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* Ronald Reagan’s 100th birthday was last weekend. Illinois doesn’t do a whole lot to promote his Illinois ties. We have a tollway named after him. And there are some sites in Tampico and Dixon, plus a Ronald Reagan Trail.
* The Question: Should Illinois do more to promote Reagan’s Illinois roots? And if so, what? If not, why?
…Adding… The Senate began debating a resolution commemorating Reagan today at 10:11 am. Watch or listen here.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 9:41 am
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Since I live in Dixon I can’t really answer this question objectively…I’m surrounded by Reagan. We have the Reagan Boyhood Home you linked to that people come to tour; we have Reagan Trail Days with all kinds of Reagan-tied activities. We are redoing our downtown and renaming it Reagan Way (they put in a Reagan statue there, too). They are putting up a Reagan statue closer to Tampico, as well, and the a Reagan Day dinner is this Friday. I could go on, lol…I think they just renamed the Post Office here after him. I’m a Republican, but I feel like his name gets invoked around here by far too many people in ways that probably wouldn’t please him (spending tons of public money to honor him…I sometimes wonder what he’d think?). Anyway, that’s the view from Dixon–he gets his due here, lol.
Comment by Liandro Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 9:47 am
Illinois should promote Reagan’s ties to the state , however Reagan’s major ties were during his youth. His successes as an adult and as a political figure came after he left Illinois, unlike Lincoln who came to Illinois as an adult and gained his stature on a state and national basis as a citizen and elected official in Illinois. Other than the birthplace and boyhood home of Reagan, Illinois has little to promote.
Comment by WRMNpolitics Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 9:48 am
Reagan, Lincoln and Obama (once retired), should all get the same billing. Illinois is home to three American presidents who were either born here or made an impact here and I think it is appropriate to celebrate them all. I don’t believe though that we should celebrate one more than the others.
Comment by wndycty Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 9:48 am
wndycty, you forgot Grant, who was for a time far more revered than Lincoln.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 9:49 am
Oh, and how can I forget the Reagan Middle School they built?
Comment by Liandro Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 9:49 am
WRMN Agreed. We should take pride that he was born here but his body of work had no more of an effect on Illinois than it did the other 48 states (California excluded).
The question could also be posed should Connecticut do more to promote George W.’s roots?
Comment by anonie Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 9:55 am
He has an aircraft carrier. That should be enough for now.
Comment by JN Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 9:57 am
@Rich I was about to note I might have missed someone, so throw Grant in there too. I do think that with the exception of Lincoln, the other presidents who have strong Illinois ties should all be treated the same.
At this point too much Reagan love or too much Obama love might carry some partisan overtones and be deemed controversial. As someone who is not a Reagan fan I have a hard time stomaching all the attention Reagan gets. I understand the historical significance and the need to pay tribute to him, but it is a turn off.
Comment by wndycty Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 9:58 am
I think it is appropriate to celebrate any President with major connections to Illinois. We are fortuntate to have some of the most notable Presidents in history from our state. I’m not sure what form that promotion should take but we should honor these men.
Comment by Stones Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 10:02 am
What about Reagan’s old college Eureka? They should get more recognition for education the future President of the United States. I do recognize that they’re a private college.
Comment by levois Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 10:04 am
Yes. It is an economic opportunity, pure and simple. There are a lot of Reagan fans out there whose tourist dollars could be recruited to Illinois with a more coordinated campaign - boyhood home, Eureka College. And it would be fairly easy to target - just buy some TV ads on FoxNews in the midwest.
@anonie - answer to your question is No; W doesn’t have the following that Reagan does.
Comment by Robert Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 10:07 am
Along a rocky bluff above the Illinois River, we should create a mini-version of Mt. Rushmore, with the faces of Reagan, Lincoln, Grant, and Obama (with expansion opportunity.) There would probably be private funding available. It would probably been a good tourism promotion for a nearby community.
Comment by Name/Nickname/Anon Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 10:13 am
Eureka does a great job connecting with the Reagan legacy. There’s a student fellowship program, historical markers, and a speakers series that has brought many great Reagan stories and even brought Gorbachev to speak. Pretty good for a small college in Eureka, IL.
Comment by TD Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 10:19 am
Rich Miller made a good point about Grant. It is worth noting that immediately before the Civil War and throughout the conflict, Grant’s family called Galena, Illinois their home. When Grant was elected president in 1868, he was an Illinois resident.
As Rich indicated Grant remained enormously popular in Illinois and the nation for many, many years. Visits to Grant’s Tomb were once as frequent as tourists stopping at the Washington Monument. His presidential tenure did not come under critical scrutiny from scholars until much later.
Comment by Esquire Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 10:20 am
I’m about as much of a cheerleader for Reagan as they get. He’s the first President I voted for and I used to live across the street from his Library out in CA. That said, I’m not sure what else you would do. Sure, there is his boyhood home, but you go there and “here’s the house he lived in” - uhhhh, OK. It’s a house. It doesn’t give off any cosmic rays that brings and instant connection to the man. It’s a house - plain and simple. Personally, I’m just not into “historic” homes just for the sake of history.
