Morrison Historical Society will host a Volckmann History Trifecta program on Sunday, October 12, 2025, with changes in location and time. The venue is Ebenezer Reformed Church, 309 E. Park Street, Morrison, IL. Doors open at 1:00; the PowerPoint program begins at 2:00 p.m. Enter the back parking lot. An elevator is available to reach the sanctuary.
Speakers are William Edward and Edward H. “Ted” Volckmann, sons of Brigadier General Russell William Volckmann III. General Volckmann is revered for his refusal to leave the Philippines during World War II. He chose to remain and trained the local islanders in guerilla warfare. Volckmann sat at the table when Japan formally ceased their occupation of the Philippines.
The Volckmann Furniture Mfg. Co. factory opened in Morrison in 1947. The vacant W. Wall Street building, which once housed Volckmann Furniture and Ethan Allen Division factory, met a horrific, fiery demise on February 22, 2002.
Helen June Rich married Brigadier General Volckmann August 8, 1948. A talented competitive Golfer, she entered Lincoln Highway Tournament Championships. Her adjacent family members founded Rich Toy Company. From 1928 to 1935, Rich Toy Company built a multitude of sturdy toys in Morrison. An innovation was doll houses that were shipped flat, to be assembled in a store or home. Visit Morrison’s Heritage Museum, 202 E. Lincolnway, to see a wide collection, including an uncommon, large sailboat.