn’t gest crisis in 1963, when the Illinois House Cathy Mosley use Todd in Mary Lincoln’s name. of Representatives sought to tear it down, The site, edited by veteran journalist and sell the site, and build a new mansion in Term Ending 2017 Society member Mike Kienzler, was Springfield. What event in New York State Troy Gilmore Amy Henrikson launched last June and will eventually con- prompted the action? Genevieve Kaplan tain thousands of entries about the people, n Remember Springfield’s Carnegie Jerry Smith places, and events that have shaped the Library? Opened in 1904, demolished in Sara Watson history of Sangamon County. Segments of 1974, and replaced in 1977, it had features the encyclopedia are published twice a that ultimately made the building unsuit- Committee Chairs Legal: Bruce Beeman month in the State Journal Register. Indi- able as a library. There are only two public Special Projects: Elaine Hoff viduals and area organizations can contrib- reminders of the old building in the current Finance: Patricia Davis, Doug Polite, ute information to the site or expand on city library. Nominating: Brenda Holmes existing entries n Until her sister Ann was born, she Membership: Claire Eberle Membership Relations/Hospitality: Marion Here’s a peek at some of the newest was Mary Ann, and after that, she was Leach items. You’ll have to go to the website to Mags. In Springfield in 1839, she was Publicity and Marketing: Ruth Slottag get all the details: Mary Todd, Miss Todd, or Molly, a pet Publications: Roger Whitaker n What was it that Nelson Howarth— name and when she married Abraham Lin- Programs & Special Events: Mary Alice Davis, with only a week to go in final term as coln in 1842, she became Mary Lincoln. So Vicky Whitaker mayor of Springfield—told a the U.S. don’t call her Mary Todd Lincoln. House Subcommittee on National Parks n Smokey’s Den, was the first bar in Staff Dr. Samuel Wheeler, Executive Coordinator and Recreation that resulted in the Lincoln Springfield that openly catered to gay men Mike Kienzler, SangamonLink.org Editor Home neighborhood being designated as a and women. When it closed in 2003, after National Historic Site in 1971? nearly four decades in business, it was n Postponed maintenance, repair crises thought to be the oldest gay bar in Illinois. and general dilapidation have been recur- history. Please make note of our official mailing address: MARCH 2015 MEMBERSHIP REPORT SCHS The Society welcomes new members: Box 9744 Pat Baska, Christopher Lelys, Mary Ann Lelys, Mike Lelys, Eugene Walker Springfield, Illinois, 62791-9744 MARCH 2015 HISTORICO www.sangamonhistory.org, SangamonLink.org PAGE 3 Members Only Tour of Edwards Place Restoration April 7 (Continued from page 1) In two instances, the wallpaper pat- $490,000.