Sunday, May 17, 2009

A Little Corner of Evergreen Cemetery

I just love Evergreen Cemetery in Bloomington.  It’s an older cemetery, with many trees, and is very peaceful.  Back in the far northeast corner, in the Old City Section, is a small lot where approximately 70 U.S. military veterans are buried.  Many of these veterans served prior to the Civil War; a handful served after.   It’s hard to say if these folks died while serving our country.  Regardless, they did serve in one way or another and deserve to be recognized, honored, and remembered.

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In memory of the
unknown soldiers
of the Civil War
1861—1865
Erected May 30, 1928 By
R.J. Oglesby Circle 46
Ladies of the D.A.R.
Emma K. Daiger—Medora Weaver
Lillian Shelter Comm.

 

This article was written for the June 2009 edition of the GYR Carnival.  This edition’s theme is: Veterans’ Memorials.

Diigo GYR Bookmarks (weekly)


Posted from Diigo. The rest of The Association of Graveyard Rabbits group favorite links are here.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Diigo GYR Bookmarks (weekly)


Posted from Diigo. The rest of The Association of Graveyard Rabbits group favorite links are here.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Discovery Walk 2009

The Evergreen Cemetery Discovery Walk 2009 will be held in October.  This year, you can discover Lincoln’s legacy by visiting the graves of the people from Lincoln’s life here in Bloomington.

Where
Evergreen Memorial Cemetery
302 E. Miller, Bloomington

Dates
October 3
October 4
October 10
October 11

Time
11am and 2pm, each day

Cost
$14 general public
$12 museum members
$4 children and students with ID

Tickets will be available for purchase on September 8 at the McLean County Museum of History.  General and member tickets purchased before October 2 will receive $2 off.

Hope to see you there!

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Diigo GYR Bookmarks (weekly)


Posted from Diigo. The rest of The Association of Graveyard Rabbits group favorite links are here.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Reflections: The American Funeral Tour

Interested in learning more about funeral and mourning customs?  Then head on over to Reflections:  The American Funeral Tour  mobile exhibit on Sunday, May 3, in downtown Bloomington anytime between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. (I believe I heard it would be on Jefferson street, my guess is on Jefferson in the block where the museum is located).

David Davis (1815-1886)

The theme for the 71st edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is local history.

As genealogists, we are used to tracing our ancestors and the history of the places they lived. But not all of us live where our ancestors did - do we take the time to see the history all around us? Use some of your investigative skills to research the house, street, or town/city where YOU live. Write about an interesting person, place, or event of local history.

Bloomington, Illinois is rich with history, as I've come to learn over the last 13 years of living in the area.  There are many places and people of interest, but I am going to focus on one gentleman, David Davis.

David Davis was born on 9 March 1815 in Cecil County, Maryland.  He attended Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio and went on to study law at Yale.

He relocated to Bloomington, McLean, Illinois in 1836 (although some sources say 1835; I'm not sure which is correct), where he practiced law.  Davis had a long political career, which included helping Abraham Lincoln get elected as president of the United States, by serving as Lincoln's campaign manager in 1860.  Other political accomplishments are as follows:

  • Member of the Illinois House of Representatives (1844)
  • Delegate to the 1847 Constitutional Convention
  • Judge for Illinois' 8th Judicial Circuit (1848-1862)
  • Associate Justice of the U.S. supreme court, appointed by Lincoln (1862-1877)
  • U.S. senator (1877-1883), where he also served as President Pro Tempore from 1881-1883

Davis died on 26 June 1886 in Bloomington, McLean, Illinois.  His home, the David Davis Mansion, is an Illinois Historical site.  Davis is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Bloomington.

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You can learn more about Davis and the David Davis Mansion at http://daviddavismansion.org/.

 


Sources

Biographical Directory of the United State Congress.  (http://bioguide.congress.gov, accessed 1 May 2009), "Davis, David."

David Davis Mansion.  (http://daviddavismansion.org, accessed 1 May 2009), "David Davis Mansion History."

The History of McLean County, Illinois.  Chicago:  W.M. Le Baron Jr. & Co, 1879.

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