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WC Historical Society
Wayne County Illinois Historical SocietyHistory Mystery presentations are protected by copyright laws. Reproduction or distribution of the segments in written or audio form without written permission is prohibited. © 2022 Wayne County Historical Society wcilhs@gmail.com
Bootleggers
Is local history a mystery? I’m Dave Land. January 17th is National Bootlegger’s Day – and the birthday of Al Capone. National Bootlegger's Day on January 17th recognizes an era when bootleggers became legendary.
The term “bootlegging” found its permanent place in the American vocabulary when Congress passed the Eighteenth Amendment prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol in 1920.
The Eighteenth Amendment was the product of decades of efforts by the temperance movement, which held that a ban on the sale of alcohol would alleviate poverty and other societal problems.
Although the Eighteenth Amendment led to a decline in alcohol consumption in the United States, nationwide enforcement of Prohibition proved difficult.
During the time of prohibition, the city marshals of Fairfield were often busy capturing persons accused of transporting moonshine. The following account is from the Wayne County Examiner of February 1924.
The officers lay in wait for their suspects along the railroad tracks east of town until they heard the rumrunners approaching. Each of the accused boys were carrying a bottle of liquor in his hand and on hearing the officers’ command immediately stopped and broke the bottles on the iron rails of the train tracks. However, the boys each had a bottle in their pockets and were arrested before they could smash the additional bottles. The offenders were brought to town by the officers and placed in jail. The boys pled guilty and were given one year to pay a fine.
For many years, local law enforcement was busy tracking down local bootleggers. Offenders included those hauling a few bottles of locally produced moonshine across the county, to organized gangs hauling truckloads of booze all across southern Illinois.
Don’t let local history be a mystery!
For the month of October 2023, the Wayne County Historical Society has created a downtown Fairfield Self-Guided Walking tour. Posters of vintage photographs can be found mounted in the windows of downtown businesses. If you find yourself visiting a downtown business, grabbing cup of coffee at Fusion Coffee House, or enjoying a slice of Pizza at Classic, look for the Posters.
The tour also includes smaller posters with QR code graphics. A QR code is a “quick response” graphic much like a bar code, that can be read by a smart phone to access on-line content quickly and easily. Using a smart phone app or smartphone camera app, a person can access a link to an audio clip sharing history of the downtown site. Many of the short, 2-minute, audio clips are narrated by Judith Puckett, as she shares the history of downtown.
2023 Season – Hanna House
The Hanna House Museum welcomes visitors from far and near. The Museum is located at the corner of South First Street and Center Street in downtown Fairfield and is now open for the Spring and Summer season. The Museum is operated and maintained by the Historical Society and admission is free.
The various display rooms feature post-World War II memorabilia and artifacts. The large display case in the main room now features Chamber Business of the Year winners. Be sure to come check it out. A business after hours “mixer” is being planned for chamber members so that area Chamber members can view the display.
The main room also features a display about the Shelton Gang of Wayne County. Mike Stafford, an author from Columbus, Indiana, recently visited the Hanna House to add to his research on the prohibition era. He was in town gathering photographs and information for a book that he is currently writing that will include Wayne County’s famous Shelton gang. He said that his book, while fiction, will have many events based on historic facts concerning the Shelton brothers and their relationship with Charlie “Blackie” Harris, in and around the Fairfield area. Mr. Stafford stated that his book was currently being read by a producer in Los Angeles and could perhaps be turned into a type of limited series for a television streaming service.
The Hanna House is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The public is encouraged to come and experience Wayne County’s rich history. The museum will also be available for school groups and clubs by appointment.
1923 Courthouse bandstand Heritage Landmarks
The Wayne County Historical Society strives to protect and promote the history of our county. The HERITAGE Landmark Project, began in 2023 and strives to recognize structures with historical significance to the community. One such structure is the Courthouse bandstand, built in 1923.
The Wayne County Board of Supervisors granted the Citizens of Fairfield a permit to erect the Bandstand on the Court House Square in the spring of 1923. The Jett Brothers, A.E. Jacobson and Delbert McCullough donated their labor with many other local businesses and citizens donating money or materials.
The red brick structure was built with an open, octagonal shape anchored by eight heavy pillars supporting the bell-shaped roof. The floor space was 20 feet in diameter and was raised about four feet from the ground. Originally, the space under the floor was designed to store the chairs used by the band members. The bandstand was outfitted with electric lights mounted between each pillar and a large light in the center.
The city band was one of the main forms of entertainment in the late 1800s and early 1900s in Wayne County. Band members and citizens of the area were proud of the Bandstand. The structure was first used and dedicated at a band concert in June 1923. The night was warm and pleasant for the large crown that had assembled to hear the city band. Free band concerts continued every Thursday evening, a tradition that continues in the 21st century.
Watch for the Historical Society HERITAGE banners, signs and plaques…..and don’t let local history be a mystery.
Representative Ben C. Blades 1908 – 1973
Wayne County is currently part of the Illinois District #116 and our state representative is Dave Severin from Benton.
In the 1960s and early 1970s our Representative was the Honorable Ben C. Blades from Fairfield. Representative Blades died of a heart attack following a meeting of the House appropriations committee, in Springfield in 1973. He was 64 and had served in the Illinois General Assembly since 1962.
Ben Blades was born in 1908 on a farm near Merriam in Wayne County where for years his parents, operated a small rural grocery store. He attended school in the Merriam district and later attended Fairfield High School, graduating in 1926.
He served as a member of the Illinois State Highway Patrol from 1941 to 1949. From 1953 to 1962 he served under Secretary of state as one of the field agents before running for the position as state representative.
Representative Blades was Chairman of the Conservation and Water Resources committee. He was known for his ability to get things done. He was a hard worker and politically, he was one of those who believed in teamwork among party members.
When Representative Blades died suddenly in 1973, Illinois Governor Daniel Walker led a group of dignitaries to Fairfield for the funeral. The old Cumberland Presbyterian Church was packed with mourners who came from all over Illinois to pay their last respects to the noted state lawmaker.
Governor Walker gave the eulogy and described Representative Blades as a well-respected man who spoke and voted his convictions…a hard campaigner and a hard worker for the people he served.
Fairfield “garage” bands in the 60’s
Fairfield and Wayne County had its share of rock ‘n roll “garage bands in the 1960’s. I certainly remember the Pharaohs whose members included Jerry Withrow on bass guitar, Larry Overbee played drums, Fred Blackburn was the lead singer, Larry McCoy (who we called the fifth Beatle) handled the keyboards, Bill Sempshrote (a barber at Pete and Mack’s) played lead guitar, and Steve Gershenson filled in for Bill when he couldn’t be there.Other local bands included Sounds Incorporated that even had a brass section, the Lundons, the Coachmen, and from Wayne City, the fabulous Hubs, led by Jerry Hefley.Also from Fairfield were the Rainy Daze consisting of Matt Higdon on keyboard, Dean Blessing was the drummer, Steve Gershenson was lead guitar, Steve Kerchner was the lead singer, and yours truly, Dave Land played bass guitar.
The Rainy Daze played several Teen Towns in the area plus some 21 and over establishments that we figured were okay to play in because they hired us and paid us. On a personal note, we played a venue north of Evansville called Midway. We played on a Sunday night to an average crowd and were paid $250…in cash…$50 per member! However, the night before, the place was packed. Why? A band called Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels rocked the Midway. I always liked to say…”we followed Mitch Ryder.”Unfortunately, the Rainy Daze disbanded after a terrible car wreck seriously injured Steve Gershenson in July 1968. But the memories of those rock ‘n roll days are still with us.
A photo of the Rainy Daze local band hangs in the Hanna House Museum. Music is intrinsically tied to history. A band, a song or an experience can immediately take you to that moment in time. If your favorite era was the 50s, 60s, 70s or 80s…. don’t let local history be a mystery.
World War II Weddings
Once the United States joined World War II, the urge to get married among many young couples proved too compelling to resist. In 1942 alone, weddings were up 83 percent. World War II was a time of intense emotions: excitement, fear, homesickness, longing, and love. Young men, away from home for the first time and facing an uncertain future, sought comfort in correspondence to sweethearts waiting back home or in the arms of young women they met abroad. Whirlwind romances led to wartime weddings in rapid succession.
Couples in the military had their own obstacles to romance to overcome. Enlisted women were permitted to date enlisted men, but relationships with male officers were restricted to servicewomen of higher rank. Other restrictions were imposed by the military on servicemen and women who chose to marry while on active duty. The Army would not permit married couples to serve on the same front and split them up accordingly.
Eva G. Hadley of Enterprise a member of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, was married to Private Harlan F. Larkin. The entire bridal party were enlisted men and women. The all-soldier wedding took place at Cochran Field, Georgia.
Charles D. Matthews attended Fairfield High School, studied law, and served as State’s attorney in Wayne County before joining the army in 1942. While stationed in California Mr. Matthews met and wed Lucille Holmes, a beautiful and talented opera singer.
Several local enlisted men returned after World War II with a war-time, international bride on their arm. Imagine the culture shock of moving from England or Italy to rural Wayne County, Illinois.
For better or for worse, wartime romance set the stage for the dramatic "baby boom" that followed, as American servicemen returned home and readjusted to civilian life.
Women serving in WW II
American women played important roles during World War II, both at home and in uniform. Not only did they give their sons, husbands, fathers, and brothers to the war effort, they gave their time, energy, and some even gave their lives.
During World War II Nearly 350,000 American women served in uniform, both at home and abroad, volunteering for the newly formed Women’s Army Corps(WACs), the Navy Women’s Reserve (WAVES), the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve, the Coast Guard Women’s Reserve, the Women Airforce Service Pilots, the Army Nurses Corps, and the Navy Nurse Corps. General Eisenhower felt that he could not win the war without the aid of the women in uniform.
Women in uniform took office and clerical jobs in the armed forces to free men to fight. They also drove trucks, repaired airplanes, worked as laboratory technicians, rigged parachutes, served as radio operators, analyzed photographs, flew military aircraft across the country, test-flew newly repaired planes, and even trained anti-aircraft artillery gunners by acting as flying targets. Banned from actual combat duty, some women served near the front lines in the Army Nurse Corps, where 16 were killed because of direct enemy fire. Sixty-eight American service women were captured as POWs in the Philippines during World War II.
Wayne County had several women serve in uniform during World War II. Virginia Etheridge joined the WAVES. She commented that life in the Navy is great, and she wouldn’t trade places with anyone. Betty Glick worked in recruiting. Eva Hadley of Enterprise joined the W-A-A-C’s as did Saralee Peddicord. Serving in the WACs was Doris Samford of Fairfield, and Nola Moore of Geff. Thelma Tibbs Avery served as a member of the Army Nurse Corps. Pearl Bright Gardner joined the WAVES as part of the Navy.
We salute the men and WOMEN who served in the armed forces.
Corporal Clarence W. Parker 1911 - 1944
During World War II the local newspapers were filled with accounts of the men and women serving in Europe and in the Pacific. The following is an account of the death of Corporal Clarence W. Parker.
Corporal Clarence W. Parker, 33 well-known Fairfield boy, right gunner on a B-29 bomber, lost his life on Saipan Island in the Pacific on December 14, 1944, according to a letter received Sunday morning by his wife, Mrs. Ruth Hill-Parker, east of Fairfield, from the commanding officer of that base.
Cpl. Parker was returning to his Saipan base from a combat mission when his plane crashed on the island. All eleven members of the crew were killed. Details about the accident were not given, but it is believed the plane crashed during a bad storm. He was reported as “missing in action” on December 13th, in a message received here Wednesday, January 3rd.
Cpl. Parker had made several missions over the Japanese Islands and in one of his last letters he described the snow-capped mountain peaks of Japan. In that letter, dated December 12th, he said he was going on a mission the next day.
Clarence Wylie Parker was born in 1911. He spent most of his life in and near Fairfield, attending high school in Fairfield. While still a young boy he entered the restaurant business and in 1927 he and his brother, Carl Parker, opened the Parker Bros. restaurant, which started out with one small counter and a few stools and grew into one of the largest restaurants in Fairfield.
Cpl. Parker was married to Miss Sarah Ruth Hill on June 14th, 1931. Mrs. Parker and her sister-in-law, the wife of Carl Parker, have been in charge of the restaurant since April of last year when Carl entered the navy.
Surviving were his widow, and his mother, of Fairfield, and his only brother, Seaman Carl Parker, who is aboard a vessel in the Pacific theatre of war. He was notified of his brother’s death.
WC Record
History and Knowing Who We Are by David McCullough
The following excerpt is from David McCullough, who was an American popular historian and writer. David McCullough died in August of 2022, but he leaves behind an impressive body of writing about history and American presidents. The following is from an article entitled “History and Knowing Who We Are.”
All of us who are educators, parents, and writers bear a great responsibility: We must communicate to the younger generation that Americans – as individuals and collectively as a nation – cannot truly know who we are or where we are going unless we know where we have been. We should value what our forebears – and that includes our own parents and grandparents – have done for us; otherwise, our history will simply slip away.
History is not static, but eternally fascinating, because events and people can be freshly examined with new techniques and perspectives. With each generation, we peel back biases that have blinded those before us. The more we know about the past enables us to ask richer and more provocative questions about who we are today. We also must tell the next generation one of the great truths of history: that no past event was preordained. Every battle, election, and revolution could have turned out differently at any point along the way, just as a person’s own life can change unpredictably. Nothing occurs in a vacuum, a fact that is not as self-evident as it might sound, particularly to a young person.
We would do well to remind young people that nobody ever lived in the past.
The laws that govern us, the freedoms we enjoy, the institutions that we often unfortunately take for granted, represent the hard work of others stretching back far into the past.
History is not just a subject that ought to be taught or read because it will make us a better citizen, although it will. Nor should we encourage young people to embrace history only because it creates more thoughtful and understanding human beings. History should be taught for pleasure. The joy of history, like art or music or literature, consists of an expansion of the experience of being alive.
McCullough – Imprimis article 2008 saved by Judith Puckett DGS 2022
Boss’s Day / Russell Wilson 1924 - 2019
National Boss’s Day is a secular holiday that began in 1958. Patricia Bays Haroski worked as a secretary for State Farm Insurance Company in Deerfield, Illinois when she registered “National Boss’s Day” with the United States Chamber of Commerce. She selected October 16th because it was her father’s birthday and at the time, he was also her employer! Four years later, in 1962, Illinois Governor, Otto Kerner, adopted the idea and officially proclaimed Boss’s Day.
Russell Wilson was a well-known business owner, boss, father, and long-time mayor of Fairfield. He was born July 25, 1924, the son of Earl and Mozella (Venters) Wilson. Russell attended the Fairfield Public Schools and graduated from FCHS in 1942.
After high school he enlisted in the Marine Corp, where he served in the U. S. and South Pacific for over three years during World War II. Following the War, he married the former Dorothy Hollinger in Fairfield on January 29, 1947 and raised three daughters; Susan, Melissa, and Jo.
The Wilsons purchased Your Flower Shop in 1953 and remained in business on Main Street for over 60 years, later selling the business to their daughter, Melissa at the time of their retirement.
During his active career, Russell Wilson helped organize the Fairfield Retail merchants and served three years as secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. Russell served four years as a Fairfield Alderman and twelve years, from 1977 to 1989, as mayor of Fairfield.
His wife died in 2018. Russell Wilson died in 2019 at the age of 94.
WCPress / Obit DGS 2022
Alumni Association
The FCHS Alumni Association Annual Dinner will be held Saturday, October 8, 2022 at Fairfield’s First Christian Church at 6pm. This year, the Alumni Association recognizes the class of 1972. Speakers for the Class of 1972 will be Jill (Musgrave) Andrews from Fairfield and Lee (Ziegler) Snyder from Wildwood, Missouri.
The current officers of the Alumni Association include Chuck and Judy Griswold, Kristi Hornung, and Janie McDowell. Board members include Bruce Dickey, Carrie Halbert, Luke Harl, Dale Harris, Kris Parrent, Bruce Reeves, Ginny Reynolds and Jill Andrews.
In addition to the Saturday evening dinner, the FCHS Foundation is hosting a golf tournament. The high school and the elementary schools will be open to alumni wishing to tour the schools. The Hanna House Museum and the Early History Museum are also open Saturday afternoon during homecoming weekend.
The Alumni Association was originally called the “Old Timers” Athletic Association and was begun in the mid-1960s. From the beginning, the annual banquet recognizes the class celebrating a 50-year anniversary. Class members are encouraged to return to Fairfield for Homecoming, to gather, to reminisce, and to remember.
DGS 2022
1972 Homecoming memories
Let’s look back a few years to the Fairfield Community High School class of 1972 as we celebrate homecoming week.
In 1972 Fairfield beat Flora 24 to 14 to win the homecoming football game. The method of stuffing tissue paper into chicken wire sure made some nice-looking floats. The coronation senior attendants were Barbara Robinson, Debbie Weaver and Jill Musgrave. Flower girl Melissa Wood and crown bearer Todd Lehr were adorable.
Homecoming attire in 1972 included long, crushed velvet dresses for the ladies and ruffled shirts with a bow tie for the men. Hairstyles were long and flowing. Men often swept their hair to the side to keep it out of their eyes, while for girls the center part was the style. Before the popularity of the blow dryer; ladies used large rollers to obtain that bouncy volume. Chances are, "The Twist" was still a popular on the dance floor in 1972.
The senior class of 1972 included Debbie Ellis, Bonnie Fansler, Gary Gain, Patricia Gilbert, Cheryl Green, Steve Lemons, Steve Litchenberger, Kristi McGill, Ken Otey, Mike Shreve, Becky Vaughan, Randy Vaughan, Thea Vaughn, Robbie Ward, Don Zurliene – just to name a few.
Here’s to Homecoming 2022 and the class of 1972.
FCHS Homecoming
It is Homecoming Week at Fairfield Community High School. Students, including Freshmen through Seniors, will be participating in dress-up days and student activities. Final preparations will begin in anticipation of the parade, football game, coronation, and homecoming dance. The Alumni Dinner will recognize the FCHS class of 1972. Members of the class of ’72 will recall and reminisce their senior year, as if it were yesterday.
Fifty years ago in 1972, hair was long and skirts were short. A band called America sang about A Horse with No Name and Don McLean penned a ballad called American Pie. In 1972 the top movies included Godfather and Dirty Harry. The most popular television show was All in the Family. Everyone was talking about an unusual little book called Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The Vietnam war raged on, and Richard Nixon was president.
In 1972, Mr. Weldon Kendrick was Superintendent of FCHS and Assistant Principal Mr. “Mac” Martin was in charge of attendance and tardy slips. Mr. and Mrs. Odum taught English. Mr. Lehr and Mrs. Harris taught History and Government. Mrs. Thacker taught journalism and the school newspaper. Mr. Bishop taught math.
High School and Senior year are rites of passage and forever live in our memory. Here’s to Homecoming 2022 and cheers to the class of 1972. Those 50 years sure went by fast.
1972 Kenneth Ward elected Bank President
Kenneth Ward became the president of the Fairfield National Bank in 1972, following the bank’s annual shareholders meeting and board reorganization meeting. Mr. Ward was a veteran of the bank’s staff and worked his way up through the ranks to vice president, executive vice president and president.
Mr. Ward was only the fourth person to occupy the president’s char at Fairfield National Bank. When the bank began in 1903 Adam Rinard took the position. Years later he was succeeded by A.J. Poorman, who was then succeeded by Mr. David L. Garrison from 1951 to 1972. Kenneth Ward was named Chairman of the Board in 1978. He remained President and Chairman of the Board until his retirement in 1988.
Kenneth Ward served in the army during World War II. He was married to the former Doris Niccum of Fairfield, and father to two boys; Steve and Robert. Following the death of Doris, He was married to “Babe” Scarbrough Brach. Kenneth Ward died in 2006 at the age of 82.
1971 The 26th Amendment
Ratified July 1971, the 26th Amendment to the United States Constitution lowered the voting age of U.S. citizens from 21 to 18 years old. "...the right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age."
By the 1970s, the United States became more heavily and directly involved with the war in Vietnam. Overall public support for the conflict began to wane considerably as American casualties rose. The conduct of the war increasingly came into question. Anti-war protests were widespread as thousands of 18-year-old Americans were again being conscripted into military service to fight - and die - for their country. “Old enough to fight, old enough to vote,” the slogan first heard during World War II, was again adopted by student activists.
On July 5th, 1971, President Richard Nixon signed the certified amendment along with three selected 18-year-olds signing as witnesses.
In Wayne County in 1972, County Clerk Jack Copeland, estimated a possible 700 additional people now old enough to vote following ratification of the 26th amendment. According to his estimate, only about half of the 18–21-year-olds had registered to vote in the spring elections of 1972.
Nixonlibrary.gov WC Press March 1972 DGS 2022
Wednesday, Aug 31
Gas Stations
There was a time when gas stations dotted every corner of a community. The small, full-service stations were a place to fill your tank, fix a flat or grab a pack of gum.
Gas Stations of the past were smaller. The pumps had room for one or two cars to fill up. As a car pulled up to the pump, a bell would sound, alerting the attendant, who would quickly walk out to the side of the car and ask; “What ‘will it be?” As the tank was filling, the pump would make a little chime to signal each gallon. The attendant would monitor the chime as he quickly cleaned the front windshield. If necessary, he would look under the hood and check the oil before asking for your money. You could hear the bell of the cash register as he retrieved the change.
Most early gas stations also had a small garage large enough for one car and the resident grease monkey who could change your oil or fix a flat. On the wall of the garage or the front room, would be a pin-up style calendar. Hanging on the wall and attached to a hunk of plastic would be the key to the washroom. The tiny washroom was covered in grime, the water was a trickle, and the old toilet didn’t flush very well.
The small front office held the cash register, a collection of maps, and a display of gum, chewing tobacco, and cigarettes. The room was barely large enough for the three retired men, or a group of high school boys, depending on the time of day, standing around solving the world’s problems.
Original by DGS 8/2022
Monday, Aug 29 2022
Dr. Norman Vincent Peale
In 1986 the Frontier Community College Foundation sponsored an evening with nationally acclaimed author and speaker, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. The event was held at the High School Gymnasium as a fundraiser for the college.
Norman Vincent Peale was born in Ohio, the first child of a Methodist minister, and before long Norman, too, began to consider ministry as his vocation. As a young man Peale attended Ohio Wesleyan University and Boston University School of Theology.
Alongside his career as a minister, he also had an extensive career of writing and editing for publication, radio, and television. Peale spread his teaching through a variety of media. While serving a church in Syracuse, New York he founded a radio program called “The Art of Living,” he would continue to broadcast his sermons for 54 years.
In 1945, along with his wife Ruth, and a local businessman, he founded Guideposts. The weekly four-page leaflet evolved into a monthly inspirational magazine that would boast of 2 million subscribers. By 1952 he and his wife were also on the new medium of television, featured on the show “What’s Your Trouble?”
During his lifetime, Peale authored 46 books, and the most successful by far was The Power of Positive Thinking. Published in 1952, it stayed on the New York Times list of bestsellers for 186 consecutive weeks and sold 5 million copies, making it one of the bestselling religious books of all-time.
Dr. Peale was a spry 88 years old when he visited Fairfield. He had retired from full-time ministry only a few years prior to his visit. He continued to write and make public appearances.
