P r a i r i e   t o w n   s n a p s h o t

Movin' on Down the Road: A General History of Pawnee, Illinois

By William "Skip" Minder
2005, Northern Illinois University Press
2004, Paper. 457 pages

In his 457-page book, "Movin' On Down the Road": A General History of Pawnee, Illinois, Skip Minder compiles a collection of photographs, first-hand accounts from Pawnee townspeople, official documents, and newspaper clippings to tell the story of a unique, central Illinois town approximately 20 miles south of Springfield. The book is both an important compilation for historical reference and an entertaining read.

Movin' On Down the Road begins with the story of the earliest white Pawnee settler, Justus Henkle, who moved into the area and began cultivating land in 1818, thus sparking the rich agricultural tradition of the small town. Courtesy of old newspaper excerpts, the book tells how the town became incorporated and how the settlement received the name Pawnee. Also, the book features descriptions of life and culture during Pawnee's earliest years.

Minder then explores the institutions, businesses, and organizations that have contributed to Pawnee's nearly 200-year history. He gives detailed historical accounts filled with names, stories, and photographs about the different civic organizations that combined to create the Pawnee community over the years—churches, schools, the library, newspapers, banks, barber/beauty shops, grocery stores, and restaurants, to name a few of the many in the book.

Minder includes interesting stories and memoirs, both his own and from others. One recalls the first known murder in Pawnee. Another highlights an episode in 1949, when townspeople patrolled the community looking for a black panther rumored to be lurking in the corn and bean fields that surround the town.

The stories aren't limited to times of local excitement. They also show how the community responded to national events such as the Great Depression and various wars, Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, and the end of World War II.

Other stories focus on people who had a notable impact in the Pawnee community and in the state. Harry Mason, a Pawnee resident, served in the U.S. Congress as a representative in the 1930s. Minder introduces us to Pawnee's own "Robinson Crusoe," Gordon Brawner, who was shipwrecked in the southwest Pacific Ocean and stranded on a sea island for 6 months.

Born and raised in Pawnee, Minder wrote this book after returning to his boyhood home fifty years later. As a Pawnee native, I found Minder's book fascinating, but I'm certain it would entertain even someone who has never heard of the town. Movin' On Down the Road offers an in-depth look at one, small, rural community, and is a memorable snapshot of a uniquely American landscape.

—Nathan Hall

Nathan Hall is a summer intern at The Illinois State Historical Society and senior English major at the University of Illinois at Springfield.