Alta Johnston Baby Fold Monument - Lexington Twp.

Alta Johnson left much of her family farm to the Baby Fold. This monument, located at her country home, commemorates that donation.

For many years, the Baby Fold relied on the income from donated farm land. Alta Johnston left 228 acres in her will to the Baby Fold. Mrs. Johnston died on June 6, 1963 and is buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Johnston's will stipulated that a monument be placed on the farm. This monument was likely placed in the mid 1960's, shortly after her death.

 Alta Johnston was born in 1872 near Colfax. She was involved in many civic and volunteer organizations in Pleasant Hill and Lexington. Johnston was married to Charles Arnold in 1917. After he died in 1926, she married Earl Johnston in 1938. No children were mentioned in her obituary. 

Four years later, the Baby Fold donated 20 acres to the south of the farm to the ParkLands Foundation, a private entity with the mission of preserving land around the Mackinaw River watershed.

The R.R. Williams name on the monument refers to Johnston's father and family. As early as 1866, the name R.R. Williams appears on historical McLean County atlases. The land plat is on the same land as the monument. Richard R. Williams is buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery (1831-1907). His wife was Matilda Powell Williams.

Map fr. 1914 Atlas

Location
Township & Section: Lexington, Sec. 26

GIS (click on numbers to view on Google Maps):: 40.593185, -88.718194

Sources

• Baby Fold Donates Tract to ParkLands. (1968, June 4). Pantagraph, p. 3.
• Baby Fold: Celebrating 100 Years. (2002, May 4). Pantagraph, p. 17.
• Central Illinois Deaths. (1963, June 8). Pantagraph, p. 12.