Buena Vista Township in Rushville in Schuyler County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

The Scripps Family

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 7, 2023

1. The Scripps Family Marker

Inscription. This site was the homestead of the Scripps family – pioneer journalists and philanthropists. John Scripps (1785-1868), a Methodist circuit-rider, settled here in 1831. In 1849 he began publishing the Prairie Telegraph, now the Rushville Times. His nephew, John Locke Scripps (1818-1868), co-founded the Chicago Tribune and wrote the first biography of Abraham Lincoln. A great-nephew, Edward Wyllis Scripps (1854-1926), founded United Press and the first newspaper chain in the United States – Scripps Howard. An older brother, James E. Scripps (1835-1906), founded the Detroit Evening News; and their sister, Ellen Browning Scripps (1836-1932), pioneered the concept of the feature article in journalism.

Erected 1977 by Scripps Park Bicentennial Landscaping Committee • Illinois State Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Women. In addition, it is included in the Illinois State Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1831.

Location. 40° 6.994′ N, 90° 34.722′ W. Marker is in Rushville, Illinois, in Schuyler County. It is in Buena Vista Township. Marker can be reached from Ellen Scripps Drive south

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

of U.S. 24, on the left when traveling south. Marker is in Scripps Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 Ellen Scripps Dr, Rushville IL 62681, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Union Baptist Church (approx. 0.8 miles away); Militiaman Lincoln (approx. 0.8 miles away); War Memorial (approx. 0.8 miles away); 1812-1900 War Memorial (approx. 0.8 miles away); Lincoln's Reception (approx. 0.8 miles away); Abraham Lincoln in Rushville (approx. 0.9 miles away); Maxwell Kennedy (approx. 0.9 miles away); The Base Line Survey (approx. 6.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rushville.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 7, 2023

2. The Scripps Family Marker

The Scripps Homestead image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 7, 2023

3. The Scripps Homestead

Front view of the house. The marker is by the chimney of the left side of the house.

John Locke Scripps (1818-1866) image. Click for full size.

from The First Published Life of Abraham Lincoln, John Locke Scripps, via Google Books (Public Domain), 1900

4. John Locke Scripps (1818-1866)

His 1860 biography of Lincoln was financed and published by the latter's presidential campaign as a promotional tool.

Edward Willis "E.W." Scripps (1854-1926) image. Click for full size.

E.W. Scripps Papers, Ohio University via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain), 1912

5. Edward Willis "E.W." Scripps (1854-1926)

He and his half-sister Ellen Browning Scripps founded the E.W. Scripps Co. and United Press news services, which later became United Press International.

Ellen Browning Scripps (1836-1932) image. Click for full size.

M.J. Conn from Encyclopedia of American Biography, via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

6. Ellen Browning Scripps (1836-1932)

One of the world's wealthiest women, she gave much of her fortune away to the Scrips Research Institute, Scripps College, and organizations seeking to improve women's education and advance democratic principles.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 31, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 136 times since then and 57 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 31, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on August 1, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.