Logan County Illinois Genealogical & Historical Society

06/18/2026

[June 18, 2026]

The June 2026 Logan County Genealogical and Historical Society program was “Collections”, with several sharing a select few items from their personal collections from home. Those who brought something shared the history of the items and where they got them.

Diane Farmer brought her meat grinder that originally belonged to her mother and maybe even her grandmother. She said it was vintage rather than antique. While grinders are often used for rustic antique kitchen displays, antique technically applies to items over 100 years old and vintage refers to something 20 to 99 years old. Most cast iron grinders date from the mid twentieth century. Meat grinders were a hand cranked device that forced meat through a plate for sausages and later became a staple kitchen tool for processing various foods. Commonly known as a meat mincer in Ireland, Farmer said it is used to chop meat into fine pieces and can also be used for vegetables. Different “plates” used in the grinder make various sizes of meat.

Galen Wickline brought a similar meat grinder made by the CI Company in Boyertown, Pennsylvania. He said his family did not really use it for grinding meat but instead used it to grind cranberries for cranberry salad and for quartering oranges. A lot of good dinners were made using the grinder.

Gary Frieze had a leather case everyone thought held a knife but actually contained a slide rule he used in college when he majored in Engineering. Because the slide rule was made from bamboo, Frieze said every once in a while, he had to put powder in it to make sure it slid. Those studying engineering before calculators were used would hook the slide rule case on their belt. During exams they were able to use the slide rule for multiplying and dividing.




The items Patricia Birk brought are part of a very unique collection her father-in-law had. His collection was tiny hand painted animals made in Japan out of bone China. She said all he wanted for his birthdays and Christmas were these little pieces. To him, the smaller they were, the better. When her father-in-law died, most of his collection was donated to the Masonic home in Sullivan where they are displayed in several cases.

The collection Abbie Alexander showed contained Native American rocks and other Native American items. She started a collection when she was in second grade and a neighbor boy who was moving away brought her a rock. His grandfather had given him bushel baskets full of Native American artifacts like arrowheads. Because the Allied Van Line would weigh and charge by the pound for everything, Alexander said the boy’s mother would not let him take the baskets. Other Alexander also brought her mother’s suede coin purse with Native American beadwork, a doll she bought in Bemidji, Minnesota and a bracelet her mother bought in Oklahoma.

Blake Wilson, who lives in Colorado, but has family in the area, shared his collection of special coins minted for America’s 250th birthday. Five different quarters represent events such as the Mayflower Compact, the Revolutionary War, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Gettysburg Address are being minted. These coins are on bookmarks and have quotes by people such as George Washington plus a list several important dates in America’s history.

Wilson lives near the Denver Mint and often buys coins there. When the presidential dollars came out, he bought a bag of 1000 at the mint. Recently, Wilson bought two Illinois dollar coins from there and passed them around to show. Besides coins, Wilson collects rocks from every stream or river where he goes fly fishing and has a collection of over 100 vintage beer cans from the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. He feels collections give us energy in our lives.

Ruby Nimke showed several items including her mother’s wood burned box to hold handkerchiefs, a doll she won at a birthday party, a miniature Donald Duck tea set and a card encouraging people to vote Republican for Herbert Hoover and other officials on the ticket. She had an autograph book from 1927 when her mother was a student at Illinois State Normal University. Nimke read some of the messages her mother’s classmates wrote in it that often referred to classes they were in together, wished her luck or asked her to remember them as a link in her gold chain of friendship.

Among the items Bill Donath brought were a medallion from Lincoln College’s Centennial in 1965, an Illinois Traction System paperweight and a little brass box made in 1874 that originally belonged to his great grandmother. His father kept the box in his fishing box and stored fishhooks in it. Donath also had an item with a sharp edge he thought was used either for cutting something or in the kitchen to break apart ungranulated sugar. Someone looked the item up and found it was actually a glazier’s putty knife. For Donath, the mystery of the item had been fascinating.

Though John Durdle did not bring any items, he has several collections including 100 farm windmills. Durdle has given items from some of his collections to the Emden Historical Society and other places, so he can still see them if he wants to. For example, a school desk he donated is in Emden’s old Bethel School. He also has a giant music box that once belonged to the Jingling family who ran the general store in Hopedale. The store owners bought the music box from the to***co pouch tags kids would get from their dad and bring to the store. When he got enough tags, the owner bought the music box and 26 records. Durdle got his late aunt’s button collection, which contains around 15,000 buttons, when she died. The family tried to sell the whole button collection as a group at her estate auction, but no one wanted to buy all of them.

