One organization in Morrison, IL, is a continual recipient of treasured, interesting “gifts” from generous community members.
Each month, its Board of Trustees receives a report from Owen McCulloh about recent acquisitions. Each month, these new “old” items are catalogued, inventoried, and entered into a database by his wife, Judy. These “new” objects-from-the-past are then displayed in a specific area for visitors to enjoy for a few weeks, prior to being stored.
Have you guessed that the organization is Morrison Historical Society (MHS), located at 202 E. Lincolnway?
The spring Grand Opening was held Sunday, April 28, 2013, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., which are the regular museum hours on Friday through Sunday. Recent acquisitions and their donors were the featured “guests.”
MHS Vice President Steve Siefken welcomed visitors and mentioned that items to be discussed range from 1897–“maybe earlier than that”–to 1955.
Ray Gilbert began with a description of a collection of documents his late wife, Charmaine, retrieved from the trash, long after Ronald Reagan’s local visit on October 17, 1955. This was to honor General Electric Appliance Control Department’s fifth anniversary. Gilbert shared memories of conversations with E. M. “Bud” Cole, a lifelong friend of the Reagans. He also presented MHS with an athletic proclamation.
Jeanne Adams donated WWI personal items from her great-uncle, John Rosenow, who “is buried in the family plot in Lyndon,” IL. These include his military pay book; a $10,000 insurance policy; a leather billfold containing one French franc; Rosenow’s photo in uniform. All date to 1918-1919. A blessed man, Rosenow, shown below left, survived the war and the 1918-1920 deadly flu pandemic, which killed 50-100 million worldwide. He lived to age 100.
Linda Koepke acquired the home of her late great-aunt, Alice Roselieb Sterns and great-uncle Marty. She noted she and Adams are likely related on the Roselieb side. Donated were several early household items, but the most impressive was the Franklin sewing machine, on which Alice taught young Linda to sew. Marty’s war items included a sewing kit used in Normandy; there were yard tools, cans, chemicals, and a banner of his.
Steve Siefken‘s aunt and uncle were Miriam and Ray Siefken. Ray was the Public Works Manager “for a long time.” Some items from his City job included 1897 revised Ordinances and water bills. A silver memorial coin marked Morrison’s 125th anniversary. There were books and postcards in the donation, too.
The last two acquisitions were too big to display on tables. Siefken had prepared large photo displays for that purpose.
Illinois Refrigerator Company was a major enterprise in Morrison, beginning in 1894. By the 1920’s, it employed over 200 people. This local business was the largest refrigerator manufacturer in the U. S. for a time. The gift of a “faceplate” was given by Arlene and the late John Dickey.
Morrison’s Heritage Museum has large wall photographs of this plant.
Jackie and Rick Woodman, acting on behalf of the Margie Haines estate, donated an anvil on its wooden base and tools of the blacksmithing trade. The enlarged 1912 photo shows blacksmith Proctor Lind at work. This was the last blacksmith shop in Morrison. It stood at–or beside–221 W. Main Street, now a pocket park. The anvil “probably was used” by his father, Karl Lind, stated Siefken.
He invited visitors to step outside the museum to see this new item and bang the steel on the anvil. When Ruth Mitick did that, the contact produced a glorious bell tone! It must have been pleasant to rhythmically pound steel.
The anvil will be sandblasted and coated to protect it from the weather, but it seemed very much at home beside the vintage plow at the front of the museum.
As you sort through your attic, garage, or barn, consider whether an object conveys Morrison’s heritage.
If it might, consider it also as a possible donation to the Morrison Historical Society.
We on the Board love the story behind each artifact!