The Legacy of Joseph Kuhn

Peggy Christensen

Summer Fellowship 2008

Abstract: Joseph Kuhn was a prominent resident of Champaign, Illinois in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Students will study aspects of the lives of Joseph Kuhn; his son, Isaac Kuhn;and Isaac Kuhn’s daughter, Ruth Kuhn Youngerman. Students will analyze primary and secondary sources to better understand how information about an individual is gathered and will note how this information contributes to and reflects the history of the period.

Essential Questions / Enduring Understandings:

  • How does an individual’s history reflect the history of a particular period?
  • How does studying the life of an individual help us better understand moments in history?
  • How do primary and secondary sources differ and what are some of their limitations?
  • How can the use of multiple sources contribute to a more accurate understanding of a particular situation?
  • How is historical fiction enriched by studying individuals and the ways their lives were influenced by and impacted historic events?

*Assessments:Students’ worksheets, essays, and contributions to class discussions will be assessed throughout the unit. Once all lessons have been completed, students will submit their final project.

Setting the Purpose:The purpose of this unit is for students to learnhowprimary and secondary sourcescan be used to develop an understanding of history and to reflect that understanding by creating short pieces of historical fiction.

*Duration:The entire unit will takeeight to ten days.

Lesson 1: Students need to understand the difference between primary and secondary sources as well as some of the limitations of each.

Lesson 2: Students will continue investigating key questions raised by Isaac Kuhn’s memoir. In this lesson they will focus on conditions he described in Champaign in 1870s and compare them to conditions they observe in a photograph of Champaign taken in the 1890s.

Lesson 3: Fires often destroyed homes and businesses as Champaign was growing. In this lesson students will note how the growth of Joseph Kuhn’s business was impacted by fire.

Lesson 4: Isaac Kuhn mentioned having typhoid fever in his memoir. Students will have an opportunity to briefly investigate this and a few other illnesses mentioned in some of the primary sources used in this lesson. This information will help students add relevant details when creating short pieces of historical fiction. This lesson is designed to be used in a location where students have Internet access.

Lesson Five: Isaac Kuhn spent the years following his father’s death successfully building Joseph Kuhn & Co. while dealing with changing conditions and events at the state and national levels.

Lesson Six: The national bank crisis of 1933 offered unique challenges for Isaac Kuhn and his company. In this lesson students will refer to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s First Inaugural Address delivered March 4, 1933 and his March 12, 1933 fireside chat broadcast on radio from the White House.

Lesson Seven: Ruth Kuhn Youngerman attended AvenueSchool in the early 1920s. In this lesson students will study two photographs, read an article from another 1920s AvenueSchool student, and listen to some of Mrs. Youngerman’s memories recorded on July 19, 2008.

Final Project: Students will pretend that they have just discovered a box of mementos stored in the attic of one of Isaac Kuhn’s homes. Amid financial records from Joseph Kuhn & Co., family pictures, and assorted souvenirs from events and places attended in the Champaign/Urbana community, they discover an artifact from a list of choices. Their job is to create the artifact so that it reflects the interaction between events in history and the people who experienced and molded them.

Lesson 1: Students need to understand the difference between primary and secondary sources as well as some of the limitations of each.

Duration: This lesson will taketwo class periods.

Analysis of Local Primary Sources: The memoir of Isaac Kuhn is a local primary source as are the obituary of Joseph Kuhn and his estate’s final report. Detailed information about these sources is listed below.

Ties to a National Primary Source: The 1880 United States Federal Census is a national primary source.

