July 2003 updated May 09><

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Orphan Trains 'til 1920s>; ">A Place We Called Home"< > >what recollections & or images do you have ? <<

Commemorating the and every VOICE IN THE WIND who, over the generations included orphans beyond the Civil War and whose countless children were provided vivid and fond memories while residents. We'll carry thoughts of those days beyond our physical existence. The many questions we individually would have liked to be answered will have to accompany the inevitable passing of us as earthguests. Though it is still possible to fill out some paperwork in order to receive your "file with its possible photographs, observations and commentaries from house parents, teachers or superintendents." All the memorable and omnipresent natural and human made sounds we were born into are decreasing and or increasing and many remain vaguely familiar- allthough they have been uniquely sustained and upgraded- while our human voices numbers have increased on "Spaceship Earth."* Seguing places- all those names and dates- now it's your turn to take care of Earth's water standard (replaced the gold standard, where H2O in/output-sensing-per-capita is now a rightful "taxation" with transparent representation.

* R.Buckminster Fuller
<<

built during 1861-1865

NOTE water fountain on rightMain Building views: 1861, 1940s, 1950s

Courtesy of the Kansas Historical ciety

North view of Felmley Junior High School

1940s PROGRESS REPORT--The teachers of .invite the houseofficers (cottage parents, house parents) to visit and become well acquainted with the work of the school. Visitors are always welcome.

1

From the seven Brush children, only Helen, Richard, Paul, LeeRoy* (r.on piano bench) entered IS&SCS at this time and appear here in the Ken-Way Studio, 1935. Bill and Porter left and lived on their own and Ailiene, the youngest, was adopted. She was at IS&SCS long enough to have graduated from Felmley Junior High School and appears in 4a below.

On both sides of this walkway there were Elms, Maples and Oak trees.

(Eleanor Hickstein, Leroy Brush, Julie Beebe?)

The metal IS&SCS sign behind the three proclaims

that this was the main entrance and a No Trucks

post to the right can be seen in this 1950

or 51 photograph.

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(Richard Wachter, ?, Frank Priest, Arthur Goetz, Leroy Kite, Orville Hinshaw)

I believe this mid 40s photograph was taken against the south-facing wall of the Storeroom (shoes and jackets overalls and shirts, like these worn here). The bright red MACK fire engine (with higly polished chrome bulldog as a hood ornament) was stored right, at the east end of this building.

Bottom row: Billy Moore, Charlie Moser, Jim Racine, Tom O'Connell (1933-1948), Jimmy Zimmerman, Bobby Pippin.

Middle row: Donald "Spud" Campbell, Clayton Merrit, Jim Davenport, Gene Farmer, Earl Holcomb, Paul Brush.

Top row: Mattie Canerdy, Paul Pregle, Roderic "Gus" Creager, Alfred Pippen, Robert Creager, Howard Green (known for rotten teeth).

Perky to more 50s IS&SCS photographs

2c

2d

2d signed diploma

Passenger (Roy Robinson-left), and (Leroy Brush) was the owner of a 1936 Pontiac four door w/floor stick shift. Both went on long rides on the dirt roads encircling the home and ventured around Bloomington (Steak 'N' Shake) and around UHigh. Angered by this illegal purchase (it was $100.) and the absence of a drivers license, Lawrence J. East asked for the car title from Leroy while he was recuperating from an apendectomy in the home hosptial. He then had to sell the car. Leroy was punished by being expelled from Cantigny. A 2nd floor room in the Administration building was Leroys place 'til he graduated from UHS in 1951. Shirley Donahue and Roy were my best friends at the home. Upon leaving, Roy, Ronald Kuder and Leroy had a rented room on the outskirts of Normal before Leroy departed for Chicago. Neither Ronald or Roy were ever heard from again until Leif Brush called Roy in Florida (thanks to his long time friend Bill Bebee) in early April 2000. Roy did "not attend the ISSCS reunions" this year.

