BCHS Winter 2022 Chronicle

By Jim Dunn, President, Bureau County Historical Society Board of Directors

Had it been a different era, reporters might have asked First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt the following question at the election night celebration in her Hyde Park, New York home on Nov. 5, 1940:

“Mrs. Roosevelt, you made history this year by becoming the first wife of a U.S. president to address the Democratic National Convention, and now your husband, Franklin, has just won an unprecedented third term. What are you going to do next?”

“I’m going to Princeton, Illinois!” Eleanor might have said with a smile.

Ten days later, that’s exactly where Eleanor Roosevelt found herself – addressing a capacity crowd in Princeton High School’s auditorium on the topic, “The Individual’s Responsibility to the Community.”

Completing her eighth year as first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962), then 56, kept busy traveling, writing and speaking in support of her husband, also known as FDR, whose mobility was severely limited by polio. Eleanor could go where her husband could not, and so she happily did! In the process, she became the most impactful of all first ladies to date.

The Bureau Valley Civic League sponsored Roosevelt’s Nov. 15th appearance at PHS. As the first lady traveled by automobile from Chicago to Princeton, population about 5,200, she likely knew she was entering Republican territory. Bureau County voters had supported the Republican presidential nominee, Wendell Willkie, by more than a 3-to-2 margin over her husband.

One of the local newspapers was even named the Bureau County Republican. With regard to FDR’s wife, its coverage reflected its partisan name.

Still smarting from Willkie’s defeat, Republican publishers H.U. Bailey and J.W. Bailey apparently failed to assign a reporter to cover Eleanor Roosevelt’s speech. Instead, the Republican’s post-speech story relied on what Eleanor wrote about it in her daily newspaper column -- which wasn’t much.

She wrote that upon arriving in Princeton, her driver became confused and couldn’t find the high school right away.

The Bureau County Republican’s frontpage headline on Nov. 21, 1940 seized upon that fact: “First lady nearly lost in Princeton; Reports in column of difficulty in finding high school.”

The BCR story quoted other items from her column where she mentioned her admiration for the “remarkably fine” high school building, praised the “very productive agricultural area” in the Princeton region, and touted her husband’s NYA (National Youth Administration) for its help to local schools.

The BCR story countered that “local school men … have never been enthusiastic about the value of the National Youth Administration.”

BCR coverage the previous week raised questions about the speaking fees the first lady was paid. The post-speech story gave unattributed remarks by audience members that her address was either “disappointing”

From The President’s Pen

R oll models f R om life – and histo R y

The Bureau County Historical Society is an organization I’ve long admired. From my years as a student growing up in Bureau County, to my days as a newspaper reporter, editor and general manager over two stints at the Bureau County Republican, to my retirement several years ago, I have appreciated the impressive things this group has accomplished.

When offered the opportunity to serve on the BCHS Board of Directors, I was happy to accept. Later came the chance to serve as secretary, and now, with President Kathy Cartwright’s retirement, I look forward to serving the BCHS in a new leadership role.

So, how did I get interested in history in the first place? I guess I have my family members to thank, particularly my father, Jay Dunn, who liked to read biographies of famous Americans and talk about them at the dinner table. From those conversations spiced with anecdotes about Henry Ford, Charles Lindbergh and John Deere, I took an interest in the lives of people who populated American history. I discovered the local library’s Childhood of Famous Americans collection, checked out many of those orange-backed books, and eagerly devoured stories about George Washington, Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln, Betsy Ross, Molly Pitcher and Helen Keller.

What boys and girls, apart from their parents, grandparents and other adults in their lives, couldn’t use a few more inspirational role models?

Over time after learning more about Bureau County history, I came to realize that role models aren’t limited to the national scene. They are plentiful here, too.

For example, the Rev. Owen Lovejoy’s indefatigable courage in his 19th century fight against slavery and injustice remains an example that must not be lost upon us in the 21st century. A pastor turned congressman, Lovejoy strongly supported President Abraham Lincoln’s efforts to end slavery. The restoration of Lovejoy’s home

BCHS welcomes new board members and leadership

At the November 16, 2022 meeting of the Society Board of Directors, the nominating committee submitted the names of new board members and the new leadership. New members to the board include Becky Guither, Becky Kramer, Ann Lasson, Herb Rhees and Tori Yepsen. In addition, Jim Dunn was named the new President of the Board. Rounding out the Executive Committee are Dan Martinkus (Vice President), Lexi Mecum (Treasurer) and Eliott Wolfe (Secretary). Join us in welcoming our new board members! Be sure to read The President’s Pen by Jim Dunn in this issue.

