The role of women in the Scottish history of Chicago has been rather difficult to define. We do know that early in the history of the Saint Andrew's Society, women worked side by side with their husbands in distributing charity. Ladies were assigned to each of the three districts in Chicago, but they received little in the way of public recognition and their names were seldom recorded. Women were not admitted into membership until 1947.
Women were first invited to attend the Saint Andrew's Day Dinner in 1917. The president of the Society at that time was James B. Forgan, a devote Presbyterian and world famous banker. Mr. Forgan reminded the men that ladies were present, so they should watch their language. He also banned the drinking of alcohol, but of course, that did not last long. Mr. Forgan and his brother, also a banker, were both born in St. Andrews, Scotland.
On June 25, 1902, James D. Currie, issued an invitation to Scottish ladies "by birth, descent or marriage" to meet at the Sherman House hotel with the object of forming a Ladies Auxiliary. A number of ladies attended and their number would grow to 75 members. "By parlor socials, entertainments, etc." the Auxiliary raised over two thousand dollars for the erection of a statue to Robert Burns, the poet.
For two years "a pleasant meeting place" was furnished to the ladies by the Paterson Shorthand Institute, "absolutely free of cost." It is unclear why the meeting place was discontinued or where the Auxiliary moved.
The leader of this new group was always Mrs. Robert Ballantine. We will tell you about her later.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Laflin Street in Chicago
Laflin street runs 1500 west from 356 north to 12258 south. It was named for Matthew Laflin (1803-1897). This Scottish family came through northern Ireland and finally on to America. Matthew was born at Southwick, Massachusetts.
His father was a manufacturer of gunpowder and Matthew learned the trade. He was attracted to Chicago because of the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal and hoped to sell gunpowder to the construction companies. The first home in Chicago for him was at old Fort Dearborn, because no other shelter could be found.
Early on, he began to purchase real estate and once owned 140 acres within the city limits. He bought the land for $300 and lived to see it worth millions. In 1849, he purchased 100 acres of land on the west side, extending eastward from Madison street and Ogden avenue. Here he built the Bull's Head Hotel. He also built barns, sheds, and cattle pens. It was the first stock yard in Chicago.
Mr. Laflin built one of the first plank roads, known in those days as the Blue Island toll road. He operated the first omnibus line to carry his hotel patrons to the stock yards and the State Street markets. He also established the first water works system in Chicago by building a pine-log reservoir at Lake Street and the lake shore. Water funneled into the reservoir was distributed through wooden pipes to the city.
His gift to Chicago was a building to house the Academy of Sciences in Lincoln Park. It is called the Matthew Laflin Memorial Building and still exists.
His father was a manufacturer of gunpowder and Matthew learned the trade. He was attracted to Chicago because of the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal and hoped to sell gunpowder to the construction companies. The first home in Chicago for him was at old Fort Dearborn, because no other shelter could be found.
Early on, he began to purchase real estate and once owned 140 acres within the city limits. He bought the land for $300 and lived to see it worth millions. In 1849, he purchased 100 acres of land on the west side, extending eastward from Madison street and Ogden avenue. Here he built the Bull's Head Hotel. He also built barns, sheds, and cattle pens. It was the first stock yard in Chicago.
Mr. Laflin built one of the first plank roads, known in those days as the Blue Island toll road. He operated the first omnibus line to carry his hotel patrons to the stock yards and the State Street markets. He also established the first water works system in Chicago by building a pine-log reservoir at Lake Street and the lake shore. Water funneled into the reservoir was distributed through wooden pipes to the city.
His gift to Chicago was a building to house the Academy of Sciences in Lincoln Park. It is called the Matthew Laflin Memorial Building and still exists.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
William Wallace Cargill, Founder of Grain, Food Business with Worldwide Operations.
I have had several phone calls and emails this week about the Cargill Corporation. Mostly about a Foundation they may have established. I also saw one of their television ads recently, so I thought we would take a look at who they are. William Wallace Cargill is a member of the Scottish American Hall of Fame. Here is his story as written by James Casement Thomson in 1976.
"When William Wallace Cargill started his Minnesota grain buying business in 1864, he couldn't have imagined the outcome. By the late 20th century, Minneapolis-based Cargill, Inc. had become a multi-billion-dollar business. It had developed into America's largest privately-owned corporation with some 600 plants and offices in 40 countries with more that 25,000 employees.
Though Will Cargill and his brothers weathered the difficult early years in building Cargill, Inc., it was the fortunate blend of Cargill and MacMillan management that turned it into the giant grain handling, food processing, and distributing empire it is today. When Will Cargill died in 1909, the net worth of the business was $2 million. In 1980 it was more than $11 billion.
Will Cargill was born December 15, 1844, on Long Island, New York. He was the third of seven children born to a Scottish sea captain who emigrated to New York in the late 1830s and finally settled in Janesville, Wisconsin. At the age of 20, he began buying grain in Minnesota. His brothers joined him, but Will was the shrewd, imaginative leader.
Both the Cargills and the MacMillans have their roots in Scotland. The MacMillans are descended from Duncan MacMillan who emigrated to Canada from Inverness in 1815. Three generations of the MacMillans were successful businessmen. John H. MacMillan, a great grandson of Duncan, married Will Cargill's daughter, Edna, and entered the business with his father-in-law in 1898.
For the next 80 years, the business prospered from the blend of two astute and enterprising families to beomce the nation's largest agribusiness company. For 96 of Cargill's first 100 years the men at the helm were either Cargills or MacMillans."
"When William Wallace Cargill started his Minnesota grain buying business in 1864, he couldn't have imagined the outcome. By the late 20th century, Minneapolis-based Cargill, Inc. had become a multi-billion-dollar business. It had developed into America's largest privately-owned corporation with some 600 plants and offices in 40 countries with more that 25,000 employees.
Though Will Cargill and his brothers weathered the difficult early years in building Cargill, Inc., it was the fortunate blend of Cargill and MacMillan management that turned it into the giant grain handling, food processing, and distributing empire it is today. When Will Cargill died in 1909, the net worth of the business was $2 million. In 1980 it was more than $11 billion.
Will Cargill was born December 15, 1844, on Long Island, New York. He was the third of seven children born to a Scottish sea captain who emigrated to New York in the late 1830s and finally settled in Janesville, Wisconsin. At the age of 20, he began buying grain in Minnesota. His brothers joined him, but Will was the shrewd, imaginative leader.
Both the Cargills and the MacMillans have their roots in Scotland. The MacMillans are descended from Duncan MacMillan who emigrated to Canada from Inverness in 1815. Three generations of the MacMillans were successful businessmen. John H. MacMillan, a great grandson of Duncan, married Will Cargill's daughter, Edna, and entered the business with his father-in-law in 1898.
For the next 80 years, the business prospered from the blend of two astute and enterprising families to beomce the nation's largest agribusiness company. For 96 of Cargill's first 100 years the men at the helm were either Cargills or MacMillans."
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
George Goldie, World Champion and Professional Gymnast
George Goldie was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1841. He emigrated to America when he was a boy of thirteen. In 1860, he began to practice gymnastics and three yers later became a professional gymnast. He held the all-around athletic championship of the Caledonian Club from 1871 to 1875, and held the world's record in the standing broad jump.
