TAHS Newsletter & Website Updates for March 2009

Tampico is located in Whiteside County, Illinois. It is the birth place of Ronald Reagan, the only president born in Illinois as well as the birth place of Adm. Jos. Mason Reeves, Commander-in-Chief of U. S. Naval Fleet (served 3 wars & 1st football helmet was made for him), and hometown to Ruth Shaheen, also known as Mrs. Hugh Downs.

Our historical society encompasses parts of Whiteside and Bureau counties, with a focus on Tampico, Hume, Hahnaman/Deer Grove in Whiteside County and Yorktown & Thomas in Bureau County, IL. We have a very interactive Message Board which is monitored daily and offers help with your local research. By proximity & default, we often catch Walnut & Prophetstown as well.

The current updated index count for our website is 5429! That's over 5,000 pages of historic and genealogical information! Be sure to tell your friends about this website: www.tampicohistoricalsociety.com

Currently, we have 148 subscribers to our E-newsletter. It would be great to get more folks signed up to receive it.It's important to remember to reply to the confirmation email to activate the account when subscribing to this newsletter: http://www.tampicohistoricalsociety.citymax.com/Mailing_List...

COMMUNICATIONS & Kudos:
I get emails like the following one ALL the time. It is wonderful to know that we are appreciated and folks are helped by what we do.:
Denise,
.. .'You do a great job with your Whiteside website. It is truly one of the best I have seen, and I see lots of them.
Best regards, John'

Here is another one:
Sent: Thu 3/26/09 9:57 PM
To: tahs@thewisp.net
Hello Denise,
I stumbled upon your Tampico Area Historical Society site and found it remarkable. My sincere compliments on a job MORE then well-done!! I’ve been looking at sites for ideas for our local Historical Society and have found nothing else that comes even close to what you have done. Your commitment is apparent. It makes me wish my ancestors had settled in your area.
Marilyn in Michigan
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In February, 2009, I was contacted by a Mr. Jeff Ullian. After perusing our TAHS website and learning about the on-going project to raise enough funds to have a statue of Ronald Reagan erected in Reagan Park, he expressed an interest in helping to fund the Reagan Statue project. I referred him on to Shirley Lester who has since talked with Mr. Ullian and will be meeting with him on March 25, along with the artist who will be doing the statue work to discuss plans in more detail. A separate website will be established for the project and for people to make tax-deductable donations towards the project. The special site will allow contributors to make donations with a credit card. Contact Joan Johnson for updates on this project. It should be noted that this is one more example of how beneficial our TAHS website is to our area, since that is how Mr. Ullian discovered this project!
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As many know, the Tampico Tornado, published from 1876-1966, was selected as one of the newspapers to be a part of the IL Newspaper Project. Here is a list of the newspapers that were microfilmed by them. Our goal is to purchase all ten rolls for our Family History Library & Research Center at the TAHS:
TAMPICO TORNADO NOVEMBER 21, 1876 - APRIL 12, 1884
TAMPICO TORNADO MAY 3, 1884 - DECEMBER 17, 1892
TAMPICO TORNADO APRIL 8, 1943 - DECEMBER 27, 1945
TAMPICO TORNADO JANUARY 3, 1946 - DECEMBER 30, 1948
TAMPICO TORNADO JANUARY 6, 1949 - DECEMBER 27, 1951
TAMPICO TORNADO JANUARY 3, 1952 - DECEMBER 30, 1954
TAMPICO TORNADO JANUARY 6, 1955 - DECEMBER 26, 1957
TAMPICO TORNADO JANUARY 2, 1958 - DECEMBER 29, 1960
TAMPICO TORNADO JANUARY 5, 1961 - DECEMBER 26, 1963
TAMPICO TORNADO JANUARY 2, 1964 - MARCH 17, 1966

FYI: The TAHS archives hard copies of all the years that the Tornado was published - 1876-1966.

