Throwback Thursday: The incorporation of the Boy Scouts of America by an Illinois resident
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On Feb. 8, 1910, Chicago publishing tycoon William D. Boyce incorporated the Boy Scouts of America. Boyce had earned his fortune at the Chicago Ledger, where he employed the first newspaper boys.
Boyce came across scouting while in London in 1909. After getting lost in the London fog, Boyce was aided by a young British Boy Scout. Once the boy had led him to his destination, Boyce offered to tip the boy but the boy refused. The boy stated that he was a Scout and could not accept a tip for Good Turns. Boyce was impressed and set out to learn more about scouting.
Boyce gathered scouting literature from the founder of the British Boy Scouts, Lord Robert Baden-Powell. Baden-Powell decided to develop the British Boy Scouts after being stationed in India with the Army, where he discovered that his troops did not possess basic means of survival outdoors or first aid skills.
Once Boyce returned from London, he set about founding the Boy Scouts of America. 
There were two other groups in the United States that had sought to train boys in scouting. After the Boy Scouts were incorporated, the leaders of those groups joined the leadership of the Boy Scouts of America.
Boyce donated $4,000 to the Boy Scouts of America and partnered with groups like the YMCA to recruit members. The purpose of the Boy Scouts was “to promote, through organization, and cooperation with other agencies, the ability of boys to do things for themselves and others, to train them in Scoutcraft, and to teach them patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred virtues, using the methods which are in common use by Boy Scouts.”
The Boy Scouts of America grew quickly. In 1910 there were 2,000 Boy Scouts and today there are millions.
In 1930, the Boy Scouts of America formally launched Cub Scouting. Over 5,000 boys registered within the first year. Cub Scouts would meet weekly to play games and make crafts in a member’s home. This differed from programs in other countries because of the American focus on activities in the home and neighborhood.
Today there are more than 2.4 million participants in the Boy Scouts of America making it the largest scouting organization in the United States.
Knapheide Manufacturing Company to open new facility in Quincy
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Knapheide Manufacturing Co., a western Illinois-based truck bed and body company, announced recently that it will begin constructing an additional facility in Quincy.
Knapheide already has a 480,000-square-foot facility in Quincy with about 1,200 workers, making the company one of the city’s largest employers. The new facility will occupy 188,000 square feet just south of Quincy and create 250 new jobs in manufacturing, installation and support roles.
Knapheide has been manufacturing transportation technologies since 1848, when Herman Heinrich Knapheide arrived in Quincy from Germany and founded the Knapheide Wagon Company. This company primarily sold wagons to farmers, miners and pioneers traveling west.
As the automobile industry came of age in the United States, Knapheide began to build wagon bodies for trucks, specifically those used on farms. The company has since diversified its production,manufacturing truck beds and bodies used by mechanics, miners, ranchers, tradespeople, construction workers and more.
The company has been based out of western Illinois since its founding. Knapheide Manufacturing Company is currently under its sixth generation of family ownership. The company’s continued and consistent investment in Illinois speaks volumes about the state’s industrious workforce and manufacturing potential.
Did you know: Sara Lee is based in Illinois?
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The famous baked goods company Sara Lee got its start in 1935 when baker and entrepreneur Charles Lubin and his brother-in-law bought a small chain of Chicago neighborhood bakeries called Community Bake Shops. The stores grew in popularity and increased from three to seven.
Seeking more business ventures, Charlie parted ways with his brother-in-law in 1949 and named his chain of bakeries after his 8-year-old, daughter Sara Lee. The company had operations in more than 40 countries and sold its products in over 180.
Sara Lee’s roots remained in Chicago after being bought by Nathan Cummings in 1956, a Canadian-born American and philanthropist. He acquired multiple businesses, one of which was a leading wholesale grocery company in Chicago (Warner & Co.). In 1956, Cummings’s Consolidated Foods Corp. purchased Sara Lee.
Update: Folk artist George Colin’s work on sale
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SALISBURY ─ George Colin was a folk-artist sensation. He left a wonderful legacy and beautiful treasures behind when he passed. His work is full of bright colors, animals, nature and abstracts. His paintings of Illinois farms are infused with Prairie State pride.
In 1990, his paintings were presented to President George Bush by Illinois Governor Jim Thompson. President Bush was so impressed by his work that he sent a letter to Colin expressing his pleasure.
Colin’s art stands as a testament to his creative genius and love of life. His art has found its way into metropolitan galleries and everyday homes. Winnie Colin, his wife of nearly 48 years, told The State Journal-Register on Wednesday that the time has come to sell some of her husband’s works, as well as other items the couple collected during their years together.
Since 2014, many of his paintings, sculptures and other artworks were on display at his gallery on Mill Street in Salisbury. The sale will be held at the same gallery this weekend, giving art lovers a chance to celebrate the life and work of George Colin, a renowned artist and devoted husband.
The art sale is semi-chronologically ordered to document the life of George Colin. There are image previews of some of Colin’s artwork on The State Journal-Register’s website.
\Who: Colin Folk Art
What: The life and work of George Colin
Where: 6111 Mill Street, Salisbury, IL 62677
When: February 4-5
For here more information about Colin Folk Art’s sell.
Click here for original artist post.
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