List of Materials and Attachments:

  • Worksheet 1: Investigating Sources
  • Obituary of Joseph Kuhn printed in the December 28, 1915 issue of the Champaign Daily Gazette and found in the Kuhn Family Vertical File at the Champaign County Historical Archives, Urbana Free Library, 210 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois.
  • Final Report of Executor from the Joseph Kuhn Estate File #4722, dated 2/8/1917, and found at the Champaign County Historical Archives, Urbana Free Library, 210 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois.
  • 1880 United States Federal Census searched online at the link to provided by the Champaign County Historical Archives, Urbana Free Library, 210 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois.
  • Page 1 of the memoir of Isaac Kuhn is in the possession of Ruth Kuhn Youngerman, his daughter. She generously made it available to others by granting permission for it to be scanned.
  • Pages 1 and 2 from Jos. Kuhn & Co., a record of the establishment of Joseph Kuhn’s clothing store, found at the Champaign County Historical Archives, Urbana Free Library, 210 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois. The date of publication and the author are unknown.
  • document analysis worksheet.pdf

(Alexis, please attach the documents mentioned above.)

Procedures:

  • Divide the class into groups of two or three so that students can help each other gather information and determine source types.Give each student the Written Document Analysis Worksheet. As a class discuss how it might be completed for the two pages from Jos. Kuhn & Co. Within each group, one person should analyze the obituary and another individual should complete the form for the census document. If there are three students in a group, the third individual should analyze the executor’s final report.
  • Distribute:worksheet 1, the obituary of Joseph Kuhn, the pageof the 1880 United States Federal Census that deals with Joseph Kuhn and his family, the executor’s final report, and pages 1 and 2 of Jos. Kuhn & Co.
  • Read orally and briefly discuss all information on worksheet 1 preceding the list of questions.
  • Complete, discuss, collect, and assess worksheet 1 and the Written Document Analysis Worksheets.

Name ______Date ______

Worksheet 1

Investigating Sources

“In 1878-79 my dear parents sent me to Cincinnati to be Bar Mitzvah. It must have been a considerable hardship for them because of their very small earnings and the primitive conditions that prevailed in Champaign in those days. My dear mother had to care for seven children without help. Once six of us came down with typhoid fever and we had no nurse or any of the modern conveniences.”

From a memoir written by Isaac Kuhn found in the papers saved and held by his daughter, Ruth Kuhn Youngerman

Isaac Kuhn’s memoir is considered a primary source because he wrote it, and he experienced it; however, it is only a glimpse of what his life was like in the late 1800s. As with many primary sources, it suggests some key questions. Among them are:

  • Were the seven children mentioned all offspring of Joseph Kuhn and his wife?
  • Who was Isaac Kuhn’s mother?
  • What primitive conditions prevailed in Champaignin 1878-79?
  • What is typhoid fever? Was it the only illness that plagued residents of Champaign as the community was growing?

To answer these questions, additional primary and secondary sources are needed.Remember that a primary source is a firsthand account or document produced by a person who was there at the time. A secondary source includes interpretation because it is a retelling of the oral or written information found in primary sources.

Directions:Use the 1880 United States Federal Census, the executor’s report for the Joseph Kuhn estate, Joseph Kuhn’s obituary, and the record on pages 1 and 2 of Jos. Kuhn & Co.to answer the following questions.Use the words in bold type to indicate what source(s) you used to determine each answer.Put a “P” for primary or an “S” for secondary after each source you listto tell what type of source it is.

  1. Who was Isaac Kuhn’s mother? ______Source(s) and type(s): ______
  2. Was she younger or older than her husband? ______

Source(s) and type(s): ______

  1. Was his wife still alive when Joseph Kuhn died? ______How did you determine this? ______

Source(s) and type(s): ______

  1. When did Joseph Kuhn and his wife marry? ______Approximately how many years were they married? ______

Source(s) and type(s): ______

  1. Who were Isaac Kuhn’s siblings? List them in order from oldest to youngest.
  2. Isaac Kuhn
  3. ______
  4. ______
  5. ______
  6. ______
  7. ______
  8. ______

Source(s) and type(s): ______

  1. Did Isaac Kuhn have any sisters who married? ______If so, add their married names next to their maiden names.

Source(s) and type(s): ______

  1. Were Isaac Kuhn’s siblings all still living at the time their father died? ______How do you know? ______

______

Source(s) and type(s): ______

8. Where was Joseph Kuhn born? ______

Source(s) and type(s): ______

Worksheet 1 – Continued

Now that you are familiar with the type and format of information found in each source, answer the following questions.

