Potomac, the Artesian village : [1876-1976]

POTOFQAG

The Artesian Village

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1876 - 1976

POTOr^AG

The Api'esian Village

PRINTED BY-

Bluegrass Printing

103 N. Vermilion

Potomac, Illinois 61865

Phone: (217) 987-6655

P^'i'l

Table of Bontenis

Introduction 3

In the Beginning 5

Pioneers of Potomac 9

Early Businesses 29

Railroad 39

Doctors ^2

Churches "^4

Schools 50

Village of Potomac 59

Special Events 72

Organizations 77

Disasters °'*

Cemeteries ^^

Those Good Ole Days 87

Civil Veterans 96

Golden Years 98

Centennial Farms and Homes 101

Settlers of Potomac 108

Potomac Businesses HO

Advertisers 121

Ini^poducHon

Our town has pride in its heritage. It has been
rewarding to wortc together to recall our history.
People made long distance calls, wrote letters,
searched through scrapbooks, albums, and went
through abstracts and records. Many contributed
articles, notes and histories. Personal histories and
pictures came from families written about. We've
relied on the memories of many, and we are grate-
ful for all the time people spent with us. The Book
Committee appreciates all those who helped or en-
couraged in any way throughout the months of re-
search and writing.

To the best of our abihty, the information pre-
sented here is as accurate as possible. There may be
discrepancies in some stories because memories are
not infallible, and many times records were not
available or incorrect. If any names or events have
been overlooked, we ask your pardon for our unin-
tentional mistakes. We're thankful to Kathy Collett
who checked articles for grammatical errors, and to
Jean Davis, Carolyn Howie, Sandra Birt, Rocky
Jolley Judy Harrison and Merry Gildersleeve who
typed the book copy. A special "thank you" goes to
Russell Biggs for getting the ads for the book.

Residents from here have become military lead-
ers, editors, bankers, lawyers, teachers, administra-
tors, authors, nurses, doctors, ministers, business
leaders, farmers, civic leaders, and homemakers. This

is home to them.

Although business houses have dwindled in
number, this is a pleasant village-900 population. It
has been an important part of this area since it be-
gan, and today we are still making history.

May you find old friends and neighbors, enjoy
the programs, exhibits, parade and pageant planned
to tell thestorv of our town, 1876-1976.
History Chairman-Clarabelle Boggess, Helpers-Nelle
Bennett, Helen Burke, Virginia
Borror, Margaret Endsley and
Nelle Taylor
Centennial Colors-Green and White
Parade Chairman-Alois Clementz, Donald W. Davis
Church Programs-Potomac Ministerial Association
Children's Contest-Chairman-Linda Carter, Help-
ers-Mr. & Mrs. Wilbur Hickman
and Mr. & Mrs. James Crawford
Displays and Antiques-Chairman-Mr. & Mrs. Gene
Talbot, Helpers-Mr. «& Mrs. Tru-
man Spain, Mr. & Mrs. Don
Reynolds, and Mr. & Mrs. John
Hoskins
Decoration-Roger Fruhling
Publicity-D. D. Phillips

Concessions and Grounds- Lions Club, Boy Scouts,
Methodist Church and Women's
Clubs

CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE

General Chairman-Mildred Curtis
Co-Chairman— John Hoskins
Secretary-Ann Duncan
Treasurer— Carolyn Howie

Board Directors-Steve Burroughs, Roger Fruhling,
and Tom Ulmer

We wish to express our sincere thanks to each
and every one who made our Centennial the success
it was.

The Centennial Committee

Mildred L. Curtis, Chairman

A GOOD THING,

PUSH IT ALONG!

ADVERTISING

Advertising has existed since the earliest trade
of the Greeks and Egyptians. Early criers of wares
were possessed with agreeable voices and clear
speech, even as the radio and T. V. announcers of
today. Stone tablets of carved advertising came a-
long before print. The advertising structure today
ranks among the first businesses in our nation. The
people and firms who take care of our needs today,
may be found in the pages that follow. The advertise-
ments found hereare the final section of our history
and are the "who" and the "now" of the entire
community of the Potomac area.

INFORMATION

Information has been taken from write-ups from:

Danville Commercial News

Potomac Rustler- 1893

Potomac Patrol -1897

Potomac Record

Middlefork Journal

Scrapbooks of Ola Franklin

Scrapbooks of Lizzie Sollars

Scrapbooks of Josie Downing

Prairie Farmer Reliable Directory— 1918

History of Vermilion County, lUinois-Stapp and

Bowman
History of Vermilion County— Lottie Jones, Vol. 1

&2-1911
History of Nelle Taylor
History of Vermihon County, Illinois, Hiram H.

Beckworth-1879

STLER.

VOL.14. NO. 32 POTOMAC, ILLINOIS, FRIDAY, :NOVE.MBER 8, 1895. 50 CENTS PER YEAR.

'eod. to S>c>"n"l3't

for one minute where to buy the besLgoods for the least money. Go to
C. G- Layton's Big Store. See his finc: Heating Stoves including Air-tight
Heaters, Garland Base Burnors, Original Round Oaks, Wood Base
Burners Schoolliousfe stoves, etc. Examine our large and well selected
stock of Ladies' and Gents' fine shoe". t)pys' and girl's warranted §chool"
shoes, etc,* Buy the Lest flour on earih, that's the Pillsbury'-s Best, away,
down in pi^ce to^make roooiklbr other goods.

Everything sellir^g »t che very lowest prices. If you dcubt it be
convinced by purchasing.

Yours Ref:pectfully,

C. C. L.^YT©Sy

In f he Bedinnind

Looking out over this area, we see homes and
buildings; highways with cars, trucks and school
buses. Green fields of com and beans that turn yel-
low in the summer sun: loads of corn and beans
pouring out of a combine. It is hard to visualize how
this country looked when it was unoccupied except
for the wild animals and an occasional band of In-
dians who called this their home. Here the history
of a county or village that was more than two cen-
turies in the making cannot be written in a day, nor
be told as it should in the limits of our little book.

Our time began in 1828 when the first settlers
came to this area from Kentucky. Mr. Partlow and
his wife came with their 4 sons and son-in-law Asa
Brown. They were all married and had families, and
were all earnest members of the Methodist Church.
Two were licensed preachers, and were the first ones
to make a residence here. To the newcomers this was
a most unexpected and disastrous winter. It was re-
corded that this was the deepest snow ever, the like
of which has never been seen here since. The depth
of the snow prevented getting around to do any-
thing. Deer, the principal meat-producing game,
were easily captured, but they soon became so poor
that their meat was not fit to eat. They all lived to
bring up families, despite the hardships they had.

At the time of townships' organization it in-
cluded not only all of Butler township, but all of
what is now Ford County, mnning up to the Kanka-
kee River, and was more than 60 miles long. An ear-
ly settler, when asked why the rich prairies were so
long left vacant replied: "Why! If we had known
that anybody could live out there, we would have
saved ourselves a great deal of trouble." It was really
believed that they would only be of use as pastures
for the great heads of cattle that would roam over
them.

The streams through the pieces of timber were
peculiar in one respect. When first found, they
seemed to have worn no channels for the water
courses. Every little rain spread them out into great
ponds, as it still does in some areas along the Middle-
fork River today. Wherever there was an obstruction,
as a fallen tree, the water poured over and made a
deep pond hole, which remained deep the year a-
round. In these deep places large fish were caught.
Even today they can still catch large catfish and carp
in these holes. The Pottawatomie and Kickapoo In-
dians had long had a home in the groves of trees in
the Bluegrass area. Soon the wagons of the Kentuck-
ians, Virginians and others cut trails over the unbro-
ken prairies. Michael Cook was one of the first to

settle here. He died soon, and was buried in a little

graveyard one-half mile from Meneleys Mill on the
hill. William Bridges came here in 1830, settled
south of Marysville. He resided here 7 years. Mr.
Menely, who himself was a millwright, built a saw-
mill a little way downstream from Marysville in
1837. He sold it to John Smith (plain), and it
burned; Smith rebuilt it and sold it. This is the only
water mill ever built in town.

John, Dixon and Hamilton Baily were 3 broth-
ers who settled in 1832 on land where Marysville
now stands.

In 1 835, a county road was established through
Rossville and Bluegrass from the state line west. This
was known as the Attica Road.

In 1837, while Danville was making progress,
it was a matter of satisfaction that the rest of the
county was keeping step. Marysville in Middle-
fork Township was increasing. Myersville, with Peter
Chrisman's Mill, had aspirations. New Years Day-
1850, the government census man showed the pop-
ulation of Vermilion County was 1 1,402, and from
all parts of the county there were rosy reports of im-
proved condition of living. Most of the land had
been taken up by actual settlers, and there were but
few large tracts under single ownership, the excep-
tions being the Mann estate in Ross, John Smith's
(English) and John Goodwine in Middlefork.

OUT m THE COLD
AND WET

voiir feet reqnire comfortable piiy
lecnou. Tbere s nothing In tbO
work! as KOOd as

Mishawaka All-Knit

WOOL BOOTS.

Three times as durable as any felt

boot made— po«t(tr#/i* v<oth proof.

Watch for the trade-mark "Ball

Baod'thred. AlIotheTOi

are Imltattons. Patentee i

a,ta made by

UISHAWAKA WOOLEN MFO. Ca„ MMtamla. Int. |
FOR S\LK ONI,Y UY

Buckingham & Co.,

i'OTOMAU, ILL.

Get 'Em at

Scotts

^

Depot on Eflst, Mala Street. UaiivlHc, llh

KA3T tOU.SD.

No. 43. New York Express, dally 13;I8a m.

^044 AUHiiLic Kxpre*.a. daily :i;t3p .in. |

No 4li l.'jiTiiiuu Hull diiily ex Sunday. 8:10 a n» ,

Accomodatioulrelght ex Suivdtvy ■11:40 a i» ;

WEST BOUKD.

No 4r, Prtriiic lix press daily 1:30 p m

No 4:J bl L/Oui> Kxprtsa daily l;1£ain.

No 41 C.iiinoii Ball n.iilyux Sundftv ...6:28 p m I

■ ■n liPA -hi Hc- r-x N»iu'i*il>' •- --IQyJif.-jlJM jU ,

] NO 43 conuecta kt Sidney lor Lrua
Champaign.

CHAMPAIGN BRANCH. ,

No 31 Expre-s Iv dftilyex Sunday 8:05 am

No8:;i Express ar dally ex Sunday ti;40p m

N0341 and 40 have free reclining chair cars-
and Piilni-)ii Butfet =;teepiug cars between To-
ledo and K.msas Ciiy ihrougb via Hannibal
wilhouiclmngc.

Nob44and'l.Sliflve smoking car coaches re-
rlininK chair cars (seats free! and IJuffet.Par-
lor cars between Toledo niid Si Louis.

Nos 4L' and 43 have .^Dioking cura and coachOB-
between Toledo L>eiroit and St Louis one sleeper
St Louis and New \ork via Toledo M t) &N Y C
& II R R II. One sleeper between St Louis and
Boston via nutroil. M C. West ohore and Fltch-
bnrgUys. Free recliuiiig chairs between To-
ledo and St Louis.

.ions SHUTTS Asent. Danville.
Chas M Hays. C S Crane.

Vice Pres. Geu'l Pass & Tkt,

and General Manager.

Agt

Potomac, r

The Richard Courtney family came in 1835,
and stayed. They enjoyed the richness of the land
where grass was so thick that the few cows they kept
came in at night loaded down with milk, and almost
every hollow tree in the grove was the home of bees.
There never was a land which, to the immigrant seek-
ing new homes, flowed more hterally with milk and
honey than this. Corn was 6^ a bushel and they had
to go to Perryville, Indiana for their grinding. Pigs
sold for SI. 00 per dozen.

The fields were being fenced and the frame
house was replacing the log cabin in many places. In
1850, Vermilion County adopted the Township Or-
ganization and instead of electing 3 Commissioners
to conduct the affairs, 8 Supervisors— 1 from each
of the 8 townships at that time: Ross, Middlefork,
Pilot, Newell, Elwood, Carroll, Georgetown and
Danville— were elected as the Governing Board.

The township contained, originally, about 12
sections of timberland, which was more in the form
of pretty well-defined groves, with little under-
growth, and hazel-brush patches which have since
grown into timberland. So goes the story of our
territory before Potomac was.

POTOMAC ONCE MARYSVILLE

The village of Potomac was not always known
by that name, but was platted as Marysville by Wil-
liam and J. C. Groves and others on May 1, 1869.
Curiously enough the name Potomac does not ap-
pear in any of the records in the county recorder's
office except in parenthesis after the name Marys-
ville.

Attorney C. M. Crayton, Danville, who spent
much of his early life in "the artesian city," as Po-
tomac has many times been called, says that the Vil-
lage Board of Marysville in 1906 adopted an ordin-
ance changing the name to Potomac, the post office
department having changed the name because of My-
ersville being close in Newell Township. In some un-
accountable manner, the name of Potomac was nev-
er filed with the county clerk, and therefore was
never recorded in the recorder's office. The later
name of the town was in honor of the Army of the
Potomac. Many Vermilion County soldiers had
served in that arm of the Union Army during the Civ-
il War. The original name of the town was in honor
of the wives of 2 of the early settlers in the commun-
ity: John Smith (plain) and Isaac Menneley. The
wives' first name was Mary. Robert Marshall and a
man named Morehead lived across the creek, but
moved in to help Smith make a town. This was in
the 40's, although the plat of Marysville was filed for
record in 1869 and it was not until 1876 that a peti-
tion was filed in County Court asking incorporation
of the village under the Act of Incorporating Villages.
The village was originally incorporated as
Marysville and later changed its name to Potomac.
Another fact whicli made the location of the incorp-
oration records difficult was that the County Judge's
order sitting in probate appears to have been dated
1895, entered nunc pro tunc 1875. The village will
celebrate its centennial in our nation's Bicentennial
Year.

Isaac Meneley built a blacksmith shop about
1840; John Smith built a frame store across the
street from the blacksmith, and went to keeping
store. Dr. Ingalls was engaged in the practice of his
profession here for 5 or 6 years. Henry Bass had a
store here in 1852, and continued in business for
some years. George and Mason Wright established
themselves in trade in I 860. and remained 4 years
and then moved to Danville. In 1864, Lloyd and
M. W. Groves, who had a store in Bluegrass, came to
Marysville and continued their business until the
death of 1 partner in 1874, which dissolved the
firm. They had a farm lying just north, which was
purchased bv George May and laid out into town

lots which is known today as the George May addi-
tion.

I. Dillon built the steam grist-mill in 1 869. with
2 nm of stone. He ran it awhile, when Robbins and
Copeland bought it. They in turn sold it to Harris
and Campbell.

The schoolhouse is a very sightly and well-built
2-story brick building, 40 x 56, with 2 rooms above
and 2 below. The school is graded to 3 departments
and is maintained for 8 months in the year.

M. W. Robins was one of the prominent men of
Marysville. He had a store building on the public
square, the hotel known as the Murcle House, a feed
yard for cattle and 1 5 or 16 lots in the village.

VILLAGE ORGANIZATION

At the Febmary term of the county court in
1876, a petition was presented to the court by Rig-
den Potter and 37 others, asking for the organization
of Marysville under the act for the incorporation vil-
lages, with the following bounds: commencing at the
southeast corner of section 3, town 21, range 13:
thence north to the northeast corner of said section;
thence west to the northwest corner of the E. Vi of
the N. E. % of said section: thence south to the north
line of the right of way of the railroad; thence west
along said right of way 40 rods; thence south 40 rods
to the center of Main Street; thence east along the
center of Main Street 27 rods; thence south to south
line of said section; thence east to place of beginning.
The petition set forth that there were within said
proposed bounds 323 inhabitants. An election was
ordered to be held on the 1 1th of April, to vote for
or against said proposition to incorporate. At that
election, 57 votes were cast of which 46 were for in-
corporation and 1 1 against. And the court ordered
an election to be held on the 1 1 th of May for 6 trus-
tees of said village, to serve until the next time for
regular election. At that election 74 votes were cast.
George A. May, Caleb Albert, J. L. Partlow, Jesse
Lone, M. V. Robbins and S. P. Starr were elected.
The present trustees are C. F. Morse, S. Clapp, T. J.
Honey, Jesse Lane, M. Guthrie and Isaac Brown. At
the organization of the Board, G. rge A. May was
chosen President; L. D. Hombeck was appointed
clerk, and T. D. Austin, street commissioner.

Marysville has lately been lost in the name of
Potomac, and the artesian wells of the section have
made it famous.

THE VILLAGE ELECTION
APRIL 20, 1897

The Vermilion Patrol:

A number of citizens met in J. B. Courtney's
office Monday night to arrange a ticlcet. J. B. Court-
ney was appointed Chairman of the convention and
Bert E. Pyke. secretary. The following ticket was
nominated. President of the board- J. W. Layne; Vil-
lage Clerk-Will Flaningan; Trustees (2 years)- L. D.
Lane, C. C. Ransom and C. M. Yarrington; Trustee
(1 year)— Henry Searls; Police Magistrate— William
McCombs.

Another ticket was also filed with the Clerk, by
petitions, signed by several voters nominating the
following ticket: President of the Board— B. D. Wise,
Village Clerk— Will T. Flaningan; Trustees (2 years)—
L. D. Lane, C. C. Ransome and W. H. Copeland;
Trustee (1 year)— W. L. Bentley: Police Magistrate—
J. B. Courtney.

The election will be held in S. Cheney's room

on Tuesday, April 10 with the following as clerks

and judges: Clerks— Geo. Avey and S. Cheney.

Judges-Charles Shain, Elisha Hall and Wilham

Bever.

NEW VILLAGE BOARD MEETS

May 7, 1897
The Potomac Rustler:

New Village Board met in J. B. Courtney's of-
fice Tuesday night for Organization. The roll call dis-
closed the following members present: J. W. Layne;
Taistees-Allen, Bentley, Lane. Ransom, and Wil-
ber; W. H. Copeland being absent.

The matter of appointing Treasurer, Village
Constable, Street Commissioner and Pound Master
was brought up and A. B. Duncan was elected Treas-
urer. It was suggested that the 3 latter offices be con-
solidated if a proper person could be found to ac-
cept them.

W. L. Bently and C. C. Ransom were appointed
a committee to receive and pass upon application for
this position. The matter of the suit of Schoonover
vs. the Village of Marysville was brouglit up and Pres-
ident J. W. Layne, Village Clerk W. T. Flaningan and
Trustee L. D. Lane were appointed a committee to
confer with and employ attorneys and attend to
such other matters pertaining to the case as they
may deem it the best interest of the village. The
President announced that he had not as yet com-
pleted his committees, but that he would be able to
announce them at the next meeting of the Board. On
motion, the Board adjourned session till Monday
evening, June 10th.

HILLS OF HAWBUCK

by Eva Hoskins

1952

OUT OUR WAY

Across the creek comes harsh, cawing cries,
A wild, eerie calling drifts down from the skies;
A redbird goes darting, a king-fisher shrills,
To all who are listening, spring's message thrills.

In the maples the sap is beginning to flow,
The bluebird is back in the hollow below;
The blackbirds cease chatter at the close of day.
While robins give warning of rain far away.

The sapsucker's tapping, while the woodpeckers rap,
Can be heard in the elm, see his flashing red cap?
The brown thrush goes slipping thru the fences,
Off across the field drifts the meadowlark's song.
On sunny, wouth hillside there are flowers coming up,
Cress in the swamp, with wild flags at the edge,
Violets and bluebells, and ferns on the ledge.

Buckeyes are bursting, rebuds in bloom,

Maple buds, falHng, for new leaves making room;

Wild golden glow, and dandelions, too!

And the grass in the meadow is greening anew.

The creek's coat of ice is all washed away.
While willow wands wave, with tassels quite gay;
At reflections they cast on the water below.
And buds drift in backwater with no place to go.

The water is clearing, the stream running slow,
The bass leap the shallows at the riffle below;
Along the creek bank, on a watersoaked log,
A turtle is sunning to the tune of a frog.

The red berries are gone from the bittersweet vine,
Climbing the fence in the pleasant sunshine;
On the rattlebox bush the pods that fell,
Were pushed off by buds now beginning to swell.

Stir up the leaves with a stick and you'll find,
Worms of all sizes and bugs of each kind;
Where the woodcutter's axe took toU to keep warm,
The sap is now seeping and the honey bees swarm.

The sun is so warm, the wind so soft,
The birds are building, in branches aloft;
The catbird is busy at mocking his kind,
While the little wren hurries, a homesite to find.

In the night the wind blows out of the sky.
Warm, splashy drops, on everything dry;
With a new moon gleaming, distant and far.
Thru thinning mist, one sees the glow of a star.

The sun in the morning a great, rosy glow,
With a white, dewy frost, like tine, silted snow;
Nature bursts its bonds to begin a new life,
Wliile the fetters of winter are shed in the strife.

Pioneers of Poiomac

"REGARDIN' POTOMAC, ILLINOIS."

Written for the Patrol by Tom M. "Zeke" Morgan, Paris, Illinois, Feb. 4, 1893.

"If you want to see a hustler,

An a town 'at's on the rise,
Full o' men o' pluck an' ginger

An' bus'ness enterprise,
Jes' ski nout from Danville

By a crooked northern route,
Hug the Middlefork timber,

Jes' a-joggin' in an' out:
Drop some change in your pocket,

Be prepared to pay your bill.
An' when you come to Bean Crick

You'll se old Marysville-
Potomac, now they call it,

'Zactly why, I do not know.
But MarysvUle, I'm guessin'

Was a little mite too slow.
So when the railroad come—

Narry-gauged to begin-
Marysville she jes: skedaddled.

An' Potomac trotted in.

"You'll know it when you see it

By its raal vim an' growth.
An' you stay there twenty minits.

You are sure to ketch 'em both.
The whole town's full o' business

As a houn' pup is d' flesa.
It's a-floatin' in the air

An' a-sproutin' on the trees.
Ever'thing about the place

Is up an' on the go—
The blamed ol' Shanghai roosters

Stay awake at night to crow-
An' they cutter in the day-time

As they strut about the straw.
An' have a look as knowin'

As a dude a-readin' law.

"It's the smartest Uttle burg!

In' the people's all in tune;
'Cause they know their town's a-growin'

Like a jimpson weed in June ;
An' when you drop among 'em

They come up in sech a way.
You wish you'd brung your gripsack.

An' come prepared to stay.

"Good people there is plenty,

An' the gals— Oh! sakes alive!
They'll set your heart a-flutterin'

Like it did at Twenty-five.
They are not the flirtin' kind

Like you see on city street.
But they're womanly an' dignified,

The kind you like to meet.
An' you'll envy them young fellers

It will take you by surprise—
Who lauglis and loaf in sunshine

Of them blue an' hazel eyes;
An' youll ketch yourself a-wishin'

You could put on all the styles.
Swap your gray hairs for auburn.

Run at large among the smiles.

"An' them 'ere artehun wells!

Jes' as common as the tress:
Water's in sich a hurry

'At it don't take time to Freeze.
Another thing about it,

It's as plenty as the air,
A-bubblin' an' a-spoutin'

All about you ever' where.
It haint that kind nuther

With bad eggs upon its breath,
'At a drink of means slow death;

As the dew upon the rose.
An' when you go to drink it

You don't have to hold your nose.

"Jes' here I want to wlusper.

What "m sayin' - keep it still -
'At this 'ere arteshum water

Will beat a dinner pill -
Yes, 'twill down an' 'Early Riser',

A 'Moffett', 'Jayne' er' 'Hood',
It's a hummer in its bus'ness,

An' is sure to do you good.

"Now mark it-what I'm sayin'

An' remeber 'at I said,
'Don't bowl up on that water

Before you go to bed.'
If you do you'll git up airly.

For it has a ketch way
0' routin out a feller,

Jes' about the break of day.
You can dabble in it an' wade it.

Have all the fun you please.
But soak your hid full o' it.

You'll want the mornin' breeze;
An' you'll want it raal early —

Now you mind what I say —
You'll wake a-kickin' cover off

About the peep o' day,
An' slide into your trousers.

Shoes, jacket, coat an' hat.
But you won't be partic'lar

'Bout your collar an' cravat."

CALEB BENNET

Caleb Bennett went on the prairie and took up
the fine farm now owned by Zack Putnam, and im-
proved it. He sunk 3 artesian wells, one of which is
the finest in the Country. By boring thirty feet he
got a permanent three inch stream, which is carried
up high enough to furnish a good water power to
drive a churn. Several other farms in that vicinity
have artesian water. The farm which Mr. Caleb Ben-
nett brought into cultivation is owned by Zack Put-
nam, who carries on a butter dairy of 25 cows, the
only one of the kind in the town. He uses the water-
power to run a small turbine wheel, which drives the
chum and nms the water through the milk house to
keep it cool. With this care in keeping the milk cool,
and with absolute cleanliness in the management of
the dairy, he has no trouble in getting the highest
market price for his product, and has solved the
problem of profitable butter-making on these
prairies in 1850.

FREDERICK BENNETT

Bros. Al served on the school boards, Village council
and was supervisor for 2 terms. He was treasurer of
the U.B. Church Sunday School for 25 years and for
the past 15 years as secretary of Potomac Lodge No.
782 A.F. and A.M. also a member of the Consistory
Valley of Danville. He was member of the Modem
Woodman and was a charter member of the
Potomac Lions Club and also Past Master of the
Masonic Lodge in Potomac.

ED BLAIR

Ed Blair was bom in 1878 northeast of Poto-
mac four miles. He was the son of Humphrey and
Nancy Adams Blair. He married "Tiny" Helvie in
1900. She was the daughter of Alexander and Lucy
Helvie. Mr. Blair farmed and sold insurance and
later took employment as a carpenter at Chanute
Air Force Base in Rantoul. He remained there for
more than twenty years at the base carpentry shop.
They resided in Rantoul at this time returning to
Potomac after retirement in 1957. They had three
children: Veva Hammond, Eugene Blair and Inez
Little.

Frederick Bennett, farmer, was born in Bed-
fordshire, England in 1831. He came with his par-
ents to America when quite young. In 1853, he
came to this county. He married Amanda J. Jameson
in 1868. There were five children, two of whom
were Thomas M. and Fanny B. Mr. Bennett held the
office of postmaster. He owned two hundred six-
teen acres of land, worth $30 and acre.

HERMAN BIEDERMANN

Herman Biedermann, shoemaker, was bom in
Germany on April 15, 1846. He came to America
in July, 1870. He married Emma Martin. They were
the parents of five children: Ralph, Mabel, Mary,
Pansy and John.

AL BLACKFORD

James Allen "Al" Blackford was born in Arm-
strong, Nov. 17, 1882, in a family of 7 children. His
schooling was at the mral school of Green Valley
and Bean Creek for 3 years. The family moved to
Potomac in 1911, and he then entered the Univer-
sity of Illinois. On April 5, 1911, he and his brother
Russell opened a general store known as Blackford

Anna Brown (older woman) and her daughter,
Kate Hodge

10

ANNA BROWN

Anna Brown left Ireland one hundred years
ago, arriving at Ellis Island in America. Her husband
had come earlier and had earned the money to send
for her and their two small daughters, Anna and
Mary. The couple had lost six sons while living in
Ireland. Two daughters, Bettie and Katie, and a son.
Tommy, were born in America.

They first settled at Mansfield, Illinois where
Mr. Brown was employed as a section and bridge
building foreman for the railroad.

Later they moved to Potomac. Mrs. Brown
kept boarders, baked and sold bread. Ironed for the
bankers and along with her twelve year old daughter
Katie, was janitor at the Potomac Grade School.

Tommy died in 1 889 at the age of five and Mr.
Brown died the same year following a stroke.

While her daughter Mary Roe was making a
trip around the world, Mrs. Brown died at the home
of another daugliter, Bettie Edwards, near Arm-
strong. This was in 1923.

Two granddaughters, Mildred Parsons and Paul-
ine Behimer live in this vicinity.

T. W. BUCKINGHAM

T. W. Buckingham, innkeeper and justice of
the peace, commenced in 1876 to manage the hotel
on Main Street in Marysville, known as Murcle
House. He was born in Allen County, Indiana, on
April 23, 1833. He came to this state in 1870, set-
tling in Fainnount. Here he went into the grocery
business, but afterward became a commercial trav-
eler. He married Ellen A. Clark in 1856. They were
the parents of five children: Mary A., wife of G. J.
May, Mable P., wife of J. E. Butz, George T., Myrtie,
and Clyde.

HARRY CARPENTER

Harry Carpenter was the son of Mr. & Mrs.
Delos Carpenter living seven miles northwest of Po-
tomac. He was born in Union Center, Cumberland
County, Illinois on December 31, 1894. He and his
parents moved to this vicinity and he volunteered in
the aviation service in August with Fred Taylor.
They were sent to .'efferson Barracks together.
Harry was assigned to the 127th aero squadron and
Fred to the 1 16th. both in training at Kelly Field.
Texas. Harry was the victim of ptomaine poisoning

and was contmed to the hospital loiM.'\or;il ucvks
and was not as far advanced in training as tJie other
boys. When the 127th and 1 16th sailed for France,
he was assigned to the 100th squadron for further
training which accounts for his being on the ill-
fated ship, the transport Tuscania, which was tor-
pedoed. He was the first boy lost in war from Poto-
mac and at the age of 23 was buried in Scotland.
Our American Legion Post in Potomac was named
in his honor.

Harmon

Samuel

Copeland

HARMON COPELAND

Mr. Harmon Samuel Copeland was born May
18, 1862, at Bean Creek. His parents were William
H. and Rachael Stearns Copeland who were the
parents of ten children of which all but two passed
on. Those living were a sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Cham-
bers, and Mr. Copeland.

Mr. Copeland was given the name Harmon
from his oldest sister's husband, John Wilson, who
was in the Civil War. His Colonel was a well-thought-
of officer and Mr. Wilson, home on furlough, asked
that his officer's surname of Harmon be given the
baby as his first name. The middle name of Samuel
was after his grandfather, Samuel Copeland.

He was reared on a farm and received his
meagre education at the Bean Creek School wliere
seats were made of lumber from a saw mill nearby.
In 1886, his father retired from farming and moved
to Potomac. Young H. S. started a restaurant on his

II

own. It was located where the present city building
is. A partnership with a brother, Eh H., was formed
and they remained together about a year. Then his
father purchased Eli's interest, and after a few
months, the business was sold.

On February 24, 1886, he was united in mar-
raige to Miss Nellie Williams, and they had two
daughters, Mrs. Florence McCusker and Mrs. Rachel
O'Byrne. They lived in the home that they built
for over 65 years. They loved to travel and had
many antiques.

Then in 1887, H. S. and his father went into
the business of furniture and undertaking. In 1894,
he passed his test and was issued Embalmers License
No. 341. The undertakers didn't only embalm but
also built their own caskets. On October 10th and
1 1th in 1942 he observed his 56th year in the busi-
ness at the same location.

