We seem to have an early fall and the migration of the birds has begun. This past week I put fresh food in the hummingbird feeder to send them on their way with a full tummy.

I was astonished at the number of birds who have started their migration. Thursday when it was 71 in the house I turned on my furnace so I felt the need of warmth also. So I figure I will not see any more hummingbirds at my flowers.

I have been watching in my yard a squirrel with a very bushy tail that is almost white. I am certain it will be glad when I pull out the flowers in the big pots so it can put in the store of nuts for the winter. I always find them in the spring when I replant. This one is very busy this fall.

Kevin and I were very busy at the museum on Saturday in the office as we cleared out stuff that was no longer needed. Tucked away in a corner were two boxes of slips where people had purchased the Polo book of 2007. That book had been put together by Kathy Pasch and the committee was Karen Olsen, Shirley Clayton, and myself. So you see there was much to simply be thrown away.

We also had to spend some time looking over an old small ledger from Eagle Point that belonged to Elmore Shoemaker from the 1800s. The women were buying calico and the men were thinking of the crops. That book had been found in a cabinet that had been pushed up against another. It had been put away and forgotten about years ago. Now it needs to be placed in the Eagle Point file.

I had that file out anyway looking for two early ministers. We had been asked if there were any early ministers in Eagle Point that had been involved in the Underground Railroad. We had not found any earlier. Then Kevin found a newspaper article that mentioned two United Brethren minsters in Eagle Point. They were Rev. Jeremiah Kenoyer and Rev. W. T. Bunton. While the article in the Ogle County History of 1909 did not mention their involvement with the UGRR, the newspaper article of March 10, 1910 of TCP did give that information.

The early Eagle Point church closed in 1922 and was moved to Hazelhurst to be used as a town hall. That town hall building is still there and we had many gatherings there in the early days of my living in Eagle Point. Our chivaree party was held there almost 75 years ago. Who would have thought that researching an early minister would bring back the memories of our chivaree party.

So we will add all this new information to our files on the Underground Railroad. We never know where we will find new information.

I also found out this week that the doll repair people in Naperville are no longer doing dolls. So I told Cheri to bring her back to me. I went online and watched the repair of a doll who needed new stuffing. I might add this to my bucket list and see if I can revive the doll. Who knows what will happen.

• Betty Obendorf is a retired teacher and volunteer for the Polo Historical Society.