  1. What difficulties did you encounter when using the primary sources?

______

  1. What advantages are there in using primary sources instead of secondary sources?

______

  1. What are some disadvantages of using secondary sources?

______

  1. What advantages are there in using secondary sources?

______

  1. What conclusions have you reached about the use of primary and secondary sources when investigating a person’s life? ______

Lesson 2: Students often rely on a Google search to gather information and miss the opportunity to investigate primary sources that would add another dimension to their understanding of a situation or time. In this lesson they will be analyzing a photograph as well as other primary and secondary sources.

Duration: This lesson will take one class period.

Analysis of Local Primary Sources:The students will be using a photo analysis worksheet to study a picture of Main St. circa 1890 from the AHTC primary sources section on their webpage

Ties to National Primary Source: There is no national primary source in this lesson.

List of Materials and Attachments:

  • Worksheet 2
  • Photograph looking west on Main Street circa 1890 from the local primary sources section of the AHTC webpage @
  • “Parking Lot Historic Site” from the Kuhn Family Vertical File at theChampaign County Historical Archives, Urbana Free Library, 210 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois.
  • “Isaac Kuhn, 88 Saturday, Recalls Early Local Days” ” from the Kuhn Family Vertical File at theChampaign County Historical Archives, Urbana Free Library, 210 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois.

(Alexis, please attach the two articles which Chris scanned. [FYI: He mislabeled the Isaac Kuhn, 88, scan to read joskuhn88 0001 jpg. He has another scan that I’m not using listed as joskuhn88jpg. that’s actually about Isaac 82ndbirthday.] I also need the link to the picture from the AHTC webpage and the photo analysis sheet.)

Procedure:

  • Distribute the photo analysis worksheet sheet and either project or distribute the photo looking west on Main St. in Champaign circa 1890. If students are viewing the picture as a projected image, use the zoom feature to help students focus on the quadrants.
  • Discuss their answers to the photo analysis sheet then collect and access the papers.
  • Distribute the articles titled “Parking Lot Historic Site” and “Isaac Kuhn, 88 Saturday, Recalls Early Local Days.”
  • Hand out Worksheet 2.
  • Discuss, collect, and evaluate the worksheet.

Name ______Period ______

Worksheet 2

Words and Images

Directions: Read the “Parking Lot Historic Site” and “Isaac Kuhn, 88 Saturday, Recalls Early Local Days” articles and pay special attention to the descriptions given of conditions in Champaign in the early 1870sthen fill out the graphic organizer below. You will also need to refer to the photo of Champaigncirca 1890 that you analyzed.

Condition/Material of Streets

______

Parking Lot

______

Isaac Kuhn, 88

______

Photo

______

Condition/Material of Sidewalks

______

Parking Lot

______

Isaac Kuhn, 88

______

Photo

______

Condition/Material of Buildings

______

Parking Lot

______

Isaac Kuhn, 88

______

Photo

______

What improvements do you notice in the streets between the early 1870s and the time the picture was taken around 1890?

______

Give at least two specific reasons why you think these changes were made.

______

What improvements do you notice in the sidewalks between the early 1870s and the time the picture was taken around 1890?

______

Give at least one specific reason why you think these changes were made.

______

What improvements do you notice in the buildings between the early 1870s and the time the picture was taken around 1890?

______

Give at least two specific reasons why you think these changes were made.

______

Lesson 3:In the last lessonstudents should have noted a change from wood to brick structures as Champaign grew. Fires were a serious problem which impacted many families often more than once. Students will be investigating how fire challenged Joseph Kuhn as he attempted to establish his business.

Duration: This lesson will take one class period.

Analysis of Local Primary Sources: Students will be using Joseph Kuhn’s obituary.

Ties to National Primary Source: There is no national source in this lesson.

