q977. 368 r.N/eu»/^AAj, /uu^/oisj C333 CENTENNIAL: A TRIBUTE TO OUR PRAIRIE PIONEERS 1857-1957 SLLINOia niBTOlilVAL SURVEY q977.368 C333 ! 1857 Centennial A Tribute To Our Prairie Pioneers 1957 Newman, Illinois August 23, 24, 25 United Auto Supply, Inc. 343 North Walnut St. CKampaign, 111. dill Ikiiirk Jim £rieks^ii Owners Original Equipment Parts Wholesaler Supplier For Dague Repair Shop Newman, Illinois Reese Dague, Owner Truck, Tractor, Auto Repairing Wrecker Service Day Night Phone 61 Phone 106 % "Better for us that we cannot see into the future but enjoy ourselves with the present, leaving the changes that may take place to be enjoyed by those who may live after us." — Mary Jane Page unive: W URBAr:A-C. Dedic ation A Tributi' to Our I'ionetrs Have we stopped to meditate deeply on the debt we owe to those strong souls who paid the tremendous price, to those ancestors of hard hands, keen eyes, swift feet and matchless vision who paved the way and laid the Inundation to make this country what it is today? Abraham Lincoln stands at the top of that type of matchless folk who had the broad contagious humor, the keen vision of spirit, the geological patience, the depth ot thought that comes from communion with God and nature that builds for humanity and makes all mankind brothers. He had the sterling pioneer ([ualities that mak^? our state proud to be called "The Land of Lincoln." So through the years, Newman — Illinois — the world, has had as their model Lincoln, "A Man of the Ages." But back to Newman — and our native pioneers. True, their lives were rugged and bare at the best, yet they v.'ero not devoid of happiness. They knew the joy of honest toil and well earned accomplishments. Their imagination became practical as they saw their dreams grow into realities in the shape of cultivated fields, passable roads, and livable homes. Our pioneeis wasted no time analyzing their emotions, but filled their minds with thoughts of improving their conditions, in building a country for themselves and their posterity. Only we realize the victory won by these conquering ancestors. True, they faced the hardships of primitive life and yet, they knew the blessings of close communion with nature. Through this meditation, no doubt, came a deeper and more lasting faith in (lod's love, protection, and comfort in all their needs. .Anil so, our words of appreciation in this Newman Cen- tennial Book are to those, our pioneers, who fought for peace and freedom against many ills. To those brave souls who, until now, no doubt, have re- ceived too few laurels, expecting none, deserving many, wo acknowledge our gratitude. In the words of the noblest pioneer of them all, the people "will little note nor long remember what we say here but" they "can never forget what they did here." So, to those who gave their "full measure of devotion" we humbly and gratefully dedicate those words of love and appreciation. — Ada L. Brock Compliments Of Alfred N. Moore, M. D. Oakland, Illinois THE PAGODA . . . This well-known land- mark in the center of the Newman City Park marks the exact center of the orig- inal town. Compliments Of Mack Hollowell Grocery In TKe Beginning An examination of the history of Newman's oldest, pos- sibly most prominent, landmark — the city park — un- ravels much of the very earliest history of the city itself. The park site was arranged for at the time the town of Newman was surveyed and plotted. Land on which the town is located was entered from the United States government by Isaac Howard, grand- father of Lewis H. Howard. During Mr. Howard's ownership, he became indebted to Ur. Hiram Rutherford of Oakland on a note secured by a mortgage on this parcel of land. Acquiring money at that time was no easy problem and in looking around for means to settle the indebtedness, Mr. Howard related his troub- les to the Kev. Peter Cartwright, circuit rider and preach- er for the Methodist church. In his efforts to help Mr. Howard, the Rev. Cartwright discussed the matter with B. F. Newman, another Method- ist minister, and suggested that the two of them combine their efforts in an attempt to rescue Mr. Howard from his dilemma. Rev. Newman, it seems, numbered among his flock sev- eral men of considerable wealth and of particular im- portance to future residents of Newman were two gentle- men named Matthews who were associated with a bank in Jacksonville, 111. Mr. Newman's approach to them on the matter of Mr. Howard's troubles was particularly timely. The Matthews, it was revealed later, knew that a railroad right-of-way had been projected to come through Illinois on the very line on which Newman now is located. Shrewd businessmen that they were, they told Mr. How- ard they would advance sufficient money to pay off the entire indebtedness if he could secure in fee 40 acres of land as near the center of section 31, township 16 north, range 14 west of the second principal meridian as possible. That, Mr. Newman was able to do, and he plotted the town around the present city park, in lots with 20-foot frontage on the streets around the square. He named the town Newman, after himself. The park was given to the community with the understanding that it should be used as a building site for a "seminary", a stipulation that later gave rise to a dispute. Newman had had a school previous to that time, but now constructed a new, two-story building in the center of the park to be used as a school, town hall and lodge Compliments Of Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Tackitt Newman, Illinois room by the Masonic lodge. A few years later, it was decided to erect a school building on the present site of the grade school and the building in the park was moved away. The old building still stands however, and is used as a dwelling. Soon after the school building was moved, the heirs of the Matthews family entered suit to have the land restored to them, since it was no longer being used as a site for a seminary. After considerable discussion and much heat- ed argument, T. M. Swigart, who was mayor of the vil- lage, succeeded in reaching a basis of settlement and the city paid $500 for a title to the park area and it became public property. Three permanent buildings have been erected in the park. The first was the old school building and the sec- ond was the original two-story pagoda which served as a band shell as well as a platform for public speakers. Many distinguished men have spoken from its platform, Joseph G. Cannon, Shelby M. Cullon and William B. Mc- Kinley, together with a number of religious leaders. The present pagoda was repaired several years ago and the second story removed. At one time, the park was fenced for use as a pasture, and had a hitch rack for horses all around it. John VanDyke arranged the planting of the trees. One tree was planted as near the center of the park as could be determined and other trees were located about 20 feet apart in circular fashion around it. Th first pagoda was erected on the spot where the original center tree was lo- cated. NEWMAN CENTENNIAL AUG. 23-24-25, 1957 May Newman's Centennial cel- ebration be an outstanding suc- cess and revive pleasant mem- ories for all who attend. With best wishes — Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen J rff HALL I w M. L. McDermott, Mayor Carl Collins CITY CLERK Jokn E. Pollock CITY TREASURER Harry M. Hixson ALDERMAN WARD II Frank Ousley ALDERMAN WARD II Luther Clark ALDERMAN WARD I Loren Biddle ALDERMAN WARD III Rudolpn Dennis ALDERMAN WARD 111 Roy GiDson ALDERMAN WARD I Raymond Sollers WATERWORKS SUPERINTENDENT George E. Nichols CITY ATTORNEY Life As It W as By Miss Louise Mclntyre From tradition at least, we know something about the lives of the people who lived in and around Newman be- fore the 1870's. For the most part they (at least the lead- ing citizens) were deeply religious. Social activities were closely associated with the churches. Especially in the country churches, they often went home with one another from morning worship for huge dinners with families and friends. They had quilting bees and barn raisings, both always the occasion for feasting. Perhaps neighborliness never reached a truer quality than in these early times because people were utterly dependent upon each other in sickness, death, childbirth, fire and all emergencies. The men were busy clearing the timber if they lived m wooded sections; in breaking the ground and beginning to struggle with drainage if they lived on or near the sloughs. One of the very first needs on the Ridge was fencing to prevent the stock from wandering into the l)rairie grass and getting lost. These fjnces were first made of board slats (out of lumber from their timber holdings) but later hedge was planted for fences. Almost at once they set out orchards for food and trees for shade. They raised practically everything they ate except meat, which was largely game they shot or trapped. The women made most of the families' clothes from the spinning pro- cess on and for many years after manufactured material was available, they knitted all the socks and mittens. Candles were made at home and the adoption of kerosene lamps was slow as they were considered dangerous. The Fourth of July was celebrated with an enthusiasm incomprehensible to today's citizens. They were so much closer to Revolutionary days. Almost everyone's grand- father had participated in those stirring t'mes. The desire to do this holiday justice may well have been an underly- ing cause of the beginning of the fine bands of the period. The early celebrations were marked with burning, pat- riotic speeches and singing. In the field of contests, by young men catching greased pigs, climbing greased poles, playing horse shoes and participating in foot races. The nature of the programs changed somewhat as time pro- gressed — but speech making, vocal and band music con- tinued to feature the all-day celebrations with fireworks at n ght. Everyone from everywhere came; it would have been considered downright unpatriotic not 'to go to the Fourth of July". Families brought picnic dinners (it was always the ambition of housewives to have the first fried chicken of the season for that occasion). There was lots of ice Cieam, the water barrel with its tin cup, noise from fire- craikors and sometimes burns to be treated from the firje- eiackers and run-away horses from the same cause. The Fourth of July to end all such celebrations was the one in 1916. World War I was on with the United States on the verge of entering it — and patriotism ran high. All organizat.ons and most individuals worked for its success with a unity and enthusiasm equalled only by that being demonstrated in p:oducing this centennial ceebra- tion. A pageant portraying the hi.story of our country was presented. The participants all wore elegant costumes of silk, velvet and feathers rented from a high grade theater company. One impressive scene was the signing of the Constitution by a group of Newman business man. Still remembered as being represented are Benjamin Franklin, George and Martha Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, the then occupants of the White House. There were several impressive dances by groups of young people. One being the minuette by Eu- genia Rutherford, Hortense Morrow, Eva Burgett, Kathie Kyde, Edgar Young, Emmerson Springer, Earl Swickard and Homer Mclntyre. There came to be fewer Fourth of July celebrations and more homecomings and horse shows. Many of the latter resembled county fairs with entries and prizes in canning, baking, sewing, a flower show, a baby show and the horse show with rousing homecoming entertainment. The earlier shows were held around the city park but after Memorial Park was acquired, they were held there. The editor of the Independent estimated the numbers in attendance different yer.rs at 5,000, 8,000 and even 10,000 people. The crowds are remembered to have been .surprisingly large. For as long as there was a group of G. A. R. members, there was an annual recognition of the Battle of Shiloh, which seemed to belong distinctively to Newman. It was largely due to the enthusiasm of Mr. Sam Woodworth who had participated in that sanguinary affair, and it was dis- continued after his death. In reading old copies of The Independent, one is im- pressed with what a change has taken place in the causes of death during the 100 years of history. The three great early killers, and in this order, were consumption, typhoid fever, ana pneumonia. The people were at the mercy of flies, mosqu toes and poor drainage. Screening was not invented until after the Civil War and not in general use before 1895. Even so, a great many people seemed to live their three score and ten years and among these, strokes were common. Of course there was always cancer; chills and ague was a bonebreaking sickness. In 1890, a new and terrible disease called the Russian La Grippe raged through the county. The influenza epidemic follow- ing World War 1 seemed very similar to the La Grippe. Summer complaint, an intestinal disorder which attacked babies in their second summer, killed an amazing number of them. There were occasional epidemics of diphtheria. People "died suddenly" but it was not until about 1895 that the term heart trouble seemed to be used. We do, however, have copies of and clippings from The Newman Independent from the 1870's on and from perus- al cf same it seems evident that the people all along pos- sessed the desire to "Live Modern" as they do today. Wh:it- ever was being done — Newmanites were also doing it. First in the matter of travel. S nee they had looked for- ward ior 15 years to having a railroad, when it came they used it. tor many years there were eight passenger trains dail.y th'ough Newman. People rode over to Hume to see a friend and returned on the next train going west. They went to Tuscola to transact county business. Quote: Aug- ust 2, 1886, "A good portion of this town went over today to attend Barnum's Circus at Decatur". They went to, Kansas, California, the Northwest, the Southwest, to Flor- ida, to Hot Springs, to Texas, to Minneapolis to see the Ice Carnival, to New York, Washington, New Orleans, French Lick Springs, to Yosemite, to Decatur to attend a Theodore Thomas orchestra concert and a goodly number traveled to Europe. There were so many excursions to Indianapolis and Ni- agara Falls that sooner or later every citizen must have been to those two places. Seemingly everyone old enough to appreciate the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893 and the one in St. Louis in 1904 and some who were too young Pictured below is the Kiwanicoiin Hut, a gift from Dr. and Mrs. H. I. Conn, whose Kenerosity and hospitality are well known to the people of our (.•ommunity. The building was completely remodeled and fully equipped by the Conns. It is heated by eas and well-lijrhted, has a banquet hall with table capacity for 100, modern kitchen, fully equipped, coat rooms and rest rooi.is. The deed and keys to the building and grounds were presented to the club by the above donors on its tenth birthday, Apr. 22, 1946. FRONT ROW (left to right): Wilbur Thompson, .Mrs. Harvey E. Winkler (pianist), John A. Coolley, Paul House, .Mack Hollowell, Charles Reed, Stanley Baxter, John E. Pollock, Harvey E. Winkler, Asher Jones, Eugene Fox, William Rominger DDS. BACK ROW (left to right): H. I. Conn MD, Loren Biddle, Everett L. Taekitt, William McGaughey, Edgar D. Morrow, John R. Goodson, Frank Charter Memoers Ousley, John H. Tnnkle, Irvin Toppe, Ray Wax, William Morrell, Russell Epperson, Carl S. Long Sr., Arthur Towles, Lloyd V. Boyer, Foster W. McCarty, Arthur E. Parr. Members absent: Fred Carter, Everett Campbell, Rudolph Dennis, Winfield Dennis, Bart House, Jewel Jenne, Ora Lawrence, Kenneth Neibch, Ray Trinkle, John R. Wagner. Presidents George N. Barr William C. Booton Paul Burgett * J. Fred Carter p H. I. Conn, M. D. p Glen Cutsinger * James L. Dague Matthew L. Davis Lester Freesh Raymond C. Gillogly, M.D. Rex Green Mack Hollowell p Joe Maze Daniel M. Mclntyre * Edgar D. Morrow p James E. Patton Harry Purdue • Leonard Pyle Charles Reed p J. Graham Sibson * Hughes Blake Smith Elmert Sehweizer Paul Sollers Ray Swickard, D. D. S. Everett L. Taekitt p John H. Trinkle p Hughes Blake Smith 1936-37 John H. Trinkle 1938 Glen (Demp) L. Cutsinger 1939 Elmer Lyon 1940 • H. L Conn, M. D. 1941 Edgar D. Morrow 1942 Harry Baxter 1943 • Frank L. Marshall 1944 • Charles C. Burgett 1945 • Mack Hollowell 194(i William B. McGaughey Lloyd V. Boyer 1948 1947 ( • ) Deceased (p) Present members John E. Pollock 1949 Arthur E. Parr 1950 Harry .\rkebauer 19.il Carl S. Long Sr. 1952 Homer Epperson 1953 Wilbur Thompson 1954 John R. Wagner 1955 Asher C. Jones 1956 John A. Coolley 1957 (*) Deceased to do so attended them. Two extra passenger trains were operated during the height of the latter season, bringing the daily total to 10. In 1909, three of Newman's busine.ssmen, Dr. Wagner, Mr. A. E. Havens and Mr. Scott Burgett enjoyed an ex- tended trip to New York and Washington (where they were entertained at dinner in the home of Senator W. B. McKinley); from there on to the Canal Zone and home v.a San Francisco. This brings the story of transporta- tion to the approach of the automobile and the gradual decline of local rail travel. During the era of the railroad, the editor had no trouble 111 learning the travel activities of Newmanites. He simply met all the trains, little black book in hand, and there he had his news items. Through many of these years, a highlight of the day for the young people was meeting the evening trains (one in each direction) to see what was going on, then proceeding on to their dates. As soon as there were trains much entertainment was imported. While from the clippings it is not always clear under whose auspices the programs were conducted, we know most of them were given in the old Opera House which was built in 1875. Almost never a week passed with- out the people gathering there. The field of entertainment was so wide one can give the merest smattering of various types. January 13, 1883 — "The Japanese student Senesha Ogata gave a very interesting lecture on Japan." April 1, 1883 — "Captain Seeley lectured at the Opera House on the Battle of Gettysburg and Libby Prison." May 3, 18S6 — "A Pole by the name of Sobieski lectured here on Temperance. He was the most amusing lecturer that ever spoke in Newman, keeping the house in convuls- ions of laughter." 1887 — "Olaf Bull and Troupe gave a classical concert here this evening. The finest thing that ever struck New- man." The new Opera House built the next year after the old one burned was dedicated at Thanksgiving time 1904, with a play, "The Holy City", a really socialite occasion for Newman and where city theater prices were charged. Dur- ing the 1870's and 1890's, troupes playing Uncle Tom's Cabin and East Lynne and also Indian Medicine Shows which pulled teeth on the side, were common. As far back as we have news items, the men of New- man seem to have played baseball. The first diamond was located on the lot where Brown Rutherford's house Kow :s. Newman seems to have won most of their games or else the savers of clippings were not enough intei-ested m the ones they lost to make a record of the losses. Once when the fats of the town were playing the leans, M. S. bmitn, the pitcher for the latter, came on to the diamond d.essed in a mother hubbard. Miscellaneous items: February 3, 1887 — 'A grand wolf hunt came off to- day. A St. Louis Globe Democrat editor and a Chicago 1 imes reporter took part in the chase." Newman men who have owned and run race horses are El Calvin, John Gaines, Willie Fondin and Bert Myers, whose horse was "Hustler". Two of the people's own activities bound to havs brought them much pleasure, and now almost forgotten pastimes, were skating and sleighing. For some reason, the ice seemed to be better for skating in the days soon after the Brushy Fork ditch was dredged. .A.imost everyone en- joyed the skating parties in the evenings and on Saturday rfce:noon when there was ice. Outstand.ng figure skaters still remembered are Mr. Reuben Thomas and Mr. Fred Lydick, Forming almost a regular news pattern in the old pap- ers would be the remark how bad the weather was one week, followed the next by how the young people enjoyed the delightful sleighing. And they rode and drove — as proved by the following quote: February 28, 1908 — "The street commissioner keeps the streets in perfect order for pleasure riders gayly bowling along in the basquet phaetons and surreys, and for our fair equestrienne, who ride as frequently without as with an escort." By the latter part of the 19th centry, lecture courses and chautauqjas began to be a part of the civic program and were well supported for a good many years. In addition to church choirs and the band, there were other musical groups, orchestras, choral groups, banjo clubs, etc. During the first quarter of the 20th century, Newman was fortun- ate in having Mrs. Lillie Allen Kyde, a dedicated musician, to l.ve here, contributing to a high standard of vocal music in the town. With the 20th century, the nature of good living in the town changed. The period of many palatial homes evolved and with them elaborate and gracious entertaining in large "at homes", elaborate dinners and evening parties. At the same time, small groups formed themselves into social groups. The Bachelor Girls, The None Such, The Fortnightly Eureka Cinch Club, The Seven Sisters and the B.O.B. Club. Playing cards became common, and card clubs organized. Since some of these continue and since we have come so gradually into life in Newman "as she is lived today", this seems a good place to stop. NEWMAN CENTENNIAL — AUG. 23-24-25, 1957 BOOTYS REPAIR SHOP G. A. Griffin, Proprietor CAR, TRUCK AND TRACTOR REPAIRS ELECTRIC AND ACETYLENE WELDING DIESEL ENGINE SERVICE DELCO BATTERIES Phone 125 Newman, 111. A PropKecy Fulfilled "The time is not far distant when gas will be introduced here as fuel. Already has a four foot vein of coal been found 196 feet below the surface on the A. K. Ashmore farm near Newman." This prediction is a quotation from an article written by .Mrs. Mary Jane Pane, wife of J. R. Vuge, which was published in the Newman Independent in 1888. Over 60 years passed before natural gas became available for heat- infr Newman and then it did not come from local wells but from others in Oklahoma, Louisiana and the Texas raiihandle. Hujte 24 and 30 inch transmission pipelines, installed underground, pass by Newman less than 1,000 feet south of the city limits and supply gas to Indianapolis, Detroit, and many other cities in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. Gas for use in Newman is supplied by these pipelines and distributed througrh mains of the Citizens Gas Co. which reach every part of the city. It is a strange coincidence that just after gas became available a mine shaft was sunk to an eight foot vein of good coal a little over 200 feet below the surface just three miles west of the city limits! It is now producing over 10,000 tons every month. When the "first settlers" came they established homes in the timber which grew in a wide belt along the Brushy b'ork Creek from its outlet in the Embarrass river to a point a short distance east of the Douglas-Edgar county line. The timber supplied logs and lumber for their dwell- ings and barns, rails for the fences and corn cribs, and fuel. The large fireplaces, used for both warming and cook- ing, required a "bac!:-log", usually about four feet long and Irom eight to approximately 12 inches in diameter. It was placed at the front of the fireplace and "pole wood" (limbs, small trees and split wood) was placed betvi'een the back log and rear wall. If the settler was 'handy" with an axe, and willing to work hard, he could cut and "chop" enough wood in one day to provide perhaps a week's supply of fuel. Most of these families also had a cross cut saw and it was also used, if help was available. Every settler had a large iron kettle, holding 20 gallons or more, for use out of doors. They were elevated above the ground on flat stones and a fire kindled underneath. These were mostly used to provide hot water for butcher- ing, the family washings, and to supply other needs. They In loving memory of my parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Scotten, my brother, ?/Ir. E. G. Scotlon, and my nephew, Mr. E. G. Scotten Jr. — BERTHA SCOTTEN were also used for rendering lard and making soap. As a by-product of the fuel, the wood ashes were saved and placed in a "V" shaped "hopper" and water from rains, or poured on with buckets, passed through the ashes and was caught in a trough underneath. This was the "lye" used by the pioneers — for making hominy, soap, etc. It was also used for scrubbing tables, floors and other clean- ing uses. Nothing that could be used was thrown away. When ear corn was fed the horses, cobs were gathered up to be used in kindling fires. Shelling corn with a hand sheller for grinding into meal or for making hominy also provided cobs for fuel, stoppers for jugs, and other u.ses. Wood burning heating stoves and cook stoves began to tr.ckle in shortly after the settlement of Douglas coun- ty began, but there was no great rush to buy because they "cost money" and not many of the pioneers had more than a very few dollars. In 1873, the railroad began to haul freight and soon carloads of coal from the mines in Illinois, Indiana, Ken- tucky and West Virginia came to Newman. It at once became the leading fuel, a position it held for 75 years. Its use as fuel made central heating possible. Anthracite coal was brought from Eastern Pennsylvania to be used as fuel in bascburners. After the railroad came, elevators were built and corn shelling equipment installed and the cobs were given free to anyone who would haul them away. Cobs made good summer fuel; they ignited easily, burned rapidly and al- lowed a stove to cool quickly. Kerosene and gasoline were fuels in l.mited use for summer cooking but the appliances were considered tricky and dangerous. Electric stoves came along about 1000 and are still in favor. Fuel oil and propane gas are in general use in farm homes. Sutton Darias and Harriott Hendershot Sutton came to Illinois from near Waynesburg, Green County, Pa., in 1868. They had four sons, John, George, Wiley and Mulford; one (laughter, Mary. They were Pennsylvania Dutch. Being farmers, they settled near Fairmount, because of elevator service. They lived in that community until 1874, coming to Newman after the railroad was built through Newman in 1873. John was the only son serving in the Civil War. He married Mary E. ZoUers and they had seven daughters and one son. John engaged in ditching, having helped dig the ditch west of Newman, known as "Uncle John's Ditch." George married Sarah Jane Gillogly. They had six boys and four girls. George farmed several years then owned a iioultry house. Wiley was a contractor and builder, then later engaged in insurance. He married Violet Jane Potter. They had three daughters and one son. Mulford clerked for years in Root Bros. Store and later owned a grocery store. He married Sena Lonsdale. They had two daughters. Mary married Neal Carroll, who farmed near New- man and .Mlerton, later Sidell. They had four sons, one r'aughter. There are second and third generation descendants of Darias and Harriett Hendershot Sutton living in New- nuin. HOUSE BRD& r NEWMAN LUMBER @ The Thomas Lumber Co. was established in 1874 by Mr. Reuben Thomas and operat- ed by Mr. Thomas until his death in 1914. His son, Howard Thomas, managed the yard until 1919, when the company was leased to the Fred A. Smith Lumber Co., a line yard concern. It was operated as the Fred A. Smith Lumber Co. until 1941, when the company was purchased by Mr. Elmer Ly- on, who owned and operated it until his death in 1946. At that time, the yard was sold to the present owners and operators, Paul and Bart House, under the name of Newman Lumber Co. Newman Lumber Coi EARLY SETTLERS The Joseph Skinner Family Joseph Skinner was born in tlic state of Maine on Apr. 15, 1803. When a younp man, he went from his native state to Ohio and as he had a knowledge of the trades of shoemaker, carpenter and mason, easily found employ- ment. He met Mary (Polly) Gaston in Meigs County, Ohio, and they were married on the ninth of September, 1824, by Rev. Aaron Hatch. Polly was born on June 22, 1808, the youngest child of Thomas and Sarah Chatman Gaston. Thomas Gaston had served seven years as a sold- ier in the Revolutionary War, and afterwards, induced by liberal land grants, had emigrated to Canada. But because ol unfriendly feelings be. ween that government and the U. S.. he disposed of his property at a sacrifice and moved his family to Ohio in 1807. Thomas died in 1823 and Sarah Gaston died some years later, while with relatives in Ind- iana. Soon after their marriage in 1824, Joseph and Polly Skinner moved to Newport, Vermillion County, Indiana. Here Joseph worked at shoemaking and the making and laying of bricks. The first seven of their thirteen children were born in Indiana. In 1839, Joseph drove, with his wife and family in a (overed wagon, to what was then Coles Co., 111., now known as Douglas County. They located in an old log cabin in the timber about one and one-half miles from the present site of Newman. There were only seven other families in the township at ths time, namely: Anson, Gaston, How- ell, Hopkins and three families by the name of Winkler. The little settlement was known as the "Brushy Fork of the Ambraw". The trail of the Red Man was still visible ;!nd the wolf and deer were as plentiful as leaves in au- tumn. The severities of the pioneers' life were difficult to survive. The land was heavy with timber and useless swamps and cut off from any pioneer industries, the set- tler had to depend upon his own skills and the resources of the timber to supply their meager demands. Joseph burned a brick kiln on the banks of the Brushy Fork Creek in 1839, it being the first one burned in this part of the state. For a while, he was occupied with mak- ing brick but finally bought land at a private sale. The family lived about two years in the old log cabin, but when Joseph bought the land, they moved into the good log house which was located thereon. Joseph was the first man in the local. ty to do any ditching and did it with plow and ox team. He bought more land from the govern- ment and secured some by buying the land warrants from Mexican War Veterans. He bought his land rangitig in price from $1.10 per acre and up. He owned about 700 acres at the time of his death. Joseph Skinner was a Whig in politics. He had seived as an enlisted soldier in the Black Hawk War. He, with his boys aiding him, followed breaking prairie land until his death, which occurred on July 21, 18.')7. Although Joseph did not live to see the growth and development of Newman, he had done much to turn a wilderness into good farm land. Polly Sknner died on Oct. 11, 18C5. There will be dozens of their descendants joining in the first Centennial celebration this August 1957, as many live in the township. We, who today live with all the mod- ern conveniences can be truly proud of our honest, hard working forebearers. Below are the thirteen children of Joseph and Polly Skinner. 1. Hannah R. was born April 25, 1825. She was m irrieJ to Benjamin W. Hooe in 1841. He was a native of K.-n- tucky and had come overland to the township in 183). They were the parents of 17 children: William Henry, Sarah, Joseph, Enoch, Semele, Mary, John, Caroline, Isaac, Phebe, Hannah Belle, Benjamin Wiley, Charles, E.la, Grant, Sherman and one son who died at birth. 2. Phebe was born February 8, 1827. She married Jo- sephus Walters and they had two daughters, Esther Kin- caid and Rebecca Walters McPowell. 3. Isaac was born January 5, 1829. He married Mahala Drake and they had one son, Robert Alva. Mahala died and he married Mary Lewis H.ll. She died and his third wife was Catherine Bell Barnes. Their children were Katie Hinds, Margaret Evans, Elvin, .\rthur and Walter Burt, who died at three years. 4. John was born on April 4, 1831. He married Hannah Ringland, daughter of Dr. Ringland, one of the f.rst phys- icians in the township. She died within six weeks after marriage and he never remarried. 5. Esther was born on April (5, 1833. She was married in 1852 to Norman Peters, and they had two sons, Ure and Wiley. Esther died at 23 years. 6. William W. was born Nov. 12, 1835. He was married to Melvina Hendershot on April 6, 18G7. Their children were lima and Charles H. 7. Enoch was born March 8, 1838. and died w'.tjn only eight months old. 8. Anson was born on October 3, 1839. He was married on May 4, 181)5, to Christina Drake. They had four sons: Charles, Sherman, Ellsworth and Jesse. 9. Henry C. was born November 1, 1842. He was mar- ried to Celia Huff on April 20, 18(;9. They were the p.ir- ents of Nora Wood and Ernest. 