Millikin Alumnus Visits Homestead to Give History Presentation

Dr. Eugene Watkins, a 1997 graduate from Millikin University, will travel back to Decatur on November 9th, to give a special presentation regarding the 83rd Illinois regiment of the Civil War. He will be weaving in other interesting elements as well, including the Wyatt Earp family and John Wayne.

On Sunday, November 9th, Dr. Watkins will present from 1-2 pm and then from 2-4 pm there will be a public open house. $5 admission per person. Those who attend the presentation do not need to pay for the open house. For this special, one-day event, a number of Civil War artifacts will be on display in our History Room, on loan from the Macon County History Museum! Also available, on display FOR THE FIRST TIME, is an original fireplace mantel & surround from the home that James Millikin was born in, on August 2, 1827!

ABOUT DR. WATKINS

Dr. Watkins holds a PhD in United States history, focusing on the Early Republic, from the University of Toledo, a MA in Civil War and Reconstruction from the University of Richmond and a BA in United States History from Millikin University. He worked for the Ohio Historical Society at its Fort Meigs site for about five years and then became director of Old Fort Madison in Fort Madison, IA, where he worked for about fifteen years. Dr. Watkins has been the Pattee Executive Director of the Warren County History Museum in Monmouth, IL for the past two years.

The 83rd Illinois, Wyatt Earp, John Wayne and the Unique Historical Connections of the Civil War in Western Illinois.

Dr. Watkins’ lecture will use the experiences of the 83rd Illinois, an infantry regiment recruited heavily from Warren County, as a window to highlight unique people and events in the Civil War associated with Illinois, that many times go unnoticed in the larger picture of that great conflict’s story.

Below is an image of Board President, Jim Wilkerson, with the current owners of the original Millikin farm/homestead, Carol Kirschner and Bob Schinkovec. They are beside one of five original fireplace mantels/surrounds that they donated to the Homestead. This one will be on display during the November 9th event!