Nauvoo Historical Society

historian@nauvoohistoricalsociety.org
Nauvoo, Illinois

Letter From the President – May, 2008

I'm really looking forward to the Spring Membership meeting to see the Berry's presentation on the Middle East. Looking at 5000-year-old buildings really puts history into perspective when Nauvoo seems to be almost in competition for artifacts that may be 150 years old, who owns them and who knows the "real story". Meanwhile, there are secrets buried in what we will see in the Berry's presentation that are thousands of year old and which we will never know, and yet, do not diminish the value of these places one iota.

Of course, our efforts still have great value. Imagine if at some point in history there were a decision to raze the Pyramids to make room for a theme park or tear down Temple Mount to put up much needed housing or hotels in congested downtown Jerusalem? The Leaning Tower of Pisa should, by all building and safety codes be razed unless the owner could get it to stand up straight. It is our efforts today to take a look at the historical value of things the keeps entire histories from vanishing. The message we get is how fragile the life of a monument in time is, and how a structure as massive as the Pyramids still has no protection from the bulldozer other than the efforts of knowledgeable people.

When you visit the Rheinberger Museum this year, you will see the efforts of chairpersons Iona Siegrist and Mary Elizabeth Scheetz to keep the home and winery of Alois Rheinberger alive, as well as the subsequent history of the home and area, including a special Memorial Day exhibit featuring the uniforms of Nauvoo Veterans and the models of the Burlington Model Club. When you stop by the Weld House Museum, you see the efforts of chairpersons Allen Berry and Larry Dusenberry, along with site manager Dan Moffitt, to complete the exterior restoration begun 2 years ago, as well as the completed upstairs lighting. This history will live as long as our society has the desire and energy to support it. People far into the future will be able to know Nauvoo as they could not know it otherwise.

Our chairperson, Karen Ihrig, and all those history buffs and volunteers who helped her are completing the "Way We Were" walking tour, which will remember not only current buildings but also buildings no longer standing and historic places in Nauvoo. And the City Council has asked us to chair a committee to look into a "Certified Local Government" preservation program as recommended in the 2008 Comprehensive Plan, and we have formed that committee and begun work on protecting our historic districts in a sustainable, realistic way.

If the Weld House or the Rheinberger house stands 500 years from now, know that we all, in spirit, with each of our stories and each of our deeds will stand with it. If they were ever razed, those who did not stand for them or who just stood by and did nothing will bear the same eternal discredit as those who might have turned the Pyramids into a theme park.

Salvatore A. Candido
President: Nauvoo Historical Society

Back to Home Page