Historic Elsah Foundation

The third lecture of the 2023 Hosmer-Williams Lecture Series was presented on Thursday, September 21, at 7:00 in the evening in Farley’s Music Hall, 37 Mill Street, Elsah, Illinois.

The lecture, Frederick Oakes Sylvester: Painter. Poet and Educator was given by Dr. Julie Dunn-Morton, Curator of Art for the Mercantile Library of St. Louis. The Library was founded in the 1840s and is presently located on the UMSL campus. Dunn-Morton has been on the Mercantile Library staff for over two decades. She is currently planning a major Sylvester exhibition to open a new Gallery of Missouri Art as part of a major renovation for the UMSL Libraries building in 2025.

Frederick Oakes Sylvester was an important local and regional artist for the Mississippi River setting in the St. Louis area. His work has been exhibited often locally, including the St. Louis Art Museum and the Sheldon Arts Center. Principia College has a major Sylvester collection.  

The Hosmer-Williams Lecture Series is a major contribution of Historic Elsah Foundation to the understanding of local history. The Series is underwritten, in part, by Liberty Bank of Alton, Illinois, by anonymous donors, and by the membership of Historic Elsah Foundation.

Below is a recording of the talk.

The Hosmer-Williams Lecture Series will present the second lecture of its 2023 season, Soldiers with Picks and Shovels, featuring author and journalist Tom Emery of Carlinville, Illinois, Thursday, May 18, 2023, at 7:30 pm, in historic Farley’s Music Hall, 37 Mill Street, Elsah, Illinois.
 
Soldiers is the story of the Civilian Conservation Corps, a signature and highly successful program of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, launched early in FDR’s first 100 days, and important to southern Illinois and this region’s history during the Great depression.
 
Tom Emery’s book, Soldiers with Picks and Shovels, is now available in its second edition. He describes the CCC as putting millions of young men to work, building state parks, creating and implementing forest conservation programs, even helping with preparedness for what would be World War II. Emery will speak to the lasting legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Emery has authored several books and is widely known as a speaker in southern Illinois and elsewhere. He has received a number of awards from the Illinois Historical Society. This presentation in the Hosmer-Williams series will be his first speaking engagement in Elsah.
 
The Series is a mission-fulfillment commitment of Historic Elsah Foundation, founded in 1971 by Principia College faculty members Charles B. Hosmer and Paul Williams. Four lectures are presented annually. The lectures are free of charge and open to all. Refreshments are available following the lectures.

The Hosmer-Williams Lecture Series is supported in part by Liberty Bank of Alton-Godfrey, Illinois, by anonymous donors, and by the Board and membership of Historic Elsah Foundation. Photo: nps.gov

Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.
Farley Music Hall, 37 Mill Street, Elsah, Illinois

The lecture, The West Point of the Air: Choosing a Site for the Air Force Academy, will describe the events of early 1954 when a federally appointed Selection Committee reviewed site nominations, one of which was an area that included Principia College, the Village of Elsah, and the New Piasa Chautauqua community.

The speaker, Tim Tomlinson, President emeritus of the Chautauqua Historical Society and Historic Elsah Foundation, notes “I’m fascinated by the decision making process in this important national matter. And, I continue to wonder why this naturally appealing area along the Great River Road was not the final selection for the West Point of the Air.”

This is the first lecture for 2023 in the Hosmer-Williams Lecture Series, a major contribution of the foundation to the understanding of local history. The series is underwritten, in part, by Liberty Bank of Alton, Illinois, by anonymous donors, and by the membership of Historic Elsah Foundation.

Below, you may find a recording of the presentation.

Saturday, March 25, 1 p.m.

Historic Elsah Foundation has an exciting opportunity to host the Principia Solar Car. Principia College Chemistry Professor Brian Kamusinga and members of the team are ready to give a talk on the car with questions and answers at Farley Music Hall with light refreshments served. The solar car will be parked at the First Church of Christ, Scientist parking lot away from traffic.

March 4, 2023 at 7 p.m. at Farley Music Hall

The Kid is a 1921 silent film, a comedy-drama starring – and directed by – Charlie Chaplin.

Refreshments available for purchase from The Elsah General Store.

Donations for Historic Elsah Foundation accepted and encouraged.