MCHS-Downton Abbey Connection
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MARSHALL COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY & MUSEUM
January—February 2013
MCHS-Downton Abbey Connection
How did the World War I uniform that belonged to an Irish–
American end up at a Downton Abbey Gala? Downton Abbey,
a PBS television serial drama, began its third season this Janu-
ary. It chronicles the privileged British Grantham family and
their servants as they deal with historical changes through the
first decades of the 20th century. Enter the Central Illinois
enthusiasts, who wanted to attend the Gala with flair and in
costume. One of the fans was Matthew Morse, who--through
the cooperation of the Marshall County Historical Society--was
able to gain much attention dressed as Matthew Crawley.
According to the Downton Abbey storyline, Crawley is expected to inherit Downton Abbey, has fought in and
survived World War I, and marries the eldest Grantham daughter, Lady Mary.
The uniform, originally worn by Frank Wallace, was donated to the Historical Society by Eleanor Sears,
Wallace’s niece. Through the effort of Rita Simpkins and because it had been correctly labeled and stored,
Matthew was able to borrow the uniform for a short period of time and create a positive impression at the Gala.
Several men commented that they wished they had thought of that alternative to the tuxedos they had to wear to the
formal affair.
According to family stories, Frank Wallace, a truck mechanic in the Allied effort, was scheduled to drive
supplies to the front line just as the Armistice was signed. Having Irish ancestry, Wallace would surely have been
closer to finding himself as Tom Branson, the Grantham family chauffeur, and eloping with the youngest Grantham
daughter rather than being the heir to the family fortune as Matthew Crawley is, if he had actually been part of this
Downton Abbey saga.
The picture included in this article is of Matthew Morse as Matthew Crawley and Mary Wallace as Lady Mary as
they pose at the Downton Abbey Gala. Matthew is the nephew and Mary the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael
Wallace.
Thank you, MCHS for your contribution to a night of entertainment and elegance at the Peoria Civic Center.
Submitted by Jean Wallace
1
Marshall County
Historical Society OLD SETTLERS CORNER
314 Fifth Street P.O. Box 123 Colonel Greenbury L. Fort
Lacon, IL 61540-0123
Phone: 309-246-2349 taken from “Past and Present of
E-mail: marshallcountyhistory@ Marshall and Putnam Counties”
gmail.com
Web: www.marshallcountyhistory.
org Colonel Greenbury L. Fort, of
Lacon, who departed this life Janu-
President – Larry Leighty ary 13, 1883, was for a long period
Vice President – Ed Glaser
Asst. VP – Justin Meierkord a member of the Marshall County
Rec. Sec. – MJ Langner bar and left the impress of his indi-
Treasurer – Robert Weber viduality, clear understanding and
Managing Director – Jean Davis masterful grasp of problems upon
the law-making bodies of state and
nation.
MEMBERSHIP
ANNUALINDIVIDUAL – $10 A native of Ohio, he was born in
ANNUAL FAMILY—$15 French Grant, Scioto County, Octo-
LIFE – $150 ber 17, 1825, and was descended presented his first brief in Wood-
LIFE HUSB/WIFE—$200 from a family which in its lineal ford County Court, where Senator
AFFILIATE – $25–$100 and collateral branches has been David Davis was Judge and
Renewals are due in January
distinctively American through Abraham Lincoln the opposing
many generations. His first ancestor counsel.
MCHS 2013 BOARD MEETINGS in this country was Roger Fort, Allied with the Wig party from
All meetings are on Saturday at born about 1675 in Pemberton, Bur- the time when age gave to him the
the museum at 10 am right of franchise, he became a
lington County, New Jersey. Family
January 19 (Annual/Board Meeting)
March 16 records show that a large percent- recognized leader in the ranks of
May 18 age of the Forts have been profes- the party and was first called to
July 20 sional men and that they have been office in 1850 by election to the
September 21 represented in every American war. position of sheriff. He served
November 16 successively as County Clerk,
In his early boyhood days Green-
January 18, 2014(Annual/Board Meeting)
Committee Chairpersons may bury Fort accompanied his parents County attorney and County
schedule committee meetings at to Marshall County, Illinois where Judge being elected to the last
9:30 or immediately following board the family home was established named position in 1857.
meeting if needed. amid pioneer surroundings in April The following year he was mar-
of 1834. ried, on May 25, to Miss Clara E.
The early years of his manhood, Boal, a daughter of Dr. Robert
NEW MEMBERS he was devoted to teaching school Boal, and entered upon a home
and reading law, and following his life which was allegedly ideal.
Susan Davis admission to the bar in 1860, he (Continued on Page 3)
Cal Snow
Read the newsletter online:
ANNUAL BANQUET
www.marshallcountyhistory.org
Wed. April 10
One Room Schools MUSEUM HOURS:
TUES. & WED. 9 AM – 12 PM
By Alba McDonald Open most
Lacon American Legion SATURDAYS 10 AM – 12 PM
Or call the Museum for appointment
309-246-2349
2
(Continued from Page 2) The Marshall County Historical Society is
He continued in practice until off to a good start in the New Year by Moby Finfgeld
April 1861 when he responded to The all-volunteer Society held its annual meeting at the Museum headquar-
the first call for volunteers. He was ters in Lacon on Saturday morning, Jan. 19.The meeting began with outgo-
chosen lieutenant of Company B, ing President Ed Glaser calling for annual reports from the Society's various
11 Illinois Volunteer Infantry and committee chairmen.
later chosen as Captain. Following Plans were announced for the Society's annual banquet which will be
the battle and mustering out in held Wednesday evening, April 10, at the Lacon American Legion.
