Lightning

Monday evening I was relaxing in my office backing up images from Lindsey and Tony Walker’s wedding when a thunderstorm rolled through fast and furious. Once the stormed moved to the north end of town I figured there was no better time than the present to shoot some lightning shots.

Word of caution, when shooting lightning, IT IS DANGEROUS!!!! AND YOU MUST BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL AT ALL TIMES – A STORM CAN TURN QUICKLY. LEAVE YOURSELF A WAY OUT. I do not advise anyone to attempt lightning shots due to the inherent danger it poses, but for me – I always make sure I am on the trailing edge of the storm (IE: Behind it, where it just came from and ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS leave myself a way to get into a vehicle, or out of the open quickly).

After about fifteen minutes, the lightning backtracked and was heading south, so I called it a night – no sense in getting stupid.

Here is an image from the effort!

Skidmore – Part 4 (Final)

This is the final set of photos from Skidmore. As I indicated in the earlier posts the town has been on a downward spiral ever since the McElroy killing. It is not something completely uncommon to other small midwestern towns that have dried up over the years. I am sure that if McElroy were alive today he would take pleasure in knowing that the town has paid a high price for their silence.

Senior Portraits - Family Portraits - Doug Palme Photography - Springfield, IL

Former Train station that is now the Skidmore Musuem

One of the businesses that has been shuttered for years

The dock on the backside of the B&B Grocery where Bo Bowenkamp was shot by Ken Rex McElroy

A view of the main part of Skidmore from the South

Another business north of Sumy's that has been closed for years

Another view from the South

The former post office, the X shows the approximate location of the killer(s)

A view of the former post office and Skidmore Library

Sumys Gas Station

Gas station across from Sumys, same gentleman that owns this owns all the junk filled property

The remains of the Masonic Hall

View from 113 as you approach four corners. The old bank and B&B Grocery can be seen on the right

Skidmore Food and Drink formerly known as the D&G Tavern McElroy was parked just to the left of the building at the time he was shot

a view of the old Post Office from the spot of the old quonset hut

The old B&B Grocery

Memorial to Bobbi Jo Stinnet

McElroy's headstone

Former Skidmore Bank that is apparently the Skidmore City Hall now

Skidmore – The Town Part 3

One of the most depressing aspects of Skidmore, is the condition of some of the properties. When entering from the North on 113 most of the homes are well kept, with neatly trimmed yards and no debris scattered about. However south of Sumy’s as 113 turns East the properties take a turn for the worse. It reminds me of La Belle Ave in Rockford, IL that has seen far better days.

I did find it disheartening that anyone would allow their property to become this cluttered and junk filled.

I am hopeful that at some point the residents will revolt against this mess; although I would not bet the mortgage.

Skidmore The Town – 2

Aside from the new U.S. Post Office and the Methodist Church, there are few bright spots in Skidmore. The Skidmore Food and Drink (new name for the D&G) is now owned by a gal named Pam who serves great coffee! The place is quiet and homey and sports a new woodburning stove to keep the place warm in the winter.

Skidmore’s population is reported to be 342 according to the 2000 Census, reality suggests that it is far closer to 225 to 250. Since the killing in 1981 Skidmore has lost approximately half its residents.

Here are a few more pictures:

Route 113 from the North

One of the houses that seems to be accumulating junk

The new U.S. Post Office next door to the Methodist Church

The new Methodist Church

Skidmore – The Town

Since 1981, Skidmore has been on a downward spiral that does not seem to have a bottom to it. Skidmore was never a large farming community, but it is now teetering around 250 residents, down from a high of 450 or more. Not all of that can be blamed on Ken McElroy. Maryville has become the shopping center for the area, much to the dismay of smaller communities like Skidmore. There are very few businesses left in Skidmore.

The bar which is now called the “Skidmore Food and Drink”, Sumy’s gas station, and the grain elevators that still process corn and soybeans. That is really about it. The old Masonic Hall is gone, as is the oil station across from Sumy Oil. The bank closed years ago and the B&B Grocery has been shuttered for years now. Despite the changes, much remains the same. It is a quiet but friendly community that still to this day refuses to talk about the killing, or who did the shooting.

I will not attempt to rehash the entire story, there is an excellent book “In Broad Daylight” by Harry Maclean that covers all the details in an easy and engaging style that will keep you turning pages for hours. Bottom line is, two men have been mentioned numerous times as the primaries behind the shooting, Del Clement – who was named as the killer by McElroy’s wife Trena the day of the shooting, and Gary Dowling according to police records recently opened to Harry Maclean. Del Clement passed away in April 2009 from Cirrhosis of the Liver. He died without saying a word about the killing.