Next month’s LCGHS meeting will be Monday, July 20 at 6:30 p.m. at their building on 114 N. Chicago Street in Lincoln. Shelly Klinger of Middletown will talk about the village’s history.

[Angela Reiners]

06/11/2026

Railsplitter Cemetery - Lincoln Developmental Cemetery
..LCGHS may soon have an opportunity to photograph all of the stones that identify the people buried in the old Lincoln State School Cemetery. The cemetery is located on the grounds of the old Colony which now belongs to the Department of Corrections where the prison is located south of Lincoln and contains about 2,500 graves with stones.

Access to this cemetery is quite restricted because of its proximity to the prison. We have several requests each year to provide photos of stones in this cemetery. Unfortunately we have to explain to people that access is tightly restricted.

We asked the office of Illinois Senator Sally Turner how to go about getting this started. Her assistant Cassandra Blue has already contacted DOC and will help us comply with DOC requirements.

We are asking for volunteers, who have experience with photographing stones for Find-A-Grave, to help us with this project. Please let us know if you are interested in helping. We do not have a schedule yet as communication with DOC is just beginning. I know that we will have to supply a list of names so that the DOC can give clearance to volunteers to work on this project.

Reply with an email if you are willing to help.

Bill Donath, President, LCGHS

06/11/2026

The Logan County Genealogical & Historical Society will host its June meeting on Monday, June 15, 2026, at the Society’s research center, 114 N. Chicago St, Lincoln, IL, beginning at 6:30 p.m. This month’s program will be “Collections”, with members and visitors sharing a select few items from their personal collections from home. Items will be displayed for viewing, but will not be left at the center after the program.

Collectors should be ready to answer questions, and/or give details or a history of their collected items, to make the event a learning experience for everyone. A short business meeting will follow, and refreshments will be served at the end of the evening.

06/05/2026

The Logan County Genealogical and Historical Society will be hosting a meeting on Monday June 15th at 6:30 pm at 114 N Chicago St. Lincoln, Illinois. The Program will be given by Shelly Klinger: Middletown, Artifacts & History.

05/21/2026

LCGHS program by Bill Donath on Revolutionary War soldiers buried in Logan County

[May 21, 2026] At the May 2026 Logan County Genealogical and Historical Society meeting, Bill Donath talked about Revolutionary War soldiers buried in various Logan County cemeteries.

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At the May 2026 Logan County Genealogical and Historical Society meeting, Bill Donath talked about Revolutionary War soldiers buried in various Logan County cemeteries.

05/14/2026

The Logan County Genealogical and Historical Society will be hosting a meeting on Monday May 18 at 6:30 pm at 114 N Chicago St. Lincoln, Illinois. The Program will be given by Casey Claypool and will provide insights to Rt. 66 Scenic Byways.20230208_105056.jpg

05/11/2026

Lincoln Heritage Museum hosts annual Civil War walk

[May 11, 2026] On Friday, the Lincoln Heritage Museum welcomed fifth graders from Central, Northwest, and Washington-Monroe Elementary Schools to participate in the annual Civil War walk. Students were stationed around the museum, using the exhibits as a backdrop for their presentations. Throughout the day, schools took turns bringing their fifth-grade classes and welcoming family and friends to see their students’ hard work.


The students have worked for several weeks to select a historical figure, research their historical significance, and perfect their portrayal. Students even dress in period costumes. There were two or three students at each station. Most stations featured historical figures who played similar roles in the Civil War era. Students presented stories about Civil War heroes like Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman, and about abolitionists like Frederick Douglass, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Harriet Tubman. They told stories of spies, trappers, inventors, and nurses from that time.

Slide show: https://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2026/May/11/NEWS/050926CIVILWARWALK/index.html
..Director of the Lincoln Heritage Museum, Ron Keller, was eagerly taking in each presentation and encouraging each student. Keller said in an earlier statement that “this is one of our favorite events every year. These living-history portrayals allow students to bring history to life. And the museum provides an intimate setting and an appropriate historical backdrop for those presentations.”

Once the students’ presentations were over, the teachers gathered them in the foyer for a group photo. This gave family and friends a chance to snap a picture with their student presenter. Once the photos were taken, one teacher promised a pizza party when they got back to school to celebrate the students’ hard work.

Civil War Walk photo slideshow

[Joli Boerma]

05/11/2026

05/09/2026

05/08/2026

Lincoln Planning Commission approves rezoning of former Lincoln College campus

[May 08, 2026] On Thursday, May 7th, the City of Lincoln Planning Commission held a meeting to discuss the rezoning of the former Lincoln College campus from residential to commercial. The meeting was held in response to a potential buyer of the campus seeking to renovate it. Developer Chase Huston would like to turn the former residence hall buildings into affordable housing and lease the other buildings to potential businesses and programs that want to come to Lincoln.