He was often called the "father of the pole vault" and is said to have been the first to use a vaulting pole in organized sports. He also invented several other athletic appliances, including what has been called the first rowing machine. He was the first athletic director at Princeton and organized the first intramural track and field sports for undergraduates. One of the playing fields at Princeton was named in his honor.
William Arrott, a member of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society sent us this story in 1995. George Goldie was his maternal great grandfather. His other great grandfather, James West Arrott, discovered a process for binding porcelain to iron to make bathtubs. He later founded the Standard Sanitary Company now known as American Standard.
He was often called the "father of the pole vault" and is said to have been the first to use a vaulting pole in organized sports. He also invented several other athletic appliances, including what has been called the first rowing machine. He was the first athletic director at Princeton and organized the first intramural track and field sports for undergraduates. One of the playing fields at Princeton was named in his honor.
William Arrott, a member of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society sent us this story in 1995. George Goldie was his maternal great grandfather. His other great grandfather, James West Arrott, discovered a process for binding porcelain to iron to make bathtubs. He later founded the Standard Sanitary Company now known as American Standard.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Parts of Poem about John Burns of Gettysburg
...Slow to argue, but quick to act.
That was the reason, so some folks say,
He fought so well on that terrible day...
Just where the tide of battle turns,
Erect and lonely, stood old John Burns.
How do you think the man was dressed?
He wore an ancient, long buff vest,
Yellow as saffron, but his best;
And, buttoned over his manly breast,
Was a bright blue coat with a rolling collar.
And large gilt buttons, size of a dollar,
With tails that the country-folk called "swaller."
He wore a broad-brimmed, bell-crowned hat,
White as the locks on which it sat.
Never had such a sight been seen
For forty years on the village green,
Since old John Burns was a country beau,
And went to the "quiltings" long ago.
...Through the ranks in whispers, and some men saw,
In the antique vestments and long white hair,
The Past of the Nation in battle there;
And some of the soldiers since declare
That the gleam of his old white hat afar,
Like the crested plume of the brave Navarre,
That day was their oriflamme of war.
And it was terrible. On the right
Raged for hours the heady fight,
Thundered the battery's bouble brass,
Difficult music for men to face;
While on the left, where now the graves
Undulate like the living waves
That all the day unceasing swept
Up to the pits the rebels kept.
So raged the battle. You know the rest:
How the rebels, beaten and backward pressed,
Broke at the final charge and ran.
At which John Burns, a practical man,
Shouldered his rifle, unbent his brows,
and then went back to his bees and cows.
(with apologies to Francis Bret Harte. The complete poem is to found on the Internet.)
That was the reason, so some folks say,
He fought so well on that terrible day...
Just where the tide of battle turns,
Erect and lonely, stood old John Burns.
How do you think the man was dressed?
He wore an ancient, long buff vest,
Yellow as saffron, but his best;
And, buttoned over his manly breast,
Was a bright blue coat with a rolling collar.
And large gilt buttons, size of a dollar,
With tails that the country-folk called "swaller."
He wore a broad-brimmed, bell-crowned hat,
White as the locks on which it sat.
Never had such a sight been seen
For forty years on the village green,
Since old John Burns was a country beau,
And went to the "quiltings" long ago.
...Through the ranks in whispers, and some men saw,
In the antique vestments and long white hair,
The Past of the Nation in battle there;
And some of the soldiers since declare
That the gleam of his old white hat afar,
Like the crested plume of the brave Navarre,
That day was their oriflamme of war.
And it was terrible. On the right
Raged for hours the heady fight,
Thundered the battery's bouble brass,
Difficult music for men to face;
While on the left, where now the graves
Undulate like the living waves
That all the day unceasing swept
Up to the pits the rebels kept.
So raged the battle. You know the rest:
How the rebels, beaten and backward pressed,
Broke at the final charge and ran.
At which John Burns, a practical man,
Shouldered his rifle, unbent his brows,
and then went back to his bees and cows.
(with apologies to Francis Bret Harte. The complete poem is to found on the Internet.)
Sunday, April 18, 2010
John Burns, 71 years old, fought wearing a high silk hat at Gettysburg.
John Lawrence Burns was of Scottish heritage, born in Burlington, New Jersey. He fought in the war of 1812 and the war with Mexico. He was rejected for combat service in the Civil War because of his age. He was 67 when the war began.
The Battle of Gettysburg started July 1, 1863. Burns, now 71, walked to the scene of battle. He wore dark trousers, a waistcoat, a blue swallow tail coat with brass buttons, and a high black silk hat. Volunteering to fight, Colonel Langhorne Wister, sent the old man into the wood next to the McPherson Farm, where he would be sheltered from the sun and enemy bullets.
In the wood, he fought with the 7th Wisconsin Infantry and then joined the 24th Michigan fighting throughout the day. He was effective as a sharpshooter and in one case shot a Confederate officer from his horse. As the Union forces were been driven back to the Seminary, he was wounded in the arm and leg, had minor injuries to his chest and was left on the battlefield for dead. The old man crawled away from his gun, buried his ammunition, and surrendered. He convinced the Confederates that he was not a soldier, but had wandered on to the battlefield seeking aid for his invalid wife. He could have been shot as a non-uniformed combatant.
When Lincoln came to give his Gettysburg address, he requested to meet with Burns. He accompanied the President on a walk from the David Wills house to the Presbyterian Church, November 19, 1863. After the war he became a national hero.
Before his death, his mind began to fail and his friends were unable to keep him from wandering about the country. In December, 1871, he was found in New York City, in a state of destitution. Sent home, he died of pneumonia in 1872.
Burns is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Gettysburg. His grave and that of Ginnie Wade are the only graves with permission to fly the American flag 24 hours per day. (Ginnie Wade was the only civilian killed during the battle.) Burns original gravestone was stolen, but the GAR replaced it in 1902. It says simply "Patriot."
In the field where Burns fought, a monument now stands. It shows Burns with clenched fist, carrying his musket in battle and placed upon a boulder taken from the battlefield. It was dedicated on July 1, 1903, the 40th anniversary of the battle.
Francis Bret Harte, wrote a poem about "John Burns of Gettysburg." Perhaps I will print a few verses tomorrow.
The Battle of Gettysburg started July 1, 1863. Burns, now 71, walked to the scene of battle. He wore dark trousers, a waistcoat, a blue swallow tail coat with brass buttons, and a high black silk hat. Volunteering to fight, Colonel Langhorne Wister, sent the old man into the wood next to the McPherson Farm, where he would be sheltered from the sun and enemy bullets.
In the wood, he fought with the 7th Wisconsin Infantry and then joined the 24th Michigan fighting throughout the day. He was effective as a sharpshooter and in one case shot a Confederate officer from his horse. As the Union forces were been driven back to the Seminary, he was wounded in the arm and leg, had minor injuries to his chest and was left on the battlefield for dead. The old man crawled away from his gun, buried his ammunition, and surrendered. He convinced the Confederates that he was not a soldier, but had wandered on to the battlefield seeking aid for his invalid wife. He could have been shot as a non-uniformed combatant.
When Lincoln came to give his Gettysburg address, he requested to meet with Burns. He accompanied the President on a walk from the David Wills house to the Presbyterian Church, November 19, 1863. After the war he became a national hero.
Before his death, his mind began to fail and his friends were unable to keep him from wandering about the country. In December, 1871, he was found in New York City, in a state of destitution. Sent home, he died of pneumonia in 1872.