Mr. Copeland's one wish was to live to be 100,
but he passed away March 12, 1962, just lackmg a
few months of his dream of being 100.

WILLIAM H. COPELAND

William H. Copeland, a farmer, was born in
Gallin County, Ohio on April 15, 1821. His family
settled near Danville in 1829. He married Rachel
Stevens who was born February 21,1 823, in Clinton
County, Ohio. They were the parents of ten chil-
dren. Nancy E. became the wife of William Duncan.
Elizabeth married John Chambers. Other children
were Eli, Andrew, George W. and Harmon. Mr. Cope-
land was a school director for twenty years, com-
missioner of highways for three years, and was su-
pervisor of the township for many years. He owned
one thousand acres of land, worth $25 per acre.

The Copelands-Andy, Harmon, Nannie Duncan, Eli, Lib Chambers and George Copeland.

12

The Cossairts

Back row-left to right: Sadie Huber Cossairt (wife of Al), AdeUne Cossairt Crawford, "Al" Cossairt, "Sep"
Cossairt. Mae Cossairt Harriman, Dr. "Sant" Cossairt; Second row: Laura Cossairt Harriman, Minerva Cossairt
(wife of Sant), Katherine Cossairt (wife of Sep); Seated: Susan Cossairt-in arms-Irene Cossairt (daughter of
Al), John Cossairt, William Cossairt-in arms-Arthur Cossairt son of Sep).

SANTFORD COSSAIRT

The Cossairt Family has lived 1 mile west of Poto-
mac on Rt. 136 for over a hundred years. William
and Susan Cossairt had seven children born here who
lived to be adults.

Santford (Sant) married Minerva Acton. He be-
came a doctor and practiced in Potomac for her life-
time. They had 1 daughter Louie Jane Merkel who
now lives near Danville. She has 1 son Patrick Fitz-
gerald.

Adeline married Charles Crawford of Jamesburg,
Illinois. She had 4 step children: Harold, Homer and
Don. One daughter, Irene Clem, is now living near
Williamsport, Indiana.

Septimus (Sep) married Katherine Terpening. Af-
ter marriage they lived 1 mile south of Potomac on
a farm. In 1919, they moved into Potomac and he
became postmaster for nearly 20 years, until politics
changed as such was the custom at that time. He then
became tax assessor and acted as such until his death.

After Katherine passes away in 1940, he was later
married to Fannie (Williams) Werts. He lived in Po-
tomac until his death. He had 3 children; Arthur (de-
ceased 1905 at age 6 years); 2 daughters, Louise and
Leota. Louise married Clinton Mackeyof Jamesburg,
they have 2 children Elbert and Barbara.

Leota taught school in Potomac for 4 years (1931
-1935) before her marriage to Glenn Moore of East
Lynn, Illinois. They have 3 children: David, Glenda
Kay and Larry.

Both Louise and Leota with their husbands now
make their homes in Sarasota, Florida.

Al Cossairt married Sadie Huber and they lived
in Potomac for a few years. Later they moved to
Faith, South Dakota. They had 4 children: Irene,
Lowell, Wilbur and Donald. During the 1 9 1 8-Flu ep-
idemic, his wife Irene and son Donald succumbed.
In later years he was remarried and had 2 daughters:
Nadine and Jacqueline.

Laura was a primary teacher in Potomac for
aeady 25 years. At that time she lived with her

13

brother John on the home place. After the death of
her sister Mae, Laura was married to Elmer Harri-
man.

Mae Cossairt was married to Elmer Harriman.
They had 2 daughters: Carolyn and Grace. Carolyn
married Loraine Bert and is now living in Interloch-
en, Michigan. Their son Jack also lives in Michigan.
Grace married Haskell Sexton of Urbana, Illinois.
They had 2 daughters: Susan Jane and a son John.
The Sextons now live in Naples, Florida.

The youngest boy, John Cossairt, served some
time in the Armed Forces during World War I. After
returning home, he took charge of farming the home
place. He married Faye Comer. He lived at the farm
until his death. His wife now lives in the Cossairt
home.

TheCossairts were very musical. Many may re-
member the men's quartet. After Al moved away,
Elmer Moreland joined John, Sep and Sant. The Co-
ssairt quartet sang at many types of functions such
as 4th of July celebration, funerals and church meet-
ings. Adeline and Mae gave piano lessons at one time.
Many of the Cossairts grandchildren and great grand-
children have shown talent also. Among them are
flutists, trombonist, violinists, trumpet players, also
alto and french horn. One was a drummer in 7th in-
fantry band while in the service.

Much of the entertainment in the family gath-
erings at the Cossairt farm home was spent in after-
noon song fests.

D. S. COSSAIRT

David S. Cossairt was bom in Potomac, Dec. 27,
1875. He was the son of William and Louise Smith
Cossairt. He was a retired farmer, postmaster for 14
years and Middlefork Township assessor. He married
Catherine Turpening and they had three children,
Louise, Leota, and a son Arthur who died at age 7.
He then married Fannie Wertz Dec. 13, 1944, and
he died Dec. 4, 1956.

WILLIAM COSSAIRT

William Cossairt was a farmer born in Ver-
milion County on July 5, 1836. He married Louise
A. Smith in August, 1 86 1 . They were the parents of
William A., Ada, David S., Samuel A., Laura and
John. Mr. Cossairt held the office of school director,
assessor and treasurer of the board of commissioners.

J. B. COURTNEY

J. B. Courtney, dmggist, was bom in Monon-
galia County, Virginia on March 2, 1824. He came
to this state in 1845. He married Samantha Gruey
in 1848. They were the parents of three children.
Mr. Courtney commenced the drug business in
Marysville in 1875. His partner in business was Dr.
Messner. He held the offices of collector, assessor,
and justice of the peace.

Laura and Leota Cossairt

C. L. DUNCAN

C. L. Duncan was bom April 21, 1888, he was
the son of John and Nellie Wilkie Duncan. Raised on
a farm near Potpmac,^ he went to the rural grade
school at Wallace Chapel, and later on as a young
man went to Denver and took a business course at
the Central Business College. He then retumed to
Potomac in 1910 to work on his father's farm.
Four years later he joined his brother in the hard-
ware business.

He served three years on the Grade School
Board. He was also a member of the Methodist
Church, Lion's Club, and Potomac Lodge No. 782.
A. F. and A. M.

On February 14, 1917, he married Alma
Helvie. and they had one son, William.

14

CARL DUNCAN

Carl Duncan was bom near Potomac Septem-
ber 24, 1884. He was a farmer and landowner. He
lived in this vicinity all his life with the exception of
a few years when he lived in the west. He married
Edna B. Karr January 6, 1909. and they had two
sons, Mason and Melvin Duncan.

CHARLES P. DUNCAN

Charles P. Dun n was born in Fountain
County, Indiana in 1852. He married Mary A. Cope-
land in 1876. Their children were Ernest, Asa. Al-
bert, Ada, and Mamie. Mr. Duncan did a thriving
grocery business in Marysville having one thousand
dollars invested in groceries.

Fred Duncan

FRED DUNCAN

Fred Duncan was born December 8. 1886. He
was the son of John and Nellie Wilkie Duncan, raised
on a farm near Potomac, he went to the rural grade
school at Wallace Chapel, and later he came to Poto-
mac High School. In 1908. he went to Denver and
enrolled in the Central Business College. He returned
to Potomac and became a clerk in the Leonard Hard-

ware Store. He liked the merchandising business and
in 1910 he formed a partnership with Chas. Jester.
The firm's name was "Duncan and Jester." In 1914,
his brother Claud became interested in the business
and purchased Mr. Jester's interest, and the two
brothers named their business, "Duncan Bros. Hard-
ware Store." Mr. Duncan served on the school board,
was a member of the city council and served as a dir-
ector of the Potomac Building and Loan. He was
a member of the Methodist Church, a member of
the Potomac Lodge No. 782 A. F. and A. M. and a
charter member of the Potomac Lions Club. On Jan-
uary 16, 1915, he married Mary E. Goodwine and
they had two children, Robert and Louis Duncan.
He later married Lois Crawford.

JAMES H. DUNCAN

James H. Duncan, farmer and stockdealer, was
born in Gallatin County, Kentucky on Febniary 12,
1818. He married Elizabeth Crabbe on April 4,
1839. To them were born ten children. One son,
William H., married Nancy E. Copeland. Mr. Duncan
was a school tmstee and school director. He fattened
about one hundred head of cattle yearly.

ERSOM FRENCH

Ersom French, a fanner, was born in Knox
County, Indiana on April 14, 1811. Mr. French
was twice married. His first wife was Harriet Clem.
After her death he married Eliza Carroll in 1850.
Three children were born to them. Truman P. was a
practicing physician in Ogden. Mr. French was a
school director and a road commissioner. He owned
two hundred and nine acres of good land.

JOHN GOODWINE, JR.

John Goodwine, Jr., Potomac farmer and
stock-raiser, was born December 2, 1848, in Vermil-
ion County. He first married Mary Alexander in Dec-
ember, 1870. Anna was born to them in 1872. Mrs.
Goodwine died in October 1872. He then married
Lidora A. Lane in May, 1874. To them were born
John W., Wilbur H., Cora, Ulysses S., Wayne,
Everett, and Vesta. He fed and shipped a large num-
ber of cattle and hogs each year. Later Mr. Good-
wine founded and was president of the Goodwine
Bank. He was joined there by his son John W. This
bank became Goodwine State Bank in 1920. The
Potomac National Bank merged with Goodwine
State Bank in 1920. The Potomac National Bank
merged with Goodwine State Bank in 1929. Later
he was joined in the bank by his son, Ulysses and
his daughter Cora Rice.

MARION GOODWINE

Marion Goodwine, farmer, was born in Warren
County, Indiana on August' 26, 1846. His father
moved to this state when he was one year of age,
and settled in this township. Mr. Goodwine re-
mained on the farm until he was twenty-two years
of age. For three years he was engaged in the mer-
cantile business in Higginsville, and was also post-
master while there. On September 1, 1870, he mar-
ried Susan Selsor. They were the parents of Hattie,
Fred, Ary, Mary, and Dale.

U.S. Goodwine

U. S. GOODWINE

Ulysses Sidney "Uly" Goodwine was born Feb.
11, 1884, in a family of 10 children. His parents
were John and Alice Goodwine, who were eariy
pioneers of this community. He attended the local
grade and high school, graduating in the class of
1905. He went to Gem City Business College and
graduated. On returning, he helped his father in
farming, but in 1906 he entered his father's bank.
The bank was known as "Goodwine Bank," as in
those days most all banks were private institutions.
His father and brother John established the bank in
1903. Later the bank was compelled by state law to
change its name to "Goodwine State Bank."

He was married on Feb. 15, 1909, to Margaret
French and they had two children, Lois and Marvin
Goodwine. He served on the school board, village
board, a member of the Methodist Church, a Wood-
man, Vermihon County Bankers Assn. and a charter
member of the Lions Club.

WILLIAM GRAY

William H. Gray, Dorn in Foster, Indiana came
to Potomac, working on a ditch digging crew at the
age of seventeen. He was the son of John and
Rebecca Steeley Gray. His father died and his
mother remarried Mike Heffern. Besides his two
brothers, Joe and Jake, he had several half brothers
and sisters. Mrs. Josephine Goodwine is the last
survivor of that family. On December 23, 1888,
he married Etta Mae Hall who was the daughter of
Elisha and Sabrina Hall. They started housekeeping
in a large home in downtown Potomac, later
buying the house in the north end of Potomac
that they owned for over fifty years. Mrs. Gray
died in 1939 and Mr. Gray died in 1952. There
were nine children born to the couple, the last
survivors being Mrs. Marjorie Beshears who lives in
Rossville and Mrs. Minnie Hollowell who lives near
Covington, Indiana.

Mr. Gray was in public office for over forty
years serving as assistant county deputy sheriff, con-
stable, justice of the peace and supervisor for a short
time. He was an active fifty year Mason and had re-
ceived the 32nd degree. Mrs. Gray was active in the
Church of Christ, Royal Neighbor Lodge, and re-
membered for her beautiful quilts and crocheting.

CHARLES LaGRANGE

Charies LaGrange was born January 10, 1846,
at Vestal, New York. He enlisted at Elmira, New
York in the 10th Engineers in the Civil War and
came to Marysville, now Potomac, soon after the
close of the war and lived in his present home over

16

55 years. Wlien he eame here, the country was a wil-
derness with roads hewed through the timbers.
There was a sawmill at Bean Creek and the iiristmiii
in town. He hauled Hour to Hoopeston and Miltord
and clerked in the Dillon Store which housed the
post office also. The mail came from Danville about
twice a week; helping in the post office he could
hold all the mail in one hand. When the railroad was
built he held the position of station agent for some
time and later went on the road as a conductor. He
then became a carpenter and built many of the
buildings in town and surrounding country which
are still standing. He also built many caskets. He
helped to organize Steedman Post G. A. R. 352 and
was commander for more than 35 years. He took
part in Memorial Day Services for many years giving
the Gettysburg address. He then married Mary Her-
bert and they had one son that died in childhood.
He himself died November 24. 1938. at the age of

92.

HARRY D. GRIMES

Harry D. Grimes was bom in Potomac, the son
of Marion and Addie Duncan Grimes, on August 1 2,
1908. He had three brothers, Manfred, Ralph and
Clarence who preceded him in death. Harry died
Feb. 3, 1974. Two sisters are living, Lois VanFossan
and Maxine Wagner. Harry or "Huck" as he was
known to many of his friends, opened "Harry's Pool
Room" in Potomac on Oct. 16. 1950. The business
was located on the second floor of the building at
the southeast corner of Vermilion and State Street,
and Gib Anderson's clothing store was located on
the first floor.

In 1954 the poolroom was moved to 102 N.
Vermilion Street where it remained until his death.

It was quite an undertaking for a siglitless man
to enter into a retail and service business, but he was
equal to the challenge and remained in business for
over 10 years.

Harry's hobbies included fishing, trapping and
he was an avid baseball fan. He was known as a "die-
hard Cub fan."

Most of the townsfolk remember Harry's un-
canny ability to identify a person from the sound of
his voice. Even if he hadn't talked to a person for
several years, it hardly took more than a "hello" be-
fore Harry knew who he was speaking with.

The young men in town were Harry's "boys."
Many relied on him for advice and thought of him
as "Dad."

Harry bought a typewriter, memorized the key-
board, and set up nights writing short stories about
trapping, nature and the like.

He was married in April, 1935, to Marie Judy
and they iiad three sons. Laddie, Larry and John.
Larry died soon after birth. Harry got a great a-

mount of enjoyment out of his family. He taught iiis
boys to fish, trap and swim.

He played a guitar and sang ballads. He also
played a violin. One of his special blessings was his
three grandchildren. Vickie. Todd and Chad Grimes.

ELISHA HALL

Llisha Hall was born in Butler County. Ohio on
March 20. 1823. He married Sabrina Meldrum on
February 7. 1866, came to Potomac and the\ had
four children, Etta Gray, Minnie Cheney, Frank 1 hill
and one who died in infancy. He made the long and
torturous trip to California with others in 1849 over
the trackless plains remaining there for three years.
He was a very industrious man. He was a member of
the Christian Church when it was first organized.

K. A. Harper

K. A. HARPER

Karl Ashton Harper was born August 14. 1875,
on a farm near Lisbon, Cedar County, Iowa. He was
one of six children. After going through the rural
schools of that community, he remained home and
assisted his father in farming until 1900. He then en-
tered the grain business in Lisbon, and then selling
his interest, he came to Potomac in 1907. purchas-
ing the elevator from J. C. Koehn. He owned the
business for years.

He served on the Town Board and nine years
on the School Board. He was a member of the Poto-
mac Lodge 781. A. F. and A. M.,a 32 Mason belong-
ing to consistory. Valley of Danville, Methodist
Church and a charter member of the Potomac Lion's
Club.

On October 16, 1901, he married Hattie V.
Yeisley,and they had three children, Margaret, Dale
and Paul Harper.

17

JOHN HOTH

John Hotli came to Potomac with his family at
the age of three years from Minnesota. Both his par-
ents were originally from Germany. His father, a
blacksmith by trade, opened a shop in Potomac in
the year 1881 and John left school at thirteen to
serve as an apprentice learning his father's trade. At
the death of his father he opened his own ship lo-
cated where the Potomac Post Office stands today.
In 1907. he married Alta Vina Shain and they reared
nine children. He continued with his blacksmith
trade and was well-known in this community during
the horse-and-buggy years. The family moved to a
farm during the depression years, which was not a
success. They returned to Potomac. He went to work
in a machine shop in Danville until retiring at the
age of 80 years. He died on November 2, 1965.

CHARLES A. JAMESON

Charles A. Jameson, cabinetmaker, was born in
Champaign County, Ohio in 1847. He learned his
trade when quite young. He married Emelia Reihart
in 1869. Their children were Maggie M., Lulu E., and
Robert. His father was one of the pioneers of the
county GEORGE ELMER JAMESON

George Elmer Jameson was born on March 8,
1 866, in Vermilion County, son of Elizabeth Weiser
and Joseph Jameson.

He married Effie Louise Martin Miller in April,
1894. They had three children, Gladys, Glenn and
Clyde.

Mr. Jameson was a Potomac barber for sixty
years and former town clerk.

EARL BERT JAMESON

Earl Bert Jameson was born July 6, 1883, in
Potomac, III., the son of Edmund and Irene Jameson.
He had a brother Clarence, a half brother Roy, and
half sister Mame. He graduated from the "old" grade
and high schools in Potomac. On June 30. 1904, he
married Stella Nan Wilson, daughter of William and
Emma Wilson. They had three sons. Curtis, Don-
ovan, and Dale. Curtis had a son Thomas and daugh-
ter Delena. Donovan had three sons. Dean, Gary
and Lee. Dale had four sons. David. Larry, Doug
and Danny, and daughters, Sallie and Susan, harl
and Stella's great grandchildren are Todd and Mary
Jameson, Dawn, Frankic and Trenny Rliodcs and
Brett and Kelly Jameson.

Earl was a mailcarrier out of Potomac for thir-
teen years from 1905 until 1918. His route was
south of Potomac through NumberTen territory. At
that time thev carried mail by using iiorses and carts

Earl Bert Jameson

or Klondikes. After he became a carrier, he bought
out Lonnie Shanks. Later he carried through the
summer months on a motorcycle. Next they started
using Model T Fords. His route was extended and
covered the territory northwest of Armstrong and
Potomac. In 1918, he resigned to farm William Wil-
son's farm. Frank McCormick followed Earl on the
mail route.

Earl moved to the Wm. Wilson farm on Armis-
tice Day. 1918. Mr. Wilson moved into town on
Earl's property. Later. Earl left the farm and bought
the Ed Holden property east of town. Earl was hired
by Wilbur Goodwine to operate a garage and sell
Ford cars. For several years he worked for Wilbur
until Wilbur sold out to Frank Talbott. Earl contin-
ued working for Frank until he bought him out.
This was in the twenties. He sold Oaklands and Pon-
tiacs for two or three years, then sold the garage to
O'Neal and Correll of Rankin.

After that. Earl contracted painting in the com-
munity. He was elected Supervisor of Middlefork
Township in 1941, and re-elected three times. Dur-
ing his tenure as Supervisor, he proposed and worked
for perpetual care for cemeteries. The people of the
county (Vermilion) voted this in. He served on the
high scliool board for several years. He was well-
known by all people in the community. For his re-
maining years he continued as paint contractor. He
suffered a stroke while in Florida in 1951, but re-
covered and continued his painting until a year be-
fore h:s death in 1962. His wife Stella died in 1963.

\H

J. E. JAMESON

J. E. Jameson, mechanic, was born in Mus-
kingum County, Ohio in 1847. He remained in Ohio
until he reached the age of twenty-five where he as-
sisted his father in farming. He then learned the wag-
on and carriage making trade. He married Eliza Knox
in 1 873. Their children were Thomas R. and Mamie.
After the death of his first wife, he married Irene
Lawrence. Their children were Earl and Clarence.
Mr. Jameson commenced business in Marysville in
1872.

CHARLES JESTER

Charles Jester was bom in 1884, in the Wallace
Chapel neighborhood and there were only 2 children
in that family. He attended grade school at Biddle
and Green Valley School and later Potomac High
School. After leaving high school, he became em-
ployed for one year as clerk in the Lou Wilber store.
The next two years he spent with the Laytons De-
partment Store, before going back to school for
more mathematics. Attending business school, he
graduated in 1906. Coming to Danville, he was em-
ployed as clerk in the freight office of the Wabash
Railroad, afterward going to Chicago where he was
associated with American Express Company.

Dissatisfied with city life, he returned to Poto-
mac and took a clerical job with the Leonard Bros.
Hardware Store. He then went into business with
Wm. Archer, the two buying a local restaurant which
they owned for 2 years.

In 1910, he formed a partnership with Fred
Duncan under a firm name of Duncan & Jester, and
purchased the E. G. Leonard Hardware Store, being
in partnership the next 4 years. In 1914, he sold his
interest to Claude Duncan and the firm assumed the
name of Duncan Bros. That same year, he became
identified with the telephone company as manager,
and in 1930 purchased from Frank Samuels the en-
tire business. His business was sold in 1947.

From 1917 to 1922, he was an active member
of the National Guard. He held such positions as
village clerk, member of the school board, village
treasurer, secretary of Potomac Building and Loan
Ass'n. and secretary of the Lions Club. He was a
member of the Methodist Church of Potomac, Poto-
mac Lodge No. 782 A. F. & A. M., a 32" Mason, a
member of Consistory Valley of Danville and a char-
ter member of the Lions Club On December 14,
1924, he married Candace Kruder.

FRANK M. JOHNSON

Frank M. Johnson was an old-fashioned pio-
neer teacher who was born in Brown County, Indi-
ana in 1842. He came to Illinois at the age of 16
years to work on farms.

He saved his money and attended the Indiana
Central College. After graduation there, he became
a circuit rider in the ministry. Later he attended the
Northwestern University in Chicago and obtained a
Masters Degree. He moved to Potomac in 1900. He
rode horseback to his school at Bixby, a small settle-
ment northwest of CoUison. He also taught school at
Wallace Chapel, Bean Creek, Hawbuck, Higginsville,
Bluegrass, and his last school was at Red Oak. This
school is still standing. He was a very strict teacher.
He was his own janitor at these one-room schools
where he taught pupils from the 1st through 8th
grades. You could get a certificate to teach school
with an 8th grade diploma. He helped several pupils
to obtain their diplomas. He often rode horseback
to the pupils' homes after supper to help them with
their lessons.

He died in 1910.

E. GRANT JUDY

E. Grant Judy was bom January 25, 1 867 near
Potomac. He was the son of Isaac and Elizabeth
Hombeck Judy. He was a retired farmer and stock
raiser, was Superintendent of the Potomac Meth-
odist Church and Wallace Chapel Sunday Schools
for more than 45 years. At one time, he taught
school at Georgetown and was a member of the
board of directors for the annual Old Settlers' Re-
union in Potomac. He married Hattie Talbott and
they had a daughter Viola and a foster son Paul
Talbott.

19

MARKWOOD KILE JUDY

Markwood Kile Judy was bom near Bluegrass,
Illinois, July 19, 1883, the son of David and Nancy
Judy. He married Rosa Lockerby Jan. 20, 1909.
They had six children, Kile. Marie, June, Morris, Ed-
na and Arlene. They had one granddaughter and five
grandsons.

Mark farmed for many years. He moved to Kan-
sas for three years then returned to Potomac area.
He raised turkeys for several years then moved into
Potomac in 1951.

He operated the Potomac Water Plant for a-
while and served as traffic cop for a time. He was a
loyal Republican all hishfe and enjoyed talking pol-
itics.

He served as Deputy Game Warden for several
years while he lived in the country. Although he lost
one arm in a hunting accident when he was about
21 years old, he still enjoyed hunting and target
practice. Having an arm missing did not stop him
from driving six horses hitched to a disk. He drove
tractors and cars and said there wasn't much he
couldn't do except wash dishes (which he attempted
once when all in the family were down with the flu).

MARTIN JUDY

Our ancestors came to America before 1 776. One
Martin Tschudi came from Switzerland with his wife
and children to Philadelphia, Pa. in 1738. Later he
and some of his children went to West Va. Some of
the children bought land in West Va. and that is
where our people came from They changed their
name to the English form "Judy." Our great grand-
father George Washington Judy sent his eldest son
John to Illinois to buy land for himself and for
brothers and sisters. This John was the grandfather
of Lloyd Judy who lives west of Potomac. John
bought that land and bought some northwest of Po-
tomac for his brother David. This was west of Blue-
grass and east of Ellis. David was the father of Wil-
liam Judy (Gladys Auth's father), also the father of
Mark and Olen Judy who lived most of their lives in
and around the Blue grass area.

We found a tax receipt of Grandpa David's for his
160 acres. The tax was $19.27! That was in 1868.
Grandpa Judy was married first to Catherine Wnght,
a sister of Uncle Henry Wright. They had children:
William, Laura Bert and Stella. Catherine died and
Grandpa married Nancy Kile from West Virginia.
They had children: Mark, Olen and Clint. Nancy
died and Grandpa married Mrs. Mary Woodworth
from Urbana. She was the grandma of Don Burkhart
of Armstrong. Mary died and Grandpa married

Rebecca Hedrick from W. Va. Next Grandpa bought
a house in Potomac and they moved in for a
winter. They were homesick for the country and
went back to the farm. Rebecca died and Grandpa
married her sister Mrs. Mollie Riggleman who was
the Grandmother of Kenny Riggleman who recently
lived northwest of Potomac. She outlived Grandpa.
He passed away June 6, 1920.

William had children: Guy, Gladys (Auth), Ralph,
Goldie, Lola and Edgar. All gone now except Gladys
and Adgar. Bert had children, Velma and Opal who
live around Claytonville. Laura Gitzen had children:
Berniece (Mathis), Russell and Peari. Stella had sev-
eral children and lived in N. Dakota. Mark had chil-
dren: Kile, Marie, June, Morris, Edna and Ariene.
The last two giris have passed away. Olen had chil-
dren: Marthann, Ethan, Scott, David, Dan and Car-
ol. Scott passed away. Clint went to Wisconsin. He
had 10 children (2 sets of twins).

Rick Lanham

RICHARD G. LANHAM

Richard G. "Rick" Lanham was bom April 1,
1918; he was the son of J. G. and Grace
He married Peggy Braunson, August 3, 1940. They
had one daughter, Diana Jameson.

He was chairman of the Vermilion County
Board of Supervisors for sixteen years and county
board member for twenty-four years. He was first
elected to the old County Board of Supervisors in
1949. He served seven terms as chairman of the
Board of Review.

9n

He wasaHepublican candidate for State Repre-
sentative in 1962. He served on several County
Board Committees and was instnimental in getting
the board's approval of the Public Safety Building to
be built in Danville.

He owned and operated the Lanham Funeral
Home and was supervisor of Middlefork Township.
He graduated from Worsham Embalming School in
Chicago in 1940, and owned the funeral home since
1950. He was a member of Masonic Lodge 782, Dan-
ville Elks Club, Gao Grotto and Potomac Lions Club.
He was also Master of Ceremonies at many functions
held at Potomac.

C. G. LAYTON

C. G. Layton was bom on a farm north of Po-
tomac, and grew up on the farm. He took a course
in Eastern Illinois College, and taught in Murphy and
Wallace Chapel Schools. During his first years as
school teacher he received thirty dollars a month
for his services. He later attended Worthington Bus-
iness College in Chicago.

In 1887, he started a hardware store in Pen-
field, Illinois later selling it to D. M. Hedrick. He
then came to Potomac and started the grocery bus-
iness. In 1907, he sold out and went to Danville, and
then spent a few years in Tennessee and Mississippi.

In 1916 he came back to Potomac and engaged
in the grocery business until the time of his death.

DAVID R. LAYTON

David R. Layton, farmer and stock raiser, was
born in New York on October 16, 1829. He lived
for a short time in Ohio and later in Indiana. He then
came to Vermilion County. He married Martha Wil-
son in 1859. They were the parents of Charley, An-
nie E.. Coburn Grant, and William. He managed a
ditching machine and by economy and industry ac-
quired one hundred sixty-seven acres of land valued
at $35 per acre.

ALVA C. LEONARD

Alva Leonard, publishing the Potomac Record,
vas the youngest newspaper editor of Vermilion
County and undoubtedly one of the youngest in the
state. He was bom January 4, 1 889, on a farm about
3'/2 miles north and % of a mile east of Potomac.
This was the home of his parents. Berry Franklin
and Emma Jane (Swisher) Leonard, with whom he
remained until after he had completed his education.
He attended the district schools until about twelve
years of age and afterward pursued his studies in the
Potomac schools until 1907, when he entered the
Brown Business College at Danville. During the vaca-
tion periods he worked with his father in the fields

and alter compietmg ms Dusmess course in uanvilie,
he spent a short time in travel. Entering the field of
business, he was employed for a brief period in the
shops of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad at
Danville, after which he returned to Potomac.

The following summer, he became bookkeeper
and general yardman in connection with a lumber
business, and on the 1st of March, 1910, he pur-
chased the Potomac Record from E. A. and C. R.
Barnes. Following the lead of the city newspapers,
he has given away a number of prizes, among these
being a fine piano. Such a gift is very unusual for a
newspaper in a town the size of Potomac.

On the 4th of May, 1910, Mr. Leonard was
married to Miss Charlotte Alma French, who was
bom Febmary 1 , 1 89 1 , a daughter of Henry S. and
Sarah (Endicott) French, who were among the early
settlers of Vermilion County.

Mr. Hugh Lucky

MR. HUGH LUCKEY

Mr. Hugh Luckey was born November 2, 1 873,
the son of George and Mary Morehead Luckey and
was reared on a farm near Potomac. He was a stock-
man and famier by vocation. He attended the pub-
lic school in Potomac and was graduated from Poto-
mac High School, On September 5, 1898, he married
Miss Laura Smith and they had four sons and four
daughters He had an interest in affairs of his com-
munity and was president of the school board, mem-

21

ber of the Methodist Church and a 32nd Degree
Mason. As a member of the Danville Consistory he
was active in the semi-annual reunions and was spon-
sor of one of the largest classes for the Scottish
Rite Degree.

His long public career included membership on
the Board of Supervisors at the time the county-
wide system of highways was being built in 1918.
He also served as board chairman in 1921.

Mr. Luckey first was elected to the Illinois Gen.
eral Assembly as a representative in 1922 on the Re-
publican Ticket. He served continuously until 1936
when he was the candidate of his party for Congress
from the 18th District. In the election he was de-
feated by the late James A. Meeks, but in 1940, he
returned to the State Legislature. A special election
two years later elevated him to the upper house,
following the accidental death of Senator John
Speak, Danville. He was re-elected to the Senate in
1944 for a full term of four years.

