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Logan
County Genealogical
& Historical Society
honors Paul Beaver
and Violet Scully
for contributions to
Logan County and
Illinois
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a link to a friend
[March
13, 2019] LINCOLN
- In 2017 the Logan
County Genealogical
& Historical Society
had the opportunity
to nominate two
people from our
community whom they
felt had shaped the
history of Illinois.
This was to be a
nomination that
would bring to the
forefront two of our
finest people during
the Illinois
Bicentennial
celebrations in
2018.
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According
to LCG&HS President
Diane Osborn the
Society members gave
this a great deal of
thought. They
considered naming
Abraham Lincoln but
opted not to for a
couple of reasons.
They felt that while
Lincoln was an
integral part of
Logan County
history, he was not
a Logan County
native. Furthermore,
the society felt
that there would be
many other
communities who
would also recognize
Lincoln. This local
organization wanted
the opportunity to
recognize that there
were others who had
a very positive
impact on our
county.
After discussing it
thoroughly, the
society decided that
they would nominate
Violet Scully and
Paul Beaver.
Though they were
generations apart,
the two had a common
connection, William
Scully and the
Scully Estates.
William Scully was
an Irish immigrant,
who, long story
short came to
America and
eventually Logan
County. In this
county, he purchased
large quantities of
land, much of which
was considered by
most to be worthless
because it was
marshy and appeared
to be unusable for
growing crops.
Scully however had a
vision and the
ingenuity to come up
with a plan to drain
the land and make it
a vital part of our
agricultural
history.
William Scully left
behind his son
Thomas and
daughter-in-law
Violet when he died,
and those two are
responsible for the
construction of what
we now know as the
Scully Mansion, but
they referred to it
as “the big white
house.”
Violet loved the
mansion and
particularly enjoyed
her rose garden and
the grounds of the
mansion in general.
Violet also enjoyed
serving in her
community and she
coupled her service
with her passion for
green growing
things. Through her
work, the Logan
County community
benefited greatly as
was reflected in
words spoken by H.
Safford Peacock, a
former Lincoln
College Trustee.
Peacock offered up
these comments
regarding Mrs.
Scully when he was
given an honorary
degree at the
college in 1974:
“Concern for the
land and its use is
evidenced by your
interest in
agriculture and in
conservation and
landscaping
projects. Your
involvement resulted
in the formation of
the Logan County
Parks and Trails
Foundation when you
donated several
hundred acres of
land along Kickapoo
Creek for a
greenbelt park.
“Your green thumb is
imprinted in Lincoln
on landscaping
projects around the
County Courthouse,
the post office, and
in Washington Park.
“You were active on
the committee to
restore and remodel
the historic
Executive Mansion in
our state capital.
Though preferring to
work unobtrusively,
your quiet, but
constant, efforts
prompted the
Salvation Army to
give you its highest
civilian award.
“Private colleges
and universities
have long drawn much
of their strength
from the support of
friends like the
Scully family.”
When making their
nomination in 2017,
Osborn said that the
quotes from Peacock
were submitted as a
letter of
recommendation for
the LCG&HS’s
nomination of Scully
as one who had
shaped our history.
Paul Beaver was a
young man, still in
college when he
decided that a paper
he would write
should discuss
William Scully and
the development of
the farmland in
Logan County. This
was a topic Beaver
was familiar with
because his own
great-grandfather
had been a tenant of
the Scully Estates.
William Scully was
deceased but Thomas
and Violet remained
along with their two
sons Michael and
Peter.
Beaver often told
the story that there
were those who said
he would never be
permitted to speak
with representatives
of the Scully
Estates. But,
Beaver, being
persistent, chose to
ignore those
warnings and sought
an interview. He
admits that he was
surprised when he
was granted that
interview. But as he
notes in the preface
of his book “William
Scully and the
Scully Estates of
Logan County” (which
was also the title
of his paper), he
was granted that
permission by Thomas
Scully shortly
before his death in
1962. Beaver wrote,
“Mr. Stewart told me
that Mr. Scully gave
the permission for
me to begin the
study when he
learned that my
great-grandfather,
John Schultz, had
been an early
(1870’s) Scully
tenant.”
Beaver wrote his
paper for his class,
and would later
evolve that paper
into the book he
self-published in
2009.
Beaver was an
author, a teacher
and a fine example
of one who loved his
community and loved
sharing the rich
history of Logan
County with all who
were interested. He
served as an
inspiration to many
and also as a great
source of knowledge.
