Watson, Elmo Scott. Writings on Illinois History, 1921, 1934-1935, 1951

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Collection Overview

Title: Watson, Elmo Scott. Writings on Illinois History, 1921, 1934-1935, 1951

Primary Creator: Watson, Elmo Scott

Extent: 0.2 cubic feet

Subjects: Beaubien, Jean Baptiste, 1787-1863, Black Hawk War, 1832, Burr, Aaron, 1756-1836, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Park (Ill.), Champaign County--Rantoul (Ill.), Chanute Air Force Base (Ill.), Clark, George Rogers, 1752-1818, Cook County--Chicago (Ill.), Courts, Edwards, Ninian, 1775-1833, Farms, Fort Dearborn (Ill.), Fort de Chartres Site (Ill.), Frontier and pioneer life, Fur trade, Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885, Great Fire, Chicago, Ill., 1871, Hardin County--Cave-In-Rock (Ill.), Haymarket Square Riot, Chicago, Ill., 1886, Illinois--Politics and government, Kickapoo, Langlade, Charles, 1728-1800, Legislation, Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865, Lovejoy, Elijah P. (Elijah Parish), 1802-1837, Madison County--Collinsville (Ill.), Matteson, Joel A. (Joel Aldrich), 1808-1873, Menard, Pierre, 1766-1844, Mexican War, 1846-1848, Military, Missouri--St. Louis, Native Americans, Pointe de Sable, Jean Baptiste, 1745?-1818, Pontiac, Ottawa Chief, -1769, Pope, Nathaniel, 1784-1850, Potawatomi, Property, Railroads, Randolph County--Kaskaskia (Ill.), Randolph County--Prairie du Rocher (Ill.), Sangamon County--Springfield (Ill.), United States--Civil War, 1861-1865, Watson, Elmo Scott, 1892-1951, Weather, Wells, William, 1770-1812, Whistler, John, 1756?-1829

Forms of Material: Professional papers

Scope and Contents of the Materials

This collection consists of stories and radio scripts related to Illinois history and Abraham Lincoln, written by journalist and professor Elmo Scott Watson.

Elmo Scott Watson (1892-1951) was a journalist and professor who wrote extensively on the history of Illinois and the American West. From 1918 to 1924, he taught journalism at the University of Illinois. In 1924, he left the University of Illinois to work as a feature editor for the Western Newspaper Union, and in 1945 he went back to full-time teaching at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

The collection contains clippings from "True Stories from Illinois History," a syndicated column that Watson wrote for the Midland Feature Service in 1921, as well as Watson's scripts on topics in Illinois history that aired on WILL-AM from 1934 to 1935. The collection also includes an issue of The Brand Book, 7:7 (July 1951), which was devoted to Watson.

Mrs. James C. Colvin of Urbana, Illinois, donated these materials to the Illinois Historical Survey in 1982. The Newberry Library contains a large collection of Watson's writings on the American West.

Subject/Index Terms

Beaubien, Jean Baptiste, 1787-1863
Black Hawk War, 1832
Burr, Aaron, 1756-1836
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Park (Ill.)
Champaign County--Rantoul (Ill.)
Chanute Air Force Base (Ill.)
Clark, George Rogers, 1752-1818
Cook County--Chicago (Ill.)
Courts
Edwards, Ninian, 1775-1833
Farms
Fort Dearborn (Ill.)
Fort de Chartres Site (Ill.)
Frontier and pioneer life
Fur trade
Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885
Great Fire, Chicago, Ill., 1871
Hardin County--Cave-In-Rock (Ill.)
Haymarket Square Riot, Chicago, Ill., 1886
Illinois--Politics and government
Kickapoo
Langlade, Charles, 1728-1800
Legislation
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
Lovejoy, Elijah P. (Elijah Parish), 1802-1837
Madison County--Collinsville (Ill.)
Matteson, Joel A. (Joel Aldrich), 1808-1873
Menard, Pierre, 1766-1844
Mexican War, 1846-1848
Military
Missouri--St. Louis
Native Americans
Pointe de Sable, Jean Baptiste, 1745?-1818
Pontiac, Ottawa Chief, -1769
Pope, Nathaniel, 1784-1850
Potawatomi
Property
Railroads
Randolph County--Kaskaskia (Ill.)
Randolph County--Prairie du Rocher (Ill.)
Sangamon County--Springfield (Ill.)
United States--Civil War, 1861-1865
Watson, Elmo Scott, 1892-1951
Weather
Wells, William, 1770-1812
Whistler, John, 1756?-1829