Town of Normal: 150 Years

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Town of Normal 150th Anniversary — The Pantagraph, Thursday, September 10, 2015

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Town of Normal 150th Anniversary — The Pantagraph, Thursday, September 10, 2015

The Flying Walendas

All eyes will be to the sky as Tino Wallenda crosses Uptown Circle on a cable four stories above the ground without a net on Saturday, September 12 in Uptown Normal. Wallenda, whose grandfather Karl introduced him to the wire at age seven, continues to perform well into his 60s. The accomplished performer has walked over rivers, a water fall, lions, tigers and man eating sharks.

His highest walk was over Denver where he balanced 179 feet in the air for a distance of 3,300 feet.

Wallenda’s Skywalk will cap off a day filled with circus performances. To commemorate its 150th anniversary, Normal is going back in time to the first half of the 20th century when the community was home to circus families anchored here when they weren’t touring the country with the big top.

The Flying Wallendas, including Tino, his wife and children, will perform twice above Constitution Boulevard just north of Uptown Circle. Their performances will follow those of ISU’s Gamma Phi, one of the oldest collegiate circuses in the country. Junior Gamma Phi will present a single show at 10:30 a.m.

Members of The Flying Wallendas family troupe excel in multiple stunts including a multiple-level pyramid performed on the high wire. The high wire walkers also incorporate props into their acts with the use of chairs and perform without safety devices of any kind while in the air.

The Wallenda family circus act dates as far back as 1780 when the troupe traveled through European villages setting up and performing in city squares. The Wallendas came to the United States in 1928 and continued to thrive in the world of circus entertainment. Different branches of the family also include The Fabulous Wallendas and The Great Wallendas.

Tino’s nephew Nik made headlines recently for his 1,560-foot wire walk in Milwaukee.

Through the generations, the family has passed down their talents and continues to preserve the family name, the most famous in high wire walking.

Alex Wallenda-Zoppe, Claire Kuciejczyk-Kernan Wallenda-Zoppe, Tino Wallenda-Zoppe, Aurelia Wallenda Zoppe

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Normal and Post Office Partner to Celebrate 150 Years

In honor of the 150th anniversary, the Town has created a special cancellation stamp and cache envelope. A cancellation stamp is the ink stamp that the post office stamps over the postage once an item has been mailed. The stamp template is used for a limited time and then destroyed. A cache envelope is a standard letter envelope with an illustration printed on it.

For one day only, on September 11, 2015, the Normal Post Office will use the Normal 1-5-0 cancellation stamp to hand-cancel any item (envelope, brochure, or sheet of paper) on which postage has been placed. This rare opportunity will only be offered at Uptown Station (first floor) in Uptown Normal from 3-5 pm. This event is FREE to the public. Patrons may park in the attached Uptown Station parking deck and vouchers will be given for FREE event parking.

Aurelia Wallenda-Zoppe, Alex Wallenda Zoppe, Claire Kuciejczyk-Kernan Wallenda-Zoppe

Tino Wallenda-Zoppe, Aurelia Wallenda-Zoppe, Alex Wallenda-Zoppe

Tino Wallenda Zoppe, Aurelia Wallenda Zoppe

...SHOP. DINE. PLAY... AND BE

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ENTERTAINED!

Town of Normal 150th Anniversary — The Pantagraph, Thursday, September 10, 2015

..........

150 YEARS OF BEING NORMAL.

UptownNormal.com

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Town of Normal 150th Anniversary — The Pantagraph, Thursday, September 10, 2015

Letter from the Mayor

Citizens of Normal, When I reflect on the 150th anniversary of our community, I cannot help but feel grateful. I am grateful for the contributions of our founders – who were among the first to envision what Normal could become. I am grateful for long term partnerships with Illinois State University, local businesses, and institutions that have helped guide Normal through uncertainty and growth. Most of all, I am grateful for a citizenry that cares dearly about its community.

Citizens of Normal are committed to building a progressive community. Uptown Normal has become a thriving hub of culture, entertainment, and student and family life. Meanwhile, investments in Constitution Trail paths, public park expansions, and electrical car charging stations reflect a focus on improving our current quality of life and sustaining our community for the next 150 years. Normal

has become a model for communities nationwide. This is evident from recent national attention which has placed Normal among the best places for millennial job seekers and happiest small cities in America.

