977.354 
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 IHistorical Program Commemo- 
 jrating the One Hundredth 
 inniversary of Tremont, I^-j, x-")
 
 laiNOIS HISTORICAL SURVEY
 
 
 ^liililil i!i
 
 977.354 
 B625h 
 
 One 
 Hundredth 
 Anniversary 
 
 of 
 
 Tremont
 
 ILLINOIS HISTORICAL SURVEY
 
 1835 
 
 Historical Program 
 
 Commemorating the 
 
 One Hundredth 
 
 Anniversary 
 
 of 
 
 Tremont, Illinois 
 
 Second County Seat of Tazewell County 
 
 1835 
 
 Celebrated 
 Thursday, August 1, 1935 
 
 Edited and Compiled b\' Harold M. Blue 
 
 1935
 
 1835 — TREMONT CENTENNIAL — 1935 
 
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 I 
 6)Q)Qr ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS '^^^' H^-^^u -^-^ 
 
 Events of the Day ' 
 
 MORNING 
 
 10:00 A.M. Address of Welcome, Dr. J- E. Mclntyre, President of 
 the Village Board. 
 
 Following Dr. Mclntyre's address will be an open peri- 
 od for the renewing of old friendships. In addition there 
 will be races, games and horseshoe pitching for those 
 so inclined. 
 
 11 :00 A. M. Grand Centennial Parade, featuring Bands, Drum Corps, 
 \'isiting Lodges, Commercial, Religious, and Educa- 
 tional Floats. 
 
 12:00 Noon Luncheon, Entertainment and Music at the Park by the 
 Pekin Municipal Band. 
 
 AFTERNOON 
 
 1:00 P.M. Balloon Ascension, with a thrilling triple parachute 
 drop. 
 Concert by the Pekin Municipal Band. 
 
 2:00 P.M. Hoosier "Sod Busters," WLS nationally known radio 
 artists. 
 
 3:00 P. M. Address by Dr. John Holland, of WLS fame. 
 
 4:00 P.M. Five Flying LaVans, World's Greatest Aerialists, di- 
 rectly from the Steel Pier in Atlantic City. 
 
 4:30 P. M. Baseball Game, Tremont vs. Delavan. 
 
 5:30 P. M. Games, races, etc., for the children. 
 
 EVENING 
 
 6:00 P. M. Picnic Dinner in Park. 
 
 Band Concert by Pekin Municipal Band. 
 
 7:00 P.M. Balloon Ascension, with another triple parachute drop. 
 
 8:00 P.M. WLS Artists. 
 
 8:30 P. M. Five Flying LaVans, in another death defying exhibition. 
 
 9:30 P.M. Historical Pageant, depicting the History of Tremont. 
 
 9:45 P.M. Free Pavement Dance, with music by Al Winkel's 9 
 piece orchestra. 
 
 —3—
 
 1835 — TREMONT CENTEX X I AL — 1935 
 
 History of the Village of Tremont 
 
 THE STORY of tlie pioneer settlement of the West is filled with thrilling ro- 
 mance, and in that great empire we now know as the Mississippi Valley, there 
 can be found no more romantic stories than those that cluster about Illinois. 
 Here the early French explorers — Marquette, Joliet, LaSalle, Tonti, and the 
 Jesuit missionaries^on their long journeys between Canada and the Great River, 
 passed back and forth in their frail canoes along the Kankakee, the Illinois, the 
 Mackinaw, and other neighboring rivers within a few miles of what is now Tre- 
 mont. The stories of their early travels, of the simple Indian life of the whole 
 region, of the wild game abounding everywhere, of the trails that led across ver- 
 dant rolling prairies, and through beautiful forest— deep trodden by both Indian 
 and Buflfalo— of the fur traders who were the first white settlers in the 
 country — these are more thrilling by far than the stories of the later and more 
 modern times. But all these are but the background of the story tliat interests us 
 today— the settlements from 1820 on, in wliich our forefathers took such a heroic 
 part. 
 
 It is cause for profound regret that we have so little direct and definite knowl- 
 edge of the ancestral homes of the group of families who made up the nucleus 
 of the Tremont colony, nor of the reasons— religious, political, or economic— which 
 impelled them to leave their ancestral homes and emigrate to this virgin country, 
 gathering as a colony of farmers with Tremont as a centre. But we shall have 
 to content ourselves with such fragments of the almost forgotten story as we can 
 gather from many scattered sources. 
 
 The first white settler in the vicinity of Tremont was a man named Tames 
 Chapman, who came here in the early part of 1820. He built a cabin near Pleas- 
 ant Grove, but shortly after moved to Tremont township, two and one-half miles 
 east of the village. 
 