10. Joel was born December 5, 1844. He married Carrie Higgins. Their children were Howard B. and Cloyd Skin- ner. 11. Harvey was boin July 8, 184(), and died when one month old. 12. Joseph D., Jr., was born Nov. 21, 1848. He died at U) years of age. 13. Benjamin was born August 25, 1851, and died Oct. 10, 18G1!, aged 15 years. — Compiled by Virginia Biddle Thode Centennial Greetings FROM Lloyd's Furniture Store Mr, and Mrs. Lloyd V. Royer Miss Mary Ann Boyer Furniture Berne Living Room Suites Consider H. Willett, Inc. Solid Cherry & Maple Kuehne Dinette Suites Armstrong's Linoleum Gifts Haeger Potteries Fenton Milk Glass Novelties of All Kinds Hallmark Cards Gift Wraps fie sure to also see our fabulous new HEALTH CENTER MATTRESS m^ The world's only mattress that actually shows you— by its cover pattern— the firmer support it gives you in the center where your weight lies. Scientifically designed for the ulti- mate in sleeping comfort . with the exclusive "Tip Corner" that makes it so easy to slip on fitted sheets. TVuly, it's the finest mattress you can own regardless of price. Congiatulations . . . To Newman on your Centenniai AtmiWersary! We're proud to have played a part in New- man's progress, furnishing dependable Low-Cost Electricity for nearly half of this Century. MORS POW£R TO anil FOR VOO.' Reddy is ready NOW-witK plenty Reddy will keep AHEAD for tlie future Central Illinois Public Service Company Low Cost Essential Service To Industry, Business, Farm and Home The G. W. Brock Family In about the year 1870, a handsome six-footer named George Wesley Brock from Macon County, Illinois, met a charming young lady named Malinda Van Hook from Sangamon County, Illinois. They fell in love, and in the couse of time were married in what they always termed, "a most beautiful wedding." This happy event took place in the home of the bride's uncle, Uriah Mann, a well- known pioneer who gave the entire wedding in honor of his favorite niece. The old two-story house still stands — a fine old landmark near the site of Camp Butler, seven- teen miles east of Springfield. For the first two or three years of the couple's married life, they lived in Niantic, Illinois. Here, they had the sorrow of losing a daughter, Ethel, when she was only r.bout one year of age. Later, they decided to move to Douglas County, so they bought land about three miles northwest of "the Ridge." This place has long since been known as "The Fuller Free- man Farm." Here, "Wes and Linda" as they were called by their friends, lived for twenty or more years. Their house was a very modest three-room cottage. Into this home came three more children — Leslie, Harry, and Ada. The activities of this family followed about the same pattern as those of other staunch, hardworking, pioneer farmers of that day. The community social as well as the religious center was the old "Prairie Chapel Church" then located about two miles west of their home. How well I remember in the old country church, after the Sunday morning services, the typical conversation that ran much as follows: "Good morning, how are you?" The answer inevitably came, "Oh, just tol'able-like." "How do you do?" The response was always, "Oh, just tol'able like." No one would ever have presumed the right of having risen above the "Tol'able" station in life! There was no "keeping up with the Jonses" with the members of that congregation as there were no "so called Jonses". There were just Akers, Chapmans, Fleeners, Howards, Haits, Hanleys, Johnsons, Mavitys, Rolls, Ran- dalls, Taylors, Buckinghams, Bales, Brocks, etc. etc. But what a group of fine worthwhile citizens!! After about twenty years, my parents built a lovely new two-story house. Hardly had we moved into our new home, until Leslie and Harry were stricken with pneumon- ia and both passed away within one week. My father and mother decided to leave the scene of their sorrow, so in the following autumn, we moved into Newman. My mother passed away seven years later. At this point, I wish to take the liberty of paying a tribute to her memory. I never cease to marvel at her sweet Christ- ian spirit and her uncommon, common sense. Once when I was in my very early teens and was greatly lacking in the sense of values I said, "I don't want to go to that church any more, nobody goes there but trash." She so quietiy answered, "Well, you go and there will be one there who isn't trash." What a lesson I learned from that time- ly remark and how I have remembered it through the years! I feel I can truly say of my dear mother, "None knew but to love her, None named her but to praise." In 1909, my father was married to Mrs. Susan J. Nichol- son of Niantic, Illinois. She had one son, Guy, that many will remember as a most congenial business man in New- man, for years. She passed away in 1923. Guy moved to Texas where he lived until he passed away a few years ago. Many friends will remember "Mother Susan" as the talented, congenial, person continually radiat- ing fun and happiness wherever she chanced to be. Her greatest contribution, however, was her leadership in the music of the church. Concerning my father who passed away in 1926, I wish to say, he was always proud to state that he was a strict prohibitionist. He was one of the charter members of the First State Bank of Newman. He was a devoted mem- ber of the Christian Church and held the office of deacon or elder since he was a young man. One of my earliest and most treasured memories is seeing my father serve at the communion table. In a word, my father was that loyal, rugged type, physically, mentally, and spiritually, of pioneer citizen who helped to make this town and com- munity what it should be. In closing, a word about the writer of this brief his- torical sketch. I can simply say, life is always interesting and I am thankful to be here. I am sincerely grateful to my parents for their Christian teaching and for their care. And I wish to add a word of thanks to my friends whose kindness through the years has helped to make my life both fortunate and happy. — Ada L. Brock mi.mm^ LOWK POST G. A. U. 1 «i nly-fivf years after Appomattox. The Grand Army Of The Repubhc The War of the Rebellion, or Civil War between the States, is a great landR-.urk in the history of the nation. It is of no less importance in the history of Douglas county, coming only a few months aftci- its formation in 1851*. The population of DouRlas county in 1800 was 7,109, which included men of all ages and the women and child- ren. The quotas set for the county to Dec. 31, 18u4, tot- uled 1,177 and the enlistments, all volunteers, were 1,173. At the outbreak of the war, Newman was in its in- fancy. In fact, township organization had not yet been established in Douglas county and didn't come unt.l 1867. However, it was the only recorded town sits in the eastern end of the county and was regarded as the center of th^s immediate vicinity. In July of 18fil, 28 men from this vicinity enlisted in Company D of the 21st Illinois Infantry, a part of Gen- eral Grant's first command, and in a short time, 20 en- listed in Co. H of the 2".th Illinois and 45 in Co. E of the 79th Illinois. Co. A of the 70th Illinois was mustered in July 2, 1862 with 19 men from this vicinity on the rolls. Others were Co. G of the 135th Illinois with 6 and 14 went to Co. F, 149th Illinois, and 11 to the First Mis- souri. There were also enlistments in other regiments. Most of the Illinois troops served in the western theater of the war, only a few cavalry regiments being sent to Virginia and the east. The 21st, 25th and 79th Illinois regiments look part in most of the major battles in the west and they suf- fered severely. The 79th took fearful punishment in the battles of Murfreesboro (Stone River), Liberty Gap, Chic- amauga, and Franklin, losing 484 men in the four bat- tles. In addition to the men who were killed in battle or who d'.ed from wounds and disease and are buried in National Cemeteries, are those who died in prison stockades. Seven men from this vicinity — B. F. Allison, Aaron Britton, Isaac Cross, William Grace, D. N. Howard, E. H. Neal and Bert Stilwell — died in Andersonville and are buried there. Two others who were freed at the close of th.^ war were returning north on the Mississippi river steam- boat "Sultant" when it blew up and sank, resulting in an apalling loss of life. The body of John Welliver was not recovered and C. A. Coykendall was so badly injured that he died before he could reach home. Others from this vicinity who were in Andersonville but survived were Hen- ry CuLsinger, Frank Dixson, Oliver Good, Anson Skinner, John Skinner and Samuel Hawkins. This list probably is incomplete. After the Furrender at Appomattox, the survivors came home. Some moved to other places and many "old soldiers" moved in and made their homes here. Among those were four who had "worn the gray" — John Richards of the 1st Battalion of Wheat's Louisiana Div sion, who had been in Stonewall Jackson's army in The Val'.ey Cam- paign and who later served as a courier for Jackson and Robert E. Lee; John L. Teal of Co. A, 54th Virginia, CSA; H. C. Davidson and R. L. Trimble. Flowers are placed on their graves Memorial Day. Lowe Post of the G.and Army of the Republic was es- tab'ished soon af.er the close of the war. It continued in existence until the death of Laban A. Tinimons in 1937. He was the last survivor. The historical committee of this Centennial celebration wanted to honor the valiant men of the Grand Army by listing their names as a Roll of Honor in the Centennial book. It came as a complete surprise to find that a rec- ord of membership had not been kept by Lowe Post of the G.A.R. Only a few of the monuments and markers at the graves of 159 veterans of the Civil War list the comp- any and regiment in which they served. Many hours of search through biographical sketches in county histories, reading clippings of old news stories and obituaries which have been preserved in scrap books, and questions have been productive. Foi-tunately, some articles written by D. O. Root were available. Here is the list: Isaac Allison, Co. G, ISJth 111. Coleman Albin, Co. A, 70tii 111. Silas Andrews, Co. A, 7(tlh 111. In Memory Of Susan and Daniel Cole Hirde Cole Martin Samuel A. Albin, Co. D, 21st 111. Samuel Ayres, Co. D, 21st 111. Charles Allison, Co. H, 25th 111. B. F. Allison, Co. H, 25th 111. Isaac Ayres, Co. A, 6th Ind. Ben F. Ayres, Co. K, 12th Ind. H. S. Albin, Co. E, 79th 111. Harvey Bane, Co. H, 79th 111. George Baney, Co. H, 60th Ohio James Barr, Co. C, 8th 111. George D. Baniett, Co. H, 25th 111. John L. Berkley, Co. C, 8th 111. Henry Busbey, Co. H, 25th 111. Oliver Bell, 59th 111. W. H. Bryant, Co. A, 58th Ind. Samuel Bradley, Co. C, 18th Ind. Henry Bender, Co. E, 31st Ind. R. D. Bostwiek, Co. D, 21st 111. J. W. Brinnegar, Co. D, 21st 111. John R. B:ggs, Co. H, 25th 111. William Bracket, Co. E, 79th 111. Arron Brittan, Co. E, 79th 111. J. P. Bartlett, Co. F, 149th 111. George W. Bivens, Co. E, 69th Ind. D. Taylor Corbin, Co. F, 163rd Ind. George Carroll, Co. F, 163rd Ind. J. W. Cook, 39th Ohio Henry J. Cutsinger, Co. E, 93rd Ind. M. D. Campbell, Co. B, 44th Ind. W. B. Cornwell, 22nd Ohio Cyrus A. Coykendall, Co. D, 21st 111. George Carrington, Co. B. 11th 111. George W. Corbin, Co. A, 70th 111. Charles Corbin, Co. H, 25th 111. Nathan B. Chilcote, Co. C, 150th 111. John H. Cayhoe, Batt. C, 2nd 111. Art. Daniel Coryell, 1st Mo. Cav. Isaac S. Cross, Co. D, 21st 111. W. H. Covert, Co. E, 79th 111. I. N. Covert, Co. E, 79th 111. Peter Chezum, Co. E, 79th 111. John H. Cogshell, Co. E, 79th 111. Henry Cutler, Co. E, 79th 111. M. Coykendall, Co. A, 70th 111. W. R. Deem, Co. A, 7th 111. Cav. John Daniels, Co. D, 21st 111. Steve Daniels, Co. D, 21st 111. F. M. Daniels, Co. D, 21st 111. Frank Dxon, Co. E, 79Lh 111. Jessie Duvall. Co. A, 25th Pa. Cav. S. M. Donahay, Co. B, 33rd Ind. William Donahay, Co. B, 33rd Ind. William Drake, Co. A, 70th 111. J. M. Drake, Co. F, 149th 111. Joseph C. E-igler, Co. D, 72nd Ohio William B. Freeman, Co. H, 59th Ind. John O. Fields, Co. A, 154th 1:1. William J. Fidler, Co. A, 70th 111. Daniel Fidler, Co. F, 149th 111. John S. Fidler, Co. F, 149th 111. Jatper H. Fidler, Co. A, 70th 111. J. Ficklin, Co. K, 54th 111. James Gillogly, Co. D, 21st 111. Spencer Gillogly, Co. E, 79th 111. Stephen Gillogly, Co. E, 79th 111. Thomas Gillogly, 1st Mo. Cav. Isaac Glass, Co. E, 79th 111. Oliver Good, Co. B, 5th Ind. Cav. Geoige M. Grace, Co. D, 21st 111. William Grace, Co. D, 21st 111. W. H. H. Gaston, Co. A, 70th 111. Nelson Gossett, Co. I, 7th 111. Bart Gaston, Co. C, 1st Mo. James M. George, Co. K, 151st Ind. Samuel Hawkins, Co. E, 79th 111. John Hawkins, Co. E, 79th 111. James M. Hawkins, Co. C, 1st Mo. Joseph Harvey, Co. E, 79th 111. Jonah Harper, Co. B, 159th 111. John House, Co. E, 123rd 111. W. W. Hendei-shot, Co. A, 70th 111. M. Hendershot, Co. A, 168th Pa. Mil. A. T. Hurst, Co. H, 29th 111. William Hunt, Co. C. 12th 111. Joseph Howard, Co. A, 70th 111. R. B. Huffman, Co. D, 21st 111. David Hanes, Co. D, 21st 111. Harrison Hopkins, Co. H, 25th 111. John W. Hopkins, Co. H, 25th 111. Eli Hopkins, Co. H, 25th 111. George Hopkins, Co. H, 25th 111. Cornelius Hopkins, Co. D, 21st 111. Jeremiah Hopkins, Co. E, 79th 111. Harrison Howell, Co. F, 149th 111. J;.s. P. Hancock, Co. F, 149th 111. David B. Howard, Co. E, 79th 111. Ezra Howard, Co. E, 79th 111. John T. Hicks, Co. F, 149th 111. James O. Hughes, Co. E, 79th 111. Alex Hess, Co. E, 79th 111. George H. Hess, Co. E, 79th 111. B. W. Hooe (Lieut.), Co. G, 135th 111. D. N. Howard, Co. E, 59th 111. James A. Hedge, 10th Ind. Cav. H. I. Ishim, Co. H, 25th 111. James W. Irwin, 26th Ohio Bat. Thomas Johnson, Co. I, 1st Mo. Daniel Jacobs, Co. H, 25th 111. M. D. Jones, Co. H, 25th 111. Dr. J. T. Johnson, Co. C, 1st Mo. Z. D. James, Co. D, 85th Ind. John W. King, Co. I, 1st Mo. Frank Kent, Co. E. 79th 111. Stroder M. Long, Co. E, 12th 111. Samuel L. Long, Co. K, 62nd 111. William Listen, Co. D, 21st 111. William R. Laughead, Co. E, 79th 111. Wm. E. Law (Capt.), Co. E, 79th 111 Charles Lyons, Co. E, 79th 111. Wm. Leatherman, Co. I, 1st Mo. Samuel Lyons, 5th W. Va., Cav. James Laughead, Co. A, 7th 111. Cav. Daniel Levin, Co. G, 135th 111. James R. Les'ie, Co. F, 149th 111. James Morrow, Co. E, 12th 111. J. A. McGee, Co. F, 49th Pa. B. F. Mitchell, Co. L, 5th Ohio O. A. Mulvane, Co. B, 80th Ohio W. Lincoln McCown, Co. E, 79th 111. B. F. McAlister, Co. G, 135th Jll. N. B. Modisett, Co. D, 21st lU. Levi McDowell, Co. D, 21st 111. Peter Miller, Co. E, 79th 111. J. J. Moss, Co. E, 79th 111. Benton McDowell, Co. A, 70th 111. J. D. McDowell, Co. G, 135th 111. F. M. Maddox, Co. G, 135th 111. Charles Montgomeiy, Co. D, 21st 111. E. H. Neal, Co. D, 21st 111. J. M. Neal, Co. D, 21st 111. James Neidifer, Co. A, 8th Tenn., U. S. Cav. Valentine Norris, Co. E, 79th 111. James McAdams, Co. C, 1st Mo. H. J. Neal, Co. A, 70th 111. J. N. Outcelt, Co. A, 1st Mo. Western R. Pinnell, Co. H, 59th 111. W. J. G. Pound, Co. C, 8th 111. Henry K. Potts, Co. D, 21st 111. Joshua Pence, Co. D, 21st 111. W. H. Peters, Co. E, 79th 111. J. C. Perry, Co. E, 79th 111. William Potts, Co. E, 79th 111. John H. Perrine, Co. A, 70th 111. Samuel Perry, 55th 111. Nathan Pearee, Co. A, 33rd Ind. David Quick, Co. H, 5th Ohio John W. Rush, Co. F, 149th 111. Daniel O. Root, Co. H, 25th 111. L. E. Root, Co. K, 3rd W.Va. M. I. Ezra S. Root, Co. E, 79th 111. A. Ridenoure, Co. F, 149th 111. W. B. Rude, Co. C, 135th 111. John Robinet, Co. D, 21st 111. J. W. Rohrbaugh, Co. A, 70th 111. A. Rohrbaugh, Co. F. 149th 111. W. H. Root, 3rd Ohio J. P. Ross, Co. E, 79Lh 111. Joel Skinner, Co. A, 70th 111. William Skinner, Co. E, 79th 111. John Skinner, Co. E, 79th 111. Anson Skinner, Co. E, 79th 111. W. L. Sowers, Co. H, 25th 111. John Sargent, Co. H, 25th 111. R. W. See, Co. H, 25th 111. Joseph Shute, Co. E, 79th 111. John P. Smith, Co. E, 79th III. Samuel Siegler, Co. E, 79th 111. James Shute, Co. E, 79th 111. Isaac Shute, Co. A, 1st Mo. Richard H. Shute, Co. A, 1st Mo. J. W. Sowers, Co. A, 70th 111. Thomas Shaw, Co. G, 3rd Ind. Cav. J. M. Smith (Capt.), Co. B, 58th Ind. Samuel Shoemaker, Co. E, 12th III. Bert Stillwell, Co. E, 79th III. W. H. Smallwood, Co. D, 21st 111. John H. Sutton, Co. F, 85th Pa. L Streibich, Co. E, 66th 111. Amos Shaw, Co. I, 10th 111. Cav. Albert Siler, Co. B, 79th 111. B. F. Shreve, Co. E, 79th 111. John Stone, Co. B, 21st 111. Osian Satcrley, Co. F, 21st III. S. T. Stackhouse, 30th Ind. W. H. Stillwell, Co. E, 79th 111. R. Thomas, Co. E, 196th Pa. J. L. Tavlor, Co. I, 26th 111. L. A. Timmons, Co. A, 123rd 111. Wm. Turbyville, Co. F, 79th III. Joel Turbyville, Co. F, 149th III. E. E. Thompson, Co. F, 149th III. Joseph Vandine, Co. K, 62nd 111. William D. Vaught, Co. I, 61st Ind. Jamrs H. Wells, Co. E, 79th III. George White, Co. E, 12th III. John Wclliver, Co. D, 21st III. Isaac Wheeler, Co. H, 25th III. A. J. Walton, Co. H, 25th 111. William Winn, 116th 111. James H. Wait, Co. E, 79th 111. R. D. Woodworth. Co. K, 32nd 111. S. M. Wait, Co. E, 79th 111. Jnmes Watt. Co. E. 79th 111. William H. Wells, Co. A, 70th 111. MKMOKIAL 1)A^ 1901 . . . iMeiiibtrs of Lowe I'ost of tho (J. A. If. assembled at the northwest corner of the City I'ark prior to their march to the Newman c- metery to decorate the graves of their comrades. Thry are (left to right): Front row — Samuel Haw- kins, unidentified. Albeit Siler, W lliam Hunt, Al Mc(;eL-, A. L. Mc(own. Fete Wells. J. W . King, Samuel \ViM)dworlh. Samuel Long, William Turhy- ville. Seconi r<;w — John Skiniur, \\i!iiam Free- man, Joseph Eagler, Dr. H. F. Mitchell. Third row — (eo-ge White, A. C. Bennett, Thomas John.son, Janiey Hawkins, L. .V. Timmons, James .Morrow, W. I{. Henderson. L. E. Root, O. A. Mulvane, Spencer <; llogly, Joseph Howard, OKver Hell, J. L. Berkley, I). (). Root. Rear — Joseph Vandine. James Barr. Cha-les W-lls, Co. G, l.jolh 111. S. K. Wilds, Co. A, 7th 111. Wm. H. Walker (Capt.), Co. H, 9Jth Ind. Smi.h Wink'.er, U. S. Navy- John Ycager, Co. H, 25th 111. Frederick C. YeaBe.-, Co. A, 70. h 111. S. L. Youn-, Co. K, 52nd Ind. The following is a list of veterans of the C v;i War whosf company and regimental affiliations could not be determ- ined, hut who rest in honored graves in the four cemeter- ies in Newman township: Newman ccmetciy — A. C. Bennett, Daniel Co'e, B. B. Campbell, G. W. Campbell, James Downing, John Fonwiek, John Gab'jcrt, W. R. Henderson, H. H. Hutchinson, G deo;i Hardinan, O. C. Jones, Asbury O'Bryant, John Link, C. N. McAnal'y, John M. Vance. Albin Cemetery — L. O. Casebeer, T. D. Curd, Samuel Gilbert, C. H. Gorman, WiKiam Harvey, E. B. Ho\v:ud, William Hopkii'.s, Harvey Hendershot, John Saffle. Pleasant Ridge — James E. Bedwell, John W. Danner, David McLain, Robert T. Ne'.son. Fail field Cemetery — G. W. Brock, Simon Bradford, Ansil Brown, B. Joseph Bennett, George Burnett, William Burton, Jonathan Cable, Robert Dilworth, David P. Free- man, Mathew W. Grace, Nathan R. Hendeiick, J. J. Har- ri: glo.i, I. S. Hill, Wm. Hinton. F. Joseph Ho.lowell, J. F. Long, Ca'viii C. Maris, John Oder, David Rfgan, James Rhodes, Andrew Roberts, David Sha''fer, (First Name Un- known) Smith, Peter J. Swank, Jacob S.vick, J. mas Thom„s, Jol.n W. WeKs. IN MK.MOaV of J. M. (Dan) McCown 18.->5-1925 Mary Jone.s McCown 1862-1940 Walter W. McCown Sr. 1K'.).")-IH45 Lt. Walter W. McCown Jr. l!tl!t-i;tll Mr. ;,nd Mrs. Dan McCown were early se; tiers near Newman. Their son, Walter, and Lucille Church were married in 1916. Iheir sons wc:e Capt. J. Logan McCown and Lt. Walter McCown Jr. J. Logan is still in service. Walter Jr. was killed in World Wa. II. Stephen R. Margo K. Phyllis Ann Reyner P. I and Roland Smith I James P. George E. Ernest B, and Margaret Edward Ruth Ann Paula Marion Geo. Philip and Rachel P. Raymond W. and Josephine Alma and Marion Sanders Ernest and Mary B. Manford Philip J. Emily R. 1838 - 1896 1843 ■ 1909 Andrew and Paulina A. George and May R. > -^^ Dr. ^=^~N and Ethel M. ^^^v Benjamin F. and Jane J. ORIGINAL HOME 1868 Decatur Died In Infancy Blanche Harold and Fay I Ilene Michael Alice K. and Dr. Harry Sills William L. and Margaret S. Susan Michael Mary Margaret William ROLLER Biddle Feed & Seeds Swift & Co. Fertiikers All Numbers Bags And Bulk Vigoro For Flowers And Gardens Weed And Brush Killer Feed And Farm Seeds Soybeans Seed Corn Oats Rye WKeat Loren Biddle 7726 Wagner Family John Marquand Wagner, a native of Coshocton County, Ohio, son of Beal Adams and Emily Marquand Wagner, was born on his father's farm August 11, 1842. After the death of his father, at the age of thirteen, he came to Illinois where he joined the Marquand family located near Metcalf. Later he went to Central Illinois, where he taught school for several years. He returned to Doug- las County September 13, 1864, after he was rejected for service in the Civil War because of tuberculosis. For three years, he read medicine in the office of Dr. W. A. Smith and taught school near Newman. Later, he attended lectures at Rush Medical College, then opened his office for the practice of medicine in Newman. Dr. Wagner was married at Charleston, 111., on August r., 18(59, to Sarah Ellen Dunlap, daughter of Samuel and Lucinda Cunnangham Dunlap. Samuel Dunlap, a sur- veyor by profession, had served from Lawrence County '.y. the Illinois legislature for several years. Dr. Wagner attended Bellevue Medical College, New Yoik City, where he graduated in 1873. Mrs. Wagner with two children remained in Newman during his absence. Interested in community developments and to assist her husband in his education, she opened her home to the men constructing the railroad. Dr. and Mrs. Wagner were the parents of six children, Joseph Ralph, Olive Orpha, Alice Belva, Hazel, Nina and John Dwight. Ralph graduated at Rush Medical College in 1895 and practiced for six years with his father in New- man. For reasons of health, he moved south and settled at Palaclos, Texas, where he practiced many years. He married Mary Isabelle Shaw and they were the parents of Ina, Helen and John Thomas Wagner. Olive was married to the late Henley Eversole. They resided in Newman and were prominent citizens of the community. Their son, John Henley, lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Belva Alice died in infancy. Hazel married Dr. Charles F. Voyles. They located in Indianapolis and have been re- sidents of that city since. They have one daughter, Mary Ellen Voyles Blassingham. Nina married Dr. Ovville M. Sherman and they have lived in Kansas City, Mo., many years. They have one daughter, Elizabeth Sherman Shar- tel. John Dwight married Donna Roberts of Tuscola. They have one son, John Robert Wagner. John Dwight Wagner is a resident of Chicago. Dr. Wagner enjoyed an extensive practice, beloved by his loyal patients. He served with sincere devotion at all times, under the difficult conditions and hardships ex- perienced in a pioneer country. Many years he traveled by horse back, then in a one horse cart. He owned the first buggy ever brought to Newman, which was a real luxury. This was followed by improved buggies and carriages and finally by a seven passenger automobile, one of the early cars in Newman. Dr. Wagner was long active in the Masonic lodge, serv- ing many years as secretary. He was interested in civic and church affairs and with Mrs. Wagner was a member of the Christian church. A Pioneer Doctor Letters written at the time of an event, or of condi- tions at some speoifio time are the best source of factual information. Unfortunr.tely there are few, if any, letters written by Newman pioneers durinjr the 27 years prior to 1857 still in existence. Dr. Hiram Rutherford of Oak- land was a contemporary of the pioneers. He was a prolif- ic writer and sent many letters to his relatives and others in I'ennsylvania. Some of these letters are now in posses- sion of his descendants. Below are some extracts taken from letters to a friend. Independence, Illinois March 10, 1841 Dear Su- it t;ives me much satisfaction to be enabled to address you from my new home in the far west; the land of the prairies and the vine. I shall say but little of my adventures since I left the Lykens Valley of Pennsylvania. Suffice it to say that without accident or incident of any partxular interest I arrived in Illinois in December last. I was about two weeks in selecting a location which I have done; so far much to my satisfaction. The price of medical services is about double what it is in your country, and the range of practice is aliout as large as the upper end of Dauphin county. I have been kept busy ever since I located witliout losing a single pa- tient. 1 already feel my footing to be firm. 1 have had some seven cases of scarlet fever, which is a new complaint here, and my success and knowledge of the disease has been much to my advantage. In some seet.ons if a child gets a bad cold with sore throat the Demon (scarlet fever) arises in the minds of the patients and the new doctor, booted and spurred, has to dance in at- tendance forthwith. From the frequent changes in temp- erature and the levsl, flat; and in general wet country, more sickness preva.ls than in the East but the disease is much more mild and susceptable to successful treatment. 1 bflieve that much of the ill health is owing to bad ac- comodations, and carelessness of the patients themselves. It is thought that sickness diminishes much in proportion to the improvement of the country, which is rapidly ad- vancint,'. But you will bs expecting something on the subject of trade. Merchandise rates at about double the price that It is to you. Groceries at about one third higher. Much is done on the credit system but people settle up every Christmas and give notes or mortgages, or money if they have it. Merchandise of the coarsest kinds sell best. Groc- eries can be sold always for cash. There are no stores in this place at present; last sum- mer there were two. They united and took hogs and corn from many of their customers which po:k, when fat, they drove to the Wabash river and sold for cash. Last year they sold $15,000 worth of goods. Having been in business here several years they concluded to move to the county seat and next summer there will be only one store for a territory extend ng north and south 35 miles and six liroad (average) along the Embarrass river. Every season fre.ih settlers come pouring in and ne .t summer laige numbers are coming. The soil is as rich as any you ever saw and produces, even by most careless farming, abundant crops. This country is situated about 40 miles west of the Wabash river which is our great out- let for produce. A thrifty f.irmcr can make more money here from pioducc and livestock than he can in the state ot Ohio. I'he price of a first rate farm is about $8 pi-r acre. Still many good ones can be obtained at Congress price if a man would choose to settle a half mile out in the prairie, frairie land is best; it produces better than timber land and resists the drought better than any other kind of soil. Good prairie land can be cropped in corn many years with- out impairing its fertility; the top soil is at an average 18 inches deep. The first settlement made here was about nine years ago. One of the stores has attached to it a comfortable dwell- ing, and a stable. It could be rented for $100 per year. Theie are lots which can be had from $20 to $45 on which he could build with comparatively little cost. I would not be so bold as to advise you to come out but I would be sorry, for my part, to go back. Money is scarcer here than with you. It brings 12 percent interest. One great difference can be observed between the East and 'Ihe West: The former remains "status quo" as the lawyers term it, but the West is marching on with giant strides. If you should determine to set your face to the West, let me know of it as I might be able to furnish you with some useful information and advice. Oakland P. O., Illinois H. Rutherford 111 another letter written .July 14, 1841, are found these lines: "There is at this time no mert-hant in this place and 1 know not when there will be one. There is but little mer- chandise in all the country, the pressure of the time hav- ing prevented merchants from increasing their supplies and any kind of goods w.ll sell. If you would bring your old pieces and coarse stuff you could soon dispose of them. Groceries always bring cash and can be had in Cincinnati and St. Louis. A store is wanted badly; people have to go Compliments Of The Oakland National Bank Oaklanci, Illinois ESTABLISHED 1874 Member F. D. I. C. up to 25 miles and then not get what they want. This is great grazing country and the pork trade is still pretty good. As to the health of the country I consider it good, diseases yield much easier to medicine than in the East. In this section of the country, it has been about the same as other years, most of it beginning about the middle of July and lasting to the middle of October. The principal complaint was remittant and Billious fever, mostly re- mittant, however. I had a few difficult cases but the com- mon run was easily cured. Generally it was not necessary to visit the patient more than once or twice. I have lost only one patient since I came to this country and that was a child who died of thrush. The people call in time and take medicine as it is prescribed. There is a grand cry here for a U. S. bank, the utility of such an institution in the west is incalcuable. Money is scarce. Crops are good but there is little market for them. Many farmers haul their wheat 180 miles to the lake where it is $1 per bushel. Here it brings only twenty-five cents." The doctor lirst practiced medicine for a few months at Millersburg, an old town on the Susquehanna river north of Harrisburg. While there he became acquainted with a young lady of that town. In the early Spring of 1843 he returned to Millersburg and they were married. They purchased some supplies for their new home and these together with the bride's possessions were sent to Terre Haute. They made the trip in a buggy drawn by a team of horses. They drove long hours each day, av- eraging over 40 miles a day and were on the road 18 days, traveling on the Old National Road from Pittsburg to Terre Haute and on what was called the 'Springfield Koad" from ierre Haute to Oakland. In a letter written Oct. 21, 1843, he said: "We did not begin housekeeping until in July as our boxes had not come to hand. 1 wrote to the towns on the Wabash and to Evansville on the Ohio to no effect. At last I wrote to Pittsburg and there they were safe enough. They were sent down the river to Evansville but the water in the Wabash was so low I sent a team and wagon for them (distance 145 miles). Everything was safe, nothing brok- en or spoiled. We finally received them on Sept. 9. We now have everything necessary for living and nearly ev- erything we want. The necessity for keeping up 'caste' in this country is but slight as few people, however wealthy, furnish their homes with anything they can do without. Vegetation has been abundant, I never saw the prairies present such a gorgeous appearance as they did last sum- mer. They are now on fire and the sky at all points of the compass is illuminated by their glare. The eye will never tire of the flowers of the prairie and the scent of their blooms or the brightness of their colors." Country Charm Dairy "Home Owned and Home Operated" 305 N. PARKE ST. PHONE 666 TUSCOLA, ILL. IN MEMORY OF James Albert Church 1867-1948 EtU Coolley Church 1868-1914 Etta's family settled here in 1852. James came from near Fairmount. They were mar- ried and settled on the home farm in 1891. He was a great lover of horses. He raised and exhibited many fine ones. Their children were Carmen Akers, Lucille McCown, Kenneth Church and Vera Walk- er. He was married in 1917 to Elsa Schuette of Danville, 111. IN MEMORY OF Uriah (Ide) Akers 1849-1904 Candace Jane Farley Akers 1857-1920 John EvereU Akers 1893-1919 The Akers family came from Pennsylvania to Newman in 1867. Candace Farley's fam- ily came from Indiana. They were married in 1879 and started farming northwest of Newman. They moved to Newman in 1900. They had three sons, J. Herbert, George Logan and John Everett. John Everett served in the Navy in World War I. Congratulations To The City of Newman On Your 100th Anniversary From Douglas County's Oldest Bank 1st Since 1866 THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF TUSCOLA Tuscola, Illinois Serving The Douglas County Area For 91 Years <. The Newman Christian Church "Backward, turn backward Oh time in your flight" That deeds long forgotten May be brought into light. Slowly, yet more and more clearly, we see emerging from the distant past, the following: Harvey Bane, Jere Metcalf, H. S. Haines, W. W. Patterson, O. H. Coppeek, Mrs. J. M. Wagner, O. A. Mulvane, Mrs. James Barr, Dave Bane, A. C. Bennett, John Skinner, William Skinner, Har- mon Gregg. In the hearts of these public and religious minded people in 1870 was born the idea of the First Christian Church of Newman, Illinois. These consecrated pioneers were evidently aware of the need of more relig- ious leadership in the community, and no doubt desired to worship God as they felt was taught in the scriptures. So, they gave willingly of their time and means toward the building of the new church. The original church, the second oldest church in New- man, was located on a large lot surrounded by trees on the south side of East Green Street, just three blocks from where the present church now stands. It was a white frame rectangular building erected at a cost of $2,500 and considered a very fine structure. The lot was donated by Mrs. Martha Smith, one of the earliest members of the church. She and her several children were among the most active workers in the congregation. The old building faced the north and had two entrances, one for the women and children, the other for the men. One of the most attractive features of the church was the bell, installed at a cost of $140. The church was ded- icated in the winter of 1872 by Rev. B. F. Black. During the years following the founding of this out- standing landmark in the community, the church no doubt fell heir to the regular changes of time and fortune. On the whole, the members must have been most faithful as between 1887 and 1930, the records show only two years without a regular minister. February 19th, 1905, ushered in a very important period in the life of the Newman Christian Church as that was the date, that under the efficient ministry of Rev. J. G. McNutt, the new edifice was dedicated. The old church was sold and in this splendid new bulling, the members and friends have worshipped for over half a century. Impossible, indeed, would it be to include the list of those consecrated souls who gave unsparingly of their substance, time and talents to build this church for them- selves and their posterity. But how happy we are that today one pioneer is still among us, upon whose shoulders rested much of the responsibility of this most worthwhile project. Without him, the work could never have reached the same peak of success. Across the pages of the history of the Newman Christian Church, in gratitude, love, and devotion, we write the name of our beloved Mr. Ira M. MuUiken. The year 1905 was apparently one of the most signifi- cant in the history of the church. Not only was the new building dedicated, but December brought the famous re- vival conducted by the renowned Dr. Charles Reign Scov- ille and his talented singer, Mr. DeLoss Smith. During the weeks of this revival, about 160 persons were added to the church roll. Much could be written about the advance the church has made, especially in recent years. The material im- provements are beautiful and one needs only to enter the sanctuary to realize this fact. The services are most in- teresting, educational and inspirational. We realize our present reaps the fruit of the past, so in this church history we pay especial tribute to those "we have loved long since and lost awhile". But we could not, we would not, lose sight of those loyal members of the present who are faithfully and steadfastly doing the deeds of service that make the church the greatest source of good in the world today. May we draw near our close with a most glowing trib- ute to the present minister and his wife — Rev. and Mrs. Leslie C. Wolfe. If all the finest superlatives in our lang- uage were used to describe their wonderful leadership, their untiring labors, their devoted love and service to the church and the community, we still would have only real understatements. And so, may the Newman Christ- ian Church united with a common bond with the other neighboring churches, continue in consecrated service for the glory of God and the uplifting of His people. — Ada L. Brock. S. C. Cash, Pioneer Scaton C. Cash, son of Peachy and Mary Wripht Cash, was born near Amherst Court House, Amherst Co., Virgin- ia, June 8, 1831. When seven years of age, his father moved to Barbour Co., locating near Philippi, West Virginia. Here he attended his first school, taught by an older brother, the late L. J. Cash. He walked three miles to school, where he studied Webster's elementary speller, and one year, the text of the reading classes was the Bible. When fourteen years of age, he moved with his father's family to the west. They started in October, 1845, mak- ing the trip in two covered wagons, and crossing the only railroad at Zanesville, Ohio. They arrived in Paris, Il- linois, September 12, 18!6, and settled on a farm near there. On March 1, 1852, he started learning the carpenter trade at Oakland, Illinois. He worked as an apprentice three years, receiving for the first year's service, $7.00 a month, including board. After this, he became a contractor and bought a half interest in a cabinet shop in Oakland. On December 20, 188."), he was married to Elizabeth Black. In 1864, they sold their home and business inter- ests in Oakland and Mr. Cash entered the mercantile business in Newman, having bought a half interest in the general store there of L. S. and S. M. Cash, residents of Oakland, but who were conducting this business in Newman. This was the only general store in the town, the stock consisting of dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes, notions, hats and caps, hardware, queensware, and patent medicines. On Januaiy 1, 1872, he bought the en- tire stock. Mr. Cash arrived in Newman December 14, 1864, a cold, bleak winter day, walking the entire distance of twelve miles from Oakland over the hard frozen roads. The country was sparsely settled, there being only three hous- es between Oakland and Newman. No dwelling house could be obtained; so Mrs. Cash and a small son, Walter, did not arrive until March. Mr. Cash continued in the mercantile business until 1894. In 1885, he was also in the implement business with the late George White as a partner. In 1881, he and his brother, L. J. Cash, purchased a large store in Clinton, Indiana, and later he carried on mercantile business in other places. During the fifty four years of his residence in Newman, he witnessed many changes. When he arrived here, there were fourteen families but only twelve dwellings. These families were Dr. Hickman's, Dr. Smith's, Mr. Hallet's, Albert Kellers, Smith Kellers, Grandma Howard, William Shute's, John Stockton's, Frank Wells', John Henry's, old Mrs. Vermillion, Joe Howard's, John Andrews', and J. W. Hancock's. The old Methodist church was the only church in town and regular preaching services were held there every three weeks. There was a blacksmithing shop and post office, the mail being carried from Camargo on horse- back once a week by the late "Uncle Johnnie" Stockton, v;ho also distributed it, although Dr. W. S. Smith was postmaster. The Illinois Central Railroad was the only railroad in Douglas county and mail for Newman and Oakland was distributed from the Camargo office. The I. D. & S. Railroad (Indianapolis, Decatur, and Springfield) was built in 1872 but no shipping could be done until 1873. Prior to that time, goods were hauled in wagons from Ashmore, Tuscola, and Homer. Mr. Cash received the first shipment of goods the railroad delivered and there being no depot, they were unloaded in the mid- le of the the street now known as Broadway. In 1873, he built the first brick store building, now oc- cupied by Lloyd Boyer. In 1875, he built the first brick dwelling, which was his home until his death and now- occupied by his daughter, Mrs. Lulu VanDyne. In early life, he united with the Cumberland Presby- terian Church in Oakland. When the family moved to Newman, there being no Presbyterian Church, he and his wife attended and liberally supported the Methodist Church. They became charter members of the Cumber- land Presbyterian Church in Newman which was organized in 1873 and which later united with the Presbyterian Church U. S. A. He and his wife lived to celebrate their (i2nd wedding anniversary. Nine children were born to them, only four living to maturity — Walter, Sherman, Sue (Mrs. McKnight), all deceased, and Mrs. Lulu Van- Dyne. Mr. Cash was well known throughout the years for his strong temperance principles. He died April 6, 1918, a loyal, patriotic citizen and a pioneer who had helped to pave the way for a better and higher civilization. The Presbyterian Church of Newman was organized a Cumberland Presbyterian Church and was the outgrowth of a revival meeting held in the Methodist church in 1873. At the close of this meeting, 17 people expressed a desire to be organized into a Cumberland Presbyterian Church. They were James Gillogly, Hannah Gillogly, G. W. Wil- liams, Eliza J. Williams, S. C. Cash, Elizabeth Cash, S. G. Rose, Harriet Rose, James Pemberton, Martha Pember- ton, M. D. Campbell, Daniel Cole, John Drake, Stephen Thayer, John Stone, and Jacob Ogden. The following of- ficers were elected, ordained, and installed at the time of the organization: Ruling elders: G. W. Williams, James Gillogly, Daniel Cole, and S. G. Rose; deacon: S. C. Cash, who served in that capacity until his deatli in 1918. The congregation worshipped in the Methodist Church until the completion and dedication of their own building on December 11, 1881, the Rev. C. P. Coolley being the pastor. The report of the Building Committee gave as cost of lot and building $1758.58; cost of fixtures, bell, organ, carpets, lights and fence, ^'318. 