Peale was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, in 1984, by President Ronald Reagan. Norman Vincent Peale died at age 95, following a stroke, in 1993.
Program flyer from the 1986 appearance DGS 8/2022
Tuesday, Aug 30 2022
1949 Big Earl Shelton shot
Everyone has heard of the Shelton Gang. After many years of gangster activity between 1920 and 1940, Carl Shelton was gunned down in 1947 at the age of 59. His younger brother Bernie was killed in Peoria, a year later. Big Earl Shelton survived an attempt on his life in 1949.
One night, Big Earl was playing poker in his “Farmers club,” which was in a building he owned on the Wayne County courthouse square. The private club was used for drinking and playing cards. The assailant climbed a ladder to the roof of an adjacent building and fired three shots through a second-floor window toward the card players.
Most of the witnesses vanished as soon as the gun smoke did after the three shots were fired. The shots shattered the window glass and startled the card players. Big Earl’s nephew, Little Earl, jumped up, ran to the window, and returned fire. The assailant fled running down the streets of Fairfield. One bullet had torn into Big Earl’s back, dangerously close to his heart. He was taken first to a local doctor, and then to a hospital in Evansville.
The assailant was not apprehended by local law enforcement. Big Earl survived the attack but feared for his personal safety. Shortly after the attack, he relocated to Florida and died thirty years later. The downtown, late-night attack is just one of the many incidents involving the Shelton Gang.
The Decatur daily Review newspaper May 1949 JP’s research files DGS 8/2022
1953 Two Persons shot in Church Sunday Evening
Pistol fire broke up the services at the Holiness Rescue Mission church on West College Street in southwest Fairfield one Sunday night in 1953.
It was just about 8:30pm and the last hymn was being sung. Several people in the congregation noticed the startled expression of the preacher as he stepped from the pulpit and started walking toward the rear of the church. Many in the congregation turned around and looked toward the door where they saw a man coming up the aisle with a pistol in his hand. The man stepped up behind his estranged wife who was seated in the pews and fired a shot into her shoulder and another into her neck. The frightened churchgoers ducked to the floor for safety. The preacher continued to make his way toward the man and was also shot.
As others bravely grabbed the gun and tended to the wounded, the lone gunman turned and walked out of the church. The congregation was stunned. An ambulance was summoned and took the two injured persons to the hospital.
The gunman was apprehended a block and a half from the church and taken into custody. The preacher and the woman were admitted to the Fairfield Memorial Hospital with serious injuries but would eventually recover. The woman had recently filed for divorce from her husband because of his drinking and erratic behavior. “I didn’t have any idea he would do something like this.” She commented after the attack.
The despondent husband admitted to finding the loaded gun a few weeks before the attack and had the gun in his car. He was angry at his wife for leaving him and drove to the church intent on hurting her. He later expressed remorse for injuring his wife and the preacher.
WC Press May 28, 1953
1953 Accidental Gun death
Lester, John, and Delbert were sixteen-year-old young men in 1953, just hanging out at the local Shell Station. The accidental discharge of a pistol would result in the death of one of the teens.
The pistol had recently been picked up from the Lewis Hughes’ Gun Shop and the boys sat around the Shell Station examining the small pistol. “As we loaded the gun, we began talking about how tight the shells fit in the gun.” Recalled one of the boys. “Then we noticed a spot of rust on the barrel. I placed the gun in my lap and began rubbing at the rust spot with some sandpaper. At that same moment, my friend walked in front of the gun and it went off.”
Shocked, the 2 boys rushed their friend to the hospital where he died later that night. The deceased was only 17. He had been born in Mill Shoals and had attended Fairfield Community High School. A life tragically taken by a gun accident.
1927 Geff Robbery
We never know when a typical ride home will take a turn toward the unexpected. The hard-working people of Wayne County take comfort in the fact that robbery and armed assault are rare in our rural communities.
In 1927 many people around Wayne County still depended on horses for work and for transportation. Young Benton Spriggs lived a few miles from Geff and rode his horse to work every day. He worked for Fred Skelton, the drayman, who used a horse and wagon around the streets of Geff to make deliveries.
One evening after collecting his pay, young Benton mounted his horse and headed for home. When some distance from Geff and in the Martin Creek bottoms, a man up to him, masked, and armed with a gun. The man pulled young Mr. Spriggs from his horse, dragged him to a tree where he took his money, beat him, and tied his hands around the trunk of the tree. The bandit then drove away, leaving the boy and the horse.
When the horse returned home without a rider, the parents phoned in to Geff to investigate the whereabouts of their son. A search party was organized, and the young man was found tied to the tree. He was injured and badly shaken from the ordeal. His parents took him home to recover, thankfully the attack wasn’t any worse. Such a heinous armed robbery around Geff was unusual in 1927.
The perpetrator was identified and apprehended the following day.
WC Record February 17, 1927
(1919) Bone Gap Chowder (as told by ) Dave Rigg
The Bone Gap Chowder is famous in this area. Garden vegetables, along with meat and chicken cooked in cast iron kettles over wood fires to create a stew called Chowder. When the chowder is ready to serve, people from a wide area come to Bone Gap to eat a bowl or get some to take home.
The first Chowder of record in the Bone Gap area was in 1909. Promoted by Armistead Ford, it was held in a grove near the Kitchen Bridge that crosses the Bon Pas Creek southeast of Bone Gap. However, the very first official Bone Gap Community Chowder was held on September 4, 1919, on the grounds of Yankeetown School, southeast of Bone Gap.
That FIRST community chowder was held to honor the young men from Bone Gap returning after serving in World War I. A huge crowd came to taste the 300 gallons of chowder. George A. Rude was the chief cook, a position he held until 1928.
In those first 10 years of the Chowder, it was held in August. Records show the Chowder was being held in the grove of trees on the Methodist Church grounds in 1927 where it was held for 36 years.
A newspaper article from 1925 says more than 200 squirrels were killed by hunters to be placed in the Chowder. Squirrel meat was put in the Chowder for many years. They had to discontinue that when they started selling the chowder. It was illegal to sell anything with wild game in it.
In addition to vegetables like cabbage, celery, carrots, potatoes, and corn, the Chowder always had lots of beef and chicken in it. Everything was grown in gardens and donated by people of the community. The town was canvassed early in the morning to collect the donations. Women then gathered to prepare the meat and vegetables. Men would stir the pot and tend the fire.
From the very beginning in 1919 Chowder Day always included lots of games, contests, speakers, and entertainment. Some of those contests included husband calling, hog calling, , football throwing, cracker eating, and tug-of-war . The Chowder was given away until they began selling it in 1965. For many in Edwards County and Wayne County the chowder tradition continues.
Don’t let local history be a mystery!
Bone Gap Chowder By Dave Rigg used with permission from Bone Gap History FACEBOOK page. 8/2022 DGS
(1873 - 1945 ) E.H. Childress
E.H. Childress was born in Illinois in 1873 and grew up in the Golden Gate area of Wayne County. The family resided in a log cabin of two rooms on a forty-acre farm. Young Edmund, as he was known, attended the country school at Oakwood, a mile north of Golden Gate. As a young man, he worked on his father’s farm, and also taught school near Ellery.
In 1901 he traveled south, and taught in Tennessee, attended college, and served as an assistant professor. While in Tennessee, he also worked for a law firm, and a newspaper. Childress married and returned to Wayne County in 1903 and began working at the Wayne County Press for Mr. William Goudy.
In 1909 Mr. Childress became part owner of the Wayne County Press along with Mr Knodell, and that partnership continued for 28 years. In 1937 Mr. T.O. Mathews bought the Knodell interest and began a new partnership at the Wayne County Press of Mathews and Childress.
Mr. Childress believed his paper should be a faithful chronicler of the events that took place in the community. He always attempted to be impartial treating the news as fact, believing he had no right to distort or to suppress the news. Only when he felt that a greater good could be done by the suppression of certain news, particularly those items of news affecting the reputation of young people, did he waiver.
A favorite and worthwhile enterprise indulged in over the years by Mr. Childress, was the helping of young people through schools of higher education. This was done through a “student loan fund.” It was not regarded as charitable in character, so much as it was a strictly business enterprise – a loan to be repaid by the beneficiaries after they had completed school and began earning an income.
Mr. Childress was active in the Illinois Press Association, and in local organizations. He was a member of the Fairfield Public Library Board, and the local Rotary club. He was named a member of the Board of directors of the Fairfield National Bank in 1929. He worked with the National Editorial Association on their tours of the United States, Canada and Mexico. Many of his travel experiences were shared in his editorial columns. He considered himself a “travel writer at heart”, a “bare-foot farm boy” who liked to write; Mr. E. H. Childress, Wayne County Press Editor died in 1945.
Don’t let local history be a mystery!
Judith Puckett Research / WC Press /his Autobiography
DGS 8/2022
1920s Fairfield High School Poem/School song?
The Forward to the 1929 FCHS Yearbook states “Due to the fact that the human mind is prone to forget, we have collected choice memory gems and preserved them in these pages for future enjoyment. The same could be said for these radio spots. The following poem may have been the FCHS school song of the 1920s. More research will be necessary to see when the current FCHS school song was adopted, but for now give a listen to the following poem.
RED AND BLACK
Though McLeansboro’s always favored
The dainty white and green,
And the many sons of Carmi
Love the crimson’s bloody sheen,
Still we’ll hold our banner tender
And no honor shall it lack
While Fairfield stands defender
Of the Red and the Black.
Through the four long years of High School
‘Mid scenes we love so well,
As the mystic charms of knowledge
We vainly seek to spell;
Still we’ll win all kinds of victories
In the school room, field and track,
As we fight for dear old Fairfield
And the Red and the Black.
When the cares of life or’ertake us,
Mingling fast our locks with gray,
Should our dearest hopes betray us
False fortune turn away;
Still we’ll banish care and sadness
As we turn our memories back,
To the time we stood defender
Of the Red and the Black.
GO MULES
(I think this is “Hall of Montezuma” )
1920s FCHS Reflectors DGS 8/2022
1926 New Fairfield Community High School
In the fall of 1926 staff and students entered the NEW “commodious” Fairfield Community High School. The spacious, three-story brick building had been erected during the preceding year. The original building extended between the stairways on the east and the west ends, with an arched entryway in the center. The center stairs lead down to a lower-level multipurpose gym. The classrooms boasted tall windows and closets framed in dark molding. Prior to 1926, the High School was in a small two-story block building on Center Street.
In 1926, an open house for the new high school was held on August 31, with school registration on September first and second. Bus service would be available to those living outside the city limits for the first time. Music was offered for the first time along with the required subjects of English, mathematics and history. Seniors were encouraged to take Physics and Latin. A deposit of 50 cents was required for a locker key.
High School enrollment in 1926 was around 300 students. Some students, like John Kinney had attended high school in Geff the previous year. Henry Mathews was vice-president of the Sophomore class and played football. The first football game that year was a clash with Albion. The home game was held on a Saturday afternoon behind the new high school. The football field in 1926 was still referred to as the “old college grounds”. Hayward college had previously been on the high school block bounded by College Street and King Street.
In 1926, the Principal reminded everyone that school is less about the building and more about the learning experiences that happen within those walls. Have a great school year…..and don’t let local history be a mystery!
1929 yearbook / 1926 WC Record newspaper stories DGS 8/2022
T.O Matthews 1911-1999
Thomas O. Mathews Sr., was the acclaimed editor and publisher of the Wayne County Press for over 40 years. Following his death in 1999, his sons Preston and Tom Jr. continued the work of the Wayne County Press.
Tom Mathews Sr. was born in Fairfield in 1911. His father was a linotype operator at the Press. Tom grew up in Fairfield with his brother, Henry, a well-known FCHS athlete who later became closely involved with him in the operation of the Press.
Tom Sr. graduated from Fairfield High School and in his youth worked cleaning and sweeping the Press office, as well as handling rudimentary reporting duties under the Press’ late publisher, E.H. Childress. Tom attended the University of Illinois for one year and then returned to the Press. Mr. Childress thought Tom was someone who could carry on the grand tradition of the Wayne County Press and sold him one-half interest in the newspaper. Later, upon Mr. Childress’ retirement, Tom acquired all the newspaper’s interest.
The newspaper was published once a week for years. Mr. Mathews then decided to publish it twice a week with a circulation of 5,000. In the late 1950s, he purchased the only remaining competing newspaper, the Wayne County Record, and merged it into the Press with a circulation of over 7,500, which later reached an all-time high of close to 10,000 subscribers in the 1980s.
Mr. Mathews served as president of the Illinois Press Association in 1959, and in 1979 was named as Editor of the Year by the Illinois Press Association. In 1970, he was elected to the Hall of fame of the School of Journalism at Southern Illinois University. He was also involved in many local organizations including Rotary, Historical Society, Library board, Hospital board, and Chamber of Commerce. In 1974 he was named the Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year.
Thomas O. Mathews Sr. was a driving force behind the Wayne County Press. He was 88 at the time of his death in 1999.
WCPress Dec. 1999 DGS
1950 Press Delivery Boys
In 1952 the Press began using delivery boys on bicycles with a large bag over their shoulder full of the latest edition of the Wayne County Press. The delivery boys had a town route that averaged 5 to 10 miles and delivered around 150 papers. That year, the delivery boys were paid one cent per paper. In those days Cokes were 5 cents and a movie was 35 cents.
Every Monday and Thursday, the delivery boys hurried up to the Press office after school to wait our turn to get our papers. Press staffers were busy rolling the papers and securing them with a little red rubber band. Another staffer kept track of the carrier names and disbursement Off the delivery boys would go on their trusty bicycle while balancing that big bag of newspapers. The trick was to keep moving, while tossing the paper onto the yard of the subscriber. Tossing the paper into the bushes, or onto the roof was unacceptable.
A delivery boy who missed a subscriber was penalized. In those early days, a tally board was on the wall near the back stairs. Delivery boys who missed a paper delivery were docked. The docked money was put into a kitty along with a five-dollar bill. The carriers without any missed deliveries for the month got to split the money from the kitty.
The town residents of Fairfield depended on those bicycle delivery boys to bring the news every Monday and Thursday afternoon. Many delivery boys worked for the Press for several years and kept the same route year after year. The delivery boys took pride in their jobs, streamlined their routes, and perfected their aim. Bad weather such as heavy rain or snow would require the assistance of a family member with a trusty car.
Eventually, times changed. The Press delivery routes were handled entirely by car, with the rolled-up Press tossed out the window. The only way to get The Press any quicker, is to stand in line at the Press office. For over one hundred fifty years people have relied on The Wayne County Press for local news.
1895 Wayne County Press Building
Mr. W.M. Goudy built the Wayne County Press building in 1895. The building spot was centrally located, just a block from the courthouse. At the time, a large one-story dry goods store was one the corner, before being replaced by the tall Pendleton, Johns & Co. bank building.
The Press building originally had a frontage of 31 feet and an 8-foot alley on the west side. The building had a depth of 90 feet, with the basement accessible from the back of the building. The concrete basement floor provided a solid foundation for the heavy printing equipment and paper storage. Always a room of animated activity with the movement of the presses and workers folding and stacking the printed pages.
The main floor looked out on the busy street through tall plate-glass windows shaded by a wrought iron awning. The central doorway opened onto a hallway granting access to the Press offices and the other businesses located in the building. Mr. George Newton, local photographer, was a partner in erecting the building. He expected to move his photography gallery into the building but changed his mind. The natural light, necessary for the gallery was blocked by the new two-story bank built to the east of the Press building. The West side of the new Press building was the law office of Cooper & Crieghton. At one time, an iron stairway led to the basement. In those early years, the Press shared the basement with a barber shop.
The Press office building was the first building in Fairfield to be heated by a hot water boiler. The boiler located in the basement, used coal to heat the water that was circulated through the building to cast iron radiators. Earlier buildings utilized stoves in each room for heat.
The Wayne County Press business grew and utilized the entire building. Over the years, the building was expanded to the west and the storefront was changed and updated. The building and the newspaper have witnessed much history since 1895.
Elm River CP Church
Country churches have always provided a sanctuary for worship and a building for fellowship. Soup suppers and ice cream socials are a way to gather, and often, a fundraiser for building projects or church improvements. Families still gather at the brown brick church in the Elm River township of Wayne County.
The Elm River Cumberland Presbyterian church was first organized in 1853 in the village of Mt. Erie. Twenty-five years later, in September of 1877, the church property at Mt. Erie was sold to the trustees of the Mt. Erie cemetery and plans were made to relocate the church.
Within two years, the congregation had selected a suitable building site near the Brown cemetery, west of Mt. Erie, on the blacktop. A white, clapboard church was erected, and used for the next 100 years. Eventually, the condition of the old church began to decay. The floor had fallen prey to termites, and the old walls had been weakened when the building had to be moved a number of feet to widen the Mt. Erie-Cisne blacktop.
In 1981 the building was replaced by a brown brick church building. Many people refer to it as the Brown Church, or the Elm River Cumberland Presbyterian church. The new building measured 52 feet by 24 feet with a basement located beneath the sanctuary. Many of the fixtures were taken from the old church building, which was torn down upon completion of the new brown brick church structure.
No doubt, the church will stand for another 40 years as a place for worship and fellowship.
https://genealogytrails.com/ill/wayne/church_elmriver.html
by Bettie Wheat
DGS 8/2022
Ransom Henry “Rance” McDuffee 1896 - 1970
Rance McDuffee was born in Wayne county in 1896. In his lifetime, he saw a lot of changes, including electricity and automobiles. Today’s poem by Rance McDuffee is entitled “The Cluck of the Wagon Wheel”.
When I think of the sounds I have heard through the years,
The sounds that were pleasant to hear,
The things that when heard send a thrill through my soul,
And left their impressions so clear,
I recall the soft song of a babbling brook,
And the rustle as I walked through the leaves,
And choruses from winds as they played their sad tunes
On the musical bough of the trees.
I have heard the sweet echo of a woodchopper’s axe,
Felt the thud of a falling tree,
I have heard the keen song of a cross-cut saw
As it raced to and fro on a spree.
I have heard the caw caw of the noisey crow,
And the chant from an anvil and steel,
But the sound I liked most in boyhood days
Was the cluck of a wagon wheel.
We used to sit out on the old front porch,
When the sun had sunk out of sight,
We would all strain our ears for the wagon’s cluck,
And the clop of the hooves in the night,
As our dad drove the team down the old dusty road
On his journey toward home from the town,
The temp was slow on the hills, going up,
And quickened as the team trotted down.
Wagon wheels brought a song and a message at night
To the ears of a small country boy,
They brought the good news that dad would be home,
And all through the house would be joy,
When we looked at the things he had bought at the store,
And listened to him tell all the news,
Just how much he got for the hens and the eggs,
And how much he paid for the shoes.
They have all passed on, my dad and the team,
The wagon fell apart and decayed,
The bridges they crossed are replaced with concrete,
And the mortgage on the old home is paid.
But, now when I go down to the old homestead,
My emotions I can scarcely conceal,
And the thing I recall, most vivid and clear
Is the cluck of the old wagon wheel.
1955 Mrs. Bernice Sutton
Thirty years as a telephone operator in Fairfield is a long time, but that’s the record held by Mrs. Bernice Sutton. In 1955, Gene Thompson, local manager for General Telephone, presented Bernice with a 30-year pin.
Each of the phones in a particular location would be connected by wire to a central exchange. The owner of a telephone would call the exchange, and a switchboard operator would answer. The caller would give the operator the name or number of the person he or she wanted to speak with, and the operator would plug a patch cord into that person’s socket on the switchboard, connecting the two.
In a time when most workers were men, WOMEN were preferred as switchboard operators for their pleasant voice and patient demeanor. The job could be hectic and stressful at times.
Looking back over her long service, Bernice said “most people were nice, even during the busy times during the oil boom of the late 1930s. That was a crazy, busy time I will never forget. Our facilities were cramped and over-loaded with calls.”
When Bernice became a phone operator on April 1st 1925 there were only 600 phones in Fairfield and it took 14 operators to handle them. Starting out at 12 cents an hour wage, Bernice has seen many changes over the years. Slowly the switchboards were replaced with automated equipment able to connect one phone number to another. Even then, it was possible to dial 0 and connect with a telephone operator for assistance making a call.
https://www.history.com/news/rise-fall-telephone-switchboard-operators
WC Press 19558/2022 DGS
1958 Echoes of Life, Poem by John M. Quindry
Former farmer, teacher, bank cashier, school- board president and bank president, John M. Quindry of Fairfield had a weekly column in the Wayne County Press for many years. In 1958, at the age of 80, he had a collection of poems printed into a book. The book, and the first poem are titled “echoes of Life”.
Once I rowed ‘cross Echo River,
Gliding softly o’er the wave,
Heard sounds echo and re-echo
Through the darkness of the cave.
Oft I’ve thought of Echo River,
How it typifies the life,
Through the stillness of whose waters
Come to us both joy and strife.
If we call in words of sadness,
Pessimism and of gloom,
Then the echo brings back clearly
Those of sorrow and of doom
When we speak the thoughts of goodness,
Sound them out so plain and clear,
Then the echo is returning
To us soon in words of cheer.
How life is so like that river
Through the heart of that big ole cave.
Always sending to the giver,
In the manner that he gave.
1945 Judge B. F. Thomas
There is a photograph of B. F. Thomas that hangs in the meeting room at the Fairfield Public Library. His lengthy biographical sketch and obituary at the time of his death in 1945, paint a picture of a widely-known and respected judge and community leader.
Benjamin Franklin Thomas, grew up on a farm in Jasper township, northeast of Fairfield. His mother Nancy June Puckett Thomas died when he was only 5. He was reared on the farm, attended the country schools and later attended Hayward college in Fairfield.
While attending Hayward college Judge Thomas began the study of law in the office of his law partner, Hon. Thomas H. Creighton. In 1897 he was admitted to the Illinois Bar and then he and Mr. Creighton formed a partnership, which continued for over 40 years. Judge Thomas was elected state’s attorney of Wayne county and in 1925 was named a Judge.
For many years Judge Thomas was a leader in public affairs in Fairfield and Wayne County. He took an active part in the organization of a public library in Fairfield and the successful operation of the library was always one of the interests close to his heart. He was honored by being elected the first president of the Fairfield Library Board and held that position for 22 years, serving as president at the time of his death.
With knowledge of his life, comes respect for his portrait that hangs in the library meeting room. As library patrons, Friends of the Library, and current Library board members, we are grateful for the leadership of Judge B. F. Thomas in those early years between 1920 and 1945.
Obituary WC Press(Record) 1945DGS 8/2022
1943 Dr. Frankel
Wayne County has a long history of great doctors. In 1943 Dr. Donald B. Frankel returned to Fairfield and opened a downtown medical clinic. The clinic was located on the northwest corner of the Courthouse square in a building referred to as the Oil Exchange Building, and boasted nine rooms.
At the time, in 1948, Dr. Frankel’s clinic was one of the most elaborate and up-to-date medical clinics in southern Illinois. The exam and surgery rooms were fully equipped and the clinic boasted a full sized x-ray and fluoroscope unit.
