The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
On Saturday, October 3, 2009 at Governor's Mansion in Springfield, the Illinois State Historical Society (ISHS) honored the 23 Illinois businesses and not-for-profit organizations that have reached or exceeded 100 years of continuous operation.
The 2009 Centennial Awards recipients were honored at a private reception at the Illinois Executive Mansion from 1-3 p.m.
The celebration featured a chocolate dessert buffet, an open bar, and the presentation of the centennial award plaques.
Musical entertainment was provided by Seraphim, an all-women, a cappella octet, which sang songs popular in the last century.
The following businesses and not-for-profit organizations were recognized for reaching or exceeding a century of service in the state:
The American School, Chicago, 1897
Bold Machine Works, Inc., Decatur, 1887
City Club of Chicago, Chicago, 1903
Edwards County Times Advocate, West Salem, 1900
Elizabeth State Bank, Elizabeth, 1885
Ellis Ace Hardware, Inc., Seneca, 1872
Feirich/Mager/Green/Ryan, Carbondale, 1909
First Clover Leaf Bank, Edwardsville, 1889
Flora Gems, Decatur, 1856
Fulton Corporation (Patent Novelty Company, Inc.), Fulton, 1905
Fulton Journal, Fulton, 1854
Glencoe Public Library, Glencoe, 1909
J.T. Direct, Inc., Chicago, 1902
Louis Glunz Beer, Inc., Chicago, 1888
MorningStar Mission Ministries, Inc., Joliet, 1909
Nack, Richardson, & Nack, Galena, 1896
Nashville Memorial Company, Nashville, 1872
Paris Cleaners, Inc., Springfield, 1909
Prospect Federal Savings Bank, Chicago, 1909
Raritan State Bank, Raritan, 1906
StateÊ Bank of Cherry, Cherry, 1906
Turnbull Funeral Home, Monmouth, 1884
VanderCook College of Music, Chicago, 1909
The Centennial Awards Program, established in 1984, has honored more than 1,200 businesses around the state, from multi-national corporations to mom-and-pop hardware stores.
Award recipients receive a plaque inscribed with the names of the standing Illinois governor and president of the Society, use of the Society's Centennial Awards logo on their business letterhead, a year's membership in the Society, and statewide recognition.
For more information about the Centennial Awards Program, call 217-525-2781. The Centennial Awards application is available on-line at www.historyillinois.org.
Raritan State Bank CEO Robert Schleich (left) and bank president Arthur F. Kane (center) receive a Centennial Awards plaque from Illinois State Historical Society president Mark Sorensen at the Governor's Mansion in Springfield.
-photo by William Furry.
John and Denise Turnbull receive a Centennial Awards plaque from ISHS president Mark Sorensen at the Illinois Governor's Mansion. -photos by William Furry.