2
CELEBRATE!
www.thesouthern.com
‘Celebrate Southern Illinois’ with us in three chapters ou are looking at a special report devoted to the unique people, places and things of Southern Illinois. “Celebrate Southern Illinois” represents months of work by the staff of The Southern Illinoisan and special contributors who assisted in this project. It showcases the attributes of a region that is rich in history, cultural achievement and scenic beauty — FROM and is just plain interesting. THE EDITOR This was no easy task to complete. And the GARY resulting “story” is too laden with details to be told METRO effectively in just one issue of the newspaper. Celebrate Southern Illinois is a story told in three chapters — one devoted to “people,” a second devoted to “places” and a final chapter devoted to “things.” The first portion of this report was included in the paper Tuesday, Sept. 29. The final section will be part of the Tuesday, Oct. 13 newspaper. You may wish to gather all three sections together as a collector’s piece. That’s what I will do. You might be interested in learning the origin of this special report. Planning began months ago, as the recession deepened and our news columns included an alarming number of reports on layoffs, bail-outs and financial corruption probes. It is our job to report the news, but journalists are citizens, too, and we experience the same longings for good government and a sound economy. We, too, grow weary of daily gloom and doom. Efforts were made daily to find positive news and views; those efforts continue today. But we also focused on a plan to celebrate the many things that make Southern Illinois special — the attributes that are so well known as to be taken for granted. This was a team effort in creating a special report, one we hope readers will keep for many years to come. It grew out of an idea suggested by Chuck Novara, our chief photographer, and was further developed by Cara Recine, our lifestyles and special projects editor. We hope you enjoy the fruits of our labors. We hope you join us by taking time to “Celebrate Southern Illinois.”
WINERIES
Y
GARY METRO is the editor of The Southern Illinoisan. He can be
reached at 618-351-5033 or gary.metro@thesouthern.com. Sept. 29: Week 1 / People
Oct. 6: Week 2 / Places
Oct. 13: Week 3 / Things
Arts and entertainment: Jim Belushi, Shawn Colvin, John Medwedeff Athletics: SIUC stars Characters: Minnesota Fats Claims to fame: Gen. John A. Logan and Memorial Day Did you know? William Jennings Bryan Education: Delyte Morris Famous: Buckminster Fuller Good eats: Brian Kalata Government: Paul Simon Groundbreakers: Bill Norwood, Virginia Marmaduke, Dick Gregory History: Lewis and Clark Infamous: Charlie Birger, Paul Powell Named after: Ambrose Burnside Philanthrophy: Carol Brehm The law: Brockton Lockwood Unique: Wayman Presley
Arts and crafts: Cedarhurst and the Illinois Artisans Shop Characters: King Neptune Claims to fame: Ulysses Grant in Elkville Did you know? Unusual museums Education: One-room schools Entertainment: Harrah’s Famous: The Shawnee National Forest Good eats: Vegetarian at the Longbranch Groundbreakers: Southern Illinois wineries History: The Civil War in Giant City State Park Homegrown: The Amish Infamous: Pirates on the Ohio Legends and lore: Native American history Natural treasures: Garden of the Gods and the Cache River Wetlands Sports: The World Shooting Complex The law: The Thebes Courthouse Unique: Kaskaskia Island
Athletics: Women’s gymnastics Coal mining: Resilience and strength Did you know: Beatles and radio history Education: The Achieve program at SIUC Entertainment: They filmed it here Famous: Barbecue Good eats: The Culinary Destination Project Government: Lincoln and Dougas in Jonesboro Groundbreakers: Railroad towns History: Historical markers Homegrown: Small starts, big finishes Home runs: The Southern Illinois Miners Infamous: The bootlegging trail Legends and lore: Wonder water in Creal Springs Named after: Egypt Philantrophy: Sesser-Valier’s Outdoorsmen Club Unique: The CCC
Production designer and copy editor: Jeff Wilson Cover and inside covers design: Rhonda Ethridge, graphic designer; Cara Recine, lifestyles/special projects editor Copy editing: Mark Fitton, managing editor; copy editors Rob Crow, Meagan Lewis, Alison McCabe, Julie Engler, Jeff Wilson and Jens Deju
Guy Renzaglia laid the foundation for a booming industry
STEPHEN RICKERL / FOR THE SOUTHERN
Guy Renzaglia recalls details of the founding of Alto Vineyards at his home in Murphysboro. BY ADAM TESTA
‘I had some naysayers who said it couldn’t be done — the temperature is wrong, the population is wrong. Each time they said it, it spurred me on.’
THE SOUTHERN
One family’s persistence and desire to overcome the odds helped shape Southern Illinois’ signature industry. Upon retiring from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1978, Guy Renzaglia explored new a business venture, one with deep familial roots and a lack of presence in Illinois since the Prohibitionera 1920s. He scoured Southern Illinois, settling upon the rolling hills of Alto Pass, where he planted an inaugural batch of grape seeds that became the foundation of Alto Vineyards. “I had some naysayers who said it couldn’t be done — the temperature is wrong, the population is wrong,” Guy said. “Each time they said it, it spurred me on.” And he didn’t need to look far to find doubters. When Guy, told his own family his plans, they expressed their own surprise. “We thought it was a rather silly notion, and so did everyone else,” said Paul Renzaglia, Guy’s son and owner and vintner of Alto Vineyards. Guy admits he didn’t have a clue as to how to make wine when he started, but growing up with a last name like Renzaglia, he knew it was in his blood.
Taking the Fear Out of Your Dental Visit! After bad dental experiences as a child, I had avoided regular dental visits. My wife saw an advertisement for Hughes Dental Arts Centre that offered IV sedation. She knew I wanted dental work done, but I was very apprehensive. She called and explained my fears and reservations asking if they could treat a patient like me. Next thing I knew, I had an appointment set up! My initial visit couldn’t have been better. I was treated with complete understanding and respect by Dr. Hughes and his staff. There was even a little humor at times! Dr. Hughes development a plan Dr. Hughes and his team for my treatment and I am actually excited about the next step. Thank you Dr. Hughes and staff for can help you find out everything! if Sedation Dentistry - Ross W. is right for you.
Hughes Dental Arts Centre 504 Rushing Drive • Herrin, IL Implant & Cosmetic Dentistry • I.V. Sedation www.southernilsmilecenter.com
618-993-3100
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
GUY RENZAGLIA SOUTHERN ILLINOIS WINERY PIONEER
California, using it to create his own blends of wine. “We had wine all the time,” said Guy, who used to sneak wine from the cellar as a youth. “There was always wine on the table.” DEBBIE MOORE / FOR THE SOUTHERN After establishing Alto This sign welcomes visitors as Vineyards as the region’s first they enter Alto Vineyards. modern day winery, Guy continued to pass the family From Italy to Alto torch by handing control of the Born in northern Minnesota business to Paul, who earned a reputation of his own as a in January 1918, Guy was state- and national-award raised by two Italian winning vintner. Guy immigrants who crossed into American through the famous continued to tend the vineyard until about six years ago Ellis Island. when, when he reached the age His mother and father, of 85. Filomena and Renaldo While Renaldo Renzaglia Renzaglia, brought with them a heritage of winemaking that never saw the business blossom or the industry burst began in a small village near in Southern Illinois, Guy the Adriatic Sea. believes his father would be Despite cold, harsh winters excited to see what has in Minnesota, Renaldo raised transpired in the past three his own grapes on the family decades. property. “He’d be amazed at what’s These grapes, however, were happened and what role we’ve not enough to produce wine, played,” he said. so he imported produce for
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS LOCAL UNION 702
Supporting America’s Workforce President: Ron Waldron Business Manager: Paul Noble Asst. Business Manager: Steve Hughart
106 North Monroe Street • West Frankfort, IL 62896 Phone: 618/932-2102 • Fax: 618/932-2311 www.ibewlocal702.org
NOW OFFERING BUSINESS LOANS
Business Lines of Credit, Commercial Real Estate, Commercial Vehicles, Letters of Credit, Equipment Loans and SBA Loans. Contact Angela Williams-Barke at 549-8631. Membership required. NCUA Insured. Equal Housing Lender Subject to credit approval. Call 457-3595 for details.
CELEBRATE !
www.thesouthern.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
3
Southern Illinois is home to numerous wineries The Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association recognizes more than 20 Southern Illinois wineries. For more information about Illinois’ wine industry and for additional winery locations, visit the association’s Web site at www.illinoiswine.com.
STEPHEN RICKERL / FOR THE SOUTHERN
Aurelio Hernandez, a worker at Alto Vineyards, hauls grapes to be cleaned and pressed at the winery.
Booming business Early detractors’ negativity couldn’t derail Guy’s efforts to turn winemaking into a successful operation in Southern Illinois. “Most of the people thought it was a crazy idea, that it wouldn’t fly, but we persevered,” he said, adding that doubt failed to stop his naysayers from joining in the festivities once inaugural bottles were completed. “It was such a novel ideal I think they were supporting it even though they doubted it would survive.” In the early days of Southern Illinois wine, the first three or four families to enter the market maintained very close relationships, helping each other to thrive and succeed in any way possible, Paul said. Together they learned; together they prospered. “They were fun times,” Paul said. “The industry was just growing all over the state.” A group of vintners spent countless hours lobbying the legislature in Springfield to support the state’s effort to develop and promote grape growing and wine production. In the early 1990s, their efforts met the first round of success when the state officially recognized the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association. From there, state support continued to grow, and the industry really began taking off, Paul said. In 1988, five wineries called Illinois
home, and today, that total has reached more than 90. “We thought the industry would grow, but not at this pace,” he said.
Looking ahead A history of growth portends a bright future for Southern Illinois’ wine industry, which both Renzaglias believe will continue to grow and prosper. With the advent of several new businesses opening, the early collaborative spirit has died down, but Paul hopes to see it rekindle and promote cooperation across the region. Veteran winery owners can provide valuable resources to newcomers and everyone should watch out for the others, he said. “I’m hoping we can continue to work together to make this industry bigger and bigger,” Paul said. But Paul warns that a time will come when the industry will hit critical mass and the region will reach its limitations. But for now, he remains focused on promoting the business and reaching that point, which will mark a milestone victory for an industry many supporters once doubted. “I think the future in Southern Illinois is great. We’re getting national recognition. I think it should continue to blossom,” Guy said. “We may never be Napa Valley, but we’ll hold our own.”
Alto Vineyards 8515 Illinois 127 Alto Pass 618-893-4898
Orlandini Vineyard 410 Thorn Lane Makanda 618-995-2307
Black Diamond Vineyards 3501 Black Diamond Road Nashville 618-336-5700
Owl Creek Vineyard 2655 Water Valley Road Cobden 618-893-2557
Blue Sky Vineyard and Winery 3150 S. Rocky Comfort Road Makanda 618-995-9463
Flint Hill Vineyards 2075 U.S. 45 Muddy 618-253-7224 Genkota Winery 301 N. 44th St. Mount Vernon 618-246-9463 Hedman Orchard and Vineyard 560 Chestnut St. Alto Pass 618-893-4923 Hickory Ridge Vineyard and Winery 1598 Hickory Ridge Road Pomona 618-893-1700 Hogg Hollow Winery 202-4 Illinois 2 Golconda 618-695-9463
adam.testa@thesouthern.com 618-351-5031
Kite Hill Vineyards and Winery 83 Kite Hill Road Carbondale 618-684-5072 Limestone Creek Winery 1250 Illinois 127 Jonesboro 618-534-9049
Bella Terra Winery 755 Parker City Road Creal Springs 618-658-8882
Cache River Basin Winery 315 Forman Lane Belknap 618-658-2274
Inheritance Valley Vineyards 5490 Illinois 127 Cobden 618-893-6141
Pheasant Hollow Winery 14931 Illinois 37 Whittington 618-629-2302 Pomona Winery 2865 Hickory Ridge Road Pomona 618-893-2623 Shawnee Winery 200 Commercial St. Vienna 618-658-8400
STEPHEN RICKERL / FOR THE SOUTHERN
Aurelio Hernandez sorts through the harvested grapes before hauling them to be cleaned and pressed.
StarView Vineyards 5100 Winghill Road Cobden 618-893-9463 Von Jakob Vineyard 1309 Sadler Road Pomona
618-893-4500 Windy Hill Vineyard and Winery 2955 Creal Springs Road Creal Springs 618-996-3581
AWARD-WINNING WINERIES Several Southern Illinois wineries have won various awards through the years. In 2009, eight of them earned double gold and gold awards during the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association’s annual Illinois State Fair Wine Competition. The winners included: Blue Sky Vineyard in Alto Pass: Double Gold for 2007 Rocky Comfort White Hickory Ridge Vineyard and Winery in Pomona: Double Gold for 2005 Norton/Cynthiana Hogg Hollow Winery in Golconda: Gold for 2006 Vintner’s Choice Owl Creek Vineyard in Cobden: Governor’s Cup for Illinois-Grown Fruit for 2008 Whooo’s Blush Double Gold for 2008 Seyval Blanc Gold for 2008 Whooo’s Blush Pheasant Hollow Winery: Gold for 2008 Ring Neck Red Pomona Winery in Pomona: Governor’s Cup for Illinois-Grown Fruit for Strawberry Dessert Wine Double Gold for Strawberry Dessert Wine Shawnee Winery: Gold for Voyage Into Night Von Jakob Vineyards: Gold for 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
• New Roofs • Roof Removals • Roof Repairs OOFS R T S MO LETED IN COMP 5 DAYS JUST SIGNING! FROM
HOME REPAIR - KNOW YOUR CONSUMER RIGHTS AVOIDING HOME REPAIR FRAUD Please use extreme caution when confronted with the following warning signs of a potential scam: 1) Door-to-door salesperson who offer to do home repair work for substantially less than the market price. 2) Solicitations for repair work from a company that lists only a telephone number or a post office box number to contact, particularly if it is an out-of-state company. 3) Contractors who fail to provide customers references when requested. 4) Persons who offer to inspect your home for free. Do not admit anyone into your home unless he or she can present authentic identification establishing his or her business status. When in doubt, do not hesitate to call the worker’s employer to verify his or her identity. 5) Contractors who demand cash payment for a job or ask you to make a check payable to a person other then the owner or company name. 6) Offers from a contractor to drive you to the bank to withdraw funds to pay the work.
