Almost ten years ago, February 4,
2013, we began posting Barbara Schock's Sandburg
Hometown series on our Carl Sandburg Historic Site
Association website. This week's post is the
series finale
#401!!
It is with great sadness that
we announce the death of Charles "Chuck" Bednar.
His mother, Juanita, was a driving force in the
purchase, restoration and early operations of Carl
Sandburg's birthplace cottage. Chuck
followed in her footsteps and was involved with
the Site and its support group over the years.
After returning to Galesburg in retirement, Chuck
served six years on the Board of Directors of the
Carl Sandburg Historic Site Association and as
President (2011-2014). The impressive 9-foot
statue of Carl Sandburg centrally located in
Galesburg's downtown was realized due to Chuck's
visionary leadership. He had a great
knowledge of Sandburg and American history and
literature. Chuck will be deeply
missed.
"Tede" was involved with the
Carl Sandburg Historic Site and member of the
CSHSA board for many years. She will be missed.
Thank you, Tede, for your years of service to so
many!
Note: The photo below is from Stan's 91st
birthday last year taken by J. Michael Hobbs.
Stanford
Shover, former board member of the Carl Sandburg
Historic Site Association. Stan was passionate
about all things Carl Sandburg. Much of the
success of the Penny Parades in the last decade
can be attributed to the seeds he sowed within the
Abingdon community to support the Sandburg State
Historic Site. Thank you Stan, for a life
well-lived.
Photo of J. Michael "Mike" Hobbs
at a reception at the Carl Sandburg State
Historic Site, March 25, 2017, courtesy of J.
Richard Sayre.
Since 2007 Mike had served on the Board of
Directors of the Carl Sandburg Historic Site
Association. In 2009 he became the editor of
Inklings & Idlings, the Association's
quarterly newsletter through the most recent
Winter 2022-2023 issue. Mike had the unique
ability to identify and effectively persuade
friends and strangers who he thought had something
of value to contribute to the newsletter. He made
a good many friends across the U.S. & Sweden for
the Association through his efforts. We are
indebted to Mike for his many years of tireless
service.
P.O. Box 585 | 313 E. Third St. | Galesburg, Illinois 61402-0585
|309-342-2361
Reflection
Dusty Scott (2017) - Acrylic on canvas (With
permission of the artist-To see full image click on the
image above)
Carl Sandburg Historic Site Association P.O. Box 585 313 E. Third St. Galesburg, Illinois 61402-0585 309-342-2361
The Carl Sandburg
Historic Site Association is a
501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.
Donations and contributions are
tax-deductible as allowed by law.
The Carl Sandburg State Historic Site
Normal
Hours of operation for
the Visitor's Center and Sandburg Family Cottage
Thur,
Fri, Sun 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Saturdays 10:00 am -
5:00 pm
______
The grounds
are always open to the public.
Questions about hours can be directed to
Site
Services Specialist II Tommy Wallenfeldt by calling (309)
342-2361 or emailing:
thomas.wallenfeldt@illinois.gov
The Carl Sandburg Historic
Site Association is delighted to announce the print
publication of Barbara Schock’s Sandburg’s
Hometown: A Selected Anthology. The book
was released in early March 2024. It includes 145
of Schock’s original 401 “Sandburg’s Hometown” articles
originally posted on our sandburg.org website over a
10-year period from 2013-2022. Schock’s articles
focused on the people, the institutions and issues that
shaped late 19th-century Galesburg, Illinois, during
Carl Sandburg’s boyhood. Many articles were
inspired by Sandburg’s autobiography Always the
Young Strangers published in 1953. Numerous
historical images illustrate Schock’s entertaining and
informative articles.
The publication of
Sandburg’s Hometown was made possible in part by a
grant from the Galesburg Community Foundation, as well
as generous support from the late J. Michael Hobbs.
The book was edited by J. Richard Sayre. All
proceeds go to support the work of the Carl Sandburg
Historic Site Association.
How to get your copy!
Sandburg’s Hometown: A
Selected Anthology
is available for a total $23.97
[$21.99 + $1.98 (9% Sales Tax)]
from:
The Visitor’s Center Museum Store at the
Carl
Sandburg State Historic Site
331 E. Third St., Galesburg,
IL 61401 (309-342-2361)
Cactus Lee
is an Austin-based musician named Kevin Dehan. He
has a tireless devotion to songcraft, his sound
featuring melancholy, ornate arrangements akin to the
likes of Gene Clark or Townes Van Zandt. Caravan
is the new Cactus Lee album on Org
Music and Aquarium Drunkard; its
influences are culled from generation-spanning sounds of
quintessentially Texas music, but it is the most
sonically expansive version of the project yet. The
record marks a clear evolution from Dehan’s homespun
beginnings, showcasing the payoff of months of
persistent and passionate weekly performances and time
spent lovingly in the studio. ”I used to listen to
Cactus Pryor on KLBJ on the morning drive to school
with my Dad. I thought he was interesting and always
funny. I read that his Dad owned a theater called the
Cactus Theater someplace in Texas, and once he started
getting into show business, people called him Cactus. I
wanted a moniker for this group; that way, it looked
more shiny. So I thought if I am calling it something, I
may as well call it something I think is very cool.It’s memorable and fits the bill.”
