elevation of 52 feet and surmounted by a dome that reached an awe-inspiring height of 122 feet. This building lasted until 1914 when it was destroyed by fire, possibly caused by a passing Illinois Central train when a spark from the engine lodged in one of the hundreds of pigeon and sparrow nests that infested the cupola. Richland County has a rich military history, built by patriotism and commitment. ● An 1865 report showed Richland County furnished a total of 1,577 men during the Civil War, 54 more than the government quota. Nearly 1,000 men served in World • War I, including John R. Lindsey, a brigadier general. The original registration in the • draft, enacted in 1940, showed 2,148 names from Richland County during World War II. The county produced four World War II generals William Campbell, Frank – Schilt, Edmund Sebree and Reginald Harmon giving Olney the nickname of – “The Town of Generals.” The 1950 Census placed the U.S. Center of Population a little west and north of ● Dundas, on the Carl Snider farm. On October 18, 1951, a large parade and celebration brought out 25,000 residents and visitors, including Gov. Adlai Stevenson, Sen. Paul Douglas and the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Olney was a typical country town of the nineteenth-century Midwest. With stores ● strung along the main street, the bustling area was the hub of activity for the surrounding countryside. The real growth of Olney began in 1855 with the completion of the O & M ● Railroad. On one occasion in 1858, 17 carloads of emigrants, with their household goods and farming utensils, landed at the Olney depot. Though Lincoln and Douglas never debated in Olney, both presidential candidates ● spoke at separate political rallies in Olney on the same day, September 20, 1856. A special plaque commemorating the occasion is located on the courthouse lawn. Most Richland County natives have no idea the Village of Claremont was once a ● resort town. A lake once extended on both sides of the railroad tracks on the west
elevation of 52 feet and surmounted by a dome that reached an awe-inspiring height of 122 feet. This building lasted until 1914 when it was destroyed by fire, possibly caused by a passing Illinois Central train when a spark from the engine lodged in one of the hundreds of pigeon and sparrow nests that infested the cupola. ● Richland County has a rich military history, built by patriotism and commitment. An 1865 report showed Richland County furnished a total of 1,577 men during the Civil War, 54 more than the government quota. • Nearly 1,000 men served in World War I, including John R. Lindsey, a brigadier general. • The original registration in the draft, enacted in 1940, showed 2,148 names from Richland County during World War II. The county produced four World War II generals – William Campbell, Frank Schilt, Edmund Sebree and Reginald Harmon – giving Olney the nickname of “The Town of Generals.” ● The 1950 Census placed the U.S. Center of Population a little west and north of Dundas, on the Carl Snider farm. On October 18, 1951, a large parade and celebration brought out 25,000 residents and visitors, including Gov. Adlai Stevenson, Sen. Paul Douglas and the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. ● Olney was a typical country town of the nineteenth-century Midwest. With stores strung along the main street, the bustling area was the hub of activity for the surrounding countryside. ● The real growth of Olney began in 1855 with the completion of the O & M Railroad. On one occasion in 1858, 17 carloads of emigrants, with their household goods and farming utensils, landed at the Olney depot. ● Though Lincoln and Douglas never debated in Olney, both presidential candidates spoke at separate political rallies in Olney on the same day, September 20, 1856. A special plaque commemorating the occasion is located on the courthouse lawn. ● Most Richland County natives have no idea the Village of Claremont was once a resort town. A lake once extended on both sides of the railroad tracks on the west
Olney_Memories_111.docx