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Wayback Wednesday: What's with the Red Barn?

Parkland’s architecture is pretty consistent throughout, but there are two structures that just don't fit in. So, what’s the story behind the red barn?

Undated photo of the McMillan-Ehler barn and corn crib. From Parkland Archives.

First, a little background: the barn, along with a farmhouse, was built in 1909 by Fremont and Laura McMillan. The corn crib was built in 1950 by their daughter Lois' husband, William H. Ehler.  Widowed by 1967, Lois Ehler owned or held in trust the bulk of the land identified as the building site for Parkland College -- nearly 122 acres of the 140 acre tract selected by the college. As you can imagine, it was no easy task to sell the land that had belonged to her family for more than a century.

Aerial photo circa 1967 of Ehler residence, barn and corn crib. From Parkland Archives.

The Parkland College board had identified this tract of land, called the Seeber-Mattis tract, as the best site for Parkland’s permanent campus. It had the easiest access and was most centrally located in District 505. A cooperative agreement made with the Champaign Park District made the land even more attractive. Offers were made to all parties to purchase the land. Yet, Mrs. Ehler protested to the Illinois Junior College Board.

Dr. Staerkel, by all accounts a genuinely warm and kind man, invited her to stay in the house for the remainder of her life, and promised her that, as long as he was connected to the college, the barn would remain a landmark at Parkland. Mrs. Ehler chose to accept the offer and relocate, but not before removing various flowering plants from around the homestead. An excerpt from a letter sent around that time, humorously indicates relief that the conflict was resolved:

“Also, Mrs. Ehler has some flowers and flowering shrubs around the house which she desires to remove. She will do this in the early fall, or sooner if possible. Her grandson also carries a very large shotgun.”

July 8, 1968, from Parkland’s legal counsel, Donald R. Aldeen, to Oscar Lanphar, Parkland College Business manager.

Upon later reflection, Mrs. Ehler had come to terms with the agreement, indicating that she was pleased that since she had to give up her home, it was “going for a college,” and that those she had worked with from the college itself had been “very lovely” to her.  According to William Froom, Parkland’s first board chairman, Mrs. Ehler had related to him and Dr. Staerkel that, while she was displeased at first, she felt that they had arrived at the happiest solution. (From Parkland Works: a 1966-2001 History, by Sally Foster Wallace)

It's Banned Books Week!

September 22-28th, 2013

This week all around the country book communities celebrate the freedom to read.  Hundreds of libraries and bookstores draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events.  Here's a photo of our display in the Parkland Library...

Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries.  More than 11,300 books have been challenged since 1982.  For more information on Banned Books Week, click here.  According to the American Library Association, there were 464 challenge reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom in 2012, and any more go unreported.

Libraries have a long history of commitment to access to information without censorship.  Even though these books have been challenged, they persist on the shelves of libraries.  In fact, we make special displays bringing attention to them and encourage readers to celebrate the freedom to read!

Wayback Wednesday: Extra, Extra Read All About It! edition

On this day (September 18th) in 1851 the New York Times first edition was printed, kicking off a long and prosperous career.

The very first edition of the New York Daily Times on microfilm.

“New-York Daily Times.

New-York, Thursday, Sept. 18, 1851.

The first number of the New-York Weekly Times will be issued on Saturday of next week, September 27^th.  It will be a very large paper, printed upon a quarto sheet, just twice as large as that of the Daily Edition, and will contain an immense amount of reading matter of all kinds, including that published in the daily paper during the week.  Individual subscribers and clubs in the country would do well to send in their orders as soon as convenient.  The price to Clubs of twenty is but one dollar a year.  Postmasters are authorized to act as agents.

   >  If any of our subscribers, in this city or in Brooklyn, fair to receive their papers before seven o’clock they will confer a favor by leaving word to that effect at the office.  

      > We have received a great number of letters from gentlemen in various parts of the country, seeking employment upon The Times.  In all cases where it has been possible, we have replied by letter; but some sixty or seventy still remain unanswered.  We beg the writers to believe that nothing but incessant occupation has prevented us from paying attention to their requests.  Our establishment is now full, in every department.

A Word about Ourselves

We publish to-day the first number of the New York Daily Times, and we intend to issue it every morning, (Sundays excepted) for an indefinite number of years to come.