12. Cash and pledges amounted to '^1783. At the time of dedication, a collection was taken which cleared the debt on the one room build- ing which had three sections of seats and an "Amen" corner. In lt;O0, during the pastorate of the Rev. J. H. P per, this building was re-modeled at a cost of $2106.13 and rededicated January 20, 1901. At this time there were less than 100 members. The dedicatory sermon was de- livered by the Rev. A. W. Hawkins of Decatur. In 190G, i".t the union of the two denominations, it became a part of the Piesbyterian Church U. S. A. The present church building had its start in the minds and hearts ol Mr. Thomas Shaw and his wife. In con- sultation with the pastor, the Rev. B. F. Lawrence, Mr. Shaw, in 1909, announced his intention to give the site on which this church now stands, and to erect thereon a building suitable to the uses of the congregation, if in turn they would furnish the same. The church through its Board accepted the proposition and a committee selected by Mr. Shaw, composed of Dr. Cyrus Rutherford, the Rev. B. F. Lawrence, Mr. George 0. Moore, with himself set to work to secure plans for the new edifice. The building v.'as dedicated December 11, 1910. The total cost of con- struction, together with the lots, amounted to $11,110.99, the last of this amount being subscribed on the day of dedication. The service of dedication included a musical program by a choir of 31 voices under the direction of Mrs. Lillie Allen Kyde with Miss Alice Mclntyre as ac- companist and an inspiring sermon by Dr. Edgar P. Hill of McCormick Seminary, Chicago. Twenty-one ministers have served the church since its organization. The Rev. Eugene N. Fox being the present pastor. The gift of this beautiful house of worship has been a great benefit, not only to the church, but to the entire community. The clock, a landmark in the community, has been a master timepiece for the town. For some years past, the Newman Township Library has been located in the south rooms of the basement. The text used at the re-dedication in 1901 seems ap- propriate todry for Shaw Memorial Presbyterian Church: "And the glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former house, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts." (Haggai 2:9) TKeN ewma n Schools Where the first school was held in Newman is u matter of conjofture. An early county history, pulilishcd in 1881 says: "The first schoolhouse in Newman was an ordinary building, such as is usually found in the country, b.>ing put up in 1858 at a cost of $5C0." Another published ver- sion is: "The original school was a typical one room af- fair and capable of accomodatinj; only a few pupils." Still another story which has come down through the descend- ants of the early settler is that a one room schoolhouse was built in what is now the City Park and was later moved to a vacant lot at the northwest corner of the inter- section of Vanderen and Coffin streets. .\ Special Souvenir Edition of The Newman Independent, published in 1895 on the 25th anniversary of that news- paper says: "The first school in Newman was taug-ht in a private dwelling, the former home of Dr. J. M. Wagne-." It also states: "The fii-st schoolhouse, a two-story frame building, was built in the center of the public square in 18- 58 at a cost of $600, the Masonic lodge being in the upper story. John Stocton was on the first board of director, and for several years was the only director." Moses S. Smith, then the editor of The Independent, was born in .Newman on July 19, 18 9, and attended ^■ehool in this building. All accounts agree on one thing, that Miss Hulda How- ell, a daughter of Enoch Howell, a pioneer settler, was the first teacher. The land which became the town site for the origin il town of Newman was a part of the Public Domain lands until Isaac Howard liecame the owner by virtue of patents signed by President Millard Fillmore, dated Feb. 10, 1851, r.nd May 1, 1852. Mr. Nev/man and his associates pur- chased the town site from Mr. Howard in 1857 and the survey establishing the "Original Town of Newman I.li:;- ois" was filed for record on Nov. 26, 1857. It provided that the public square would become the property of the town if a "seminary" was built there. 1 here is no record of the town site promoters erecting dwelling houses or other improvements. There was con- siderable speculative buying and selling of lots but very little building activity. Mr. Howard and two or three other men owned land adjacent to the tov.'n but there is no record to indicate that they sold any small tracts for "housing" piior to 1858. It is assumed that the first pupil? who attended the school were the children of the early settlers on the farms or "clearings" within walking dist- ance. There is no information available to indicate what year it became necessary to employ an additional teacher be- cause of the increase in the number of pupils. When S. C. Cash first came to Newman in December of 1864, there were 12 houses and 14 families in the town. The heads of these families we:e: Dr. H. S. Hickman, Dr. G. VV. Smith, "Grandma" Howard, Mrs. Vermillion, Mr. Hallets, Albert Keller, Smith Keller, Frank Wells, John Henry, John Andrews, William Shute, Joseph Howard, John Stocton and J. W. Hancock. Thomas House was rne of the first teachers in this school building. J. W. King was a teacher there from 1872 until he resigned to be- come county superintendent of schools in 1875. Nev/man began a period of steady growth in 1865. The Civil War ended and the soldiers were mustered out and returned home. Most of them were single men but not for long. Part of them established homes in Newman; some OLD .MiWM AN S( HOOl, ... built IST'i ... addition 1889 ... primary 1894 ... reo'aced 1936. began farming. Many elderly farmers rttirid and moved to town. Newcomers arrived — and stayed. The number of childven increased rapidly and in the early "seventies" it soon became certain that a new school would have to be built. At long last the railroad was built through New- man and trains began running in 1873. Newman immed- iately began to "boom". Frame store buildings were torn down and new brick buildings were erected. Larger and better homes were built. New citizens moved in and the old school building began to "bulge at the seams." In 1875, the school district was reorgan'zcd and the trustees were authorized to build a new "two-story four room brick building of sufficient size to accomodate 390 pupils". A tax to pay for this was authorized at an elec- tion held April 6, 1875. The site selected was where the new grade school now stands and was purchased on June 18, 1875, for IJ600. The building was complettd in the summer of 1876, and cost Jl 1,000. In the cupola of the building was hung a large bell that called the children to school for the next 60 years. It had a beautiful tone and could easily be heard anywhere in Newman. The bell is still there but seldom used. It is in a low iron frame- work on the corner of the gymnasium. An early catalog of the school for the year 1881-1882 is a treasured possession of Mr. Bolinger of Hume. A list of the pupils show there were 23 in the "First Year High School" (only two years of high school instruction was given at that time), 89 in the three grammar school grades, 91 in the three Intermediates and 112 in the three Primary grades. The enrollment totaled 315. The school teachers were: Theodoie H. Haney, principal. Miss Maiy J. McCulloch, Grammar; Miss Flora Powell, Intermediate and Mis. A. C. Bennett, Primary. The school board consisted of J. A. Mc(!ee. T. D. Curd and W. W. Skinner. Jas. Gillogiy was school treasurer. His financial report shows that the district rece.ved in taxes $3,732.51 and that the expenses w-erc: Principal $18), three teachers $735, janitor $180, fuel, repairs furniture and incidentals ^301. V7 and bonds and interest $2,000, a total of i'3,791.77. Pupiis living outside the distiict paid a $2 tuition charge monthly. By 1588 the school had be ome so crowded that it- be- came necessary to rent a large room in which the primary grades could be taught. In 1889 a $2500 bond issue was sold to provide a two room addition to the brick building, which increased the capacity to 450 pupils. This was com- pleted in time for use in 1890. The school first became "accredited" in 1890. In 1893 it again became necessary to expand school fa- cilities and a two acre tract adjacent to the school grounds was purchased for a site of a primary building and to provide more play ground. Bonds for $1700 were issued to supplement the regular tax levy for building purposes. The need for additional room since 1880 was not all made necessary because of a large increase in the number of children. A contributing factor to the need was that more and more pupils were staying in school for the entire twelve years instead of dropping out before reaching high school age. The first graduating class in 1885 was Sa- mantha Anderson and Luther Hughey. In 1886 Sue Cash, Minnie Taylor and Hattie Sutton were the graduates. There were no graduates in 1887. Henry A. Winn, Hattie Gillogly and Maud Root were the graduates in 1888 and in 1889 Jennie House, Ed Roe and Clark Randall received diplomas. Succeeding years show a gradual increase in the number of graduates. Some time around 1910 the state legislature passed a law which allowed school townships to form Township High School districts. Within a few months the residents ot the school township in which Newman is located organ- ized District 150. Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Havens donated a 10 acre site on North Broadway just outside the city limits. After some delay a $20,000 bond issue was voted, and the new builduig was completed in time for use in September 1913. The total cost was $40,000. The high school had temp- orary quarters in the old Presbyterian church building on North King street during the two years. J. H. Trinkle was the superintendent of the Township High School for it's entire span of 37 years, retiring in 1948. Newman now has two school districts, each having a board of education. The old brick school continued in use until 1936. It was still sturdy and strong but woefully inadequate. It was razed in 1936 and a new, modern one story building and gymnasium was built. A bond issue for $10,500 plus a government grant paid for the building. The frame pri- mary room has lately been used for storage. in 1944 a $75,000 bond issue was authorized for the building of a new gymnasium and additional class rooms at the high school. It was completed in 1946 but was nec- essary to issue an additional $25,000 in bonds to complete It. In 1948 the Newman schools again united under the laws providing for the formation of Community School Districts, the Murdock school and 13 country school dis- tricts also came into the Newman District 303. The Good- will, Prairie Belle, Phoenix, Winkler, Pleasant Ridge, White Hall, Mclntyre, Huff, Fonner, McCown and Dayton country schools have vanished. The Murdock school is continued. On Sept. 1, 1955 a bond issue for $125,000 was author- ized at an election that day to provide money for con- structing additional class rooms at the grade school build- in Memory Of William Dalzell 1881 - 1951 ing. This was done in 1956 and completed for the opening of the school year in Sept. 1956. The new addition also has equipment for preparing food for the school lunch program and for serving as well as dining facilities. It is modern in every way. The total enrollment for the present school year (1956- 1957) was 506. There were 61 in the Murdock building and 320 enrolled 1 to 8 inclusive in the Newman grades and 125 in the high school. There were 33 in the 8th grade and 50 in the 7th. The faculty numbered 28 and there were 5 janitors and 4 cooks. Five buses were used. Arthur Leeth was principal of the grade school and F. W. McCarty was Superintendent. Over the years the following men have been principal, or superintendent, of the Newman schools since 1872: John W. King, Mr. Reynolds, Alvin Waters, Mr. Clend- enning, and Mr. Rittenhouse to 1881. Beginning with Sept. 1, 1881 the following have served (the first date indicated the beginning of a school year and the other the end of the spring term: Theodore Haney (1881-1884) E. S. Smith (1884-1887) Mr. Holemback (1S87-1889) George O. Moore (1889-1890) J. L. Hughes (1890-1894) E. B. Brooks (1894-1897) W. H. H. Miller (1897-1900) Joseph Gale (1900-1901) E. J. Vines (1901-1904) Mr. Hedden (1ership. Dr. H. I. Conn was drafted in 1945 as Lt. Gov. of Division 12, and as Gov. of the I. & I. District in 1947. He has served on the I. & I. District Board of Dir- ectors for Spastic Paralysis Research Foundation, since Its origin. The local club is proud of the loyalty and activity of its membership. In attendance, achievement reports, and re- presentation at interclub meetings it ranks high among the clubs of its division. In 1941, it was presented with a plaque for 100 percent attendance at the I. & I. District convention at Springfield. 111. While the major work of the Newman Club has been devoted to Youth Activities, it has also accepted leadership m other fields. In 1936 the club, with the consent of the Board of Education, dedicated the athletic grounds of the Newman Township High School with an appropriate stone and plaque as "Trinkle Field" in honor of its prin- cipal who had served the school for many years. Each year it devotes one meeting to Farmers Night with an approp- riate program and with farmers invited as guests. Its in- terest in our public schools has been demonstrated by the entertainment of our teachers, annual athletic banquets, and various educational programs. The club has sponsored the Boy Scouts a number of years and the Girl Scouts one year. Boys Pig Clubs were formed in 1942 and continued for five years, whereby registered gilts were bought by the club and farmed out to deserving boys on the share basis. This project has been rev.ved for 1957. Clothing, food, and medical care have been furnished under-privileged children and their families as the need arose. The club sends each year a representative to Boys State, and for the past two years a girl to the Egyptian Music Camp at DuQuoin, 111. It has been the custom of the club the past few years to transport the Little League baseball team to the opening University of Illinois football game, and last year they were also taken to the Chanute Air Show at Rantoul. To help raise funds for these activities as well as for enter- tainment the club has sponsored Farm Sales, Minstrels, Horse Shows and other programs. The Key Club was organized in the local high school in 1951, and has the distinction of being one of the three such clubs in Division 12. One of its members, Clinton R. Johnson, has been elected Lt. Gov. of Division 6 of the 1 & 1. District of Key Clubs. Mrs. Jamie C. Mclntyre's grandfather, E. E. Chester, carried in his carpet bag the money for Mr. Sullivan to purchase the land of Broadlands and the surrounding countryside, from Columbus, Ohio, to Urbana, 111. A Memorial Of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur E. Parr In Honor Of Their Parents Mr ana Mrs. Marion Parr Mr. and Mrs. W. J. G. Pound John M. Pound, father of W. J. G. Pound, purchased land south of Newman from the U. S. Government in 1852. Heirs of W. J. G. Pound celebrated their centennial of continuous ownership in 1952. John M. Pound died in Indiana and his widow with seven daughters and one son, W. J. G. Pound, moved to this community in 1862. Mr. and Mrs. Marion Parr, with their family, moved to Newman in 1910. Fonner Family History Andrew Jackson Fonner Sr. was born in Green County, Pennsylvania, March 15, 1828. He married Miss Lydia Gillogly on March 22, 1851. They moved from their native state to what is now Douglas County, Illinois, in the Fall of 1857 and settled on a farm seven miles northwest of where Newmi.n now stands. A few essential possessions and two sons, James, age five years, and Robert, age two years, were moved by covered wagon. The county was then largely unsettled, especially the prairie portion. They felt many of the wants and deprivations incident to the settlement of a new country for a number of years after their arrival here. On this homestead, the following children were born: Margaret, Spencer, Andrew J. Jr., Marion, Charles, Thomas, Geoi-ge, and three who died in infancy. This farm has always been owned by Fonner descendants, being presently owned by Emmerson Fonner of Deland, Illinois, who is the son of Charles. The prairie land south of the ridge was drained, and in 1884, Mr. Fonner purchased the farm where Mr. and Mrs. Ray Wax now reside. At this time, the four older children were married and the remainder of the family moved to the new farm. Here Marion died in 1888 of typhoid fever at the age of 19 years. This farm has since been operated and lived on by Fonner descendants. Mrs. Wax is a great-granddaughter, being descended from Zala Fonner Maris, who was the daughter of Andrew J. Jr. In 1890, the family moved to Newman and Mr. Fonner operated a livery stable in the location of the present Grab- It-Here store. He prided himself on fine horses for hire. Surries and buggies were also rented. The home was on Yates Street immediately west of the stable. Here Mrs. Fonner died on March 22, 1895. She had been a rheumatic invalid for years. Following this, Mr. Fonner retired from active business to oversee the operation of his farms. On September 14, 18S8, he married Emily Howard, and they moved to a home in the west part of town. Mr. Fonner died February 18, 1908, nearly 80 years of age. Many of his descendants are now living in the Newman vicinity. In memoriam to deceased members of the Stanton Burgett Post No. 201 American Legion Auxiliary Newman, Illinois acAtiS. ct>iB i STOC 10 rs "aM T»C S-roCK rAJtt Of ,. »,. guliC -r. COK^tJ^'tS ISOO ACKCS IN StCS.If.>*.'a.ll.ZS.tt.l>cruei.tS CO. ILL. Isaac Wilson Buigett, son of Abraham and Eliza Wells BiiiRett, was bom June 18, 1829, in Pickaway Co., Ohio. The family moved to Vermillion Co., Indiana, near Perrys- ville. Ahrahi.m died in 1838, leaving five children. In 183'.), the motl-.er brouKhl her family to Illinois. They set- tled near the mouth of the Brushy Fork in DouKlas Co. She rented land and when a mere boy, Isaac Wilson had charge of the farm. He attended .school a few day.s each winter. When seventeen, he hired out as a farm laborer at J8.00 per month. This he continued until he married Telitha Howard Jan. 28, 1849. At this time, his capital consisted of $25 in money and one horse. He rented land for two years. He then bouRht 20 acres of timber and entered a claim for 80 acres of government land. To this tract, he continued to add until at his death, Feb. 12, 1884, he owned over 1600 acres. He was supervisor of Sarprcnt township for 12 years and was an able man on public questions. Mrs. Telitha Burgett, daughter of William Hezekiah and Margery Howard, was born in Jackson County, Ohio, May 2'). 1830. In 184:i, she came with her family to a farm one and a half miles southwest of Newman. Hez- ekiah Howard built the first dwelling on the site where Newman now stands. Here he died in 1817. Telitha ent- ered upon the task cf helping support the family, often working for a small wage among neighbors. Her mother passed to her rest Au.c:. 16, 1889. Grandma Howard's descendants, remembering her unselfish devotion, placed a memorial window in the Methodist church. There were eleven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Bur- nett. They were: William B; Margery: John W.; El.za Ellen Gill; Scott; Stanley; Sarah El zaboth Baxter; Wil- son S. (Top); Carl S.; Maude L. Colfi'y and Thomas P. Mrs. Burgett was one of the marked pioneer women of Douglas County. She was beloved by those who knew her. In 1901, she left the old homestead and came to New- man. Sunday afternoon, her children and grandchildren p.athered in her home to visit and sing favorite hymns, her daugliter. Mi?-. Coffty, playing the organ. She was (leei)ly leligious, having been a member of the M. E. church 75 years. Truth was the inspiration of her life and by kind- ness, she exemplified its great worth. She ran the joilrn- ey of her life in 89 years, passing away Aug. 31, 1919. Surviving grandchildren reared in this community are Jay Burgett, Burley Burgett, Ray Burgett, James Burgett, Carolyn B. Coolley, Lois B. Ryan, Howard Coffey, Joe Cof- fey, P'lorence C. Buckler, Iva Roderick. Ola Gill. Deceased are Stanton Burgett, Shelley Burgett, Paul Burgett, Charles Burgett, Bessie B. Coley, Eva B. Ellison, Gerald Coflcy, Maxwell Coffey. Fairfield It was in the Fall of 1853 the first permanent settlers came to the Fairfield community. They were James M. and John A. Coolley and William W. Young. They came in covered wagons pulled by oxen. The material for their houses had been hauled from Montgomery county, Indiana, but very soon they each purchased 10 acres of timber land in the Camargo area for other buildings and fences. The trail they followed here was marked by a furrow and known as the State Road which followed the ridge or moraine left by the Wisconsin glacial period. They came through Perryville, Ind., Georgetown and Hickory Grove, 111. At first they received their mail at Camargo and "Nip 'n Tuck". Later there was a post office called Phoenix in a little store located in the south part of the present cemetery. At first the rider bearing it came dir- ectly from Cherry Point. The country settled very rapidly. In 1854, the Reverend Jonathan Coolley came and on July 26, 1855, at an open air meeting in his yard the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was organized with the following members: Jon- athan and Malinda Coolley, James Maxwell Coolley and Hester Ann Young Coolley, John A. Coolley and Mary Frances Coolley, Mary Jane Coolley Young, William and Mary A. Patterson, Josiah and Jane Dains, Calvin and Elizabeth Dains. Services were held in the homes until the first school- house was erected on land owned by John A. Coolley. Lat- er, when the school districts were organized and the Cherry Grove (Phoenix) school established, church meet- ings were held there until the church building was erected in 1869. It was built from the timber holdings of the members at a cost of $4,000. The music for the dedication was under the direction of the singing teacher, Malcolm Mclntyre. A melodeon owned by Mrs. J. R. Page was used. Reverend Jonathan Coolley served as pastor of the church for 20 years. His son, Cyrus P., followed him and his successors were: J. H. Hughey, W. 0. Smith, J. M. McKnight, E. L. Prather, G. W. Montgomery, T. A. Wil- liams, L. D. Hendricks, A. R. Sandlin. William Bryant, James W. Wycoff, J. H. Piper, W. L. Campbell, J. W. McKinney, F. L. Gould and L. V. C. Myton. In 1907, when the Cumberland and Presbyterian Church U. S. A. united, it became a Presbyterian congregation. In 190(3 the Fairfield Women's Missionary Society was or- ganized, it being the only branch of the original church Russell Louise Happy Centennial Epperson s Market Newman, Illinois now active, as church services were discontinued about that time. Memorial Day is observed with a service and the decoration of soldiers' graves — as has been done continuously since before the end of the war between the states. A big community dinner is held in the church building each year on the last Sunday in September. Fairfield cemetery was closely associated with the church in the early days. The first burials were in 1855. The first Civil War soldier was John Biggs, who died of wound at the Battle of Chickamauga and his body re- turned to Fairfield for burial. There are now 76 graves of soldiers in the cemetery. After regular church sei-vices were discontinued, the Fairfield Cemetery Association took over its care by voluntary contribution until 1951, when it was taken over by the township by popular vote. The church building now used as a chapel has always been preserved through the generosity of the people of the community. In 1921-22 the rock wall was built from boulders left over the countryside by the glaciers. They were gathered, split and built into the beautiful wall by a Mr. Mcintosh, whose trade had been building such walls in Scotland. In 1956, the church steeple, which had been blown off in a storm, was replaced — again by popular subscription. Later the same year, the tuneful Carillonic Bells were placed in its tower by Margaret Pearl Mclntyre Coolley as a memorial to her husband, James Sherman Coolley. Lucy Mclntyre says that her great-grandfather, Mose Stickles, had the house built where she now lives at 302 S. Broadway; that she's always been told that from the house down to the creek was "Mose's cowpasture". JoKn A. Coolley John A. Coolley, son of Rev. Jonathan and Me- linda B. Coolley, was born Aug. 19, 1830, near Wayne- town in Montgomery Co., Indiana. In 1852, Mr. Coolley entered a claim for 160 acres of govern- ment land at $1.25 per acre, on the Ridge north of Newman, Illinois, Douglas county. Camargo was their postoffice and nearest town. Oxen were used to haul lumber from Indiana, this taking two years. Jonathan Coolley came and in 1855 organized the Fairfield Presbyterian Church. The first meetings were held in his home. In 1856, a building for church and school was erected on the farm owned by his son, John A. The present beautiful building was erected in 1869 and restored in 1956. Mr. Coolley was married to Mary Garvey. One daughter, Nancy Jane, was born. He married the second time to Harriet Anna Wy- ckoff. Six children were born: William A., John E.. .\nnettie O., Luella M., Jonathan M. (Don), and an infant son. Mrs. Nettie 0. Mclntyre, 92 years of age, is the only surviving member of the family. She is beloved by all and her life has been an in- spiration to her many relatives and friends. She has, indeed, carried on the traditions of her an- cestors. The surviving grandchildren are: Albert Todd, Lena Todd, Eva Mclntyre Gauger, Anna Cool- ey Carlson, Helen Kenny Powers, Frances Kenny Lyon, Harold Kenny and John A. Coolley, who now is owner of the Coolley homestead. Hard Roads Come To Rural Illinois One of the most important happenings in the history of Newman township was the building of the first four miles of paved road, just north of Newman. Until about the year 1!I09, the townships had iiolhinK but mud roads, some of which became almost impassable during the rainy season. In 190i>, W. J. Roller began to talk hard roads for the rural districts, as well as for the town. At first, there was some stubborn opposition to building paved roads out in the country, a few people arguing that the cost would be too much. However, in 1910, Roller built a strip of brick ro;id in front of his residence, 150 feet in length, just to show what the difference would be to the farmers who hauled their grain on tliat road. That demonstration proved to be the best argument available, and in that year, the bonds for $30,000 were voted and the paving started. The first contract called for two miles north from the crossroad just north of town and one mile east and one m le west from the same crossroad. The brick pavement on North Kings street, beginning at the southwest corner of the high school grounds and extend- ing to the crossroads was also included. So far as we know, that was the first rural pL.vement built in the State of Illinois. Much of these four miles of pavement is still in use and in fair condition in spite of the limited experience in road building at that time. Methods of building have im- proved a lot since then, also bctler material is available i:ow. It was late in the year before construction started and it was completed only as far as what is now the residence of Ray Wax before cold weather stopped the construction of the concrete base and curbs. However, it had extend- ed beyond one of the worst mud holes in the township a short distance north of the crossroads. The next year, it was extended on north to the crossroads then known as the "Twin Houses" (one of the two identical houses is still standing at the west side of the road at this inter- section; the one on the east side was torn down or moved away 30 or 40 years ago). The success of this country hard road was very con- vincing. It attracted visitors and delegations from many parts of the state and its fame spread. It was built only nine feet wide because of the cost: the money available would builil a road twice as long as a double lane at twice the expense. In Newman township, any opposition to the construction of hard roads almost vanished and plans were made to extend this improvement in other directions from town. Only bonding limitations stood in the way of immediate action. It was not long until a pavement was built from the south end of King street to the Sargent township line, a distance of about a mile and a half. The next was east from town on what was then identified as the Skinner I.ane. It began at the city limits at the northwest corner of what is now Memorial Park and ran east and south and then a quarter of a mile on the Edgar-Douglas county line load almost to the Widman residence. This road was then a part of the old Ocean to Ocean Pike's Peak Highway route, an early marked trail for cross country travel in automobiles. The next was a three-eighths of a mile of brick pavement extending south from the Newman ctmete'.y to the present U. S. 33. All of these approximate- ly eight miles of pavement were built and paid for by the citizens of Newman township; the county, state or the U. S. didn't contribute even a thin dime. After the county aid roads came into being a nine-foot concrete slab road was built west from the end of the west end of the original four and a quarter mile brick paving at the A. Bosch residence, west, south and west through the Village of Murdock. A concrete slab one-half niile in length was extended from the east end of the same original brick, at the home of Manford Roller. The county also built a concrete slab from the north end at the Twin Houses crossroad north, west and north to con- nect with the Champaign county hard road system two miles south of Broadlands. The county also built a black- top on the Oakland Road from the Harris corner south to the Coles county line. When the State of Illinois built U. S. :W through New- man township, it followed existing highways except from the corner south of the Newman cemetery east to the old F ike's Peak Highway at the corner west of the Widman lesidence, cutting through farm lands to provide a new, direct route. Route 49 is on the east line of Newman township. .■Ml other highways in Newman township except one mile of rock road at the north side of the township and l-.erhaps five or six miles of dirt roads are maintiiined as all-weather roads by oil treatment. A $30,000 bond issue would build only a few hundred feet of paved road today. Gone are the days when the automobile owner, on the approach cf cold weather, would put his car in the shed, jack up the wheels so that tires would not touch the floor, drain off the water in the radiator and block, remove the battery and store it where it wouldn't run down and freeze and then walk away. He knew he would have to wait until the weather settled and the roads became dry in the Spring before he could ' niotor" around. " ... for God and Country ... '' u nil M A.MKKICAN LEGION HOME For God and Country We associate ourselves together For the following purposes: To uphold and defend The Constitution of the United States of America; To maintain law and order; To foster and perpetuate A one hundred per cent Americanism; To preserve the memories and incidents Of our associations in the Great Wars; To inculcate a sense of individual obligation To the community, state and nation; To combat the autocracy Of both the classes and the masses; To make right the master of might; To promote peace and good will on earth; To safeguard and transmit to posterity The principles of Justice, Freedom and Democracy; To consecrate and sanctify our comradeship By our devotion to mutual helpfulness. — Preaiable of the Constitution of The American Legion Stanton Burgett Post No. 201 CHARTERED 1919 Newman, Illinois Congratulations to Newman For 100 Years of Progress SHEPHARD MOTOR CO PKone 78 Newman, 111. Specialized Service AUTO BODY & GLASS BRAKE & FRONT END RADIATOR The Finest Equipment and Largest Parts Inventory for All Makes of Small Air Cooled Engines NEW AND USED ENGINES FOR SALE COMPLETE LAWNMOWER SERVICE & SALES KOHLER ENGINES 4 Cycle Air-Cooled 3, 6, and 24 horsepower Engineered and built with quality materials and workmanship to the high standards that have won world ac- ceptance for KOHLER products. Ec- onomical as well as being easy to main- tain. Compact and quick-starting. Pleasant Ridge A pretty country church surrounded by many large shade trees and a well kept and landscaped cemetery, stand on a high spur of the Ridge about six miles north- east of Newman. Although the membership is small in number they are a devoted band and the church has never been neglected. The view from the church yard and cemetery is unsur- passed in Eastern Illinois. Many thousands of acres of the best land in Illinois can be seen to the south and south- east, and with the aid of a telescope more land and sev- eral towns become visible. Mrs. F. M. Kincaid, one of the early members, said it gave a pleasant view and a pleas- ant place for friends to meet on a pleasant ridge. The name Pleasant Ridge was also given to the school house which stood on the other side of the road. As was usual among the early settlers, they wanted a neighborhood church and a school. It so happened that most of that neighborhood were Methodist so a church of that denomination was organized. The school house was built in 1868 and J. B. Plowman was the first teacher. It was also a community center. The decline in membership began, the tiaetor started to replace the horses and mules on the farms. With power machinery, one man could do the work which had former- ly required three. Less housing was needed and many of the small, older houses were allowed to deteriorate and were torn down. The health of some of the older land- owners would not permit them to operate a tractor and they retired. Membership in the church dwindled until only a few were left, to meet the constantly increasing expense of yearly operation. In 1949, the church and cemetery were purchased from the Methodist Conference, the church then became, and will remain, a non-denominational church and will continue to serve the people of the community. In 1924, the ladies of the church organized the Pleasant Kidge Community Club. It is still active and has been of great service, in improving and beautifying the church and grounds. One of its members, lone K. Epperson, gave $1,000 for the purchase of evergreen trees and shrubs. Smce 1950, over $4,000 has been spent in improvements which include a full basement, a new automatic oil burn- mg furnace, concrete walks, crushed stone drives and re- decorating. 