Sucker State Preservation Foundation

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Sucker State Preservation Foundation

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The Sucker State Preservation Foundation advocates patriotism and civic responsibility through historic education, research, and outreach, and promotes the preservation, conservation, and stewardship of our Illinois veterans and their resting places. Mission Statement:

The Sucker State Preservation Foundation advocates patriotism and civic responsibility through historic education, research, and

outreach, and promotes the preservation, conservation, and stewardship of our Illinois veteran’s and their final resting places. Vision:

1) Using prescribed preservation procedures, practices, and techniques and by living the preservation ethos of “Do No Harm”, Sucker State Preservation Foundation dedicates itself to documenting, cleaning, restoring, resetting, stabilizing, and replacing government-furnished / government-owned military headstones and markers set in burial grounds, graveyards, memorial parks, and municipal cemeteries throughout Illinois, thus leaving no veteran behind.

2) Through a teach and train mentality, Sucker State Preservation Foundation endeavors to garner volunteer-based community support and build teams of like-minded historians capable of preserving government-furnished / government-owned military headstones and markers.

3) Employing historic research with a genealogical approach, Sucker State Preservation Foundation strives to document and interpret the stories of our Illinois veterans. Through historic interpretation and partnership with museums, historic sites, and historic societies, Sucker State Preservation Foundation aims to keep alive the stories of our Illinois military veterans.

08/24/2026

Preserving the Stories at Rock Creek Cemetery:

On September 27, 2026, we’ll be spending the day at historic Rock Creek Cemetery in Tallula, Illinois, carefully cleaning and preserving the headstones of veterans who helped shape our nation’s history.

Among them is Corporal William Franklin Berry, who served in Abraham Lincoln’s Company, 4th Regiment, Whiteside’s Brigade, during the Black Hawk War of 1832. Berry’s service is particularly significant because of his direct connection to Abraham Lincoln, who served as captain of the company.

His weathered marble marker, pictured here, is a tangible reminder of a period of Illinois history that predates the Civil War and connects this small Menard County cemetery to the early history of our state and nation.

But Berry is only one part of the story. During our work at Rock Creek Cemetery, we will also be cleaning and documenting the headstones of veterans who served in the American Revolution, War of 1812, Mexican War, and Civil War.

08/21/2026

This morning, a couple of volunteers made it back out to Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield to begin the process of resetting the military headstone of Austin Sanders, a veteran of the 59th United States Colored Infantry.

The 59th United States Colored Infantry was an African American Union regiment organized during the Civil War. Originally formed from the 1st Tennessee Infantry (African Descent), the regiment was redesignated as the 59th United States Colored Infantry in March 1864. The regiment served primarily in Tennessee and Mississippi and participated in several important operations, including the Sturgis Expedition and the Battle of Brice’s Cross Roads. The regiment remained in service until January 1866.

Austin Sanders was born in Virginia around 1837. Records indicate that he later lived in Quincy and Springfield, Illinois. He married Elizabeth Barnett in Adams County, Illinois, in 1861. The 1870 census listed Austin as a laborer living in Quincy, Illinois. By the 1910 census, he was living on Mason Street in Springfield and was listed as retired. The census also indicated that he could not read or write.

Austin died in Jacksonville, Morgan County, Illinois, on September 12, 1919, at approximately 82 years of age. His obituary reported that funeral services would be held at the residence of his son, John W. Saunders (sic), on East Mason Street and at Trinity Lutheran Church, with interment at Oak Ridge Cemetery. He was survived by two sons, William H. Saunders (sic) of Chicago and John H. Saunders (sic) of Springfield, along with a granddaughter, Miss Gladys Saunders (sic).

Austin’s grave is located in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois — Block 24, Section 3, 2, 46.

Austin’s military marker had apparently been broken and displaced for many years—possibly two or three decades based on its condition. Today, we spent approximately two hours carefully probing the area in an attempt to locate Austin’s original headstone base. Unfortunately, we were unable to locate it. Rather than leave the marker displaced, we made the decision to reset it in the location where we found the marker. Based on the surrounding burials and the available evidence, we are confident that we are very close to Austin’s original grave location.

Historical military markers in this section of Oak Ridge Cemetery were set in concrete, so the location of Austin’s original base remains an open question for future investigation. Importantly, the techniques we are using are reversible. If future probing or research reveals Austin’s original base, the marker can be carefully moved and the sections matched back together.

For now, this is a work in progress.

We have also applied D/2 Biological Solution and will allow it time to work before continuing with the cleaning and preservation process. Once the solution has had time to work, we will provide updated photographs showing the progress.