The future of Normal is poised to build on an expectation of excellence. Over the Normal 1-5-0 celebration weekend on September 11-13, Normal will welcome its newest hospitality addition with the grand opening of the Uptown Normal Hyatt Place. Plans are underway for Uptown 2.0 which follows the first version of the Uptown Renewal Plan, adopted in 2000. While the first Uptown plan focused on the area north of the train tracks, Uptown 2.0 will lay out a vision for the area south of the tracks. The site holds potential for further ways to enrich our community such as a new library and open green space.

Normal has every reason to recognize this important milestone in our community. I hope many residents will plan to participate in any or all of the scheduled celebratory events. After all, it is an occasion that has been 150 years in the making.

Sincerely, Chris Koos Mayor Town of Normal

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History Museum Helps Normal Celebrate Its 1-5-0

“When you think about the Town of Normal in 2015, it’s critical to reflect back on its 150-year history for context,” said Beth Whisman, Director of Development at the McLean County Museum of History. Whisman and her team at the history museum are helping the Town celebrate its sesquicentennial.

Throughout the celebration, members of the public can learn about key moments in the Town’s history, from its early days as a railroad community called “The Junction” to a modern

community recognized nationally for its commitment to sustainability and sound management.

Bill Kemp, the history museum’s Librarian and Historian, has put his effort into the Town’s “History Board” program, which features text and images about longstanding Normal entities, such as local businesses and institutions. Kemp’s contributions covered people, places, and periods of

see museum, page 7

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museum

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time, including a history board on Clark Griffith, one of the only Baseball Hall of Famers from Normal, a board on the long-gone Maplewood Country Club, and a board on Normal’s transition from a “dry” to a “wet” community. Kemp also assisted numerous local residents with research on their own history boards, often providing historic photos and information.

In addition to being posted on the Town’s website, many of the history boards will be set up at the History Fair on Sunday, September 13 from noon until 5 pm at the Carol Reitan Conference Center (Marriott Hotel) in

Town of Normal 150th Anniversary — The Pantagraph, Thursday, September 10, 2015

Uptown Normal. The McLean County Museum of History, along with many other individuals and organizations, will set up tables at the fair to display pieces of Normal memorabilia, artifacts, and photographs. Also on September 13, Illinois Voices and the Twin City Tale Spinners will portray historic Normal figures and tell stories about historic Normal residents. These performances will take place at the Normal Theater at noon, 2 pm, and 4 pm. The History Fair and performances are free and open to the public.

Attendees may park for free in the parking deck attached to the Marriott Hotel. More information is available at www.normal.org/150.

The history museum has also created a senior citizen “reminiscence

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Children’s Shirts - $12 Coasters (1) - $5 Coasters (set of 2) - $8 Trivets - $15 Ornaments - $10 Water Bottles - $8 program” specific to Normal. For many years, museum staff have taken the reminiscence program to assisted living and independent living facilities throughout McLean County. The program is an opportunity for residents to learn about and discuss local history in a group setting. The Normal-specific program will include historic photos and artifacts.

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Town of Normal 150th Anniversary — The Pantagraph, Thursday, September 10, 2015

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Gamma Phi Circus Gamma Phi Circus is the oldest collegiate circus in the United States. Its story began in 1926 when Clifford “Pop” Horton, a gymnastics instructor at Illinois State University, organized a small group of men to perform pyramids and tumble at basketball and football games. This led to the founding of Gamma Phi in 1929 as a fraternity that was dedicated to physical education, fitness, and gymnastics.

Originally, Gamma Phi was comprised primarily of gymnasts and, at “Pop” Horton’s direction, would perform at different events. The Bloomington-Normal area had been a hotbed of circus activity since the late 1880s, playing the role of winter quarters for such famous trapeze acts of the day as the Flying Wards and the Conciellos. Pop Horton, a circus fan, instructed some of the circus performers at the Bloomington YMCA. It was only a matter of time before the circus performers and the Gamma Phi members met and began to exchange ideas and knowledge.

By 1931 the Gamma Phi fraternity renamed itself the Gamma Phi Circus. The group’s first annual circus performance on

Town of Normal 150th Anniversary — The Pantagraph, Thursday, September 10, 2015

the Illinois State campus took place that same year at McCormick Gymnasium. The first tickets for that first performance were priced at 25 cents. Horton, who served for many years as the University’s athletic director, headed Gamma Phi in its initial incarnations for 19 years.

The annual shows were held at McCormick until 1963, when the performance was moved by circus directors Arley Gillette and Wayne Truex to Horton Field House. Since 1994, in large part due to the efforts of director Jerry Polacek, the Gamma Phi Circus has performed in the Redbird Arena Big Top to audiences of up to 7,000 people.

