Landrum, Carl (1916-2003) | University of Illinois Archives

Carl Landrum (1916-2003) was born in Quincy, IL. He graduated from Quincy College. After serving in the military; working as a musician; and teaching in Ursa and Lewistown, MO; Landrum returned to Quincy and became the band and orchestra director at Quincy Notre Dame school. In 1948, he founded the Quincy Park Band. Landrum became interested in history through his participation Quincy's Civil War centenntial celebration in 1965. He soon started writing a local history column called, "From Quincy's Past," in the Quincy Herald-Whig. A year later, he published his first book, titled Quincy and the Civil War.

Landrum continued directing the Quincy Park Band until 1993. In addition, he wrote ten more books on local history, including his last book on the musical life of Quincy, published posthumously by his wife, Shirley Landrum, in 2010.