[to
top of second column]
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That
was testified in the
letter of
recommendation that
Lincoln College
Professor Ron Keller
wrote for the LCG&HS
in 2017:
"It is my
pleasure to write
this letter in
support of the
nomination of Logan
County, Illinois
resident Paul Beaver
to be a recipient of
an Illinois State
Historical Society
distinction honoring
those who have made
a significant
historical
contribution to the
history of Illinois.
"Mr. Beaver is
professor emeritus
at Lincoln College
in Lincoln, IL. He
started his lifelong
career in education
in the public
schools but
eventually rose to
the collegiate
professorship.
During that time, he
taught thousands of
students in the
discipline of
history, and among
those classes, he
taught the history
of Abraham Lincoln
and Illinois. He
became very versed
in local and state
history and Abraham
Lincoln’s role in
our state.
"While at Lincoln
College Mr. Beaver
held for many years
the position of
director and curator
of the Abraham
Lincoln collection
at Lincoln College.
This is a
significant body of
artifacts, and he
cared for those
items, many of which
relate to Abraham
Lincoln and
Illinois, and today
those items live on
in the Lincoln
Heritage Museum in
no small part
because of the
special attention
which Mr. Beaver
took to preserve
them.
"Paul Beaver has
become synonymous
with local history.
Whenever I have a
question or anyone
else has a question
on our history, Mr.
Beaver is the go-to
guy. He has provided
likely hundreds of
presentations and
talks through the
years, most of them
uncompensated.
"However, he does
this because he
enjoys and
appreciates history,
and wants others to
appreciate it as
well. He has written
several books on
history, and I have
had the pleasure of
working with him on
one of those. For
nearly a century,
local judge Lawrence
Stringer was the
foremost historian
on Abraham Lincoln’s
role in Logan
County. Mr. Beaver
painstakingly
researched what
Stringer may have
missed or
incorrectly
concluded. He poured
over letters and
sources and wrote in
2010 Abraham Lincoln
in Logan County,
which has supplanted
Stringer’s
masterpiece as
perhaps the best
authority written on
the history of Logan
County, Illinois and
its connection to
our great Abraham
Lincoln.
"Mr. Beaver is not
only a scholar, but
a true gentleman. He
has offered to help
create landmarks,
statues, kiosks, and
other points of
interest in our
city, so those from
all parts of the
globe may appreciate
our history. There
is not a historic
site for miles
around which has not
in some way owed its
existence to Paul
Beaver.
"For these reasons,
I strongly recommend
Mr. Paul Beaver for
this prestigious and
distinct honor for
which he is truly
deserving."
Osborn recently
explained that the
LCG&HS collected
everything needed to
submit Beaver and
Scully for the
historical
distinction at the
200th anniversary of
our state. They were
of the understanding
that both honorees
would be listed in
the Congressional
record in Washington
D.C. and would be
named at some point
as an Illinois
Congressman during
the
200-year-celebrations.
They didn’t hear
anything else from
the Illinois Society
of Washington D.C.
Osborn said she
recently spent three
days searching the
congressional
records and couldn’t
find any reference
to Mr. Beaver or
Mrs. Scully. She
still believes it is
there, but she
hasn’t been able to
find it.
When Mr. Beaver was
hospitalized
recently, Osborn
said that the local
historical society
had determined that
they would honor him
when he came home
again. However, that
didn’t happen. Mr.
Beaver passed away
on February 26, 2019
at Memorial Medical
Center in
Springfield.
His passing has left
a large gap in our
local community. He
was a husband, a
brother, father and
a grandfather. He
was a mentor, a
former coach, a
former teacher, and
beloved friend to
many. He loved his
community and he
loved sharing his
wealth of knowledge
on many topics with
anyone who sought
him out.
And he was a friend
to the Scully’s who
also shaped the
future of our county
when our state was
still quite young,
and are yet today
leaving a lasting
impact on our
county.
And,
he shared the
pleasure of
attending the first
Lincoln College
Grand Soiree with
his good friends
Violet Scully and
Scully Estate
Manager James
Stewart.
Violet passed away
in August of 1976,
and we have all
confidence that the
two are now
together, chatting
and remembering the
history they shaped
and recorded right
here in Logan
County.
Thank you to the
LCG&HS for
recognizing the
value of these two
great people and for
making every effort
to memorialize them
both in the history
of our state.
