Compiled by Charles H Toothe and read at the Spring meeting of
Illinois State Button Society, held at Galesburg, Illinois on April
30, 1961.
April 23, 1941
became an outstanding date for Illinois button collectors. The first
meeting was arranged through the efforts of Mrs. Opal Vogt and was
held in the Recreation Room of the Howe Bakery here in Galesburg,
Illinois. Nearly 100 were present from Galesburg, Kankakee, Cuba,
Pecatonica, Chandlerville, Freeport, Abingdon, Dwight, Prairie City,
Knoxville, Wataga and Springfield, Illinois; Burlington, Iowa: Orange,
New Jersey and Alamo, Texas. Mrs. Opal Vogt of Galesburg was elected
President, Mrs. Maude Taylor of Kankakee, Vice President, Mrs. Mabelle
Killius of Springfield, Secretary and Mrs. Helen Ryan of Freeport,
Treasurer. Dues were set at $.50. Mrs. Edna Crotty of Rockford,
Illinois was National President at the time. Mrs. Rosa Kidder of
Galesburg, from whom the Kidder Button Club is named, and who was
probably the oldest button collector in this area, had a large display
of her buttons. Mrs. Vogt and Mrs. C.A. Barton also exhibited. A
Constitution and By-Laws were adopted.
April 26, 1942
The second meeting was held in the Recreation Room of the Howe Bakery
in Galesburg, Illinois with about 125 in attendance. Members were
present from Chicago, Orangeville, Kent, Freeport, Dwight, Kankakee,
Springfield, Plan, Mansfield, Moline, Champaign, Peoria, Monmouth,
Prairie City, Knoxville, Geneseo, Abingdon, Chenoa, Decatur and
Galesburg, IL; Burlington, Iowa and St. Louis, Missouri. A large
number of trays were exhibited with many members winning first, second
or third ribbons. Mrs. Vogt of Galesburg was re-elected President,
Mrs. W. H. Craig of Chicago was elected Vice President and Mrs. Rosa
Kidder of Galesburg, Secretary/Treasurer.
1943-1947
Most of the records during these years have become lost. During this
time Mrs. Edna Walton of Freeport and Mr. Hawley Crow of Kent served
as Presidents and a good many of the State meetings were held in
Freeport and Rockford. Dues were raised to $1.00.
1947-1948
Mr. Hawley Crow of Kent was President and Mrs. Edna Walton of
Freeport was Secretary/Treasurer. Meetings were held in Reed’s Park
in Freeport and the Y.M.C.A Lodge in Rockford Illinois. Large number
of members was present at these meetings and all enjoyed a picnic
dinner along with the business meeting and button exhibits.
1948 Following
the National Button Show, several members got together and decided to
re-organize the State Society. Membership had dropped very low, no
Bulletins were being published and few State meetings held. Mrs.
Hazel Carlberg was chosen President, Mrs. Rosa Kidder,
Secretary/Treasurer and Mrs. Caroline Toothe, Editor of the Bulletin,
all to serve until the next annual meeting when elections could be
held.
May 15, 1949 Spring meeting was
held in a building at the Galesburg Branch of the University of
Illinois. Over 330 trays of buttons were on display. At that time,
Mrs. Hazel Carlberg, President, Miss Vera Corbin, Vice President and
Mrs. Rosa Kidder, Secretary/Treasurer were serving as temporary
officers.
September 25, 1949 Annual meeting was held
in the Hotel Custer Ballroom at Galesburg, Illinois with 500 trays on
exhibit. Mrs. Hazel Carlberg was elected President, Mrs. Roswell
Johnson, Vice President, Mrs. Rosa Kidder, Secretary/Treasurer
and Mrs. Caroline Toothe, Editor of the Bulletin, The Illinois
State Button Round-Up.
May 21, 1950 Meeting was held in the
Y.M.C.A. Lodge at Rockford, Illinois. The same officers carried
over. A large number from Wisconsin swelled the attendance. Also,
present were five National Officers, Mrs. Hortense Scales, National
President, Mr. Paul Pierce, National Treasurer, Mrs. Caroline Toothe,
National Director, Mr. Victor Flint, National Show Chairman and Mr.
Hawley Crow, National Chairman of Judges. Never before or since have
we had such a large group of National Officers present.
May 6, 1951 Meeting held in
Morrison, Illinois, with Mr. Earl C. McLennan as Promoter and Host for
the show. The meeting space was provided by Mr. Harry L. Shawver,
Publisher of the Whiteside County News. There are being no local club
in Morrison, Mr. McLennan took over the duties of host. The Kidder
Button Club attended by chartered bus. Records show 207 members for
1951. There was no fall show so officers carried over.
May 25, 1952
Meeting held in Freeport, Illinois at the Machinist Hall with Mr.
Hawley Crow as General Chairman. Mrs. Hazel Carlberg was re-elected
President, Mrs. Roy Wagner of Orangeville, elected Vice President and
Mrs. Rosa Kidder re-elected Secretary/Treasurer for 1953.
Sept 27, 1953 Annual Meeting was held
in the Hotel Custer Ballroom in Galesburg, Illinois. Mrs. Rosa Kidder
had passed away March 8, 1953 and Mrs. L. Carl Marlow had been
appointed to fill the unexpired term. Mrs. Carlberg presided at the
meeting. Mrs. Lavonna Torley was elected President, Mrs. Roy Wagner
of Orangeville, Vice President and Mrs. Marlow, Secretary/Treasurer
for 1954. Mrs. Charles Toothe was National President at this time,
which office she for two years.
June 13, 1954 State picnic was held
at the home of Mr. Hawley Crow of Kent, Illinois. Large number of
collectors were present from both Illinois and Wisconsin. During the
year Mrs. Marlow of Galesburg had resigned as Secretary/Treasurer and
Mrs. John Walter of Galesburg had been appointed to that office. No
business meeting was held, so officers were held over another year.
