Homeschool Network visit

On May 19, the Iles House hosted the St. Louis Homeschool Network.  53 students and some parents visited the House as a part of an outing to Springfield.

Students sign the guest register in the center hall.

Linda Garvert gives a tour of the southwest front room, often frequented by Abraham Lincoln.

David Stevens gives a tour of the northwest front room, showing an early Springfield glass bottle from the Barringer Collection.

Farrell Gay gives a tour of his Illinois Watch collection in the Museum of Springfield History.

Later the students went to for Washington Park for a picnic and tour of the Carrilon, then on to a tour of the Illinois State Museum. Susan Baenwald of St. Louis arranged the visit.

Pictures and story: Dick Hart

Spring at SS House

A spring committee meeting at Strawbridge-Shepherd House.  Above, the executive committee members are seated on the south lawn. From left to right: Carol Dyson, R-Lou Barker, David Barrows, Sue Massie and Carolyn Oxtoby.

Professor William Siles of the UIS History department is an authority on 19th-century material culture. He was conducting his last class of the semester at the House.

Here, Prof. Siles and his class meet beside the summer kitchen, with a spring prairie view in the background.

We are making great progress on restoration of the House. Volunteers are always welcome. Call or write the Iles House Foundation at the addresses posted above.

Pictures and captions by Dick Hart

Days of Mourning

Once again the Iles House will be draped in mourning

to honor the death of Abraham Lincoln.

He died 144 years ago this week.

The House will wear drapes from April 14 to May 5.

Iles House is open for tours Wed & Sat, 12 to 4 pm.
Update: see the Lincoln Memorial Diary at the NY Times.

Photo by Richard Hart

This Place Matters

The National Trust for Historic Preservation invites you to tell about a place that matters through its This Places Matters campaign.  

The campaign helps people call attention to special places in their community before they are endangered -- the small, famous and infamous, and even some relatively obscure, that collectively represent the nation's cultural consciousness.

Simply visit www.PreservationNation.org/thisplacematters to download a This Place Matters sign, take a picture or make a video at the place that matters to you and post it to our slide show.  Don't have a picture?  Plant your flag on our This Place Matters Google map.

So celebrate a place you love, sound an alarm about a place that is threatened or just start a conversation about places that matter.

Hard Times

A story today in the New York Times

reports that the Museum of Funeral Customs,

located near the entrance to Oak Ridge Cemetery,

is having financial trouble and may close.

In Love with Lincoln?

The artist Maira Kalman has published in the New York Times a portfolio of drawings and texts designed to explain, in a whimsical fashion, her fascination with the life and character of Abraham Lincoln.

Some of the panels include a visit to Springfield and seeing Lincoln's tomb, meeting a Lincoln presenter, and eating at a Lincoln diner. Kalman has written and illustrated many children's books, and this project is part of her continuing series with the Times, "And the Pursuit of Happiness."

Presidents Day

On this Presidents Day, we recommend two pieces of reading: Lincoln Transcontinental: how writers from Germany, Japan, Liberia, and Hungary regard the influence of the 16th President; and The Shaping of America, on the evolving economic landscape of the USA. 

The first, from the New York Times, is a thoughtful rendering of Abraham Lincoln from foreign perspectives. The second, from Atlantic, is an article and interactive map on the current economic crisis, how long it will last, and what regions in the USA will be most affected. Main idea: look to places that generate patents.

Lincoln Birthday Tours

The Elijah Iles House will be open on February 13-14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for tours and to share stories about Abraham Lincoln’s connections to the house, its owners and several household items of interest.  

A founder of Springfield, Elijah Iles hired Lincoln as a surveyor and lawyer, but Iles is best known as Lincoln’s captain in the Black Hawk War.

Robert Irwin, a merchant-banker and second owner of the Iles House, was a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln. At his home Irwin entertained Lincoln, along with other notables of the day.  When he left Springfield for the presidency, Lincoln entrusted his finances to Irwin. 

Iles House Closed for Snowbird Season

Just like many of today's Springfieldians, Elijah Iles was a "snowbird" who wintered in Florida. For the remainder of the winter months, The Elijah Iles House will be available for events and tours by appointment only. Normal hours for public tours will resume in March. We look forward to seeing you in the Spring.