A member of numerous important committees
in the Senate, Mr. Luckey was chairman of the com-
mittee on motor vehicles and traffic regulations. He
also was the author of many bills during his long leg-
islative career, being particularly interested in agri-
culture, schools, motor vehicle traffic, roads and
bridges.

Mr. Luckey, 73, died December 29, 1946, in
Lake View Hospital after being seriously ill for 3
weeks from a heart ailment, ending his activity in
county and state public life for more than twenty-
five years.

His living children are: Al G. Luckey ; Tracy G.
Luckey; Mary Foster; and Martha Hedrick.

Alva Montgomery

ALVA MONTGOMERY

Alva Montgomery was bom March 11, 1899.
He was one of four children. After leaving grade
school, he went to work for Lou Wilber as a delivery
boy for Wilber General Store. He did this work for
about 2 years. He then went to work at the Wilber
Goodwine Garage from 1915 until the World War.
In 1918, he was called into the service.

Returning to his home town, he went into
business for himself. He established the Potomac
Tire Service on Jan. 1, 1920, and became a Ford
dealer in 1928. After 20 years in the business, he
sold out and went to farming.

He was a member of the Methodist Church,
Past Master of the Potomac Lodge No. A. F. and
A. M., a charter member of Steadman Post No. 485
American Legion and charter member of the Lions
Club.

He married Hazel Gutteridge on June 25, 1900,
and they had one son, Alva, Jr.

May Family

THE MAY FAMILY

The May family originated in Virginia. In the
late seventeen hundreds they came to what is known
as Maysville, Kentucky In the early eigliteen hun-
dreds, Frank May and his brother George A. May
came to Marysville, known now as Potomac. Frank
May married Susan Wilson. One son was born to
them whom they named John C. May, on December
20, 1874. At that time they were living across the
Blue Grass Creek opposite the present home of Jack
and Ann Prillaman. They moved from there to a set-
tlement of eight houses located on a raise known as
the Indian Mound in Buckner's Bottom across the
river from Berry's Grist Mill, just below the old
Goodwine Park.

22

John worked at the brick yard south of Marys-
ville. now Potomac, located on the site where Lynn
and Margaret Henry's home now stands. This brick
yard was operated by Chariey Shain, father of Vel-
ma Reardon who still lives in Potomac.

John was one of the graduating students of the
class of 1893, from Potomac High School. The other
one was Myrtle Buckingliam Harrison. He taught
school for a short time, but decided that being con-
fined to a schoolroom was not for him, so he learned
the carpenter trade.

On June 27, 1904, he married Ida May Brooks
of Newtown, 111. They were the parents of three
children. John. Jr. died in infancy. Eva married Har-
ry Hoskins, and they were the parents of ten chil-
dren: John, Harry, Richard, Gordon Robert, Eva,
Adam, Albert, Lester. Harold and Esther. George
Alden May married Alice Rouse of Oakwood, Ill-
inois, and they have two sons, Daryl and Gary both
of Clearwater. Florida. Daryl married Marilyn
Ellett. and Gary married Donna Hock of Gifford.
Both Daryl and Gary have three children each.

John May loved the outdoors, he hunted and
fished the year around. In his younger days he was
a member of a well-known quartette consisting of
Elmer Moreland and the Cossairt brothers, all of
whom are deceased.

JOSEPH MOSS

Joseph Moss, farmer and stock raiser, was
born near Madison, Ohio on March 20, 1820. When
he was four years of age he came with his parents
to this state. He married Delila Staar on April 17,
1845. They were the parents of three children. Mr.
Moss was regarded as an outstanding citizen of Ver-
milion County. He was a school director for ten
years and a commissioner of highways for several
years. He clearly recollected plenty of wolves and
Indians when he came to this county.

ELMER MORELAND

Following his mother's and father's deaths, he
was forced to make his own way at an early age. He
was four when his mother died, and ten when his
father passed away.)

His first business venture was at the T. W. Buck-
ingham Grocery store where he and Clyde Bucking-
ham started the first free delivery service in Poto-
mac. They used a spotted pony and buckboard wa-
gon. He later worked two years in the brickyard near
the town; while still in school he did the janitor
work for the building. He was one of the first grad-
uates of Potomac High School and taught school

seven years, riding horseback to classes. He did his
own janitor work along with teaching for a salary of
$35 per month. Later he tauglit in Potomac Public
School. He entered a partnership in the insurance
business with J. B. Payne beginning thirty-six years
of Payne and Moreland Agency. On Payne's retire-
ment, he continued the business until 1953, when
after fifty years of service he retired.

He was director of Potomac School thirty-four
years. He served as president of both high and grade
school boards and headed the board when the higli
school was built in 1939. He was a member of the
village board, township clerk and director of the Po-
tomac Building and Loan for fifty-four years.

He married Ary Goodwine, and they had one
daughter, Ary. Later, he married Estella Thomas
and they had two daughters and a son. (Claribel,
Virginia and Thomas)

JESSE L. PARTLOW

Jesse L. Partlow, farmer, owned 160 acres of
land, and 2 houses and lots in Marysville. He was
born in Nelsow County, Kentucky on June 1 3, 1 826.
When he was 3 years of age his family moved to this
township. Consequently, he was one of Vermilion
County's earliest settlers.

In 1848, he married Rachel Davison who was
bom in this county in 1829. Nine children were
bom to them. Mr. Partlow was a school director for
fifteen years and a pathmaster for five years.

J. B. PAYNE

James B. Payne was bom March 11, 1857, in
Danville, the son of John and Priscilla Payne. He
attended school at the old Red Seminary in Danville.
He became an orphan at the age of eight years and
was given a home by the family of his half brother.
Captain A. G. and Rhoda Payne, Newton, Illinois.
He later moved to Catlin, Illinois.

In 1877, he married Hettie Onmure Wamer
from Newton, and set up housekeeping in Catlin
as Mr. Payne had an interest in the old Goings Coal
Shaft near there. They had two children: Lena V.
and a son who died in infancy.

In 1 884, they moved to Potomac and he oper-
ated a grocery store. He was also postmaster one
term during the administration of Grover Cleveland.
In 1889, he sold the grocery store and devoted his
time to writing insurance. In 1903, he and C. E.
Moreland formed a partnership in the insurance bus-
iness. The firm was called Payne and Moreland.

Mrs. Payne died November 18, 1932, and Mr.
Payne died February 23, 1939.

23

CHARLES E. PRESSEY

Charles E. Pressey, merchant, owned a hard-
ware and tin store on Main Street in Marysville. He
owned the lot on which the store stood along with
36 other lots.

He was bom in Tompkins County, New York,
on November 25, 1 837. He came to IlUnois in 1 859.
He married Emily Stewart. Mr. Pressey was a village
trustee for three years. He was appointed postmaster
at Potomac in 1876.

LOUIS HERMAN PINNO

In 1929, a merger of the Potomac National
Bank and that of the Goodwine State Bank became
effective, and he held the position of cashier.

He served on the Town Board for the first
period for 4 years, and then the following 24
years as President of the Village Board. He was the
school treasurer and in 1928, was tax collector
when the township collected their own taxes.

He was a member of the U.B. Church, Poto-
mac Lodge No. 782, A.F. and A.M., the Consistory
and a charter member of the Potomac Lion's Club.

On October 13, 1909, he married Cora
Goodwine, and they had one son, Gordon Rice.

Louis Herman Pinno was bom in Fondulac,
Wisconsin. He was 1 of 7 children in the family. He
received his education in Wisconsin.

In 1 9 1 1 , he took up the art of cooking, and for
9 years was chef on some of the fastest deluxe trains.
He spent 3 years with the C E & I, 2 years with the
Golden State, a crack passenger and pullman train
on the Rock Island, the mn being from Chicago to
Los Angeles. New York Central employed him for
4 years, his mn being on the celebrated Twentieth
Century Limited.

He decided to make a change and came to Po-
tomac in 1921, purchasing a restaurant and keeping
it until 1928, when it was sold. He went to Danville
and became proprietor of the "Chocolate Shop."
He then gave up this shop and came back to Potomac
to the cafe business. Retiring, he moved to Newell
Road where he and his wife live. He married Hazel
Famsworth on March 14, 1914.

ALBERT RICE

Albert Rice was born in 1877 to William H.
and Caroline Sperry Rice; the 7th child. He learned
the 3 R's at Knights Branch School about 5 miles
south-west of Potomac.

He then went through high school graduating in
1900, and he may be the oldest alumnus of Potomac
High. He went to State Normal for more education
and after graduating he returned to Potomac, and
was employed two years at Wallace Chapel and 2
years in the Potomac Grade School.

Growing tired of teaching, he entered the business
world and in 1 905 he entered the Potomac National
Bank as bookkeeper, serving the following 5 years
in that capacity, afterward being promoted to cash-
ier, serving for the next 13 years. When the bank
was sold in January, 1923, Mr. Rice became Presi-
dent of the new organization and remained in that
capacity until 1929.

C. L. SHAIN

Charles Lincoln Shain was bom near Potomac
January 20, 1 86 1 , the son of Francis Shain. He was
a retired building contractor and Middleford Town-
ship assessor. He also served as a member of the Po-
tomac village board, village clerk and mral mail car-
rier.

He married Sarah Cochian and they had 3 sons
and 3 daughters: Leone, Velma, Lucille, Everett,
Paul, and Glen.

A. G. SMITH

A. G. Smith, farmer and stock dealer, was
bom in Vermilion County on June 5, 1855. He was
the son of John Smith (English) and Adaline Motore-
head. By 1879, he was shipping 10 to 15 carloads
of cattle every year as well as some hogs.

He was married on October 7, 1875, to Lizzie
Wilkie who was bom in Scotland. They were the
parents of John C. and Laura who married Hugh
Luckey. He later married Florence Young and they
were the parents of Aleen and A. G.

Mr. Smith owned several hundred acres of land.

PERRY EDGAR RIEGLE

Perry Edgar Riegle was bom in Lafayette, In-
diana in 1 867. He received his schooling in that vicin-
ity. In early manhood, he took up the trade of paint-
ing and then he shifted to plumbing, working his
apprenticeship years in Lafayette.

He came to Potomac in 1 904 and took a posi-
tion with Frank Henry who was proprietor of a hard-
ware store. He then went into the plumbing bus-
iness. Although George Borror was associated with
him for 17 years, it was not until 1934 that they be-
came partners, establishing the plumbing firm of
Riegle and Borror.

24

He served one term as highway commissioner
and was a charter member of the Potomac Lions
Chib. On Nov. 21, 1895, he married Abbie Searls.
They had one daughter, Mary Riegle Lynch.

George Satterfield

JOHN SMITH (English)

John Smith, farmer, was born in England in
Febmary, 1824. He came to the state of New York
in 1834, but came to Illinois in 1836. He married
Adaline Moorhead in 1 844. They were the parents
of 4 children: Martha J., Alvin G., Robert H., and
Laura J.

Mr. Smith owned 3,000 acres of land worth
S30 per acre. He fattened several hundred cattle
each year. He was a successful business man.

AZARIAH SOLLARS

Azariah Sollars was born November 14, 1875,
in Eugene, Indiana, the son of Tniman and Susan
Conrad Soilars. He married Elizabeth Ann Spain on
August 14, 1901. His schooling began at Blue Grass
and finished at Wallace Chapel. He then took up
farming.

In 1903, he was told of an opening for a rural
mail carrier in Potomac. He prepared and rode horse-
back to Danville to take the Civil Service Exam. He
was later notified of the appointment. He owned one
horse and had to borrow money to buy a second to
make up the team needed for deliveries. His first
month's pay was fifty silver dollars. He made his de-
liveries by various modes of transportation: horse-
back, horse and buggy, klondike wagon, bicycle,
motorcycle and automobile. In 1934, he retired af-
ter more than thirty years of civil service work.

Mr. & Mrs. Sollars had nine children: Josie,
Cecil, Francis, Mae, Inez, Curtis, Glenn, Grace, and
Harry. He passed away on October 3, 1966.

JESSE STONE

Jesse Stone was bom September 17, 1871. He
was the son of Wm. E. and Caroline Day Stone. He
attended rural schools. No. 1 and No. 4, near Ellis.
After leaving the grades, he went to Normal Univer-
sity. Returning to Potomac, he took up teaching.
He taught at Central for 2 years, south of Henning,
3 years in Potomac and 1 year as principal in Alvin.

His father had established the lumber yard bus-
iness on May 1, 1891, wishing help from his sons,
Jesse and his brother Charles. They assumed manage-
ment of the yard and for 1 0 years were together.
On Jan 1, 1909, Jesse purchased his brother's inter-
est and became the sole owner.

He was the town clerk for 2 years and was sec-
retary of the high schobl for 3 years. He was a mem-
ber of the Methodist Church, Potomac Lodge No.
782 A. F. and A. M. and was the secretary and a
charter member of the Lions Club.

He married Josie Smith on Christmas Day,
1 894. They had 2 children : Helen and George Stone.

JOHN SMITH (plain)

John Smith came here from Pennsylvania in
1845. He came with a four-horse team which he
traded for a piece of land. He accumulated consid-
erable property in and around Marysville. He was
the first to build a store there and was postmaster
for awhile, and had a large influence on its early
prosperity.

FRANK TALBOTT

Frank William Talbott was born on March 25,
1882 at Gifford, Illinois. The Talbott family moved
to the Potomac area in 191 1.

He started his career as a thresherman in 1907
as a partner with John Siddens. After 2 years as a
partner, he decided to purchase his own rig which
was a 16 horsepower advance engine and a 36 ad-

25

vance thresher. After moving to Potomac, he added
a corn sheller and an 8 bottom plow to his machine
fleet which was used for his custom work. However,
the 16 horsepower engine was not large enough to
pull the 8 bottom plow and a new 22 horsepower
engine was put in service in 1914.

Mr. TaJbott became very popular with the area
farmers. His work was very satisfactory.

He soon added a new threshing rig to his ma-
chine fleet. This rig was a much smaller one in size.
At this time, steam engines were getting too slow to
move on the roads; therefore, a kerosene burning en-
gine was put in service known as a 14-28 Rumley Oil
Pull and a 28 inch Rumley thresher which made up
the complete rig. This was a wise move as the tractor
replaced the steam engine on the com sheller in the
winter time.

Business was growing and the small rig was re-
placed in 1920 by a 20-40 Rumley tractor and a
large thresher. The equipment remained as such
until 1927.

The combine harvester was used in the north-
west. Mr. Talbott could see the advantages of
having such a machine, so he purchased a 20 ft.
combine and had it shipped to the northwest part
of Minnesota and was then shipped back to Illinois
to cut beans in the fall. After two seasons in the
northwest, the machine stayed in Illinois. Approx-
imately 1 ,000 acres were harvested a season.

Mr. Talbott could see new and better ways of
doing things. He decided to mount the com sheller
on a tmck chassis and this was completed in 1930.
It was a great success. Moving from job to job, the
time was reduced 50%. This enabled him to shell
550,000 bushels of corn in a season.

As time passed by, the threshing rigs were dis-
continued. The com shellers were updated on late
model tmck chassis.

Mr. Talbott was mechanically minded and pre-
dicted that someday the combine harvester would
replace all other methods of harvesting crops that
are grown in the vast farming areas in the United
States.

WILLIAM HENRY TAYLOR

William Henry Taylor was bom in Thomtown,
Indiana on July 12, 1833. He married Mary Cather-
ine Stephens in 1851. To this union were bom Wil-
liam Taylor, Charley Taylor, James Taylor, Edward
Taylor, and also Ella Bemet and Myne Scott.

He came to Marysville (which is now Potomac)
in 1847. He camped under a large elm tree in the
southwest end of town where Clark Morris' resi-
dence now stands. The ground around this tree was
a swamp. He was a horse and mule trader by trade.
He came to IlUnois to work on the Narrow Gauge

Railroad which was to extend from Danville to Blue
Grass; Blue Grass was then the county seat of Ver-
milion County. Danville was later made the county
seat of Vermilion County and the work on the rail-
read was abandoned.

He built a small house by the electric light
plant on the June Goodwine lot. He had a good
many horses and rigs which were used to take the
traveling men to different towns and in the coun-
try. He later moved his livery bam to a building
where Potomac Equipment Company is located.

Grandad was well-liked by the people of the
town. He loved to tell stories about his experiences
and life. People would sit and listen to these stories
for hours.

He died October 4, 1 92 1 , at the age of 84 years.

B. D. WISE

B. D. Wise was bom in Hardy County ,West Vir-
ginia, December 3, 1844, and was the son of Zeb-
ulon and Indiana (Skidmore) Wise. The father was
bom on the old Virginia homestead of the family,
but when the shadows of war were about to darken
the land, he left the South (March 11, 1861), and
came to Middlefork township where he rented land
and farmed for 2 years. Zebulon retumed to his
home in Virginia (the ownership of which he re-
tained), and there he died in 1882. Mrs. Wise came
to Vermilion County to visit her son, B. D. Wise, and
here she departed from this life in 1 900.

B. D. Wise was educated in the public schools of
Virginia, and when he became a resident of Ver-
milion County, was 16 years old. At the beginning
of the Civil War he was too young, but by 1 863, he
enlisted as a member of Company E., Fifty-first Ill-
inois Infantry, and served for three years. He was in
many major battles in the South, was prisoner for 5
months and confined at the Andersonville prison. At
the close of the war, having performed his duty at
all times as a defender of the cause which he advo-
cated with all his heart, he was honorably discharged
and retumed to Potomac, where he began working
by the month on a farm.

With his savings he bought 80 acres of land north
of East Lynn and later became the owner of a farm
in Middlefork Township.

With Hon. J. G. Cannon, he owned 560 acres of
land in Oakwood Township. He was a director and
stockholder and also one of the organizers of the
National Bank of Potomac. From 1889 to 191 1 he
was a director of the Building and Loan Association
of Potomac. He served for 1 8 years as a member of
the county board of supervisors and for 2 years as
president of the board. He was tmly a self-made
man.

26

MR. ROBERT YOUNG

Robert Young was born in Potomac, Jan. 1 , 1 858,
and was the son of David and Mildred Young. His
wife was born Jan. 24, 1869, nearTerre Haute, the
daughter of Benjamin and Mary Franklin. They were
married Feb. 4, 1886, at the home of A. G. Smith,
northwest of Potomac by the Rev. Joe Scott. They
came to their home which was owned by Mrs.
Young's brother, Thomas Young, as bride and
groom, and later moved to Crawford County where
they lived 10 years before returning to Potomac. Mr.
\'oung was a farmer, livestock buyer for 15 years,
and owned the local meat market 3 different
time.

Mr. & Mrs. Young had 2 children: a daughter, Cleo
Tennyson, and a son, Ralph Young. They also
reared Mrs. Young's half brother. Arch Franklin
and a grandson. Robert Tennyson.

OTHER PIONEERS

Isaac Meneley, Robert Marshall, James Colwell,
Douglass Moore, Lloyd and M. W. Graves, Joseph
Jameson, Dr. Ingalls, Rigden Potter, Charles Sar-
gent, George A. May, Ben Biddlecome, L. D. Horn-
beck, Jesse Lane, M. V. Robins, Charles T. Morse,
S. P. Starr, T. D. Austin, Isaac Brown, T. J. Haney,
S. Clapp, Caleb Albert, William O. Payne, John W.
Duncan, R. G. Young. Walter Smith, M. C. Doney,
John M. Davis, J. C. Merrill, Charles B. Westcott,
James F. Anderson, W. A. McMurtrey, L. B. Mar-
shall, James D. Anderson, James Wilson, Thomas
Carter, George W. Young, H. E. Thomas, George
Satterfield, and Andrew G. Copeland.

Frank Golliday Family-Frank, Blanche, Ida, Mary and Lloyd GolUday.

27

p)

Hoskins

Frank Payne

Ruth (8 years) and Harold (6 years)
Nash, 1907-1908.

28

Early Business

CAN YOU REMEMBER WHEN THEY DROVE THIS?

Alexander, Jesse Ford

Alexander, J. C Ford

Alexander, Samuel .... Ford

Alexander, S. A. D. ... Ford

Armantrout, H Overland

Ashwood, John Ford

Auth, Adam J. .... Ford

Baril, Oscar Ford

Beadle, Jacob Ford

Bennett, Thomas M. . . . Ford

Bennett, T. M Auburn

Blackford, C. F Metz

Blair, H Ford

Bradley, J. S Ford

Bruner, F Reo

Burton, Rev. George E. . . Overland

Carpenter, Delos Studebaker

Chapman, J. F Maxwell

Collison, E. E Ford

Cooper, John E Ford

Cossairt, D. Sep Ford

Courtney, J. W Ford

Creighton, E. C Auburn

Creighton, Frank Auburn

Creighton, Harold W. . . . Ford

Creighton, J. W Chalmers

Davis, J. I Ford

Downing, F. C Ford

Dukes. W. L Ford

Duncan, Albert Ford

Duncan, C. T Haynes

Ermentrout, A. E Haynes

Fairchild, Edward .... Ford

Firebaugh, J. M Auburn SLx

Farrow, A. A Chalmers and Graut Six

Goodwine, Everett .... Ford

Goodwine, John Ford

Goodwine, W. H Auburn and Ford

Griffith, J. M Reo

Hambleton, C. W Ford

Harris, F. D Ford

Heckerson, A. H Saxto

Heckerson, A. H Saxon Six

Henry, Charles V Ford

Humphrey, T.J Maxwell

Hunt, E. L Oldsmobile

IngersoU,C.W Ford

Johnson, G Ford

Johnson, Peter E. M. F.

Johnson, W.K

Johnson, W. K Ford

Judy. Charles W Ford

Judy, E. Grant Ford

Kinney, George Ford

Kieser, C. A Haynes

Lane, Victor Maxwell

Larkin, Iva C Ford

Leonard, G. W Haynes

Luckey, H. M Haynes

Lynch, C. J Ford

Lyons, I. H Studebaker

Martin, J. C Ford

McGlaughlin, E. A Auburn

Miles, C.G OldsmobUe

Miles, Charles W Ford

Miller, S MaxweU

Mooney, M. E Ford

Moore, John Ford

Morris, E Ford

Morris, Harry Reo

Moyer, W. H Hudson

Musser, John M Ford

Nixon, William W Ford

Perry, Mrs. Mary L Ford

Rice, C Cole Six and Ford

Rice, I. A Ford

Roberts, Ase Auburn

Roe, Joseph H Ford

Rusk, F. P Cole

Schrug, W. A Overland

Severns, J. F Haynes

Shumaker, George .... Ford

Smith, J. Curtis Moline Knight

Staley, Mrs. A. E Ford

Swisher, Mertin Ford

Talbott, A Ford

Talbott.C. J Reo

Talbott, F. W Haynes

Talbott, J. W Ford

Tillotson, D. C Regal and Ford

Vanatta, J. E Ford

Vliet, James A Auburn

Wallace, J. E Ford

Watts, Jacob Ford

Wertz, Ed Saxon

Weston, Mrs. S Cole

Whitington, J A Ford

Williams, James Haynes

Williams, L. C Ford

Wilson, Everett W Dodge

Wilson, G.M Patterson

Wilson, Homer Ford

Wilson, W.H Ford

Wise, E.J Ford

Woods, A. H Oldsmobile

Wright, H.C Auburn

Wyman, E. D Auburn

29

Duncan Brothers: Fred, Alma and Claude

Inside of Grant Layton grocery store.

The House Of Quality

Laytoii Mercantile Company

QUALITY COUNTS

I would rather sell you one good article, than to
sell you 100 poor ones,

I would rather have one satisfied customer than
to have 100 dissatisfied ones.

Now, if you are one of the 100 dissatisfied
customers, we welcome you to our store and will
soon have you numbered with our satisfi d ones.

Here, you gel both QUALITY and PRICE.

Does it pay? Will it pay vou to be numbered
with the right ones? It certainly will. Well, here
we are. All right. Shake.

C. G. LAYTON

PHONE 17
Potomac Illinois

30

BUSINESS PLACES IN 1918

American Express Co.

Artesian Cabinet Works

Artesian Hotel

Biederman, Herman-Shoemaker

Blackford Bros. -General Store

Copeland, W.H. & Son-Furniture & Undertaking

Copeland, H.S. -Undertaking

Corkery, Dr. T.W. -Veterinarian

Cossairt, Dr. S. A. -Physician

Duncan Bros.-Hardward & Implements

Fox, R.O. -Furniture

Fox, Mrs. R.O. -Millinery

Furrow, Arch-Garage & Repairing

Goodwine Bank-John J. Goodwine. Jr., Prop.

Goodwine, Wilbur H. -Garage & Auto Supplies

Griffin, Alvin H. -Jeweler & Optometrist

Griffin, Lulu-Millinery

Harper, K. A. -Grain

Hickman, Otto W. -Printing & Plumbing

Hoth, J. -Blacksmith

Howell, J. C.-Well Driller

Jameson. J. E. -Barber

Judy Industrial School

Layton, John-Drugs

Layton, C. G.— General Store

Layton Mercantile Co.

Magruder, Thomas O.-Saw Mill, etc.

McMillen, G. -Meats

Nixon, Jesse T.-Groceries & Photographer

Payne. John W. -General Store

Payne and Moreland-General Insurance

Potomac Electric Light Plant

Potomac National Bank

Potomac Record-Newspaper

Rader, Wint-Blacksmith

Ransom, Dr. C. C.-Physician

Rice, A. -Real Estate

Riegle and Moss-Tinner & Plumbing

Standard Oil Company

Stone, Jess-Lumber, Coal, Implements, Hardware, Etc.

Tennyson, Clause H. -Restaurant

Walters, Dr. J. T.-Dentist

West, Robert-Blacksmith

Wilbur. Louis W. -General Store

Wilson, R. Co. -Lighting

Young, Robert C.-Meats

The Livery Bam, 1902: Frank Deamude and Son. Making tile in early days-Thomas Youn at right.

Looking east on State Street-a colt and stock show, Oct. 1907.

From: Prairie Farmers Reliable Directory of Farm-
ers and Breeders Published in 1918: Prairie Fanner,

31

THE HOTEL

The Old Hotel

The hotel on VermiUon Street was a large one.
It was owned and operated by Del Roe and his wife.
It was always filled with drummers who came to
town to sell their goods to the stores. On June 2,
1905, Del Roe, the bully of the town, was shot and
killed and his brother, John Roe, was shot and ser-
iously wounded by Boone Baty. Del Roe died at
his hotel about an hour after he was shot. Baty had
been a target of their abusive language and blows.
When he came into town that afternoon, the two
brothers jumped on him to give him a beating "just
for fun" and one of them said Baty drew a revolver
and fired twice, both shots taking effect, Boone
Baty had a trial and was freed because he testified
Del Roe shot first. The judge was Frank Martin who
freed Baty in the small courthouse located where
the Downs Restaurant is located.

This Hotel was known also as the Artesian Ho-
tel and rates as follows:

A meal $ -5

Bed and lodging .50

Board per week 3.50

Traveling public cordially invited

William M. Combs, Proprietor May 7, 1897

Inside the Hotel

32

Jess Stone's Lumber and Hardware store-Tom Young 2nd from right, Jesse Stone on riglit.

Jesse Stone-Lumber Yanl. 1902.

33

OPERA HOUSE

The Opera House was located on the second
floor of the Jesse Stone building on Main Street
where plays were put on. Some taking parts were
Albert Rice, Mabel Kirkhart, Hazel Reeves, Charles
Jester and Palmer Smith. Later silent movies came
along and a colored boy by the name of Roy Morris
played the piano. Sometimes dances were held in
the opera house and later the talking movies were
held there until a fire which was caused by a film
exploding did considerable damage ending the era
of the opera house.

Moving Pictures

AT

The Opera House
Potomac. III.

Every Saturday Night

First Class Pictures Featuring
the Most Popular Actors and
Actresses in Motion Pictures

POPULAR PRICES

Fred Taylor, manager

Entertainment
Back-John Morrison, Candace Jester, Charles Fur-
row, Alvin Griffin; Front-Alva Leonard, Arch
Furrow, Earl Young.

MOVIES IN POTOMAC

In the late teens or early twenties Sam Al-
dridge and family moved to Potomac. He had a
restaurant where the Village Discount Store is
and a movie picture place next to it, where the
J&J Pizza is in business now. Ina Aldridge Taylor
played the piano for her father during the shows.
In the course of a few years the movie place
closed. Later the men of the American Legion
showed movies in the old Opera House which was
over Pinno's Restaurant-now torn down and the
area is a display place for Potomac Implement Com-
pany's farm machinery. Music for the Legion's
shows was furnished by Roy Morris, Ina Taylor or
Nelle Bennett whichever was available the night of
the show.

Another use of the Opera House was for Home
Talent Shows. It was well suited for many presenta-
tions because it had a curtained stage in the north
end with "drop curtains" to thus provide scenery
for the various Vaudeville Acts that were given by
professionalists or by Medicine Show people.

Some of the local people who had a part in the
Home Talent Shows were: Palmer Smith, Albert
Rice, Elmer Moreland, Mabel Kirkhart, Hazel John-
son, Vesta Goodwine and Cora Rice.

.34

First bank in Potomac was
located where Building and
Loan is today and the Mason
Hall.

Village Hall where Library is
located.

E. J. Norton Blacksmithing
and Horse Shoeing. Bill New-
B^i^ berry and Bob Jameson.

35

BUSINESS-1893

BUSINESS-1897

M. Hefferan— Practical House Mover

Joseph Judy-Notary Public & Police Magistrate

John James-Meat Market

Taylor Bros.— Livery and Feed Stable

Messer & Son— General Store

Buckingham & Co. -General Store

Emma Albert-Millinery Shop

Mrs. R. G. Young-Millinery Shop

Elliotts Restaurant

J. B. Payne-Grocery Store

C. M. Cordell-Drug and Medicine

J. B. Moss-General Hardward, Heating and Cookstoves

Buckingham & Co. -General Store

H. Marxmiller-Hamess Shop

Aldrich & Flanigan-Blacksmith & Woodwork

Rachel Anderson-Hats

A. B. Duncan-Implement Dealer

Mrs. M. A. Littler— Millinery

J. B. Courtney— Police Magistrate & Notary

C. F. Habel-Watch & Jewelry Repair

Charles Huffman— Liveryman

W. L. Bentley-Hamess Repairing

L. Wilber Co.— Cash Comer Store

Jennie Marlatt-Millinery Store

C. G. Layton— Department Store

G. L. Moore-Photography

J. M. Crayton— Real Estate & Attomey-At-Law

J. B. Payne— Insurance

H. S. Copeland— Funeral Director

Col. Geo. Shoemaker-Auctioneer

J. O. Brien-Auctioneer (1908)

South side of Main Street.