Membership at the end of the year was 192.
May 15, 1955 Plans were made to
hold the annual meeting at the Senate Hotel in Freeport, Illinois but,
were cancelled on account of the death of Mr. Hawley Crow. So all
officers were carried for another year.
May 20, 1956 Annual Meeting was held
at the Senate Hotel in Freeport, Illinois. Mrs. Torley, Mrs. Wagner
and Mrs. Walter were again elected for the following year.
May 5, 1957 Custer Hotel in
Galesburg, Illinois was the location for the Annual State Meeting. All
officers were carried over for the next year.
May 18, 1958 Annual Meeting was
held in the Emerson Hotel at Mt. Vernon, Illinois Mrs. Torley,
President presided. Prior to the meeting, Mrs. Walter had resigned and
Mr. C.H. Toothe of Knoxville, Illinois had been appointed
Secretary/Treasurer. Those elected at this meeting to serve in 1959
were Mrs. Mary Ulrich, Mt. Vernon, Illinois - President,
Mrs. Lois, Calkins, Palos Park, Illinois - Vice President and Mr.
C.H.Toothe, Knoxville, Illinois - Secretary/Treasurer.
April 25, 1959 Annual meeting was
held in the Morrison Hotel in Chicago, Illinois under the sponsorship
of the Chicago Area Club. There was a large attendance of both
members and friends. The same officers were re-elected to serve in
1960.
May 1, 1960 Mattoon, Illinois was
the host city for the Annual meeting, sponsored by the Eastern
Illinois Button Club. Mrs. Mary Ulrich, President, presided. During
the proceeding years a number of changes and amendments had been made
to the By-Laws. The records on of them are available and finally in
1960, a complete revision of the Constitution and By-Laws was acted
upon and all articles as submitted to the membership previously, were
approved. Before the end of the year the President, Mrs. Ulrich, move
to California and Mrs. Lois Calkins, Vice President, assumed the
duties of President. At this meeting, Mrs. Mary Seymour of
Charleston, Illinois - President, Mrs. Lois Stearns of Berwyn,
Illinois - Vice President and C. H. Toothe, Knoxville, Illinois -
Secretary-Treasurer were elected for the following year.
April 30, 1961 Annual meeting is
being held in the Galesburg Woman’s Club Building at Galesburg,
Illinois with Mrs. Mary Seymour, President, presiding. This the 20th
Anniversary meeting of the Illinois State Button Society. Many of
those who helped to bring the organization into being have passed on
to their rewards. Several members who were present at that first
meeting are here today. To them it seems a very short space of time
in looking back to April 23, 1941.
We have a good solid organization
function now. Since 1949, four Bulletins have been issued each year,
each consisting of 48 pages and the National Button Society as well as
the various States.
Societies recognize it as an
outstanding bulletin for the Button Hobby. Many of the articles in
the ROUND-UP have been reprinted in the NATIONAL BUTTON BULLETIN, JUST
BUTTONS magazine and other State Bulletins. Mrs. Toothe is to be
complimented for this publication for her untiring efforts to promote
the good of the Society. She is now serving as Editor for the 13th
year.
We are mindful of the parts that many
people have played in the Illinois State Button Society during the
past 20 years. A big vote of thanks is due those who have served as
its officers, those have attended the shows and meetings, those who
have provided the button for competition and exhibition, those who
have donated in order to keep the Society financially sound and those
who have written articles for the Bulletin, and to every member who by
just being one of us, has contributed to the support of the
organization, The Illinois State Button Society was always been of a
high standard. We not only have pleasure collecting buttons but we do
it in such a way as to command the respect of all collectors and
non-collectors alike.
In closing, may we ask “What will we
accomplish in the 20 years?” It really depends on each on of us.
(These records were compiled from
State records, from State Bulletins and newspaper clippings from the
Scrap Book of Mrs. Grace Cheek).
History of Illinois State Button
Society to be continued………………………………………
The first twenty years of the history
of this society from April 23, 1941 to April 30th, 1961 was reported
by Mr. Charles Toothe in the July-August-September issue of the
Illinois State Button Round-Up ,1961.
At the 1971 Annual meeting, a report
on the next ten years was given, but was never printed in the
bulletin.
As I have not received sufficient
material to fill up the pages of this bulletin, I will proceed to
continue this history.
1961
The officers for the year 1961 were Mary Seymour, President, Lois
Stearns, Vice President, Charles Toothe, Secretary/Treasurer and Mrs.
Caroline Toothe, Editor.
May 20, 1962 Annual meeting and
show was held at the Emmerson Hotel in Mt. Vernon, Illinois with the
King City Button Club as hosts. There had been a sale on Stephen
Douglas buttons and a report on them was given by President Mary
Seymour. Lois Stearns, Lois Stearns, Vice President, Charles Toothe,
Secretary/Treasurer and Caroline Toothe , Editor. There were 118
adults and 10 Juniors members listed for that year.
May 25, 1963
Annual
meeting and show was held at the Burgess-Osborne Auditorium in
Mattoon, Illinois with the Eastern Illinois Club as hosts. It was
agreed at this meeting to have sheets of Religious Symbol cards
printed which had compiled by Dora George. Since that time, there
have been two more printings of these sets of cards. Officers Lois
Stearns, President, Florence Bubser, Vice President, Charles Toothe,
Secretary/Treasurer and Caroline Toothe, Editor. 140 Adult and 6
Juniors members listed for the year.
May 9, 1964 Annual meeting and
show was held at the Morrison Hotel in Chicago, Illinois wresident and
Charles Toothe Secreatary/Treasurer