Six of the members of the commission were present including Molly Pickering, Morris Trent, James Wessbecher, Robert Coombs, Lori Blees, and Vic Martinek. The meeting started just after 6:00 p.m. and was located on the second floor of the City Hall Building. The room was packed, with dozens of residents present to voice their opinions on the matter. Many extra chairs had to be brought in. Every seat was taken and several people had to stand, with some not being able to get into the room left standing in the doorway.

The meeting kicked off with Wes Woodhall calling for a motion to approve the previous month’s meeting minutes. They were approved and the commission moved on to their only other agenda action item, the rezoning request. They invited Huston to come sit before the commission and speak on the project.

Huston started by stating that he wanted the property to be rezoned to C-2 specifically, as this would allow him to do all the things he wants to do with the property. He then spoke on himself a bit, stating that he lives in Washington state and is a senior engineer designer with Boeing. He stated that he has been developing real estate in Lincoln for about a decade and thinks of the town as his second home. Huston said that he has taken a lot of properties, many of which are apartments, in town and has renovated them to make them better. He added that he owns nearly 100 rental properties in Lincoln, and that he does not put any of the money he makes into his own pocket, rather reinvesting that money into the community.

Huston addressed a concern that he has seen making the rounds on social media. He assured the commission and everyone in attendance that the apartments he is proposing are not Section 8 housing, nor are they government funded.
He added that he wants to work with groups that are aligned with his interests. He does not want gambling machines or bars. Rather, he wants to attract businesses that Lincoln could use more of, stating later in the meeting that opening a day care is at the top of his list of priorities.

The public was then allowed to ask questions or make comments. There seemed to be an even number of comments in support as well as those against the rezoning, and the project as a whole. Scott Warner was the first to speak. He called Huston’s proposal a lot of “razzle dazzle,” pointing to the fact that he does not yet have any contracts signed with any potential businesses. He additionally called Huston’s request “spot zoning,” encouraging the commission to vote against it. Warner also brought up several questions about the financial state of the college, saying that he does not feel the commission has done enough to investigate this matter before selling it off. He ended by stating that he feels rezoning would open the community to future problems if Huston’s vision falls through, saying that it would “haunt you and every citizen of Lincoln forever.”

Patrick Dooling, president of the Lincoln College Board of Trustees was the next to speak, saying that the board has been marketing the campus since it closed in May of 2022. Doolin shared that there have been a lot of offers, but that they have all fallen through. While these groups were interested in parts of the campus, none of them were interested in purchasing the entirety of the campus. The board was not wanting to break up the campus and sell it individually, hence why these deals have been falling through.

Doolin additionally said that money that was made available for the college to help it close are the funds that they have been using to keep the grounds maintained. That money, according to Doolin, is running out, however. The board decided that, were there to be no buyers by a certain date, the board would put the campus up for auction. The board would have no control over who bought the campus or what they did with it. They had a date for the auction determined, and then Huston came in with his offer.

Spring Hyde was the next to speak. She was a professor at the college when it closed, and lives very near to the campus. She stated that she had to pay for her own insurance, accept the college not providing contributions to her retirement, and had the college ask her and her colleagues to donate their salaries back to the campus. She said these things to state that her home is her investment for her future. She voiced concern about things such as light pollution and noise pollution that could come as a result of the project, causing her property values to diminish. She was also wary of a McDonalds opening on the campus and hearing weddings held on the campus from her home.

Jackie Baker spoke next, sharing that she also lives down the street from the campus. She asked about the 4th Appellate Court voting to keep Lincoln College property tax exempt. Doolin spoke on this, stating that the County Assessor “took it upon herself” to see about having the college start paying property taxes after their closure. He continued, saying that the court ruled the assessor did not have the authority to do this, as the tax exempt status was set by a charter from the 1800’s and they had been “grandfathered in” ever since. He did say that, unless the buyer of the campus were to turn it into a non-profit, their tax exempt status would go away after the sale.

John Blackburn, president and secretary of Lincoln College spoke next. He also served on the board of the college for 25 years. During that time, he said he only knew of other board members wanting to do something positive with the college. He also mentioned that people’s property values will decrease if the college runs out of money, the grass is unkept, and the buildings become boarded up. He thanked Huston for “taking a risk” on this project.