 In 1823. Thomas Briggs and Hezekiah Davis came from Sangamon County, 
 and established themselves as Indian traders two and one-lialf miles northwest at 
 Pleasant Grove. With tliem they brought a barrel of whiskey, some calico, a few 
 blankets, and other trinkets, for which the Indians were always eager to barter 
 furs and skins. 
 
 In the spring of 1824. Wm. Davis, Xathan Dillon and Martin Miars located 
 a few miles southwest of Tremont at the present site of Dillon. 
 
 It is recorded that Peter Cartwright, the pioneer evangelist, was joined m Holy 
 Bonds of Matrimony, in 1827. on the site of wliat afterward was known as Tremont. 
 
 In 1830. James Sterling came to Tremont with Wm. Broyhill and family 
 from Sangamon County, and settled on the farm occupied for many years by James 
 Cottingham. two miles east of the Village. Air. Sterling was the first permanent 
 white settler in Tremont township. 
 
 The w^inter of 1830 and 1831 was memorable for the deep snow. On the eve- 
 ning of the 29th of December, it began falling, and continued unceasingly for three 
 days and nights. Averaging a depth of four feet, it drifted in places as deeply as 
 eighteen to twenty feet. In consequence, great suflfering was experienced. For
 
 ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS 
 
 James J. Kellogg, pioneer settler and teacher, and 
 one of the first mayors of Tremont. 
 
 weeks the sun was not visible, and game could not be had. The suffering of the 
 people was very great- — human tongue can never adequately picture the trials en- 
 dured by the people at this time. For many weeks they were completely blockaded, 
 and remained so until, at tlie point of starvation, they were compelled to venture 
 forth. Going into the fields, until the top of a corn stalk could be seen sticking 
 through the snow, they would dig down for the ear of corn. It is recorded that 
 a day was spent gathering ten bushels of corn, with a four horse team pulling the 
 wagon. To get wood, trees would be cut above the snow ; in the spring, stumps 
 were often found ten and eleven feet high. During this winter, it snowed nineteen 
 times from December 29th until February 13th. After the snow melted, deer bones 
 were so numerous in one place, that for a quarter of an acre one could step from 
 bone to bone, over the entire surface. People born during this period of the heavy 
 snow, or who were living at that time, were known as "Snowbirds" for many years. 
 
 In 1831, David Lackland, James Broyhill, John Owens and Michael Trout 
 came from Tennessee and located east of Tremont, in the vicinity of what is now 
 known as Tennessee Point. Margaret Lackland, daughter of David Lackland, was 
 the first white child born in Tremont township (May 6, 1833). 
 
 In 1833, John H. Harris and Josiah L. James came to central Illinois on a 
 prospecting tour. On their journey home, Mr. James suggested that they or- 
 ganize a colony and emigrate to the west. The proposition was immediately sec- 
 
 —5—
 
 1835 — TKEMUXT CENTENNIAL — 1935 
 
 onded by Mr. Harris, who immediately on his arrival home, hcuan to solicit his 
 friends to join them in the organization of the proposed colony. Their enthusiasm 
 was contagious, for it was not long before a meeting was held at the Walton House 
 in New York City, and a committee consisting of John H. Harris, W. M. Samp- 
 son and Josiah L. James, was chosen to decide upon a location for the colony. 
 This committee chose the present site of the Village of Tremont, and upon their 
 return, made known their decision to those interested, whereupon the organization 
 was eflfected, and the first arrangement made. Mr. Harris was chosen Treasurer. 
 
 In 1834, approximately fifty persons started for the settlement, making their 
 journey in wagons, and bringing with them but little furniture, and the barest 
 necessities of life. On their arrival, they laid out the town, Imilding a schoolhouse 
 and church, establishing a post office, and introducing many improvements, which 
 made Tremont at that early date a center of intelligence, enterprise and good 
 society, scarcely equalled by many larger places in the West. They chose, as the 
 name of their enterprise, "Tremont," a name suggested by the three mounds which 
 border the Village, one on the northeast, one a little to the southeast, and one to 
 the southwest. 
 
 On February 2nd. 1835, Mr. Harris, as Treasurer of the colony, paid $18,000 
 into the government land office at Springfield, Illinois, for ninety-three quarter 
 sections, or 14,800 acres of land. The town was laid out by Harris, James and 
 Sampson. The original land patents were made out in the names of these men, and 
 w-ere signed by President Alartin Van Buren. They located the public square, and 
 laid out large lots, with streets and alleys. The colonists chose their land, either 
 city sites or agricultural land, by drawing lots, paying proportionately to the value 
 of the piece of land they drew. The public square was paid for out of the Gen- 
 eral Fund, and was given to the town for park purposes only. This was a piece 
 of land 680 feet square, located in the center of the original town. 
 
