German Heritage Day Update

German Heritage Day           

         

Come to Altamont the first Saturday in June for German Heritage Day at the Klitzing Heritage City Park.

Developing Altamont’s Future celebrates Altamont’s German roots with a fun day for children, parents, and grandparents. The German love of flowers is shown downtown with the fantastic hanging baskets provided by the Garden Club and the large flowering pots thanks to businesses and the Altamont Chamber of Commerce.

June 1^st festivities begin in Klitzing Heritage Park at 10 a.m. where the Altamont Public Library will present “Tales of the Black Forest”.  A display will tell about the German settlers who came in the 1860’s. They organized five Lutheran churches that continue today.

Starting at 10:30 a.m. children will enjoy old fashioned games played by the German settlers. Leading the games will be the Recreation and Parks Committee. Bratwurst, sauerkraut, wieners, soft drinks, and German desserts will be for sale starting at 11 a.m.  Families can listen to recorded German music during lunch time. Bring a lawn chair and join the fun.

Klitzing Heritage Park is named for one descendent of the early German settlers. In 1873 a school was built on the site of the park. It was replaced in 1904 with a school for first grade through 12^th. That was the Altamont High School until 1954 and Altamont Grade School until 1976.  The three park pavilions symbolize the three railroads that connected the German settlers to the rest of the country.

Two blocks north of the park is the home of Dr. Charles M. Wright, doctor to the German settlers. The house museum will be open from noon to 2 p.m. Admission for tours is $5 for adults and $1 for students.

Then travel east of Altamont on the old National Road or US Route 40 to Ballard Nature Center and walk trails through the timber and prairie found by the German settlers. “Traveling the Prairie” will be presented from 1 to 2 p.m. at the center.  

While in Altamont, select plants at the three garden centers and find treasures in the antique stores. The churches will not be open, but a map will show their locations. Several members of the German families have served in the US Armed Services. Many of them are listed on the Veterans Memorial in Altamont Union Cemetery, located north of the park on Main Street.

The Family Friendly Committee invites all ages to Altamont on June 1^st to celebrate German Heritage Day. Find Developing Altamont’s Future on Facebook or phone Christy Seidel, 217-690-8082.

info submitted by Linda Schmidt

Wolf Creek Antique Mall

Wolf Creek Antique Mall has replaced Savannah's at the corner of Main and Division Streets (3 N. Main). Owned by Brent Vonderheide, the store is open from Tuesday thru Saturday 10 am to 5:30 pm and on Sunday from 11 am to 5:30 pm.  The store features a wide variety of antiques--something for every collector!
For more information, call 217-690-8290.

 
 
 

German Heritage Day

Saturday, June 1 will see Altamont's first German Heritage Day! The day will kick off at 10 am at Klitzing Park. Activities include a display of photos and information about the first German settlers, "old fashioned" games for the kids, brats and German pastries, and of course, German music. Wright's Mansion will be open for tours from noon until 2 and Ballard Nature Center will be open from 1 to 4.

For more info, contact Linda Schmidt, 618-483-6397 or Christy Seidel, 217-690-8082, or find Developing Altamont's Future on Facebook.

The Altamont News Banner, Inc.

The Altamont News has recently moved to it's new home located at 7 Do It Drive. Their new office is also now the home of The St. Elmo Banner. Editor Clyde Barr and General Manager Barbara Barr are joined by a dedicated staff who publish the two papers weekly.

The newspapers have been owned by Greg Hoskins of Better Newspapers, Inc since 1994. In conjunction with the newspaper office, the building houses two printing presses that are currently used to print 15 different newspapers.

Contact info, or to subscribe:
Call 618-483-6176
fax: 618-483-5177
altnewsban@frontiernet.net
Office hours: M-F 8:30 to 4:30
Or find them on Facebook!




Bankers Box Magazine File, White, 12 Pack (Google Affiliate Ad)

Coming Soon!

The Carriage Inn and the Best Western are fond memories for many of us and we were sad to see them disappear.  But I'm excited to see the new Carriage House Event Center, situated at the back of the lot, coming along. Watch here for more details as construction continues!

Save $100 off qualifying flight + hotel vacation packages with code SPRINGME100

Carriage House Weddings

Sharing the newly remodeled building with Promark Advertising, Inc. is Carriage House Weddings. The business is owned by Janet Ramsey.  Janet has wedding decorations for sale or for rent. She will help you design your wedding exactly as you picture it, plus she will deliver, decorate, and clean up afterwards to help make your day perfect. A full service business! She also has decorating items and gifts for sale. Find her at 4 N. Frontage Road on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays from 8 to 5, or by appointment.

Call 217-343-8522
www.carriagehouseweddings.com

Christmas Trees at Doctor Wright's House

This is a press-release sent to me by Linda Schmidt and I am going to share it with everyone:

"Christmas songs add to the holiday spirit of the tenth annual Christmas Trees at Dr. Wright’s House. The Altamont Community Choir is one of the groups and individuals scheduled to share Christmas music during the event. On November 24 & 25 and December 1 & 2 from 1 to 4 p.m. volunteer guides tell about the three generations of the Wright family who lived in the 1889 home. Each of the eighteen rooms is decorated with a tree. Members of the Altamont Chamber of Commerce were invited to provide trees which may feature their business.

“Bone-appetit” is decorated by Heidanes Hidden Timbers, a boarding and grooming facility for dogs and cats, located southeast of Altamont. Every year guests look forward to seeing another creative tree featuring a pet theme decorated by the Heiden family. This year’s unique tree with dog bones is in the upstairs south bedroom. (photo)

“The Nativity Tree” is decorated by Hanson’s Woods. Mike Hanson is the Altamont craftsman who makes nativities and tree ornaments from many types of wood. (photo)

Come to Altamont for a taste of Germany. “German Gingerbread Cookies” made at The Cookie Jar, an Altamont bakery, decorate the tree in the pantry. More of the German Gingerbread Cookies will be for sale along with the Dr. Wright House tree ornaments. (photo)

A & H Implement Co. is again sponsoring “The Joy of Giving Tree” decorated by the Whoo Hoo Sisterhood. After helping Cheryl Hoffmeister decorate the A & H tree for a couple of years, Jolene Arend had the idea of inviting guests to select one “decoration” from the tree. Since 2008 Jolene’s friends continue the giving tree as a memorial to her. Come and see what treasures decorate the tree this year.

Some of the other 18 trees are “God Keeps His Promises” by Open Arms Enrichment Center at the Lutheran Care Center and “Knitted with Love” by the First United Methodist Church. 

During the event raffle tickets will be available for the tree donated by the Midland States Bank. The house museum is located at N. Main Street and West Jackson Avenue in Altamont. The fundraiser will help provide operating expenses for The Wright House Property, Not for Profit. Adult admission is $6 and student admission is $1. For more information about the Dr. Wright House Museum phone 618-483-6397 or see 

www.wrightmansion.org  "