Autumn and our class of 1957 tree

Members of the class of 1957 dedicated a lovely tree for the campus a few months ago.  Earlier a marker was also placed.  Now that the colors are turning, Lynne says it's a lovely sight with great color.  She will make sure it is well watered as the cold weather moves in.

When our little village was founded as a place to establish a Methodist seminary, there weren't many trees because of the prairie grass. "The prairie land on the crest of the hill on which Mount Morris was built contained about 10 square miles.  This prairie was entirely surrounded by heavy timber.  The timber line came very close to the present village limits on the north, but about 2 or 3 miles to the east, south and west." Mount Morris: Past and Present, 2nd ed. 1938.

Settlers on the prairie, including the original Maryland Colony, looked for "groves" where there were trees to supply materials for shelter and fire wood.  When we  visited Illinois in September we had the opportunity to see the Nachusa Grasslands near Oregon, and the size of that prairie "grass" is stunning.  Well over my head.  So it was a challenge for the trees to get established.  After farmers broke up the sod, and the fertile soil began to produce,  then the trees had a chance.

 The cornerstone for the original seminary was laid on July 4, 1839 (p. 102).  Also a fitting reminder because our class often gathers on July 4, and has participated in the parade. That summer and fall, the town was platted and the town was named Mount Morris. ( p. 104)  Photos I've seen of the campus even in the 19th century show there were many trees, and our class is contributing to that tradition of planting trees for the future.

Scarce as hen's teeth

Did your parents ever say that? Well, the original Mount Morris Past and Present is scarce as hen's teeth, but I found a scanned copy on the internet while looking up something else. Here's the link. You click on the picture at the top hand left column and start turning the pages with the little arrows in the right hand column. It's scanned and very easy to use (easier than the copy on Google because you can turn the pages). I have the photocopy of the 2nd ed. (gift of my parents) that was sold by the public library, and recently looked through the 1st edition at the home of a relative. Anyway, although a lot of the text of the 1st ed. is used in the 2nd ed., a lot was also dropped, including photos of the campus buildings. After all, they had a lot more information and names to include 30 years later, and probably had a page limit to keep costs down. Any way, take a look. When I was a kid I spent hours browsing the two Mount Morris Past and Present titles. It was fun to find it again on the internet.