List of Materials and Attachments:

  • Worksheet 3:Fire
  • Page 4 from Jos. Kuhn & Co., a record of the establishment of Joseph Kuhn’s clothing store, found at the Champaign County Historical Archives, Urbana Free Library, 210 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois. The date of publication and the author are unknown.
  • Obituary of Joseph Kuhn printed in the December 28, 1915 issue of the Champaign Daily Gazette and found in the Kuhn Family Vertical File at the Champaign County Historical Archives, Urbana Free Library, 210 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois.

(Alexis, please attach the newitems mentioned above. I’ve also quoted two sources on worksheet 3. Do they need to be mentioned here as well?)

Procedure:

  • Distribute page 4 of Jos. Kuhn & Co. and have students get out their copies of Joseph Kuhn’s obituary and pages 1 and 2 of Jos. Kuhn & Co. Divide students so that everyone is working with at least one partner.
  • Give each group one piece of white or yellow construction paper. The students’ first task is to trace references to fire in the materials they have. The first date on their timeline should be 1860 followed by 1865. Once they have located the stories connecting Joseph Kuhn and fire for these dates, project or distribute worksheet 3.
  • Students should add the information from worksheet 3 to their time lines then check the Joseph Kuhn obituary for information linking the store and fire in 1871. This fire is also mentioned on page 4 of Jos. Kuhn & Co.

Name ______Period ______

Worksheet 3

Fire!

Read the following passage from page 42 of Celebrating Champaign-Urbana History Second Edition by Alice B. McGinty published in 2006 by Quasar Strategies, Inc. Champaign,Il.

“ While the University grew, Champaign and Urbana changed too. There were big fires in both cities. Around 2 a.m. on July 4, 1868, a big fire began in downtown Champaign. Citizens helped the fire department. They made bucket lines and wet down buildings to keep the fire from spreading. Still, when the fire was over, 26 buildings had been destroyed.”

This fire was mentioned on July 10,1868 in an article found in the Fire Vertical File at the Champaign County Archives when headlines in the Illinois Democrat announced:

An Awful

CONFLAGRATION!!

At CHAMPAIGN

Nearly

$100,000 Loss

INSURANCE

Below $45,000.

Thirty-Seven Buildings Burned

Two Business Blocks Gone!

In the explanation that followed, Joseph Kuhn, clothier, was listed as one of the individuals who reported losses from the fire.

Directions: Add the above information to your timeline then check the Joseph Kuhn obituary for information linking the store and fire in 1871. This fire is also mentioned on page 4 of Jos. Kuhn & Co.

Once your timeline is complete answer the following question: What have you learned about Joseph Kuhn as a businessman after researching the way fires impacted the growth of his store?

______

What generalizations can you make about the impact of fires on the development of Champaign?

______

Bonus: Students might find the picture of the fire department found at the AHTC website helpful:

Lesson Four:In addition to fires, sickness was also a serious problem as Champaign was developing as a business and educational center. This lesson will give students some background information to incorporate in the historical fiction they write.It is designed to be used where students have access to the internet.

Duration: This lesson will take one class period.

Analysis of Local Primary Sources: The students will be reading a section titled “Miscellaneous” from The Avenue Weekly, a 1918 souvenir publication of the AvenueSchool in Champaign.

(Alexis, please attach this page from Chris’s scans.)

Ties to National Primary Source: The flu policy cited below refers to the state of Illinois

while some of the cures and prevention methods were used nationally.

List of Materials and Attachments:

  • Worksheet 4
  • “Miscellaneous” from The Avenue Weekly, a 1918 souvenir publication of the AvenueSchool in Champaignfound in the AvenueSchool vertical file at the Champaign County Historical Archives, Urbana Free Library, 20 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois.

The following links are all from the AHTC website @:

Name ______Period ______

Worksheet 4

From Fire to Fever

Just as fires frequently challenged residents of Champaign as the city was growing into a business and educational center, illness was also a significant problem for residents. In this lesson you will be investigating sicknesses mentioned in primary sources of the period.Internet links are given to facilitate research.