Eleanor Hallinan

By Kit Zinser

Eleanor Denny Hallinan was a devoted wife, mother, and activist. 

Raised in Philadelphia and holding a double major at Rosemont College, she married engineer John just before he shipped out in WWII. She was so devoted to him that she added an associate degree in engineering from the Drexel Institute of Technology to make their dinner conversations more interesting. 

Upon employment with Caterpillar Tractor Co., John brought the family to Washington, their new hometown! The couple intertwined faith and fun as they raised twelve children. Eleanor cultivated a large garden, baked her own bread, cookies, and cake, and kept an orderly home. 

In the 1960s, she committed to Washington and joined the Town and Country Garden Club, the town's most socially conscious and politically active group. Soon, the Illinois Department of Transportation was succumbing to the pleas of truckers tired of rounding the square with their lumbering semis (i.e., tearing down the square). Speed limits were not observed, and seemingly nothing could be done. Enter Eleanor: She talked with one IDOT official and mentioned that even though speeding tickets were not issued, weight limits may now be observed more closely. She didn’t back down, and after a few uneasy exchanges, Eleanor saved the square … a jewel in the center of town. 

She began a 12-year commitment to service in our town, working tirelessly under Mayors Hult, Boyd, Habecker, and Muller. She envisioned having women serve in local government and the police force. She was the first woman on our city council and the first woman to serve as Mayor Pro Tem. Eleanor’s remarkable insight and honest and well-researched intentions earned the respect of state and local officials and townsfolk. 

Eleanor Denny Hallinan: Born June 11, 1921. Died: July 6, 2017