I wrote the first Blog on January 1, 2010 and this is number 300. As of 4:00 a.m. on March 27, 2013, a total of 31,782 visitors have read the various pages. The article Philip D. Amour, Jr. Marries Mary E. Lester (published 2/9/2010) has had the most readers with 444 followed by Scottish Inventors and Inventions (published 2/20/2010) with 438. I don’t have an explanation for the interest in Philip D. Amour. One hundred people have left comments.
Google Analytics tracks the readers of the History Club web site, at least since February 24, 1995. They show a total of 32,900 visitors who have read 56,608 pages. They also show that 70% of our readers come from the United States followed by the United Kingdom and then Canada. The majority (88.40%) are new visitors and the Bounce Rate is almost 80%. However, 3,806 have returned to read more pages.
Here is a breakdown of the top ten countries by readers:
United States 22,659
United Kingdom 2,476
Russia 1,060
Germany 901
Canada 562
France 483
Australia 165
Ukraine 147
Netherlands 140
Latvia 102
Most of our readers (72%) use Windows as an operating system followed by Macintosh at 8%. About 8% of the pages have been viewed using iPhones and iPads.
The first Blog was rather short and perhaps poorly written. I hope there has been improvement as the years have passed. Here is what I wrote for Blog #1:
“We often visit cemeteries and find Scottish names of people long ago dead. Does anyone ever look for them? In Forest Home Cemetery, along the Des Plaines river is a lady who died over 100 years ago. When the river overflows her grave is covered with water. Her marker says simply "Born in Scotland." A search of local newspapers did not show an obituary. I stopped at the cemetery office hoping for more information, but there was none. The next step was to obtain a death certificate. The death certificate told me that Mary Scott died May 12, 1899. She was 55 years old, died of a heart condition and was a housewife. She lived at 259 Harrison, Chicago, IL. No one appears to ever visit her grave. No one leaves flowers. I stop from time to time and visit. Like so many others, she was proud to have been born in Scotland. So, for this first Blog, I will give honor to those many nameless Scots who came to America and made it a great nation.”
We use Constant Contact to email our blog and have 955 active contacts. These contacts come from the Illinois Saint Andrew Society mailing list and has not been updated since we began. Not everyone reads the Blog, of course, and some have never read. The cost is about $30 a month and is paid for by Mrs. June H. Steele and the Halverson Fund. My thanks to June and to our oldest daughter, Elaine Moore who does the rewriting and posting. Elaine also does the History Club website at chicagoscots.net.
The History Club web site contains all the issues of our old Newsletters going back to 1994. These were published quarterly and mailed. We no longer mail the Newsletter. Members of the Scottish American Hall of Fame are also listed on the web site. This was the work of James Casement Thomson.
In addition, you will find the Scottish Name List. This is the work of Elaine Moore and contains literally thousands of names with short historical information. The Name List contains the famous and not so famous, including some 500 individuals buried in the Society grounds at Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago.
The majority of our readers on the website look at the Name List which leads us to believe that in doing a search they have found our site. Most of these people, appear to be looking for family members and several have written to see if we have more information.
My thanks to everyone for their support in helping to tell the story of Scottish People, Places and Things.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
630-629-4516
April 6, 2013 - History Club: Our speaker is David T. Macfarlane a Master Chef born in Elderslie, Scotland. He spent 10 years in the U.S. Navy serving two four-star admirals, the crew and officers of the USS Mount Whitney and the President of the United States in the White House and Blair House in Washington, D.C. “Chef Macfarlane has consistently returned to Scotland as an example to all Scots to never forget from whence they come...”
For Tartan Week activities please go to www.chicagoscots.org
June 14 and 15, 2013 - Highland Games - Hamilton Lakes, Itasca, IL.
June 28, 2013 - Chicago Scots at the White Sox Game
August 22, 2013 - Skerryvore Concert - Martyr’s, Chicago.
September 13, 2013 - Kilted Golf Classic - Bloomingdale Country Club
November 22, 2013 - 168th St. Andrew’s Day Dinner Celebration
Friday, March 29, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
Brilliant Costumes - Beautiful Women
In the the 1870s, The Saint Andrew Society of Chicago held a series of annual Grand Balls for charitable purposes. I have not determined how many years they held these events but the first reported was in 1875. In 1877 the Tribune described the event as “one of the notable social events of the season. Brilliant costumes, beautiful women and an enjoyable occasion.” The affair was elegant and this is only six years after the city had been totally destroyed by the Great Fire.
It is interesting how the Tribune describes the event and the St. Andrew’s Society. “It is charitable withal, and they who absorb the pleasures of the evening find no drawback in the contemplation of the fact that the shekels expended for tickets are devoted to the aid of the sufferers who find the edges of the world away from home as sharp and pitiless as the thistles of Scotia. Not a bad scheme, this gathering of the fortunate to aid those upon whom the smiles of the Goddess have not fallen, and to the St. Andrew’s Society belongs a wide and well-filled credit page for the efforts of its members in the protection of their countrymen in the sorrow and misfortune that have fallen upon them.”
The 1877 ball was held at the Sherman House and it was an evening filled with dancing and eating. Everything was ready by eight o’clock but it was ten before all the guests had arrived. Music was provided by Pound’s orchestra and a “varied order of dancing was suggested by a competent committee.” In great detail the Tribune described the dresses worn by the ladies and included only one gentleman in their descriptions. Here is a sampling:
Mrs. Godfrey MacDonald wore a black corded silk dress with trimmings of point lace. Miss Agnes Ritchie wore a black gros-grain, with corsage of gas-light blue silk, and her hair in natural flowers. Mrs. Charles B Stillman wore a gas-light blue dress with diagonal flowers, trimmed with tulle and a sash of winter berries with her hair powered. Miss Alexander of Montreal had an elegant dress of white swill and velvet with a train trimmed in double bands of velvet, embroidered and white with an apron front and corsage decollete. Her hair was in band’s. Mrs. Alexander Thompson wore a black gros-grain, elaborately trimmed with black velvet; hair garnished with winter berries, diamond ornaments.
Almost 40 women have their attire described in the Tribune. The only man so described was Long John Wentworth. He wore black doe skin pants the top fronted with a black vest under a swallow tailed coat with hair Absalom. (I assume this means long hair and is a reference to the Old Testament story of King David’s son.) Wentworth came to Chicago in 1836 and became the managing editor and later the owner of Chicago’s first newspaper, the Chicago Democrat. He was twice mayor of Chicago and served numerous terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. He died in 1888 at the age of 73 and is buried in Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago.