The membership received proxy vote information in November. Please take a moment and forward your proxy vote for the board meeting on January 18, 2023.

five decades ago was the impetus for Princeton’s popular Homestead Festival.

John Howard Bryant, one of the four Bryant brothers who moved to Bureau County in its early days, left his mark on local history in the areas of government, education, public service, journalism and poetry. I appreciate Bryant’s description of autumn as “the year’s last, loveliest smile.” Bryant’s stately brick home still stands at the entrance to Bryant Woods in Princeton.

I admire Doris Parr Leonard, who edited “Big Bureau and Bright Prairies,” the 260-page county historical book published by the Bureau County Board of Supervisors in 1968, Illinois’ sesquicentennial year. What a massive undertaking that was! And it has stood the test of time.

It’s hard to beat the generosity of Grace Clark Norris, who bequeathed her elegant three-story brick mansion to the Historical Society in the 1940s. What a unique museum it has become.

Within the BCHS, I think of Maude Trimble, the leader of the Historical Society Board during a long stretch of the 20th century. In more recent times, I think of Roger Gustafson and Linda Gustafson, who both served as presidents of the board. It was Linda who recruited yours truly to join up. And I think of Kathy Cartwright, a 30-year board member who stepped forward upon Linda’s retirement to serve as president this past year. These wonderful leaders will certainly serve as role models for me.

With the support of our members and volunteers, we continue to collect, preserve and share the history of Bureau County, looking to our local role models for inspiration. After all, it is upon their shoulders that we stand.

Sincerely,

Jim Dunn

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LETTER

We received many positive compliments from the last newsletter where we visited Neponset and revealed Dr. Bertelsen’s invention of the hovercraft. In this edition, we visited Spring Valley and discovered that Buddy Holly was to have played at the Les Buzz Ballroom but died tragically just three days before his concert. We hope you enjoy John Purvis’ article about this former entertainment venue.

Our incoming Board President, Jim Dunn, continues to write articles for The Chronicle too. Eighty-two years ago, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited Bureau County and spoke at Princeton High School. As Jim notes in his article, the county supported President Roosevelt’s rival, Wendell Willkie, by a 3 to 2 margin. Despite that, the event was sold out!

This year, our focus will be to digitize the Immke Collection. These amazing glass slides are by far the most requested by those seeking information on their family history. Earlier this month, we were visited by a couple from Ohio State. They were referred to us by our friends at the Bureau County Genealogical Society and decided to make an impromptu visit. After a bit of research, we discovered a relative of theirs from the late 1800’s. It is always rewarding to present visitors with an image of a family member they didn’t know existed.

I am delighted to announce the addition of Jessica Gray to our staff as Museum Associate-Curator. We are working on a full slate of events and new exhibits for the 2023 year. Be sure to check the events page on our website for updates.

There are not enough words to thank Kathy Cartwright for her support during this past year. Kathy’s passion for history and love for the Society has spanned 30 years. It has been an honor to work with her as we navigated the challenges of the pandemic and restarting our organization.

Finally, thank you for your support over the past year. We have made great forward progress that will enable your Bureau County Historical Society to flourish in the future. We will continue to explore our county and discover the many wonderful people, past and present, who make Bureau County an extraordinary place to live.

In the meantime, explore your history today!

Bureau County Historical Society names Jessica Gray Museum Associate-Curator

Jessica Gray, the new Museum Associate-Curator at the Bureau County Historical Society, stands in the gift shop at the Newell/Bryant House at 634 South Pleasant, Princeton. The Society has numerous historic keepsakes that would make unique Christmas gifts for history buffs.

The board of the Bureau County Historical Society announces Jessica Gray has been named Museum Associate-Curator of the Bureau County Historical Society (BCHS).

“Jessica has had a significant impact on the Society as a board member,” said Lex Poppens, Executive Director of BCHS. “Her background as a Project Manager with Midwest Partners, Newspaper Reporter with the Bureau County Republican and other roles gives her a unique perspective on our operation. Her new position will allow us to plan new exhibits and expanded events for the future.”

“The coming months are going to be an exciting time for the Bureau County Historical Society,” said Gray. “I am so excited to join the staff of the Bureau County Historical Society. It is such an honor to have the faith and trust of the Board to fulfill the needs of this position. I look forward to being a part of planning events that highlight the unique and lengthy history of our county.”

As Museum Associate-Curator, Jessica will be responsible for creating new exhibits utilizing the current BCHS collection and facilities. “As BCHS expands its reach deeper into our county, her background with area schools will help introduce children and young people to our history,” said Poppens.

