Art Loux - He was everywhere!

[Rsmyth]

I was reading about the Underground Railroad (Wikepedia) and came across a station you would not have wanted to get off at if you were Black and heading North. In fact if you were Black and in the vicinity or even tan from a recent vacation you would want to avoid John Hart Crenshaw’s Crenshaw house in the free state of Illinois. He not only owned slaves (he was the only one in the state allowed to), he was a slave hunter and dealer, capturing Blacks and ferrying them South to be sold. On the top floor of his home were little cubicles that historians believe were used as slave pens. There were also two sets of whipping posts up there.

In 1840 as a state representative, Abraham Lincoln attended a ball in the house and spent the night on the second floor, one floor below the slave pens.

Crenshaw finally died in 1871. I looked up his grave at Find A Grave and although the web site usually deletes less than flattering tributes to the deceased, they have not in this man’s case.

I followed the links of his daughter’s burial and found she had married a Union General named Michael Kelly Lawler. Checking out his listing at Find A Grave the picture of his marker was taken by Art Loux. Art in addition to all his other hobbies travelled the country taking pics of the graves of Civil War Generals. Yes, the man, Art Loux, really got around!

[Gene C]

Regjarding the Crenshaw House
http://thesouthern.com/news/saving-histo...f887a.html

and
http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com/2011/...inois.html

[L Verge]

There is about a twenty-five year span of my life that I would not trade for anything, and that was from 1975 through the early-2000s when I had the privilege of learning so much from men like Art Loux, James O. Hall, John C. Brennan, Richard Sloan, Bill Hanchett, Fr. Keesler, Richard and Kellie Gutman, and several others. They were/are walking encyclopedias on my favorite subject as well as being friends and fun to be with. How I wish that all of you could have had the same experiences that Betty and I had with just knowing these people.

[BettyO]

Agreed, Laurie! How very lucky we were....I wouldn't trade those "Glory Days" for anything!

[LincolnToddFan]

Laurie, I envy both Betty and yourself. While I was fretting and sniveling about not having an impressive enough prom date back in 1977, you ladies were spending time with some very fascinating people who I would give my right arm to have met.

Anyway, I consider both of you a motherlode of information on the assassination and the Civil War and antebellum era in general. I've learned a lot from you two, and I feel incredibly fortunate.

[Gene C]

While I was fretting and sniveling about not having an impressive enough prom date back in 1977, you ladies were spending time with some very fascinating people who I would give my right arm to have met.

Well, I'd have asked you, but I thought for sure you were going with that short, dumpy, Steven Douglas guy.

[LincolnToddFan]

Gene-you sweetie you!

For all the "fun" I had, I might as well have dug up ol' Steven Douglas's bones and danced the night away with HIM. It would have been a much more memorable evening I can assure you!

[HerbS]

Art-was a tremendous,researcher,historian,and author.I assume that he was a superior genttleman in every way!His new book is awesome.