The next commenter spoke on her hesitation, but reluctant acceptance of the project. She stated that she knows change can be scary, but that everything has to start somewhere. She also stated that she knows uninhabited buildings deteriorate quicker than inhabited ones. Next, she commented on the poverty rates in Lincoln, stating that the poverty rate of the town is 17 percent, while the state average is only 11.8. She stated that the vacancy rate in Lincoln is under ten percent, calling housing a “huge issue” when people do not have the money to make a down payment on a house.

She then asked Huston if he had considered prices for the apartments yet, and he informed her that he had. He said that each apartment would have all amenities, such as electricity and internet, included, also adding that they would be getting their power from an eleven-acre solar farm. Huston said that a one bedroom is planned to be $750 per month, and two bedrooms $850. He said that he has been getting phone calls daily from people in Lincoln looking to move into one of his rental properties, which he shared are all at capacity. Huston also said that he has been getting about one call a week from people outside Lincoln inquiring about vacancies.

Hyde then spoke again, asking why the commission could not just rezone the campus to allow Huston to renovate and rent out apartments first. If that worked, Hyde said, the commission could then allow for the full rezoning at a later date. Blackburn addressed this comment, stating that Huston was not going to buy the entirety of the campus if he was only going to be able to use four of the buildings. The two had a bit of a back and forth before the next commenter, Susan Howe, spoke.

Howe asked Huston about the previously mentioned solar farm, claiming that the Trump administration is pulling funding for these kinds of projects and that all the solar farms are going to be shut down. Doolin corrected Howe, stating that the cut in funding will keep new solar farms from being built, but will not shut down existing ones. He also stated that the college has a twenty-year agreement with the solar farm to be able to purchase the energy at a heavily reduced rate.

The next commenter compared Lincoln to Morton, where some of her family lives, saying that the towns are quite different. She also spoke down on the gambling businesses in Lincoln, calling them “pretty much a tax on the poor.” She asked Huston if he would be allowing more gambling businesses in town, and he reiterated that he would not.

Jan Dickerson spoke next, stating that the Evergreen properties, that Huston purchased after their previous owner’s death, were not run down when he acquired them. She also called his handwriting “barely legible.”

Local real estate agent Ty Tucker spoke next. He attested to Huston’s character, stating that he has been working with him as he has acquired properties over the last eight years. Tucker also stated that he feels Huston has improved the properties, raising their property values. He called Huston a “fantastic person.”

This was the end of the public comments, and the planning commission members were allowed to ask questions of Huston. Pickering started, asking if he has any other investors. Huston stated that he does have one but declined to give the person’s name. Pickering also asked about any contingency plans that are in place if the project does not pan out. Huston stated that he is not worried about the apartments, as they have plenty of experience renovating these. His bigger concern is the commercial side of things, as they are not as experienced.

Trent then asked about a timeline for the project, and Huston stated that he expects the apartments to take about a year and a half to renovate. Trent called the timeline “not realistic,” while Huston stated that there are hundreds of units that would need to be renovated.

Coombs next asked about how many apartments would be available once the project was finished. Huston stated that the number was originally 271, but that the number had changed. He did not have the official number but stated that most of them are going to be two bedroom apartments. Coombs then asked about their Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, to which Huston stated that all of them would be.

Trent spoke again, asking Huston about any plans to sell the property. Huston stated that there are no plans. He said that it was discussed as a worst-case scenario plan, but that would be if the buildings were left uninhabited for years with no interested parties.

Coombs had another question, asking about how many different companies that he is working with that might have interest in inhabiting some of the buildings. Huston stated that they are having “serious talks” with five companies.

Wessbecher then asked about the parking situation, inquiring if the street parking would be enough. Huston stated that, for starters, once they start getting people moving in, it should be, but that there are plans to expand parking if needed. He stated that, with the hundreds of students that used to live on the campus, it is likely that there is already enough parking on the campus.

Wessbecher also asked about why Huston chose C-2 specifically to have it rezoned as. Huston stated that he is hoping to bring in some baseball teams, stating that he is hoping to make Lincoln a “baseball hub.” This being the case, he would have to have it rezoned as C-2 to add some of the things he would like to do the baseball field. Seeing as how Lincoln is situated relatively close to four major league teams, Huston said, he was told that Lincoln could be a great community for companies and teams to come in and get established. Doolin added that there were many sports and entertainment inquiries that fell through, adding that two of the entities are still interested.

Martinek then made a motion to approve the rezoning request. The motion was seconded and a vote was taken. It passed in a vote of 4-2, with Wessbecher and Trent being the two ‘no’ votes. With the motion passing, Woodhall entertained a motion to adjourn, and the meeting swiftly came to an end.

[Matt Boutcher]