FUN FACT

Source: “Big Bureau and Bright Prairies”

Lex Poppens

Bureau County was named for Pierre de Beuro, a fur trader who in 1776 established a trading post along the Illinois River below the mouth of Bureau Creek.

or “wonderful.”

“Apparently, it was largely a matter of pre-formulated viewpoint,” the BCR story stated.

Strangely, the BCR story compared the size of Roosevelt’s crowd to the larger size of a crowd that had recently attended an unrelated Jeannette McDonald singing concert at the much larger Shrine Temple in Peoria.

“When Mrs. Roosevelt appeared at the high school, the seats were all sold and many additional orders including those from distant points could not be filled, but there was no one on the outside of the building either upon her entrance or her departure, being in marked contrast to the noted singer.”

It is not known whether readers realized that comparing Eleanor to Jeannette was like comparing apples to oranges.

The BCR story concluded as follows: “Mrs. Roosevelt was well received by the crowd at the high school but there was no special enthusiasm either on her appearance or at her departure. When she was presented on the platform, she was given a rising salute which started near the platform and extended throughout the room.”

As luck would have it, a reporter with the Kewanee Star Courier actually attended the first lady’s 8 p.m. address and wrote all about it.

Under the headline “First Lady tells need of preparing youth for duty,” reporter Ralph Armstrong’s story included numerous remarks by Roosevelt, whom he described as “gracious and charming.”

According to Armstrong, Dr. George Kirby of Spring Valley introduced the first lady. She was presented a basket of white chrysanthemums by three smiling Princeton Girl Scouts – Barbara Haberkorn, Barbara Dahlgren and Lillian Adams.

Standing 5-foot-10 with blue eyes and brown hair flecked with gray, the first lady wore a long dark dress and a patterned shawl as she waited on the PHS stage for the ovation to subside before talking about the difficult times America faced.

Stateside, the U.S. economy had yet to fully recover from the Great Depression. Overseas, totalitarian regimes were on the march. Nazi Germany had overrun France the previous June and chased British soldiers out of Dunkirk. Britain endured deadly raids from Nazi bombers. Axis powers Japan and Italy also threatened peace.

Roosevelt told her Princeton audience, “We are preparing for defense, but we are the only nation in the world today that can prepare for peace.”

She said after peace was eventually attained, America’s young people must be involved in making American democracy work.

“They’ve got to be prepared – got to be backed by every older person,” she said.

“We have to make our young people believe as passionately in our form of government as the foreigners do in Communism, Fascism or Naziism, that they must live day by day in a belief in democracy.”

Referring to tough times at home and abroad, Roosevelt said American citizens must stand up for democracy by actively supporting it. Patriotism alone wasn’t enough, she said.

“We have to show that we know what it means to live in a democracy,” she said. “We have had rights for so long, we have taken them for granted … have forgotten that you have to give

something, too.”

The U.S. would not enter World War II for another year, but Roosevelt said she believed a post-war international organization, similar to the failed League of Nations, was needed to keep the peace.

“All nations must become a part of it. We can leave none out to become lone wolves,” she said.

Roosevelt wrapped up her speech and fielded a few questions from the audience. Then she bid farewell to Princeton and headed back to Chicago.

Shouldering responsibility, a theme in Eleanor Roosevelt’s address, is a duty she did not shirk. Throughout World War II, she involved herself in traveling, writing, volunteering, and speaking in support of her husband’s administration and the war effort.

After FDR died in 1945, she accepted an appointment to the U.S. delegation to the fledgling United Nations, where she led efforts to write and pass the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She remained a moral beacon for freedom lovers until her death at age 78.

For Eleanor Roosevelt, greatness as a trailblazing first lady and diplomat is her lasting legacy. For Princeton, the story of its brush with Roosevelt’s greatness is worth remembering.

Author’s note: Sources for this article are Bureau County Republican archives, Kewanee Star Courier archives, “This I Remember” by Eleanor Roosevelt, “The Roosevelts: An Intimate History” by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns, fdrlibrary.org, and Wikipedia.

Note to readers: Jim Dunn, a retired editor of the Bureau County Republican, is president of the Bureau County Historical Society Board.

Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt return to the White House following his election to a third term as president. Ten days after the November 1940 election, Eleanor Roosevelt spoke in front of a packed auditorium at Princeton High School.

FDR Library Photo

Star attractions in Bureau County Les-Buzz Ballroom hosted many big names

By John Purvis, Bureau County Historian

Long before television was a major attraction, the weekend meant putting on your best clothes and gathering at one of the many social hubs in the area. In Bureau County, the place to be seen was at Spring Valley’s LesBuzz Ballroom.

The Les-Buzz, which got its name from the two owners, Lester Dheese and Arthur “Buzz” Verucchi, opened in August 1949 as a roller rink. A year later, the Jimmy Palmer Band, the first of many bands, appeared on December 30, 1950.