The Carl Sandburg Historic Site Association
(Galesburg, IL) is pleased to introduce a new
series featuring the life and works of Carl
Sandburg, entitled "Letters from a Docent" by Dr.
John W. Quinley. ENJOY!
Dr. John W. Quinley,
a retired college administrator and faculty member, was raised in Maywood,
Illinois, just a few blocks away from where Sandburg lived 30 years earlier. He
served as a docent for Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site for several
years, and is the author of Discovering Carl Sandburg: The Eclectic Life of
an American Icon (2022). He and his wife, Melissa, live in Hendersonville, North
Carolina, just a few miles from Sandburg's former home.
Slummen-får-sin-hämnd:
Författaren Carl Sandburg och drömmen om ett
demokratiskt Amerika
by Pierre Schori (2023)
We are pleased to announce the recent publication
of the latest Carl Sandburg biography, by Pierre
Schori, former Swedish ambassador to the United
Nations. Members of our Association have been
delighted and privileged to correspond with Pierre
over the past three years while he has been
working on chronicling his life-long obsession
with Carl Sandburg!
Congratulations, Pierre, on this publication!
Currently the book is only available in Swedish.
Your browser may provide an English translation
option for reading this link from the publisher's
website. Also linked below are a few additional
posts in English for the book's preface and
chapter listings that Pierre has provided us, as
well as an article soon to be published in KULTUR
NÖJE!
Discovering Carl Sandburg: The Eclectic Life of an
American Icon
by Dr. John W. Quinley (2022)
We are pleased to announce that CSHSA member,
Dr. John W. Quinley's new book on Carl Sandburg
is now available in our Museum Store. Price:
$16.95
Foreword by J. Michael Hobbs, editor of
Inklings & Idlings, CSHSA's
quarterly newsletter.
About the Author
Dr. John W. Quigley was raised in
Maywood, Illinois— just a few blocks away from
where Sandburg lived thirty years earlier. He
is a retired college administrator and faculty
member. He taught classes in history,
government, and humanities and currently works
as an adjunct instructor for American history
for Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community
College in North Carolina. He and his wife
Melissa live in Hendrsonville, NC—just a few
miles from Sandburg’s former home.
Carl Sandburg: Poet, Politician & Prophet
by Dr. Lawrence Webb (2022)
We are pleased to announce that CSHSA member,
Dr. Lawrence Webb's new book on Carl Sandburg
is now available in our Museum Store. Price:
$29.99
Thank you to those of you who
were able to join us for a delightful book-signing
event with former CSHSA President Barry Swanson upon
the publication of his historical novel, Still Points! Thursday,
April 28, 2-4pm
Copies of STILL POINTS are
available at our Museum Store.
After a four-year hiatus plans are
in process for the 2024 Penny Parade
Fundraiser with the help of our Galesburg
area schools. Pennies
collected by our Galesburg area students
will
be accepted. There will be a program
for the students representing their
schools at the Sandburg site.
We sincerely appreciate all of the
support we receive from our area schools!
-------------
Congratulations
on an awesome Penny Parade 2019!
A tradition
started in 1961, the Association and IDNR
held the culmination of the annual Penny
Parade Fundraiser or April 25. Students
and the community turned in pennies and
other donations collected primarily at
area schools. Attendees, primarily
students, participated in a variety of
activities. Students from Silas Ward
Elementary School presented “The Wedding
Procession of the Rag Doll and the Broom
Handle and Who Was in It.” Thank you to
all who contributed and came to this
important fundraiser!
Emcee Mike Panther, Musician Erin Glasnovich, Student presentations from several of the schools representing Hedding (Abingdon), Gale, Galesburg Christian, King, Nielson, Silas Willard,
and Steele! Thanks to all!!
The episode explores an
ongoing debate about which window Abraham Lincoln
used as an exit from Knox College’s Old Main; the
role played by Galesburg’s founders in the
Underground Railroad; the Boxcar People from
Mexico who worked on the rails and created a
community in the early twentieth century; the
early career of the inventor of modern advertising
Earnest Elmo Caulkins; current efforts to
revitalize downtown through local businesses and
culture; the creation of a recent community by
Congolese immigrants; and, of course, the life and
career of poet, historian, and journalist Carl
Sandburg.
Programs are free and
open to the public. Seating is limited.