1 he necessary labor was donated by the men and women of the community. It is their desire to main- tain it as a House for worship, a place to meet friends The State Bank of Allerton Allerton, Illinois SURPLUS CAPITAL $45,000.00 $50,000.1)0 and a Memorial to their dead. William and Mary Heaton deeded the land for the church site and cemetery in 1870. Building operations be- gan soon after and progressed rapidly, much of the labor being donated. It was well proportioned, sti-ongly built and of the best materials. The entrance was into a hall- way which had a stairway to an overhead balcony at the rear of the assembly room. The cost of the building was $5,000. The first trustees were David Todd, Stephen Fields, Daniel Heaton, James Hoover and David McLean. The church was in the Newman Conference until 1895 and was then changed to the Allerton charge. Rev. J. B. Mar- tin was the first pastor. Rev. J. R. McBride sei-ved as pastor for many years. One of the prized possessions of the church is an old- fashioned sampler framed with a needlepoint motto "In God We Trust" made by Mrs. Mary Heaton, and has been upon the wall of the church for a great many years. Also on the church wall is a large oil painting, "The Lord m Gethsemane" which was painted by Mrs. Ervin Kincaid and presented to the church by her, the stained glass windows named and given by families in the church. Extensive repairs and alterations were made at the church in 1904 and the same fine oak seats are still used m the assembly room. George L. Akers built a new farm home recently and it covers "five Akers" — not as large as the one built by his great-grandfather in the same neighborhood. John S. Akers, of Pennsylvania Dutch extraction, and his Quak- er wife, Susan Kanear, migrated to Illinois about 1867. Their house covered "eleven Akers". The Borden Milk Company "IF IT'S BORDEN'S, IT'S GOT TO BE GOOD" 1024 E. FAIRCHILD TELE.: 3294 Danville, Illinois Bank The prosperity of a comnuinity is many times linked with the banks of that community. It has been the good fortune of Newman throughout its history to have had good l>anks. The fiist was a private bank and was conducted in a frame building at the northwest corner of Yates and Broadway. Its activities were limited by the times and its operation continued but a short time. In January 1873 Murphy and Hancock established a private bank which con- tinued operations until 1879. This was followed by a period in which there was no bank in the town until 1883, when two men from Onarga, Mr. Durban and Mr. Doolittle engaged in the banking business in Newman in a build'ng located about the center of the block on the north side of the city park. They also operat- ed but a short time and from information gathered, while the bank did some banking as we know it now, their prin- cipal business was loaning money, of their own, at very high rates of interest, at times as high as 25 percent a year. All of the above listed banks served the needs of the community as it existed during that period. In 1884, Mr. I. N. Covert and Scott Burgett established the Newman Bank which continued in operation under that name until 1903 when they were given a National Bank charter and the name Newman National Bank was the official title. This bank served the community in ev- ery possible way and was responsible for assisting in many of the improvements made in the city. They occ- upied very modern banking quarters in the building now- occupied by the Newman Building and Loan Association. Stroder M. Long, I. N. Covert, Scott Burgett and George O. Moore were associated with the bank. In later years, Jay T. Burgett and the late Charles C. Burgett were active in the operation of the bank. This bank continued until the banking holiday in 1934. The First State Bank of Newman commenced business Sept. 12, 1912, unde;- a State charter. Details of its history will be found in a full page advertisement in this Cen- tennial book. NEWMAN CENTENNIAL — AUG. 23-24-25, 1957 Welcome, Centennial Visitors COMPLIMENTS OF EARL DAVIS MURDOCK, ILL. PHONE NEWMAN 206F23 Lime & Posphate & General Hauling In recognition of pioneer woman, Sarah Johnson Kincaid, who resided on and purch- ased 120 acres of Section 16, Newman Town- ship in 1872; and this land is now owned by her grandson and great-grandchildren. Sarah Johnson Kincaid was the widow of Alpheus M. Kincaid who died in 1867 and mother of — Nathan Haitley Kincaid John Barney Kincaid James Asbery Kincaid Francis Marion Kincaid Simpson Marshall Kincaid Harriett Jane Kincaid I Ap^^vHS f^k NORTH BROADWAY BEFORE 18y0 ... In the frame t-'o'-e ' oom a' the left of the picture was R. L. Robert- son's dry goods store. William T. Fuller had a drug store in the frame building: with the canvas awning. A huge pair of antlers are mounted on a post set just outside the sidewalk. Next to the drug store, Harvey Bane had a hardware store, whch was later sold to J. T. Hinds, who mov'!d the stock to the I.O.O.F. building on Railroad Street and later sold the business to William Swickard. In the ne.xt build'ng, Barrs had a furniture, hardware and undertaking business and next door, Lige Anderson sold furniture and stoves. In the next store room, the A.F. & .-X.M. building, Finnev & Go'dman had eeneral merchandise. The Masonic Building and the two adjoining buildins-s were built in 1875 but the Bane Building was not built until a year or two later. Some of the men on the sidewalk can be identified. Just in irunt of tiie Rob- ertson store is Isaac Skinner. Next, standing to the left of the dry goods box, is said to be George White. The man in the light colored coat and hat was Isom Cutsing- er. Wi'liam T. Fuller stands in the doorway of his drug store. In front of him, with his hands behind his back, is 0. H. Harris, who built and operated the livery stable where the Grab It Here Store now stands. Standing be- side a post in front of Bane's store, holding a pair of "gum boots" in his hand, is Erastus Sollers. Just to the left of the dry goods box in the street are W. T. Sum- mers and James Barr. The sidewalk display in front of Bane's store is a grindstone and the latest thing in wash- ing machines. In the lower lefthand corner of this picture may be seen the wide planks used as a street crossing. As Neiuman Celebrates Its Centennial Year We Wish it Another 100 Years Of Happiness Dr. William M. Dominger Denllsl rjeutman. Illinois Newman, We Congratulate You! 1857 1957 The Federal - North Iowa Giain Company Complete Line Of Farmers' Feeding Needs Storage Grinding Mixing (S5- Seed Cleaning %} Fertilizer Field & Garden Seeds Telephone No. 100 (ELEVATOR) Newman Elevator C. L. REEL), >iGK. Feed & Seed Division CHARLIE HOPKINS, MGR. Telephone No. 115 (FEEn & SEED DIV.) 'S-„ i»i. ^^/(jW fiCSWCNCC AND S : :- -■ • ■ _ Vj:5 ,V ,W7>A£- _ SfC. l3-T>'.lo. HA.\Gt. 10. UUUt jL^-i CU. ILL. PRESENT RESIDENCE OF ANGUS DONALD McINTYRE James Mclntyre Born June 11, 1805, Aigyleshire, Scotland Jane Mcintosh Mclntyre Born Mar. 31, 1815, Inverness, Scotland Married Jan. 15, 1835, Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada Settled Here Sept. 9, 1864 PARENTS OF — Anne Mclntyre (Mrs. Neil Blue) Jane Mclntyre (Mrs. Thomas Shaw) Thomas Mclntyre Angus Campbell Mclntyre Mary Mclntyre (Mrs. Cyrus Rutherford) Jeannette Mclntyre (Mrs. W. A. Coolley) Daniel Pollard Mclntyre Joseph Mclntyre Malcolm Mclntyre James Mclntyre John Mclntyre Peter Mclntyre N e-w'inan Ph ysicians One of the best assets of any rural community are the physicians who live in the towns and vilhiKOs of that sec- tion. This was especially true in the early days. It tr»ve the people a feeling of security and comfort to know there was an able, sympathetic and faithful doctor nearby who would come to their aid if they became ill, or were in- jured. The early settlers of this community were very fortu- nate; doctors came in with the pioneers. Newman ha.s been greatly blessed in always having resident physicians since It's founding a century ago. Prior to 1900 disabling illness was treated at the pa- tient's home and those who could be "up and about" went to the doctor's office. Only the larger cities had hospitals and they were primarily used for surgery. Birth took place in the home. The first doctors made their calls on horseback, cari-ying their supplies in saddle-bags. There were no fences and It was possible to take a direct line to a settler's home. After roads were laid out a two-wheel cart came into use. Neither of these gave much protection from the hot sun, sub-zero cold of a howling blizzard, or a downpour of rain. Late in the nineteenth century drainage, grading and leveling of highways made it possible to use a buggy. Careful research points to Dr. H. S. Hickman as being the first physician to locate in Newman. He was also the first druggist and had a combined drug store and office south of the city park on lots just east of the Legion Home. During Cleveland's first administration A. J. Hoover pur- chased the building and moved it to a lot on the east side of Broadway just south of the railroad where it was used as a postoffice. There is also information which indicates that a Dr. Kingland, Dr. J. B. Rigney and Dr. Johnson were also in this vicinity before 1857. Dr. William A. Smith came to Newman in 1801 and con- tinued to live here until his death. Dr. B. T. Rose came in 18(55 and stayed until 1887 when Dr. Clark Springer look over his practice. Dr. Springer died in August 1895. Dr. J. M. Wagner beg-an the practice of medicine in New- man around 1870. His office was on the northeast corner of Broadway and Yates streets. Dr. Cyrus Rutherford came to Newman from Oakland in 1877 and made his home here until his death in 1937. His office, a small frame building in the middle of the block on South Broadway, west of the city park is still in use. Dr. Oliver 0. Hackett moved to Newman in 1890 and died in 1901. A Dr. Cheatum practiced here for a few years but no information was available as to when he came. A news item dated July 27, 189(i says: "Ur. Cheatum has moved to Sidell." Five "native sons," all Newman high school graduates, were the next physicians to locate in Newman. Dr. Aubert Berkley was here in 1895 but after a short stay he went to Renssalear, Ind., and later to the northwest where he still resides. Dr. Ralph W'agner also came in 1895 and practiced in the office with his father until 1902 when he went to Texas and died there May 28, 1957. Dr. C. W. Rutherford practiced in Newman from 1900 until 1921 and then went to Indianapolis. It is still his home. He built the office now occupied by Dr. H. I. Conn. Dr. R. C. Gillogly came in 1901 and remained until his death. His office is now used by Dr. W. M. Rominger, Dentist. Dr. Harry W. White came in 1902 and was here only a short time before going to Fruit and Grand Junction, Colorado, Welcome, Centennial Visitors Compliments Of llidiards' Pain! and llallpaper BPS Paints — Housewares Imperial Wallpaper — Venetian Blinds Phone 118 :-: Newman, 111. where he now resides. Ur. H. I. McNeill opened an office in Newman in 1903 and was here until shortly after the close of World War I. Dr. Veech was here a short time before opening an office in Atwood. Dr. Colin K. Ross moved to Newman in 1937 and practiced here until his tragic death in an automobile accident in 1950. At the present time Newman has two excellent resident physicians; Dr. H. 1. Conn who came here in 1921 and Dr. Max E. Johnson who came in 1951. Dr. Conn served in the Army Medical Corps in World War I and Dr. John- son has been a medical officer in the U. S. Navy. Other Newman boys who became physicians but did not return to their home town are Dr. B. Frank Roller of New York (deceased), Dr. Louis Hull of California (deceased), and Dr. Coffey of Pana (deceased). Dr. Clinton D. Swick- ard. Dr. William Swickard and Dr. Wm. M. Hollowell, are in active practice in Charleston, 111. Dentists Dr. B. F. Mitchell, a Civil War veteran, was the first Newman dentist. He came here in 1870 and lived to a ripe old age. Dr. C. G. Bacon next came and had an office here for many years before his death. Dr. Dodd was here for a while ana then moved to Decatur, Dr. Ray Swickard and Dr. Willard Hagebush followed in that order but both died while still young men. Dr. W. M. Rominger, the present resident dentist, came to Newman in 1955. Newman boys who are dentists in other locations are Dr. John Green, Ur. Leslie Luallen, Dr. Ray Argenbright and Dr. Carl Foerester. Veterinarians Veterinarians who have served the owners of livestock over the years include Dr. Griffin, Dr. Thompson, Dr. Hines and Dr. A. B. Miller. James Maxwell Coolley One of the first settlers on the Ridge north of Newman was James Maxwell Coolley. Born December 1828 in Mont- gomery County, Indiana. In February 1851, he married Miss Hester A. Young and in 1853, they moved to the farm just west of the present Fairfield cemetery. Mr. Coolley was quite a politically minded man, so when the question of slavery arose, he changed his polities from Whig to Republican, remaining so the rest of his life. For four years, he served his community as justice of the peace. At the age of 18, he joined the Cumberland Presbyter- ian Church. Feeling the need for a chui'ch in his vicinity, he and liis wife donated the land for the Fairfield church and the original cemetery. Later on, his son, I. N., owning the home farm, made available more land to en- large the cemetery to its present size. In 1858, his wife, Hester, died, leaving one daughter, Mary Elvira, who married John Hance. Mr. Coolley later married Sarah Wycoff, of Brown County, Ohio. To this union was born the following child- ren: Melinda E. (married Angus Mclntyre), Nancy E. (married Jesse Roller), I. N. Coolley (married Elizabeth Watkins, Jessie May (married George Farley), James Sherman (married Margaret Pearle Mclntyre), Cyrus Logan (married Lillian Morrison). The direct descendants living in this vicinity are: A. D. Mclntyre, J. H. Mclntyre, the Esther Mclntyre Hop- kins family, the Dan Mclntyre family. Earl C. Roller, I. N. Coolley II, James Coolley. James Gillogly Fred S. Lydick James Gillogly came to Newman in 18(30. From June 1861 until he was wounded at the Battle of Stone River m December 1862, he served as a corporal under Captain (later general) U. S. Grant. At the close of the war, he letuined to Pennsylvania and was married to Hannah L. Atkinson. He returned to Newman in 1872 vifith his wife nnd two children, John C. and Hattie B. (Mi-s. Tom Har- per). Three more children were born to them, Emma J. (Mrs. Carl S. Burgett), Thomas B. and E. Lattimer (Mrs. Fred S. Lydick). Thomas died in infancy. Ja:nes Gillogly ran a general store in Newman until 1898 with the exception of two years when the family i>ed in Wichita, Kans. James and Hannah Gillogly spent the 14 years prior to 1916 in Oklahoma City, near their oldest daughter, Hattie, and family, and their son, John, and his wife, the former Eva Thomas. Both passed away in Newman at the home of their daughter, Lattimer, he in 1917, she two years late.'. The daughter-in-law, Eva Gillogly, is now living in Cal- ifornia. The daughter, Lattimer, makes her home with iier daughter, Elizabeth, Mrs. B. J. Ellis, in Litchfield, 111. The James Gillogly family were charter members of the Presbyterian church at Newman. Fred Scott Lydick came to Newman in February 1889 with his parents and brother, Leslie. On July 19, 1899, he married Lattimer Gillogly. Four children were born 10 them, James Boyd, who died at 14 months, Freda, who died at nine years, Elizabeth, now Mrs. B. J. Ellis of Litchfield, 111., and Louise, now Mrs. B. E. Ellison of Victoria, Texas. At the time of his death in 1943, he had the longest continuously active I'ecord of any business man in New- man, having been in the jewelry and watch repair business in Newman since 1893. Having joined the Newman Presbyterian church in 1898, he served as deacon and elder and for many years was church ti-easurer and Sunday School secretary and treas- ure.-. Surviving him are his wife, Lattimer, Litchfield, 111., the two daughters, two granddaughters, two grandsons and three great-grandsons. MEMORIES Do the maple trees still cast their shade On the streets of the old home-town, As when, we of a generation past. Ran barefoot, up and down ? Is it still the farm-land town we loved In the days of lonj; ago? If not — do not dispel the dream, Memories will keep it so. For then the humblest home in town Had abundance of food to eat And the wealth of a man was measured By his acres of corn and wheat. And neighbor lived by neighbor, His joy and sorrow to share, With no hint of condescension But fellowship everywhere. Came school days and grown-up days, The career for which we'd prayed, With many hands extended To help us make the grade. And then, returning home again After a few brief years. We'd view the old familiar sijjhts With eyes bedimmed by tears. And no matter what the distance. Nor how long we had to roam, The rustling trees in the old town square Would bid us "Welcome Home." The allotted three score years and ten, Have come and gone . . . And yet. Life is still so well worth living. And the past we can never forget. Nellie Hinds Hammer Claremore, Okla. NELLIE HINDS HAMMER The poem "Memories" was written especially for this Centennial by Nellie Hinds Hammer. Mrs. Hammer was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Hinds, longtime re- sidents of this community. Mrs. Hammer has resided in Claremore, Okla., many years. She is the author of a book of poems that ha"e widely sold and contributes poems for various magazines. Her contribution to the Centen- i;ial Book is very much appreciated. IN MEMORY OF C. ED. SHEPHARD and RICHARD F. SHEPHARD Mr. Ed. Shephard came to Newman in April 1911 and was in the Heating and Plumbing business from that date till the fall of 1948. He passed away on August 20, 1954. His eld- est son, Richard, served in World Wars I and II, taught school several years and was associ- ated with his father in the business. He passed away October 10, 1948. In Memory Of Elizabeth and Thomas House Joseph C. House Mynette Half Size Dresses Congratulates Newman On This Great Occasion Conii)liments Of Booton G? HempniU Insurance Agency Newman, Illinois Compliments Of Kook & Link Pharmacies, Inc. The l^exall Stores Paris Newman Casey The sturdy pioneers who filtered into this area during the early decades of the 19th century were dedicated men and women. While tl'.ey were rugged individualists, in- tensely interested in improving their material position, they were equally concerned in the intellectual and spii'- itual welfare of themselves and their children. Therefor, it is not surprising; that much of the early and rather meaRer data preceivsd from this early period is con- cerned with a desire for an established place of worship. Perhaps the first public religious service held in this community was conducted by the Rev. James McClain in 183G at the house of Joocph Wink'.er which stood on the farm now owned by Harvey Winkler, his great-grandson. Services continued to be held in this and other houses and later in school buildings for scvenil years. It wa.s during the two decades following 1836 that three definite preaching points were established in school build- ings of the Brushy Fork area. They were known as School Grove, Hopkins (later known as the Winkler) school, and another log school building on the Ho; kins farm. Societies were formed in each of these centers and operated as a part of the Camargo Circuit, which at one time was seived by the Rev. Peter Cartri^ht. In the early 40's, the old time circuit riders with horse and saddle bags, were rcgulai: visitors once a month and after 18.50, every two weeks. The three Societies named above had for years felt the need for a church b.iilding and sometime after 1850 the latter two named decided to do something about it. After much wrangling, it was decided to biiiid on a site just south of what is known as the Hopkins bridge. Tim- bers were cut and brick for foundation materials were hauled to this site. However, before construction began, a few houses had been built in the Village of Newman on the proposed route of a laihoad which, it was rumored, would soon be built r.cross the prairie. Preparations for the new church wore stepped and after sovjral meetings and much discussion it was decided to build in Newman and the accumulated materials were moved to the loca- tion of the present Newman Methodist church. In 1858, construction was started on the first church built in New- man and was completed in 1859. It was a wooden biilding 8U by 40 feet, seating 150 people and costing $1ROO. This Newman church remained in the Camargo charge until 1871 when under the pastorate of the Rev. Joseph B. Mar- tin it was transferred to the Newman charge by the Il- linois Annual Conference. The building completed in 1859 soon proved inadequate to the rapid prowth in membership and growing activities of the church, however, it continued to .serve the Methodist people of the Newman area more than 40 years. During these years, sentiment grew progressively stronger for more adequate facilities for God's work, and toward the close of the century, plans were accepted for the erection of a new building on the same site. Tne building commit- tee was composed of Scott Burgett, R. Thomas, D. O. Root, Dr. J. M. Wagner, and A. J. Fonner, with the Rev. Click as pastor. The old liu Iding wa.s mov.d to tho north, given a veneer of brick and made an inte.srral p..rt of the new. The Corner Stone of the new building was laid with ap- propriate ceremonies on September 4, 1900, wi.h Dr. W. H. Wilder delivering the address. Dr. Iliff was the speak- er on Dedication Day after the building was compieted. The new structure was of brick, 75 by 85 feet containing auditorium, lecture room, class roo.ns, pastor's study, rnd large basement for cooking and dining facilities, erect- ed at a cost of $12,000. The church completed in 1900 remained without any ad- dition and with few alterations until 1954, a "do it your- self" addition to the basement was conceived and com- pleted. Volunteer members of the congregation did the necessary excavation and much of the concrete, carpenter, and decorative work for the addition of some 3000 square feet on the south side of the original basement. This last addition has relieved the much crowded Sunday school facilities and serves as a recreational and social room for many chuich activities. This centennial year for the City of Newman finds the Newman Methodist Church in perhaps the strongest po- sition it has held since its foundation, in membership, spiritual dedication, and service to God and the community. Much praise must be given to Rev. R. Edward Pinder, who has been its pastor during the past four years. t^. SirJscue vieu; of ftailroJa et. Neonwan.Iil. ffet;. SOUTH RAILROAD STREET ... in 1910. Up and Down Broadway - 1910 to 1957 A hundred years is a long time. Many events are so d!ni in memory that it takes a stretch of the imagination to bring them to life. No one remains to tell, first hand, the many and important events that occurred in that long, long ago. We do have, however, reasonably authentic accounts up through the years. It is my intention to attempt to set down some of the events and call attention to some of the people who have made our town what it is duiing the last 50 years. I have no fear of contradiction when I say that from a population standpoint, Newman was at its height in 1910. The census of that year shows 1600 people living within the bounds of the town. Business was good. There were merchants in all lines. George Frame and A. R. McDonald had grocery stores, Fred L. White had an implement store, William Swickard owned a large hardware store on Rail- road Street, George W. Jackson had the marble works. Mil- ler's Department Store, Root Bros. Department Store, Fred S. Lydick, jewelry; C. G. Bacon, dentist, R. C. Gillogly, Physician, C. C. Rude was an osteopath, C. W. Rutherford, physician and surgeon, and many others. The Douglas County Fair was in full swing, Patterson Springs Chatauqua was an added attraction. The Newman Independent soon installed a Linotype machine. The rail- road ran a special train to Sullivan for the Newman-Sulliv- an football game. Soon, Robert A. Stickles stirred the town to its depths with his soul-searching revival. Tom's up- to-date theatre was showing the latest silent movies for 5 and 10 cents admission. Uncle Tom's Cabin attracted large crowds at the Opera House, Frank K. Page sold Jeddo Coal, requiring only a good bankable note with ap- proved security in settlement. The new brick road was constructed north of town for a distance of three miles; new homes were being con- structed west and south of the business district. Mr. L. E. Root installed a real moving picture machine and was showing the best films of the day. Life was easy, people were friendly and business was booming. The community had not felt the impact of the automobile. Some few had autos, but the old hitch rack around the park was filled Saturday afternoons and nights with fine horses and horse- drawn rigs. Fourth of July celebrations were held each year, some- times in the downtown streets, often in Hopkins Woods, southwest of town. Entertainment was largely local. Greased pig contests, greased pole climbing, foot races and all sorts of athletic events filled the celebrations and Homecomings and Horseshows with good fun. Little did the people of Newman realize how soon all this easy com- fortable living was to end in the coming war years. As early as 1914, the newspapers were filled with the war in Europe. The Lusitania was front page news. German warships and English warships were taking control of the seas. The automobile was beginning to enter the scene. In 1916, Spencer Fonner was agent for Chevrolet (the ad- vertising spelling it out Chev-ro-la), Hossacks Dry Goods Store had replaced the Miller & Yates stores, H. L. Thom- as had replaced his father in the lumber business, Calvin and Sollers operated a meat and ice business, Taylor Bros, sold real estate, W. C. Booton and Harpers had the origin- al 5 & 10, although they catered to more expensive pur- chasing, as well. Johnson & Nicholson, along with Barr's, maintained large furniture stores; Kyde and Long pushed Ed V. Price clothes and fine shoes. An advertisement in The Newman Independent read: "Keep your deposits in excess of your checks and nothing will happen your mind to perplex." W. C. Booton advertised: "Railroad fares refunded to out- of-town customers." Akers and Fonner opened the Kandy Kitchen, a most popular place for all, especially children. Henley Eversole advertised: "We have orders for more than 40 cars during last week. We expect several loads soon." The expectation was fulfilled as Mr. Eversole un- loaded a whole train of automobiles, consisting of 23 car- loads at one time, a feat never accomplished before or since in this community. Hill-climbing contests were held between Mr. Eversole and Mr. V. Elmore to deteimine which car would perform the best. Dode Swigart adver- tised "Bring in your old harness now. Let's get going." William Henry was in Newman each week, buying hors- es, many times shipping out a caroad. Lee Allen was the leadinfc auctioneer; McNichols muintained a fine drug store where A. C. Bennett had sold drups for years. Rob- ert F. Cotton opened a law office in the Culberson block, ndvertisinir to pive "special attention to collections". With war clouds gathering, Congress enacted the in- come tax law; rate 2'V with $4000 exemption for married folks. S. R. Schecter was selling Olds and Overland autos. In May 1917, part of the large tract of land owned by Charles M. Culberson was offered for sale, James M. Hance buying 160 acres and Andrew Roller buying 160 acres at the public sale. The price was $G'2.50 per acre. Edwin Routlfilge, auctioneer, and Harry Myers, clerk, sold town property belonging to Kdwin Nichols and W. J. Roller, the property being lots 9-10-11-12-1:! in block 24 of Coffins First Addition. War was declared. War Savings Stamps were introduced; Kime and Schecter sold autos; S. M. Brown operated a grocery store; Dr. S. J. Veach move local high school student has been sponsored at the Egyptian Music Camp. The membership fluctuates from year to year. The largest membership being 94; the present membership is (18. Club members who have been honored with a Life Membership, in recognition of service to the club, include: Mrs. Rosalia H. Thomas, Mrs. M. J. Page, and Mrs. Carl Long. Members who have served as 19th District Chair- men are Mrs. Arthur Parr, Mrs. Madge Conn and Mrs. Everett Young. The following members have served as president: *Mrs. Sue Cash Springer 1901-07; *Mrs. R. C. Gillogly 1907-09; "Mrs. N. L. Chapman 1909-10; *Mrs. Sue Cash Springer 1910-12; *Mrs. William Morrow 1912-15; 'Miss .\gnes Rutherford 1915-16; Mrs. Carl Long 1910-17; Mrs. Mabel Adams 1917-19; Mrs. A. R. McDonald 1919-20; Miss Louise Mclntyre 1920-21; Miss Eugenia Rutherford 1921- 23; Mrs. Arthur Parr 1923-25; *Mrs. Edgar Young 1925- 27; *Mrs. E. O. Swickard 1927-28; 'Mrs. J. M. McKnight (Sue Cash Springer) 1928-30; Mrs. J. C. Dawson 1930-:n; Mrs. William Hance 1931-32; Miss Martha Shephard 1932- 3."); Mrs. Everett Young 1935-37; Mrs. Ervin Kincaid 1937- Fiir/iiliire for SMART MODERN DINING MUCMNC MANUFACTUniNO COMPANY • Matleon. IHin*i« Teleph ones Along about 1890, give or take a few years, telephone service came to Newman. A very dim memory of this "Step in the March of Progress" is that it was called the Douglas County Telephone Co., whose president was Mr. Culver of Decatur and J. W. Hamilton of Tuscola, general manager. It was also often called the 'Bell telephone" because of having been invented by a man of that name. The first "exchange" was in a room of the Smith home on West Green street, now the residence of Wesley Gal- lion. When the two-story brick store room at the northwest corner of Broadway and Yates was built, shortly before the turn of the century, the exchange was moved there, to the same room is occupies today. At first, all of the subscribers lived in Newman. Marion Young, J. A. Church, John Hance and Logan CooUey were probably the first country residents to have telephones. They built and paid for their line and then gave it to the company. Meanwhile, a man named Chapman came to Newman and started another telephone company, with an e.xchange in the upper floor of the Thomas lumber company office on North Yates street. The two exchanges were not con- nected by wires, which made a complication very unpop- ular among the business and professional men — they had to install and pay rental on two telephones. After £> few years of service, the Chapman company closed its exchange. In the early days the list of country subscribers in- creased rapidly and the company bought a team of dun- THE MATSON SLAVE TRIAL From early spring in 1843 until October of 1847, Negro slaves were held in bondage in what is now Newman town- ship. They were brought here from Bourbon county, Kentucky, by their owner, Robert Matson, to what was known as Black Grove, on the north bank of Brushy Fork creek two miles east of Newman. Only a few trees of this grove remain. Records of the public land office at Palestine show that Matson entered the 80 acres described as the west half of the northwest quarter of section 33, township 16 north, range 14 west, on Aug. 3, 1842. Just why he selected this particular tract is not known, unless it was that this grove was at the east end of the timber along Brushy Fork and prairie lands for grazing were north, east and south of it and a streak of gravel in the stream bed provided a good ford for crossing. Adjoining land was a part of the public domain lands until after 1850, open to anyone. Matson would bring slaves from his home near Paris, Ky., in the spring to do farm work and take them back to Kentucky in the late fall, leaving one to look after the place until his return the following year. In 1847, he brought a slave woman and her four children but late in the summer a threat to take the four children back to Kentucky to be sold caused them to flee to Oakland where they were aided by two abolitionists. Matson, in an effort to regain his slaves, brought suit in the courts at Charles- ton and at a trial held Oct. 16, 1847, the slaves were de- clared free. Matson's attorneys were Usher F. Linder and Abraham Lincoln. colored ponies and a buggy for the use of the "trouble- shooter" in maintaining the farmers' lines and phones and installing new service. 38; Miss Gladys Rae Watkins 1938-41; Mrs. Russell Young 1941-42; Mrs. Willard Hagebush 1942-43; Mrs. G. P. Roll- er 1943-4.5; Miss Genevieve Myers 1945-46; Mrs. W. C. Booton 1946-48; Mrs. William B. McGaughey 1948-49; Mrs. Homer Epperson 1949-50; Mrs. Frank Marshall 1950-51; Mrs. Harold Eckerty 1951-52; Mrs. Loren Biddle 1952-53; Mrs. Ross Richards 1953-54; Mrs. Fletcher Weathers 1954- 55; Mrs. Frank Ousley 1955-56; Mrs. John R. Wagner 1955-57. 'Deceased. Compliments Villa Grove State Bank COMPLIMENTS OF H. M. Garber 0. D. A. B. Baker 0. D. OPTOMETRISTS PHONE 503 204 EAST SALE ST. Tuscola, Illinois Villa Grove, Illinois MEMBER OF FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION ■ Ol.n OI'KHA HOrSE BLOCK — Thr almve is a picture of Kast Yates street as it appeared over 60 Years aK<>. It »as taken sometime between 1890 and 1895. W. J. (J. Found, whose name appears, did not go into the hardware business until February of 1S90: and the picture was first publisht'd in the Special Anniversary edition of The Newman Inde- pendent in 189.^. Indernoath it was the line, "Thom- as Hull's Corn Parade", but no other information. .Mr. Hull did not operate an elevator but he bouj^ht corn and shipped it in carload lots. Lined up at the left of the front row can be seen a horse drawn corn sheller and a steam encine. In the street is an est- imated l.'iOO bushels of ear corn, enough to fill a 40- ton box car with shelled corn. The man on horseback is Sam Kecord. a st«K-!> buyer who was associated »ilh Mr. Hull. The lar);e brick building is the old Opera House blmk, all of which, with the exception of the section which bears the name "Root Hros,", was destroyed by fire early in 1903. This block was built in 1875 by Isaac \V. Hurt;ett (Root Bros.), Howard Bros, (furniture). Murphy & Hancock & Co. (bank), Judd Thayer (Pound Hardware) and L. .1. Cash (clothini;). Between the Opera House block and the livery stable (now the city building) stood the residence of Peachy Cash, father of .S. C. and L. J. Cash, who died in ISSl and was buried at Fairfield. The three small business rooms just east of the large building were built later by James P. Heaton and Joseph Dawson. .