[Nila Smith with
excerpts from Diane
Osborn, Logan County
Genealogical
Society]
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Obituary
index
Virginia
"Carol"
Farmer
Send
a
link
to a
friend
[July
09,
2019]
LINCOLN
-
Virginia
"Carol"
Farmer,
74,
of
Lincoln,
passed
away
June
28,
2019
at
the
University
of
Chicago
Medical
Center.
|
Visitation:
9
a.m.
until
11
a.m.
Wednesday,
July
3,
2019
at
Holland
Barry
&
Bennett
Funeral
Home
Service:
11
a.m.
Wednesday
at
the
funeral
home
Funeral
home:
Holland
Barry
&
Bennett
Funeral
Home
Obituary
Virginia
"Carol"
Farmer,
74,
of
Lincoln,
passed
away
June
28,
2019
at
the
University
of
Chicago
Medical
Center.
Visitation
will
be
from
9
a.m.
until
11
a.m.
Wednesday,
July
3,
2019
at
Holland
Barry
&
Bennett
Funeral
Home.
Services
will
follow
at
11
a.m.
with
Pastor
Brad
Curtis
officiating.
Burial
will
be
in
Walnut
Hill
Cemetery,
Williamsville
Carol
was
born
November
2,
1944
in
Decatur,
IL.,
the
daughter
of
William
and
Nancy
(Hunter)
Trail
.
She
married
Larry
Farmer
on
June
2,
1962.
Mrs.
Farmer
ran
an
in
home
daycare
for
more
than
30
years.
She
volunteered
for
the
Logan
County
Genealogy
and
Historical
Society,
was
a
member
of
the
Lincoln
Women's
Club,
and
a
member
of
the
Daughters
of
the
American
Revolution.
She
was
an
avid
Elvis
fan.
|
Surviving
are
her
husband
Larry
Farmer;
children:
Sheri
(Bradley)
Price,
Douglas
Farmer,
and
Trisha
(Patrick)
Tibbs;
grandchildren:
Justin
Price,
Kaylyn
Stout,
Alaina
Tibbs,
Alyssa
Tibbs,
and
Devin
Tibbs;
great
grandchildren
Landon
Stout
and
Karter
Stout;
brother
Mike
Trail;
and
many
nieces,
nephews,
cousins,
and
friends.
She
was
preceded
in
death
by
her
mother,
father,
step
mother
Helen
Trail,
infant
son
Chadrick
William
Farmer,
sister
Rosalie
Payne,
brother
Terry
Trail,
and
step
sister
Linda
Forgas.
Memorial
donations
may
be
made
to
the
American
Heart
Association
and
will
be
accepted
at
the
funeral
home.
Click
here
to
send
a
note
of
condolence
to
the
family
of
Virginia
"Carol"
Farmer
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The
"One and Only Cornland" celebrates Zip
Code Day
Send
a link to a friend
[June
29, 2019]
Tuesday night in the little town named
"Cornland" located in the southwest
corner of Logan County, residents
gathered to celebrate Zip Code Day. Why
you might wonder? Because the zip code
in this tiny community has the zip code
62519 or as the date indicated 6-25-19,
hence the proclamation "Zip Code Day."
.
Local resident Kelley Tierney, who
resides with her husband, Bob, in the
former Methodist Church building in the
town, was the mastermind behind "Zip
Code Day" but she will be the first to
say it was a team effort. Tierney's
vibrant personality and creative mind
made her the perfect person to carry out
the dream of gathering folks on this
once-in-a-lifetime day. You see, this
day will only come around once in a
hundred years.
.
"It is beyond our wildest dreams," said
Tierney of the crowd of people who
gathered Tuesday evening around the
little post office. "I'm telling you
what, who knew when you say to somebody,
"You want to have a little something for
Zip Code Day and everybody says, "What's
Zip Code Day?" And then to have a
turnout like this."
The population of Cornland is currently
estimated at 73 residents. Yes, Tierney
counted the residents herself. After
Tierney checked the signup sheet for the
Zip Code Day photo she counted 78 names
signed up. Impressive turnout.
.
Both local current residents and former
residents who made the trek to the
little town were treated to two photo
opportunities, one that was taken in
front of the post office and another by
the "One and Only Cornland" sign located
at the entrance into town off Illinois
State Route 54. An interesting side note
about the sign at the edge of town: The
original sign was damaged and stolen
some time ago and then one day this new,
beautiful sign showed up in its place.
.
Residents still do not know who painted
the new sign but they are so thankful
that someone thought enough of their
town to replace the sign that
disappeared.
