Jennie Battles began her working career as an English teacher at Dixon High School. When the family moved to Petersburg, Illinois in 1977, she worked for several years at Famous Barr in Springfield. In 1986 she joined the staff of the newly organized Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, starting as an interpreter at the Old State Capitol. She talks extensively about the Portrait of a Prairie Capitol theatrical production and the Living History Program, both at the Old State Capitol. In 2001 Jennie became the site manager for the Vachel Lindsay home in Springfield. and became synonymous with the historic home of Springfield's most renowned poet until her retirement in 2014.
Interview Links
Feature Excerpt
Most Exciting Part of IHPA
Abstract
Interview Session 01 (Audio)
Early life, teaching career, and her early years with IHPA
Interview Session 02 (Audio)
Years at IHPA, Living History at Old State Capitol and Vachel Lindsay
Interview Session 03 (Audio)
Tour of Vachel Lindsay Home
Related Materials
For more information on Vachel Lindsay, visit http://www.vachellindsay.org/.
For a list of his most popular poems, see http://www.poemhunter.com/vachel-lindsay/
See Also
Architectural Gems
See also Lindsay's groundbreaking book on film, entitled "The Art of the Moving Picture."
Photos
Caption:
Jennie Lou Boston, circa 1942, when her family lived in tiny Sumner, Illinois.
Where:
Sumner, Illinois
When:
Circa 1942
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption:
Jennie Lou Battles with son, Matthew and daughter, Amy at the family home in Grand Detour, Illinois, circa March 1971.
Where:
Grand Detour, Illinois
When:
Circa March 1971
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption:
Jennie’s three children pose for Christmas photo, circa 1975, at Blackhawk statue which overlooks the Rock River in Oregon, Illinois.
Where:
Oregon, Illinois.
When:
Circa 1975
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption:
Dick Battles poses with the three Battles children, Matthew, Amy and the newest edition, Andrew in 1976 while visiting at the Blackhawk Statue in Oregon, Illinois.
Where:
Oregon, Illinois
When:
1976
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption:
This is the cast of Great American People Show that performed “Portrait of a Prairie Capitol” in the House Chamber of the Old State Capitol, circa 1986. From left to right are Rose Ahart, John Eby and Debra Brown.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
Circa 1986
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption:
Tom Ward and his nephew at the Grand Reopening event, circa November, 2001. Tom is the great-nephew of Vachel Lindsay.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
Circa November, 2001
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption:
The Vachel Lindsay Board Officers, at the time of the Grand Reopening event in November, 2001. Al Grosboll, Susan Hammond, unknown and Jim Huston.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
November, 2001
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption:
The ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Grand Reopening. Students from the new Vachel Lindsay Elementary School sang and recited the poem “The Little Turtle.” Circa November 2001.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
Circa November 2001
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption:
Nick Lindsay, the son of Vachel, with his wife DuBose and R-Lou Barker at the Grand Reopening weekend of the Vachel Lindsay site, circa November, 2001.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
Circa November, 2001
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption:
Jennie Battles with Carol Andrews in the front entrance of the Vachel Lindsay Home during the grand reopening weekend, circa November 2001.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
Circa November 2001
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption:
This was the Summertime Children’s Poetry Workshop at the Vachel Lindsay Home, circa 2002. “Beauty is a Butterfly” was the theme. Bud Bartlett, Deborah Smith, Callie Smith, and a friend performed.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
Circa 2002
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption:
Jennie Battles, on behalf of the Vachel Lindsay Association, accepts a Family Signature Quilt for the Vachel Lindsay Home, circa February 2002 or 2003. The quilt, made in 1912, had 520 signatures of mostly Springfield residents.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
Circa February 2002 or 2003
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption:
Students from Lanphier High School gather on the front porch of the Vachel Lindsay home with a banner reading ‘To begin, we must have a sense of humor and learn to smile,’ a famous Lindsay quote, circa September 18, 2008.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
Circa September 18, 2008.
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption:
Jennie and ‘Vachel’s Gang’ celebrated Lindsay’s birthday every year from 2001 to 2013. This was the cake for his 129th birthday celebration open house held in the back gardens of the Vachel Lindsay Home in 2008. Lindsay was born on November 10, 1879.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
2008
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption:
Justin Blandford, Jennie Battles and Chet Rhodes, no doubt reminiscing about their days at the Old State Capitol, visited Lincoln’s Tomb, also in Springfield, in February 2009.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
February 2009
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption:
Dick Battles, Jennie’s husband, with their grandson Noah Cosgriff in 2009. The two were at an outdoor festival at the Knoxville Historic Barn in Knoxville, Illinois.
Where:
Knoxville, Illinois
When:
2009
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption:
The Vachel Lindsay home as it looked in the early 2010s.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
Early 2010s
Ownership:
This image is considered to be in the public domain.
Caption:
Sharon Miner dressed as Ester Catharine Frazee Lindsay, Vachel’s mother, in the front parlor of the Home at Christmas 2012.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
2012
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption:
Darrin Moore, a volunteer at the home, poses by the tree at the Governors Mansion, circa December, 2013. The theme was Vachel Lindsay’s poem “Two Old Crows”.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
December, 2013
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption:
Jennie holding a beautiful wooden chest inscribed with a verse from a Vachel Lindsay poem ‘…by the spring at sunset…’ This was a gift from Jennie’s children and sister at her retirement on June 30, 2014.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
June 30, 2014
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption:
Phyllis Eubanks, Deborah Huffman, and Jennie holding a retirement gift of a Lego figure of Vachel Lindsay crafted by Jennifer Caldwell. Circa June 30, 2014.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
Circa June 30, 2014
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Phyllis Eubanks signs the souvenir gift which included three of Jennie Battles’ favorite Vachel Lindsay photos to remind her of her many years at the Vachel Lindsay Home. June 30, 2014.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
June 30, 2014
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Jennie poses in the library of the Vachel Lindsay home with several of her family during her retirement celebration on June 30, 2014. From left to right are Noah Cosgriff (grandson), Amy Battles Cosgriff (daughter), Jennie, and Sydne Abernathy (sister).
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
June 30, 2014
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
‘Vachel’s Gang’ ( the Volunteer group) at the open house for Jennie’s Retirement party after 28 years with the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency on June 13, 2014.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
June 13, 2014
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Jennie’s volunteers and IHPA staff members presented Jennie with this collage of Lindsay photos and signatures at her retirement celebration in 2014.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
2014
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Wendy Mullins, Sharon Miner, and Barbara Mullins Zimmerman. Wendy and Barbara are sisters and also the great nieces of Vachel Lindsay.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
Unknown
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Jennie Battles with Mary Wheeler after an event in the Old State Capital House Chamber. Mary did a “First Person” program as Mary Lincoln.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
Unknown
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo
Caption
Jennie Battles with Chet Rhodes at a 19th century children’s festival for 4th of July. This was in the Rotunda of the Old State Capital.
Where:
Springfield, Illinois
When:
4th of July
Ownership:
Narrator’s photo