William R Plum

William R. Plum, also known as Colonel Plum, was a Civil War telegrapher who served under General George H. Thomas, later becoming a lawyer, author, traveler, and horticulturist in Lombard, Illinois. With his wife Helen, he collected over 200 lilac varieties during their world travels in the 1910s and 1920s. Upon his death in 1927, he bequeathed his estate to the village, establishing Lilacia Park and the Helen M. Plum Memorial Library, earning Lombard the title 'The Lilac Village.'