Rhea Heritage official speaks to Salem, IL, Historical Commission

Rhea Heritage Preservation Foundation Vice President Tom Davis and his wife, Susan, were guests of the Salem, IL, Historical Commission March 13 for the Commission’s celebration of William Jennings Bryan’s 165th birthday.

Tom and Susan visited the Bryan Birthplace museum; the house where Bryan was born on March 19, 1860; the Bryan statue which was moved from Washington, D.C., to Salem; the high school where John Scopes graduated in 1919; and the Salem Area Historical Museum.

Tom spoke about the Scopes Trial during the Historical Commission’s meeting, discussing aspects of the trial and why that case is important for both Salem and Dayton to remember. 

“It was exciting to see places significant in the life of William Jennings Bryan and to learn that he came from a community very much like Dayton and Rhea County,” Tom said. “The Salem Historical Commission has done an excellent job highlighting its community with their museum, and the Bryan Birthplace offers a great look at one of America’s most influential individuals in an up close and personal way.”

Above, Mark Larimer, left, with the Salem Historical Commission, and Tom Davis are pictured following Tom’s presentation at the Bryan Birthday celebration on March 13.