W. H. CoPELAND & Son

OLDEST FIRM IN POTOMAC

FURNITURE DEALERS
FUNERAL DIRECTORS

MOTOR HEARSE AND AMBULANCE SERVICE
AT REASONABLE RATES

We carry a full line of Furnilure, Rugs,
Carpets, Oueenswaie, Etc., at all times.
Our many years in business in Potomac
is a standing guarantee of quality and
price at our store. i i i

W. H. COPELAND & Son.

PHONES: STORE 3. RES. 34 AND 35

POTOMAC :-: :-: ILLINOIS

Modem machinery has changed a lot of things
about farming, most of them for the better. But
it seems with each improvement we lose some of
the nostalgia of farming and the things it is
made of.

Brick making south of town and Charles Shain,
last owner to run the brick yard.

ELECTRIC LIGHT PLANT

There was an electric light plant in the north-
west part of town. It generated enough electricity
for Henning, Armstrong and Potomac. People
usually had one or two drops, as they were called,
in the parlor and dining rooms. Lamps were gener-
ally used. Emma Shain was collector. The plant
was located on the comer of Logan and Wilson.

Ml

Working on the road: Zeb Wise in cab. Evers
Landis with rake, and Jim Jackson.

Working at gravel pit on Jameson farm East
of town.

37

Cutting and shocking oats in early days.

Roy and George Putnam's first combine in 1935.

Shelling com on James Parson's farm west of
Potomac. Frank and Carl Talbott, 1937.

Lewis Thornton, Robert Knoll Jr., Henry Thornton, Robert Knoll Sr.,
Bernard Wilson, Robert Thornton, Edwin Knoll, Leslie Fredrickson,
George Shumaker.

38

Railroad

RAILROAD

The narrow 3-foot gauge railroad was built al-
most entirely through the unaided efforts of Mr.
Benjamin Gifford and the Penfield brothers of Ran-
toul. This line opened up the market to a wide belt
of rich agricultural country, extending the entire
width of our Vermilion County. The annual ship-
ments of livestock and grain would astonish citi-
zens if they would take the pains to consult the sta-
tistics of the business of this company and see the
enormous toonage of this seemingly httle, though
important, line.

The Havana and Rantoul and Eastern Rail-
road runs through the township from east to west,
a mile south of its center at Marysville, a pleasant
little village of 400 or 500 inhabitants, built on the
prairie, but nearly surrounded by timber, on sec-
tion 3 (21-13). The land is pleasantly rolling, and
capable of easy drainage to the creek.

Mr. Gifford, the president of the company
lived in Rantoul. He came and called a meeting in
1874, and explained what he proposed to do. He
wanted a stock subscription of $2,000 per mile.
The citizens had heard a good deal of railroad talk
before, and had not much confidence in this, but

subscribed some 516,000. The road was completed
to Alvin by Christmas, 1876, and from Alvin to
West Lebanon in 1878, and from Rantoul, west to
LeRoy in 1879. The trains freight and passengers
ran daily from LeRoy, Illinois, to West Lebanon,
Indiana. Its shops and offices were in Rantoul. The
little railroad never did reach across the state to
Havana as planned, but did have a fantastic history.

Gifford gained the reputation of being some-
what eccentric by demanding nothing but gold pay-
rhents in his dealings with the Illinois Central. Nev-
ertheless, when his company began foundering in
1880, he wrote President Ackerman of the Illinois
Central in an attempt to sell the little railroad.
When Gifford failed, he approached none other
than the famous railroad baron, Jay Gould, who
bought the narrow gauge line and merged it for 6
years with the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific. Dur-
ing these hectic years, it went into receivership
twice and eventually was auctioned off for
$ 1 00,000. The buyer was none other than Anthony
J. Thomas, an officer of the famous Hill railroad
empire of the northwest. It was Thomas who nego-
tiated with the Illinois Central for its lease. In 1887
the Illinois Central consolidated its holdings and
took over the operation of the narrow gauge Hne,
which was rebuilt to standard gauge. It's interesting

39

to note that 2 of the most famous railroad organiz-
ers in American history-Jay Gould and Edward H.
Harriman-were presidents of the little railroad and
the famous Hill empire also had a hand in its his-
tory.

Today this part of the Illinois Central system
is on the Rantoul District of the Illinois Division
with headquarters in Champaign.

The lUinois Central replaced the old steam en-
gine with a diesel, which weighs 70 tons more. The
tracks changed in 1878 to standard gauge.

THE DEPOT

^n its day, the depot was to Potomac what the
modern airport is to a city today. People arrived in
town at the depot and departed at the depot. Many
of our ancestors arrived in the area at the depot.
Many people rode the train to visit relatives and in
the teens and twenties high school students boarded
the train to go to nearby cities to further their
education.

Merchants ordered new merchandise and it
was delivered at the depot. The mail arrived daily
at the depot, and telegrams were received there.
Our depot was torn down in 1968. Potomac had 2
passenger trains and 2 freight trains daily.

About 1912 to 1914, an excursion train ran
to Barlow Park in Alvin on Sundays. There were
boat rides, ballgames and all kinds of entertain-
ment. Families took their dinners and stayed from
9:00 A.M. to 4;00 P.M. The train would whistle
for the people to come back aboard for the trip
home.

The first agent was John Littler. Some of the
other depot agents were: Charlie Nelson, Melvin
Grey, Tom Cox, Lorene Thing and Max Clayton.
Charles Smith from Armstrong was the engineer.
Horace Sisk from Areola was our last agent and
still works at the depot in Rantoul.

The Potomac Rustler, May 7, 1897:

Illinois central Railroad Time Table: Central

Trains Going East:

Mail and Passenger 10:28

Local Freight 10:15

Trains Going West:

Mail and Passenger 1 :49

Local Freight 4:20

- -J. A. Littler, Agent

From the looks of the crowd gathered
on the platform, the IHinois Central
train shown stopping at Potomac, IL,
in 1910 got plenty of passengers and
attention. This was a freight station on
the 51 -mile Rantoul District of the
I.e. which extended from Potomac to
the east to Leroy, IL, on the west.
A horse standing by the depot was
eyeing the puffing locomotive with
suspicion even though it was an iron
brother!

40

MIDDLEFORK TWP

POTOMAC

PLATTED A5 MA/?YSV/LL£
T 2/ /\/.f? /JW.

B D IV,3a

47 -is

41

DogI^ops

DR. L. C. MESSNER

One of the pioneers of Potomac was Dr. L. C.
Messner who settled in 1866 to practice medicine.
The life of a country doctor was not easy in those
days. When forced by his health to give up his prac-
tice, he ran a drugstore. Many of his friends got into
the habit when having some money on hand to go in
and have it put in his safe. To make it legal and safe,
he organized the Bank of Marysville, which became
Potomac.

John Goodwine was founder of the Goodwine
State Bank, so Potomac had 2 banks until the de-
pression days. Albert Rice was in charge of the Na-
tional Bank, and his wife was a stockholder in the
Goodwine Bank. They merged, and today Potomac
has 1 bank.

JOHN E. P. BUTZ

John E. P. Butz, Potomac, physician, was bom
in Wyandot County, Ohio. His father moved to this
state in 1853, settling in Decatur. His mother died
when he was but seven years of age. Mr. Butz
worked on a farm until twenty-one years of age.
His chances for an early education were not very
good. He entered Ann Arbor High School in 1871,
and graduated in June, 1875. He commenced the
study of medicine the same fall, and graduated at
Rush Medical College in February, 1878. He com-
menced the practice of medicine in Potomac on the
1 St of April, 1 878. On the 25th of April, 1 879, the
doctor performed a surgical operation on a child for
a hare-lip, a child of Mr. Buckingham, of Potomac.
He was assisted in the operation by Dr. Messner, of
Potomac. The operation was a success.

On the 24th of June, 1 880, in Ladoga, Indiana,
Dr. Butz was united in marriage to Miss Mabel F.
Buckingham, and they had one son. Homer E., who
married Beryl M. Osbom and they had two sons,
Edmund and Frederick. Dr. Butz was a successful
doctor in Potomac.

J. E. TUTTLE

J. E. Tuttle, physician, was born in Fountain
County, Indiana, in 1844. In 1856, he became a res-
ident of Vermilion County, locating at Marysville.

He began the study of medicine with Dr. C. D.
Henton in 1862, and m '65 became a graduate of
Rush Medical College of Chicago.

After graduating, he returned to Vermihon Co.,
and continued his practice at Blue Grass, where he
had done some practice before graduating. He re-
mained there until 1869. He then went to Marysville.
He was engaged in practice there until 1874, when
he moved to Danville where he became firmly estab-
lished.

W. S. COSSAIRT, M.D.

Among the medical practitioners of Vermilion
County who have earned success by conscientious
application to their profession after years of thor-
ough preparation is Dr. W. S. Cossairt, of Potomac.

He was bom in Potomac, September 2, 1869,
the son of Wilham and Louisa (Smith) Cossairt. The
father was bom on a farm 7 miles east of Potomac,
and the inother in the town.

Dr. Cossairt was educated in Vermihon County
and 3 years in the Wesleyan University at Blooming-
ton, 111. He taught school for 3 years to earn money
to become a student in Rush Medical College of Chi-
cago, one of the great medical institutions of the
country. He proved to be a highly promising student
and was graduated with honors and the coveted title
ofM.D.,in 1900.

Immediately upon leaving college he practiced
for 7 years in Potomac by himself and then became
associated with Dr. J. E. P. Butz of that place. As a
general practitioner. Dr. Cossairt was, from the be-
ginning of his career, successful— his equipment for
the work having been thorough and practical.

On October 1, 1901, Dr. Cossairt was united in
marriage to Miss Minerva Viola Acton of Potomac.
They had 1 daughter: Louie Jane.

42

H. E. OGLE

H. E. Ogle was born in 1881 at Lewisville Rush
County, Indiana.

Hp received his grade and high school education
in Tipton and Howard Counties. After graduating
from high scliool he taught school for 3 years in
Howard County. He quit teaching, becoming a stu-
dent again and graduated with a Pharmacy diploma
in 1906.

He came to Attica and was a drug clerk for J. O.
Reed and Son in 1907. He then moved to Hires,
Iowa and for a year was a drug clerk. The next year
lie purchased a drugstore of his own at Avery, Iowa,
keeping it for 2 years. Selling this store, he again in-
vested in one at Donaldson retaining ownership until
1913. He then went to Chicago and entered the Chi-
cago College of Medicine and Surgery, graduating
in 1916. He received his license to practice in Illinois
on November 18. 1918.

He came to Armstrong and began his practice,
and moved to Potomac 7 years later.

He married Mable Ida Carter on June 24, 1908,
and they had 2 children: Kathryn and Jasper Ogle.

He was a member of Potomac Lodge No. 782
A. F. & A. M., the Baptist Church in Windfall, In-
diana. Vermilion County Medical Society md a char-
ter member of the Potomac Lions Club.

DOCTORS

Dr. R. Vandoren

Dr. John E. Butz

Dr. Sant Cossairt

Dr. H. E. Ogle

Dr. C. C. Ransom

Dr. Mayfield

Dr. Mahorney

Dr. Manuel Agusti

DR. MANUEL AGUSTI

Dr. Agusti

Dr. Manuel Agusti was born in Sagna la Gande,
Cuba on July 25, 1915, his parents: Isolina and Jos^.

He received his medical degree from Havana
University School of Medicine in 1943. He came to
the United States in 1944, and served internship at
St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington. Deleware. and at
Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital in Bingham-
ton. New York. He is a member of American Illinois
State and Vermilion County Medical Association
and American Academy of General Practice.

He came to Potomac in November, 1950 and
started his general practice of medicine, staying for
22 years.

Dr. Agusti married Kathleen Cosden of Chester,
Penn. August 24, 1946. They have 3 sons: twins-
Jose and Manuel; and Daniel, born while living in
Potomac.

Dr. Augusti is now in active practice in Danville,
Illinois.

43

Churches

»^K^j«»«?-JV-ipy<sg^^\^^ .^ ^j,

POTOMAC FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST

The Potomac First Church of Christ was or-
ganized by Rolla Martin, grandfather of our present
member, Mrs. Lawrence Hudson, in 1860. Early
services were held in the schoolhouse that origin-
ally stood on the Spain property on South Vermil-
ion St., then known as South Main St. Special ser-
vices, such as Revivals were held in the Methodist
Church. Preaching was irregular, with Elders filling
the pulpit. In 1874, monthly preaching services
were held.

The early preachers through this country did
not see much money. They expected little and got
less, but the devoted preachers seldom turned
home without something to show for their circuit
ride. The good sisters generally had a "brace" of
chickens, a roll of butter in a cloth. The pastor re-
ceived these in lieu of bank notes which he feared
would not be legal tender by the time of his re-
turn home.

In 1876, action was taken to erect its own
church building. The congregation bought 60,000
bricks at a cost of $480.00 to be used in erecting
the building 30 ft. by 50 ft. The building was star-
ted in 1877, where the present building stands on

ground donated by George May, grandfather of our
Alden May. The ground was to be church property
as long as the church stands there. Mr. Charles In-
gersoll laid the bricks for the building.

In 1877, five residents were appointed as trus-
tees of the church. The meeting for this business
was conducted in the Methodist Church of Marys-
ville. Due to misunderstandings and wrongs in the
building and management of the church it was re-
organized in Potomac in 1886, praying to God to
forgive each one of his wrong conceptions and to
be restored back to Divine Favor.

For several years the walls stood without a
roof. Completion was made and occupancy began
in 1897. The church was then used as originally
planned for more than 20 years previously.

In 1919, it was decided to add a room 30 ft.
by 1 2 ft. on the south side of the building to be
used as a choir loft and a classroom (this is the
present baptistery area) and to make a basement
and install a furnace. Up to this time the building
was heated by a large stove located in the center
of the room. Dedication to this addition was Nov.
30, 1919.

No full-time minister was called to serve the
Church of Christ until in 1951, Robert Hasselbring

44

began preaching every week. He was the first min-
ister to live in the present parsonage.

In 1952, the congregation voted to complete-
ly remodel and redecorate the building inside and
paint the bricks on the outside. During the time of
remodeling, services were held in the Church's Ac-
tivity Room where the Corner Cafe is now located.
This room was sold and the proceeds were applied
to the remodeling expenses.

In 1955. ground was broken for the present
new unit-72 ft. by 35 ft. with full basement. Sev-
eral members of the church donated their labor
and under the contractor's directions the new unit
was completed enough to have the June, 1957 Va-
cation Bible School conducted in the basement.

On Sunday. October 16, 1960, a Centennial
Homecoming was held in the new building. Since
that time the original building has been made into
2 floors, allowing for panelled classrooms, rest-
rooms, secretary's office and minister's study.

The first wedding to be held in the First
Church of Christ's 76 years was that of Zella Yuer-
gens and Ray McGlaughlin, followed in a few years
by the marriage of Hmma Alice Scott and Charles
Leonard-all 4 members of the church. But many
marriages of both members and non-members have
been performed in the present beautiful sanctuary.
Nearly 40 elders or ministers have lead the
congregation in Worship Service since the beginning
of the Potomac First Church ot Christ. Bro. O. J.
Thomas was employed for the most consecutive
years: 8. The present minister. Dale Baldwin, has
been serving the church and the community for 3
years. In 1974, a Youth Minister was called to help
with the ministry as the membership and attend-
ance has been on the upgrade.

POTOMAC CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE

Old Church of Christ

U. B. Church

Early in Sept., 1936, Rev. James H. Living-
ston and another evangelist conducted services for

1 week in the mobile band stand in Potomac that
used to be moved to different places for public
gatherings. At that time, it was just north of what
is now the town park. Enough interest developed
in these special services that a tent was then set up

2 blocks north of the railroad on N. Vermilion St.
on the east side of the street where a revival con-
tinued until cold weather came in October. Ser-
vices continued to be held until Oct. 20, in the
home of Elmer and Daisy Stucker, after which the
emerging congregation rented what was known as
the "old cheese factory" in which to hold Sunday
School and regular church services. This building is
now wiiere Potomac Equipment Company is lo-
cated.

The Church of the Nazarene continued to
worship here until Aug., 1938, when property at
HON. Grant St. had been purchased and the first
white framed building had been built. Rev. Living-
ston served as pastor of the congregation until suc-
ceeded by Rev. Donald J. Gibson in 1944. Rev.
Livingston, though still quite active in evangelistic
work and pulpit supply preaching, now makes Po-
tomac his retirement home. Dr. Gibson lives in
Kansas City, Mo., where he now serves as Execu-
tive Secretary of Evangelism for the International
Church of the Nazarene.

The white framed structure was the home of
the Nazarenes in Potomac until a larger building
was erected on the same property in 1955. This
newer block church has recently been purchased
by Delbert Remole and serves our community as

45

an apartment building.

The church moved to her last home at 206
E. State St. in 1969, where the congregation is now
located. The United Brethren congregation made a
lovely sanctuary and education facility, along with
the adjacent parsonage, available to the Nazarenes
when they merged with the Methodists to become
the United Methodists. The U. B. Church built this
structure in 1925, after the older U. B. building
burned in a Christmas fire. The Nazarenes remod-
eled this building when they moved in in 1969,
and have been quite busy for the last year and a
half in an extensive renovating program designed
to preserve the beauty and usefulness of their
place of worship.

The Church of the Nazarene plans to continue
faithfully serving Potomac with the Gospel until
Christ comes again. Ministers having given parts of

ir lives pastoring here are as

follows:

Rev. James H. Livingston

1936-44

Rev. Donald J. Gibson

1944-45

Rev. James W. Ford

1945-46

Rev. Roy C. Bedinger

1946-48

Rev. Harry Hughes

1948-49

Rev. Frank Noels, Jr.

1949-50

Rev. Roeland Smits

1950-51

Rev. Frank Hawthorne

1951-53

Rev. Chester Kemper

1953-56

Rev. Ladell Morgan

1956-57

Rev. Paul Sartain

1957-58

Rev. Rex Eaton

1958-60

Rev. James H. Livingston

1960-64

Rev. Ernest Atwood

1964-66

Rev. Dorothy Reed

1966-70

Rev. Gary Jones

1970-72

Rev. Stanley D. Aubrey

1973-

POTOMAC UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

In 1840, a Methodist Class was organized at
the home of Joseph Menely, which was located east
of the Potomac Cemetery. The class consisted of
the families of 8 persons. This Society became a
part of the old Danville Circuit.

At a session of the Illinois Conference held at
Decatur, Illinois in September, 1865, the Blue
Grass Circuit was formed from appointments taken
from the old Danville Circuit. The appointments
consisted of Wallace Chapel, Blue Grass, Partlow
Chapel, Marysville, Schwartz, and School House
No. 1. A parsonage was built in Blue Grass City.
The first quarterly Conference was held at Wallace
Chapel in November, 1865.

The history of the Circuit reaches back to
pioneer days. The country was rough. The roads
were bad. There was no means of communication
except by personal contact. The Church encoun-
tered many hardships, both of financial and disci-
plinarian character. The membership was small. The
entire Blue Grass Circuit consisted of 274 members
in the year 1871.

For 5 years, the Marysville Church held its
services in available places— part-time in a school-
house which was located where the present church
stands. That schoolhouse was later moved to the
lot north of the Ingram home on So. Vermilion St.

Under devoted leadership of 7 prominent cit-

A.h

izens, namely: Isaac Menely, Carrie Mills, hrancis
Shain, Joseph Jameson, Wm. Cossairt, Fred Ben-
nttClt and Charles Pressey, the Church was main-
tained as a place to worship, to sing hymns, to
pray, to preach and to give thanks to the Almighty
God for mercy and loving kindness.

In 1869, the Tnistees of Marysville Chapel
bought y^ acre of land (the present site of the
church) and in 1 870, a church building was erected.
In 1871, permission from the Illinois Conference
was given for a committee to purchase ground in
Marysville for a parsonage, and to sell the parson-
age in Blue Grass City. In 1877, the Blue Grass Cir-
cuit was changed by the Illinois Conference to the
Marysville Circuit-then changed to the Potomac
Circuit in 1881.

In 1902, a deed was made to the Trustees
and their successors of the Potomac, Wallace Cha-
pel and Partlow (now Armstrong) Church to hold
in tmst without right to sell or convey, 80 acres of
land by John English Smith and his wife Mary. The
income from this land was to be used for running
expenses of the 3 churches. The parsonage for the
Potomac Church was built in 1901-1902.

In 1909-1910, the building committee. Pastor
W. T. Beadles, J. B. Payne and L. C. Messner, let a
contract to Jesse Stone to remodel the church
building. A choir loft was built on the south. The
old building was enlarged and land for a Sunday
School room on the north side was purchased.

On Sunday, Feb. 10, 1910, the First Metho-
dist Episcopal Church of Potomac, Illinois was re-
dedicated. In 1939, The Methodist Episcopal, The
Methodist Episcopal Churches of the South and
The Methodist Protestant Churches united under
one name: "The Methodist Church."

In 1954, work was done by the men of the
church to make major improvements in the base-
ment and the exterior of the church was redecor-
ated.

Sunday School Qass— Mrs. Mills, teacher.

Because the Conference was unable to supply
full-time services to all its areas, the developement
of a cooperative Parish arrangement between Arm-
strong, Ellis, Penfield, Pleasant Grove, Potomac and
Wallace Chapel, a Yoked Field of Potomac Metho-
dist and Potomac Evangelical United Brethren
Churches plus several other alternatives was made.
A favorable vote at a quarterly Conference held at
the church in May, 1 964, carried in favor of the Po-
tomac Methodist and the Evangelical United Breth-
ren Churches being formed in a Yokel Field. One
minister was to assume the work of the 2 churches.
The EUB parsonage was used as the minister's
home. The Methodist parsonage was a meeting
place for the Missionary Society, the Board of
Trustees and the Youth Fellowship activities. Later
the EUB parsonage was sold and the Methodist par-
sonage became the minister's home.

In Nov., 1968, the Evangelical United Breth-
ren and the Methodist Church of Potomac voted to
unite and become The United Methodist Church of
Potomac with membership in the Central Illinois
Conference.

•'^-i ^ 1^ "%Cjr^Lr»_ U.B. Church group after the
iM^fi^^ T , "^^ ' * -'' *f^ sermon in the summer.

-.->^

47

Methodist Church

O.A.B. Boys

Methodist Church Group around 1912
Row 1 : Hugh Watters, Clarence Smith,
Noble Taylor, Roy Davis; Row 2: R.
Moss, Rex Moon (sword) Koehn, Ray
Moon (drummer): Row 3: G. Hender-
Alva Leonard, Bliss CoUins, Harold
Wilbur, R. Moss.

U.B. Church

48

Prior to the EUB Church's union with the
Methodist Church, its history dates back to 1874.
In 1913, the building was remodeled with more
rooms being added only to be destroyed by fire
Dec. 15, 1925. Plans were made and carried out
for a new building, the present Church of the Naz-
arene.

In the early '70's the present Annex was
built to the United Methodist Church, joining the
church on the north. It is used as a Fellowship Hall
and for Sunday School classrooms. The minister's
study and restrooms are a part of the new addition.
Adequate kitchen facilities are a part of it also.

WALLACE CHAPEL CHURCH OF POTOMAC

The Wallace Chapel Church was built in 1854,
at a cost of $2 1 00. It was named after Wallace who
was going to be the preacher and who did the
building of the church with the help of Elsa Starr,
J. W. Duncan, Johess Moss and Charles Stone.
There have been 2 churches built there. The last
one was built in 1900.

The last services to be held in the church were
on May 29, 1966. After those services, a meeting
was held in the Potomac Methodist Church in re-
gard to closing the church to services. Marjorie
Judy read a statement to this effect and Caroline
Hambleton recorded the same. At that time, the
Tnistees of the Church were: T. E. Davis, Gene
Talbott, Marjorie Judy, Harold Hambleton, Alice
Davis and Wayne Way. David Judy and Grace Dav-
is attended the meeting.

Due to vandalism, the church had to be de-
molished in 1974.

Wallace Chapel

To -he Readers of the POTOMAC HUSTLER:

cannot help but attend sucli Pusli and fair business nietliods aa
lliose pursued by (he NEW ERA Dry Goods and Clothing Co.

-: Our Full last :-

'WWmJER ^ALE

N'- 15.— To a-iy oui-jflown purcliaser cf $20.00 or over within
ii ;;. lius ■: ;;3 r.;i'.e. JVom !)ftiivil!e. lull amount of rjilvoud fare re-
fiiiKlcil U])r!; j>ii.'scii!u'.ii)ii of ielui:i ticket.

49

Schools

School House, December 30, 1902

HISTORY OF POTOMAC SCHOOLS

In 1 870, citizens of Marysville held a meeting
for the purpose of electing a schoolboard and mak-
ing arrangements for a school building. It was de-
cided to build a one-room frame building just
south of where the United Methodist Church now
stands. Though small, this building was evidence
of the initiative and enterprise of the citizens of

the village. It furnished ample room for the pupils
who started to school there.

When the Methodist Church was built, the
school building was moved to South VermiHon St.
where it stands today. Though vacant now, it was
occupied for many years by the Frank Spain fam-
ily. At present it is owned by Les Ingram.

50

7th grade— first week of
school, Sept. 1921.

As the town grew it was necessary to have a
larger building. It was voted to have a new brick
building with 4 rooms. This was in 1876. The con-
tract was let to John Lewis. It was built on the lot
where the David Judy Park is now.

When the new building was finished there was
a parade from the old to the new with A. W. Knight
and Mabel Buckingham at the head.

By 1895, it was thought this building was too
small and in poor condition, so the community
voted to construct a new building south of the old
one. It was finished and occupied in 1 896. The higli
school occupied one room of the building, south-
east corner of the second floor. At that time there
were 30 students enrolled in high school.

The first class of the new building finished in
1898, and consisted of 2 members, Minnie McComb
Wilber and Sherman Littler.

The first teachers were M. L. Flannigan who
taught all the high school subjects and acted as
principal. Other teachess were Jesse Stone, 7th and
8th; Ella Wescott, 4th, 5th, and 6th; and Myrtle
Buckingham, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades.

The first Board of Education members were
John Littler and Dr. J. E. P. Butz. The County Su-
perintendent of Schools was L. H. Griffith.

There was an enrollment of 140 pupils.

In 1916, the new part (hot lunch room, 2
classroom, gymnasium, and the auditorium) was
added. For the next 20 years this building accom-
modated both the grade and high school.

As the years passed, this building became in-
adequate and the Board of Education of the Poto-
mac High School made plans for a new building on
land purchased from Earl Jameson at the east edge

of Potomac.

In September 1938, school opened in one of
the most modem, conveniently arranged school
buildings of its size in the state. The architect was
George E. Ramey and Company. Robert S. Wilson
was Superintendent of the high school. L. A. Tug-
gle was the County Superintendent of Schools.

The Board of Education of the high school at
that time were Elmer Moreland -President; Fred
Duncan, J. C. Linfoot, Lou Williams, D. S. Cos-
sairt, Harry Perry and Everett Wilson.

The grade school occupied the whole building
on College St. All the country schools surrounding
the village consolidated with this school in 1946.
The schools that consolidated were: Williams, Til-
lotson. Green Valley, Higginsville, Hawbuck, Biddle.
Bean Creek, Bluegrass, Wallace Chapel, Murphy and
Knights Branch. An election was held to conform
with the laws. All equipment from these schools
was either brouglit into the present school or sold.
The one-room school houses were sold to the high-
est bidder.

The Board of Directors at the time of this con-
solidation were Curtis Jameson, Everett Ellis, and
M. M. St. John. The County Superintendent was
L. A. Tuggle.

In 1964, the voters of the school district voted
for a new grade school to be located just east of the
high school which is outside the town boundaries
and in May, 1970, the 2 schools were made into a
unit district.

In our centennial year the enrollment in the
unit is 370 pupils with 29 teachers and 3 admin-
istrators. The unit also employs 15 non-certified
persons.

51

3rd and 4th grade-teacher, Grace Elliott-lst row: Orville JoUey, Edmund Howell, ? Hoth, Harold Blackford, ?,
Clifford Reeves, Lewis Luckey, Donald ?, Bert Alldridge, ? Grove Raymond Baril. 2nd row;_ Dale Harper, Elmer
Cannon, John Moss, Curry Voss, Robert Tennyson, Dwight Grove, Edith Howell, Gwendolyn Hall, Dorothy Mayfield,
3rd row: Donald Kirkhart, Kate Thompson, Leota Cossairt, June Weiser, Lena Reeves, Ruby Spain, Ruth Spain, Marie
Warren, Ruby Smith, Fern ?, Lois Goodwine, Adelina Groves, Bessie Simonton, and Louie Jane Cossairt.

•w?*i¥;^i-iSs-s'-

3rd and 4th grade-teacher, Grace Elliott-lst row: Dale Harper, Edmund Howell, Robert Tennyson, Fred Ermentrout,
?, Fredrick Butz, ?, Frield Hall, ?, Dwight Grove, Richard Knott. 2nd row: Glady Kewis, Marie Warren, Elmer Cannon,
?, John Moss, Curri Voss, ? Hoth, Edith Howell, ? Turner, ?, Lucille Bird. 3rd row: Kate Thompson, Leota Cossairt,
June Weiser, Lena Reeves, Bessie Simonton, Ruby Spain, Gwendolyn Hall, ?.

Seventh and eighth graders, 1919. Left to right standing: Thelma Bird, Esther Moss, Juantia Lindsey, Lois Norton,
Marjorie Burkhart, Christine Royer, Miss Pansy Biedermann, teacher, Waneta Griffin, Henrietta Thompson, Mary
Reigle, Eva May, Ercel Smith, LucUle Shain, Pauline Landis. Front row: Robert Ermentrout, Carper Kelley, Paul
Harper. Edmund Butz, Clyde Jameson, Kenneth Bird, Leo Thompson, Herbert Cook, Curt Morris, Bruce Miller,
Alvin Kelley, Elmer Miller, William Cook, janitor, in the background.

52

"1915" Miss Barr, teacher. Given Courtney, Velma Magruder, Frieda Hoth, Josephine Philips, Mae Sollars, Thelma
Bird, Mary Riegle, Bessie Searl, Eriel Smith, Auriel, Henrietta and Reatha Thompson, Cloyde Otis, Edmund Butz,
Herbert Cook, Paul Harper, Harold Goodwine, Virgil Bergesse,, Glenn Shain, Frank Sollars, Ray McGlaughlin, Curtis
Jameson, Victor Lewis, Kenneth Brid, Clyde Jameson, Clarence Blackford.

