Fall 2023 Chronicle

bureauhistory.org

IN THIS ISSUE:

Cherry Mine Disaster The Journey to Recognition Year in Review BUREAU COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER | THE CHRONICLE | AUTUMN 2023 1

BUREAU COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER | THE CHRONICLE | AUTUMN 2023

From the President’s pen

By Jim Dunn President, Bureau County Historical Society Board

Executive Director’s letter

Trying something new – a fair booth – can be a good thing

The idea of having a booth at this year’s Bureau County Fair, first proposed by BCHS Board member Herb Rhees, really started to grow on me. Before long, as we discussed how this outreach could benefit the Historical Society, I became hooked.

Our simple Fair booth was designed to attract attention in several ways.

We put enlarged photos of our three buildings on the pegboard behind the booth. We had six enlargements of century-old Fair scenes (thanks, Lex!) to show how times have

changed. We had cool refrigerator magnets and informative four-page brochures to give away (thanks again, Lex!).

We had a smaller photocopied handout with museum addresses, hours of operation, and upcoming events. And we had a drawing for historical books—either Big Bureau and Bright Prairies or Maps and Sketches by N. Matson.

We counted on these attractions to catch the attention of passing fairgoers in Exhibition Hall No. 1. What

we didn’t count on was the very hot weather that accompanied the start of the fair.

Heat indexes well above 100 degrees and high humidity depressed attendance for the first several days.

But, armed with a cooler packed with beverages and Sisler’s ice cubes, and sitting on lawn chairs next to pedestal fans, Herb and I and, in turn, four other BCHS Board members – Jon McCutchan, Joel PRESIDENT’S PEN, continued on pg 4

“On this day, history finally gets it right.” — Jim Dunn, BCHS Board President Throughout history, we have asked our Veterans to serve night and day, rain or shine. That was also the case on September 22nd of this year when we unveiled and dedicated the new monument recognizing Civil War Veterans whose names are not listed on the Soldiers and Sailors Monument.

Despite the somber weather, nearly 150 citizens joined the event led by The Princeton Veterans Organization.

It is a fitting monument for the history center campus of the Bureau County Historical Society.

In this issue, BCHS Curator Jessica Gray explores the life of Charles Moses, one of the soldiers on the new monument. He lived his life in Princeton and was known as “one of Princeton’s most respected citizens.”

We hope you will read about him and then visit the new monument.

Bureau County has on many occasions led the country in change. One of the most visible are the changes to labor law after the terrible Cherry Mine Disaster. BCHS Board President Jim Dunn writes about this disaster in this issue. Join us on November 4th in Cherry as we collaborate with the Cherry Mine Disaster Museum to bring to light what life was like before, during and after the horrific event that changed our country.

Explore your history!

Sincerely,

Lex Poppens Executive Director

Jessica Gray – Curator’s notes Rededicating ourselves to bringing untold stories to light

September 22, 2023, was a momentous day for The Bureau County Historical Society and the communities we represent.

Many hours were spent in preparation for the Civil War Monument Dedication – securing the catering, designing the invitations, arranging the speakers, double and triple checking all the men’s names were spelled correctly on the monument, and finally the installation of the 3,000 pound stone. We prepared for that day, and still it ended up being more than we expected. It was more emotional, more impactful, more joyful, and let’s be honest – more wet – than we imagined it would be.

The presence of Charles Moses’ descendants was powerful. The reenactors from the Shadows of the Blue and Gray lent an eerie sense the veil between worlds had thinned, and perhaps these men were with us, just beyond our reach.

In thinking about the service, the well of emotion that came up in me – particularly when the crowd spontaneously joined in with singer Cameo Humes on the last verse of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” and witnessing how emotional that in CURATOR’S NOTES, continued on pg 4 2

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BUREAU COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER | THE CHRONICLE | AUTUMN 2023 active role in our three-building campus. That will take a lot of money, which we must raise first.

CURATOR’S NOTES, from page 4

The history book drawings also were popular, as more than 50 people entered the contest. One winner was drawn for each day of the fair.

We encourage everyone to become invested—and I’m not only speaking in a financial sense — in this monument, in our history, and in the stories that move us toward being better, more informed people.

A highlight of the fair for me was talking to Gary Browning and his wife, Hope, who stopped by our booth on Friday of the fair. Gary told me he was BCHS Board president when the Historical Society bought the Bryant house at 634 S. Pleasant St. in Princeton, which we now know as the Newell-Bryant Museum.

Unlike large museums in densely populated cities, our work is both big and small, ambitious and simple. Simply put, this is your history within our walls. We tell your stories. We hope you’ll join us as we work to be better stewards of all that we’ve been given and we heartily thank you for the opportunity.

Gary and Hope recounted the many, many hours of work it took to transform the 1853 building into the jewel we enjoy today, complete with a research library.