Roy's sister, Shirley Robinson, whom I did not know, sent this email, September 10th 2007-
Hello.....my name is Shirley Robinson, the younger sister of Roy Robinson. You have some pictures of Roy with one of your brothers and in the graduation picture with one of your sisters and the Goetz family members in it, is also a picture of one of my sisters.Helen Robinson. She is in the second row third from left.
You see, there was eight of us Robinson kids brought to ISSCS in 1943, the year our mother died. There was 13 of us but just the 8 youngest came to the home. I am the 3rd from the youngest....and I just learned some sad news this morning.....my brother Roy died peacefully with his family in Florida this morning. Out of the 13 Robinson kids, I am now the only surviving one.
I just wanted to feel some closeness after I learned of Roy's death so I just went to Google & I've been reading your web page. I was only at the home from 1943-1949, then went to foster homes...I ended up graduating from Normal Community High School with the class of 1954.
Thanks for listening...just needed to talk to someone who knew of our past. Shirley Robinson Smith

HELLO LEROY, IT WAS VERY THOUTHFUL OF YOU TO WRITE. I DID NOT KNOW YOU VERY WELL, BUT ROY HAD SPOKEN OF YOU MANEY TIMES, ABOUT YOUR ANTICS AT ISSCS. HE GOT A LETTER FROM YOU SEVERAL YEARS AGO. I DON'T KNOW IF HE ANSWERED IT OR NOT. WE WERE MARRIED FOR 55 YEARS. HE WAS A WONDERFUL HUSBAND AND FATHER. WE ALL MISS HIM VERY MUCH.I AM NEW AT THIS INTERNET STUFF. I DIDN'T SEE ANY TRIBUTE IN 1999. I WISH I DID. HIS SISTER SHIRLEY IS THE ONLY ONE LEFT OUT OF 13.MY FAMILY IS TAKING GOOD CARE OF ME. THEY ARE A JOY AND WONDERFUL. THANK YOU AGAIN. JOY

Hello Joy,
And after all these years, including those with Roy, it surely has been
a seemingly fast, memorable, busy and rewarding trip through out. And
I'm glad you're calm and staying in touch with him.
We're the proud elders now and the grandchildren really seek us out.
I'd love to be able to hear them address their lives and experiences.
I hope you saw my 1999 and personal Internet tribute to Roy and its
addition by one of his sisters.
Kindest regards leif BRUSH

Roy's Veteran's Burial site

?

Thanks Lou for additional names & info

4a

Remember where you spent your time here

On through the late 1940s, LB was a frequent writer from 400 East Lincoln to The Daily Pantagraph, Bloomington Illinois

Aerial photographs from the The Daily Pantagraph.

Tons of trees and bushes can be seen. I well remember the dense covering of lilacs on the hill immediately above the north sidewalk of the Village (detail below left and the Village is added below in the right photo. Gene Farmer's model of the Village was based on his memory and image 8 below

56

6aNIGHT WATCHMAN'S KEY BOX 7 The Paul Brush, Burt O'Conner, Red Mowers and other's pigeon coop is just N.W. of Felmley and has a slight tower. The Home's original water tower, which many of us climed and several got into real trouble if they were caught, is directly East of Sheridan Cottage and it butts up near the E. entrance to the main building. The sidewalk between these buildings leads to the Joe the Cook's main kitchen, Ice House, Bakery and Boy's Row..

8

8a

9 This concrete bench sat in a semi circle with the American Legion plaque at the front which faced north. In the distance lay a Trailer Park whose sprawl matched the east-to-west width on the southern boundary of the home. A meadow was behind the bench and it butted against City US Route 66.

9b

9c

10 top side

The front porch and colums are shown with a Siberian pea hedge approx twenty feet away to the North

Cantigny house parents Clayton and Quanita Townsend join my brother Paul walking past the analog film camera.

