Vespasian Warner Blog Page!

The term "bound out" historically described the practice of placing children with another family to serve as indentured servants or apprentices. In return for food, shelter, and a basic education, the child would learn a trade to become a productive member of society. Children in DeWitt County were "bound out", but where did they end up? With a little digging, Terri shares some of their stories in this week's blog.

In this final blog about the Soldiers' Plot at Woodlawn Cemetery in Clinton, IL, Terri highlights four notorious soldiers.

There are 80 gravesites in the Soldiers’ Plot at Woodlawn Cemetery, did they all die in battle?

From pharmacists to musicians, unearth the occupations of soldiers buried in the Soldiers' Plot at Woodlawn Cemetery.

Discover the rich local history and evolution of the Soldiers' Plot monuments at Woodlawn Cemetery.

Uncover the captivating local history behind The Soldiers' Plot at Woodlawn Cemetery, featuring the legacy of George W. Gideon.

This is the account of Evan Richards' voyage from DeWitt County to the Civil War and ultimately to his burial site in the Soldiers' Plot.

A belated happy Juneteenth and July 4th, everyone. This blog comes later than I’d like, but it was important to me that I do my homework on today’s topic. Emancipation and Abolitionism are huge topics and I wanted to be sure I could touch on as many of the different personalities, groups, and historical currents that drove the Union to not just reunify the country, but towards “a new birth of freedom.”

In today’s history blog, we begin tracing the path of the Civil War as the library’s namesake, Vespasian Warner, would have experienced it.