It was basically an obscure event that transpired in 1902 when an experimental device was built in Olney. H.E. Willsie and John Boyle have been recognized as some of the pioneers in the field of solar energy research. They had built a 24 hour operating solar power plant in St. Louis that was considered to be economically feasible for a while, but the abundance of coal as a relative cheap source for energy made the operation unfeasible. They moved to several operations in the west and vanished into obscurity. The productivity of the plants and the effectiveness of the work was questionable but the application of solar energy is being used in photovotaics, in space and a variety of other ways. The early pioneering work of H.E. Willsie and John Boyle Jr. helped to keep the dream of solar power alive.

Having obtained more historical references, talking with members from the local historical society and public officials , I was encouraged as to the merits of the project. I submitted an application to the lIlinois Historical Society; however it was not approved on the first review. Later it was decided to be of historical merit and an Illinois State Historical Marker was provided and placed in the Olney City Park (photo to be submitted at a later date.)The Illinois State Historical Society provided matching funds for the metal cast sign.