"People gave land (96 acres) and money ($30,000 seed dollars from the state legislature) to have the home located in Normal; children came June 1, 1869... The youngsters are no longer housed in the one large dormitory of the Main Building, but live in more home-like conditions in the twenty -six cottages separated into three groups, the Village group, the Boys' Cottages, and the Girls' Cottages. Each cottage has its own living room, dining room, dormitory, and all the modern conveniences... In 1935, the population was 695 and by 1940 there were 530 children..."Edward S. Palmer

1516

17

18

19

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21

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from Felmley Junior High Flashes

December 20, 1940:"...The chorus consists of Lillian Moore, Mary Alice McNier, Elmer Shippee, Clarence Jasper, Donald Wright, Frank Hickstein, Jerry Froman, Clarence Weathers, Leroy Brush, Billy Cooper, Minnie Belle Burnett, Gene Seyster, Freda Mullen, Margaret Sanders, Robert Scott, John Stevens, Harley Brayfield, Roy Robinson, William Maxey, Earl Holcomb, and Marlene Eaton. Committees for the program have included Esther Choate and Marian Hickey for costumes and Robert Shantz and Paul Mathiasen for Lighting. Invitations were sent out by Perry Cooper, Theodore Berger, Clara Mandrell, Orville Hinshaw, Clarence Garlock, Ruth Shepard, Gladys Jennings, Howard Green, and Lilly Belle Sparks..."

June 23 1957 IS&SCH residents 1957-1958

Qs & As

24 As I.S.N.U. was in charge of the schools, in what year did the first 8th grade class attend UHigh (called Normal High in 1908)?

I.S.N.U.'s Old Main Building in 1954 without its dome faces the quadrangle to the south. U-High's hallway was connected onthrough to the right of the building.

where Senior Milt Kadlec posed for a Clarion (Yearbook) photographer

seated on one of several stone benches available to college and high school students.

and his brother Paulwho graduated from UHIGH earlier

(1950, 1980 & 1935 photographs)

25 When and where was the wading pool and fountain, what year was it built, and what species of trees were planted nearby?

26 What were some of the Main Building interior features like, and what were some of its key architectural features ?

27 In which years were pictures 11 and 12 taken, and what are some significant differences between these two photographs?

28 Who was Alice French, and to what section of the home was this of significance?

29 What cottage was directly West of Jane Delano (and who was she) and connected by sidewalk (both entrances faced north)

30 What constructions were happening in picture 17, and where is scene this located?

31 How many girls and boys cottages were there?

32 What direction did the Gymnasium face?

33 Who was Edward S. Palmer?

34 In picture 6,where was the incinerator and what man made structure was it closest to?

36 Where was picture 18 taken, and where was this building relative to the power plant?

37 What was the Chicago Daily News Radio Fund?

38 How was food delivered to cottages, and by whom in the 1940s?

39 Who are the employees seen in 15 and 16?

40 What was the stone theme carved into the limestone arch above the entrance to the Felmley Junior High School and, where was the bell situated, relative to the overall structure? What were some of the prominent tree species on either side as you approached this entrance? What nearest building did Felmley's main entrance face?

41 When did Lawrence J. East come to the home, and what make and model car was he given for his official use?

42 Who taught arts and crafts?

Where in the are nowgot answers, pictures, questions and URL or EMAIL listings?

get your IS&SCS documents- via a wrtitten letter- to: Midwest Adoption Center 3158 Des Plains River Road DES PLANES ILLINOIS 60018.

"ISSCS was in existence for 102 years before it closed it doors forever in 1979.",

J Anthony Spataro renewed uses for otherwise familiar IS$SCS buildings

LeRoy Brush at ISSCS 1935-1951; leif BRUSH thereafter; now Biography43 43a 44

leif BRUSH, 1954, Fort Leonard Wood Missouri and before induction;

1956, Ft Eustis West Virginia, he finally made SP3 (l shoulder Eagle) following his memorable round trip North on the Atlantic ocean to Baffin Island and returning to Hampton Roads dock, Virginia.

Simon Porter Brushtheese photographs are stills from an 8MM film camera in which I was able to get images on just a 50 foot reelI never knew my mothe, Helen Susie Schnepper, who died the same year I was taken to this Normal Illinois orphanage.

1958, WJNC-Jacksonville North Carolina-interviewing Amsterdam Lt. General Leiftink when he visited Camp Lejeune and poseing Helmut Demhauf

Surely, not all the complete answers below (do you have any versions of these answers, or anything to add, click this if you do ):

I hope you'll add your images, rememberances, comments and/or captions to the photos on this page anytime. Info:Leif Brush

1a Image furnished by Richard Wachter. An interesting coloration from this early 1900s lithographed postcard; I recall both the firescape and the main building as being deep barn red.

