History of Shoppers Corner, at the northwest corner of State and Randolph Streets in Chicago.

Shoppers Corner, 150 North State Street, was located at the northwest corner of State and Randolph Streets in Chicago. It was a '5 & Dime' store that operated from 1938 to 1991. It was a popular destination for shoppers of all ages, offering various merchandise at affordable prices.

The name was intended to reflect the store's extensive selection of merchandise, which included everything from clothing, toiletries, and housewares to toys. It was known for its wide selection of unique and unusual items.

The store was just a half-block south of the Chicago Theatre, across the street from Walgreens, and kitty-corner to Marshall Field's department store.

In the 1940s, Shoppers Corner was a popular destination for shoppers looking for bargains on everyday items. The store also offered a variety of seasonal merchandise, such as Christmas decorations and Easter baskets.

In the 1950s, Shoppers Corner continued to be a popular destination for shoppers, but the store began to face increased competition from larger chain stores. To remain competitive, Shoppers Corner started to offer more unique selections of merchandise.

State Street looking north to Randolph Street. Circa 1950s.

The northwest corner of State and Randolph Streets, Chicago. Circa 1950s.

In the 1960s, Shoppers Corner focused on selling novelty items and souvenirs. The store also became a popular tourist destination, offering numerous Chicago postcards.

Shoppers Corner in the 1960s. Note the "King Kastle" Restaurant.

In the late 1970s, Shoppers Corner declined in popularity and sales. The store was facing increased competition from larger chain stores and needed help to keep up with the changing shopping habits of consumers.

Shoppers Corner closed in June 1991.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

The Legacy of Chicagoan David Kennison, Debunked.

RECORDED HISTORY

Most Chicagoans have likely never heard of David Kennison (aka Kinnison). And yet, when he died here in 1852, his funeral was the largest affair of its sort in the history of Chicago. The city officials paid for the funeral and donated two cemetery lots for a proper burial site, intending to erect a monument in his honor.

When he died, Chicagoans believed David Kennison to be the last Survivor of the Boston Tea Party. In addition to the honor of having such an important historical figure in their midst, early Chicagoans were also proud to claim Kennison as a Revolutionary soldier. To add to the fascination of this man, everyone knew he was old. Really old.

This boulder, honoring David Kennison, is located at the foot of Wisconsin Street at Clark Street. It was placed one city block north of the actual grave site.

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The plaque does not say that David Kennison had fought under General Washington nor that he was a soldier at Fort Dearborn (he avoided the famous massacre because he was a prisoner of the Potawatomi Indian tribe at the time). Furthermore, he claimed to have fought under General Cornwall at the Battle of Bunker Hill. 

The plaque on the boulder in Lincoln Park that commemorates the grave of David Kennison states he died at the age of 115, 3 months and 17 days. It doesn't say that people also knew he had been married four times and had twenty-two children.

The newer plaque also does not say that David Kennison had fought under General Washington and that he was a soldier at Fort Dearborn but avoided the massacre because he was a prisoner of the Potawatomi Indian tribe at the time. He also fought under General Cornwall at the Battle of Bunker Hill. These stories and more have accompanied Kennison's legacy, which was intact for over one hundred years.

DEBUNKING THE DAVID KENNISON STORY

If Kennison's birth year of 1764 is true, he was only nine years old at the time of the Boston Tea Party and twelve at the start of the Revolutionary War in 1776. His years would have precluded the possibility of his participation in the Tea Party and his enlistment in the Revolutionary War…

It is true that after 1812, Kennison gave his age in 1814 as 42 years; in 1818, he said he was 56, while in 1820, he claimed he was 79. Startling conclusions would emanate from these dates, and they would have necessitated his being born on three different dates, 1772, 1762, and 1741, respectively. When making the statement that he was 79 in 1820, he also said that he had a family of young children, 17, 14, 11, 7 and 5. years old.

Setting aside as unanswered whether or not it is remarkable for a man of this age to have so young a family, would it not be possible that the last vestige of memory as to birth year might have been obliterated from the mental tablet of this soldier, who received a severe hand wound from a musket shot, who had both legs below the knee, his collar bone and two ribs broken; and, too, who was wholly illiterate, having learned to read after he was 62 years of age?

Another point involving the question of correct birth data has evolved from anthropometry or the science of measuring the body by regions, but in this case, by stature. Documentary evidence shows that Kennison was 4'9" tall in 1781, while 33 years later, he was 5'6 1/2" tall. How was this done?

Up to about 15, girls grow tall faster than boys. From this time on to 22 and 23, boys sprint up to about the stature they retain for the rest of their days. A boy can increase his height by 9 1/2 inches between the ages of 17 to 23. These deductions are, with few exceptions, quite reliable. This would seem to be in favor of the birth year 1764. David Kennison died in 1852. Was he 115 years old or 88?

Although several gaps in the story are told of a certain soldier who died in Chicago at the age of 115 years, gaps a correct historian might wish were better bridged, nevertheless, after the late Fernando Jones, with others, had pointed out the spot of Kennison's burial place, as best they could, the following organization set up a monument to him.

In conclusion, the doctor said: "Even though metaphorically speaking, the accuracy of 1764 as the birth year would take away one glittering pearl from the crown of our hero, his unusual longevity, we have left two orbs that shine with great brilliancy – these orbs are his services in the war of independence and in the war of 1812. For these services, a grateful people clothe him with an armor that neither jealousy nor envy can tarnish, nor can the shafts of hate penetrate and efface the good work he did in helping to break asunder the throngs that were intended to bind a mighty people in servitude."

The David Kennison chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1921.

The original brass plaque in Lincoln Park, Chicago.

From that time through the 1950s, gatherings were held at the boulder to commemorate Memorial Day, Flag Day, George Washington's birthday, and the Boston Tea Party anniversary. David Kennison was consistently mentioned in various books about the Boston event and Chicago's Lincoln Park throughout this period.

After Kennison was cited in a 1959 Chicago Tribune article on the whereabouts of the remains of Illinois' Revolutionary War veterans, his name did not appear in that newspaper again until 1974. In an excerpt from a question to the Action Line column, someone wrote, "A special marker stone, complete with a bronze plaque, was placed near his grave near the Wisconsin Street entrance to the park. But look at it now! Vandals have stolen the plaque and spray-painted the rock with obscene graffiti. Is this how Kennison's grave should look for our nation's bicentennial?"

