April 2023 Official Month of I&M Canal in Illinois

To commemorate the 175th anniversary of the openingof the Illinois & Michigan Canal and the enormius impact it had on the region, state and nation, Governor JB Pritzker declared April 2023 the official month of the I&M Canal.

The next several posts will be about it and things you can do along it today.

--CootCanal

Andrew Pickens, Patriot Commander-- Part 2: At the Battle of Cowpens and U.S. Representative

In the spring of 1778, Andrew Pickens became the colonel of a regiment of South Carolina militia which he later led to victory at the Battle of Kettle Creek.  In 1780, he became a prisoner when the British captured Charleston and he accepted a parole, agreeing to sit out the war.

Later that year, he returned to the war when Loyalists burned his home.

On January 17, 1781, he commanded a brigade of South Carolina militia at the Battle of Cowpens, a decisive victory for the Patriots.  After the battle, he was promoted to rank of brigadier general.  He was later wounded at the Battle of Eutaw Springs in September.

In 1782, he was elected to  the South Carolina General Assembly in 1782 and went on to serve with them for a decade.

He purchased land on the Seneca River  and constructed Hopewell Plantation, which would become a frequent site of negotiations with Native Americans.

From 1783 to 1795, Pickens represented South Carolina in the United States House of Representatives.  On August 17, 1817, he passed away at the age of 77, several months after his son Andrew Pickens Jr. was sworn in as the Governor of South Carolina.  He is buried near Pendleton, South Carolina.

--Cooter

Dorr Township, Illinois-- Part 2: Thomas Wilson Dorr

From Wikipedia.

The governor Dorr in question turns out to be Thomas Wilson Dorr and he was not an Illinois governor, but a governor of Rhode Island.  People in Illinois must have admired him to name a township after him.  (There is also a Dorr Township in Michigan's Allegan County.)

THOMAS WILSON DORR

(November 5, 1805 - December  27, 1854_

Was an American politician and reformer in Rhode Island, best-known for leading the Dorr Rebellion.

Came from a prosperous family.  Attended Phillips Exetor Academy and Harvard and admitted to New York Bar as a lawyer and returned to Providence, R.I..

Became a representative in Rhode Island's General Assembly and became concerned about issues of franchise where white men were not allowed to vote if they didn't own land worth a certain value.  This led to a dominance in the assembly of the rural areas.

--Cooter

Dorr Township, Illinois-- Named for the Arrested Governor Who Wasn't From Illinois

In February I had a lot of entries about the 15th Illinois Infantry Regiment in my Saw the Elephant: Civil War blog.  The regiment had several companies from McHenry County where I live, including Company A that was mainly from Woodstock, Illinois, where our McHenry County Civil War Round Table meets every second Tuesday of the month.

We have a meeting this Tuesday, March 12 on Jonathan Letterman (no relation to David) who is credited as "The Father of Battlefield Medicine."

Anyway, I found a site that gave the residences of every member of Company A.  Most had Woodstock as their residence, and others had other McHenry County towns.  But. there were a few other places listed that after some research, I found to be McHenry County townships: Seneca, Greenwood Dorr and Hartland.  I had to look up the townships of McHenry County as I did not know most of them other than Burton, where we live, Richmond and McHenry.

When I looked up Dorr Township at its official site, I found it was named after Governor Thomas Wilson Dorr who had a "dramatically colorful record in the annals of American history, serving a jail sentence from which he was later acquitted by a Supreme Court decision."

Well, being from Illinois, I am well aware of the penchant for our governors finding themselves imprisoned.

So, I looked up Illinois' Governor Dorr.  Only, Illinois has never had a Governor Dorr.

The Plot Thickens.  --Cooter

Fifty Years Ago This Week-- Part 3: Governor Stratton Tax Evasion Trial

"Former Republican Governor William Stratton was accused of failing to report nearly $100,000 in income-- campaign contributions the feds said Stratton converted for personal use-- from 1957 to 1960 during his second term.

"Republicans called foul, saying it was a "political trial."  U.S. senator Everett Dirksen testified at the trial as a self-described expert on the subject and said Stratton had done nothing wrong.

"The jury acquitted Stratton on March 11t, 1965 and, though it was silent on its reasons, a Tribune analysis of the judge's instructions pointed to his emphasis on whether the government had proved willful intent.  The next day, a Tribune editorial said, 'The morality of mixing campaign contributions and personal gifts is open to question, but is done so regularly that it is accepted as normal political practice.

"'In a state like Illinois, nobody except a very rich man could aspire to be governor unless his political expenses, including gowns for his wife, were provided.'"