The food tables were set up in another room and consisted of one long table with small tables on either side. No regular time was set for eating; the guests were left to their own schedule and “they accordingly fell to when the exercise of dancing seem to them sufficient to furnish them an appetite.” In other words dance till you’re hungry and then eat and go back to dancing. The menu for this event is not given. The attendance is also not given but usually was around 300. The largest attendance was 500 in 1875.
In 1879 when the Tribune reported on the Charity Ball, the following statement appeared in the newspaper. “As usual with the St. Andrews people, they did not arrive until a late hour, and dancing did not commence until 10 o’clock. Supper was served at 12 o’clock... after which dancing was resumed until the small hours.” Some things never change. If you have ever tried to plan an event for the Society, you know how difficult it is to get early reservations.
The Gilded Age (1874-1907) was a period of great economic growth as the United Statea became the leader in the industrial age. Heavy industries, coal mining and railroads were the leaders in this expanding economy. Immigration increased with some 10 million people arriving. Many new social movements began like the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.
The Illinois St. Andrew’s Society held one of the most notable social events of the season. “Brilliant costumes, beautiful women and an enjoyable occasion.” Sometimes, I wish there was a movie so we could all enjoy what occurred.
Wayne Rethford, Past President
Illinois St. Andrew’s Society
630-629-4516
April 6, 2013 - History Club: Our speaker is David T. Macfarlane a Master Chef born in Elderslie, Scotland. He spent 10 years in the U.S. Navy serving two four-star admirals, the crew and officers of the USS Mount Whitney and the President of the United States in the White House and Blair House in Washington, D.C. “Chef Macfarlane has consistently returned to Scotland as an example to all Scots to never forget from whence they come...” More information to follow.
June 14 and 15, 2013 - Highland Games - Hamilton Lakes, Itasca, IL.
June 28, 2013 - Chicago Scots at the White Sox Game
August 22, 2013 - Skerryvore Concert - Martyr’s, Chicago.
September 13, 2013 - Kilted Golf Classic - Bloomingdale Country Club
November 22, 2013 - 168th St. Andrew’s Day Dinner Celebration
It is interesting how the Tribune describes the event and the St. Andrew’s Society. “It is charitable withal, and they who absorb the pleasures of the evening find no drawback in the contemplation of the fact that the shekels expended for tickets are devoted to the aid of the sufferers who find the edges of the world away from home as sharp and pitiless as the thistles of Scotia. Not a bad scheme, this gathering of the fortunate to aid those upon whom the smiles of the Goddess have not fallen, and to the St. Andrew’s Society belongs a wide and well-filled credit page for the efforts of its members in the protection of their countrymen in the sorrow and misfortune that have fallen upon them.”
The 1877 ball was held at the Sherman House and it was an evening filled with dancing and eating. Everything was ready by eight o’clock but it was ten before all the guests had arrived. Music was provided by Pound’s orchestra and a “varied order of dancing was suggested by a competent committee.” In great detail the Tribune described the dresses worn by the ladies and included only one gentleman in their descriptions. Here is a sampling:
Mrs. Godfrey MacDonald wore a black corded silk dress with trimmings of point lace. Miss Agnes Ritchie wore a black gros-grain, with corsage of gas-light blue silk, and her hair in natural flowers. Mrs. Charles B Stillman wore a gas-light blue dress with diagonal flowers, trimmed with tulle and a sash of winter berries with her hair powered. Miss Alexander of Montreal had an elegant dress of white swill and velvet with a train trimmed in double bands of velvet, embroidered and white with an apron front and corsage decollete. Her hair was in band’s. Mrs. Alexander Thompson wore a black gros-grain, elaborately trimmed with black velvet; hair garnished with winter berries, diamond ornaments.
Almost 40 women have their attire described in the Tribune. The only man so described was Long John Wentworth. He wore black doe skin pants the top fronted with a black vest under a swallow tailed coat with hair Absalom. (I assume this means long hair and is a reference to the Old Testament story of King David’s son.) Wentworth came to Chicago in 1836 and became the managing editor and later the owner of Chicago’s first newspaper, the Chicago Democrat. He was twice mayor of Chicago and served numerous terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. He died in 1888 at the age of 73 and is buried in Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago.
The food tables were set up in another room and consisted of one long table with small tables on either side. No regular time was set for eating; the guests were left to their own schedule and “they accordingly fell to when the exercise of dancing seem to them sufficient to furnish them an appetite.” In other words dance till you’re hungry and then eat and go back to dancing. The menu for this event is not given. The attendance is also not given but usually was around 300. The largest attendance was 500 in 1875.
In 1879 when the Tribune reported on the Charity Ball, the following statement appeared in the newspaper. “As usual with the St. Andrews people, they did not arrive until a late hour, and dancing did not commence until 10 o’clock. Supper was served at 12 o’clock... after which dancing was resumed until the small hours.” Some things never change. If you have ever tried to plan an event for the Society, you know how difficult it is to get early reservations.
The Gilded Age (1874-1907) was a period of great economic growth as the United Statea became the leader in the industrial age. Heavy industries, coal mining and railroads were the leaders in this expanding economy. Immigration increased with some 10 million people arriving. Many new social movements began like the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.
The Illinois St. Andrew’s Society held one of the most notable social events of the season. “Brilliant costumes, beautiful women and an enjoyable occasion.” Sometimes, I wish there was a movie so we could all enjoy what occurred.
Wayne Rethford, Past President
Illinois St. Andrew’s Society
630-629-4516
April 6, 2013 - History Club: Our speaker is David T. Macfarlane a Master Chef born in Elderslie, Scotland. He spent 10 years in the U.S. Navy serving two four-star admirals, the crew and officers of the USS Mount Whitney and the President of the United States in the White House and Blair House in Washington, D.C. “Chef Macfarlane has consistently returned to Scotland as an example to all Scots to never forget from whence they come...” More information to follow.
June 14 and 15, 2013 - Highland Games - Hamilton Lakes, Itasca, IL.
June 28, 2013 - Chicago Scots at the White Sox Game
August 22, 2013 - Skerryvore Concert - Martyr’s, Chicago.
