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OHS Newsletter Volume 6, Issue 1, January 2002
In this issue: Officers and Directors 2002
Newsletter Editorial Staff
President's Message - Brian Keller Your Society certainly has been busy these past six months! The most exciting news is the official launching of our website on January 15 as part of the program for our regular meeting. Society member Nancy (Shaw) Cole of Chicago has not only developed it for us, but has donated the costs associated with it. A wonderful gift indeed! Nan is being helped by Cindy Davis, Ruth Grandcolas, Doris Johnson, Carol Souza, Betty Lehman, Betty Klingelhoefer, Barbara Nute and me. It provides not only information about our Society but also extensive historical information and pictures-everything from the entire Centennial Book online to a death and marriage index to the Progress, just for starters. We also have e-mail which can be accessed from the site. All in keeping with our mission to preserve the history of O’Fallon and to make it as widely available as possible. If you have an internet access, check it out at: http://www.ofallonhistory.org. Work is slowly progressing on the Weighmaster Building. Bill Peach has done a tremendous job of coordinating the renovation efforts. The latest improvement was putting new shingles on the roof. Many thanks to Mark Fulford for donating the shingles and Leonard Hohrein for helping to put them on. More to come! We had well over 500 people visit our Museum since July 2001. We again participated in the annual downtown Halloween walk on Oct. 27, co-hosted the Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours with Main Street on Nov. 27, and were the first stop on the Fulton Jr. High School Holiday House Tour on Dec. 2. Many compliments were heard about our Museum of which we are all very proud. By the way, our small volunteer staff at the Museum is always looking for help. Don’t have time? Why not just pop in to say “hi” and check out what is new. You’ll make their day! Finally, a word of thanks to our out-going officers, Vice President Joyce Lurtz, Secretary Doris Johnson and Director Mary Helen Bevirt. Thanks to our new officers as well, Vice President Ruth Grandcolas, Secretary Carol Souza and Director Maurice Hesse. Happy New Year! Special Thanks A special thanks to everyone who helps at the Museum: Nancy Cole for all of the work that she has done in getting us ready to go “on line”. Thanks to all of the “helpers” who are typing the Obit and Marriage Records from the index cards at the Library – and those who are proofreading. Thanks to Cindy Davis for starting to type the Schwarz Funeral Records for the internet. Thanks to the mother and son team who came to the Museum during the summer to sweep, dust and do other jobs! A special thanks to Ralph Keller, who opens the Museum every Wedesday, Friday, and Saturday. Items of Interest September 21 Doris Johnson gave a talk to the third grades at Evans School about the history of O’Fallon. October Betty Klingelhoefer gave a talk about “Naming Things” to the fourth grades at Hinchcliffe School. October 27 82 children and 46 adults visited the Museum during the “Halloween Walk”. October 31 The fifth grade from the St. Clare School visited the Museum. November 9 Pack 94, Den 7 Cub Scouts visited the Museum. December 15 Den 5 Tiger Cub Scouts visited the Museum. Programs July 17 Listened to a tape made by Mary Helen Bevirt about “Entertainment in O’Fallon”. August 21 Listened to tape made by Robert Reidelberger in Feb. 1980. September 18 No program. October 16 Carol Souza read “125 Year History of the O’Fallon UCC” compiled by Doris Johnson. November 20 Dr. Clarence Haege impersonated John Mason Peck. December 18 Christmas Party. Exhibits and Collections - Brian Keller What an exciting array of artifacts we received since July! Here’s a sampler: old O’Fallon rural and city school records, Mabel Peach memorabilia, parts of a rope making machine, WWI and II uniforms, 1920’s Woman’s World and McCall’s magazines, Joseph and Martha Willard family scrapbook, “Memories of O’Fallon” by Bob and Tom Gordon, antique tapestry and quilt belonging to Josephine Shaw, Lienesch family papers, O’Fallon Homecoming papers 1937-46, 1985 Seahawks-Saints NFL game ball presented to Bob Cryder, WW II civil defense fire well pump, series of original late 1800’s Van Court Mine maps belonging to the Willard family (Nancy Cole had them expertly mounted) and much, much more. Of special note is a companion to our “made in O’Fallon” Eureka coal range – a rare 1930’s Eureka gas range, in excellent condition. We found it at the Belleville Flea Market and purchased it with money given in memory of Josephine Shaw whose grandfather built the foundry where the stoves were made. Also, we are grateful to Betty Klingelhoefer and the St. Clare Catholic Church for providing a wonderful display of church artifacts dating to the parish’s founding. On indefinite loan, it is a display not to be missed. Many thanks to our