Providentially, people pull off the
highway all the time to take their
picture with the "One and Only Cornland"
sign.
"One and Only" is pretty
self-explanatory and yes, it's true.
There is not another Cornland in the
entire United States of America,
according to the local residents. The
town of Cornland was surveyed in August
of 1871 by Joshua Day and as the founder
of the town, legend has it that he
proclaimed, "I've never seen land that
will grow better corn and therewith it
should be named Cornland."
Tuesday night brought about a reunion of
sorts on the street in front of the post
office and even founder Joshua Day was
represented. Direct descendants of
Joshua Day attended Zip Code Day and
they are some pretty recognizable Logan
County names.
The direct descendants of Hardin Cherry
are front row: Mary Thomas George and
Vera Thomas. Back row:
Melissa Cherry Beal, Julie Cherry
Cooper, Laura Cherry Hanner, Becky
Cherry Simko and Jean Meadows Guffey.
The Joshua Day descendants in attendance
are all great-granddaughters of Hardin
Cherry. Those granddaughters who
gathered in Cornland included sisters
Mary Thomas George and Vera Thomas of
Lincoln, Cherry cousins Melissa Beal,
Julie Cooper, Laura Hanner and Becky
Simko, and Jean Hannah Meadows Guffey.
Guffey traveled the farthest on Tuesday,
coming all the way from southern
Missouri for the event. Guffey's mom,
Vera Meadows, worked at the Cornland
Post Office for a number of years.
.
Cornland residents Sam Koehl and his
sister Lillian Koehl hold up the
commemorative postcards by the highway
sign.
.
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Left to right: Kelby Ford, Gayla Hughes,
Lisa Mikuleza, Debbie Greenwood, Barb
Hodel and Anna Krug.
Kelby Ford is the current rural carrier
for Cornland and his grandfather owned
and operated Ford’s Store that once
housed the post office. Gayla Hughes and
Lisa Mikuleza work in the Riverton Post
Office and helped with Zip Code Day.
Debbie Greenwood is the current
postmaster of Cornland. Barb Hodel
worked for 20 years in the Cornland post
office with former postmaster Barbara
Harlean Veech. Anna Krug succeeded Veech
as postmaster and worked in Cornland for
10 years.
The current postmaster of Cornland is
Debbie Greenwood. Greenwood has worked
in Cornland for three years. She was on
hand Tuesday night overseeing the
selling of the four different designed
Cornland commemorative postcards.
The post office also created a special
commemorative cancellation stamp just
for Cornland. Customers can get mail
cancelled with the special stamp for
thirty days after 6-25-19. In fact, the
post office has already gotten mail from
ten different states of people sending
mail to Cornland to get the stamp
cancelled.
.
T-shirt orders are also still being
taken by Tierney.
The crowd hung around Cornland for a
good hour and a half after the 6 p.m.
photo op on Tuesday night, as folks
enjoyed snacks and reminisced about
Cornland history.
Mary George and Vera Thomas both vividly
remembered when the post office used to
be located in the back of Ford’s Store
in Cornland. Ford's Store was located
just next to the building that houses
the current post office the two said.
"You went through the grocery part to
the post office in the back," said
George. Customers could buy stamps and
pick up their mail from the post office
boxes in the back of the store. George
even recalled their post office box was
number 34. "You went three this way and
four that way and then it came open,"
said George, demonstrating the turns in
mid-air. "Those were the good old days,"
she added.
.
The current post office was built in the
mid 70s, residents concluded.
As the event came to an end, Tierney
smiled and gazed around at the last of
the long-time Cornland couples hanging
around and taking pictures.
“It just goes to show you, you don’t
need much of an excuse to have a party,
do you?” laughed Tierney.
Joe and Kay Hickey (57 years of
marriage)
.
.
Leroy and Bev Ramthun (51 years of
marriage)
..
"Newbies" Bob and Kelley Tierney (28
years of marriage).
By the way those royal
couples of Cornland who boast decades of
togetherness in the tiny town are pretty
impressive. The longest married couple
residing in Cornland is Joe and Kay
Hickey, with 57 years of marriage.
Coming in second is Leroy and Bev
Ramthun with 51 years of marriage.
Although Leroy is a life-long resident
of the town. Meanwhile, Tierney and her
husband, Bob, call themselves the
"newbies" of the town with 28 years of
married life in Cornland.
.
That's it from the "One and Only
Cornland" for now. Stay tuned in 2021
when the community celebrates 150 years.
[Teena Lowery]
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