 On the 25th day of July of the same year (1835), a vote was taken to decide 
 whether the town should be incorporated. Twenty-nine ballots w-ere cast, twenty- 
 eight for, and one opposing. It is not known who opposed this measure, nor his 
 reason therefor. On August 22, 1835, a meeting was held at the schoolhouse to 
 choose the first trustees of the town. Phillip Flagler, Colis Tompkins, Palmer 
 Holmes, J. C. Morgan and Richard Updike were chosen. In the new town, the 
 first timber was delivered by Nathan Kinsey for the house now known as the 
 Hobart home, formerly occupied by A. A. Chapman. Josiah Matthews completed 
 the first house — that standing on lot 10 in the southeast corner of block 9, on the 
 site where Raymond Lutz now resides. In 1835, a tavern, a large two story 
 frame building, was built on the lot where G. W. Ballanger's home is now located. 
 
 On July 12, 1835, the State Legislature appointed a committee to locate per- 
 manently the County Seat of Tazewell County. This Committee was composed of 
 John C. Calhoun of Sangamon County, James Gaylord of Putnam County, and Israel 
 Pugh of Macon County. These men came to Tremont in 1835, where they were 
 met by John H. Harris, who offered to donate to the County twenty acres of land 
 just south of the town, now known as the County Seat Addition. This proposition 
 was made to secure the County Seat at Tremont, and in addition to this, the town 
 donated $2,000 for the erection of the public buildings. The Commissioners ac- 
 cepted these propositions, and in the course of time the County Seat was moved to 
 Tremont from Mackinaw, where it had been located since March, 1827.
 
 ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS 
 
 N. J. Menard, son of Pierre Menard, 
 pioneer and friend of Abraham Lin- 
 coln, for many years one of Tre- 
 mont's leading citizens. 
 
 The year 1835 was memorable for high water. Late in April it commenced | 
 to rain, and continued throughout the summer. The great prairies, then unculti- I 
 vated and undrained, were one vast lake. The storms gathered with fearful rapidity. 
 The falling of rain was frightful, the vivid lightning and crashing thunder was j 
 terrible. Very little in the way of raising crops was attempted that summer. In 
 the early part of July, a storm of rain, thunder and lightning occurred which for 
 severity has never been equalled in the mid-west, it is believed. The consecjuences 
 of this rain were dreadful. The earth was filled with water, and every little hollow 
 was a stagnant pool to engender disease. After the passing of the storm, a silent | 
 pestilence — Asiastic Cholera — arose from tlie green prairie, and spread death and I 
 terror in all Central Illinois. 
 
 The first Postmaster was a Mr. Sampson, brother of William Sampson, of i 
 
 the original Commission. Mr. Sampson, unfortunately, proved a defaulter, and , 
 
 the Government obtained a judgment against his property. His home stood where i 
 F. A. Blue now has his residence. The original building was called the sub treasury 
 for many years, although the government never had such an institution in Tre- 
 
 mont, save on paper. I 
 
 On December 11. 1835. a one story frame building, 18 x 24 feet, was ordered 
 erected for a County Clerk's office, and Thomas Fisher was let the contract for 1 
 $285. On June 6, 1836, the first court assembled in this building. During the same i 
 year, a contract for a temporary Court House, a two story frame building, was 
 let to Wm. Dillon for $1,150.00. The old jail was removed from Mackinaw to 
 Tremont, wliere it was enlarged, and veneered with brick, a very unusual procedure 
 in those pioneer days. 
 
 —7—
 
 1835 — TREMONT CENTENNIAL — 1935 
 
 It is interesting, always, to know the reaction of people on the spot. There- 
 fore, we read avidly the following excerpts, taken verbatim from the published 
 account of a notable traveler of that day. Undoubtedly the author visited in this 
 connnunity cither in 1S35 or 1836. He says : "The character of the place is New 
 England. Sectional feelings are all merged in the general interest .... exceed- 
 ingly neat and pleasant .... For a high moral tone of feeling, temperance, good 
 order, industry, public spirit, and real intelligence, I believe Tremont not to be 
 surpassed in the whole West, and rarely equalled in our country towns in the 
 East. . . . One of the most pleasing features of this place is the respect paid by 
 its inhabitants to Sabbath institutions. ... I have seen no place of its size in 
 the West where there is so little intemperance as in Tremont .... frank naivette 
 . . . . straightforwardness .... honesty .... 
 
 1836 is remembered for the sudden change in temperature, which caused the 
 most intense suffering to man and beast. A light snow, followed by a drizzling 
 rain, covered the ground with slush. A northwest wind instantly changed the at- 
 mosphere to frigid cold. The next day the entire country was one vast sea of ice. 
 Cattle in the fields were held by the freezing of the slush about their feet, and it 
 became necessary to cut away the ice to liberate them. But these gallant pioneers 
 inured to suffering, accepted this as only a passing incident in the development of 
 a new country. 
 
