Louis Philip Trutter Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

Q. With Lake two, they have no plans for property sites.
A. No, no. Certain areas were designated as parks and certain areas were desipated for
recreation and parks or fishing areas and stuff, and then for clubs. That was a& set out in the
beginning.
Q. Was George Link responsible for establishing thc Priory with the graveyard at the north edge
of the gardens?
A. That was built by the diocese of Springfield. Now how they leased that ground. . .and that
was built originally as a first and second year seminary for would-be priests.
Q. Have they sold it? Somerhing's changed recently,
A. I don't know if it's an old people's horn or, . .I think the diocese still owns it but I think they
had to abandon it because they didn't have enough guys who wanted to be p*sts.
Q. They're having that problem with the nuns too.
A Chuckle. I could maJce a crack on the &st joke that my kids told us. KiY and I were always
looking for a sense of humor which we think is so terribly important in peopld
r
and the kids came
home one night, we were sitting in the kitchen, they'd been out playing and I they were in
seventh or eighth grade and we were having a drink before dinner and the Id said, "Hey, we've
got a couple of jokes for you." We said, 'You have?" They said, "Yeah". &~d we said, "Let's
hear them." And they said, "Well, do you know why they build the walls arwd convents so
high? At that time they had a big brick wall at Ursuline Convent out there. ?hey said, "Why'd
they build them so high?" And we said, " Why'd we build wall around convqnts so high?'And
they said, Well, when they say nun, they mean none." (Chuckle) I don't know whether tbey
knew it or not. So we laughed (laugh). Then we said, OX. what's the othe one?'They said,
"What's the definition of a monastery?" aod we said, 'What's that?" They &'d, "It's a home for
unwed fathers." (Chuckles) So those are the first jokes we ever got out of ur kids.
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Q. Apparently Mrs. Knutsen was responsible for planting certain indiginou trees around the
lake. So that what they took down. they replaced with a certain variety.
i
f
1
A. Yeah, Now when the city came in, they had to clear lots of the lake b there of timber
and so people, timber buyers, would come in and I how that the land we s Id to the city there
was some timber that was below the warn line and they had it all surveyed o you knew where
the water line was and before you sold your stuff for $100 an acre, these g s would come in and
buy the tirnk, especially big stuff. Oak and walnut and things like that
Q. Can you remember what it looked liloe before the lake?