Dr. Frankel was a general practitioner and helped people with all types of ailments. Being from Fairfield, he was familiar with sinus problems. As part of his medical studies, Dr. Frankel had conducted a study of the use of a new drug to treat sinus problems. He had used the new treatment on more than one hundred cases and it was proven highly successful, according to his study. Dr. Frankel published an article concerning the sinus treatment study in a medical journal and was awarded a prize of $2,000 for the article.
Fairfield was grateful to have a local clinic and a doctor trained in modern medicine. At the time, Dr. Frankel did not want any publicity on the matter when inquired about his prestigious publication and the monetary prize. He commented that “the money is a wonderful prize, but helping people is a richer reward.”
WC Record Newspaper 1943 / ScrapbookG 3/2020 DGS 8/2022
1943 Jacob W. Barth, Enterprise
Jacob W. Barth was an astute businessman. He served on the Board of Directors of the Cisne State Bank and the Fairfield National Bank. For all of his adult life he ran the general store in Enterprise, Illinois. He died in 1943, and is buried in the Evangelical Cemetery just north of Enterprise.
Enterprise, Illinois was once a bustling little community, settled mostly by German immigrants. The community was located at the crossroads of two main routes, running between Cisne and Mt. Erie on the east/west route, and Fairfield and Clay City on the north/south route. One of the oldest cemeteries in the area is just north of the crossroads, and was originally referred to as “The German” cemetery, before taking on the name of the Evangelical Cemetery. Kids these days call it Hobbit Hill.
Jacob William Barth, was born in 1860 and came to Illinois with his parents after the Civil War. For a short time he assisted his father in the operation of a farm near Enterprise. He soon manifested his interest in merchandising, and after a few years' service in working for others, he started his own store in Enterprise in 1894, which he built to one of the largest general merchandise establishments in Southern Illinois. He became one of the most substantial and progressive citizens of the area.
He possessed a shrewd and conservative business inclination and he was trained by his family members, Louis Barth, and Luther Yohe, pioneer merchants of that day. Success attended his efforts and with the passing years his interests became more varied and extended. Before the days of rural delivery he served as postmaster at Enterprise. His extensive land holdings afforded him ample opportunity for cattle raising which he enjoyed.
He was a stockholder in the Cisne State Bank and served many years as President of the Board of Directors. That this bank was able to come through the crisis of 1933 and the depositors not lose their deposits, was partly attributed to his good management. He was also a stockholder in the Fairfield National Bank and served as one of its directors from 1927 until his death in 1943.
Respected Wayne County Merchant, Banker and Farmer Jacob Barth was 82 when he passed away in 1943.
Obituary / Archives ScrapbookDGS 8/2022
(1930s) Rinard
Rinard was created in the late 1870s when the first railroad came through for the north to the south route. Named for landowner and Fairfield bank president Adam Rinard, the town grew on the strength of the trains, and the people of this area of north Wayne.
What was Rinard like in those early busy days from 1920 to 1960? In the boom years, Rinard boasted Purdy’s Pool Hall, a bank, a two-story grade school, a train depot, a Ford dealership, a grocery store, a gas station, a restaurant, and a post office. There was a Methodist church, a Christian church, a furniture store, a hotel, and a general store. Keith’s general store would outlast almost all of the other businesses.
Back in the day Rinard had a community band outfitted in white pants and shirts, topped with snappy navy capes trimmed in yellow. A white hat topped each outfit. The Rinard Community Band played throughout the area as well as for the Rinard Fall Festival and Homecoming celebrations of the 1930s.
Every little town, even Rinard had its own baseball team that played in an informal county and regional circuit. These were fully uniformed, equipped and coached competitive summer season teams. The players were merchants, farmers, and laborers by day, and hotshot baseball players on nights and weekends.
The town of Rinard is nearly gone, but lives on within a collection of photographs. Stop by the Early History Museum to see the collection of photographs of Rinard compiled by Ed McCormick.
….and don’t let local history be a mystery.
2nd HM from Judith Puckett article The Rinard Collection – WCPress November 2021 DGS
(1950) Quonset Huts
The Navy developed Quonset huts, those semi-circles of metal, in World War II. The roof and the walls are a series of connected curved metal sections. The corrugated structures were prefabricated, lightweight, easily shipped, and could be assembled “without skilled labor.”
The Quonset hut is named after the location it was first built, the Davisville Naval Construction Battalion Center at Quonset Point, Rhode Island. This proved to be a valuable and strategic location for the Navy, with the Construction Battalion Center creating Quonset huts for the surrounding military camps, as well as creating them to be shipped around the world.
After the war, military surplus Quonset huts popped up all over the place. There were several in and around Wayne County. The old IGA on the east highway is perhaps the largest. The business has been closed for over 30 years, and yet the domed roof still stands. There is a small one that serves as a garage on Water and N.E. 2nd Street. At one time, there was a fairly large Quonset structure that stood between the Fairfield Farmer’s store and the railroad tracks just past West Main and Seventh streets.
Quonset buildings are unique in their domed shape and pre-fabricated construction. They are still used today for a variety of applications, from small garages to large, tent-like coverings. Still, something about the name and appearance takes us back to that post World War II era.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
(1890) G. H. Tompkins
Griffin Haviland Tompkins arrived in Fairfield about 1877, he was fifty-five years old, a bachelor, and a bit reclusive. Born in New York, he had lived in Chicago, and Champaign, Illinois before the Civil War. Why he landed here in Wayne County is a mystery. But it is not the only mystery connected to this wealthy, eccentric lawyer who was buried in Maple Hill cemetery following his death in 1907.
Mr. Tompkins practiced law in Fairfield and was hired to sue the Illinois central railroad on behalf of Wayne County landowners. The infamous “Swamp Land” case would last for many years and define Tompkins’ career. Eventually he won. No doubt, Tompkins was a fine litigator and orator. Work was his main focus, with no family in the area. He didn’t talk much about himself or his past. Defending lawsuits and buying land had made him a wealthy man.
The people of Fairfield were intrigued when an attractive, confident young woman from Georgia came to town in 1890, claiming to be the daughter of G.H. Tompkins. Lena Tompkins and her mother had not seen Mr. Tompkins for over 20 years, and had been told that he had died in New York. Mr. Tompkins claimed that at the time he was traveling and would be away for months at a time. He had been told that his wife divorced him.
Obviously, there was no love lost between the families. Many people were relocating, or moving west following the Civil War. Letters took weeks to arrive. Lena and her mother had remained in the south, assuming Mr. Tompkins was deceased, never knowing that he had returned to Illinois, and relocated to Fairfield.
Daughter Lena returned to Georgia. Chances are that the Tompkins filed for a divorce. Mr. Tompkins remained in Fairfield until his death. Daughter Lena made another trip to Fairfield to settle her father’s estate and collect the inheritance. G. H. Tompkins obituary listed him as one of the wealthiest men in Wayne County.
1930 Fred Brach
In the late 1920s, Fred Brach from Cisne had some land and raised hogs on a small farm next to Deer Creek. Unfortunately for Fred, a financial depression hit the nation, prices dropped, and it looked like he would not make enough money to feed the livestock or even ship then to market in St. Louis. Fred decided to let the hogs loose in the tree-covered bottoms next to Deer Creek. At least they would have water, and could root around for food.
The next few years were tough on everyone. Money was tight. When the Depression lifted and the economy improved, the price of hogs went up. Fred had not seen the hogs he had turned loose into the woods for four years. But with the prices looking good, he decided to see if any of the hogs had survived.
He saddled his horse and made his way to the bottoms to check for the hogs, which, by then, were wild. “I saw pigs everywhere!” he said. They had not only survived but flourished and multiplied. Fred and his neighbors formed a pig posse and rounded up the hogs.
They drove the hogs to the loading yards on the south side of Cisne. Up went the hogs into the train cars, and they went off to market in St. Louis. “When my check came in the mail, it was big.” remarked Fred.
According to his nephew, Otis Brach, who wrote down the details of his uncle’s story, said that the Cisne banker could only shake his head in amazement, and did not have enough cash on hand to cover the windfall. With the money, Fred started “loaning money and buying bank stock.” Otis Brach added that to have that money brought into the Cisne community helped everyone.
Judith Puckett article WCPress June 2022 DGS
(1980) “Cigar Store” statue
Everett Puckett began carving wooden totem poles and life-size figures after his 1975 retirement from a 30-year career at Airtex. He became interested in totem poles and old west carvings after a visit he and his wife, LaVira, made to the Pacific Northwest. A celebrated local folk artist with no formal training, Mr. Puckett had no art training before he began his large carvings with a hand saw and chisel.
Everett and LaVira kept most of the totem pole carvings for their own enjoyment, but donated a wooden “cigar store” Native American statue to the Historical Society. Visitors of all ages enjoy being greeted by the tall carved figure just inside the meeting room doorway at the Fairfield Public Library.
The use of the carved Native American statues as an “attention getter” in front of a tobacco shop began in England in the early 1600s as the ships from America began to bring back tobacco. The symbolism of the statues was because the source of the tobacco supply at that time was from Native Americans.
The tall, carved statue at the Fairfield Public Library is reminiscent of the early western saloon and cigar store totems. The figure has an outstretched hand holding a few cigars, and the other hand is holding an old rifle. Children especially enjoy the statue, and it often sparks discussions on the old west, Native Americans, and symbolism. The Historical Society is honored to have such a large, impressive, example of local folk art.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
1931 Nicholson Meat Market
About 1931 or so Guy Nicholson bought the store building at 113 East Main Street, in downtown Fairfield and opened the Nicholson I.G.A. Grocery and Meat Market. During its ten-year run it was “one of the town’s leading grocery and meat concerns.”
Guy Nicholson died, and his wife took over and hired Ernest Mathews to manage the business. A photo exists of a well-stocked grocery store with can goods displayed on the outside walls, bushel baskets of apples, and a glass meat counter. Most of the groceries are behind the counter with only a few items “reachable” by customers. Groceries were still bought by handing the grocer a list or by pointing to what one wanted. The grocer brought the items to the counter, which had a much-used scale at one end. There the bill was tallied, the groceries wrapped, boxed, or sacked and taken home.
The glass meat counter displayed the day’s cuts of beef, chicken and pork chops. The shopper would point to their purchase, which was then wrapped in clean, white “butcher paper”. Cured meats and bologna were also available as well as tasty ham salad. Some early meat counters would also make a quick sandwich with a couple slices of bread. Paired with a cold soft-drink in a glass bottle, made for a tasty lunch.
Similar country stores existed in Cisne, Enterprise, Golden Gate, Mt. Erie, Wayne City and at various rural crossroads. They were “general stores” which meant they carried non-grocery items, such as hardware, knick-knacks, candy, clothes, shoes, and even farm implements.
Most of the numerous early grocery stores of the 1930s have closed. Downtown Fairfield is fortunate to have John’s Butcher Block grocery and meat counter that still provides that personal service reminiscent of a by-gone era.
1887 Every Wednesday Club
Chau·tau·qua /SHəˈtôkwə.
An early movement in education swept the country in the latter part of the 19th and early 20th centuries. A Chautaugua was an institution that provided popular adult education courses to organized groups. Universities were often far away, and difficult to attend.
Early women’s clubs, professional societies, temperance advocates, and participants in local civic and charity organizations were a way for women to expand their sphere of activities further outside the home.
The Every Wednesday Club was organized in 1887, as the only literary club in Fairfield. It wasn’t just a civic club, it was a for-runner of adult education. As a formation of one of the first women’s literary clubs in Southern Illinois, and in Illinois, the club is still going strong, 135 years later. The Every Wednesday Club still meets at the Fairfield Library.
The founders of the Fairfield Every Wednesday Club could see the great advantages of advanced education for adult women. In 1887, Mrs. Anna Cox and Mrs. Georgia Steiner became interested in forming a Literary Club. They helped to organize the Every Wednesday Reading Club, as it was first called, with a membership of twelve.
The object of the club was to enhance the mental culture of its members, with the study of Literature and History. The club members would study several books for the year. In the 1920s, the club also enjoyed some fun with the readings of humorous prose and poetry as well as social activities.
Past and current members are justified in their feeling of pride which they hold toward the long history of the club and their undertaking of self-education. In this effort they were making use of a fore-runner of adult education, now offered by colleges and universities.
No doubt, the activities of the Every Wednesday Club in the lives of its members through its long history have served as a constructive and cultural influence it the life of the community.
WCPress 7/2022 DGS
1938 Lions Club
The Fairfield Lions Club was organized in 1938 at a dinner meeting at the Fogle Hotel. The new organization, a member of Lions International, started with twenty charter members.
Walter Blackburn was elected president; J. Russell Dixon, first vice president; Judge Arthur Elliott, second vice; dr. G. R. Hill, third vice; Elmo Young, secretary-treasurer.
At the dinner, a Lions reprehensive delivered an address explaining how a service club like Lions can serve a community, how the members can benefit by it, and how a Lions organization operates. The club voted to meet at six fifteen every Tuesday night. Membership in the organization is based on a classification system and regular attendance of the members is required.
Charter Members were Walter Blackburn, Russell Dixon, Elmo Young, Francis Feiger, Gene York, James Colbert, Bill Inskeep, Tommy McClintock, Neal Patterson, Kenneth “Bud” Wilson, James Heidinger, Jr., Richard Clay, James Topper, Alva Borah, Wilbur Dye, Dr. G. R. Hill, Judge Arthur Elliott, Tom Stierwalt, Richard Bryant, Ralph Cochennour.
The current Fairfield Lions Club members meet for luncheon meetings twice a month. They continue to support several local and national causes.
WCPress DGS 7/2022
July 1875 Small Pox
July has always been hot and humid. The roads are dusty, the grass is dry and the flies are thick. Nathan and Sara Morris married in 1832 and settled in the Arrington Prairie area of Wayne County. The days were filled with the joys and trials of raising children. Farming was hard and some years were lean, but the family all worked together.
Between 1840 and 1860 Nathan and Sara raised ten children. They also supported their friends and family through the Civil War. Son John had been too young for the war. Daughter Sarah Ann was named after her mother. Daughter Nancy, considered an old maid, still single at 30, married a fine soldier, after the war. Nancy and Ben’s twins were three years old the summer that tragedy struck the Morris family.
As reported in the local newspaper that summer of 1875; “During the past three weeks small pox has been a fearful visitant at the home of Nathan and Sarah Morris.” That one fateful sentence alone is heavy with the realization of the death that followed. The paragraph continues; “The first person who died was Mr. Ballou, son-in-law of Nathan and Sara Morris, followed by six other deaths.
Mr. Ballou, his wife Nancy and their two children died of small pox, as did Nancy’s sister; Sara Ann Morris at age 24. Patriarch of the family; Nathan Morris suffered the same fate as his daughters and two grandchildren. His strong young 19 year old son John was the last to die that month of the small pox scourge.
Matriarch Sara Morris lived with her grief for 7 years and died at the age of 65. Perhaps the family would take comfort in knowing that the remaining children, grandchildren, and descendents now number in the 1000s among Morris and Green families throughout Wayne County.
Wayne County, Illinois Newspaper Gleanings 1855-1875, Bland Ancestry.com
DGS 7/2022
1954 Little League Boys Baseball
In 1954 Fairfield had a recreational director, Ed Shea, in charge of activities in the park district. He presented the idea of forming a youth baseball league, based on the national Babe Ruth, Incorporated program. There were plenty of boys that first year, but getting the league started was difficult; they were starting from scratch. There was no equipment, no uniforms, no volunteers, no sponsors and really; no dedicated ball diamond. They managed to form four teams and play several games that first year.
In 1955 the program really took shape. Four businesses stepped up to support the teams. All four sponsors were connected to the oil industry, and included Nation Drilling, Davis & Son, and Aman Oil. The 1955 competition ended with the Aman team on top. Momentum increased and a new Little League diamond was built in the southeast corner of the park in 1956. In 1957, over 300 boys participated in the program.
As those first boys grew older and continued to play, the program expanded. In 1958 with the cooperation of the City of Fairfield and the Park Board, work began on a new diamond at the site of the City Park Reservoir. The following year, the new Babe Ruth League ball diamond was dedicated at the newly named Lakeside Park. Even in 1958, the ball park was lighted, making it one of the best diamonds in the area. The Junior League Team was coached by Tice Clevenger and played teams from neighboring towns.
In 1961, in addition to the Junior League traveling team, the Fairfield Babe Ruth League had seven teams and the Little League group had 6 teams, with close to 400 boys participating. In the 1970s, girls were allowed to play on the teams, and eventually softball was added to the summer lineup.
Since those early days of the late 1950 and early 1960s, the program has continued to be a summer tradition. Little League still relies on business sponsors, and is thankful for their support. The ball parks have continued to be maintained and improved. The Lakeside Diamond used for Junior League and High School play was given a major upgrade a few years ago. The collaboration continues between sponsors, directors, coaches, players, and fans, teaching the rules of the game, and life lessons. “Play Ball!”
WCPress file JPuckett research 2018 revised DGS 7/2022
1985 Explosive Fireworks Show
The Fourth of July fireworks display in Fairfield in 1985 began routinely. A short time later it ended in the most terrifying display in the town’s history of fireworks. Modern, municipal fireworks are somewhat safer these days. Hopefully, an explosion, resulting in injuries at a public fireworks display never happens again.
In the 1980s the Fairfield Fireworks display was held at Lakeside Park and conducted by the civic organization; the Jaycees. Families parked along the park road and spread blankets along the north side of the lake. The fireworks were set off on the south side of the reservoir, their colors reflected on the surface of the lake. The Jaycees had 15 years of experience with fireworks, were well organized, and had a $4,000 collection of explosives prepared in an organized layout as in previous years. Most of the fireworks were sorted in boxes in the back of a pickup truck. The bombs were retrieved and lighted by hand, with several Jaycees helping with the firing.
The Jaycees, and a few onlookers noticed a spark fall from the very first firework rocket. The tiny spark landed in the back of that pickup truck, on a box of three-inch bombs. Someone standing close by shouted “Oh my God”, just as the entire truck-load of fireworks began to explode. One Jaycee member had been just about to reach into the box, when it exploded. He managed to crawl on his hands and knees into the lake with a piece of shrapnel imbedded in his hand.
Bedlam followed. Each of the boxes of bombs exploded in a chain reaction, bombarding the Jaycees in sparks and metal bits. In a few terrifying minutes, all the bombs had ignited in a thunderous cloud of smoke and fire that shot the sky with jagged slashes of color and billowing black clouds of smoke. The smoke blew toward the crowd as families scrambled away from the explosion. Panic set in as family members were separated in the mayhem.
The Jaycees and those closest to the point of initial impact began looking around. The sound of police and ambulance sirens with those responding to the emergency could be heard all over town. The injured were taken to the hospital. People were missing, but were found, some crawling out from under vehicles where they had scrambled for shelter. Nine people were injured, including one who suffered burns and a damaged cornea.
“It was a miracle no one was killed. I thought we were all going to die. I really did.”, commented one Jaycee member after the explosion. It was many years before the city of Fairfield attempted another fireworks display, following the explosion the summer 1985.
(1987) Cardinal Stadium
Baseball is an all-American summer past-time. St. Louis Cardinal fans far out-number other major league team fans in Wayne County. Most ball fans remember the Bush Stadium ball park that opened the summer of 1966. At the time it was considered one of the best ball parks in the country.
Every summer, families from Wayne County made the trek to Bush Stadium. In the late summer of 1987, one local fan was bestowed the honor of being the 3 millionth fan to Bush Stadium.
“I knew when I woke up that morning it was going to be my lucky day,” Brenda commented, after officials stopped her as she entered the park. A loyal Cardinal fan, Brenda was thrilled with the honor of being named the 3 millionth visitor. Brenda, husband Marty Slover and their young son Ryan loved cheering the Cardinals at Bush Stadium.
Bush Stadium used past gate and turnstile data to estimate the time and place the 3 millionth fan would appear. Cardinal officials agreed that the Wayne County family were representative of loyal Cardinal fans.
Like the Slover family, many fans would have professed their loyalty to the Busch Stadium of the 80s and 90s, yet the owners of the Cardinals committed to building a new ballpark. The Cardinals played their last game at that Bush Stadium in the fall of 2005. Cardinal fans began visiting the new Busch stadium in 2006.
DGS 7/2022
(August , 1963) UFOs in the night sky
Comic books and Hollywood movies of the 1960s promoted the speculation of life on other planets and unidentified flying objects visiting Earth. Many of the fictional stories were based on American folklore and tales of strange lights in the sky.
A Wayne County teenager’s excited claims that a strange white light chased his car at high speeds had residents of Wayne County buzzing in 1963. Eighteen year old Ronnie of Wayne City told authorities that the light followed him and his date ten miles as they drove home from Mount Vernon.
Ronnie said the light stalled the car engine as it passed over and caused the car radio “to go crazy”. At one time it approached, as close as 100 feet, he estimated. He said it made a humming sound and had a “cooling effect” as it passed over head.
Young Ronnie bolted into the home of his father, Orville, who also witnessed the light overhead. The light seemed to draw nearer, so they closed the door, turned off all the lights in the house and telephoned authorities.
Wayne County Deputy Sheriff Harry Lee, said he saw the light at a distance. He said it was “three or four times bigger than a star and was moving but not twinkling.”
Mrs. Ebbie, grandmother of Ronnie said the light had her dogs barking during the night. The strange lights appeared for several nights above Wayne City that summer of 1963. Government officials investigated and commented that the sightings could have been the moon, a planet, or planes conducting a night fueling drill.
Donna Green Savage
Wayne County Fair Grandstand (1948)
The Wayne County fairground was very busy with activity in the summer of 1948. That was the year that construction had begun on the new grandstand.
The new structure was 200 feet long and 42 feet wide. It contained hundreds of concrete blocks, and it could seat 2,000 people. The new grandstand included offices, restrooms and a concession area underneath.
In addition to the new grandstand, a cyclone fence was erected around the fairgrounds, the horse barns were given two new coats of white paint, ditches were widened, cleaned and a white board fence was erected around the outside of the track.
The Fair Association considered the Wayne County Fairgrounds the best facility between Springfield and Duquoin.
Erected in 1948, the Wayne County Fairgrounds grandstand is still a great place to view harness races, concerts and demo derbies. Make plans to attend a grandstand event at the Wayne County Fair. – and don’t let local history be a mystery.
(1865 / 2000 ) Isaac Smith from Virginia
The descendants of the family of Fred M. and Gracie Smith held their annual July 4th picnic west of Cisne the summer of 2000. The family enjoyed food, fellowship and homemade ice cream under the shade trees.
The highlight of the day was the presentation of a Civil War medal that had remained unclaimed by their ancestor; Isaac Smith. The presentation to the family was made by his great-great-grandson; Rodney Gould, who became aware of the unclaimed Civil War medal while doing genealogy research.
Rodney was able to prove direct lineage to Isaac Smith, Co. D., 7th Regiment of West Virginia Volunteers for the Union army. The state of West Virginia had issued the medals to the volunteers as a token of respect for their defense of the nation and for the formation of the state of West Virginia.
At the time of the Civil War, Isaac Smith lived and fought in Virginia in support of the Union. Shortly after the war the state of West Virginia was formed and commissioned a medal be struck to honor each volunteer. By that time, Isaac Smith, with his bride Emma, had moved to Wayne County, Illinois and his medal remained unclaimed for over 100 years.
