New displays at Atlanta Museum peek into mysteries of the Masons, Ewing family, World Wars, first road development, Route 66, Abraham Lincoln and more
 

[June 03, 2017]  ATLANTA - On Sunday afternoon, the Atlanta Museum, located on the main drag through town, next door to the Palms Grill, opened its doors for the premier of some new exhibits. Among the new items on display were pieces representing the history of the local Masons organization, World Wars I and II, and a spotlight display honoring Atlanta native and former United States Congressman Tom Ewing.

Atlanta Masonic Lodge 165 AF & AM

The Atlanta museum is located in a building owned by Telelogic Learning Company. The company’s owner Bill Thomas purchased the building from the Atlanta Masonic Lodge 165 AF & AM in 1999. At that time the Masons were still utilizing the building as their lodge, and continued to do so until 2003 when they moved their meeting to the Atlanta-Eminence Community Building.

Though the Masons no longer occupy the two story brick structure, they have left their mark and their history in the community lives on through the building, the remnants of the lodge remaining upstairs, and now the new exhibit at the museum.

Most folks know about the existence of the Masons, but while there is much speculation, there is very little factual history shared about the organization, because they are a very private group. Inside the display at the museum, only a few bits of history are shared, and a note in one display specifically notes that the museum, out of great respect for the Masons, will not dive into the history of the organization in depth.

However, there are some very interesting facts that are sketched out, including a timeline of the history of the local organization, a wall featuring photos of past Grand Masters, and the prize possession – a Magic Lantern Apparatus and stereopticons display.

The village of Atlanta was founded in 1853 and one year later in 1854 the local Masonic Lodge was established. The lodge held meetings in the Parker Building until 1865 when that location was destroyed by fire.

In 1866 the Masons along with the Odd Fellows built the two story building that is now the Atlanta Museum. The building at that time was referred to as Union Hall. The first floor was finished in 1866 and the second floor was completed in 1867.

The magic lantern was used as a part of the ritual services at the lodge. But, when the hall was first built, there was no Magic Lantern available, so murals were painted in the upstairs area where the lodge meetings were held. Over time, the magic lantern replaced the murals, and they were covered over with wallpaper.

Sunday afternoon, Museum Curator Rachel Neisler said that when the building was purchased in 1999, renovations began to turn the upstairs area into office space for Telelogic. When the wallpaper was removed from the large hall, the murals were discovered. The paper was carefully removed, so to preserve as much as possible from the murals. While some are damaged, there are areas in the hall where the murals are clearly visible.

To reach the Mason exhibit area, visitors walk through the large hall which was at one time partitioned into separate spaces for the Masons and the Odd Fellows. Going into a separate room just off the hall, the first item to catch the eye is the Magic Lantern. That one piece on display has a written history accompanying it, explaining how the lantern was used. On another wall is a beautiful exhibit of the stereopticons that would have been used with the lantern.

Neisler pointed out three Masonic aprons on display, noting they were excellent examples of artistry and craftsmanship. She stressed that the fringe work done around the edges of the aprons were finely woven metal. Right now there are three aprons on display, but Neisler said the museum was given a total of eight, and the others will eventually be put on display as well.

New World War 1 and World War II exhibits

With the weekend observance of Memorial Day, it was a fitting time to also introduce new displays from World Wars I and II. Just off the elevator, arriving on the second floor, displays included uniforms worn by Frank D. Hoblit when he served as an officer in the United States Navy from 1941 to 1945. Another display features army uniforms and equipment used by Lt. Vaughn Craft during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.

Tom Ewing exhibit

Tom Ewing was born and raised in the Atlanta area, and there are still members of the Ewing Family in and around Atlanta. He served as a state representative from 1974 to 1991. In 1991 he was elected to United States Congress as a representative of the 15th District of Illinois. He served in that position until his retirement in 2001.

Ewing currently resides in Pontiac, and is working on a number of projects as a private citizen including a number of renewable energy projects. He is also still deeply interested in Illinois history and is a member of a committee in Pontiac working to restore the Strevell House, a property which it is believed may have been one of the last places Abraham Lincoln visited before leaving Illinois for the last time.

All of the items on display at the Atlanta Museum pertaining to Ewing were donated by Ewing himself. In addition, it is reported that he donated some family photos reflecting the history of the Ewing family in the community.

Other items on display

For anyone who has not taken the time to visit the Atlanta Museum, you might consider making the trip. The museum is very well organized, and contains a large number of exhibits in a small space that can be toured completely without investing an entire day.

Coming in the front door, a replica courtroom welcomes guests as well as the bank vault of the Atlanta bank.

Heading back toward the elevator displays and photos show the Atlanta connection to Route 66 and also the Route 66 predecessor, Illinois Route 4. There are some great photos of road construction using draft horses!

On the second floor, the items on display have local connections and offer glimpses into the history of the community, its relationship with Abraham Lincoln, Route 66, and much more.

One wall features a large display of photos donated by community members and spells out the history of the town from local businesses to school graduations and class pictures. There are also photos showing railroad construction in the 1800’s and much, much more.

The Atlanta Museum is located at 112 SW Arch Street, next door to the Palms Café. Museum hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday’s 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

[Nila Smith]