Gamma Phi Circus began to separate itself from the typical Greek social organizations and began to develop more along the lines of a performing arts organization. The name Gamma Phi has been kept for historical purposes. Over the years the group has developed circus acts such as tight wire, teeterboard, trapeze, Russian swing, Russian bar, partner balancing, juggling, rolling globes, and much more while keeping its gymnastics roots close at heart.

Continuing Legacy

Gamma Phi alumni are performing or working with several well-known circuses, including Cirque de Soleil, Circus Vargas, the Shrine Circuses, the Circus Kingdom, Roberts Brothers Circus, Kelly Brothers Circus, the Great American Circus, Circus Alleluia and The Runaway Circus. Some alumni have performed at venues including Disney World, Busch Gardens, Universal Studios-Florida, Great America, and Club Med, as well as performing for audiences at NBA and WNBA half-times and on television.

Gamma Phi Circus alumni have created shows, such as the Circus Jenzac, and others have founded performance trade organizations, such as USA Wheel Gymnastics, or developed circus arts programs that educate in skills and performance.

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Town of Normal 150th Anniversary — The Pantagraph, Thursday, September 10, 2015

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It’s a Circus around Here “There’s something magical about this vicinity,” said Maureen Brunsdale, special collections librarian at Milner Library. “Much like the corn and beans reach for the sky, the people do too.” The Green brothers were among the first to experience the magic. “They saw the trapeze act and figured they might be able to do the same thing,” said Brunsdale.

In 1875, IP Fell, the nephew of Jesse Fell, let the brothers practice in a gymnasium.

Two of the Green brothers went on to become the first stars of trapeze as “The Flying La Vans” and gave BloomingtonNormal a reputation for circus in their wake.

By 1902, a different set of siblings were perfecting their trapeze routines. When they were not touring the world professionally, the Wards were found on their trapeze rigging in their homemade Bloomington-Normal barn. “That barn was the factory that churned out other aerialists,” said Brunsdale. Eddie Ward took on student Art Concello who later

became the General Manger of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Fast forward two decades and Karl Wallenda of the “Flying Wallendas” made his entrance into what would become a seven-generation craft. Milner Library currently stores many of the letters between the Wallendas and other performers, sharing their aerial ideas.

Just a few years later, in 1929, Clifford “Pop” Horton helped bring the Gamma Phi Circus to ISU. Seven directors and 86 years later, Gamma Phi is still producing a yearly show as the oldest collegiate circus in the United States.

The 1952 Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Story went to The Greatest Show on Earth. The film includes performances by Tino Wallenda’s father and appearances by many professional circus performers who spent their winters practicing in the barns of Bloomington-Normal. The real Ringling Brosthers and Barnum & Bailey’s Circus’ 1951 troupe also appears

Lecture Series Celebrate 150 years of Normal by attending one of the lectures detailing the early years of Normal demonstrating its ebbs and flows to becoming the great success that it is today. All lectures take place at Uptown Station (4th Floor, Council Chambers), 11 Uptown Circle in Normal. Parking is free on Sundays in the attached Uptown Station Parking Deck.

For additional details, visit www.normal. org/150lecture

September 20, 2pm

Growing from the Junction: The Evolution of Transportation in Normal, Mike Matejka and Terri Ryburn Normal exists because it is a transportation crossroads. In Illinois in 1853, there were few places where two railroads crossed -- what became Normal was one of them. That transportation accessibility helped convince Illinois to place its first public teachers’ college, the Normal School, at this location, which became the Town 150 years ago. Today, with higher speed rail, a revitalized transportation uptown and the intersection of three interstate highways,

Normal continues to thrive due to transportation opportunities.

September 27, 2pm

Racial Segregation in NormalBloomington, Mark Wyman Learn about Normal’s progress through the anti-slavery, racial segregation, and civil rights movements.

October 4, 2pm

Panel Discussion: Normal’s Boom Years: Growth and Economic Expansion 1967-1993, Panelists: Dave Anderson (former City Manager), Paul Harmon (former Mayor), Susan Kern (ISU), Randy Wood (Music Shoppe), Moderator: Dan Irvin The panel will discuss this vibrant period of Normal’s history, which might be described as the beginning of Normal’s golden age. The impact of ISU’s growth on the Town will be a featured part of the panel discussion, including the pressures that resulted and the accommodations made. Also, the internal workings of the university during this time will be reviewed. Remember this was also the

in the film, with its complement of 1,400 people, hundreds of animals and 60 carloads of equipment and tents.