Quiram, Curt Johnson and Bill Bouxsein – enjoyed greeting fair-goers, answering their questions, handing out magnets and brochures, and generally having good conversations while promoting the Historical Society’s mission.

The most-asked question was what will happen to the former Matson Public Library building, whose exterior, by coincidence, was being painted that week. Our long-term goal, of course, is to fix it up so it can play an

Jim Dunn

Dan Johns and Rick Marshall of GraniteWorks join City of Princeton employees, Erik Ellberg, Quint Quiram, Nick Rolando and Jacob Quiram after installing the Civil War Monument in Princeton, IL. Pictured (left to right): Erik Ellberg, Dan Johns, Rick Marshall Quint Quiram, Nick Rolando, Jacob Quiram

President, Bureau County Historical Society

CURATOR’S NOTES, from page 3

Veterans listed on the new Civil War Monument at the Sash Stalter Matson Building

turn made him – I was struck by the similarities between that ceremony, the monument unveiling, and well, the process of grieving.

Jack Allen

Henry Jackson

Hamilton Stokes

Robert Atkins

Thomas Jackson

George Baker

Dennis Johnson

Alexander Thomas

James Blake

Jacob Johnson

Robert Bland

Samuel Johnson

Horan Brown

John Jones

William Cofield

Franklin Lindsay

John Coleman

Andrew Manly

John Connor

Lewis Masters

John Cummings

Charles Moses

Joseph Davis

Wesley H. Patterson

Author and Grief Specialist Gary Moore suggests the following when mourning a loved one: Speak their name. Tell their stories. Live their legacy. Honor them on special days. Love them by taking care of ourselves.

It might seem strange to make that connection, but did we not go through most, if not all, of those steps in the course of the ceremony? This monument is a rare opportunity to rectify a very old wrong. I am hollowed out when I imagine the grief of those family members still living in Princeton in 1913 at the unveiling of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument when they realized their loved one’s name was not included. Their service and sacrifice had been forgotten. It was as if they had never been—not soldiers, not heroes, not members of our communities. That is an injustice we cannot ever fully make right.

But, moving forward, we can rededicate ourselves, both as individuals and as an institution, to rooting out all of our untold stories, and bringing them to you, our members and our communities, in new and interesting ways.

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I am so grateful for the lasting contributions of people like Gary and Hope to our Historical Society. Their efforts are an inspiration as we move forward to make the Bureau County Historical Society all that it can be!

CURATOR’S NOTES, continued on pg 5

John Edwards Abram Harrison Thomas Heckley James Henry Thomas Houston King Howard

Henry Prosson Rose Rhodes Joseph Sanders Jesse Smith Richard Smith

Libby Thompson Washington Turner William Washington (Concord Twp) William Washington (Westfield Twp) Aaron Wellcome Charles West John Williams Thomas Williams James Wilson James Winson

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BUREAU COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER | THE CHRONICLE | AUTUMN 2023 CHERRY MINE, from page 7

Crowds of mourners stand next to horse-drawn hearses in the aftermath of the Cherry Mine disaster.

A historical marker erected by the Illinois State Historical Society and the Illinois Department of Transportation tells the story of the Cherry Mine Disaster.

On November 14, 1909, the day after the disaster, visitors reached Cherry in whatever manner they could, including riding on top of the rail cars for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railway.

History of terrible tragedy is poignantly preserved

Cherry Mine Disaster took place 114 years ago

By Jim Dunn – President, Bureau County Historical Society Board

Major tragedies of the past carry lessons about which future generations can still learn and benefit.

For many years, people in the village of Cherry, Illinois, have been doing what they can to commemorate the Cherry Mine Disaster, which occurred on Nov. 13, 1909.

Fire that started deep in the St. Paul Coal Co. mine on the village’s north edge claimed the lives of 259 men and boys. The dead included 12 rescuers.

It widowed 160 women and robbed 390 children of their fathers.

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The disaster is considered the third most deadly in American coal mining history.

As a result of the Cherry Mine Disaster, child labor laws were strengthened and workman’s compensation laws were enacted.

Untold numbers of Americans benefited from those hard-won improvements in the law.

As an Illinois State Historical Society marker near the site of the mine states: “The disaster prompted the State Legislature to establish stricter regulations for mine safety and to

pass a Workmen’s Compensation Act, making an employer liable even when there is contributory negligence.”

Immediately to the south of the museum stands the Cherry Miners Memorial. One monument reads, “Dedicated to the 259 coal miners who lost their lives in the November 13, 1909 mine disaster at Cherry, Illinois.”

Another monument of reddish granite reminds a visitor of the color of the mine’s huge slag piles. They stood for decades as a mute reminder of the mine’s location until the state of Illinois had vegetation planted on the mountainous piles to limit erosion.