Contract Tips 1) Get all estimates in writing. 2) Do not be induced into signing a contract by high-pressure sales tactics. 3) Never sign a contract with blank spaces or one you do not fully understand. If you are taking out a loan to finance the work, do not sign the contract before you lender approves the loan. 4) Remember, you have three business days from the time you sign your contract to cancel any contract if the sale is made at your home. The contractor cannot deprive you of this right by initiating work, selling your contract to a lender, or any other tactics. 5) If the contractor does business under a name other than the contractor’s real
name, the business must either be incorporated or registered under the Assumed Business Name Act. Check with the Secretary of State to see if the business is incorporated or with the country clerk to see if the business has registered under the Assumed Business Name Act. 6) Check with local and country units of government to determine if permits or inspections are required. 7) Determine whether the contractor will guarantee his or her work and products. 8) Determine whether the contractor has the proper insurance. 9) Do not sign a certificate of completion or make a final payment until the work is done to your satisfaction. 10) Remember, you should know who provides supplies and labor for any work performed on your home. Suppliers and contractors have a right to file a lien against your property if the general contractor fails to pay them. To protect your property, request lien waivers from the general contractor.
Don’t Settle for Less Call the BEST! NEVER SIGN A BLANK CONTRACT
If you think you have been defrauded by a contractor or have any questions, please bring your concerns to the attention of your State’s Attorney of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office Springfield 1-800-243-0618 Carbondale 1-800-243-0607
FREE Estimates 993-0430 “YOUR HOMETOWN ROOFING COMPANY”!!! 501 W. DeYoung Suite #8, Marion, Illinois
4
CELEBRATE!
www.thesouthern.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
GARDEN OF THE GODS Mother Nature’s beauty is on full display in this landscape, which lives up to its lofty name BY BLACKWELL THOMAS THE SOUTHERN
For the best views of the Southern Illinois landscape, there might be no better place to trek than the spot known as the Garden of the Gods. Massive outcrops of rocks and sharp cliffs abound in this 3,300-acre tract that sits in Shawnee National Forest. Upon a first visit it’s clear the park’s grandeur does its best to live up to its lofty name. With massive rock formations like Camel Rock and the Devil’s Smokestack, visitors and campers have no shortage of places to take in views of the Shawnee Hills that roll onward to the horizon line. On a recent sunny September day, Wendy Cowsert, an information officer for the park, toured its quarter-mile observation trail. As the path, which is made of inlaid slabs of sandstone, winds its way through the forest heavy forest floor, foliage and trees give way in one instant. The trees are behind you and the dirt floor of the forest is replaced by rock, which stretches out onto massive bluffs that drop off into cliffs hundreds of feet tall. Inching toward the edge, one can’t discern exactly how far down the drop is thanks to a sea of heavilyleaved trees that rolls on for miles. On a space of flat rock someone left writing in chalk that summed up the scene which read: “I can see my house.” With fall on the way, Cowsert, warned to be on the lookout for snakes. “We also always caution people not to put their hands in any crevices,” she said. Standing atop a bluff, with Camel Rock to the right, Cowsert said that, despite the fact that there is no repelling or rock climbing allowed at Garden of the Gods, about an average of one to two people fall every year off one of the cliffs at the park. There are no warnings posted about the height you are standing and the
STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERN
Griff Potter and his wife, Margaret Anna, of Paducah peer over the edge of Camel Rock at Garden of the Gods near Harrisburg. The two were celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary by making their first trip to the wilderness area. Garden of the Gods is a part of Shawnee National Forest.
Despite the potential for danger if one’s awareness of their surrounding should lapse, the scene is a serene one and seemingly capable of lowering blood pressure on its own.
STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERN
A couple uses a wooden staircase along the obervation trail to get a closer look at some of the sandstone formations.
dangers posed. Despite the potential for danger if one’s awareness of their surrounding should lapse, the scene is a serene one and seemingly capable of lowering blood pressure on its own. A nearby sign explains part of the 1964 Wilderness Act, which helped secure the park’s future. But it also conveys
Adam B. Lawler has opened his law office at 1600 W. Main St. in Marion, IL. His practice will focus in the areas of personal injury, business litigation and real estate transactions.
an explanation of the park’s purpose and how it should be treated. Garden of the Gods is “an area where the earth and community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERN blackwell.thomas@thesouthern.com 618-351-5823
Camel Rock is one of the most recognizable formations along the obervation trail at Garden of the Gods. To the left is the camel’s hump and at the lower right is the camel’s head.
RJ and Video
ELECTRONICS
1508 Walnut St. • Murphysboro, IL • 618-687-1981 RJ’s 44thYear ~ Hours: Mon-Sat 1pm - 9pm
Murphysboro’s First & Largest Video Rental SINCE 1984!! Grilling Packages Available Now! Authorized Retailer
(618) 443-3900 Mon-Fri. 8am-7pm • Sat. 9am-6pm
For more information, please call (618) 993-2222
1600 W. Main St. Marion, IL 62959
1505 N. Market St. • Sparta
Everything A Girl Needs! • TVs by Hitachi, Panasonic, Sharp & JVC - Free Delivery & Hookup • DVD Recorders & Players DVD/VCR Combos • DIRECTV Satellite Systems • Video Security Cameras • DVD, Blue-Ray VHS & Playstation 2 Game Rentals • Ovre 12,000 Movie Titles • Electronic Accessories • Cables, Adapters, Etc. • Cordless Phones • CB’s & Antennas • Radar Detectors • Police Scanners • Weather Alert Radios • Clearwave Phone & Internet Service • We Can Transfer Your Home Videos to DVD!
Formals • Consignments • Shoes • Candles
FF 10%odOwick
Wo ndles Ca
928 W. Main Street Marion, IL 62959 (618) 993-1800 • Fax: (618) 993-1821 www.melises.com email: melisesmith@hotmail.com
CELEBRATE !
www.thesouthern.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
HERON POND Jewel of Cache River Wetlands is lucky to be there
5
SHAWNEE NATIONAL FOREST Massive woodlands attract people from all over BY TOM BARKER THE SOUTHERN
STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERN
A boardwalk system allows visitors to reach the center portion of the pond. BY BLACKWELL THOMAS THE SOUTHERN
DIRECTIONS
Located in the lush Cache River wetlands near Belknap, Heron Pond is lucky to be here. With thousands of cypress trees and dark green duckweed blanketing the water’s surface, the pond has the appearance of a serene cathedral made of naturally growing trees with a putting green for a floor. But throughout the 20th century, efforts to drain the wetlands and divert surrounding rivers to make way for agriculture helped to decimate thousands of acres of wetland in the area that would one day be called Heron Pond Nature Preserve. The process nearly destroyed the pond completely, and across the country, it was repeated, leaving the United States with just 94 million acres of wetland compared to the original 215 million that existed in the early 1900s. By the 1970s, a conservation movement was afoot and the rate of destruction slowed. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, what is left of Heron Pond today represents about only 5 percent of what it was before drainage and river diversion efforts. Nestled in the heart of the Cache River Wetlands in Southern Illinois, Heron Pond is now an isolated safe haven for the creatures and plants that call it home. To get to the pond visitors must travel a narrow gravel road which
To reach Cache River State Natural Area headquarters: z Take Interstate 57 south to Interstate 24, get off at exit 14 (Vienna) z Turn right at the stop sign onto U.S. 45; go south through Vienna for 7 miles z Turn right on Belknap Road for 4 miles to the stop sign in Belknap z Turn right at the stop sign on Main Street and go 2,000 feet and turn right onto Sunflower Lane z Go north 1 mile to the park office winds its way through farmland before finally arriving at a parking area. From there it is another half-mile walk to the pond. Along the way, visitors cross a wooden plank bridge over the Muddy River and its babbling, small rapids. Patches of Poison Ivy and some thorny bushes line the trail, which winds its way through traditional looking forest. But then, the scenery changes and opens up to a field of cypress trees. The trees are spaced yards apart, allowing ample room for visitors to row a canoe through, and the canopy is thick, causing light to pierce through in sharp lines spotlighting parts of the pond while leaving others in the shadows. The water’s surface is dominated by the dark green duckweed, which could pass for a solid surface were it not for flowering plants, broken logs and cypress tree roots, also known as knees, protruding from the water. A boardwalk winds its way through the trees further out into the pond where visitors can see that, for as far away as they can see, the scenery does not change.
Aside from the hum of insects in the background and the occasional squawk of a bird, the spot is a quiet one. Today a group of five federal, state and nonprofit agencies oversees the 75-acre pond. Jim Waycuilis, who is the site superintendant for Cache River State Natural Area, said last month that people did not know the value wetlands serve as a water purifier and incubator for rare plants and animals. “I think historically people looked at wetlands as wastelands with snakes and mosquitoes, and Malaria was a problem,” he said. “One way they thought of improving the land was draining it.” With about one third of Illinois’ rare and endangered species found in association with wetlands, Waycuilis said that mindset has changed. “Heron Pond is kind of the jewel of the whole Cache River Wetlands,” he said. “You can see pictures of the place and read about it, but until you go to the place … to the boardwalk, it’s a bit of a wow when you see it for yourself.” blackwell.thomas@thesouthern.com 618-351-5823
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum October 8 - 9 - 10 at 7 p.m. October 11 at 2 p.m. matinee
Tickets $10 Tickets can be purchased by phone at 625-5332 or at the door
Historical Opera House Sesser, IL 62884 • 618-625-3611
Since the early 1930s, the Shawnee National Forest has been Southern Illinois’ main attraction when it comes to outdoor recreation, and, with an estimated 600,000 visitors to the forest every year, the Shawnee continues to attract Illinoisans and out-of-state tourists alike. “I think it’s just the natural beauty of Southern Illinois and the forest in this area,” said Wendy Cowsert, information assistant for the forest’s main office. “Southern Illinois is so different from Northern Illinois. Getting away from the inner city is what brings people [here].” From the Garden of the Gods in the East to the Pine Hills in the West, the Shawnee National Forest has some kind of outdoor fun for everybody. The forest spans about 265,000 acres, from the Mississippi to the Ohio River, including seven designated wilderness areas, 80 natural areas and hundreds of other interest points. Hiking trails, horseback riding, hunting and rock climbing are just a few of the Shawnee’s most popular recreational activities, but just exploring the region can be activity enough. Camping opportunities within the forest are plentiful as well. The Shawnee includes seven developed campgrounds and many areas designated as primitive camping sites. About 30,000 acres are devoted to wilderness, where foot travel is the only permitted transportation. The fall season is the Shawnee’s busiest time of year, as the weather is ideal for many and the beauty of the fall colors attracts visitors en masse. “Southern Illinois is just about as
The forest spans about 265,000 acres, from the Mississippi River to the Ohio, including seven designated wilderness areas, 80 natural areas and hundreds of other interest points. popular as the Smokies or New England states for its fall foliage,” Cowsert said. “It’s not unusual for Garden of the Gods to have 4 to 5,000 thousand people there in a day.” The Garden of the Gods, a wilderness area near the forest’s eastern side, is the one of the region’s most popular natural tourist attractions. The area is home to Southern Illinois’ steepest and most magnificent rock formations, sandstone giants that are in many cases named for their shapes, including Camel Rock, Anvil Rock and Table Rock. The Shawnee is not only a place of recreation, but a place of many archeological, cultural and biological studies. The forest is home to more than 500 species of animals, including seven species that are federally listed as endangered and 33 that are considered regionally sensitive. The Shawnee is managed by two district offices, one in Jonesboro and one in Vienna, effectively dividing the forest into two districts. The Mississippi Bluffs District includes the west half of the forest, while the Hidden Springs District includes the east. Forest staff members operate from each office, including forest rangers, botanists and biologists. thomas.barker@thesouthern.com 618-351-5805
SECURITY
24-Hour Staffing • Emergency Response System Medication Reminders • Fire & Security Protection
PEACE OF MIND
3 Home Cooked Meals A Day Housekeeping and Laundry Services Planned Activities • Assistance with Daily Needs
PRIVACY
Private Apartments with Private Bathrooms Personal Kitchenettes Independence and Choice Marion & Benton
For more information call 993-2800 or 439-6600 www.fifthseasonassistedliving.com
6
CELEBRATE!
www.thesouthern.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
WORLD SHOOTING AND RECREATIONAL COMPLEX Sparta facility brings Grand American, other competitions BY LES WINKELER THE SOUTHERN
It wasn’t that long ago that the World Shooting and Recreational Complex was just a dream. The 1,600-acre boulder-strewn site was part of a larger network of reclaimed mines in Randolph County. Now, the WSRC is one of the gems of Southern Illinois and one of the premier shooting facilities in the United States. The WSRC, just north of Sparta off Illinois 4, has a 3.5-mile trap line, encompassing 120 trap fields. In addition, there are 24 skeet fields, 16 of them lighted and a pair of sporting clays ranges. The venue’s campgrounds can accommodate 800 recreational vehicles. “It’s a phenomenal facility, one we’re proud of,” said Marc Miller, director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. “To most anyone who is interested in the shooting sports, it is an amazing facility. I think people may not realize that we have one of the largest campgrounds east of the Mississippi River.” While the WSRC is open to recreational shooters throughout the year, the facility is home to the Amateur Trapshooting Association’s Grand American. Next year will mark the fifth anniversary of The Grand American moving to Sparta. About 7,000 shooters participate in the Grand American each year. About 100,000 shooters and spectators will visit the WSRC during the 10-day Grand American. “The Grand American is a tremendous opportunity for the region economically,” Miller said. “It’s a great way to showcase our
THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO
Steve Phillips, director of sales for Krieghoff International, Inc., talks to a customer about a k80 ACS shotgun. The firearm can be used for all clay target disciplines.
commitment to the shooting sports. The Grand American itself and the ATA is a phenomenal partner. We value them, and we’ll work with them, and hopefully, keep them here for many, many years.” In addition, the Trapshooting Hall of Fame will be moving from Vandalia, Ohio, to Sparta in the near future. Building plans are being reviewed. A firm date for the move has not been established. As has been the case throughout its brief history, things seem to happen fast at the WSRC. The facility had barely opened in 2006 when the first Grand American took place at Sparta. The IDNR had just one warm-up event, the U.S. Open. That event pointed out some problems such as plumbing issues in the campgrounds and air conditioning problems in the vendor buildings. In addition, campgrounds were essentially devoid of trees and grass
for that initial event. Those problems have all been resolved, and ATA members consider the facility home. “The Grand always brings me,” Billy Thigpen of Shelby, N.C., said at this year’s event. “I just love to shoot the Grand. It’s just a different feeling about the way you approach it. Some of the world’s best shooters are here. It’s just a different level of competition in my opinion.” But, the WSRC is more than that. It is a place Southern Illinoisans can compete in trap, skeet and sporting clays leagues. It is the site of Cowboy Action Shooting events. It is a place where organizations such as the Rotary Club, Knights of Columbus, the Farm Bureau, the Boy Scouts and others host fundraising events. For more information on the venue, call 618-295-2700.
THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO
Steven Morishige picks up his Kolar combo shotgun before heading for the line and his round of shooting. Grayson Pare (below) strains to move a pallet of shotgun shells. Nearly a half of million shots were fired at the event, officials said.
les.winkeler@thesouthern.com / 618-351-5088
About 7,000 shooters participate in the Grand American each year. About 100,000 shooters and spectators will visit the complex during the 10-day Grand American.
Meet American Chillers author Johnathan Rand and let him take you on an adventure with your imagination! All events are subject to change without notice. See the Customer Service Center for details.
THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO
Chad Hafer of Lindenwood University has his participation in the Grand American preserved on film by photographer Alan Loveless at the 2009 Grand American.
RURAL HEALTH, INC. NOT-FOR-PROFIT COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER SINCE 1978 Our Mission: Provide Quality Services To All Patients With A Commitment To Those In Financial Need Primary Care • General Dentistry OB-GYN • Psychiatry & Mental Health Services Chronic Disease Management For Asthma & Diabetes • Immunizations Tenemos Servicios De Interpretacion Y Programa De Descuento
AJ School Health Center • 608 S. Main Anna • 618-833-7980 Anna Annex 515 N. Main • Anna • 618-833-3263 Cobden Dental Clinic 103 N. Appleknocker Cobden • 618-893-4005 Dongola Medical Clinic 318 U.S. Hwy. 51 N. Dongola • 618-827-3545 Vienna Medical Clinic 803 N. 1st • Vienna • 618-658-2811 513 N. Main • Anna
618-833-4471 www.ruralhealthinc.org
Billing 618-833-4800
www.thesouthern.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
CELEBRATE !
7
THE MAGIC MILE Race track at Du Quoin State Fairground is well-known by racers all across the country BY LES O’DELL FOR THE SOUTHERN
For fans of motor racing around the nation, some tracks are known simply by a nickname: the track in Bristol, Tenn., is known as “Thunder Valley;” “The Brickyard” denotes the Indianapolis Motor Speedway; “The Track too Tough to Tame” refers to the Darlington, S.C., track and for more than 60 years the famed dirt circuit at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds has been known simply as “The Magic Mile.” Long considered to be among the fastest onemile dirt tracks in the nation for both harness horse racing and automobile racing, the track was originally constructed by fair founder W. R. Hayes in 1946 using reclaimed strip mine land and Perry County clay soil. It’s the track’s composition that makes it perfect for racing, according to Assistant Fair Manager Norm Hill. “It’s Southern Illinois clay dirt, and it is so versatile that it can be prepared for horses with cushion and spring to it and then a day later with water and compaction, it can be perfectly prepared for car racing,” he explains. “Over the years we’ve had stock cars, motorcycles, the USAC [United States Auto Club] cars, midget cars and truck racing. The track lends itself to anything.” Many of motor racing’s biggest stars have raced — and won — at Du Quoin. A.J. Foyt won his first major race at The Magic Mile. Legends such as Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, Bobby and Al Unser and Tony Bettenhausen have all raced at Du Quoin. Current NASCAR drivers Ken Schrader and Tony Stewart frequently return to race during the Labor Day weekend. “They race primarily on asphalt, so coming to Du Quoin is a fun off-day for them,” said race promoter Bob Sargent of Macon. Sargent organizes both the USAC and ARCA (Automobile Racing Club of America) events held each year during the Du Quoin State Fair. Sargent called the Du Quoin track special. “It’s a mile in length, which itself is unique, and the size is just one thing about the track. It increases the speeds,” he said. “It’s totally different and unique. There are only a couple of other one-mile dirt tracks in the country; the one in Springfield and maybe one out east.” Du Quoin, however, stands out for great racing, said Sargent. “It is very good racing. The track crew does a great job and gives an excellent surface with multiple racing grooves. With the wide track, racers can pass and that means more excitement,” he said. “I don’t know how to describe what makes Du Quoin different,” ARCA driver A.J. Fike said. “There’s no track in the country that compares to Du Quoin. It’s very racy.” Renovations in 2000 to the track improved the racing both in terms of safety and speed. “The track was originally made for standard bred horse racing,” Hill explained. “The front stretch was 75 feet wide and after turn two, the track narrowed to about 60 feet, and it didn’t widen out again until the front stretch. It was tough in cars.”
‘I don’t know how to describe what makes Du Quoin different. There’s no track in the country that compares to Du Quoin. It’s very racy.’ A.J. FIKE ARCA RACER
The improvements included widening the track to 85 feet all the way around, said Jeff Mason, supervisor of building and grounds for the Du Quoin State Fair. Other improvements included replacing old guard rails and chain-link fencing with concrete retaining walls and the installation of lights, allowing for night racing. “The improvements just enhanced the whole experience for both drivers and fans. When the drivers have a better place to race it means better racing and more excitement for fans,” Sargent said. Mason said the track, which is banked eight percent in the turns and four percent on the straightaways makes for perfect racing. “The racing’s so good partially because of the clay and partially because of the banking and layout of the turns,” he said. “It’s a sweet track for horse racing and motorsports. It has long, wide straightaways, and the corners are wide, more sweeping than sharp.” Some drivers have said they approach the Du Quoin track as more of a rectangle, instead of an oval. “It almost has a short chute,” Fike said, describing of the areas between turns one and two and between turns three and four. Mason, who has been responsible for the care and preparation of the track since 1979, said a good track requires a good track crew. “Weather conditions play a huge role. It’s a continual battle with the weather and soil conditions. It’s not just ‘check the weather and then do x, y and z.’ You just take your best shot. Sometimes it’s just magic,” he said. The conditions of the track, the history and the excitement of racing at Du Quoin all make The Magic Mile popular with racers. “It’s a combination of things for me,” Fike said. “There’s only a few mile tracks left and it’s totally different than most of the tracks we race on.” Fike won the pole position for this year’s ARCA race with a fast lap of more than 103 miles per hour. He led 54 laps before finishing fourth. “I’ve won two poles there and always run pretty good in Du Quoin,” he said. The Galesburg native said he considers Du Quoin to be one of his home tracks, and he’s hoping to make a trip to the fairground’s victory lane in the near future. “Definitely to win one of these races is on the top of my list,” he said. “Hopefully one of these years, I’ll get a win.” To Fike, The Magic Mile is unequaled. “I always love going to Du Quoin. I enjoy the fair and the race. It’s a great atmosphere and every year, it’s definitely marked on my calendar,” he added. “It’s the most fun track we race on.”
ALAN ROGERS / THE SOUTHERN
Racers round turn one Sept. 7 at The Magic Mile at the Du Quoin State Fair during the modifieds feature race.
8
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
Ask about ou
Rent-to-Owr n
1-800-786-7111
*4 Year Term Colors May Vary
19867 Ketteman Lane • Ewing, IL 62836 (618) 927-0533 • email: kkbuildings@gmail.com Mon.-Fri. 7:30 am-5:00 pm • Sat. Appointments
S CASH A E M A S 90 DAYS INANCING F FREEVAILABLE A
SEE MODELS ON DISPLAY AT THESE FINE DEALERS IN A TOWN NEAR YOU! • Amish Crafted Furniture - Energy, IL • (618) 942-2910 • Benton Carpet Outlet - Benton, IL • (618) 438-2005 • Bo’s Sales Center - Centralia, IL • (618) 780-5703 • Burkdell Mulch - Carbondale, IL • (618) 549-2211 • Country Mall - Worden, IL • (618) 633-2702 • Cowell’s Nursery - Red Bud, IL • (618) 282-8225
• Downtown Auto Sales - Harrisburg, IL • (618) 252-7717 • East Side Furniture - Salem, IL • (618) 548-2420 • Macks Auto Sales - Marion, IL • (618) 993-1818 • Quality Times - Mt. Vernon, IL • (618) 244-0399 • Showcase Furnishings - Mt. Vernon, IL • (618) 244-3333 • T N T Enterprises • Greenville, IL • (618) 664-4868
ASK 6 & 12 AMBOUT SAME A ONTH S CASH
10
CELEBRATE!
www.thesouthern.com
TRAIL OF TEARS STATE FOREST
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
SILKWOOD INN Mulkeytown has link to the Underground Railroad
Tragic event passed through Union County BY DEBBIE LUEBKE METRO
Various people in Southern Illinois want to make sure this part of Native American history A state forest in the is not forgotten. Ozark Hills in Southern Herman Peterson, head Illinois memorializes one of reference at Morris of the most tragic events Library, has Cherokee in U.S. history. The Trail of Tears State ancestors who were on the trail. The mother of Forest in western Union his great-greatCounty is named for the grandfather, who left route about 15,000 Oklahoma in the 1890s, Cherokee Indians were was Cherokee. Peterson is forced to travel after a board member of the federal troops evicted them from their ancestral National Trail of Tears Association and also homes in the southeast belongs to the Illinois states to the Oklahoma territory under the Indian Chapter. “I have a personal Removal Act of 1830. interest in the topic, and Divided into the work of the detachments, some association in keeping the traveled by river, but more than half took a land story alive is very major,” Peterson said. “It’s not a route. pleasant topic — Barefoot, with little thousands of people died food and clothing, the — but it’s a historic lesson Cherokees were not prepared to face the harsh we can’t lose sight of.” He will attend the winter of 1838, camping national conference in near the ice-clogged Guntersville, Ala., in Mississippi River. By the October, which will focus time the bitter cold on historical, subsided, between more geographical and than 3,000 were dead, according to the National geological research and Trail of Tears Association. discuss grant-writing. Their makeshift camps The national event will be held in Metropolis in fall were located four miles south of the Trail of Tears 2010. The association is a State Forest’s Southern citizens group that helps boundary. The 60-mile the National Park Service trail across southern on trail development and Illinois roughly follows interpretation, Peterson Historic Illinois 146. Of said. It’s an eclectic mix the nine states the of academic types, local Cherokee traveled historians, and people through, Illinois has the who use various devices most original remaining to trace trail routes and trail segments. gravesites, like those at But it’s not just the forest’s name keeping the Camp Ground Church in Union County, where tragic memory alive.
FOR THE SOUTHERN
It’s not just the forest’s name keeping the tragic memory alive. Various people in Southern Illinois want to make sure this part of Native American history is not forgotten. thousands allegedly camped while waiting to cross the Mississippi. The Trail of Tears State Forest lost all of its staff in recent budget cuts, Peterson said. Last April, Vickie Devenport, WSIU outreach coordinator, helped coordinate a preview reception for the PBS broadcast of “We Shall Remain,” a glimpse into American Indian history. The “Trail of Tears” was one of the episodes. “We want to raise awareness of the Trail of Tears,” Devenport said. “I think there’s a real interest in this information and this history — that was evident with ‘We Shall Remain.’”
Events focus on the trail A free bus tour of the trail is set for Oct. 17, leaving from Carbondale and traveling to Missouri. On Oct. 16, WSIU TV’s “In Focus” program will feature a group of Cherokee students from Oklahoma who rode the trail on bicycles this summer. Their chief joined them for part of the ride. The first Trail of Tears Volunteer Work Day is 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday on the Joe Crabb Farm in Pope County. Participants will help restore an original portion of the trail and learn about the region’s history and Native American heritage. One day people will be able to walk part of the trail, Devenport said.
THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO
The Silkwood Inn was built in 1827 and is in Mulkeytown. BY DEBBIE LUEBKE METRO FOR THE SOUTHERN
Slavery, the Underground Railroad and a young girl who survived the Trail of Tears are all part of the story of the Silkwood Inn in Mulkeytown. An older resident of the area told author and researcher Sue Glasco that she learned as a girl that the home of Brazilla Silkwood was part of the Underground Railroad. This makes sense, Glasco said, because the nearby home of B.G. Roots was known as a link in the railroad. Roots had a railroad spur near his house so he could transport his handicapped daughter to a doctor. Brazilla Silkwood married three times but did not have children of his own. Instead, he took in 16 orphans, some of them his own nieces and nephews. When they THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO became adults, he gave The Silkwood Inn is named after Brazilla Silkwood. them 40 acres of land, a
Founded in 1885, we have been serving
101 W. Cherry Street Herrin, IL 62948 618.988.1783
the area for 124 years. Let our experience help you choose just what you need from our wide selection of quality name-brand clothing for men, boys, and toddlers, including extended sizes for big and tall men. Stop in and visit us soon!
Hours: Tues-Fri 10am-5pm • Sat 10am-2pm Closed Sun & Mon Cheryl A. Lambert - owner, beauty consultant
www.merlenormanstudio.com/mn-9047 www.merlenormanofherrin.com
1607 Walnut Street, (Between Tippey’s & Subway)
Murphysboro
684-3011
Hours: Mon. 9-7 • Tues. - Sat. 9-6
Low-Interest Auto Loans
Wheather you’re refinancing or purchasing from a dealer, our rates will save you money. Apply at any branch or at www.siucu.org Membership required. NCUA Insured. Equal Housing Lender. Subject to credit approval. Call 457-3595 for details.
Call 457-3595 or visit www.siucu.org.
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
Silkwood first saw Priscilla as a slave during a trip to Georgia. The young girl, who was one-quarter black and three-quarters Cherokee, was sold to a chief when the owner of the plantation died. In 1838, Priscilla, then 14, was camped west of Jonesboro, with the chief and other Cherokees on the Trail of Tears. SEE IT The Silkwood Inn now contains many artifacts from the area, including an original rocking chair from the house. It can be seen by appointment by calling Barb Spencer at 618-724-2817 or 618-724-4288. horse and a watch “to get a start in life,” Glasco said. “They were wonderful people.” Allegedly he also arranged for the freedom of two men and a young girl named Priscilla. Silkwood first saw Priscilla as a slave during a trip to Georgia. The young girl, who was onequarter black and threequarters Cherokee, was sold to a chief when the owner of the plantation died. In 1838, Priscilla, then 14, was camped west of Jonesboro, with the chief and other Cherokees on the Trail of Tears. When Silkwood spotted Priscilla on a trip to Jonesboro, he bought her for $1,000 in gold and took her home to be raised as one of his own children. She brought with her hollyhock seeds from Georgia which she carried on the Trail of Tears. Priscilla planted them at the inn, and they still grow there. Hollyhocks from Priscilla’s seeds, which are smaller than other hollyhocks, now grow throughout the area, Glasco said. Priscilla was very close with the other children. When she died in 1892, she was buried in the family plot at a cemetery a mile and a half from the inn. When the house was badly burned in a fire in the 1980s, the owners were going to tear it down until there was an uproar from the community. “Many residents’ ancestors were the orphans Silkwood had raised, so they raised money to save the house,” Glasco said. The house was rebuilt around the skeleton of the original inn, but a fireplace was added. It was not a large place, Glasco said. There were porches in the front and back, and a kitchen separate from the house.