Thanks to Rodney Gould’s research in the 21st century, the medal was able to be presented to the direct ancestors. A family member commented; “It was a powerful, moving presentation and gave us all a sense of pride and admiration for those who sacrificed so much to preserve our great country,”
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
WCPress July 2000 DGS 6/2022
1876, 1976) Independence Day
Some of you may remember 1976. The country celebrated the U.S. bicentennial, 200 years. That year, Mrs. Elmer Bland of Fairfield researched the Fairfield of 1876, as the country celebrated 100 years, with centennial celebrations. Mrs. Bland shared these findings in the Wayne County Press in 1976.
The Centennial celebration of 1876 in Wayne County began that January with a midnight parade, lighted with torches and headed by the Fairfield Cornet Band. The last of February, there was more celebrating when a local church hosted a Martha Washington Tea Party. The highlight of the evening was a colonial dinner.
In the spring, citizens of Fairfield were encouraged to plant centennial trees and display the stars and stripes.
In 1876, and 1976, a huge fireworks display was planned for the Fourth of July.
Happy Fourth of July! And don’t let local history be a mystery!
DGS copyright Wayne County Historical Society 2022
WCPress 1976
(1984) Rural Fire Department
The Fairfield Rural Fire Department made their first official run in 1984 to a field fire south of Fairfield. Since then the department has continued to respond to fires, vehicle accidents, and various other types of emergency situations.
The department was officially created in the 1982 general election when voters in the county overwhelmingly passed a referendum to fund a rural fire district. Shortly thereafter, the newly formed rural fire department had a building on Fairfield’s east side, a pumper truck donated by the Fairfield Fire department, and several capable volunteers.
Volunteers are the heart of the department. Over the years volunteers have numbered between 20 to 30, and work for no pay. The volunteer fire fighters and their families annually hold a fish fry fundraiser. Money raised helps maintain and purchase quality equipment and vehicles.
In 2001 the department added a station in Mill Shoals. During that time, the department started responding to auto accidents on a 13-mile stretch of I-64 that runs from mile marker 105 to 118. Over the years the department has responded to numerous auto emergencies in all types of situations.
Several volunteers have been on call since the beginning in 1984 and have welcomed subsequent generations. The residents of the area are very fortunate to have the peace of mind that comes with the protection provided by the Fairfield Rural Fire Department.
Wayne County Press May 14, 2009 Marty David DGS 6/2022
Fairfield Post Office locations
The Fairfield post office has been in seven locations. In the 1800s, the post office was housed out of 4 different storefronts in downtown Fairfield.
Then an imposing post office building was built in the 1920s, straight across the street from the courthouse. The post office was on Main Street for less than 20 years. That building later became the offices of Dr. Gershenson and then a law office. Currently, the building is a nail salon and an apartment.
In 1934 several Southern Illinois towns received Federal grant money and contracts for new Post Offices with more room loading and unloading mail. In Fairfield the location on Delaware and East Third Street was selected. The Post Office was completed in July 1935 with a grand opening that fall.
The Delaware location has withstood the past 87 years with minor changes and improvements including the ramp at the front entrance.
Added more details / revised 2022 DGS Bookmark Minutes by Judith Puckett 2000
(1938) Doc. Gershenson
Wayne County has a history of exceptional doctors. These days, the citizens of Wayne County have the benefit of a modern hospital and neighborhood clinics that are close to home and accessible.
Imagine life in 1938, and in the heat of the summer, your child is ill with DYSenTery. The vomiting and diarrhea are relentless and the child is losing weight and getting weaker. Remember, at that time, the nearest hospital was in Mt. Vernon. One family recalls just such a difficult time from the summer of 1938;
Our daughter was getting worse. We had no phone, no car, and no extra money for doctor visits. We worried that she was so weak she would not survive a bumpy ride on horse-back to the doctor’s office. I rode into Fairfield to see a new doctor who had just started practicing, and was fresh out of medical school, his name was Dr. Gershenson.
Dr. Gershenson immediately drove to our farm, examined our daughter, and said there was still hope. He admitted that she should be in a hospital for a new type of treatment, but she was too weak to be moved. The Doctor said he would drive to Mt. Vernon hospital and bring the intra-venous supplies to her. The doctor set up the IV, and our daughter began to improve the following day. Seems intravenous treatments were a fairly new approach to several life-threatening conditions. Without him, our daughter would have died that summer of 1938. We were forever grateful to Dr. Gershenson.
Dr. Gershenson treated many patients at his down-town office. His career spanned over 40 years.
Tribute to a Remarkable Woman – Helen Harris by Charlon Harris 2015
DGS 6/2022
(1909 ) Holman’s Jewelers of Wayne City
One of the longest running businesses in Wayne County was Holman’s Jewelry store. This retail gem was located in the center of downtown Wayne City and operated for almost 100 years. The family-owned business specialized in watch and clock repair, and drew collectors from all around the country.
Ira Holman was born in northern Wayne County in 1879. As a young man he was trained in the art of clock and watch repair by A. L. Songer of Xenia. In 1908 Ira married Jenny , daughter of John Black, from Mill Shoals, Illinois. They moved to Wayne City and started the business in 1909. After several different locations, Ira purchased the store in the heart of Wayne City in 1909.
Son Leo Holman joined the business in 1945 after serving in the navy. Leo’s wife Norma was also from Wayne County. Norma was the store’s bookkeeper and served as Wayne City treasurer for many years. Leo liked to work on watches and Ira preferred the antique clocks.
Even at age 85, Ira could be found working at the store. Ira, Leo and Norma were experts in antique clocks and attracted collectors from around the country. The family owned several clocks dating back to the early 1800s.
The lovely store was a feast for the senses. Stepping into the store, one could hear the gentle ticking of the clocks punctuated by chimes marking the time, and the playful sound of the coo coo clocks.
Time marches on…..don’t let local history be a mystery.
WCP April 1964 article / personal memory DGS 6/2022
Berries
These days, most of us get our fruits and vegetables from a grocery store, yet some might say the sweetest berries were always grown locally; strawberries and blackberries, do well growing in Wayne County.
Over the years, several families around the county would tend to a strawberry patch. The small, ruby berries took careful tending to produce an abundant crop. If it was a good year, the neighbors would be invited to come and pick a pint, for a small fee. Who could resist a taste right off the vine, or the sweet juiciness of sliced strawberries with ice cream? Families would also stew the berries and make strawberry jam.
A cold spell around the first of June is still referred to as “blackberry winter”. Wild blackberries were once abundant in this area, growing along fence rows, and on the edge of the forest. Who remembers donning long pants, long sleeves, walking along the bushes in search of those dark, little blackberries clinging to the thorny twigs. As children we were warned to “pick more than you eat”, or there would not be enough for a warm, bubbly fruit cobbler.
Once the jelly jars were washed and filled with blackberry jam, the top would be sealed with melted paraffin wax to lock in freshness. You had to slide the butter knife between the side of the jar and the wax to break the seal. The jar and the even the round disc of wax would be reused the next year.
I am thankful for the ease and availability of fruit and vegetables, and jars of “Smuckers” jam, but a lot of love goes into handpicked and homemade.
DGS 6/2022
(1868) Memorial Day
Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, but it is also a time to remember U.S. military personnel who have died while serving in the United States armed forces. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials around Memorial Day to honor those who served in the U.S. military. Many people also use the holiday to visit the cemetery and remember past ancestors.
General John A. Logan, native son of Southern Illinois and 3rd Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, established Decoration Day on May 5, 1868 as a time for the nation’s citizens to decorate Union graves with flowers.
By the 1900s, various Union and Confederate memorial traditions, originally celebrated on different days, gradually merged. Decoration Day eventually extended to honor all Americans who died while in the military service.
The preferred name for the holiday gradually changed. Memorial Day did not become the more common name until after World War II, when the name was officially set by Federal law in 1967.
On June 28, 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act which moved four holidays, including Memorial Day, from their traditional date to a specified Monday. The change, effective in 1971, moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May.
On Memorial Day, the flag of the United States is to be raised briskly to the top of the staff and then solemnly lower to the half-staff position, where it remains only until noon. At that time the flag is raised to full-staff for the remainder of the day.
2011 Michael Bartley
Michael Bartley was born in 1987. He was a toddler when the Gulf War was the lead story on the nightly news in 1990 and 1991. Unrest was building in the Middle East.
Michael was in Junior High at New Hope in the fall of 2001. Most students and adults can remember where they were the morning they heard about 9/11. The Iraqi conflict began in 2003 with the United States involvement and mission to topple the government of Saddam Hussein. Factions within the country of Iraq became divided and the conflict escalated into a civil war.
Michael graduated from Fairfield Community High School in 2007. After High School, Michael answered the call to service to his country by enlisting in the army. Fighting for freedom and defending his country was his calling.
Sgt. Michael Bartley served with A-Troop 1-9 cavalry 4th Brigade combat team. He was only 23 when he was killed in action on his second tour in Mosul, Iraq. He is sadly missed by family and friends. His service and his sacrifice make us aware of all veterans and those currently serving in the military.
We express our gratitude, but we can never fully comprehend the calling and sacrifice without being an active military member, a veteran, or a family member. Sgt. Bartley was an outstanding Non-Commissioned Officer who will never be forgotten by those who served with him and all who knew him.
(1918) World War I – Eldon Book
Sergeant Eldon Book, was born March 28, 1895, at Merriam, Illinois. In his 20s he considered striking out on his own, but then in 1917 the United States entered the War in Europe. Eldon Book at the age of 21 volunteered his service in the army and World War I.
After having received his necessary training, Eldon Book served for some time training other recruits. Not being satisfied to serve only at home, he asked to be sent to Europe. His request was granted and he crossed the waters in May, 1918.
Shortly after arriving in France Sergeant Book was engaged in active service on the front lines. He fought with the Third Division at Chauteau Thierry in the battle of the Marne’ and in the Argonne forest of France. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was one of the largest battles in United States military history. Eldon Book was one of over one million American soldiers on that fateful battlefield.
Under the command of General Pershing, October had been a difficult month of rain and fog and constant battles with the Germans. On the twelfth day of October, 1918, Eldon was struck in the shoulder and chest while in command of his platoon. He died on the battlefield that day. He was 23 years old, and such a long way from Fairfield.
Eldon Book was killed in battle less than a month before the war ended. The World War I Armistice was signed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11 month of 1918.
The cemetery for the campaign at Meuse-Argonne France covers 130 acres Twenty-six thousand American men rest there. The Book family was given permission to return Eldon’s body home to Fairfield. On August 14, 1921, Eldon Book was laid to rest in Maple Hill Cemetery with full military honors.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
DGS 5/2022
Martha A Book letter / WWI research used on first Cemetery tour
(1864) George Family – Civil War
Prominent among those who have figured in the history of Wayne County, and whose memory is cherished as almost sacred, is that of the George family.
Francis George was of South Carolina stock, a lawyer, a man of great energy, firm in his convictions of right, and a born Abolitionist, believing in the absolute right of every man to equality before the law – a man of strong mind and independence of thought, who dared to act and think for himself, and he often predicted the demise of slavery, and lived to see it eliminated from the nation, through the determination and sacrifice of his own family.
Francis George and his wife Lu-ray were raising their large family in Fairfield. The children were approaching adulthood when the Civil War began. Father and four sons answered the call to defend the Union, despite having friends and family in South Carolina.
The oldest son, Captain Ezekiel George was a born leader, universally loved at home and very skilled in the ranks, a man destined to have risen to distinction as a soldier and citizen, had not his life been taken as part of the great price of national freedom. Within a short time, Zeke achieved the rank of Captain and led his men into the battle of Shiloh, where he lost his life, like so many other brave soldiers.
James George, the second oldest son also fought in the Civil War. Once the war was over, James returned to Fairfield and lived a long life. He was a member of the local GAR.
Younger brother Gilbert George was also a captain in the Civil War. He was captured and taken prisoner. After the war, Gilbert returned to Fairfield and became a lawyer like his father. He moved to Springfield, was active in the GAR, and helped defend a fellow prisoner of war, William Newby. After the famous Newby trial, Gilbert George wrote a first-hand account of the Civil War and the William Newby trial.
Gillison George, youngest brother served as a private, and was wounded in the Civil War. He returned to Fairfield, but the wounds of war brought him to a premature grave at age 32.
One can only imagine the pride and heartache of the George family. Father Frank would survive the war and live a long life in Fairfield as a lawyer and active member of the GAR.
DGS 5/2022 History of Wayne County / Ancestry.com
1943 Courthouse Memorial Arch
The stately limestone arch on the south yard of the courthouse is Fairfield resulted from the pride and heartache of the citizens of Wayne County. The memorial arch resulted from the common desire of families and friends to honor the soldiers who had left home to sere freedom’s cause. To younger generations, the imposing monument might seem to have been standing “forever”. But, in fact, the idea began in the difficult days of World War II and became a reality as that war finally reached victory. In Wayne County the service and sacrifice of local men and women was honored perpetually by the memorial arch.
In October 1943, Mayor Fred French officially made the motion for a permanent monument. Originally, the design called for the names to be listed inside a wooden case with glass doors. Many fundraisers were necessary over the stretch of several years. Developing an accurate list of names was a major task. The goal was to list every man and woman who had entered the service from Wayne County.
On July 4, 1944 the War Memorial was dedicated before an enormous crowd on the courthouse lawn. The memorial is 12 feet high and 10 feet wide. The top stone alone weighs nine tons. The 18-inch thick walls are five feet long. The decision was made to replace the typewritten sheets in the glass case with bronze tablets.
On August 14, 1945 World War II was finally over when Japan surrendered. Almost 2,000 men and women from Wayne County served. More than sixty men from Wayne County had died defending freedom. The World War II list included 38 men who died in battle, six died of wounds, 11 in non-combat fatalities. The list also included four local men who were declared dead after being missing over a year.
Over the years, names have been added to the Wayne County Memorial Arch. Various other memorials are scattered around Wayne County. Names etched in bronze or stone of the men and women who defended our freedoms in peace time and in war.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
Judith Puckett – White Booklet – “The Veterans’ Memorial Arch 2003 DGS 5/22
(1973) Congressional Medal of Honor Kenny Kays (2)
There were only 235 Congressional Medal of Honor medals awarded after the Vietnam war and one noted recipient was Kenny Kays from Fairfield. A copy of the photo of Kenny receiving the award from President Richard Nixon hangs in the Hannah House Museum. Kenny Kays, as a student at SIU, had objected to the war, so after being drafted he served as a battlefield medic.
When asked about the battle in which he was wounded, Kenny Kays replied; “I thought, after my leg was blown off and I could see the enemy running everywhere around us that I was going to die. For some reason a great sense of peace came over me and I decided I would just go out there and help all the men I could before I died.”
The Wayne County Press carried a short front-page article entitled “Fairfield Boy, Kenneth Kays, loses leg in Vietnam battle” the piece noted the young man had been in combat “For no more than a week,” but said nothing about his heroic actions.
Then, a few years later in 1973 the Wayne County Press reported that 24 year-old Fairfield army veteran, Kenneth Michael Kays received his nation’s highest military honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor, at ceremonies at the White House in Washington, DC. Kenny Kays was one of nine Vietnam veterans so honored by the President that day.
After getting the Congressional Medal, Kenny Kays faced a different battle with Post Traumatic Stress. Over the years friends would visit Kenny, but his mood never really improved. Mostly he sat at that kitchen table facing his inner demons and deep depression.
Troubled for years by the loss of the friends he couldn’t save, the terrible things he had witnessed, and the loss of both of his parents to suicide, Kenny Kays took his own life in November of 1991 at the age of 42.
WCP / Kays book, cemetery tour research 5/2022 DGS
1969 Kenny Kays (#1)
The folks around Wayne County in 1969 didn’t know what to think about hippies, free love, and a war in some far away jungle. August of 1969 Kenny Kays and a few friends attended Woodstock. Kenny always liked music. He was active in the band at FCHS where he graduated in 1967. He is also remembered in High School as being incredibly strong. He would call upon that upper body strength that fateful day of the attack on his platoon unit in Vietnam.
After basic training Kenny Kays was sent to the war and placed in the field the very day of his arrival in Vietnam. Kays believed he was sent to the front because he was a conscientious objector and had voiced his disapproval of the war. It might also have been because by mid-April with an increase in the fighting, medics were now desperately needed. Kays experienced combat battles most nights in Vietnam.
On the night that Kenny Kays was wounded, the battle was total chaos and the men were screaming for the medic. In the midst of the desperate fighting, the men who were there remember seeing medic Ken Kays bolting across the perimeter to help a wounded man when a charge landed at his feet. The blast hurled Kays several feet into the air. Just after he landed in a heap, Kays quickly rose and started to run again, but instead of moving smoothly forward, he tumbled end over end. Kays had not realized that the lower portion of his left leg was gone, blown off by the explosion.
After applying a tourniquet to his leg, Kenny Kays, now in almost unbearable pain, hopped and crawled to the fire-swept perimeter, where he quickly gave medical aid to other wounded men, carrying them on his back as he crawled back to safety.
Kenny Kays didn’t die that day. Returning to the states, He was taken to a Hospital in Denver, Colorado and fitted with an artificial leg. Eight months after the battle he returned home to Fairfield, a troubled hero.
Kenny Kays book – research for first cemetery tour. DGS 5/2022
Kenny Kays - Troubled Hero, A Medal of Honor, Vietnam, and the War at Home by Randy K. Mills, Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 2006
(1975) Revolutionary War Veterans of Wayne County
Maple Hill Cemetery in Fairfield includes ten white stones in honor of ten early colonists who fought in the Revolutionary War. The memorial stones are circled around the cemetery flag pole in the Veterans’ area of Maple Hill. The Revolutionary veterans lived their remaining years in the area, and are buried at various cemeteries around Wayne County.
In 1975 Doris Bland, renowned for her published works on Wayne County cemeteries, was instrumental in securing the monuments as part of a local celebration of the American Bicentennial in 1976. Mrs. Bland researched the data needed for the multiple forms required to authenticate each colonial veteran’s background and service record.
At the time, Mrs. Bland states, “I know there are a lot of people thinking of special observances for the Bi-Centennial…and I just thought this was a good idea, since it was these men who helped give birth to this country….”
The Veterans’ Administration purchased the stones. Cemetery Superintendent Charles “Chick” Mossburger set the stones in place in 1975. The names on the stones represent colonial veterans who came to Wayne County after the Revolution.
George Clark fought in Virginia before moving to Kentucky and then to Illinois. He lived a long life and was buried at the Bovee Cemetery northwest of Boyleston. James Gaston was also laid to rest in Bovee Cemetery. He was only seventeen in 1778 when he fought for freedom alongside his eight brothers in South Carolina.
John Henson fought in Virginia and North Carolina. He died in 1835 and is buried in the Henson cemetery. William Simpson was born in Virginia in 1755, served with that colony’s troops during the War of Independence. He moved to Wayne County where he died in 1839. He is buried in the Simpson Cemetery, north of Burnt Prairie.
Grand SIRS of the Revolutionary War. Don’t let local history be a mystery.
(Summary of https://wayne.illinoisgenweb.org/military/rev-war/10-forgotten.htm)
1947 A Father’s Hope Creates the Veterans’ Cemetery
Before 1947 Fairfield had no special burial section devoted to the American military. One father, Roy Rountree, envisioned a special veterans’ section within Maple Hill Cemetery in 1947. His son, Benjamin, was killed in the Pacific Theatre in WWII and Roy became painfully aware of the need for a veteran’s area within the town cemetery. He commented; “we need a memorial plot for our soldiers and sailors who have paid the supreme sacrifice.”
In June, 1947 a new addition was marked off, to be part of Maple Hill Cemetery. The land, purchased by the City for $17,000, joined the original cemetery’s south and east boundaries. The area added an additional 3,000 new burial lots, each holding four graves, and a dedicated veteran’s area. The 12,000 plots were intended to cover the community’s foreseeable needs.
When Roy Rountree’s idea was presented, the Fairfield City Council voted to give the local veterans’ organizations “any amount of ground needed…without cost” for a veterans’ cemetery in the new addition. The local Veterans organizations banded together to create a 400 foot-by-200 foot veterans area on the southeast edge of the addition. Mr. Rountree’s son was the first memorial. The veterans’ groups worked to have the memorial section ready for additional casualties of that cruel war.
The rule was that “any Wayne County veteran of any war could be buried in the section at no charge for the plot. Ben Eckleberry made the concrete crosses, each with the name of a local soldier killed in World War I and World War II.
The first soldier’s body was returned for burial in mid-November, 1947. Fifty-nine were added in the next fifteen years. Of those, half had died overseas. Memorials continue to be added as necessary.
These days, volunteers from the VFW Auxiliary, under the leadership of Bob Clutter, put out the large flags encircling the Veterans’ Cemetery. This is done on Memorial Day, Veterans' Day, and Flag Day. Cindy Grimes is in charge of putting the small American flags on each individual veteran’s grave marker in all the cemeteries in the county.
Judith Puckett / First cemetery tour research 2019 DGS 5/2022
1900 Maple Hill—the “New” Cemetery
Maple Hill Cemetery did not become Fairfield’s main burial ground until around 1900. Before then, the small Slocumb cemetery was the main site. A small Bonham family cemetery existed on East Court Street in the earliest days. The Curry Cemetery on North First was then a “country” cemetery but was used by the town.
All of these cemeteries were small and insufficient as the area’s population grew. As early as 1874, the town trustees began planning to either enlarge the Slocumb Cemetery or to begin a new location. The Slocumb Cemetery was limited by the Johnson Creek on the north and residences on the south. Guided by the desire to “provide for all probable want of our town and vicinity for many years to come,” the trustees assigned a committee to explore options.
A cemetery, the trustees argued, “is one of the necessities of civilization” and “should keep pace” with the town’s growth and progress. Eventually the town bought a large tract of land northeast of Fairfield. The land was defined by the old Enterprise/Clay City road on the north and the main road east toward Albion.
The expanse of land was part of the estate of T.T. Bonham, a pioneer merchant in Fairfield. The acreage became more than a cemetery as the northwest section became the new city park, now the Leo French Memorial Park.
At the time, however, the town did not have the money to pay for the land. It is likely that Ed Bonham, son of T.T. Bonham, carried the debt for several years. By that time the sale of cemetery plots was sufficient to allow payment.
The Bonham land became the “New City Cemetery” and the Slocumb Cemetery was the “Old Cemetery”. There were already maple trees on the Bonham land. Over time these older maples were supplemented by Schwelder and Norway Maples in an extensive tree-planting project around the oval road on the top of the hill. Eventually the “New Cemetery” was re- named “Maple Hill”.
Original research and article by Judith Puckett DGS 5/2022
1968 Fairfield Park Band shell
The Fairfield City Park has been maintained for over 100 years. At first, the area was dense with hardwood trees and thick brush around the lake. A road was added and the brush cleared out to make way for a ball diamond, picnic shelters and playground equipment. Over the years, various elements have been added and the City Park improved for the enjoyment of all of Wayne County.
In the spring of 1968 work was begun on the Park band shelter. Park directors worked with recreation specialist from SIU Carbondale to develop a plan for the band shelter. A scale model of the plan was presented to the citizens of Fairfield. On a gently sloping area between the swimming pool and the lake, rows of seating and a stage were built.
