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OHS Newsletter Volume 8, Issue 2, July 2004
In this issue: Officers and Directors 2004
Newsletter Editorial Staff
President's Message - Brian Keller What a busy year it has been so far. And with the spotlight on O'Fallon history because of the Sesquicentennial, it has been a great year for our Society. Interest in local history hasn't been this high in quite some time. Museum visits are up as well as our visibility in the news. We are looked to as the collectors and guardians of local history - a valuable community resource. In many ways, our Museum belongs to everyone because our collections come from everyone. We should be proud and humbled that we have become such an accepted, relevant and important institution to all O'Fallonites - long time residents and new, young and old. Our mission is quite simple - to preserve the history of the O'Fallon area. Let that continue to guide all we do in the name of the Society. The Sesquicentennial, of course, has been our focus this year. Your Society has acted as an historical resource, not only to the City, but also to the area newspapers seeking help in understanding O'Fallon's past. We sponsored Heritage Day on Saturday, May 8th, a gloriously beautiful day. We offered tours of the Museum, Scale House, City Cemetery and Rock Spring Cemetery. An afternoon program under the large tree (sadly a victim of a storm on July 5) at old City Hall was well attended by the community and City officials. At the program, we also received the landmark award, a bronze plaque designating the Scale House as a local historic landmark. This award was presented by the O'Fallon Historic Preservation Commission by Stephen Brown. Other awards presented by Stephen Brown were: a landmark award which was a bronze plaque to the Rauckman Bungalow, 703 South Lincoln. Two Heritage awards, that were certificates, were presented to Schwarz Furniture Warehouse, 226 West State and Schildknecht Funeral Home, 301 South Lincoln. The Heritage awards have no zoning restrictions that prevent a person from altering or razing the structure without review by the Preservation Commission. The landmark awards do. The main Sesquicentennial events are scheduled for August 13-15. Your Society is in charge of the historical displays at the Grange log cabin in Community Park. The cabin will be open, tentatively, on that Friday 6-9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.=9 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Also, the Museum will be open Saturday from noon until after the 6 p.m. parade. We need volunteers to help "man" the shifts at both locations as well as set up and take down the displays at the log cabin. Whether you can do a lot or only a little, with everyone's help we can help make this an event to remember! Special Thanks Many thanks to the following who helped make Heritage Day possible: Harriet Baker, Meredith Brown, Stephen Brown, Dorothy Falk, Pam Funk, George Harvilla, Maurice Hesse, Brian Keller, Ralph Keller, David Kempton (soloist), Chuck Kistler, Joyce Lurtz, Ralph Lurtz, Barb Nute, O'Fallon Girl Scouts, Bill Peach, Berneice Reidelberger, Carol Souza, Julie Spengler, and Fred Wiechert. Exhibits and Collections - Brian Keller We received many wonderful items since last July. Here's a sampling: Marcel Friederich soda bottle, Ride Like the Wind: A Tale of the Pony Express by Bernice Fuchs, Ralph Thomas Tavern ashtray, WWI uniform, VFW Post 805 coffee mug, Schildknecht Funeral Home mirror/thermometer, Grand Leader Dept. Store china bowl, Star Bakery & Soda Fountain Centennial souvenir plastic drinking cups, 1948 American Legion medal, Oak Hill Cemetery map, Boy Scout Troup 35 memorabilia, and much, much more. Of particular note are two William Holden items. From the William Holden Wildlife Foundation, we received the "Pasadena City College Distinguished Alumni Award": a 3-inch "gold" medal presented in honor of William Holden on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the college. Also, from Anna Lee Fuchs, we received the original letter sent by William Holden to her father, Mayor Henry Hesse, saying he would be unable to come to the Centennial in 1954. Great treasures. Also thanks to Mary Wiechert, who has provided souvenir pencils with our name to give out to children who visit the Museum, and Rich Thoman of Bank of O'Fallon, who has provided rolls of the new 2004 Louisiana Purchase nickels to give out to the children, as well. Many thanks to those who have donated items: Bob Bittles, John Bode, Maxine Bowles, Jay and Josh Bradshaw, Borothy Brown, City of O'Fallon, Jean Claxton, Kurt and Cindy Cooper, Rich Copher, Gloria Dettleff, Todd Eschman, Shirley Ferguson, Friends of the O'Fallon Public Library, Anna Lee Fuchs, Gary Graham, Ruth Grandcolas, Tim Hackney, Wendy Harter, Maurice Hesse, Joan Keck Houston, Irene Jacobs, Doris Johnson, Brian Keller, Ralph Keller, Joyce Lurtz, Arline Magee, John McCullough, Lynda McIntosh, Bob Nesbit, OUSART, Bill Peach, Carol Scheibel, Pat Schmidt, Carol Souza, Lawrence Stepp, Gene Thomas, Fred Wiechert, William Holden Wildlife Foundation, and Gerald Worms. In preparation for Heritage Day on May 8, the Museum underwent a thorough cleaning and reorganization. Many thanks to everyone who helped, but I want to particularly single out