 The 138-year-old community, with ties to Emden, Germany, is located
in the northwestern corner of Logan County.
Sons of the American Legion of Logan County will sponsor the 61st
annual event. The group will give a $138 prize representing the age
of the village and $61 prizes representing the number of
homecomings. Winners do not need to be present at the drawings. SAL
will also provide food stands and other concessions.
Saturday's activities will begin bright and early with
registration at the Emden Community House for a 5K run and one-mile
fun run. The runs will begin there at 8 a.m. Proceeds from the event
will benefit the Whistle Stop Library and the Hartem Summer League.
Also beginning at 8 a.m. is the multi-family, townwide garage
sale, which will continue until noon. Whistle Stop Park will host a
craft show from 8 a.m. until dusk.
A car show will take place from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. with
participant judging. Also beginning at 9 a.m., pork chop sandwiches
will be available at the grade school triangle.
Logan County Farm Bureau will sponsor a kiddie tractor pull near
the depot at 10 a.m.
"Small Town USA" is also the theme for the parade at 2 p.m.
Saturday. Sign-in and check-in will start at 12:30 p.m. near St.
Peter Lutheran Church. Joe Hackett, master of ceremonies, will be at
the depot, where he will introduce various participants and announce
the winners.
One of the featured floats in this year's parade will be the
reclaimed Lincoln statue reproduction, sponsored by the Logan
Railsplitting Association.
The statue, made of foam, is about 5 feet square and 7 feet tall.
It is a reproduction of the Lincoln Memorial Statue that sits on the
Mall in Washington, D.C., said Railsplitter spokesman John Sutton.
Sutton said Logan County Board member Kevin Bateman spotted the
statue in a trash container in Springfield and asked what was to
become of it. When he learned that the owners planned to dispose of
the piece, he asked permission to keep it. He transported it to
Lincoln in the back of his truck and passed it along to the
Railsplitting Association.
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Sutton, who will drive the truck pulling the trailer with the
statue, picked it up earlier this week in preparation for the
parade.
"When you drive around town with it, people look," he said.
The Hartem Boosters Club will serve a fried fish supper in the
community house starting at 4:30 p.m. The menu also will include
baked beans, chips, coleslaw, desserts, bread and butter, coffee,
and iced tea. Donations will be accepted for the meal.
Carnival rides, provided by Summer Time Fun of Streator, will be
open from 5 to 9 p.m.
The Dynamics musical group will perform on the outdoor stage
starting at 7:30 p.m.
The evening will end with drawings for $350, $150 and $50 cash
prizes.
On Sunday, there will be a combined community church service
beginning at 10:30 a.m. on the lawn of St. Peter Lutheran Church.
The Rev. Casey Tygrett, minister of Emden Christian Church, and the
Rev. David Hofer of St. Peter's will give the messages. Attendees
are reminded to bring lawn chairs.
[Text from file received from
Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of
Logan County]
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