Grantee Partner Spotlight: Clinton County Historical Society

A Q&A with Mary Essen

President of the Clinton County Historical Society

I was intrigued when I learned about the life of Sidney Breese.  I thought this was an unsung historical figure:  a very respected judge and good friend of Abraham Lincoln, wrote the first books published in Illinois, lobbied Congress to extend the Illinois Central Railroad from Chicago to the Pacific Ocean, and made an Illinois Supreme Court decision to free the first slave represented by Lincoln.  But it seemed like his memory was being tossed away.  I approached Kaskaskia College and asked if I could teach some non-credit community education history classes at the museum.  My thinking was this might attract other history buffs into Breese's house to save the society. 

Fast forward to today: We have this wonderful and talented group of people.  We all bring our individual talents.  One does all of our accounting and is our Facebook administrator.  Others meet on Thursdays to maintain the museum.  We have a repairs committee.  I do the fundraising and the PR part.  We now have several ongoing events such as our movie nights. vintage markets, free library, Christmas program, potluck supper, and historical talks.  Guest speakers, from around the state, feel the warm welcome of our Society and always say they can't wait to come back.  

And it is worth it.  We share a passion for keeping the history alive - and there is SUCH a history attached to Judge Sidney Breese. 

We know you have a free library in the garage, a room full of military uniforms, welcome field trips, and more. But one of your most popular programs is the Classic Movie Nights. What is it like to attend one? 

Once a month, we screen a classic film. We open the doors at 6:00. We have a silent auction before the movie and during a 15-minute intermission. These movie nights took off slowly, but now we usually have 22 to 25 people in attendance. We have the regular group of people, but there are always some new faces even from neighboring counties. No one is a stranger at movie night. I have been at events in other places where people politely say hi, how are you, and then walk away. Not at our historical society. We welcome all newcomers and have wonderful conversations with everyone. 

Clinton County does not have any movie theaters. That is why movie nights are truly special. I look forward to them for the community, the camaraderie, seeing dear friends, meeting new friends, and of course watching a good film. A bonus is our silent auction. Every month we have great items to bid on. Quite a few shops and restaurants donate items to the silent auction, so it is also a way to promote local businesses. 

What kind of a moment is this for the Society? 

During the pandemic, we were closed for two years, so I emailed out monthly newsletters. We have 80 members, and this is how we kept in touch. Over that time, I had the chance to do lots of research on Sidney Breese and his wife Eliza. I was also in correspondence with Breese's great-great granddaughter, Marcia Yard, who lives in Connecticut. She has given me a lot of history on the family and its relationship with Abraham Lincoln. 

Now, everyone is so happy to be out, to see one another again. We have monthly meetings open to the public. After the business side of the meetings, we have a show and tell. People can bring a treasured item, or a keepsake, and share something about why it has meaning for them. I've learned so much about Clinton County history from the show and tells. These stories preserve the County's history.

Clearly, the Historical Society is a thriving place. To what do you attribute your success?

I think the key to our success is our volunteers and our building because we have a facility to house various events and programs. 

Honestly, I feel honored to be in Judge Sidney Breese's home from 1866. He is looking down on us, beaming, and saying thank you for saving this house. Breese was such a loved jurist. When he died in 1878, one newspaper account said that thousands came by trains from St. Louis and Chicago to honor the man. He wrote Illinois' first published books. You will actually see them on any TV judge show. The lawyer books are usually along the walls of the judge's chambers. Breese wrote down all of his court cases when he was a Supreme Court Judge. Lawyers still refer to his court cases.

Anything else?

We want to offer more opportunities to get young people interested in history. When we're too old to run the Society and the museum, hopefully, a new generation will take over. 

The Clinton County Historical Society has become a vital part of our area. People can call any time. We will give a tour or open up our free library in our garage. We always have something fun going on related to history which brings our community together. 

In May of 2019, pre-Covid, we had a group of 75 5th graders at the museum for a field trip. They walked here from the school, and we let groups of 25 in at a time. Later, a grandmother told me that her 5th grade grandson was simply in love with Abraham Lincoln. "We can't get enough Abraham Lincoln books", she said. You know why? Because that day at the museum we taught him about the friendship between Sidney Breese and President Lincoln. It sparked in this young man an interest in history. I would like to continue to do that with the younger people of Clinton County. 

About the Clinton County Historical Society