Formation of formal Cherry Mine Disaster Historical Society

“As the recent 100^th anniversary celebration clearly confirmed, there are a great many people from around the country who have an advanced interest in the story of the Cherry Mine Disaster.    

Having had spirited conversations with these interested people for my entire life, I have come more and more to believe that it would be a tremendous idea to form a formal Cherry Mine Disaster historical society.    

The primary reason for forming such a group would be to create a central repository for the recording of family histories/stories, researching family history, and to allow for communications and exchanges between families and other interested parties.    Secondly, the society could act as the driving force for the actions and fund raising it would take to carry out the list of worthwhile projects that many would like to see come true.     A sampling of this list would include:

·         Securing the Cherry Mine Disaster display from Lincoln Library in Springfield and housing/storing it in Cherry

·        Retrieving, hauling, locating mine office building back to Cherry

·        Markers for the current miners who don’t have stones

·        Re-freshing grave markers that are fading

·        Creating a web sites to act as a central database for all bits of family information/pictures and to be a place for families and genealogy folks to research and communicate with other families

·        Re-print Buck book

·        Lobby government and text book companies to add Cherry Mine Disaster references to history text book

                              Securing the Walter Waite home and restoring

                              Securing a sample “company house” and restoring house and yard to original conditions for educational /                        museum viewing purposes.

In order to achieve this goal of establashing a formal historical society, we believe we would need to identify one or two individuals who would have the pasion, tanasity, and time to pull it off.     The first steps would actually revolve around the creation of the formal society, solid membership drive, establishing dues, creating initial web site, identifying and installing initial board members.  

If you or someone you know would like to spearhead this initial effort, would greatly appreciate it if you would contact me.    “

Jack Rooney

President
Capitol Strategies, Inc.

2413 Heather Mill Court

Springfield, IL  62704

   Cell:   217.652.1645

   Fax:   217.546.5952