Crawford County Illinois Forest Preserve
History, Donors & Gallery
Without the generous support of
Dr. Gus and Eula Schmidt, none of this would be possible!
History of the Crawford County Forest Preserve
On Friday December 5th 1991 Dr Gus Schmidt appeared before the County Board and presented Crawford County with the gift of 124.5 acres. The property was to be transferred to the county upon their death. If the County Board should decide to sell the property 50% would go to Crawford Memorial Hospital and 50% would go to Lincoln Trail College.
The Schmidts hope was that the property would be used as a recreational or conservation area. The Motion to accept the property was made by Doc Inboden and seconded by Ralph Parrott. All members present voted AYE.
In December 2007 the Building & Grounds committee met with Mrs. Eula Schmidts attorney because Mrs. Schmidt desired to give the property to Crawford County early.
The Crawford County Board gave the Building and grounds permission to form a steering committee to decide what to do with the property. The first steering committee meeting was March 11th 2008 and was made up of several groups in Crawford County.
Members present were:
Lincoln Trail College president Bev Turkal & Paul Stouse, Connor & Connor John Earnest & Shannon Woodard, Leadership Crawford County Phil Goodman, Teresa Postlewaite, Oblong FFA Kerry Travis, Greater Wabash valley planning commission Sarah Mann, Illinois Extension office Barbara Webster, The Crawford County Building & Grounds committee David Fulling, Ron Veenstra & John Sutfin. Robinson Building Trades class instructor, Sherriff Liston, Brandon Kitts and the Boy Scouts.
A tour of the property was scheduled for the Steering Committee on March 26th 2008 and the Rides busses provided transportation for all. After several meetings it was decided to make the property into a forest preserve pending a referendum on the November 2008 ballot.
In June 2008 the Crawford County Board gave Dave Fulling permission to Pursue an OSLAD grant from the State of Illinois, If the grant was awarded the money could be used for projects at the new Forest Preserve and make it more accessible for Crawford County residents. The Grant would be a matching funds grant; however Crawford County could use the value of the land as their half of the matching funds.
After several meetings with the Steering committee several projects were picked and submitted to the OSLAD grant process. Sarah Mann at the Greater Wabash valley planning commission and Barbara Webster at the University of Illinois Extension office both helped finalize the paperwork. It was submitted before the deadline of July 1st 2008.
On September 4th 2008 a public hearing was held at the Crawford County courthouses allowing the public to comment about the forest preserve and lodge complaints against it by local land owners. No complaints were raised and Judge Shaner allowed the question to be placed on the November 2008 ballot.
At the November 4th 2008 election the voters of Crawford County passed the referendum by 54% to keep the 124.5 acres and form a Forest Preserve with it.
On March 30th 2009 Mrs. Eula Schmidt conveyed a quit claim deed to Crawford County with the land previously held in a life estate.
On May 6th 2009 Crawford County was awarded the OSLAD grant of $191,400.00. The projects paid for in this grant are a pre-manufactured bathroom, an aluminum fishing dock, 600 feet of asphalted walk path from the parking lot to the fishing dock. Electric, septic and water a pavilion, 15 picnic tables, 5 grills.
Though the generosity of many Crawford County residents who donated labor and materials we were able to complete the projects in the grant as well as additional projects. The additional projects consist of adding an additional 600 feet of walk path, run wire to a garage that also ran the fountain on the lake, several signs located on the property, a wooden walk bridge.