CELEBRATE !
www.thesouthern.com
11
Southern Illinois has many programs and places for victims to find comfort, resources BY DEBBIE LUEBKE METRO
“It’s terrible when you have kids and have to send them to school in rags or dirty clothes,” he said. For many women and Residents can obtain children in Southern Illinois, violence and abuse whatever services they need, from pregnancy are part of daily life. counseling to alcoholism Several programs aim to help victims cope with the services to information about funding available for trauma and take the first college. Various agencies in steps to leading a more the community are normal life. contacted when needed. “We have some Bethany Village, Anna tremendous success stories Open since 2000, — people who come in and Bethany Village in Anna take advantage of what’s provides an array of available.” King said. services for homeless The agency’s largest women and children. There annual fundraiser is set for are 20 apartments, a food 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, pantry, thrift shop, and at Great Boars of Fire. The various support services. event will feature wine Wally King, executive from Orlandini, food, a director, said the families raffle and silent auction. who come there are Tickets are $20 and all homeless for a variety of proceeds will go to Bethany reasons. Some have Village. “It’s a sad irony suffered abuse, some are that when the economy is unemployed. Others are great, not many people dropouts or are dealing need social services, and with mental illness. The when it’s bad and the village serves more than money is not there, there’s 300 families every month, a greater need,” King said. whatever their background. “We always depend on the “Our goal is to have them kindness of strangers and wind up in decent housing, friends.” with a job, with an education — all those Amy Schulz Child things,” King said. “We Advocacy Center, want to provide long-term Mount Vernon solutions to problems.” New residents receive Ten-year-old Amy clothing vouchers and Schulz was abducted, raped laundry vouchers. FOR THE SOUTHERN
Proudly Supporting the business community of Carterville & the Tri-C C Area
and murdered in 1987. Her attacker, Cecil S. Sutherland, was convicted and remains on death row in Illinois. In Amy’s memory, her father Dennis and former state Rep. Kurt Granberg, D-Centralia, began the Amy Schulz Child Advocacy Center in Mount Vernon in 1990. The agency, which serves just over 200 children a year in seven counties, was the first multi county program in the state and the first of its kind in southern Illinois. The center staff works with abused children and their families on referrals from law enforcement and the Department of Child and Family Services. They work as a team with DCFS, law enforcement, the state attorney’s office, and mental health and medical personnel, explained Director Ladonna Richards. “Our goal is to seek justice and help the child return to some sort of normalcy,” she said. “We don’t investigate. We do advocacy, forensic interviews and education.” They see children ages 3 up to 18, and only work with offenders if they’re children. “There is a lot of sibling on sibling abuse, a lot of juvenile offenders,”
Richards said. “We try to discover how the child learned that behavior.” In addition to counseling and conducting compassionate and thorough interviews with children, staff members accompany the child and family in court. The center also offers educational programs in the seven-county area, from preschool through adult. For preschool through 6th grade the focus is on prevention. Seventh and eighth grade sessions talk about dating issues, and adult programs discuss how to spot abuse and what to do. Dennis Schulz and his wife Esther rotate being members of the board of directors. There are two main fundraisers each year — a golf outing in summer and a Celebrity Waiter Dinner in February.
The Women’s Center, Carbondale One of the oldest domestic violence centers in the country, The Women’s Center in Carbondale opened in 1972. A new building that opened this year houses all of the center’s services — a 40-bed shelter, sexual assault services and
domestic violence services. Having everything under one roof enables staff to offer more concentrated treatment for victims, Executive Director Cathy McClanahan said. “Our main focus is to end domestic violence and sexual assault in the area and provide safety and support to assist survivors of these crimes,” she said. “We are the only free and confidential sexual assault and domestic violence services provider in seven counties in Southern Illinois.” In addition to the Carbondale location, the center provides domestic violence and sexual assault counseling and a medical and legal advocate in Marion, and a legal advocate for domestic violence victims in Benton. About 1,200 people, women, children and men, seek the services the center provides each year. Staff also offer public education and prevention programs. McClanahan said a future goal is to increase transitional housing. Like many other nonprofit agencies, the center lost staff members in the state budget cutbacks. “We are trying to maintain the quality and quantity of our services,”
12
CELEBRATE!
www.thesouthern.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
NATIVE AMERICANS The Illiniwek, made up of many tribes, left lasting marks on Southern Illinois’ landscape BY STEPHEN RICKERL FOR THE SOUTHERN
The history of Native Americans in Southern Illinois is a complex story that ranges from a thriving civilization circa 1,100 A.D. to a diseased and dwindling population that by the early 19th century was confined to a reservation less than two square miles in area. Despite not having a presence in Southern Illinois since ceding their land in 1832, evidence of a Native American culture rich in history can still be found across the region. Sites such as the Cahokia Mounds, Fountain Bluff, Millstone Bluff, Piney Creek Ravine and Sand Ridge are a few of Southern Illinois’ historically significant sites. Centuries before Europeans came to Southern Illinois there was a sizeable Native American population at Cahokia Mounds in present-day Collinsville. The site is a series of earthen mounds that were constructed for religious and ceremonial purposes by a group of Native Americans that archeologists named the Mississippian people. Monks Mound, the largest of all the mounds, occupies more than 17 acres of land and is one of the world’s largest earthen structures. Archeologists estimate that the population of Cahokia was 20,000 and that the 6-square-mile site was constructed sometime around 1,000 A.D. Although Cahokia would have been the biggest settlement of the
Fountain Bluff at the north end of Big Hill in Jackson County sits less than one mile from the Mississippi River and holds a wealth of significance to Native Americans.
STEPHEN RICKERL / FOR THE SOUTHERN
Fountain Bluff encompasses the north end of Big Hill and sits less than one mile from the Mississippi River. Fountain Bluff once served as a ceremonial site for Native Americans.
Mississippian people, it wasn’t the only one. “Cahokia was connected into that whole lower Mississippian culture,” said Gray Whaley, a history professor at Southern Illinois University. As mysteriously as Cahokia emerged, it was abandoned after reaching its zenith around 1,250 A.D. By the time Europeans arrived in the region, a tribe called the Illiniwek or Illini was living in Illinois. In fact, the modern state of Illinois derives its name from Illiniwek. The Illiniwek were a loose confederation of tribes that included the Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Moingwena, Peoria and Tamaroa. It is difficult to identify for certain which tribe was where in Southern Illinois. “Whenever you get into tribal identities, there’s always a bit of imposing,” said Whaley. The Illini tribes had a
cyclical routine tied closely to the changing seasons; they would plant crops in the spring, hunt in the summer, harvest in the fall and then scatter into smaller camps for winter. This routine, along with warring with other tribes and European conquest, meant they were highly mobile and hard to trace historically. “It’s just fragmented bits of history of scattered groups,” said Mike McNerney, an archeologist for American Resources Group in Carbondale. “By the time we began to record their activities they were under such incredible stress from losing their land to three European countries fighting over their land: Spain, England and France, and then suffering from disease and alcoholism and all of those things that they were just constantly on the move, and their numbers were diminishing all the time. So it was extremely
Quality Material Experienced Staff Unsurpassed Service See us for all your home improvement projects
stressful,” McNerney said. Despite their mobile life ways and the difficulty involved in tracing Native American tribes, there are several sites in Southern Illinois that still illustrate their significance. Fountain Bluff at the north end of Big Hill in Jackson County sits less than one mile from the Mississippi River and holds a wealth of significance to Native Americans. “On it and all around it are numerous archeological sites,” McNerney said. Mark Wagner, an archeologist at the Center For Archeological Investigation at Southern Illinois University, said petroglyphs dating from 1,000 to 1,500 A.D. are drawn and carved into the walls at Fountain Bluff. “A lot of the images carved there are for religious reasons,” Wagner said. Fountain Bluff sits on privately owned land, but Wagner suggests rock art enthusiasts can view petrogylphs at sites run and protected by the Forest Service and the Department of Natural Resources. Sites such as Mill Stone Bluff in Pope County and Piney Creek Ravine on the Randolph-Jackson county line feature unique petroglyphs illustrating Native American views of the universe. Wagner explains the east side of Mill Stone Bluff depicts a bird representing the upper world, while the west side, featuring snakes and serpents, represents the under world. Out of all the sites significant to Native Americans in Illinois, none is more inconspicuous than Sand Ridge. It is on this small half-mile by two-mile strip of land in Jackson County that Native Americans spent their final years in Southern Illinois. Sand Ridge is unique in
STEPHEN RICKERL / FOR THE SOUTHERN
Chelby Meade holds an arrowhead found in a field adjacent to her home in Gorham. Her father, Eric, holds an arrowhead (below) found near his home, which is near Fountain Bluff.
that it is one of the few places on record to have a Native American settlement, “that place we can actually say there were Indians there, that was their designated reservation, and then they were gone,” McNerney said. On Aug. 13, 1803, the Kaskaskia tribe ceded its claim to all land in Southern Illinois to the United States. As a result of the treaty, they received 1,280 acres of land in Sand Ridge along the Big Muddy River. They remained at the Sand Ridge reservation until 1832 when surviving members of the Illini again signed a treaty with the United States ceding all their claims to land in Illinois. For signing the treaty, the tribes received 96,000 acres of land in northeast Kansas. After the treaty, all surviving members of the Illini collectively adopted the name Peoria and were moved to
Kansas. By 1950, only 439 Native Americans remained out of the 12 tribes that made up the Illini. Even though Native Americans left Southern Illinois in 1832, modernday Illinoisans are still finding remnants of the Illini civilization. In Gorham, next to Fountain Bluff, Eric Meade and his daughter, Chelby, sort through a large crate of arrowheads and broken shards of pottery, all of which were found in the fields surrounding their home at the foot of Fountain Bluff. “I used to spend a lot of hours walking the fields looking for those, but I haven’t had much time lately,” said Meade. It is artifacts like these arrowheads and shards of pottery that Meade collects that give us clues to the past and the extent of the Native American culture once prevalent in Southern Illinois.
Since 1983 Shawnee Alliance for Seniors has been helping older adults... • Remain independent • Remain in their home and community • Obtain information on services and programs • Access services and financial assistance programs • Advocate for and protect their rights and quality of life • Make choices about long term care If you are an older adult living in your own private residence or in a nursing facility, or if you are a caregiver of an older adult, Shawnee Alliance for Seniors can help you. For More Information Call Us At
1-8 800-6 642-7 7773 BENTON • 221 N. MAIN 618-439-4026
Shawnee Alliance for Seniors A Division of Shawnee Health Service 6355 Brandhorst Drive • Carterville, IL 62918
CELEBRATE !
www.thesouthern.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
13
GRAND TOWER Ghostly tales of a forbidden love and a doomed wedding can still be heard today BY MARY THOMAS LAYTON THE SOUTHERN
Legends are lore surrounding the community of Grand Tower have been around almost as long as the first inhabitants. Grand Tower officially was incorporated in 1872, but the city received its name five years earlier from a rock (Tower Rock) that towers up from the Mississippi River. The first settlers came to Grand Tower in 1803. Former Grand Tower Mayor Charles Burdick, who now serves as city clerk, said legends and lore abound in the river community. A riverboat pilot for 35 years, Burdick spends much of his time in retirement writing poetry and gathering information about the history of Grand Tower. He has written a number of books, which are available at Mississippi River Museum and Interpretive Center at 606 Front St. in Grand Tower and nearby libraries. Burdick talked about two legends which have been passed on through the years. One is about a young woman forbidden by her father to see the man she loved. The woman’s father, whose name is unknown, was superintendent of Grand Tower Iron Works during the 1860s. He wanted her to marry a wealthy man, a town elder of good breeding. But, she fell in love with the captain of a riverboat — a man her father considered unsuitable. The riverboat ironically was named “Spectre,” because that is what the woman supposedly transformed into after leaping to her death from the top of Devil’s Oven Rock behind her house, which is on the north edge of Grand Tower. To this day, the foundation walls remain. The woman’s ghost reportedly was seen walking the trail near her house not long after her broken, river-soaked body was recovered. And, in more recent years, locals have reported seeing her ghost walking among the remnants of her house. She is more apt to be spotted on a peaceful night when the moon is particularly radiant. At
STEPHEN RICKERL / FOR THE SOUTHERN
Tower Rock rises more than 90 feet above the Mississippi River and has inspired folklore for centuries. The unique geological feature, made of limestone, causes turbulent currents and whirlpools to form at its base when the river is high.
least, that’s how the legend goes. The other legend Burdick talked about involved a wedding party which drowned April 9, 1839, at Tower Rock. The wedding party crossed the river for a ceremony on top of the island rock. The bride, Penelope Pike of Grand Tower, the groom, John Davis, and the remainder of the wedding party drowned, except for one slave, when the boat was caught in a whirlpool. The slave was rescued by a fisherman. That same day, the niece of the drowned bride was born. She was named Penelope Davis.
Twenty years later on April 9, 1859, Penelope celebrated her birthday on Tower Rock. The surviving slave was her guest. Members of the birthday party later reported seeing the drowned wedding party. The minister from the drowned wedding party supposedly handed Penelope a scroll and then he and the others who had drowned 20 years earlier descended into the river. The scroll prophesized the Civil War. It said that fathers would fight sons and brothers would fight brothers in a great war which would bring sadness to Penelope’s family. Two years later, the
Civil War broke out. Penelope’s two brothers, Noah and Thomas, enlisted. Noah fought for the South, and Thomas fought for the North. Before the Battle at Wilson’s Creek near Springfield, Mo., Thomas was fired upon while on duty. He fired back and heard a body fall, later discovering that he had shot and killed Noah. Both brothers are buried in Missouri. As for the prophesy foreshadowing the tragedy, no one will really know. But, that’s how the legend goes. No one will really know whether the ghost of a heartbroken young
STEPHEN RICKERL / FOR THE SOUTHERN
A clock and a pair of binoculars sit in the Mississippi River Museum and Interpretive Center. The artifacts were recovered from the Golden Eagle shipwreck, which sunk in 1947.
woman lingers amongst the ruins of her house. But, one could dare to find out by visiting the site on a peaceful night
when the moon is particularly radiant. mary.layton@thesouthern.com 618-997-2279, ext. 5071
The Best kept secret in Southern Illinois...
STEPHEN RICKERL / FOR THE SOUTHERN
Devil’s Oven Rock has served as a landmark for years and is the subject for river legend. During the 18th century, a house once stood on Oven Rock. The daughter of the house is said to have died of grief and to still haunt the grounds.
Conference Services
Facilities, food and event planning for business meetings, conferences, banquets, weddings, family reunions, retreats, or gettogethers.