The names of the 259 victims are listed alphabetically on the monument, ranging from Carl Adomaitis, Alfeo Amedei and Carlo Armellani to Gaetano Zaccaria, Joseph Zekucia and Thomas Zhegley.

An additional monument contains the verses of AfterwardAt-Cherry, an anonymous poem that was published in the Bureau County Record on Dec. 22, 1909.

“When the dead have all been recovered and silently laid away.

The Cherry Mine Museum and Library preserves and tells the story of the tragedy. The museum is in the Village of Cherry office building at 105 S. Main St., which is across the street from the State Bank of Cherry.

When men have returned to their labor, and the children have gone back to play.

Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Wednesdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturdays. The number to call for an appointment is 815-894-2977.

When the long, long train of sleepers has crept away into the dawn.

CHERRY MINE, continued on page 7

Making History!

When the last reporter has vanished and the soldiers, too, have gone.

When they awake from their nightmare of horror and realize all they have lost.

CHERRY MINE, continued on page 9

On this date, May 18, 1915, the cornerstone of the Princeton Post Office was set.

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BUREAU COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER | THE CHRONICLE | AUTUMN 2023 CHERRY MINE, from page 7

The journey to recognition for 45 Black Civil War soldiers from Bureau County

PRESENTS

Former enslaved persons served with valor in difficult times A NIGHT OF

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA

Today it is nearly impossible to comprehend the full complexities of growing up enslaved in the South, in the decades preceding the Civil War, when the rights of Black people were not respected. It is hard to wrap one’s mind around the physical and emotional trauma of enslavement, of being separated from one’s family, and despite the fear, to run toward freedom, and if necessary, into battle to claim it forever.

The rights of Black men to fight in the Union Army for freedom was not a direct nor easy path. Nevertheless, it was a cause that would not be stopped.

One man’s path to freedom Charles Moses, 25, of Princeton, formerly of Kentucky, had escaped slavery and was living in Bureau County working as a farmer for approximately three years when he chose to enlist.

“I have tried to imagine how he looked,” said Moses’ great-granddaughter, Frances Clarke of Chicago. “What inspired him, and how he summoned the courage to become a soldier and serve a country that did not value his personhood.”

Clarke did not grow up hearing stories about Charles Moses or his military service. She said relatives have attributed this to the fact that “life was traumatic, and they didn’t want to look back.” It is only through recent genealogical research that she and her family have learned some of the stories that were not passed on.

Born into slavery around 1840 near Brandenburg, Kentucky, Moses was eventually separated from his parents by their slave owner when he was 4 years old.

In early 1862, when he was around 22 years old, his slave owner took him from Brandenburg, and traveled across the state 300 miles to New Madrid, Missouri, to the western theater of the war.

Daniel Thomas, approx. 1904, formerly of Brandenburg, Ky., who escaped slavery at the Battle of New Madrid in 1862, and later traveled to Bureau County with Adj. Aaron E. May of Tiskilwa, alongside Charles Moses.

FRI

7PM As luck would have it, another enslaved man from Brandenburg, Daniel Thomas, had also been brought to New Madrid by his slave owner and there the two became acquainted.

Shortly after federal troops arrived at New Madrid, Thomas escaped from his slave owner and attached himself to the 64th Regiment Illinois Infantry.

DECEMBER15TH

Then will come days of anguish, and nights when hearts will break.

There, the United Mine Workers of America, District 12, erected a poignant monument on Nov. 13, 1911, dedicated “To the memory of the miners who lost their lives in the Cherry Mine Disaster November 13, 1909.”

When grief-dimmed eyes are sleepless, and tired brains throb and ache.

The Illinois State Historical Society marker tells of the funds raised to help the families.

“More than $400,000 in relief funds was raised, and the Cherry Relief Commission was organized to distribute the funds. Another $400,000 was added as a result of the settlement made with the railroad company.”

A sorrowing woman, carved out of granite, sits on the front of the rectangular stone obelisk.

Overwhelmed by grief, she leans over, resting her head on her left hand, while in her right hand, resting below her knee, she holds a solitary wreath.

The statue, plainly visible from the highway, reminds passersby every day of the terrible tragedy that befell Cherry and Bureau County 114 years ago this coming November.

The graves of some of the mine disaster victims are in Miners’

103 S EUCLID AVE, PRINCETON, IL 61356

To purchase tickets, please visit:

WWW.CHRISTMASWIZARDS.EVENTBRITE.COM

Tombstones over the graves of miners John Cergovsk, John Shima and Andrew Lukachno, all of whom died in the Cherry Mine Disaster, stand side by side in the Miners’ Memorial Cemetery in Cherry.

Moses was now a free man, but living alone in a land far from all that was familiar to him. Imagining what that must have been like, Clarke recalled the words of her maternal grandfather.

“He said men of color are forced to dream differently.

Essentially, you know you are strong, smart, and can imagine limited possibilities, yet because of the color of your skin you are limited to your social construct.