I think we are doing fine. If you want to memorialize Reagan, read one of the many fine books about the man and see what he was about. You don’t get the sense of the man by seeing a 2×4 home with drywall.
Comment by Ghost of John Brown Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 10:26 am
Grant’s making a comeback! (Reputation wise, that is).
Of course Illinois should honor/promote Reagan’s ties to the state — he’s a seminal figure not just in American history but the world.
Comment by lake county democrat Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 10:33 am
Absolutely. His was a historic presidency and his formative years were in Illinois.
I think a statue at the Capitol of Grant, Reagan and eventually Obama would be appropriate.
Liandro, do they do anything at the Rock River site where he was a lifeguard? According to Edmund Morris, Reagan’s last cogent expressions of memory were of his lifeguard days on the Rock — not Hollywood, not governor, not president.
As a young reporter, I had the good fortune to be part of the Reagan motorcade on two occasions when he was doing a victory lap at the end of his second term. Once, at the boyhood home in Dixon (that day was colder than today) and a second time at WOC in Davenport, where he started his radio career.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 10:33 am
I agree with wordslinger. Treat each equally
Comment by Palatine Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 10:49 am
Whatever happened to the idea of having an Illinois Mount Rushmore, with Lincoln, Grant, Reagan, and Obama on it? I think it’d be kind of cool, and hilarious to see Southern apologists complain about Lincoln and Grant, liberals complaint about Reagan, and conservatives complain about Obama.
Comment by TJ Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 10:49 am
With all the great Presidents who were born and raised in, or came out of Illinois, our state should focus on what it is about Illinois and its people that for over a hundred and fifty years has been giving rise to men of such vision and decency and patriotism and exceptional orientation to public service. We should be proud to celebrate them as a group and should promote every one of the four presidents with major Illinois ties (Lincoln, Grant, Reagan, Obama) for all it’s worth both historically and economically. They all were/are extraordinary men who with their midwest and Illinois values firmly implanted served their country during extraordinary times.
Comment by Responsa Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 10:49 am
No Presidential Library means not much to promote.
Comment by Highland, IL Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 11:01 am
My opinion is that “everybody” (whether GOP or Dem) must have been dead for a minimum of 100 years before they get “glorified” at the taxpayer’s expense. It is a frivolous waste of time and money. Make the time requirement a blanket rule for everybody (must be deceased for 100 years) and let’s get on with the important things such as plugging holes on the floundering worm-eaten Illinois financial ship of state.
Comment by Beowulf Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 11:06 am
There’s really no shortage of ways to honor Reagan in Illinois. For example, during Reagan Days, we could build a wall and then tear it down. We could put Pershing Missiles on the Wisconsin Border. We could cut down some trees to reduce pollution. We could have ketchup-only vegan meals served in schools.
So yes, I think there are many ways to honor Reagan in Illinois.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 11:08 am
It seems like good low hanging fruit for some junior republican legislator
Comment by shore Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 11:10 am
Some of you may remember that immediately following Reagan’s state funeral in Washington, and before he was laid to rest in California, there was a final recognition and farewell to the other place that was so important to him–his birthplace, Tampico Illinois. As USA today reported:
“His final goodbye came after his death in June 2004. The jet carrying his body from Washington flew low over this town, dipped its wings in farewell and went on to California for his burial.”
Comment by Responsa Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 11:10 am
Actulaly, Wordslinger, they just finished/are finishing a stone tablet story marker to go in Lowell Park where he lifeguarded…I’m not sure if it’s going to be part of a larger tribute there or not. They have the log that he notched in all the lives he saved, etc. somewhere around here, too.
Comment by Liandro Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 11:12 am
There is actually a statue of Grant at the State Capitol Building now, but, in their collective wisdom, the brain trust have positioned it over the heads of visitors attached to the wall underneath the rotunda ceiling. If you had a good set of binoculars, I am sure you could appreciate it. Other statutes of prominent Illinoisans are treated the same way. It is stupid.
I have always been mystified how unfriendly our state capitol is to tourists. In many states, the main state legislature buildings functions as museums as well as the seat of government. In Springfield, you can tour the Capitol, but everything is off limits or tourists cannot look at anything unless they are kept 500 feet away from things lest they bump into their elected representatives.
I have visited county buildings and courthouses that have more to offer tourists than the Illinois Capitol Building.
Comment by Esquire Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 11:13 am
The State of Illinois should honor the Reganomic reality of trickledown economics and choose to fund the National Rodeo Finals. Then the State and its citizens can reap the benefits of an initial $8 million spent in Illinois as well as the trickle down.
