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Paul C. Rowan American Legion Post 571

The Paul C. Rowan American Legion Post 571 was chartered March 24, 1920. The post was named in memory and in honor of First Sergeant Paul C. Rowan of Company D, 61st Infantry, who was killed in action in France on October 15, 1918. First Sergeant Rowan was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, our nation’s second highest award for bravery. First Sergeant Rowan was a Hardin County native. Thirty-Six World War I veterans were charter members of the post. The first Post Commander was Donald W. Rowan, Paul C. Rowan’s brother.

The American Legion is the world’s largest veteran’s organization with three million members. Founded in 1919 the Legion’s basic ideals and purposes are:


• Veterans’ Rehabilitation
• Child Welfare
• Americanism
• National Security


Post 571 currently has about 75 dues paying members; Veterans of World War II, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam era, Lebanon/Grenada/ Panama, the Persian Gulf wars and the War on Terrorism. Eleven members of Post 571 have been legion members for 50 or more continuous years. William (Bill) Wallace is the present Post Commander.

Post 571 meets the fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the legion hall at the corner of Hopkinton and fourth streets in Rosiclare. Gene Reed, the Post Adjutant, is available at 618-285-6898 to provide any additional information about Post 511 and the American legion.

 

Cave-In-Rock Improvement Committee

For more information contact: Nancy Gobin 618-289-4513

Cave-In-Rock Lions Club

The Cave-In-Rock Lions Club was incorporated 34 years ago in 1972. Currently there are seventeen members, with four new members joining in 2003.

The Cave-In-Rock Lions Club hosts and participates in numerous worthwhile activities throughout the year which benefit disabled, blind or deaf children and adults. Some of the programs and activities are:

• Obtain eyeglasses for needy adults and children
• Eye and hearing examinations provided free to the public in Lion’s Club traveling eye and sound bus.
• Halloween party for children in Hardin County
• Local talent show for November Telethon benefiting Illinois residents
• Christmas baskets provided for needy in Cave-In-Rock
• Wheelchairs or other medical equipment acquired when needed.

Anyone who would like to be a member and enjoy the feeling of helping are invited to contact one of the member. Dues are $40.00 per year and the club meets the 4th Monday of every month at Duttons Café in Cave-In-Rock at 5:30 p.m. for dinner and meeting.

The District Governor or representative is available to give a talk on Lionism. Just contact one of the officers below.
 

Cave-In-Rock Masonic Lodge

The Cave-In-Rock Masonic lodge # 444, of the Grand Lodge of Illinois, meets the second and fourth Thursday of the month.

Meetings are held at the Cave-In-Rock Lodge, located at 100 Canal Street.

All members welcome


 

Elizabethtown Improvement Committee

For information contact Rose Mary Riley 618-287-7694

Fluorspar Festival Committee

The Hardin County Fluorspar Festival Committee was officially established in 1995 for the continuation and the preservation of the annual Fluorspar Festival; a community event in Rosiclare, Illinois since 1966. The last fluorspar mining company in the area closed in 1995 and a group of local folks wanted the tradition of the festival to carry on. The committee was formed and incorporated as a civic, non-profit organization to sponsor and promote the festival for all to enjoy.

For more information, please call the Rosiclare City Hall weekdays at 618-285-3445 or write the Hardin County Fluorspar Festival Committee, P.O. Box 291, Rosiclare, Illinois 62982.

Hardin County Historical & Genealogical Society

Established in December, 1983
A 501 (c) (3) organization

Purposes
To bring together those people of all ages interested in the history and genealogy of Hardin County;
To discover, collect & preserve any material which may help to establish or illustrate the history of the area & its entire people who contributed in any way in establishing Hardin County.
To provide for the cataloging and preservation of such material & for its accessibility to those who wish to examine or study it;
To stimulate & encourage an interest in the genealogy of our ancestors;
To publish historical & genealogical material covering Hardin county;
To work toward establishing a Hardin County museum and library;
To receive & hold gifts & devises of real & personal estate from any source for the benefit of the society & and dispose of any real estate not needed;
To use solely for the purpose of the society any funds derived there from or from it generally;
To do all things incident to the perpetuation of the society

Meetings are held the first Monday (except July and September) of the month at 7:00 p.m. in the Rose Clare Craft and Antique Mall in Rosiclare.  For more information call Ben Roberts
618-264-6055

Hardin County Main Street

What is Hardin county Main Street?
Hardin County Main Street is a 501(c) 3, not-for-profit Corporation, organized in April of 2000 to serve as an umbrella organization for groups and committees seeking to improve the community and promote economic development in Hardin County, Illinois.