For then they will suffer a thousand times more than the men who died in the pit.”

SALLY SKINNER COUNCIL AUDITORIM AT PRINCETON HIGH SCHOOL

According to Moses’ obituary, one night Thomas “went out into the country after his friend Moses and took him back with him” to the Union side. Having escaped from his slave owner, Moses became the servant of Adjutant Aaron E. May of Tiskilwa of the 64th Regiment, with whom he remained until May resigned June 28, 1862. After his resignation, May brought Moses and Thomas back to Bureau County with him.

JOURNEY, continued on page 10 8

Memorial Cemetery on Cherry’s southwest side along state Route 89.

Then they will need your pity, and the help your purse will permit,

By Jessica Gray – Curator, Bureau County Historical Society

Forty-five Black men living in Bureau County, most of whom had escaped slavery, became a part of the national conversation on this issue when they enlisted in early 1865 with the 29th U.S. Colored Infantry, as well as the 8th and 13th U.S. Colored Artillery.

When they understand the full disaster, and all of its frightful costs.

WWW.PRINCETONTOURISM.ORG QUESTIONS: 815.875.2631

The United Mine Workers of America dedicated this memorial to the victims of the Cherry Mine Disaster in 1913 in the Miners’ Memorial Cemetery in Cherry.

Pictured are the miners who escaped the mine disaster on Nov. 13, 1909.

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BUREAU COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER | THE CHRONICLE | AUTUMN 2023 JOURNEY, from page 10

DEMENTIA FRIENDLY PRINCETON A member of Dementia Friendly Illinois & an officially recognized Dementia Friendly America community.

The Illinois Cognitive Resource Network Illinois was recognized as a Dementia Friendly state in 2017, as part of Dementia Friendly America.

Dementia Friendly Illinois is about working with persons with dementia and their support systems.

Dementia Friendly Illinois aims to support the recognition of at least one community in each of the 13 Planning Service Areas in Illinois as being part of Dementia Friendly America.

Community Initiatives: 1) Caregiver Resource Kits 2) Caregiver Support Group (partnering w/Alzheimer’s Association) 3) Care Trak Bracelets (partnering w/local Law Enforcement) 4) Training for Community Members & Local Businesses 5) Caregiver Stress Busting Program - Dementia Friends

What YOU can do: Become a Dementia Friend!

Join the DF Princeton Action Team!

Arrange a FREE Dementia Friends training for your employees/volunteers!

Donate to the Care Trak Bracelets program.

Donations are being collected through:

Cherry Museum, BCHS to collaborate on November events The Cherry Mine Museum and Library and the Bureau County Historical Society will collaborate on presenting several events in November.

On Saturday, Nov. 4 starting at 1 p.m., three people will speak in succession at Holy Trinity Hall on Main Street in Cherry on the topic of the Cherry Mine Disaster. Scheduled speakers include authors Jim Ridings, Karen Tintori and Sally M. Walker.

Doors will open at 12:30 p.m., with speakers to make addresses at 1, 2 and 3 p.m.

On Thursday, Nov. 16, during the Bureau County Historical Society’s Annual Meeting, Jack Rooney will speak on the topic, “A day in the life of a Cherry Mine miner family.”

The annual meeting, which will take place from 6 to 9 p.m., will be at The Barn at Hornbaker Gardens, 22937 County Road 1140 N, Princeton.

Call Denise if your business would like to become a Dementia Friend!

SM-PR2062998

Contact: Bureau County Senior Center 6 W Marion St, Princeton, IL Phone: (815) 879-3981

JOURNEY, from page 8

I think of how far we have come and how little progress has been made, but I know that Charles had the courage to believe in the idea that all people are created equal,” Clarke said.

The history of Black men in the military According to the U.S. National Archives, free Black men had been attempting to enlist since the attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861, but had been turned away as a 1792 federal law barred them from serving in the army.

President Abraham Lincoln expressed concerns about allowing Black men to fight for fear that border states would secede. Nationally, there were questions loaded with racist undertones concerning the courage and dependability of Black soldiers under fire.

At the center of this growing issue was legislator and abolitionist Owen Lovejoy of Princeton. While the nation continued to reel from the devastating Union loss at the First Battle of Bull Run, Lovejoy spent a portion of the fall of 1861 serving with Gen. John C. Fremont’s staff at the Headquarters of the Western Division in Missouri as colonel of the infantry. Following the passage of the first Confiscation Act on Aug. 6, 1861, which authorized the seizure of property used to support the Confederacy, 10

For more information, call the BCHS at 815-875-2184

including slaves, Gen. Fremont took it one step further, declaring any enslaved people who crossed into the Western Division to be free. Lovejoy arrived on the scene in the weeks following Fremont’s order. Lincoln eventually relieved Fremont of his command for his insubordination.

