Watch now: Decatur Garden Party marks Gov. Oglesby’s 198th birthday | Recreation

DECATUR — Gov. Richard J. Oglesby, looking remarkably spry in this, the 198th year since he was born, paused outside his spectacular downtown Decatur mansion Sunday afternoon to consider an extraordinary life.

“The hardest thing to show is what a marvelous personality he had,” said Oglesby, otherwise known as William Horton; the retired Decatur fifth grade teacher has been portraying Oglesby for some 15 years and can’t help but like his alter ego.

“And he was such a survivor, considering his many life experiences,” added Horton, a mere youngster himself at 74.

Sunday, the circa 1874 mansion was celebrating its illustrious former owner’s birthday a day early (July 25, 1824) by throwing a Garden Party. The sumptuous woodwork of the grand home’s interior was bedecked with balloons and, a first for many visitors, the back garden was thrown open for children’s games and events.

On top of that there was what Jane Rademacher, a member of the home’s board of directors, described as a full birthday spread: sandwiches, cakes, finger foods, punch, lemonade and tea, all served free from 4 to 6 p.m.

Rademacher explained that Oglesby is a man constantly worth celebrating, and the people entrusted with the care of his home want to push the boat out again to mark significant events in his life now that COVID is fading into history.

A brief rundown of Oglesby’s achievements: a lawyer, he fought in the Mexican-American War of 1846-47 and nearly captured Mexican President General Santa Anna, and instead took custody of the general’s wooden leg which he left behind after fleeing. Oglesby would next head west and come back with more than $5,000 in gold from the 1849 California gold rush, which he later spun into a real estate fortune in Decatur.