06/04/2026

We extend our sincere appreciation to Reisch Charities for their generous support of our mission to preserve and restore historic military veteran headstones. Their recent contribution enabled us to purchase a new 1-ton lifting tripod (Wallace Cranes), an important addition that will greatly enhance our ability to safely conduct headstone repairs and preservation work.

To put the new equipment to use, we recently completed the stabilization and resetting of the headstone of Reverend Billeous Pond at Farmingdale Cemetery in Sangamon County, Illinois. His monument is representative of many mid-19th century memorials, consisting of a marble tablet set within a limestone slotted base. Over time, the tablet had become loose and had shifted nearly 30 degrees from its original position. Utilizing traditional lime pointing mortar and our new lifting capability, we were able to carefully reset and stabilize the stone, ensuring its preservation for future generations.

Rev. Billeous Pond (June 27, 1781 – December 8, 1874) was a War of 1812 veteran who served as a Sergeant in Captain Phineas Tuttle's Company (New York Militia). Following his military service, he became a respected minister and community leader. In 1833, he led a colony of New England settlers to central Illinois, helping establish the community of Farmington (now Farmingdale).

Beyond his role as a pioneer and clergyman, Rev. Pond was a committed abolitionist. Historical accounts identify him as one of the conductors of the Underground Railroad in Sangamon County, assisting freedom seekers on their journey north. Alongside several neighboring families, he helped make the Farmington station an important link in Illinois' Underground Railroad network. His son, Marvin Pond, was also active in these efforts and was famously represented by Abraham Lincoln in an 1845 court case involving allegations of harboring a fugitive slave.

We are honored to help preserve the resting place of a veteran, pioneer, minister, and advocate for freedom whose life left a lasting impact on Illinois history.

06/01/2026

Today we remember Corporal James Oliver Logue of Company C, 85th Illinois Infantry Regiment.

Born in Cass County, Illinois, James was a 30-year-old farmer from Mason County when he answered his country's call to service during the Civil War. Standing 6 feet 1 inch tall with black hair and hazel eyes, he enlisted on July 23, 1862, and was federally mustered into service at Peoria on August 27, 1862.

Chosen as a corporal during the organization of Company C, Logue served through the Kentucky Campaign and may have participated in the Battles of Perryville, Kentucky, and Stones River, Tennessee. As noted in the regimental history, his health began to fail during the campaign. He was discharged for disability at Nashville, Tennessee, on January 7, 1863.

According to his obituary in the history of the regiment, “Corporal James O. Logne [Logue], aged thirty, born in Cass County, Illinois, was unmarried and a farmer when he enlisted from Mason County, chosen corporal at the organization of the company, served through the Kentucky campaign; his health failing he was discharged January 7, 1863, and died at Lincoln, Ill., on his way home.”

Less than a month after leaving the army, Corporal Logue passed away on February 6, 1863. He now rests in Big Grove Cemetery in Mason County, Illinois.

His service was shared by his brother, Corporal Jacob Benjamin Logue, who also served in Company C, 85th Illinois Infantry, and remained with the regiment until being mustered out in Washington, D.C., on June 5, 1865.

As we preserve and honor the graves of our nation's veterans, we remember Corporal James O. Logue—a young Illinois farmer whose service and sacrifice came at a tremendous personal cost. Though his military service was brief, his commitment to the Union cause deserves to be remembered.

Lest We Forget.

05/29/2026

Update on the Restoration of Private John W. Tracy’s Headstone (33rd Illinois Infantry Regiment - American Civil War)

After a long winter, we were finally able to get out this past weekend to finalize the setting Private Tracy’s headstone near Mason City, Illinois. The project required the construction of a new base and repair to an earlier fracture.

Private John W. Tracy
Born: June 4, 1837 – Baltimore, Maryland
Died: March 4, 1864 – Mason County, Illinois
Burial: Tracy Cemetery, Salt Creek Township, Mason County, IL

John W. Tracy was a Union soldier and machinist who answered the call to serve during the American Civil War. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he moved with his family to Illinois and enlisted on August 21, 1861, in Springfield. He mustered into federal service on September 2, 1861, at Camp Butler as a Private in Company K of the 33rd Illinois Infantry Regiment.

John stood 5'8" with blue eyes, brown hair, and a light complexion. He served with distinction in multiple campaigns, including the Siege of Vicksburg, but contracted dysentery during the war. While on furlough in early 1864, he returned home via Beardstown, Illinois, knowing the end was near. Family tradition recalls how, weak and weary, he walked to a hill at the center of the family's 160-acre farm to choose his final resting place—a spot now marked by his headstone in Tracy Cemetery.