In late November, with these developments on his mind, Lovejoy gave a speech promoting the idea of using Black troops to hasten the end of the war, but his initiative was not supported.

However, by mid-1862, the outlook of the war had changed. White volunteers for military service had declined, and the volume of formerly enslaved people crossing into Union territory had increased.

JOURNEY, continued on page 11

The government was forced to reconsider the issue.

In another chipping away at the rights of slaveholders, the Second Confiscation and Militia Act was passed on July 17, 1862, freeing slaves of civilian and Confederate military officials, but only in areas of the South occupied by the Union Army. Just a few days later, on July 22, 1862, Lincoln presented the first draft of the Emancipation Proclamation to his cabinet.

The Emancipation Proclamation was approved Jan. 1, 1863, freeing 4 million enslaved Black Americans in the South. One month later, Lovejoy put forth a Negro Regiment Bill with the aim of recruiting Black men to fight.

Although Lovejoy’s Negro Regiment Bill failed, following the Emancipation Proclamation, Black volunteers from South Carolina, Tennessee, and Massachusetts began to enlist. They would not be turned away, and by May 22, 1863, the government established the Bureau of Colored Troops to oversee the rapidly increasing enlistment numbers. In some areas, recruitment was slow because the salary of Black soldiers was less than that of white soldiers, and there was significant fear that, if caught, a Black soldier would be badly treated by the Confederates.

The formation of Illinois’ Black regiment On Oct. 26, 1863, Gov. Richard Yates issued General Order No. 44 to begin the recruitment of the 10 companies that would form the first Black regiment of Illinois volunteers.

Although Illinois was a free state, there remained a long history of racial prejudice perpetuated through the institution of the Black Codes, a series of laws that infringed upon the rights of Black men and women moving into the state.

In addition to the racial prejudice, the Black population of Illinois

was low. According to the 1860 census, the population of African Americans in Illinois was less than 8,000. Of that number, only 79 percent were males of military age.

However, formerly enslaved people fleeing Confederate states were also seeking freedom in Illinois and chose to enlist.

The 29th U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment was organized out of Quincy on April 24, 1864, and four days later, in Chicago, received a grand send-off with a meal provided by the ladies of the Soldier’s Home, which still stands today at 739 E. 35th St., now owned by the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Col. F.A. Eastman of Chicago stood before the crowd that had gathered for the send-off and proudly declared: “Regeneration is going on here; here, in Illinois, whose constitution and statues are disgraced by the infamous ‘black laws,’ light is breaking in. And the evidence of this is before us.”

Eastman vividly described the dangers that awaited them. Just 12 days before the 29th Regiment was organized at Quincy, some 300 African American troops were slaughtered at Fort Pillow in Tennessee. Confederate troops, commanded by Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, killed most of the Union troops occupying the garrison, despite receiving their surrender. According to accounts of survivors, the Confederate troops were particularly merciless to the Black soldiers.

“These men,” Eastman said, pointing at the soldiers before him while addressing the crowd and their commander, Lt. Col. John Bross, “must be cared for and protected. They are ennobled by their aspirations to liberate their race from bondage—they are made like unto ourselves by the uniforms they wear. For every life surrendered by them to rebel cruelty, the life of a rebel shall be

the forfeit. An act of torture for an act of torture—that should be the policy of our Government. But we must first get even with the brutal foe. These colored troops should take no prisoners until the massacre at Fort Pillow is avenged.”

Bureau County men join the fight On Jan. 24, 1865, while the siege of Petersburg was ongoing, Moses enlisted in Peoria alongside Franklin Lindsay, 29, of Ohio, Illinois, formerly of Tennessee, and Abram Harrison, 18, of Princeton, formerly of Mississippi.

“I can only imagine that Charles, who was enslaved, removed from his family, and later responded to a call to service [did so] as a means to overcome obstacles encountered by people of color. I wondered if he imagined a world where society is just and all people are treated and valued equally,” she added.

Over the following weeks, 42 more Black men from Bureau County would enlist.

Although the men from Bureau County were not present for the start of the siege of Petersburg the year before, they joined the battle-weary and diminished 29th Regiment for the conclusion on March 25, 1865. They marched into the burning remains of the city singing “John Brown’s Body.”

The 29th Regiment was among the 13,630 troops serving in the all-black 25th Corps to occupy Richmond, Va., on April 3, 1865, and they were present a week later at Appomattox Courthouse for Gen. Robert E. Lee’s surrender.

In May, the 29th Regiment, and the rest of the 25th Corps, were ordered to Texas to serve as the Army of Occupation to protect the southern border from French interference from Mexico. They left City Point, Va., on May 25, 1865. Although their travels by sea ensured they left the horrors of the battlefields behind, JOURNEY, continued on page 14 11

BUREAU COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER | THE CHRONICLE | AUTUMN 2023

An incredible year with so much more to come!