 In December, 1836, a plan was adopted for a permanent Court House, and 
 on the 13th of January, 1837, the contract for the construction was let to Wm. 
 Flagg, for a total of $14,500. This contract called for tiie erection of a two story 
 building, with basement, to be erected in the south part of town on a portion of 
 the land donated by John Harris. This building was to be "40 feet wide and 60 
 feet long, including a portico 10 feet wide. The windows are to be closed with 
 good blinds, the latter to be painted with four coats of paint, two of which are to 
 be French green. It is to be ornamented with an iron rod supporting three guilt 
 balls." In September, 1839, was dedicated the building which later was to sonor- 
 ously re-echo the resounding voices of Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, General 
 Shields, J. R. Logan, David Davis, and others, whose actions had much to do 
 with the promulgation of a republican form of government, and with the continuation 
 of those principles to which the "Declaration of Independence" was conse;rated. 
 Also in this building, on the 17th of September, 1842, Brig. Gen. Shields, the State 
 Auditor, challenged Abraham Lincoln to a duel concerning the authorship of some 
 libelous letters appearing in a Springfield paper. It must be admitted that Lincoln 
 had a great deal to do with them, but it is equally true that Mary Todd had a hand 
 in the affair, so Honest Abe admitted the authorship of all to shield the fair Aliss 
 Todd. However, the aftermath of this challenge was rather farcial— the duel, in 
 which Lincoln ])r(ipose(l to use "Cavalry Broadswords, of the widest and heaviest 
 type," never was fought, and the two participants afterward liecame good friends. 
 
 After the town of Tremont had been laid out in 1834, among the first things to 
 be established was a school. This building was erected on the site of the present 
 IMethodist parsonage, long occupied by the Kellogg family. The original school 
 building is still standing, and serves as a kitchen to the Methodist parsonage. The 
 original teacher is not known, but for thirteen years, from 1838 till 1851, James 
 Kellogg, a farmer who had been a most successful teacher in the East, served as 
 instructor. The school was a private one, and the course covered was elaborate, and 
 
 —8—
 
 ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS 
 
 The beautiful Menard home in Tremont. This edifice has often housed 
 Abraham Lincoln, who was a close friend of Pierre Menard, one of the 
 
 earliest settlers. 
 
 would no doubt dismay the teacher of today. It included everything from the pri- 
 mary to the Academy, including Latin and Greek. 
 
 In 1836. the State Legislature under the Internal Improvement Act, appointed 
 three Commissioners (one of whom was Charles Oakly of Tremont), to plan the 
 building of a railroad from Pekin to Bloomington. In accordan;e with their plans, 
 the road was graded as far as Tremont. The stone culverts were built, and ties and 
 sills laid for flat rails. Colonel Oakly then went to England to negotiate for rails, 
 but before his return, the state had become practically bankrupt, and the work 
 had to be abandoned. The material was subsequently removed. 
 
 The first white child born in the Village of Tremont was Charles Hayward, 
 born to Almarine and Eliza Washburn Hayward in 1837, in the house now occu- 
 pied by \Vm. Vale. The Haywards originally came here from Bridgewater, 
 Massachusetts. 
 
 In the summer of 1837, a great drouth prevailed. For seven weeks not a 
 drop of rain fell, and for a previous period of nearly twice that length of time, 
 the few showers that had fallen were barely sufficient to lay the dust. There were 
 no dews. The trodden roads were piled with dust. Sickness which had begun early 
 in the summer in various parts of the county, increased in malignity. Disease and 
 death stalked abroad. The pestilence claimed its victims in every home, in some 
 whole families being prostrated. The fever took the most malignant and fatal 
 form in the bottom lands, those bordering on the streams. One riding through 
 those regions frecjuently found homes in which every member of the family was 
 ill. There were but three or four wells in the city that furnished any water — 
 the well back of the present city hall being the finest and best of any. 
 
 In the early part of 1840 two stage lines were established, one between Peoria 
 and Bloomington, and the other between Peoria and Springfield. These stages, 
 
 —9—
 
 1835 — TREMONT CENTENNIAL — 1935 
 
 drawn by tmir liorse teams, carried mail, passengers, and express. Daily tri])s 
 were made in either direction on both lines. Milton W. Gowdy, of this place, was 
 one of the earliest drivers. During the time that he was employed, some of the 
 country's greatest men were his passengers. Among them was Abraham Lincoln, 
 who. when the weather was nice, would sit in the driver's seat with him the entire 
 way from Peoria to Springfield, and enliven the trip with the stories and anec- 
 dotes for which he was famous. 
 