September 13, 2013 - Kilted Golf Classic - Bloomingdale Country Club
November 22, 2013 - 168th St. Andrew’s Day Dinner Celebration
Monday, March 11, 2013
Memories of Patsy Cline
Virginia Patterson Hensley, was born September 8, 1932, in Winchester, Virginia, the daughter of Sam and Hilda Patterson Hensley. Her father was a blacksmith and her mother a seamstress. Her mother was 16 when Patsy was born; she was the oldest of three children. There was no wealth in the family and she grew up “on the wrong side of the tracks.” The father left them when Patsy was fifteen but in spite of everything it was a happy home.
I don’t know if Patsy Cline had a Scottish heritage but Patterson is certainly a Scottish name. For sure, the area around Winchester was populated by Scots. I do know that country music was born in the hills and valleys of Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, sung by immigrant Scots, many from Ulster in the north of Ireland.
My wife and I, with our two children, Elaine and Suzanne, were living in Madison, Tennessee in the 1960s. Our first house was on Old Hickory Road, but I don’t remember the address. We were surrounded by people connected to the Grand Old Opry. A number of them attended our church. I remember especially a backup fiddle player named Chubby Wise. I don’t think he could read music but he sure could play the fiddle. Jimmy Snow, son of Opry legend Hank Snow, preached his first sermon in our church and for over 30 years he was pastor of Nashville’s Evangel Temple.
We once lived across the street from the Carter family and Suzanne played with the younger kids. Around midnight, the cars would begin arriving and they would enjoy a meal cooked by Mama Maybelle Carter. Then they would practice and sing til dawn. Elaine and Brenda Lee were classmates.
I met Patsy Cline once. She had been involved in a head-on crash on Old Hickory Road and had suffered multiple injuries. Our Pastor, Rev. Jay Alford, visited her regularly and I went along once for prayer and Scripture reading. Some report that she renewed her vows to Christianity while in the hospital but I don’t know for sure.
On March 5, 1963, I arose early to travel to Memphis for a speaking engagement. My car was a bright red Volkswagen Bug. It was a beautiful morning, but suddenly on WSM radio came the announcement that no one wanted to hear. A plane had been found near Camden, Tennessee with the bodies of four people. One was Patsy Cline. The others were Randy Hughes, Hawkshaw Hawkins and Cowboy Copas.
The group was returning from Kansas City where they had given a benefit concert. They landed in Dyersburg, Tennessee, bought fuel, called home and then Randy Hughes steered his Piper Comanche down the runway. The airport manager had tried to get them to stay because of the high winds and the storms that were between Dyersburg and Nashville but to no avail. They all had plans for the next day. Patsy’s watch stopped that evening at 6.27.
Camden, Tennessee was 80 miles away and directly on my route to Memphis. Others were making the same trip, some with police escort. Passing through town, I followed the cars, turning right down a little used dirt road called Mule Barn Road and there, a few hundred feet from the road, was the crash site. It was taped off and police guarded the area by the time I arrived.
I stayed all day and into the early evening. Quiet crowds would gather, speak in whispers and then leave. Occasionally someone would gain permission to the area and collect personal items. Roger Miller stood within the roped-off area stricken by grief and sorrow. The Governor came, I heard, but I never saw him.
Standing near the yellow tape was a highway patrol officer I had met a dew days earlier and we talked off and on through the day. He said they were going to take the tape down later if there was anything I would like to have. I told him who I was and what I did for a living and that perhaps some of the items would be useful in my talks. Five minutes before the others, he let me in.
I have the aeronautical maps, the Omni-indicator (course selector) and a handle from Patsy’s suitcase. I also took pictures that day which were accidentally exposed. However, I came back the next day and took a number of photographs of the crash site. It’s one of the days in my life I will never forget.
Sometimes, late at night, when I am in a different mood, I listen to Patsy Cline sing: Crazy, Walking After Midnight, Sweet Dreams, I Fall To Pieces, and the last song she ever sang, I’ll Sail My Ship Alone. It is hard to believe it was 50 years ago, March 5, 1963.
After a memorial service in Nashville, they took her home to Winchester, Virginia. Her grave is marked by a simple bronze plaque which reads “Virginia H. (Patsy) Cline - Death Cannot Kill What Never Dies - Love.” Later, Loretta Lynn and Dottie West helped erect a bell tower at the cemetery which plays hymns every day at 6 p.m. A memorial stone marks the place where the plane crashed in the remote forest outside of Camden, Tennessee.
This is a personal story but I thought in coming years my great grandchildren might wonder why I saved those stained maps and that funny looking instrument. Everything might end up in the Scottish American Museum some day.
The Museum is a great place for family collections. You might look around and see if you have family items that you would like to donate. We are slowly amassing an amazing collection of things that portray our Scottish Heritage. Call me if have questions, or better yet attend the History Club meeting on April 6.
Thanks to a grant from a local Foundation, we are in the process of documenting all of the items in the museum. Pictures and measurements are taken along with any historical information available. These are then placed in a searchable database which will later be placed on the Internet. We will need an additional $15,000 to complete the total project. If you would like to make a donation, please call me.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrew’s Society
630-629-4516
April 6, 2013 - History Club: Our speaker is David T. Macfarlane a Master Chef born in Elderslie, Scotland. He spent 10 years in the U.S. Navy serving two four-star admirals, the crew and officers of the USS Mount Whitney and the President of the United States in the White House and Blair House in Washington, D.C. “Chef Macfarlane has consistently returned to Scotland as an example to all Scots to never forget from whence they come...” More information to follow.
June 14 and 15 - Highland Games - Hamilton Lakes, Itasca, IL.
June 28, 2013 - Chicago Scots at the White Sox Game
August 22, 2013 - Skerryvore Concert - Martyr’s, Chicago.
September 13, 2013 - Kilted Golf Classic - Bloomingdale Country Club
November 22, 2013 - 168th St. Andrew’s Day Dinner Celebration
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Dawn Clark Netsch, 1926-2013
She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on September 16, 1926. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Northwestern University in 1948 and was first in her class from the law school in 1952.
When Adlai Stevenson ran for president in 1952, she worked on his campaign and remained in Washington for a time before returning to Chicago. In private practice from 1957 to 1961, she then joined the staff of Governor Otto Kerner. In 1970, she was a delegate to the Illinois Constitutional Convention and two years later was elected to the State Senate. In 1990, she was elected as the state’s comptroller.