By Lex Poppens, Executive Director, Bureau County Historical Society

A campus, new exhibits, a garage sale, stunning discoveries, a retooled Chronicle and much more describes the past year.

We opened two new exhibits that spoke to the people of our county. Curator Jessica Gray wanted museum patrons to see the human side of Grace Clark Norris and her family as well as the many Veterans from Bureau County who served bravely in wars as far back as the Revolutionary War. Each exhibit was created to be self-guided so patrons could take their time reading the stories we discovered.

In March, we opened the exhibit dedicated to Grace Clark Norris. The exhibit also kicked off our 2nd annual salute to the Significant Women of Bureau County during Women’s History Month. The month of March was designated as Women’s History Month in 1980 by former President Jimmy Carter. This year, we recognized Grace Clark Norris, Abigail Nichols, Edith Strand and Priscilla McQueen. The “Getting to Know Grace” exhibit was quite popular and was extended until the end of April.

The summer also marked our first college intern in recent times. Brynn Hieronymus joined us as part of her study of history at Cedarville University. As Brynn and the museum staff went through every nook and cranny of the museum property, we found treasured letters from soldiers to their families. Brynn transcribed these heartfelt letters for museum patrons to read. We also compiled audio recordings of Veterans from WWII and Vietnam.

A listening station has been set up for patrons to listen to historic recollections of our country during conflict.

BCHS Board Member Jon McCutchan (right) with Don and Diane Evans at the BCHS booth at the Bureau County Fair.

The Society went to the Bureau County Fair this year and had a table with information and posters of times past for patrons to enjoy.

Although the heat was significant, the BCHS Board Members greeted people throughout the week and gave away books and magnets.

During Homestead, there was a BCHS Garage Sale that raised a significant amount of money which will support our upcoming events and programs.

September 22nd was probably one of the most significant dates of the year. With special thanks to Gary Johnson (Johnson Delivery Service), our community came together to unveil and dedicate a new monument to the Black Veterans whose names were not listed on the current Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Princeton. The new monument is now part of the historic district located in front of the Sash Stalter Matson Building on Park Avenue East. Representative Ryan Spain was the keynote speaker, and the Princeton Veterans Organization presented a folded

flag to Civil War Veteran Charles Moses’ Great Granddaughter, Frances Clarke. Funding for the event was also provided by grants from the City of Princeton, the Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce and the Bureau County Board.

Although there are still a couple of events happening in 2023, plans are already in place for 2024. One of the new exhibits will be so big, one might say it is of “Titanic” size! Look for the 2024 opening in March. Thank you to our donors and members for their support!

Military Appreciation Month was celebrated with the opening of our new Veterans Exhibit. For many years, a portion of this exhibit was located on the second floor of the Clark Norris Museum. By moving it to the Newell Bryant Museum, we were able to increase the exhibit from three rooms to five and display nearly all our artifacts. Forty percent of the new exhibit’s artifacts had never been on display before!

Front Row: Bill Bousxein, Mike Hult, Pam Pratt, Ann Lasson, Becky Kramer Back Row: Lex Poppens, Herb Rhees, Jim Dunn Not pictured, Steve Bouslog

Due to its popularity, the Veterans Exhibit has been extended to mid-December of 2023.

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Jim Dunn and Frances Clarke unveil the new Civil War veterans monument on Sept. 22, 2023.

FUN FACT!

Come December, it will be 75 years since the Bureau County Historical Society held its first open house at the Society’s new home, the Clark Norris Museum, 109 Park Avenue West in Princeton. BCHS leaders hosted about 200 guests on Dec. 12, 1948, at a benefit tea and reception from 3 until 6 p.m. and again from 7 until 10 p.m. President Frank W. Grisell and Executive Vice President Margaret T. Grove greeted the public in the former home of Grace Clark Norris, who bequeathed her stately brick mansion, built in 1900, to provide the Historical Society with a permanent home.

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BUREAU COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER | THE CHRONICLE | AUTUMN 2023 JOURNEY, from page 11

their struggles were far from over.

The journey was plagued by bad storms, and three men of the 29th Regiment would die at sea between June 2 and June 12, 1865. Shortly thereafter they went ashore at New Orleans where 23 men would die, presumably from disease, between July 5 and Sept. 25.

It is estimated the 29th Regiment arrived at Galveston June 18-20, making it likely some of them were present for Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger’s announcement that all slaves in Texas were freed, a date now recognized and celebrated as Juneteenth, the official end of slavery in this country.

drowning death of at least one man, Pvt. John Parker, on July 20.

Their arrival at the barracks must have been an eye-opening experience for the men as French and Spanish were being spoken around them. According to the National Park Service, the men spent most of their time cutting wood, policing camp, and performing maintenance and construction tasks at the fort. By the conclusion of their service in the fall of 1865, eight more men had died.