 The first church in Tremont was built by the Baptists in 1842, at a cost of 
 $1700. The Congregational Church of Tremont was organized in 1844, and the 
 building erected in 1848. Before its completion, it was struck by lightning, and 
 damaged to some extent. The Episcopalians built a church in 1847 on the lots where 
 Beyer's Implement Co. now has its warehouse. A Bible given to the church in 
 that year by Bishop Chase is still in existence. In the early '60's, a Unitarian 
 Church, afterwards known as the Liberal Church, was erected on the site of Jacob 
 Velde's Hardware store. The Catholics bought the old schoolhouse, and worshipped 
 there until they built their own church near the Court House, in 1872. 
 
 In 1848, a petition was circulated to move the County Seat from Tremont to 
 Pekin. This petition received so many signatures that a vote was finally taken to 
 decide the question. Pekin polled the requisite number of votes, and the records 
 were removed to that city in 1849 and 1850. For several years a high school was 
 conducted in the old Court House. After the community had erected a high school 
 several years later, the building was remodeled as an apartment house. In 1895, 
 the original building was sold to William Brown, and a residence erected where 
 the old Court House stood. 
 
 About the year 1848, a private school was in operation for a short time on the 
 lot where the Jacob Nafziger residence now stands. 
 
 A company was organized in March, 1850, to establish a female seminary. In 
 1851. a two story frame structure was erected where Dan Staker's residence now 
 is, and was made into one of the finest institutions of this nature in Illinois. It 
 was attended by young ladies from all over the country. 
 
 Shortly previous to this, a district school called the Bell School (because it 
 possessed a bell!) was built just west of the present location of the Baptist Church. 
 In 1864, the Female Seminary was moved beside the Bell School, and converted 
 into a public school. This continued to be the public school of Tremont until 
 1892, when the present school building was built. 
 
 Prior to the year 1850, a district school building was built in Elm Grove 
 township where Ted Mullane now lives. Miss Susannah Sawyer of Peterborough, 
 New Hampshire, was the first teacher here. Among others, Miss Ruth Fenner 
 taught here, and in the new building of the same school, erected in 1897. 
 
 About 1860, a committee was appt)intcd to transfer the old railrt)ad bed to a 
 newly organized company which proposed to build a road from Pekin, Illinois, 
 to Danville, Illinois, by the way of Tremont. This company, like its predecessor, 
 failed to carry out its plans, largely due to the Civil War, then in progress. 
 
 In 1866, a newly organized company assumed the character of the defunct 
 railroad, and the road was finally built. The first passenger train, consisting of 
 an engine and two coaches, was run from Pekin to Tremont July 4, 1867. A. J. 
 Davis was the first railroad agent, and A. D. Davis the first telegraph operator. 
 
 —10—
 
 ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS 
 
 During the decade 1850-1860, a number of German farmers of the Mennonite 
 and Amish sects, commenced an emigration to Tremont and vicinity. These people 
 proved to be an excellent addition to our community, displaying both thrift and 
 honesty in all tlieir dealings. Today they own the major portion of the farms 
 around Tremont, in addition to many homes in the Village. Many of their young 
 people are occupying positions of trust in the town, and several are instructors in 
 our public school. 
 
 About the year 1880, an agricultural society was formed by the people living 
 in and around Tremont, and a fair was held every year for about ten years, in a 
 ten acre tract of land northwest of town. This land was the property of Josiah 
 Sawyer, President of the organization, who donated its use to the community. 
 
 The first Militia Company of Tremont was organized by Captain Trough. At 
 the outbreak of the Civil War, Captain Peter Menard organized a company of 
 about eighty men, with John March as First Lieutenant. There are now twenty 
 veterans of this war buried in Mount Hope Cemetery, who do not, of course, 
 represent all those who went in defense of their country from this community. One 
 of the number, Dudley Holmes, was killed in action at the battle of Fort Donelson. 
 In this connection, it is interesting to recall that in this same cemetery, there are 
 the graves of two who were in the War of 1812: Felix Fenner and Almarine Hay- 
 ward; two from the Black Hawk War of 1831: Peter Menard and Hezekiah 
 Davis ; Richard Updike, from the Mexican War ; and five veterans from the late 
 World War. Surely Tremont has done its share in the defense of its country. 
 
 In 1895, a Woman's Club was organized in Tremont by the young married 
 women of the town. It soon opened its doors to other women, and it has proved 
 a useful and helpful organization. At the present time there are about forty mem- 
 bers. In 1917, under the auspices of this organization, a free circulating library 
 was started in Tremont. 
 
 The first telephone in the Village of Tremont was one installed in the late 
 1880's by S. A. Hayward, from his grain office on Sampson Street to his residence 
 opposite the northeast corner of the scjuare. 
 
 In the spring of 1916, a petition was presented to consolidate the west side 
 school, district 72, with the Tremont School, District 39. This petition was fav- 
 orably received, and the two schools were consolidated as District 39. To the high 
 school erected in 1892, two rooms were, added later. This building was used as 
 a Community High School after 1920. In 1926, a very fine addition was made to 
 the old building, providing room for an expanding High School, and offering mod- 
 ern facilities for educational purposes. 
 