Featuring 8-year old Nakshatra Neeraja reciting "I
Am the People"
From Kuwait:First Prize for English Poem Recitation to 8-year
old
Nakshatra Neeraja
performing Carl Sandburg's "I Am the People". This
youtube video was shared with us by Nakshatra's
proud father. Thank you Dr. Binu! Thank you,
Nakshatra, for a wonderful performance! ENJOY!
Native Son, National
Treasure Endowment Campaign Carl Sandburg Historic
Site Association
THANK YOU! With all of the
challenges facing museums and historic sites in
Illinois, it is time to redouble our efforts to
protect the Carl Sandburg State Historic Site and
the legacy of our native son and national
treasure. To accomplish this goal, the Carl
Sandburg Historic Site Association (CSHSA) was
chosen by the Galesburg Community Foundation
(GCF) to participate in an Endowment Match
Program.
Prior to the June 30, 2016 deadline
the CSHSA raised just over $12,000
toward an endowment to support the Historic Site
and the GCF has matched our efforts with the
$10,000 matching grant.
This is our initial
effort to start an endowment and we hope to see it
grow to a point where the interest from the
endowment will be significant enough to enrich the
Carl Sandburg Historic Site in the future.
Thank you, especially, to the Galesburg
Community Foundation for their efforts and support
for preserving the heritage and history of
Galesburg.
CURRENT
ENDOWMENT TOTAL $33,838
(as
of 12/31/2022)
Endowment
Donations may be mailed to:
The Carl
Sandburg Historic Site Association P.O. Box
585 Galesburg, IL 61402-0585
To send a
donation online use the following Donate button:
Thank you to our Knox County Master Gardeners!!
We are fortunate and
grateful that two of the Knox
County Master Gardeners, Sylviane
Stites and Jamie Yemm, are once
again helping us with the Site's
flower beds. Along with volunteers
and staff those two women are
teaching us about maintaining
the plantings that border the
Site's property and surround the
cottage where Carl Sandburg was
born.
We would like to
take this opportunity to say
thank you to Jamie and Sylviane
and the other Knox County Master
Gardeners that have volunteered to
help at the Site. They have just
published a wonderful cookbook
From Our Community to Your Table.
It is available at numerous
locations in Galesburg, including
the Association's bookstore at the
Site for $15. Hope to see you in the
garden.
Knox County
Master Naturalists establish Monarch Way
Station We're excited to
announce that the Knox County Master
Naturalists have recently established an
official Monarch Waystation on the
Southeast corner of the Carl Sandburg
State Historic Site Property. If you'd
like to know more about the Monarch
Waystation Program, please visit their
website below:
http://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/index.html
Carl Sandburg Historic Site Association
P.O. Box 585 313 E. Third St.
Galesburg, Illinois 61402-0585
309-342-2361
The Carl Sandburg
Historic Site Association is a
501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.
Donations and contributions are
tax-deductible as allowed by law.
New to the Museum Store Beautiful
Hand-thrown Stoneware Mugs custom-made by Deneen
Pottery, St. Paul, MN
Two glaze options: 1) Hunter Green with dijon
white, and 2) Navy with Grey white $19.95 each + shipping Contact the Museum Bookstore
[Email:
sales@sandburg.org or Phone: 309-342-2361]
"
New to the Museum Bookstore!
Carl Sandburg:
Galesburg and Beyond by George Swank 2016
limited reprint edition Originally Published in 1983 by
the Galva Historical Society.
$23.95 +shipping +tax
The
Day Carl Sandburg Died
Produced and Directed by Paul Bonesteel PBS
�2012
We have transferred a recently-acquired rare 16mm film of a 1953
interview with Carl Sandburg to DVD and are making copies available to
the public. It's a perfect introduction to Carl Sandburg, his admiration
for Abraham Lincoln, and what he means to America.
$12.00 + $5.00 shipping & tax
The
Carl Sandburg State Historic Site, 313 E. Third St., Galesburg,
Illinois, is open from 9am until 5pm on Thursdays through Sundays,
April through November, and for special events such as festivals,
meetings, concerts and lectures. Even when we are not open, you are
welcome to browse in our garden or meditate at Remembrance Rock.
If you come by car or have an FM radio with you,
tune to 88.7 and listen to a brief presentation about Carl Sandburg and
the Historic Site. Three audio segments rotate: a short biography
narrated by Rick Heath; a tribute to Carl Sandburg by President Lyndon
B. Johnson and Sandburg's Grammy Award-winning narration of Aaron
Copland's "A Lincoln Portrait." Enjoy them all.