In 1963, Dawn Clark married Walter A. Netsch, Jr. I don’t know how they met and there was no announcement in the Chicago Tribune. His father was Walter A. Netsch, Sr. who was a vice president of Armour and Company. When Mr. Netsch, Sr. died in 1965, there were two surviving children: Walter A. Netsch, Jr. and Mrs. William Kerr.
Mr. Netsch died in 2008. He was a renowned architect who was the chief designer of the U. S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, including the distinctive Cadet Chapel. During his career, he designed 15 libraries and the east wing of the Art Institute of Chicago. He was a collector and patron of the arts.
When Dawn Clark Netsch ran for governor her slogan was “not just another pretty face.” She lost because there was weak support from the Cook County Democratic Machine and she was running against the very popular Jim Edgar.
One of her lifelong hobbies was playing eight-ball pool and she was very good. So, one of her campaign ads showed her playing a game of pool and winning, of course. This also played on her reputation as a “straight shooter.” I heard a tribute on the radio from Judy Baar Topinka who used this same term “straight shooter.”
Here is a tribute to Mrs. Netsch copied from Judy Baar Topinka’s facebook page:
“Dawn faithfully served Illinois and its residents for more than four decades, fighting for good, honest government that rises above politics. In fact, one of the highlights of my legislative career was partnering with her to co-sponsor the state’s Open Meetings Act. She continued her work as State Comptroller, establishing the office as an honest broker and credible source of information when it comes to state finances. And she continued her crusade into retirement, regularly speaking out on the need for government reform and accountability.
Dawn always remembered that government exists to serve taxpayers, not the other way around. She was a leader who was ahead of her time and our state is better for her service. More than that, she was a consummate professional and a class act. It was my honor to call her a colleague and friend.”
Mrs. Netsch was a life member of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society and often attended the St. Andrew’s Day Banquet. She was honored as our Distinguished Citizen in 1995. She was more than an occasional reader of our Blog as is Judy Baar Topinka who is also a member of our Governing Board and frequent attender at the Annual Banquet.
The Democratic Party has lost an honest politician and we have lost a friend. My sympathies to members of the family and especially the Kerr family.
Wayne Rethford, Past President
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
630-629-4516
History Club: April 6, 2013. Our speaker is David T. Macfarlane a Master Chef born in Elderslie, Scotland. He spend 10 years in the U.S. Navy serving two four-star admirals, the crew and officers of the USS Mount Whitney and the President of the United States in the White House and Blair House in Washington, D.C.
“Chef Macfarlane has consistently returned to Scotland as an example to all Scots to never forget from whence they come...” More information to follow.
When Adlai Stevenson ran for president in 1952, she worked on his campaign and remained in Washington for a time before returning to Chicago. In private practice from 1957 to 1961, she then joined the staff of Governor Otto Kerner. In 1970, she was a delegate to the Illinois Constitutional Convention and two years later was elected to the State Senate. In 1990, she was elected as the state’s comptroller.
In 1963, Dawn Clark married Walter A. Netsch, Jr. I don’t know how they met and there was no announcement in the Chicago Tribune. His father was Walter A. Netsch, Sr. who was a vice president of Armour and Company. When Mr. Netsch, Sr. died in 1965, there were two surviving children: Walter A. Netsch, Jr. and Mrs. William Kerr.
Mr. Netsch died in 2008. He was a renowned architect who was the chief designer of the U. S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, including the distinctive Cadet Chapel. During his career, he designed 15 libraries and the east wing of the Art Institute of Chicago. He was a collector and patron of the arts.
When Dawn Clark Netsch ran for governor her slogan was “not just another pretty face.” She lost because there was weak support from the Cook County Democratic Machine and she was running against the very popular Jim Edgar.
One of her lifelong hobbies was playing eight-ball pool and she was very good. So, one of her campaign ads showed her playing a game of pool and winning, of course. This also played on her reputation as a “straight shooter.” I heard a tribute on the radio from Judy Baar Topinka who used this same term “straight shooter.”
Here is a tribute to Mrs. Netsch copied from Judy Baar Topinka’s facebook page:
“Dawn faithfully served Illinois and its residents for more than four decades, fighting for good, honest government that rises above politics. In fact, one of the highlights of my legislative career was partnering with her to co-sponsor the state’s Open Meetings Act. She continued her work as State Comptroller, establishing the office as an honest broker and credible source of information when it comes to state finances. And she continued her crusade into retirement, regularly speaking out on the need for government reform and accountability.
Dawn always remembered that government exists to serve taxpayers, not the other way around. She was a leader who was ahead of her time and our state is better for her service. More than that, she was a consummate professional and a class act. It was my honor to call her a colleague and friend.”
Mrs. Netsch was a life member of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society and often attended the St. Andrew’s Day Banquet. She was honored as our Distinguished Citizen in 1995. She was more than an occasional reader of our Blog as is Judy Baar Topinka who is also a member of our Governing Board and frequent attender at the Annual Banquet.
The Democratic Party has lost an honest politician and we have lost a friend. My sympathies to members of the family and especially the Kerr family.
Wayne Rethford, Past President
Illinois Saint Andrew Society
630-629-4516
History Club: April 6, 2013. Our speaker is David T. Macfarlane a Master Chef born in Elderslie, Scotland. He spend 10 years in the U.S. Navy serving two four-star admirals, the crew and officers of the USS Mount Whitney and the President of the United States in the White House and Blair House in Washington, D.C.
“Chef Macfarlane has consistently returned to Scotland as an example to all Scots to never forget from whence they come...” More information to follow.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
It Wasn't the General
Our Society has often stated that one of the people attending the first St. Andrew’s Day celebration in 1845, was Capt. George McClellan. He was allegedly here working on the harbor. J. Seymour Curry in his five volume history entitled “Chicago: Its History and its Builders” published in 1912, says in volume one, page 216 (speaking of the harbor work) “ ...The engineer in charge being Capt. George B. McClellan, afterwards a Maj. Gen. and commander in chief of the Army of the Potomac.” A. T. Andreas, who wrote several volumes about Chicago gave the same information. When we wrote, The Scots of Chicago, we carried forward the same information, and I often used that comment in speeches.
