William Maxwell was an American author born in 1908 in Lincoln, Illinois. He grew up in Lincoln and drew from his childhood experiences there for many of his short stories and novels. The document provides historical context about Maxwell's childhood home and the town of Lincoln in the early 20th century, including discussing the Palmer method of handwriting, World War I, and a traveling circus that visited the town.
2. Text
Present-day view of William Maxwell's boyhood home and
historical marker, Ninth Street, Lincoln, Illinois. Photo courtesy Photo of William Maxwell by
of Leigh Henson. “First & James Hamilton in William
Maxwell's Billie Dyer and
Other Stories (New York:
Alfred A. Knopf, 1992), dust
jacket
BORN 1908
Lincoln, I!inois
4. PALMER METHOD
Text
Students practice Palmer method "push-pulls" in 1912.
Palmer Method of Cursive Handwriting
http://ketuba.wordpress.com/category/palmer-method/
5. An American girl (Lillian Gish)
living in France falls in love
with the American boy (Robert
Harron) living next door; but
before they can marry, he
goes off to fight against the
Germans in World War
“David Lloyd George, Prime Minister of England, Bidding God-Speed to David Wark Griffith on the eve of his departure for France
D. W. GRIFFITH' SUPREME TRIUMPH HEARTS OF THE WORLD”
6. Diagrammatic Map of Lincoln Memorial Park, Cemeteries, & and Nearby Siteshttp://
findinglincolnillinois.com/lincolnmemparkandcem.html
SELLS-FOTO CIRCUS
“At the place where the road turns off to go to the cemetery and the Chautauqua grounds, there was a
red barn with a huge circus poster on it...”(Maxwe! )
7. WORKS CITED
Calvert, Bruce. “Hearts of the World (1918).” The Silent Film Still Archive. N.p., 18 Feb. 2012. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://
www.silentfilmstillarchive.com >.
“Diagrammatic map of Lincoln Memorial Park, Cemeteries, and Nearby Sites.” Mr. Lincoln, Route 66, and Other Highlights of Lincoln,
Illinois. July 2008. Web. 8 October 2012. <://findinglincolnillinois.com/lincolnmemparkandcem.html>
Hanson, D. Leigh, Dr. “Social Consciousness in William Maxwell’s Writings Based on Lincoln, Illinois.” Mr. Lincoln, Route 66, and Other
Highlights of Lincoln, Illinois. July 2008. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://findinglincolnillinois.com/wmmaxwellsocialclasses.html>.
Thornton, Tamara Plakins. “THE HISTORY OF HANDWRITING: Handwriting in America.” UB Today. U of Buffalo, Jan. 1998. Web. 30
Sept. 2012. <http://www.buffalo.edu/ubt/UBT-archives/08_ubtw98/features/feat