Gallery
Gallery Pictures by Janice Robinson
Our Generous Donors
Fish Fry Fundraiser June 1st 2013
Bev Turkal, R.J Rains, Jessie Wright, Kathy & Chris Arnold, Ben Sweet, Kim shaffner, Shirley Treadway, Lisa Shook
Diana Harmon. Louis Ulrey, Diane & Charlie Nickum, Jeff Boyd, Becca & Rick Netherly, Nancy McCrackin
Earl Thacker, Kenneth & Wilma Thacker, Gary & Teresa Thacker, Jeanette Berty, Fuzzy & Tadpole
Fish Fry Fundraiser June 1st 2013
Ben Sweet, Jack Murphy, Mark Grimm, Patrick Fulling, Matt Evans, jamie Henry
Vickie Ecton, Mark Grimm, Tony, Shane, Mike
2012 Donors and Volunteers
Lisa & Mark Shook – Butterfly Gardener, Scott Ackman Repair, Monicals Pizza, Barb & Ken Holbaugh,
First Robinson Savings Bank, Gloria Hatch, Louis Ulrey
BBQ Fundraiser
Jeff Shaner, Kent Johnson, Vickie Ecton, Jessie Wright, Shirley Thacker, Diana Harmon, Wanda James, Shirley Treadway,
Christopher Bautista, Jamie Henry, Charlie & Diane Nickum, Jim & Carol Jaeger, Twila & Mark Brayfield, Jeff Boyd & Vickie Mae
Fish Fry Fundraiser – May 12
Jeff Shaner, Mikayala Neese, Doug Graupman, Paul & Shirley Thacker, Marlene Anderson, Michael Garrard, Sheriff Todd Liston
Cindy Grimm, Wanda James, Mikey Walton, Sarah Ruhol, Jessie Wright, Chris Fulling, Don Richart, Dave Fulling, Pam Murphy
Jack Murphy, Tanner Miller, Mindy Evans, Jacob Jones, Aurther & Janie Baker, Lynn McCleave, Twila Walls, Mark Brayfield, Mary Orey Vickie May, Jeff Boyd, Rod Harmon, Jamie Henry, Johnna Hoalt, Darby Dishong, Bailey McMIllen, Dave Brown, Monical Lingle
Bryan Chapman, Bob & Kathy Aldrich Brooke Smith
Marathon Volunteer Work Day – May 5
Jace and Deanna Woodworth, Greg and Amy Rich, Chuck McDonald, Genie White, Kevin Smalley, Jason Musgrave, Kirk Bailey, Kathy Staller, Tim and Sam Rains, Steve Atteberry, Les Midgett, Dave Dix, Mark Stone, Chris Holmes, Jonná Montgomery, Anna Morris, Carolyn Parker, Sherry Horton, Crystal DavisGary, DenckerShawn, and Kristin and Clayton Avery, Brian Wilson, Travis Beltz, Cory Sheets, Don Condrey, Scott Spencer
First Robinson Savings bank cook out fundraiser April 13th
Don Richart, Paul Thacker, Cindy Grimm, Darby Dishong, Valerie Vermilya
Leadership Crawford County fundraiser at Monicals on February 14th
Lynn McCleave, Kevin Bowers, Johanna Hoalt, Doug Graupman
2011 Donors and Volunteers
We want to express our gratitude for the following businesses and volunteers who made the Native American Dance festival a success.
Without them it would not have been possible:
Donors
AFSCME Union donation
Silverthorne Chevrolet
First Robinson Savings Bank
Marathon Petroleum LP
Robinson Chamber of Commerce
Robinson IGA
First National Bank
Casey State Bank
Crawford Memorial Hospital
Rides Mass Transit
Anonymous Benefactor
Kemper CPA Group LLC
Larry Waldrop
Dave Stephens
Monicals Pizza of Robinson
Best Western Hotel
WTYE & WTAY
Steve Fulling Farms
Mark & Lisa Shook
Tim Mullens
Shook Wrecker Service
Bill Lewis Bulldozing
Volunteers
Kevin Bowers and LTC Baseball Team
Mark Grimm
Alisa Woodard
Wanda James
Kathy Arnold
Twila Walls
Shirley Thacker
Boy Scout Troup #901
Mindy Fulling
Lynn McCleave
Sarah Ruholl
Jamie Henry
Brian Garrard
Kyrann Callahan
Shelby Bruner
Doug Graupman
Al Kargle
Daniel Cox
Dave Brown
Jack Murphy
DeAnna Chrysler
Zeb Chrysler
Rod Harmon
Jeff Shaner
Diane Nickum
Charlie Nickum
Terryl Postlewaite
Leonard Sissil
Rick, Beth, Becca Nethery
Katie Turkel
Dorothy Hollingsworth
Ron Green
Chris Rich
Valerie Vermilya
Matt Evans
Crawford County Sheriffs Auxiliary
The following people helped raise money on
June 25, 2011 BBQ and on May 14, 2011 Fish fundraiser
to pay for Native American Dance festival:
Jeff Boyd & Vickie Mae
Jessie Wright
Dave Brown
Jeff Shaner
Mindy Fulling
Glenda Fulling
Chris Fulling
Charlie & Diane Nickame
Mikayla Neese
Shirley Thacker
Zeb Chrysler
Jeff Boyd
Twila Walls
Jeff Shaner
Jack Murphy
Jim & Carol Jaeger
RHS Student Volunteers
Brenda McMillen
Nekya Waldrop
Gage Daugherty
Cassidy Sowle
Brendon Thompson
Mikayla Neese
Heather Murphy
Kelsey Dirks
Caityn Hodson
Bridgette Ludwig
Regions bank Community cleanup day @ Forest Preserve:
Glenda Fulling, Michael Garrard, Rebecca Stephens, Tonya Smith, Rita Rich and grandson Bryer Kitts, Scott Phegley and son George, Doug Heidorn, Sammy and Logan Mehler.
