Book Signing for New Publication About Boos Industry, Family

William and Kathleen Fearday’s Book Signing for "Boos: The Early Years" will be on Saturday, December 7 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM in the Suzette Brumleve Memorial Effingham Public Library’s Reading Room, a.k.a. The Fearday Cafe. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.

Conrad Boos, the founder of Boos Block, created the first Boos Block from locally harvested sycamore in his blacksmith shop in Effingham. The Boos Block was designed to absorb the impact of a smith's hammer and when a local butcher requested one for his shop, John, Conrad's son, fulfilled the order. From their humble beginnings in an Effingham sawmill to an 87,000 square foot plant on 12 acres, the brand still thrives over 130 years later.

This is a free event and a library card is not required to attend. With a rich history that reaches all the way back to 1887, Kathleen Fearday, great, great granddaughter of Conrad Boos, felt it was important to tell the story about the early years of Boos Block. It's not just about the history of a beloved American brand that started so long ago in Effingham, but also about a family whose ties to the area go back just as far.

For Kathleen and William, the book was a labor of love. "I can't believe how much time William spent researching this book, especially the time that he spent looking at microfilm," says Kathleen.

This is a free program and a library card is not required to attend.

To learn more about this program and other library programs, go online to effinghamlibrary.org, email info@effinghamlibrary.org or call 217-342-2464 x. 1.