TAHS member, Joni Schatti is offering to donate photos that include: The Center church, several of classes of Aunt Dorris Rosene and Aunt Helen's classes, a few pictures of the Parents, one of the Howlett reunion from 1927, and books from reunions of the Johnsons', Rosenes' and Howletts'. THANK YOU Joni.

HIGHLIGHTS OF MARCH TAHS MONTHLY MEETING:
Shirley Lester is firming up her plans to produce another Murder Mystery Dinner as a fund raiser for the TAHS. It will again be held in the Community Building, April 24, 2009. The seating capacity is only for 90, so people will want to get tickets in advance, if possible. The cost for the dinner and play will be $15. Menu will be published at a later time. Area actors will be presenting the play, "Last Train to Paris."

President Joan Johnson announced that we will be entering the Caboose once again in the upcoming parade in Prophetstown on April 18th. She is looking for dresses and men's clothing (hats, vests, bow ties) worn in the Tampico Centennial Days and would like to have people dressed in these "olden days" costumes to ride in the caboose. If you have costumes you could lend for this event, or would like to ride in the parade with us, please contact Joan at 815-622-8705 or email at garyjoan@thewisp.net

The annual Tampico Memorial Day Cemetery Walk will be held on Monday, May 25. Suggestions are still being accepted for people to honor in the Tampico Memorial Cemetery and the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery. Dr. Temple and Kermit Branson are being considered for the TMC. Suggestions are still needed for the St. Mary's Cemetery. Please contact Denise McLoughlin at 815-590-2143.

We are offering something new this year called "Adopt-a-Grave" You can order grave decorations in small/$5, medium/$10 and large/$25 (other sizes/prices also available) for either cemetery. You can specify a specific grave (only two decorations/gravesite) or "adopt" a grave of our choice. This will help "beautify" the cemeteries during our ceremony as well as allow the graves with little or no family in the area to be decorated. Your support in this project will be greatly appreciated! Contact Joan Johnson. Checks can be mailed to TAHS, P. O Box 154, Tampico, IL 61283. Please specify the purpose of the check. You can also send it directly to Joan's home address: 1720 Matznick Road Tampico, IL 61283
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2009 - 2010 Season for RONALD Reagan BIRTHPLACE & MUSEUM
http://www.tampicohistoricalsociety.citymax.com/R_Reagan_Bir...

*April through October, 2009:
Mon. - Saturday: 10a-4p
Sunday: 1-4p
Or by appt. after hours

*CLOSED ON EASTER SUNDAY, April 12, 2009 & MOTHER'S DAY, May 10, 2009

November 1, 2009 - Feb. 28, 2010 - Open by appointment. Contact: Joan Johnson, coordinator @ 815-622-8705, or Shirley Lester @ 815-438-7447. Please call in advance during these months so that we may accommodate your visit. Thank you.

NEW ENTRIES ON WEBSITE FOR MARCH, 2009
http://www.tampicohistoricalsociety.citymax.com/Whats_New.ht...
CALENDAR OF EVENTS

* MARCH: SANDY PINE ELK FARM LIQUIDATION SALE: The liquidation sale will be the weekend of March 21st -22nd and March 28th-29th, from 10-5 all days.
* March 24 (Tues) 7p.m. - TAHS monthly meeting, Program to be announced
* March 29, (Sunday) - Taco Dinner, sponsored by the Giving Tree. Held in Community Bldg., W. Market St.
* April 4, (Saturday) , 1-2p.m., Tampico Lions Club annual EASTER Egg Walk. Tamplco Elementary School. Contact: Ron Church, 815-438-3442 or Tim McLoughlin 815-590-2065.
* April 4, (Saturday) - Annual Tampico Fire Dept.'s FISH FRY - held in the Fire Dept. Bays, 4-7:30p.m.
* April 6, (Monday) 12noon - TAMPICO COMMUNITY CLUB. Meet at Good Times Grill for lunch - then go over to the Community Building for a program on the Senior Bus Transportation
* April 8, (Wednesday), 7p.m. - Tampico Historic Preservation Advisory Committee meeting in Historical Society Bldg.
* April 10, (Friday), 1 p.m. - Prophetstown RNA Youth Chapter 516 EASTER Egg Hunt in Booth Park
* April 18 - Prophetstown Parade - many participants from the Tampico orginizations
* April 24 - Murder Mystery Dinner held in Community Building, W. Market St., Tampico. Limited seating. Tickets: $15. Contact: Shirley Lester, 815-438-7447.