Holiday Trimmings

On November 29, we had a great day at the Iles House 

decorating for the winter holidays.  

Trimming the porch with greens: Linda Cunningham and Farrell Gay.

Making trim for the House: Dean Clough, Linda Denk, Linda Garvert, 

Betty Ann Poage, Jackie Stites, Elaine Kerhliker and Martha Clough.

Linda Cunningham, Jackie Stites and Linda Garvert 

welcome a special visitor to the House: an oil portrait of Elijah Iles, 

on loan from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.  

A close-up of the portrait. 

Thanks to Dave Barrigner locating it in storage and to 

Linda Garvert who pursued the paper work for a loan.

Pictures and captions: Dick Hart

Robert Irwin's 200th

Saturday, Nov 8, 2008 marked the 200th birthday of Robert Irwin, a former owner of Iles House. For a profile of Mr. Irwin, see the entry for April 6, 2008. Here Dick Hart, Linda Garvert, and Kathy Kincaid unveil the Irwin portrait, donated to Iles House by J. P. Morgan Chase, formerly Springfield Marine Bank.

A game of eucher, played by George Souther, Logan McMinn, Skip Turnbull, and Larry Stevens. Standing is Bob Sherman, portraying William Corneau, a neighbor of Irwin. He often played cards with friends and neighbors, including Nicholas Ridgley, Stephen Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, and Dr. Merriman.

In the back parlor, docent Margie Adkins in a grand period dress is busy at tatting, or lace-making.

On the lower level, Linda Denk and Jackie Sites view an exhibit on the life of Robert Irwin, prepared by Linda Garvert, chair of the birthday event. Also available: hot apple cider and various baked apple goodies, to welcome Robert Irwin back to his home and wish him a happy 200th birthday.

Halloween by Candlelight

Halloween by Candlelight will be held from 6 to 8 pm on Oct 31 at the Elijah Iles House. From its 171-year-old parlor master storyteller Cathy Mosley will tell tales to capture the imagination and pleasure of visitors of all ages.  In the old darkened basement, kids of all ages can decorate monster cookies.  Nearby, plates of Halloween supper-fare (barbecue, chips and drink) will be served.  Admission is free.

Old Settlers Day

The second annual Old Settlers Day will be Sunday, October 19 from noon to 4 pm at the Strawbridge-Shepherd House, on Shepherd Road between UIS and LLCC. (Click on the picture to enlarge.)

The public may tour the house, and various experts will explain its renovation. Entertainment, historical exhibits and demonstrations will be available. Mrs. Shepherd's Pantry, hosted by UIS alumni, students, and faculty, will provide delicious home-baked, kettle-cooked foods.

Old Settlers Day revives a custom from the early years of Sangamon County, set to honor the Sugar Creek settlers who survived the bitter winter of 1832. Once restored, the Strawbridge-Shepherd House will serve UIS as the Sugar Creek Institute, offering a program of studies in prairie ecology, cultural history, and architecture.

The Iles House Foundation is directing restoration and welcomes volunteers and donations to complete this major preservation project.

SSH Meeting

Members of the Strawbridge-Shepherd House Committee recently met on the House site at the UIS campus to discuss plans for renovation, which continues in 2008, thanks to generous donations from supporters.

In the picture above, committee members examine drawings of the SSH as it existed in 1972. An important discovery: the house then had a north porch, which will now be restored. The early plans will facilitate improvements in room plans, HVAC, electrical, and plumbing.

The objective is to renovate the house in a manner that's historically appropriate and versatile for UIS and student use. Assisting the committee is Dave Barrows (left), an architect and facilities director for UIS.

In attendance for the meeting and picnic supper (below) are committee members RLou Barker, Bill Siles, Carolyn Oxtoby, Sue Massie, Tom Bundy, and Dick Hart. If you wish to donate funds to support the renovation, please call the Iles House (see above).

Pictures by Dick Hart

Urban Frontier Exhibit

The second exhibition in the Farrell and Ann Gay Museum of Springfield History, lower level of the Iles House, is "Springfield as Urban Frontier, 1818-1836." About 75 persons attended the opening on May 29, 2008 and heard remarks by Farrell Gay, Linda Garvert, and Curtis Mann.