 Until her death. Miss Ruth Fenner, mentioned above, conducted a private 
 school in her home in the south part of town. Miss Fenner's years of service 
 as a teacher number sixty, and during these many earnest and devoted years, she 
 enshrined herself in the hearts of many of our citizens who were proud to have 
 received instruction at her hands. 
 
 Her life of service was duplicated in later years by Miss Florence M. Skinner, 
 who, holding increasingly responsible positions of trust in our public school system, 
 inculcated into our hearts an earnest desire for the better things of life. Upon her 
 passing, the entire community mourned. 
 
 To these two devoted women, we wish to express a deep and undying debt of 
 gratitude. Of women such as these is our nation advanced. 
 
 During the last 25 or 30 years, the village has taken on new life, and has 
 
 —11—
 
 1835 — TREMONT CENTENNIAL — 1935 
 
 Miss Ruth Fenner in the eCs. 
 
 steadily grown in population and business importance, and today compares favorably 
 with any of the villages in this or surrounding counties. No thcnightful person 
 can look back over the history of this communit}' without concluding tliat few 
 places in Illinois were begun under more auspicious circumstances, nor have few 
 made better use of those opportunities. The coming of the colonists gave the com- 
 munity an impetus that for many years set it in advance of the surrounding villages 
 and towns. The colonists did more tiian advance the material interests of the 
 place; they brought with tluin the culture and spirit of New England, and the 
 town, for many years, has had a reputation far and near for higli ideals, in eco- 
 nomic, social, and religious matters. Indeed, these same lofty ideals have been 
 handed down from generation to generation, until today, even though few descend- 
 ents of the colonists remain, yet the new citizens have caught the spirit of the past, 
 and are endeavoring td maintain the same standards that have characterized the 
 community since its historj' began. 
 
 The sons and daugliters of old Tremont are scattered far and near, many of 
 them filling important places of infiuencc in other states and distant countries, but 
 wherever we find them, we find deep implanted in tlieir hearts an earnest, reverent 
 love for their childhood iiome. And to them, the name "Tremont" recalls ])leasant 
 memories, and stirs within them an ambition to press forward in the lines of suc- 
 cess that their ancestors by hard labor and self denial made possible for them. 
 
 Finis 
 —12—
 
 ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS 
 
 Taken Verbatim from the Proceedings of Board of Trustees 
 
 of the Town of Tremont 
 
 November 20, 1843. 
 
 Board met according to adj. Present Messrs. Holmes, James & Browne. 
 
 On motion of Mr. James it was ordered that notice be given that any persons 
 having paid a tax assessed for the year 1841, upon producing receipts for the pay- 
 ment of the same, shall be credited with the amount then paid, upon the tax due 
 for the vear 1843 .... 
 
 November 7, 1846. Saturday Evening. 
 
 Board met this evening in pursurance of adjt. — all being present 
 
 On motion of Mr. Browne the Board passed the following 
 
 ORDINANCE 
 
 "Be it ordained by the Board of Trustees of the Town of Tremont that the 
 Corporation Taxes of the Year 1843 be refunded to all the persons who shall pre- 
 sent receipts for said Taxes or prove payment of the same in some other way — 
 that the Board meet on the evening of Friday & Saturday, Nov. 20th & 21st to 
 hear said proof and that thereafter all said persons be forever barred from the 
 benefit of this Ordinance 
 
 — Photo Courtesy Peoria Star 
 
 Home of Miss Ida McClure, on the east side of town, 
 
 in which Abraham Lincoln often visited. 
 
 —13—
 
 1835 — TREMONT CENTENNIAL — 1935 
 
 Two Very Unusual Excerpts from the Proceedings of the 
 Board of Trustees of the Town of Tremont 
 
 (Closing entry of the meeting held Dec. 29. 1843) 
 
 Adj. to the last Saturday in Jany. 1844. 
 
 H. R. BROWNE. Clerk. 
 
 (Next Entry) 
 
 The Board met agreeably to adjournment, and adjourned without doing busi- 
 ness : Aleetings were suspended until August 5, 1846, when the Board met agree- 
 ably to previous notice : — present, Messrs. P. Holmes, F. L. Dean, B. F. James & 
 H. R. Browne. 
 
 On motion of Air. James ordered that there be an election of Five Trustees 
 at the Court House in Tremont on Monday next at 4 o'clock P. M. 
 
 Adj. H. R. BROWNE. Clk. 
 
 September, 1850. 
 
 The Board of Trustees met at the home of H. R. Browne, agreeably to adjt. 
 
 On motion. H. R. Browne was appointed Clerk of the Board. 
 