\t the left was a small, two-room physician's office built soon after the Civil War and occupied by Dr. >V. .\. Smith and later by Dr. J. M. Wagner. Across the picture can be seen two lines which were wires to carry electricity from the Streibich blacksmith shop, Newman's first electric light plant. Since 1874,.. . . . The Independent has been the only news- paper devoted solely to the interests of the Newman communitv. From handset type to modern Linotype production . . . from "foot-powered" presses to the modern automatic . . . through every phase of printing progress, two qualities have remained constant — Service and Quality. We are proud to be able to perpetuate that tradition in Newman history. The Independent Printing Co. Publishers of The Newman Independent fact anJ fancy There was always sicknesses, snake biles, new babies or broken bones among the sparsely settled land, and a doctor's business depended on his house calls. Many times coming eastward from the town of Newman, he had to swim his horse throug-h the slough and sometimes leave the horse and proceed on foot. At a time when it v.a^s suspected that a certain party in Newman was selling liquor rather under the counter, it was the custom of some of the faithful to get down to the outlet early in the morning to get an early nip. One morning the operator of the place failed to get down at the appointed time and the thirsty individuals were pu- ting in the time discussing the age of some of the build- ings on the square. It finally revolved itself around how long each of the individuals had been in Newman. At last, one of the party, who also was late getting around, came in sight and he was questioned as to how long he had been here. "Ever since 6:00 o'clock; isn't that old so and so down yet," he exclaimed. Many early residents of Newman were Civil War veter- ans and they loyally supported the Grand .Army of the Re- public as long as there was a living member. They usual- ly turned out to the last man for a holiday celebration. Mrs. May Lewis Stickles and her son, Frank, had an up- stairs apartment on the west side of the park On the Fourth of July, she invited ladies to viev.' the parade from her balcony. Down the street swung the boys in blue with muskets on their shoulders (loaded with wads). One-two- three-half -fire — came the command; and fire they did, just under the balcony. But screams and a hasty exit to safer quarters was the answer. Some fertile mind had pro- vided each gun with enough powder to make the report very interesting. — Helen L. Fansler. Dr. John R. Wagner, who practiced medicine in Newman for a lifetime, was known as a very hard master on the horses he drove when making his professional calls. On returning from a trip to the countrj-, he came to the of- fice with his horse almost exhausted and covered with lather from the heat. His son, Ralph, who also was a physician, remonstrated with Dr. Wagner, saying he was driving the horse too hard. The doctor is reported as re- plying: "Ralph, always keep in mind that there will be plenty of horses when both of us are dead and gone." Centennial Greetings Sally Ann Beauty Shop MRS. ROE ANNA VAN DYKE NewTnan, Illinois ALMOST A CE.NTrRY The Newman Independent was first published by Cicero V. Walls in .April 1873. In October, publication was sus- pended for a year and then resumed by Mr. Walls. In 1882. it was leased to Carl H. Uhler and he continued it until sometime in 1883 when Mr. Walls again took over, until 1884 when it was leased to A. B. Smith. A. B. Smith and his brother, M. S. Smith, bought the paper in 1887. In 1890, it was moved from its quarters ne.ir the south- east corner of the public square to its present location. M. S. Smith became the sole owner in 1894 and he con- tinued to edit and publish the paper until his death on May 18, 1928. His son, H. B. Smith, continued to operate the news- paper until .April 1, 1949, when it was purchased from the Smith estate bv Eugene E. Dilliner of Arf-ola. Centennial Greetings From Mr. and Mrs. Wilbert Sy Joe Coffey Says; You'll Find A Car To Suit Your Purse and Purpose — At — Coffey Auto Market 529 E. North St. Decatur, 111. JOHN and DORRIS Pollock Insurance Agency North Side Square Newman, 111. Representing - Hartford Fire Insurance Company Aetna Insurance Company Insurance Company of Nortk America Ohio Casualty Insurance Company Economy Fire and Casualty Company Illinois National Insurance Company Our sincere thanks go out to the community ior the substantial volume of business they have entrusted to our care. We feel that we have contributed much to the financial se- curity of our locality. These reliable com- panies have not only paid the many day to day small claims, but have paid many shock losses through the years we have been in business. Visit Our Office During The Centennial Oil Our 100th Atmiversary Looking Back - Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield Theii- furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke How jocund did they drive their team afield i'low bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke Our Future Hope We sincerely hope that Newman will en- joy another 100 years of Prosperity and Happiness. McCdii's yariety Stores Oakland Newman Nokomis Timber Road In an early day, Brushy Fork Creek was a very small stream and the woods extended on either side for only a half mile or so. On the south side of this creek, a road was made that ran from the vicinity of Newman to "Nip 'n Tuck". This road through the woods, was called the Timber Road and it was as crooked as the creek. To the north or south you could take the North Prairie Road or the South Prairie Road to the same destination. In the sum- mer-time the Timber Road was shady and restful to trav- el. In the winter, the large trees and under-brush kept off the cold northern winds. Along this creek settled the first pioneers of this com- munity. Here they found many of the natural resources to make and maintain a home; timber for log houses, barns, rail fences, and firewood; a creek for water; a var- iety of grasses for the stock. Deer were plentiful, as were prairie chickens and partridges. The prairies gave promise of fertile farm land. In the year of 1829, Young E. Winkler came to Illinois and settled in this area, two miles southwest of where Newman is now located. As late as 1839, there were just seven families in what is now Newman township; namely, Anson Gaston, Robert Hopkins, Enoch J. Howell, Joseph Skinner and three Winkler families. Soon afterward came Robert Albin and three more brothers of Robert Hopkins. In the Nip 'n Tuck neighborhood, among the earliest set- tlers were Hancocks, Reddens, Ashmores and I. W. Bur- gett. The early settlers were very religious. Second only to their religion was their desire to provide schools for their children. The first church services were held in their homes and later, when schools were built, in the school houses. The Newman Methodist, Wesley Chapel and Pleasant Grove churches were the outgrowth of these meetings. A log schoolhouse was built in the early 1830's, about one-half mile northeast of the present Wesley Chapel church and served the community well until 1851. At this time "Red Schoolhouse" (picture) was built, a short dis- tance southwest of the present Hopkins bridge. The sawed lumber for the school was hauled by team from Rockville, Ind. In 1883, this building was moved to the location of the Winkler school. It was replaced in 1898 by the pre- sent building. Attendance here was always free to anyone although no provision was made to collect taxes for school Centennial Greetings From C. H. Richards purposes until 1856. At an early date, what was known as a "pay school" was established on the William Hopkins farm. In its natural state, the pioneers found the ground very wet and swampy. It took a long time for the water to drain away. For drinking water, they just dug a small hole in the ground and, in a short time, had nice cool water to drink. Before the days of baked clay tile, they used either the clapboard or mole-ditcher method of providing drain- age. In the clapboard method, a trench was dug two or three feet deep and about eight inches wide. Then a clap- board 12 inches wide, split from an oak or walnut log, was placed in that trench where it rests at an angle, one edge against the bottom and the other against the side, since the trench is only eight inches wide and the board is 12. The triangular space left in the bottom becomes the drain and the trench is refilled with dirt. The mole-ditcher was altogether different. On the un- der-side of a huge timber was fastened a thin piece of iron about four inches wide, two feet long and sharpened at the front edge. On the lower end of this was an iron shoe with a very sharp pointed toe. The weight of the log kept the shoe in the ground and the hole it made, as it burrowed through the ground, like the mole from whom it gets its name, formed an underground drain that car- ried away the water. It took six teams of oxen to pull this type of ditcher and two men to drive the oxen. Squire Tom John.son and Taylor Corbin were two very expert drivers. This type of drain would last for years. Every once in a while, years afterward, water would come bub- bling up in some man's field and he thought for sure he had found a spring; but it was only a mole-ditcher's drain! On the farm of Gladys Jones Payne, stands a barn that In Memory Of Our Parents DeWitt McFarlan and Hattie Mann McFarlan HAZEL McFARLAN FERGUSON RAE McFARLAN WINKLER IN MEMORY OF Alexander Ray McDonald, who passed away February 13, 1950. He came to New- man at the age of 21 and purchased the Frank K. Page grocery April 25, 1911, and operated it until 1932. He also conducted a general insurance agency from 1925 to 1950. MRS. ALEXANDER RAY McDONALD MRS. GEORGE FERGUSON / ; Winkler School ... built in 1«.')1 was built before the Civil War. It is in e.xcellent condi- tion. Huge white oak beams support the hay-mow and the sills are hewn on one side only, resting on rocks. The original fhwring is still in use, held in place by wood- en pins. In the center of this floor is a large post, ex- tending from floor to ceiling. This was the room in which the grain was trampled out. Unthreshcd grain was thrown upon the floor and a team of horses was walked around and around th!s pole, tramping out the grain. Every so often, the straw was lifted off with a pitch-fork and the grain scooped up and thrown into a fanning mill, cleaned, and stored in a nearby bin. This grain was all cut with scythe and cradle, and hand bound. The horse power threshing machine soon came into use. With this early type, the straw was taken away from the back of the machine with a horse and pole. Soon after this, the old circle straw stacker and steam engine were used and the bands of the bundles were cut by hand as they were thrown from the wagon or off the stack onto the cutting jilatforms. Then came the "windy stacker", which in most cases, blew the straw all over the farm. So, today, it is quite a relief for one man to drive a combine into a field of ripe grain; to cut and thresh it all in one operation when it used to take ?5 men and as many or more horses. But gone and regretted are the wonderful threshing dinners. Marketing both grain and livestock, in the pre-railroad days was a difficult task. Much of the grain was taken about 40 miles by wagon to mill and to market at either Centennial Greetings From Karl's Beauty Shoppe Perrysville or Eugene, Ind. Sawed lumber and other sup- plies were broUght back. Some grain was wagoned to Chicago where prices were better and a greater variety of articles could be bought. Daniel Atto, father of Ira Atto, used to tell many inter- esting stories of driving hogs to Terre Haute, Ind. There they were butchered, loaded on boats, and sent to south- ern markets. In 1850, Enoch Howell drove a bunch of cattle to the Chicago market. The Albin Cemetery, where many of the pioneers are buried, is located on Timber Road, the oldest known grave having a headstone dated 1835. Here also, stands a large monument, dedicated May 30, 1908, "to the memory of our soldier heroes". Forty soldiers' and sailors' graves are decorated every year; graves of those who served in the Blackhawk War, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish- American War, and World War One. Of these, one is the grave of a Confederate soldier and one the rock- laarked grav ■ of an unknown soldier. The first party of men to leave Newman and vicinity for the Civil War consisted of 28 single men. They be- came a part of Grant's old regiment, the 21st Illinois. Seven of these men were killed in action or died of wounds received. Samuel Albin, son of Robert Albin, was one of those killed. Three were discharged on account of wounds and one deserted to the Confederate side. John Welliver and C. A. Coykendall were on their way home on the Sultana in 18t)4 but she burned up just above Mem- phis and Welliver lost his life. Coykendall was severely burned. He reached Tuscola but died before getting home. Several of the others served until the end of the war. Douglas county furnished 1175 men for the Civil War and 27 of these came from Timber Road. Chrisman, 111. Phone 2181 Watch, Clock and Jewelry Repair M. L. McDermott Compliments Of Dr. Joseph F. Montagnino PHYSICIAN and SURGEON CHRISMAN, ILLINOIS A SALUTE TO THEM In the history of Newman four names dominate the building trades because of the excellence of their work and long years of service to the community; Sollers, Ver- million, Richards and Drake. Brickmasons, carpenters and painters. Erastus Sollers, mason, came to Newman before the railroad w-as built and helped build the first brick building erected in Newman. His son, Joseph, learned the trade under his father's direction, and his son, Jack, ean-ies on. Three generations serving for more than eighty-five years. A Mrs. Vermillion was one of the first Newir.an settlers and her son, William, her grandson Fred, and great grandson William; three generations of carp- enters. John (Dick) Richards, a painter came to Newman soon after the Civil War and his son, Albert, and his grandson, Charles, constitute another long record of con- tinuous service. Although of only two generations, Thomas Drake and his sons, John and William, have been cai-pen- ters in Newman for more than seventy years. One of the interesting antiques in Newman's business world is the old safe owned by Dode Swigart. It was made in Cincinnati before the days of rail freight. To get here, it was shipped down the Ohio river, thence up the Wabash to Clinton, Ind.; hauled overland from there to Oakland, 111., and bought by S. C. Cash, who was in business there. When he moved to Newman and became one of our first storekeepers, he brought the safe here and used it until he went out of business. Then Dode's father, T. W. Swigart, bought it and it has been used in that place of business ever since. The owners never had to learn a combination because it operates with a huge key. COMPLIMENTS OF Frank Thirion & Son GLASS MIRRORS STORE FRONTS 535 EAST MAIN PHONE 1102 Danville, Illinois A. G. ANDERSON HAROLD O. ANDERSON Anderson and Son REAL ESTATE BROKERS & INSURANCE Broadlands, Illinois Ignatius Streibich, a native of Baden, Germany; who came to Newman after serving in the Union armies in the Civil War and opened a blacksmith shop, is perhaps the only man in Newman who ever kept his "charge accounts" on a slate. It wasn't a very large slate, perhaps 9 by 12 inches, and he used both sides, and it hung on a nail alongside a calendai-. When the account was settled he did not mark it "Paid" — merely erased the name and the items. A family, moving West, stopped at the home of Lewis Josserand, south of Newman with a very sick baby. The baby died and the mother gave Mrs. Josserand a shrub, she was taking to her new home, as a token of her appreciation. A shrub from this is now in the garden of Mrs. Lester Ramp and probably many others. It is known as Washing- ton's Plume. TERMITES FREE INSPECTION and ESTIMATES I TREE AND SHRUB SPRAYING MICE AND RAT CONTROL BOX ELDER BUGS, ROACHES, WATERBUGS YEARLY OR MONTHLY WRITTEN CONTRACTS ESTABLISHED SINCE 1932 Old Faithful Pest & Termite Control VILLA GROVE, ILLINOIS 508 Wilson Ave. Phone 2414 Congratulations On Your 100 Years of Progi-ess TUDNEU Seed And Supply ;:ifr;:Serving East Central Illinois with Quality Seeds, Fertiliz- ers and Farm Supplies Wendell Turner, Owner Villa Grove, Illinois Neiuman, We (ongratulate You On Your lOOtb Anniversary PICTURE TAKEN IN 1920 1919-1957 Serving the Public for 38 Years OCEAN TD OCEAN OIL CD. RUDOLPH AND WINFIELD DENNIS, PROP. WHOLESALE AND RETAIL OIL PRODUCTS NEWMAN PHONE NO. 12 Chronology - 1880-1896 1880 Jan. 28 — Rev. "Father" Coolley, the patriarch of the Ridge h;is just died, having lived to see his fourth peneration. He organized the C. P. church, called "Fairfield" in 1855, though they had no church building unfl 1869. He continued to serve as past- or until 1872. 1881 Oct. 27 — Miss Emma Six and Mr. Joe Alexander were married today at the home of the bride in Broad- lands. After a bountiful collation, the happy pair took the noon train for an extended tour. Oct. 1 — I. N. Covert rented his farm and moved to New- man, having purchased the Wm. Brown property. Nov. — The C. P. church was dedicated, the Rev. Johnson of Mattoon preached the dedicatory sermon. 1882 Feb. 4 — "Grandma" Coolley, relict of the late "Father", died today, aged 78 years. Apr. 3 — J. R. Page rented his farm and moved to town, having bought property in the west end of the city. Aug. 29 — Mrs. Joe Alexander died today of typhoid fev- er, leaving her home desolate. Sept. 30 — A cyclone struck the Ridge, unroofing James Neal's house and tearing up his orchard of 25-year- old trees by the roots and landing them in an ad- joining cornfield. Several cars were blown from the tracks here in town. Roofs were blown off and chimneys blown down. Much damage was done throughout the vicinity. OcL. 29 — Dr. Hickman's residence was destroyed by fire. Nearly everything else was saved. Dec. 25 — A grand double wedding tonight at the Christ- ian church, the contracting parties being W. J. G. Pound and Miss Fanny Russell, and James Hunt and Miss Josie Pound. Prof. Black of Indianapolis officiated. 1883 Jan. 20 — The high school building caught f!re just after COMPLIMENTS OF Drs. E. H. and Lois G. Spooner OPTOMETRISTS 702 SOUTH CENTRAL AVE. PARIS, ILLINOIS the noon intermission, but the flames were exting- uished before much damage was done. Feb. 15 — Water higher here than ever before. Twenty- three families had to move out of their homes. The water and ice were over the railroad bridge east of town. The ice knocked down the telegraph poles and the wires are down. Mar. 14 ■ — Rev. J. W. Tull has had a wonderful revival in the M. E. church, resulting in 110 accessions to the church. Oct. 8 — J. T. Todd, telegraph operator here, and Laura Cash, were married and went to Washington, Balt- imore and Philadelphia on their bridal trip. \n attempt was made to rob the house of the bridal gifts while the company of guests were at the de- pot to see the happy couple off but the mother and brother of the bride scared the burglar away, not, however, until he had been recognized. Oct. 11 — Dr. Holton of Palermo and Ura Ames were mar- ried today. Oct. 9 — ■ Judge Moffit and Miss Lulu Hancock were mar- ried and took the evening train for an extended trip. 1884 Jan. 20 — The chandelier in the M. E. church fell this evening, just before the services as the sexton was lighting up. Jan. 27 — Moses Stickels was buried today. Prof. Black preached the discourse at the Christian church to Welcome Centennial Visitors Gibson s Cafe Helen and Roy Gibson Newman, Illinois a large audience of people, as "Uncle" Mose was one of the oldest residents in the county. Feb. 4 — Katie Cash and R. L. Robertson were married at the bride's home this evening. Feb. 8 — R. Thomas has bout;ht .-V. B. Powell's tile factory. Feb. 15 — I. W. Burjrott of Brushy Fork, after a lin^erint; illness of typhoid fever, died today. He was born in Ohio in 1829 and came to Bi-ushy Fork with his widowed mother in 1839. Mar. 'Jti — "Uncle" Peachy Cash was buried today at the Fairfield cemetery. Mar. 30 — Georiro Guthrie, a former resident of Palermo, was shot and killed in his place of business in New Mexico. June 30 — James CooUey's little four-year-old son, of the Ridge, was recently bitten by a mad dog and was taken to Terre Haute to have a mad stone applied to the wound. .Aug. 15 — David Todd, while visiting friends at Cherry Point, met with a runaway accident, receiving ser- ious injuries, including a broken hip, when thrown from a buggy. Sept. 27 — Sam Lyons of Hume was run over by the ears at Decatur and instantly killed. Dec. 25 — We have had the deepest snow in this vicinity in 20 years. The roads and lanes have been filled with drifts. 1885 May 1 — Sainantha .\nderson and Luther Hughey were the graduates at the first Newman high school com- mencement exercises. July 9 — Ed Cole's block was burned down, also the Bates House, post office and several other buildings were destroyed. Sept. 1 — Mr. Rhodes, a lawyer of many years, aftfr be- ing paralyzed for some time, has recently died. Sept. — .Mis. Win. Young's house on the Ridge was burned recently. She had spent the past four years at Lincoln, where her daughter attended college. She has just graduated and they have returned here and will rebuild. Oct. — Rev. Tull, one of the most popular ministers ever sent to the Newman .M. R. Church, has been trans- ferred to Tolono. Rev. Morrison succeeds him here as pastor. Nov. 28 — Thanksgiving night the C. P. church gave a Fan Drill and literary entertainment at the opera hall, concluding with a basket social. Receipts $50. Dec. — The Chautauqua literary circle met at W. F. Mur- phey's. Following the program the hostess surprised the circle by treating them to an oyster supper. 1886 Jan. 24 — Rev. McKnight's protracted meetings have re- sulted in 17 additions at one charge and 25 at the other, making a totr.l of 42. Feb. 22 — Alex Mack, formerly of Palermo and lately of Tuscola, has removed to Florida, where his daugh- ters are carrying on ladies' seminary. Feb. 23 — Rev. Morrison has been holding a series of meetiniT.'- at the M. E. Church, closing with 50 ac- cession:;. Mar. 10 — The town was raided by burglars who broke the windows in Gillogly's, Bennett's and Goldman's stores, and the post office, cleaning out the show America's Greatest Hybrids FUHIM'S HWBRID Consistently Good Year After Year Field Seeds Agriculture Chenncals Fertili::er Smith Seed Co. Tolono Newman Illinois cases, etc. They took the midnight train, stopped at Metcalf and blew open the door and the safe in Cash's store but were scared away before getting anything. April — S. T. Gunn has sold his store to J. H. Scotten and has gone into the poultry business. April — The burglars who recently raided this town have been caught in Indianapolis. Gillogly and Goldman recovered part of their goods. June 17 — Mrs. Dan Cole fell from a cherry tree today and broke her shoulder. June 19 — John Hughes of South Prairie was buried today with Masonic services. Oct. 10 — A kiln at the tile factory just west of town burst, burying under the hot bricks and tile Mr. John Fields, who was so badly burned he died in about a week. Oct. 23 — Oakland is in ashes. The whole business part is burned besides many dwellings. Loss estimated at $300,000. Nov. — Mr. Culberson had 150 tons of hay burned election night, which caught fire from a burning slough. 1887 Jan. 13 — 'Grandmi' Howard had a reunion with her child- ren, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great- great-grandchild on her 80th birthday. Five genera- tions were present. Feb. 3 — A grand wolf hunt came off today. Reporters from the St. Louis Globe-Democrat and the Chicago Times took part in the chase. Mar. 19 — Dan Mclntyre has bought out Cole's old jewelry stand from Mr. Townsend. Sept. 10 — C. V. Walls has sold the Newman Independent to Smith Brothers, Mose and Albert. 1888 Jan. 9 — James Gillogly has sold his interest in the Gillogly and Root Store to L. E. Root. The firm will be known as Root Bros. Mar. 6 — Dan Mclntyre has sold his jewelry store for a large farm near Brocton. June 15 — I. N. Covert has resigned his position as pre- sident of the Newman Bank and Hon. S. M. Long has taken his place. Aug. 8 — Our citizens have erected an elegant pagoda in the park, which is an ornament to the town. 1889 Jan. 18 — John Mclntyre was buried today. His parents celebrated their Golden Wedding recently with all their 12 children present. John's death is the first break in the family. Mar. 5 — Bert Coolley has just graduated from a medical college in Chicago and is now licensed to "kill or cure". Aug. 20 — 'Grandma' Howard died recently. She was 8G and lived to see her fifth generation. Sept. 26 — Millie Taylor and George Dawson were mar- ried and took the noon train to Bromfield, Neb. Sept. 28 — George White and wife, while returning from a soldiers' reunion at Atlanta, stopped at Lookout mountain. While making the descent on the famous incline railv/ay, the electricity gave out and caused a grand smash-up. Two were killed outright and many injured, among whom were George and his wife. Though severely injured, they are thankful that they escaped with their lives. Sept. 30 — Charles Weed, a former liveryman here, was in a bad train wreck on the New York Central. He barely escaped with his life but the man in the berth under him was killed. Dec. 23 — The Christian church members have repaired, enlarged and remodeled their church and put in a large stained glass window behind the pulpit. The church is now the handsomest in the city. 1890 Jan. 30 — A new cemetery has been laid out just west of Newman. Feb. 22 — Walter Bivins has sold his stock of hardware to W. J. G. Pounds. Mar. 22 — Sherman Cook's little babe, buried in the new cemetery, was the first interment there. July 3 — The "Queen of Fame" was given at the opera house by home talent. It was fine. The receipts were about $90. Sept. 24 — James Gillogly has bought the George Fuller building and will open a new dry goods store there. 1891 May 24 — The new George White Addition to Newman called "Oklahoma" has been nearly filled with ne.v building already. May 24 — Walter Bivciis has torn down the old livery stable east of the Methodist church and moved a house to the lot. May 2 — Dr. O'Garr has been hired to leave Newman anj has gone to Hume. June 29 — George White has sold 90 buggies this Spring Best Wishes To The Good People of Newman Murphy's Men's Clothiers 27 MAIN ST. CHAMPAIGN, ILL. "For Young Men and Men Who Stay Young" Alton Credit Service Bookkeeping and Income Tax 642A E. Broadway Phone 20041 ALTON, ILLINOIS EVELYN JOSSERAND RALPH WELSH «ince trade opened. June 5 — C. E. Flowers sold 10 organs and two pianos Uurinfr May. July 16 — A good vein of water was struck at tlu' Star Mill at 187 feet. July Iti — Sam Hopkins has purchased the Dr. Rose land udjuining Newman at $65 per acre. July 25 — AI)out 50 of our citizens have gone blackberrying, taking tents and gasoline stoves with them. July 2t) — J. S. Dawson has liought the 1(!0 acre Gobert farm south of Newman at 140 per acre. Oct. 3 — Newman's second Fair was held during the last three days. There was a balloon ascension with a man going up and coming down in a parachute. 1892 Jan. 5 — An Indian Sagwa troupe here at the opera house this week, selling medicines and pulling teeth. Jan. 1(). — Hull and Hinds sold their broonicorn to a Chi- cago firm for $25,000. This is the biggest sale of broom corn ever made in Douglas county. Jan. 17 — Snow fell for 18 hours and is now a foot deep. Sleighing is superb and cutters are flying every- where. Mar. 9 — Streibich & Hull have formed a new electric light company and bought a new dynamo and a largei' engine. May 12 — This has been the rainiest Spring on record. During April, 12 inches of rain fell. June 3 — Mrs. O. B. Ficklin has been here and established a library of 114 volumes. July 18 — One of the largest basket meetings ever held in this vicinity was at the Pleasant Ridge grove. Fully 2000 people were there and the day was glorious. Rev. Scrimger, Rev. Want and Rev. Parker Shields preached. July 25 — The Chicago Company played here one week. A Newman girl held the lucky number and drew the silver water pitcher. .^ug. 5 — George White, up to date, has sold 49 self bind- ers this season. Aug. 18 — The old elevator, commonly called Scanlinir's elevator, on North Broadway, took fire in the top and within 15 minutes the whole building was in flames. Mar. 2 — A new side track is being put in at McCowii and there will be a new station there. Nov. 5 — Tower and Caldwell have contracted for two carloads of marble from Rutland, Vt. It will be made into monuments at their shop near the rail- road on North Broadway. 1893 Jan. 12 — The Odd Fellows are now occupying their new temple on railroad street, the finest in this part of the state. It was dedicated today with 250 visiting members in attendance. Jan. 17 — The Thermometer wa.s at 27 degrees below zero this morning. It had been at 22 to 24 below for several days. Feb. 4 — George Rassenfoss has sold his bakery to A. Bosch. Feb. 4 — Worst sleet storm ever known here. Terrible rain. Wires down everywhere. Terrible suffering among stock. Such a storm not known in 35 years. Aug. 26 — Grasshoppers are eating up everything this year. What they and the dry weather did not de- stroy a terrible wind and heavy rainstorm did. Oct. 20 — Ed Nichols shipped a train load of 11 cars of cattle which were sent to Boston and by boat from there to Liverpool. 1894 Jan. 9 — J. R. Page has gone into the coal business and has put scales in front of his store on North Broad- way. Mar. 21 — Ab Ashmore's smoke house burned, including the hams, shoulders and sides of five hogs. Aug. 10 — About 200 Newman residents went to Oakland to attend the barbecue anil Old Settler's Reunion held there. Aug. 18 — Ralph Hannum, an 11-year-old boy, died of injuries received when he fell through the top of a circus tent on the lots west of the Roller elevator. He had gone up there to fix the canvas around one ot the poles. Dec. 31 — A new canning factory is being erected on the north side of the lailroad at the east end of Van Deren street. It will can tomatoes. It is expected to be ready for the 1895 season. 1895 Jan. IC) — Ed Nichols has purchased six lots from Mrs. Belle Mclntyre and will build a fine modern home. Mar. 17 — Ab .Ashmore has bought the Gunn property on East Green Street. Mar. 31 — Carl Burgett has bought the Walls property on the south side of the public square and will make it into a broom factory. Mar. 31 — .'\. C. Bennett and J. R. Page are building new brick store rooms on the west side of Broadway just north of the Masonic lodge building. June 10 — James Barr has received a new $1,000 hearse. June 29 — The broom factory shipped 800 dozen brooms last week. May 30 — Bert Goldman rode his bicycle from Oakland to Newman, 13 miles, in 38 minutes. .Aug. 2 — The Newman Independent issued 5000 copies of their souvenir edition celebrating the paper's 21st birthday. Oct. 2 — M. S. Smith, Clark Randall, J. C. Gillogly and J. E. Jeffers, "The Big Four," rendered some fine quartettes at the State Fair last week. Dec. 20 — J. T. Hinds has sold his hardware store to William Swickard. Compliments Of Cecil K. Crispin General Contractor Ch isman. 111. Phone 4611 PEi^r *»■ ^38i!^QfV,^g«^ Wesley Chapel The Wesley Chapel Chinch pictured here was built in the Summer and Fall of 1891 and dedicated Dec. 10, 1892. The dedication service was conducted by the Rev. M. H. Ewers of Potomac. The first pastor was the Rev. Parker Shields. The society was organized May 26, 1891, by Joseph Long. The first Sunday School superintendent was J. C. Ogdon and first secretary was Alice Ashmore. The first trustees were Samuel Hawkins, Thomas White, Luther Winkler and J. W. Sowers. The first stewards were Samuel Hawkins. Charles Ford and Lydia Turbey- ville. The first line-up of teachers in the Sunday School in- cluded: Class 1, James Ogdon; Class 2, Sanford Albin; Class 3, Wesley Sowers; Class 4, Lydia Turbeyville; Class 5, Alfred Albin; Class 6, Lizzie Hawkins. The cost of the church building was $1800. A lot of volunteer labor was used. At the dedication, $3.50 was subscribed to pay the balance on the cost of the church building. Some of the ministers who have acted as pastors of this church are: L. F. Walden, C. F. Tobey, C. M. Oakwood, W. T. Heater, Jonathan Click, E. A. Hamilton, C. W.. Caseley, J. S. Smith. Among the many speakers who have addressed the con- gergations at Wesley Chapel have been Rev. Northcott, Champaign; Rev. Batchelor, Mattoon, and Rev. Clarence Hall, now representative in the Illinois General Assembly. The present Sunday School superintendent is Rex Dague. This society has functioned as a Sunday School prac- tically all of the time since 1892. The present attendance averages 50 each Sunday. Pleasant Ridge CkurcK Erected in 1870 and located seven miles northeast of Newman, this church is one of the historical landmarks of the commuiiity and has been in use 87 years. The church and grounds are well-preserved for the benefit of our future generations. SUNDAY SERVICES Sunday School — 10 a. m. Church At Worship — 11a. m. 1896 Jiin. lil — The jrreat war drama "The Volunteers", given by honu> talent three nitrhts to full houses for the benefit of the band. Apr. 13 — Mrs. Joanna Sutton, after teaching 22 years in the Newman schools, has resiirned and will retire. It being her 39th birthday her pupils held a party in her honor. May 28 — James Barr has secured Ira Mulliken as a part- ner in his business. Mr. .Mulliken is a practical un- dertaker. Sept. 24 — Myers & McCown are building an elevator at McCown station. Nov. 11 — William Lough completed the pavement of one block of King street and one block of Yates street and now Newman has two blocks of fine paved street. Nov. 13 — Newman played Vermillion Grove football team at Chrisman, score 6-0 in favor of Newman. A large ice house once stood on what is now a part of U. S. :U;, about 40 yards southeast of the Shell Service Station. It had a wooden chute from near the water level to an opening several feet above the floor of the ice house up which the cakes would be pulled after being sawed. It was only during a prolonged severe sub-zero weather that the ice would become thick enough to "har- vest." It was never a very successful venture — too many crop failures. NEWMAN CENTENNIAL AUG. 23-24-25, 1957 Dancey Brass Products Decatur, Illinois TUBING FITTINGS PLUMBING & HEATING ACCESSORIES Do You Know You Can Buy Furniture for Less Money at - Taber Furniture Store John H. Taber Oakland, Illinois Murdock Farmer^s Grain Co. Murdock, Illinois Phone: Newman 170F4 Phone: Villa Grove 7111 First In Quality Fairest In Prices Fastest Service George D. Martin, Manager THE GOOD OLD TIMES Written By D. O. Root About 1900 The building that stands just south of the Newman cemetery, and within the limits of the corporate lines of this city, now the property of Samuel Hopkins, was erected in 1857 — the year before Newman was laid out — by the late Isaac Howard, who, at the time owned all, or the part, of the land on which the city now stands. At this time, the best and in fact, about the only market the people of Brushy Fork, as all this section of country was then called, had anything like near and somewhat easy access to for their stock and grain were the Wabash river towns of Montezuma, Eugene, and Perrysville, some forty miles away. Mr. Howard, having some wheat to market and preferring poplar lumber for the finishing of his new residence, which was when completed the finest on "Brushy", decided to "wagon" his wheat to Perrysville and dispose of it, and bring back from the mills east of the Wabash on the return trip the kind of lumber he desired. So one Monday morning, after harvesting and threshing were over, Mr. Howard got together, of his own and of his neighbors, seven teams with wagons, which were loaded with wheat from his barn known in all this country as Howard's big bam. It stood in what is now White's addition to the city of Newman, in the southern part of the city, and was only a few years ago torn down and removed. By the middle of the forenoon the wagons were all loaded, and pulled out for Perrysville. Mr. H. and his sons "Davy" and "Buck" had each charge of a team. Pat Linn, a wild Irishman, was in command of one, Joseph Howard, our fellow townsman, held the lines of another, the writer hereof was super- cargo of the 7th, and the manipulator of the 8th cannot now be called to mind. The train — Mr. H., in the lead — struck out for Hickory Grove, now known as Palermo, and there being no farms or fences in the way, there were no angles, acute or obtuse, in the road or trace, theiefore the road was direct to the Grove. From thence the train struck for the Little Vermillion river, near Ind- ianola, then locally known as Dallas, and went into camp for the night, and enjoyed a frugal supper, brought from home, and a quiet sleep upon the ground, under the spreading branches of the forest trees. The next day, Tuesday, we made Perrysville, disposed of our grain; and as one purpose was to visit the saw mills, in the vicinity of Annapolis, in Parke Co., Ind., we turned down the river and went into camp near old Eugene. The next day, Wednesday, we passed thro' Newport and on to Davis' Ferry, where we crossed over the Wabash in an Slianks Packing Co. Home Killed Meats Mattoon, Illinois old style ferry boat, and made for the hills and mills on Sugar creek, in the vicinty of Annapolis, in good shape that evening. Thursday and Friday were spent in visiting sev- eral mills and selecting the kinds of lumber wanted; and by Friday evening were ready for the return trip, having succeeded in getting our wagons all loaded with a choice lot of poplar lumber that entered into the construction of the building mentioned at the beginning of this article. Saturday morning the return trip was begun, and re- crossing the Wabash at the same place crossed in going, we made Ridge Farm, then a mere hamlet, of less than a half dozen houses, and stopped at a farm house at the out edge of the little straggling rudiments, if you will allow the expression here, of the present thriving village of that name, that evening. The next day being the holy Sabbath, and not wishing to desecrate the day as it is done in these days we remained over and finished our I Louise Beauty Shop PERMANENT WAVING & HAIR STYLING CALL 126Y FOR APPOINTMENT LOUISE BOARD, OPERATOR I Compliments Of Webster Grocer Company Congratulations Your To'w^n Barbershop Of Newman Gilbie Harshbarger trip on Monday the eighth day in the evening. This is not aa cxat;K<^i'uted stiitement nor an extreme case of the manner of marketing irrain and procuring building mater- ial for buildings other than those constructed of logs from the native forest and covered by the home made clap- boards in the pioneer days of forty and fifty years ago. In fact trips of a similar nature had been made just prev- ious to this to Chicago with grain and produce and ex- changed for articles as were needed by the pioneers and yet some say the former days were the better ones. NEWMAN CENTENNIAL — AUG. 23-24-25, 1957 Little s Cafe Beer — Steaks Chicken — Shrimp Sandwiches PHONE 24 ON ROUTE 133 HINDSBORO, ILL. Robeson s Champaign's Largest Department Store 82 Years Young 125 W. Church Phone 4191 Compliments Of Pat H.I. HIXSON H. M. first State Bank of Newman Newman, Douglas County, Illinois EDGAR MORROW President KENT MORROW Cashier The First State Bank of Newman was issued a permit to organize in May 1912 and opened for business Sept. 12, 1912. The first officers of the Bank were Thomas Shaw, pre- side.'