 Knauer is a throwback to
the town founders and other such personalities throughout the years
who were not born or raised in Mount Pulaski, but moved into the
community and grasped it fully, leaving their mark with their
exemplary character, wonderful family and countless contributions to
our town and surrounding countryside. Knauer continues to do this
each and every day.Knauer has always put his adopted town of
Mount Pulaski first -- with his membership and participation in
various celebrations and events since the mid-1950s. He has actively
participated in town anniversary celebrations (125th in 1961, 150th
in 1986 and 175th in 2011). During the recent 175th anniversary
celebration, he was a hardworking member of the anniversary
committee. In addition, he and his wife, Mary, were both on the
committee for the 175th anniversary book and headed up more than one
committee to help finalize the story of the most recent 25 years of
the history of Mount Pulaski (1987-2011). He has served several
terms as president of the Mount Pulaski Township Historical Society.
Beginning in 2002, Knauer served as the tourism director for the
Mount Pulaski Looking for Lincoln Committee, helping to raise funds
for the renovation of the town's new museum location in two
adjoining two-story 1890s buildings on the south side of the square.
In accordance with the Illinois Looking for Lincoln grant requests,
he helped produce the annual Mount Pulaski Food, Wine & Bluegrass
Music Festival, a June event. This was to satisfy the state Looking
for Lincoln guidelines by drawing attention to the town as one of
the mid-1800s county seats to which Abraham Lincoln and Judge David
Davis traveled twice a year on the Illinois 8th Judicial Circuit,
bringing the court of law to the people of Mount Pulaski and its
surrounding countryside of Logan County.
Knauer seems to always have an idea up his sleeve to help promote
Mount Pulaski in one way or another. In 2003, he spearheaded the
Looking for Lincoln tourism project for a large historic mural
painted on the outside north wall of the 1902 Roth Building,
depicting Abraham Lincoln in front of the Mount Pulaski House Hotel,
which he and the other lawyers would frequent following their day's
court sessions (1849-1855). Knauer helped the professional painter
do the research for the depiction.
In 2007, it was Knauer's idea to bring to life one of the lesser
known but very interesting Mount Pulaski Courthouse trials in which
Abraham Lincoln and Judge David Davis participated -- the "Cast Iron
Tombstone Trial" of 1854. Knauer worked with two other locals to
write this old courtroom drama -- assembling a courtroom script from
scattered information from two similar Abraham Lincoln tombstone
trials and their appeals (another was held in nearby Lincoln in
1857). The resulting courtroom drama revealed the interesting story
of one of these actual trials in which Abraham Lincoln pleaded to
the jury that his client should not suffer the reversal of his sale
of the rights of a patent for the construction of tombstones.
Ten performances were given in the very same courtroom in the
very same Mount Pulaski Courthouse in which the first of these two
tombstone trials was held over 150 years ago -- using a cast of 12,
made up of local business, farming and retired folks. Knauer played
the part of Judge David Davis. On Feb. 12, 2011, a final production
was performed twice the same day by the local Mount Pulaski High
School Drama Club. During those five years, there were 12
performances before packed courtrooms, using selected jurists from
the audience. Proceeds from donations went to the Mount Pulaski
Bi-Centennial Committee and the Mount Pulaski High School Drama
Club.
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Also in 2007, as part of the Mount Pulaski Bi-Centennial
Committee commemorating the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln,
Knauer joined forces as co-chair for the Mount Pulaski Looking for
Lincoln wayside signage project depicting Abraham Lincoln in Mount
Pulaski -- telling the story of the 8th Judicial Circuit, some of
his trials in the Mount Pulaski county seat venue and several Mount
Pulaski personalities Lincoln had personally known over the years,
often staying with one or the other during his 8th Judicial Circuit
trips to the Logan County seat in Mount Pulaski. This two-sided sign
is on the grounds next to the Mount Pulaski Courthouse State
Historic Site Courthouse.
Since 2003, Knauer and his family have held an annual memorial
golf tournament for their daughter, Kim, a former independent news
editor and then a public relations officer for the State Department
of Education, who died at an early age. This year, as a highlight of
the 10th Kim Knauer Memorial Golf Tournament, they have solicited a
car to be awarded to the memorial golfer who makes an ace on a
designated hole.
Knauer has served on a host of other committees over the years,
among them: longtime member of the fall festival committee and
chairman in 1978, co-chair of the Mount Pulaski celebration of the
150th anniversary of Illinois' statehood, coordinator of Fourth of
July celebrations, on the committee for the design and construction
of the Route 121 "Welcome to Mount Pulaski" sign, Cub Scout leader,
and high school Junior Achievement adviser. For several years, he
helped to design the ground displays for the Fourth of July
fireworks.
As a member of the Mount Pulaski Rotary Club, Knauer recently
came up with the idea of selling patriotic red, white and blue
umbrellas as a fundraiser for the club's annual high school
scholarships.
Several years ago, he was elected to the Mount Pulaski City
Council and continues to serve Ward 2 and his community in that
capacity. One of his recent city council contributions was his
spearheading the city's decision to place on the 2012 spring ballot
the choice for electric aggregation, which was approved by the
voters and which promises savings in electric bills for both
households and businesses for future years.
Indeed, Darrell Knauer has helped to enrich his Mount Pulaski
community over the years with his ideas, promotions, memberships,
chairmanships and hard work. Finally, he would be the first to say
that his lovely wife, Mary, has been with him every step of the way.
[Text from file received]
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