Third and fourth grades, row 1: George Hickman, Glen Jameson, Harold Davis, Nanny Sexton. Row 2: Mary Rice,
Florence Taylor, Elizabeth Watters, Velma Shain, Mae Bleavens, Eva Hoth, May Nixon, Maude Duncan, Mary Hall,
Minnie Gray, Emma Kelton, Row 3: Leo Geotchus, John Hines, Vileto Barnett, Mary Andrews, Ida Johnson, Roy
Morris, Forest Sperry, Emma Tillotson, Ruth Davis, Rufus Hoover. Marie Weller, Rosa Bohen, Curtis Messner. Row 4:
Hazel Barnet, Earl Pierce, Walter Smith, Nettie Taylor, Albert Hickman. Row 5: Paul Shain, Teacher-Bess Dague.

53

Seventh and eighth grades, 1922-1923, row 1 :
Mary Wyman, Adeline Grove, Geneva Cosby,
Raymond Baril, Curry Voss, Dwight Grove,
Gwendolyn Hall, Carol Bever, Harold Black-
ford, Forest Alexander, Lois Goodwine.Row
2: Louis Jane Cossairt, Kate Thompson, Marie
Warren, Edith Howell, Lewis Luckey, Leota
Cossairt, Zelda Duncan, Orville Jolley, Ed
Butz, Don Burkhart. Row 3: Ruby Smith,
Gertrude Kelley, Ruth Spain, Lena Reeves,
Ruby Spain, Bessie Simonton, June Weiser,
Robert Tennyson, Bert Aldridge, Dale Harper,
•3 Virginia Borror.

Standing: Marjorie Gray, Lolamontus Bressler.i
Minnie Brooks, Charolotte Young, Mabre Wise,
Lena Blackford, Margaret Sperry. Front row,
Paul Talbott, Ray West, Harrison VanNatta,
Glenn Sollars and Gordon Kelly.

Opal Schuelle, Minnie Brooks, Mary Gray,
Marjorie Jolley, Lolamontus Bressler, Mar-
garet Sperry, Ray West, Harrison VanNatta
and Thomas Morel.

54

Football team of Potomac High School

Row 1: ? Hickman, Carl Hickman, Homer Butz, Frank Payne. Row 2: Tom Young, Fred Duncan, Otto Mayfield, Charles
Jester, Albert Rice, Ben Young.

Freshman class of "32", 1st row: Alton Smith, Bob Mockebee, Jack Goodwine, Paul Strauser, Ross Coil, Charles Crawford,
Jr. Farnsworth, Ray Alexander. 2nd row: Claude Dawson, Maxine Anderson, Marquiet McQeen, Lillis West, Ardith Reeves,
Wonda Oehmkea, Juanita Mockbee, RoSalee Bird, Helen Smith, Frank Taylor. 3rd row: Irene Schnelle, Dorothy Clem,
Helen Crawford, Sara Mae Crawford, Eva Mae Morgan, Katherine Lane, Margaret Evans, Joe Bressler. 4th row: Eron Burgess,
Lowell Crawford, Roy Miller, Marvin Emerson, Harry Sollars, Dale Jameson, Ollie Clementz, Ed Plotner, Chester Powell,
Wendell Mockbee.

55

Potomac Grade School

Potomac High School

Sherry Boggess

COUNTY SPELLING CROWN
WON BY POTOMAC GIRL

Sherry Boggess, an eighth grader, won the
1957 Vermilion County Spelling Bee. She defeated
eight other sectional champions in a 62-minute bat-
tle which awarded her the trophy and the traveling
trophy with her name engraved and put in the Po-
tomac School for the year. Mr. George Clementz
was the principal.

<Kerttficate of Promotion

y,vr,i ///J

/

^^Jt

rfi

'ay

yJ^^^'-^^

/9/<'

^CMjt <iOt.<./-x^i.e^. ... .". o.^

ff Tkacsb*

Certificate of Promotion

I')|5-|f)l6
Can you find yourself?

57

TenzucR

SCH

Class of 1976

Glenda Asbury
Lynn Bussard
Brad Davis
Kim Duncan
Wayne Forrest
Vickie Grimes
Dean Hambleton
Cindy Hoskins
Jim Hoskins
Kim Hoskins
Doug Howie
Perry Jaynes
Kevin Jolley
Steve Judy
Cindy Knerr
Bob Long
Dean McGuffee
Theresa Meyers
Diana Osborn
Joni Reardon
Dawn Remole
Donna Remole
Dan Wernigk
Cynthia Wright

Laying of Comer stone of the

high school.

The Judy School.

58

Village of Poi^omac

Looking west on State Street— the business section of Potomac.

VILLAGE OF POTOMAC

The earliest minutes of a village meeting that
I could find was January 1 , 1912.

At the Feb. 5, 1912 meeting J. E. Farmsworth
was appointed marshal. Also, at this meeting the
purchasing committee was instructed to buy a bed
for the marshal to sleep on at the city building. The
Illinois Central Agent, Hildebrant, was not granted
permission to ride his bicycle on the sidewalks from
the depot to the post office in bad weather. At this
time the streets in Potomac were much lower than
they are now and in bad weather they would
be very muddy. The board walks were up several
feet from the street, high enough the buckboards
could be backed right up to them.

The June 3, 1912 meeting shows that Wilson
Lighting was supplying electricity to the Village of
Potomac. Also there were 2 banks at that time-
Potomac National Bank and Goodwine Bank.

The total tax levy for the year of 1912-13 was
S3410.00— a far cry from the many thousands it
is today.

October 7, 1912, it was ordered to have the
artesian well at the corner of State and Vermilion
Streets repaired.

November 7, 1912, C. C. Crounch was granted
a license to operate a pool table.

In 1913, the oil for the streets was purchased
by the citizens and the village paid for putting it on
the streets.

The first speed limit signs were put up in
1913-1 east, I west, I north and 1 south.

In 1913, a bell was rung at 7:30 P.M. warning
the children under the age of 16 that they had to
be home by 8:00 P.M.

During the year of 1913, a man was appointed
to serve as policeman for 1 month without pay. A
new man was appointed each month.

Mrs. Field owned the Potomac Hotel in 1914.

June 25, 1914, owners of traction engines
were prohibited from running their engines on the
village streets and alleys without first having pro-
tection over smoke stacks to keep sparks from
coming out.

August 3, 1914, J. E. Lay ton was granted a

59

Old City Hall located on State Street.

license to operate a poolroom, but his license was
revoked Dec. 18, 1914, because he allowed minors
to play pool.

October 5, 1914, Mr. Good wine agreed to put
down a well in front of Goodwine Bank.

May 1, 1916, the board voted to make a new
town well near the old one on South Vermilion St.

Some sewers were placed in 1914, 1915, and
1916. These were very short span. WPA put the
existing ones in.

October, 1919, the village board entered into
a contract with the Highway Commissioner to con-
struct hard roads through the village of Potomac.

October, 1922, E. L. Curley was hired as po-
liceman for the village with the understanding that
he was also to keep the pavement clean and all
manholes and sewers open at a salary of $80 per
month.

In 1922, every property owner was required
to keep the board walks in front of his property
in good condition and gravel on the street in front
at his own cost.

March, 1923, the Potomac Telephone Co. was
granted a franchise. The phone company was the
partnership of Frank Samuels of Boswell, Indiana,
and Chas. H. Jester of Potomac. The franchise was
for 30 years.

It seems the hitch rack in back of the Duncan
Bros. Store was an annual repair job for the street
and alley committee.

July 4, 1923, State Street was roped off for
an evening dance.

October 6, 1924, W. H. Goodwdne was granted
permission to install a gas pump at the curb in front
of his business.

1924, Wilson Electric Co. suppUed electricity
to the village. The name later changed to Alvin
Electric Co.

April 3, 1926, C.I.P.S. was granted a franchise
to supply electricity to the village.

1927 and 1928, Joe Cannon, Chas. Kissack,
Clev Allen and Earl Jameson were ordered to pay
for the lamp globes that they had broken.

In 1927, a $50 reward was posted for the ar-
rest and conviction of the person or persons steal-
ing gas out of the firetruck.

1929, a cement walk was laid from the school
to S. Vermilion Street along the edge of the P.
Smith property.

June, 1929, Fred Taylor was granted permis-
sion to close N. Vermilion St. on Wednesday eve-
nings to show movies.

In 1932, J. A. Hickman was paid 15^ per hour
to ditch and clean streets.

September 5, 1932, Cloyd Talbott was given
permission to remove curbing of sidewalk for a
"drive-in gas station."

October 1, 1933, the village became a member
of the Illinois Municipal League.

April 7, 1936, the board passed an ordinance
to issue and sell Bonds in the amount of $3500 for
the purchase of land for a pubUc park. A special
election for the citizens' approval was held on May
29, 1936.

December, 1941, the board accepted the bid
of Tagwerker & Co. of Chicago to buy $40,000 vil-
lage water bonds at 4^2% interest. The bonds were
for a proposed water works system. The economy
went down hill, so the water plant was forgotten
about for several years.

The first library board was: Lida Stephens,
Mable SoUars, Estella Moreland, Myrtle Anderson,
Ann F. Cope and Albert Rice. (1943)

Through the 'lO's, '30's, '40's and '50's the
dog problem was taken care of by the board. They
would receive $1.00 for killing and 75^ for burying
them.

July, 1947, Reeves and Taylor asked permis-
sion of the board to have a skating rink on the park
grounds in the southwest comer. The board granted
permission for 1 year and charged $ 1 5 per month
rent. (It was torn down in 1953.)

March 25, 1950, the question of issuing
$40,000 in waterworks bonds was again voted on
by the citizens of Potomac. It passed 236 to 69
votes. Land for the water works was purchased
from Mrs. Cross for $1000. The contract to build
the water plant and system was awarded to 3 dif-
ferent parties: W. L. Hall, Warner and Son Con-
struction and Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. The cost
was $93,777.54. C. H. Taylor and Sons drilled the
weUs for the water plant.

October 1, 1950, Harry Grimes was granted a
permit to operate a pooUiall above the A & H Store.

December 4, 1941, Clarence Taylor was ap-
pointed the first waterworks superintendent.

The first water rates were: 500 to 1000 gal-

60

lons-Sl.25; 1000 and over-$2.50; 500 gallons
and under— no charge.

Dewey Clyden was water superintendent until
May, 1952, when Mark Judy was appointed water
superintendent and village marshal.

Burt Hall was appointed water superintendent
May 16, 1956.

April 24, 1961, Bill Downing was hired as wa-
ter superintendent.

1954, Mildred McGowen was appointed vil-
lage clerk. She was the first woman to hold this po-
sition.

January, 1966. the first action was taken to
widen Route 136 through Potomac and re-surface
same.

August, 1966, was the first mention of a lake
in Middlefork Twp. and also the mention of a sew-
age system for Potomac.

1967-ice storm. There was no electricity for
hours.

Prillman's burned on Febniary 5, 1968.

February 3, 1969, a petition containing 107

names was filed with the village clerk petitioning
to allow Potomac residents to vote on the issue-
ance of a package liquor license in Potomac. The
election was held April 15, 1969, and it was voted
down 158 to 121.

The March 3, 1969 board meeting was opened
at 6:30 because most of the board members wanted
to go to the Potomac basketball game. Potomac
was playing in the regional and they won.

Nov. 7, 1972, 590,000 water bond issue elec-
tion passed 265 to 56. It was for the purpose of re-
modeling the water plant and equipment.

A petition was filed February 1, 1974, at
4:55 P.M. in the office of the village clerk which
contained 128 names, 1 of which was not a resi-
dent of the village. The petition was for a liquor
election to be held April, 1974. The liquor issue
was voted down again.

January, 1976, the pre-application for federal
funding of a sewage system for the village of Poto-
mac was filed. This is the first step to be taken
towards a sewage system for the village of Potomac.

iii>f.4 >

Azzie Sollars, Albert Sperry— Horse and Buggy days delivering the mail.

61

Post Office in early days: Azzie Sollars, Albert Sperry, Alice Tyler.

Story as told by Roy McMahan:

I have been a citizen of Potomac 30 years and
postmaster 21 years. So much is unknown to me
and others.

I have been postmaster 21 years, and possibly
have the longest term of anyone. Before me, Curtis
Jameson was acting postmaster for 13 months.
Palmer Smith, who was later Mayor of Potomac,
was postmaster from 1935 to 1953. David "Sep"
Cossairt was postmaster before Mr. Smith. Mr. Cos-
sairt was in the poultry buying business and was
T. W. P. assessor after he was postmaster. Before
that time Em Duncan and T. W. Buckingham
served. How many more I do not know.

The Post Office had been in the present loca-
tion 20 years. Prior to that it was in the east half of
what is now Burroughs Store for about 45 years.
Before that it was located where the pool hall now
is.

There once were Post Offices in different
communities near Potomac. Some of them were
Jamesburg, Ellis, Bluegrass and many more. The of-
fice at Ellis was closed in 1935. Back in those days
most of the roads were mud and patrons were
served by rural carriers in horse drawn vehicles.

Today the mral customers of the U. S. Postal
Service are served by Mr. Robert Keal on Rural
Route 1, and Mr. Robert DeNeal on Rural Route
2. Mr. Keal has 107 miles of route and delivers a
part of Potomac rural mail, all of Armstrong's and
Collison's. Mr. DeNeal has 103 miles of route and
delivers part of Potomac rural mail and a part of
Penfield's. The carrier from Gifford delivers the
rest of Penfield's. This is a contrast to the old days
when Potomac had 5 routes; Armstrong, 2; and 1
or 2 at Penfield. Maybe routes out of Henning, Col-
lison and other places. Before Mr. DeNeal and Mr.
Keal's service, Frank McCormick served for 40
years on Route 1. Curtis T. Sollars served for about
20 years on Rural Route 2. Before Mr. Sollars, Wal-
ter Ennis was the carrier on Rural Route 2. Before
Mr. Ennis, Azzie used Model T Fords, motorcycles,
horses and even walked at times to get his mail de-
livered. Mail was even delivered on Christmas Day.
The carrier often ate Christmas dinner with a pa-
tron. Some of the names of other carriers were:
Albert Sperry, Earl Jameson and John Searls.

62

Palmer Smith
Mildred Creighton
Curtis Sollars
Cunningham
Frank McCormick

Old Post Office

Sept Cossairt
Albert Sperry
Frank McCormick
Azzie Sollars
Mae Huffman

Azzie Sollars' car, carrying mail
on mud road.

Azzie Sollars and son Curtis Sollars going on mail
route in the early days.

63

THE DAVID L. JUDY MEMORIAL PARK

TELEPHONE

The David L. Judy Memorial Park was dedi-
cated Sunday, September 21, 1971. Mr. & Mrs. Dav-
id Judy unveiled the sign and plaque in honor of
their son who was killed September 30, 1968, in
Vietnam.

There was a park loan mortgage-burning cere-
mony dedication with a community carry-in dinner
and an evening worship service. It was presented to
the Judy's by President Richard Hoskins of the Com-
munity Council.

There were approximately 600 people who wit-
nessed the dedication. Master of Ceremonies was
Richard Lanham, who introduced the Potomac High
School band and introduced the council members.
The raising of the colors was by the marine Corps
Color Guard, and Ed Weishar lead the community
in the Star Spangled Banner and pledge to the flag.
Speaker was Richard Nichols of Danville, the Amer-
ican Legion State Commander, whose theme was
"Dedication to Country."

The Community Council purchased the former
grade school property from Evert Berglund to make
a park for the children in town. It has new play-
ground equipment, a volleyball area, and baseball
diamond. This is a community project.

The first telephone office was located upstairs
by the opera house and run by Charles Jester. Nova
Vanatta, Emma Kinney and Eva Mae Kelly were
the "hello girls"; Ella and Alta Montgomery took
over the switchboard later on. The first lineman
and repairman was Hicks Vanatta. The cost was
$1.00 per month and later was raised to $1.50.
Candace Jester went to the homes each month and
collected for them. Mr. Jester had a brick building
made located south of the Grab-It-Here store and
moved the telephone equipment into it. It was op-
erated by the Illinois Telephone Company of Ran-
toul. Ola Frankhn, Inez Beck, Mildred Selsor and
Kathryn Krout were operators. Mr. Jester sold out
and a new building was made in 1950 on State
Street and the dial system came in.

MIDWESTERN GAS

Constniction started in the spring of 1968 to
build a compressor station for Midwestern Gas
Transmission Company at Potomac, Illinois. The
station officially went into full operation Decem-
ber 3, 1968. Our station, located south of Potomac,
operates 24 hours each day of the year and em-
ploys 12 people. This compressor station operates
three TLA-6 Clark Engines and one Allison Tur-
bine.

Midwestern Gas Transmission Company is 1
of 4 natural gas subsidiaries of Tenneco, Inc. with
home offices in Houston, Texas. The other 3 natur-
al gas subsidiaries are Tennessee Gas Pipeline Com-
pany, East Tennessee Natural Gas Company and
Channel Industries Gas Company.

Northwestern
Gas Co.

The first Natural Gas in Po-
tomac was officially turned on
by Allied Gas Company, a sub-
sidary of Northern Illinois Gas
Company, on Nov. 20. In pho-
to, Village President, Dorsey
McBroom lights Gas light in-
stalled by Allied Gas in front
of the Water Department Buil-
ding on No. Vermilion Street.
On hand for informal turn-on
ceremonies were (left to right)
William Downing, George Bor-
row. Paul Burroughs, Marvin
Goodwine, Don Doran, Rich-
ard Jameson, Katheryne Krout,
John Suslavich— Vice-President
of Allied, Lilah Vocs, Edgas
Alms— District Manager for Al-
lied, McBroom and Charles
Terrell.

64

HISTORY OF POTOMAC STREETS

In 1884, the Eastern and Havana Railroad was
built through the Village of Potomac, and at that
time Potomac was laid out except for a few of the
streets.

The highway, now called State Street, was a-
bout 3 or 4 feet lower than it is now.

The streets were muddy and hazel brush cov-
ered both sides. The sidewalks were wooden, built
to keep from walking in the mud and water. They
were different in height because different people
built them. When people came to town in their wag-
ons and buggies they could climb off the sidewalks
onto the vehicles. Hitch racks for tying their horses
were placed in front of different stores.

In the Spring the water would rise from the
creeks and the people could usually use row boats
on State Street.

In 1 9 1 2, the first cement walks were built. The

property owners built concrete walks on each side
of their property, about 2 feet wide.

The first bridge east of Potomac was built in
the year of 1903 by Bresse. Before building this
bridge, they got across any way they could.

The first street built running north and south
was Grant Street, which is the street east from Bur-
roughs' Store. All streets were dirt and gravel.

In 1936, a gas tax started. They then started
putting oil on streets. The people complained be-
cause iol ran into their yards. Then rock was put on
over the oil like it is at the present time.

State Street was first paved in 1920— one mile
east and west. The State paid for 20 feet of the width
and taxpayers paid for the rest. Men worked for
$5.00 per day. Vermilion Street was next to be
paved. Streets measured were at State and Vennilion
by a stone block in the center of the Square. Later
that stone block supported the Flag Pole. Total num-
ber of miles of streets in Potomac was 9'/2, total
feet- 49,985.

Comer of Vermilion and State Street-
changed to incandisants.

1900 mud streets. In August 1913, the Arc street lights were

65

HISTORY OF POTOMAC'S WATER WORKS

Potomac has been blessed with Artesian water
ever since the town was founded. As the Village
grew and developed, people wanted their homes
modem with running water in them. Few people
were able financially to install pressure water sys-
tems in order to have this. Then too, every commun-
ity has the hope some enterprise will locate in it to
give employment to citizens at home. When an en-
terprise looks for a location, one of the things they
consider is availability of a water supply.

Potomac citizens have recognized the need of
a water system for many years, and there are in our
files plans drawn for a water system here in 1 946.
The Village Board of which Mr. Albert Rice was then
President, in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of
Community Facihties of the Federal Works Agency,
had plans drawn and surveys made for a water works
system. The Engineering Service Corporation of De-
catur, Illinois, drew these plans and specifications,
and were paid $3,800.00 for their services. The
Federal Works Agency made a grant to the Village
of $ 1 ,771.00 which was a loan to be repaid when the
building of the plant was financed and started. The
balance of the $3,800.00 was paid by the Village.

About the time these plans were ready, the
general world situation became such that it was im-
possible to get the money or material to go ahead,
and the matter was at a standstill.

In 1949, the Village Board felt there might be
some hope of getting the system built, and the office
of the Community Facilities Service was writing us
that the outlook was favorable and it was their ex-
pressed attitude that the Water System should be
built and the $1,771.00 they advanced be repaid to
them.

After many citizens had encouraged them to do
so, the Board decided to take the matter up with the
Engineers- the Engineering Service Corporation of
Decatur. On December 29, 1949, Mr. Ted Harris,
President of that firm, wrote B. F. Behimer, then
President of the Board of Trustees, stating as fol-
lows: "In recent months there has been a definite
stabilization of construction cost and it now appears
that reasonable sale of Bonds may be possible. If the
Board wishes to construct the improvement, we be-
lieve that all conditions of the coming season will be
as favorable as any time in the predictable future."
With this information, we set about finding a
market for the Bonds the Village would have to issue
and sell in order to have the funds to pay for the
Plant. Most Bond Investors wanted a larger Direct
Obligation Bond issue on the Village than was felt to
be advisable, and arrangements were finally made
with a Bond Investment Company who would take

$40,000.00 in Bonds as the Direct Obligation of the
Village and Bonds for the balance of the cost of the
System to be paid from revenue from the System,
and known as Revenue Bonds. The security to the
Revenue Bond owners being the Water System itself
and not payable from any tax on the Village.

After having the assurance that the material
could be had and the money could be obtained to
pay for the plant, the next step was for the people
to decide if they wanted the Plant built.

An election was called to decide if the Bonds
should be issued and the Plant built. The elecfion
was called by the Village Board to be held April 1,
1950. The election was held and the vote was 271
for and 74 against issuing the bonds and building the
Plant. Notices to bidders that sealed bids would
be received at the Village Hall at 7:30 P.M., July 3,
1950, for constmction of the Water Works System.

In the meantime, the engineers had redrawn
plans and specifications to meet changed conditions
and the approval of the State Board of Health. The
contractors who desired to bid on the system ob-
tained copies of the drawings and specifications
to meet changed conditions and the approval of the
State Board of Health. The contractors who de-
sired to bid on the system obtained copies of the
drawings and specifications from them in order to
make their bids.

The constmction was in 3 units: the tower (1 10
feet high), the 60,000 gallon tank, a stand pipe to
the tower which holds 9,000 gallons of water, and
Cathodic protection equipment.

The contract for this was awarded to the Chi-
cago Bridge and Iron Company and this was com-
pleted in January, 1951.

The contract for the buildings and salt storage
tanks and the well which originally was planned to
be an 8-inch well was awarded the Hall Constmction
Company of Atwood and Decatur, IHinois. They
failed to make a well of their try at the 8-inch well,
after which their contract for the well was cancelled
and, owing to the fact that expenses of repairing or
replacing a well of this size would be expensive and
difficult, it was decided to drill 3 smaller wells with
jet pumps and a capacity of 1 00 gallons of water per
minute by using all 3 wells at one time. It was also
believed it would be safer to have 3 wells instead of

1 so if at any time 1 well was out of order the other

2 would provide water.

Water is pumped from these wells through char-
coal as a filter into the Aerator Tank, then through
the softener, and then by higli lift pumps into the
elevated tank on the tower. From there it goes into
the mains and to your own water faucets.

66

At the present time, March 1, 1953, more than
6,500,000 gallons of water have been used.

The contract for the distribution system was
awarded Albert N. Warren and Son Construction
Company of Hoopeston, Illinois. There are over 5
miles of water mains in the Village, ranging in size
from 8-inch mains to 6-inch mains to 4-inch mains,
and there are a few 100 feet of 2-inch mains. There
are 19 fire hydrants. The pipes are so laid that there
is complete circulation through the mains and this
helps to keep the water pure and fresh.

Water is treated by Cochran and Company e-
quipment approved by the State.

It was first necessary in starting the work to
purchase the sight. This was purchased from Mrs.
Lois Crawford and her mother, Mrs. Cross. After
this, permits were obtained to run the mains under
the railroad and State Highway Route 136 in order
to reach all parts of the Village.

Yolunieep

Fire Deparimeni

Years ago in the days of the Stage Coach, a
small village called Marysville was located about 20
miles northwest of Danville, Illinois. It was one of
the most important trading centers for miles around.

Fire was one of the great enemies of the early
settlers. Plain John Smith formed the first Fire De-
partment in 1846 and Ticky (John) Smith was the
first Fire Chief. The equipment for the Fire Depart-
ment was 1 wagon, 2 ladders, 36 buckets, burlap
bags, and rope. The burlap bags were used to beat
out the fire; the rope could be hooked to buckets to
dip water from the creek.

Later, about 1848, the Fire Department was
updated with another wagon and it was put in ser-
vice with a wooden tank mounted on it. This could
be at the fire and the town's people would carry wa-
ter in buckets to fill the tank, while part of the men
would put water on the fire with buckets. Some of
the men on the Department were: Ticky Smith, Eng-
lish Smith, plain John Smith, Mennely, Morehead,
and Marshall. However, all the town's people were
more or less on the Fire Department. The important
thing was to have someone to carry water so all of
the people of the town were very important to the
Department.

As the village grew, the Fire Department had to
be updated, and about 1892, a hand-operated pump
was placed in service. Water was pumped from the
water tanks where the livestock was watered. There

Old Ford fire engine driven by Roy Talbott
and Joe Cannon

Firemen, 1961 -Standing: Don Doran, Ray Wesley, Ken-
neth Willard, Gene Wernigk, James Morgan-Asst. Chief.
Kneeling: Ronald Willard, Ollis Clenientz-Secretary, Roy
E. Talbott-Chief.

were 3 such tanks that were kept full by wells. Each
well was operated by a wind mill. (These windmills
and pump might be confusing to some people who
might read this because the artesian well did not
come along until about 1905.) This fire pump was
operated by 6 men— 3 on each side. However, 12
men were required as they worked in shifts one half-
hour at a time.

The Department in 1912 was updated again
and a pumper with a 4 cyUnder gas engine was put
in service. The Village had grown and had experi-
enced 2 bad fires which were the Grant Layton
building on East State Street (it burned in February,
1912) and the Oscar Bivens Livery Stable on East
State Street. This pumper was housed in back of the
present Village Hall and was pulled by a team of hor-
ses. The hose was carried on a separate wagon
which was pulled by horses. The town had grown so
much the residential section was without fire pro-
tection so a plan was worked out to have cisterns
located in various parts of the Village. Thirteen cis-
terns were then put down. Two each placed in the
downtown fire district, which were very large as they
held 5,000 gallons of water each. The remainder of
22 cisterns held 1,500 gallons of water each. These
are located in various parts of the Village.

68

The first fire siren was in service in 1915, and
it was mounted on top of the Village Hall. The fire
call was called to the telephone operator and the tel-
ephone operator would sound the alarm which was:
one LONG BLAST for the business section, one
LONG and one SHORT BLAST for the northwest
part of town, one LONG and two SHORT BLASTS
for the northeast part of town, one LONG and three
SHORT for the southeast part of town, and one
LONG and four SHORT for southwest part of town.

As the dray business became a thing of the
past, the Village president and town board saw the
need of updating the Fire Department. A new Mo-
del T. Ford truck was bought and the tongue was
removed. A hitch was installed so the pumper and
truck could be coupled together. The hose was re-
moved from the hose wagon and hauled on the
truck. This was in the year of 1923. The town ma-
yor was the late Albert Rice and members of the
Village board were: Elmer Moreland, Fred Duncan,
Charles Jester, Elmer Jameson, J. B. Payne, John
Payne and the Village Clerk, Louis Pinno. The Po-
lice Chief was Earl Jenkins and the Justice of the
Peace was William Gray.

However, the depression came along in the year
of 1929, and the Fire Department did not get up-
dated from 1923 to 1946.

The fire at the Hardy Sams Hatchery in the
center of the block on East State Street north side,
made the Village Board take a good look at the Fire
Department. It was then decided to get a used pump-
er as the Village could not afford a new one; there-
fore, a 1929 Reo was put in service. If it had not
been for the Danville Fire Department, the north
side of State Street would have burned down. How-
ever, the old pumper kept the Danville pumper sup-
plied with water. I had a hard time keeping the old
pump running (Roy E. Talbott); however, "Lady
Luck" was with us. The decision was made by the
Village Board to buy the used pumper when the late
Albert Rice was Village President. The Department
remained the same until the year of 1955.

The Fire Department was let nm down due to
the Fire Chiefs' being appointed every year. How-
ever, under the direction of the late Ronald New-
num, the Fire Department became better organized
as the State and Federal Repilations began to get
stricter. Chief Ronald Newnum and Ass't Chief Roy
E. Talbott called in the Illinois Inspection and Rat-
ing Bureau to find out what should be done and
their recommendations to bring the Fire Department
up to State standards. It was as follows: to get a new
pumper, and to try to get a new building. A new

69

Jack Prillamn's Fire, Feb.

1955 Chevrolet 500 g. p. m. pumper was put in ser-
vice. However, Chief Ronald Newnum passed away
in 1955. Roy E. Talbott became Fire Chief and his
work was cut out for him.

However, the new Fire Chief (Roy E. Talbott)
could see the need for more improvement and to get
the fire insurance rates down. In 1958, Fire Chief
Roy E. Talbott went to the Village Board and asked
for permission to build a new building and permis-
sion was granted by Palmer Smith after some discus-
sion. The building was completed December 17,
1 960. These were 2 major steps completed to be-
coming State approved.

There was no cost to the Village of Potomac
for the new Fire Department building. The new
building was built by Fire Department personnel
and volunteer local contractors. Funds for the build-
ing were donated by about 80% of the people out-
side the Village limits and about 20% from the Vil-
lage business people and residents. The Fire Depart-
ment moved to the new building which is located
north of the water plant on December 17, 1960. The
Village Board passed an ordinance that the Fire De-
partment could help the people in the rural areas.
At this time, a 600 gallon tank truck was placed in
the Fire Service which was loaned to the Village by

17, 1968-ni^t fire.

Chief Talbott. The tank truck was part of a promise
made to the people outside the Village limits for
helping donate to the Fire Department building.

The people residing outside of the Village lim-
its were required to have a rider on their insurance
policy to pay the Fire Department for fire calls.
These funds would be payed to the Village treasury
to pay for the upkeep of the fire equipment and to
purchase new equipment. (I must say, the Depart-
ment did right well, money-wise.)

In May, 1 96 1 , the fire siren was moved from be-
hind the Village Hall to the Water Plant Tower. The
moving of the fire siren was another of the Inspec-
tion and Rating Bureau's recommendation, and was
the third major step to be completed for State ap-
proval.

The Water Supply Plant had to be improved.
This was completed in the year 1962, and was the
fourth step for State approval.

The fifth step was the purchase of 500 ft. of
2'/2-inch hose and a drying rack.

