Andrew “Andy” Wasilewski, a Northern Michigan University alumnus who retired from NMU as associate vice president for auxiliary services, recently self-published a book about his hometown titled “Old Cantrall: A History of a Small Village Carved Out of the Illinois Wilderness.” He blends personal memories growing up there with documented local history, including the earliest settlers' business relationships with Abraham Lincoln and Charles Lindbergh's emergency landing in the village the year before his famous transatlantic flight.
“The pioneers who settled the land were pragmatic people of action and vision,” wrote Wasilewski. “They kept their eyes on the horizon: Levi Cantrall boldly built a gristmill and created a tannery; George Power constructed the first frame home north of the Sangamon River and served justice on the frontier; Stephen England established the county's first church; and Abraham Lincoln's engagement in politics brought to bear the Lincoln-Douglas debates.
"These debates were the media bonanzas of the day and brought issues of popular sovereignty, freedom, and slavery to the kitchen table. Abraham Lincoln's political skill helped make Springfield Illinois' capital.”
As the youngest of nine children, Wasilewski's longtime love of local history began at about age 5, when his older brother told him Lincoln had slept in their house when it was a one-room trapper's cabin. His desire to learn more about the former president's connection, his childhood home and Cantrall in general fueled the project and resulted in “a whopper of a book in size, content and message.” Wasilewski blends factual information with anecdotal stories about how he identified a historic artifact from 1820, and sorted adventures he describes as youthful stupidity.
At the heart of the story is the value placed on faith, family and friends, the book description states. The broader story describes economic development of a small village in the 19th century based on farming and mining, followed by its decline in the 20th century. While Wasilewski left Cantrall as a young man, it never left him, and this book is his testament to the richness of growing up there in the 1940s-1960s.
“It was a special place during a special time with special people, but it has passed,” said Wasilewski, also known by the pen name Barney Gillespie, in a previous interview. “This morsel of knowledge has prompted me ever more often to recognize the blessing of another day of living, the beauty and abundance of nature, and the wonderment of people in my life.”
Wasilewski was born in Springfield and raised in Cantrall, eight miles away. After graduating from Athens High School, he earned a bachelor's degree in physics at Western Illinois University, and later a Master of Arts in Education (MAE) from NMU in 1970. Following one year as a science teacher, he began an extended career at Northern before his retirement in 2007.
The launch for ”Old Cantrall” was held in December at a bookstore in Springfield. Wasilewski's effort garnered positive advance reviews from author Tyler Trichelar, who has written extensively about Marquette, and NMU History Professor Emeritus Russ Magnaghi.
“This story is not just history, but insight into human nature with all of its quirks, motivation, and perseverance," Trichelar wrote. "Old Cantrall is a universal story no matter where you are from. You will be thrilled with little known facts about famous people, … you'll recall fond memories of your own hometown and growing up, and you'll be reminded of the importance of family and community.”
“Andy is to be commended for preserving for future generations this bit of Americana that would have otherwise been lost,” wrote Magnaghi.
“Old Cantrall” is available online.