Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-12-03
ILLINOIS CELEBRATES
HER TOOTH BIRTHDAY
ALL THROUGH STATE

SprlISHbIu, DtC. . iiHRpl' % -
actly 100 years old today. On Dec. ),
1918, Congress formally accepted the
new state constitution and state gov
eminent of the territory of Illinois and
admitted the territory into the Union
as the twenty-ii9st state
The event was observed in Spring
field and throughout the state Here
a celebration was held under the Joint
auspices of the Illinois Centenaia.
Commission and the Illinois State His
torical Society. The celebration began
at 4 o'clock in the afternoon with a
two hours public reception at the eA
ecutive mansion given by Governor
and Mrs. Frank o. Lowden.
In the evening at O'Clock there viii
be public mass meeting in the hail
OF representatives at the state hose.
at which Governor Lowden will pre-
side The principal speaker will be
John Fl. Finley, commissioner OF edu-
cation of New York, formerly rresi-
dent OF the College Of the City Of New
York and one of the best known edu,
Gators in the United States. He will
discuss the trend Of democracy in the
middle west Having been born and
reared in Illinois and having writer
extensively on the history of the mid
die west, he is an authority on this
subject. There will also be short ad
dresses by Lieutenant Governor John
c. Oglesby, Speaker David +. Shana
han of the house of representatives
and one Of the justices of the Supreme
Court musical program consisting
Of centennia. and national music Is
also being arranged.
Governor I.Cwden issued a procla
NATION recently calling for the OBJ
servance Of the day. He urged that
the occasion be used as an opporun-
ity Of looking forward in preparation
for the new century. In schools
throughout the state and in commun
ity obseryances this feature of the
centennial was pronounced
The celebration today closes the OBJ
seryance Of centennial year which be
gan on Dec, Of last year as the state
entered upon its one hundredth ami
yerSary The events Of the year in
ohlded the observance Of Abraham
Lincoln's birthday on Feb ~ tn
adoption of the enabling act By Con
gress, permitting Illinois to form &
state government on April is, the ont
hundred and fOrteth anniversary o
the capture Of Kaskaskia from I'll,
Eng ish by George Rogers Clark, and
the honCring of the first state capita
at Chester and Kaskaskia en- July 4
the adoption Of the first constitution
of the state on Aug 26, the celebra
ton at Van1ala, the second capita
OF the state, on Sept "a, and the in
auguration of he first governor an,
the meeting Of the first general as
sembly on Oct ;.
All Of these celebrations with tn
exception Of the one at Chester an
Kaskasla and at Nandala were he,
IN Springfield under the auspices &
the Illinois Centennial Commits on
The commission has also prepare,
a monumental, and historical pubici
ton comprised OF six large volume
covering IN detail the historg Of III
nots This wa. edited by Clarenc
"&lworth Alyord Of The University c
Illinois and Che arious books wer
written by University Of l.nois pr,
tassors
Another feature of the centonn;
was the erection pf a $4,000 statue {
Abraham Lincoln at the elst ontranc
o. the state capitol aud and a S25.m
statue OF Stephen A. Douglas in th
northeast corner Of the capitC
grounds, These tatues were paid Il
by the state and erected under IL
direction Of the state art commissio
More than Thousand loca, celebr
tions have been held IN the varlol
counties Of Illinois during the year q
the result Of the centennial commi
sion's work.
9.