Originally, the plan included dressing rooms on each side of the covered stage area. The stage was designed to cantilever out over the lake. The band shell was envisioned as a local outdoor stage for theatre groups and for summer concerts.
The park board had $30,000 ear-marked for the project, and was seeking additional federal grants to help with construction costs. The park board was able to see their plans come to fruition. Many will remember the original wood-shingle, A-frame roof that came to a tall peek over center stage. The untreated wood roof structure aged quickly and the design did not allow for air flow, causing the stage to be hot and stuffy in the summer. The roof was eventually removed, but the concrete stage area and seating area design has stood the test of time.
No doubt, the original 1968 planners and park board members would be pleased to know that the Park Band shell is maintained and used on a regular basis 50 years later. The planked seating has been replaced with composite decking. The concrete steps and surrounding area are kept safe and clean by the park staff. The band shell is used for numerous activities. Over the years, the site has been used for spring, summer and fall weddings. It has been used as the staging area for several different park activities such as Easter Egg hunts, fishing tournaments and yoga classes. In recent years, it has been the venue for community concerts and movie showings.
Looking back at the history of the Fairfield Park Band shell, we realize that city planning takes vision and commitment. The task is often controversial and arduous, but when successful, can benefit the community for years to come. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail…..and don’t let local history be a mystery.
WC Press January 1968 photo
1923 Letter Home
The Roaring Twenties was a time of both social mobility and economic mobility for the middle class and for women. The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted American women the right to vote, on August 18, 1920, ending almost a century of protest. The early 1920s was a time of positive possibilities following World War I. Automobiles, electric lighting, radio, and more became common among the middle class. For women, knee-lengh skirts and dresses became socially acceptable, as did bobbed hair. The young women who pioneered these trends were called flappers, and were experiencing a new-found freedom.
The Sexton Manufacturing Company was a large sewing factory in Fairfield in the 1920s. The factory made union suits, undershirts, drawers, night shirts, and pajamas. The Sexton Company employed many young women and also provided them with a place to live. At the time, Fairfield was known as the “the city of beautiful girls.”
The girls would write home on company stationery and provide a small glimpse into their lives. The following is a letter from 1923 on Sexton stationary, from a young lady to her family.
Dear Sister,
How are you? I am working every day at the factory. I am writing this on my noon break. I have an easy job. I have met many nice people. We get our check on Wednesday. I plan on buying a new pair of shoes and a pair of silk stockings. A friend and I are going to church in Springerton Sunday, and then to Barnhill in the afternoon. Momma said you folks may come to Fairfield in July and bring the big car. Well, I will close now.
With love,
Georgie
A simple letter, reflecting a simple time. The people working at the Sexton Factory, or on the farms around Wayne County thought those simple times would last. A few years later, The Great Depression would cast a shadow across Wayne County. World War II would require that more women enter the work force. But for a few years in the early 1920s, life was simple.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
Archives DGS 5/2022
(1874) Methodist Church (Masonic Lodge building)
The Methodist Church of Fairfield was incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois in 1874. The city of Fairfield was growing at that time. The Methodist Church congregation had previously been meeting in a small structure in town. The church conference voted to erect a new church, and a site on the south-east corner of Deleware and South First Street was purchased for the amount of $650.
The board was made up of the influential citizens of the town. John Wilson, a member, was active in politics; Edward Bonham, a banker and lawyer; Thomas C. Stanley operated the knitting mills which later became the Sexton Manufacturing Company; Charles W. Sibley was a doctor; Robley Adams dealt in real estate, and John L. Handley, Joe V. Baugh, Allen H. Baker and G. J. George were active in various businesses. These men were well qualified and able to undertake the building of a new church.
The new lot measured 111 feet wide and the plans for the new church, furnished by John Barlow of Olney, Illinois, called for a building 101 feet by 45 feet. Thus the church would cover almost half of the lot. The foundation for the new church was laid in the fall of 1875 and the building was completed by July, 1876, for a total cost of more than $14,000.
The building was constructed in the style and materials of the times; native, red brick secured with lime mortar. High, buttressed walls formed its slim sides with a bell tower at the west end through which the church was entered. Two limestone steps formed the stoop. Stairways right and left from the first floor just beyond the bell tower, switched back on themselves to lead to the entrance of the sanctuary on the second floor, and two more sets of steps, over the first, led to the balcony. A wide aisle led from under the balcony to the chancel rail which extended across the east end of the sanctuary; the choir on the right, and the pulpit in the center.
On Sunday, July 16, 1876, the new church was ready; and the congregation abandoned the little, old "Meeting House." The new church with its high walls, bell tower and an octagonal spire, was higher than any other building in Fairfield.
The building would serve as the Methodist Church for over 50 years, until a new building was erected. In 1923 the building was sold to the Masonic Lodge to be used as their meeting hall.
The stately structure built in 1876 still stands on the corner of Deleware and First, and is still in use as the Masonic Lodge. Don’t let local history be a mystery.
First Methodist Church (illinoisgenweb.org) DGS 5/2022
1865 Methodist Circuit Rider
Reverend R. H. Massey came to Wayne County in 1864 and served three years, riding around the area, preaching. Reverend Massey came in the war years and he did something that no other preacher, before or since, had done. He left a day to day diary of his activities as a Methodist minister and it gives us a vivid picture of life in Fairfield and Wayne County, in the mid 1800s.
Reverend Massey's diary covers the period from January 1865 to the following September. That year was a momentous year in the history of the United States. The Civil War ended with Lee's surrender and Lincoln was assassinated; yet the diary skims over these facts in short, terse sentences with little or no comment, but the compassions of the man show through, even the disappointments and frustrations.
Consider the diary entry on the 7th of April more war news reached Fairfield. "Pleasant day. Much good news. Lee surrenders."
The news of Lincoln's assassination of April 15 reached him a few days later, for it had to come by stage coach from the nearest telegraph office, and Reverend Massey says he is "much depressed in feeling in consequence of the assassination of the president."
The 19th, he writes; "Large congregation, solemn and attentive. All seemed to mourn the loss of the president. A great man has fallen”.
On the 20th of April he plants some corn and potatoes and says: "the Buffalo gnats are very annoying." He continues to preach some seven or eight times a week and often travels twenty miles by horse and buggy between appointments on the same day.
It is fascinating to read these simple, local, diary entries that record the history of Wayne County during the Civil War and give us a glimpse into the life of a preacher traveling around the county by horse and buggy.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
First Methodist Church (whalen-family.org)
Mom’s Cornbread
The following poem by Rance McDuffee was found in the Wayne County archives. The date is not known, but the sentiment could ring true for many past generations.
My Mom could bake the best cornbread
That a hungry boy was ever fed;
She never used a cookin’ book;
She didn’t have the time to look
For any fancy recipe
That tells you to the nth degree,
How much to use of this and that
So everything will come out pat.
When she began to make a batch
Of bread, no cook on earth could match.
My, my how many times I can
Remember seein’ that old pan
Go in to do its daily chore
Behind that big old oven door!
And, when it came back out of there,
A sweetness always filled the air,
That made a hungry country boy
Jump up and down and dance with joy.
I’m just afraid that now a lad
Can’t have the kind of Mom I had
To keep his soul and body fed
On good old country-style cornbread.
The mothers now have lost the art:
They wouldn’t know just where to start
To cook, unless they took a look
In some big fancy cookin’ book;
Or took a box of ready-mix
Where all you have to do to fix
A pan of bread, or bake a cake
Is wet it up and let it bake,
I’ll take the good old-fashioned way
That mother used in her hey-day;
God bless her, keep her, may we see
Her kind live on eternally.
Friday May 6th 2022
2022 Friends of the Library Book Sale / Open House
The Friends of the Fairfield Public Library will host an Open House, Book Sale, and Bake Sale on Saturday, May 7th beginning at 10am. Come by and see the new touches throughout the Library, and pick up a good book.
“A book is a magical thing that lets you travel to far-away places without ever leaving your chair.” (― Katrina Mayer) There are so many different types of books to explore at the Fairfield Public Library. A book can be read by one person, and then shared with someone else – over and over again. The book sale items will continue to be available at the Library for several weeks following the Open House.
When at the Library, notice the new carpet, freshly painted walls, and colorful artwork. The reading area has been updated and new lamps added to the sitting areas. The modern touches reflect and highlight the mid-century design of the original library.
The Early History Museum, housed in a room just off the Library meeting room will also be open on Saturday, May 7th. The museum has new carpet and additional lighting added this spring. Many of the artifacts and photographs on display are over 100 years old. The museum has an extensive collection of very old books, fascinating for a quick perusal or a detailed research.
So, visit the Fairfield Public Library soon; escape with a good book, or step back in time by visiting the museum. Support the Friends of the Library at the Book Sale and Bake Sale, Saturday, May 7th, beginning at 10am.
DGS 5/2022
Olive Branch Schoolhouse
Is local history a bit of a mystery?
In 1965 when the Olive Branch School was moved from its country location on the Burnt Prairie road the task was enormous. The school house had to be carefully raised from its original foundation and put on a trailer to move it to the Fairfield Park.
One man had to ride on top of the school for most of the journey raising the cross wires as the one room school slowly made its way to town. The old Southeast Fourth Street bridge was very narrow, and the men had to build up the floor of the bridge so the school could pass over the bridge railings. The bridge crossing took the entire afternoon to complete.
The journey from Fourth Street to the Leo French Park took another day to complete. Eventually, the schoolhouse arrived at its new home in the Fairfield Park where it is cared for by park employees. The Olive Branch school was refurbished and became a true asset to Leo French Park.
Photos of the journey, and of the school’s past can be seen on the walls inside the school house. The interior is still very reminiscent of a one-room schoolhouse, with desks, a corner stove and a blackboard. Prior to school consolidation of the 1950s, there were similar school house buildings all over Wayne County.
If you drive through the park and see the “OPEN” sign, stop by and have a look inside. Visitors young and old can also play checkers, or tic tac toe while visiting.
The schoolhouse will be open Thursday afternoons in May, 4 – 6pm.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
Gina / DGS 5/22
(May) 1961 Sam Dale Lake (Flood 3)
For over 60 years Wayne County residents have enjoyed Sam Dale Lake at Johnsonville. Gently rolling terrain, lush woods and a beautiful lake make the Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area the perfect spot for a family outing.
Located northwest of Johnsonville in Wayne County, this area has something for everyone: fishing, hunting, picnicking, and camping. Visitors may see quail, rabbit, dove, squirrel, deer, muskrat, fox, raccoon, owls, turkey, hawk, or beaver roaming the timber or brushy fields of the park.
The initial 40-acre piece of land was purchased in 1959. Since then, additional land has been added bringing the total to 1,302 acres.
The site was named for Sam O. Dale, an eight-term state representative who also served as a teacher, principal and superintendent of schools.
The highlight of a visit is the Sam Dale Lake. The beautiful 194-acre lake has 5 miles of shoreline trails, a scenic road over the dam, and even sandy swimming inlet. Fishing boats, canoes or kayaks are a wonderful way to explore the lake.
In 1960 the engineers knew it would take many months of average rainfall to fill the new lake. Serendipitously, the Sam Dale Lake was filled quickly with the help of record-setting, heavy rains that fell the weekend of May 7th, 1961. The heavy rain and high water didn’t damage the new Lake dam, according to the project manager, but helped fill the new man-made lake.
The lake and surrounding prairies are maintained by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Take a drive through Sam Dale Lake this summer….and don’t let local history be a mystery.
WCP, IDNR DGS 5/2022
(May 1961) The Big Flood (part 2)
On the weekend of May 6 and 7th, 1961, Wayne County experienced one of its worst floods in history. The record rainfall measured a total of 12 inches between 5am Friday and 12 Noon Monday.
Residents were dealing with the flood waters for days, especially in low lying areas and along rivers and streams. More than 50 families in the Mill Shoals area had to be evacuated from their homes. Some people and animals found themselves needing assistance or stranded that soggy week.
An Army Civil Defense Unit brought their amphibious truck to Wayne County to help with evacuations during the flooding of May 1961. Many may be familiar with the “duck” boats often used for tourist boat rides. A cross between a truck and a boat, the ducks were used by the U.S. military during World War II and the Korean War.
In Wayne County that May, the duck boat helped rescue a mother and her seven children from their water-surrounded home southeast of Golden gate. The young children clung to their mother and the rescuers that afternoon, yet were all smiles during their “duck boat” ride.
Later that day the duck boat helped lead a prize winning Hereford bull to higher ground. The bull was stubborn and snapped the leash several times.
In the flooded Mill Shoals area, family pets were reluctant to leave their homes, and could often be seen sitting along rooflines, gazing at the floodwaters surrounding the homes.
Some families reported instances of snakes and rats seeking shelter within flooded homes. Caution and a wary eye were needed during the clean-up. Yes, the Flood of May 1961 was one for the record books.
WCP DGS 5/2022
(May 1961) The Big Flood (part 1)
On the weekend of May 6 and 7th, 1961, Wayne County experienced one of its worst floods in history. Property damage exceeded one million dollars.
Over one-third of the county was under water. Hit by a record rainfall, the county’s main streams flooded over their banks and inundated some 156,000 acres, town streets and homes. More than 100 families had to evacuate their flooded homes.
Wayne County farmers were far behind in their spring planting that year, but the silver lining is that the unplowed fields helped to minimize soil erosion from flood waters.
The Southern railroad track was washed out in the Dry Fork bottoms west of Boyleston and water covered the track near the Little Wabash east of Fairfield. Water went over the new Route 15 highway, near the Golden Gate crossroad. This was the first time water had raised high enough to go over the new Route 15 highway. Fear that the new Route 15 bridge across the Skillet Fork north of Wayne City might collapse. Approaches to the new bridge showed signs of weakening under heavy water stress.
The record rainfall of May, 1961 measured a total of 12 inches between 5am Friday and 12 Noon Monday. The total during this four day storm period exceeded most MONTHLY rain totals. One of the hardest rains came during a severe hail storm at 5 o’clock on Sunday afternoon.
Come Monday, Fairfield found itself cut off to highway traffic. Roads north to Geff, west to Wayne City, east to Albion, South to Springerton were all closed due to high water. The water slowly receded to the streams and rivers. The Flood of May, 1961 was one for the record books.
WCPress DGS 5/2022
(1893 – 1948) Gus Theofanopoulos
Constantinos George Theofanopoulos was born in Greece, and everyone called him Gus. At the age of 18, he immigrated to the United States and came to Fairfield in 1920.
Gus Theofanopoulos married in 1924 and took the oath of citizenship in 1926. The couple had 4 children, Sofia was the oldest of two girls and two boys. .
Harry Pappas of Fairfield was an uncle and operated the Banner Candy Kitchen along with partners George Giannopoulos and John Vurdulas. Gus Theofanopoulos started his own business in 1930, the Corner Candy Store, The candy store was popular with young and old alike, and was a Greyhound bus stop. He operated the candy store until his untimely death in a car accident when he was only 55.
The funeral was one of the largest ever held in Fairfield, and there was an abundance of flowers sent by his many friends. Relatives and acquaintances came from miles around to attend the service. At the time, his 93 year-old father was still living in Greece.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
(1958) Jake Mathes
The month of May marks the end of the school years for students, teachers and staff. School employees get a much needed break before another year begins in the fall. For some employees it marks the start of retirement.
In 1958 Jake Mathes was ready to hang up his broom after 15 years on the custodial staff of the Fairfield Junior High. “I’ll miss ‘em, that’s for sure!” talking of his fondness for the school kids. Jake didn’t want to retire, but his doctor gave him an ultimatum, saying his health demanded it.
Jake Mathes lived in the Center Street neighborhood. “It’s gonna feel mighty funny, not to be taking my daily walk to the school house,” said Jake as he thought of the next few years. “I may just have to visit the school once in a while.”
When asked if the behavior of kids in general had changed much over the years, Jake shook his head and said that kids of the 1950s are not much different than fifteen or fifty years ago. He also paid tribute to the teachers at Fairfield Junior High. “They’ve been swell to me, and I’ll miss them too,” he concluded.
To all the school students, teachers, and staff; enjoy your summer break. To those retiring this year, we say THANK YOU for your years in service for our young students.
WCP DGS 5/2022
(1816) Corn Planting
Cadwalader Jones who came from Gibson County, Indiana through the wilderness to his prairie home in southeastern Wayne County, was the first white man to plant corn in Wayne County. He came to this area in the early spring of 1816 with a pack of horses and a few supplies. Mr. Jones built a rough cabin and cleared a small field for corn. By the first of May his supplies of food and ammunition were low so he made a return trip to Indiana. He visited his mother, his bride-to-be and his brother whom he convinced to join him in Illinois.
The two men began their corn planting that May of 1816. All work of planting was done by hand in those early days. Land close to a timber line was easier to clear than the prairie fields, on account of the toughness of the sod. Once the field was cleared, a hoe was used to form the rows and cover the seed. The plot of tender corn shoots had to be protected from the varmints such as squirrels and raccoons. A few hounds could be trained to guard the crops. As the stocks grew and the ears of corn appeared it became difficult to keep deer and bear away from the little plot of corn.
Cadwalader Jones had a successful crop that first year and was able to feel optimistic about the future. Always at the mercy of the weather, fearful of flood or drought, and if he wasn’t worrying about the weather, he was keeping an eye out for insects. Some years were better than others, and sometimes the corn didn’t produce at all.
The ears of corn could be stored in a corn crib or loaded on a horse and taken to the nearest mill. That little patch of corn would help sustain the pioneers through the cold winter. Those early pioneers like Mr. Jones would surely marvel at the acres and acres of corn rows that have replaced the early prairies.
The History of Wayne and Clay Counties, Illinois 1884 DGS 5/22
(1880) The Father of Wayne City
J.B. Scudamore was born in 1832 in Gallatin County, Illinois. Young Scudamore grew up with 11 brothers and sisters, farming around Hamilton County.
From 1862 until the end of the war, Mr. Scudamore fought with the Volunteer Infantry, Company G of the 110th in service to the Union army. He worked his way up the ranks and achieved the rank of Captain, serving with honor.
In 1865, following the Civil War, J.B. settled on the Hamilton and Wayne county line, where he remained until the spring of 1869, when he purchased a large track of farm land between Mt. Vernon and Fairfield.
He built the first home in the area, and operated a general store out of the front room. His plan was to go into farming, but after a short time the prospects for a city in that vicinity became so favorable that he began planning a town. In 1882 Mr. Scudamore with wisdom and foresight, began platting his farm into city lots.
He operated a general store in the new town and was its first postmaster,
He was the first mayor of Wayne City, an honor singularly appropriate to the founder of the city. He filled many public offices over the years such as Justice of the Peace and County Board in a highly creditable manner. He was a member of the state legislature in the Thirty-sixth general assembly between 1888 and 1890. In all of these offices, he performed a valuable service in the interests of his little town.
J.B. Schudamore worked with the railroad company to ensure that the tracks would pass through his little town. He became highly successful, continued to farm, and operated a profitable livestock business. He was active in the Masonic Lodge, the Odd fellows and the GAR.
Captain Joseph Buck Schudamore, The Father of Wayne City, spent his life in the forefront of good works. On the whole, his life was a veritable record book of worthy service to his community. He died at the age of 89 and is buried in a Wayne City Cemetery.
Source: The History of Wayne County biographical sketch, various other ancestry sites. DGS 5/2022
(1936) Senator William E. Borah's Visit Home
Born in Jasper Township in Wayne County, William E. Borah was educated in rural schools and the Enfield Academy before reading law and moving west. He eventually married the daughter of the governor of Idaho and settled into law practice and politics. He was elected senator for the state of Idaho and entered into national politics.
“The Lion of the Senate,” Borah was one of the most powerful senators and eloquent speakers of his era. He espoused isolationist principles powerfully enough to be credited as a factor in President Woodrow Wilson’s failure to convince the Congress to join the League of Nations. In 1936 Borah became a candidate for the president of the United States.
He made a celebrated overnight visit to Fairfield as part of his campaign. After meeting a large crowd of admirers, Borah gave a short speech on the courthouse grounds. He did not get the nomination that year and died in 1940. His place in political history was assured when a statue of Borah was commissioned for the hallways of the U.S. Capitol building to commemorate his principles and his eloquence.
A life in politics, a bid for president, and BORN in Wayne County – Don’t let local history be a mystery.!
Original Historical Society Website (JP)
1973 Memories
Spring is a busy time for High School activities. Class trips, prom, and graduation help to make memories and mark milestones. Looking back at the FCHS class of 1973, you may recognize some of the names. 1973 Seniors included Brad Bassnett, Gary Carter, Kathy Harris Land, Terri Martin Carter, Mike Newby, Tanya Smith Basnett, Bruce Stephens, Mark Strange, Stanley Vaughan, Rod Vaughan, Faron Warren and others. In 1973 math teacher Mr. Bishop was the Lions Club Star Teacher. Teacher, coach and assistant administrator Mr. Mac Martin prepared to retire after 39 years in education. Custodian Earl Holler was also looking forward to retirement after 21 years at the High School.
REO Speedwagon was the band for the FCHS prom in 1973. Prom was held in the Northside school gym. Formed in 1967, REO cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. The group's best-selling album contained four US top 40 hits and sold more than 10 million copies. Here’s wishing all the best to this year’s graduating seniors!
1895 Victorian Mansion
The large, white, Victorian mansion at 209 West Main Street in Fairfield was built in 1895. With its prominent location, the three-story house was the home of the original owners for many years. In the 1970s the house was divided into apartments, with tenants coming and going.
In 2005 the home was purchased and a restoration project began to transform the large mansion into a bed and breakfast. Judge Jacob R. Creighton, an Illinois State's Attorney and judge, originally built and owned the house. Lucretia Bonham Creighton was the lady of the house. She was active in civic organizations, and a gracious hostess. The Creighton’s had three children, running up and down the central staircase. Many remarked of the elegance and hospitality of the Creighton home. Judge Creighton's death occurred in April, 1920. Mrs. Creighton then made her home in Los Angeles, with her grown children. The home passed to several owners over the years, before becoming an apartment building, with different units on the various floors. In 2005 an extended family of the Taylors, Boyetts and Shoemakers moved to Fairfield and began the difficult task of restoring the house to its original grandeur. It was necessary to Peel back the layers of flooring or paneling and remove unnecessary walls to uncover the original floor plan and character of the Victorian mansion. Then, the difficult job of adding modern plumbing and connivances necessary for a modern bed and breakfast were added. NOW, operating as a bed and breakfast, the stately home retains its historic charm with original Queen Anne details including a parlor, a turret, pocket doors, custom woodwork throughout, three original fireplaces and a unique "keyhole" stained glass window.The Victorian INN on Main Street is tastefully decorated with antiques and interesting items from the past. Our thanks to the owners for preserving this part of Fairfield’s History.
(1967) White Corner Flower Basins
A few of the White Corner Flower Basins may still exist around Fairfield. The four feet tall pedestal flower pots were part of a beautification effort in 1967.
The concrete pedestals were created by Chick Mossburger who was the cemetery sexton at Maple Hill Cemetery at the time. Neighborhood families came forth and maintained the flowers. Some of the pedestals were also fitted with street signs. It is not known how many corner pedestals were installed in 1967, or how many still remain. You might spot one of the few remaining pedestal flower pots on a corner of Fairfield. As you drive around the towns and neighborhoods of Wayne County, take a moment to appreciate the lawns, flower gardens, and decorative trees.