The Lincoln Park neighborhood was in a housing slump in the 1970s, and the area was run down. This timeframe coincides with the downfall of the David Kennison legacy. On July 17, 1972, Chicago Daily News reported that "three bronze plaques had been torn from the granite boulder marking the burial spot." The boulder stood bare in the park for two and a half years. The original bronze tablet was replaced with an aluminum replica on December 19, 1974.

The Chicago History Museum's research center has an essay on file with the cataloged date 1973. The report, titled "David Kennison and the Chicago Sting," was written by Albert G. Overton. In this paper, Overton systematically discounts David Kennison's Chicago exploits by explaining, through various primary source documents, that he assumed other Kennison (and Kinnison) men's identities to tell his own story. In five written pages, followed by four pages of cited sources, Albert Overton presented information that historians accepted as the real David Kennison story. Early in the essay, after describing Kennison's funeral procession, Overton writes:

"Muffled drums beat a slow march for this magnificent parade was a funeral cortege to honor a well-known Revolutionary War hero. Actually, they were escorting the mortal remains of one of the most colorful imposters ever to take the City of Chicago."

After listing the battles in which Kennison asserted to have been a participant and citing another Kennison claim, Overton writes:

"Apparently, no one ever questioned his ability to attend the surrender in Yorktown, while at the same time, he was a captive of the Indians in upper New York State."

The charm of his story has endured over 123 years. His claims have never been challenged in all the articles about him, and only a few have suggested he might have bent the truth a little.

Overton then breaks down David Kennison's likely age and military history, citing many National Archives documents, including pension files, census records dating back to the first census of 1790, and Bounty Land files.

Albert Overton acknowledged that David Kennison spelled his family name Kinnison and traces the authenticity of his signature by the distinctively written "K." Overton chooses to refer to Kennison through the Kennison spelling as it had been the accepted name in which the man had been known. After listing dates, supposed ages, and summarizing mathematically, Overton concludes:

"He was about 7 years old at the time of the tea party, saw no Revolutionary War service, and was about 85 years old, not 115 when he died."

Overton continues his paper, parsing through the Kennison family genealogy. Acknowledging that although Kennison may have had four wives, he found documentary evidence for only four children. Of those four, only a daughter, Sarah B. Johnson, had specific documentation. The Overton paper concludes:

"Hopefully, this publication will sometime assist those who may be David Kennison's true descendants, be used as an example of what can be found through proper research efforts, and amuse those who will appreciate the humor of the little old man who conned his way into history and stung Chicago for a most valuable piece of real estate as his final resting place."

CONCLUSION

These stories, and more, have accompanied Kennison's legacy, which was intact for more than one hundred years.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Lillian B. Williams was Riverview Amusement Park's most popular freak show draw ever.

Unusual human beings have been exhibited in public since antiquity. The first traveling "freak show" appeared in 1738 in Europe. Curiosity is the motivating factor of the audience.

For over 150 years, carnival and circus freak shows were immensely popular in America. At one time, there were 105 exhibitions of human freaks traveling the United States, as well as many featured in amusement parks.

The most unusual people were those in the Palace of Wonders, later known as the Freak Show, owned by Ray Marsh Brydon. People would stare at the tattooed lady, a contortionist, a sword swallower, a fire eater, or the "Human Blockhead" who would pound nails into his nose. There was the "Two-Faced" man who was promoted on the outside banner with two separate and distinct faces. The real two-faced man had only one face. One side was normal, and the other side was significantly deformed.

Chicagoan Marshall Brodien (1934-2019) worked the Freak Show stage at Riverview Amusement Park as a "carnival barker," enticing people to buy tickets to the show. He was a professional magician and later played Wizzo the Wizard on Chicago's Bozo's Circus and The Bozo Show. Marshall Brodien, the inventor of the TV Magic Cards, opened a magic shop in Old Chicago Mall in Bolingbrook, Illinois, and would perform a magic show in Old Chicago amusement park. All that ended when Old Chicago closed in 1981.

But the most notable Riverview Park "freak" was Lillian B. Williams ("Betty Lou"), the world's only "4-legged" girl. Born on January 10, 1932, she was the youngest of 12 children born to sharecroppers in Albany, Georgia. 

At age two, Betty Lou began to be exhibited by Ripley's Believe It or Not. According to Ripley's pamphlet, an X-ray revealed a perfectly developed head inside her chest. 

Lillian B. Williams ("Betty Lou")

While still a teenager, she had become quite wealthy, earning a handsome living, $1,000 a week during her heyday. Betty Lou put all 11 siblings through college and bought her parents a 260-acre farm, paying cash. She was known as a generous person, perhaps too generous, as her fiancé absconded with most of her money. She died in 1955 officially of asthma, but, as her friends believed, she died of a broken heart. 

Betty Lou lived her 23 years with a parasitic twin embedded in her torso with two legs and one arm protruding.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Abraham Lincoln, "Judge."

While most people know Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer before becoming President, few may realize he also had experience as a judge. As an attorney, Lincoln worked in the Eighth Judicial Circuit in Illinois, and twice a year, usually in the fall and spring, he'd spend nearly three months traveling by horseback and stopping at each county seat for a brief court term (most often two days to a week in duration). Lincoln often argued cases in front of Judge David Davis, who traveled the circuit with him. When Davis was ill or had personal business, he usually asked Lincoln to act as judge for a few days. This procedure was irregular and was altogether without statutory sanction; thus, Lincoln would only preside at a trial if all parties consented. At least two of "Judge" Lincoln's cases were reversed by the Illinois Supreme Court because of this irregular assignment of judicial duties. Still, Lincoln's integrity and character were usually so outstanding as to inspire confidence in his findings and weight to his judgments. 