Burns is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Gettysburg. His grave and that of Ginnie Wade are the only graves with permission to fly the American flag 24 hours per day. (Ginnie Wade was the only civilian killed during the battle.) Burns original gravestone was stolen, but the GAR replaced it in 1902. It says simply "Patriot."
In the field where Burns fought, a monument now stands. It shows Burns with clenched fist, carrying his musket in battle and placed upon a boulder taken from the battlefield. It was dedicated on July 1, 1903, the 40th anniversary of the battle.
Francis Bret Harte, wrote a poem about "John Burns of Gettysburg." Perhaps I will print a few verses tomorrow.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The Great Train Wreck, September 15, 1896. This is not a Scottish story, but interesting.
When I was young and living in Oklahoma, the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railways Company was known as “the Katy.” In 1896, the Katy was having trouble with decreasing passengers and needed greater publicity and sales. George Crush, the ticket agent for Texas had a brilliant idea, at least he thought so.
Why not have a head-on collision between two trains and invite people to come and watch? Mr. Crush found two 40-ton locomotives and some old surplus cars. The collision was set for September 15, 1896, 14 miles north of Waco and 3 miles south of West, Texas. It was a perfect location with a dry creek bed offering a perfect natural plateau.
A crew of 500 began to build a spur that ran for four miles. Water lines were laid for the people and a grandstand built for visiting dignitaries. There was a bandstand, a carnival midway and three separate speakers’ stands.
The old locomotives were painted green and red. The cars were decorated with banners from the Ringling Brothers Circus and the Oriental Hotel in Dallas. On the appointed day Mr. Crush was seen riding a tall black horse supervising the event. Trains brought 10,000 people, all paying a fee, from all over Texas. Soon 40,000 people had arrived. It was a carnival atmosphere with hot dogs, speeches and apparently a lot of drinking, even thought it was a dry county. Two hundred policmen were on duty with a temporary jail available.
At 5 p.m. the engines started on their final journey. The engineers pulled the throttles and then jumped from the train. Track torpedoes had been placed along the track for noise. The locomotives crashed with a thundering noise and then as the crowd surged forward there was a tremendous explosion. In a typical crash the locomotives would rise together in an inverted V, but something went wrong that day and they smashed head-on.
Thousands of pieces of metal flew through the air as the boilers exploded. Two were killed, several suffered concussions and one man lost his eye. There were many other injuries. The railroad quietly settled with the injured giving one man $10,000 and a free life-time pass.
In the end it was a great success. People couldn’t wait to ride the train that staged its own crash, but Mr. Crush was fired.
Why not have a head-on collision between two trains and invite people to come and watch? Mr. Crush found two 40-ton locomotives and some old surplus cars. The collision was set for September 15, 1896, 14 miles north of Waco and 3 miles south of West, Texas. It was a perfect location with a dry creek bed offering a perfect natural plateau.
A crew of 500 began to build a spur that ran for four miles. Water lines were laid for the people and a grandstand built for visiting dignitaries. There was a bandstand, a carnival midway and three separate speakers’ stands.
The old locomotives were painted green and red. The cars were decorated with banners from the Ringling Brothers Circus and the Oriental Hotel in Dallas. On the appointed day Mr. Crush was seen riding a tall black horse supervising the event. Trains brought 10,000 people, all paying a fee, from all over Texas. Soon 40,000 people had arrived. It was a carnival atmosphere with hot dogs, speeches and apparently a lot of drinking, even thought it was a dry county. Two hundred policmen were on duty with a temporary jail available.
At 5 p.m. the engines started on their final journey. The engineers pulled the throttles and then jumped from the train. Track torpedoes had been placed along the track for noise. The locomotives crashed with a thundering noise and then as the crowd surged forward there was a tremendous explosion. In a typical crash the locomotives would rise together in an inverted V, but something went wrong that day and they smashed head-on.
Thousands of pieces of metal flew through the air as the boilers exploded. Two were killed, several suffered concussions and one man lost his eye. There were many other injuries. The railroad quietly settled with the injured giving one man $10,000 and a free life-time pass.
In the end it was a great success. People couldn’t wait to ride the train that staged its own crash, but Mr. Crush was fired.
April 22, John Muir's Birthday and a Celebration in New York City.
April 22 is "Earth Day" and a Celebration of John Muir's 172nd Birthday. My friends at the American Scottish Foundation, with whom I once served as a member of the board, also celebrate in New York City. Here is their program for this year.
"The American-Scottish Foundation in conjunction with the City of New York Department of Parks & Recreation invite you to join us at The Arsenal in Central Park, Fifth Avenue & 64th Street, New York, 6 - 8 pm for A Celebration of Earth Day & John Muir's 172nd Birthday, with a musical tribute to Robert Burns by Mike Ogletree - formerly of Simple Minds."
Wine & Cheese
John Muir the "Father of the National Park Service" was born in Dunbar, Scotland arriving in the United States at the age of 11 and settling in California. In a lifetime of exploration, writing and political activism, John Muir became America's most eloquent spokesman for the mystery and majesty of the wilderness.
John Muir is recognized as a crucial figure in the creation of our national parks system and a far seeing prophet of environmental awareness, founding the Sierra Club in 1892.
It was John Muir's love of nature, and the preservation of it, that we can thank him for today. Muir convinced President Teddy Roosevelt to protect Yosemite (including Yosemite Valley), Sequoia, Grand Canyon and Mt. Rainier as National Parks.
John Muir had a passion for literature and was a life long devotee of Scottish national bard, Robert Burns, reciting extensive passages of Burns work from memory.
Since 1997, The American Scottish Foundation has worked with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation in the creation of The John Muir Nature Trail in Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, New York. The ASF is proud to offer ongoing support for the one and half mile John Muir Nature Trail.
A portion of the evenings proceeds will be donated towards the ongoing upkeep of the Trail. The one and half mile trail is situated less that 11 miles from the heart of Manhattan in the Bronx.
Please RSVP by completing the form below
I would like to reserve ............. tickets
I would like to make a donation of ........... per ticket
(a donation of $40 upwards)
My company ..................................................... will match my gift
Name ……………………………………………….Address…………………………… ……………………………………City ………………………………State …………… Telephone ……………………… Email ………………………………
Enclosed is my payment for …………………….
I am paying by: □ Check □ American Express □ MasterCard □Visa
Card number:…………………………………….. Exp. Date ……………………………
Signature:……………………………………………………………………………………
Please make checks payable to:
The American-Scottish Foundation, Inc. Scotland House™,
575 Madison Avenue, Suite 1006, New York, New York 10022-2511
"The American-Scottish Foundation in conjunction with the City of New York Department of Parks & Recreation invite you to join us at The Arsenal in Central Park, Fifth Avenue & 64th Street, New York, 6 - 8 pm for A Celebration of Earth Day & John Muir's 172nd Birthday, with a musical tribute to Robert Burns by Mike Ogletree - formerly of Simple Minds."
Wine & Cheese
John Muir the "Father of the National Park Service" was born in Dunbar, Scotland arriving in the United States at the age of 11 and settling in California. In a lifetime of exploration, writing and political activism, John Muir became America's most eloquent spokesman for the mystery and majesty of the wilderness.
John Muir is recognized as a crucial figure in the creation of our national parks system and a far seeing prophet of environmental awareness, founding the Sierra Club in 1892.