After that, some of the biggest names in the music world would come to Spring Valley, including the Glenn Miller Band, Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Tex Beneke, the Dorsey Brothers, Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, Duke Ellington and Les Brown and his Band of Renown.

Big band and television star Lawrence Welk also appeared at this famous Spring Valley venue.

When rock and roll became popular, the ballroom changed its tune and booked bands for new audiences. Big-name stars like Bobby Darin, Fats Domino, the Everly Brothers and Bobby Rydell performed there.

The Winter Dance Party featuring Buddy Holly and the Crickets with the Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens and Dion and the Belmonts were scheduled to play on February 7, 1959. Tragically, on February 3, Holly, Valens and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa. a few days before they were scheduled to appear. Frankie Avalon became the headliner with Jimmy Clanton, the Crickets and Frankie Sardo appearing instead.

In a separate concert, when singer Tommy Sands appeared, over 2,000 screaming fans packed into the building.

The list of pop stars featured at the Les-Buzz Ballroom also includes Andy Williams, Fabian, Conway Twitty, Sammy Kaye, Vaughn Monroe, Johnny and the Hurricanes, Bill Haley, Sonny James, Dick Jurgens, Gene Krupa and Billy May.

In 1961, the Les-Buzz Ballroom hosted its last band and shuttered its doors. The building is no longer there, but if you drive past the location on a Friday night, you might just imagine catching a glimpse of a fervent crowd and hearing the faint echoes of the Big Band era.

Note to readers: The Bureau County Historical Society would like to thank Tony Mautino, Rick Fusinatto and the Spring Valley Historic Association located at 201 W. St.

Louis Armstrong

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COCKTAILS AND CONVERSATIONS

RAT PACK PARTY A SUCCESS!

The Bureau County Historical Society’s beautiful Clark/ Norris Museum was filled with music and laughter on October 8 as best-selling author André Darlington regaled the guests with stories and the history of the preferred beverages of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammie Davis, Jr.

“Princeton is such a warm town; it speaks volumes that I feel like I made real connections there in just 36 hours. It is really exciting to present to a crowd that is as engaged and engaging as the members of the historical society,” said Darlington.

During the first Cocktails and Conversations fundraiser hosted by the BCHS, delicious hors d’oeuvres were prepared and served by Optimal Health. The beverage menu featured four drinks from the “Rat Pack” -- bourbon/whiskey manhattan, scotch old fashioned, vodka Julep and sparkling wine Julep.

We’d like to thank our corporate partners, The Barrel Society, FlatsAtElmPlace.com and Midwest Partners, as well as our many individual sponsors for helping us launch this inaugural soirée!

M aintenance W ish L ist

Future capital and program projects - Scholarship funds for high school and college/university internships - Memorial Day 2023 Exhibit - Alarm System for facilities - Paint the trim and outside of the Matson Library - Tuck point the Clark/Norris Museum

- Replace the porch door of the Clark/Norris Museum - Repair or replace the disabled door of the Newell/Bryant Museum

- Research room lighting - 2nd floor light switch wedding gown room of the Newell/ Bryant Museum

- Research room walls leaching/paint peeling

- Level the entry before the stairs of the research room - Central air conditioning for the Clark/Norris Museum - Gutter repair north/east/center of the Clark/Norris Museum - Past Perfect Program for collection

Staff Wish List

- Small, countertop microwave - Desktop Printer - Printer paper - Coffee maker

FUN FACT

Source: Wikipedia

Lori Rumbold of Optimal Health, Princeton talks to Starved Rock County Community Foundation Founder Pamela Beckett about the hors d’oeuvres selection.

(L to R) Tori Yepsen, Ryan and Matt Keutzer, Liz and Tony Bonucci

BUREAU COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

109 Park Avenue West

Princeton, Illinois 61356

Phone: (815) 875-2184

museum@bureaucountyhistoricalsociety.com www.bureaucountyhistoricalsociety.com

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Bureau County Historical Society

Museum & Library

Visit the BuReau County histoRiCal museum

Explore local history, take a tour or browse our research library. Tours include both the historic Newell-Bryant and Clark-Norris homes on Princeton’s Courthouse Square. Research Library contains references from across the County, H.W. lmmke portraits, the Bill Lamb Collection and “Out of the Past” files.

Museum and Research Library Hours

Wednesday--Saturday Noon - 5:00 P.M. Please call to schedule tours.

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

BUREAUCOUNTYHISTORICALSOCIETY.COM

109 Park Avenue West - Princeton, IL 61356 (815) 875-2184