A few examples of cases Lincoln dealt with as a judge were of little consequence. Once, he heard a case involving a merchant and a father of a minor son. The merchant had sold the boy a $28 suit on credit without the father's knowledge or approval. The businessman held the father responsible for the son's debt. To hold the parent liable for the son's debt, the merchant had to prove that the clothes were necessary and suitable for the boy's lifestyle. The father was prosperous, and the merchant contended he ought to pay the boy's bill. However, "Judge" Lincoln ruled against the merchant. Mr. Lincoln said, "I have rarely in my life worn a suit of clothes costing twenty-eight dollars."

In another case presided over by "Judge" Lincoln, a farmer named Hartsfeller sued his neighbor named Trowbridge for damages resulting when Trowbridge's cattle ate up the corn stored in Hartsfeller's crib (crib = a small building or rack for storing corn). Trowbridge had leased a portion of his land to Hartsfeller, who had raised some corn on the land. Contrary to Trowbridge's instructions, Hartsfeller had stored the corn on the same land. Trowbridge had enclosed his farm with a fence and had turned his cattle out to graze. The cattle entered the area where Hartsfeller was storing the corn and devoured the crop.

"And you say you went over and fenced the corn after you asked him not to crib it on your land?" "Judge," Lincoln inquired of Trowbridge.

Trowbridge replied, "Yes, sir."

"Trowbridge, you have won your case," was the terse reply from Mr. Lincoln.

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The fact that Abraham Lincoln served briefly as a judge ("judge pro tem") should not be too surprising. Even as a young man in New Salem, he was constantly being called upon to reconcile or referee cockfights, horse races, and fistfights. He was a "natural" peacemaker and arbitrator. This characteristic helped lead to his rise to being one of the most well-known and respected lawyers in the entire state of Illinois.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D. 

Abraham Lincoln's Brother, Thomas "Tommy" Lincoln Jr.

Very little is known about Tommy Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's younger brother. Thomas Lincoln Jr. was named after his father and was born while the Lincolns lived at the Knob Creek Farm in Hodgenville, Kentucky. The family lived there from 1811 to 1816, and many sources list 1812 as the year of Tommy Lincoln's birth. The birthdate is lost to history.

Tommy lived only for a short period. Dennis Hanks said that the baby "did not live 3 days." Augustus H. Chapman, a Lincoln family relative by marriage, said Tommy "died when only 3 days old." No cause of death is known.

Dr. Daniel B. Potter of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, rode 13 miles on horseback to the Lincoln cabin to treat infant Tommy, but he was unable to save the baby's life.

Dr. Potter arrived in the area in 1811. He passed away in 1814. When his estate was settled, it was discovered that Thomas Lincoln had once paid him $1.46 for services rendered. It is possible that there was a connection between this account and the death of Tommy. As Dr. Potter was only active in the area for three years, it makes 1812 a logical guess as the year of Tommy's birth and death.

Thomas Lincoln made a coffin for his child. He also carved the letters T.L. into a stone that would be Tommy's grave marker. Tommy was buried in the Redmon family cemetery on a knoll overlooking the Lincolns' farm.

Tommy Lincoln's gravestone was discovered in 1933
by Work Progress Administration workers. 

Workers from the Works Progress Administration found a small stone buried just below the sur while clearing the cemetery. The stone had the initials T.L. carved into it, and the initials matched the T.L. that Thomas Lincoln carved into pieces of cabinetry he made for neighbors. It was felt that this was indeed Tommy's grave marker.

The Knob Creek cabin where the Thomas Lincoln Jr. was born.

Boy Scout Post 15 of Des Moines, Iowa, donated a new tombstone for Tommy in 1959. For years, the original grave marker for Tommy was on display at the Nancy Lincoln Inn next to the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park, but it's now under the care of its owner. Tommy's grave is located on private land.

Photograph of the new tombstone for Tommy that was
donated by Boy Scout Post 15 of Des Moines, Iowa.

Abraham Lincoln only made mention of Tommy on one occasion. When Lincoln ran for President in 1860, John L. Scripps of the Chicago Tribune asked him to write an autobiography. In it, Lincoln wrote that he had "a brother, younger than himself, who died in infancy."

Little Tommy was the third and last child born to Thomas and Nancy Lincoln. The first child, Sarah, was born February 10, 1807. The second child, Abraham, was born February 12, 1809.

Otis Wayne Miller, 4, pictured with Tommy's original grave marker in 1958.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

President Abraham Lincoln's Accomplishments.

Abraham Lincoln is remembered for his vital role as the leader in preserving the Union during the Civil War and beginning the process (Emancipation Proclamation) that led to the end of slavery in the United States. He is also remembered for his character and leadership, his speeches and letters, and as a man of humble origins whose determination and perseverance led him to the nation's highest office.

Oil painting of Abraham Lincoln by artist and sculptor Richard R. Miller

President Lincoln endured extraordinary pressures during the long Civil War. He carried on despite generals who weren't ready to fight, assassination threats, bickering among his Cabinet members, huge loss of life on the battlefields, and opposition from groups such as the Copperheads. However, Lincoln remained brave and persevered. He didn't give in to the pressures and ended the war early. He kept fighting until the Confederacy was defeated. A lesser man would have given in and stopped the war before the goals had been achieved. Lincoln did not do this.

The Emancipation Proclamation didn't immediately free any slaves because it only applied to territories not under Lincoln's control. The actual fact is that legal freedom for all slaves in the United States did not come until the final passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in December of 1865. Lincoln was a strong supporter of the amendment but was assassinated before its final enactment.

President Lincoln's domestic policies included support for the Homestead Act. This act allowed poor people in the East to obtain land in the West. He signed the Morrill Act, which was designed to aid in the establishment of agricultural and mechanical colleges in each state. Also, Lincoln signed legislation entitled the National Banking Act, which established a national currency and provided for the creation of a network of national banks. In addition, he signed tariff legislation that offered protection to American industry and signed a bill that chartered the first transcontinental railroad. Lincoln's foreign policy was geared toward preventing foreign intervention in the Civil War.

Lincoln's most famous speech was the Gettysburg Address. In the address, Lincoln explained that our nation was fighting the Civil War to see if we would survive as a country. He stated it was proper to dedicate a portion of the Gettysburg battlefield as a remembrance of the men who had fought and died there. Lincoln said that the people who were still alive must dedicate themselves to finishing the task that the dead soldiers had begun, which was to save the nation so it would not perish from the earth.