It was John Muir's love of nature, and the preservation of it, that we can thank him for today. Muir convinced President Teddy Roosevelt to protect Yosemite (including Yosemite Valley), Sequoia, Grand Canyon and Mt. Rainier as National Parks.
John Muir had a passion for literature and was a life long devotee of Scottish national bard, Robert Burns, reciting extensive passages of Burns work from memory.
Since 1997, The American Scottish Foundation has worked with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation in the creation of The John Muir Nature Trail in Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, New York. The ASF is proud to offer ongoing support for the one and half mile John Muir Nature Trail.
A portion of the evenings proceeds will be donated towards the ongoing upkeep of the Trail. The one and half mile trail is situated less that 11 miles from the heart of Manhattan in the Bronx.
Please RSVP by completing the form below
I would like to reserve ............. tickets
I would like to make a donation of ........... per ticket
(a donation of $40 upwards)
My company ..................................................... will match my gift
Name ……………………………………………….Address…………………………… ……………………………………City ………………………………State …………… Telephone ……………………… Email ………………………………
Enclosed is my payment for …………………….
I am paying by: □ Check □ American Express □ MasterCard □Visa
Card number:…………………………………….. Exp. Date ……………………………
Signature:……………………………………………………………………………………
Please make checks payable to:
The American-Scottish Foundation, Inc. Scotland House™,
575 Madison Avenue, Suite 1006, New York, New York 10022-2511
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
On This Date, April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln Died
On the evening of April 14, 1865, Lincoln attended a performance at Ford's theater in Washington, D.C. A few minutes after 10 P.M. he was mortally wounded and died the next morning.
Lincoln's life was intertwined with Scots and Scottish-Americans. Here are a few examples:
1. By frequent intermarriages between the Boones and the Lincolns, they were closely allied. The Boones were Scots who emigrated through Northern Ireland to America. Daniel Boone was one of their more famous sons.
2. At New Salem, Illinois, Lincoln was influenced by the Scottish village philosopher, Jack Kelso. He introduced Lincoln to the writings of Robert Burns. The President often quoted Burns and could recite from memory all the verses of Tam O' Shanter.
3. He married Mary Todd and her family can be traced directly back to Scotland. Among the Covenanters forcibly sent to America after the Battle of Culloden were the Todds. They had fought with Washington through the American Revolution before moving westward with the Boones.
4. Robert E. Lee (Scotsman) surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant (Scotsman)
in the home of John McLean (Scotsman) to end the great Civil War.
5. When Lincoln was elected President, he was accompanied to Washington by two Scottish men: David Hunter of Chicago, who later became General David Hunter and Alan Pinkerton, the great detective. Pinkerton blamed himself for Lincoln's death.
6. Michael Fry has written: "It is possible, though unproved, that Lincoln himself had Scots blood. The district round his birthplace in the backwoods of Kentucky housed many Scottish settlers to whom his family might have been related."
On this date in 1865, America lost a great leader!
Lincoln's life was intertwined with Scots and Scottish-Americans. Here are a few examples:
1. By frequent intermarriages between the Boones and the Lincolns, they were closely allied. The Boones were Scots who emigrated through Northern Ireland to America. Daniel Boone was one of their more famous sons.
2. At New Salem, Illinois, Lincoln was influenced by the Scottish village philosopher, Jack Kelso. He introduced Lincoln to the writings of Robert Burns. The President often quoted Burns and could recite from memory all the verses of Tam O' Shanter.
3. He married Mary Todd and her family can be traced directly back to Scotland. Among the Covenanters forcibly sent to America after the Battle of Culloden were the Todds. They had fought with Washington through the American Revolution before moving westward with the Boones.
4. Robert E. Lee (Scotsman) surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant (Scotsman)
in the home of John McLean (Scotsman) to end the great Civil War.
5. When Lincoln was elected President, he was accompanied to Washington by two Scottish men: David Hunter of Chicago, who later became General David Hunter and Alan Pinkerton, the great detective. Pinkerton blamed himself for Lincoln's death.
6. Michael Fry has written: "It is possible, though unproved, that Lincoln himself had Scots blood. The district round his birthplace in the backwoods of Kentucky housed many Scottish settlers to whom his family might have been related."
On this date in 1865, America lost a great leader!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Internet Facts About Scotland
Willie Nelson will be in Scotland June 7, 8 and 9, 2010. Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburgh. He will also be in Joliet, Illinois, in October. Advertised lowest price $175 per person. Guess I won't be going.
By volume, Loch Ness, is the largest body of fresh water in the United Kingdom, containing more water than all the lakes of England and Wales put together.
Edinburgh has at lest 28 golf courses within the city limits.
In the 18th century, Glasgow became the world's first industrial city.
Fortingall in Perthshire claims to be the birthplace of Pontius Pilate.
Glasgow has the largest area of urban parkland in Europe.
The world's first coal mines were begun in the Forth Valley during the 12th century.
The largest bookshop in Scotland is James Thin in Edinburgh.
Oil was first extracted from shale in Scotland 200 years ago, making Scotland the world's first petroleum producer.
Stan Laurel began his comedy career in Glasgow, 1906.
By volume, Loch Ness, is the largest body of fresh water in the United Kingdom, containing more water than all the lakes of England and Wales put together.
Edinburgh has at lest 28 golf courses within the city limits.
In the 18th century, Glasgow became the world's first industrial city.
Fortingall in Perthshire claims to be the birthplace of Pontius Pilate.
Glasgow has the largest area of urban parkland in Europe.
The world's first coal mines were begun in the Forth Valley during the 12th century.
The largest bookshop in Scotland is James Thin in Edinburgh.
Oil was first extracted from shale in Scotland 200 years ago, making Scotland the world's first petroleum producer.
Stan Laurel began his comedy career in Glasgow, 1906.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Alexander Raffen - Chicago's First Plumber
Municipal records list a Scotsman named Alexander Raffen as the city's first plumber and he is the only plumber listed in the professional directory of 1850.
The annual report of the Illinois St. Andrew Society shows an Alexander W. Raffen who became a member in 1850 as having been from Cupar, Fifeshire, Scotland. In the list of Scottish people who lost their homes and businessses in the Great Fire of 1871, Alexander Raffen is listed as a pumber on Dearborn Street whose loss was in stock. No dollar amount of his loss is given.
There is ample evidence that some plumbing was in place in Chicago by 1815. "Excavations from the period indicate water mains had been installed with resourcefulness and ingenuity." The conduit of choice was hollowed wooden logs made of cedar. They were probably floated down from Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The logs were cut in 8 to 10 foot lengths, hand-drilled from each end and joined by an internal sleeve of the same wood. Tees appear to have been little more than holes drilled in the log with lead pipes to the buildings held in place by hollow corks.
A picture of Raffen hangs in the union hall of Local 130 on West Washington Street in Chicago.
The annual report of the Illinois St. Andrew Society shows an Alexander W. Raffen who became a member in 1850 as having been from Cupar, Fifeshire, Scotland. In the list of Scottish people who lost their homes and businessses in the Great Fire of 1871, Alexander Raffen is listed as a pumber on Dearborn Street whose loss was in stock. No dollar amount of his loss is given.
There is ample evidence that some plumbing was in place in Chicago by 1815. "Excavations from the period indicate water mains had been installed with resourcefulness and ingenuity." The conduit of choice was hollowed wooden logs made of cedar. They were probably floated down from Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The logs were cut in 8 to 10 foot lengths, hand-drilled from each end and joined by an internal sleeve of the same wood. Tees appear to have been little more than holes drilled in the log with lead pipes to the buildings held in place by hollow corks.