numerous friends who have donated items to our Museum. Richard Cecil, Dorothy Clark, Nancy Cole, Don Donato, Friends of the O’Fallon Public Library, Fulton Jr. High School, John Mark Godwin, Thomas Gordon, Wayne Heilig, Doris Johnson, Cliff Keck, Harold Keller, Norma Keller, Joyce Koesterer, Glenn Loyet, Arline Magee, Lynda McIntosh, Judy Meier, Betty Lienesch Mensing, Frank Miles, Louise Nichols, O’Fallon C.C. School Dist. 90, City of O’Fallon, George Peach, William Peach, Beth Reidelberger, Carol Souza, Gene Thomas and Fred Wiechert. The quality of our collections is directly due to your generosity. Library Committee - Doris Johnson I keep adding clippings to our scrapbooks. I hope that when you come to the Museum you will take time to look through some of them. I have done research for John Aramowicz-Alexander family, Erven Thoma – Thake, Vossler, Miller families and Douglas Tucker- Wesemann family. Membership Committee - Carol Souza Our membership as of Dec. 2001 is 111. We have 22 Family, 46 Individual, and 43 Life memberships. New members since our last newsletter are: Steven Brown, Cindy Davis, and Mr. & Mrs. Charles Distler and Susan Hertich. We lost 2 members due to their death, Harry Keyes and Jacqueline Rogers. Our sympathy goes out to the Keyes and Rogers families. Memorials - Bill Jenner Memorials were given in memory of Mabel Peach by Carol Souza and Betty Lehman and for Harry Keyes by Maurice Hesse. A donation was also received from Kristy Vetri. Rock Spring Cemetery - Maurice Hesse Since our July newsletter, the O’Fallon Historical Preservation Commission has recommended to the city officials that the City Council annex the Rock Spring Cemetery to the city so that it could be designated as a historical site. To emphasize the historical significance of the cemetery, the Historical Society had a program given by Dr. Clarence Haege who impersonated John Mason Peck. The Cemetery was originally established in 1855 when Rev. Peck donated one acre of land to a religious corporation. The Society has received $1,000 for maintenance of the cemetery and the city officials have stated that $1,000 will be coming from their funds. The membership of the Society appreciates this financial support. Special thanks to Mr. & Mrs. Clinton H. Rogier of Edwardsville for their generous donation to the cemetery fund and to Rose and Tom Brennan for their efforts in keeping the cemetery in A-1 condition. Weighmaster Building (old Scale House) - Bill Peach New shingles have been put on the building. Thanks to Mark Fulford for donating the shingles and to Leonard Hohrein and others who helped with this project. We will continue to work on this project as soon as the weather warms up. Looking Back - Doris Johnson The Opera House located at 220 East State St. was built in 1908 by Joseph Taylor, a prosperous mine operator and merchant.
The sloping main floor was 60 feet square and it had a sloping balcony. The seating capacity was 900. It was equipped with approved opera chairs. The stage, complete with a trap door and abundant scenery, was 30 by 60 feet. Dressing rooms were below the stage. The theater also boasted running water, steam heat and 500 red, white and blue lights. On the ground floor there were 3 rooms for business purposes and on the second floor there was a large dance hall. On Wed. Dec. 23, 1908 residents were treated to a preview of the Opera House. Opening night Dec. 28 tickets were sold for 25 and 50 cents and $1. The Opera House was filled to capacity. The Stanley Stock Co. presented the play “Why Girls Go Wrong”. Four vaudeville features were performed between acts of the play. In 1930 equipment was installed in the Opera House for “talking pictures”. Moving pictures were shown until it closed permanently in Mar. 1940 when it was bought by a syndicate who took out the seats. In Aug. 1945 Wilbert H. Tschudy and Lynn Cunningham purchased the building and turned it into a food locker. It closed on Dec. 31, 1982. Don Moser bought the building in 1984 and did extensive remodeling. The grand opening of the “Opera House Mall” was held in April 1985. Meet the Author Bill Nunes, author of “Southern Illinois, An illustrated History: Lore Legends, Landmarks, Oddities and Gangsters”, will be at the O’Fallon Public Library on Sat. Feb. 16, 1-4 p.m. to talk about his book. Copies will be available for purchase and signing. Also Scheduled Taylor Pensoneau, author of a new book on the Shelton Gang. Saturday March 9th 2002 1:00 p.m –3:00 p.m. in the meeting room at the O’Fallon Public Library.
ATTENTION: Please remember to stop in to visit the Museum. We are always getting in new things to see. Bring friends and relatives. Our hours are Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 1 to 4 P.M. Also, please remember that dues are due at this time. Please bring your check, with a copy of the filled out application to the Museum or mail them to: O’Fallon Historical Society, Box 344, O’Fallon, Illinois 62269.
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