The Busey Family

Contributions made to the Development of the City of Champaign Urbana

Patricia Plaut

Summer Fellowship 2009

To download this lesson in PDF format, click here.

Lesson 6: (1-2 days)

The Busey family contributed land to Urbana Country Club and Woodlawn Cemetery land. The Busey family plot is located in what is now Woodlawn Cemetery.

Procedures:

· Have students listen to a portion of audiotape, UrbanaCntryClubBusey [Annual Meeting of the Urbana Half-Century Club, October 22, 1987.]

· Ask them what part of the country club was Busey land [show map of Urbana] and how did Urbana Country Club eventually get this land.

· Hand out WoodlawnCemetery.

· Ask, why is Woodlawn Cemetery not named the Busey Cemetery? What was in the land that was donated by the Busey family?

· Have students look at the Google map or a city map of Urbana and have them find Busey Woods, Urbana Country Club, and Woodlawn Cemetery. Ask them to approximate the number of city blocks this land amounts to.

· Show students the picture of the Busey tombstones located in Busey Woods, BuseyTombstones, and the Memorial to Lit. Charles Bowen Busey, LitBuseyMemorial, also located in Woodlawn Cemetery.

Attachment: none

Analysis of Local Primary Sources:

· The audiotape on the History of Urbana Country Club contains a portion that explains the contribution of the Busey family to this institution. Source: Annual Meeting of the Urbana Half-Century Club, October 22, 1987 available from the Champaign County Historical Archives, Urbana Free Library, 210 West Green St. Urbana, Il.

· Google map of Urbana focusing on the area that lays East of Lincoln Ave., North of University Ave., West of Cunningham Ave., and South of Highway 74.

· Photographs taken by Patricia Plaut in July 2009: BuseyTombstones, and LitBuseyMemorial, at Woodlawn Cemetery.

Analysis of Local Secondary Sources:

· The article, Add 75 Acres to Woodlawn points out that the Busey family laid Woodlawn and the Busey added adjoining land later. Source available from the Champaign County Historical Archives, Urbana Free Library, 210 West Green St. Urbana, Il.

Ties to a National Primary Source: none.