Illinois Heritage

The Madison County Historical Society (MCHS) invites the public to attend the dedication of a new Illinois State Historical Marker on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, at 2 p.m. at 715 N. Main Street in Edwardsville. The new ISHS marker will commemorate the home and work of Dr. John Weir (1809-1878). Sunday’s dedication also serves as a kick-off for the Society’s Centennial year. The first meeting of the Madison County Historical Society was held on Dec. 3, 1921, the 103rd anniversary of Illinois statehood.

In this issue of Illinois Heritage we explore the “Badger Huts” of Jo Daviess County, the destruction of an elegant Italianate farm house in Springfield, the remarkable career of author and editor William Maxwell, Ottawa’s tent colony for the treatment of tuberculosis patients, the elegant art of Christia M. Reade, Joseph Harker’s ascent from the coal mines of southern Illinois to the presidency of the Illinois Woman’s College in Jacksonville, and so much more, including several newly installed historical markers around the state.

If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to renew your ISHS membership. In the coming weeks you will be receiving reminders in the mail from the University of Illinois Press, which handles our subscription and membership renewals. Early renewals help cut down on costs and give us a leg up on the new year. Thanks to all of you who have already sent in your renewals. We look forward to hearing from you in 2022.

William Furry
Executive Director

John Hancock, a well-traveled, heart-broken poet, arrived in Springfield in the summer of 1831. His journey began in Cornwall, England, in the late 18th century, with stops in Italy, France, London (where he studied law), and Canada before his arrival in the Sangamo Country, where he secured a job selling whisky and sundries in Jacob Capps’ Grocery. According to ISHS director John Hallwas, professor emeritus of history and English at Western Illinois University and a Medievalist who has written more than 20 books about Illinois history and culture, Hancock was the finest poet in the Midwest in the 1830s, a writer of exceptional depth who wanted to capture the Prairie experience in verse. He succeeded admirably. Hallwas’ book, The Poetry of H: Lost Poet of Lincoln’s Springfield (Ellis Press, 1982), is the basis for his new play, The Mysterious Bard of Sangamo, which was recorded this past summer.

An Illinois State Historical Society marker commemorating United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) President and Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) founder John L. Lewis (1880-1969) is scheduled for unveiling at 1 p.m. on Friday, November 5, at John L. Lewis Park, Shoal Creek Avenue and Jefferson Street in Panama.

Illinois Humanities has worked to bring the Smithsonian Institute’s touring world-class exhibitions to communities in Illinois for several years, but it is the current tour – Voices and Votes: Democracy in America – that has presented the most urgency.