The Hegeler Family

Edward C.Hegeler was a German immigrant who came to America shortly before the Civil War. He was a mining engineer, and after some exploring, he settled in LaSalle, Illinois to start a zinc mining business with his fellow student, F.W. Matthiessen.

From Wikipedia:

The Matthiessen and Hegeler Zinc Company was a mammoth industry which put La Salle, Illinois, on the map. Its plant was one of the conspicuous features of the city, whose prosperity for many years depended to a large extent upon the activities at these works. However, the story of their inception and expansion is not a mere record of business prosperity. The founders, two young men of German birth and training, whose names are still carried in the title, came to this country seeking the opportunities which the Old World did not afford and attained success beyond their expectations. What they accomplished by indefatigable diligence, ingenuity, patience, and the application of every resource, is substantially represented by the great establishment in which the production of zinc is carried on at La Salle, affording regular employment to many residents of that place, and drawing in its wake a tide of incidental business that swells the total sum of commercial transactions at that place considerably.

The Matthiessen and Hegeler Zinc Company was in business for 120 years, and during it's hey-day, the company employed over 5,000 people.

They were smart, they worked hard, they were innovative, and they treated their employees well.

Both men were philanthropists -- (Matthiessen State Park)...

But, now -- BACK TO THE HEGELER MANSION.

The thing that sets this mansion apart is that it has ALWAYS BEEN OWNED AND OCCUPIED by the Hegeler/Carus family.  Edward's daughter Mary married a guy named Carus -- who joined the family businesses.

Really -- every stick of furniture is original to the house. As we went on the tour, Tricia pointed out
all the things that were used by the family...for over 100 years...

In the children's playroom, there's a picture of this beautiful baby boy...taken at the turn of the century.

The Caruses' youngest child, Alwin, born in 1901, was the home's last occupant. In 1995, he donated it to the then newly established Hegeler Carus Foundation, with the stipulation that no possessions be sold to pay for the home's upkeep. The other condition was that he would continue to live in the home.

Tricia said Alwin would often wander downstairs to mingle with the tour guests...he lived in the home until he was 102.

THE FAMILY STUFF was everywhere you looked...This is the original stone sink (in the butler's pantry)

The dishes the family actually ate on...

They loved blue and white dishes.

When we got to the dining room -- it was just breath-taking.  This massive table was built IN PLACE...in 1876...

And the intricate wooden edges were like nothing I've ever seen...

The Hegeler Mansion

One of the main reasons I picked LaSalle, Illinois for my annual get-together with Becky was because there was a mansion in this town. And, WE COULD TAKE A TOUR.

Three years ago, Becky and I met in DeKalb, Illinois and we toured a mansion owned by the barbed wire baron...and HOW CAN WE FORGET the Tinker Cottage in Rockford, Illinois?!

Ya'll know I LOVE ME A GOOD MANSION TOUR...John and I used to love going to Monticello, and, of course, there was Mt. Vernon, and the Curtis mansion.  I've been to the Vanderbilt mansion in N.C. (with Jackie) -- and Marion and I have toured our share (remember Franklin Roosevelt's Springbrook?)....Mary and I have toured mansions in different countries, even!  (The day we toured the Beehive house in Salt Lake City, Mary was worried I was gonna ask the young Mormon docent about the Red River Massacre... )...

Anyway -- back to LaSalle, Illinois.

On this day -- we are touring the Hegeler Mansion in LaSalle, Illinois.

And this is a HUGE mansion...57 rooms, people!!

Becky and I were the only ones on the Noon tour.

These external stairs are in terrible condition -- so you cannot enter the house like they did 100 years ago...

Initially, we were dismayed by the dilapidated condition. Holy Cow. Peeling wallpaper and chipped paint. Hummm...

The ground level rooms are in terrible condition...

Mr. Hegeler was quite a free thinker -- YEARS ahead of his time. His mansion was completed in 1876, and it had 8 indoor bathrooms!!  The problem was indoor plumbing was a brand-new-concept.  Unfortunately, nobody really knew how to install it properly.  So there were leaks.  Many, many leaks.  Those 8 bathrooms became the bane of this mansion's existence.

They've been fighting those water problems for 150 years... caved in ceilings, ruined floors, black mold, peeling paint, crumbling plaster...

We each paid the $15, and sat down to watch a brief film about the Hegeler family...

Then, our docent, Tricia, came to give us THE TOUR...

OMG...I mean -- this was, without a doubt, the most interesting mansion I have ever personally toured...

For one thing, every single thing in this mansion is original...

And still owned by the Hegeler family

Me and Becky -- in a mirror shot.

The grand piano

original tile work in every room

UNBELIEVABLE one-of-a-kind wood floors

But -- DON'T FORGET TO LOOK UP...Holy Cow!!

Every piece of furniture, EXACTLY as it was originally purchased or placed

This "toy" invented by Nicholas Tessla, actually produces electricity..

And -- GET THIS.  The Hegeler family gifted 248,000 books to the University of Illinois...(which pretty much BECAME the school library)

So -- WHO WAS THIS GUY??  And how did he get so rich?

The Illinois and Michigan Canal

Here's your official warning. It is my intention to write about LaSalle, Illinois for at least a week!!

Today, the topic is the Illinois and Michigan Canal.