1866, he returned home to resume The program will feature Marshall County's One-Room Schools and will
the practice of law but was soon be presented by Alba McDonald, who has been researching this topic for
called again to public life, being some time. The Museum staff will set up a school display of artifacts in the
called to serve in the State Senate Museum.
for several years. The committee for the banquet consists of Florence Finfgeld, chairman,
He was a modest man, approach- Rosana Benson, Bev Meils, Evelyn Edge, Val Hawksworth, John Wabel,
able, kindly, and willing to accord and Theresa Timmes. Tickets will be $12 per person.
to any one the courtesy of an inter- Larry Leighty was elected president of the Society for 2013. Ed Glaser
view. was named vice president, and Justin Meierkord will be the second vice
president.
MJ Langner is the new secretary. She takes over from Marge Watkins.
County School Projects
Jean Davis continues as the Managing Director and Bob Weber as the treas-
Work is in progress to locate the urer.
exact sites where the one room The board of directors meeting followed the annual meeting, and the next
schools in Marshall County once board meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 16
stood. Information on these schools
will contain the township and section
number. Many landmarks that were
once close to the schools remain. Christmas at the Museum
They are cemeteries, creeks, roads
and corners. Names for these schools Amidst the holiday cheer at the Museum, December 11, the volunteers and
were chosen for many reasons. Some board members were treated to a luncheon by Office Manager, Jean Davis.
were named for the man who supplied This is Jean’s way of showing her appreciation for all the work everyone
the land or the man who built the does throughout the year.
school. Other schools were named
after land marks such as a creek or
road.
One school was given the name of
the ship the early settlers sailed on
when they came to America. Five
schools were called "Center School"
because they were located near the
center of their township.
Many of these old school sites have
been located and more need to be
found. Sometimes a school will pop
up that is not on the list nor does it
show on the plat. Extra work usually
solves the puzzle.
Once a school site has been found,
all an interested person needs is the
name of the school and the township
in which it sat, then what further in-
formation that is needed, can be ob-
tained from the Marshall County His-
torical Society.
3
OBITUARIES Winter Window Displays
Edith Sancken.
Edith June Sancken, formerly of
Henry, died Monday, Jan. 14, 2013,
at OSF Saint Francis Medical Cen-
ter in Peoria.
Edith was born June 29, 1922, in
Forrest to John Richard and Jessie Dolls, dolls and more dolls
(Saathoff) Harms. She married ........MCHS designed an after
Charles Richard "Dick" Rudd in Christmas window suggesting what
Fairbury on Oct. 23, 1943. He was Santa brought in his toy bag!
Burrr...its cold outside.... was Thanks to Kathy Brown, Marilyn
killed in September 1944 when his the inspiration for the display of
plane was shot down over Ger- Hurt and Connie Swanson who
furs in our smaller window. shared some of their collection with
many. She married Paul Christian These coats/jackets from our
Sancken on Aug. 3, 1947, in Che- us, we were able to create a whim-
collection are rabbit, mink, sical display complete with doll fur-
noa. He preceded her in death on persian lamb and Galway cow-
May 1, 2011. Edith was a graduate niture and clothes. Added to this
hide. The muffs are monkey fur. were some of the museum’s vintage
of Mennonite School of Nursing in We added two colorful shawls
Bloomington. dolls and toys.
donated by the Stickel family
As a registered nurse, she super- plus purses, hats and gloves to
vised the OB floor at Fairbury Hos- compliment the arrangement.
pital and she went on to work in
medical offices, as a private duty
nurse, and at St. Joseph's Nursing
Home in Lacon. She was a long
time member of the Historical So-
ciety. She was a member of St.
Paul's Lutheran Church in Varna
and the Lutheran Women in Mis-
sion. She sang in the choir and was
also a member of the Alumni Asso-
ciation of Mennonite College. Have you sent in your
Edith was an active volunteer with
the American Red Cross Bloodmo- annual dues for 2013??
bile and the American Cancer
Reminder
Society.
She was an artist and enjoyed
playing cards and cheering on the Individual $10.00
Fighting Illini and Cubs. Family $15.00
Life $150.00
Life – Husband & Wife $200
Affiliate Membership:
Documentation– the hardest part of Gold $100.00
genealogy. Silver $50.00
Bronze $25.00
Genealogy! Will I ever find time to Platinum: in-kind services
mow the lawn again?