Hardin County Main Street has a governing board of directors but individual committees carry out most activities. Standing committees include the Rural Economic Development Council, Heritage Festival Committee, Rosiclare Improvement Committee, Cave-In-Rock Improvement Committee, and Elizabethtown improvement Committee. Additionally, members of Main Street serve on many regional boards and committees for regional economic development and tourism initiatives. Hardin County Main Street’s approach is to foster partnerships between existing boards and committees where a common vision exists or to facilitate the development of a common vision and shared goals.

Our mission statement:
”The Hardin County Main Street organization is a unified, county effort to restore and revitalize our historical heritage and community pride by capitalizing on our economic assets and promoting our scenic and natural resources."

How was Hardin County Main Street formed?
Various committees of concerned citizens and economic development groups have met over the years in Hardin County. in 1993, local community leaders and residents, the Hardin County Board of Commissioners, the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service and Southeastern Illinois regional planning and development commission formed the Hardin county rural economic Development Council. Through the Forest Service’s Economic Recovery Rrogram, the Economic Development Council wrote the first Hardin County action plan. This action plan is a strategic plan for Hardin County and has been revised annually since 1994.

In 1999 the Economic Development Council felt the county needed a nonprofit development agency. Recognizing the success of the Main Street program at Golconda in adjoining Pope County, the council sought guidance from the Illinois State Main Street program. The state director encouraged and promoted the Hardin County Main Street program as a pilot project for the state as the first county-wide program in the State of Illinois. Similar county-wide approaches had been established in other parts of the country. A steering committee was formed and a public meeting was held in September of 1999 to gage public interest. By November all three municipalities and the County Board passed resolutions of support for Hardin County Main Street.

The three municipalities and County Board seated the first Board of Directors by each board submitting 3 directors. The initial 12-member board organized in January of 2000 and developed articles of incorporation and bylaws. Hardin County Main Street became a legal entity in April of 2000 and completed and submitted the application to the Illinois Main Street program.

After submitting the application, the group learned the state program had changed directors. The new director informed Main Street that it would not be a pilot project for the state, would have to be placed in a pool of other communities wanting Illinois main street recognition, and the Main Street program wouldn’t be appropriate in Hardin County. It was recommended then that Hardin County pursue the CCI program through the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, a program Hardin County had been involved in since 1995. It was also not-so-subtly-hinted by the state that Hardin County Main Street could have potential legal problems continuing to use the “Main Street” name. Despite the setback, Hardin County Main Street decided to await the selection of new programs by Illinois Main Street program.

In February 2001, Hardin County Main Street was not chosen as an Illinois Main Street program. The National Main Street center in Washington, D.C. was contacted and permission was received to continue operating as a “Main Street” community under the National Main Street center. Hardin County Main Street is the only county-wide Main Street program in the State of Illinois.

Since its formation, Hardin County Main Street has continued to develop partnerships with existing organizations and represent Hardin County in regional initiatives.

Funds leveraged since 2000 calendar year county/city contribution total revenue for the year percent increase every $1.00 was leveraged
 

The Main Street approach

”Main Street” is not just a name. It is a methodology for downtown revitalization that has been successful in more than a thousand towns and cities throughout the country.

The Main Street approach to downtown revitalization is based on four points:

design involves improving the downtown’s image by enhancing its physical appearance; not just the appearance of buildings, but also that of streetlights, window displays, parking areas, signs sidewalks, promotional materials and all other elements that convey a visual message about the downtown and what it has to offer.

Educating others about good design
Providing good design advice
Planning Main Street’s development
Motivating others to make changes

Organization means building consensus and cooperation among the groups that play roles in the downtown. many individuals and organizations in the community have a stake in the economic viability of the downtown, including: bankers, property owners, city and county officials, merchants, downtown residents, professionals, chamber of commerce representatives, local industries, civic groups, historical societies, schools, consumers, real estate agents, local media.