I live about an hour away from this designated National Historic Landmark -- yet I was completely ignorant. It's hard to believe I NEVER HEARD OF IT BEFORE last Wednesday.

But -- hey -- here we go...

The canal was built as a waterway to give agricultural goods access to Eastern markets.  It connected the Mississippi Basin to the Great Lakes Basin...and, in large measure, the canal is credited with creating markets for farmers.

The canal is actually the reason Chicago flourished, and became the second largest city in America.

AND, as a matter of fact, because the Northern politicians knew the Canal was coming, they quickly moved to make Illinois a (free) State -- even though it did not, at the time, meet the population requirement.

I think IT IS PATHETIC THAT I DIDN'T KNOW ANY OF THIS...

The canal was in use from 1836 until 1933...and you can STILL take a ride on one of the Canal boats...

Which was then (and is now) -- pulled by mules.  (see the path on the right side of the photo.)

Your passage would cost $4, and it would take about 22 hours to make the trip.

It took ten years, and cost over $6 million to build.

There is SO MUCH TO LEARN...and if you want to read more about it -- check out the Wikipedia page....

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_and_Michigan_Canal

MY BECKY DAY!!

Becky (my college roommate)  and I get together ONE DAY A YEAR. We only live 3 hours apart, so you'd think it would be easier, eh? But, I swear, it gets harder EVERY YEAR...and this summer, we had to reschedule SIX TIMES...it was crazy.

Every time we thought it was gonna work out, something came up. I had car problems, Becky had grandma trouble...the usual old lady stuff....

So, here we are -- IT'S ALMOST NOVEMBER...but we are determined!! On this day, I woke up HOPEFUL...

I always pick the town. This year, I chose LaSalle, Illinois. It's a quick 1 1/2 hour drive for each of us...

And it was the perfect day for a little road trip!!

Our first destination was the I and M Canal Cafe.

Inside, it is THE MOST CHARMING place you can imagine.

 

From the inside -- looking out -- this town looks like a postcard from 1956....

FINALLY.  Becky and I got to sit down and do our annual catch-up.

Our waitress, Tessa, taking a picture of us, taking a picture of her...

The back room is set up with may round dining tables...and all those panels tell the history of the I and M Canal.

Becky, who has pretty much lived in Chicago all her adult life -- DIDN'T KNOW A THING ABOUT IT...

Typical Saturday

Saturday morning, we often sleep in. If the kids get up before me, they might work on a puzzle. They can't bring their Ipads here...and if we're watching a screen, we're doing it TOGETHER. (Blackish is Warren's favorite show).

Both kids are GREAT puzzlers.  Warren's favorite part is putting together the edges...If I've completed a puzzle during the week, I often take out the last 100 pieces or so....FINISHING it is the big thrill, of course.

It often takes a bit of a pout to get Warren over the fact that he can't have his Ipad at my house...

He spent three hours writing THE MOST AMAZING STORY...with pictures!!

This was Elliott's favorite jacket when he was six years old...it has a flannel bird lining...bird patches...HE LOVED IT.  Warren will (obviously) NEVER wear it...but I wanted a picture.

OMG...I thought I'd die laughing...

On this Saturday, we went to the GRAND OPENING of the new KWIK-STAR convenience store...

FREE coffee, slushies for 50 cents, donuts $1.00 a dozen, Butter #1.99/lb., eggs 49cents, potatoes, onions and bananas 29 cents...

I'm telling you, Eileen -- KWIK STAR IS ALMOST LIKE HAVING A WA WA STORE IN THE HOOD....

My Day With Anne

Although this information is out-of-order (as often happens with a blog) -- I wanted to tell you the story of how I came to own an actual genuine faux mink apron...

I owe it all to my young friend Anne...

Anne lives in Cedar Rapids, and I live in Princeton. Iowa City is our go-to-halfway-spot. And every now and then, WE JUST NEED A LUNCH...

We always do some thrift-store shopping...and, OF COURSE, there's lunch...and, well -- just talking. I LOVE MY ANNE DAYS. It's an easy one hour drive....I always line up a good book-on-tape (I'm addicted to Jennifer Chivriani)...and, well, Anne is just one of those people who has the BEST ATTITUDE about life, y'know?? Truly a joy for me to have her as a friend.

During our last visit -- Anne spotted THIS apron!!  (Merry Christmas, Mary!)

And THIS glass cutting mat

Honestly, people -- it had been marked down to $1....

What size 24 woman wants a swimming suit in this color?  I'm telling you....neon orange AND high cut leg opening...this is NOT gonna sell any time soon...

The perfect little zipper bag for Lilly.  I have said this to her every night for a decade now...

There is a Mennonite thrift store in Iowa City, the Crowded Closet, where they SEW OLD BUTTONS ON NEW CARDS...

No kidding. This is happening...!!

So, you can tell we are having a wonderful day. It's a beautiful fall day -- perfect for a little road trip. I SO LOVE DOING THIS. And I have just enough treasure in my back seat....we've worked up an appetite...(all this walking around thrift stores is taking the place of one-hour in the pool, right?)

So, OF COURSE, THERE IS LUNCH..!!

My cousin Kim told me about this a week earlier. It's delicious homemade chicken soup (with big chunks of rotisserie chicken), served with a dollop of hot mashed potatoes.

WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT??!!