Batavia mayor takes pride in knowing city's history
Congratulations to Mayor Jeffery Schielke for receiving the distinguished Alumni Award from Aurora University.
Not only has he held the position of mayor of Batavia for 28 years, he has also served as vice chairman for the Chicago Area Transportation Study Policy Committee and is currently serving as the chairman for the Council of Mayors.
Schielke also doubles as one of our city historians, having penned the revised edition of Historic Batavia with Marilyn Robinson. The mayor recently told members of the Batavia Historical Society how important his knowledge of history was when dealing with visitors to Batavia.
The most visited site in Batavia is Bellevue, the place where Mary Todd Lincoln recuperated after the death of her husband. Considered by the mayor to be the "queen of Batavia," Bellevue has had more visitors than any other single location.
The mayor and the late Bill Wood once spoke to a busload of Brits who made the trek to Batavia as part of a Lincoln tour.
"They remarked that this is where Abraham Lincoln stood," said the mayor. "We had to correct that."
The mayor also spoke of the years that Bellevue was known as Fox Hill in the 1960s. A home for unwed mothers, Fox Hill left many offspring without information about their birth mothers.
"I had one young girl who was trying to track down her birth mother and she went to the library and checked the yearbooks," Schielke said. "I knew the girl she was researching and I knew that it wasn't accurate. About three months later there was another birth with the same name."
Schielke also commented on the quality of products that have come out of Batavia's businesses.
"In my first year in office, I received a letter from the outback in Australia looking for a part for a Challenge Windmill," he said. "Then, in 1987, I received a request for piping in a water tower built in Lena, Illinois, by the U.S. Wind and Engine and Pump Company in 1896."
The folks at Larson Becker helped with that request and the water tower still stands today. There are also water towers in Capron, Ill.; Benton, Wisc.; and Remington, Ind.
After a major fire in Crescent City, a request came in for a part from the Batavia Body Company for a truck that held a water tank. Schielke remarked how proud he is that so many Batavia products have stood the test of time.
JFK visit: Speaking of Batavia history, Ron Hubbard has donated a video clip of John Kennedy's historic visit to Batavia during his presidential campaign. The original film clip was taken by Ron's father, Jim Hubbard, who captured the historic moment on a Super-8 movie camera. The clip will be featured on the city Web site in the near future.
Holiday Express: Jennifer Jansson contacted me regarding Hoover Wood's annual Holiday Express. The popular fundraiser enables small businesses to showcase their products to buyers who shop for a good cause, to support the many fine programs at the school. Mark your calendars now. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 6. For details, call Jansson at (630) 879-0172.
Tight knit group: Over the past 11 years with the Daily Herald, I have done quite a few stories on knitters who get together to knit for a cause, whether it is prayer shawls for the sick and elderly or tiny caps for newborn babies. Well, Ralph Gebes has another use for your knitting skills. The military is requesting knit caps for our soldiers. For details, visit helmetliner@hotmail.com.
Bat food: In tough economic times, many people have a hard time just putting food on the table.
Why not grab some canned goods and head downtown to donate during the weekend's big event, Batfest. You'll be helping someone in our community and you will have the opportunity to enjoy a free hayride.
Plan on staying downtown for the many different activities. I love to see the many costumed trick-or-treaters who turn out for the Mother's Club big parade. Two new events have been added to the weekend's festivities. There will be a Pumpkin Roll down the Houston hill and the addition of "Bat Crows" to the Riverwalk.
It's all happening in Batavia this weekend. Visit downtownbatavia.com for the complete schedule.