As the State of Illinois cuts back its financial support and hours of operation for parks and historic sites, volunteers and donors are more important than ever. Last week the New Salem Lincoln League, the private group which was established in 1982 to support what has become the state’s most-visited historic site, took a step to provide long-term financial help for projects at New Salem. The League made an initial gift of $125,000 to establish an endowment fund with the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln. The endowment is expected to initially generate $5,000 to $6,000 annually for projects, and the League hopes others will contribute to the fund so it will generate even more. Putting money to work at the Community Foundation is a great way to keep history alive at New Salem. –Fletcher Farrar, editor and publisher
This article appears in Oct 16-22, 2014.
