St. Charles celebrates rededication of Civil War training site

ST. CHARLES – As a ceremony began Saturday to rededicate the southern portion of Langum Park as Camp Kane, Capt. Jeff Johnson of the 8th Illinois Calvary noted the history of the 20-acre site.

Soldiers in the 8th and 17th Illinois Calvaries used the parcel – which is along Route 25 in St. Charles – for training during the Civil War. Johnson said Lt. Marcellus Jones of the 8th Illinois Calvary is credited for firing the first shot in the Battle of Gettysburg.

“That’s how close you are to the Civil War,” Johnson said.

Saturday’s ceremony brought attendees closer to that era, as Johnson and other re-enactors were dressed in Civil War-era uniforms, and actors portrayed President Abraham Lincoln and St. Charles resident Col. John Farnsworth, who was a congressman, abolitionist and close confidante of Lincoln’s.

Kim Malay, president of the Camp Kane Heritage Foundation, said the rededication was held Saturday because Thursday marked its 153rd anniversary. She thanked various city representatives, including members of the City Council, for their support.

“It was because of them that we were able to make this happen today,” she said.

St. Charles Mayor Ray Rogina said the community sometimes takes its history for granted. He summarized Camp Kane's significance in a proclamation the council recently approved.

“Col. Farnsworth used the property he owned that is now known as Langum Park to develop Camp Kane. ... This was the only Civil War training camp in Kane County, and it remained active until early 1864,” Rogina said.

After the rededication, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the Jones Law Office, which recently moved to Langum Park.

"This was the first law office in St. Charles run by Steven S. Jones, who named St. Charles, and it served as a holding cell for deserters during the Civil War," Rogina said, reading from the proclamation.

“On Sept. 20, 2014, we honor all the men who served in the 8th and 17th Illinois Calvaries, as well as honor all the important St. Charles and national history that Camp Kane and the Jones Law Office represents.”

For Sycamore resident Karla Weir, Saturday's events were personal. Her great-grandfather, Silas Dexter Wesson, was assigned to Company K of the 8th Illinois Calvary, she said. However, she said, he did not participate in the Battle of Gettysburg because he had been wounded at Beverly Run.

The rededication of Camp Kane was the first of a three-phase project, Malay said. Other goals include constructing a memorial wall for Civil War veterans and building a facility focused on the Underground Railroad, she said.

For information, email campkanefoundation@gmail.com or call 630-546-1390.