The Adams County Historical Society and Adams Health Network came together on Wednesday, Sept 25th for a gravesite dedication for local Decatur celebrity Mr. French Quinn. The project, a year-long restoration endeavor, including cleaning and repairing the gravestones for French Quinn, his wife Eva, as well as their son and daughter at the Decatur Cemetery. A stone urn and engraved bench with his name “Quinn” on the side were also cleaned and repaired.
Quinn was a notable figure in Decatur history and an inspiring influence in every gathering and in every worthy cause during his lifetime. He was to a historian, author, and community organizer before his death in 1948. He was a veteran of the Spanish American War and led the effort to establish and build the Peace Monument on the Court House Square in honor of our Civil War veterans.
Quinn also directed the Elephant Rock project, moving the 50-ton glacial boulder that laid upstream in the St. Mary’s river as a tribute to the author Gene Stratton Porter.
In order to preserve some of the wilderness and old growth timber in Decatur, Quinn worked with the family of Oliver Hanna and his wife Mary Nuttman Hanna who deeded more than 45 acres to the city as what is now known as Hanna-Nuttman Park.
As a historian, he frequently contributed newspaper articles for the Decatur Daily Democrat. Later he compiled those articles into a book, A Short, Short Story of Adams County.
With no immediate family remaining to take care of his gravesite, the Historical Society and Adams Memorial Hospital partnered together along with the public through donations. Over the years, the stones had become discolored and covered with lichen and other such growth that can be hazardous to gravestones. This growth can trap moisture on and under the surface of the stone, thereby leading to cracks. They also contained an acid that would, in time, dissolve the stone and mortar. It was the Historical Society’s desire to remove the growth that causes deterioration of the stone, and replace the concrete bases, thereby honoring an outstanding man who gave much to his community.
The Adams County Historical Society expresses a big thank you to everyone who gave a donation towards this project, and to our project partners The Adams Health Network for making this their 100th community project in celebration of their centenary. We also thank Project Coordinators Larry Macklin and Rebecca Webb, and especially the Decatur Cemetery Association and Liby Monuments for all the hard work in cleaning, repairing and restoring the gravestones, bench and urn. Heller Nursery provided their landscaping efforts and planted shade grass around the Quinn site.
For more information on French Quinn and his contributions to our community, visit the Historical Society website at AdamsCountyMuseum.org.
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