The 94th Illinois General Assembly and Governor Rod Blagojevich, in separate resolutions, declared the week of February 27 through March 4, 2006, as Illinois State Historical Society Historic Markers Week, and encouraged citizen participation in celebrations and marker dedications throughout the state.

Throughout the week the Society sponsored a variety of activities celebrating Illinois State Historical Society Markers Awareness Week.

On Tuesday, February 28, The Society joined more than 200 other museums and historical societies for the Illinois Association of Museum's Museum Appreciation Day at the Illinois State House. The Society showcased historic markers from around the state and accepted applications for new historical markers.

On Friday, March 3, The Society rededicated the Old State Capitol Historical Marker in Springfield. The ceremony commemorated the March 3, 1837 law that authorized the move of the state capital from Vandalia to Springfield. Invited guests included: Senator Larry Bomke, Representative Arthur Turner, Old Capitol Historian Wayne Temple, Mayor Tim Davlin, and Former State Representative Redd Griffin. A cappella vocal harmony was provided by Springfield High School's Seven and Senators, led by Ms. Diane Waltrip.

On Saturday, March 4, the Society helped dedicate the Village of Leclaire Historical Marker, in Leclaire, Illinois. The new marker, located at the intersection of Longfellow and Troy Road in front of the Leclaire water tower, commemorates the model cooperative village founded in 1890 by industrialist N. O. Nelson, who named the community for French social visionary Edme Jean Leclaire. The village was annexed by the city of Edwardsville during the Great Depression. Dignitaries who attended the dedication included John Twombly, Alderman, City of Edwardsville; Ms. Joan Lame, President, Friends of Leclaire Society, and Stu Fliege, Illinois State Historical Society.

Also on March 4, the Society helped rededicate the Hubbard Trail Historical Marker located just south of Momence on Dixie Highway (Rt. 1 & Rt. 17). The Hubbard Trail marker commemorates the trail blazed by Gurdon S. Hubbard (1822-1824), which connected the trading posts of the American Fur Company between Vincennes, Indiana, and Chicago. Momence, near the upper crossing of the Kankakee River, is on the trail. Known as the Vincennes Trace, it is perpetuated today as State Highway No. 1. Special guests include Janine Loftus, director of the Momence Mainstreet Program, and members of the Momence Chamber of

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Springfield High School senior Robert Coventry Woodruff IV reads the Governor's Proclamation announcing Historical Markers Awareness Week at the Old State Capitol.          (photo courtesy Elaine Egdorf)

Commerce. Society Board member Elaine Egdor helped plan the ceremony, and Glenn Dobson removed the marker and arranged for its restoration.

A ceremony rededicating the Illinois U.S. Route 66 Historical Marker at Lexington took place at the marker site on the southeast side of old U.S. 66 also took place during the week. This historic marker, erected by the Lexington High School History Club and newly cleaned and repainted bv the Illinois Department of Transportation, commemorates the 2,448-mile highway that stretched from Chicago to Santa Monica, and crossed the heart of America. Society Advisory Board member Don Cavallini was instrumental in getting the markers placed and refurbished.

The Society maintains more than 400 historic markers in Illinois, and enlists the help of civic and private organizations to identify locations for new markers. In recent years the Society and its partners have dedicated markers to the Edwards Trace (Springfield), the Eastland disaster (Chicago), the birthplace of author William Maxwell (Lincoln), the winter march of General George Rogers Clark (southern Illinois), educator John Huston Finley band Ridge), Stephen A. Douglas (Quincy), and others.

For more information about the Society and its markers program, visit the website at www.historyillinois.org.

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Hubbard Trail marker rededicated

By Elaine Egdorf

Elaine Egdorf, Momence Mayor James Saindon, State Representative Lisa Dugan, Janine Lofius, Redd Griffin, and Glenn Dobson at the Hubbard Trail marker rededication.         (photo courtesy Elaine Egdorf).

The rededication of the restored Illinois State Historical Society Hubbard Trail Marker in Momence was held on Saturday, March 4, 2006. About 35-40 people were in attendance. The event was initiated and coordinated by Elaine Egdorf, Illinois State Historical Society director and a member of the Historic Markers Committee and Chair of the Local Services Committee.

Communities along the Dixie Highway, known as Hubbard's Trail, work together to promote the highway as a historic route. Momence plays a significant role in these efforts. Glenn Dobson arranged for Mark and Tiffany Rishir, owners of an auto body shop, to restore the marker. Dobson said he always wanted to restore the marker, which for many years was almost illegible. The marker was media blasted with a soft material and water to remove the old paint. Three coats of blue paint epoxy were then applied, then oven baked. Gold paint highlights were hand applied. This procedure was followed by three coats of sealer with ultra-violet inhibitors to protect the paint. Dobson then arranged with Greg Sargent of Illinois Department of Transportation to straighten the pole and sweep the pull-off site at the marker. Afterwards, Dobson repainted the pole and remounted the marker, securing an American flag to the post. Egdorf and Megan Whalen strung American flags along the site, and Dobson adhered smaller flags to the brown and white IDOT marker signs directing visitors to the dedication. Throughout the ceremony the site was lined with orange caution cones. The site looked quite festive and notable.