He passed away shortly after, with military records listing his death on March 10, 1864, though his gravestone shows March 4. He was never married and was the beloved son of John Peter Tracy (1809–1890) and Mary Webb Tracy (1812-1887).

Inscription:

"JOHN W. SON OF J.P. & M. TRACY DIED Mar 4 1864 AGED 26 Yrs. 9 Mos. of disease contracted at the siege of Vicksburg – His white tent is pitched on the beautiful plain. Where the tumult of battle comes never again.”

11/12/2025

Veterans Day 2025 — Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, IL

Despite the cold, our dedicated volunteers braved the November weather to clean more than twenty military headstones across Block 1 of Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. Among them were veterans of the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War II — each one a reminder of the sacrifices made in service to our nation.

During the day, our team also identified several headstones that will be excellent candidates for resetting when we resume restoration work in the spring of 2026.

Pictured here is the headstone of Private James P. Sarver, Company B, 20th Illinois Infantry. You can learn more about his service here: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/62160825/james-paul-sarver

A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who joined us in honoring our veterans through preservation. Your dedication helps ensure their memory endures for generations to come.

11/10/2025

Tucked away in the archives of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library is an amazing piece of history. The original quartermaster ledger showing what supplies Captain Abraham Lincoln received during the Black Hawk War of 1832. Courtesy of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library.

09/25/2025

Restoration in Progress
Private John W. Tracy – 33rd Illinois Infantry Regiment, American Civil War

Our team is currently working on the careful restoration of Private Tracy’s headstone. One of the most important steps is the painstaking removal of older construction adhesive from a previous repair. This process must be completed entirely by hand—without power tools or harsh chemicals—to ensure the historic marble is not damaged.

Removing all previously applied materials is essential for achieving a stable, long-lasting restoration. Each step we take is guided by respect for the soldier’s memory and a commitment to preserving this piece of Civil War history for future generations.

09/18/2025

Update on the Restoration of Private John W. Tracy’s Headstone (33rd Illinois Infantry Regiment - American Civil War)

During excavation, Private John W. Tracy’s headstone was successfully recovered, revealing the full extent of structural damage. The original limestone base was uncovered but determined to be too fractured to allow for reuse.

To ensure stability and long-term preservation, we will fabricate a new slotted concrete base. Importantly, the headstone will not be set directly into wet concrete; instead, once the base has fully cured, the headstone will be secured using traditional lime mortar. This approach both honors historic methods and provides lasting support for the monument.

We look forward to continuing this careful preservation effort to ensure Private Tracy’s headstone stands with dignity for generations to come.

09/05/2025

Work in Progress: Honoring Pvt. Nathan T. Snowden – Buffalo Soldier

The restoration of this government-issued headstone represents an important step in preserving the legacy of Private Nathan (Nathaniel) T. Snowden, a veteran of the Indian Wars and a member of the distinguished 9th U.S. Cavalry Regiment—the Buffalo Soldiers.

Born circa 1854 in Annapolis, Maryland, Snowden enlisted in the U.S. Army on January 25, 1875, at the age of 22. Prior to his service, he was employed as a laborer. He entered Company A, 9th Cavalry, under a five-year enlistment and went on to serve at Fort Stanton and Fort Bayard, New Mexico. During this period, he undertook detached duty in the Apache Wars of the Southwest. His honorable service concluded with his discharge on March 20, 1880, with a character rating of “Good.”

Following his military career, Snowden established roots in Illinois. Records from the Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company document that he opened a bank account in 1873, reflecting his presence within the African American community during the Reconstruction era. He later married Victoria Houston in Sangamon County on August 30, 1883. By the 1890s, Snowden was listed in the Springfield City Directory as a plasterer. Census records of the time categorized him as “mulatto,” an example of the racial classifications that shaped the period.

In the early 20th century, Snowden relocated to Chicago, Illinois. He began receiving an invalid pension in 1907 in recognition of the lasting effects of his military service. He passed away on May 26, 1924, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago at the age of 65, the cause of death recorded as chronic nephritis. Snowden was interred at Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield—Block 24, Range 16, Grave 10, Section 3. In 1925, community member Simeon B. Osby petitioned for his military headstone, ensuring Snowden’s service would not be forgotten.

Discovered broken and facedown in September 2025, Snowden’s headstone is now undergoing careful repair. This restoration effort is not merely about preserving a stone; it is about restoring dignity and reaffirming the story of a Buffalo Soldier whose life bridged Reconstruction and westward expansion.

Address

Springfield, IL

Website

https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/local/2023/05/26/a-group-is-restoring-the-marker-of-a-civil-war-veteran-in-springfield/7

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