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Annual Meeting Focusing on the VCHS 25th Anniversary -- November 21, 2006 at the Executive Inn in Evansville, IN. Click for Details. |
| Click here to see Darrell Bigham's message to the VCHS on its 25th Anniversary |
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It was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving in 1981 when 46 people gathered at Willard Library to consider the formation of a Vanderburgh County Historical Society. On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving this year—November 21—the members and friends of the Society met again to celebrate the past 25 years.
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| Outgoing VCHS President William Bartelt | ||
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The main part of the program was a twenty-five year review of Vanderburgh County by a couple of key players in its history. Former Vanderburgh County Commissioners Bettye Lou Jerrel and Richard J. Borries shared their views and assessments of the county since 1981. Local radio personality—and VCHS board member—John Story, moderated the discussion. |
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| John Story | ||
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Bettye Lou Jerrel became a Republican precinct committeewoman at age 20—when the voting age was 21. She was the Republican County Chairman twice and Vice Chair for five different Chairmen. In addition, she was a member of the County Council for six years and a County Commissioner for four years. |
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| Bettye Lou Jerrel | ||
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Rick Borries has been active in the local Democratic Party for over thirty years. He was elected to four terms as a Vanderburgh County Commissioner (1980-1996) and was the Democratic candidate for Mayor of Evansville in 1999. Since 2000, he has served as Director of External Affairs for AT&T in Southern Indiana. |
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| Rick Borries | Both panel members are retired teachers and administrators in the EVSC. | |
The Vanderburgh County Historical Society has planned a tour to
Springfield, Illinois. It will be a busy weekend as we will visit the
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, the Lincoln Home, Law Office, Lincoln Tomb, and the Old State Capitol. On the way we will stop at the
Old State Capitol in Vandalia and we will stroll through the Village of New Salem. The Historian from the Lincoln Home National Historic Site will give a presentation after dinner on Saturday. Make your plans now to go!
DATE: Saturday and Sunday, April 14 and 15, 2007
COST: $229.00 per person, based on double occupancy.
($274 single; $218 pp, triple; $204 pp, quad)
INCLUDES: Motorcoach Transportation, three meals, admissions, lodging,
taxes, tips, baggage handling
DEPOSIT: $25.00 is requested to confirm your reservation.
FINAL PAYMENT: Balance is due March 14, 2007.
REFUNDS: Refunds are given until March 14, 2007.
No Refunds are given after March 14, 2007.
TO MAKE RESERVATIONS CALL 682-4477,
e-mail to tours@evansville.net,
OR SEND FORM BELOW TO:
Lifestyle Tours 700 State Road 269 New Harmony, IN 47631
Name: _______________________ Address: _______________________
City: _____________________ Zip Code: ______________
Phone # ____________________ E-Mail Address: ___________________
Pick-Up: _____ Town Center Mall _____ Lakeside Commons
Vanderburgh County Historical Society
Springfield, Illinois
Saturday April 14, 2007
6:00am Depart from Town Center Mall on Diamond Ave (NW Corner)
6:15am Depart from Lakeside Commons (N. Side of Lot by Schnucks)
On the way to Mr. Lincoln’s Springfield, we will enjoy coffee + doughnuts
and take a break.
9:00am Tour the Old State Capitol in Vandalia
This Capitol was built in 1836 and is the oldest Illinois State Capitol Building. It was the center of government from 1836 until 1839 when it was moved to Springfield. The First Capitol on Kaskaskia Island was swept away into the Mississippi River.
11:45am Lunch is included at The Feed Store.
1:00pm Lincoln Herndon Law Office State Historic Site
2:00pm Old State Capitol
Abraham Lincoln served in the Old State Capitol as a representative
and also as a lawyer pleading cases before the State Supreme Court.
3:00pm Lincoln Home National Historic Site
This was the home of the Lincoln family for 17 years.
4:30pm Lincoln Tomb
President and Mrs. Lincoln and three of their four sons are buried
here. Their oldest son, Robert, is buried in Arlington Cemetery.
5:15pm President Abraham Lincoln Hotel and Conference Center
We will check-in and freshen-up before dinner.
6:30pm Dinner is included at Maldaner’s Restaurant.
After dinner we will enjoy a program with the Site Historian
from Abraham Lincoln Home National Historic Site
Overnight: President Abraham Lincoln Hotel
and Conference Center 217.544.8800
Sunday April 15 A Full Breakfast is included in the restaurant of the hotel.
9:15am Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum
The life story of President Abraham Lincoln is told here.