Raising money
Managing staff and volunteers
Promoting the program
Managing the finances

Promotion involves marketing the downtown’s unique characteristics to shoppers, investors, new businesses, tourists and others. Effective promotion creates a positive image of the downtown through retail promotional activity, special events and ongoing programs to build positive perceptions of the district.
Understanding the changing market
Identifying downtown assets
Defining Main Street’s market niche
Creating new image campaigns, retail promotions and special events

Economic restructuring means strengthening the existing economic base of the downtown while diversifying it. Economic restructuring activities include helping existing downtown businesses expand, recruiting new businesses to provide a balanced mix, converting unused space into productive property and sharpening the competitiveness of downtown merchants. By strengthening the downtown’s economy, communities are able to support the ongoing use of historic commercial buildings, preserving unique community assets.

Learning about the district’s current economic condition and identifying opportunities for market growth
Strengthening existing businesses and recruiting new ones
Finding new economic uses for traditional Main Street buildings
Developing financial incentives and capital for building rehabilitations and business development
Monitoring the economic performance of the district


Hardin County Main Street has the following four goals. Each goal is represented by various projects in the Hardin County action plan; a strategic plan that has been updated and revised since 1995.

Goal #1: to provide a strong, viable community organization (organization)

Goal #2: to improve the community’s physical quality (design)

Goal #3: to improve the image of the community through marketing (promotion)

Goal #4: to rebuild the community’s economic vitality (economic restructuring)
 

Heritage Festival Committee



The Hardin County Heritage Festival Committee was established in 1999, and operates under the umbrella of Hardin County Main Street, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. The Heritage Festival Committee promotes Tourism in Southern Illinois with good clean family fun at the lowest cost possible, and attempts to teach and promote our heritage to our children.

Meetings are held the first Thursday of the month at 6:00 p.m. in the Hardin County Main Street building in Elizabethtown. For more information call Wesley Donithan 618-287-7090
 

Jammin Clovers 4H Club

For information contact Jan Goolsby 618-287-7261
 

Karbers Ridge Riding Club
For information contact John Price 618-289-3389

River To River Trail Society

The River to River Trail Society is a not for profit corporation dedicated to the Rver to Rver Trail and southern Illinois. Funds for this group are provided only through membership and gifts that benefactors have provided the society.

The River to River Trail starts in Hardin County at Battery Rock on the Ohio River about four miles above Cave-In-Rock. The River to River Rrail follows an east to west description to honor the migration routes of the pioneers.

If you would like to become a member of the society or would like more information on the River to River Rrail, or would like to help on the trail, please contact:

John O’Dell, chairman
1142 Winkleman Road
Harrisburg, IL. 62946 618-252-6789

Rosiclare Improvement Committee

 
For more information please contact:

Kay Talbort 618-285-6837
Rita Mathews 618-285-3676

Rosiclare Masonic Lodge

The Rosiclare Masonic Lodge # 1144, of the Grand Lodge of Illinois, meets the first and third Monday of the month.

Meetings are held at the Old YMCA Building, Main Street, Rosiclare.

All members welcome

Smiley Christmas Club, Inc

The Smiley Christmas Club was formed in fall of 1998.
The original thought was just a few friends getting together for a little cookout. As more people were invited to participate in this cookout there were more ideas of what food was to be prepared. A bar-be-que was then mentioned and from there it took off.

With more than just a few interested the thought for raising money came about, then what to do with it? It was decided to give the money back to the county for those in need at Christmas time and putting smiles on the children's faces. This is how the club's name came about.

Each May and October the Smiley Christmas club sponsors a cookout to raise money for the less fortunate at Christmas, but it doesn’t stop there. We have helped with cancer patients, people burned out of their homes, donations for facilities such as our Golden Circle building and a host of other cases where people needed a little bit more.


We are strictly volunteers and we are a not for profit group. There is no outside help other than donations from citizens and businesses from our area.


For more information about the Smiley Christmas Club. Smiley Christmas Club, PO Box 597, Rosiclare, Il. 62982 or email dhelmers@shawneelink.net.