Another McClure home or two

 This is the McClure house in Southern Illinois. Thomas J. and Caroline McClure, a pioneering couple who married in 1853, turned their 3,000 acres of farmland primarily into a prosperous wheat-growing operation. The couple also managed a store, lumber mill, flour mill, and a blacksmith shop while raising seven children. This red brick beauty features intricate woodwork, stained glass, and patterned shingles.

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And another McClure home... 

THREE VIEWS OF THE THOMAS McCLURE HOUSE AT THE NW CORNER OF PROSPECT AND ELLIOTT STREETS IN KEWANEE, ILLINOIS.

THOMAS McCLURE HAD THE HOUSE BUILT IN 1895. THOMAS McCLURE WAS A FARMER AND REAL ESTATE MAN IN EARLY KEWANEE. McCLURE ALSO BUILT THE FAMOUS KEWANEE OPERA HOUSE AROUND 1898. THE McCLURE FAMILY ALSO HAS A STREET NAMED AFTER THEM IN KEWANEE. THE HOUSE WAS KNOWN AS A "BARBER HOUSE". A BARBER HOUSE WAS A HOUSE DESIGNED BY ARCHITECT GEORGE BARBER OF DEKALB, IL. AT THE TIME. THE PHOTO ON THE TOP SHOWS WHAT THE RESIDENCE PROBABLY LOOKED LIKE WHEN McCLURE OWNED THE HOUSE. THE MIDDLE PHOTO SHOWS HOW MUCH THE HOUSE DETERIORATED BY THE 1980s. BILLY HEBERER ACQUIRED THE HOUSE IN THE MID 1980s. BILLY RENOVATED THE HOUSE AND HAD IT PAINTED THE SALMON COLOR IN PHOTO AT BOTTOM.

JOE WITTMEYER AND HIS FAMILY LIVED IN THIS RESIDENCE FROM 1967-1974.

SHIRLEY SUMBLES ( A KEWANEE HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD MEMBER) AND HER HUSBAND PURCHASED THE HOUSE IN 1991 AND HAVE SINCE HAD THE HOUSE SIDED AND ADDED MORE RENOVATIONS.

PHOTOS FROM SHIRLEY SUMBLES COLLECTION...

Posted 2018

by

Prairie Chicken City 1854-2000 on FaceBook

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And there are more McClure homes featured on FaceBook! It's kind of fun to delve into these historic beauties.

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Today's goddess:

Figurine from Georgia (South Caucasus), c.300-200 BCE: this figurine was found buried in a pit beneath the ruins of an ancient temple; it was decorated with gold jewelry, wrapped in a burial shroud, and then carefully buried in its own special "grave".

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Make the ordinary come alive…the extraordinary will take care of itself.

WILLIAM MARTIN ---------------------- SKIP the following if you're avoiding reading about our mis-government these days. FYI: This is my representative in Congress (GOP of course): Rep. Chuck Edwards’ (NC-11) hometown paper awarded the Republican its 2025 “Nothingburger” Award for putting out self-congratulatory press releases, despite failing to secure meaningful relief for his community after it was devastated by Hurricane Helene. SOURCE: Chop Wood Carry Water newsletter. AND more FYI details from that link above... Western North Carolina pulled into the congressional drive-thru after Hurricane Helene, placed a large order and waited. And waited. And waited.  What Rep. Chuck Edwards finally handed his constituents was an empty paper bag containing a rather large nothingburger — heavy on branding, light on substance and nowhere near the $60 billion recovery order his storm-famished district actually placed.  Sure, Congress served up a whopping $100 billion continuing resolution/disaster relief bill in December 2024 — Edwards claimed authorship — but for some damn reason, the meat of it wasn’t designated for Edwards’ constituents. Estimates put North Carolina’s piece of the pie at between $9 billion and $15 billion. In fast food terms, that’s like asking for a 10-piece McNuggets but only getting one. Days ago on social media, Edwards claimed he was “fighting for Western North Carolina” and bragged about the $6.5 billion he says he’s dished out; not exactly a supersized Big Mac meal with large fry — more like a few stray ketchup packets, leaving people who’ve lost their livelihoods and homes asking, “Where’s the beef?” SOURCE: Not the Asheville citizen times...but "2025 A Look Back: Nothingburger Award"  in The Smoky Mountain News  on Dec. 31.2025 Well done to hide this article on the least read day of the year's news. Sort of like when Congress published the closed door interview with Jack Smith - also Dec. 31, 2025. But wait, this week there is an announcement that Smith might be publicly interviewed by Jim Jordan (GOP).  ------------------- This octagenarian is still learning. My new bread machine made some semblance of a cake...called chocolate sour cream bread. It's about half the height it's supposed to be, and very dense. I think I messed up again. But oh the chocolate parts are delicious, so I'll probably eat it anyway. Fortunately as soon as I get through that, I can make another one, maybe using bread flour. I think I'll throw away the flour that's over 4 years old, perhaps it has something to do with this problem.