 The members of the Board, having conferred with the Citizens of the Town 
 of Tremont in relation to the propriety and expediency of suspending the active 
 duties of said Board, and allowing the Corporate powers thereof to rest in abej'- 
 ance until some time in the future, when it should appear advisable and expedient 
 to resume their functions ; at the same time, exercising supervision and control over 
 some special matters, such as Licensing Shows and the proper and necessary repairs 
 of the Burial Ground ; After due and deliberate consideration, it was on motion, 
 Ordered 
 
 That the pt>wers and duties of the Corporation and Board of Trustees (witii 
 the above exceptions) be suspended — Subject to tiie future action of the Board 
 of Trustees in connection with the Citizens of said Town of Tremont. 
 
 On motion adjourned. H. R. BROWNE. Clerk. 
 
 (Next Entry) 
 
 Revival of the Corporation of Tremont, Aug. 4, 1863. The old Board of Trus- 
 tees met agreeably to previous notice, for the purpose of taking measures to revive 
 the corporation of Tremont .... C' '^t" meeting received a Petition signed by 
 twenty- four legal voters requesting that an election l^e held to elect Trustees, 
 which was done, and tlie Corporation revived.) 
 
 Would it not be interestin.g to know, in all their ramifications, the stories lying 
 back of these two laconic entries? Solely as a matter of record, it is noted that the 
 second suspension occurred very shortly after Tremont had lost its place as 
 County Seat to Pekin. 
 
 —14—
 
 ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS 
 
 Presidents of the Town and Village Board 
 
 Although a pubhc election for the purpose of incorporating the town was 
 held in 1835, and incorporation of the Town of Tremont decided upon, for some 
 unknown reason, the actual incorporation was not made effective until June 8, 1841, 
 when the trustees took office. On that date James L. Willson was elected President 
 of the Board, and assumed his chair, which he retained until September 11, of the 
 same year. In their order the foUoW'ing men were President of the Town Board 
 (Dates shown are those of assumption of office) : 
 
 James L. Willson— June 8, 1841 Palmer Jones— August 28, 1843 
 
 Littleton T. Garth— September 11, 1841 
 
 From January 25, 1844, until August 5, 1846, all operations of the Town Board 
 were suspended — for what reason I cannot gather. 
 
 H. R. Browne— August 10. 1846 L. D. Hamilton— August 17, 1848 
 
 James K. Kellogg— October 10, 1846 Mushi Thomas— August 19, 1850 
 
 From September, 1850, until August 4, 1863, all operations of the Town Board 
 were suspended — because the citizens thought it "expedient." 
 
 Dr. S. R. Saltonstall, August 31, 1863. Dr. S. R. Saltonstall— August 23, 1872 
 
 J. K. Kellogg— August 25, 1871 S. C. Hobart— August 18, 1875 
 
 By popular vote, initiated by a petition from thirty-one voters, the Town of 
 Tremont was reorganized into the Village of Tremont on August 12, 1878. In their 
 order, the following men were Presidents of the Village Board. (Dates shown are 
 those of assumption of office) : 
 
 A. J. Davis September 2. 1878 J. W. BarkdoU 1897 
 
 William Hayward 1880 Edward Pratt 1898 
 
 Alexander Wynd 1884 W. H. Harris 1899 
 
 Edward Pratt 1885 J. W. BarkdoU 1902 
 
 S. W. Carey 1886 William Noonen 1907 
 
 Edward Pratt 1887 C. S. Stegner 1911 
 
 A. J. Davis 1889 J. P. Becker 1913 
 
 Edward Pratt 1890 F. A. Blue 1915 
 
 A. J. Davis 1891 M. L. Cottingham 1917 
 
 Edward Pratt 1892 A. C. Schneider 1919 
 
 L. S. Rollings .1894 Charles Gerstner 1921 
 
 Dr. J. E. Mclntyre 1895 M. L. Cottingham 1923 
 
 J. W. Baylor 1895 Dr. J. E. Mclntyre 1925 
 
 —15—
 
 1835 — TREMONT CENTENNIAL — 1935 
 
 Synopsis of the Pageant 
 
 The Historical Pageant, deiiicting tlie History of Tremont, is presented under 
 the auspices and the direction of the Tremont Woman's Club, the organization which 
 suggested the commemoration of the town's hundredth anniversary, following their 
 Historical Program last spring. The pageant is under the active direction of the 
 following Directors, who have labored faithfully to produce a pageant which would 
 be worthy of the traditions of the pioneers. 
 
