Naturalist John Burroughs had a Polo connection

When I started at the museum many years ago, I got into the file of John Burroughs who was known around the world as a naturalist. He also was a friend of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.

I was more amazed to find out that he had taught school in Buffalo Grove or early Polo.

I was at that time putting together the display board upstairs at Aplington House on early education. It was one of the things that Paul Graehling wanted me to do. So I was going through all those files on early education in Buffalo Grove and Polo.

I was quite surprised at his connection to Polo and how Burroughs came back in later years to visit Polo. Mrs. Frank Hammer had written him a letter and he had answered her. This was a woman I knew. She had been the

Polo History

Betty Obendorf

organist in our church.

I also came across an article that Mrs. Nelle Seise had written as a fifth grader in Polo Schools. She wrote it under the name of “Nellie Doorley” in 1909 and she later graduated from Polo High School in 1916. She too was amazed at this well-known man who took children outside in Buffalo Grove to examine plants, trees and flowers.

Nelle later became a naturalist at White Pines State park and literally “followed in his footsteps.”

I remember going through all that information as I worked in early education and then putting it all away. I also visited in Florida around that time and went to the Thomas Edison Museum. There hanging on the wall was a picture of Edison, Ford and Burroughs. I stood there quite surprised. In fact, I was more than just surprised.

As the years have gone by, I had forgotten about this famous man and his connection to Polo. It all was brought back a week ago when I got an email from Paul in the east. He is doing a book on Burroughs. He is working with Joan Burroughs, a family member.

Linda and I met this week at the museum and got out the large file from the education information file in the office. This time it was Linda who was amazed at the connection of Burroughs to Polo.

It was Linda, Beth and I who had met earlier to straighten out things to get ready for our meeting. Now the table was full again with the file of John Burroughs. Linda is the one now contacting Paul to see what he wants for his book on Burroughs.

Linda now is finding out the names of Polo people who were students of Burroughs out in Buffalo Grove. So far she has found Horatio Wales, Julia E. Bogue, Sarah Hackett Stevenson, Eugene Reed and Mary Amelia Niman Strickler.

Some of them mention in their obituaries that they were students of Burroughs. It was an interesting fact that they studied under such a famous person.

We never know what we will be working on with each passing week.

• Betty Obendorf is a retired teacher and a volunteer for the Polo Historical Society.