.t, W. R. Hidy, cashier. Mr. Hidy remained with the bank a short time, and was replaced by George Frame as cashier in 1913. He continued as cashier until January 1921 when he was elected president. At that time, Edgar Morrow was elected cashier. No change was made in the officers in the bank until the death of Mr. Frame, which occurred in 1940. At that time, Mrs. Elizabeth Frame was elected president, which office she held until her death in 1944. At the next annual meeting of the directors of the bank, Mrs. Susie H. Morrow was elected president. Following Kent Morrow's return from sei-vice in the Navy, the of- ficers were as follows: Edgar Morrow, president, Susie H. Morrow, vice president, Kent Morrow, cashier. Through the years, the bank has maintained a consistent loan policy geared to the needs of the community. It has had a steady growth in assets. The bank is a member of the Federal Reserve Svstem, the Federal Deposit Insur- ance Corporation, The American Bankers Association and the Illinois Bankers Association. The bank at the present time has, in addition to the above mentioned officers, Albert M. Johnson, assistant cashier. Mr. Johnson came to the bank in 1937 upon the resignation of Arthur E. Parr, who had been with the bank five years. Max Harbaugh is teller, Bonnie Eastin Trimble and Janet Compton Branch are bookkeepers. The present directors of the bank are Edgar Morrow, Kent Morrow, Susie H. Morrow, A. M. Johnson and Louise H. Smith. Other employees of the bank over the years have been Louise Hildreth Smith, Morris Swan, Paul Wiese, Con- stance Purdue McCown, Francis Wriglit McMullen, Jean Biddle Wiese, Betty Hinds Chandler, Louise Powers Edens, Ann Mclntyre Trimble, Donna Lawrence Biddle, Ann Buntain Davis. Our facilities for good banking are at your service. Newman Cleaners We Own and Operate Our Own Plant Pick ai>S#% Mm ^^-'■^'^^ \ ~m Let me tell^ou about ...say ( ^'\ •/»«/»" ^mfiHwedh mw Vance M. Baxter ^ Son Newman, Illinois ST. MICHAEL SV. THOMAS With The Best Wishes Of The Congregation Of t. Mickael s Ckurcli Hume, Illinois St. i nomas Churcli Brocton, Illinois N e'svma nM emoria IPark 111 1921, a group of business men of the City of New- man conceived the idea that a community park would make a fitting memorial to the service men who had given their lives for their country in World War I. Ac- cordii\gly, a canvass for funds was made in the Fall and Winter of 1921 and a sufficient amount of money was pledged to justify the purchase of 30 acres of land ad- joining the City of Newman on the Southeast. A board of trustees consisting of five members was selected at a public meeting held in the Presbyterian church, and the new board was emplowered to complete the purchase of tl.f land and to provide rules for the operation of the park. In January 1922, the park was incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois as the Newman Memorial Park Association. The purchase was completed on Feb. 27, 1922, and the park thus became an actuality. Howev- er, the funds raised were not sufficient to defray the entire purchase price and a first mortgage was outstanding on the 'M acre tract, so the trustees decided to sell that part of the land lying east of Brushy Fork creek, pay off the mortgage, and use the surplus funds for improvements. This was done and a small shelter house was erected and entrance gates were built, and a drive was constructed through the center of the park. So the community had a park site of about 13 acres, partially improved, well locat- ed, with some scenic value, but with no operating fund and no income. Thus it became necessary for the trustees to rent the park as pasture land to obtain money enough to keep the fences repaired. This condition existed until 1946 when the Board of First Church oi God Several years ago. the Lord gave Sister Daisy Kirch- ner a vision of a work He wanted started in Newman so she began distributing religious tracts and copies of the Gospel Trumpet and visitinir and praying with the sick. Then she and Sister Bertha Rowcii, who had b^en friends through many years, took God at His word and launched out to win souls for Christ. Brother and Sister Kirchner opened up their home for services and the first one was held on Mar. 27, 1949, with the Reverend Merle Culbertson preaching. In a short time, he moved to Mississippi to tr.ke a pastorate there and the Reverend Miss Mildred Edens assumed the responsibility as minister of the group here in Ntwman, preaching her first sermon Apr. 24 of the same year. At first, she came only once a month and later, as the interest increased, the services were held weekly. When Miss Edens would be away in evangelistic m-ct ngs, she would engage one of the following ministers: Claude Ash- hy, Charleston, Miss Noima Lacey, Homer, E. L. Kern- odle, Tuscola, or H. W. Harris, Danville, to preach in her ;.bsencc. In June 1952, we had a cottage revival with the R.'v. W. C. White, Hammond, Ind., as evangelist. Several were save I, sanctified and baptized during that meeting. In August of the same year, we borrowed the Slate Tent fiom the Evangelistic Board and had a tent meeting in I he (ity paik. From the tent, we moved into a building north of the railroad owned by Mrs. Maude Roller. We were there one year when in August 1953, we bought the building across from the city park from Carroll Pinnell and Lis sister, Mrs. Bruce Ballard. We were so happy to be in our own buildii-.g and God began blessing in a Trustees resigned in favor of a new board composed en- tirely of members of the American Legion. While the new board was composed entirely of American Legion members, it was to be definitely understood that the park was not to be known as the American Legion Park, but was to retain its original name and was to be operated for the benefit and use of the entire community. In 1949, a firm of planning engineers was employed to prepare a long range plan for the development of the park into a desirable recreation area. The plan provided for the addition of proposed facilities as funds became available. The park board proceeded slowly to avoid mis- takes and to be sure that the added facilities were prop- el-ly spaced to withstand years of constant use by the pub- lic without the necessity of relocation. The facilities pro- posed to be installed were: A number of picnic areas with tables and fireplaces, a larger shelter house and cabin, a tots' playground with proper amusement devices, a coun- cil-ring for use on teen-age groups and their instructors, tennis courts, F.F.A and 1-H pavilion and arena, a light- ed baseball field, sufficient parking areas, and others that were then under consideration. The entire cost of the in- stallation and lighting of the baseball diamond was un- derwritten by the local post of the American Legion and construction was immediately begun and later completed. As the park board had no source of revenue, it became evident that if the plan was to be continued, the funds must be supplied by the public spirited citizens. A can- vass for funds was made and several hundred dollars was raised which was applied to the improvement of the park according to plan. However, the funds were soon exhaust- ed and the trustees decided that they should attempt to form a park district, which would insure a small definite amount of money each year. Therefore, a petition was gi eater measure. The Reverend J. G. Lay, Missouri, The Gospel Trio, Flemingsburg, Ky., and Brother and Sister Iiarrlnglon were among our evangelists. In Oclober 1955, we purchased the Daisy A. Wiese p;cperty which we now occupy on South Broadway. We a e very graleful to God that after much praying and sacrificing, this adequate building has been made pos- sible for us. Much inside work has been done in preparing a sanctuary and other improvements. The building is laipe with plenty of Sunday School rooms and a seven- icom upstairs apartment for the pastor. After seven years cf service with the church here, the pastor, now Mrs. Mildred Edens Pruitt, is grateful for the blessings ot God upon their services, and the sweet spirit of fel- lowship that exists between them and all God's people. UK L SHY FORK CREEK east of Newman. In September of 1864, James and Jane Melntyre moved to this township from Ontario. Of their 12 children, three sons had preceded them here by a few months and had begun to build their house (the one where Don Melntyre now lives). Two more of intermediate age set off from their Canadian home driving a team to a wagon and lead- ing some extra horses. Jane came on an Illinois Central train with six younger children. Having borrowed a wagon (maybe it was a spring wagon) one of the sons already here met his mother and the children in Tuscola and brought them home. You will find this hard to believe, but it is true. They met the boys arriving in the wagon on the corner one-half mile south of the new home — and all drove in together. Grandfather Melntyre did not share in this reunion. He had missed the train in Chicago. NEWMAN CENTENNIAL — AUG. 23-24-25, 1957 circulated and later filed with the county judge, requesting that he set a date for an election to determine whether or not a park district should be formed. The election date was set for Oct. 4, 1952, and the proposition was defeated 35(i- 292. Since the park was partially re-developed it has been used by hundreds of small groups of picnic parties, and by scores of those for the purpose of family reunions. The rots' playground is in continuous use during suitable wea- ther. The shelter house is available for use of large groups and reunions, being equipped with lights and water. A show-ring has been completed for use of horse shows and rodeos. The park board recently purchased 500 hardwood trees and 500 evergreen seedlings for re-forestation of the area and this work will be completed when the trees are of sufficient size for re-planting. Tuscola National Bank Building With Douglas County Since 1890 Tuscola, Illinois Best Wishes For The Next 100 Years Dr. and Mrs. Max Johnson James L. Dague 404 Hopkins St. Newman, 111. Telephone 36X 1928 1957 The Clirisman Courier A Home Town Newspaper Since 1875 "We Print Everything Except Money and Postage Stamps" Chrisman, 111. Phone 3751 Reprosenting 1^ WluTUAL Of New York C Till Mutual llle Inturanci Companr «l New Y«k 1843 1957 Dock & Demp's Station and Care Route 36 & 49 Newman, Illinois Both Open 24 Hours Standard Oil Products Atlas Tires, Batteries & Accessories Try Our Special Sunday Dinners - $1 We Serve Star Coffee For 5c Stop and Try Our Service Ernest Sutton, Proprietor Centennial Greetings From The E. W. Allen Family ^fcift*iX Standard Oil Products Compliments Of Davis Clothing Store Newman, Illinois Jean Lyle Jeffrey We feature Bill Barton Slacks the year 'round, at popular prices. For any occasion . . . dress, sport, leisure or school wear — we have the slack for you. Jones History III memory of Ephiium Jones (1860-1937) and Mary Ellen Surrell (1867-1948), who were married Feb. 22, 1885, at Tuscola, 111. They were the parents of Florence George of Chrisman, Lida Taylor of Newman, Blanche Chapin (deceased) of California, Madge Brown of Cal- ifornia, Edna Brannon of Hume and Gladys Payne of Newman. Mr. Jones, the son of John Jones and Mariah Hopkins, was born near Newman. He was engaged in farming and stock raising until a few years before his death. His great-grandfather, Henry Clark, fought in the Revolution- ary war. He owned Wheeling Island, on which he built a fort, called Ft. Henry. He became Washington's orderly sergeant and did all the writing for the division. He went through 14 battles, being severely wounded in the Battle of Brandywine in 1777. Another ancestor, Stephen Hopkins, was elected gov- ernor of Rhode Island nine times and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was a man of literary and scientific interest, despite his lack of formal educa- tion. He was the first chancellor of Rhode Island College. Mr. Jones loved to tell of happenings of childhood days and those told to him by his parents. Some were very unusual, such as the "sudden freeze" on Dec. 20, 1836. Cattle, horses, hogs and wild animals exposed to its fury were chilled and many frozen in their tracks. One man was found afterwards standing frozen in the mud, dead and still holding the reins of his frozen horse in his hand. Also about the "meteroie shower" reported to have oc- curred over the entire United States. Many thought the world had come to an end. Mrs. Jones, daughter of William and Margaret Surrell, born in Terre Haute, Ind., was a direct descendant of James Dudley, who settled near what is now Ashmore, 111., in 1826. To trace the genealogy of the Dudleys it would be necessary to go back to Dudley Castle, Straf- fordshire, England, and begin with Earl of Dudley, fol- lowing through a long line of nobles, dukes, earls, barons, etc. One of the most i)owerful was Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, who figured conspicuously during the reign of Elizabeth, Queen of England. The first to come to Amei ica was Thomas Dudley, governor of the province of Massachusetts Bay. Many of his descendants held prominent positions in the early history of the country. The Jones homestead is located one and one-half miles southwest of Newman and has been in the Hopkins and Jones family for over 100 years. It is now owned and occupied by the youngest daughter, Gladys. The Albin Family ROBERT NANCY Robert Alliiii (1811-1890). the son of Samuol and Sarah Albin of Pickaway County, Ohio, and later of Newport, Indiana, came to the area of Illinois later to be known as the Newman community, about 1840. At this time, he pur- chased a tract oi land located three miles southwest of the present site of Newman near Brushy Fork creek and es- tablished a home. In the following decade, he increased iiis holdings by obtaining the grants to adjoining land 'rom the U. S. Government. Mr. .Albin was a progressive citizen of this community. He purchased two lots in Newman in 1857 when the town was founded. In the same year, he purchased stock in the Illinois and Indiana Railroad Co., which was organized 10 build a railroad through Central IlKnois. He was a charter member of the Nev/man Masonic Lodge, No. 3G9, AF&AM. His first marriage was to Lillie Coleman, to which three children were born. In 1830, following the death of his lirst wife, Lillie, he was married to Nancy Lawrence (1831- 1896), from which union Sanford N., William Lowe, Rose : lid Alfred C. were born. Rose was married to Gt'orge Gillogly. To this union, one daughter was Lorn, Edith Nowatski, now living in River- ion, Illinois. Lowe v/as married to Fannie Sarrell and ."pent his life in Colorado and California. SANFORD ELLA Sanford N. Albin, the oldest son of Robert and Nancy, was born July 9, 1831. He attended the Hopkins school and later taught two years. Mar. 12, 1889, he married Ella Turbeyville, the daugh'.er of William and Lydla Tur- beyville, who lived two miles southwest of Newman. Sanford and Ella made their home a mile south of his birthplace. After a few years, they moved the house one- fourth mile northeast to its present location in order to live on a public road. He continued to farm until 1918, at which time he re- tired and moved to Newman, where he lived until his death m 1949. His wife preceded him in death in 1924. Mr. Albin was a member of the Wesley Chapel Methodist Church, which he attended regularly. He acquired a large amount of real estate, which consisted of farm land near Newman, business houses and homes in Newman. Five children were bom to this union, Zuba Clark, Maude Boyer, Lela Allen, Emerson R., and Leonard B. Alfred DoviL- Alfred C. .Mbin, the youngest son of the Robert Albins, was born May 11, 18o9. He spent his early life on a farm. He married Dove Josserand, a neighbor, Sept. 1, 1891. He went to housekeeping on a farm less than a mile from his 1 irtlipii'.ce. He farmed until 1902, when they moved to Newman. He was interested in real estate and oil and persisted in his determination to find black gold until he discovered valuable oil land in Eastern Kentucky. After selling his oil interest, he invested in farm land t round Newman. In 1933, he purchased the Newman cheese factory, which he operated until his death in 1930. He was a 32nd Degree Mason and a member of the Meth- odist church. Mrs. Albin was a past Worthy Matron of the Eastern Star Lodge and also a member of the Methodist church. She died Aug. 10, 1946. To this union, four daughters were born, Faye Ives, Rhea Hilliard, Verdi Wattani and Cordelia Albin. Barr & Son Over Tnree Quarters of a Century The name of Barr has been connected with the business life of Nev/man for 78 consecutive years. James Barr rame to Newman from Kansas, 111., in 1879 v/ith his bi other, W. W. Barr. In 1880, he bought his brother's interest and became the sole owner. Two years later he entered into partnership with Ed Dowden and the firm be- came Barr & Dowden. After the retirement of Mr. Dow- den, Mr. W. T. Summers became a partner in 1890 and the firm was known as Barr & Summers until 1893. In 1896, Mr. I. M. Mulliken bought a half interest and the "lirm then became Barr & Mulliken. They operated two stores in Newman at that time, one dealing in hardware, stoves and tinware and the other furniture and under- taking. In 1905, the business was separated, Mr. Mulliken tak- ing over the furniture and undertaking business and Mr. Barr, with his son, Clayton C. Barr, took over the hard- ware and added the undertaking business. This was the beginning of the firm of Barr & Son and continues until today, over half a century later. It is now owned by Mrs. Grace N. Barr and operated by her son, George N. Barr, William B. McGaughey and Zane Arbuckle. The following advertisement appeared in the year book of the Newman public schools published in 1883, 74 years PLEASE REMEMBER that Barr & Dowden Have the largest stock of STOVES, TINWARE, FURNITURE AND UNDERTAKERS GOODS In Newman The "F.-WORITE" and "Atlas" cook stoves, which they c;irry in stock, are the best in the market, the "GAR- LAND" base burner cannot be excelled, and the "ROUND OAK" soft coal burner, for which they have the exclus- ive agency in Douglas county, receives the highest praise from all who are so fortunate as to possess one of them. Please call and examine our goods and prices, and you will surely seek no further. A.\I(»N(. IMK BKST— Olltn reltirrd to as tht- "bt'st", this Newman foulball learn operated with amazing success durin;; ti.e season of 1913. Front row— Arthur I'arr, Kverctt Akers, H. B. Smith. Sec- ond row — Kex Tyler, Kenneth Pound. Don Smith. Kranit Ondtn, Trumar. Dennis, .Magnus Kvde. Third row — !•:. (). May, Walter McCown, Ross Winkler, Henlvle (J ejiK. Ray Tre-enriter, Forrest Mc('o«n. Edwin Meyers, Don Mclntyre, Coach Harrison Mc- ( ow n Nev.Mnan Chapter No. 172, Royal Arcli Masons, was originally chartered in Camargo, Illinois, but on October 6, 1876, the charter was moved to Newman. The Royal Arch Chapter, representing some of the higher degrees in Masoniy, has been active and has drawn its member- ship from Newman Lodge and nsarby Masonic lodges. The present officers — Lloyd Buyer, Hijrh Priest; Dan Mclntyre, King; Angus Ho])kins, Scribe; William C. Booton, Secreiary; Edgar Morrow, Treasurer. Past High Priests: Edgar Morrow C. E. Douglass W. C. Booton E. O. Swickard Manford Roller H. B. Smith Arthur E. Parr C. C. McLain Dr. H. L Conn Dan M. Mclntyre Freeman W. Overton Angus S. Hopkins Lloyd V. Boyer H. V. Tharp George D. Martin Raymond A. Martin James C. Mclntyre Ernest W. Pollock Duane C. Cornwell ^ AN EARLY GASOLINE TANK WAGON ... In 1892, the Indian Refining Co. estahliLjhed a bulk fjasolinc distribut- ing agency in Newman with John Sutton a.s the local rep- resentative. Gasoline was shipped to Newman in tank cars and siphoned and hand-pumped into a large tank a- long the railroad switch, just west of Coffin street. At that time, there were very few filling stations or ga- rages and no trucks or tractors. Most of the few auto- mobile owners had their own iron barrels or sheet-iron cans at home which they filled with gasoline at 8 cents per gallon in 100-gallon lots. John's territory took him to Tuscola, Camargo, Brocton, Allerton and Broadlands. Our Very Best To Newman And Its Fine Citizens I Producers Dairy Co. Congratulations - ... to the residents of the Newman commun- ity on the observance of 100 years of pro- gress. The only thing permanent about this old world is the fact that nothing really is perm- anent. Changes occur every day ... so grad- ually, perhaps, that only by recalling past eras can we know how much our habits and customs have changed. Only the community and the individuals who adjust to those changes can progress. We are proud to be associated with such a community . . . and to offer our congratula- tijns to its people. Don Martin and Family Bus Operator - Newman Community Unit School District I I Douglas County Officials 1957 Rodney A. Scott JUDGE OF THE SIXTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT James N. Sherrick COUNTY JUDGE Harrison J. McCown STATE'S ATTORNEY Troy 0. Timm SUPERINTENDENT OF HIGHWAYS Burley S. Burgett COUNTY CLERK Doris Romine COUNTY TREASURER W. A. Bozarth SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS James R. Rice COUNTY SHERIFF Dr. James H. Taylor COUNTY CORONER Old County Courthouse Everett R. McCumber CIRCUIT CLERK AND RECORDER ROBERT RUTHERFORD CYRUS RUTHERFORD THOMAS RUTHERFORD Three Rutherford Brothers In Early Newman Hiram Rutherford, M. D.. v/as bom in Pennsylvania in 1815 and died in Oaklp.nd, 111., in 1900. He was descended from Thomas Rutnerfoid and Jean Murdah, both bom in Ireland, and married in Pennsylvania in 1730. He ar- rived at Oakland in December 1840. Dr. Rutherford was mar -ied twice and had ten children, all bom in Oakland. The three oldest sons of the second marriage, Robert, Cyrus and Thomas were identified with early days in Newman and vicinity. Robert Rutherford was born Apr. 6, 1849, and died in a Chicago hospital May 28, 1903. In 1871, he was married to Miss Mary F. Valodin, born east of Oakland Dec. 16, 1851. and died in Chicago Oct. 10. 1931. They first lived on the farmstead where their son. Burt, lives now, and ■where he was born. .About 1880, they removed to Oak- land, and about 1882 or 1883 they removed to Newman. Here Robert and L. .A. Timmons operated Newman's first tile factory, located where the water tower now stands. Later on, Robert re-engaged in farming and continued in that occupation until his death, the last location being where he began farming. Robert and Mary were the parents of eleven children, seven of whom are deceased: Mrs. Bertha V. Henderson, John M., Harriet Agnes, .Ada, Robert Jr., Marie and Jean M. Four sons survive: Burt, Broadlands; Paul V.. Frank- fort, Ky.; Charles M., Chicago; Wilson H., Alhambra, Calif. Cyrus Rutherford, M. D., was born Aug. 14, 1850, and died May 2, 1937. In 18S5, he was married to Miss Mar>' E. Mclntyre. bom in Canada Mar. 10, 18-53, and died July 29, 1943. Her parents were born in Scotland, married in Canada in 1835 and moved to Newman township in 1834. Dr. Rutherford began practice in Oakland, but believing there were batter prospects in the prairie lands to the north, he removed to Newman Sept. 28, 1877. He speedily attracted a lucrative practice and retained the confidence of his patrons until his retirement about 1910. The Doctor took keen interest in Newman's commun- ity affairs. He was president of the Board of Education for 30 yearc or more, and provided wise leadership in establishing the Newman Township High School in 1910. He. with R. Thomas, platted the new cemetery about 1890; the first burial there was in 1891. He was the city's first mayor and was re-elected several times. While in that office, there arose agitation for concrete sidewalks. He heard of the cement work at the Soldiers and Sailors monument in Indianapolis, and after personal inspection, being impressed by the evidence of superior materials and workmanship, invited the contractor, Stephen Jones, to visit Newman. "Steve" spent the remainder of his active life here. Newman's concrete walks attest an enduring monument to Dr. Rutherford's interest in the welfare of Newman. Doctor and Mary Rutherford were the parents of three children. .A son died shortly after birth. Two daughters survive: Mrs. Eugenia R. Nichols, Tuscola, and Mrs. Florence Atherton, Bloomington, 111. Thomas Rutherford was bom Jan. 16, 1853, and died in an Indianapolis hospital May 25, 1922. In 1874, he was married to Miss Sarah R. Zimmerman, bom near the St. Omer neighborhood south of Oakland .Aug. 16. 1855, and died Jan. 1, 1943. In the Spring of 1875, they moved to the farmstead where their grandson. Robert B. Arm- strong and his family reside. The farm was very swampy. Copious Spring rains, like in 1957, could be expected ever}- year and water stood on the surface until mid-summer or later. The water problem was attacked in the 1880's and was gradually corrected. During this period, Thomas served as a Town- ship Commissioner and was iiLfluential in obtaining drain- age. Roads were slow to dry out after rains. This con- dition required correction. The first step was to raise the grade of the roadbed and provide roadside ditches; later hard surfacing was done on roads with heavy traffic. Thom- as was among the leaders to secure improved highways. Mr. Rutherford was Township Supervisor for several terms and mayor of Newman for a term. In 1900, the family moved from the farm to town, occupying the pre- mises where their son, Hiram Brown, lives. Thomas and Sarah weie the parents of four children. Bessie died in 1885 and Mrs. Kate R. .Armstrong in 1949. An elder son, Cyrus W., M. D., lives in Indianapolis. Two of Dr. Hiram Rutherford's descendants live in Newman Township — Burt in the rural area and Brown in the city. In closing th:s page, filial tribute is due the spouses of these three Rutherlord brothers. Each was endowed with a superior quality of character, and their friendship was esteemed by everj-one who knew them. To each, a sprig of Rosemarv — that's for remembrance. 1857 - 1957 Yesterday - Today - Tomorrow One hundred years have seen a lot of changes take place in this great land of ours. While we have not been around for near- ly that long, we are proud of the record we have accomplished in representation for farmers and service to the people who make agriculture their business. It is our desire to take yesterday's ex- periences, today's achievements and tomor- row's hope into the next 100 years of bet- ter service to you Douglas County Farm Bureau Douglas County Service Co. American Legion Auxiliary Ne^vlnan Cemetery The Auxiliary Unit of the Stanton Burgett American Legion Post was organized about two years after the Legion Post, itself, was established and was proposed at a mass meeting and tea to which the Legionnaires invited the eligible women of the community. Final decision on the organization was made at a meet- ing called by Mrs. M. S. Smith on Oct. 5, 1921, at which 19 prospective members signed the application for a chart- er. Mrs. Smith was named acting president and Mrs. E. 0. Swickard, acting secretary. On May 6, 1922, the first permanent officers were el- ected and the official charter signed by the following members: Mrs. Ralph Bender, Mrs. Mae Bender, Mrs. Harris Beck, Mrs. Charles Burgett, Mrs. Scott Burgett, Mrs. Carl Burgett, Miss Ethel Catron, Mrs. Anna Good- son, Mrs. Enoch Gordon, Mrs. R. C. Gillogly, Mrs. Lutitia Gregg, Mrs. Enoch Hooe, Mrs. Ferell Mc.^nally, Mrs. A. C. Mclntyre, Mrs. Julius McKnight, Mrs. Ray McLain, Mrs. Arthur Parr, Mrs. H. O. Sellers, Mrs. Thomas Ruther- ford, Mrs. Cyrus Rutherford, Miss Eugenia Rutherford, Miss Sue Smith, Miss Harriett Smith, Miss Martha Smith. Mrs. M. S. Smith, Mrs. Earl Swickard, Mrs. George Tres- enriter, Mrs. James Talbott, Mrs. Lula Vandine, Mrs. Dave Wells, Mrs. Harvey E. Winkler, Mrs. Luther Winkler, Mrs. W. M. Young, Mrs. Dwight Wagner, Mrs. Paul SoUers. Mrs. Carl S. Burgett, whose son, Stanton, was killed in World War I and for whom the American Legion Post was named, was elected the first president of the Auxiliary Unit. Throughout its history, the Newman Auxiliary has em- phasized cooperation in the national organization's pro- grams of community and humanitarian services. Rehabilitation of war veterans, service to hospitalized veterans and gensral welfare programs have character- ized the unit's policies. Poppy Day, the national promotion designed to keep at- tent on focused on the need of disabled veterans and to assist them financially, was first observed in Newman in 19:. 