Corruption in Illinois Government.  Who'd a Thunk It?  --Cooter

Ten Things You Might Not Know About Illinois Governors-- Part 6: Richard Oglivie

9. On ething that RICHARD OGLIVIE lacked as far as being a politician was a photogenic smile. But, he had a good excuse, As a tank commander in World War II, he was hit in the face by shrapnel. //// 10. OH THOSE NAMES-- The first governor of Illinois' first name was SHADRACH. The third governor's first name was NINIAN. In case you're wondering, their names were Shadrach Bond and Ninian Edwards. Ninian Edwards also served as governor of the Territory of Illinois from 1809 to 1818, until it became a state. He was appointed by President James Madison. //// What Were the Names of Santa's Helpers on the Sleigh? --Cooter

Ten Things You Might Not Know About Illinois Governors-- Part 5: John Stelle

#8. JOHN STELLE, who served as governor for just three months after the death of Governor Henry Horner in 1940 (so that's where the Henry Horner Woods in Cook County gets its name), appointed a new state purchasing agent, GEORGE EDWARD DAY, who bought loads of paint from a Springfield merchant. Turns out that merchanmt was none other than himself. // This insider dealing, though, had a lasting public benefit. Illinois used Day's paint to became only the second state to put yellow lines in the middle of its roads to denote no-passing lanes. No mention of whether Day got in trouble for his "deal." //// Making the Best of a Bad Situation. --DaCoot

Ten Things You Might Not Know About Illinois Governors-- Part 4: Adlai Stevenson II-- "Big Jim" Thompson

6. ADLAI STEVENSON II was an Illinois governor and two-time Democratic nominee for president and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. He was also the inspiration for Peter Sellers' character of President Merkin Muffley in "Dr. Strangelove." Muffley is the mild-mannered rational "egghead" who says: "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here, this is the war room." OK, now, I'm going to have to watch the movie. //// #7. Serving from 1977-1991, Republican JAMES THOMPSON is easily Illinois' longest-serving governor. But "Big Jim's" (he is quite tall) impact on Illinois goes beyond that. In 1972-1973, as U.S. attorney, he successfully prosecuted Democrat former Gov. Otto Kerner for bribery. In 1975, still the U.S. attorney, he successfully petitioned for leniency for Kerner in part because of his ill-health. Later, as a private attorney, he would make the same plea on behalf of imprisoned former Republican Gov. George Ryan, who had served as Thompson's lieutenant governor. //// Depends Upon Which Side of the Toast Your Butter's On. --Cooter

Ten Things You Might Not Know About Illinois Governors-- Part 3: Edward Coles-- John Peter Altgeld

4. EDWARD COLES, although well-connected and educated, wasn't much of a politician. he was socially awkward anda mediocre orator. Worst of all, he spoke his mind. But, some scholars consider him Illinois' greatest governor because he prevented the state from becoming a slave state (although born in Virginia). As the second governor, in 1824, he rallied the forces to stop a legislative-ordered referendum to rewrite the constitution to allow slavery. He even used his own money to help stop it. //// Fewer than a third of Illinois' governors were born in the state-- only 13 of 41. As a matter of fact, it wasn't until WILLIAM STRATTON'S inauguration in 1953 that Illinois overtook Kentucky as birthplace of state governors. And, two governors were born overseas: JOHN PETER ALTGELD was born in Germany and SAM SHAPIRO was born in Estonia. //// NIU's Altgeld Hall Was Named After Him. --DaCoot

Ten Things You Might Not Know About Illinois Governors-- Part 2: Blago-- $177,412

2. Former Governor ROD BLAGOJEVICH's legal name is not Milorad, but it almost was. His father wanted to give him this traditional Serbian name, which means "happy worker." But, his mother vetoed it and wanted the more American name Rod. //// 3. $177,412. That is what the Illinois currently gets. Early governors received $1,000 as set in the 1818 constitution. The salary ranks 4th highest for state governors, but less than the mayor of Chicago, heads of Metra and Chicago Public Schools or members of the state supreme court. //// Good Money If You Can Get It. --Cooter

Battleship North Carolina-- Part 2

Back on Oct. 5th, I posted on the new commander of the USS North Carolina battleship moored by Wilmington as a war memorial.

Terry Bragg said he was related to Confederate General Braxton Bragg and the pre-war NC governor Thomas Bragg. That would seem to be another story for my Civil War blog http://sawtheelephant.blogspot.com.

I did find out Thomas was the older brother of Braxton and is buried in Raleigh's Oakwood Cemetery. Thomas was a member of the Confederate cabinet as attorney general. Was that why he was able to keep his general's job despite his failures?

THE USS NORTH CAROLINA TODAY

The battleship is expected to cover its day-to-day operations from its own revenues, which means ticket sales, gift shop, and donations. The ship is the 17th-most-visited spot in NC with around 200,000 visitors a year.

The big challenge is the big-ticket maintenance. After sitting in the water since the early 60s, the ship needs to be taken to drydock. Along with that, decades of silt need to be removed from the ship's berth. This is expected to cost between $8 and $12 million and take 4-5 years. This will need to be money from the state and the economy doesn't call for that expenditure right now.

CREATIVE MONEY-MAKING

Events are held on the ship, including a skateboarding tournament and it will become a "haunted ship" for Halloween, a move that has caused some disagreement. Also, the former commander had converted some of the forward officers staterooms into bunking areas for overnight scout and NROTC stays.

The Ongoing "Showboat." --Cooter