One important way Lincoln affects contemporary society is that we look back on his presidency as a role model for future generations. Lincoln's high character affects us because we compare present-day politicians to the example Lincoln set. Another effect is in the area of quotations. Politicians love to quote Abraham Lincoln because Lincoln is considered America's wisest president. A major effect Lincoln has on the U.S. today is simply through the good example he set when it came to leadership and integrity. Many American politicians in our time try to emulate his thinking by using Lincoln's quotes in their speeches.

Lincoln had a benevolent leadership style in contrast to oppressive (authoritarian), participatory (democratic), or laissez-faire (hands-off). When there was disagreement among advisors and himself, his leadership style often involved telling a story that demonstrated his point. Lots of times, this method worked, and people admired and respected him for it. He could virtually disarm his enemies with his highly moralistic, skillful leadership. Lincoln possessed qualities of kindness and compassion combined with wisdom. In fact, one of his nicknames was "Father Abraham." Like George Washington, Lincoln demonstrated an extraordinary strength of character, but Lincoln's unique style of leadership involved telling stories that explained his actions and influenced others to follow his lead.

More than fifteen years ago, a book entitled Rating the Presidents by William J. Ridings, Jr. and Stuart B. McIver (Secaucus, New Jersey, Citadel Press, 1997) was published. Seven hundred nineteen professors, elected officials, historians, attorneys, authors, etc., participated in the poll and rated the presidents. Abraham Lincoln finished first, Franklin Roosevelt was second, and George Washington finished third. The categories in which the various presidents were rated included leadership qualities, accomplishments and crisis management, political skill, appointments, and character and integrity. Lincoln was ranked no lower than first, second, or third in any of the categories, and his overall ranking was first among all American presidents.

Another poll was released in February 2009. This poll was sponsored by C-SPAN and consisted of a survey of 65 historians. The participants were asked to rank the presidents in ten categories ranging from public persuasion and economic management to international relations and moral authority. Abraham Lincoln finished first, George Washington was second, and Franklin Roosevelt was third.

Lincoln rose to the top through sheer ambition and hard work. He had nearly no education at all. He spent less than 12 months attending schools as a youth growing up on the frontier. Each one was very small, and the lessons were most often taught orally. Schools thus got the nickname "blab" schools (aka ABC schools). Later when he moved to New Salem, Illinois, he began to study law books in his spare time. In New Salem, he earned the nickname "Honest Abe." He was almost totally self-educated and became a lawyer in 1836, although he never attended college. Lincoln was a very successful attorney with a large practice prior to his election as president in 1860. Additionally, Lincoln served four terms in the Illinois State House of Representatives and one term in Congress.

Perhaps the most important action Lincoln took was his decision to fight to preserve the Union. In the end, this decision to fight the Civil War resulted in the USA remaining one nation rather than splitting into two separate countries. Although Lincoln was criticized for stepping over the traditional bounds of executive power, he was faced with the greatest threat to federal authority in the history of the country. He felt his job was to protect the Union from disintegrating. Also, Lincoln's contribution in the area of freedom for the slaves is extremely important. He got the ball rolling with the Emancipation Proclamation. We honor Abraham Lincoln for his actions in preserving the Union and beginning the process of freedom for slaves.

By R.J. Norton

Edited by Dr. Neil Gale

Lewis and Clark, the Entire Story.

                   Meriwether Lewis                                           William Clark

Prelude: 1803 to May 1804

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson won approval from Congress for a visionary project that was to become one of American history's greatest adventure stories. 

Jefferson wanted to know if Americans could journey overland to the Pacific Ocean by following two rivers, the Missouri and Columbia Rivers. He knew both rivers flowed from the Rocky Mountains; the Missouri River flows east from the Rockies, and the Columbia River flows west to the Pacific Ocean.

If the sources of the rivers were near one another, Jefferson reasoned that American traders could use that route to compete with British fur companies pressing southward from Canada.

On February 28, 1803, Congress appropriated funds for a small U.S. Army unit to explore the Missouri and Columbia Rivers. The explorers were to make detailed reports on the land's geography, climate, plants, and animals, as well as to study the customs and languages of the Indians. Plans for the Expedition were almost complete when the President learned that France had offered to sell all Louisiana Territory to the United States. This transfer, which was completed within a year, doubled the area of the United States. It meant that Jefferson's army Expedition could travel to the crest of the Rockies on American soil, no longer needing permission from the former French owners.

Jefferson selected an Army captain, 28-year-old Meriwether Lewis, as the Expedition's leader. The Jeffersons and Lewises had been neighbors near Charlottesville, Virginia, where Lewis was born on August 18, 1774. As a boy, he had spent time in the woods, acquiring a remarkable knowledge of native plants and animals. In 1794, he served in the Virginia Militia when President Washington called it out to quell the Whiskey Rebellion. Lewis had a successful army career when, in 1801, the newly elected Jefferson summoned him to work as his private Secretary in the "President's House."

Lewis chose a former Army comrade, 32-year-old William Clark, to co-leader the Expedition. Clark was born on August 1, 1770, in Caroline County, Virginia. At 14, his family moved to Kentucky, where they were among the earliest settlers. William Clark was the youngest brother of General George Rogers Clark, a hero of the Revolutionary War. William served under General "Mad Anthony" Wayne during the Indian wars in the Northwest Territory.

Lewis prepared for the Expedition and visited President Jefferson's scientific associates in Philadelphia for natural sciences, astronomical navigation, and field medicine instruction. He was also given a list of questions about their daily lives to ask the American Indians that they would meet. During these preparations, Lewis purchased "Seaman," his pure-breed Newfoundland dog, to accompany him to the Pacific for $20 ($520 today).

Camp River Dubois, the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site, Hartford, Illinois.

Lewis and Clark reached their staging point at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers near St. Louis in December 1803. They camped through the winter at the mouth of Wood River on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River and the confluence of the Missouri River. The two captains recruited young woodsmen and enlisted soldiers who volunteered from nearby army outposts. Over the winter, final selections were made of proven men. The Expedition's roster comprised approximately 45 people in the spring, including some military personnel and local boatmen who would go partway up the Missouri River with the Expedition. Lewis recorded that the mouth of Wood River was "to be considered the point of departure" for the westward journey.

