Arrangement
This collection partially documents three subjects: the George Lovering Lumber and Grain Company of Shabbona (1881-1912); William K. Lovering’s 1800 mile drive from Detroit, Michigan to Salt Lake City, Utah in a Scripps-Booth automobile (1916); and facets of Shabbona, Illinois’ history (1895-1940).
Administrative/Biographical History
George Lovering, born in Boone County, Illinois in 1851, started his working career as a wagon maker. After moving to Shabbona, Illinois during the 1870’s Lovering opened the George Lovering Lumber and Grain Company in 1881 to sell lumber, grain, coal, and farm implements. Although George’s son, William Knell, joined the firm in its early years, by 1907 he turned to the automobile business. In 1916 William took part in a promotional stunt involving an 1800 mile drive from Detroit, Michigan to Salt Lake City, Utah in a Scripps-Booth automobile. In Utah, he traveled the back roads with Senator Sutherland, providing an attractive addition to Sutherland’s re-election campaign. Several years later, under the pen name Bill Knell, William unsuccessfully sought to publish an account of his remarkable journey.<span style="display: none"> </span>