Environmental Education
Hospice of Southern Illinois understands that every person they care for is a unique individual with a lifetime of experiences, relationships and gifts to share. Hospice and palliative care brings comfort, dignity and peace to help people live every moment of life to the fullest, leaving loved ones with memories they can treasure. Learn more about hospice, palliative care, advance care planning and grief, call Hospice of Southern Illinois:
997-33030 or 800-2233-11708
Exciting outdoor learning experiences in natural resource education, nature interpretation, and resource management are available as half and full-day programs or in conjunction with, campouts, overnights, and extended residential programs and expeditions.
Spectrum Wilderness
Highly challenging 30-day long courses that include extended wilderness expeditions specially designed to address and modify the behavior of at-risk youth between 13 and 18 years of age.
Therapeutic Recreation
Day programs, campouts, overnight respites, and extended residential retreats for individuals from 8 to 80 years of age with physical or developmental characteristics that require special care, attention, and instruction.
Underway Outdoor Adventure
Rock climbing, team building courses, high ropes courses, orienteering, backpacking, and canoeing activities are offered as half day or full-day programs or in conjunction with campouts, extended residential programs, and expeditions.
www.hospice.org
Touch of Nature Environmental Center Since 1981
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
For more information contact: Touch of Nature 1206 Touch of Nature Road Makanda, Illinois 62958 Phone: 618/453-1121 Email: tonec@siu.edu
14
CELEBRATE!
www.thesouthern.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
AMERICAN FLUORITE MUSEUM Hardin County museum showcases one of Illinois’ most abundant minerals known as fluorspar. What exactly is fluorspar? Technically, it is the Just outside of crystalline form of Rosiclare, a Hardin calcium fluoride, a County community on transparent to translucent the banks of the Ohio glassy mineral. In its pure River, is a museum form, fluorspar is clear, celebrating a resource but the mineral can take that may not be familiar on many different colors to many Southern depending upon the Illinoisans: Fluorite. presence of other Open four days each minerals. week during the months Often, this makes for of May through October, beautiful, cube-shaped the American Fluorite Museum is located above crystals in a variety of colors. At Rosiclaire, it the nation’s richest can be found in the veins deposit of the versatile as much as 40 feet wide and beautiful mineral. within limestone Formerly the location of bedrock. the Rosiclare Lead and Fluorite has a variety of Fluorspar Mining Company, the museum is industrial uses, from the home to a variety of items manufacture of flux to pertaining to fluorite, also serving as an ingredient
BY LES O’DELL
FOR THE SOUTHERN
STEPHEN RICKERL / FOR THE SOUTHERN
A piece of fluorite pulled from the Denton mine in 1993 sits on display at the American Fluorite Museum in Rosiclare. Fluorite became the state mineral of Illinois in 1965.
in glass and enamels and chemicals. “It is used in a variety of different acids,” said Roy Jackson of Rosiclare. Jackson is a retired chemical millworker and a volunteer at the American Fluorite Museum who said he had worked with the mineral his entire life. “It is a key component in the coolant we have in our air conditioners in homes and automobiles.”
201 N. Park Ave., Herrin
618-988-1739
109 E. Egyptian Ave., Christopher
618-724-2600
www.propertywithtlc.com
Teresa Camarato Broker/Owner Cell 727-2270
teresa@camarato.com
STEPHEN RICKERL / FOR THE SOUTHERN
The hoist house (top) is one of the few buildings left at the former mining site of the Rosiclare Lead and Fluorspar Mining Co.. The hoist house (above) is where miners would descend into the mine and lift the ore out of the mine.
pittsburghpaints.com voiceofcolor.com
Quality • Service • Price
create your
dream home.
NIEMANN FLOORING
Data storage of your paint color • Computer color matching THE VOICE OF COLOR® paint selection Huge selection of painting accessories
MANOR HALL INTERIOR Eggshell Latex SAVE Great for high traffic areas, trim/mouldings, walls & ceilings
W W W. N I E M A N N F L O O R I N G . C O M
138 Niemann Lane • Murphysboro, IL
Hardwood Laminate
Semi-Gloss Latex Great for high traffic areas, kitchen & bath, walls & ceilings
618-687-2231
3903 W. Ernestine • Marion, IL
618-997-6521
5 $ 5 $
UNIVERSAL PRIMERS • Stain Blocking • Undercoaters for Trim • Wallcovering Preparation • Water & Oil Bases
Per Gal.
SAVE
SAVE
4
$
Per Gal.
Per Gal.
Good through Oct. 24, 2009
Check out our new line of Hacienda Colors by Pittsburgh
Carpet Ceramic Tile Heavy Duty Werner
Vinyl Tile
300 Lb. Rating
3 79
sq. ft
(as compared to $4.49 sq ft)
M-F 7:00-5:00 Sat. 7:30-12:00
#778303
99
$
As pictured:
$
Brushes, Rollers, etc.
15 %OFF
STEPLADDER
Area Rugs Shaw Epic Hardwood
All Wooster Painting Supplies
PAINT PAIL
9
95 $
95
$
With purchase of 4 gallons of paint
1999 Value
510 W. MAIN • MARION • 993-2653
www.bobstotlar.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
THE MUSEUM Where: At the intersection of Illinois 34 and Main Street, Rosiclare Hours: Thursday through Sunday, May to October Admission: $3 for adults At one time, Illinois was the largest producer of fluorite in the nation and it was named the Illinois state mineral in 1965. However, it has not been mined in the state for more than 10 years. Still, the museum and its visitors celebrate the mineral for a variety of reasons. “It’s definitely deserving of a museum,” Jackson said. “We get all kinds of people from all around the world. Some are interested in geology, some in mining and some are just tourists.” The museum features a variety of displays and exhibits, including ore specimens of all sizes, mining memorabilia, photographs and artifacts. For people with an interest in geology, the museum is a must-visit, according to an area expert. “To have a museum of this type is a very valuable resource for the region,” said Richard Fifarek, associate professor of geology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. “I think they have one of the better displays of fluorite that you will find in the country. Only topquality museums like the Smithsonian would have any comparable specimens.”
CELEBRATE !
www.thesouthern.com
15
Unique museums dot the map across Southern Illinois Staffed by volunteers, the American Fluorite Museum is just one of many perhaps lesserknown Southern Illinois museums with unique offerings. Among them: African American Museum of Southern Illinois (Carbondale) — A variety of exhibits celebrate the contributions of AfricanAmericans to the culture and history of the region. Photographs, quilt displays and special exhibits are all included. Super Museum (Metropolis) — Honoring the Man of Steel, the Super Museum contains one of the largest collections of Superman memorabilia in the world. Creole House (Chester) — An example of a midMississippi French Colonial home with rooms restored back to how they would have looked in the 19th century. One room depicts 1800, another 1830, and a third has been restored circa 1860. Franklin County Garage (Benton) — A former Ford garage, the museum has been restored to its original condition and features automobiles and memorabilia from the turn of the century. L. Haas Store Museum (Carmi) — Located in a store built in 1896, the museum features vintage clothing, Native American artifacts and photographs, but perhaps is best known for displaying the tools of “The Humane Hangman” Bill Hanna, who presided over numerous executions in the early 20th century.
STEPHEN RICKERL / FOR THE SOUTHERN
The American Fluorite Museum in Rosiclare (top) sits on the former site of the Rosiclare Lead and Fluorspar Mining Co. and houses several mineral specimens and mining implements (above). The museum is open to visitors from May to October.
Saline Creek Pioneer Village (Harrisburg) — An 1877 “poor farm” features several log homes, a church and school. Franklin County Historical Jail (Benton) — This museum features memorabilia of the gang era of prohibition as well as historical items. Marshall House (Shawneetown) — The site of the first chartered bank in the Illinois territory, the house is home to a frontier history museum with artifacts and smurals. Custom House Museum (Cairo) — Displaying Lewis and Clark exhibits and Civil War building now on the memorabilia as well as National Register of items pertaining to local Historic Places. history, the museum is Hard Days Nite (Benton) located in a three-story
— A bed and breakfast now occupies the home where Beatles member George Harrision’s sister
lived. The home includes a mini-museum of Beatles memorabilia. — Les O’Dell
16
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
Gwendolyn Edwards graduated from Shawnee Community College in 1996 with honors. She studied engineering. She is now a Hollywood actress and played the lead role in The Last Confederate. TV Guide called Edwards, “an up and coming star with the grace and ethereal beauty the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Meryl Streep.”
I have been in movies, national television shows, print ads, television and radio commercials. God gave me a gift and Shawnee Community College set me on a path t hat enabled me to realize my dreams."
Shane Parker
"D Dr. Janette Dumas is an Assistant Professor at Southern College of Optometry. She provides patient care as an attending optometrist at The Eye Center and also teaches laboratories in vision therapy and anterior segment diagnosis and management. She has also given invited lectures in vision therapy, contact lenses, and anterior segment management.
“We all are Shawnee Community College.”
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK!
8364 Shawnee College Road Ullin, IL 62992 618-634-3200 www.shawneecc.edu OUR STUDENTS MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.
18
CELEBRATE!
www.thesouthern.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
ONE-ROOM SCHOOLHOUSES Improvements to roads and transportation moved students out of these small schools BY LINDA RUSH THE SOUTHERN
One-room schoolhouses, which once thickly dotted the Southern Illinois landscape and launched many a prestigious career, have largely disappeared. As roads and transportation improved, schools were consolidated into larger districts. Youngsters who once would walk to school began riding miles on the big yellow buses. Many of the early schoolhouses have disappeared, but some remain and are used as community centers, shops, museums, even as private homes. And some of the early classrooms have since been replicated in the region’s museums, to give 21st century children a sense what school was like for earlier generations. Leota Thomson, who celebrated her 100th birthday this year, was born in Ina and grew up on a Washington County farm outside Ashley. She attended Southern Illinois Normal University (now SIUC) in Carbondale, with classes in Old Main, and worked in the cafeteria at Anthony Hall, which in those days was student housing. “I taught for 14 years in one-room schools in Washington and Jefferson counties before my children were born,” Thomson said. Unlike many districts in those days, she was allowed to teach even after her marriage, she added. She walked a half-mile to the school where she taught. And there, she learned the art of multi-tasking as she worked with all grades, all subjects. “It was a one-room school, so I was responsible for all the janitorial work,” such as tending the heating stove, she recalled. “I paid some of the older kids to do some of the chores,” she said. “I supervised them so they didn’t burn the school down,” she added, grinning. Architecturally, a one-
ALAN ROGERS / THE SOUTHERN
Charter Oak School in Schuline is thought to be the only octagonal one-room school house ever built in Illinois and only one of four in the United States. The eight-sided structure was constructed in 1873 and served Randolph County children for 80 years.
room school in rural Randolph County is in a class by itself. The Charter Oak Schoolhouse, near Schuline off Illinois 4 south of Sparta, is one of just four known octagonal schools in the United States. The eight-sided schoolhouse was built in 1873 and was used until 1953 when districts in Randolph County consolidated. The Randolph County Historical Society bought the building in 1959 and has restored and furnished the building. The school’s design reportedly was suggested by Daniel Ling, a teacher, who said an octagonshaped building with windows on seven sides would give maximum natural lighting to the classroom. Ling, it is said, was familiar with the Diamond Rock octagonal school in Valley Forge, Pa., which was built in 1818. Each year, the historical
society holds a Corn Fest benefit that includes a dinner, tours of the school, music, a bake sale and Country Store. Proceeds help the group with its efforts to keep the building in great — if unusual — shape for generations to come. The last one-room schoolhouse in Southern Illinois was the Flatts School in Franklin County, which didn’t close until 1980. The school district was annexed into the Benton district. The original Flatts School was built around 1873 of logs. It was destroyed by fire in 1958 and replaced with a brick building. After Flatts closed, the building was leased by the Franklin County Historical Society in 1982 for use as a museum. However, two years later, the Benton Grade School District decided it wanted the building back, either to sell or to use as a school
and the 25-year lease to the historical society was terminated. Purdy School, which was located in southern Perry County, was moved in fall of 1983 to the campus of John A. Logan College in Carterville. There, numerous classes from area schools have visited the 1860s-era schoolhouse to try their hand at nonelectronic learning and fun. Buckles School, located west of Carbondale, was the first of 10 one-room schools that eventually were included in the Rural Practice Teacher Training System at Southern Illinois Normal University, Ben Gelman wrote in a 1985 Southern Illinoisan column. Until the SINU system was set up, there was no formal program of training teachers for oneroom schools. Some, in fact, began teaching as soon as they completed eighth grade. SINU President Henry Shryock
Everyone wants Great Skin. Now You Can Have It! Let us make your dreams a reality.
BEFORE
AFTER
• Fully Insured • Free Estimates • Computerized Design for your Site
• Water Features • Gardens/Patios • Retaining Walls • Walkways
centers with interactive software, “smart” blackboards, many former students and teachers still are fascinated by the slates and primers, the “Palmer Method” handwriting workbooks and other trappings of one-room schools. linda.rush@thesouthern.com 618-351-5079
MORE ONE-ROOM SCHOOLS Several area historical museums have incorporated either entire one-room schools or classroom replicas into their exhibits. Frankfort Area Historical Museum, 2000 E. St. Louis St., West Frankfort, includes a one-room school exhibit. So does the Williamson County Historical Society Museum at 105 S. Van Buren St. in Marion. The museum is housed in the old Williamson County Jail. In addition to the one-room school exhibit, it offers tours of former jail cells and the former sheriffs’ living quarters, a 100-year-old general and drug store, coal mining exhibits and items from the era of outlaw Charlie Birger. Perry County Jail Museum at 108 W. Jackson St. in Pinckneyville also is housed in a former jail that originally was built in 1871. Its permanent exhibits include a one-room schoolhouse display. Saline County Area Museum boasts an entire schoolhouse on its grounds. The Chenault School, transported from Galatia, features a potbellied coal stove and an original blackboard. The museum, operated by the Saline County Historical Society, is at 1600 S. Feazel St. in Harrisburg. The museum grounds is the site of the former county pauper home, built in 1877 to take care of the county’s poor. The 23-room poorhouse now holds a variety of exhibits. Other buildings brought to the 170-acre pauper farm include residential cabins, a country store and post office, even a church.
~ Clinically proven products with 100% satisfaction guarantee
— Linda Rush
~ 4 product lines to meet your individual needs
Ask about our Preferred Customer Program
Materials from Burkdell Mulch
We put it in stone for you. Paul & Janee Kash 618-927-8451
RODAN + FIELDS® PRODUCTS ARE: ~ Dermatology created
had the idea of a training program for rural teachers. One of the first practice teachers in the program was Roscoe Pulliam, who eventually went on to become the sixth president of SINU, succeeding Shryock. As modern schools have adopted technology including distance learning setups, computer
Lots of beautiful Fall party goods for all your Fall entertaining.