Around the debut of The Greatest Show on Earth, George Valentine of “The Flying Valentinos” had finished converting a racehorse barn on 401 North Grove Street into “George Valentine’s Circus Haven”. The front part of the barn, in what used to be the tack room, became an apartment for the Valentine family and Geraldine “Sue” Pelto, who was part of the act. The apartment was complete with a kitchen, several bedrooms and a living room. Cherie Valentine, daughter of George and Lorraine Valentine, remembered, “My parents put 8x10 photos of their circus friends all around the living room walls. Like circus performer wallpaper! Back then, the acts had publicity pictures taken to send to booking agents and when they played the different circuses or fairs, circus friends would exchange pictures.”

The rich circus history of Normal has

prompted a circus-themed 150th anniversary celebration.

On Friday, September 11 Bobbie Horton Therault, daughter of Gamma Phi Circus founder Clifford “Pop” Horton, will talk about her experience growing up with the circus in Normal at a pre-movie presentation at the Normal Theater starting at 6:00 pm. After her remarks, she will be joined by Tino Wallenda of “The Flying Wallendas” for an audience Q & A. At 7:00 pm the openings credits will roll for a showing of The Greatest Show on Earth.

On Saturday, September 12 the Town of Normal makes its Circus history come alive as the “The Flying Wallendas” grace the streets with performances alongside Illinois State University’s Gamma Phi Circus and Jr. Gamma Phi Circus.

Carnival games and rides will line the streets of Uptown and all your fair food favorites will be available.

Performances run intermittently all day from 10am - 6pm.

time of Vietnam, big “The Rites of Spring.”

in earlier weeks. If you missed or were unable to attend these lectures recorded options are available online at www.normal.org/150lecture • The Past Is (Indeed) Prologue: Normal, Illinois. Early Years, 1853-1967, Paul Holsinger • Normal’s City of Children: The Illinois Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Children’s School, Ruth Cobb

October 11, 2pm

parties

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Panel Discussion: Normal Blossoms: Growth, Redevelopment, and Planning for Sustainability 19932015, Panelists: Mark Peterson (City Manager), Chris Koos (Mayor), Dottie Bushnell (Garlic Press), Alan Chapman (Unit 5), Moderator: Dan Irvin By 1993 Normal’s finances had become extremely stable and by the end of the decade the Town had become debt free.

“Pay as you go” continued to be the Town’s unofficial slogan. During this period parks were improved and expanded, One Normal Plaza (Illinois Soldiers and Sailors Children’s Home) issues were being resolved and housing continued to be built. By the end of the decade, planning for the Children’s Discovery Museum was underway. Also, during this time Normal appointed a new city manager, only the second in the Town’s history. To learn more about this vibrant period, please plan to attend this panel discussion.

Initial 1-5-0 lectures covering Normal’s early years and the Illinois Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Children’s School were delivered

Circus Day and Street Party Parking

On Saturday, September 12, Parking will be free in the College Avenue parking deck and overflow parking will be available in the Frontier lot on Mulberry Street. For additional parking information, visit www.normal.org/parking

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Town of Normal 150th Anniversary — The Pantagraph, Thursday, September 10, 2015

History Board Program

h The History Board Program is a crowdsourced history project from area businesses, institutions, organizations, sand families. Each entity has taken the time to preserve their historical impact on hthe Town through facts, stories, and epictures. This information has been rplaced into professionally designed ,templates and will be displayed at Normal 1-5-0 events, online, as well as digitally archived at the McLean County History s

Museum. In addition to the Flying Valentinos, History Boards have been created to highlight the histories of Illinois State University, Advocate BroMenn, the Immanuel Bible Foundation, Gamma Phi Circus, Fell Park, and the Normal History Club, to name a few.

University Archivist, April Anderson has worked to gather several photographs from the Nelson Smith Collection in the Dr. Jo Ann Rayfield Archives for the ISU

History Board. She hopes the photos work in part, to highlight the Town and Gown relationship. “We’re connected, we’ve always been connected – it’s always been intertwined.”

All the boards can be viewed at www.normal.org/150boards or at www.facebook.com/normal150.

jesse fell

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Maplewood Country Club, 1937

Janet Hayslip Dance Studio, 1957-1987

The Baby Fold, Est. 1902

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Town of Normal 150th Anniversary — The Pantagraph, Thursday, September 10, 2015

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