An e-mail I got from Chris Wilson. Even though I was always baffled as to why that thing was turned into a lamp...kind of like the lamp in A Christmas Story...I must admit that the intersection that it was plucked from looks like total @ss without it. The one mistake Chris did make was to refer to Barrett as the Village Manager...she obviously meant Interim Village Manager. I hope to God the Purple Hase isn't zany enough to make that a permanent position for Mr. Barrett. That would be quite a legacy to leave behind...almost as bad as the Wark clock. We really do need a qualified VM in this town. Anyway, read...enjoy:

Dear Members and Friends:

Recent articles in local newspapers brought the startling news that the historic horse trough, a beloved Glen Ellyn landmark, would be permanently removed to allow for the display of a new artificial Christmas tree on that location in downtown Glen Ellyn!

The trough was duly removed last week by village staff, who cited a combination of the need for repairs and the inconvenience of the need to remove the cast iron antique once a year for the installation of a newly purchased $8,000.00 tree. The former artificial tree, lit every year by Santa on the day after Thanksgiving, was designed to fit over the historic horse trough so that it could remain in place. That tree may now be used at Five Corners.

The 100-year-old trough was given to the village by William C. Newton, a descendant of one of the earliest pioneer families, in 1907, to provide water for horses and dogs in the downtown. He also contributed the land for the Glen Ellyn fire station, which had been the site of his family's original 1841 homestead.

At the November 1st Citizens for Glen Ellyn Preservation meeting, there was a unanimous vote to oppose the permanent removal of the trough from the downtown intersection, to insist that appropriate repairs be made by a qualified restoration expert and to encourage the village to officially landmark this historic artifact. For the last 100 years, village trustees have protected and maintained this valued gift that has become a symbol for our village. We would like to see the current village board do the same.

Your help at this time is vital. Won't you please do the following:

1. Respond to this email immediately, telling us whether or not you think the horse trough should be repaired and returned to its site in downtown Glen Ellyn.

2. Email the Village Manager at curtb@glenellyn.org or call 630 469-5000 to express your concern about this situation.

More information and links to newspaper articles can be found on our website at www.glenellynpreservation.org.
Thank you for you support,

Chris Wilson
President
Citizens for Glen Ellyn Preservation

Mrs Yoss and I were walking through the GE downtown and noticed the missing trough right away. I'm fairly indifferent to the status of the trough when I consider the GEBD has many other issues that need to be addressed. With that said, I did enjoy the Christmas decorations and decorated shop windows. Got me thinking of my favorite things of the holidays-decorating the house, parties, beige MINI driving by to critique my decorations. I'm thinking of going with LED icicle lights this year, the appropriation request has been sent to the CFO.

If the weather is good, Mrs. Yoss and I will probably head to the GEBD for the tree lighting, then I thought it would be nice to hook up with some of the fellow GEBB posters afterwards. Anybody else up for getting together afterwards?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Yossarian,

I honestly believe that they should use a replica in the downtown. It takes a lot of wear and tear. Besides they can place the original in the soon-to-be-created historic park at five corners which should be the showcase of all things historic (if they are moveable). It will be easier to preserve there too. If they get a good replica (which should be easily possible), we won't even know the difference. It's a symbol of our village, afterall....a SYMBOL.

And I agree with Yoss: The village has bigger issues to manage.

I found this one at Menards. It's resin. If you squint...it sort of looks the same.



Somebody needs to convince me of the wear and tear argument. Other than at holiday time...what is the issue? How is it worn and torn? By it's very existence? Gravity? Why don't they move the tree to Joe Wark's Millennium billboard park? Cover up that piece of shite? That would be a more fitting locale. Oh, yeah. I forgot. We've always put it in the middle of the road...away from the public....near train traffic...blocking your view of oncoming auto traffic. I always forget about that. It's such a perfect location where it is.

quote:

I found this one at Menards. It's resin. If you squint...it sort of looks the same.

I'll bet you 8 out of 10 residents would never know the difference.

My guess is 9 out of 10.

Again - Very Funny!

Yoss - the hubby & I will be doing the holiday walk/tree lighting thing. We'd love to grab a holiday beverage with any GEBBers on hand. THG?

quote:

Originally posted by Danadobry:
Yoss - the hubby & I will be doing the holiday walk/tree lighting thing. We'd love to grab a holiday beverage with any GEBBers on hand. THG?

THG sounds like a plan.

Can someone please email the Preservationists AND the Village Manager AND anyone else who cares to please quit putting energy towards things as idiotic as an antique trough?

Now you know why our downtown is in decay. The preservationist focusing on petty, ridiculous issues such as maintaining some yester-year aesthetic ideals instead of "how can we can keep a storefront in business for more than 18 months?" or "where do our residents actually WANT to shop?". As opposed to, "yee haw, someone move my bird bath".

Hello forest, can you show me where the trees are?

quote:

Originally posted by theTroof:
"where do our residents actually WANT to shop?". As opposed to, "yee haw, someone move my bird bath".

Hello forest, can you show me where the trees are?

I agree...far more important issues need to be addressed. Please read the C. George thread for a discussion on the proper placement of punctuation marks.

quote:

Can someone please email the Preservationists AND the Village Manager AND anyone else who cares to please quit putting energy towards things as idiotic as an antique trough?