Sold by a local Independent Consutant
618-201-0501
saramalloryolson@gmail.com • saraholson.myrandf.com
Credit Unions: Better Rates. Lower Fees. Safe and Secure. Deposits insured up to $250,000 by the NCUA
$5 membership deposit required. NCUA insured. Equal Housing lender. Call 457-3595 for details.
Call 457-3595 or visit www.siucu.org.
19
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
Participants Needed for Open Technology Trial Is a Hearing Loss Limiting Your Lifestyle? If So, You may Qualify for this Trial! Beltone™, a global leader in hearing health care, is conducting an Open Technology trial of the Beltone Touch™ instruments for qualified candidates. During the trial, candidates will be asked to test one of these exciting products. Touch™ Beltone Touch's breakthrough design works with the curvature of your ear to deliver unrivaled power and clarity that's completely hidden. Touch's Noise Reduction System minimizes background noise for clear sound and outstanding speech understanding.
Reach™ Beltone Reach™ uses advanced directional microphones that focus on sound in front of and behind you, even in noisy surroundings. Reach also learns and remembers your hearing preferences, automatically amplifying to your needs.
Participants will be asked to provide feedback on these Open Technology innovations. The hearing instruments may be purchased at a reduced rate, however, there is no obligation to buy. To learn if you qualify for this important trial, schedule an appointment for a FREE hearing screening.
Technology Trial Dates: October 7-9, 2009
Lifetime Service • Never a Cleaning Charge • Never an Adjustment Charge • Never an Evaluation Charge MARION
FAIRFIELD
1108 N. Carbon St., Suite F
1011 Commerce Way
MT. VERNON
DU QUOIN
3307 Broadway, Ste. 160
111 West Main
HARRISBURG
CARBONDALE
CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO
714 Rollie Moore Dr.
1130 B E. Main St.
1131 N. Kingshighway, Suite E
1-866-979-8993 Call Toll Free To Schedule Your Appointment
CODE #SI100609
*Only individuals with appropriate hearing loss are eligible for the trial. Trial products are limited to Instant Touch™ and Reach 62D™. Beltone Hearing Care Centers are independently owned and operated. Participation may vary by location. Benefits of hearing instruments vary by type and degree of hearing loss, noise environment, accuracy of hearing evaluation and proper fit. © 2009 Beltone.
20
CELEBRATE!
www.thesouthern.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
GIANT CITY STATE PARK Civil War soldiers left their mark on the rocks near Fat Man Squeeze BY SCOTT FITZGERALD THE SOUTHERN
MAKANDA — There are no historical records of actual Civil War battles occurring in the land that constitutes Giant City State Park today. But that doesn’t mean there was an absence of Rebel yells or general hellraising by soldiers who wore the Union blue. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, many of the cliffs and canyons in the abounding territories south of Carbondale were used as havens by soldiers of both the Union and Confederate armies. And to show they were there, it wasn’t unusual for soldiers to spend their idle time inscribing their names or initials in the cliff rock. Two inscribed names on the Giant City Nature Trail at the popular Fat Man Squeeze, tells an interesting story. Located head and shoulders above the many inscriptions at that locale is the name, “Albert S. Thompson, February 12-1862” and nearby reads Albert’s brother “T.W. Thompson.” “I suspect they carved their initials during a picnic outing,” said Mark Wagner, a staff archaeologist with the Southern Illinois University Carbondale Center for Archaeological Investigations. Wagner said judging from historical accounts and dates the Thompson inscriptions were done to gig or irritate Southern sympathizers in the area known as “Knights of the Golden Circle.”
Originally
After 1925 Tornado
IIhle hle Today
STEPHEN RICKERL / FOR THE SOUTHERN
The stone cliffs of Giant City State Park have several carvings (left) dating back to the pre-Civil War era. A tree (right) grows toward a stone wall.
There had been an earlier standoff in the vicinity of a Makanda hotel between the Knights and Union sympathizers. The Thompsons added to the fray earlier by joining a group of boys who erected a huge American flag in a tulip tree south of Giant City at the beginning of the war, according to Illinois Department of Conservation. The act became the source for a novel, “The Flag on the Hilltop,” published in 1902. About six months before he in scripted his name at Fat Man Squeeze, Albert Thompson was part of the Fremont Body Guard that battled victoriously Confederate forces in Missouri in a single battle. Shortly after the battle, Gen. John C. Fremont proclaimed martial law in Missouri and declared free all slaves of secessionist owners. That irritated President Lincoln who relieved Fremont of his command, Wagner wrote in a research paper that he
Serving All of Your Floral Needs Since 1919. Nothing will stop us from making sure you are satisfied. Florists & Greenhouses
Family Owned North 22nd & Logan Streets Since 1919 Murphysboro, IL 62966 • 684-2752 - 4th Generation Hours: 8am-5pm Mon - Fri • Sat. 8am-3pm
STEPHEN RICKERL / FOR THE SOUTHERN
Mark Wagner, an archeologist at the Center for Archeological Investigations explains details of a lichen covered Civil War era carving at Giant City State Park. The stone cliffs of Giant City State Park (below) weave a path through part of the park.
collaborated with Mary R. McCorvie. T.W. served under Col. John A. Logan’s command whose infantry fought victoriously in two battles in Tennessee. After the Fremont Body Guard disbanded, Albert later joined the 145 Illinois Infantry. T.W. later became a wealthy and influential citizen of Makanda and Carbondale. He owned much of the land of what eventually became SIUC, specifically the campus lake area and surrounding Thompsons Woods that he
specifically stipulated in his will could have no permanent structures built on it and that all trees must be left uncut, according to the state’s conservation department. His house stood where Morris Library is located now, Wagner said. “Who would have thought that so much history could be hidden behind those two names!” Wagner writes in his research paper with McCorvie. scott.fitzgerald@thesouthern.com 618-351-5076
Southern Que Barbeque Restaurant
Q
Southern ue Ribs for the Soul
887 East Grand Carbondale
618-4 457-8 8000
CELEBRATE !
www.thesouthern.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
21
FORTS Take a step back in time at Fort Massac, Fort Kaskaskia, Fort de Chartres or Customs House Museum BY SCOTT FITZGERALD THE SOUTHERN
History comes alive in Southern Illinois for visitors who choose to step back in time and visit one of several historic sites in the region. Among the area’s most prized historical locales are three forts, dating back several hundreds of years and reliving the past through modern exhibits and re-enactments, and a historic Customs House converted to a museum for the public. Fort Massac in Metropolis marks a special locale not just for Southern Illinois but for the state as a whole, as it was designated its first state park in 1908. Overlooking the Ohio River, the fort is a replica of the 1802 American fort that originally graced the grounds. The historic fort area contains two barracks, three block houses, officer quarters, well, stockade along with a fraise fence. The site also has the archaeological outline of a 1757 French Fort. Fort de Chartres, the last of three 18th century forts by that name constructed near the Mississippi River by the French, provides opportunities for tourists and historians alike to enjoy the past as they visit Randolph County and southwestern Illinois. The site, near Prairie du Rocher, is home to Illinois’ oldest building, which was built during the French reign of the 1700s. The site offers visitors a glimpse into both the military and civilian life of early European settlers, according to its Web site.
Among the area’s most prized historical locales are three forts, dating back several hundreds of years and reliving the past through modern exhibits and re-enactments; there’s also a historic customs house converted to a museum for the public.
THE SITES Fort de Chartres 1260 Illinois 155 Prairie du Rocher 618-284-7230
Fort Kaskaskia 4372 Park Road Ellis Grove 618-859-3741
Fort Massac 1308 E. 5th Street Metropolis 618-524-4712
Customs House 1400 Washington Ave. Cairo 618-734-1019
THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO
A trip to Fort Massac gives visitors a view of the Ohio River.
Built on a bluff overlooking the confluence of the Mississippi and Kaskaskia rivers, construction of Fort Kaskaskia near Ellis Grove began in 1759 and was never fully completed. After the signing of the Treaty of Paris ceded all the French property to the British, the townspeople of Kaskaskia destroyed the fort, leaving the Brits to build a new structure on the site. In 1778, George Rogers Clark led an expedition across Southern Illinois, surprised the British and captured the town and the fort without firing a shot. The church bell rang, and today, the same bell remains on site and is known as “The Liberty Bell of the West.” Other features of the site include a scenic bluff, a historic cemetery and a
picnic area. In Cairo, a historic Customs House, opened in the mid-19th Century when Congress declared the city a port of delivery, the next stop along the Mississippi River from New Orleans. Alfred Mullett, supervising architect for the U.S. Treasury, designed the building, along with others in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. In 1984, a group of community members and historic preservationists converted the historic building into a museum including historic cannons World War I and World War II, as well as a desk used by then-Gen. Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War. THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO scott.fitzgerald@thesouthern.com 618-351-5076
The Tippecanoe Ancient Fife and Drum Corps of Lafayette, Ind., marches onto the parade ground to perform a drill routine for the visitors to the annual rendezvous at Fort de Chartres.
EXCLUDES FOREVER TIRES
Unique Custom Jewelry Jewelry Repair We buy scrap gold Thank you to our loyal customers The Premiier Perryy Countyy Jeweler 740 S. Washington Hwy. 51 S., Du Quoin
618-5 542-6 6611
22
CELEBRATE!
www.thesouthern.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
ART GALLERIES Mount Vernon and Whittington offer places for Southern Illinoisans to enjoy the arts BY DEBBIE LUEBKE METRO FOR THE SOUTHERN
DETAILS
For an immersion into the world of art and artists, visitors and residents of Southern Illinois can go to Cedarhurst Center for the Arts in Mount Vernon and the Southern Illinois Artisans Shop and Art Gallery in Whittington. Cedarhurst offers a permanent collection of works by late 19th and early 20th century American artists, several temporary exhibits and an outdoor Sculpture Park. There is a Chamber Music Series and art lessons for all ages. Each September the Cedarhurst Craft Fair draws hundreds of artists and visitors. About 800 juried Illinois artisans show their work at the Southern Illinois Artisans Shop, which also features artist demonstrations, workshops and classes. Ceramics, quilting, paintings, jewelry and stained glass are among the arts offered at the shop. Here some more details.
Southern Illinois Art & Artisans Center Where: In Whittington, 6 miles north of Benton on Interstate 57, just west of Exit 77 Hours: 9 a.m. -5 p.m. daily; closed New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Phone: 618-629-2220
Southern Illinois Artisans Shop and Art Gallery, Whittington An increased desire for handmade things keeps the shelves and walls at the Southern Illinois Artisans Shop filled. “I think people are tired of mass-produced things. They are searching for original and one-of-akind items,” said Director Mary Lou Galloway. “We are a unique and unusual opportunity to showcase
Cedarhurst Center for the Arts Where: Richview Road, Mount Vernon Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday Phone: 618-242-1236 and promote Illinois artists, at no cost to them.” Artists are juried into the program. About 1,600 artists participate at the artisan sites in Whittington, Chicago and Springfield. About 800 are featured at the Whittington shop. Most visitors, nearly 90 percent, come from within a 150-mile radius of Whittington, including St. Louis, Galloway said, but the staff sees people from all over the world. Sometimes they meet friends or neighbors of the artists. “People in Southern Illinois have a great opportunity to see some great art work. We like to brag about our artists.” “From This Earth” is the theme of the current exhibit at the Artisan Members Gallery, which runs through Oct. 29. Artists created works using the color green and earth-related pieces. One used tree bark from Uganda. The Illinois State Museum Art Gallery at the center, curated by Debra Tayes, features traveling shows from the museum’s collection and other venues. Currently on
display is a landscapes photography show. During the summer, there are Wednesday art workshops for children. A book signing with Illinois authors is set for Oct. 17 to 18, and a Holiday Open House on Oct. 27 to 29. In 2010, the Illinois Artisans Program will celebrate its 25th year.
Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, Mount Vernon Nature is an integral part of Cedarhurst Center. The $8 million new building addition completed in fall 2008 has panoramic views of the outdoors. Artists were invited to create sculptures from the wood of trees cut to make room for the structure. “It brings the art of nature inside,” said Sarah Sledge, Cedarhurst communications director. “Our intent was to make art part of nature and nature part of art. It’s a beautiful place to be at all times of the year.” The Sculpture Park, started in 1992, is located on the center’s meadows,
STEPHEN RICKERL / FOR THE SOUTHERN
John Lovin, a blacksmith from Belle Rive, personalizes horseshoes during blacksmithing demonstrations at the Cedarhurst Craft Fair in Mount Vernon.
woods, pond and nature trail. There are more than 60 large sculptures by well-known artists, including Dennis Oppenheim, Alexander Liberman, Fletcher Benton and Chakaia Booker. Male and female figures created by Martha Enzmann “dance” in the pond behind the Mitchell Museum. In the 1940s and ’50s, John R. and Eleanor R. Mitchell collected late 19th century and early 20th century American
paintings, sculpture and decorative art, Sledge said. When they died, they left their 90-acre estate and art collections to the community. The Mitchell Museum opened to the public in 1973. This permanent collection includes works by Mary Cassatt, John Singer Sargent, Thomas Eakins, Robert Henri, William Glackens, George Luks, John Sloan, Arthur B. Davies, Maurice Prendergast, Childe
Hassam and J. Alden Weir. From Oct. 30 to Dec. 31, two new exhibits will be on display — “Rajasthan Ancient Colors and Traditions,” images of India by St. Louis photographer Ray Marklin, and Marilyn Boysen Retrospective, a collection of masks by Boysen, a Cobden artist. “We really try to make this arts for all — visual, performing, enjoying the sculpture park and looking at nature,” Sledge said.
We Deliver For You PRESCRIPTION DELIVERY SCHEDULE Daily Herrin, Energy & Freeman Spur Monday, Wednesday & Friday Carterville, Cambria, Colp, Hurst & Bush Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday Johnston City, West Frankfort, Benton, Zeigler & Royalton
We make doing business with us easy.
HERRIN DRUG
116 N. Park Ave. Herrin 618-9942-55315 Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9am-6:30pm • Sat. 9am-4pm CLOSED Sunday
Over 15,000 Square Miles to Mow in
Southern Illinois
Get it done right. Toro G3 Series Gravely 2T HD Series
Hustler Sport
Echo SRM 225 Trimmer
RALPH’S SMALL ENGINE
CELEBRATE !
www.thesouthern.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
23
KASKASKIA ISLAND Illinois village in Missouri has increased its population to 13 BY MARY THOMAS LAYTON
Kaskaskia is the only Illinois community west of the Mississippi River. The flood of 1881 carved a new channel in the Mississippi River and created Kaskaskia Island.