MESSAGE BOARDS - MARCH
http://www.tampicohistoricalsociety.citymax.com/Message_Boar...
* This Week in Tampico History - week of March 1
* This Week in Tampico History - week of March 8
* This Week in Tampico History - week of March 15
* This Week in Tampico History - week of March 22
* Fisher Families
* H Y & T
* Genealogy Humor
* Society Support Programs
* Harrington Families in Whiteside
* SHAW, George
* Mine Workers
* Sherman
* Rasmuss Rasmussen
* SHERE, PEIRCESON families (there are TWO pages to this thread)
* Sutherland/Reeves/Whipple
* Sandy PINE ELK Farm Liquidation Sale - March 22/23 & 28/29
* Modern Woodmen of America
* Cemeteries (re: John & Betsey McKenzie)
* Jennie Batten
* Clinton Buell

BIOGRAPHIES - BUREAU.MARSHALL.PUTMAN COUNTIES 1896
http://www.tampicohistoricalsociety.citymax.com/Message_Boar...

Louis Stuebing;

BIOGRAPHIES - PAST & PRESENT OF Bureau County, IL 1906
http://www.tampicohistoricalsociety.citymax.com/Bureau_Co_Bi...

Jos. H. EICKMEIER;

OBITS
http://www.tampicohistoricalsociety.citymax.com/Obit_Index.h...
Delila ALDRICH; (Mrs.) Swan ANDERSON; Henry BERGE; Barbara BOUND; Eliza CLARK; Dan CUMMINGS; Joseph W HIXON; Kenneth EILERS; William KILROY; Lois (Taber) KINER; Raymond KROPF; Jane "Jennie" MAXWELL; Clifford E. MORSE; Conrad PLETH; Frank POPE; Charles SEELEY; Charles SEYMOUR; Florence SHARP; Robert STANTON; (Dr.) EdwinTEMPLE;

ARTICLES & LOCAL HISTORY
http://www.tampicohistoricalsociety.citymax.com/Articles_Loc...

* 2009 RONALD Reagan BIRTHDAY PARTY (with photos)
* 1899 Lease - Dr. P. A. McMillan leased upstairs rooms of Smith Hardware Store

This concludes our new entries for March. Melva has sent in a new batch of obits for us, so stay tuned. Volunteers are always needed to help clean, file, arrange displays, story boards, work on committees, etc. I need help on the Program committee - Do you have an idea for a program speaker? Also, we need help designing the TAHS brochure. Margaret Glassburn and Ethel Rosene said they could help with the history, but now we need someone with a little bit of computer savvy to design the layout. I need physical help getting all of the filing & sorting completed upstairs and getting all of the photographs put in albums or files. Once these tasks are complete, I would like to start a genealogy night (or more) in the family history library/research center. Members will have access to our subscription to Ancestry.com. and other perks, such as viewing the Tampico Tornado newspapers pub. 1876-1966. Microfilm/fische readers are now available!

My home computer is fried, so I am not able to upload unless I go to the historical society. Whoa is me.... but, I'll work as fast as I can when I am there! Big THANK YOUS to our helpers, Les Niemi and Melva L. Taylor. Another THANK YOU TO THEWISP for their I-net services and to the Village of Tampico for paying for our website.

Denise Wranik McLoughlin
Family History Coordinator
Tampico Area Historical Society
http://www.tampicohistoricalsociety.com

Contacts: Joan Johnson, president - 815-622-8705 or garyjoan@thewisp.net or Denise McLoughlin, Family History Coordinator, 815-590-2143 or tahs@thewisp.net or ddm1050@hotmail.com