The Society’s annual report for 1889 makes the following statement; “ever since the organization, in 1657, of the Scots Charitable Society of Boston, wherever a few Scotch men are located together, an immediate desire arises to form a charitable or St. Andrew’s Society, for the purpose of relieving their distressed fellow countrymen. In accordance with this national trait of character, the first Scottish residents of Chicago early bestirred themselves to organize the Illinois Saint Andrew Society. A call to meet and celebrate the Anniversary of St. Andrew in 1845 in the Lake house, was heartily responded to by the residents of the city and neighborhood. Among those present were the late General J. A. McDougal, and Capt. afterwards General G. B. McClellan, and other patriotic Scotchmen, who earnestly discussed the propriety and duty of forming a St. Andrew’s Society.”
A few years ago when the History Club, and perhaps the Society, stopped using mail as a means of regular communication, we lost track of some of our older members. (I know it will be difficult for some to understand, but there are people who do not use the computer as a means of communication.) One of those, I believe, was Robert E. McMillan. He was a Life Member, and once a member of the Governing Board. The dining room in the Georgeson Wing is named for his mother who was a resident of the Home. (His mother told me every day that her son was the president of seven railroads!) Bob and I were friends and we both had an interest in history. He was sure of one thing - It was not the General who attended that first meeting in 1845. Here are some of the results of his research.
George McClellan was admitted to West Point on July 1, 1842 at the age of 16. He did not graduate until July 1, 1846, when he was immediately sent to the Mexican War. The military records of McClellan do not support his being in Chicago in 1845. He apparently did not arrive in Chicago until about 1857 when he became the chief engineer of the Illinois central railroad. While our records were destroyed in the great fire of 1871, there is no mention that George McClellan was ever involved with the Illinois Saint Andrew Society and he is only mentioned in connection with the first anniversary dinner, which is probably wrong.
So, if it wasn’t the General who was it? The directory of the City of Chicago, compiled by Robert Fergus in 1843, lists a John McClellan, superintendent of public works on Lake Michigan. The directory in 1845-1846 shows the same information but with John McClellan now living at the Lake house where the first Anniversary Dinner was held. There is no mention of a George McClellan in the city directory.
Who then is John McClellan? He was born in Pennsylvania (date unknown). He entered West Point July 1, 1822 and graduated July 1, 1826. Upon graduation, he served in the garrison of Fort Monroe, Virginia, and was assigned to the first artillery school for practice. He resigned from the Army in 1838 and became a civil engineer. He was reappointed to the Army the same year with the rank of Captain in the Corp. of Topographical Engineers. In 1839, he was in charge of the Harbor and River improvements on the coast of North Carolina and served in the Florida wars until 1842. In 1843-1846 he was “in charge of Lake Michigan harbor improvements and then served in the Mexican war seeing action in most of the major battles. He became a Bvt. Major for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battles of Contreras and Churubusco . . . ” After the war, John McClellan was assigned to the Topographical Bureau and helped survey the boundary between the United States and Mexico. In 1853, he was in charge of the Tennessee River improvements.
In The History of the Mexican War by Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox, page 363, there is the following statement: “before the road was made practicable, half the distance beyond Pena Pobre, at a turn to the left, Twiggs’ (Gen. David E. Twiggs) division drove past Pillows (Gen. Gideon Johnson Pillow) and approached the advanced posts of the enemy. Capt. John McClellan of the Topographical Engineers, and Lieut. George B. McClellan, Engineer Company, rode to the front to reconnoiter, and were fired upon by the Mexican advanced pickets, wounding Lieut. McClellan’s horse.”
Here are both men in the same war, in the same area and with almost identical names. One was in Chicago in 1845 and the other was not.
Captain John McClellan died September 1, 1854 at Knoxville, Tennessee. He was 49 years of age. General George McClellan died October 29, 1885 in Orange Mountain, New Jersey, at the age of 59. One Internet source reports that one hundred thousand men fought in the Mexican War and there were 25,000 causalities.
Thirteen years later, our Civil War began and the great leaders on both sides had received their training in the Mexican War. Ten Civil War Generals fought in Mexico: Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, Ulysses S. Grant, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, William T. Sherman, George McClellan, P. G. T. Beauregard, Braxton Bragg, and George Meade.
In the near future when The Scots of Chicago is reprinted, we will correct the mistake about the General.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrew’s Society
630-629-4516
March 2, 2013 - You are invited to attend the next meeting of the Scottish-American History Club and hear a presentation by Leslie Goddard. Her presentation will be “Remembering Marshall Field’s.” For more than 150 years, Marshall Field and Co. reigned as Chicago’s leading department store. This illustrated talk traces the store’s history from its beginnings into a world-class trendsetter.
There is no charge but reservations are helpful. Call 708-408-5591.
The Society’s annual report for 1889 makes the following statement; “ever since the organization, in 1657, of the Scots Charitable Society of Boston, wherever a few Scotch men are located together, an immediate desire arises to form a charitable or St. Andrew’s Society, for the purpose of relieving their distressed fellow countrymen. In accordance with this national trait of character, the first Scottish residents of Chicago early bestirred themselves to organize the Illinois Saint Andrew Society. A call to meet and celebrate the Anniversary of St. Andrew in 1845 in the Lake house, was heartily responded to by the residents of the city and neighborhood. Among those present were the late General J. A. McDougal, and Capt. afterwards General G. B. McClellan, and other patriotic Scotchmen, who earnestly discussed the propriety and duty of forming a St. Andrew’s Society.”
A few years ago when the History Club, and perhaps the Society, stopped using mail as a means of regular communication, we lost track of some of our older members. (I know it will be difficult for some to understand, but there are people who do not use the computer as a means of communication.) One of those, I believe, was Robert E. McMillan. He was a Life Member, and once a member of the Governing Board. The dining room in the Georgeson Wing is named for his mother who was a resident of the Home. (His mother told me every day that her son was the president of seven railroads!) Bob and I were friends and we both had an interest in history. He was sure of one thing - It was not the General who attended that first meeting in 1845. Here are some of the results of his research.
George McClellan was admitted to West Point on July 1, 1842 at the age of 16. He did not graduate until July 1, 1846, when he was immediately sent to the Mexican War. The military records of McClellan do not support his being in Chicago in 1845. He apparently did not arrive in Chicago until about 1857 when he became the chief engineer of the Illinois central railroad. While our records were destroyed in the great fire of 1871, there is no mention that George McClellan was ever involved with the Illinois Saint Andrew Society and he is only mentioned in connection with the first anniversary dinner, which is probably wrong.