THE SOUTHERN
The village of Kaskaskia has increased in population nearly 50 percent since the 2000 census. Nine years ago, there were nine residents. Now there are 13. Kaskaskia native Danny Roth was a senior at Chester High School when Kaskaskia Island flooded in 1973. During the flood of 1993, he and his wife, Sandy, and their two children stayed in their home until evacuation was critical. “We didn’t expect it to get that bad. When the levy broke, that’s when it got interesting. We basically lost everything except what we could throw in a pickup truck real quick,” Danny said. After the flood, the Roths rebuilt their home. They don’t want to live anywhere else. “It’s nice living here — quiet. You just have to worry about the water,” said Sandy, who is employed at a shelter workshop. Her husband is a truck driver. Active in their community, Sandy is village clerk and Danny is a trustee. Politics don’t take up too much of their time, though. The village council meets only a couple of times a year. Most of the 13 citizens of Kaskaskia serve on the council in one form or another. Danny said he would like to see the council secure funding to build a small park or picnic area for residents and tourists.
THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO
Kaskaskia Bell is housed on Kaskaskia Island. On the Fourth of July, the bell house is opened for visitiors.
The village’s main attraction is Kaskaskia Bell, which is a state historic site. Often described as the Liberty Bell of the West, Kaskaskia Bell is actually older than the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. It’s not uncommon for tourists to lose their way coming to Kaskaskia, since the village is accessible only through St. Mary, Mo. The residents of Kaskaskia live in Illinois, but they have a Missouri address. “When I went to change my license, that really messed them up,” Sandy said.
Before she married Danny, Sandy lived in St. Mary. Even after she moved to Kaskaskia, she continued to have a St. Mary address. Her driver’s license does, however, specify in parentheses that she is a resident of Randolph County, Illinois. Unique? Yes. Confusing? Not really, at least not for Kaskaskia residents. “Everybody else is confused,” Sandy said. “We’re not.” Kaskaskia is the only Illinois community west of the Mississippi River. The flood of 1881 carved a new channel in the
2 Mediums, Any Toppings (limit 4 toppings)
$16.99 Coupon good for delivery or take-out. Not valid with any other offers. No double coupons or portions. Expires 12/31/09.
FREE 2-LITER w/Purchase of Large or X-Large Pizza Coupon good for delivery or take-out. Not valid with any other offers. No double coupons or portions. Expires 12/31/09.
FREE
Salad with the Purchase of a Large Specialty Pizza Coupon good for delivery or take-out. Not valid with any other offers. No double coupons or portions. Expires 12/31/09.
1 X-Large 2-Topping Pizza
2 X-Large 1-Topping Pizzas, Cheese Sticks, & a 2-Liter Soda
$12.99
$20.99
Coupon good for delivery or take-out. Not valid with any other offers. No double coupons or portions. Expires 12/31/09.
FREE
Breadsticks with the Purchase of any Large Pizza at Regular Menu Price Coupon good for delivery or take-out. Not valid with any other offers. No double coupons or portions. Expires 12/31/09.
Whiffle Boys Pizza was opened three years ago by two 23-year-old SIU students, Tim Reiman and Brad Henderson. It is the only locally owned and operated pizza business in Murphysboro. They started with a Reiman family recipe for wings and began working with pizza when they moved into their current building on Walnut Street.
618.687.9433
Coupon good for delivery or take-out. Not valid with any other offers. No double coupons or portions. Expires 12/31/09.
1 Large 2-Topping Pizza & Wings
$14.99 Coupon good for delivery or take-out. Not valid with any other offers. No double coupons or portions. Expires 12/31/09.
Reiman became the sole owner in 2006. At Whiffle Boys Pizza customers can always expect that fresh dough was used to make their pizza, breadsticks or cheese sticks. Several choices such as subs and salads are also available for those who may not be in the mood for pizza. Of course there are also four types of the wings that started it all.
2 X-Large Specialty Pizzas
$23.99 Coupon good for delivery or take-out. Not valid with any other offers. No double coupons or portions. Expires 12/31/09.
Buy One Large Pizza at Regular Menu Price, Get an Order of Cheese Sticks
FREE
Coupon good for delivery or take-out. Not valid with any other offers. No double coupons or portions. Expires 12/31/09.
2 Large 2-Topping Pizzas for Only
$18.99 Coupon good for delivery or take-out. Not valid with any other offers. No double coupons or portions. Expires 12/31/09.
Whiffle Boys also offers catering. Being locally owned Whiffle Boys wanted to develop a loyalty card program to reward all of their customers. The next time their customers are craving some pizza they can order from Whiffleboys and be rewarded for eating what they want.
• www.WhiffleboysPizza.com • 618.529.9433 2039 Walnut St. Murphysboro, IL • 830 E. Main St. Carbondale, IL
THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO
Residents chat at Immaculate Conception Catholic church on Kaskaskia Island.
Mississippi River and created Kaskaskia Island. Shannon Sulser of DeSoto, Mo., a former resident of Kaskaskia, is building a house on stilts just down the road from the Roths’ home. The three-bedroom house will be 16 feet off the ground. He described the house as a vacation retreat. “It was very nice growing up here. Not a lot of strangers to worry about. No big deal to ride
your bike up and down from one end of the island to the other,” Sulser said. Sulser, who now works as an electrical technician, was in high school when Kaskaskia flooded in 1993. His parents, Mike and Mary Sulser, moved the family to Chester. Emily Lyons tells a similar story. The Kaskaskia native moved to Chester after the flood of 1993. That was also the year she retired from
teaching. She had taught in Kaskaskia from 1963 until 1986, when Kaskaskia’s school incorporated with Chester’s school system. Lyons said Kaskaskia is unique for its peacefulness. “It’s a feeling of privacy, fresh air and breezes,” she said. “Growing up that way, you get used to it.” mary.layton@thesouthern.com 618-997-2279, ext. 5071
24
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
26
CELEBRATE!
www.thesouthern.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
HARRAH’S CASINO & HOTEL Metropolis’ entertainment oasis has a little something for everyone BY VINCE HOFFARD FOR THE SOUTHERN
For decades, there was nothing to catch the watchful eye of riverboat captains as they piloted tow boats pushing barges loaded with coal down the Ohio past Paducah. Miles of twisting wooded shoreline was all that could be anticipated before the tributary emptied into the muddy Mississippi. Today, the journey is much different. On the Illinois shoreline, floodlights can be seen for miles leading
travelers to Harrah’s Metropolis Casino & Hotel, an entertainment oasis buzzing with nonstop activity. Conceived as a site for residents from the middle of the United States to legally gamble, without making the long trip to Las Vegas, Harrah’s has evolved into a highly respected destination, offering outstanding dining, quality lodging, outdoor concerts with big name stars and a 12,000-square-foot convention center. Last year, more than a million people visited the
Massac County location. “With endless amenities and a variety of activities to offer our guests, we strive to be the perfect entertainment getaway for our local, national and international visitors,” said Kyle Shepley, entertainment, advertising and public relations manager for Harrah’s Metropolis. Opening in 1993, the casino was originally a massive paddle boat that floated up and down the river. It was illegal to start gambling until the boat had left the dock. Harrah’s purchased the
property in 2001. The boat is now permanently docked and there is gambling 22 hours per day. The casino closes from 7 to 9 a.m. daily for routine maintenance. Gambling is the main attraction, and there is a little something for everyone, including 1,170 slots with reels, video slots and video poker. Various games of chance are offered on 25 tables, including blackjack, craps, roulette, let it ride, threecard poker and Caribbean stud poker. Also, there is a poker
DETAILS Where: 100 East Front St., Metropolis Directions: Take Interstate 57 South, then Interstate 24 East toward Nashville, then Exit 37 Metropolis/Brookport; turn right onto U.S. 45; turn left onto Ferry Street. Phone: 800-929-5905 room and frequent poker tournaments. For the more advanced player, there are high-limit slots and table games. Huge concrete parking lots surround the casino. The lots are brightly illuminated at night. It’s a short walk to the main building and 50 yards
down a ramp into the 36,000 square foot casino, which operates on three separate floors. The constant noise from the machines and tables is mesmerizing. Shepley said there is no risk for first-time visitors with a free Total Rewards Card.
It has been recognized as the number one business incubator in Illinois. • 185,000 square ft. facility with several suites available • 6,500 sq. ft. refrigerated storage area approved for food handling (H.A.S.A.D.)
www.westfrankfort-il.com THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO
At Fifth Season Residential, we strive to give seniors the kind of personal care and support they deserve. Our residential care homes provide a private and individual experience to ensure your peace of mind, including medication assistance and 24 hour security. Fifth Season Residential is a locally owned and operated company that truly keeps its promise-Assisted Living at its Finest! "At Fifth Season, our Residents judge their experience by the way they are treated as a person. We believe the most important thing we do is hire and retain cheerful, kind, and empathetic people who by the nature of who they are go above and beyond to create a truly wonderful living experience for all of our residents, regardless of their decline with aging.” Robert Bradley, Owner
We truly believe that Fifth Season is very special. It's not just a place for your loved one to stay when they can no longer live alone, but a place to live, laugh, enjoy life, make new friends, and be loved when you cannot be with them. Truly a place to call home. Fifth Season Assisted Living homes are located in Benton & 2 in Marion.
Aging does not have to be isolating! With all our hearts, we welcome you to our home, our family, and our community.
ASSISTED LIVING PROFESSIONALS
Marion & Benton
For more information call 993-2800 or 439-6600 www.fifthseasonassistedliving.com
www.thesouthern.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
“All new members are able to play $100 on us and receive two free buffets,” she said. “You must be 21 or older to enter the casino and must have a valid photo ID.” Complete details on this offer are provided at the Total Rewards Center in the casino. There is no excuse to roll the dice on an empty stomach. Food is everywhere, from a traditional American breakfast at The Rivercrest to Ace’s Diner, a ’50s-style burger joint. The most popular eatery is the Fresh buffet, where for around $20 there is unlimited amounts of American, Mexican, Southern, Italian and Asian cuisines, plus mountains of deserts. For the premiere dining experience, there is the upscale Range Steakhouse, featuring steaks and seafood flown in fresh daily and prepared by awardwinning chefs. In conjunction with the start of football season, Shepley says the Metro Sports Bar was opened Sept. 13, with big TV screens showing all the Sunday games, $2 draft beers and a chance to hang out with the Coors Light girls. “We are planning some exciting promotions for the Metro Sports Bar. There will be chances to win sports memorabilia and NFL tickets,” Shepley said. Many major music stars have been featured during the casino’s outdoor concert series, including Merle Haggard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels, and most recently legends George Jones and Tanya Tucker. The final major outdoor event of the 2009 season will mark the return of Trace Adkins on Saturday. Tickets start at $25 and can be reserved by calling 888-512-7469. Preparing for an outdoor show is a monumental feat. There is no permanent facility. Shepley says there is a blueprint for transforming a concrete parking lot into a venue meeting the stringent demands of contract riders submitted by each artist. “Going from cars to concert is quite the production and takes every bit of 48 hours to complete,” Shepley said. “We bring in video walls, state-of-the-art audio and over 6,000 chairs. The Ohio River makes a perfect backdrop as bigname entertainment takes the stage.” The Riverfront Event Center is a state-of-the art indoor venue that originally would host concerts by classic country artists. This is where Don Williams gave his final performance before retiring. In recent years, Harrah’s has drastically expanded the scope of attractions in the events center. On Sept. 12, the center was jam packed with senior citizens at a quilt show. Six days later, a bloodstained mat covered the ring for Kage One Mixed Martial Arts. On Oct. 16, there will be a Party With The Captain celebration in the event center with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. Music will be provided by the Burning Las Vegas party band. There will be upscale appetizers and Captain Morgan drink specials. Tickets are $20. The casino regularly hosts charitable events. On Sept. 18, Vegas Nights benefited the 53rd Telethon of Stars, there was a Top Deck Margarita Party for the St. Nicholas Family Clinic in August, a Rooftop Martini Party for Guardian Family Services in July and A Little Black Dress Party benefited the American Cancer Society
in May. “No matter the economic times, the commitment made by Harrah’s Metropolis Casino & Hotel to the community is second to none,” said Chad Barnhill, Vice President of Marketing for Harrah’s. “We understand that there is a greater need than ever before.” Barnhill says employees of Harrah’s Metropolis support countless philanthropic endeavors through the year as part of the company’s HERO (Harrah’s Entertainment Reaching Out) volunteer program. Last year, they logged a whopping 8,051 hours. “The HERO hours accumulated in 2008 represent the most volunteer hours donated by any property within the Harrah’s Entertainment organization,” Barnhill said. “Although we are the third smallest company out of 40-plus properties, we consistently lead the corporation in volunteer hours.” Benefactors of the volunteer hours and over $300,000 in contributions and sponsorships my by Harrah’s include the United Way, American Cancer Society, Alzheimer’s Association and Telethon of Stars. With so many options in a small space, Shepley says many casino guests are rejecting the exorbitant cost of traditional vacations and electing to scale back and stick closer to home with a “staycation” at Harrah’s. This option was made easy in 2006 with the addition of a five-star hotel with 252 rooms and six luxury suites.
CELEBRATE !
27
Conceived as a site for residents from the middle of the United States to legally gamble, without making the long trip to Las Vegas, Harrah’s has evolved into a highly respected destination, offering outstanding dining, quality lodging, outdoor concerts with big-name stars and a 12,000-square-foot convention center.
Harrah’s Hotel & Casino in Metropolis (above) has hosted Lynyrd Skynyrd, Merle Haggard, Dierks Bentley, George Jones, Charlie Daniels and Tanya Tucker. Ace’s Diner (left) is a ’50s-style diner inside Harrah’s.
THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO
We Put All The Pieces Together! Low-Interest Auto Loans Wheather you’re refinancing or purchasing from a dealer, our rates will save you money. Apply at any branch or at www.siucu.org Membership required. NCUA Insured. Equal Housing Lender. Subject to credit approval. Call 457-3595 for details.
Credit Unions: Better Rates. Lower Fees. Safe and Secure. Deposits insured up to $250,000 by the NCUA $5 membership deposit required. NCUA insured. Equal Housing lender. Call 457-3595 for details.
N O W O F F E R I N G B U S I N E S S LO A N S Business Lines of Credit, Commercial Real Estate, Commercial Vehicles, Letters of Credit, Equipment Loans and SBA Loans. Contact Angela Williams-Barke at 549-8631.
Membership required. NCUA Insured. Equal Housing Lender. Subject to credit approval. Call 457-3595 for details.