All recommendations by the Illinois Inspection
and Rating Bureau had been complied with. The
Chief and the Department were ready for the inspec-
tion, and on Febmary 8, 1962, the inspection was
performed.

70

much better than the Number 10 Class that the Fire
Department had previously held. This was a happy
day for the Chief and the Village Board. The Village
people were notified of the good news that the fire
insurance rates were reduced by 27%.

However, the good news was not to last long
as 10 years had slipped by and we were notified by
the Inspection Department that we. were due for
another inspection.

The times had changed and the Fire Service
had become a whole new ballgame. There were new
regulations to learn, schools to attend such as: First
Aid, Fire and Rescue, Cardiopulmonary Resucita-
tion (CPR), County Disaster, and Emergency Medi-
cal Training (EMT). These are required by the State
of Illinois and are required for the Fire Chief.

The Chief went to the Village Board and the
Village President, the late Dorsey McBroom, to re-
quest permission to purchase a new pumper. After
many discussions and heated arguments 6 months
later, the Chief was given permission to purchase a
new pumper. The truck chassis was ordered at the
Biggs Motor Company in 1964, and it was received
in 1965. The Chief delivered the truck chassis to the
Howe Fire Apparatus Company at Anderson, In-
diana to place the new pumper on it. On July 16,
1965, the new pumper was placed in service.

The inspection went fine for the Fire Depart-
ment; however, the water plant failed the test. Anew
6-inch well was put down and the Fire Department
retained their Number 8 Class rating. The new well
was a great help and a life-saver for the Fire Depart-
ment and the community.

In the year of 1 974, the Chief went to the Vil-
lage President and Board to update the Fire Depart-
ment again. This time the request was to purchase
a 1 500 gallon tank truck to service the rural area. At
first, the Village Board was not in favor of fur-
nishing the mral area anymore fire service; how-
ever; after some thinking about the situation,
it was decided that the Village should help the
mral area. All out-of-town fire rims are paid for by
the insurance companies. The Village President, Car-
roll Darrow, and Board member, Ronald Willard,
were in favor of buying the tank truck. It was finally
decided to purchase it. The Chief contacted Biggs
Motor Company, and a new truck chassis was ord-
ered (all fire equipment has to conform with State
and National Fire codes). The new truck cliassis was
received in July, 1975. The tank for the tnick
chassis was ordered on July 10, 1975, from Livesay
Bros., Inc., Hindsboro, Illinois. Some labor trouble
was encountered and the tank was not received until
December, 1975. Due to bad weather, the new tank
tmck has not been placed in service; however, it is

will be completed. This will bring the Fire Depart-
ment up-to-date for the year of 1976.

This brings to a close the history of the Poto-
mac Volunteer Fire Department from 1846 to 1976.

I want to express my sincerest gratitude and
appreciation to all the wonderful people of the com-
munity who helped to make the Fire Department a
great success. A special thanks is given to the follow-
ing: Biggs Motor Co.; Howe representative, Mr. Mar-
tin E. Rhodes, from Howe Fire Apparatus Co.; Live-
say Bros.: and all the members of the Fire Depart-
ment, past and present. Also, to all of the 1976 Fire
Department personnel, a special thanks to the fol-
lowing: Donald Davis, Ass't Chief; Harley Clem-
mons, Capt.; Gene Wernick, Gerald Chestnut, James
Morgan, John Clingan, Kenneth Keen, Hollis Ab-
bott, Carl Hoshauer, Lowell Creighton, Lee Krout,
Harris Carley, William Downing, Willie Carter, John
Bnins, Richard Smith, and Walter Carpenter.

To them and to all the Fire Fighters of the
community, I dedicate this history of the Potomac
Volunteer Fire Department. May this story remain
in the memory of all the firemen from the romantic
days of horses to the colorful days of motor pro-
pelled apparatus.

The Village of Potomac has not been without
its major fires. In the year of 1912, 2 major fires-
Grant Layton's Store and Oscar Bivens Livery Sta-
ble; in the year of 1924, the U. B. Church; McBroom
Lumber Co. fires in the years of 1 954, 1 964 and 1 9-
69; and Jack Prillaman Hard ward Store in the year
of 1968.

The present Chief, Roy E. Talbott, was ap-
pointed to the Fire Department in the year of 1926
by the late Albert Rice who was the Village Presi-
dent. Long time members of the Potomac Volunteer
Fire Department are: Chief Roy E. Talbott, from
1926 thru 1976; Alois Clementz, 1942 thru 1976;
Kenneth Keen, 1928 thru 1976; Kenneth Willard,
1940 thru 1976;LowellCreighton, 1937 thru 1976;
and Walter Carpenter, 1946 thru 1976. All of the
above listed members have received 25 year Service
Awards from the State of Illinois.

During my time with the Fire Department, I
have served with 8 different Fire Chiefs. They are:
Chief Richard (Dick) Knott, Chief Butler Magruder,
Chief Frank McCormick, Chief John Morrison, Chief
Elmer Joe Cannon, Chief General (Arkie) Meister,
Chief Everett Ellis, and Chief Ronald Newnum.

In conclusion, I wish to thank all of these won-
derful people of the Village and Community for the
privilege of serving them for the past 50 years.

Fire Chief, Roy E. Talbott

71

Special Events

Memorial Day walking to cemetery.

Parade going to Park for the 4th of July.

72

Street fair on Vermilion
in Potomac.

73

COLONEL MARGARET HARPER DAY

The homecoming celebration of Col. Margaret
Harper was held September 15, 1963. It was spon-
sored by the Potomac Lions Club and Civic Leaders.

Col. Harper was honored that day because she
retired September 1st from the Army Nurses Corps
after almost 23 years of distinguished service. As
Chief of Anny Nurses, Col. Harper had held one of
the most honored commands in the military ser-
vices. Her retirement concluded a 4-year tour in
this post.

Under her leadership the nurse corps personnel
have made major contributions during the past 6
months of the progressive success of Operation
Nightingale, the campaign to meet the pressing
need for more Army nurses. She had a key part in
the program with speaking engagements, participa-
tion in decisive conferences and in campaign mis-
sion which gained effective results.

Margaret was born and reared in Potomac and
her mother still lived here at that time. She was
graduated from Evanston General Hospital School
of Nursing in 1934. She obtained her Bachelor and
Master of Science degrees in nursing from Columbia
University Teachers College and quahfied for an of-
ficer's commission in the Army Nurse Corps in
April. 1941.

Eighteen years later on September 1, 1959,
she assumed command as the 11th Chief of the
Corps which was established by Congress on Febru-

Chanute Band at Margaret Harper Day.

inif ru

"^^

:^

74

ary 2, 1901. No Commander of the Corps held a
higher rank than Col. Harper.

During World War II, Col. Harper sened in
the Southwest Pacific Theater as Chief Nurse of
155th Station Hospital in Australia and was based
in New Guinea. In the European Theater she served
as Chief Nurse for 123rd Evacuation Hospital and
the 1 20th Station Hospital.

She received the Bronze Star Medal and Amn'
Commendation Medal for services in World War II.
She is a member of the American Nurses Associa-
tion, the National League of Nursing and the Asso-
ciation for Military Surgeons of the United States.

This memorable day began with a parade
through the business district to the municipal park
west of town. The Fifth U. S. Army Band, the
Fifth U. S. Color Guard, 3 platoons from A and C,
troops of 1st Squadron, 106th Cavalry, National
Guard from Danville and Potomac High School
Band participated. The speakers were Brig. Gen.
Conn L. Milburn, Jr., Deputy Surgeon General of
the United States Army traveling from Washington,
D.C. with Rep. Arends and Rep. Frances P. Bolton
from Ohio's 22nd District.

R. G. Lanham, president of the Lions Club
was chairman of the event; Frank Andrews, pub-
licity; and Russell Biggs, grand parade marshal.
Many others helped with the event.

\'^^ '

i i i i U

C3I.0NCL

M*I10*«'I./S

Drum and Bugle Coit»- Margaret Harper Day.

.V!

Joe Cannon, speaker at Old Settlers reunion
at the park.

OLD SETTLERS REUNION

The first reunion was held August 19, 1885,
in the R. G. Young grove north of the present loca-
tion. Potomac was then known as Marysville. It is
said that 2,000 persons attended coming on foot,
horseback and in wagons.

There have been many distinguished speakers
over the past 66-year period: Joseph G. (Uncle Joe)
Cannon, Danville; Lee O'Neil Brown, State Repre-
sentative of Ottawa; Congressman Henry Rathbone,
Chicago; Dr. E. B. Cooley of Danville; former At-
torney General Oscar Carlstrone, Aledo; fomier
Congressman William P. Holaday of Georgetown;
former Governor Dwight H. Green; and Congress-
woman Jessie Sumner, Milford.

Mr. Hugh Luckey was president of the organ-
ization for many years. Entertainment for the day
contained speeches, music and prizes. The prizes
were awarded to the oldest lady present, the oldest
man present, the couple married the longest, the
couple with the largest family present, best looking
girl baby under 1 year, best looking boy baby un-
der 1 year, youngest twins present and the oldest
twins in attendance. This annual reunion was
sponsored by the Potomac Merchants.

1917

The July 4th celebration held at Potomac this
year was a success in every way. A large crowd was
in attendance-many coming from a great distance
to meet old friends. The people began arriving early
and at noon the grove was filled to overflowing.

75

Play at Opera House-Cora Bird, Lizzie Duncan, Bess Wallace, Rhoda Fox, ? , May Jeakins, ? , Ott
McGlaughlin, Cora Scott, Margaret Goodwine, Abbie Riegle, Zula Griffin, Esther McGlaughlin, ? ,
Thelma Bird on ciiair.

The Potomac Band furnished music for the
day and good singing was provided by local singers.
Many speakers for the day were there.

Professor Dennis of Franklin, Indiana gave 2
of as fine balloon ascensions as were ever witnessed.
Mr. Dennis has been here before and always draws
his share of attention.

The swings were going from early morning un-
til late in the evening.

The ballgame between Potomac and Oakwood
ended 30 to 0 in favor of Potomac.

The celebration this year was one of the best!

Ofnciar Ballot

Town Ticket

Town of Ff3idi3lefork

r

Republican ^ Democratic

FOR JUSTICE 0? THE PEACE FOR JUSTICE OF THE PEACE

(Vote lor Two) (Vote for Two)

I [ JOSEPH O. HOPKINS Q W. H. GRAY

D

a

FOR CONSTABLE

( VoU for Two)

QlwM. 0. CABTER

a

FOR CONSTABLE

(Vote for Two)

r] L. C WILLIAMS

D -- - -

CARNIVAL LICENSE REVOKED

--July 16, 1917

A small carnival arrived in Potomac Monday
and started business on the Smith lot south of the
depot. It was doing a small business in the first few
days, but Thursday morning a couple of the mem-
bers disagreed and engaged in a fistic combat in
front of the hotel to decide their argument. One of
them was arrested and fined, but the other made
his escape. The village board then revoked their li-
cense and ordered them to quit business here.

About the only thing that the company car-
ried that seemed to do any business was their swing
and dance hall. Several funny experiences have
been reported from the dance hall. It is said that
one married man almost tore up the back end of
the tent in escaping when his wife appeared on the
scene looking for him. At the time of her arrival, he
was dancing with one of the girls connected with
the carnival; hence, his hasty departure. It is also
said that she didn't see him before his departure
and that he beat her home, then when she arrived,
she was given an awful call-down for being out so
late at the carnival.

orFiliSictes

CAN be CURED.

Ws wiH SF-XD FRCE hr
man a lii-Ec TRIAL BOnXE;

alsp, a trcTlise en Epilepsy. DON'^

EUFl'ER ANY LONGER! Give Post Of-
fice, "^Late and County, and Age plaioty.
JJJre^s, THE HALL CHEMICAL CO.,

SUGif fr'ajMJicii&t Avenue, Pluiadciphia,FA*

76

Opganizaiions

Memorial Day- 1965: Charies Remole, Vivian
Hoth. Bobby Cox, Don Doran, George
Save Allen, Lee Musser, Delbert Remole, Guy
Judy, Curry, Voss Zeb Wise, Carl Talbott.

AMERICAN LEGION POST NO. 428

American Legion Post No. 428 was chartered
Jan. 12, 1920, with 15 members. Joe Moss was the
first Commander. Roy Lowe was Adjutant. The
Post carried that name of Steadman Post from the
G. A. R. days. Then after World War II the name
was changed to "Harry Carpenter" in memory of
Harry Carpenter, who lost his Hfe February 5, 1918
when the transport ship "Tusconis" was torpedoed
near the coast of Ireland. April of 1945 the Post
Commander Fred Bennett and Leland Musser,
Adjutant had an all time high of 81 members. The
first Post was on State Street and then later moved
to the location on Grant Street. During World War
II we lost 6 boys. Then again in the Vietnam Con-
flict, we lost 1 -David Judy. Of that first Charter,
there are still 2 members-Leland Mersser and

Thomas Baker.

ORGANIZATIONS- 1952

Amvet Auxiliary Intermediate Class-First Methodist Church

Lions Club Potomac Junior Woman's Club

The Royal Neighbors The WSCS @ Ladies Aid-EUB Church

Faithful Workers Class-Church of Clirist The JoUy Euchre Club

Potomac Woman's Civic Club Artesia Chapter No. 1 27 OES

p J A. K.um Duble Class-Methodist Church

The Masons Town Board

The Artesia Past Matron's Club Potomac American Legion

American Legion Auxiliary The Amvets

Potomac Home Bureau

Boy Scouts

AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY

The American Legion Auxiliary charter was
issued April 14, 1922, with 15 members. Mrs. Re-
becca Blackford was the first President. The Auxil-
iary served the V. A. Hospital at Danville as well as
working in County, District, State and National
projects. The auxiliary was found to aid the Amer-
ican Legion in their peacetime program service to
America. The unit sponsors poppy sales, collects
coupons for equipment, and takes part in the 7-
point program. Presently there are 35 senior mem-
bers and 5 junior members. There are 15 charter
members who held continuous membership from
the duplicate charter in Dec. 1, 1945. Gold Star
mothers are Maxine Lee Martin and Dora Burton.
The unit has always had 100% quota in member-
ship.

Woman's Club of Potomac

77

POTOMAC WOMAN'S CIVIC CLUB

Potomac Woman's Civic Club was organized
in March 4, 1939, in the home of Mrs. Nelle Stone,
as the Jr. Woman's Club with Mary Lucky as the
first president. It was federated with the state dis-
trict in 1939, and with the General Federation of
Women's Club in 1945. On June 2. 1950, it was
revised to the Civic Club.

The club filled many needs in the community.
It provided books and equipment for the town lib-
rary. It also contributed to all federated works such
as scholarships. Veterans Affairs, U. S. O., Cancer,
Red Cross, Girl Scouts, Little League. It sent high
school students to music and art camps, and spon-
sored hot lunch program at the grade school. The
ladies have always worked in all community pro-
jects such as helping to buy the old grade school
building, building of tennis courts, dug-outs for
Little League, movies, and swimming lessons.

Back in '39 their Motto was, "Work with a
construction crew, not a wrecking crew." Club
flower— yellow rose, Club colors— yellow and white.
Mrs. Leland Kinney is the current president. We
have 33 members with 4 of those being charter
members.

THE POTOMAC LIONS CLUB

By: Norval Burke

The Potomac Lions Club was sponsored by
the Gibson City Lions Club. Twenty-five members
signed the charter on August 10, 1931. Lions In-
ternational sent Howard Chapel to Potomac to as-
sist in organizing the club. I worked with Mr. Chap-
el in the organizing of the club, but without the
help of George Reinhardt, Jesse Stone, Albert Rice,
Uley Goodwine, Fred Duncan and others it would
not have been possible to organize the club.

We held our Charter Nite at the Potomac U.
B. Church, with District Governor Mark H. Whit-
meyer of Peoria presenting the club the pins and
charter. Donald Farnsworth played a trombone
solo at this meeting.

The original charter members are as follows:
Norval Burke, George Reinhardt, Albert Rice, J. A.
Blackford, Chas. Jester, U. S. Goodwine, L. C. Wil-
liams, Louis Pinno, Paul Saunders, P. G. Batty, J. C.
Alexander, Jesse Stone, Elmer Moreland, Alva

Montgomery, Bruce Harper, Palmer Smith, D. S.
Cossairt, Hiram E. Ogle, George L. Hanson, W. H.
Goodwine, Curtis Alexander, A. H. Wood, Fred
Duncan, P. E. Reigle, and K. A. Harper.

The first-year officers of the club were: Presi-
dent Norval Burke; 1st Vice, J. A. Blackford; 2nd
Vice, Albert Rice; 3rd Vice, P. C. Smith; Secretary,
Charles Jester; Treasurer, U. S. Goodwine; Lion
Tamer, L. C. Williams; Tail Twister, Louis Pinno;
Directors— Paul Saunders, P. G. Batty, K. A. Harper
and J. C. Alexander.

Through the years the club has engaged in
numerous community activities:

In 1931, they provided 15 destitute families
with large baskets of provisions at Christmas time,
and toys for the children of 35 families.

In 1933, a cheese factory was secured for Po-
tomac. In 1937, due to the close work of the club
with Federal Representative Jame Meeks, and the
extra effort of Lion Jesse Stone, Potomac was able
to secure federal aid to build the high school build-
ing we are now using.

In 1941, the Potomac Club held their tenth
anniversary at the high school, with Melvin Jones,
the founder of The International Association of
Lions Clubs as the guest of honor.

They sponsored a bond issue to purchase land
west of town for the Community Park, built by
WPA labor. During World War II they were active
in Bond Drives, USO, and set up a lighted Military
Honor Roll.

In 1950, the club was successful in securing
a doctor for the town— Dr. Agusti.

In 1953, the club donated $300 to the high
school band for uniforms.

The club gives an annual award to the out-
standing boy and girl high school graduate.

They donated $390 to help pay for a school
flasher signal.

In 1963, they sponsored Margaret Harper Day,
honoring her retirement from the aiTny. Margaret
was the first woman to receive the rank of Colonel
in the army. The Fifth Army Band was here and a
lot of Top Brass.

The club's regular projects are: furnishing eye
glasses to school children whose parents are unable
to buy them, in the schools at Potomac, Armstrong
and Newtown; contributing to Leader Dog, Hadley
School for the blind, furnishing white canes, pur-
chasing tape recorder for a blind high school stu-
dent at Armstrong, buying a Braille Machine for
the school for the blind in Champaign, refreshment
stand building, basketball court in the David Judy
Park, and it goes on and on.

The Potomac Lions Club sponsored the fol-
lowing clubs: Bismarck, Georgetown and Hoopes-
ton (with Danville).

78

POTOMAC JUNIOR WOMEN'S CLUB

Potomac Junior Women's Club was formed in
1950, when the Women's Club of Potomac split in-
to 3 groups. Phyllis McBroom was our first presi-
dent, and Cheri Gallivan is our present president.
The local club was affiliated with the Illinois Fed-
eration of Women's Club until April of 1972.

For some time we have participated in the Ju-
bilee sponsored by the Community Council.

In January of 1971, the club started a project
that took nearly 3'/2 years to complete. The project
was a renovation of the Pubhc Library. We painted
and carpeted, and bought a drop box for the books.

In March of 1974, we were asked to help the
Blood Mobile come to Potomac for the first time.
In March of 1975, we had taken the Blood Mobile
as a club project. This is a very time-consuming
project, and we would not have been able to do the
job we have done without the help and cooperation
of the community, the doners, the churches and
the many organizations. This is truly a community
project.

In September of 1975, we were asked to spon-
sor the newly organized Brownie-Girl Scout troop.
We are proud to help all we can. We are proud to
be an active part of the Potomac Community in
this our Centennial Year.

POTOMAC WOMAN'S CLUB

In the month of October, 1914, a group of
women met and organized a club. The purpose of
this club was education for better living and a wish
to do bigger and better things for the community.
They adopted a few by-laws. They had about 25
members.

Estella Moreland was elected their first presi-
dent and served 4 different terms. They chose the
name of "Domestic Science Club." Their fiower
was the carnation; the colors, pink and white.
Their pledge was "We pledge ourselves to loyalty
to each other and to the best interest of the club."

In 1915, the club became district federated,
and since they were the only club in Potomac, they
were called "The Potomac Woman's Club." They
had spiritual programs, debates, needlecraft, music
and drama at their meetings.

In 1916, the club became state federated. The
collect was adopted and repeated at each meeting.
Lena Smith was elected president for the county.
Josie Stone was later elected.

In 1931, the club became county federated,
and in 1954, the pledge of allegiance was adopted
and "under God" was added and repeated at each
meeting.

In 1955, at the home of Hazel Montgomery
the club celebrated forty years membership with a
special program. Four charter members were pres-
ent. They told of experiences they had while they
were president.

Our club is now 60 years old and we have ac-
complished many worthwhile projects. We have had
105 members, 33 presidents and 33 members who
have passed away.

The club became general federated in 1 946.

COMMUNITY COUNCIL

The idea for a council started at a meeting of
Potomac Woman's Civic Club in October of 1958.
In the year of 1959, the Community Council was
born. The presidents and project committees of 5
civic service groups met and started the council.
The councils first president was Dorsey McBroom.
It is now Roger Fruhling.

Potomac's Community Council has made a gi-
gantic contribution to Potomac's community life.
Cooperation of organizations and individuals have
made it all possible, but none of it could have been
without competent leadership. Council presidents
spend more time than anyone realizes on commun-
ity work that pays no salary other than the satis-
faction of a job well done.

THE POTOMAC HOMEMAKERS

The Potomac Home Bureau Unit was organ-
ized in 1933 with Mrs. Katherine Barstead Kraut
serving as the first chairman. (Due to the fact that
our records of the meetings from 1933-1936 were
destroyed, our early history of the Unit is some-
what limited.) In 1936, there were 33 members on
the roll. In 1938, the Unit received a loving cup
for gaining 16 new members and dropping no mem-
bers. As of January, 1976, we have 25 active mem-
bers and 2 sustaining (inactive) members. There
has been a total of approximately 193 women in
the Unit over the past 43 years.

The first meetings were held in the homes of
the members, then moved to the grade school, later
to the library and then back into the homes again.

Members of the local unit that have served on
the County Board include Mrs. Lida Stephens, Mrs.
Edythe McConnell, Mrs. Lilah Voss, Mrs. Dorothy
Davis and Mrs. Jean Davis.

One of the outreaches of the Home Bureau
is the sponsoring of the local 4-H Clubs. The first
4-H Club was organized in 1937 with Mrs. Faye
Cossairt as our first 4-H Chairman. Mrs. Marilyn

79

Hoshauer is presently serving as 4-H leader to the
"Helpful Homemakers" with 1 6 members enrolled.

In 1939, the Unit sponsored a Library for
adults and children which opened on September 8,
1939. The Unit was granted the use of the Village
Hall for this purpose. The library was a WPA proj-
ect, with the members of the Unit doing the paint-
ing, making the drapes, etc. Bookcases were loaned
by the high school board, 150 books were donated
by the WPA, over 100 books were donated by Mrs.
Fontella Crouch Wood of Chicago, and a set of
McGuffey Readers was donated by Henry Ford.

In February, 1962, the name of the organiza-
tion was changed from Home Bureau to Vermilion
County Home Economics Extension Service. As a
member, the Potomac Homemakers Unit has co-
operated in every way by participating in such di-
verse projects as serving lunch at the State Com
Husking Contest, baking 86 dozen cookies for the
U. S. O., "Christmas in October", and helping with
the Eastern Illinois Fair. Other activities include a
vision and hearing clinic and a diabetes clinic.

One goal of the Homemakers is thinking of
others. Ways we have done this are by dressing dolls
for the Salvation Army (1962), making bibs for the
Gifford nursing home (1972), and collecting col-
ored bottles for V. A. craft projects. (1972)

In 1965-66, the Unit won a certificate from

the Cancer Association for accomplishing their
"Pap" test goal.

Sixty-three persons received certificates for
completing the Defensive Driving Course which the
Unit sponsored in 1968.

Participation in community activities include
contributions to the March of Dimes, Cancer Fund,
and Community Council. In 1971, we began the
tradition of sponsoring a "Bake-Off at the annual
Community Jubilee.

Homemakers have been busy over the last 43
years learning everything from child care to inter-
ior decorating to food preparation to financial plan-
ning to energy conservation as early as 1945. Less
intellectual, but more fun "busy-ness" has been
handkerchief showers, silent auctions, traveling
bake sales, galloping teas, a sink contest, and the
selling of napkins, cookbooks and tri-sodium phos-
phate.

Current officers for 1975-76 are Chairman,
Mrs. Cheryl Cornell; First Vice-Chairman, Mrs.
Rheta Forrest; Second Vice-Chairman, Mrs. Carol
Addams; Secretary, Mrs. Karen Kennel; and Treas-
urer, Mrs. Sara Miles. Three current members that
have been members for 25 years or longer: namely,
Mrs. Anne Prillaman, Mrs. Minerva Hulse and Mrs.
Emma Alice Leonard.

A group of 28 men of this vicinity have banded themselves together in a "Dewey Mustachio Club" and
vowed to grow larger and better Mustaches until their favorite is elected to the White House. Confident that
their hero will carry the G.O.P. banner to victory in Tuesday's election they have their razors honed and the
mugs full of foam ready to off their extra attire on Wednesday. However should their color bearer fail in
his endeavor to reach to the White House they are pledged to keep their lip adornment in good trim for a-
nother four years. Cabinet members, left to right seated are: Vice-President, Elza Bales; President, Dave
Spain; Secretary-Treasurer, Richard G. Lanham; Frank Sollars and Boyd Dennison. Standing— Buck Spain,
Japies Carpenter, Mark Judy, Jess Spain, Curtis D. Jameson, Hobert Reeves, and Wilbur Spain.

80

R.N. A. Convention, 1951— Front row neighbors: Hazel Musser, Eileen Qaytor,. Grace Tressner, Deputy— Laura B. Strong-
man, Decatur, IL, Supervisor— Tillie Albrecht, Champaign, IL, Oracle— Myrtle Anderson, County Oracle— Opal Hudson,
Elsie Behimer, Ella Creighton, Gladys Spain. Back row neighbors: Marjorie Burroughs, Thelma Auten, Lena Pierce, Lula
Mae Clem, Mabel VanNess, Jewell Tressner, Charlotte Musser, Margie Clementz, Mildred Hoshauer, Ruth Hudson, Can-
Imogene Hoshauer, Edith G. Duncan, Edith Morgan, Blanch Nelson, Clarice Morrison, Lilah Voss, Vada Hansen, Eva Watfroo.

ROYAL NEIGHBORS FRATERNAL

Royal Neighbors of America— Camp Number
2877, located in Potomac, Illinois was instituted
February 28, 1906, making it one of the oldest
fraternities in town. Names appearing on the R. N.
Charter are: Oscar G. Baril, Lillian M. & John W.
Brindley, Catherine H. Cossairt, Emma Knott, Mary
Lucky, Julia L. Magruder, C. C. Ransom, Jessie N.
Roe, Otto B. Furrow, Earnest R. Duncan, Abbie
D. Riegle, Minnie H. Seymour, Lulu Sperry, Emma

Wilson. As of now Myrtle Anderson is the oldest
member. She is 91 years young, and was recorder
for 7 years.

The order meets once a month in neighbors'
homes and has a social hour of playing bingo. We
have 140 paying members. Oracle for 1976-77 is
Mildred Curtis. In all those years there have been
only 5 recorders with Edith Hall doing it today.

ORDER OF THE EASTERN STAR

On September, 1888, Deputy Grand Patron
W. A. Aldrich announced the object of the meeting
and administered an obligation to the following
brother Master Masons and their wives: Brother C.
E. Pressey and wife Emily L. Pressey, A. B. Tilton
and wife Lizzie Tilton, J. A. Littler and wife Mary
A. Littler, Samuel Flaningam and wife Jennie Flan-
ingam, G. C. Howard and wife Emma Howard, T.
W. Buckingham and wife W. A. Buckingham, Sister
Christine Doney and Nannie Griffith. The dispen-
sation was read and the chapter was then instituted.
This was the beginning of the Order of the Eastern

Star of Potomac, Illinois.

W. O. Butler, the Grand Patron, signed and
sealed this dispensation on the 21st of September,
1888. At this time it was resolved that the name
of the chapter would be Artesia. Then the process
of recording all the By-Laws of the chapter was be-
gun and completed on October 3rd, 1888. The
building is still in good shape and the one major re-
pair to it occurred in 1971 when the west wall had
to be completely re-done since it had collapsed
from a lot of rain leaking through. The organiza-
tion has gone on all these years because of the loy-

alty of its members. The present Worthy Mason
and Worthy Patron is Mary Lou Dishman and hus-
band WiUiam Dishman. A special note to this his-
tory is the fact that there are 15 living 50-year
members today. That is a very special honor in
itself.

EVENTS OF INTEREST

THAT OCCURRED DURING THE
PAST WEEK.

POTOMAC MASONIC LODGE NO. 782

The Potomac Masonic Lodge No. 782 was
chartered in Chicago on October 6, 1887, by the
Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and
Accepted Masons of the State of lUinois, with the
following members: F. P. French, A. B. Tilton,
J. A. Littler, Marion Goodwine, J. D. Anderson,
E. A. Brown, C. E. Pressey, T. W. Buckingham,
George E. Grays, H. Radermacher, P. F. Oliver,
Guy C. Howard, G. White, L. H. Griffith, C. G.
Miles, J. W. Terpening, J. E. Copeland, M. C. Don-
ey, George A. May, C. A. Jameson, B. D. Wise,
Fred Bass, J. E. P. Butz, John Coon, George W.
Luckey, Thompson Roe, A. M. Parker, David H.
Cade, F. A. CoUison, Barton Evers and Rigdon
Potter.

Brother F. P. French served as the first Wor-
shipful Master, A. B. Tilton was Senior Warden and
J. A. Littler was Junior Warden.

The first Masonic Lodge met upstairs in the
building located on the southeast comer of the
main intersection in Potomac. This same lodge
room was used by the Knights of Pythias Lodge.

In a stated meeting on October 26, 1905, a
committee was appointed to secure a lodge room
from Dr. L. C. Messner for $75 per year for 5
years. The lodge moved to this location on the
northwest comer of the main intersection on Jan-
uary 1, 1906 where it still meets regularly on the
second and fourth Thursdays of each month.

Repairing and remodeling to the Temple has
been done on a number of occasions during the
years, including extensive work on the lodge room
in 1929, when the walls were papered, a new carpet
was laid and the first electric lesser lights were pur-
chased. The Lodge purchased the Temple in 1960,
and again extensive remodeling was done over the
next several years with the ehminating of coal
stoves and the additions of restrooms. The most re-
cent improvements were made during 1975, when
the walls were painted and an air conditioner was
installed in the north wall. A new carpet was laid
in the lodge room as a gift from Alva H. Montgom-
ery, Sr., who was a Past Master of Potomac Lodge
and a fifty-year member of this lodge at the time
of his death.

