2010-06 RHS Newsletter – SUMMER-FALL 2010

The Ridge Historical Society's new exhibit, "Life on the Ridge During the Civil War," showcases artifacts and stories of local residents from the Antebellum era through 1870. It highlights how transportation technology and the war changed daily life, featuring profiles of local veterans like Austin Wiswall, General Martin R. M. Wallace, and detailing the activities of the local Wilcox Post of the Grand Army of the Republic.

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The expansion of railroads out of Chicago, particularly the Rock Island line in 1852, drastically altered the landscape and economy of the Ridge area. By running parallel to the old Vincennes Road stagecoach trail, the rail lines facilitated suburban development, creating commuter stops and drawing residents out of the city, a trend that accelerated rapidly following the Chicago Fire of 1871.

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Charles O. Ten Broeke was a prominent Chicagoan and Morgan Park resident known for constructing the ornate funeral hearse used for President Abraham Lincoln's procession in Chicago. An ardent admirer of Lincoln, Ten Broeke was a successful businessman whose company also built Chicago's first streetcars; his historic, heavily-altered home still stands on Lothair Avenue in Morgan Park.

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In 1856, Abraham Lincoln served as a defense attorney for the Rock Island Bridge Company after the steamboat Effie Afton crashed into their Mississippi River bridge and sank. Lincoln successfully argued that the ship operators were at fault, leading to a hung jury and an eventual Supreme Court ruling that established a railroad's legal right to build bridges over navigable streams.

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Ebenezer Peck was an active lawyer, politician, and early resident of the Ridge whose home was near present-day 95th and Western. He became part of a select group of advisors frequently consulted by Abraham Lincoln, was instrumental in bringing the convention system to Illinois politics, held strong anti-slavery views, and was appointed by President Lincoln as a judge of the Court of Claims in 1863.

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Austin Wiswall, nephew of renowned abolitionist Elijah Parish Lovejoy, served as a lieutenant in the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War. He was captured by Confederate forces and survived imprisonment at Andersonville and Libby prisons before settling in Morgan Park, serving as a civic leader, and eventually being interred at Mt. Hope Cemetery. The article features a transcript of an 1863 wartime letter he wrote to his uncle expressing his dedication to the Union cause.

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While no Civil War battles occurred on the Ridge, local cemeteries like Oak Woods, Mount Greenwood, Mount Olivet, and Mount Hope serve as the final resting places for thousands of veterans and Confederate prisoners. The article highlights the Confederate Mound at Oak Woods, which holds roughly 6,000 prisoners who died at Camp Douglas, notes prominent Union veteran monuments, and announces an upcoming RHS event featuring Civil War historian Wayne L. Wolf, who will discuss soldering life and burial practices.

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To mark the 150th anniversary of the Pony Express, the RHS is honoring Robert "Pony Bob" Haslam, one of the mail service's bravest riders, who is buried in Mount Greenwood Cemetery. The article recounts the history of the mail service and Haslam's famous 120-mile ride carrying news of Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Address through hostile territory despite sustaining severe injuries, concluding with his later life working for Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and his death in Chicago in 1912.

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James Joseph Bell is another Old West hero buried locally in Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his extreme bravery during the aftermath of Custer's defeat at the Battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876, where he successfully carried critical dispatches from General Terry to General Crook at the imminent risk of his life.

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Commemorating the 150th birthday of nationally acclaimed sculptor and educator Lorado Taft, this article highlights his enduring legacy in Chicago and beyond. It specifically draws attention to local community connections, such as the Heffron Memorial Fountain on Wood Street designed by his pupil Kathleen Beverley Robinson Ingles, and a maquette of a Taft Lincoln sculpture held by the John H. Vanderpoel Art Association Gallery.

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The RHS announces a September event hosting author Bill Barnhart to discuss his book "John Paul Stevens: An Independent Life," the first biography of the second-longest-serving Supreme Court Justice in the modern era. The article outlines Justice Stevens' life, his roots as a resident of North Beverly, his independent and pragmatic approach to the law, and Barnhart's extensive research involving interviews with high-profile political figures.

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The Ridge Historical Society mourns the recent passing of two dedicated community members and benefactors: Carl Spencer and Ruth Oliver Secord. Carl Spencer was a US Marine Corps veteran, cycling champion, and businessman whose memorabilia formed the first permanent exhibit in the RHS museum, while Ruth Oliver Secord was an accomplished educator, world traveler, and strong proponent of active senior living.

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Situated at 11118 S. Artesian, the Iglehart House is the oldest home in the Beverly/Morgan Park area, built in 1857 as a farmhouse for tobacco planter Charles Iglehart. Designated a Chicago Landmark in 1994, the Italianate-style home was later moved from its original location on Western Avenue and has housed prominent residents, including WWII veteran and inventor Richard Ayers.

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The back page of the newsletter provides a comprehensive calendar of events for the late summer and fall of 2010. Upcoming activities include various historical exhibits on the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln, cemetery walking tours honoring Civil War soldiers and Old West heroes, an author book signing event, the RHS Garage and Book Sale, and a Mystery Bike Tour.

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