Camp River Dubois State Historic Site, Hartford, Illinois.

Lower Missouri: May 1804 to April 1805

The Expedition broke camp on May 14, 1804. Clark wrote in his journal: "I set out at 4 o'clock P.M and proceeded on under a gentle breeze up the Missouri River." The party traveled in a 55-foot-long keelboat and two smaller boats called "pirogues." Through the long, hot summer, they laboriously worked their way upriver. Numerous navigational hazards slowed their progress, including sunken trees called "sawyers," sand bars, collapsing river banks, and sudden squalls of high winds with drenching rains. There were other problems, including disciplinary floggings, two desertions, a man dishonorably discharged for mutiny, and the death of Sgt. Charles Floyd was the only member to die during the Expedition. In modern-day South Dakota, a band of Teton Sioux tried to detain the boats, but the explorers showed their superior armaments and sailed on.

Early in November, they came to the villages of the Mandan and Minitari (Hidatsa) Indians, who lived near present-day Washburn, North Dakota. On the north bank of the Missouri River, they found a grove of thick cottonwood trees to construct a log fort. Standing close together, the trees also offered protection from the prairie winds.

In four weeks of hard work, the men built a triangular-shaped fort. Rows of small huts made up two sides; a wall of upright cottonwood logs formed the front. They named it Fort Mandan in honor of the local inhabitants. The party was now 164 days and approximately 1,510 miles from Wood River.

The explorers spent five months at Fort Mandan, hunting and obtaining information about the route ahead from the Indians and French-Canadian traders who lived nearby. The Expedition's blacksmiths set up a forge and made tools and implements, traded for the American Indian's garden crops of corn, melons, and beans. A French-Canadian named Toussaint Charbonneau visited the captains with his young pregnant Shoshone wife, Sacagawea.

Sacagawea's tribal homeland lay in the Rocky Mountain country, far to the west. She had been kidnapped by plains Indians five years before, when she was about twelve years old, and taken to the villages of the Mandan and Minitari, where she was eventually sold to Charbonneau. Sacagawea spoke both Shoshone and Minitari, and the captains realized that she could be a valuable intermediary if the party encountered the Shoshones. They also knew that she and Charbonneau could be helpful in trading for the horses that would be needed to cross the western mountains. In addition, Sacagawea and her baby would prove to be a token of truce, assuring the Indians that the Expedition was peaceful. While descending the Columbia River, Clark later noted, "No woman ever accompanies a war party of Indians in this quarter." As a result, the captains hired Charbonneau, who was joined by Sacagawea and their infant son Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, born at Fort Mandan on February 11, 1805. The boy became a favorite of Clark, whom he nicknamed "Pomp," citing his pompous "little dancing boy" antics.

Upper Missouri: April 1805 to July 1805

Moving up the river from the Mandan villages, they passed the confluence of the Yellowstone with the Missouri River. They entered a country where Lewis observed "immense herds of Buffaloes, Elk, Deer and Antelopes feeding in one common and boundless pasture." Grizzly Bears charged the men hunting them.

Lewis said he would "rather fight two Indians than one bear." River navigation became more difficult. During a fierce windstorm, the pirogue that carried vital records and instruments filled with water and nearly capsized. Sacagawea, who was aboard, saved many items as they floated within her reach. Near the end of May, the Rocky Mountains came into view.

The river's current grew stronger. The explorers had to abandon the paddles and tow the heavy canoes with rawhide ropes while walking along the shoreline. When river banks gave way to cliffs, the men had to wade in the water, pushing and pulling the boats upstream.

In early June, the explorers reached a point where the Missouri River divided equally into northerly and southerly branches. They spent nine days concluding that the south branch was the true Missouri. Lewis named the "Marias River" north fork and scouted ahead with a small advance party following the south fork until he heard waterfalls. The Indians at Fort Mandan had told them about the falls of the Missouri River, so Lewis knew he was on the right stream.

In the vicinity of present-day Great Falls, Montana, the Expedition had to portage 18 miles around a series of five cascades of the Missouri River. The men attached cottonwood wheels to the canoes to push them overland. The weather was hot, with intermittent squalls pelting the party with large, bruising hailstones.

Transporting the heavy boats and baggage up the steep incline from the river and traversing the long stretch of prairie lands was exhausting. Prickly pear spines penetrated their feet through moccasin soles, adding to the difficult and exhausting portage.

After three weeks of shuttling canoes and baggage along this portage, a camp was established above the falls at "White Bear Island." They had brought along a metal framework over which they stretched hides to make a large, light boat to resume their journey on the river. The plan failed when stitches in the hides leaked water, and they had to abandon the framework and make two more cottonwood canoes.

West of the Divide: July 1805 to November 1805

On July 25, the Expedition arrived, where the Missouri River was divided into three forks. They named the southeast branch the "Gallatin" for the Secretary of the Treasury, and the southerly one was called the "Madison" for the Secretary of State. The westerly branch became the "Jefferson" River, "in honor of that illustrious personage Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States."

Because it flowed from the west, the captains decided to follow the Jefferson River. Learning from Sacagawea that they were now within the traditional food-gathering lands of her people, Lewis went ahead to look for the Shoshones. He reached a spring in the mountains in mid-August, which he called "the most distant fountain" of the Missouri River. Just beyond was a saddle in a high ridge (today's Lemhi Pass), from which Lewis saw towering, snow-covered mountains to the west. A brook at his feet ran westward, and he knew he had crossed the Continental Divide. The brook was one of many tributary streams of today's Snake River, joining the Columbia River.

Immediately west of the Continental Divide, Lewis came upon two Shoshone women and a girl digging edible roots. Lewis gave them presents, and soon, they were joined by a large number of Shoshone men on horseback. Lewis rejoined Clark and the main party, returning from this scouting trip accompanied by several Shoshones. The explorers formed a camp with the Indians a few miles south of present-day Dillon, Montana, called "Camp Fortunate." Here, Sacagawea found a childhood girlfriend. The girl had been with Sacagawea when both were captured but had escaped and returned to her people. Sacagawea learned that her brother, Cameahwait, was now chief of the tribe. It was an emotional scene when brother and sister were reunited.