Joyce Lurtz and Carol Souza whose invaluable help with the heavy lifting, literally, made the seemingly impossible, possible. Did you notice those old postcard banner-sized blow-ups hanging around the Museum? Those were done by Ron Schanz for the Sesquicentennial Ball using our pictures. The City hs donated them to us to display. The Society's Board has been working on a plan to better organize our acquisition process. Stay tuned for details. Library Committee - Doris Johnson I am still making scrapbooks and adding to the ones that are at the Museum about O'Fallon organizations, churches, schools, mines, Ronald Reagan, Bill Holden, and others. I hope that when you come to visit the Museum you will take time to open some of these books and find out more about O'Fallon history. If you have any programs, pictures, post cards, church bulletins and directories, or other information about O'Fallon, we would love to have them or make copies of them. Membership Committee - Barbara Nute The membership stands at 99: 14 Family, 36 Individual, 16 Life Family, 3 Life Honorary, 23 Life Individual, 7 Life Organization. Rock Spring Cemetery - Maurice Hesse On Heritage Day Rock Spring was one of the places to tour. A few did vist. Scale House - Bill Peach The Scale House was also open to visitors on Heritage Day. A few visited. O'Fallon Pioneer Certificates - Barbara Nute Reminder!! The O'Fallon Historical Society will again be presenting certificates to the descendants of families who settled in O'Fallon 100 or more years ago. You will need to show your relationship to the original ancestor who settled in O'Fallon prior to 1904. It is not necessary for descendants to still be living in O'Fallon. The certificates are $10 and will be presented at the log cabin in the Community Park on Saturday afternoon of the Sesquicentennial weekend. The exact time will be announced later. For more information call Barb Nute at (618) 632-7117, or stop by the Historica Society Museum. Sesquicentennial History Book - Brian Keller Despite the best efforts of the committee, it appears that the book will not be finished in time for the August Sesquicentennial events. It has turned into quite a project, and with the help of many in the Society and the community who has provided information and pictures - as well as writing actual submissions - it promises to e a fantastic book. But the realities of book publishing have delayed it until Thanksgiving - in time for Christmas gift giving. We know it will be well worth the wait. Sesquicentennial Essay Contest - Brian Keller OTHS Social Studies teacher, Bob Nesbit, sponsored an essay competition in April 2004 that was open to all OTHS students. They were to write essays on O'Fallon area history. We were asked to provide the judges. And the winners were: First place, Kristin Schaefer; second place, Emily Munton; Finalists, Whitney Joseph, Ashley Mays, Sarah Mullican, and Valerie Morrese. The first place winner received $150 cash, second $100 cash, and finalists $100 Savings Bonds. The top six essays were all published in the O'Fallon Progress, and we received the originals of all the essays. There wre over 60 entries and many of the students spent hours at the Museum doing research. We opened on off days and had extended hours to accommodate them. The students who came to the Museum were interested and courteous. What a joy to have them come! Thanks to Bob Nesbit for including us and to judges Dorothy Falk, Irene Jacobs, Brian Keller, and Ralph Keller, who spent a long amrathon evening reading essays. Second Annual Arts Festival The O'Fallon Arts Commission is sponsoring the 2nd Annual Arts Festival at Community Park Saturday, October 2, 2004. We had a booth focusing on William Holden last year. We've been asked to return with William Holden and St. Louis World's Fair memorabilia. Mark your calendars! "Meet Me in St. Louis" will be the featured movie shown on the ball field at dusk this year. Looking Back - Doris Johnson When I heard about the death of our 40th President, Ronald Reagan, on June 6th, 2004, it made me think about his Aunt Emily, "Ma Rush". Emily and her husband, Stephen, ran a confectionary and ice cream parlor at 126 E. State Street. They had bought the building from Henry Beckmann in 1920. Ronald Reagan and his mother, who was Emily's sister, often visited in O'Fallon. The Progress had several articles about him - serving as a lifeguard and later when he became a movie star. Steve Rush died in 1936 and Emily leased the building to Emery Becherer. His father-in-law, Joseph Willard, ran the tavern. Other people who ran taverns in the building were: Henry Diefenbach, Ed Wise ("Chick's" Tavern), The Double Eagle Saloon, Chicago Bob, and Timothy Thorpe's "Timothy's". It was aso used as Hayes Auction Service and Sundance, a staned glass and antique business. It has been "Rick's Place" since July 1992. ATTENTION: Remember that dues are now due. Please fill out the application form enclosed (except Life Members) and turn in with money or check. We hope that you will take the time to visit the Museum. Bring your friends and relatives, and when you find articles that have a place in O'Fallon history, we will be glad to give them a home. Our aim is to save O'Fallon history and we encourage your help.
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