Illinois State University in Normal in McLean County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
William Saunders
1822 1900
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, June 21, 2025
1. William Saunders Marker
William Saunders
1822-1900
First master of the National Grange
Famous horticulturist and landscape gardener who prepared original landscape plans for the campus of Illinois State Normal University
Erected 1932 by Maize Grange.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Horticulture & Forestry.
Location. 40° 30.55′ N, 88° 59.516′ W. Marker is in Normal, Illinois, in McLean County. It is in Illinois State University. It can be reached from University Street, on the right when traveling north. The memorial is on the campus of Illinois State University, in the main quad next to Cook Hall. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Normal IL 61761, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Illinois. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Old Main Bell (within shouting distance of this marker); World War I Memorial Stone (within shouting distance of this marker); Capital Stone from the Third McLean County Courthouse (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Illinois State Normal University (about 300 feet away);
this page online
Regarding William Saunders. William Saunders was born in Scotland, studied horticulture at the University of Edinburgh and trained at London's Kew Gardens before emigrating to the United States, where he became a citizen in 1857. In 1862, he was hired by the newly created U.S. Department of Agriculture as its first superintendent of experimental gardens, a role he held until his death in 1900. In 1863, he was selected by Abraham Lincoln to design the Soldiers' National Cemetery at Gettysburg, which Lincoln dedicated in November 1863 with the Gettysburg Address. In addition to Gettysburg's cemetery, Saunders also designed the landscaping for Lincolns tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois, and the west faηade of the U.S. Capitol.
Jesse Fell, the co-founder of Illinois State Normal University (simply Illinois State since 1964), hired Saunders to design a tree-rich campus to fill in what originally was tree-less prairie land. By 1872, when Fell resigned from the school's
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, June 21, 2025
2. William Saunders Marker
William Saunders was one of the co-founders of the National Grange, a social organization dedicated to promoting agriculture in the United States.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Marker for the birthplace of the National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry in Washington, D.C.
Also see . . .
1. William Saunders: A Monumental Figure in USDA.
Excerpt: "But Saunders did far more for the country than design landscaping. He also introduced hundreds of economically important plants, including Japanese persimmon; Eucalyptus globulus tree; Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica); 300 varieties of winter-hardy apples from Russia that had a profound effect on the Northeasts apple growing; camphor tree; one of the first magnolia trees in Washington D.C.; and many more."(Submitted on June 23, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
2. Trees of College Life. The campus of Illinois State comprises the Fell Arboretum, an accredited arboretum with 4,000 trees of more than 100 varieties. It is named after Jesse Fell, one of ISU co-founders. This article from ISU looks at how the once-barren campus in the middle of the Illinois
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, June 21, 2025
3. William Saunders Marker
The campus of ISU comprises Fell Arboretum, which features 4,000 trees of more than 100 varieties. Fell Hall, named after the school founder Jesse Fell, is visible in the background of this photo. The memorial to William Saunders, who was hired by Fell to design the school's campus, is in front of Fell Hall.
Excerpt: "Such was the case at Illinois State University, where the famously avid arborist envisioned an environment for learning filled with trees and plants. Fell built support for his vision and led a lobbying effort in 1867 that resulted in a $3,000 state appropriation for landscaping the campus. Noted landscape architect William Saunders was commissioned for the work, at a fee of $65, and in the spring of the following year, he and Fell coordinated the planting of 1,740 trees. Fell planted many himself, using a modified horse-drawn wagon."(Submitted on June 23, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
3. The National Grange: Our Roots.
Excerpt: "On December 4, 1867 in a small Washington, D.C., building that housed the office of William Saunders, Superintendent of Propagating Gardens in the Department of Agriculture, the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, more commonly known as the Grange, was born. Here, sitting around a plain wooden table, a group of seven earnest men, planned what was destined to become a vital force in preserving and expanding American democracy. They were all men of vision-they had faith in God, in their fellow man and the future."(Submitted on June 23, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
4. William Saunders (1822-1900)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 23, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 23, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 167 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 23, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