Lunch is available (on your own) in the Museum before we depart.
2:00pm New Salem
When Abraham Lincoln moved from Indiana, he found his way to
New Salem Here he clerked in a store, became postmaster, and
was elected a state representative.
4:00pm Depart from New Salem
We will stop for dinner on the way home (on your own).
9:45pm Return to Evansville
Vanderburgh County: The Past Twenty-Five Years will be at the Executive Inn in downtown Evansville. The program will be presented by Betty Lou Jerrell and Richard Borries, moderated by John Story. This is the Vanderburgh County Historical Society's 25th Anniversary dinner celebration. More details will follow.
Jon Carl’s Reitz High School Honor United States history class started the program by presenting background information on how Evansville was changed from a depression town to a boomtown during WWII. The class had searched the Evansville newspapers to create a chronology of when Evansville companies got Government contracts, received E awards, and other activities during the war.
Next Evansville Museum Curator of History Tom Lonnberg, Evansville home front researcher, writer Patrick Wathen, and home front author Harold Morgan conducted a bus tour of sites in Evansville that played a significant role in the City's involvement in World War II. This bus tour included drive-bys of former war plant sites, including Chrysler, which produced 98% of the .45 caliber ammunition utilized by the U. S. military during the War; Republic Aviation, that produced P-47 Thunderbolt fighter planes; Servel, that produced wings for P-47s; and the Evansville Shipyard, that produced Landing Ship, Tanks (LST's). Also included in the tour were visits to other locales that were significance during World War II, including the sites of the USO, Red Cross Canteen, and various nightspots and hotels. This program provided an overview of Evansville's World War II history and focused on the very significant role the city played in wartime production.
Tom Lonnberg has been employed at the Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science for 18 years and also serves as a History Instructor at U. S. I. While a reporter and editor at the Evansville Courier, Pat Wathen led the newspaper's coverage of the 50th anniversary commemorations of World War II. Wathen, who now is employed at Toyota, has continued his research into local World War II history. Harold Morgan is the author of the upcoming book Hometown Heroes that will focus on the Tri-State during World War II. An avid researched of home front history, Morgan has also written several articles for Maturity Journal on this topic."
The highlight of the day welcomed President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the city as we re-enacted his April 27, 1943 his visit to the Republic Aviation.
Click for Photos
On September 1, 2005, in conjunction with the Evansville Museum of Arts, History, and Science' "Happy Days: Evansville in the1950s" exhibit, John Story and Terry Hughes presented on the topic of early movie theaters in Evansville. Approximately 130 people attended this event that was open to the public and free, as are most VCHS presentations except the annual dinner. The annual dinner is open to the public, but it does involve the cost of the dinner itself.
Click here for the web site dedicated to Early Movie Houses in Evansville. Remember, at this time, the web site is a work in progress. When you click, a new browser window will open up. When you are through, close the newer browser window. All theaters now have minimal information. The Grand, Victory, and Alhambra have the most information available at present.
Please help us. We are actively searching for photos and other memorabilia from Evansville's motion picture theater past. See our list below. If you know of an omission from our list or have information to add, please contact Terry Hughes.
Thanks to all who helped by lending us memorabilia for this event: Dennis Beadles, Robert Glascock, Dick Melton, Willard Library, the Evansville-Vanderburgh Public Library, Tom Lonnberg and the Evansville Museum of Arts, History, and Science, John Story, Terry Hughes, and others who brought items to the presentation but did not leave their names.
Grand Theater
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The VCHS Annual Dinner and Indiana History Train Tour was Thursday, October 14th The History Train was in Evansville with its exhibit "The Faces of Lincoln." The VCHS annual dinner followed the tour. After dinner, attendees were treated to a preview of Young Lincoln -- The Early Life of Abraham Lincoln, 1816 - 1830. This video will air on PBS in February 2005. VCHS members William Bartelt and Darrell Bigham were interviewed for this video.
During the meeting, the VCHS elected its officers and five VCHS Board members for 2004-2005.
VCHS Board members William Bartelt and Thomas Lonnberg were at Barnes and Noble Booksellers in Evansville on Saturday, September 4th to sign copies of Evansville At the Bend in the River. Mr. Bartelt has updated Ken McCutchan's popular book with a new chapter on the happenings since 1982. Mr. Lonnberg supplied additional photographs.
Get the Adobe Acrobat ReaderClick to go to the VCHS LST 325 section of our Current Projects page. LST 325 moored temporarily near the Mead Johnson terminal. Its official arrival was Friday, July 11, 2003.
