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Moultrie County retired teachers gathered on Wednesday, August 6th, at the Moultrie County Historical and Genealogical Society Building in Sullivan. President Vickie Newberry conducted the MCRTA business meeting. During the meeting, Cole Huber, a current Sullivan teacher, made an appearance to thank the MCRTA for the grant he received. He was able to purchase  five new computer keyboards for the new school year. This grant was made possible by our  Monical’s Community Day’s monies. 

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Lois Shuman displayed a Depression glass sandwich server which was probably produced between 1926-1931. Depression glass was often given away at gas stations or grocery stores. A person could “earn” a new piece for her dining room table each week. No one wanted just one plate or saucer; people wanted a full set. This was a  loyalty program that created an incentive to continue buying, and during the Great

Depression this was a very smart marketing idea. Shuman is determined that her granddaughter, “Will inherit this whether she likes it or not!”

Denise Piatt brought several examples of Carnival glass. It was also produced from 1900-1930s, Carnival glass is characterized by its vibrant iridescent colors due to its  hand-sprayed salt solution. Whereas Depression glass was made cheaply and thin in a variety of translucent colors. Carnival glass was more expensive than Depression glass, but was more affordable than Tiffany. For the MCRTA meeting, Piatt decorated the  tables with flowers in Carnival glass vases.

Kathy Bolsen had several vintage cookbooks. A 1934 Hershey’s cookbook only had recipes “from scratch.” An 1850s Lye soap cookbook taught how to make sanitation soaps  and dips for dogs.

Other unique items were Laura Elder’s old school slate board, Janet Cox’s wooden wiffle bat, Denise Dean’s cast-iron bank, Sue Yarnell’s coffee grinder, Vickie Bowers’s grandmother’s lavalier, Cheryl Murphy’s Intaglio one-room schoolhouse print, Linda Casteel’s mechanical toy mice, Elaine Daniel’s German bisque doll, Peg Burger’s 1940s camera, Carol Glazebrook’s early Nancy Drew books, and Ben Guyot’s 1929

State track meet program.

Note: Several MCRTA members have collaborated with the museum’s staff to develop two new educational bins for check-out. One covers Illinois Native Americans, and the other one covers the pioneers. These are excellent informational reads and hands-on manipulatives for classroom and home-school instruction.
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