Old ledger reveals first money given to start UI here
By Christine Des Garennes
Saturday October 18, 2008
Vanda Bidwell
Antiques dealer Denni Shurts-Hubert bought a ledger that turned out to contain Champaign County records of the first monetary donations to establish what is now the University of Illinois. The book dates from the late 1860s.
URBANA – Just an old book.
At least that's what it looked like at first.
Antiques dealer Denni Shurts-Hubert bought an old Champaign County ledger book from a man who reportedly retrieved it from the garbage after cleaning up a demolition site in downtown Urbana.
She was more intrigued with a "Wanted: Dead or Alive" poster tucked in the back of the book than the ledger itself.
"I threw it up on the counter, and didn't pay too much attention to the book because I was busy," said the Urbana resident, who also owns The Big Red Shed antiques shop in St. Joseph.
Then, during a blizzard a few years ago, she took some time to flip through the pages. She read through various county records that showed payments to build a poorhouse and a bridge.
Later, she came across some pages in the back of the book.
"I was flabbergasted by what I saw," she said.
There, in long, flowing handwriting, were entries detailing the names of people who donated land or money to establish the Illinois Industrial University.
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