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TF South alum Ted Cable returns to speak about Traveling Through Illinois

Monday, September 24, 6:00pm, at Lansing Historical Society meeting

by Melanie Jongsma

LANSING, Ill. (September 7, 2018) – As part of their celebration of the Illinois Bicentennial, the Lansing Historical Society has invited Dr. Ted Cable to share stories from his 2013 book, Traveling Through Illinois: Stories of I-55 Landmarks and Landscapes between Chicago and St. Louis, which he co-authored with LuAnn Cadden.

As the book’s Amazon.com description says, “If you have been driving through Illinois on I-55 and exclaimed, ‘There’s nothing out there but corn!’, you aren’t alone, but you couldn’t be more wrong. Learn why Steven Spielberg visited Waggoner, Illinois, and what fruit Abraham Lincoln used to christen the town named after him, as well as what route was frequented by flesh-eating birds and what antique mall was said to harbor a spaceship. When you travel in the company of LuAnn Cadden and Ted Cable, every mile marker between Chicago and St. Louis hides a story, and even grain silos become adventure destinations.”

Dr. Cable will share some highlights from the book and other personal anecdotes.

Cable is a 1971 graduate of TF South High School, and a graduate of the University of Illinois-Chicago, where he earned a degree in Biology. He worked as a naturalist for the Cook County Forest Preserves at Sand Ridge Nature Center, and taught high school in Lake Station. In 1978, he moved out of the Calumet Region to attend Purdue University and ultimately earn M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Since he still has family in Lansing, he returns as often as possible. And in July, when he learned about the large colony of chimney swifts that were roosting at Coolidge Elementary School until recently, Cable shared an article he had written about swifts in 2003.

Today Cable is Professor of Park Management and Conservation at Kansas State University. He has authored 14 books, several book chapters, four scenic byway video scripts, and more than 200 articles, reports, and presentations dealing with nature, travel, and heritage interpretation. He has received teaching awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Kansas Wildlife Federation.

For more information about his presentation on September 24, contact Barb Dust of the Lansing Historical Society: 708-474-7497.

The Lansing Historical Society meets in the Community Room of the Lansing Public Library. The library is located at 2750 Indiana Avenue in Lansing.

 

Melanie Jongsma
Melanie Jongsma
Melanie Jongsma grew up in Lansing, Illinois, and believes The Lansing Journal has an important role to play in building community through trustworthy information.