An early rise to the day as I watch the sun appear through the trees that line to Cracker Barrel parking lot. It looks like it will be a clear and sunshiny day.
We started with breakfast at our host location and were on the road by 7:45am towards Springfield, IL. The sun had disappeared behind a large and grey looking bank of clouds. The forecast was now showing rain moving in our direction from the SouthWest. A quick stop before Springfield for fuel and then onwards.
We had a reservation for 9:30am and we were cutting it close. Our route took us into Springfield past some lesser maintained residences and delivered us downtown. Waze (my preferred choice for GPS routing) let me down and tried to route us down a street that no longer existed. Barb with Google maps to the rescue & we soon were arriving at our destination.
Susan Lawrence commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to build her a home in 1904. At the time it was audacious at 12,500 sqft and included running water & electricity. A first for Springfield. FLW designed the home in his ‘Prairie Style’ that he had been developing in recent years. It is a masterpiece.
The home was used primarily for the hosting of social events comprising of, at times, hundreds of guests. The dining table when fully expanded can seat 40 and guests were entertained by live music played from one of three musical balconies.
Susan Lawrence married and took her husband’s surname of Dana. when he died at a young age shortly after their two infant children had also died, Susan lived in the home with her mother. After her mother had died and the city stopped providing steam as a heating source to residences, Susan moved into an adjacent cottage deciding that installing an alternate source of heat would be too expensive and thus leaving the home empty for two decades.
After Susan passed away and there being no hiers, the city put the house up for sale and auctioned off all of the belongings. We were told that FLW designed dining chairs were listed for sale at 50 cents. Most of Susan’s jewelry and other personal items were purchased; however, luckily for us today, the furniture was not popular and did not sell.
Publisher Charles C. Thomas stepped in and agreed to purchase the home on the condition that all unsold household items be returned to the home. He ran his publishing company from the home for many years before selling the house to the State of Illinois for $1M.
The home is known now as the Dana Thomas house in recognition of the two individuals that owned the home. It is open to the public and tours are free (reservation required).
Being a fan of FLW architecture we just had to stop and take a tour & are both so glad we did, it is an amazing story and wonderful home to witness first-hand. Photography indoors was prohibited but I did snap a few pictures of the outside and purchased a small photo book that showed some of the interior spaces.
Leaving Springfield we provisioned at a WalMart and then head onwards towards our camping spot for the night near Grafton, IL.
The driving was hard today, winds were strong and persistent from the SE often with gusts catching us unawares and causing some swerving in the lane. Our route dropped us down into the Illinois River valley and out of the wind for the last hour or so of our drive. This was welcomed as it allowed us to enjoy the scenery and winding river road.
Arriving at Pere Marquette State Park we pull into our campsite and who do we find but Dave, Liz & Amy! The Milddogs.
They are at the end of their Spring one month tour and we are just beginning ours. We enjoyed a walk together down to the shore of the Illinois River and shared stories and swapped tales well into the evening. Tomorrow we will each head our separate ways, but know that we shall soon meet again and enjoy each others company while reminiscing about that time in Illinois we camped under the trees.