**************
Special Events at the Carl Sandburg Visitors' Center
A monthly concert series presented by the Carl
Sandburg Historic Site Association in the
"Barn" at Carl Sandburg's Birthplace, in an
intimate smoke-free and alcohol-free environment,
showcasing acoustic music in the traditional and
folk style. 313 E 3rd Street, Galesburg IL,
(309) 342-2361. The concerts are free and open
to the public, however a $5.00 donation is
greatly appreciated. All shows start at
2:00pm, normally on the Second Sunday of the
month.
Concert Date
Performer
Sunday,
Aug 13, 2023
2:00pm
Devin & Scott E
The Songbag Concert
series continues with Devin and Scott E!
Performing around Central Illinois for more
than a decade, Devin Flanagin covers a variety
of styles and periods of music. American folk,
blues, rock, pop, and jazz selections are a
few of the styles he combines into his normal
performances. Scott “Gunner” Eberhard has
written and played music for 14 years. A
multi-instrumentalist, his sound uses a style
of rock n roll, folk, rhythm and blues and
groove creating a sound reminiscent of the
beach, sunshine, and summer fun. These two
talented artists will combine their unique
sounds into one for this special performance!
The first set starts at 2:00 p.m. and the second
set starts at 3:15 p.m. Refreshments available
between sets.No tickets or reservations are
required for entry. Seating is on a first come,
first served basis.
Enjoy an afternoon of music with Carol Jean &
Jera as they return to the Songbag Concert
Series! The talented duo presents an eclectic
combination of country, bluegrass, rock, pop, &
blues.
The first set starts at 2:00 p.m. and the
second set starts at 3:15 p.m.
Refreshments
available between sets.
Suggested Donation: $5
The Songbag Concert Series continues with
Barry Cloyd! Barry Cloyd is a Midwestern
based, touring
singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist,
perform-ing over 200 shows per year, who
has spent a lifetime creating a
performance style that weaves the genres
of Blues, Folk, Celtic, Original and Roots
music into a unique blend all his own. A
strong vocalist and multi-instrumentalist
as well as a storyteller, theatrical
performer and historian, Barry delivers
his music on a multitude of guitars (6 &
12 string, Dobro, high-strung, etc.) and
other stringed instruments, such as
5-string banjo, mandolin, requinto and
bouzouki.
The first set starts at 2:00 p.m. and the
second set starts at 3:15 p.m.
Refreshments
available between sets.
Suggested Donation: $5
We are grateful to Erin Glasnovich and members
of CSHSA's Songbag Committee for coordinating the
Sandburg Songbag Concert
Series this year for the Association.We are grateful to Erin Glasnovich and members
of CSHSA's Songbag Committee for coordinating the
Sandburg Songbag Concert
Series this year for the Association.br>
A donation of $5.00 per
person is suggested as the door (or gate)
entry fee. These door receipts go to the
Songbag Concert performers to supplement a base
amount paid by the Carl Sandburg Historic Site
Association. If you enjoy the concert,
please be generous in support of our performers.
Songbag Concert Series performers and
refreshment costs are underwritten by the Carl
Sandburg Historic Site Association and its
members at a cost of approximately $2,500 per
year. If you would like to support the Songbag
Concert Series, become a member of the
Association, and/or feel free to make a donation
to the /span>Carl
Sandburg Historic Site Association, PO Box 585,
Galesburg, IL 61402-0585.
Contact the Carl Sandburg Historic Site Association:
Suggest performers or get information about the Songbag Concert Series:
carl@sandburg.org
Next door is the Visitor's Center. It contains a museum, a museum shop,
a small theater where several informative videos about Carl Sandburg
are shown and a renovated "barn" which is actually a small theatre with
a few more exhibits and where live performances are often held. The
museum contains hundreds of artifacts and modern colorful displays
appropriate for all ages.
The
Carl Sandburg Historic Site is supported by the State of Illinois and
the nonprofit Carl Sandburg Historic Site Association. The Association
sponsors and participates in many activities throughout the year to
honor and remember Carl Sandburg. These include the "Penny Parade"
which brings schoolchildren to the site to have fun while learning
about Galesburg's most famous son. The Association is a participating
sponsor of the Sandburg Days Festival For The Mind held each April. It
hosts the Songbag Concert Series of folk music concerts (and sometimes
other genres) held inside the Visitor's Center "Barn" theatre in the
fall, winter and spring. Details of upcoming concerts are also
available on the CSHSA Website.
The Association meets at 7pm on the second Tuesday of each month in the
Visitors' Center. Guests and interested visitors are always welcome.
The
Carl Sandburg Historic Site Association planned and funded a perennial
garden and quotation walk in the back yard. The plantings are
appropriate to Sandburg's era and surround Remembrance Rock, where the
ashes of Carl Sandburg, his wife, Lilian, and two daughters, Margaret
and Janet, are buried.
If you were looking for the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site in North Carolina, please go to
http://www.nps.gov/carl