Character Counts Cleanup Day, Oblong Junior High School 7th & 8th graders.
Roger Zerkle % Zerkle Diversified Enterprise – Use of Equipment cut logs
2010 Donors and Volunteers
The following people / businesses donated either time, material or use of equipment. It is because of them we came in under budget and had enough money to finish additional projects:
Larry Waldrop – Equipment, Advice, time & materials
James Wolfe Owner JB Waste – Made parking lot at cost.
Paul & Shirley Thacker – Tractor, donated equipment, fuel, truck & hundreds of hour’s labor with a positive attitude – thank you!!
Ambraw Asphalt – Donated use of equipment, labor and discounted services
Murray Concrete – Use of equipment & labor.
R & L Concrete – Materials, use of equipment
Connor & Connor – Discounted services.
Lincoln Trail College welding program – Made grills as class project.
Chris Thurman trenching – Reduced rate.
Crawford County title – Reduced rate.
Stan Poole – Donated material.
Ectons true value – Donated use of rental equipment.
David Richart – Donated material and labor.
Paul Postlewaite – Use of equipment.
Curt Armstrong – Donation of farm equipment.
Matt Evans – Donated labor and built the web site.
Lewis Bulldozing – Donated use of equipment, service and labor.
Zach Hays – Eagle Scout project, built wooden walk bridge.
Andrew Scott – Eagle Scout project, built 15 picnic tables.
Mike Emmerich – Adult supervision on picnic table project.
Bev Turkal – Presentations before referendum vote. Behind the scenes planning and preparations.
Barbara Webster – Presentations before referendum vote. Advice on grants.
Mark & Lisa Shook – Donated labor & materials for butterfly garden.
Pamela Murphy – Donated labor & material flower garden. Planning & prep
Jack Murphy – Labor
Shirley Treadway – Donation to put Forest Preserve on county web page.
Martha Obst – Donate picnic table in memory of Tom Obst.
Jerry Waldrop – Labor
Judy Hyre – Labor
Lenae Mrohs – Labor
Glen Donaldson – Labor
Dave Brown – Labor.
Chase Runyon – Labor
Brandon Kitts – Labor
Kelly Kitts – Labor
Bryor Kitts – Labor
Greg Parrott – Labor
Michelle Garrard – Labor
Mindy Fulling – Labor
Chris Fulling – Labo
Gary Barksdale – Labor
Larry McCammon – Donated Labor
Dino Carter – Labor
Janice Robinson – Labor
Sheriff LIston – Labor
Beth & Rick Netherly – Donated labor
Wabash Valley FS – Donated Use of equipment
Crawford County Computers – Labor
Jerry Ping Trucking – Donated Use of equipment
Russell Snyder – Labor
Glenda Fulling – Labor, support and many hours of patience.
Charles Nickum – Labor
Joe Bliss – Donation
Steve Turpin – Reduced rate on services
Bob Crocker – Reduced rate on services
Everett & Betty McCormick – Many hours of labor.
Meiszner Landscaping & Design – Donated Material
The Current and past Crawford County Building and Grounds committee including:
Ron Veenstra, John Sutfin,
Sheriff Liston and Ron Williamson.
Leadership Crawford County – Fund raiser for extended walk paths.
Planning & logistics for future projects. Headed up by Michael Garrard.
The Crawford County Volunteer Oversight Committee for many hours of preparation and planning.
Special thanks to Don Richart who helped me keep my focus and hundreds of hours labor helping on any and all projects in the rain and cold anytime I needed help.
Thank You Crawford County!
David Fulling