So, if it wasn’t the General who was it? The directory of the City of Chicago, compiled by Robert Fergus in 1843, lists a John McClellan, superintendent of public works on Lake Michigan. The directory in 1845-1846 shows the same information but with John McClellan now living at the Lake house where the first Anniversary Dinner was held. There is no mention of a George McClellan in the city directory.
Who then is John McClellan? He was born in Pennsylvania (date unknown). He entered West Point July 1, 1822 and graduated July 1, 1826. Upon graduation, he served in the garrison of Fort Monroe, Virginia, and was assigned to the first artillery school for practice. He resigned from the Army in 1838 and became a civil engineer. He was reappointed to the Army the same year with the rank of Captain in the Corp. of Topographical Engineers. In 1839, he was in charge of the Harbor and River improvements on the coast of North Carolina and served in the Florida wars until 1842. In 1843-1846 he was “in charge of Lake Michigan harbor improvements and then served in the Mexican war seeing action in most of the major battles. He became a Bvt. Major for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battles of Contreras and Churubusco . . . ” After the war, John McClellan was assigned to the Topographical Bureau and helped survey the boundary between the United States and Mexico. In 1853, he was in charge of the Tennessee River improvements.
In The History of the Mexican War by Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox, page 363, there is the following statement: “before the road was made practicable, half the distance beyond Pena Pobre, at a turn to the left, Twiggs’ (Gen. David E. Twiggs) division drove past Pillows (Gen. Gideon Johnson Pillow) and approached the advanced posts of the enemy. Capt. John McClellan of the Topographical Engineers, and Lieut. George B. McClellan, Engineer Company, rode to the front to reconnoiter, and were fired upon by the Mexican advanced pickets, wounding Lieut. McClellan’s horse.”
Here are both men in the same war, in the same area and with almost identical names. One was in Chicago in 1845 and the other was not.
Captain John McClellan died September 1, 1854 at Knoxville, Tennessee. He was 49 years of age. General George McClellan died October 29, 1885 in Orange Mountain, New Jersey, at the age of 59. One Internet source reports that one hundred thousand men fought in the Mexican War and there were 25,000 causalities.
Thirteen years later, our Civil War began and the great leaders on both sides had received their training in the Mexican War. Ten Civil War Generals fought in Mexico: Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, Ulysses S. Grant, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, William T. Sherman, George McClellan, P. G. T. Beauregard, Braxton Bragg, and George Meade.
In the near future when The Scots of Chicago is reprinted, we will correct the mistake about the General.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrew’s Society
630-629-4516
March 2, 2013 - You are invited to attend the next meeting of the Scottish-American History Club and hear a presentation by Leslie Goddard. Her presentation will be “Remembering Marshall Field’s.” For more than 150 years, Marshall Field and Co. reigned as Chicago’s leading department store. This illustrated talk traces the store’s history from its beginnings into a world-class trendsetter.
There is no charge but reservations are helpful. Call 708-408-5591.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
A Few Thoughts about Marshall Field
On March 2, the History Club will have a special guest. Leslie Goddard will present an illustrated lecture entitled Remembering Marshall Field’s. She will concentrate on the business and how it developed into a world-class department store. The presentation is made possible by June H. Steele and the Halverson Fund.
There is no evidence that Marshall Field had any Scottish connection but he used many Scots in his operation. His first wife was Nannie Douglas Scott from Ironton, Ohio. (With a name like that there must be a Scottish connection.) They were married in 1863. She was 22 and very attractive. He was 28. There are pictures on the Internet.
Mrs. Field had many health problems and spent her later years living in France. She gave birth to three children. One baby died rather early in life but a son and daughter lived to maturity. Some have written that it was an unhappy marriage, but I don’t know for sure. Mr. Field ordered that all his personal letters be buried upon his death and a faithful servant followed his wishes. Many of those letters were between himself and his wife, Nannie Douglas. Mrs. Field’s died in Nice, France on February 23, 1896. After a period of time, her body was brought back to Chicago and buried in Graceland Cemetery.
Marshall Field later married a longtime friend, Delia Caton a few months before his death in 1906.
The Field Mansion at 1905 Prairie Avenue was designed by Richard Morris Hunt with walls of brick and a slate mansard roof. It was the first house in Chicago to have electric lights. It had “noble rooms” and the circular staircase was a masterpiece in woodcraft. Standing at the end of the hall was a clock built in England in 1793 that required winding only once a year. Marshall Field III, who lived on Long Island, later gave the home to the Association of Arts & Industry. The Tribune reports: “Practically all of the furniture has been given to old family servants - with the stipulations that nothing ever be sold, claimed by the Field grandchildren or assembled in preparation for a Marshall Field & Co. Exhibit.”
The elegant old house was destroyed in 1955.
“Every morning at a regular hour Marshall Field left his home in his carriage for his store. But on arriving at State Street, he would get out of the carriage a short distance from the store and walk the rest of the way. He thought it both bad taste and bad business to arrive at work in a fancy carriage with a coachman on the box.”
In 1886, Mrs. Nannie Field decided to have a Christmas party for her two children and used as a theme the “Mikado Ball.” The house was turned into a miniature Japanese village. The supplies, linen, silver and food were all purchased in New York and transported to Chicago in two private railroad cars. The cost was $75,000.
On the night of the ball, Prairie Avenue was lit for blocks around with special calcium lights. “A long line of polished carriages drawn by meticulously groomed horses began delivering the first of the five-hundred invited guests at 6:00 p.m.” Everyone was dressed in Japanese costume. The walls of every hall were obscured behind satin and bamboo screens and expensive bronzes, tapestries and porcelain had been purchased to carry out the oriental motif.
“There were imported favors for every guest, Mrs. Field having scored a social and diplomatic coup by persuading the iconoclastic James McNeill Whistler to design the favors.”
As I mentioned earlier, many prominent Scots were involved in the operations of Marshall Field & Co. Here is a short list of people with a Scottish heritage.
James Simpson - President, born in Glasgow, Scotland
John McKinlay - 4th President, born in Greenwich, Scotland. Died 3/14/1953
James O. McKinsey - Chairman and senior executive officer of Marshall Field. Died 1937 while in office.