4 and has been conscientiously promoted each year since. The Newman Unit has sponsored a delegate to Girls State since that activity was inaugurated in 1939 and pre- viously cooperated in sending delegates to Boys State. Traditional scivices of the Auxiliary are reflected in current rehabilitation programs which include regular visits to hospital waids at Danville, regular contributions of cigarettes and candy to hospitalized Nev/rnan veterans and participation in other such activities as suggested by the national and state organizations. During its history, the Newman Unit has been represent- ed by various members who seived as district officers and chairmen. The late Mrs. E. O. Swickard held the office cf district director. Until 1949, meetings of the Newman Auxiliary Unit were held in members' homes. In February, 1949, the unit was presented a key to the present Legion Home. Newman Cemetery was laid out in 1890 by Dr. Cyrus Rutherford and Ruben Thomas. At that time, the two north sections were plotted and tiled. A survey was made by Mr. Thomas and the corners of the lots were marked with wooden stakes. It was not until later that the two south sections of the cemetery were plotted. From the time of plotting until 1923, Dr. Rutherford and Mr. Thomas operated the cemetei-y as a private bur- ial ground. The first burial in the cemtery was a baby, buried March 23, 1890. There is a small stone at the grave marked Baby Cook. The baby was the child of Sherman Cook and wife. The plot of ground where the cemetery is located had been in com the year before and the stalks were still standing when the burial was made. In 1921, several citizens approached Dr. Rutherford and the heirs of Ruben Thomas with a proposal to incorporate the cemetery and operate it as a public cemetery under control of a board of trustees. It was agreed to turn over the unused portion of the cemetery to such an organiza- tion and within a short time, the matter was closed. The first trustees of the Newman Cemetery Associa- tion were Guy Nicholson, C. C. Barr, Mrs. Fannie Pounds, Scott Burgett, Mrs. Lulu VanDyne, Mrs. Mary Routledge and Edgar Morrow. Numerous improvements have been made. Drives have been constructed, all curbings around lots removed, the aisle filled to make a level appearance, a new tool house constructed from the curbing materials, a water supply installed and new fences and hedges put in place. For a time, money was taken from the sale of lots and placed in a permanent upkeep fund to maintain the cemetery. This fund has been augmented by gifts from individuals from time to time and there is now in that fund $9150.00 The income is all that is used so that the amount remains as a permanent endowment. In 1951, a proposition was submitted to a vote to turn the physical part of the cemetery over to the Township of Newman to be maintained by a tax. This was approved and the maintainance of the cemetery now rests with a board of trustees elected on a non-partisan basis at the general township election held each odd-numbered year. All the income from the permanent upkeep fund is turned ever to the Newman Township Cemetery Trustees to be used for upkeep of the cemetery. In 1953, an addition was made to the cemeteiy through ge.ierous gifts of citizens of the community. The original ground in the cemetery has all been disposed of and lots are all piotted and water mains laid in the new addition. The present trustees of Newman Township Cemeteries are Edgar Young, George L. Akers Sr. and Edgar Mor- row. Ihe Fairfield Cemetery and the Pleasant Ridge Cemeteiy are ail under township care, under the direction ol the above mentioned trustees. I This Page Was Dnripted To The Centennial Committee By Dr. and Mrs. H. I. Conn Newman, Illinois TKe Rid^e Geologrists who study the science of the constitution ami structure of the earth and its development say: "The Ridge was created millions of years atro by glaciers which once covered the northern half of Illinois." What we call •The Ridjre" is really the southern bound- ary line of a wide belt of higher ground, or slightly elevat- ed plateau, called the "Savoy Ridge" on topographical surveys; which extends in a westerly direction from the Wabash River across East Central Illinois. This southern crest has a meandering east-west course, the eastern end being in the vicinity of Newport and Cayuga, Ind. On a map, a line drawn through Ridgefarm, Indianola, Hil- ureth. Palermo and across Douglas county about two or three miles south of the Champaign-Douglas county line will give its approximate location. In l!K{'.i, a party of government surveyors placed a metal marker at ground level at the top of a concrete base ap- proximately 50 feet south of the northwest corner of the city park. This bears an inscription which says the mark- er is "64() feet above sea level". The exact figures are not available but it is definitely known that the high ground of the Ridge is over 700 feet above sea level. At the crest the view to the north is restricted but to the south may be seen thousands and thousands of acres which, a century ago, were "swamp-lands". There is nothing to indicate that the Indians had reg- ularly used trails on the Ridge before the coming of the white man, although it offered a route to by-pass the swamps and an occasional grove of trees; there were no r-.prings and very few streams of running water. A few of the very earliest settlers found a small Ind- ian village near Hugo and a great many arrowheads, stone axes and other things at different places along the Embarrass river, but where they came from or where lliey went is not known. A bronze tablet affixed to a huge stone marker at the highway crossroads in Palermo reads: "Near here on July 18, 1765, Colonel George Groghan, Deputy Superin- tendent for the British Government, made a preliminary Treaty of Peace with Pontiac, Chief of the Ottawa and leader of the great Indian Confederacy. By the terms of that agreement, the allegiance of the Indians was trans- ferred from the French to the English. This secured the Eastern Mississippi Valley for Anglo-Saxon civilization". Also on this tablet is: "The intersection of the Fort Har- rison (Terre Haute), Fort Clark (Peoria) and Kaskaskia- Detroit Trails was in this vicinity". Shortly after settlers began arriving and establishing homes along the Brushy Fork creek, others started to take up land on the Ridge, gradually flowing westward from Perrysville, Eugene and Newport, which were landings on the Wabash. An early road, or "trace", followed the high ground and connected with these places. Settlers along the Brushy Fork also found it a convenient route to the Wabash. Eugene seems to have been the favorite shipping point by flatboat, or for milling and supplies, and it was then a thriving and growing town. However, when the railroads came, they by-passed Eugene and it "withered on the vine" and is now just a small tumble-down spot about a mile northwest of Cayuga, Ind. More Farmers Plant Than Anv Other Brand KennetK (Moose) Kincaid, Dealer Telephone 168F12 Newman, 111. I . . . building a Newman township barn in 1S80 . . . Stanton Burgett American Legion Post The American Legion, largest organization of war vet- erans in history, was born at a caucus of the first Amer- ican Expeditionary Force in Paris, France, March 15-17, 1919. Today it includes more combat veterans, more dis- abled veterans, more winners of the Congressional Medal of Honor and other decorations, than all other vecerans organizations combined. The history of the American Legion has been one of devotion to God and Country. It was at a caucus in St. Louis, Mo., on May 6, 1919, that the permanent outline for the American Legion was formed and the immortal- ized Preamble put into its linal form. Any doubts as to the character and politics of the new organization were at once dispelled by this preamble, which appears on the reverse side of every American Legion membership card, and which is repeated at the opening of every American Legion meeting. The preamble is as follows: "For God and Country, we associate ourselves together lor tlie following purposes: 'To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America; "To maintain law and order; To foster and perpetuate a 100 percent Americanism; 'To preserve the memories and incidents of our as- sociations in the Great Wars; "To inclucate a sense of individual obligation to the Community, State, and Nation; "To combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses; "To make right the master of might; To promote peace and goodwill on earth; "To safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy; To consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual help- fulness." The application of Stanton Burgett Post No. 201 for a charter was filed on Sept. 24, 1919, and was signed by the following charter members: John Bloss, Charles C. Burgett, Albert Brewer, Carlos Brewer, Robert F. Cotton, William R. Cooksey, Elmer Duvall, Howard Duvall, John H. Ford, Raymond C. Gillogly, Andrew D. Goodson, Wil- liam R. Miller, George E. Nichols, Cyrus W. Rutherford, Emerson C. Springer, Norman Senters, Paul E. Sollers, Hughes Blake Smith, Earl O. Swickard, Ray K. Wells, Maurice Young. Since the organization of Stanton Burgett Post No. 201 there has been no other organization in Newman that has taken more interest in the development and betterment of the community. It was largely through the interest taken, and the money donated by Stanton Burgett Post No. 201, that the Newman Memorial Park was re-developed f;nd made available to the community as a recreation area for all age groups. The American Legion has invested well over $3000 in the development of the ball diamond, in- This Page Was Don.-^ted To The Centennial Committee By Dr. and Mrs. H. I, Conn Newman, Illinois Congratulations To The City of Newman on Your 1 00th Anniversary Moffat Coal Co Murdock, 111. stalling lights and water in the park, and improving other facilities. The American Legion organized the first Boy Scout troop in the community; has sponsored a Junior League baseball team; sponsored various types of youth organizations; and has contributed materially toward supervised recreation during the summer months; and each year since its inception has sponsored one or more boys at Boys' State in Springfield, 111. The local post has furnished the city some of its mayors, aldermen, treasur- ers, clerks, as well as township officials and members of the General Assembly. Stanton Burgett Post No. 201, The American Legion, is justly proud of the part it has played in making New- man and the surrounding area a better place in which to live and raise families; and each year contributes time, money and effort to all worthy causes. The space allotted does not permit going into detail of the many and varied activities in which the post has participated for the im- provement of the community. The post meeting hall has, at all times, been open to all worthy organizations as a meeting place. Below is given a list of Post Commanders and Adjutants since organization in 1919. Year Commander Adjutant Membership 1919- 20 Dr. C.W. Rutherford Robert F. Cotton 36 1921 Earl 0. Swickard Chas. C. Burgett 61 1922 Ross Winkler Chas. C. Burgett 42 1923 Don C. Smith Chas. C. Burgett 37 1924 Dr. H. L Conn H. B. Smith 45 1925 Harmon Gregg Chas. E. Confer 38 1926 Chas. C. Burgett Ralph Underwood 40 1927 A. E. Parr Chas. E. Confer 43 1928 Chas. E. Confer Chas. C. Burgett 31 1929 M. L. McDermott \. E. Parr 47 1930 Boyd 0. Bane John Goodson 51 1931 John R. Goodson E. 0. Swickard 65 1932 Roy Harvey E. 0. Swickard 43 1933 Dr. R. C. Gillogly Chas. C. Burgett 20 1934 H. B. Smith A. E. Parr 20 1935 Paul E. Sollcrs A. E. Parr 25 1936 Harvey E. Winkler E. 0. Swickard 34 1937 Everett Atchley J. R. Goodson 27 1938 Richard F. Shephard E. 0. Swickard 38 1939 J. H. Mclntyre J. R. Goodson 45 1940 Wm. Warters A. M. Johnson 32 1941 Rex Green A. M. Johnson 28 1942 Forrest McCown Chas. C. Burgett 30 1943 Forrest McCown Chas. C. Burgett 26 1944 Arthur Ambler Chas. C. Burgett 26 1945 Dr. C. K. Ross A. M. Johnson 37 1943 F. K. Shephard Chas. C. Burgett 138 1947 J. E. Davis (acting) John E. Pollock 144 1948 John E. Pollock Kendall Davis 159 1949 Robt. C. Holt Kendall Davis 172 1950 Curtis Hooe Winfield C. Dennis 189 1951 Winfield C. Dennis Orville Sinclair 189 1952 Ronnie Harbaugh Orville Sinclair 173 1953 Max Martin Will H. Forsythe 175 1954 Duane Cornwell Winfield C. Dennis 180 1955 Kenneth Goby Winfield C. Dennis 193 1956 Billie Hopkins Arthur Leeth 194 1957 Roy Gibson Arthur Leeth 205 NEWMAN CENTENNIAL — AUG. 23-24-25, 1957 In memory of our father, Charles C. Burg- ett, and our grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Scott Burgett and Mrs. Mary L. Routledge, who not alone spent their lives in Newman, but rather invested their lives to such purpose that we who follow hold a rich heritage of pride in them and in the community they helped to build. Mary Alice Burgett HoUowell Patricia Burgett Bartley Newman Recreation Parlor Pool & Lunch J. E. Sage, Prop. Visit The Urbana Lincoln Hotel and Lincoln Lodge Excellent Food Smartly Styled Rooms Facilities For Parties — Banquets — Receptions RECOMMENDED BY DUNCAN HINES Mrs. M. J. Pa^e Many pt'ople now living in Newman do not even know the name, Mary Jane Paxe, but no history of the town would be complete without some recojrnition of her influ- ence on the community. She came to the Ridge to live in 18(55. She moved to Newman in 1882 and lived here until her death in 1925. Her father was a minister in upper New York and she grevi up with cultural and educational advantages not common to those living in the average pioneer settlement. But when she came to ours, it reaped the benefit of them as well as of her many abilities, her love of people and devotion to the plates where .she spent the greater pert of her life — Newman. She had musical ability, was a capable public speaker and could write well. Her influence on the growing community was always on the side of what would be for its good. The historical committee for the Centennial has dipped into those writings to its very great benefit, and wishes to quote from her obituary in The Independent: "She was a woman of heroic mold." In our own words, "She was a great lady who lived in our little town." Getting from one section of the country to another must have given the pioneers time for long, deep thoughts. As in the case of Brown Rutherford's grandfather. Dr. Hiram Rutherford who, when just graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, rode hor::.eback from Harrisburg to Oak- land, 111. Maybe that is why so many of those people made such good citizens once they got here. None ever seemed to need tranquilizer pills. Tubeless Tire Repair With Coat's Tire Machine Lubricating — Oil Changing WE HAVE MOST ALL BRANDS KELLIE'S MARATHON STATION Congratulations On Your Centennial Celebration EASTERN ILLINOIS CLAY COMPANY St. Anne, Illinois MANUFACTURERS OF QUALITY DRAIN TILE Newman Eastern Star Newman Chapter U. D. Order of the Eastern Star was organized on July 17, 1894, at 2:00 p. m. at the Masonic Hall, under the direction of W. C. Kenner and Harry Madison and wife of Tuscola, with a charter of 29 mem- bers The second meeting concerned the Constitution, Laws, Initiation, and set the time of meetings to the first and I bird Monday nights. At the fifth meeting, the time was changed to the second and four Mondays, and still re- mains. The visit of the Grand Worthy Matron for the first time was Nettie C. Kenner on September 10, 1894. Up to date, there have been 45 Worthy Matrons, name- ly: Mesdames H. L. Gillogly, Nan Barr, Ellen Wagner, M. J. Page, Sarah Nichols, Lillie Kyde, Rose Rutherford, Mrs. Kaiser, Beva Gaines, Jennie Hance, Dovic Albin, Alice Shute, Mabelle Adams, Mary McCown, Faye Baxter, Osa Bacon, Susie Morrow, Rae Winkler, Ailcen Burgett, Martha Shephard, Mildred Kincaid, Grace Reed, Alice Lawrence, Irene VanVickle, Ethel Purdue, Iva Zachary, Adda Ringer, Virginia Davis, Ruth Kllsberry, Sylvia Ep- person, Cleone Spcclman, Maurine Parr, Dorris Pollock, Esther Hopkins, Ann Conn, Dorothea Fenwick, Lucille Smith, Avis Morrow, Lucille Richards, Iris Graham, Cath- erine Adams, Elizabeth Biddle, Ruby Hendershot, Donna Biddle, and Frances Davidson. There have been 26 Worthy Patrons: I. N. Covert, T. Sidenstricker, Charles Mclntyre, Frank Page, Fred White, John Kyde, Harry Baxter, John Ellington, Bert .\dams, Charles Burgett, .Arthur Parr, Ervin Kincaid, Manford Roller, Orville McCoy, Angus Hopkins, Dr. H. I. Conn, Charles Reed, Lowell Smith, Charles Highley, Shelton Allen, Velvin Graham, Loren Biddle, Kenneth Kincaid, Dean McCumber, Everette Biddle, and Luther Clark. Mesdames Olive Eversolc and Jennie Hance are the sole surviving Charter Members. In 1897, at the regular meeting of the Chapter, on motion, adjourned for recesses, lo enjoy fruit from Dr. Wagner's fine orchard and food by the members. The Worthy Matron then called the Chapter to order and proceeded with the business on hand. At the present time, the Chapter has a membership of 237. On November 17, 1949, a Past Worthy Matron Club was organized with 24 members. On January 13, 1952, the Rainbow Girls was organized with 30 members. Sylvia Epperson, Past Worthy Matron, was the first Mothei .Advisor. The Josserands of South Prairie I Louis Josserand was born in Seiie, France, a small town close to Paris, December 1, 1828. He came to this country with an uncle at the age of thirteen. They crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a slow sailing ship, being thirty- seven days on the voyage and landing at New York. From there, they went to Nev; Albany, Indiana, but finally set- tled in Elizabethtown, Indiana. Mr. Josserand married Miss Emily Potts of Elizabeth- town August 12, 1955. In 1856, they came to Illinois, set- tling on a farm south of Newman in the South Prairie community where they resided until 1902, when they moved to Newman and lived in a small frame house which has now been remodeled and is the home of their grand- daughter, Cordelia Albin. This couple lived to celebrate their seventieth wedding anniversary together. To this union fifteen children were born, three dying in infancy and the following grew to manhood and womanhood on this farm: John, Sarah (Jones), Caleb, Louis, Albert, Grant, Dovie (Albin), An- drew, Clyde, Maude (Coffey), Paul and Earl. Three are still living, Maude, Earl and Louis (Wibb). In 1861, Mr. Josserand became a naturalized citizen of the United States. He was one of the first members of the Newman Masonic Lodge. In 1900 he made a trip to the World Fair in Paris, France, taking two of his boys with him, and visited the scenes of his boyhood days. Mrs. Emily Potts Josserand was born in Harrison Coun- ty near New Albany, Indiana, March 25, 1838. Both Mr. and Mrs. Josserand belonged to the Potts United Brethren Church located south of Newman, which was named for lier father. When they moved to Newman, they united with the Methodist Church. Mr. Josserand died in 1925 at the age of 96 years and :i months. Mrs. Josserand died in 1927 at the age of 89. I N ewman s rires A CommencemiMit speaker at u recent Newman high school Rrntluation program made the statement, 'Death is the greatest boon to progress." In a similar vein it can be s«id that disastrous fires contribute to the growth and appeaninco of a town. Such has been the e.xperience of Newman. As terrible as fires are, many times they destroy much that is useless and when new buildin;;s aie built to replace them, they improve the appearance of the town. Newman has had many of such fires. Perhaps the earl- iest fire of consequence was in 187G when the Gillogly Hotel burned. This hotel stood near where the building known locally as the Odd Fellows Building now stands. Another hotel burned about this same time, the date is not available, where the Ocean to Ocean Filling Station now stands. In 1881, the hotel and restaurant owned and operated by General Dragoo burned. This hotel was lo- cated at the northeast corner of the public square near the present site of the city hall. On July 9, 1885, the Ed Cole block burned. The Bates Hotel, the post office and several small buildings were destroyed. This block was located on the East side of Broadway where the Trinkle garage is now. This same location suffered another fire in 1902. when a row of wood- en buildings were burned. A clipping from the issue of the Newman Independent dated Jan. 19, 1892, reads: Yesterday the old elevator commonly known as the ScanKng Elevator, took fire in the top and in \r> minutes the whole building was in flames. Sixteen carloads of grain were in the structure. The old flour mill and the S. C. Cash residence were in the path of the flames and caught fire, but were quickly extinguished. A humorous note appears in the account — "The clothing of the Methodist minister's wife also caught fire." On Mar. 23, 1903, one of the moat damaging fires ever experienced in Newman occurred. The Newman Inde- pendent stiites: "Fire broke out about midnight in the staging of the Opera House and the entire business blovk east of Root's store was destroyed. The Rude Hardware Store, The Newman Record (a paper published during that period) the millinery store of Mrs. Emma Calvin, The Newman Bank, and a music store owned by Elmer Dawson were all burned. All the books and papers of the bank were saved but most of the stocks of goods in the other building were lost. The loss will total more than $40,000." The new two-story buildings on the north side of East Yates street replaced these buildings. In the winter of 1906, the Maple house, one of New- man's largest hotels, burned. The fire was discovered aboul, 10:00 p. m. but the entire structure was quickly engulfed by flames and the building was a total loss. Ininiediate'y following this fire, George 0. Moore erected the fine brick building now occupied by Dague's garage. On Aug. 20, 1920, about the middle of the afternoon, the large elevator just north of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad depot burned. It was, perhaps, as costly a fire as ever occurred in Newman. The property was valued at $50,000 and it was full of grain. The oats had been purchased for 80c a bushel, the wheat at $2 per bushel. It was in the height of the threshing season and the build- ing was full. During the preceding week, 10.000 bushels William Williams Young and Mary Jane Coolley Young came to theii new home, four miles north of Newman (where a family centennial was held later), October 9, 1853. They made the move in two pi'airie schooners. One was drawn by three yoke of oxen, the other by two, and they led two horses. Their direct descendants living in the vicinity are: Louise Mclntyrc Edgar Berkley Young Florence Young (Mrs. Robert F. Cotton) William Russell Young Virginia Swickard (Mrs. Willard Hagebush) William Marion Young James Young Suzanne Young Mary Jane Young David Allen Young of wheat and 2000 bushels of oats had been received. The Fansler blacksmith shop was badly damaged and the Baltimore & Ohio railroad depot was destroyed. Several bo.x cars, some empty and some loaded, were pushed to safety. The present Federal North Iowa elevator now stands on the site. A large tomato canning factory erected by local people (L. E. Root and Ruben Thomas were the principal own- ers) burned about 1904. The frame building burned to the ground but the brick engine room escaped damage and ■was then used to house the first power plant to furnish electricity to the whole city. It operated until the fran- chise was taken over by the Central Illinois Public Serv- ice Co. Crites canning factory also was a fire casualty. The factory canned sweet corn and furnished employment for a large number of people. It was destroyed by fire just as the 1940 canning season opened. Numerous homes in the city have burned. The Frank K. Page residence, the James P. Heaton home and many others come to mind. Although fires have forced newei- and better building.-; to be erected, that has been only one factor in the down- town development. All the original frame buildings on the west side of Broadway from Green street to Mather street have been replaced by brick structures although no fire ever occurred in these blocks. When they became unfit for use, they were wrecked and new brick buildings er- ected. The only notable exception is the Dr. Rutherford office, now occupied by the Booton & Hemphill Insurance Agency ... a reminder of what used to be. MR. DAN THOMAS Daniel Thomas was born near AUerton, Illinois, on May 23, 1831, the son of Edv/in and Elizabeth Thomas. As a young man, Mr. Thomas became very fond of farm life and delighted in growing good corn. He was especially a lover of white seed corn, purebred shorthorn cattle and beautiful horses. As early as 1904, he took first prize and Sweepstakes at the AUerton Show. He continued to take first place and Sweepstakes for 40 years. His knowledge of excellent v/hite open pollinated corn became known all over Illinois and Indiana. He sold seed for years. The University of Illinois recognized his corn as an outstanding variety. Shortly, Purdua University did the same. The University of Illinois named his corn "ThoniKs White Utility Type Corn". For several years, the University of Illinois had plots on his farm for experimentation. He married Clara Morris of Newman and they resided on a farm near Newman. His wife passed away ten years later and in 1924 he was married to Miss Emma DeWitt, a specialist in Home Economics Extension work. Mr. Thom- as passed away on April 16, 19.50. Aug. 20, 1920 ... I arimr>, (.rain & Lumber Co. destroyed by fire. Congratulations To All My Friends In Newman On Your Centennial From JIM LEA REPRESENTING BROWN & BIGELOW ;i04 W. CONRON DANVILLE, ILLINOIS Compliments Of Jos. Kulin ^ Co. Champaign and Tuscola Illinois Complete Men's and Boys' Clothiers Shell Inn Cafe Shell Service Station Davis Motel Institution of Good Service to The Community For Over a Quarter of A Century of Progress And Improvement DAVIS BROS., INC. Cleo Underwood Ken - Darrell - Don Station Proprietor Semelia Harvey Winkler Luther Winkler The ancestors of Luther and Semelia Winkler came to America in the latter part of the eighteenth century ana, after several migrations covering a period of half a cen- tury, established a permanent home in the Brushy Fork area southwest of what is now the city of Newman. The earliest records reveal that David Winkler, great- great grandfather of Luther Winkler, was born in Ger- many in 1769 and came when quite young to America, settling in North Carolina. There he married Sarah Fair of Irish parentage and it was there that three children were born, one of whom was Joseph, the grandfather of Luther Winkler. After a few years, they migrated to Kentucky, and later, to Warwick County, Indiana, where they bought and im- proved a farm. John, the last of eleven children, was born in 181G. David Winkler, the father, died in 1821 and was buried in Indiana. Sarah Fair Winkler and all of her children came to Brushy Fork creek at an early date. The mother and eight sons entered land along this stream. Sarah died in 1835 and was buried on the land she entered, a part of which is now known as Albin cemetery. In 1829, Young E. Winkler, one of the sons, came with his family, building a log cabin, the first house in what is now Newman township, ten miles from the nearest neighbor, forty miles from town and mill at Newport o. Perryville, Indiana. Joseph Winkler, another son of David and Sarah, brought his family here in 1831 and built a one room log cabin for the family of ten. In November and December of 1836, Joseph and his wife, Elizabeth Vandever Winkler, died, leaving a family of nine children to make their own way. The children lived on the home farm until grown. Charles Vandever Winkler, the eldest son, who was only 15 years of age when his parents died, married Sarah Lane and lived on the Winkler homestead farm until his death in 1854. They had two children, Vashti and Luther, the latter born November 20, 1852. On September 10, 1878, Luther Winkler married Semelia Harvey, who was also a descendant of early pioneer fam- ilies of this community. Her maternal grandparents were Enoch Howell and Seinele Gaston, whose families were among the few here in the 1830's. Her father, Joseph Harvey, of English descent, had come here from Greene County, Pennsylvania, when he was sixteen years of age. Luther Winkler and Semelia Winkler were well known and highly respected by their neighbors and friends. They lived over a long span of years and were intensely interest- ed in the development of agriculture, their life-long in- terest and occupation. They witnessed and shared the turning of unproductive swamp lands into tiled and fertile tields and the evolution of harvesting from the scythe to modern agriculture machinery. They worked hard and long in that vigorous manner typical of the pioneer stock of their forebears, yet remaining young in spirit, and were always found on the side of progress when questions affecting their community arose. They lived to celebrate their si.xty-fourth wedding anniversary Sept. 10, 1942. To them v.'ere born six children: Mildred Winkler Choyce, Lucretia Winkler Hawkins, Charles, Harvey, Ray and Ross. Ray lived with his parents until his death in 1946. Surviving are Ross and Harvey. Ross and his wife, Aurelia Johnson Wink'.er, live in Seattle, Washington. Their two children are Elizabeth and Joseph. Harvey and his wife, Rae McFarlan Winkler, live on the Winkler Homestead Farm. Luther Winkler died November 1, 1942; Semelia, his wile, March 9, 1948, both being in their ninetieth year. In Memory Of Henley Eversole "... whose life was dedicated to his family, his church and and his community.' Mrs. Olive W. Eversole Mr, and Mi's. John Henley Eversole Phoenix, Arizona « .^ « i» » t ilMSL^'L '^=H*^-.. . . . one of the first trains The Railroad One of the best investments made by the early residents of this community was the $12,000 they gave to help finance the building of a railroad through Newman town- rhip. The money came from a bond issue and was not paid until the road was actually built about 20 years afier the company had been given a charter. The settlers had found a fertile soil which would pro- duce r.bundantly of corn, wheat and other grains, but be- cause of having to deliver at distant markets, it was nec- essary to send their produce "on the hoof". This was not too difficult with cattle, but to drive fat hogs 40 or 50 miles overland presented many problems, such as feed and water. There wasn't much money in the pockets of the early Eeltlers and that was constantly being taken out of the country to pay for the necessities they could not produce. To piosper, they had to have money coming in. Econom- ical and dependable transportation with convenient ship- ping stations would make this possible. A railroad would ako p.ovide travel accommodations, faster and better mail se.v.ce, and other benefits. In 1833, the Great Western Railroad was built through Homer and the Illinois Central through Tuscola, and at ;.bout the same time, what is now the New York Central w^s built through Paris, Ashmore and Charleston. To de- liver even a small wagon load of coi'n or wheat at these towns required not less than a 36-niile trip and at least 12 hours of travel time. The Indiana and Illinois Central railroad, which is now the Cinciniati, Ind anapolis & Springfield Division of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, was chartered by the State of Indiana on Jan. 1, 1853. Iniorm^tion as lo when the survey for the line was made is not available. The granting of a charter to the Illinois Cen.ral Raiiroad, with its immense subsidy of public lands by the State of Illinois, started a rash of railway promo- tion schemes in Illinois and Indiana. Surveyors were sent out to run the proposed lines so that costs could be est- imated. The next step was to get the money to finance consiruction, or provide attractive bait for the sale of stock. The Decatur and Indianapolis Railroad Co. was con- solidated with the I & I C railroad company in 1855. A brief history of the building of the line as supplied by the B & O Railroad Co. says: "Constructed by the I & I C Railroad Company, Wabash River to Decatur, 111., 85 miles in 18; 3" and "Constructed partly by the I & I C Rail- road Co., completed by the Indianapolis, Decatur and Springfield Railroad Co., Indianapolis to Wabash River, 07. (j7 miles, :873". In 1888, it was so'.d at foreclosure and became the Iirdianapolis, Decatur and Western Railroad. In 1902, it was consolidated with the C H & D R R to become the C I & W railroad. It follows a direct east- west line through central Douglas county with only a Trisler Quality Hybrids A Hybrid Seed Corn Adapted To Your Soil ($j Certified Seed Beans Cei'tified Seed Oats (^: Certified Seed Wheat (•) Clovers, Alfalfas and Grasses Our Aim: YOU A Satisfied Customer TRISLER SEED FARMS Fred Biddle Jr., Salesman jog of about 200 feet just east of CamarRO. Townsite promoters followed closely on the heels of the railroad engineers who made the surveys and selected likely looking spots for development. There is informa- tion available which indicates that the Newman site was picked in 1854. but it was not until three years later that they could get title to the land needed, and the town laid out. There are no stories of anyone ever being trampled un- der foot in a rush to buy lots during the first 15 years of its existence. It made a slow and steady growth, but most of the dwelling hou.-*es and store buildings were small and lightly constructed which could be moved to another loca- tion if it became necessary. When the railroad was built, the roadbed was graded by men with teams and "slip scrapers" and the ties laid on the earth and it became quite a problem to maintain the tracks. It was several years before enough gravel could be brought in from pits in Indiana to supply the needed ballast. Operating a train in the early days was a hazardous occupation. There were no automatic couplers; the cars being fastened together by coupling links and coupling pins and many brakemen had their hands so badly mashed between the drawbars that amputation was necessary. .Air brakes were not in general use, except on locomotives, and when a freight would approach a town, brakemen would climb to the top of the ears to set the brakes on each car they could reach, by turning and locking the brake wheel. With this assistance, the engineer could usually stop the train somewhere near where he wanted to bring it to a halt. These early locomotives had an enormous appetite for fuel and a fireman literally shov- eled his way from one town to another. At first only one switch track was laid. It began at Broadway and extended five or six blocks. It was on the north side of the main line and served the elevator, coal sheds, the loading pens for livestock, and storage space for cars which brought merchandise and other supplies to Newman. When an elevator was built east of Broad- way, another switch track was made. It was not until many years later that the "passing track" was built on the south side. For many years, the Newman depot was open 24 hours daily except on Sundays. Many able men have served the railroad as its agent in Newman. J. Fred Carter was one of these, resigning a few years ago after a long term of service here. Clark Arganbright has been agent here for many years and is still on duty. The coming of the railroad in 1873 ushered in a new era Compliments Of Jared W. Grain Grain's Tavern Broadlands, Illinois for Newman and the surrounding countryside. It marked the beginning of draining the swamp lands by open ditch- es and tile drains, making them available for grain farm- ing and for desirable home sites. The flow of incoming money rapidly increased and the country became more prosperous. The residents of Newman were now convinced that the town was "here to stay" and began to use brick for building store rooms and residences, and larger and more substantial frame buildings. Newman became one of the most profitable stations for the railroad and in turn it has been paying taxes annually into the city, school, township and county funds. The last bond of that $12,000 issue was paid off almost 70 years ago. NEWMAN CENTKNNIAL AUG. 23-24-25, 1957 SKady Rest Steak House Steaks — Sea Food — Chicken Reservations Accepted Phone 8721 Route 36 Chrisman, 111. Farnham Grain Co. Dealers in All Kinds Of Grain And Nutrena Feeds Horace, Illinois Phone 5296 Chrisman, 111. ANewS ervice With the advent of railroad service in 1873, many new businesses sprang up to fill the needs of the community of Newman . . . some of them long existent, others simply offspring of the enterprise. In the later category was the matter of conveying goods which came into town by rail from the depot to the var- ious places of business. Thus, the railroad was mother to the draying business. The first drayman in the new city was Ward Dudley, father-in-law of Mrs. Charles Dudley. Mr. Dudley's dray was a one-horse affair, the dray, it- self, fitted with heavy shafts and the bed balanced, to a certain extent, on two wheels. A support along the shafts prevented the full weight of the load from resting on the hoise's back while the cartons, boxes, etc., were being piled onto the dray. It did, however, require a very strong horse to handle the fully-loaded dray and the backhand through which the shafts passed was very wide and well padded. The dray was hiyh enough to make it level with the loading platform at the station or railroad car door. There w'as a puipose in having only two wheels — it nade the drag on the horse about half of what it would have been with a four-wheel dray struggling through the deep mud. Draying services were / based on contracts between , the drayman and individual merchants who arranged for all their freight or express -4k shipments to be handled whenever they happened to come. For many years, the horse- drawn dray was the common vehicle for freight transport- ation. It was used by M. D. Campbell and his son, Ben. (Ben had lost a leg in a railroad accident and used a crutch while he worked). ' Dan'.el Cole, grandfather of M s. Susan Thoni, also operated a one-horse dray for a The first two-horse dray, insofar as memory serves, was operated by George Baney, who also operated a coal hauling business in Newman. William Lipscomb was an- other of the early draymen. Many draymen have operated in Newman but these were the earliest, the two-wheelers pulled through the muck and mire by a laboring draft horse, creating a pic- ture symbolical of the small city of that period sti-uggling for its very existence in the face of seemingly impossible odds. Congratulations To Newman On Their First 100 Years Neff Concrete Products Co. Materials of Permanence DANVILLE, ILL. Phone 1016 711 Section St. I . . . John Sutlon and his dray number of years. S Q P It takes all three to give you complete satisfaction and that is what I can deliver. SERVICE to meet your every demand. QUALITY of seed that will prove itself by comparison. PERFORMANCE that has been prov- en for years on all types of soil under various weather conditions in this immediate locality. May I be of ser- vice to you? Your Lester Pfister Dealer Byrl Hoel A Famous AtKlete SATTLEYS OFFICE MACHINES New and Used CASH REGISTERS TYPEWRITERS ADDING MACHINES OFFICE SUPPLIES SALES — SERVICE — RENTALS PHONE S-7395 1123 NORTH WATER Decatur, Illinois A Newman country boy became a contender for the title of World's Champion Heavyweiirht Wrestler. He never won the crown, but for several years was regarded as the second best professional wrestler in the United States. Dr. B. F. Roller met every first class wrestler In America and never lost a fall, except to the champion, Frank Gotch. In those days, wrestling was a good, clean sport, en- Kajred in by well-trained and skillful athletes, and a "match" was not a well-rehearsed act between some of the over-stuffed clowns. Frank Roller attended a country school not far from the family home on The Ridge. In 1892, when 16 years of age, he entered DePauw University, taking a pre-medic- al course. As he had never attended high school, he did not complete the course until 1896. While at DePauw, he played football and used up his four years of elegibility as a college athlete. He went from there to the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his degree in medicine. During his student days at Penn, he earned a part of his expenses playing with a Pittsburg professional football team. He opened an office in Philadelphia, but after two years decided to locate in Seattle, Wash. One night, a Canadian wrestler who was in Seattle of- fered $300 to any opponent he could not pin in 30 minutes. Dr. Roller, who was 31 years of age at that time and who had never wrestled professionally, accepted the challenge and pinned the Canadian in 12 minutes. Frank liked the sport, so employed an instructor and trainer and followed it as a sideline for a few years. He died in New York City in 1934 of pneumonia. