Mount Pulaski enjoys the spotlight as an “Our Town” on Friday night

[July 14, 2015]  LINCOLN - On Friday evening residents of the Mount Pulaski community turned out to be a part of the WCIA “Our Town” celebration. The Champaign television station features eight small town communities each summer as part of its “Our Town” series. Throughout last week, short stories about Mount Pulaski were aired on the channel’s news shows. On Friday, the anchors and filming crew spent the evening in town, broadcasting live.

Local businesses and schools, the city of Mount Pulaski, and the Mount Pulaski Courthouse Foundation put together a festival-like event for the broadcast with the Mount Pulaski Courthouse being the focal point in celebration of its 167th birthday.

The evening kicked-off with music by the 108th Street Band. The band is made up of a group of high school aged young men from Mount Pulaski and surrounding areas playing classic rock music.

On Washington Street food vendors lined both sides with offerings coming from the Mount Pulaski High School Volleyball team, Boys Scout Troop 122, Hilltop Catering, and the United Methodist Church.

Free cake and ice cream was served later in the evening sponsored by the Salt Creek Attic, Calm Creek Café, the Mount Pulaski Women in Business club, and Johnson’s Food Center in Mount Pulaski.

At 5:30 p.m. Courthouse site manager Barbara Stroud-Borth offered up some opening words before honoring the many volunteers who have served the courthouse over the years.

The Mount Pulaski Courthouse was erected in the 1800’s and for a time the city served as the second county seat of Logan County, Postville being the first county seat. During that time local law cases were heard in Mount Pulaski via the traveling 8th Judicial Circuit. Among the attorneys who practiced law on that circuit was Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was well known in the community as the most popular of the traveling attorneys.

When the county seat was moved out of Mount Pulaski to Lincoln, the courthouse served other purposes for a time. It has been a school, as well as the city’s post office, to name a couple.

In the 1960’s the courthouse was sold to the state of Illinois for the price of one dollar so that it could be named as a state historic site.

Financial difficulties for the state over the past several years left the courthouse in a lurch as state funding could not be spread far enough to afford keeping the courthouse open, and maintaining the grounds. Because the community knew the importance of the site in the history of Illinois and Logan County, volunteers stepped forward to keep the courthouse open to the public and to maintain the property.

On Friday evening, those volunteers were recognized for their valuable contribution to the courthouse.

Following the recognition, birthday cake with ice cream was served.

Guests were also encouraged to go inside the courthouse, take a tour and sign the guest book. A drawing was then held from the names of those who signed, and a gift basket was given to the winner. The basket consisted of merchandise and gift cards from Mount Pulaski merchants.

One of the highlights of the evening was a community photo taken on the steps of the courthouse. All those present who live in Mount Pulaski were encouraged to be a part of the photo. A large group gathered to represent the city filling the steps and overflowing to the area immediately in front of the courthouse from corner to corner.

Other events that took place throughout the evening included the recitation of the Gettysburg Address by area youth including the Mount Pulaski Grade School’s third grade class, and a cheerleading demonstration by the Mount Pulaski Junior High cheerleaders. Athletic actives included basketball and volleyball on Cooke Street.

Fun activities for kids included Twinkles the Clown making balloon shapes, a bounce house, and sand art crafts.

The local Girl Scout troop offered a dunk tank. Local word carving artist Larry Wilham was on hand with a display of his Lincoln art as well as other items.

Katie Florczyk was also on hand signing copies of her book Super Sassy Spectacles. Florczyk is a Mount Pulaski native and the daughter of well-known auctioneer Mike Maske. The book is based on stories Katie used to make up for her daughter Anna, who at the age of 16 months began wearing prescription glasses. The stories were first made up just for Anna, to help her feel better about herself, and to help her see her eyesight and her glasses as a positive instead of a negative in her life. Later, Katie realized that Anna was not the only child who could benefit from this type of reinforcement, so she penned the book. The Florczyk’s now live in the small community of Breese, located in southwest southern Illinois, where Katie teaches high school English.

The evening then wrapped up with a wonderful concert in the Courthouse gazebo offered by the Mount Pulaski Community Band led by director Harry Hild.

[Nila Smith]