We have not entered upon the task of establishing a new daily paper in this city, without due consideration of its difficulties as well as its encouragements.  We understand perfectly, that great capital, great industry, great patience are indispensable to its success, and that even with all these, failure is not impossible.  But we know also, that within the last five years the reading population of this city has nearly doubled, while the number of daily newspapers is no greater now than it was then; -that many of those now published are really class journals, made up for particular classes of readers…

New-York Politics

Both the great political parties are in the field for the November Contest.  The two Conventions assembled at Syracuse last week, and their proceedings in detail have already been spread before the public.  The Democratic Convention assembled first and adjourned last.  The ill-feeling which has been growing up between the two sections of that party, during the past few years, was still so strong as to make the task of “harmonizing” one of no little difficulty.  The members of the Convention, however, went at it with a good degree of courage, and followed it up with tenacious perseverance.  Their efforts were crowned with a good degree of success.

The proceedings at the outset rather staggered the Hunkers.  Having counted upon a very decided majority in Convention, and being determined to use their power with remorseless severity, they were dumbfounded to find it suddenly smitten from their hands.  A goodly portion of their number fraternized with the Radicals, and gave them the organization of the Convention.  The Hunkers struggled against the current, fighting every inch of ground, making sharp speeches and fulminating very intelligible threats.  The Radicals talked less, and were anxious to harmonize, but were bent on doing it in their own way.  Their Committee reported a series of resolutions, re-affirming those of the State Convention of 1848…"

Wayback Wednesday: SWAMP

Here’s a trivia question: why would the television show M*A*S*H, which premiered September 17, 1972, make us think of the Parkland student club, Students Working Against Man’s Pollution? 

Photos from Parkland’s yearbook, Conveniamus, 1970

Even though SWAMP is no longer an option, there are still many student clubs and organizations at Parkland that might interest you.

If you have a question about Parkland’s history you’d like to see featured in Wayback Wednesday, email us at archives@parkland.edu. 

Laptops, Kindles and Tablets, Oh My!

Did you know some fast food chains such as In-N-Out Burger (sadly only on the west coast), Subway, Starbucks, Panera and even McDonalds have secret menus?  So do we!  Granted, we can't make a McSurf-and-Turf but we do have a few tricks up our sleeve.

Of course you know about our standard fare; books, open computer labs, DVD's and CD's.  But did you know we also loan Kindles?  That's right, you can take home one of these nifty e-readers for 2 weeks.  They come pre-loaded with tons of classic and contemporary books.
 

Plus calculators that you can take with you to math class!  How about a laptop you can use anywhere in the library?  Need a device you can take out of the library?  Try one of our newly acquired Acer A500 tablets.  They are compatible with Google Drive and have a camera capable of taking photo and video.  

See the Service Desk for more details!

Some of the loanable technology available for check-out
at the Service Desk.

Wayback Wednesday: Those who forget the past...

 
Prospectus, September 19, 2001. Photo by Parkland alumnus Andre Moraes. Used with permission. 

 

“Take time to remember” was printed atop the Prospectus September 12^th issue.  The following week was headed with the quote, “Those who forget the past…” and finished in the September 26^th issue: “…are doomed to repeat it.” Here’s a view of how Parkland responded to the tragic events of September 11^th.  

Prospectus staff writer Rebekah Beachey reported, “The normally loud college center was quiet this afternoon, as many students stood around discussing the situation.“ (September 12, 2001)

Flags at Parkland flew at half-mast. A prayer vigil was organized and held in B-124 on September 14th. 

On September 15, 2001, Parkland President, Dr. Zelema Harris addressed the Champaign-Urbana community at a service at Memorial Stadium:

“The Parkland College Family mourns the losses our great nation experienced on Tuesday. Yet this heinous act of terrorism has brought our great nation together. We have discovered over the past four days that our unity is truly our strength.”

Student government launched a fundraising campaign to assist the American Red Cross on September 14^th, and Parkland’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa organized a panel discussion and Q and A session, held September 28, 2001. 

We invite you to share your memories of Parkland from that time, because, as always, “Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.” 

If you have a question about Parkland’s history you’d like to see featured in Wayback Wednesday, email us at archives@parkland.edu.