The exhibit displays photographs, documents, maps, tools, and household items. One outstanding item is a map of early Springfield, based on John Stuart’s description of the town upon his horseback arrival in 1828. The map was researched by Linda Garvert and painted by Sophia Lang.

The display presents Springfield life between 1818 and 1836, the pre-Lincoln period. Springfield began as an isolated log-cabin village, at the northern edge of Illinois settlement and the western edge of the American frontier. A town began to emerge with a post office, frame and brick residences, professionals, merchants and tradesmen. Roads brought trade goods and settlers, and by 1836, Springfield had access to many East Coast refinements.

Research: Curtis Mann and Linda Garvert of the Sangamon Valley Collection, Lincoln Library, the Illinois State Museum, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, the Illinois Regional Archives Depository, Floyd Mansberger of Fever River Research, and artist Sonia Lang.

Design: Edward Russo and Corrine Frisch of Sangamon Researchers.

Grant: Farrell and Ann Gay.

The Urban Frontier exhibit will run until October 1, 2008. The public may view it on Wednesdays and Saturdays, 12-4 pm.

Pictures by Dick Hart

SSH on the Move

Alumni of UIS are taking an interest in the Strawbridge-Shepherd House.
At this May gathering, Tom Bundy displays a model of the roof installation.
Mary Caroline Mitchell, UIS Alumni Association, arranged the program.
We welcome donations from alumni and friends to further our work.

Two members of the SS House committee at work in the northeast room.
Caroline Oxtoby (l) and Sue Massie (r) welcome all volunteers.
Call the Iles House (see above) if you want to help.

Pictures by Dick Hart

Spring at SSH

Strawbridge-Shepherd House (SSH) is a busy place this spring. In May the UIS Alumni Association will hold two educational seminars on the grounds. SSH volunteers will discuss the history, ongoing restoration, and future of the building and site. In early June a Reception will introduce community leaders to the project. Later in the year, the house will host a community-wide open house and the second annual Old Settlers Day.

Strawbridge-Shepherd House lies between the UIS and LLCC campuses along Shepherd Road. The Iles House Foundation directs restoration of the 1845 homestead, located on UIS property.

Work to date has progressed steadily. Funded by several generous donations and small grants, restoration expert Tom Bundy rebuilt much of the foundation, underpinned the structure, and installed a new wood shingle roof. Several student and community volunteers have assisted with the project.

Restoration this year will focus on major systems within the house and finishing work on the interior. We urgently need assistance in the form of contributions, donations, volunteer time, etc. If you can help, please call Sue Massie at 217-544-3210.

The Real McCoy

Did you know....that the "real McCoy" was born in Sangamon County, Illinois? Joseph McCoy (1831-1915) later emigrated to Texas, where he became a cattle baron. He promoted the Longhorn (see above), turned Abilene into a cow town, and sent two million head to Chicago in four years, a feat that spawned the "real McCoy" phrase. McCoy wrote a history of his achievements, not published until 1974.

Scouts visit Elijah Iles House

Dozens of Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts from all over Illinois visited the Elijah Iles House during their visit to Springfield for the 63rd Annual Lincoln Pilgimage. One troop came all the way from Davenport, Iowa.

The scouts learned all about frontier-era Springfield during their visit and the kind of place the town was when Abraham Lincoln first arrived. The new museum exhibit in the basement was of particular interest to many.

The scouts had their choice of many historic sites to visit in Springfield. We were thrilled that so many of them chose to include the Iles House in their itinerary.

Robert Irwin Portrait

Chase Bank, formerly Marine Bank, recently gave to Iles House a portrait of Robert Irwin, early Springfield merchant and friend of Abraham Lincoln. Irwin lived at Iles House from 1841 until his death. He was a director of Springfield Fire and Marine Insurance Company, and he helped to finance Lincoln's presidential campaign in 1860.

During Lincoln's term of office, Irwin collected local debts owed to the President. A month before the assassination, Irwin died on March 8, 1865. He is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, at the north end of Springfield. His oil portrait is believed to be the work of American artist George Peter Alexander Healy (1808-1894).

Photos: Richard Hart