This is Throwback Thursday #254. In these, we look back into the past at ESCONI specifically and Earth Science in general. If you have any contributions, (science, pictures, stories, etc …), please send them to esconi.info@gmail.com. Thanks! email:esconi.info@gmail.com.
The Chairman’s Message in the May 1959 edition of the ESCONI newsletter detailed interesting statistics on the demographics of our members at that time.
There were 326 total members, broken down by Illinois cities:
| City | Count |
| Aurora | 14 |
| Barrington | 3 |
| Batavia | 2 |
| Berwyn | 17 |
| Brookfield | 6 |
| Chicago | 18 |
| Coal City | 2 |
| DeKalb | 2 |
| Downers Grove | 132 |
| Elgin | 4 |
| Elmhurst | 5 |
| Glen Ellyn | 3 |
| Hinsdale | 16 |
| Joliet | 2 |
| La Grange | 12 |
| La Grange Park | 2 |
| Lake Villa | 2 |
| Lombard | 4 |
| Lyle | 4 |
| Naperville | 8 |
| Oak Park | 8 |
| Palos Park | 3 |
| Riverdale | 15 |
| St. Charles | 3 |
| Villa Park | 6 |
| West Chicago | 3 |
| Western Springs | 7 |
| Westmont | 3 |
| Wheaton | 3 |
| Other | 17 |
By State
| State | Count |
| Arizona | 2 |
| California | 2 |
| Colorado | 3 |
| Florida | 1 |
| Hawaii | 1 |
| Illinois | 326 |
| Indiana | 2 |
| Iowa | 2 |
| Kentucky | 1 |
| Michigan | 1 |
| Minnesota | 1 |
| Missouri | 1 |
| Montana | 1 |
| New York | 2 |
| Ohio | 1 |
| Texas | 1 |
There were 2 members in Beirut, Lebanon, a Mr. and Mrs. Walter Baggley. The note about Mr. A. H. Cornelison living in the newly elected state is very interesting and timely in 1959. There were 196 junior members.
The article also highlighted the nine Life Members at that time. if you’ve been reading these posts over the last 5ish years, some of those names will sound familiar…
- B. J. and Mildred Babbitt – very active in the early years… established the newsletter
- Dr. Frank Fleener – taught geology at the evening school from 1953 to 1956
- Stanley R. Harwood – donated outstanding minerals to the club and secured a good financial start for the club
- George Langford, Sr. – wrote three Mazon Creek books, published in 1958, 1963, and 1997 (posthumously)
- John and Lucy McLuckie – prolific collector, collection now at the Smithsonian. Also, sponsored yearly collecting trips to the Braidwood area. The had a Mazon Creek fossil museum in the basement of their Coal City home.
- Cora and Stevens Novell – created the ESCONI logo and wrote the bylaws
- Dr. George Otto – professional geologist who organized and helped on many field trips
- Miss Helen Turner – a retired science teacher, she gave her vast mineral collection to ESCONI
- Dr. Ben Hur Wilson – Illinois State geologist that was helpful in setting up field trips. Lectured on many topics to ESCONI.
We’ll do follow up posts soon with the 1959 members’ interests and professions and then contrast them with members in 2024.
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