Hughston M. McBain - President, 1943. Clan Chief, McBain of McBain
John McKinlay, Jr. - Champion golfer, died, 1992 in Florida. Retired, 1964 from Marshall Field
David W. Davidson - (Scottish name?) Senior vice-president. Lived at 140 Oxford Road, Kenilworth, and 678 Sheridan Road, Wilmette.
When I drive down State Street, I still expect to see the Marshall Field sign. The famous old clock is still there, but there is another name. It’s a mystery to me why a company would give up that name with its traditions and history. I guess I’m too old to understand the modern day trend.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrew Society
630-629-4516
(If you leave a comment on the Blog site, I can only answer on the same site. Please contact me directly at wrethford@comcast.net.)
March 2, 2013 - You are invited to attend the next meeting of the Scottish-American History Club and hear a presentation by Leslie Goddard. Her presentation will be “Remembering Marshall Field’s.” For more than 150 years, Marshall Field and Co. reigned as Chicago’s leading department store. This illustrated talk traces the store’s history from its beginnings into a world-class trendsetter.
There is no charge but reservations are helpful. Call 708-408-5591.
There is no evidence that Marshall Field had any Scottish connection but he used many Scots in his operation. His first wife was Nannie Douglas Scott from Ironton, Ohio. (With a name like that there must be a Scottish connection.) They were married in 1863. She was 22 and very attractive. He was 28. There are pictures on the Internet.
Mrs. Field had many health problems and spent her later years living in France. She gave birth to three children. One baby died rather early in life but a son and daughter lived to maturity. Some have written that it was an unhappy marriage, but I don’t know for sure. Mr. Field ordered that all his personal letters be buried upon his death and a faithful servant followed his wishes. Many of those letters were between himself and his wife, Nannie Douglas. Mrs. Field’s died in Nice, France on February 23, 1896. After a period of time, her body was brought back to Chicago and buried in Graceland Cemetery.
Marshall Field later married a longtime friend, Delia Caton a few months before his death in 1906.
The Field Mansion at 1905 Prairie Avenue was designed by Richard Morris Hunt with walls of brick and a slate mansard roof. It was the first house in Chicago to have electric lights. It had “noble rooms” and the circular staircase was a masterpiece in woodcraft. Standing at the end of the hall was a clock built in England in 1793 that required winding only once a year. Marshall Field III, who lived on Long Island, later gave the home to the Association of Arts & Industry. The Tribune reports: “Practically all of the furniture has been given to old family servants - with the stipulations that nothing ever be sold, claimed by the Field grandchildren or assembled in preparation for a Marshall Field & Co. Exhibit.”
The elegant old house was destroyed in 1955.
“Every morning at a regular hour Marshall Field left his home in his carriage for his store. But on arriving at State Street, he would get out of the carriage a short distance from the store and walk the rest of the way. He thought it both bad taste and bad business to arrive at work in a fancy carriage with a coachman on the box.”
In 1886, Mrs. Nannie Field decided to have a Christmas party for her two children and used as a theme the “Mikado Ball.” The house was turned into a miniature Japanese village. The supplies, linen, silver and food were all purchased in New York and transported to Chicago in two private railroad cars. The cost was $75,000.
On the night of the ball, Prairie Avenue was lit for blocks around with special calcium lights. “A long line of polished carriages drawn by meticulously groomed horses began delivering the first of the five-hundred invited guests at 6:00 p.m.” Everyone was dressed in Japanese costume. The walls of every hall were obscured behind satin and bamboo screens and expensive bronzes, tapestries and porcelain had been purchased to carry out the oriental motif.
“There were imported favors for every guest, Mrs. Field having scored a social and diplomatic coup by persuading the iconoclastic James McNeill Whistler to design the favors.”
As I mentioned earlier, many prominent Scots were involved in the operations of Marshall Field & Co. Here is a short list of people with a Scottish heritage.
James Simpson - President, born in Glasgow, Scotland
John McKinlay - 4th President, born in Greenwich, Scotland. Died 3/14/1953
James O. McKinsey - Chairman and senior executive officer of Marshall Field. Died 1937 while in office.
Hughston M. McBain - President, 1943. Clan Chief, McBain of McBain
John McKinlay, Jr. - Champion golfer, died, 1992 in Florida. Retired, 1964 from Marshall Field
David W. Davidson - (Scottish name?) Senior vice-president. Lived at 140 Oxford Road, Kenilworth, and 678 Sheridan Road, Wilmette.
When I drive down State Street, I still expect to see the Marshall Field sign. The famous old clock is still there, but there is another name. It’s a mystery to me why a company would give up that name with its traditions and history. I guess I’m too old to understand the modern day trend.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrew Society
630-629-4516
(If you leave a comment on the Blog site, I can only answer on the same site. Please contact me directly at wrethford@comcast.net.)
March 2, 2013 - You are invited to attend the next meeting of the Scottish-American History Club and hear a presentation by Leslie Goddard. Her presentation will be “Remembering Marshall Field’s.” For more than 150 years, Marshall Field and Co. reigned as Chicago’s leading department store. This illustrated talk traces the store’s history from its beginnings into a world-class trendsetter.
There is no charge but reservations are helpful. Call 708-408-5591.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Kedzie Avenue - A Street 22 Miles Long
Kedzie Avenue is a major north-south Street in Chicago, Illinois. Most Chicagoans probably don’t know the street was named for a Scotsman, John Hume Kedzie. He was an early real estate developer and community leader.
Adam Kedzie, his grandfather, had emigrated from Hawick, Roxburgh, Scotland in 1795 with his wife and eight children and his maternal grandfather, Robert Hume, and crossed the Atlantic on the same boat. They all settled in Delaware County, New York.
Our John H. Kedzie was born in Stamford, New York, on September 8, 1815. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1841 and was later admitted to the Bar. In 1847, he came to Chicago and immediately became a member of the St. Andrew’s Society. He was elected president of the Society in 1854 and remained a member until his death. Mr. Kedzie gradually switched from the law to real estate and became one of the leading men in Chicago. He was also one of a small group of men who first organized the Republican Party.
