While planning my journey back from Philadelphia after an exhausting week at the League of Historic American Theatre national conference, I decided to stretch my car trip out over three days. My return trip included stops at the Cleveland Scottish Rite, Thomas Moses’ Oak Park home and Walter Burridge’s gravesite at Forest Home Cemetery. I realized that if I were to route my trip through Des Moines to see our eldest child, my journey would also pass by Moses’ hometown of Sterling.
After spending the evening of July 19 in Genoa, Illinois, with close friends and visiting the Egyptian Theatre at DeKalb, I was on the road the next morning by 6:20 a.m. Instead of taking a direct route that would take an hour, I decided to meander west first to Oregon, Illinois, and then head south along the river. That provided and opportunity to pass a few historic opera houses, understanding that I would have to be satisfied with just seeing the exterior of each building.
It was going to be another scorcher, and I was thankful to be spending most of the day in a cool car, driving along a picturesque river. I first stopped in Oregon at the Kiwanis Park to enjoyed the early morning sun sparkling down a rambling river, Then I tracked down the local opera house, as I knew there must be one somewhere nearby. It was too early to visit any theater; I located the opera house building adjacent to the Masonic hall and across from city hall – go figure.
Other stops included Castle Rock State Park and Grand Detour. Grand Detour is an idyllic town, home to an 1850 Episcopal church and an 1857 hotel. A small village nestled between two rivers; the old hotel with hitching posts was for sale. So much potential in this little town. As I ventured south, I stopped by another opera house in bustling town of Dixon; who knew that this was the birthplace of Ronald Reagan?
As I drove to my destination in Sterling, Illinois, I passed one of the major cemeteries, making a little note to come back and peak around. I would later discover that the gravestones had many scenic art family names, including Landis and Tuttle.
As I followed my navigational route to 508 W. 7th Street, I noticed the sign “Lincoln Memorial.” This recent memorial that sat across the street from the first home that Moses purchased in 1879. For a brief period of time, the couple returned to their hometown of Sterling until Moses realized that there was not enough theatrical work in the area to cover their bills.
I sat awestruck looking at the small white house, imagining what the neighborhood looked like when the couple moved in. After all, it was only a stone’s throw away from Lucius M. Moses’ tannery along the river. Moses had left the town to escape the family trade and settle in 1879 only a few blocks away – struggling. His father had also gone out of his way to discourage local businesses from hiring his son. It must have been an incredibly difficult period in his life, as well as their marriage, when young couple was just trying to make a go of it.
Before leaving town, I could not resist stopping by the local public library, chatting with the librarians, and donating a book in honor of Thomas Moses. The Sterling Public library was founded in 1878, but the current building had been constructed in 1913, another Carnegie Library building.
I soon discovered that the library’s local historian had recently retired, but I was given access to the history center and genealogy room. There I discovered some interesting history about the area, captured in old postcards and local directories. I searched for specific listings that provided answers to many of my questions about extended family members and businesses. Unfortunately I could not stay for long, as my Des Moines lunch date was over three hours away and I had another four-hour drive back to Minneapolis after that. I left town at 10:30 and headed West, all the while contemplating new bits of information that provided insight into Moses’ childhood and hometown.
To be continued…
