Correction

Several readers commented on the caption to our last issue's "From the Archives" photograph, which identified Governor Henry Horner as "the state's first and only Jewish chief executive." Governor Horner was the states first and only elected Jewish chief executive; Governor Samuel Shapiro, who succeeded Governor Otto Reiner after Kerner resigned to take a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals, was also Jewish, and served as governor from May 1968 to January 1969.

Charlie Birger (seated center, on top of car) and his henchmen. Photo courtesy Illinois State Historical Library

Thugs and slugs

To some he was a Robin-Hood hero, a dapper, daring "businessman " who left his mark and bullet holes throughout southern Illinois. To others he was a notorious gangster, plain and simple. Through Shachna Itzik "Charlie" Birger's name raises few eyebrows in Chicago, south of I-64 it still shouts across generations. On Wednesday, February 11, 2004, at 6:00 p.m. the Illinois State Historical Society will screen "The Legend of Charlie Birger," a new, two-hour television documentary produced by WSIU-TV in Carbondale. The free public showing will be held at the Lincoln Library, 326 South Seventh Street in Springfield, and will include commentary by producer David Kidd and historian Gary DeNeal, author of A Knight of Another Sort: Prohibition Days and Charlie Birger. For more information about the showing, call 217-525-2781.

Society to form e-group

The Illinois State Historical Society will soon form an e-group to facilitate communication between members and among its committees. Members interested in being part of this group should send their e-addresses to the Society at ishs@eosinc.com. An e-group is a simple but elegant benefit of the computer age. It enables users to send e-mail to all members of a group by sending it to a single general address. The computer in which the general address is stored then sends the message to all individual members. Members will not receive spam (junk e-mail) by joining this group. They also will not receive individual e-mails because only the master computer and the Society will know what their individual e-addresses are.

Call for papers

The 2004 Illinois History Symposium takes a turn toward the technical with the theme Engineering Illinois. History buffs, teachers, and professional historians can all submit proposals for papers on Illinois science, medicine, or technology since 1818. Papers on other aspects and eras of the state's history are also welcome. The symposium will take place December 3 and 4 in Springfield.

For the first time in its 25-year history, the symposium will also feature an exhibit hall for documentaries about Illinois history. Producers of such work should also submit samples for consideration.

The deadline for submissions is March 21, 2004. Address them to the Illinois State Historical Society, 210-1/2 S. 6th St., Suite 200, Springfield, IL 62701. Each proposal should include a summary of the topic and a one-page resume of the participant. The summary should specify the major sources used in the research. The Society will notify individuals of their selection in June.

Society receives $24,000 bequest

The Illinois State Historical Society recently received a bequest from the estate of William E. "Bill" Keller, a life-member of the Society, who passed away on May 1, 2003, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Mr. Keller, 70, a resident of Anna, received his undergraduate and master's degrees in history from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and his Ph.D. in history from Northwestern University.

He authored or edited several Society publications, including "Negroes: 240 years in Illinois," a chronology that appeared in the "Emancipation Centennial Issue" of the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society; and Illinois Places Names, an essential reference book for librarians and researchers in Illinois.

Mr. Keller was a retired administrative assistant for the state of Illinois, employed by the Illinois State Historical Library. He is survived by a nephew, Jamie, and his wife Diane Keller of LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

Illinois Heritage 3

Gary DeClue as Stephen A. Douglas is interviewed by a TV reporter.

Douglas marker for Quincy

On October 13, 2003, the Quincy and Adams County Historical Society and its cosponsors, the Adams Couny Bar Associaion, the City or Quincy, and the Illinois State Historical Sociey, dedicated a new historical marker to Stephen A. Douglas. The marker, located near Washington Park in downtown Quincy, commemorates Douglas career in Quincy, as well as his famous debate with Abraham Lincoln there on October 13, 1858.

The text for the new marker reads: "Statesman and politician Stephen A. Douglas began his distinguished national career in Quincy. A resident of the city from 1841-1847, he served as Associate Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court from 1841-1843, then in the U.S. House until he was elevated to the Senate in 1847. Douglas maintained a residence at the Quincy house located on this site. On October 13, 1858, Judge Douglas returned here, visiting old friends before crossing the street to share the lecture platform with Lincoln for the sixth debate in the statewide series that helped determine the outcome of the Senate race and shape the future of the nation. Douglas later referred to his years in Quincy as when 'I was first placed upon a national career where I was ever after kept.'"

Forever free comes To Decatur

Forever Free, a traveling exhibit dedicated to the Emancipation Proclamation, made its first Illinois slop November 19 at the Decatur Public Library. Free takes its name from a line in the proclamation. It will remain at the library through January 9, 2004. The 75-foot long exhibit features reproductions of historical documents and period photographs. It also has a timeline that leads up to Lincoln's pivotal decision in 1863 to free the slaves. In addition, the Decatur Public Library has put some of its own Lincoln memorabilia on display. Teachers who want to use the display as a learning focus can access curriculum materials online at: www.decatur.lib.us/lincoln/foreverfree.htm.

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