Mr. Kedzie was married twice and apparently both his wives were named Mary Elizabeth. He married his first wife, Mary Elizabeth Austin in July, 1850. She died August 30, 1854. One child was born to this marriage also named Mary Elizabeth. That child died August 30, 1855. Three years later, June 17, 1857 he married Mary Elizabeth Kent. Her father was the Rev. Bernard Kent who was associated, I believe, with the First Presbyterian Church in Chicago. It appears she was 22 years younger than her husband. This marriage produced a son and a daughter. She died June 26, 1913 and is buried in the family plot at Rosehill Cemetery.
In 1868, the Kedzie’s moved to Evanston, Illinois, where he was instrumental in laying out the Kedzie and Keeney’s additions in South Evanston. Kedzie Street is named in his honor. In addition to his work in Evanston, Mr. Kedzie was also involved in the development of Ravenswood and took an active part in laying out the Lurton and Kedzie additions in Jacksonville, Illinois. He built a beautiful residence in Evanston which was destroyed by fire on December 9, 1873. They rebuilt, but that home was also destroyed by fire in December 1880.
Mr. Kedzie was a trustee of the First Congregational Church in Evanston and their home was at 1514 Ridge Avenue. Both Mr. And Mrs. Kedzie died at home and their funeral services was held in the residence. I doubt their home has survived but perhaps someone living in Evanston could check and let me know.
“No Kedzie is known to have been arrested as a violator of the civil law, to have been intemperate, are depended on charity, are paid less than 100 cents on the dollar, and none have reached the early years of adult life without having become a member of the church.” Chicago: Its History and Its Builders.
The Kedzie burial plot at Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago is in section M, lots 73, 74, and 75. There is a monument in the center and the graves are arranged in a circle. The monument has suffered some damage over the years and it appears that no one presently visits to pay their respects. I usually drive by the location three or four times a year.
Ten people are buried here: John H. Kedzie (87); His first wife, Mary Elizabeth Kedzie (27); Then three children: Mary Elizabeth Kedzie (1); Laura Louise Kedzie (5); Julia H. Kedzie (4); His second wife, Mary Elizabeth Kedzie (75); Others buried here are: Francis Parker (adult); Lucy B. Kent (71); Mary K Parker (80); and John Hume Kedzie, Jr. (81). The last burial was their son, John H. Kedzie, Jr. in 1953.
Recently our president, Gus Noble, was able to purchase photographs of Mr. and Mrs. Kedzie. These will be placed in the Scottish American Museum.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrew’s Society
630-629-4516
March 2, 2013 - You are invited to attend the next meeting of the Scottish-American History Club and hear a presentation by Leslie Goddard. Her presentation will be “Remembering Marshall Field’s.”
For more than 150 years, Marshall Field and Co. reigned as Chicago’s leading department store. This illustrated talk traces the store’s history from its beginnings into a world-class trendsetter.
There is no charge but reservations are helpful. Call 708-408-5591.
Adam Kedzie, his grandfather, had emigrated from Hawick, Roxburgh, Scotland in 1795 with his wife and eight children and his maternal grandfather, Robert Hume, and crossed the Atlantic on the same boat. They all settled in Delaware County, New York.
Our John H. Kedzie was born in Stamford, New York, on September 8, 1815. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1841 and was later admitted to the Bar. In 1847, he came to Chicago and immediately became a member of the St. Andrew’s Society. He was elected president of the Society in 1854 and remained a member until his death. Mr. Kedzie gradually switched from the law to real estate and became one of the leading men in Chicago. He was also one of a small group of men who first organized the Republican Party.
Mr. Kedzie was married twice and apparently both his wives were named Mary Elizabeth. He married his first wife, Mary Elizabeth Austin in July, 1850. She died August 30, 1854. One child was born to this marriage also named Mary Elizabeth. That child died August 30, 1855. Three years later, June 17, 1857 he married Mary Elizabeth Kent. Her father was the Rev. Bernard Kent who was associated, I believe, with the First Presbyterian Church in Chicago. It appears she was 22 years younger than her husband. This marriage produced a son and a daughter. She died June 26, 1913 and is buried in the family plot at Rosehill Cemetery.
In 1868, the Kedzie’s moved to Evanston, Illinois, where he was instrumental in laying out the Kedzie and Keeney’s additions in South Evanston. Kedzie Street is named in his honor. In addition to his work in Evanston, Mr. Kedzie was also involved in the development of Ravenswood and took an active part in laying out the Lurton and Kedzie additions in Jacksonville, Illinois. He built a beautiful residence in Evanston which was destroyed by fire on December 9, 1873. They rebuilt, but that home was also destroyed by fire in December 1880.
Mr. Kedzie was a trustee of the First Congregational Church in Evanston and their home was at 1514 Ridge Avenue. Both Mr. And Mrs. Kedzie died at home and their funeral services was held in the residence. I doubt their home has survived but perhaps someone living in Evanston could check and let me know.
“No Kedzie is known to have been arrested as a violator of the civil law, to have been intemperate, are depended on charity, are paid less than 100 cents on the dollar, and none have reached the early years of adult life without having become a member of the church.” Chicago: Its History and Its Builders.
The Kedzie burial plot at Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago is in section M, lots 73, 74, and 75. There is a monument in the center and the graves are arranged in a circle. The monument has suffered some damage over the years and it appears that no one presently visits to pay their respects. I usually drive by the location three or four times a year.
Ten people are buried here: John H. Kedzie (87); His first wife, Mary Elizabeth Kedzie (27); Then three children: Mary Elizabeth Kedzie (1); Laura Louise Kedzie (5); Julia H. Kedzie (4); His second wife, Mary Elizabeth Kedzie (75); Others buried here are: Francis Parker (adult); Lucy B. Kent (71); Mary K Parker (80); and John Hume Kedzie, Jr. (81). The last burial was their son, John H. Kedzie, Jr. in 1953.
Recently our president, Gus Noble, was able to purchase photographs of Mr. and Mrs. Kedzie. These will be placed in the Scottish American Museum.
Wayne Rethford, President Emeritus
Illinois St. Andrew’s Society
630-629-4516
March 2, 2013 - You are invited to attend the next meeting of the Scottish-American History Club and hear a presentation by Leslie Goddard. Her presentation will be “Remembering Marshall Field’s.”
For more than 150 years, Marshall Field and Co. reigned as Chicago’s leading department store. This illustrated talk traces the store’s history from its beginnings into a world-class trendsetter.
There is no charge but reservations are helpful. Call 708-408-5591.
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