(2005) Valuable Lithographs Found In 2005 Mrs. Vera Henson of Orchardville a part-time school teacher and a fulltime antique collector, found two original lithographs. They were found in an old wash stand that she had purchased at an estate sale in Flora, Illinois. The lithographs were wrapped in newspaper and placed under a piece of linoleum at the bottom of the cabinet. The lithographs were the work of Currier, as in Currier and Ives, 1835 to 1907, a printmaking firm who produced prints from paintings by fine artists. The black and white lithographs, often of people or groups of people in common activities, were then hand colored. The items found in 2005 in the washstand depicted a boy and a puppy, entitled “My Little Playfellow”, and a girl and a bird, entitled “The Little Favorite.” Although widely circulated as “art for the people, original Currier & Ives lithograph prints are very valuable. In the 19th and 20th centuries the images were printed with modern printing methods and mass produced for cards, calendars, and on china. It is the original lithographs that are valuable.On an original 1800s lithograph, the designation Currier and Ives, or Nathaniel Currier, and a street address should be at the bottom of the picture. It should not include any other name. Inspection of a mass-produced print with a magnifying glass will reveal dots created by the printing process. A lithograph will reveal etched lines from the original block.Mrs. Henson planned to frame the prints, she commented; “I think I shall frame them as a reminder that this world is still a very interesting place if one happens to be in the right place at the right time.”
(1964) Leo French Park The Fairfield City Park and the lake have been an important element of the city of Fairfield for over 100 years. Over time, a road was added around the lake, with several spots to park and enjoy the view. In 1964, spring was in the air, and people were beginning to visit the park. Otis Armstrong and his friends pulled into a spot overlooking the Leo French lake. They enjoyed the mild spring weather and watching the graceful white swans glide across the water. When Otis decided to leave, he stepped on the clutch and turned the key. While maneuvering the gear shift into reverse, the gear failed to engage. The car began to roll toward the lake. The driver and the passengers quickly exited the large white car. The car stopped just past the edge of the lake and became only partly submerged. A wrecker was needed to pull the car out of Leo French Lake. No doubt the swans were a bit distressed at all the commotion. These days, there are now guard rails at the various parking spots around the park, and most cars have an automatic transmission. The white swans are gone, but several varieties of geese and ducks call Leo French home.
(2022) Library Remodel
The Fairfield Public Library was built in 1955 with the dedication of many people who believed in the importance of a modern library. Forty years later in the year 2000, the Fairfield library nearly doubled in size. An Illinois Library grant and donations funded that expansion. Twenty years later, it was time for an update. The current remodel was made possible in part by a generous bequest by Babe Ward.
The current remodel is nearly complete. Under the direction of Librarian Michelle Conard and the Library board, the entire Library has received new flooring and fresh paint.
No easy task; entire sections of books were moved, cleaned, and then re-shelved by the library staff and volunteers to facilitate the installation of the new carpet.
The check-out counter will also receive a facelift with the application of new laminate and a new counter top. Final touches will include colorful new artwork for the children’s area, and updated seating for the reading room.
Librarian Michelle, along with staff members Rachel Harrington and Debbie Phillips are excited to show you the updated Library interior.
Hanna House
The Wayne County Historical Society is pleased to invite you to drop by the Hanna House Museum. The contemporary museum is filled with interesting artifacts from the last 80 years. Located at the corner of South First Street and Center Street, the museum is open on Saturdays from 10am to 2 pm.
Local history from the 1930s to the present is highlighted in the collection of photographs, documents, and interesting items. You may even find yourself in one of the framed photographs.
Various time periods and topics include World War II, the Shelton Gang, the Vietnam War, the Wayne County OIL boom, Airtex Corporation, and local civic organizations.
A new temporary exhibit highlights several generations of a local family. The exhibit includes photographs and collected items.
Admission is free. Niki Roethe and Jami Roethe are the curators of the museum. Every visit finds a new discovery.
So stop by and take a step back in time as you walk among the rooms of the Hanna House Museum in Fairfield, Illinois.
- And don’t let local history be a mystery.
(1877) Typhoid Fever
Imagine downtown Fairfield in 1877, with a few businesses around the courthouse. Horse and buggies travel the dusty streets making their way to the bank or to the dry goods store. The Civil war has ended; the United States has begun to heal.
Everyone around Fairfield knew young Fred Fleming. He was a friendly, kind-hearted, gentle, unassuming boy. He could be spotted around Fairfield helping to load a wagon, or running an errand for the law office.
The townspeople noticed when Fred wasn’t around. Fear gripped the hearts of those who knew him best, as the words were painfully passed from lip to lip, “Fred is sick.” Bedridden for going on two weeks, his parlor ghastly yellow, and his gut wracked with pain.
Fred Fleming died of typhoid fever. He was only 17 years old. His obituary began; Honest, respected, noble Fred, is no more, our little town is plunged into grief, and no one can take his place.
Typhoid fever was a fatal disease that frightened many during the 1800s.
Don’t let local history be a mystery
(1967) Wasson Park Fountain
As you enter Fairfield from the east, Main Street and Delaware divide. A small park and fountain greet visitors.
The fountain was erected in 1967. It was designed by Wasson Lawrence. Lawrence was an artist, engineer, and historian. He served as mayor of Fairfield for a few years and helped establish city hall, the library and the historical society.
Wasson Lawrence designed the fountain and also the pumping system necessary to spray the water into the air.
The fountain is maintained by the city and the park is cared for by talented volunteer gardeners. The contributions of Wasson Lawrence continue to enrich our county.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
(1937) Electricity
It was the “dawn of a new era” for those living in the rural parts of Wayne County in 1937. That is the year that electricity began pulsing through the lines, thanks to the Wayne White Electric Cooperative.
The current, so long awaited, was turned on for a test of the 160 miles of lines to farms and homes outside of the city. Fairfield had enjoyed the benefits of electricity for several years, but the rural areas were still in the dark, before the formation of the Wayne White Cooperative.
The bringing of electricity to farms and villages marked the inception of a new day. The rural electrification cooperative slowly spread across the United States and Illinois. Members signed up for electricity, and guided the fledgling organization.
It is hard to imagine a world without electricity. Once the lines were run to the rural areas, homes could be outfitted with electric lights. Small electric appliances made life easier, and farms could take advantage of power tools.
The Wayne White Cooperative also grew and continued to be an important business and employer. Responsible for managing the electrical service from CIPS to the homeowner, installing and maintaining lines and equipment, in addition to managing the billing and paperwork of the service, Wayne White continues today.
1974 Little Earth Quake
Over the years Wayne County has felt small earthquake tremors. Some are more noticeable than others. Even those hardly felt are monitored by scientific measurements called the Richter scale.
A small earthquake tremor hit the Fairfield area at 6pm on a Wednesday evening, April 1974, lasting for about 10 seconds. It shook buildings and rattled dishes, but no damage reports were immediately forthcoming.
The tremor registered 4.5 on the Richter scale. The center of the quake was about 10 miles south of Olney.
The little quake produced a flood of telephone calls to the Wayne County sheriff’s office and the Fairfield police.
The April 1974 quake was not as severe as the one felt in the area on November 9, 1968. That one registered 5.5 on the Richter scale, lasted more than half a minute and caused minor damage to a number of buildings in the area.
To realize that the earth is shaking can be a bit unsettling. Sometimes minor after-shocks accompany even a small earthquake. Thankful for nothing more serious, the event makes for good conversation, and a lingering memory.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
WC Press April 1974
Earth Day - April
1985 The Fairfield Clothesline Thrift Store
In an earlier era nothing went to waste. Once clothing was passed down to the youngest sibling, the fabric was used to make quilts.
The Salvation Army first opened thrift stores in 1897. Goodwill thrift stores began in 1902. These were mostly found in larger cities. Thrift stores provide a service, meet a need and make it easy to repurpose, reuse and recycle.
In 1985 independent thrift stores in small towns was still a relatively new concept. One local woman – Kathy Land - thought the idea of a store selling affordable, gently used clothing and merchandise could fulfill a need in our community. A partnership with local churches was established to provide support, volunteers, and guidance. THE CLOTHESLINE was established and is still going strong over 30 years later.
The local resale establishment has moved several times over the years before settling into the current location on West Main Street. The Clothesline has a couple of full time employees and relies on one hundred volunteer workers.
The Clothesline accepts donations and maintains an extensive supply of clothing and merchandise for all ages. After paying expenses and staff, all money raised is directed back into the community.
Community spirit flows through the Clothesline.
Article Fairfield Current by Alex Heeb, April 22, 2015
DGS 3/2022
(April) 2002 Tornado
A misty white tornado, with a rotating funnel exceeding speeds of 150 miles per hour, cut a deadly path across Wayne County one Sunday afternoon. The April 21, 2002 tornado was responsible for 1 local death, 35 injuries, and extreme damage that afternoon.
The tall, compact tornado entered Wayne County north east of Wayne City at 4pm. As if traveling route 15 at 50 miles an hour, the tornado crashed into several homes in the Sims area. The Sims Tavern was leveled before the twister weaved its way towards Fairfield.
Entering the Fairfield city limits, the tornado struck the vacant H.W. Williamson building. Fairfield residents hunkered down as the tornado roared through, leveling several homes in a south Fairfield neighborhood.
Homes on Rosewood Lane, Broadway and Southeast Seventh Street suffered extensive damage and destruction from the afternoon tornado.
The tornado continued east, stripping trees, and damaging buildings before losing steam near the county line. Eventually the wind died down, the sky cleared and residents began picking up the debris from the tornado of April 2002.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
1965 Easter
In the Spring of 1965 the Fairfield Jaycees began sponsoring the Easter Kids Show. This event was continued for several years. The event was held at the Strand Movie theater right before Easter, and the admission price was one hard-boiled egg.
The mid-morning movie showing usually included three short comedy films such as the Three Stooges and cartoons. On this special showing, The Strand was always packed with children of all ages.
The dozens and dozens of hard boiled eggs that were collected were used by the Fairfield Lions Club for their Easter Egg Hunt. On a Saturday the Lions club would hide the eggs in the park for children to race to find the most eggs.
Hunting for Easter eggs seems to be a tradition that continues.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
(1966) Fairfield Drive-in
In the 1960s and 1970s the warmer weather of spring brought the re-opening of the Fairfield Drive-in Theater. Movie-goers would sit in their car and watch a feature film on the big screen.
On a Friday night in April, 1966 a car was waiting to turn left into the Fairfield drive-In off of Route 45. The ’57 Chevy was snagged on the big bumper by another car, also heading south, and trying to pass on the shoulder. The accident sent both cars whipping around. The car waiting to go to the drive-in came to a stop against a telephone pole next to the drive-in entrance.
Unfortunately, there were one or two people riding in the trunk at the time of the accident, and they needed medical attention. Hiding in the trunk to sneak in to the drive-in was a bad idea. The people in the front of the car were shaken up, but otherwise unhurt. Both cars had to be towed from the site.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
DGS 4/2022
The Farmer’s Store
John Hoffee was born in Leech township of Wayne County in 1896. In 1925 he married a Geff girl. John worked as a farmer, a rural-mail carrier and a traveling salesman for a grocery company out of St. Louis. Retail would prove to be his life’s work, and a family legacy.
During World War II, John Hoffee opened a dry goods store in Geff, where he operated for about five years before moving the business to Fairfield.
Along with his wife, He continued to grow and expand the store over the years. The store included groceries, clothing, shoes, fabric and dry goods. An observer once described Mr. Hoffee as the Midwest’s most astute merchandiser.
The business continued to expand. Three daughters; Onzalee, Mary, and Hazel helped with the store. Merchandise came into the store often from various close-out sales throughout the mid-west. The extensive selection brought in shoppers from all over southern Illinois.
His daughters and grand-daughters would continue the store for many years. Everyone for miles around went to the Farmer’s Store. Locals often called it “Hoffees” – originally started by John Hoffee.
The location was eventually sold and would become a CVS. Much of the merchandise and wedding gowns were moved downtown, and the store became known as The Farmer’s Daughter – run by grand-daughter Mary Jon.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
WCPress Obit January 1974 DGS 2022
1866 Diary
David Wright Barkley was born in Wayne County in 1842. He was highly intelligent, loved to read, and also had a passion for writing. As a young man he started keeping a diary. Perhaps writing helped to deal with overwhelming emotions. In 1866 at the age of 23 David recorded the following;
Mother very sick with fever. So bad that serious fears are felt that she may not recover. This is too sorrowful to think of – an irreparable loss of the kindest mother that children were ever blessed with. It would indeed be a loss of her pleasant face and the daily sacrifices which she makes for the happiness of her family.
Among her last words were that we should try and make each other happy to which purpose she had striven and endured daily. Her love and sacrifices we were blessed with and will always cherish.
We buried her among family. I fear father will feel this great loss even more than my sister and I.
David Wright Barkley would continue to keep his diary and later become a newspaper editor in Wayne County. His diary was transcribed by Mary Eldon Fleming and preserved in the Historical Society archives.
Don’t let local history be a mystery
David Wright Barkley notebook DGS 2022
L. A. Blackburn (1968)
In 1968 Mr. L. A. Blackburn was named the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year. He had grown up in Wayne County, married a Fairfield girl, and raised four daughters. Mr. Blackburn retired in 1953. Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn believed in community service.
The Blackburns always seemed to have time to be active in a committee or as an officer of an organization. They believed in making Wayne County and Fairfield a better place to live.
Mr. Blackburn served on the City Council as early as 1916. In 1927 he served on the FCHS school board. MRS. Blackburn became a member of the library board around 1930, and served for over 40 years.
Between 1930 and 1935 Mr. Blackburn served as mayor of Fairfield. No doubt, this was a difficult tenure due to the Depression gripping the nation. In 1935 Mr. Blackburn helped bring Airtex manufacturing to Fairfield. He then served as the Airtex director, treasurer, vice-president, and chairman of the board, at various times.
In 1940 Mr. Blackburn served on the Fairfield Memorial Hospital board and helped guide the building of the hospital. Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn personally donated to every worthy cause that they helped promote.
On being named Citizen of the year in 1968, the Chamber of commerce commented that “generations yet unborn will enjoy a better Fairfield in the years to come because of Mr. and Mrs. L.A. Blackburn.
DGS archives 3/2022
1865 Julia Mariah (Hart) White
The Ides of March is best known as the date on which Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC. March proved to be a better month for Julius Caesar HART of Canton, Ohio with the birth of his daughter; Julia Mariah. Young Julia – or Jane, as her friends called her, attended school in Ohio, and loved to read Her life would take her on all sorts of adventures.
When Julia was twenty years old, she was granted a teachers’ certificate, and taught in Ohio for a year before marrying and having a son. Her husband was cruel, and Julia was granted a divorce. In 1856 Julia and her young son left Ohio with her mother and father and moved to the prairies of Wayne County Illinois.
Julia married William White in the spring of 1859, and had a son whom she named Julias, after her father. In 1861 her husband enlisted in the Union army along with so many others from Wayne County. He was wounded and was very sick at Corinth, Mississippi. Word reached Julia and she was compelled to go to her husband. We can only imagine that she left her two young sons with family in Wayne County, and made her way south.
Julia was able to nurse her husband back to health, and then began nursing other wounded Union soldiers. Julia and her invalid husband returned to Illinois in 1863. Following the Civil war Mr. White was not able to farm. Julia returned to teaching school at the Upton schoolhouse in Wayne County.
She was much loved and respected by many relatives and friends, who referred to her as Aunt Jane. Her strength and perseverance in the face of hardship were legendary. She died at the age of 98 and was buried in the Buckeye Cemetery.
Biographies in Wayne county, Illinois (genealogytrails.com)
Fairfield Hi-rise 1970
Early in 1970, the Wayne County Housing Authority officially began taking formal applications for prospective tenants in the newly constructed Hi-rise apartments. This new apartment building was 11 stories tall and contained 100 units. The plan was to have the building ready to begin occupancy in February of 1970.
An open house was held with curious visitors walking the halls and riding the elevators. The Wayne County Housing Authority Chairman was Kenneth Ward and the High Rise Manager was Alice Colbert. The first couple to sign up for a new apartment in the building was Mr. and Mrs. Amos Jack.
The Hi-rise hasn’t changed much in 50 years and is still one of the tallest buildings in Wayne County. Don’t let local history be a mystery.
Let me introduce you to Charles C. Johnson who, in 1906 at the age of 25 was elected county clerk. In 1910 Mr. Johnson was re-elected to the same position. Courteous, efficient and informed, Charles C. Johnson, county clerk, “administered the affairs of his office wisely, conscientiously and with a thoroughness that proved entirely satisfactory to all with whom he has business dealings of Wayne County.”
Young Charlie Johnson was born in Wayne County, Illinois, on an Elm River township farm. He was of Irish ancestry, his great-grandfather, John Johnson, a native of Ireland, having immigrated to America when young, settling in Pennsylvania.
Charlie’s grandfather, George Johnson, was born in Ohio, in 1826. Migrating to Southern Illinois in 1843, he settled in Wayne County. Charlie’s father was born in Wayne County and was a successful farmer and served as township supervisor and collector. Charlie’s mother was also of Irish descent.
Growing to manhood on the home farm, Charles C. Johnson acquired his education in the common schools and at Orchard City College, in Flora, Illinois. Engaging in educational work at the age of nineteen years, he taught school in Wayne County six terms, when, in March, 1902, he was made deputy county clerk. Mr. Johnson married in 1906, the same year he was elected county clerk.
Like Charlie, everyone claims to be a little Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Don’t let local history be a mystery.
[History of Southern Illinois, 1912, submitted by Cathy Danielson]
Biographies in Wayne county, Illinois (genealogytrails.com)
1952 New Neighborhood
In the summer of 1952 a building boom was continuing in Fairfield. The hospital and the Cheffield apartments had been built in the previous years. Now Fairfield would welcome the construction of 20 new homes, just south of Delaware Street in the area of southwest 10th Street.
The addition was developed by the Fairfield Lumber Company and built by Boyd & Son, general contractors. The lots were 60 feet wide and 135 feet deep, with alleys built at the rear of each of the two sections. The single story brick homes offered modern living for young families.
According to the 1952 Press announcement; “The homes emboded the latest architectural design, offered modern amenities and featured efficient utility rooms at the back of the house.
Seventy years later, these compact, brick homes with their tree-lined sidewalks and an alley behind the house, still welcome young families or empty nesters.
Wayne County Record July 1952 DGS 2/2022
The Railroads
The railroad tracks that run east and west through Wayne County are still fairly busy with freight trains passing through several times a day.
Local leaders lobbied hard to bring the southern extension of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad through Wayne County in the early 1870s to ensure economic growth. They succeeded in a route that was ten blocks west of the Courthouse.
About 10 years later the Southern Railroad crossed the county with the east/west route that still exists.
In the late 1800s depot towns expanded while other villages shrank in population. The railroad was the primary economic force for fifty years, vital to agriculture, the lumber trade, transportation and the oil industry.
Older Wayne County citizens will remember the tracks that ran north and south, crossing Main and Delaware just west of the 7th street stoplights. The depot suffered a fire, was not repaired, and eventually was torn down. The north/south line that ran between Fairfield and Geff was removed shortly after 1980.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
Website paragraph by JP revised for HM by DGS 3/2022
1986 Economic Tough Times
Tough times come and go. April 1986, the regional edition of the USA Today newspaper ran a story about Fairfield, Illinois. The article lamented the tough times facing the little town and the surrounding county. In 1986, the area suffered a one-two punch to the farming industry and the oil business.
Farmers were having a tough time with many family farms being put on the auction block. Falling oil prices of the late 1980s dealt a second devastating blow to the area. For many years the people of Wayne County had depended on the farming and the oil business. Directly, or indirectly those two industries fueled the economy.
In 1985 oil represented an $83 million business – even greater than farming at $65 million. For years, oil royalties had helped farmers stay in business. When agriculture prices fell, oil money bought seeds and plows and paid interest on land.
Crude oil prices went from $38 a barrel in the early 1980s to $15 a barrel by 1986. The blow was felt all along the chain from land owners to drillers to distributors to suppliers. No new wells were being drilled in the county meant fewer people working. Businesses also suffered.
In the article Mayor Russell Wilson praises his little town, and Fairfield city clerk Lea Doty hopes that things will improve. Arvis Aman and Bruce Reeves, also quoted in the article, know it won’t be an easy recovery.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
USA Today April 22, 1986 DGS 3/2022
1937 Oil Well Fire
(c) Wayne County Historical Society
Our thanks to David Land - the voice of our History Mystery spots.
Six months after oil was discovered in Wayne County, the oil fever was spreading like wild-fire across the area. The November, 1937 issue of the Wayne County Press reported the story of a successful well northwest of Mt. Erie and the bad fire that hit that oil rig.
Drilling for oil is difficult and dangerous work. Experienced oil well rough-neckers and local hired hands believed the reward was worth the risk. Drilling around Mt. Erie began around 1937. Anticipation was high as heavily saturated oil sands were struck and a drill stem test indicated a potential production of a whopping 3000 barrels per day.
Just hours after the drill stem test, a horrible fire ignited. Terrific gas pressure and the large amount of oil in the well caused an explosion that sent oil and gas over sixty feet up toward the derrick top. A short circuited wire near the top of the derrick ignited the liquid and sent molten flames flying over everything within 200 feet of the rig. Flames lit up the evening sky.
Two workers were in the “crow’s nest” at the top of the derrick when the explosion rocked the rig. One man managed to climb down the rig, the other man, his clothing saturated with oil, was momentarily trapped by the flames. Desperate to escape the inferno, the man slid down one of the cable wires to the ground below. Miraculously, none of the drillers were seriously injured. The flaming oil fell on several cars parked nearby and two of them were completely destroyed by the fire.
The damage to the oil well was minimal and drilling continued in the days following the fire. Wayne County would prove to be a major oil reserve. The discovery of oil would prove to be a boom to the area economy for many years. Risk and reward.
WCPress Oil Supplement June 1981 DGS 3/2022
The Discovery of Oil in Wayne County 1937.
The search for oil in Wayne County began as early as 1907 when a dry hole was drilled, but the search continued, and Southern Illinois proved to be rich with oil.
Oil was struck in increasingly close territory by the mid-30s, Successful wells were dug in Lawrence and Clay county. Wayne County farmers were busy leasing their oil rights with hopes that it would be only a matter of time before exploration and drilling would prove successful.
The oil boom finally arrived in Wayne County in March, 1937. The news arrived in downtown Fairfield to the Wayne County Press late that Thursday afternoon in March 1937 of oil being struck three miles north of Geff.
Many wells had been drilled in the previous few years around the county, and even reports of oil, but the Bradley Discovery Well #1, halfway between Geff and Cisne, was the first to be an actual producing well. Oil pouring out of the deep hole that had taken weeks to drill.
The exciting news spread, and people drove out to the drilling site just to glimpse the famous rig. It was a historic occasion a few weeks later when the first rail tank cars rolled out of Cisne loaded with crude oil from the Bradley well.