 Mrs. Eva Cullinan, 
 
 Mrs. Genevieve Shepherdson, 
 
 Mr. Harold Blue. 
 Scene Brief Description with Director 
 
 1. Father Time takes us back to 1823. 
 
 2. The Spirit of the Wild — a symbolic dance by Frances Ulrich. 
 
 3. The passing of the Indians and Traders — Directed by Rev. Paul Meredith. 
 
 4. The Coming of the Whites — Mrs. Richard Cullinan. 
 
 5. The Original Settlement — Miss Julia Hayw-ard. 
 
 6. The First School — Mrs. Wm. Connell. 
 
 7. Peter Cartwright, Circuit Rider — as represented by Leonard Becker. 
 
 8. Political Rally, 1840— Mrs. Chas. Hofifman and Mrs. Don Gillan. 
 
 9. Dance, following the rally — in charge of Oscar Hazelman. 
 
 10. Court House Scene and Coming of Lincoln — Miss Marietta Morse. 
 IL Female Seminary — Airs. Wm. Connell, Mrs. Marshal Jenks, Mrs. Delmar 
 Studyvin. 
 
 12. Civil War Veterans — Harold Blue. 
 
 13. School of Ruth Fenner — Airs. Wm. Connell. Airs. Alarshal Jenks. Airs. Delmar 
 
 Studyvin. 
 
 14. World War Group— Harold Blue. 
 
 15. Planting of Centennial Tree — led by Airs. Ida Rodecker, oldest living- resident 
 
 of Tremont, and Gail Barton, fourth generation in lineal descent of one 
 
 of the early settlers (William Sterling) — directed by Airs. L. E. Bennett. 
 
 16. Fanfare. 
 
 17. Progress. 
 
 "Time goes ! Ah no — 
 Time stays — we go !" 
 
 Workers for The Centennial 
 
 The following men, in active charge of the events of the day. are to be heartily 
 
 commended for their earnest and sincere efforts in the face of what seemed at first 
 
 insurmountable obstacles. In remembering this day, we ask that you also remember 
 
 the hard work whicii these various men have done in order that this Centennial 
 
 and Homecoming might be a success. 
 
 Committees 
 
 Executive — R. A. Cullinan. Chairman, Grounds & Concessions — John Waldon. 
 Frank Sharp, lohn Waldon, Dr. J. Decorations — Ernest Graber. 
 P. Blumenschein, L. E. Bennett, Ed- Lights — Hoer, Alosiman, Ralph Cot- 
 
 win Koch, Secretary. tingham. 
 
 Finance— L. E. Bennett. Contests— 
 
 Publicity- Alichacl Beyer. Horseshoe— John Coddington. 
 
 Advertising — Earl Cottingham. Races — Bill Getz. 
 
 Program — Executive Conmiittee. Ball Game — Don Kinsey. 
 
 Homecoming — George Hillman. Corn Game — Ben Carius. 
 
 Parade— A. P. Schaefer. Stands— Frank Sharp, Earl Riley, Wm. 
 
 Floats— Dr. Blumenschein, Ben Carius AIcQueen. F. A. Blue. 
 
 —16—
 
 Guarantors of the Centennial 
 
 To the following- public spirited men and firms of this community, 
 who by their financial support have made this Centennial a success, 
 we desire to express the thanks of a grateful community : 
 
 Clark Barton 
 
 Harold Becker 
 
 J. P. Becker 
 
 L. E. Bennett 
 
 Aaron Bertsch 
 
 Wm. Beutel 
 
 Beyer Implement Co. 
 
 F. A. Blue 
 
 Dr. J. P. Blumenschein 
 
 Ben H. Carius 
 
 Wm. Council 
 
 J. L. Cooney 
 
 M. L. Cottingham 
 
 R. A. Cullinan 
 
 C. A. Davis 
 
 First National Bank 
 
 Hubert Foley 
 
 Eli Ganger 
 
 Geo. L. Gerstner & Son 
 
 E. C. Getz 
 
 W. F. Getz 
 
 Glenn Gibson 
 
 H. V. Giltner 
 
 Ben Grubb 
 
 Frank Harris 
 
 Frank Helleman 
 
 Ed Hermann 
 
 G. F. Hillman 
 
 Phil H. Hoffman 
 
 Home Oil Co. 
 
 Illinois Oil Co. 
 
 Illinois Valley Telephone Co. 
 
 Ed Kahler 
 
 Ed Koch 
 
 Larkin Co. 
 
 Thomas Litwiler 
 
 Dr. J. E. Mclntyre 
 
 C. D. McMurray 
 
 W. C. McQueen 
 
 Moser & Bolliger 
 
 Louis Moser 
 
 E. P. Mullane 
 
 Ernest Musselman 
 
 E. G. Plotner 
 M. H. Renter 
 Dr. John A. Rusk 
 Bert Russell 
 Anton Schaefer 
 Jesse Schurter 
 
 F. O. Sharp 
 Tazewell Service Co. 
 Tremont Co-Op. Grain Co. 
 Tremont Home Bakery 
 Jacob and L. H. Velde 
 John Waldon 
 
 J. P. Woerner 
 
 
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