The living fifty-year members of Potomac
Lodge are: Lester M. Burd, Wayne B. Hoskins, Wal-
ter S. Parrish, Sr., Louis H. Pinno, Glenn H. Sey-
mour, Alvin G. Luckey, Dewey Foster and Joseph
W. Kieser.

The Past Masters of Potomac Masonic Lodge
No. 782 and years they served are:

T. P. French- 1887, 1888, 1889; J. A. Lit-
tler- 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1896, 1897, 1902,
1903; L. D. Oberlin-1894, 1895; A. M. Johnson-
1898, 1899, 1900; A. Sperry- 1901, 1905; H. M.
Luckey-1904, 1906, 1908, 1910, 1911, 1915,
1918; W. H. Gray-1907; J. F. Payne-1909; J. C.
Moss-1912, 1913, 1914; D. S. Cossairt- 1916,
1920, 1929, 1930, 1945: C. H. Jester- 1917, W. H.
Moyer-1919; J. A. Blackford- 1921; E. J. Wise-
1922; Lester M. Burd- 1923, 1931; K. A. Harper-
1924; Alva H. Montgomery- 1925; E. J. Smith-
1926; D. E. Goodwine- 1927; Frank McCormick-
1928; Z. H. Wise- 193 2; Louis H. Pinno- 1933;
F. B. King- 1934; Homer E. Butz- 193 5; Walter

B. Cooper-1936; 1943; Amiel Beck-1937;William
Jameson-1938, 1939; H. G. Lanham-1940; A. H.
Morrison- 1941; Cari Walters- 1942; F. M. John-
son-1944; Bert Hall-1946; Griffith Johnson-
1947; Walter Cossett-1948; G. M. aaytor-1949;
W. D. Redman-1950; M. B. Duncan-1953; D. E.
Farnsworth-1954; Wilbur Arford-1955; Gene
King-1956; Robert Beck, Jr.- 1 957 ; Norval Burke
-1958; Lyle Hamilton- 1959; Chester Powell-
1960; Homer Davis- 1961; Harold Kile- 1962; Ev-
erett Ellis- 1963; Thomas Hawkins- 1964; Gilbert
H. Pugh-1965; Mason Burd- 1966; John G. Jibben
-1967; Donald G. Davis- 1968; James King- 1969;
Richard Jameson- 1970; John R. Lane- 1971; Don-
ald W. Davis- 1972; Harry C. Kuchenbrod-1973,
1975; Donald E. Doran-1974.

The officers for 1976 are: Alva H. Montgom-
ery, Jr., Worshipful Master; John R. Lane, Senior
Warden: Ronald L. Ogburn, Junior Warden; Harry

C. Kuchenbrod, Treasurer; Donald W. Davis, Sec-
retary; Chester Powell, Chaplain; Norval Burke,
Senior Deacon; John Grant, Junior Deacon; Wilbur
Arford, Senior Stewart; Chester Atchison, Junior
Stewart; Bert Knoll, Marshall; Donald Doran, Tyler.

82

LODGE DIRECTORY- 1897

Potomac Lodge No. 782 A. F. & A. M.; 2nd

and 4th Thursday of each month at City Hall; J. A.
Littler W. M.; M. L. Flannigan, Secretary.

Artisia Chapter No. 127; 1st and 3rd Friday
of each month at City Hall; Mrs. Lizzie Tilton
W. M.; T. W. Buckingham W. P.; Mrs. CoUison, Sec-
retary.

Monte Cristo Lodge No. 470 K of P; Wednes-
day night of each week at City Hall; W. T. Bucking-
ham C. C; E. T. Jester of Rand S.

Latta Rebekah Lodge No. 292; Saturday night
of each week in J. H. Griggs Hall; Allie McCombs,
N. B.; Menta Flaningan, Secretary.

Middlefork Lodge No. Ill I. O. O. F.; meets
Tuesday night of each week in J. H. Griggs Hall;
Walter Pilkenton, N. G.; W. L. Bentley, Secretary.

Artesian Comp No. 678, M. W. A.; meets Mon-
day night of each week in J. H. Griggs Hall; Wm.
Gray V. C; C. G. Layton, Secretary.

Potomac Lodge No. 889 L O. G. T.; meets
every Tuesday night in City Hall; Elmer Moreland,
C. T.; Clyde Buckingham, Secretary.

Potomac Court of Honor No 238, meets at
City Hall 2nd and 4th Friday of each month; W. L.
Bentley, S. C; Lew Oberling, Secretary.

Middlefork Minute Men: meets 4th Saturday
of each month; H. L. Terpening and John Duncan,
Secretary.

Steadman Post No. 252 G. A. R.; meets each
2nd and 4th Saturday in each month at City Hall;
Charles Ingersol, Commander.

Ohvas

83

Disasi^ers

High water over pavement south of Potomac, March 12, 1939.

Flood of April 20th, 1964.

84

FLOOD

SNOW AND ICE

The Middlefork River runs along the south
edge of Potomac and every once in awhile it does
flood. Back in 1939, as the picture shows, it was up
to the very edge of the town. No homes were
flooded, but it was awhile before it went down.
Most of the time the river runs serenely along, but
at times of heavy rainfalls, it, too, can go on a ram-
page. In the last 20 years it has seen many a heavy
rainfall and the streets have been flooded, but by
morning everything is nmning smoothly again.
Right now they're putting in new sewers and curb-
ing so that should take care of the heavy rainfalls.

Snowstorm of February, 1964.

Heavy snows and teeth-chattering tempera-
tures are not uncommon in this area, and may have
occurred more often in the "olden days," but
there was not quite the inconvenience then, be-
cause people could stay at home and wait until
such time as the roads were cleared or they could
get out with horse drawn sleds or on foot. With
modem vehicles, and electric homes, a blizzard or
ice storm paralyzes traffic and makes cold homes.

The ice storms of '59 and '67 both crippled
Potomac. It was lucky for the ones who didn't have
to travel out of town, but it was cold trying to
work in the unheated businesses. Few trucks got
into town with bread and milk.

In 1964, a snowstorm hit on a Saturday
night coming from the northeast. The viaduct over
on Route 136 was full-traffic couldn't move. The
deep drifts made travel impossible and schools were
closed. Service stations were busy with calls for
towing service, tires, chains and batteries.

In '65, we had another snowstorm on Feb-
ruary 25th, and we couldn't get out of town for 2
days. I remember Bill Downing cleaned the street
past our home 2 times a day-it kept blowing full
again.

Even today the mention of an ice storm or
big snow causes families to clean the grocery shelf
of bread and milk. The ice storm in Jan. of '76 was
bad, but not enough to cut off electrical power.

GROWING OLD

When I was young, my slippers were red,
And I could kick as high as my head.

As older I grew, my slippers were blue.
Couldn't kick as high as I used to do.

EARTHQUAKE

Now I am old, my slippers are black.

I walk to the comer, and slowly walk back.

In April of 1967, everyone was working as
usual when about 1 1 :00 A.M. everything began to
shake and rattle on the walls and shelves. It lasted
about 1 minute, but it was an experience a person
wouldn't forget in a lifetime.

Imagine Central Illinois having an earthquake!
That's what shook Potomac that beautiful sun-
shiny morning.

How do I know my youth is all spent?

Why, my get-up-and-go has all got up and went.

But I shed not a tear as I think with a grin
Of all the grand places my get-up has been.

- -Alfred Talbot

85

POTOMAC CEMETERY

The land for the cemetery was donated by
Morehead and Luckey and this is Morehead 1st
Addition. Mary Luckey donated the land for Luck-
ey 2nd and 3rd Addition and Mr. Rice for the 4th
Addition.

In days when this was first beginning, the lots
were sold at a very low price and the graves were
dug by neighbors and friends. Then in 1900, Frank
Golliday began to do digging and take care of
people's lots for a small fee. After his passing on,
Bert Moore was caretaker for several years. In
1949, Harold Boggess began working and has taken
care of it fo ""years.

WALLACE CHAPEL CEMETERY

Wallace Chapel Cemetery was older than the
church. Several stones date back to 1853. Many
Civil War Veterans are buried here.

THE INGERSOLL CEMETERY

The IngersoU Cemetery is along the creek
bank northwest of town located on the James Par-
sons' land.

Harold Boggess-Caretaker

86

Those Good Ole Days

I TOO RECALL THE "GOOD. OLE DAYS"

Ruth Davis Nash

My mother, Mary Jane Foreman, and baby
brother were brought by her father in a covered
wagon from Ohio to the Sugar Grove area near Pen-
field to hve with her grandparents following the
death of their mother. Mother was eighteen months
old at the time. In 1883, her grandparents moved to
Potomac. In 1887, she was married to George Wash-
ington Davis and lived in the same home where she
reared 5 children. He was bom in Bean Creek area,
1 of 1 1 children. Nelle Messner and Grant Layton,
their friends, were married the same day. Being
neighbors across the alley complicated things so
neither could attend the other's nuptials.

As long as I could remember, my mother sewed
for people, charging $1.00 for a dress and 25^ for
shortening men's pants. Often it was my duty to car-
ry notes to slow payers asking for the small fees. I
used to watch my mother make newspaper and
brown paper patterns for several extra-large ladies
she sewed for. She made baby clothes for Mrs. John
Goodwine for Wayne.

In the early 1900's, gypsies hit Potomac and
the kids all high-tailed it for home for fear the ro-
ving tribes would catch them. Tomatoes, vegetables
and poultry were watched because these were the
snitches.

My Dad was a lover of the outdoors and he used
to take my brother Harold and me for long walks
in the woods and down the railroad and across the
bridges.

Fourth of July and Old Settlers Reunions were
great days with the merry-go-round, ferris wheel,
stands, bands, programs and fireworks. Too, there
was the Jerry Butz fish pond at the east edge of Po-
tomac— a pond with fish and ducks, surrounded by
peonies and benches all enclosed with a fence and a
gate, a great place to rest.

Mr. Butz was the grandfather of the well-
known VanDoren boys: Carl, a writer, Paul and
Charles, $64,000 Question Program.

I recall my friends Robert and Kate Young
who kept school teachers, sold milk, owned a meat
market, butchered his own animals, gave liver and
cracklings away and sold steak at 25^ a pound-
enough for a meal for five. Mr. Young also in his
younger days fed cattle for Abraham Mann near

Rossville. Kate was the daughter of Benjamin Frank-
lin of Myersville. He hand dug our well and they say
he almost drowned because the water came in too
fast.

John Payne and wife had a general store and by
helping them, my brothers and I were able to con-
tribute to our family food supply. Dad died in 1 9 1 2,
and we all had to pitch in. We got 25(^ an hour. The
store had delivery service— a big box type wagon
pulled by a horse. I recall the time the horse ran off
and my brother Floyd came home in a bad humor.
Allie Morrison also was a delivery boy. Uncle Merrill
Jameson, Hazel Alexander, Louise Watters, Mable
Payne, my two brothers and I were the working crew
at the store.

At the age of? I got the scarlet fever bug.
Mother and I were in quarantine, so we had to have
one of the first phones. It had a big old box below to
hold the batteries. Ours was number 1 1. Our doctor
was S. Cossairt. He almost always came in wearing a
raincoat.

The old Opera House had its heydays: road
shows like medicine shows, home talent plays,
school plays, sales and dances— quite a place of en-
joyment. I was working at Payne's store and took
off time to go to a children's day program at the
church.

To my memory, the outstanding speechmaker
was none other than Curtis J. Ermentrout. I can see
him yet, newly starched blouse, tie and knee pants,
walking upon the stage, red-faced and cheeks puffed
out like a turkey cock. After a minute or two of
silence, he came forth with, "I guess I can't say it!"
which was hilarious and, to this day, sometimes it's
best not to speak our piece.

THE CHRISTENING OF OLD BEAN CREEK

Peculiar Yarn by an Early Settler Led to Changing

Of Name of East Branch of Creek

(Press-Democrat Special)

Potomac, 111., Nov. 7- The eastern branch of
the Middlefork, known in the early days as SuUivan's

Compliments of Russell and Kathleen Biggs

87

branch, but since 1 85 1 known by its present appella-
tion of Bean Creek, received this mid-century re-
christening as the result of a strange tale told by one
of the early settlers, Albright by name. While Al-
bright's stories were of such magnitude that he could
not be accused of trying to deceive anyone, he was
regarded with some horrorby the more religious old
ladies of the early pioneer days. They are said, how-
ever, to have delighted in repeating some of his stor-
ies.

According to Albright's story, told among res-
idents of other parts of the country where he visited,
the people who lived near him along the banks of
the creek might be likened to the wandering tribes
of Israel. In their manner of sustaining life. "Way,"
said the pioneer Aesop, "the stream flows bean
soup, and the banks along the stream are bordered
by a thick growth of this nutricious vegetable, ready
baked to a most appetizing grown for the table. We
just naturally go out and collect it every day, except
Sundays, as the wandering tribes of Israel gathered
manna in the wilderness. I was at first surprised at
finding such delicious baked beans on every table
when I passed through that country buying steers.

but that was easily explained when I learned from
whence they came." The yam was enough to give
the name to the stream.

In regard to some other locality he used to tell
that when he one night remained with his men, he
slept in the house and they in the bam. During the
night, so he told, the bedbugs rolled him over and
over until he thought to escape them by seeking
shelter in the bam. Starting for the stable, he heard
a terrible noise, resembhng the roar and clatter of
an old-fashioned threshing machine. Hastening into
the doorway, he found his men engaged in a battle
with an army of fleas which had made the bam their
home. And yet they say that the early settlers were
up against such stem facts that they had no chance
to develop their imaginations.

The land along Bean Creek was well adapted to
cattle-grazing, and many of the earlier settlers
entered every foot of it at that time obtainable, and
later became rich from the sale of cattle. The land
is today among the most valuable tracts in the
county, but it can truly be said that never has a man
with the Albright type of imagination been pro-
duced there.

Bean Creek School

»»

Comnliments of Bob and Lois Keal

BLUE GRASS

Written by: Gladys Auth Judy, Ruby Crawford
Judy and Martha Judy Day

History tells us that Blue Grass began the same
year as Chicago. It was located on what was known
as the old Attica Trail.

The country was all open prairie with lots of
swampy land; consequently, hordes of mosquitos
and malaria in hot weather.

Some of the early settlers around Blue Grass
were Nicholas Judy and family Vz mile east.

They were the parents of Gabe Judy, Isaac
Judy and Ambrose Judy. Ambrose Judy founded
the "Judy School" in later years 1 mile south of
Blue Grass. A McDonald family lived on east of
the Judys.

To the west were Abraham Talbott, Cordell
family, Goetschies and David Judy (my grandfa-
ther). Three miles west of Blue Grass was my Great
Grandfather Wright.

In Blue Grass were Wilsons, Pilkingtons, Fur-
rows, Schnelles, Sollars and Artongs.

The Judys, Wrights and Talbotts came from
West Virginia. Nicholas Judy and Great Grandfath-
er Wright came in the year 1852. All of these
people, no doubt, came by covered wagon.

My father WiUiam G. Judy was bom IVz miles
west of Blue Grass in 1 870.

These people, and more, would come on horse-
back and on foot for their mail at the Blue Grass
Post Office. No doubt they bought what supplies
necessary there, as there was at least one general
store.

At one time there were 2 blacksmith shops
and several houses and the school house.

A large two-story square house on the south-
west comer was owned by a Pilkington family.
We were told it was a hotel-probably called an Inn
at that time. To the west of that was the general
store. Then farther south was the John Artong
home.

Mr. Artong had a blacksmith shop on the
southeast comer and as late as 1908 to 1910 Mr.
Artong would set the tires on wagons and buggies,
repair and make machinery, sharpen plow shares,
make wagon tongues, and double trees, and shoe
horses as needed. There was no mechanical machin-
ery or automobiles at that time.

On the far northwest was an empty black-
smith building then belonging to the Nichols. Mr. &
Mrs. Nichols had 4 children: Tom, Oscar, Linnie
(Dade to us) and Orrel (or Babe).

The schoolhouse was in the northeast comer
of Blue Grass. It was a one-room building with a
pot-bellied stove in the middle of the floor and a
row of seats and desks on each side. The ones near
the stove cooked, and the ones far away froze in
cold weather.

My father, my brothers and sisters, and I, also
my 3 older children attended school in this build-
ing.

Just before Christmas in 1935, the old build-
ing caught fire and bumed to the ground. Fortun-
ately for the teacher and pupils, the building
bumed at night.

There were 30 or more pupils attending so
arrangements had to be made to finish the term.

The school directors (School Board now)
went to Danville to the C & E I railroad shops and
bought a caboose which was moved to the school
grounds. The pupils finished out the term in that
and by the time school started in the fall, a new,
(what was then) modem building had been built
with basement and a furnace.

That school was used until only 2 pupils were
left in the district. Those pupils were bussed to Po-
tomac Grade School.

Edmond Butz was the teacher when the
school bumed. The building was sold for a dwel-
ling house to Mr. & Mrs. Gordon Talbott and has
since been remodeled and presently owned and
lived in by Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Rumble and family.

On the northwest comer, the Bob Spain fam-
ily have a home.

The rest of Blue Grass is farm ground at the
present time.

REMEMBER . . .

There was a Klu Klux Klan formed in Poto-
mac by a man by the name of Clint Rice who was
the Grand Dragon They bumed a cross west of
town and one at the cemetery. They had white
masks on their heads and faces and white robes
draped around them. They formed a vigalanti
group and people were afraid of them. It did not
last long and they soon disbanded.

The present "squaw" winter put a decided
stop to garden making-May 7, 1897.

Compliments of Village Discount

89

A BIT OF HISTORY

By Ruby Judy

Potomac has been the hometown of my fam-
ily of my family for more than 100 years. My
Great Grandfather Josiah Crawford settled in Ill-
inois in 1836 on the Danville road. He frequently
went to Chicago with a team and produce and re-
turned with salt. There was at this time only 1
house between his and Chicago.

His son, our Grandfather William Crawford
and family lived on a farm on the "eight mile" as it
was then called (east of Potomac and northeast of
Jamesburg).

We have heard through the years that Grand-
father Crawford saw Abe Lincoln. He went to Mat-
toon to hear him speak.

When our father, Jesse J. Crawford and moth-
er, Lola Caton Crawford were married in 1892,
they went to housekeeping on a fami about 2
miles northeast of Jamesburg. I was the first child.
Ruby, and then my sister Nelle and brother Carroll
were bom in that home. A few years later in 1 899,
my father had the idea of moving to Potomac and
mnning a Livery Stable. That was a new venture
but every town had a livery stable, where they
kept horses to hire out for driving or riding. There
were no cars then. We lived in Potomac only a
year. I can remember the livery stable very well.
It was on the main street near the downtown area.

When we lived in Potomac our family at-
tended the United Brethren Church. My mother
taught a Sunday School class of young girls. I re-
member were Adaline Smith, Leota Smith, Marie
Woods and the Moss twins.

In those days everyone from miles around
went to Potomac park to celebrate the 4th of July.
There would be speakers and singing, also much
visiting, with fae crackers all around. There was a
horse-drawn hack (a coach for hire), that made
trips from the town out to the park and back. The
charge was 5^. Families came with horses and car-
riages and brought picnic dinners to spread on a
tablecloth on the grass.

My grandparents on Mother's side were Wil-
liam Harvey Acton and Jane Laflen Acton.

In Grandfather and Grandmother Acton's later
years they lived in Potomac. Their youngest son
Dow Acton graduated from Potomac High School.
Dow Acton then graduated from law school in
George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
He practiced Law for 50 years in Danville, 111. He
and Una Dale were married in 1915 in Danville.
Their 3 sons are Bob, Bill and Jack Acton.

My parents lived in Danville 4 years. It was
there that I graduated from Danville High School.
Later I taught in the country schools. I taught in
the Wallace Chapel school from 1913 to 1915. I
boarded in Potomac at the home of my Aunt Min-
nie and Uncle Sant (Dr. & Mrs. Cossairt). And I
walked out to my school 3 miles northwest of Po-
tomac each day. Sometimes I stayed with some of
my pupils to attend a party or go to church. It was
in my first year out there that I met the young man
who was to be my husband. The Wallace Chapel
Church was having prayer meetings in the homes.
They were called cottage prayer meetings. It was
there that a friend introduced me to Glen Judy.

That spring Glen Judy and Maurice Lyle went
out west to work. Maurice landed in Iowa but Glen
went on to Laramie, Wyoming where he got a job
on a ranch with a nice family. His work was mainly
with cattle, and he spent some time living in a far
corner of the ranch in a bunkhouse, cooking for
cowhands. He also started a Sunday School in a
school house, as there were no churches near. He
came back in the fall, but his memories of Wyom-
ing were pleasant ones. We had our first date at
Christmas in 1914; when we went to the Christmas
program at Wallace Chapel Church. I remember
Judy School girls were there in a group and they
sang "Silent Night, Holy Night." Mrs. Gordon was
matron of the school then. The "Mary A. Judy
School" was founded by Mr. Ambrose Judy, a sec-
ond cousin of Olen Judy. It was a school for or-
phan girls out in the country, northwest of Poto-
mac, and was under direction of the IlHnois Chil-
dren's Home & Aid Society, in Chicago.

Olen Judy and I were married in January of
1916, and went to housekeeping on a farm north-
west of Potomac, on the Ellis road.

REMEMBER . . .

There were large bands of gypsies that used to
come to town. They camped in the Jack Goodwine
timber east of town. They had a large num.ber of
horses and mules that they liked to trade. The
women would invade the town begging for food
and telling fortunes. The men wore large hats or
bandanas wrapped around their heads, boots and
fancy shirts. The ladies wore bright colored shirts
and low necked blouses and lots of rings and beads.
They were very dark skinned with black hair.

90

Compliments of Curtis Barber Shop, Potomac, Illinois

LIFE IN THE 1920'S

Written by: Marthann Judy Day

When I was a little girl, Potomac seemed like
a big town. Two banks, stores, churches, businesses
of several kinds, at least 2 doctors and gushing ar-
tesian wells made Potomac a busy meeting place,
not only for its residents, but for the farm families
from miles around.

My parents. Olen and Ruby Judy, moved to a
little white frame house on the Ellis-Blue Grass
road after their marriage in 1916. They planted a
fruit orchard and vegetable garden, set out shade
trees,, flowers and shrubs. I remember the pink ram-
bler roses and pink almond bushes by our front
porch and the tall, colorful hollyhocks rimming the
vegetable garden in back. A smokehouse, with its
pungent hickory smell, was in the sideyard, as well
as a cob house. Its dry, red cobs kept the kitchen
fire going for my mother's cooking and baking.

Every Sunday morning my father drove our
white horse. Jack, and the buggy from the bam to
the hitching rail in front of the house and soon we
would be on our way to Wallace Chapf^l Church In
the winter, if there was a heavy snow, we some-
times went to church in a sleigh, with jingling sleigh
bells fastened to the horse's harness. Sunday was a
day of worship and visiting with relatives and
neighbors. The minister lived in Potomac and he
divided his time between the Methodist Church in
town and the Wallace Chapel Church. Mrs. Laura
Goetschius was Sunday School teacher for the
younger children. She told us Bible stories and ex-
plained pictures of the Biblical characters, making
them very real for us.

Christmas programs at Wallace Chapel were
exciting times. Each Sunday School class gave "rec-
itations," and all the congregation listened to the
reading of the Christmas story and sang carols.
Sometimes a real tree was decorated by the side of
the altar, and after the program the children would
receive little Christmas boxes filled with mixed,
hard candy.

Decoration Day was another well-remembered
occasion. Soldiers' graves, in the cemetery next to
the church, were marked with flags and the chil-
dren would line up in twos and march about the
graveyard with armfuls of fresh flowers, placing a
bouquet carefully on each veteran's grave. Three
Civil War soldiers were still living, including Mr.
Ambrose Judy, Mr. Littler and Mr. LaGrange. They
would attend the ceremony, dressed in their old
blue unifonns. One of them would recite the Get-
tysburg Address. Members of the American Legion

would then fire volleys of shot across the graves
and we children would hold our hands over our
ears as the acrid shell smoke drifted away.

In 1924, when I was in second grade, my par-
ents moved near the Mary A. Judy School, where
my father would work for many years. Even nearer
to us than the Judy School was the home of its
founder, Mr. Ambrose B. Judy, who had built the
school as a home for orphaned girls and named it
in honor of his mother. When we moved next door
to him, he was a widower and had no children of
his own. Since he was in his eighties, our parents
decided we would call him "Mr. Ambrose." (He
was our Grandfather Judy's first cousin.) "Mr. Am-
brose" was not as formal as "Mr. Judy," but more
fitting than if we children called him "Ambrose."
He seemed to enjoy having children living nearby-
there were 6 of us as the years went by-my broth-
ers Allen, Scott, David and Dan, and my sister
Carol and 1. We played in his yard as much as we
did in ours and picked the violets in his sideyard
because they were larger and the stems were longer
than the ones in our yard!

When 1 was 10 years old, Mr. Ambrose would
sometimes ask my mother if 1 could help him. He
cultivated a small field about 'A mile from home,
raising enough corn to feed his horse, "Old Nelle."
She was a gentle, bay mare and we were allowed to
ride her, although we preferred to ride Fannie
when she wasn't needed for field work. Fannie had
more pep and we didn't ffcl guilty riding her at a
a gallop. Mr. Ambrose had rigged up a small culti-
vator, pulled by Old Nelle, and he decided it would
be better if he could concentrate on guiding the
plow and have me guide the horse. When it was
time to weed the field he would ask if 1 could help
him, and of course my mother would say "yes."
1 would go with him. sit on the tool box near the
shafts, and guide Old Nelle between the rows of
corn. The sun would be hot, sweat bees would be
lighting on us, dust swirling up to our hot faces,
and 1 would wish 1 were home reading a book in
our shady front yard. Mr. Ambrose knew when 1
was getting tired and he would tell me we would
sit in the shade. He would tell me about General
Andrew Jackson in the Civil War, who would en-
courage his men by saying, "We will cross over to
the river and rest under the shade of the trees."
We would usually work only a half day and when
we would get home he would pay me a quarter. He
asked me to help him with other chores and even

Compliments of The Thrift Shop

91

had me trim his hair, and would pay me accor-
dingly.

Mr. Ambrose knew I liked to ride horseback
so he suggested I save my money to buy a bridle
of my own. He needed a new one and was going to
order it from the Sears, Roebuck catalog. I had
never considered saving my money for something
like that and it sounded Hke a great idea. He waited
for me to earn enough money to pay for a bridle
and then we chose the kind we wanted from the
catalog and I watched him write the order for 2
bridles. In a few days he called me over and said
the package had just come in the mail. I was a
proud, excited child when I opened my part of the
package. A light tan leather bridle with fringed
tassels on each side! What a good leathery smell!

The Bridle:

That bridle was soon to become involved in a
most exciting event. One hot, sunny morning Mr.
Ambrose walked to his little field to hoe around
the com. He left a young man, who had been visit-
ing his sister at the Judy School, asleep in the
house. Mr. Ambrose had offered to put him up
for the night and then the young fellow was going
back to the city. When Mr. Ambrose came home at
noon to feed and water Old Nelle before going to
the house for his own dinner he discovered she was
gone. He went into the house. The young man was
gone! My father came in from the field about that
time and Mr. Ambrose hurried over to tell him the
startling news. My father said he would go with
him to look for the missing horse just as soon as
he could water and feed his team and eat a bite
himself. Checking around the harness shed while
the team was drinking, he discovered his good wes-
tern saddle was missing and so was my new bridle.
What a turn of events that was! Dad said I could go
with him and' Mr. Ambrose to look for Old Nelle,
so I gulped down some dinner too, and climbed in-
to the back seat of the 1922 Dodge and away we

went.

The Chase:

We sped along the dusty, dirt road until we
got to the outskirts of Potomac where the pave-
ment started. The first person we saw was Mr. K. A.
Harper, owner of the grain elevator. He was sitting
in front of his office, taking it easy. Dad stopped,
and after a quick "hello" asked, "Did you happen
to see a young man riding by on a bay mare?

"Why yes," replied Mr. Harper. "I was just
starting to walk to the post office this morning
when this young fellow came along on his horse
and we talked all the way downtown. I told him
'good-bye' and went in the post office." My father

quickly explained that the horse had been stolen
and that we must get on our way, thanked Mr. Har-
per for his information, and headed east through
town. At each crossroad we would look up and
down, but kept on the narrow pavement through
Jamesburg and on towards the Dixie Highway.
Finally, we saw Mr. Percy Britain and his family
picnicking along the road. (Mr. Britain was music
teacher in Potomac. He and his family had evident-
ly walked all those miles on a day's outing.) They
said a young man had ridden by on a horse earlier
in the day. Soon we arrived at Moore's Corner, the
intersection of the Jamesburg road and Dixie High-
way. In front of the comer gas station sat a motor-
cycle policeman talking to the station attendant.
My father drove up, called to the 2 men and asked
if they had seen a man on horseback go by. The
station operator said he had seen the horseman
tum the comer and head south on the Dixie High-
way about an hour earlier. Dad and Mr. Ambrose
explained that the horse had been stolen. The po-
lice officer jumped on his motorcycle, started it
with a roar, and said reassuringly, "We'll catch
him!" and sped off down the road. I was wide-eyed
at this lucky encounter. The Law was going to help
us! (It was as thrilling as a Western movie-only, of
course, I had never seen a movie!) We started south
too, but the policeman was soon out of sight. We
drove for a few miles and then Dad decided we'd
better inquire of someone if they had seen the
horse thief He stopped and asked some highway
workmen the same question he had been asking all
afternoon. They hadn't seen anyone on a horse.

"We'd better tum around and see if we can
pick up his trail farther back," Dad said, and Mr.
Ambrose agreed to wait there by the side of the
road to convey that message to the motorcycle of-
ficer if, and when, he came back. Dad and I tumed
around, retraced our steps a mile or so and stopped
by a steep, rut-filled driveway and walked up to
the house. A tired-looking woman answered the
floor My father asked if she had seen a young man
riding a horse by that afternoon. She seemed sur-
prised at the question and said, "Yes, someone hke
that stopped a short time ago and offered to sell
me a horse and saddle. I didn't need the saddle, but
I bought the horse to pull the garden plow. I paid
S7.00 for it. The boy said he'd come back later for
the saddle and bridle."

Dad asked her if we might see the horse. She
looked at us suspiciously but led the way to a
small lean-to at the back of the house, and there, in
a small fenced enclosure was a tired horse munch-
ing on hay. Dad looked at me and said quietly,
"There's Old Nelle." About that time the police-
man came down the road. Mr. Ambrose was riding
in the sidecar of the motorcycle. We flagged them

92

Compliments of John's Paint and Kustom Shop

down, and while the policeman explained to the
woman that she had bought a stolen horse, Mr.
Ambrose hurried to see his faithful old animal.