Within weeks more leasing and drilling extended throughout the county. Oil companies from Oklahoma and Texas moved in rigs, workers, and families.
For the next twenty years, oil related businesses sprang up all over the county. It wasn’t long before Wayne County became one of the top oil producing counties in the country. The oil industry has fueled the South-eastern Illinois economy for many years. Historic photos document those early rigs and that first tanker full of oil rolling out of the Cisne depot.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
Wayne County Press OIL Supplement, June 1981 DGS 3/2022
OIL
Long before the white man set foot in North America the Native Indians already knew of the power of crude oil. In some places the oil would actually be found oozing up from the rocky ground. The Indians did recognize that this seemed to be an odd occurrence and considered the oil to be magical.
Native Americans had used crude oil for various purposes for many years. Some used it for waterproofing and building and most believed it had medicinal properties. The Seneca tribe was particularly interested in the material, obtaining it from where it would seep out of the ground. Crude oil even came to be known as “Seneca Oil.”
Native Americans skimmed off the water and collected the oil with their blankets. The crude oil was used as a powerful medicine. The white man later copied the Indian ways and also used the crude oil for treating various ailments, and it was a very good remedy for keeping away vermin.
Later the oil was packaged in small bottles for resale. One trade name was Seneca Oil. Many bottle collectors may have a Seneca Oil bottle in their collection.
For many years it was customary to use animal fats and oil. Whale oil was used for lighting lamps. Up until about the 1850’s, demand for crude oil was relatively low. The industrial age would usher in a need for a reliable fuel for powering machines and automobiles.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
Gina July 2021 DGS 3/2022
Fairfield Memorial Hospital Candy Stripers (1964)
Candy Stripers originated as a high-school civics class project in East Orange, New Jersey, in 1944. The high school volunteers wore striped uniforms. The project caught on around the country and was popular for many years.
The “Candy Striper” program at Fairfield Memorial Hospital was started in 1964 by Mr. Edgardo Bosch, the head anesthetist at Fairfield Memorial Hospital at the time. The idea was to offer a program that would encourage young people to choose a career in health care. The first year of the program, it was only open to FCHS students. By 1967 the program was open to students at Cisne and Wayne City. In fact, there were so many applicants in 1967 that only students in the upper one-third of their class were allowed to take the course.
There was a training course to complete in addition to working two or three hour shifts one day per week as volunteers. Their duties included: running errands for patients, delivering flowers, serving meals, straightening patient rooms, escorting patients, and visiting with patients. Desired qualities of a potential Candy striper were that they needed to be willing, responsible, friendly, and patient. The local hospital volunteers of the late 1960 also wore pink and white striped aprons.
Today, area high school students can elect to take a medical careers class as part of their high school curriculum. The class works with the hospital to provide hands on experience working within the hospital. Many students go on to a career in the medical profession.
(gina) Revised DGS 3/2022
1900s Underwear
The Early History Museum has a large cotton “union suit” on display. The cotton under garment is about 7 feet tall, 4 feet wide and was actually a promotional display from the Fairfield Setxon Manufacturing plant.
In the 1800s both men and women wore one piece under garments similar to long underwear. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that designers began splitting the union suit into tops and bottoms.
Sexton manufacturing first made heavy cotton shirts and jeans, but the items were not selling; the market was flooded with such items. A factory manager J.P. Schramm argued that the new underwear being manufactured by Jockey and the BVD Company was the future of undergarments.
Cotton boxers with an elastic waistband did catch on and the Sexton Company became profitable in the 1920s and 1930s. Various sewing factories around Wayne County and surrounding communities continued into the 1970s. The factories employed mostly women who welcomed a way to make a living or supplement a farm family income.
In the 1970s and 1980s less and less clothing was “made in the U.S.A.” Gone were the local sewing factories of Wayne County.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
Fred Morlan
The year was 1909. A young native of Fairfield, Fred Morlan, was in Jacksonville, Florida. At a racetrack he saw Frank and Orville Wright give a free exhibition of their flying machine.
The Wright brothers’ plane circled the grounds once, about 100 feet in the air. The sight “started the pioneer blood boiling” in Morlan who sold his car and went to Chicago to learn to build and fly airplanes.
He gained considerable experience and knowledge of aircraft in Chicago. After a few close calls and the crash of an experimental plane, he decided to move back to Fairfield. He set up a practice area at the Fairgrounds and began building and testing planes.
In his colorful career, he survived five crashes. He was one of the first pilots in World War I, at a time that military aircraft was still experimental. The Purple Heart he earned is part of the Early History Museum collection.
So if you see a small plane, helicopter or commercial jet fly over Fairfield, think of Fred Morlan, Wayne County’s first flying ace.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
Gina/ DGS 2/2022
March Madness 1971 GO MULES!
(c) WC Historical Society
Many will remember the March Madness Regional Basketball game of 1971 between Fairfield and Carmi. Hopes were high for the Mules fans, despite the fact that Fairfield basketball had not won a regional since 1939.
The Fairfield Mules wrapped the first place regional plaque in their arms that Friday night after a hard-won 79 to 75 overtime victory. Carmi had led most of the game, been up by 14 points at one point and ahead by 10 at half-time. With determination and tenacity the Mules battled back in the last quarter, tied at the buzzer, and won in overtime.
It was Mike Allen who made the final free throws. His team-mates included Larry Heflin, Robert Vaughan, Terry Taylor, Dave Warren and Rick Book. Reserves included Bob Garrison, Tim Triggs, Mark Strange, Jay Bigler, and freshman Virgil Briggs. Gary Carter and Gary Gain were team managers. Cheering the mules to a victory were Treva Matthews, Debbie McNeely, Jill Musgrave, Debbie Weaver, and Susan Wood. Coach Larry Odum and assistant D.K. Wood were all smiles after the over-time win for the 1971 regional title, the fist in 32 years.
Columnist Jack Vertrees dubbed them the Coronary Kids, after watching the heart-stopping game. A victory party was held the following Saturday night at the Kon-Tiki where Mayor Sam Puckett presented a commemorative bronzed key to the city to the team. The Evansville Sunday Courier and Press ran a full page layout highlighting the conference battle of that Friday night in March of 1971.
Some seasons go down in history. “Don’t let local history be a mystery.”
Our thanks to Linda Headley for the donation of the saved printed items from 1971 including the Wayne County Press, Brayer School newspaper, and the Evansville Courier and Press page.
DGS 11/2021
Old Massillon
These days, semi trailers loaded with supplies rumble across the bridges that cross the Little Wabash. Most of us can’t remember a time when local streams and rivers were the main by-ways for supplies and travel or even a time without the “hard road” or the “super slab”.
On the eastern edge of Wayne County is Massillon Township. In the 1820s the area along the river prospered thanks to the ingenuity of one man named McLin.
McLin built flatboats and floated them down the Little Wabash River, all the way to the Mississippi River and to the Gulf of Mexico at New Orleans.
The flatboats were loaded with animal furs and buffalo hides from the area. He also shipped wild honey, bee’s wax, sassafras roots, blackberry and elderberry wine, salt pork and cured hams.
The history of Old Massillon is legendary, but many people now would never guess such a thriving river port existed in Wayne County. These days, the Little Wabash is fairly quiet, and too shallow for cargo barges.
Preserving the stories of the past is important. Stories that are not written down are in danger of being lost. Times change, even rivers have been known to change course over time. The Wayne County Historical Society strives to preserve not only the artifacts of the past, but the stories as well.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
(gina) revised DGS 2/2022
Country Roads
Some of the main roads around the county date back to the 1700s. The routes were cleared as pioneers came west. Imagine traveling from Albion to Fairfield by horse and buggy. The road is dusty or muddy and marked by deep ruts. A makeshift raft will ferry you across the Little Wabash. Thankfully, over time, the main roads have been improved and bridges built.
The pioneers made improvements to the roads by using sections of the bark of trees that were created when reducing a log to lumber. The bark slabs were available in such large quantities during the timber-clearing era that surplus “slabs” were used to create a firm surface on the worst sections of dirt roads.
The term “slab” for concrete roads may be a carryover from those tree-bark “slabs”. In 1923 contracts were let to put down a solid cement surface between Fairfield and the Little Wabash Bridge east of town, then to Golden Gate and Edwards County. The Wayne County Press would give front-page updates on the progress of the “slab” road work.
The concrete slab route connected with the brick-paved streets of Fairfield and Albion. The brick streets were put down around 1916. Both Fairfield and Albion manufactured bricks for streets and homes. The brick roads were a huge improvement at the time.
In the late 1920s many Wayne County country roads were improved with gravel applied by WPA work crews. The 1960s and early 1970s saw the addition of the “super slab” - the interstate that runs through Wayne County.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
DGS 2/2022 revised from an original JP Website paragraph
Telephones
The Early History Museum at the Fairfield Public Library has on display an early “telephone” device used in Fairfield in the 1860s. The wooden carved ear pieces also serve as microphone and are connected by a long wire. Such devices were common long before Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone in 1876.
This simple device used in the 1860s in Fairfield connected the J.T. Fleming store on the corner of Main and Fourth Street and the Woolen Mills, approximately nine city blocks away. The mill workers would phone in their orders to the general store and the order would be available for pick up after they got off of work.
Not only could you call in your order from work, the Fleming Store also made deliveries. The delivery wagon was pulled by a large yellow horse with a white tail. Eldon Fleming and his horse drawn wagon were a common site on the streets of Fairfield in the late 1800s.
The early talking device worked slightly better than a tin can and length of string, but it was an added convenience in communication. Similar simple devices were also used during the Civil War. This and other early technology devices can be seen at the Early History Museum. The invention of an amplified telephone that was able to span greater distances with clear transmission was an exciting invention.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
(gina) revised DGS 2/2022
Fairfield Power Plant
Time marches on and change is inevitable. An area of Fairfield is once again undergoing changes. A large warehouse along main street is for sale, as are various city-owned buildings, once part of the city power plant.
The warehouse was the location of the Fairhome Furniture Store for many years. Before that it was the location of Kincaids Hardware. Originally built as a two story factory, the building is still large and impressive in size.
From the 1920s though the 1950s the area was part of the Sexton Manufacturing complex. Sexton ran several businesses, including a sewing factory that employed mostly women.
To the north of the Sexton Complex, sat Cambridge Court. This court provided residential cottages for the Sexton employees. The property was sold to the City of Fairfield in 1970 and the cottages were town down.
The City of Fairfield installed a new power plant sub-station on the north end of the property. In addition to the substation, the property was used to stockpile coal for the city to use in the light plant.
The use of coal was slowly phased out. It became more efficient and cleaner to operate as a sub-station, and bring in the power from a remote power plant.
As of the spring of 2022, the city power plant and sub-station have been consolidated and moved to remote locations in cooperation with Wayne- White Electric.
Yes, time marches on….but don’t let local history be a mystery.
DGS 2/2022
Mr. Walser
Sexton Manufacturing Company began in 1907 and was an important force in the growth of Fairfield. The company was run by Mr. H.G. Ferguson, a brother-in-law to Mr. Sexton. The factory became profitable manufacturing men’s underwear.
Some people would call Mr. Ferguson a shrewd business man or praise him for creating jobs and housing for young women. As the manufacturing business grew, Mr. Ferguson also established a dining hall, laundry facilities, and even a theater for his employees.
Well, wages were low, only 10 cents per hour. Many girls could scarcely earn their room and board – payable to their employer….ushering in the modern feudalism. Around Fairfield Mr. Ferguson owned several businesses and had a stake in one of the local newspapers. He was not well-liked among other Fairfield business owners.
In the 1920s Mr. Ferguson purchased an automobile and controlling interest in a service station. He also owned the construction company that built the service station.
There was one person connected with the Sexton Company who became the most widely known and well liked person in the community. That person was Mr. Charles Walser, the African-American cook, chauffer and valet to Mr. Ferguson. Everyone knew “Charley”. His baked goods were legendary as was his hospitality and his smile. Ever the diligent employee to Mr. Ferguson.
Mr. Ferguson arranged for the company holdings to only benefit the Sexton family heirs. Most of the stockholders and local investors lost their investment in the Sexton Company.
Original research paper by Thomas Martin DGS 2/2022
John Vurdulas
In 1978 John Vurdulas was 90 years old and no doubt the oldest businessman in Fairfield at the time. As a small business owner, Vurdulas had a long career in Fairfield.
An immigrant to Fairfield, John Vurdulas was born in Greece in 1888. After coming to the United States he worked on the railroads. He settled down in Fairfield in 1910.
He and two friends opened the Banner Candy Kitchen in 1918, and the popular place offered candy and cherry sodas. Handmade candy kitchens were common in the Victorian era.
John Vurdulas joined the Army and fought in the First World War before returning to Fairfield. He opened the Fairfield Candy Company, selling candy wholesale. The Fairfield Candy Company was a successful business and sold candy by the box and by the bag right up into the 1970s.
John Vurdulas may have been born in Argolis, Greece, but he believed that “Fairfield was the best town in the world.” He died at age 95, and is buried at Maple Hill cemetery.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
DGS 2/2022 (obit)
**Browns, Illinois - Edwards County
(c) Wayne County Historical Society**
To the east of Wayne County sits Edwards County, rich with history. Many Edwards County settlers came through Carmi and settled around Albion along the Bon Pa(s) River.
Gilbert Burris purchased 40 acres between Albion and Browns. Gilbert and his wife Bettie had seven children. His friend Abe Tolliver came from Vincennes with his family to this area. Both men were successful farmers.
As their families grew, they would purchase more land, 40 acres at a time. Before long, Burris, Tolliver and their families were farming close to 500 acres around Browns. Tolliver had one of the largest log cabins in the area.
The 1830 census reports that Gilbert Burris, Abe Tolliver, their grown children, and their families numbered close to 50 people. They had established a school and a church.
In 1860 the unrest and division within the United States began to make it difficult for the families of Gilbert Burris and Abe Tolliver as they were African Americans. Old Abe Tolliver opened his home to escaped slaves, as a stop on the Underground Railroad.
The men and their families had faced adversity but had lived free and fairly peaceful lives in Edwards County for over 40 years. The families held their ground as long as they could, but were eventually forced to sell the land they had settled.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
Yester Years in Edwards County Illinois Volume 2 Edgar L. Dukes 1948
2/2022 DGS
Presidential Visit
(c) Wayne County Historical Society
The year was 1905; The President was en route to the far southwest to spend six weeks’ vacation. President Theodore Roosevelt passed through Fairfield over the Southern Railway. April 4, 1905 was a Tuesday afternoon. A large crowd possibly numbering over 1000 people from town and country, including the Fairfield public schools, was at the depot to give the nation’s President a warm greeting.
As the train approached the station, the engineer slowed down, almost to a stop, slow enough to allow President Roosevelt to stand on the special observation platform of the train car and greet the crowd.
The train stopped just long enough for several men in the crowd to vigorously shake the hand of the President, before continuing on the journey.
Security precautions were in place, including a train that preceded the President’s train to see that the track was clear. In the President’s special train crew were three Fairfield men; Arthur Hill, and Zach and Lew Deem, proud of the distinction of helping.
President Roosevelt was on his way to San Antonio, Texas, to attend a reunion of his Rough Rider regiment, followed by some hunting out west. Roosevelt was 44 and brought a new excitement and power to the Presidency. No doubt his brief stop in Fairfield in the spring of 1905 was an exciting day.
Wayne County Record April 6, 1905 HS Scrapbook DGS 2/2022
Farms of the 1950s – The Rush Family
(c) Wayne County Historical Society
In the 1950s the Wayne County Press profiled a farm just south of Fairfield on the old Burnt Prairie blacktop, sometimes referred to as the “old Shaeffer farm”. Curt Rush, well-known Grover township supervisor shared the ownership of the family farm with his son and son-in-law, leaving most of the duties to his son Jesse.
Jesse Rush called himself a ‘general” farmer for the 1950s with both grain and livestock on his acreage. His wife Mary cared for the children and could be found teaching Sunday school at the New Hope Church.
Jesse’s son Allen began driving a tractor at age 11 and liked helping with the farming. His past-time as a young boy was horseback riding.
Seems both of Allen’s sisters liked riding their “fine Arabian mare”. Older sister Katheryn was active in 4-H, winning blue ribbons in sewing, flower arranging and cooking. Marjorie admired her older sister and took a certain amount of teasing from her brother. The children attended the Shaeffer country school, and then Fairfield High School. They helped with the chickens and farm chores. They also helped care for their baby brother, Jim.
….A Wayne County Farm Family Legacy.
Share your family stories. Don’t let local history be a mystery!
Orchardville
(c) Wayne County Historical SocietyZ
Have you ever heard of the community of Aid? Not a very catchy name. Perhaps you’ve heard of Brush Creek. The first settlers came to the northwest corner of Wayne County about 1822. Family names such as Hargraves, Henson, Forth and Warren began to populate the area, so did apple trees.
The Wayne County Press broke the news in 1891 of a particular name change. As stated in the local news; “We are glad to report that the postmaster general has granted the change of the post office from the name of AID to Orchardville. People of the area are advised to let the name of Aid and Dogtown slide into disuse”.
It might have taken a few years for local people to make the switch, but the NEW name did catch on. The township was also renamed from “Brush Creek” to Orchard Township.
The new name of Orchardville would survive, but the post office did not when population growth shifted with the railroads. Still, Orchardville continued to bear fruit as an unincorporated area.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
The Encyclopedia of Orchardville by Jim Knauss 2018 Fairfield Public Library – Genealogy
DGS 2/2022
February
Before the Internet, students used mnemonic devises to help remember facts. These simple phrases, rhymes or songs proved useful.
Local author Sylvia Cline Dawson in her book Down Memory Lane records the following rhyme.
Thirty days hath September,
April, June and November.
All the rest have 31,
saving February alone,
Which has but 4 and 24,
Until leap year gives it , one day more.
The knuckle mnemonic is another way for remembering the number of days in each month.
Begin with the pinky finger knuckle of your left hand as January, and work left to right, across the knuckles. The knuckles are 30 or 31 days , the valleys are less than 30 days. Need more explanation – consult the Internet, or an older person.
And consult the books in the Genealogy section of the Fairfield Public Library for more fun historical reference material.
Down Memory Lane by Sylvia Cline Dawson 1980 – Genealogy library
DGS 2/2022
Old Wives Tales
(c) Wayne County Historical Society
I don’t know where Groundhog day or other superstitions originated, but Wayne County farmers have often quoted old wives tales to explain the weather and other events.
Local author Sylvia Cline Dawson in her book On the Banks of Skillet Fork records the following superstitions.
If New Year’s Day dawned cold and clear you could expect all of January to be that way.
Count the number of days that had passed since the new moon when the first snow falls, and that will tell you how many additional snowfalls for that winter.
If the sun shines on Valentine’s Day, you can forecast the depth of snow to be expected by the length of the sunbeams on the floor that day.
If the old rooster stopped in front of the door long enough to crow, it was a sign of company coming.
If that company comes in one door and leaves by another door, you can expect MORE company.
Let’s hope your company doesn’t mind the weather. – Don’t let local history be a mystery.
On the Banks of the Skillet Fork by Sylvia Cline Dawson 1980 – Genealogy library
DGS 2/2022
(c) Wayne County Historical Society
2-10-22 Valentine’s Day Remember decorating a shoebox with red and white tissue paper or construction paper, gouging a hole in the lid with a blunt pair of scissors, and traipsing to school with your Valentine box? The day was wasted for learning because we were frenzied with suspense, not to mention the sugar buzz from valentine candy eaten before school. After a small eternity of morning routine schoolwork, and lunchtime, finally there was the afternoon classroom Valentine party. The communal march around the class and everybody delivered their valentines like a mob voting in a nervous election. Then we all sat and rifled through our valentines while the room mother passed out cupcakes and Kool-Aid. The floor was littered with discarded envelopes, scraps of paper, cake crumbs, and dribbles of colored sugar water left for the exasperated janitor. Small, chalky hearts spread sentiments of “be mine” or “too cute”. Foil covered chocolate hearts would melt in your mouth or your pocket. Colorful paper valentines scrawled with the senders name magically delivered a special feeling. Holiday traditions may have changed over the years, the sentiment is still there. Happy Valentines Day.
(c) Wayne County Historical Society
2-11-22 The Court house lawn Lincoln Monument
The tall granite monument on the courthouse lawn is Fairfield is a silent sentinel guarding a piece of our history. The monument is a reminder of the beloved sixteenth president and a reminder of Wayne County’s small, but symbolic, part in that era. It was the Wayne County Republicans who first endorsed Abraham Lincoln for president. The endorsement was the first official gesture in the nation to support Lincoln’s election campaign and it was made here on March 3, 1860. The stately monument is memory of that official act, presents Lincoln’s profile looking eastward toward his national destiny in Washington DC. The images of a log cabin, the White House, and the Lincoln Memorial are presented in relief on the huge plaque. Take a moment to stop by the courthouse lawn in Fairfield and appreciate this monument. ….
And don’t let local history be a mystery.
(c) Wayne County Historical Society
2-10-22 FCHS Basketball team of 1946The Fairfield Mules Basketball team of 1946 coached by McDowell Martin compiled an 11-1 conference record and a 28 – 6 overall record. At the time, the 1946 Mules were rated seventh in the state and fourth in Southern Illinois. The starting five included Bob Elliott, Jiggs Wood, Boyd Wilson, Don Riggs and Jack Walton. Substitutes included Bill Garrett, Jack French, Richard Martin, Dale Felix and Bill Mathes. It was a memorable season. The year was 1946 and no doubt World War II was still fresh on the minds of the young high school players and fans. Many of the players from that year took their skills and applied them after graduation. After graduating from High School Jiggs Wood became captain of the All-Pacific basketball team during the Korean conflict. Boyd Wilson attended the U.S. Naval Academy, set a scoring record for Navy in basketball and was a regular end on the Navy football team. Don Riggs played freshman basketball at Southern Illinois University. “They were the type of boys who could make a coach look good,” conceded Mr. Martin. Coach McDowell Martin served as coach and history teacher for many years and went on to be an assistant principal at FCHS.
(c) Wayne County Historical Society, Fairfield, Il
2-9-22 Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was apparently in Wayne County more than once in his early career. He may have been traveling to a nearby court or running for Congress, or perhaps just stopped at the Boggs home in downtown Fairfield.
Lincoln was the guest of Dr. Richard Lee Boggs whose grandson, Dr. J.D. Boggs, recorded the details of Lincoln’s visit. Although a Kentuckian and Southern sympathizer, the elder Boggs admired Mr. Lincoln personally and was quite proud that Lincoln, on at least one occasion stayed overnight at his Fairfield area house. Enough of a friendship developed that Lincoln later intervened to get Boggs out of a jam. Boggs had traveled into Kentucky to organize a band of rebels but got caught by Northern sympathizers.
Lincoln helped Boggs to get back home to Southern Illinois. Clearly, they were friends, despite any political differences.
(C) Wayne County Historical Society Fairfield, IL 62837
2-8-22 Boyd Construction and Airtex
In 1935 a group of New York business men came to Fairfield and began a manufacturing company. They first used an existing building in the northwest part of town. The manufacturing firm would grow, creating jobs and expanding opportunities for small local businesses. In 1938 Roy Boyd, General contractor, expanded the Fourth street location as the manufacturing plant grew, and employed more people. The name of the plant was Airtex.