Weather in Texas in late June was very hot, with no shade trees available, and nearly all sources of water were brackish. The men likely would have removed their wool uniforms and gone down to their cotton fatigues to stay cool. They remained on that treeless, sandy spit of land for two days before beginning their 120-mile march on foot to Ringgold Barracks, located in Rio Grande City.

Sgt. Peter Cooper of Co. G, from Dayton, Ohio, became incapacitated on the march due to swollen legs and circulatory problems. After the war, Cooper would later move to Princeton where he spent the last eight years of his life as a blacksmith. He died in Princeton June 14, 1900 of yellow jaundice and was described as a “peaceable, industrious man,” who lived, in part, off his $17-permonth soldier’s pension.

The men of the 29th Regiment finally reached Ringgold Barracks on July 22, 1865.

Everywhere they traveled, men were left behind sick with illness and disease. Ten men from the 29th Regiment would die at Brownsville, Texas, between July 26 and Sept. 16. Their travels alongside the Rio Grande River resulted in the

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On the day after Christmas 1865, Charles Moses stood in a home on South Church Street and married Priscilla Parham, a formerly enslaved woman from Hickman, Kentucky. They lived in Princeton on Marion Street and raised eleven children. Moses would support his family as a teamster and laborer and was well-respected by his community.

His obituary in the Bureau County Tribune stated he was an “industrious and reliable colored man of good behavior and whose word was speaking good at all times and on all occasions.” The church was filled to capacity by whites and Blacks for his funeral in 1908.

Priscilla Moses would continue to live in Princeton until her death in 1934 when she was over 100 years old. They are both buried at Oakland Cemetery.

Despite the struggles these Black men endured to serve their country, by 1912 when the Soldiers and Sailors Monument was erected in Princeton and 3,117 names were included on plaques, their names were not among them.

With the installation of a new monument on the Bureau County Historical Society property listing all 45 names of the Black soldiers who served, a 111-year-old wrong has been corrected.

On Oct. 11, they left Fort Ringgold and traveled back to Brownsville where they mustered out on Nov. 6, 1865. They had completed four months of service in South Texas and saw the final conclusion of the war.

They traveled back to Illinois via steamboat, arriving at Camp Butler in Springfield on Nov. 17. In the entirety of their service, the 29th Regiment lost 234 men from battle and disease.

“These men sacrificed for a country that didn’t value them as a person and yet they served. I appreciate the sacrifice of the men who served regardless of their social situation.

I wonder if they imagined that the sacrifice of responding to a call to service was part of a journey to equality. I appreciate the Bureau County Historical Society for giving these men the dignity they may not have received after their service,” Clarke said.

Donor Thanks What a year this has been, and the future is only getting brighter!

Fundraising is always a part of a nonprofit. We have two cycles a year. First is our summer membership campaign.

This is the time of year our patrons renew their memberships, and we actively seek new museum patrons. Many of our Life members give during this campaign to “refresh” their life membership with a donation. Our second fundraising campaign is in November. This is our Annual Fund Campaign and certainly has the greatest impact on our yearly revenue.

Memberships and donations are the life blood of the Bureau County Historical Society. This year, nearly 65% of our annual operating budget comes from these two budget lines. Grants, investments, sales and research make up the other 35% of our budget. Every little bit helps.

This year, through the support of our members and donors, we are able to provide new exhibits, several events, maintain the three properties on our campus and move forward to preserve our collective history.

Our plans for 2024 are nearly complete. We are planning two new exhibits and multiple events that support them.

To our donors and current members, we continue to say, “Thank You!” The best is yet to come!

BCHS wishes to acknowledge the following for their generosity.

Marjorie Albrecht JoAnn Albrecht Laurie Anderson Greg & Marilyn Anthony Thomas Ashby Mark Austin Kathy Ballard Susan Barlow Daryl Becker Chuck Beckett Franklin Bernhard James Blanford Betty Boehle Bill Bouxsein Mr. & Mrs. Derek Boggs David & Jone Booth Steve & Carla Bouslog J. Birney Brown Bill & Sandy Brown Chris Bubash James & Darlene Cahill Rita Calvert Gene Cattani Lori Cekander Randall D. Christensen Rick & Robin Clary Bea Coates N. Dana Collins Ed Council & Bridget McManus Doug & Sarah Criner

Phillip Cunningham Deborah Cushman Marshall Cusic, Jr. John & Mary Damon Liz & Mike Denius Todd Dennis-Weber Dennis & Dorothy Denton Wilma Devins Ilene Devlin Dennis & Donna Dickison Carolyn Diller Patricia Downs Gordon & Carol Dremann Maureen Droessler & James Gassen Jim & Jamie Dunn Gary & Marilyn Eckberg Dave & Kay Elmore Paul & Linda Ernst Robert Eschbach Yvonne Etheridge Marie Etter E. Garnet Fay Stephanie and Matt Foes Leslie & Robert Freedman John & Susan Garvin Charlie Gebeck Advance Event Group Bob & Judy Glaser Gayle Grace Marvin Grimes

