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Tuesday, February 3, 2009

When Truman Visited Eldorado

It was announced on September 20, 1948 that President Truman would visit the city as a part of his Southern Illinois motor tour.

His visit, on September 30th, caused a great deal of excitement. Businesses were closed and school children were let out to witness this historic occasion. The crowd, estimated at several thousand, gathered on the streets, in the windows and on the rooftops. Judge Harry C. Flanders was the Master of Ceremonies. The high school buglers played “The Star Spangled banner” and Dr John C. Burnett sang “America.”

The Presidential caravan arrived over an hour late and was greeted with a 21-gun salute. Mrs. Truman and their daughter Margaret accompanied the President. After a 5-minute speech the President and his party continued on to Carmi.

Although Mr. Truman was the first president to visit Eldorado, the record shows that two presidential candidates had visited in the past. In 1892, Grover Cleveland was driven down Grand Ave. on his way to the old railroad station and in 1908, Williams Jennings Bryan addressed a crowd from the porch of the Murray Hotel.

The original articles of President Truman’s visit can be found in the Eldorado Daily Journal on September 21, 1948 and September 30, 1948. We’ve given you the basic facts, now you tell us your story… what do you remember about “When Truman visited Eldorado.”

Another President Visits Southern Illinois

On October 3, 1960, then Senator John F. Kennedy visited Harrisburg on a campaign swing through Southern Illinois. Following President Truman’s route, Senator Kennedy made what he claimed was a record breaking 15 speeches in one day. A large crowd was assembled on the courthouse square to meet the Senator’s party, which arrived 2 hours later than expected.

The original articles of President Kennedy’s visit can be found in the Eldorado Daily Journal on October 3rd and 4th, 1960. Were you in that crowd? What do you remember about the visit?

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