A picture of Raffen hangs in the union hall of Local 130 on West Washington Street in Chicago.
Friday, April 9, 2010
The world has changed but the vision remains
The people mentioned in the last few articles lived in a far different world. Our world is much more complicated and diverse. The tax laws have changed. We are no longer confined to a small area where transportation is simple. The population of Chicagoland has grown immensely over the years and our Illinois Saint Andrew Society membership is scattered over 75-100 miles making it difficult for many to attend meetings and events. The Internet has led to great changes in how we communicate. We are now trying to reach third and fourth generation Scots. We no longer marry within the Scottish community as did Joan Pinkerton and William Chalmers. Scots no longer seek out other Scots for business partners.
To my knowledge, the Illinois Saint Andrew Society is the only viable Scottish organization in the greater Chicago area. Chicago once had many strong clans which held monthly meetings. They are all gone. The Highland Association which at one time was said to be the largest Scottish organization in America has long ceased to exist. We are more and more an invisible people. But, we are not alone with this problem. Early in Chicago history almost every ethic group had a functioning Society. To my knowledge they have all ceased to exist. Our Society alone has survived and stands today as the oldest chartered charity in our State.
We know that the Scottish vision is not dead. Ten to twelve thousand people attend our Highland games every June. In January, there are numerous Burns dinners conducted in our area. Hundreds still don their highland dress and attend the annual Saint Andrew’s Day celebration. Individuals still remember the Society in their wills. It is important that we maintain our vision. We must somehow reach the next generation with our proud history and Scottish vision.
In the words of George Buik: Wha’s like us? Naebody!
To my knowledge, the Illinois Saint Andrew Society is the only viable Scottish organization in the greater Chicago area. Chicago once had many strong clans which held monthly meetings. They are all gone. The Highland Association which at one time was said to be the largest Scottish organization in America has long ceased to exist. We are more and more an invisible people. But, we are not alone with this problem. Early in Chicago history almost every ethic group had a functioning Society. To my knowledge they have all ceased to exist. Our Society alone has survived and stands today as the oldest chartered charity in our State.
We know that the Scottish vision is not dead. Ten to twelve thousand people attend our Highland games every June. In January, there are numerous Burns dinners conducted in our area. Hundreds still don their highland dress and attend the annual Saint Andrew’s Day celebration. Individuals still remember the Society in their wills. It is important that we maintain our vision. We must somehow reach the next generation with our proud history and Scottish vision.
In the words of George Buik: Wha’s like us? Naebody!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Scottish Vision - Part III
One of my favorite people in Chicago history is Joan Pinkerton. When she married William J. Chalmers in 1878, five hundred invitations to the wedding were mailed and 3,000 young people arrived at the church in horse drawn carriages. (Talk about a traffic jam.) Mr. & Mrs. Chalmers were both first generation American Scots. Her husband became the president of Allis-Chalmers which was the largest maker of mining machinery in the world. They were generous contributors to the Illinois Saint Andrew Society, especially in 1910 when the first Scottish Home was built. They continued their support for the next 25 years.
Joan Pinkerton Chalmers was highly educated, attractive, popular and with a temper inherited from her detective father. She was described as “a striking brunette.” She also had this Scottish motivation that caused her to look at the greater needs of her community and beyond. In 1911, she established the County Home for Convalescent Crippled Children. It was located on a working farm of some 180 acres in DuPage County, near Wheaton, Illinois. The facility was available to any crippled child who needed their help. She involved the prominent people of Chicago including: Mrs. Lolita Armour, Mitchell Wilder, James A. Patton, Laura Shedd Schweppe, Mrs. Anna M. Raymond and others. It was a very successful venture with a dairy in full operation. In 1927, the home became a part of the University of Chicago clinic who later moved the operation to Chicago. The land was then sold to Wheaton College who now operates a school on the property. The Chalmer’s house is still in existence at 315 Ashland Blvd., just north of the Eisenhower. Her wedding dress is preserved at the Chicago History Museum. In 2006, on our tour of Graceland cemetery, we paid our respects.
If I could replay my historical research for the last 15 years, I would make several lists. One of those lists would include all of the Scottish people who gave their valuable possessions to the various institutions in Chicago. The Art Institute, the Newberry Library and the Field Museum received many of these gifts. For instance, Mrs. & Mrs. Chalmers gave a valuable collection of war medals to the Art Institute. Included in the will of Mrs. Chalmers were bequests totaling $150,000. The Field Museum and University of Chicago each received $50,000 in cash. The Art Institute received her valuable collection of paintings and etchings. Why would people give their valuable collections and money away to institutions? There can be just one reason - a desire to serve the greater community. Is that a Scottish trait? It may just be.
We will conclude our celebration of Tartan Week tomorrow.
Joan Pinkerton Chalmers was highly educated, attractive, popular and with a temper inherited from her detective father. She was described as “a striking brunette.” She also had this Scottish motivation that caused her to look at the greater needs of her community and beyond. In 1911, she established the County Home for Convalescent Crippled Children. It was located on a working farm of some 180 acres in DuPage County, near Wheaton, Illinois. The facility was available to any crippled child who needed their help. She involved the prominent people of Chicago including: Mrs. Lolita Armour, Mitchell Wilder, James A. Patton, Laura Shedd Schweppe, Mrs. Anna M. Raymond and others. It was a very successful venture with a dairy in full operation. In 1927, the home became a part of the University of Chicago clinic who later moved the operation to Chicago. The land was then sold to Wheaton College who now operates a school on the property. The Chalmer’s house is still in existence at 315 Ashland Blvd., just north of the Eisenhower. Her wedding dress is preserved at the Chicago History Museum. In 2006, on our tour of Graceland cemetery, we paid our respects.
If I could replay my historical research for the last 15 years, I would make several lists. One of those lists would include all of the Scottish people who gave their valuable possessions to the various institutions in Chicago. The Art Institute, the Newberry Library and the Field Museum received many of these gifts. For instance, Mrs. & Mrs. Chalmers gave a valuable collection of war medals to the Art Institute. Included in the will of Mrs. Chalmers were bequests totaling $150,000. The Field Museum and University of Chicago each received $50,000 in cash. The Art Institute received her valuable collection of paintings and etchings. Why would people give their valuable collections and money away to institutions? There can be just one reason - a desire to serve the greater community. Is that a Scottish trait? It may just be.
We will conclude our celebration of Tartan Week tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
The Scottish Vision - Part II
Scottish Americans are celebrating there heritage this week. Yesterday, I wrote about the vision of things that Scots seem to possess. I will continue today and tomorrow.
I have often wondered about the statement made in 1871 which said that the Illinois St. Andrew's Society wanted to build a “home and hospital.” The Great Fire ended those dreams, but we know they would later built a home for the elderly. We do not know about the vision for a hospital. Did others share that same vision? In 1907, three Scottish American physicians named Alexander A. Whamond, Fred G. Whamond and Joseph Mills founded the Robert Burns Hospital at 3807 W. Washington Blvd. The hospital had a capacity of twenty-five beds.