4After his death in 1947 the plant
Historical Henry Landmark was sold. Lawrence Newman and
Clarence Tuttle leveled the smoke-
A major industry in Henry in the stack, using three charges of dyna-
1880-90s was the Aera Manufac- mite to topple it. The State of Illi-
turing Co., owned by Theodore nois acquired part of the land for
Bickerman, which manufactured the new Route 29.
windmills in a factory located two
blocks west of the Rock Island Above article written by Helen Raf-
depot. Shortly after the factory fensperger in “Best Town in Illinois
opened Henry became a principal by a Dam Site”.
center for the manufacture of (The salesman’s sample windmill
windmills. The wooden mills were can be seen at the Museum, a gift of
shipped by train or by team and Florence Merdian many years ago.)
wagon to buyers in Illinois and
throughout some of the western
states. Several large shipments A boiler room was attached to After the sale of the property to
went to the oil fields of the south- the east side of the building, the State, William Woodfill bought
west and Henry men were sent to housing a huge boiler and the former Orrin Turner Farm Im-
supervise installation. engine. There was a blacksmith
shop with the tall brick smoke- plement building a few rods north
The company did extensive of the windmill factory, which was
advertising, with agents all over stack rising above the forge. The
stack had been built by John then being used by the Formfit
the country, but the Aera windmill
also became known through state Riley and John H. Ford, Henry Company. Woodfill later used the
fairs where it won many blue rib- masons. There was a paint shop warehouse for a casket business and
bon prizes. and storage room for the various eventually moved his burial vaults
The main windmill factory was kinds of woods used. there.
preceded by a small frame shop The original Aera windmills
were made of wood, which were The building has served several
which stood on the same lot where purposes over the past years. It was
Bickerman began his manufactur- painted white with red tips on the
paddle wheels, with blue arms once a skating rink; an addition
ing business in 1881. Prof. W. W.
Stetson, who was retiring from the and frames, and red towers with was added on the east end that
Henry public school, manufactured white brackets. They were a served as a Haas Bakery, and it is
pumps there, and Bickerman joined common sight on farm and currently owned by Foley Motors.
him in that business. When Stetson ranch, where they furnished
left, Bickerman continued to water for homes and livestock.
develop the manufacture of wind- One of the main features of the
mills in a large factory constructed Aera mill was a galvanized drum
for the mills and allied lines. The in the water tank that tripped the
patent for the windmill was issued mill on and off as the water in
to Bickerman by the patent office the tank changed its level. In the
in 1882. early 1900s wood was sup-
Some of the materials used in planted with galvanized steel,
the building came from dem- and the plant was changed to
olition of the old college located on make steel wheels, while the
College Street on present Route 29. towers were of angle material.
From the academic structure, Bick- Coming of the gasoline engines;
erman salvaged the tall round-top which were sold by the Aera firm
windows, stone, some of the wood with piping and other equipment,
and the bricks for the 125 foot made the windmills obsolete
smokestack on the south side of the The plant was taken over by
building. The main factory build- Fred C. Merdian, Bickerman's Does anyone know the current
ing consisted of two parts with a son-in-law, who had been fore-
man of the factory. Merdian sold status of the Octagon House in
line shaft in the center, running the Sparland? Please Contact Connie
length of the building. Pulleys and windmills and used the main
other shafts operated the complex building for his plumbing, steam Swanson, 309-364-3272.
equipment. and hot water heating business
until his retirement in 1945.
5MARSHALL COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY & MUSEUM Non-Profit Organization
314 Fifth St U.S. Postage PAID
P.O. Box 123 Permit No. 34
Lacon, IL 61540-0123 Lacon, IL 61540
Address Service Requested
OUR AFFILIATE MEMBERS
Gold Affiliate
Silver Affiliate
Abel Vault & Monument Co Jim's IGA
JD Belcher Electric LLC
Allen Partnership Julie's Comer Store
Classic Floor Covering
Calvert & Froelich Memorial Kenyon & Associates, Architects
Fecht Family Farms
Home- Toluca Lynn & Penny Kunkle
Ed Glaser, Country Insurance
Calvert & Johnson Memorial M & D Printing
& Financial Services
Home- Henry Marshall Co Publishing Co
LaPrairie UP Women
City of Henry Marshall County Title Co.
McCully Properties
City of Lacon Mona's Italian Restaurant
Patrick Murphy, Atty at Law
City of Toluca Pontiac Granite Co, Inc
First National Bank of Lacon Kenneth Poignant Bulldozing
& Excavating DeRubeis Insurance Agency Inc.
Jim & Gail Frank
Haworth & Company Riddell Polled Herefords
Summitt Photography Platinum Affiliate
Henry State Bank Club LaCon
Lenz Memorial Home Tanner's Orchard
Beverly & R Dale Bunch 3 Times 1 Imprints
Marshall County
Meta Tec, Inc LaPrairie Mutual Ins.
Jackie Padesky State Farm Agency
Wilson Insurance Agency Bronze Affiliate
Windsor Foods Citizens 1st National Bank
Wyoming Monument Co Columbia Antiques
Energy Specialists Co
Support the Marshall County Historical Society & Museum
Become an Affiliate Member of the Marshall County Historical Society. Contact Larry Leighty, Membership
Chairman, or any Board Member to set up your Affiliate Membership
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