Joe & Judy Gugerty Becky Guither Steve Gunning & Sarah Cooper Linda Gustafson Carol & Richard Haas Shirlee Harper Peggy & Bill Harrison Betsy Jones Hayes Norma Hedges Nancy Heiden Michael Herrmann Ted DeDee & Pamela Hinchman Clayton Hock Patricia A. Hood Pam Housekeeper Jeff Huss Rodney & Marcie Jaggers Robert & Sandy Jeffrey Curt Johnson Gary Johnson Terry & Rodney Johnson James & Jane Jones Lucille Kann Laura Kann & Wick Warren Ann Kerr Catherine Kirby Robin Kiser Mike Kohr Dr. Elvin & Connie Krabill

Becky Kramer Sarah Newton LaMoille Elementary School Bart & Linda Niemuth Jane Lampkin James Nowlan Mr. & Mrs. Avrum Lank Marcia Obenhaus Ann Lasson Anita Obenhaus Bill Livey Connie L. & Brad Oeder Betty Ann Losey Jeanne O’Melia Dr. Louis & Barbara Lukancic Randy Pace Wayne L Lundberg Bob & Sherri Parker Martin & Tracy Makransky Sue Pawula Debra Maniar Gail & Betty Peterson Pam Martin David & Judith Peterson Dr. Jeff & Leanne Martin Lois Peterson Daniel Martinkus Sharon Phillips Melinda Matson Fred Pierson Sue May June Bradley Piper Henry & Laural Maze Marco Pizzamiglio Roger & Linda McCabe Rita Placek Kim & Jay McCracken Pat Polson Julia McCutchan Eric Poppens Jon McCutchan Lex Poppens Lexi Mecum Mary Poppens Jennifer Merth Timothy Poppens Jan Milles Janice Porto Jeffrey Monroe Pamela Pratt Marsh Skip Moore Dr. Timothy & Mrs. Puhr Rebecca Mount Joel Quiram Patti & Sean Moynihan Warren & Pat Reinhardt Judith Mugerdichian Herb Rhees Peter Nelson Edd & Karen Robinson Michael Nelson Jack Rooney

Deron Rueff Bob & Deb Russell Daniel K. Russell Don & Lisa Saletzki Bob Sash Deanne & Tim Sayles Bob & Pam Schabow Harry D. Schaller Barbara Schiff Tim Schlindwien MIchael Scott Janet Serbe Mr. & Mrs. William Shaw Kenneth D. & Diann R. Shenlund Bruce & Suzanne Shriver Sandy Siedband Nedda Simon Eleanor Skoog Kathy Smith Ryan M. Smith Tyler Smith John & Lynda Smith Cheryl A. Smith Frank Snow Danny Sollum Tony & Donna Sorcic Alissa Soria Christine Poppens Spencer Junedale Straka Doris Streit

Harold & Brenda Streit Ryan Keutzer Studio K Architecture Clare & Jay Suarez Joanne Swan Jim & Pat Swanson Thalia Tarsinos Kay Telfer Karen Thompson Dennis and Linda Thompson Jeff Tonkinson Esther Tracy Don Vernon Deborah Vetter Bruce & Kathy Vickrey Charles Waca Lt. Col. Dick Wells (Ret.) Dick & Ruth Welte Robert Wheeler Ann Field Williams James H. & Sharon F. Wilson Troy Windt Eliott Wolfe Carolyn Workman Judy Wright Ron Yarger Victoria Yepsen

*Donations made between October 1, 2022 and September 15, 2023. If your name is not listed, please give us a call at 815.875.2184.

BUREAU COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OFFICERS President – Jim Dunn Vice President – Dan Martinkus Treasurer – Lexi Mecum Secretary – Eliott Wolfe

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Steve Bouslog Bill Bouxsein N. Dana Collins Herb Rhees Stephanie Foes Curt Johnson Becky Kramer Ann Lasson

109 Park Avenue West, Princeton, IL 61356

Jon McCutchan Joel Quiram Tori Yepsen EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lex Poppens MUSEUM ASSOCIATES Jessica Gray – Curator Mike Hult – Research Pam Pratt – Sales/Sponsorships

museum@bureauhistory.org

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Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit #624 Princeton, IL 61356

109 Park Avenue West, Princeton, IL 61356

Interested in a tour?

815.875.2184 Visit our website for information about becoming a Historical Society Member!

bureauhistory.org COVER IMAGE Closeup of the grieving woman who is depicted on a memorial to the victims of the Cherry Mine Disaster in the Miners’ Memorial Cemetery in Cherry.

The Bureau County Historical Society is defined as a non-profit organization under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Thank you for your support; Shadows of the Blue and Gray.

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