OHS English Students Take a Walk through the Past

 

By Taylor Rich, OHS Torch Reporter

It was a chilly, foggy October morning for 46 Olympia High School English students to take a step back in time to meet “not so famous” former Bloomington area residents.

On October 5, students in English 101, German 3, and Journalism went to the 21st annual Evergreen Cemetery Walk. The event is sponsored every year by the McLean County Museum of History and the Illinois Voices Theatre.

Even though many characters were portrayed, Dr. Eli Crothers and Dr. Marie Louise Crothers seemed to spark the most crowd interest.

Dr. Eli Crothers explained his involvement with the first malpractice suit in the state of Illinois. Crothers was exonerated with some help from Abraham Lincoln. Marie Louise Crothers began assisting her husband as the earliest resident female physician before pursuing the study of medicine on her own.

Senior Hope Shay said the Crothers couple was one of her favorite performances of the cemetery because of the way they portrayed the scene. “Their acting was awesome. I felt in the moment,” said Shay.

Another crowd favorite was Matilda Calcote, who had worked for several years as a live in maid to the mother of Adlai Stevenson II. She soon left and worked as a ship welder for the U.S. military, a spot painter, and a tank cleaner until she moved back to Bloomington because of the gruesome scenes of her job.

“I liked Matilda because she had an interesting way of telling her story and had a fun personality,” said Taylor Stirsman, OHS senior.

The Evergreen Cemetery Walk is a great opportunity to learn about former, local residents who were influential to the area. Shay said she does recommend the walk to anyone.