In 1940 Boyd Construction was hired to remodel and build office space along West Main Street for the firm. With a solid foundation, Airtex was set to manufacture parts for automotive and government contracts. Following World War II, Boyd Construction built the Airtex Plant 2 location on Leininger Road. Airtex provided jobs for post-war families. Boyd Construction continued to grow as a multi-generational business. Over the years from the 1930s into the 21st century, Boyd General Contractors, along with B-Way Home Center, helped build and remodel local businesses and homes.
In 1985 the Boyd Family was quoted as saying; “We are proud to have been a part of the growth of Fairfield.
(c) Wayne County Historical Society, Fairfield, IL
2-7-22 Golden Gate
Just east of the Little Wabash and south of Route 15 is a sparsely populated area of Wayne County. A few scattered settlers first came into the area enticed by the proximity of the river, and the abundance of timber. The Leach brothers, Lewis, George, and Horace brought in a saw mill about 1870. In 1880 the railroad came through, running parallel to the main road between Fairfield and Albion. Most land owners gladly gave the right of way for the railroad and additional roadways, the promise of progress…EXCEPT for one man. The man purchased a large chain and a padlock and locked the gate at the place where the railroad was to pass through his property.
After much bargaining, he was finally persuaded to give the right of way for a set sum of money, which was to be paid in GOLD. He then unlocked the gate and allowed the survey to be made and that section of the railroad to be built.
The neighbors began calling the area “Golden Gate.” The new roads and the railroad prompted a few businesses, a church and a little village. A post office was established, and still exists. The train still passes by the little village of Golden Gate.
2-4-22 Human Fly
(c) Wayne County Historical Society, Fairfield, IL
One of the most unusual events in Fairfield’s history surely has to be the day the “Human Fly” tried to scale the front of the Wayne County Courthouse. It was in the early 1940s and the young man actually made money with his side show antics of climbing buildings. Unfortunately, as the daredevil climbed up the courthouse he slipped on the section of wood louvers above the brick and fell. To the shock of the crowd, he was seriously injured. He was moved to a room at the Brown Hotel, one block south of the courthouse, and remained there for several weeks on the brink of death.
Once it was determined that he might recover, and was able to be moved, his cot was loaded on the train and the banged up “Human Fly” was taken to the Flora area to the home of relatives. Many local people assumed he died from the injuries, but years later a chance meeting in Flora confirmed he had survived his Wayne County courthouse fall. He stated that he had gotten out of the “Human Fly” business permanently after his disastrous stunt in Fairfield.
History Mystery presentations are protected by copyright laws. Reproduction or distribution of the segments in written or audio form without written permission is prohibited.
© 2022 Wayne County Historical Society wcilhs@gmail.com
Holtzhausen Family (part 2)
The Holtzhausen family left Germany in the 1800s. It took three months to cross the Atlantic, and several days to make the journey to Ohio. After only a few years in Ohio, friends began heading west to settle land in Southern Illinois.
The Holtzhausen family loaded the large wooden trunk, and made the journey down the Ohio River to Grayville and then over the bumpy road to an area close to what is now Enterprise.
The Holtzhausen family built a log cabin close to the main road. Henry Holtzhausen would open his home to other travelers and immigrant settlers passing through Wayne County. German food and German expressions were common around the family.
In 1853 Henry Holtzhausen offered assistance to translate and communicate with a prisoner being held in the Wayne County jail. The German immigrant, Henry Voltz knew very little English, and was being accused of murder. Holtzhausen, after speaking with the prisoner, believed in the man’s innocence, but was helpless to stop the proceedings.
The Holtzhausen descendants, the family trunk, the German traditions, and the family stories endure. Don’t let local history be a mystery.
History Mystery presentations are protected by copyright laws. Reproduction or distribution of the segments in written or audio form without written permission is prohibited.
© 2022 Wayne County Historical Society wcilhs@gmail.com
Early History Museum’s Large Steamer Trunk
On display at the Early History Museum is a large Steamer Trunk from the early 1800s. The wooden trunk was made in Germany and owned by the Holtzhausen family. In 1831 the trunk was loaded with belonging from the old county and made its way across the Atlantic. The trip took three months.
What an adventure for the trunk and for young sons William and Henry. The Holtzhausen family lived in Ohio for many years. Henry grew to manhood and was married in 1840.
Around 1850 Henry loaded up the trunk, set sail down the Ohio River, secured a wagon at Grayville and moved the trunk and his young family to the prairies of Wayne County, Illinois.
The old trunk was handed down through the family and remained in Wayne County, even when several family members headed out to California.
The Holtzhausen trunk is on display at the Early History Museum at the Fairfield Public Library. The Museum is open Saturdays, 10:30am – 1:30pm. .
History Mystery presentations are protected by copyright laws. Reproduction or distribution of the segments in written or audio form without written permission is prohibited.
© 2022 Wayne County Historical Society wcilhs@gmail.com
Farms of the 1950s – The Hilliards
In the 1950s The Wayne County Press did a series of stories on local farmers. The articles recorded the changing image of the family farm. In the 1950s many farmers found it necessary to have a job in addition to farming.
Wayne County Farmer Glen Hilliard found himself spending “less and less time as a farmer” with each passing year. Mr. Hilliard also worked at the Pure Oil Company and ran a small plumbing and electrical business in addition to the family farm. Oldest son Clifford was a big help on the farm, finding time for chores after High School basketball practice.
In those days the youngest Hilliard son could be found running around the farm wearing his Davy Crockett coon-skin cap, and waving a toy pistol. According to the article, five year old Carroll Hilliard loved playing around the family farm, but couldn’t wait to go to school. He often got roped into helping his mother in the kitchen. In addition to cooking, Mrs. Hilliard helped with the farm and business bookkeeping.
Yes, times were changing in the 1950s. More women were taking on different roles in the workplace. Small farmers needed a job to supplement farming just to support the family. Gone are the days when 100 acres of crops and a small herd of live stock could support a family.
The First Fairfield Postmaster
The first postmaster in Fairfield was Samuel Leech in 1820. He could carry the items of his office in his pocket and still have room for his plug of tobacco. After all, he received and delivered about three letters a month and the arrival of a newspaper was a “most uncommon occurrence.”
The weekly mail was brought by horseback unless the streams were high, and prevented the mail from getting through.
By the 1880s when Tom Scott was postmaster, the mail arrived in big mailbags to the train station. Then, the job entailed handling 5,000 pieces of mail a month. Personal mail had to be picked up at the post office.
Post Office workers today handle hundreds of thousands of pieces of mail that they deliver to individual homes and businesses six days a week.
Modern mail delivery is a long way from the days of Mr. Leech looking in his pocket, or Mr. Scott waiting on the 5pm. Train.
Bookmark Minutes 2000 (c)Wayne County Historical Society
History Mystery presentations are protected by copyright laws. Reproduction or distribution of the segments in written or audio form without written permission is prohibited.
© 2022 Wayne County Historical Society wcilhs@gmail.com
Travel North on First Street out of Fairfield, and you will find King’s Chapel Church. The well maintained church has an active congregation. The church building has been enlarged and remodeled over time, but many may remember the original one-room schoolhouse that sat on the same site.
The front door of King School faced the South, with tall windows facing the east and the west. The school had a stove to heat the room in the winters. Older students were assigned tasks such as stoking the fire, cleaning the blackboard and fetching water from a near-by house. The privy sat to the west of the schoolhouse. Most of the students walked to school.
In 1948 the school had 16 students of various ages including some siblings. Larry Englebright had perfect attendance that year. He and the Harrison boy were looking forward to the day they would get to ride the school bus to Fairfield High School.
King School closed in May 1950 and the neighborhood children began going to Jasper School. The King School property was sold, and also suffered a fire before becoming King’s Chapel Church. .
Don’t let local history be a mystery
History Mystery presentations are protected by copyright laws. Reproduction or distribution of the segments in written or audio form without written permission is prohibited.
© 2022 Wayne County Historical Society wcilhs@gmail.com
Is local history a bit of a mystery?
There is a creek that runs mostly north to south on the western edge of Wayne County. On the Northern End of the county, this waterway brings needed water to the pumpkin fields, and lends its name to a local grill. You cross this waterway when traveling from Fairfield to Wayne City. On the southern end, it runs through the bottoms around Mill Shoals and often floods.
The following is a little ditty written by John M. Quindry, a columnist and amateur historian from the 1950s, to describe how this local creek got its name.
THE old pioneer camped beside the river where he ate his pork and beans.
Then he built a raft to cross it for he had no other means.
It was in the swirling current his raft became a bobbing cork.
His most precious processions that floundered were his skillet and his fork.
Then his story told so often, when the early settlers came.
So from that unhappy incident SKILLET FORK got its name.
Through the ages has the river meandered on its winding way.
Down to join the Little Wabash and it does the same today.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.!
Historical Society Newspaper column clippings from 1960s DGS 1/22
Pioneer Legend of Miss Polly Crews and the Panther
In the 1830s the county was more wilderness than anything else. So as Polly Crews walked home at dusk through the woods and tall prairie grass she heard the repeated calls of what she thought was a woman in distress.
The caring young Polly stopped in her tracks and called out to offer assistance, thinking the cry was that of a neighbor. But the sound wasn’t a human in distress, it was a panther.
When Polly parted the grass only to see the huge panther she was paralyzed with fear. The panther stopped its approach. The momentary stand-down was just enough time for help to arrive.
Bailey Borah who lived nearby heard the exchange, but knew that the cry had come from a panther. Taking up his old flint lock rifle, he set off running in the direction of the sound.
A few moments later he came upon Miss Polly on the trail and hurriedly put himself between Polly and the panther. The panther inched forward, intent on its prey, its long tail switching side to side.
Accounts differ as to the outcome of the encounter, but both Polly and Mr. Bailey survived the attack.
In the 1800s wild animals were abundant, and encounters not uncommon. Children and young people were warned to be cautious when walking through the woods. Mr. Borah and Miss Polly Crews survived their encounter and the hardships of pioneer life in Wayne County. They told the story to countless children and grandchildren.
Don’t let local history be a mystery. Share YOUR stories.
One of the oldest business sites in Fairfield is the old Lang Hotel building that still stands on the corner of East Fourth and Main Street. Joe’s Body Shot has been there for several years.
Once the fanciest hotel for the area, the Lang Hotel saw many guests walk through its doors. This three-story, brick building with its beautiful arched windows, once hosted hardworking salesmen, railroad travelers, and the cast and crew of tent show and opera troupes. The hotel was always busy with people passing through Fairfield.
The hotel closed about 1918, and at that time the building became the home of the Fairfield Motor Company. The car dealership remodeled the building to sell and service the new horseless carriages. The dealership was at that location for many years.
Joe’s Body Shop continues the tradition of friendly service and lovingly cares for this beautiful building. In 2021 the graceful arched windows were repainted and the brick was inspected and repaired. Not an easy feat on a three story building, even in these modern times.
So, if you call it the Lang Hotel or Joe’s Body shop…..don’t let local history be a mystery.
The Jett Brothers – Early Carpenters
The Wayne County Historical Society Early History Museum has a full set of early carpenter tools nearly 150 years old, donated by the Jett Brothers of Fairfield. These tools are themselves beautiful instruments. Each wooden hand tool is still solid and smooth from years of use. No electric cords, or plastic pieces here. The items look more like small block sculptures.
Carpenters used the plow-planes, rabbit planes, nosing planes, chisels, clamps, and mallets in building dozens of Fairfield homes and businesses. Used alongside the hammer and nails, the carpentry tools shaped the moldings, casements and cabinets by hand.
In their day, there was hardly a home or business in the downtown area that the Jett Brothers didn’t build. They also built the Bandstand on the Courthouse square. The Jett Brothers left a legacy of craftsmanship for future generations.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
For many years in the living room of the Wat Bestow home in Geff, Illinois, there stood a long, narrow, plain, unvarnished table with a shallow drawer. In the 1870s when the railroad came through, John C. Bestow, was the Railroad Paymaster. He used the table for paydays.
Mr. Bestow retrieved the cash from a secret hiding place, then he would scoot the table over to the living room window, remove a middle pane of glass, and pay the railroad workers through the open slot in the window as the workers filed by outside.
The Railroad Paymaster was an important job at the time. The ingenuity of using a window in his home was befitting his position, and offered a little bit of security.
Friends and family, for years after the railroad was built, referred to the unvarnished piece of furniture as the “paymaster table”. The townspeople of Geff were excited about having a railroad, but it might be difficult to find the tracks these days.
“Wireless” communication is now the standard. When telephone service began in the early 20th century, all telephones were land lines.
In 1936 Fairfield had only 434 telephones. In 1944 that number had tripled to around 1200. Following World War II, the telephone was becoming a necessity and many new, post-war homes included a telephone.
In June of 1950, it was newsworthy that the local General Telephone Company hit the 2000 phone lines mark - in and around Fairfield. Installer/repairman H.M. Dickey, and General Telephone local manager W.A. Williams, were busy with the rapid growth into the 1960s.
In the 1960s and 1970s every Fairfield teen wanted the family to install a second phone. Kincaid’s or Southern Lumber stocked the necessary wiring and hardware for installation.
Most homes still had just one line, allowing the conversation on one phone to be over-heard on the other phone. Some neighborhoods in Fairfield also had shared “party lines” and required neighbors to “share a line” during busy times.
Rotary dials gave way to push button keypads. Long receiver cords were replaced by “cordless handsets.” These days, many homes don’t even have a “wired” “land-line” phone. We can’t even begin to estimate the number of cell phones just in Wayne County. Just like the cartoon characters of the 1950s, many people these days can access their phone right on their wristwatch.
Don’t let history be a mystery!
Many will remember days gone by when the Geff grocery store was on the northeast corner of the Geff crossroads. The block building still stands. Various businesses have been there since the grocery store closed.
Originally it was called the Bestow Clover Farm Market, owned by Fred Green and managed by E. Roy Dye. Mr. Green constructed the building in 1949 on a lot that had been in the Bestow family since the early 1800s. Mr. Green’s wife was Lois Bestow Green. Her uncle Harry Bestow sold the couple the corner lot.
To the north of the Bestow Market was a wood frame building housing the Pool hall operated by Bob and Pete Barnard. The wood frame building is long gone.
The Geff crossroads have always been a busy place.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
Dr. Garrison of Wayne City
Is local history a bit of a mystery?
Some people never stop learning, and in doing so, expand their horizons. For example, consider the life of Isaac Logan Garrison.
He was born January 1868 in Hickory Hill Township, the son of an old and honored Wayne County family. He lived and worked on the farm and attended local schools. In 1889 he married his sweetheart, Charity Feather.
In 1899 he graduated from Hayward College in Fairfield and then taught school and served as principal at FCHS from 1903 to 1906. At that time he decided to go back to school and attended Washington University at St. Louis where he attained his M.D. degree.
Dr. Isaac Logan Garrison opened a medical practice in Wayne City and served as a trusted physician for many years. In later years, he and his wife retired to Phoenix, AZ where he died in 1953 and she died a few years later.
Dr. I. L. Garrison, self made man, - farmer, educator, doctor.
Is local history a bit of a mystery?
In the late 1800s most Southern Illinois counties had established a rural farmhouse to serve as a county Poor Farm. The Wayne County Poor Farm was located 2 miles north and slightly west of Fairfield. It was established in 1879, and provided care for paupers, elderly, ill, insane, drunkards, and orphaned children.
Able bodied residents were assigned tasks around the farm and helped farm a few acres of crops. Any income from the crops helped with expenses for the residents and the staff. The Poor Farm had a manager and a visiting physician.
The Wayne County Poor Farm averaged around 15 to 20 residents and a few children living and working on the farm at any given time. Often the residents passed away after living their final few years at the Poor Farm.
The Wayne County Poor Farm was closed in 1948. The property was then sold to Mr. John Kinney of Geff who remodeled and updated the large home. He then sold the property, nothing new about “flipping” houses. To this day, many people still refer to the remote property as The Poor Farm.
The Poor Farm had about 200 unmarked graves that belonged to individuals that had nothing left but their names. Their grave sites are now lost to farm land, but they are not forgotten. There is a tall, single headstone located in Maple Hill Cemetery that is dedicated to the memory of those residents of the Wayne County Poor Farm.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
Is local history a bit of a mystery?
When you visit the Fairfield Post Office have you ever noticed the painting that hangs over the Postmaster's office door? The painting is titled “Old Settlers.” It portrays a community setting of people getting their mail.
The artist was Mr. William S. Schwartz who trained at the Art Institute of Chicago. He was selected along with eight other artists from a pool of 175 applicants to paint mural pieces for a Federal Project – the WPA that was part of the New Deal visual arts initiative.
The Fairfield Post Office received the original painting in 1936. The style of the painting was strongly influenced by Cubism and the European Modernist movement while still depicting a rural community of the 1900s. The painting represents the sense of community abundant within early towns and settlements by combining symbols of commerce, spirituality, government, transportation and communication.
The WPA Federal Art Project was the first major government patronage of the visual arts in the United States. It was conceived during the Depression of the 1930s by the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
In 2002 the art work was selected for the National Historic Preservation Week poster, but the original work of art can only be found at the Fairfield Post Office.
Don’t let local history be a mystery.
Their maxim has long been “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” In the 1960s, veteran Cisne Rural mail carrier Ernest Crooks retired ending a 47 year career.
He began as a rural mail carrier out of the Cisne post office in 1914, and you can guess that the fancy 1961 Mercury Comet he drove on his last delivery wasn’t around in that fist year.
He began work on his rural Cisne route in 1914 with a horse and buggy. When the weather was bad, he would take off on the back of the horse, carrying the mail.
There came a change in 1915 when Mr. Crooks bought a used Model T Ford for his mail route –and it did quite well until the snow storm of 1918. During the snow storm, he carried his mail on foot to get through the snow banks, cutting fences sometimes and walking across the fields to “get the mail through.”
Mr. Crooks lost track of how many cars he used in the 47 years as a rural mail carrier, admitting “that I’ve used up several.” Such rural road travel isn’t exactly easy on automobiles.
We give a friendly wave to our local rural mail carriers and their connection to a long history of the U.S. Postal service.
WC Press 1960 - Scrapbook from the Archives DGS 1/2022
Early pioneer Isaac Harris came to the Illinois in 1811 from Tennessee. His first home was a cave in the Pond Creek hills of Wayne County. Legends says that Harris and a band of Native Americans had a quarrel and Harris killed an Indian. Harris fled the area returning to more populated areas around Carmi for awhile for his own safety.
Harris then fought in the War of 1812. After the war, he returned to Wayne County and started the difficult task of building a house to protect his family from the cold winter winds. His brothers Gilham and Elijah Harris came with him this time.
Isaac Harris finished his log cabin in 1816. The rectangular structure had two doors on the front and a brick chimney on the left side. It served the family well for many years. The cabin had a dirt floor and a carpet of four bear skin rugs. The family included his wife Jennie and several children over the years. The cabin would stand for over 100 years as a testament to the pioneer spirit of those first settlers.
Pearl McCall’s step-father was Judge Edwin Beecher who rode the circuit with Abraham Lincoln. Pearl would grow up to also be a lawyer, was an aide to four U.S. senators; a trail blazer for women in the legal profession.
Pearl McCall also served as the first woman in America to be appointed assistant United States attorney. She served in that role from 1921 until 1934. As a woman attorney, she fought for justice for women and young girls. She was involved in numerous high-profile cases, including murder trials, racketeering cases, and diploma fraud.
Pearl McCall was born in Kentucky in 1876 and grew up on a farm in Wayne County. She graduated from Hayward College and taught music in North Dakota and Idaho. She relocated to Washington DC about 1912 to work on Capitol Hill during the day, and attend law school at night.
“In 1919 at the age of 37….”I was a lawyer at last, .” She told a friend on a visit to Fairfield as a spry 83 year old, still working in DC. She retired from her private practice in 1963. Pearl McCall – Washington DC lawyer and activist, died in 1977 at the age of 100.
Pendleton, Johns, & Company was a partnership of twelve individuals, each of whom invested $1000 to begin a new bank. The bank opened its doors on March 1, 1894, and would have a long history in downtown Fairfield.
Pendleton, Johns, & Company. Combined veteran banking expertise with fresh ideas and needed capital. The banking officers were E.W. Pendleton, George W. Johns, and Adam Rinard along with the five businessmen of Emanuel Steiner, B. Rider, H. K. Johnson, John Rapp, and E.C. Kramer.
At first the new bank worked out of the previous bank building at the corner of Main Street and Second Street. The organization quickly began work on a beautiful new building as solid as their new bank’s future.
The larger, taller bank building still stands at the corner of Main Street and Third Street. The new bank’s design was stately, striking and modern for 1895. Stone covers each side and the two sides meet at a corner entrance. The second and third floor windows are gracefully arched and framed in stone.
The beautiful Fairfield landmark is now a law office. The tall corner spire greets motorists approaching from the East. Few buildings remain in Fairfield from the late 1800s, and few buildings of any age in Wayne County are as beautiful.
West Elm Street in Fairfield has always been a busy street. It lies just northwest of the courthouse square and runs along Johnson creek, the life-blood waterway of early Fairfield. The Elm Street neighborhood included homes and businesses. One neighborhood grocery store operated into the 1970s. Larry Hobbs’ music store still operates out of one of the commercial buildings.
There was a small green frame house along Elm Street. We’re told that there’s an interesting history to that house, that for over 60 years it was the home and barbershop of “Governor” Foster. The small, one story, home was torn down in 1970.
“Governor” as he was called, was an African American and a really good barber. He lived all his life in Fairfield and was buried here. In the 1920s and 1930s there were about a dozen African American families living in Fairfield.
The Great Depression of the early 1930s sparked civil and racial unrest. All racial and economic groups were hit hard. By 1932, many people were out of work. In some Northern cities, whites unfairly called for African Americans to be fired from any job as long as there were whites looking for a job. Racial violence became more common.
That unrest of the 1930s was evident even in Fairfield. Economic problems, local crime, and violence needed a scapegoat. The dozen African American families felt the need to move out of Fairfield. Economic, political, societal, and community actions have lasting effects.
Many of us remember the severe winter weather experienced in the mid-west, including all of Wayne County, in the winter of 1977/1978. It was the most severe winter since weather records began in the early Nineteenth Century.
Most winters, Southern Illinois will experience one, two or maybe three winter storms. The winter of 1977/78 Illinois experienced over a dozen major snow storms. Combine that with extended periods of extreme cold and blowing winds and it made for a difficult winter.
Snow covered the ground for weeks on end. The cold, drifting snow played havoc with the utilities. Power lines and water lines were often frozen and damaged. Streets and roads covered by drifting snow made travel difficult. Extended snow days were NO fun after awhile. Families huddled together and were thankful for a wood-burning fire-place. Farmers’ regular chores became hardships. Livestock didn’t like that winter either.
The winter of 77/78 was one for the record books.
December 25, 1926, the town of Fairfield, Illinois suffered its “worst fire in history” early Christmas morning. A complete series of two-story buildings were destroyed in the 100 block of East Main Street. The consequences were disastrous. Fire departments from Fairfield, Albion, Mt. Carmel, and Mt. Vernon sent teams to help prevent the entire downtown district from going up in flames.