1 Drawing from the Felmley Flashes

2 Detail of the Class of 1947

2a

2b

2c Detail of Ken-Way photograph of May 25, 1951 Prom

2b Detail Class of Felmley Junior High Class of1947

3 Detail of the Class of 1947

4 Detail of 1947 University High school football team .

Do you recall these trees and bushes? 5 6 6a During his appointed rounds the night watchman on duty had to use the key stored in this box and was located at the edge of the sidewalk wihich joined Pershing and Cantigney cottages in the Boys Row. QUESTION: Was it always there or was it installed- to keep the watchman honest- during the 1950s7 Aerial views of the grounds prior to 1940. Notice the original water tower. 8 Jane Delano is top right (remember the black and white photograph in the hall entryway which showed a missing finger on her hand?), Alice French lower right, Roth lower left, and Cottowood trees in 1999 still line the non-existent playground on the right, and the East side of the Village. Who has the right order: 4 x 4, with Roth and Alice French as the southern pair; ? and Jane Delano as the directly above northern pair?

8a Detail of the built Village 1931, 1932, the full scale model of the environs by Gene Farmer.

9 There as seen in 1954, the southern most manmade structure in the Village. As you look at this image, Alice French is to the left and Roth Cottage to the right. Artist Ruth Staub who also was the cottage parent in Alice French sketched her children whom she would arrange on this structure.

9a Grace Tucker's Hennie-Pennie was a big hit for all the children that moved out into the home from Alice French Cottage.

10 Near the sidewalk which was on a straight line between Alice French and Roth Cottages, and directly beneath a flag pole, this bronze bas relief plaque faced the stone bench some fifteen feet further south.

11 Year taken? Administration Building: Shows the canopy which Lawrence J. East had installed in the mid 1940s.

12 Year taken? Who knows what year the fire escape got removed?

13 Where is the painted cast iron eagle today? go to J Anthony Spataro's pages

14 Year taken? A diagonal concrete walk led N.E. from the Bus Stop to this Main Building view. The Hospital and receiving buildings were to the north of this angled walkway.

15 Joe the Cook, who else.

16 Coach Foy tells us where to drop our mousey-grey and scratchy swim suits after our foot bath and group showering. I'm in the front row, third from the left. Seems like belts were OK.

17 This photograph shows the swimming pool building joined to the Gymnasium. Great regular and non-regular swim times here. But what was this construction all about?

18 I did have farm and laundry chores. While working in this laundry, I explored steam pipes which were beneath this building and the steam system meandered under the major walks throughout the home. These dark tunnels were ear-witness to quite a few events which are distinctly remembered. Did you visit these underground places?

19 Pigeon coop is the dome in the top left, Northwest of Felmley Junior High School. I have no clue about some of the structures in this photo; however, Paul Brush and others did refer to the Pigeon Coop on several occasions. I do remember that the old water tower overlooked the girls dorm, kitchen, bakery A courtyard also lead to the cold storage lockers in an old power plant building, known as the institution store rooms, where we got our shoes and denim blue shirts. The long shop building where woodworking, printing, electricity and soldering were taught was across the treet from the tennis courts. The incinerator was in a walnut grove north of and ran parallel with the tennis courts.I cannot remember the building directly East of the water tower.

20 I have no idea what events were going on in these fields northwest of Cantigny, do you? Richard Wachter: "It probably took place in the later stages of IS&SCS."

21 Bright's Farm Market on Business Route 66 and what North-South street?

22 This arched entrance to Alice French Cottage had smooth and rough-hewn bricks (not all white) and a orange-red, curved ceramic tile roof. The summer house can be seen to the left beyond the kids, and Roth Cottage is barely visible in the distance on the far left.

23 The Living Room in Alice French Cottage with the three bears slightly visible over the fireplace. Large, dark red and black linoleum covered this floor.

24 In 1908, and in 1926 there were 30 students attending Normal High. In 1933, it was called University High.

25 Centered directly south of the main building and west of the gymnasium (built in 1916), it lay between two large red maple trees. Also walnut, elm and catalpa. This wading pool was dedicated July 24, 1925. "... The pool was built at a cost of $500.00, and included an aquarium, ornamental drinking fountain, and four cement benches. (Do you think this was also the time in which the village bench was constructed, also of reinforced concrete?)

