Thomson, IL, Depot Day will offer a variety of options for food and entertainment throughout the entire event, Saturday, June 20, 2015. Get on your bike. Tour the Depot. Cheer for your favorite outhouse team. Relax to the music and culinary delights being offered throughout the afternoon.
Brian “Fox” Ellis to Speak as Captain Detweiller
Brian “Fox” Ellis, noted speaker for the Illinois Council on Humanities, will speak at Thomson’s Depot Day, June 20 on the Depot Stage. Ellis takes the stage at 1:00 p.m. as Captain Henry Detweiller, a steamboat Captain on the Mississippi River during the Civil War years. Captain Detweiller tells fascinating tales of the role of steamboats in the Civil War, based on the pilot’s logs, the critical role in delivering troops and supplies, and the role of steamboats in the battles of Vicksburg, Shiloh, and Natchez.
Ellis brings these events to life in a first-person monologue from the perspective of an eyewitness. He is an internationally recognized author, historian, and naturalist. He has worked with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the Field Museum, and many other museums across the Country. A noted author and Artistic Director for the Prairie Folklore Theatre, Ellis is the author of 16 books and the Riverlorian for the Spirit of Peoria.
Food and Music
- A pork chop lunch will be offered by Thomson Fire Department.
- An Ice Cream Social hosted by the Thomson Methodist Church ladies will feature home-made pies.
- Cub Scout Pack 48 will sell walking tacos.
- Boy Scout Troop 45 will sell root beer floats.
- The Republican Women will sell funnel cakes.
Chordbusters Barbershop Choir starts off the musical afternoon at 2:00 p.m., followed by a musical variety program hosted by noted Clinton, IA, musician and long-time music director, Maurice Rogers. Quicksilver, popular local band regularly featured by the Savanna Historical Society, will take the stage at 4:00 rounding out the afternoon with familiar tunes. All music events will take place on the stage in front of the Thomson Depot.