Thinking ahead to their return journey, Captain Lewis ordered the canoes submerged to "guard against both the effects of high water and that of fire the Indians promised to do them no intentional injury." The party then proceeded across the Continental Divide to the main village of the Shoshones. With Sacagawea providing vital service as an interpreter, a Shoshone guide was hired, and trading with the Indians for riding and pack horses was successful. After a short stay, the now horse-mounted corps followed their guide, Old Toby, into the "formidable mountains."

September found the half-starved explorers surviving on horse meat while following the Lolo Trail's ancient Indian route across the Bitterroot Mountains in modern Montana and Idaho. During an early-season snowstorm, they encountered fallen timber, bone-chilling cold, and slippery, hazardous travel. Descending the west slope of the mountains, they reached a village of the Nez Perce.

Here, the natives provided a salmon, roots, and berries feast. The ravenous explorers found, to their dismay, that this unaccustomed diet made them extremely ill.

The group reached today's Clearwater River, where they branded and left their horses in the care of the Nez Perce until their return. They built new canoes and proceeded through boulder-strewn rapids, making speedy but risky progress. They reached the Snake River and then the Columbia River on October 16. They floated down that mighty river reaching the now inundated "Great Falls of the Columbia" (Celilo Falls) near the modern Oregon town of The Dalles. Here, and also when confronted by the raging rapids within the Cascade Mountains that Clark called the "Great Shute," they again were forced into toilsome portages.

On November 2, they drifted into the quiet upper reaches of tidewater on the Columbia. On November 7, Clark wrote: "Great joy in camp we are in view of the Ocean, this great Pacific Ocean which we have been so long anxious to see." They were still 25 miles upstream and saw the storm-lashed waves of the river's broad estuary.

For the next nine days, savage winds blew, ocean swells rolled into the river, and the rain poured down, stranding them in unprotected camps just above the tide at the base of cliffs. In mid-November, the captains finally strode upon the sands of the Pacific Ocean near the Columbia's mouth, the western objective of their journey. Clark recorded that 554 days had elapsed, and 4,132 miles had been traveled since leaving Wood River.

Pacific Ocean: November 1805 to March 1806

Captain Lewis carried a letter of credit signed by Jefferson, guaranteeing payment for the explorers' return by sea via any American or foreign merchant ship encountered in the Columbia River estuary. They saw no ships upon reaching the ocean, nor as their records reveal, would any enter the turbulent river entrance during their four-month stay at the coast. In truth, the captains never seriously intended to return by sea, preferring to establish a camp close to the coast instead. They hoped to obtain from trading ships "a fresh Supply of Indian trinkets to purchase provisions on our return home."

Due to the absence of game and their unprotected exposure to fierce winter storms on the Columbia (Washington State) north shore, the party crossed the river to the south side (Oregon), where Indians informed them elk and deer were numerous. An actual vote of the members was recorded, representing the first American democratically held election west of the Rockies that included the vote of a woman, Sacagawea, and a Negro-American man, York.

Crossing the river, they built their 1805-06 winter quarters on a protected site five miles south of modern Astoria, Oregon, naming it Fort Clatsop for their neighbors, the Clatsop Indians. The men spent the winter hunting elk for food and making elk skin clothing and moccasins to replace their worn buckskins.

Lewis filled his journal with descriptions of plants, birds, mammals, fish, and amphibians, weather data, and detailed information on Indian cultures. Clark drew illustrations of many animals and plants and brought his maps of the journey up to date. Sacagawea joined Clark and a few men on a coast trip to procure oil and blubber from a "monstrous fish," a whale washed up on the beach. They visited the Expedition's salt-making camp at present-day Seaside, Oregon, where several men kept a continuous fire burning for nearly a month, boiling seawater, to produce twenty gallons of salt.

Return Journey: March 1806 to September 1806

On March 23, 1806, the explorers started back up the Columbia in newly acquired Indian canoes. At the Great Falls of the Columbia River, they bartered with local Indians for pack horses and set out up the river's north shore on foot. The party obtained riding horses from various tribes along the way and reached the Nez Perce villages in May. While camped among the Nez Perce for a month, waiting for the high mountain snows to melt, the captains gave frontier medical treatment to sick and injured Indians in exchange for native foods.

The Nez Perce rounded up the Expedition's horses that they had cared for over the winter, easing the captains' concern for adequate transportation as the party resumed its eastward travel in early June. Retracing their outbound trail through the Bitterroots, they were turned back by impassable snowdrifts and made their only "retrograde march" of the entire journey. After a week's delay, they started out again and successfully crossed the mountains. On June 30, they arrived at their outbound "Travelers Rest" camp, eleven miles south of modern Missoula, Montana, where they enjoyed a welcome rest from their toils.

On July 3, 1806, the party separated. With nine men, Lewis rode directly east to the Great Falls of the Missouri River. Then, with three men, he traveled north to explore the Marias River almost to the present Canadian border. Lewis and his companions camped overnight with some Blackfeet Indians, who attempted to steal the explorers' guns and drive off their horses at daylight. In describing the ensuing skirmish, Lewis related that he was fired upon by an Indian, which resulted in a near-miss that "I felt the wind of the bullet very distinctly." Lewis afterward would elaborate that two of the Blackfeet were killed during the brief encounter but that he and his companions miraculously escaped unharmed.

Meanwhile, with the balance of the party, Clark proceeded southeasterly on horseback, crossing the Rockies through today's Gibbons Pass. Returning to the Jefferson River (now the Beaverhead River in its upper reach), the submerged canoes were recovered and repaired. Clark placed some men in charge of the canoes while the others continued on with the horses, all following the river downstream to the Three Forks junction of the Missouri River.

Here, the group is divided. The canoe travelers continued down the Missouri River to White Bear Island, where they recovered their cached equipment and portaged back around the falls. With the remainder, Clark rode their horses easterly to explore the Yellowstone River. While the Expedition was again passing through the Shoshone lands, Sacagawea remembered from her childhood, Clark praised her "great service to me as a pilot."