Comment by SPI EMPLOYER Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 11:14 am
@Beowulf,
Nice shot at the antique collector, former Governor James R. Thompson. He had things named after him before he even left office. I always felt that Governor Edgar was only to happy to rename the State of Illinois Building in Chicago after Thompson, not so much to honor his predecessor as to insure for all posterity that he was not blamed for approving and constructing this architectural monstrosity.
Comment by Honest Abe Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 11:17 am
Edmund Morris had an essay in the NYT last week about a day in 1992 when Reagan surprised everyone with his wish to visit his birthplace in Tampico.
For those who’ve walked as far and as best as they could with a loved one in the onset of dementia, it’s quite poignant.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/opinion/06morris.html?_r=1&ref=opinion
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 11:18 am
I loved ol double R—but I think he’d chuckle at the sound and fury of what to do for his 100th birthday.He wouldn’t give a darn. Better to devote time/energy to get the economy back on track, would say The Gipper.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 11:18 am
Grant benefitted from the memoir he wrote in his last years. If memory serves, he had lost much in some investments and then, as he was dying of cancer, wrote his memoirs as a means to insure his family would be supported after he died. The memoir was very well received and did, in fact, secure his family financially. Illinois should celebrate and promote these important figures in our history, Reagan certainly included. These 4 gentleman really do represent the best that is America. Illinois should be proud of that. Illinois should make the most of that.
Comment by dupage dan Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 11:19 am
I think it is fitting that the state government doesn’t promote Reagan. After all, he wouldn’t want the state spending money on something like that right?
That said, I think the state should promote him more because it is pretty cool to have a President born and grow up in your state… even if you you hated the guy in the 80s.
We should also do more to promote David Foster Wallace…
Comment by 'Dale to HPark Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 11:20 am
–I loved ol double R—but I think he’d chuckle at the sound and fury of what to do for his 100th birthday.He wouldn’t give a darn.–
Are you kidding? He was an actor through and through — he loved the pomp and ceremony of the office more than any president.
Reagan and FDR are probably the two presidents misrepresented most often by the far ends of the political spectrum (not including Jim Tobin on Lincoln).
That’s probably fitting, as Reagan always bragged about how he voted for FDR four times and modeled his public persona on him. You can check Reagan’s writings on that.
The Washington Post has been doing an excellent job this past week at re-examining Reagan’s legacy. It’s not terribly surprising to anyone who’s done the reading — as Palin, Beck, et. al., certainly have not.
Below are a couple of links, but there’s much more at the Post online for those who car to have their memories jogged.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/04/AR2011020403104.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/04/AR2011020403106.html
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 11:41 am
@ Wordslinger - thank you for the links - and your quote re dementia is definitely a “keeper.”
Comment by persnickety Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 1:22 pm
I don’t expect there’s a lot of Reagan-centric tourism going on. I don’t know that even the biggest Reagan-philes are that odd.
But I would expect there’s a certain niche for presidential tourism generally, not a big one, but a niche. Playing up more than just the Lincoln sites could help draw in a few more midwestern historical tourism road trippers.
Comment by Elmhurst Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 2:00 pm
He was anti-labor and he raised taxes. Sound familiar? IL should celebrate him more now that we have more in common.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 3:07 pm
An Illinois Mt. Rushmore?? First we need a mountain in Illinois to carve into…
Comment by Capitol View Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 3:55 pm
Actually, we already “honor” Ronald Reagan. Many of our politicians think “waste, fraud and abuse” is a line item that can simply be cut to balance any budget. Further, we’re engaged in deficit spending far in excess of historical norms.
Comment by Smitty Irving Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 3:57 pm
==An Illinois Mt. Rushmore?? First we need a mountain in Illinois to carve into…–
Mt. Morris? Mt. Prospect? Vernon Hills? Hillside? Or, my favorite, Lake in the Hills, which doesn’t have much of a lake and no hills that I can see.
Purple mountains majesty everywhere.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 4:04 pm
Speaking of Grant, will they finally take his statue down from that pavilioni in Lincoln Park and move it to Grant Park where it belongs?
Comment by 42nd Ward Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 5:32 pm
===will they finally take his statue down from that pavilioni in Lincoln Park and move it to Grant Park where it belongs? ===
No, because Lincoln is in Grant Park.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 5:33 pm
A standing Lincoln is in the south end of Lincoln Park as well.
Gen. Sheridan, at least, is properly located at Belmont and Sheridan.
Sheridan was a small man who rode a giant stallion. And since he was wounded in the war, tradition holds that his statue’s horse is reared back (unlike Grant’s), in all its glory, so to speak.
Do the SF Giants still do that nasty prank with the orange spray-paint when they take the bus up north from the Westin to Wrigley? The poor guy from the park district who had to lie under there and rub the paint off, with the cars honking and pedestrians gawking…..
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 5:50 pm
Just seems to me that if you name a park after a guy, you might want to put his statue there. If go go to that pavilion, about all you can see is the soles of Grant’s boots and the part of the horse that gets spraypainted.
Comment by 42nd Ward Thursday, Feb 10, 11 @ 5:59 pm