J.T. Crumbaugh was a skillful farmer, shrewd businessman and a leading citizen of LeRoy in the last century. When he died as an old man in 1905, Abraham Lincoln gave his eulogy -- the same great President Lincoln who had been assassinated decades earlier.
But before we reach the end of Crumbaugh's life, we should now more about him. Crumbaugh and his wife E.J. -- they were both called by their initials -- had only one child. The infant boy lived only a few weeks and never was given a name. The Crumbaughs called him "Bright Eyes."
Seeking solace and comfort, they turned to the Spiritualist movement and communicated with "Bright Eyes" many times through a medium. The Crumbaughs left their wealth and estate to trustees to build the Crumbaugh Spiritualist Church and Public Library of LeRoy. The two buildings are attached.
The library is not "public" in the sense that it supported by tax dollars, but it is the town library. It is the most gorgeous, ornate small town library I have ever seen. Both the church and the library are supported by 1,100 acres of prime farmland managed by the trustees.
Mr. Crumbaugh's funeral was held April 3, 1905 in the Methodist Church -- Mrs. Georgia Gladys Cooley, the Crumbaugh's medium, officiating. Simeon H. West, a close friend of J.T., and the man who erected the village square statue of Chief Wausaneta, whom he met in the spirit world, delivered a long message to the assembled from Crumbaugh via one of his two spirit guides. The spirit guide who spoke was President Abraham Lincoln.
One more time. Crumbaugh was dead. Abraham Lincoln was dead. Simeon West was alive. Abraham Lincoln was a spirit guide of West and both delivered a message from Crumbaugh and eulogized him through West at the funeral service.
I will have to investigate further -- microfiche copies of the LeRoy Journal -- to find the words of Lincoln on that day and to see if they match the Gettysburg Address or other speeches in eloquence.
Those who live in the spirit world are considered benign by the spiritualists. Both the Crumbaugh library and the church were to said to be full of spirits, but no one believes the old stories any longer.
But I do not think I will go near either one at night just in case. And I am staying over on my side of LeRoy on Halloween.
(Source: "J.T. & E.T. Crumbaugh Spiritualist Church and Memorial Library, LeRoy, Illinois," copyright, Crumbaugh Estate Trustees, 1977, 1985)
Copyright 1996, Bud Polk