Alas, no Vermont

To the editor:

I really enjoyed the May-June issue of Illinois Heritage, but I did catch an error. Linguist Timothy Frazer put Vermont, Illinois, in Fayette County. Pittsburg is in Fayette County, as is Loogootee (probably named for Loogootee, Indiana)—and so is St. Peter, St. Paul, and even St. Elmo. Alas, I know of no Vermont. Of course, there is a Vermont in Fulton County—about 150 miles northwest of Fulton.

Leigh Morris
Arenzville      

Remembering West Side Grounds

To the editor:

I'm with an organization called the Way Out In Left Field Society who would like to erect an historical marker for West Side Grounds ballpark that was the home of the Chicago Cubs from 1893 and 1915. The ball­park is of great historical interest not only as a baseball field that hosted four World Series and the first intra-urban World Series in America but also as a City of Chicago historical location that has been overlooked for far too long.

Our organization has the necessary funding and would like to know the proper procedures for applying for the historical marker. Thank you for your time and we look forward to working with you in the future on this project.

Mike Reischl
The Way Out In Left Field Society
Chicago

Editor's note: We agree. Such a marker is long overdue, especially since West Side Grounds was home to the Cubs' last world title. To find out how to apply for an Illinois State Historical Society marker, visit our website at www.historyillinois.org.

Call for Papers

The Illinois State Historical Society invites proposals for papers to be delivered before the 2008 Illinois History Symposium, which will be held in Springfield on March 6-8, 2008. The theme for the 2008 Symposium will be the Legacies of Abraham Lincoln. Papers on Lincoln and his contemporaries as well as the legacies of that generation, such as individual rights, the role of government, American identity, and changing memories of that time, are encouraged.

The Symposium committee welcomes proposals on all other aspects of Illinois history. Proposals for panels, papers, multi-media presentations, and teacher seminars are encouraged. Professional and amateur historians, graduate students, history and social study teachers, and museum professionals are encouraged to submit proposals to: 2008 Illinois History Symposium, Illinois State Historical Society, 210^1/2 S. Sixth Street, Suite 200, Springfield, Illinois, 62701. Deadline: November 19, 2007. Please direct questions to Michael Batinski, Symposium chair, at hreview@siu.edu.

Last call for 2007 centennial businesses

The Illinois State Historical Society's 2007 Centennial Awards Program seeks corporations and not-for-profit organizations that have conducted business in Illinois for 100 years or more. Successful applicants must show continuous operation for a century or more and have been incorporated in the state. Previous Centennial Award recipients are encouraged to apply for 125-, 150-, and 175-year awards, which will be presented on Saturday, October 6, 2007, in a special reception at the Executive Mansion in Springfield. This year's deadline is July 27.

To qualify, centennial corporations must provide evidence of continuous operation for 100 years or more. Acceptable documentation includes copies of original charters and minutes to corporate meetings, as well as newspapers articles and city directories published contemporaneously with the business's founding.

The Centennial Awards Program, established in 1984, has honored more than 1,100 businesses around the state. Award recipients receive a plaque inscribed with the names of the standing Illinois governor and president of the Society, use of the Society's Centennial Awards logo on their business letterhead, a year's membership in the Society, and statewide recognition. For more information about the Centennial Awards Program, call 217-525-2781. The Centennial Awards application is available on-line at www.historyillinois.org.

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