These men wanted to build a “practical and substantial memorial” to the Scottish Poet. They were opposed to the monument that was built in Garfield Park. (Its interesting to note that they located their hospital just a few blocks west of Garfield park where the statue of Burns now stands.) The Chicago Daily Tribune, November 1, 1913, stated that the hospital was “designed to be free to the poorer patients, and especially to Scotchmen...” The physicians served without pay. The provisional officers were: Dr. J. H. Bates, Dr. Brydon, Robert Hill, Robert Stuart and Robert Matheson. The attorney was Erskine MacMillan. It should also be noted that McNeal Hospital in Berwyn, IL. was founded by Dr. Albert Hall and Dr. MacNeal. These Scottish men also served the residents of the Scottish Home as the house physicians. They served without remuneration.
John Crearer, a life member of the Illinois St. Andrew’s Society, was always a generous donor to our work. However, his Scottish vision was greater. Like Andrew Carnegie, he saw a greater community and a greater need. Crearer gave a fortune to our Society, which was distributed to the poor. However, the bulk of his money was given to the opening of a “free library.” and the erection of a statue of Abraham Lincoln located south of the Art Institute. Thomas C. McMillan wrote about John Crearer and said: “He made the public his heir, and erected a monument which will endure after marble has crumbled to dust, and the fame of mere earthly deeds have faded from the memories of men.” His will provided two and one half million dollars for the establishment of a “free public library” which is now part of the University of Chicago.
Chicago has many Scottish stories like these. Not much media attention, but the fact remains that Scottish people have had a tremendous influence on the growth and development of this great city. There will be more tomorrow.
I have often wondered about the statement made in 1871 which said that the Illinois St. Andrew's Society wanted to build a “home and hospital.” The Great Fire ended those dreams, but we know they would later built a home for the elderly. We do not know about the vision for a hospital. Did others share that same vision? In 1907, three Scottish American physicians named Alexander A. Whamond, Fred G. Whamond and Joseph Mills founded the Robert Burns Hospital at 3807 W. Washington Blvd. The hospital had a capacity of twenty-five beds.
These men wanted to build a “practical and substantial memorial” to the Scottish Poet. They were opposed to the monument that was built in Garfield Park. (Its interesting to note that they located their hospital just a few blocks west of Garfield park where the statue of Burns now stands.) The Chicago Daily Tribune, November 1, 1913, stated that the hospital was “designed to be free to the poorer patients, and especially to Scotchmen...” The physicians served without pay. The provisional officers were: Dr. J. H. Bates, Dr. Brydon, Robert Hill, Robert Stuart and Robert Matheson. The attorney was Erskine MacMillan. It should also be noted that McNeal Hospital in Berwyn, IL. was founded by Dr. Albert Hall and Dr. MacNeal. These Scottish men also served the residents of the Scottish Home as the house physicians. They served without remuneration.
John Crearer, a life member of the Illinois St. Andrew’s Society, was always a generous donor to our work. However, his Scottish vision was greater. Like Andrew Carnegie, he saw a greater community and a greater need. Crearer gave a fortune to our Society, which was distributed to the poor. However, the bulk of his money was given to the opening of a “free library.” and the erection of a statue of Abraham Lincoln located south of the Art Institute. Thomas C. McMillan wrote about John Crearer and said: “He made the public his heir, and erected a monument which will endure after marble has crumbled to dust, and the fame of mere earthly deeds have faded from the memories of men.” His will provided two and one half million dollars for the establishment of a “free public library” which is now part of the University of Chicago.
Chicago has many Scottish stories like these. Not much media attention, but the fact remains that Scottish people have had a tremendous influence on the growth and development of this great city. There will be more tomorrow.
Monday, April 5, 2010
April 6th is National Tartan Day
On April 6, 1320, the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in Scotland asserting Scotland's sovereignty over English claims. "...for, as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom – for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself."
That document had an great influence on those who wrote the Declaration of Independence. Patrick Henry of Scottish descent echoed the same sentiments in his quote "Give me Liberty or Give me Death." I often overstate the message, but I have written and believe, that without the Scots there would have been no independence for America. I speak especially of those lowland Scots who lived for awhile in Northern Ireland before making the journey to America. My descendants were among them. They wanted freedom to live, to worship and educate their children. They were mostly Presbyterian in faith and they knew how to fight and were willing to die for their beliefs and freedom.
In 1998, the Senate passed Resolution 155 recognizing April 6 as National Tartan Day. This was followed in the House by Resolution 41 on March 9, 2005. Senator Trent Lott and one of his constituents, JoAnne Phipps, took the lead in preparing for this effort. I had the privilege of standing around the fringe and helping develop this idea. There were many others involved and in fact everyone can now take credit.
It became a grass-roots effort among Scottish people as to how they would celebrate. The larger cities, New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago and San Francisco hold large public demonstrations, especially New York and Washington, D.C. But, in churches, clubs, bars, social gatherings and even in homes, people celebrate.
New York City, because of the involvement of the Scottish government, always has the biggest show and parade. This year, the parade will be held on April 10 and three thousand pipers are expected to march up the Avenue of the Americas. Thousands will follow. There will be an entire week of celebrations in America's largest city. Sean Connery will be there as usual for an event called "Dressed to Kilt."
According to the last census, 13 million Americans claim Scottish ancestry, but the actual number, according to recent research, may be closer to 35 million, or more. This year, I listed my Scottish heritage on the census forms.
All week, I will be writing about Scots and their contribution to America as we celebrate National Tartan Day, April 6, 2010.
That document had an great influence on those who wrote the Declaration of Independence. Patrick Henry of Scottish descent echoed the same sentiments in his quote "Give me Liberty or Give me Death." I often overstate the message, but I have written and believe, that without the Scots there would have been no independence for America. I speak especially of those lowland Scots who lived for awhile in Northern Ireland before making the journey to America. My descendants were among them. They wanted freedom to live, to worship and educate their children. They were mostly Presbyterian in faith and they knew how to fight and were willing to die for their beliefs and freedom.
In 1998, the Senate passed Resolution 155 recognizing April 6 as National Tartan Day. This was followed in the House by Resolution 41 on March 9, 2005. Senator Trent Lott and one of his constituents, JoAnne Phipps, took the lead in preparing for this effort. I had the privilege of standing around the fringe and helping develop this idea. There were many others involved and in fact everyone can now take credit.
It became a grass-roots effort among Scottish people as to how they would celebrate. The larger cities, New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago and San Francisco hold large public demonstrations, especially New York and Washington, D.C. But, in churches, clubs, bars, social gatherings and even in homes, people celebrate.
New York City, because of the involvement of the Scottish government, always has the biggest show and parade. This year, the parade will be held on April 10 and three thousand pipers are expected to march up the Avenue of the Americas. Thousands will follow. There will be an entire week of celebrations in America's largest city. Sean Connery will be there as usual for an event called "Dressed to Kilt."
According to the last census, 13 million Americans claim Scottish ancestry, but the actual number, according to recent research, may be closer to 35 million, or more. This year, I listed my Scottish heritage on the census forms.
All week, I will be writing about Scots and their contribution to America as we celebrate National Tartan Day, April 6, 2010.
Friday, April 2, 2010
The Scottish Vision
THE SCOTTISH VISION
Scottish people have a lot of wonderful traits, including honesty, hard work, learning, and advancing the well-being of the human race. They are often attracted to professions that contribute to the good of society as a whole, not a select portion of the population. They almost have double vision, seeing the immediate needs around them, but also looking far into the future.