Upon reaching Yellowstone, new canoes were made. Clark assigned three men to drive the horses overland while he and the others drifted down the river. On July 25, 1806, Clark named an unusual rock formation on the south bank of the Yellowstone River (Montana) "Pompy's Tower" in honor of Sacagawea's son.

The parties were reunited on August 12 near the confluence of the Yellowstone and the Missouri rivers. Here, Clark learned that Lewis had been shot while searching for game in the brushy shoreline of the Missouri River. In his buckskin clothing, Captain Lewis was mistaken for an elk by Pierre Cruzatte. Clark treated and dressed the wound with medicines they carried.

Arriving at the Mandan villages on August 17, the Charbonneau family was mustered out of the Expedition. At his request, Private John Colter was discharged to join a fur trapping party bound up the Missouri River. The remainder of the party, accompanied by a Mandan chief and his family, headed down the Missouri River on the last leg of the homeward journey.

After September 23, 1806

On September 23, 1806, the tattered Corps of Discovery arrived at St. Louis and "received a hearty welcome from its inhabitants." Jefferson's explorers had covered 8,000 miles of territory over 2 years, 4 months, and 9 days. Its records contributed important information concerning the land, natural resources, and native peoples. Lewis and Clark learned that the surprising width of the Rocky Mountains chain destroyed Jefferson's hoped-for route between the Missouri and Columbia River systems. This finding resulted in a passage over what is now South Pass (Wyoming) during later trips westward by fur traders and other explorers. Despite difficulties, Lewis and Clark remained friends after the Expedition. Congress rewarded the officers and men of the military enterprise, including Toussaint Charbonneau, with land grants. Neither Sacagawea nor York received compensation for their services.

On February 28, 1807, President Jefferson picked Lewis as Governor of the Upper Louisiana Territory. His career started well, but controversy involving government finances arose in 1809, culminating with his decision to travel to Washington, D.C., to resolve the dispute. Traveling through Tennessee, Governor Meriwether Lewis, on October 11, 1809, died mysteriously from gunshot wounds inflicted while at Grinder's Stand, a public roadhouse. It is not known conclusively whether he was murdered or committed suicide. His grave lies where he died, within today's Natchez Trace National Parkway near Hohenwald, Tennessee.

Clark enjoyed a lifelong, honorable career in public service in St. Louis. On March 12, 1807, Jefferson commissioned him Brigadier General of Militia and Indian Agent for Upper Louisiana Territory. In 1813, he was appointed Governor of Missouri Territory, which he held until Missouri Statehood in 1820. In 1822, he was appointed Superintendent of Indian Affairs by President Monroe. He was reappointed to this post by each succeeding President and served in this capacity for the remainder of his life. General William Clark died of natural causes in St. Louis on September 1, 1838, and is buried in the Clark Family plot at Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis. 

Camp River Dubois and the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site, Hartford, Illinois.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

Emma C. Kennett was a female architect and real estate developer in Chicago. (1885-1960)

Between 1910 and 1920, there was an apartment building boom in the Rogers Park Community of Chicago. Many of the spacious apartments in buildings on Sheridan Road and Estes, Greenleaf, and Lunt Avenues were built at that time. Some had two bedrooms, many had three bedrooms, and some even had three baths.

Emma Kennett was born in Chicago in 1885. She worked in a builder's office before marrying James Kennett, a Chicago building contractor. She reentered the building profession when the marriage ended to support her young family. She founded the Kennett Construction Company in 1923 and began developing apartment buildings in Rogers Park.

Kennett was the active head of the Kennett Construction Company of Chicago, who, with a Black partner, Joseph Frederick Rousseau, built more than 80 buildings in the Howard-Jarvis-Ridge areas of Chicago's Rogers Park community. She designed the buildings in Gothic, French, and Spanish styles. By the mid-1920s, she was worth five million dollars ($89 million today).

Kennett designed and built apartment buildings, townhouses, and commercial properties. She was known for her innovative designs and her commitment to quality construction. 

FIRM HISTORY

Kennett Construction Company, 1923-1952 

Kennett Realty Company, 1952-1960. 

Kennett's buildings were known for their eclectic architectural styles, which reflected the popular trends of the time. She used Tudor Revival, Italian Renaissance Revival, and Spanish Mission Revival styles, among others. She also paid attention to the details of her buildings, using high-quality materials and finishes.

Normandy Apartments, 2300 West Farwell Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 1920s.

Kennett was a successful businesswoman and a pioneer for women in the construction industry. She was featured in several articles in the Chicago Tribune, which noted her success as a woman in a male-dominated field. She was also a member of the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

2320-22 West Farwell Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 1928.

Kennett continued to develop buildings in Chicago until the early 1950s. She died in 1960 at the age of 75. Her legacy is one of innovation, quality, and perseverance. She was a role model for women in the construction industry, and her work helped to shape the city of Chicago.

2326 West Farwell Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 1920s.

Most of Kennett's buildings still stand today and are a testament to her talent and vision. Kennett designed all her buildings, assisted only by local architects, including Arthur C. Buckett and Herbert J. Richter, to ensure the correct technical details. 

A PARTIAL LIST OF KENNETT PROJECTS:

• 1141 West Devon Avenue, Sun Parlor Apartments, Chicago, Illinois
• 2020 West Jarvis, Chicago, Illinois
• 2029 West Jarvis, Chicago, Illinois
• 2114 West Arthur Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
• 2300 West  Farwell (Normandy apartments), Chicago, Illinois
• 2308-10 West  Farwell, Chicago, Illinois
• 2314-2316 West Farwell, Chicago, Illinois
• 2320-22 West Farwell, Chicago, Illinois
• 2326 West  Farwell, Chicago, Illinois
• 2332-2334 West  Farwell, Chicago, Illinois
• 6644 North Artesian Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
• 7339 North Seeley Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
• 7349 North Seeley Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
• 7351 North Seeley Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
• 7352 North Seeley Avenue, Chicago, Illinois - razed
• 7354 North Seeley Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
• 7355 North Seeley Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
• 7356-58 North Robey (Damen Avenue today), Chicago, Illinois
• 7358 North Seeley Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
• 7359 North Seeley Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
• 7360 North Seeley Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
• 7360-62 North Robey (Damen Avenue today), Chicago, Illinois
• 7361-7363 North Seeley Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
• 7440-42 North Hoyne Avenue, (Chateau Le Mans), Chicago, Illinois
• 7441-43 North Navarre Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
• 7446-48 North Hoyne Avenue, (Maison Louviers), Chicago, Illinois
• 7447-49 North Hoyne Avenue, (Barcelona apartments), Chicago, Illinois
• 7452-54 North Hoyne Avenue, (Chateau Beauvais), Chicago, Illinois
• 7453-55 North Hoyne Avenue, (Valencia apartments), Chicago, Illinois
• 7536 North Seeley Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
• 1065 Estate Lane, Lake Forest, Illinois
• 1070 Estate Lane, Lake Forest, Illinois
• 1111 Estate Lane, Lake Forest, Illinois
• 1144 Estate Lane, Lake Forest, Illinois
• 1221 Estate Lane, Lake Forest, Illinois
• 136 Custer Avenue, Evanston, Illinois
• 1416 Fairway Drive, Lake Forest, Illinois
• 1433 Fairway Drive, Lake Forest, Illinois
• 810 S. Ridge Road, Lake Forest, Illinois
• 960 S. Ridge Road, Lake Forest, Illinois

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

1858, July 30th, Destructive Fire on Van Buren Street, Chicago. $15,000 Loss!

Shortly after nine o'clock in the morning, a fire was discovered by Officer Wood, on his beat, in the rear of a large three-story frame structure on Van Buren Street near Clark Street, in the South Division, known as the Phœnix House and occupied for hotel purposes. The policeman instantly gave the alarm and burst into the front door of the house, the inmates of which were then, for the first time, apprised of their peril. When discovered, the fire was well at work on the east side of a low extension or shed used as a summer kitchen or washhouse and near the chimney. The Phœnix House was pretty well cleared of its contents, and the occupants all got out safely, though some of them with little reference to the appropriate apparel for street appearance.

The № 1, Long John Steamer, was put into service in Chicago in 1858. It was the first steam fire engine in the city, and it helped to revolutionize the way that fires were fought. It was a 40-foot long, 14-foot high, and 8-foot wide vehicle. It weighed 10 tons and was powered by a 100-horsepower steam engine. The Long John could pump 500 gallons of water per minute.

The buildings in the vicinity of the fire were all made of wood and closely contiguous, and but that the surfaces of the same had been drenched by the recent showers, the disaster, under a little more wind that then prevailed, must have been wise-spread. As it was, before the conflagration could be stayed, it had extended to the various buildings surrounding the rear area of and adjoining the Phœnix House, including a four-story frame, an adjoining shop in which liquor was stored, the Exchange House (a two-story building), the Lafee House (a three-story building), № 126 to 134, inclusive, on Van Buren Street, a small unoccupied building and the Jennings House on Griswold Street—all of them frame structures, the Jennings House being a large and comparatively new building, standing vacant.

The fire department, including the smaller steam Fire Engine the "Enterprise" [1], was very promptly on the spot and as promptly at work with excellent streams, and did good service in holding the fire in check and finally subduing it. The Jennings House was badly damaged by fire and water. The Phœnix House and the Lafee House were about one-fourth consumed but will probably both be repaired. The smaller buildings were destroyed.

The list of owners and their losses were as follows:

The Phœnix House № 126, occupied by Patrick McConnell. Loss of $1,200 covered by Chicago Mutual.  Mr. McConnell had $1,000 worth of Brandy in an unoccupied barber's shop adjoining the hotel which was destroyed and not covered by insurance.

The Exchange House, № 130-132, is occupied by John Maloney. Loss of $1,200, insured for $800 in Chicago Mutual.

Lafee House, № 134, occupied by Jacob Lafee. Loss of $1,500, insured for $900.

All three of the above houses were owned by Jacob Gillan and valued at $5,600. Insurance officers took an inventory of the property and a policy for $3,000 to go into effect the day after the fire.

The Jennings House on Griswold Street was owned by Ballard & Wilcox. The building was worth about $6,000, with damage of $3,500, insured for $4,000 at the Merchants of Philadelphia and Phœnix of Hartford, Conn. It was unoccupied, but Martin Dodge, formerly of the Sherman House, would take possession in a few days.

The origin of the fire is unknown. The location in which the flames were discovered points to the chimney as the source of the disaster; the main reason for suggesting a different origin seems to be the fact that the premises in that vicinity have been fired three times in scarcely that many weeks.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

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[1] The 1858 Steam Fire Engine "Enterprise" was a landmark invention that revolutionized firefighting. It was the first steam-powered fire engine in the United States, and it was much more powerful and efficient than the horse-drawn fire engines that were previously in use.

The Enterprise was built by the Seth Sweet Manufacturing Company of New York City. It had a boiler that produced steam that powered a piston that drove the pump. The pump could deliver up to 500 gallons of water per minute, which was much more than the 50-100 gallons per minute that a horse-drawn fire engine could deliver.

The Enterprise was also much faster than a horse-drawn fire engine. It could travel up to 10 miles per hour, which allowed it to get to fires more quickly.

The Enterprise was a huge success. It was used by fire departments all over the United States, and it helped to save countless lives and property from fire. It is considered to be one of the most important inventions in the history of firefighting.

Here are some additional facts about the 1858 steam fire engine Enterprise:

• It was 25 feet long, 9 feet wide, and 10 feet tall.
• It weighed 10 tons.
• It had a crew of 12 firefighters.
• It was powered by a 100-horsepower steam engine.
• It could pump up to 500 gallons of water per minute.
• It could travel up to 10 miles per hour.
• It was first used by the New York City Fire Department in 1858, Chicago also received an Enterprise truck in 1858.
• It was retired from service in 1884.

The Enterprise was a truly revolutionary invention that changed the way firefighting was done. It was faster, more powerful, and more efficient than any fire engine that had come before it, and it helped to save countless lives and property from fire. It is a testament to the ingenuity and creativity of the people who designed and built it, and it is a reminder of the important role that technology can play in protecting people and property from harm.