28
CELEBRATE!
www.thesouthern.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
ELKVILLE President Ulysses S. Grant visited a Civil War veteran in this Jackson County town BY MARILYN HALSTEAD THE SOUTHERN
In 2006, Elkville celebrated its sesquicentennial. The celebration committee collected historical items to display during the celebration. While collecting information, it ran across an interesting fact in an old newspaper article: President Ulysses S. Grant once visited the town of Elkville. President Grant was traveling south through Southern Illinois by train. A bridge just north of Elkville was out, causing
While President Grant waited for the new train, he decided to visit some men who served with him during the Civil War and lived in the area. One of those men was Maj. Harmon P. Burroughs, who lived on a farm nearby. Grant’s train to be damaged. The article said Grant and his party disembarked and walked back to town to wait for another train from the north. While President Grant waited for the new train, he decided to visit some men who served with him
during the Civil War and lived in the area. One of those men was Maj. Harmon P. Burroughs, who lived on a farm (west of Dowell). Grant sent word to Maj. Burroughs that he was delayed in Elkville and would like to see him. Maj. Burroughs went into town to visit
Kentucky Oaks Mall Complex Gift Cards
the President. According to Gordon Burroughs who lives on that farm near Elkville, Maj. Burroughs was in Grant’s close circle of officers toward the end of the Civil War. “When they were out in the field, they used to hang out in the ranking officer’s tent,” he said. Maj. Burroughs recounted his military career in a letter to the Ava Citizen written just before the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in June 1898 and reprinted in the Elkville Journal on Aug. 2, 1957. He was correcting some misinformation in an article the Citizen printed on June 3, 1898. Maj. Burroughs joined the 8th New York Cavalry as a private in 1860 at age 15. He promoted through non-commission and commission grades to the rank of major in the same regiment and was in command from time to time. The regiment served in the Army of the Potomac and belonged to “Gen. Custer’s Calvary Division under Gen. Sheridan” and joined Grant before Petersburg, Va. He said, “… I with others for our command was present and saw part of the proceedings between Gen. Grant and Lee that cased the Army of Northern Virginia to stack arms for the last time.” The Arlington National Cemetery Web site has some information on Maj. Burroughs as well which was posted by his great-grandson D. Swann
PROVIDED
Ulysses S. Grant poses for a portrait.
in April 1998. He was born in 1846 in Penfield, N.Y. He was wounded twice during his service, including a saber wound to his head and a bullet in his chest. He married Alice Summers on Jan. 2, 1968, in Fairfax County, Va., and
moved to Elkville that year. He was kicked in the head by a horse and died Jan. 31, 1907. He and his wife are buried in Arlington National Cemetery. marilyn.halstead@thesouthern.com 618-351-5078
50% OFF Shiloh Custom Cabinets All wood custom cabinet construction
NO FEE for orders of $1,000 or more
The Ultimate Business Incentive More Effective Than Cash in Achieving Business Goals!
Shiloh Cabinetry remains as one of the few cabinet companies to still offer plywood construction as standard. SPECIES OF WOOD:
Oak, Hickory, Cherry, Maple
FINISHES:
Stained, Glazed, Painted, Rustic
• Employee Recognition • Performance Incentives • Production Awards • Sales Awards • Workplace Safety Rewards • Reduce Employee Absenteeism • Building Teamwork • Employee Gift & Bonuses • Employee Recruitment • Dealer/Distributor Incentives • Consumer Loyalty Builders • Trade Show Traffic Builder Apply Now! No Interest! No Payments for 90 Days! Call Jay for an appointment today! Over 15 years cabinet design & sales
Available at the Customer Service Center, call the Mall Office at 270-444-0440, or visit us on-line @ www.mallgiftcards.net 10am to 9 pm, Mon.-Sat. • Noon to 6pm, Sun. • Holiday Hours may vary. I-24, I-24, Exit 4 • Paducah, KY • 270.444.0440
www.kennedymall.com
80 years of Dependability
Mon.-Fri. 7-5 Sat. 7:30-12
510 W. Main St. • Marion, IL •
993-2653
www.bobstotlar.com
CELEBRATE !
www.thesouthern.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
29
AMISH SETTLEMENTS Known for their homemade goods and hard work, the Amish have made Southern Illinois their home BY BECKY MALKOVICH THE SOUTHERN
Like a carefully handstitched quilt, the Amish have seamlessly threaded their way of life into the fabric of Southern Illinois. Old World customs align with 21st century ways to form a unique patchwork as Amish communities dot the region’s rural landscape. The sight of horse-drawn buggies sharing the road with horsepower-heavy Hemis has become commonplace in outlying areas around towns like Belle Rive, Ava, Vienna and Murphysboro. One of the newest settlements surrounds the Galatia-Harco area in Saline County, where the hardworking Amish men and women are gradually growing the businesses that make them almost fully self-sustaining. Among those businesses are cabinetmaking, horseshoeing, dairy farming, baking and harness-making. But the Amish are not the only ones to take advantage of these particular skill sets. Many of the businesses boast a clientele from both near and far, according to one of the community’s Elders, who asked that his name not be used. “We don’t advertise heavily, although some of us do have (business) cards. Word travels mostly by mouth. If people are satisfied with our work, word spreads like fire,” he said. Quality defines the work of the Amish, whose devout adherence to the Christian faith dates back hundreds of years. The Amish eschew modern inventions such as electricity and automobiles, valuing instead that which is crafted by a man or woman’s hand. “No electricity, no radio, no TV,” the Elder said. “Most things we do, we do by hand. We keep it as it used to be. As a community, we don’t think so much about hard work. We’re used to it; we grew up this way.” About 22 families are in the Galatia-Harco settlement. They moved from Wisconsin seeking “something a little more laid back, not as fast moving as Wisconsin,” the Elder said. “We wanted something a little more conservative.” The lifestyle, he said, is a plain one that holds church and work in high regard. “We don’t really have social activities. We work and we go to church. We don’t take breaks. We don’t do business on Sundays. We keep our lifestyle to ourselves. People
THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO
A group of Amish families moved to Saline County from Wisconsin in 2007. An Amish settlement has also taken root in Ava.
AMISH BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS Shawnee Country Store, 213 Foss Road (off Illinois 4), Ava; features fine meats and cheeses, bulk flours, spices and candy as well as Amish-crafted furniture. Open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday; from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday Miller Bakery, North America Road (Harco Road to Brushy Creek Church Road), rural Saline County; features freshly baked breads, pies, jelly rolls, cobblers, noodles and fresh produce. Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. sometimes say they would like to live like us but it would be hard if you didn’t grow up this way,” the Elder said. Richard Schlabach, owner of Shawnee Country Store in rural Ava, moved to the region more than a decade ago and opened the store in 1999. His clean store is lined with colorful spices, bags of flours, sugars and other baking goods and row after row of healthy treats and snacks. The deli case features a selection of fine meats and cheeses. Many of the goods in the store are Amish-
made, both local and brought in from other Amish communities. “We push the quality of our goods very hard,” he said. “That is important to us.” The store draws customers from a wide area, and it is not uncommon to see vehicles with out-of-state license plates in the parking lot. “Southern Illinois is a good place. The people here have accepted us, and we’re thankful for what they do,” he said. “We appreciate them.”
Shawnee Health Service “Your Medical Home for Affordable Quality Health Care” Shawnee Dental Center
beckymalk@gmail.com / 618-927-5633
4 South Hospital Dr
Murphysboro • 684-2321
General Dentistry
Murphysboro Health Center
7 South Hospital Drive Murphysboro • 687-3418
Family Medicine with Obstetrics
Shawnee Health Care - Women’s Health
6 E Shawnee Dr. Suite B Murphysboro • 684-9100
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Reduced Fees for the Uninsured and Underinsured Medicaid/All Kids, Medicare, Insurance, Self Pay
Shawnee Health Service Administrative Office 109 California Street • Carterville, IL 618-985-8221 • www.shsdc.org
30
CELEBRATE!
www.thesouthern.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
LONGBRANCH COFFEEHOUSE Carbondale café offers vegetarian cuisine, all natural foods and much more BY CODELL RODRIGUEZ THE SOUTHERN
Longbranch Coffeehouse does more than sell coffee. They have become a popular local eatery serving vegetarian and vegan cuisine and use all natural ingredients to make an assortment of pastries. Elaine Ramseyer has served as general manager of the Carbondale restaurant for the past 11 years. In that time the restaurant has taken great strides to beef up, for lack of a better term, the cuisine. Now the menu includes everything from falafel to biscuits and gravy with a wide variety of baked goods. Ramseyer said the biscuits and gravy, which uses meatless sausage, has received compliments from herbivores and carnivores alike. “We’ll go against pork gravy any day of the week,” Ramseyer said. She places a lot of credit on head chef Andrew Guyton, whose Texas origins have influenced the restaurants southwest-themed dishes such as tortilla soup and huevos rancheros. The menu also takes trips to the Mediterranean with styles such as Margherita and Quattro Formaggio. Ramseyer said she took several trips to Italy and decided that the restaurant should replicate the dish straight from the source. Their baked goods are made from scratch and consist of natural ingredients. “The thing that makes our food different is that we actually make it,” Ramseyer said. “We make everything from scratch.” Ramseyer said the restaurant’s baked goods have made great strides thanks to bakers Monica Murray and Satya Selah, who she said she would confidently place against Paris pastry chefs. Murray, who has worked at Longbranch for 14 years, said some of their most sought after pastries include the Italian cream cake, cheesecakes, éclairs and pies that include French silk and banana cream. The restaurant also prepares wedding cakes. Murray said the cakes actually taste like cake because they are made with real butter and organic eggs. But just because the Longbranch staff pays special attention to the food doesn’t mean they have forgotten the coffee.
THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO
Longbranch Coffeehouse is known not only for its wide range of java selections but for its vegetarian menu.
‘I’ve traveled to New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C., and I couldn’t find a café that was adequate. I love this place.’ BEN PAKTER CARBONDALE
Ramseyer said they buy their coffee from Bongo Java in Nashville, Tenn., because they buy from small farms in Mexico and Central and South America and observe fair trade.
While Ramseyer and Murray are proud DETAILS of their product, the testimonials come from the patrons as well. Ben Pakter of What: Longbranch Coffeehouse Carbondale, a teacher in the Meridian Where: 100 E. Jackson St. in Carbondale School District, said he has been a loyal Hours: 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Friday and customer for about five years because he 7 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday just can’t find their equal. What else: Saturday Salsa lessons begin “I’ve traveled to New York, Chicago and at 8 p.m. with dancing at 9 p.m. Washington, D.C., and I couldn’t find a Info: Call 618-529-4488 café that was adequate,” Pakter said. “I love this place.” Ramseyer invites vegans, vegetarians “We have good food that’s good for you and omnivores to try the food for that tastes really great,” Ramseyer said. themselves, because after eating an allnatural meal, they will want to leave the codell.rodriguez@thesouthern.com 618-351-5804 junk food behind.
CELEBRATE !
www.thesouthern.com
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
31
THEBES COURTHOUSE History resonates from the walls of this bastion of justice
MARY THOMAS LAYTON / THE SOUTHERN
Thebes Courthouse, built in 1848, operated as a courthouse until the Alexander County seat moved from Thebes to Cairo in 1860. Bill Caldwell (below) stands inside the courthouse. BY MARY THOMAS LAYTON
summit and frowns, while the guilty and the dissolute tremble and fear Weekend tours of the to approach her courts. I Efforts are under way by historic Thebes think it would be a good members of Thebes Courthouse are idea to encourage a Historical Society to available from 10 a.m. movement looking to the obtain funds to renovate to 2 p.m. Saturdays removal of the COUNTY the courthouse. The and 1 to 4 p.m. SEAT down to the bottom majestic building, built in Sundays. of the hill.” 1848, sits high atop the Tours throughout the During the decade after village of Thebes, looking week are available; call the courthouse closed, the down on a community 618-764-2632. trustees of the Methodist park adjacent to the Admission is free, but Episcopal Church of Mississippi River. donations are Thebes obtained the Historical society appreciated. building for church member Bill Caldwell purposes and for the talked about the history benefit of the public of Cairo City Times Editor resonating within the William A. Hacker sent an Alexander County. walls of Thebes In 1972, the courthouse editorial correspondence Courthouse. Abraham was listed on the National to the newspaper. The Lincoln practiced in the Register of Historic courthouse when he was a correspondence was circuit attorney. Gen. John published Oct. 11, 1854, in Places. Three years later, the courthouse received a Cairo City Times. A. Logan also tried cases $30,000 grant to fund “Circuit Court is in there, and the famous session here, but there are restoration efforts. A slave, Dred Scott, was plaque on the outside of no cases to be tried of imprisoned in the special interest. The same the courthouse, dated May courthouse jail. Ironically, the 161-year- old familiar faces greet one 29, 1976, states that the building was restored by old courthouse served as a at every turn,” Hacker stated. “There is one man Pulaski-Alexander Soil court of law for only a and Water Conservation in the jail for murder, but dozen years. The District. the trial of the poor courthouse ceased In addition to the wretch will be postponed. operations after the building’s interior and “The Court House is citizens of Alexander exterior renovations, a inconveniently situated County voted in 1860 to mural was painted on the move the county seat from upon a hilltop, and the wall behind the judge’s consequence is that Thebes to Cairo. defaults and forfeiture are bench. The mural, painted “It was all about by James Morgan, depicts frequently taken, on politics. Cairo was historical figures and becoming a big city. It was account of the absence of events affiliated with the parties who find it at the confluence of two courthouse. impossible, especially rivers. Cairo was getting after getting a little all the political power,” mary.layton@thesouthern.com TIGHT, to climb the hill. Caldwell said. 618-351-5071 “Justice sits upon the During a visit to Thebes,
THE SOUTHERN
SEE IT
BIRDFEEDERS NOW 20% OFF Visit our Bird Room - we have the best selections thru Oct. 11th
Suet cakes 96¢ ea. or 12/$10.99 Stock up for winter! Visit us at www.plantscapenursery.com
NURSERY & LANDSCAPE SERVICE One mile west of Rt. 148 in Herrin on the Herrin-Colp Hwy.
• Oct 16 - St Jude Benefit Concert featuring Nash Street, winner of the Colgate Country Showdown • Breathtaking and Romantic views • Serving lunch daily
• Picnic Baskets are welcome • Finest wines in the area “Highly Recommended” & “Best Buys” ratings • Live Entertainment on Saturdays
OPEN 7 DAYS/WEEK 20 minutes South of Carbonale 5.5 miles off of I-57 or 3.5 miles off of US51.
618-893-WINE www.starviewvineyards.com
942-4865
It’s the Little Things that make our Practice Different!
Dr. Eric Graham was raised in Southern Illinois
Fall Events
Mon.-Sat. 8-6 p.m. Sun. 12-5 p.m.
28 Years of combined medical service working for your family.
• Walk-ins always welcome • Same day appointments available • Dr. Graham is available by cell phone should an issue arise. CUTTING EDGE MEDICINE WITH TRADITIONAL PERSONAL SERVICES.
We are accepting new patients
Caring for your family is our only priority!
32
THE SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009