Illinois State Representative Lisa Dugan (D-79th District, Kankakee) reads the words to the state song, "Illinois, Illinois," at the Hubbard Trail historic marker rededication. (photo courtesy Elaine Egdorf)

Guests parked their cars at the nearby River Front Ford dealership, which welcomed visitors with a hot pot of coffee. Members of the As R Us Model A Ford Car Club, which helps organize Drivin' the Dixie Vintage Car Tour along the Dixie Highway, brought three antique cars to park alongside the marker. Driving the cars in chilly weather to Momence was a challenge; lone had heaters and one was n open car.

Janine Loftus, Executive Director of the Momence Mainstreet program, coordinated the local event and sent out invitations. Egdorf sent invitations to the other Dixie Highway Communities. In attendance were State Representative Lisa Dugan (D-Kankakee); Momence Mayor Jim Saindon; Bourbonnais Village Administrator Frank J. Koehler; Pat Cryer, Momence Chamber of Commerce; Mick Porter, Momence

Alderman; Nancy Porter, Momence; Vic Frahm, President, Grant Park Historical Society; Clayton and Carolyn Pratt, Kankakee Historical Society; Wendy Dunavan and Marilyn Danner, Rossvile Community Organization; Ron Davis, Crete Area Chamber of Commerce; Ed Smith, South Holland Historical Society; Bob and Violet Elli, Orland Park Historical Society and South Suburban Heritage Association; Rob Steinmetz and two others from As Are Us; Arthur Martin and Redd Griffin, directors,Illinois State Historical Society; and Megan Whalen, Homewood Historical Society.

The mayor of Momence welcomed guests. Former State Representative Redd Griffin related the importance of the Gurdon Hubbard Trail to Illinois history, as well as the background behind the Society's Historical Markers Program. Representative Lisa Dugan read the words to the state song, "Illinois, Illinois." Elaine Egdorf led the program, welcoming and thanking guests and supporters, and making introductions.

After the rededication ceremony, all were invited to a luncheon sponsored by the Momence Chamber of Commerce at the South Shore Golf Course. After lunch, the Dixie Highway Communities conducted a meeting to discuss plans for the Drivin1 the Dixie event, to be held on Saturday, June 17, 2006.

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Joan Lame, President of Friends of Leclaire, reads the Governor's Proclamation for Historical Markers Awareness Week at the dedication of the "Leclaire, Illinois" historical marker.    (photo courtesy Stu Fliege)

New marker celebrates Leclaire's history

By Nick Lucchesi

reprinted with permission of The Telegraph

EDWARDSVILLE — When factory owner N.O. Nelson moved his company and its employees from St. Louis to rural Edwardsville in 1890, the village of Leclaire was born. On Saturday, those who still live in the historic area marked the significance of the place they call home.

A small ceremony was held Saturday morning at the corner of Troy Road and Longfellow Avenue to unveil Illinois' newest historical marker, one that tells the story of Nelson and the Leclaire neighborhood. The marker's dedication was the culmination of a nine-month project by the Friends of Leclaire, a group of individuals who live in the area. The marker sits near the foot of a landmark water tower that reads "Historic Leclaire."

Leclaire, named after Edme Jean Leclaire, was a Utopian village filled with Nelson's employees. Unlike other villages of its kind during the industrial period of the early 1900s, the residents of Leclaire were taken care of by Nelson, who included them in profit sharing and gave them employee benefits. The village's namesake instituted profit sharing in France in the 1800s.

Edwardsville alderman John Twombly, ISHS Markers Committee chairman Stu Fliege, and Joan Lame, president of the Friends of Leclaire, show off the Society's newest historical marker.    (photo courtesy Stu Fliege)

Stuart Fliege, chairman of the markers committee for the Illinois State Historical Society, said at the dedication that Nelson was "totally the opposite" of other industry magnates, like Chicago train carmaker George Pullman. Fliege said Pullman would lower wages for his workers but not the rent for residents of his town, Pullman.

"We know about the bad guys, but we don't know about the good guys," Fliege said. "Hopefully, this marker will help that." Fliege called the choice to add a Leclaire historical marker a "no-brainer" and said many historical marker requests are denied but that Leclaire's significance was easy to see. There are more than 400 state historical markers. "Right off the bat we knew here is a subject that deserves recognition," Fliege said.

The village of Leclaire was annexed into Edwardsville in 1934 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Joan Lame, president of the Friends of Leclaire, said choosing what to write on the marker was a long process, because a 100-word limit kept the biographical description tight.

Lewis and Clark Community College now owns the old Nelson manufacturing plant.

In addition to the historical marker, streetlight banners have been placed along Troy Road and will go up on Leclaire streets in the coming weeks.

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