The preservationists are an odd lot and I wonder sometimes if they are part of the problem in GE. While it would be nice to retain a small town charm to the GEBD, it seems to conflict with getting viable tenants.

One of the head preservationists is a very good acquaintance of mine. And we disagree about a lot of stuff. Especially when it comes to '50s and '60s split level ranches. And the CBD. We disagree about that, too. He once told me that he had never seen a house that deserved to come down. I really respect his viewpoint, but disagree quite a bit. Not moving ahead equals death in this market.

You have to wonder where the hell they were when they constructed that tick-tock monstrosity on Main Street.

quote:

Originally posted by Clamato:

You have to wonder where the hell they were when they constructed that tick-tock monstrosity on Main Street.

What preserves the past more than a useless time-telling device?

quote:

Originally posted by Clamato:
One of the head preservationists is a very good acquaintance of mine. And we disagree about a lot of stuff. Especially when it comes to '50s and '60s split level ranches. And the CBD. We disagree about that, too. He once told me that he had never seen a house that deserved to come down. I really respect his viewpoint, but disagree quite a bit. Not moving ahead equals death in this market.

You have to wonder where the hell they were when they constructed that tick-tock monstrosity on Main Street.

True. I hear the townies squack about the "McMansions", and I do see a side to not wanting these developers coming in and putting up cookie cutter monstrosities. But, I look at more pragmatically from the point that these folks are willing to invest in our town and pump $$ in through investment and taxes...I'd rather we support that then worry about if their "American Craftsman" is up to snuff for a group of people who helped facilitate the failures of our community.

i could be living in a fog, but i swear the trough that they have just moved is, itself, a replica. here's why i think this:

back in 1967 GE celebrated its "diamond jubilee" (75th anniversary). btw, this was during an era when GE celebrated when it was named glen ellyn (1892), not when the first white settlement was established in 1834 (see previous post regarding the plaque on the rock on st. charles road). i mention this for those of you who partied hard during the sesquicentennial in 1984 and are now wondering how GE had a 75th anniversary only 17 years earlier.

back to the trough: i believe (but am not positive) that the village rolled out and placed this current trough in the middle of crescent and main during the diamond jubilee as a memento from days gone by. furthermore, i believe it was mentioned that this particular trough was not the same one from the early days, rather a symbol of the trough that used to be situated at that site. in fact, if you look at photos of that intersection (found on the south wall at barone's, or at young's or stacy's tavern), i think you'll see that it is indeed a different trough that stood there in the late 1800s.

but again, i could be in a fog about this and am going only on my aging memory. who am i to argue with and/or disbelieve the GE preservationists?

i tell you what, i sure do want to go look at that photo in barone's again.

quote:

Originally posted by Yossarian:

The preservationists are an odd lot and I wonder sometimes if they are part of the problem in GE. While it would be nice to retain a small town charm to the GEBD, it seems to conflict with getting viable tenants.

yoss, old friend, on this day of grammatical correctness i must ask that you please close that extra space between the period and the quote marks at the end of your quote:

"It takes a wise man to learn from his mistakes, but an even wiser man to learn from others. "

it's been driving me nuts for months.

;^p

quote:

Originally posted by t.a. superette:
i could be living in a fog, but i swear the trough that they have just moved is, itself, a replica. here's why i think this:

back in 1967 GE celebrated its "diamond jubilee" (75th anniversary). btw, this was during an era when GE celebrated when it was named glen ellyn (1892), not when the first white settlement was established in 1834 (see previous post regarding the plaque on the rock on st. charles road). i mention this for those of you who partied hard during the sesquicentennial in 1984 and are now wondering how GE had a 75th anniversary only 17 years earlier.

back to the trough: i believe (but am not positive) that the village rolled out and placed this current trough in the middle of crescent and main during the diamond jubilee as a memento from days gone by. furthermore, i believe it was mentioned that this particular trough was not the same one from the early days, rather a symbol of the trough that used to be situated at that site. in fact, if you look at photos of that intersection (found on the south wall at barone's, or at young's or stacy's tavern), i think you'll see that it is indeed a different trough that stood there in the late 1800s.

but again, i could be in a fog about this and am going only on my aging memory. who am i to argue with and/or disbelieve the GE preservationists?

i tell you what, i sure do want to go look at that photo in barone's again.

So the trough is really 40 years-old. Most of the homes in this town that are 1) getting mowed down by the minute and 2) totally devoid of any architectural significance are 40 years old too. Weird....

quote:

Originally posted by ArmchairQuarterback:



So the trough is really 40 years-old. Most of the homes in this town that are 1) getting mowed down by the minute and 2) totally devoid of any architectural significance are 40 years old too. Weird....

no, not 40 years old. i believe that it was donated by the newton family. i just question whether it was ever actually used on crescent and main. for all i know the newtons used it on their own property.

sorry i wasn't clear on that in the earlier post.

quote:

yoss, old friend, on this day of grammatical correctness i must ask that you please close that extra space between the period and the quote marks at the end of your quote:

Fixed that for ya' and used the opportunity to update my avatar.

Hey Clam, I think the lights are going up this weekend, but won't be turned on until Thanksgiving. As before-White lights in front, colored lights in the back. I'm looking for something appropriate for the side yard, I did find this Charlie Brown display and I'm thinking of going with that. I'm curious to see what other folks think, see the link below.

Charlie Brown display