Consider this vision in the field of medicine. Medicine helps the entire human race, not just a particular group. Scottish doctors always sought an immediate cure, but they also looked into the future to find prevention. For the most part, early physicians in America, “many of them of Scottish descent themselves” emigrated to Scotland for their training. It is believed that John Moultrie, Jr. (1729-98) was the “first native American to receive a medical degree from Edinburgh University.” It is well documented that Samuel Bard after being educated in Scotland established the medical college at Columbia University.
In the comprehensive book The Mark of the Scot by Duncan Bruce, there is a listing of the accomplishments of Scottish physicians. Here are just a few examples that describe their great contributions to the human race.
1. William Leishman - perfected the typhoid vaccine, 1913
2. Sir Ronald Ross - malaria fever, Nobel Prize winner in 1902
3. Sir Alexander Fleming - discoverer of penicillin 1928 “ ...probably saved more human lives than any other man” 1945 Nobel Prize winner.
4. Samuel Guthrie - discovered chloroform in 1831
5. Dr. Ephraim McDowell - performed “the world’s first “ovariotomy” and he did it on the frontier.
6. Alexander Graham Bell, “was the first to publish the idea of treating deep-seated cancers with radium.”
7. Dr. Robert Guthrie - “...has saved thirty thousand people from mental retardation and will continue to save more.” His test for PKU is given to all newborn infants and costs about three cents.” Dr. Guthrie died in 1995 and had refused all royalties.
Our Society has appealed to many Scottish physicians. In fact, two doctors have been elected President: Dr. John A. McGill and Dr. William Ferguson Dickson. We will not soon forget Dr. Andrew Thomson. Not only for his contribution to the work of our Society but his contribution to the greater Chicago community. Few physicians has touched so many lives as Dr. Thomson. He was recognized as our Distinguished Citizen in 1993. Another physician, Dr. James Allan Campbell, was also a Distinguished Citizen in 1975. Dr. Campbell was the chief architect of the rise of Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center to national prominence. An interesting new book about his life has recently been published .
I have often wondered about the statement made in 1871 which said that the Society wanted to build a “home and hospital.” The Great Fire ended those dreams , but we know they would later built a home for the elderly. We do not know about the vision for a hospital. Did others share that same vision? In 1907, three Scottish American physicians named Alexander A. Whamond, Fred G. Whamond and Joseph Mills founded the Robert Burns Hospital at 3807 W. Washington Blvd. The hospital had a capacity of twenty-five beds.
These men wanted to build a “practical and substantial memorial” to the Scottish Poet. They were opposed to the monument that was build in Garfield Park. (Its interesting to note that they located their hospital just a few blocks west of Garfield park and the statue of Burns.) The Chicago Daily Tribune, November 1, 1913, stated that the hospital was “designed to be free to the poorer patients, and especially to Scotchmen...” The physicians served without pay. The provisional officers were: Dr. J. H. Bates, Dr. Brydon, Robert Hill, Robert Stuart and Robert Matheson. The attorney was Erskine MacMillan. It should also be noted that McNeal Hospital in Berwyn, IL. was founded by Dr. Albert Hall and Dr. MacNeal. These Scottish men also served the residents of the Scottish Home as the house physicians. They served without remuneration..
John Crearer, a life member of the Illinois St. Andrew’s Society, was always a generous donor to our work. However, his Scottish vision was greater. Like Andrew Carnegie, he saw a greater community and a greater need. Crearer gave a fortune to our Society, which was distributed to the poor. However, the bulk of his money was given to the opening of a “free library.” and the erection of a statue of Abraham Lincoln located south of the Art Institute. Thomas C. McMillan wrote about John Crearer and said: “He made the public his heir, and erected a monument which will endure after marble has crumbled to dust, and the fame of mere earthly deeds have faded from the memories of men.” His will provided two and one half million dollars for the establishment of a “free public library” which is now part of the University of Chicago.
Scottish people have a lot of wonderful traits, including honesty, hard work, learning, and advancing the well-being of the human race. They are often attracted to professions that contribute to the good of society as a whole, not a select portion of the population. They almost have double vision, seeing the immediate needs around them, but also looking far into the future.
Consider this vision in the field of medicine. Medicine helps the entire human race, not just a particular group. Scottish doctors always sought an immediate cure, but they also looked into the future to find prevention. For the most part, early physicians in America, “many of them of Scottish descent themselves” emigrated to Scotland for their training. It is believed that John Moultrie, Jr. (1729-98) was the “first native American to receive a medical degree from Edinburgh University.” It is well documented that Samuel Bard after being educated in Scotland established the medical college at Columbia University.
In the comprehensive book The Mark of the Scot by Duncan Bruce, there is a listing of the accomplishments of Scottish physicians. Here are just a few examples that describe their great contributions to the human race.
1. William Leishman - perfected the typhoid vaccine, 1913
2. Sir Ronald Ross - malaria fever, Nobel Prize winner in 1902
3. Sir Alexander Fleming - discoverer of penicillin 1928 “ ...probably saved more human lives than any other man” 1945 Nobel Prize winner.
4. Samuel Guthrie - discovered chloroform in 1831
5. Dr. Ephraim McDowell - performed “the world’s first “ovariotomy” and he did it on the frontier.
6. Alexander Graham Bell, “was the first to publish the idea of treating deep-seated cancers with radium.”
7. Dr. Robert Guthrie - “...has saved thirty thousand people from mental retardation and will continue to save more.” His test for PKU is given to all newborn infants and costs about three cents.” Dr. Guthrie died in 1995 and had refused all royalties.
Our Society has appealed to many Scottish physicians. In fact, two doctors have been elected President: Dr. John A. McGill and Dr. William Ferguson Dickson. We will not soon forget Dr. Andrew Thomson. Not only for his contribution to the work of our Society but his contribution to the greater Chicago community. Few physicians has touched so many lives as Dr. Thomson. He was recognized as our Distinguished Citizen in 1993. Another physician, Dr. James Allan Campbell, was also a Distinguished Citizen in 1975. Dr. Campbell was the chief architect of the rise of Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center to national prominence. An interesting new book about his life has recently been published .
I have often wondered about the statement made in 1871 which said that the Society wanted to build a “home and hospital.” The Great Fire ended those dreams , but we know they would later built a home for the elderly. We do not know about the vision for a hospital. Did others share that same vision? In 1907, three Scottish American physicians named Alexander A. Whamond, Fred G. Whamond and Joseph Mills founded the Robert Burns Hospital at 3807 W. Washington Blvd. The hospital had a capacity of twenty-five beds.
These men wanted to build a “practical and substantial memorial” to the Scottish Poet. They were opposed to the monument that was build in Garfield Park. (Its interesting to note that they located their hospital just a few blocks west of Garfield park and the statue of Burns.) The Chicago Daily Tribune, November 1, 1913, stated that the hospital was “designed to be free to the poorer patients, and especially to Scotchmen...” The physicians served without pay. The provisional officers were: Dr. J. H. Bates, Dr. Brydon, Robert Hill, Robert Stuart and Robert Matheson. The attorney was Erskine MacMillan. It should also be noted that McNeal Hospital in Berwyn, IL. was founded by Dr. Albert Hall and Dr. MacNeal. These Scottish men also served the residents of the Scottish Home as the house physicians. They served without remuneration..
