The notion of giving Marysville a special designation started the same time the Apollo 11, carrying three U.S. astronauts, landed on the moon.
While vacationing in the summer of 1969, Bill Strange passed through Olney, Ill. Boasting “Home of the White Squirrel,” the southern-Illinois city’s tag caught Strange’s attention.
Upon returning to Marysville, Strange, who lived at 1400 Park Place, promoted the idea of giving Marysville a similar nickname to make it a tourist attraction.
Strange’s musings became the topic of conversation at the Old Buzzards coffee group, a gathering of downtown businessmen and others. Although albino squirrels were not native to their hometown, these influentials knew Marysville had a claim to fame, too- the black squirrel.
The discussion caught the attention of city leaders who, by 1972, were ready to make an official proclamation.
Mert Ott, Marysville’s mayor in 1972, credits Phil Morsch as the driving force for taking Strange’s observation and naming Marysville Black Squirrel City. Morsch lived at 210 South 9th Street and was a member of Marysville’s city council.
“He lived across the street from the park and he could watch those black squirrels,” Ott explained. “Phil would tell us he would sit there and watch them eating acorns and then they would run across the street to steal walnuts out of his yard.”
Gloria Smith, Morsch’s daughter, confirms her father’s enchantment with the black squirrels.
“My dad was really into the black squirrels,” she said. “When my daughter was born he planted a walnut tree in the middle of the back yard which totally ruined the chance of having a beautiful backyard lawn.”
Smith said her father was determined to protect the black squirrels.
“He loved all things black squirrels,” she said. “Black squirrels were always in our yard and in the park. He would get very upset when they were injured.”
Ott recalls a city council meeting where Morsch expressed concern about harm coming to the friendly rodents that scampered in his neighborhood.
“Phil came to the council meeting one night and told us we needed an ordinance to protect the black squirrels,” he explained. “He wanted a pretty big fine for those that harmed the squirrels. I told him to write it up and bring it to me. That got things going.”
Ott also credits Jay Funke, Marysville’s city clerk at the time, as another key player.
“Jay was the city clerk- at that time we didn’t have an administrator,” Ott said. “Everything was done with pencil, paper and adding machines.”
Morsch and Funke penned Ordinance No. 1027: The Black Squirrel Ordinance. City council unanimously approved the ordinance “providing for the naming of the black squirrel as the official mascot of the city of Marysville, providing for the respect and protection thereof, and providing a penalty for the destruction of such.”
Although Morsch had designs for a higher fine, the ordinance stipulates “a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars” to those who harm Marysville’s furry treasure.
The ordinance also called for the establishment of Black Squirrel Day for “celebration, parading, pageantry, feasting and other nutty or squirrelly activities appropriate to the day.”
Marysville celebrated its first Black Squirrel Day on Oct. 16, 1972, and has observed Black Squirrel Day, Black Squirrel Night or Black Squirrel Fest every October since.