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Roller and a brother of William, Ernest, .Andrew, George and Manford Roller. Culton Locker Plant Custom Butchering: Processing And Curing Home Killed Meats Phone 25 Newman fact and fancy Soon after David P. Freeman was mustered out of the Union Army, he went to work for the Mosely Lathe Co. of Elgin, III., which had the contract to make the tools for the newly organized Elgin watch company. After the first watches were made, they found themselves short of funds for payment of the Mosely company and offered to pay the men in watches rather than money where they could. Mr. Freeman received one of these watches and his granddaughter, Mrs. Russell Young, has it in her posses- sion. It is wound with a huge key. There were some good pranksters here in the by-gone days. John Anderson was the best, but Joe Fansler could think up some good ones. A gentle young heifer, a huge pair of horns, and some plaster of Paris created an un- usual and outraged beast one night on the commons north of the railroad. The joke was so good it made the Chi- cago papers and, of course, provided laughs for a long time. Earl Swickard has a set of tools which his grandfather made and then used to build his house and barn. From an 1895 copy of The Independent, in an article concerning Mrs. Jane McAllister's 84th birthday party, was this information describing travel in the early 1820's. Mrs. McAllister, when a 12-year-old girl, with her family left Mifflin, Pa., on the Clarion river, then went down the Ohio and up the White river to Lawrenceberg, Ind. The raft used was homemade by and for the five families embarking on it. It had small cabins for sleeping and one for a kitchen, with a fireplace for cooking. The men of the party hunted game along the banks as they moved along, and the entire trip was remembered ever after as having been a most enjoyable journey. Mrs. McAllister was the maternal grandmother of Grace Scroggin Stickles. Those present at the birthday celebration: Mesdames J. R. Page, S. C. Cash, J. S. Dawson, Ed Nichols, Emily Roller, M. S. Smith, Martin Robinson, Glen Melntyre, A. E. Hamilton, J. L. Berkley, Sue Springer, F. K. Page, P. P. Dawson, Maude Gillogly, Belle Melntyre, Henley Eversole. Centennial Greetings Oscar Gallion s Barber Shop Newman, Illinois Best Wiskes For A Big Newman Centennial Miller Motor Sales your fORJ> Dealer A-1 Used Cars Parts ^ Service Plione 29 Newman, 111. I'HIS \\ A> nil. M.U.MA.N l)aua a( the time when, perhaps, it was enjoying the peak of its popularity. In the front row. left to right arc Mose Smith and Kdwad WatiTs. In (he second row. Fritz Streibiih. Albert Smith. Hezekiah Shute, Simon Fuller, an un- id;-ntified man of the band, Otis Matheney, Ernest ... ■ T. - • ' Sutton, another unidenlitud iii.iii .uid John M. I'ound. Third row, Paul Burgett, Willis Holden, Kenneth Pound, Albert W. Richards, H. B. Smith, EugiML' Root, Dr. Cyrus \V. Rutherford, Cloyd Shute, Alva Bradford, William Wiley. Charles W. Record and Charles C. Burgett. The Band It is almost impossible to chronicle the community life cf Newman during the last years of the 1800's and the first years after the turn of the century without bringing attention to the widely known Newman Band. Hardly an < vent of note could be termed a success without the ap- pearance of The Band. According to imformation available to ua, the first band was organized in 1875 by John Watts. In 1880, Charles Pcttit re-organized the membership and became band dir- ector. At that time, there were ten pieces in the band and according to old records, "the band was in demand upon all occasions when a little 'rhythmic disturbance' was needed to fill up the intermission between speeches." The band grew and flourished over the years. During the late 80's, it was known as "Shute's Marine Band" and reached the height of its strength and popularity in the early 1900's. On Oct. 10, 1902, a band reunion was held. The entire day in Newman was devoted to paying tribute to all past and current members of the community's best-known mu- sical organization. The day's program included: 9 a. m. — Assemblage at the Opera House. 10 o'clock — Public concert. Invocation by Rev. L. R. Thomas, vocal solo by Mrs. J. M. Kyde, Welcome by G. O. Moore, response by W. W. Pepper, address by Rev. Thomas on "Effects of Music for the Betterment of Mankind". Dinner was served by the ladies' auxiliary of the band. 1:30 — Overture by the band, address at 2 p. m. by the Rev. J. H. Piper on "Advantage of a Band to a Country Town"; 2:30, recording and reproductions of records on Grand Graphaphone; 3:00, address by Rev. Glick, followed by selection by the band and "Burlesque on Band" by W. W. Pepper. At the time of the reunion, there had been more than 90 men who had been members of the band and of that num- ber, more than 50 came back to Newman for the reunion. Charter members of the band were H. Shute, baritone, A. B. Smith, E-flat coinet, Simon Fuller, tenor, J. C. House, B-flat cornet, C. L. Swigart, E-flat cornet, William Baney, tenor, Doug Tatman, base drum, George Waters, alto, Brad Shute, tuba, and Charles Hooe, snare drum. For many years, public concerts were held in the band stand in the park, first on the second floor and later, when the band stand was rebuilt, on the first floor. Many list- eners will recall Stormy Bill Ellington's performance in "A Hunting Scene", the late M. S. Smith with his big tuba and trombone solos by the late Otis Matheney. Persons most familiar with the Newman Band give a great deal of credit for its contribution to the community to Mose Smith and .Albert Richards. In Memory Of Mr. and Mrs. Moses S. Smith and Miss Martha R. Smith SLUGGERS — This picture from the annals of New- man sports activities was taken in 189'} and was loaned to The Independent by Mrs. Lulu VanDyne. l! shows one of the earliest baseball teams — the City Hotel Club. The individuals in the picture, as iden- tified by one of the players, are, first row, left to light, J. T. Sollers. catcher; Delmar Ashmore, second base; Harry White, right fie!d; George Goodwin, pitcher. Standing. I'otter P. Long, one of the team's most ardent fans; John Rutherford, shortstop; George Barr. first base; Palmer Hancock, left field; Bruce W. VanUyne, centerfield; Fred L. White, third base, and Davie Miller, manager. The lone horse- man in the rear is .Mbert Smith. Congratulations And Best Wiskes Roy E. King, D.O. H omer .111. Davis Electric Shop Modern Electronic And Electrical Sales And Service In Our Century Old Community May we show progress and pros- perity and continue producing fine citizens as we have in the past 100 years. Deane C Ddvis Serving Newman And Vicinity Since 1938 NKWMANS FIRST AITOMOUILE A ihnnoe reading of a news item which appeared in the Newman Independent over half a century ago brounht back a dim recollection of sometliiriK that happened in the lont; nKo past and also suRRested a possible source of au- thentic information. The news item read: "July 5, 1905— Manford Roller has bouRht Perry Dawson's automobile." That automobile was the first owned by a resident of Newman. It was an "Olds" two-passenger roadster with a one-cylinder motor, a curved "dashboard," and had a "tiller" instead of a wheel for steering. It had a warning device — a horn with a rubber bulb which, when squeezed, gave out a shrill "peep". It had no top or windshield, but did have coal-oil burning lights for night driving. The motor was started by inserting a crank at the side. When properly "tuned up" it would run 30 miles an hour. It sold for i900. The owners of this beauty were Perry Dawson and Charles O. Taylor. After a short time, Mr. Taylor sold his interest to Mr. Dawson. .After using it four years, Mr. Dawson sold it to Man- ford Roller for 5300. He drove it four years and then sold it to a Mr. Stotts of Newman, a tailor, for $100. Mr. Roller says the last time he saw it Mr. Stotts was walking behind the car, pushing it back into town. The ground now occupied by the Grab-It-Here store was once the site of a large livery stable operated by A. J. Fonner. In front of the stairway next to the curb is a small square of concrete which appears to be a part of the sidewalk. Underneath it is a well which supplied water to a trough for watering horses. .^i'-elM^" NORTH RAILROAD STREET ... about 1K95 Compliments Of Findley's Deoartmcnt Store Dry Goods, Clothing and Shoes For The Entire Family VISIT OUR STORE WHEN YOU ARE IN - Oakland, Illinois Congratulations, Newman May your 100th Anniversary Celebration be liut the beginning of a feeling of unity and l^ride that will make this community a place that future generations will be proud of a heritage they will cherish and pre- serve. Citizens Gas Company Use GAS — The Ideal Fuel fact and fancy In 1904, an interesting birthday record was given by Len- nie England Thompson, secretary of the Pleasant Ridge Sunday School: Apr. 4, Jimniie Kincaid gave 13 pennies, Apr. 10 Ervin Kincaid gave 10 pennies, May 4 Ray Kin- caid gave 8 pennies. May 4 Teddy Hull gave 15 pennies, Nov., Harvey Lloyd gave 13 pennies and Bertha Kincaid gave 16 pennies. At the time Sherm Cook's house burned, it is told on good authority, William Hecb, who was post master at the time, rushed into the house, threw a dresser with a looking glass in it out of the window, and rushed down- stairs carrying a featherbed. Church going called for fortitude in the early days. Peop- le came many miles to participate in the services — via horseback and walking. Kitchen chairs were placed in farm wagons, lanterns and hot bricks were used for heat. Families climbed aboard as each farm house was passed. Often, men and boys had to walk to ease the load and to probe the deep, waxy mud from the wheels and to find the roadbed. Sleighs with bells and bobsleds were popular during the Winter. One event happened after a heavy snow when a sleigh load of young people came northeast of Newman t-o the J. R. Page farm where Ervin Kincaid now lives, for a songfest. Mrs. Page had the first Melodi- an in the country, shipped here from New York. Emma McAlister, a very young woman and a teacher, who was an occupant of the sleigh, said the snow was so deep and the horses lunging so the sleigh upset and all were thrown out. She had to be pulled out by the heels, and it was a comical sight to see the legs of others sticking out of the drifts "like toothpicks in icing". Robert Albin, father of Sanford Albin, was married twice, Sanford being the eldest child of the second marriage. Nancy, the mother, had the idea that Robert did not love the children of the second family as he did the first fam- ily until there was a lot of ice that had to be walked over. Robert crawled on his hands and knees with Sanford on his back rather than risk falling with him. Herding a drove of cattle from the Winkler homestead to the Chicago market, letting them graze and grow as they moved along would probably seem too slow to Har- vey Winkler. But an ancestor of his did that very thing and seemed to enjoy it from the tone of his letter, written after he reached Chicago. Price Paint Store 107 S. Walnut St. PHONE 21';6 CHAMPAIGN ELLIOTT and DuPONT HOUSE PAINTS DUCO-DULUX ZERONE-ZEREX BODY SHOP SUPPLIES 108 S. Neil Seventy-five years ago in December, John Akers of Newman township and Mary Brown of Oakland were mar- ried in Tuscola. They came to Newman on a late train to spend their wedding night at the Newman Hotel, which was operated by James Fonner. Their happiness over embarking on life's journey together was greatly dimmed the next morning as they prepared to journey out to the country. They discovered that the bride's trunk, contain- ing all her earthly possessions and keep-sakes had not followed through. It was never recovered. — Helen L. Fansler. It is a matter of history that once in very hard times, Marion and Jim Young's great-grandfather, an early set- tler on the Ridge, hauled a load of corn to Homer to sell and received less money for it than he did for a pound of honey sold the same day. To our grandparents, Martin and Eliza Jane Robinson and our parents, Joseph E. and Alice Robinson, who have left memories which will be always cherished. Ninah Gray Cecile Gumm Compliments Of First National Bank Villa Grove, Illinois MembtT of the F.D.LC. CHORISTERS — At the time this picture was taken, these people were in great demand as musical entertainers at civic and church programs in Newman. The inspiration for the glee club was the gentle- man who dominates the cen- ter of the picture, but whose name has escaped the mem- ory of everyone contacted. The chorus was under the general management of El- mer Dawson. Those in the picture, using their names at the time the photograph was taken — Front row, left to right. Miss Mable Campbell, Miss Bessie Burgett, Miss Alice Mclntyre, Miss Carolyn Thomas, Miss Elaine Root, Mrs. Pearl Gillogly; second row. Miss Jessie Douglas, Miss Mabel Hancock, Miss Verdie Dawson, Miss Anna Harper, Miss Bertha Scotteii and Miss Verna Good; third row, Roy Stout, Shelley R. Burgett, the director (un- identified), Fred White and Elmer Dawson. In Memoriam TOPPE In loving memory of our father, Samuel Plumbing ^ Heating L. Long, and our mother, Emily Edmiston Long, who were pioneers in the settlement of this community. Newman Phone 109 Mr. and Mrs. Asher C. Jones Mr. and Mrs. Carl S. Long Williamson Heating and Air Conditioning American Standard and Kohler Belton Candy Company Plumbing Fixtures Wholesale Candy & Fountain Syrups Frigidaire Appliances 43 N. Jackson St. Telephone 831 Phone Us for Free Estimates Danville, 111. Congratulations to Newman on your 100th Anniversary Russell Moore Electrical and Refrigeration Service 312 Oak St. Paris, 111. Phone 3-1856 Congratulations TO Newman and Community ON YOUR lOOtK Anniversary FROM Illinois Cereal Mills, Inc. Processors Of Corn Paris, Illinois AtKletes Possessed of a compftitive :uui nugrcssive spirit as they were, it was natural that Newnian's early citizens should turn frequently to outdoor sports as an outlet for the energy they brought with them — and further, that this same spirit should be one of the proud heritages cherished by present generations. As early as the annals of the town seemingly can be traced, baseball has been a major sport and has produced dozens of players with more than ordinary ability. Two of these — J. T. and Ira Sollers — supplied the data on which this article was based when it appeared originally in "Other Years", a collection of articles published by The Independent. Baseball as played here during the 70's and 80's was radically different from today's game. The size of the diamond and the distance between the bases has remained the same, but changes have been made in the distance between the pitcher's mound and home plate, due in part to the changing of rules governing the delivery of the ball by the pitcher. In the earlier games, a batter was allowed four strikes and needed seven bal'.s to entitle him to a "walk". Fouls were not con.sidered strikes and the catcher, having no glove, mask or protector, usually played the ball on the first bounce. A foul tip caught by the catcher, whether tipped or on the fly, retired the hitter. The "curve ball" of today's game was impossible to throw with the early ball which had no raised seams and pitchers used either an underhand pitch or straight fast ball. Rube Tatnian, son of Ler Tatman, the v.-agon maker, is generally credited with developing the first curve in these parts after the introduction of the horschide covered "dead" ball in the late 70's. Just how Rube became proficient as a curve-liall pitcher has escaped the records, but there is no doubt that lefthand hitters who first faced this new de- livery backed away from the plate like they were dodging bumblebees. The first regulation "skinned" diamond in Newman was located on the block where H. B. Rutherford's home now stands. It was just behind the old blacksmith shop. Home plate was near where Robert Smith now lives and the outfield was to the northwest. Very little playing equipment was available. Catchers and bi'.semen used no mitts or gloves. Opposition for the nine-inning games was furnished LIVESTOCK AUCTION SALE CATTLE — HOGS — SHEEP Paris Live Stock Auction Co. One Mile North of Paris Square on Route 1 SALE BARN PHONE ,3-722.J Wm. Knowles Residence — Phone 4-2!»,}3 See Trinkle CKevroIet Co. Newman, 111. for a Flex N r.ate Body For Your Truck We Carry Them In Stock For Chevrolet Trucks Safest End Gate for Livestock m'S flexibu eia*^3i V, notes; «o"' '°'' """' one of .»» l"""* ^"»"« "';";U . -s bed ,.«cl.s OyOllOOl" down.' ■..."•»;'•;„, ,oad,n9 end 00- *;:a;:o.''oobie-...— -■•"■ OPENS UP AND OVER IIKE ROtl-rOP Pf$H Flex N Gate 1302 E. Univ. Urbana, 111. Manufacturers And Distributors For Flex N Gate GRIDIRON GLADIATORS— Bottom row, Truman S. Sollers, right end, and Cloyd Shute, left end; second row, seated, Paul Root, substitute end, John W. Ellington, right half, Howard McAnally, center, William Johnson, right guard, Allie Patton, left tackle, William Gaines, left halfback; third row, standing, Parm Hancock, manager, Charles M. El- lington, fullback, Ted C'arnes, right guard, Clovis Carncs, left guard, Loren Hood, quarterback, Davey Ellington, mascot, Clayton C. Barr, fuMback, Dr. Roy Coffey, quarterback, George Carnes, right tackle, Clarence Rude, substitute quarterback. Their record, displayed in the center, speaks for itself. by teams from surrounding towns — Tuscola, Atwood anJ numerous games with Oakland and Kansas tennis, who were considered natural rivals since so many of the New- man people had lived in these communities before coming here. Umpires of that day were as adamant as they are today where their decisions were concerned. Rube Tatman had an "outdrop" which he used frequently with great suc- cess because of this peculiarity of the part of certain arb- iters. It was their contention that a ball which started straight could not change direction and, according to that logic, it continued through the strike zone. Newman has had a lot of players and those named here are not necessarily all-time all-stars but merely consiitu.e members of a team that played regularly during the 187J's and 1880's. These early diamondeers included Charles Cash, who caught barehanded; George Bane, uncle of Boyd Bane, who also caught and was considered one of the team's hitting stars; John Suit, Homer Bilby, Rube Tatman and George Morrow. Morrow also took his turn as a pitcher. John Stickels played first base. Jack Wright and M. S. Smith, together with Bryant Gillispie, played the infield. For outfielders, the team had J. W. Fansler, Lou Hickman, Luther Winkler, J. C. Gillogly, W. H. Thompson and Kit C. N. Wiggington &' Son HARDWARE & AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIES TAPPAN & FRIGIDAIRE APPLIANCES PHONE 2731 Oakland, Illinois Centennial Greetings From Gene Trimble's OrcKestra ' "The Most Danceable Music In Eastern Illinois" Carson. Following: the publication of the story on an early base- ball team, Mrs. Lulu VariDyne provided The Independent with a picture of an 1893 team that revived new mem- ories. It was the "City Hotel Club" nine and was spon- sored by George W. Williams, who, at that time, oper- ated the City Hotel, located where the Newman Hotel now stands. Sometime when you're walking past the hotel look for the words "City Hotel" which were etched in the wet cement at the time the sidewalk was built — they're still readable. The picture was taken in front of the home of E. L. Tackitt, former Newman mayor. You will note that the team still played without the benefit of baseball gloves, with the exception of the catcher, who possesses the sem- blance of a catcher's mitt and a mask. Of special interest also, is the prominent display of bats. One of the players, who still lives in Newman, recalls that a broken bat was a major catastrophe. This team played opponents from Hume, Tuscola, Met- calf, Oakland and Longview and won most of their games. .\mong the ardent followers of the team were men well-known in the town at the time — James Barr, .Anson Skinner, Joseph VanDyne, Joseph Eagler and T. M. Si- denstricker were some of the fans to be found along the sidelines at every game, offering special inducements for stellar performances. Newman's intense interest in the rugged sport of foot- ball unquestionably was fostered during its embryonic stage by the stout-hearted aggregation in the p. dure which accompanies this article, another in our series on the history of "The Best Little City in Eastern Illinois." So much has been written — and well it might be, since football has furnished no little center of interest here — about various football teams that picking this particular group for comment might be regarded as discriminating. But, aside from the physical and mental acumen required of the participants, there is little resemblance to our mod- ern game. The team pictured here, as well as others of the era, was composed of both high school and "town men." Early interest in the game here — it vas Rugby football then — gained impetus from the pror.iinence gained by George Roller, who had played foolball at DeFauw University, and Dr. Frank Roller, who played with the University of Pennsylvania team. Several local sports enthusiasts also had seen football played at the University of Illinois. This was a game in which no forward passing was al- lowed, seven men were required on the line of scrimmage and a team had to make five yards for a first down. The so-called plays were either bone-crushing line plunges by Congratulations on Your Centennial K I R B Y ' S Firestone Dealer Store Your Business Appreciated Budget Terms STORE HOURS 7:30 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. SUND.WS 'TIL NOON 303 W. MAIN PHONE 7-6362 Urbana, Illinois R. B. Gossett Implement Co. J. I. Case and Allis-Chalmers Farm Equipment Tappan Ranges Bottled Gas W. H. "Bill" Darlev Charles "Chinie" Eskew R. B. Gossett Owner Newman, Illinois the fullback or end sweeps by the halfbacks. These rug- g-ed lads paid little attention to intricate formations to confuse the opposition, although they did use a criss- cross play with one halfback handing the ball to the other as they ran in opposite directions behind the line of scrim- mage. The team's repertoire of plays totalled about nine. The quarterback called signals and handled the ball on every play except on punts when the pass from center went direct to the kicker. The playing field was 110 yards long and the goal posts were set on the goal line. There was no huddle to check the play coming up. Very few penalties were imposed since offside was about the only infraction recognized. Ball-tackling was a common practice and roughness was considered very necessary, in whatever degree it was ad- ministered — no such thing as "unnecessary roughness" for these boys. Football suits in this stage of the game's development were unpadded but shin guards and nose armor were an absolute necessity, while headgear, although not common, was used to some extent. Also in conformity with the rules, a reluctant fullback not only could be pushed by a couple of eager halfbacks to pick up an additional yard or so, but they could literally drag his battered body or heave him through the air, if possible. NEWMAN CENTENNIAL — AUG. 23-24-25, 1957 Compliments Of KLONDIKE TAVERN N ew^man .111. Compliments Oi RiBWeST Manufacturers Of Better Farm Truck Bodies Midwest Bod)' & Manufacturing Division Paris, Illinois fact and fancy Grandpa T. W. Biilcllf told alio'it wnlkinu home through the woods one nitrht in his youth. Hi' hi-ard somethinK followlnjr him and the closer he trot to the house, the fast- er he ran. He dashed in the door and jiralilied the rifle from ahove the door and fired. The next morning, he looked out and saw a hijr dead bobcat hanKinj; acro.ss the K"te. In the early days before the Villape of Newman wa-; laid out, the settlement was known as the "Brushy Fork of the .Ambraw". The nearest iieiiihbor of the widow Sarah .1, Kincaid was the William M. Young family that lived over west. His son, Marion Young, a very young lad at the time, riding through the slough hunting their one cow, saw a curl of smoke over east among the trec?s and hurried home to tell Ma and Pa they had neighbors. T. K. Thompson's grandfather Golden built a large barn on the side of a hill, with a room for the .stock below. H!.^ giandmothe- kept count of one hundred pies she baked for the "barn raising", then quit counting. An aunt told of having seen, from high '.n this great barn, the Indians riding through the prairio grass. Dr. C. Rutherford, who practiced medicine in Newman for more than 50 years and was one of our most respected citizens but who also v/as a notoriously bad scribe, we are told, was prescribing for a patient and gave him a boK of pills with instructions written on the box. The follow- ing day, the patient returned and asked the doctor to tell him how the medicine should be taken as he could not make out the instructions. Dr. Rutherford took the box of pills, looked at the instructions for a minute and said: "I tell you what I'll do; I'll give you another box of m; d- icine." From The Independent, Apr. 20, 1917 — Mr. Samuel Baxter of Murdock sold ^0 head of hogs Monday to Siming- ton & Hunt at Tuscola, which bvought him porhaps the largest amount of money for the same number of porkers ever sold in Douglas county. They were sold for $15.25 per 100 and brought $770.12. Sarah Chatman Gaston, mother-in-law of Joseph Skinner, was horn on the St. Lawrence River, where her parents were captives of the Indians. — From Douglas County History. Compliments Of Dr. R. H. Klwell Dentist Oaliland, Illinois HARRY BAXTER Harry Baxter married Faye Long in 1910. He engaged in farming for several years and then moved to Newman where he was act- ive in business, civic, and church circles. He served his community in the state legislature from 192;i-l'.l30. He was a member of the var- ious Masonic bodies. MRS. HARRY BAXTER STRODDARD M. LONG Stroddard M. Long, pioneer farmer and later banker, married Mr.ry Pounds who became his faithful helpmate. His business sagacity was shown by the fact that in 187() the price of corn was so low that most farmers used the corn for fuel, but Mr. Long built rail cribs, stored his crop, and the next year bought 80 acres of land from the corn sale. He was a member of the state legislature. His rare gift of humor delight- his friends. — MRS. HARRY BAXTER ORVAL TRIMBLE SONS Breeders of Rcsistorcd Aberdeen- An jfus Cattle Herd Sires Grandson of Eileenmere 300 (Jrandson of Eileenirere 487 Cattle for Sale rhone 1 .").") F I Visitors Welcome Newman, Illinois COMPLIMENTS OF MR. AND MRS. ORVAI. TRIMBLE FIRST "USED CAR" BUYER Manford Roller became the first Newman man to be a "use car" buyer when he purchased Perry Dawson's Olds in July of 1905. Manfnrd relates a story of the reaction of horses when an automobile appeared. As he was return- ing to his home one day he saw a neighbor and his wife approaching in a buggy. As they drew near, the horse became frightened and began to plunge and twist and at- tempt to turn, the woman began to scream, and the man became very busy trying to control the horse. As was customary, Manford stopped his car at the side of the road, turned off the motor, and went to the neighbors' assist- ance. When he approached he asked: "Do you want me to lead him past?" "No, you lead my wife by; I can take care of this horse." When in 1852 James and John Coolley and William Wil- liams Young bought land on the Rdge, they located it in the sea of prairie grass by first finding the government marker, called an established corner, one-half mile north of where Newman now is. Then they tied a rope to one wheel of the wagon with a hickory withe tied to the free end of the rope, which would making a slapping sound as it struck the ground with each revolution of the wheel. One man drove with compass in hand to be sure they went directly north. The other two counted the revolutions. Good old 3.141C! James Malcolm Mclntyre's great-uncle. Jack Powell, had his horse stolen by Jessie James, ridden to a bank robbery and returned the same night. Compliments Of The Cone Bai Serving Frozen Custard At Its Best Frank A. Ousley N ew^man ,111. The Style Shop Ladies' and Children's Ready-to-Wear Newman, III Newman Lodge A, f. S- A, M, No. 369 Newman Lodge, perhaps the oldest fraternal orsaniz:\- tion in the city, was chartered October 2, 18(U, by the Grand Lodge of the State of Illinois, Ira S. W. Biuk, Grand Master, with the following officers: W. A. Smith — Worshipful Master William Hancock — Senior Warden William F. Murphy — .lunior Warden Isaac Howard — Treasurer I. VV. Burgett — Secretary W. A. Lowe — Senior Deacon Charles Younger — Junior Deacon Robert Albin — Tyler The original lodge hall was located in a wooden building, standing near the southeast corner of the City Park. The upper floor was usod for the lodge. It was in 1872 that the lodge purchased the upper floor of the present build- ing, which from that time has been the home of the lodge. Newman lodge has had a continuous and prosperous ex- istence. All records of all meetings are intact and a com- plete record of all who have received the degrees of Mason- ry in Newman lodge are in possession of the lodge offic- e.s. At the time of the fire in 190;{ when the records were in tlie possession of Dr. J. M. Wagner, they were in (Linger of being destroyed. The doctor rescued them from the burning building and though charred, showing the effects of the fire, they are intact and legible. Through the 95 years, .504 men have been made Master Maj-'ons in Newman lodge. The folloiuing Uave Served As (Ilaster Of The Lodge W. A. Smith William Hancock Isaac S. Lewis O. H. Harris D. O. Root 0. H. Coppeck James M. Smith E. T. Root Thomas Rutherford L. E. Root Dr. Ralph Wagner Bruce W. VanDyne Fred L. White Cyrus W. Rutherford John Hanners EJgar Morrow Clinton E. Douglass Harry Baxter Jay T. Burgett A. L. Josserand John Wax John W. Ellington Earl O. Swickard Frank Ringer Hugh Irving Conn Harvey E. Winkler Mack Hollowell Manford Roller Ervin Kincaid Clayton C. McLain Dan M. Mclntyrc Llovd V. Boyor William C. Booton John Goodson Willard L. Hagebush Orville E. McCoy Angus Hopkins Velvin C. Graham Kent Moirow Harry V. Tharp Earl Allen Raymond .Martin Shelton Allen Eugene Trimble Kenneth Kincaid Boyd Bennett Jatk Allen E'.mo Eennett The folloiuinq Have Served The Lodge As Secretary I. W. Burgett J. R. Page William Howard D. O. Root Isaac S. Lewis D. W. Stallings J. W. Parker O. H. Coppeck John W. King Carl S. Burgett Fran'j M. Sidenstricker Herman Vandine E. B. Brooks J. M. Wagner Arthur Yeagcr Howard L. Thomas H. I. McNeill Clinton E. Doug'.ass Jay T. Burgett Harry Baxter Harry Myers R. H. Gregg D. M. Mclntyre Angus H()i)kins Ch.\rle.-; Highley Earl Allen William C. Bviolon (present) 'To ruie Has been the ht of many, To rale weU has been the privilege of but few, ** Centennial Boosters Mr. Curtis Hooe Mr. Rudolph Dennis Mr. Ray Allen Mr. Loren Robinson Mr. and Mrs. Ervin Kincaid Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Mclntyre Mr. and Mrs. Evander Hartley Mr. and Mrs. John A. CooUey Miss Ruth EUsberry Mr. and Mrs. John R. Wagner Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Richards Miss Louise Mclntyre Mr. and Mrs. William B. McGaughey Mr. and Mrs. Francis Drake Donna Marie Drake Mr. and Mrs. Leonard .\lbin Mr. and Mrs. Freeman Overton Miss Anna Kay Overton Mr. Bert Hays Stella Bullock Mr. and Mrs. Doyle Trimble Mr. and Mrs. James M. Young Ml. and Mrs. Floyd Magill Mr. and Mrs. Eugene N. Fox Mr. and Mrs. Russell Hinds Mr. and Mrs. Everette Boyer Rebecca Ann Boyer Franklin, Indiana Mr. and Mrs. H. F. Myers 805 Forest Ave. South Pasadena, Calif. Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Wienke Homer, 111. Mr. Bill Krummenacher 2505 Brown Road Overland, Missouri Mr. W. C. Goedke 9025 Rosemary Affton, Missouri Mrs. Cliff Bails Charleston, Illinois Mr. O. R. Allen 1653 West Enos Springfield, Illinois Mr. Walter E. Michael 1806 S. Peach St. Champaign, 111. Newman, Illinois Mr. and Mrs. Robert Faust Mr. Frantz Kelley Mr. and Mrs. Boyd Bane Melinda Jo VanSickle Mr. and Mrs. "Shorty" Dickerson Mr. and Mrs. Harold Ross Gallion Mr. and Mrs. Everette Atchley Mr. and Mrs. Ray K. Wells Mr. E. A. Duvall Gladys W. Hendershot Mr. Homer Woods Mrs. Emma D. Thomas Mr. and Mrs. Mai-vin Branch Jr. Rev. and Mrs. J. B. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Sam Sigler John Curtis Sigler Mr. and Mrs. Asher C. Jones Mr. and Mrs. Russell Young Z. Elbridge Winkler Lue M. Winkler John J. Winkler Madge Sutton Mrs. H. 0. SoUers Mr. Harry Sollers Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Cal Harris Mr. and Mrs. Glenn V. Waltz S. W. Duling Mrs. Laura Lawrence Ora Lawrence Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Trinkle Mr.s. C. Ed Shephard KeiiiH'th C. Skinner .Anna E. Skinner Kt'.ineth Eugene Skinner Mildred Esther Skinner Kenneth David Skinner Edward Lyle Skinner Edna Rice Mr. and Mrs. John Payne Mr. and Mrs. Angus S. Hopkins Sandra Jane Hopkins Mrs. A. S. Hawkins Mr. and Mrs. Harry V. Tharp Sally Sue Tharp John Michael Tharp Richard Myles Tharp Mrs. James A. Linder Miss Margaret Boyer Miss Shirley M. Ross Miss Myrtle F. Ross Miss Mary Ann Boyer Mrs. C. K. Ross Miss Effie Fansler Mi-, and Mrs. Ray Hopkins Mr. and Mrs. Earl Busby Murdock, Illinois M,. Ralph A. Oliver 1300 Washington Ave. St. Louis 3, Missouri Mr. and Mrs. D. F. Hang Kenneth Warren Hang William Mack Hang 2012 Boudreau Drive U»b.ina, Illinois Mr. and Mrs. W. C. McGaughey 83 Lake Ave. Danbury, Connecticut Mr. and Mrs. Thomas P. Burgett 61,1 Pacific Ave. Long Beach 12, California Mrs. Fanny English Danville, Illinois Mr. and Mrs. Marcus G. Porter Hume, Illinois Mrs. Sue House Thom 524 Tov^nsend Ave. Columbus 23, Ohio Mr. and Mrs. Duane Kincaid Dee Anne Kincaid 615 Kimberley Road Birmingham, Mich. Mr. Tom Acton, Mattoon, Illinois Mr. M. L. Rodgers, Mattoon, Illinois James Nelson Skinner Mary Carolyn Skinner Christcne Lodema Skinner Sue Ellen Skinner 15 North 37th St. Terre Haute, Indiana Mr. and Mrs. Roy E. Adams David G. Adams Marilyn R. Adams Illiopolis, IlliTiois Mr. and Mrs. .Addison D. Ross Villa Park, Illinois Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Norsworthy St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada Mr. and Mrs. George L. King Hume, Illinois Centennial Committees COORDINATING COMMITTEE Rev. Leslie C. Wolfe Dr. H. I. Conn Co-Chairmen Mrs. Charles C. DeWitt, Secretary Williur Thompson, Assistant Chairman Kent Morrow, Treasurer Mrs. Charles Richards, Assist. Sec'y- FINANCE Kent Morrow W. B. McCiauKhey Max HarhaiiRli Di. Win. Rominjier Dr. M. E. Johnson PUBLICATIONS Lloyd V. Boyer Loren Biddle Lyle E. Davis Charles L. Reed E. L. Tackitt Reese Da^ue Mrs. Lloyd V. Boyer Ray Trinkle Mrs. Doyle Trimble Mrs. Maivin Branch Jr. HISTORIANS H. B. Rutherford Miss Louise Mclntyre Co-Chairmen Miss Gertrude Baxter Edgar Morrow Harvey E. Winl