John Crearer, a life member of the Illinois St. Andrew’s Society, was always a generous donor to our work. However, his Scottish vision was greater. Like Andrew Carnegie, he saw a greater community and a greater need. Crearer gave a fortune to our Society, which was distributed to the poor. However, the bulk of his money was given to the opening of a “free library.” and the erection of a statue of Abraham Lincoln located south of the Art Institute. Thomas C. McMillan wrote about John Crearer and said: “He made the public his heir, and erected a monument which will endure after marble has crumbled to dust, and the fame of mere earthly deeds have faded from the memories of men.” His will provided two and one half million dollars for the establishment of a “free public library” which is now part of the University of Chicago.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Colonel Walter Scott - A Generous Man, Part II
Walter Scott was born in Montreal. His parents were Scots and when he was three years old they moved to Boston. At the age of ten, he managed a small fruit store near Harvard College where he sold apples and plums. One of his customers was Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. At the age of 15 he was employed by the Butler Brothers, wholesale distributors of general merchandise, and at the age of 18 moved to New York City. In 1932, he retired as senior vice president after fifty-four years of continuous service. On the day of his retirement, his office was filled with flowers and telegrams came from President Hoover and former President Coolidge.
Colonel Scott became very wealthy and gave his money to worthy causes like the Scottish Old Peoples Home in Riverside. He endowed beds at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City and aided in the work of the Trudeau Tuberculosis Research Work. He endowed scholarships at Smith College, Flora MacDonald College, American International College, Centenary Collegiate Institute and Stevens Institute of Technology. He was a trustee of the Clarke School for the Deaf, Northampton, Mass. He created the Walter Scott Industrial School for children located in New York City at 53 West Sixty-eight Street and the Lulu Thorley Lyons Home for Crippled and Delicate Children at Claverack, New York. He was a founder of the New York Broad Street Hospital.
He had a lifelong interest in policemen and firemen. He was an honorary Police Commissioner of New York and whenever a policeman or a fireman lost their life in the performance of duty he always sent a check to the grieving family. “He created a perpetual endowment to provide a medal to be awarded annually to a policeman or fireman in New York, Boston, Worcester, Holyoke, and Detroit for outstanding bravery in the course of duty.” In 2005 the Walter Scott Medal was awarded to Firefighter Thomas P. Maxwell, Ladder Company 44, New York City. In 2005 at the Northfield Mount Hermon School, Yiqin Chang won The Colonel Walter Scott Prize in Mathematics.
The New York Times dated, November 29, 1935, said: “Colonel Walter Scott, Past Royal Chief of the Order of Scottish Clans in the United States and Canada and former senior vice president of Butler Brothers, died at 4:30 A. M. yesterday at his home, 225 West Eighty-sixth Street, after an illness of two years. He was 73 years old.” He is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn. A walk by his home address showed a large square condominium type building, covering almost an entire block and built in a square. The interior courtyard is now a beautiful garden and there was once a covered entrance for one’s horse and carriage that now serves as a guard house. I have visited his grave in Greenwood cemetery. He has a small stone marker. It is a long, long walk from the subway station to his grave in Greenwood.
For many years, Colonel Scott was a familiar figure at all Scottish gatherings and was a member of several Robert Burns clubs. He was a close friend of Miss Jean Armour Burns Brown of Dumfries, a great-great-grand-daughter of the poet and he was also a descendant of his name sake, Sir Walter Scott. Among his old friends was Sir Harry Lauder. His clubs are too many to list and so are his honors, but he received the Silver Grand Cross of the Republic of Austria, a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor, and a member of the Belgian Order of Leopold II. During World War I, he was a member of the New York Scottish Highlanders and was also a manager of the St. Andrew’s Society of New York.
In his will he wrote, “I have always felt an impelling desire to accomplish something definite in conferring happiness and relieving distress as conditions permitted me during my life, that I might not defer until after I had passed on an act that might stimulate a heart with joy, bring a smile to a tear worn face, help a struggling student or extend a helping hand to those afflicted with disease for an opportunity passed to do good is lost forever. I strove to remember my friends while living and to share their joys; I endowed hospital beds to assist those whose needs were immediate. To the extent of my abilities I encouraged all civic enterprises and encouraged the extension of educational facilities to students who were self-supporting.”
In one of our coming issue we will write about his wife, Mrs. Irene Elliott Benson Scott and his daughter Edith Scott Magna of Holyoke, Mass.
Colonel Scott became very wealthy and gave his money to worthy causes like the Scottish Old Peoples Home in Riverside. He endowed beds at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City and aided in the work of the Trudeau Tuberculosis Research Work. He endowed scholarships at Smith College, Flora MacDonald College, American International College, Centenary Collegiate Institute and Stevens Institute of Technology. He was a trustee of the Clarke School for the Deaf, Northampton, Mass. He created the Walter Scott Industrial School for children located in New York City at 53 West Sixty-eight Street and the Lulu Thorley Lyons Home for Crippled and Delicate Children at Claverack, New York. He was a founder of the New York Broad Street Hospital.
He had a lifelong interest in policemen and firemen. He was an honorary Police Commissioner of New York and whenever a policeman or a fireman lost their life in the performance of duty he always sent a check to the grieving family. “He created a perpetual endowment to provide a medal to be awarded annually to a policeman or fireman in New York, Boston, Worcester, Holyoke, and Detroit for outstanding bravery in the course of duty.” In 2005 the Walter Scott Medal was awarded to Firefighter Thomas P. Maxwell, Ladder Company 44, New York City. In 2005 at the Northfield Mount Hermon School, Yiqin Chang won The Colonel Walter Scott Prize in Mathematics.
The New York Times dated, November 29, 1935, said: “Colonel Walter Scott, Past Royal Chief of the Order of Scottish Clans in the United States and Canada and former senior vice president of Butler Brothers, died at 4:30 A. M. yesterday at his home, 225 West Eighty-sixth Street, after an illness of two years. He was 73 years old.” He is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn. A walk by his home address showed a large square condominium type building, covering almost an entire block and built in a square. The interior courtyard is now a beautiful garden and there was once a covered entrance for one’s horse and carriage that now serves as a guard house. I have visited his grave in Greenwood cemetery. He has a small stone marker. It is a long, long walk from the subway station to his grave in Greenwood.
For many years, Colonel Scott was a familiar figure at all Scottish gatherings and was a member of several Robert Burns clubs. He was a close friend of Miss Jean Armour Burns Brown of Dumfries, a great-great-grand-daughter of the poet and he was also a descendant of his name sake, Sir Walter Scott. Among his old friends was Sir Harry Lauder. His clubs are too many to list and so are his honors, but he received the Silver Grand Cross of the Republic of Austria, a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor, and a member of the Belgian Order of Leopold II. During World War I, he was a member of the New York Scottish Highlanders and was also a manager of the St. Andrew’s Society of New York.
In his will he wrote, “I have always felt an impelling desire to accomplish something definite in conferring happiness and relieving distress as conditions permitted me during my life, that I might not defer until after I had passed on an act that might stimulate a heart with joy, bring a smile to a tear worn face, help a struggling student or extend a helping hand to those afflicted with disease for an opportunity passed to do good is lost forever. I strove to remember my friends while living and to share their joys; I endowed hospital beds to assist those whose needs were immediate. To the extent of my abilities I encouraged all civic enterprises and encouraged the extension of educational facilities to students who were self-supporting.”
In one of our coming issue we will write about his wife, Mrs. Irene Elliott Benson Scott and his daughter Edith Scott Magna of Holyoke, Mass.
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