26 The monumental cast iron steps, were supported by piers of limestone. It had a "tubular style fire escape." (it had an interior shiny steel slide just like a slides on the playgrounds.) Main building. Metal ceilings with pressed in designs. Tom O'Connell

27 You tell us.

Jane Delano was a World War I Registered Nurse. A photograph of her in a black cape (which also showed a missing finger on her right hand) use to hang just inside the main door way. RETURN TO PREVIOUS QUESTION

29 Do you know?

30 Do you know?

31 Girls Row: Lincoln Cottage is seen on the right in this Richard Wachter-furnished Photograph at the top (in progress), Wood, Fifer, Oglesby, Yates, Logan, Grant, Illinois Number of Girl cottages 9 with Sheridan.

Boys Row: Hubbard, Roosevelt, Wilson, Pershing, Chateau Thiery (spelling?), Lawton, Bell, Cantigny Number of boy cottages 8; 9 when Horner Hall was a boy's cottage.

32 west

33 Assistant farmer and manager of the Boys' Hall in the Administration Building, E. S. Palmer was born in Empire township, McClean County on May 27, 1875. Married Emma Naffziger of Danvers, Illinois on December 28, 1898 and they were the parents of six children. Mr Palmer retired from IS&SCS on January 1, 1947 with a record of over 36 years of interrupted service, most of which was spent in working with his boys in the home. References to him can be found in the Bloomington Public Library.

34 It was located west of the vocational shop (the guy who taught woodwork, arts and crafts was Fred Knuppel.
Roland Grey taught metal crafts, electrical, Max Honn was the printing instructor, and supervised the printing of the Felmley Flashes.) building and, together with the incinerator and adjacent tennis court, they both were parallel to Felmley Junior High on the north. Tom O'Connell

35 walnut, elm, catalpa, red maple

"The American Legion an Auxiliary, United Spanish War Veterans, and the Sons of Veterans planted nearly 900 shrubs -lilacs in the Village- and a number of trees." (Still all but gone in 1999 )

36 The laundry was directly west from the coal fired power plant.

37 "...In 1925, the Chicago Daily News Radio Fund gave the home a master radio. The Department of Illinois American Legion bought and had telephone lines and speakers placed in all the cottages, boys' hall, chapel, isolation quarters, and the hospital building."

38 Prepared in the main kitchen, I was the designated kid from Jane Delano who was assigned to take a round trip with a wagon to get the prepared food in a three-stack aluminum container. Carrying food to cottages. Children were given the detail of carrying the sectional containers, at least during the war. We always carried milk to the cottage in a small milk can. Tom O'Connell

39 Joe the Cook, and Coach Foy are pictured in this 1936 swimming pool building.

40 Painted plaster plant and flower bas relief

41 September, 1948. A black, 4 door 1949 Buick Roadmaster with a Dynaflow drive

42 I don't know.

43 Schwinn bikes could be checked out at 6PM from the Recreation Room helper who hung out beneath the cast iron steps of the Main building. (Orange Trumpet vines draped both sides of the steps.) In the distance to the left is the arched, limestone Gymnasium entrance. Below me, the road leads directly West to the Bloomington-Normal Bus Lines stop at 400 E. Lincoln Street. What was the intersecting st. called?. (The modest wooden shelter was at the edge of Bright's Farm Market property.) Leroy Brush was at the home from 1935, my brother Richard Brush drove me to Chicago in 1951, and thereafter I was known as Leif Brush.

44 I was very interested in sound, electronics and the networking concepts of the National Broadcasting Company's hookup of radio station via AT&Ts wires in the US..

It was in 2007 that I first heard of Paul Otlet.

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Left-near the dedication site- includes Fred Williams. Lous Williams, Gabby Wachter, Paul Goetz, Bill Wachter, Joe Green & wife, Jim Ahng

Sports reporter Gabby Wachter gives Zelvin Mitchell a "broadcast" covering his photo journal (journey)

Lou Williams stirred up some memories (and created new relationships with its current owners) during an invited visit to the refurbished interior of his brother Robert's former Boys Row Cottage, Lawton