Mr. Ambrose insisted he would ride Old Nelle
home. Dad decided he would hurry home, dt the
evening chores, and then pick up Grant Judy, (a
nephew of Mr. Ambrose's) bring him back to meet
horse and rider. Grant would then finish riding the
horse and Mr. Ambrose would continue home in
the car. By the time Dad and Grant met Mr. Am-
brose, he declared he wasn't tired and rode Nelle
the rest of the way home.

That was the most exciting day of my young
life. I was happy that Old Nelle was back home
safe and sound, happy that my father had his good
western saddle back, and very relieved that my
hard-earned bridle was again hanging on its nail in
the harness shed.

REMEMBER . . .

In the early days the west part of town was a
wild place and was known as "Oklahoma". There
was a "blind pig" located there. It was a house
where liquor could be bought as the town was
dry. Liquor could only be obtained there at night.
A customer could knock at the door, place their
money on a tray and a bottle of whiskey came out
of a chute.

For entertainment in the winter time, people
skated on the creek south of town. There were
many fancy skaters. They were Elmer Moreland,
Bess Dague, Mort Hall. John Moreland, Hstella
Thomas, John Morrison, Dr. Cossairt and many
more.

ALFRED TALBOTT

Written by: Mary Jane Yard

My father, Alfred Talbott, was bom on March
12, 1880, on a farm west of Blue Grass. His grand-
parents, Benjamin Johnson and Sarah Parsons Tal-
bott, had migrated to Illinois from West Virginia in
1 865. His parents Abraham Parsons and Mary Louise
Burd Talbott lived across the road and a little east
of the present John Gray farm home.

Except for a year (about 1900) when he atten-
ded Northwestern University at Evanston, he spent
his entire life on his parents' homeplace and at the
first house east of the bridge which I remember as
our homeplace, even though he did teach some at a
rural school. His college education was interrupted
by his father's serious illness and lie took over the
farm permanently. The first house I lived in there
was destroyed by fire in 1927, and Dad built another
on the same spot.

After attending Blue Grass Grade School, Dad
graduated from Potomac's then two-year high
school.

Dad was married first in 1 906 to Anna Tyler of
Potomac, Their first child, a daughter, died at birth.
The baby's mother died in 1914, leaving Dad witii
a daughter Ruth, about 5 years old, and a son Paul.
4 days old.

He next married my mother, Blanche Golliday,
also of Potomac, in 1917. She died in 1928, leaving
him with four small children ages IV2 to 20 months:
Gordon, Tom, Jr., and myself, the youngest.

Much later in 1944. Dad married Carrie Foster
of Armstrong and she died in 1 957. He then married
Leona Laird of Milford who outlived him by only
10 weeks.

My earliest memories of my Dad was of a hard-
working man who always worked as hard or harder
than those he worked with and never expected
others to do what he wouldn't or didn't do.

Still other early memories concerned our "al-
most every" Sunday attendance at Sunday School
and church, if both were held. There was never any
question of what we were going to do on Sunday
like there often is today. Five generations of the
family attended Wallace Chapel Church which was
begun in 1854, named after Peter Wallace and sur-
vived some 10 to 1 5 years after it celebrated its cen-
tennial in 1954.

The fact that my Dad was an avid reader of all
the good material he could get- newspapers, reli-
gious material and good books- has probably been
the greatest contributing factor to my deep interest
in books.

He traveled to all corners of the United States
many times in the last twenty years of his life,
though I can remember very few trips in the other
twenty years of my life.

He remained active and continued to travel,
garden and read until 2 months before his death in
November 27, 1965.

If 1 were asked what was the greatest legacy my
father left me, it could not be limited to one. He cre-
ated in me a great thirst for knowledge and wisdom,
a love and concern for other people and the begin-
ning of a great faith in God. His faith remained stead-
fast despite all the adversities that life saw fit to
hand him.

Compliments of Ray Davis Trucking

93

HOSKINS HISTORY

Written by: John Hoskins

Grandfather Truman L. Hoskins was bom
Dec. 19, 1874, in Steam County, Minn, in a home-
steader's cabin during a pre-Christmas snowstorm.

His father, Ezariah Hoskins, was bom in the old
town of Denmark, now submerged by Lake Ver-
milion, while his mother, Lucretia Fugate Hoskins,
was a native of Kentucky.

The family undertook to homestead a place
near Fairhaven, Minn. After a loosing fight against
winter blizzards, summer drought, wolves and grass-
hoppers, they sold out to relatives and retumed to
the vicinity of Potomac. (Indian Mound) He was
then ten years of age.

Later they traveled to the South and settled
nearTullahoma, Tenn.. but this venture also was un-
successful. They started northward by flat boat to
Vincennes, Ind., and from there brought their be-
longings back to the Danville area by horse and wa-
gon.

Grandad Tmman L. Hoskins married Carrie
Olive Brown July 4, 1 900. They had 1 2 children, six
of whom died in infancy. Mrs. Hoskins died Jan. 3,
1950, and one daughter, Mrs. Dora Spain, preceded
her in death by six months. Hoskins was married
Oct. 4, 1954, at the age of 80, to Mrs. Nancy Lay ton
of Potomac. His living descendants are: Harry
(Pence, Indiana), 10 children, 40 grandchildren, and
2 great grandchildren; Jessie (Hoopeston), no de-
scendants; Mrs. Hulda Spain Jarman (Niles, Mich-
igan), 12 children, several grandchildren and great
grandchildren; and Mrs. Alberta Sidwell Porter (Dan-
ville, 111.), 3 children and several grandchildren.

On my Grandfather's 85th birthday he had
105 descendants. He was retired from farming and
spent most of his life in the Potomac and Danville
areas. He worked awhile for the Danville Street Rail-
way Co. at the time when the switch was being made
from the old horse cars to the electrics.

My father Harry W. Hoskins, now 69, married
Eva V. May of Potomac in 1926. They had 10 chil-
dren. Eva passed away September, 1963. Harry was
married to Pauline Markley on December 31, 1964.

His living children are John Tmman, Harry
Harvey, Richard Lee, Gordon Robert, Eva Wanetta
Adam Everett, Albert Lee, Lester Dale, Harold
Eugene, and Esther Virginia. Harry lived most of
his life around Potomac, and worked for Jesse Stone
as a carpenter in his younger years. His sons served
in the armed forces— Navy, Marines, Army, War II,
Korean and Vietnam.

We lived in the old Goodwine park east of Po-
tomac 1 mile when 1 was 6 years old. The State put

in the new road between Potomac and Route 1.
They used mules to haul dirt and Big Mac trucks
chain driven to haul cement. The mules were kept in
a lot across the street from Bill Downing's (Jesse
Stone's),

I walked to school from the park. We moved to
Blue Grass a couple of years later. That year at
Christmas time the school burnt down. There was
no telephone or way to get help. My Dad shot 3
times in the air and it brought help from all direc-
tions, but it still burnt to the ground. We moved to
the farm March 1, 1935, the Doug Alexander farm
south of Potomac 1 mile, where the gravel pitt is
now. My brother Harry and I started to school and
on the way home one night we had a snowball fight.
He got wet and cold and he lay down and would not
walk. He said to me, "Just let me die and I'll not
have to walk anymore." I whipped him to make
him go, but that didn't help any so I had to carry
him home about 1 mile. After that Dad let us drive
the race mare hitched to an old buggy. (He had
traded a neighbor out of 1 sow pig for a buggy.)
Boy, did we go to school then. We picked up the
Davis kids and had horse races. We sure came up in
respect to the other kids. One fall we put the corn
in shocks and carried it on the hillside so we could
feed the livestock that winter. The spring rain came
and it took the corn down the river so Dad went
broke and couldn't feed the stock and we had to
sell the farm.

He started carpenter work then and worked
over at the base and also drove the school bus. His
and Mom's dream came tme- some land of their
own. Boy, we lived— 3 acres of bmsh and mosqui-
toes! We cleared a garden spot and fenced the rest.
We picked berries (wild strawberries, raspberries,
blackberries), we fished, and hunted squirrel and
rabbit. There were mushrooms (we lived off the fat
of the land!) and sassafras tea (I drank gallons)!
Harvey Pollitt made sorgam and we helped him strip
the leaves of the cane for some syrip, and in the
spring we made maple syrup. I could always see my
mom's eyes sparkle when I'd bring her a handful of
sweet William, as it was her favorite.

We moved back to town about 1942 in my
Grandfather May's house on May Street just north
of the railroad. There we country boys went wild.
Mom and Dad had to take us back to the woods so
they bought 40 acres and this is what Mom called,
"Hills of Hawbuck," just west of Jamesburg IVz mile
at the Selsor Ford, end of the road. We had our own
swimming hole, our own everything— berries and

94

hunting! About this time I joined the Navy. I didn't
miss too much of my home Hfe because my mother
was a school teacher before she married. She could
put more on paper than most people can talk. She
only told me the happy things that happened or the
funny ones— about how the cow knocked out Har-
ry's front tooth, or maybe Bill stepped on a nail or
Bill ran a skunk across the picnic blanket down by
the river at the old turtle tree.

But back to history, I guess remaining in his-
tory. Time passes us by, and now I am a grandfather.
We have a redheaded granddaughter and a grandson
with big brown eyes. And now comes the time in my
life to pass on my knowledge of fishing and hunting
and finding mushrooms to my grandchildren. All
the knowledge that they will absorb, or that I can
make interesting enough for them to want to learn,
has taken me 50 years to learn.

95

Civil Yeierans

CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS

The home where this picture was taken be-
longed to Charles La Grange and stood where
T & J gas station is today. Reading from your left
to right, the soldiers in the front row are: William
McMurtrv, Charles Ingersoll, Giles Gordon, Frank

Selsor, J.W. Henderson and Charles La Grange.
Back row: Raul Sides, Mac Coil, Alec Helvie,
William Douglas, Ambrose Judy and John Kirkhart.
The last man is not known.

96

CIVIL WAR PICTURE

When the Boys in Blue came limping back
from the Southland in 1865, there were but
fifteen towns and settlements of size in Vermilion,
and their listing makes strange reading today.
Let the roll be called: Blue Grass, Marysville,
Rossville, Myersville, Higginsville, Newtown, Den-
mark, Danville, Tilton, Illiana, Catlin, Fairmount,

Chillicothe, Ridgefarm, and Georgetown. Of these,
Marysville is now Potomac, and Chillicothe after a
span of life as Old Dallas, has ended as the town of
Indianola. Blue Grass, Myersville, Higginsville and
Newtown now are all memories. But with the de-
sires of the communitiy life there have come into
active existence with other towns and villages.

CIVIL WAR VETERANS

George H. Hamilton
Joseph Allen
D. M. Moreland
James Henderson
John Fox
Robert C. Golliday
J. S. Anderson
Ambrose Judy
Myrick Coil
Howell Davis
Robert Land is
Ernest Schreiner
J. R. Kirkhart
Henry Searle

B. D. Wise
John Alexander

C. R. Littler
John Littler
L. Shanks
Odom Coake
Cyrus Kirby
Jacob Poulson
Joseph McConnell
Micheal Guthrie
Charles LaGrange
W. C. Galiday

T. W. English
William McMurtrey
Unknown Soldier
Martin Landis
John Nesbitt
James Stokes
William McMahon
William S. Douglas
William Payne
Seth Fairchild
George A. May
Samuel Flannagan
T. M. Saunders
Sam Smithcrs
Harvey Griffin
A. W. IngersoU
Peter Lawrence
J. W. Cossairt
Alexander Helvie

Spanish— American Veterans
John Cooper
William Wyneau

97

Colden Ijeaps

CORA G. RICE

Cora Goodwine Rice was bom Dec. 31, 1885,
1 mile East of Potomac, Illinois. She is the daughter
of John and Alice Goodwine. She attended the Po-
tomac Public Schools and graduated from high
school.

She entered the banking profession, and was
employed by her father (Banker) who founded the
Goodwine State Bank. She became associated with
her brother, John and Ulysses Goodwine who were
also with their father in the bank at that time.

She married Albert Rice who was at the time
of their marraige associated with the Potomac Na-
tional Bank, founded by Dr. L. C. Messner. With
the consolidation of the Potomac National Bank
and the Goodwine State Bank, she and her husband
worked together in the banking business for a long
number of years.

She has 1 son, Gorden A. Rice, 3 grandchil-
dren and 3 great grandchildren. Her husband Al-
bert passed away on Jan. 10, 1964. She continued
as President of Goodwine State Bank until her re-
tirement in 1972. She now resides at the Danville
Care Nursing Home, Danville, IlUnois.

Cora G. Rice

BERYL BUTZ

Beryl M. Osborn Butz was born February 12,
1885, the daughter of Fred and Lou Ella Barkman
Osborn on a farm west of Collison. She attended
schools at Bixby, Collison and Danville Higli
School.

She met Homer E. Butz, and they were mar-
ried on February 23, 1905, and from this union
were 2 sons— Edmund of Elgin, Illinois, and Fred-
rick who still resides here in Potomac. Edmund
married Lucille Wolf and they have 1 daughter,
Sondra Kay.

Homer E. Butz, her husband, passed away at
an early age on December 27, 1935. Beryl worked
at the Grab-It-Here grocery in Potomac and at
Chanute Field.

Beryl enjoys her flowers, gardening and has a
large strawberry patch. She still gets out every day
at the age of 91. She cleans her flower beds and
walks to town for her daily shopping.

Beryl misses her old friends to visit and chat
with. Her motto is to stay busy and keep a-moving
and you'll stay young at heart.

She has been a member of the Artesia Chap-
ter for 63 years, a member of the Methodist
Church and a pastmatron.

98

FANNIE JOSPHINE HEFFERAN GOODWINE

Fannie Josphine Hefferan Goodwine was bom
in Potomac, October 26. 1885, daughter of Mich-
ael and Recbeeca Steely Hefferan. She was 1 of 12
children. She is the oldest and only one living in
her family that is left.

She met Fredrick M. Goodwine, and they
were married on May 3. 1903. Fannie and Fred
raised 5 children: Louise, Alice, Marion, Frank and
Dale (1 deceased). Fannie has 16 grandchildren,
26 great grandchildren and 10 great great grand-
children.

In Fannie's early married life they lived on
Father Goodwine's farm. She shucked many an ear
of corn, milked cows, and raised a large garden. She
worked in the canning factory at Rossville and
helped cook in the restaurant that Hobert and
Louise had here in Potomac.

Fannie spoke about her boyfriends and their
fast-spirited horses and how she helped Dr. Ran-
som and Dr. Cossairt when they delivered babies
and how she dressed the babies. Fannie had trav-
eled around the country and seen lots of changes
in her life from horse and buggy days to Jets and
man going to the moon.

When she was interviewed for this history,
she had walked downtown, bought a can of paint,
went back home and painted half of her front-
porch by noon at the age of 90, mind you.

She is always in a jovial mood and says if you
are to keep a-goin' you have to stay busy and keep
those wheels a-turning, and don't bog down.

Fred Goodwine, her husband, passed away at
the age of 86, in 1963.

Fannie still resides at her home here in Poto-
mac where she trims her hedge, plants a garden and
does her own cooking.

"Grow old along with me.

The best is yet to be."

LAURA SMITH TALBOTT

Laura Smith Talbott was the fifth child bom
of John R. and Permelia Shumate Smith August 27,

l«84, on a farm near Gifford Illinois. She had 3
sisters and 4 brothers. She is the only daughter
left; but has 1 brother Forest Smith who resides
here in Potomac.

She grew up on the farm and attended the
country school near her home.

She married Charles B. Talbott Sept. 18, 1901.
Of this union 2 children were born, the son de-
ceased and daughter Hattie Talbott Daniels sunives
and lives in Danville, Illinois. Her husband Charles
passed away at the age of 81 on October 3, 1959.

They lived on the farm north of town until
1935 when they came to town and lived on Grant
Street, the first and oldest street in the village.

Laura's hobbies were raising a garden and
flowers. She enjoyed the neighborhood children
coming to visit with her as she told them stories of
long ago. Laura says she has seen a heap of changes
in her time, but guessed she was hearty and tougli
cause the time for her wasn't set as yet.

Laura now resides at the International Nursing
Home in Danville, Illinois.

99

ARTESIAN WELLS

The distinctive feature of the town of Potomac
is the Artesian Wells. Charles LaGrange, a Civil War
veteran informs us that the first flowing wells were
shallow holes from which water was dipped for do-
mestic purposes. This was called "slue" water. These
holes were deepened if the water ran low. Camp
meetings were held southwest of town to be near
water which flowed from a sycamore tree. Years
ago when drilling for oil on the farm of the late John
Goodwine, in 8-inch vein of water was struck and
water was thrown 32 feet in the air. The force was
so great that it would lift a log chain or a 7 pound
stone several feet. Fearing the earth would cave in
around it, a red elm piling was driven into the casing
by a pile driver from Rossville. The force was so
strong that water penetrated the pores of the tree.
People drove miles to see this strange sight. Zacharia
Putnam attached a water wheel to his well, which
was located on his farm (the farm of the late Carl
Duncan), and used this power for churning and
cheese making. The village streets were watered from
a well on the Redman property. A well drilled by R.
Knott on the Harmon Copeland farm had enough gas

to bum while the water flowed. Due to the great
numberof wells, the largest one in town was located
on the Charles Edenburn property. This well flowed
2 3-inch pipes full until it was slowed down because
it was causing wells on higher ground to flow slower.
These wells flow continuously the year round from
a depth of 55 to 180 feet. Some flow as much as
2,000 barrels in 24 hours. The water has a slight min-
eral taste. Wells in town contain sulphate iron, and 1
nearby contains magnesia. In most instances the wa-
ter which has a temperature of 44 degrees flows into
small tanks which are used as natural refrigerators.
Some are inside the houses. Most of the tanks have
covers or lids, although left open in the severest of
weather, the water never freezes. Hydraulic rams
were used to force the water up hills into the homes.
Wells can be seen flowing in the middle of the creek
south of town. The creek is never dry as the artesian
wells drain into it. In the olden days, carpet rags
were often dyed to a beautiful copper by soaking
them in a tank of flowing artesian water for a week
and the color was set by drying them in the sun.

WELLS THAT ARE STILL RUNNING

1. D. A. Arthion

2. George Stengel

3. Norval Burke

4. Tom Downing

5. Gary Session

6. David Cessna

7. Willie Carter - 2

8. Leslie Ingram

9. West Park - 2

10. Robert Stahl

1 1 . Larry Lawless

12. Robert Bezely

13. Harry Voss

14. Wm.J. D. Middleton

15. Larry Hutton - 2

16. Scott Armantrout

17. Otto Divan

18. Ronald Willard

19. Jim Behimer

20. Don Ray

21. Jack Taylor

22. Virginia Borror

23. Don Doran

24. Earl Mourer

25. Roy Talbott

26. Lee Price - 2

27. Roy Fulk

28. B. J. Denham

29. Clarince Brunson

30. Lyle Markwalder

3 1 . Mary Beiderman

32. Marion Valetine

33. Dave Spain

34. Wayne Goodwine

35. Gordon Rice

36. David Malcolmson

37. Curtis Alexander

38. Seymour Fami - 3

100

Centennial Farms
G^ Monies

THE JOHN C. ALEXANDER FARM

Well ahead of the Civil War, John C. Alexan-
der, a southerner, migrated to the North. He set-
tled in the area of the present Alexander farm in
the late 1840's. He had accumulated considerable
acreage before his death in 1862. He was a young
man at his death and very little is known of his
early life.

His son S. A. D. (Doug) Alexander became
the 2nd generation owner. Bom in 1858, he was
only a child when his father died. In 1879, he mar-
ried Nelle Golliday and moved on the farm. He
reared 3 sons and 5 daughters, and remained on the
farm until his retirement in 1914.

Jesse Alexander became the 3rd generation
owner. He was married to Mary Selsor in 1916.

She was a teacher in the Middlefork school. From
this marriage there was 1 daughter and 4 sons.
Jesse operated the farm till the early 1950's at
which time he turned the operation over to his
youngest son. He made his home there with his
son until his death in 1966.

Upon Jesse's death in 1966, the farm went to
the 4 sons who are the present owners and the 4th
generation.

Jay W. lives on the homestead and operates
the farm. He is single and is an avid sports fan.

Robert G. has been in the San Francisco area
in California since the end of World War II. He has
2 daughters and 1 son. His older daughter is a spe-
cial education teacher, the second daughter has a

101

degree in nursing, and the only son is in tiie Navy.
Robert is in road construction. Raymond V. lives
about a mile away from the homeplace. Ray has a
stepson Michael E. Schull. His own son Douglas is
the 5th generation of Alexanders in the line of in-
heritance.

D. E. (Gene) lives in Urbana, Illinois. Dr. Alex-
ander is a professor at the University of Illinois
where he has been on the faculty since 1947. He
is a geneticist in the department of agronomy. Dr.
Alexander has twice been recognized as an out-
standing instructor in the College of Agriculture. In
1971, Dr. Alexander became the first American
named to the Russian All Union Academy of Sci-
ence which includes only 22 foreigners among its
153 members. This represents the highest honor be-
stowed on an agricultural scientist by the U.S.S.R.
Dr. Alexander's work is of special interest to the
U.S.S.R. because he breeds com to increase oil con-
tent and improve protein quality.

The original home on the farm was torn down

in 1967, and the only remaining building of past
generation remaining is the barn.

The original land was swamp and only the
high ground was farmed. Of special note-in the
late 1940's, foundation seed com was produced on
the farm and in tum was used to produce double-
cross seed corn which was used for commercial
purpose.

In the middle 1960's a few acres of sunflower
seeds were grown from seed that Dr. Alexander had
brought back from Russia.

In the late 1960's several acres of high oil
content com was produced. In 1961, the Alexan-
ders installed one of the first artificial grain-drying
facilities in this area.

There are 2 English walnut trees on the home-
stead. One is a seedling which does not produce
and the other is a grafted tree— an English walnut
grafted on a black walnut stump. This tree in good
bearing years will produce 1 to Wi bushels.

ROBERT HAMILTON FARM AT COLLISON

My Great Grandfather, Absalom Collison,
came to Vermilion County, Illinois in about 1828.
He was bom in 1 805 in West Virginia and was the
son of Alexander and Rebecca (Kellison) Collison.
He settled on a 40-acre tract of land near the Mid-
dlefork River northwest of Collison. Later he and
his sons started acquiring land on the prairie.

Our farm at Collison was acquired from sev-
eral parcels at different times. In 1844, Absalom
ColUson, got a 40-acre tract from the government
near the buildings where Earl Tucker now lives a
half mile north of Collison. In 1849 and 1850 he
bought 240 acres more from several owners at a

cost of about $2.00 per acre.

At Absalom's death in October, 1853, this
land went to his son, Thomas F. Collison. Thomas
purchased the remainder of the present farm in
1 882 and 1 887 at a cost of about $34.00 per acre.

At Thomas Collison's death in 1919 this farm
was inherited by his daughters, Lizzie Crays and
Stella Crays.

In 1920, my grandfather, Samuel Collison,
bought this farm from Lizzie and Stella Collison
Crays. In 1931, my mother, Mae M. Collison Ham-
ilton inherited this farm and I bought it from my
mother in 1965.

102

THE WILLIAM H. DUNCAN FARM

William H. Duncan purchased a farm from
Elon Sperry on Feb. 21, 1884. The abstract shows
that William paid $11,700 for one 160 acre tract
of farm. Later he sold the farm to Carl F. Duncan
in 1920 for SI 6,000. Melvin K. Duncan inherited
the farm from his mother's estate in 1958. This

is a third generation farm.

The original house on the farm burned in
1912, and was replaced in 1913. Jesse Stone was
the builder of the new house, which is still used as
the home of Melvin and his wife Margaret.

10.^

THE JOHN JUDY FARM

John Judy bought the Judy family farm from
Jesse and Mary Partlow June 6, 1853, at a cost of
$5.45 an acre. Partlow had originally paid S1.25
when he purchased the land. The farm was passed
from John to his son George and from him to his
brother Charles. George was never married. Charles
was killed in a tractor accident in 1942. This coin-
cides with the depression and the family farm was
heavily mortgaged. Lloyd, Charles' son, managed to
redeem the farm so that today— 123 years later— it
still remains in the Judy name.

Many changes have occured in the century
passed. Lloyd remembers his father Charles telling
of the covered wagons passing with signs saying,
"Kansas or Bust" and then coming back East say-
ing "Busted."

An 1 1-room house was built on the farm in
1876 at a cost of $2,000. Lloyd and his wife Ruth-
al still live in that house today.

In the early years only the higher land on the
farm was cultivated because of poor drainage. To-
day the entire farm is put into grain crop.

The Havana, Rantoul and Eastern Railroad
went through the farm in 1876. John Judy sold
the railroad land needed to cross his farm for the
price of $ 1 .00. The $ 1 .00 charge was only to make
it legal. The railroad was built with a 3-foot narrow
gauge track and owned 2 locomotives.

John Judy and Emma Judy, his wife. This picture
was taken on Monday, August 1, 1904, at their
home two miles west of Potomac.

104

In 1920, the narrow pavement cut the farm
into going east and west. This was the main road at
that time. The farm was again cut into in 1933
when Route 136 was built. Electricity ran through
the farm in 1929. Midwestern Gas Transmission
Company laid a pipeline througli the farm in 1959.

A tornado hit the farm in 1944 destroying 8
buildings and laying the windmill across the cellar
door. For years this was the only windmill between
Potomac and Armstrong and was a kind of land-

mark.

Some of the more interesting articles that re-
main on the family farm are: a branding iron (the
letter "J") used on John Judy's cattle, the wagon
bows that covered the wagon bringing the pioneer
Judy family here from West Virginia, saddle bags
for horses, several old guns including a muzzle
loader with the powder horn and pouch. John Judy
used a 2-row check planter with a rope-check.
Lloyd still has parts of that planter.

THE MONTGOMERY CENTENNIAL FARM

The Montgomery Centennial Farm located 5
miles southeast of Potomac, just east of the village
of Jamesburg, is owned by Alva H. Montgomery,
Jr., the sixth generation to own this farm since it
was entered from the United States Government in
1928.

The original 80 acres of this farm has been in
the related family since it was entered from the U-
nited States Government on October 25, 1828, dur-
ing the administration of President John Quincy
Adams, by Elza and Nancy Timmons.

The Timmons sold this 80 acres to their
nephew, Erastus Sperry died on or about May
14, 1852, leaving his widow Ruth and 3 young chil-
dren-a son Wallis and 2 daughters, Amanda and
Arminda, as survivors. Daughter Amanda married
Samuel D. Deamude on December 3, 1868, and

this farm was transfered to them from her father's
estate on July 2, 1872.

A daughter, Ella was born to the Deamude's
on December 7, 1873. She married Frank Mont-
gomery on December 1891. The Deamude's trans-
fered possession to their daughter on December 2,
1924, and her son, Alva H. Montgomery, Sr. as-
sumed management of it until her death on Sept-
ember 26, 1936, at which time ownership went to
him.

Alva H. Montgomery, Sr. maintained an ac-
tive interest in this farm until his death on Janu-
ary 2, 1975, although ownership passed to his son,
Alva H. Montgomery, Jr. in 1970.

This farm is now operated by Alva H. Mont-
gomery, Jr. as a part of a grain and hog farm,
where a Purebred Hampshire herd is maintained.

THE BURD CENTENNIAL FARM

William F. Burd was discharged from the Un-
ion Army following the Civil War, on June 9, 1865.

Records show that in 1867 he purchased from
Nelson Chenowith, a tract of land about 1 mile east
of Armstrong, Ilhnois, consisting of 61 acres, des-
cribed as 61 acres off the west side of the S.E. '^
section of section 2, twp, 2 IN. Range 14 west.

This tract of land has remained in the Burd
family ever since.

In 1905, Mary E. Burd bought from William
Smith, 78 acres joining the original farm on the
west.

In 1944, after the death of Mary E. Burd,
wife of William F. Burd, a son, Lester Burd. be-
came the owner of the farm now consisting of 139

acres, more or less.

In 1964, Lester and Edna Wernigk Burd, pur-
chased 98 acres from the estate of Fred Wernigk,
deceased.

This 98 acres joined the original Burd farm of
61 acres on the east, thus making a farming unit of
237 acres, more or less.

In 1924. a house and other buildings were
erected on this farm. Edna and Lester Burd have
lived here ever since.

In 1952, a second house was erected in which
a son. Mason, and his family reside. So passes the
farm from generation to generation.

- -Lester M. Burd

105

THE LEONARD HOMESTEAD

The home where Charles and Emma Alice
Leonard now live has been in the Leonard posses-
sion since 1862. According to a Prairie Farmers
Reliable Directory, published in 1918, the farm
was called, "Riverside Stock Farm."

On Dec. 24, 1862, William J. Leonard pur-
chased the farm from John Smith.

In 1866, Wm. J. Leonard died and his son
James D. Leonard bought out the other heirs.

In 1885, a tornado struck the area destroying
all the buildings, leaving only a brick well house,
which was left standing until it was torn down in
1975. The house was rebuilt by Berry Leonard,
brother of the owner (James). James Leonard died
in 1913. In 1914, his son William C. Leonard
(grandfather of Charles) purchased the farm. Later

William Leonard and Sadie his wife moved to Hen-
ning, Illinois.

Families of Newt Henderson and Homer Wil-
son lived here some time during 1913 and 1923.
In 1923, Stanley and Dora Leonard and children
Dorothy (now Mrs. Ray lungerich) and Charles
moved to the farm.

In 1923, Wm. C. Leonard passed away and
his wife Sadie passed away in 1942.

Stanley Leonard then became the owner and
in 1947 he and his wife Dora moved to Rossville,
Illinois and Charles and Emma Alice Leonard and
sons Richard (Dick) and Jerry moved to the farm.

Since the death of Stanley Leonard in 1967,
and Dora his wife in 1973, Charles (their son) is
the present owner.

All departments full and complete at "way down prices

106

The William E. Stone residence was
built around 1891, and was the
Stone residence until 1936. This
home was later damaged by fire,
and the home of Vernon McGuffee
is now at this location

...Ji.JI

The John J. Duncan residence lo-
cated on West State Street, is now
the home of Curtis Sollars. John
Duncan was the father of Fred
Duncan.

The John Moss residence, located
at the north edge of Potomac, has
been remodeled and is now known
as the Lanham Mortuary.

Seifleps of Poi^omac

Frank Golliday
Harry Perry
John Thompson
Johnson Miles
Robert Jameson
Donald Farnsworth
Roy Lowe
Loren Thing
T. E. Davis
Charles Weiser
Frank McCormick
George J. Pettit
John Musser
Everett Ellis
B. C. Voss
J. C. Smith
William Blackford
John Howard
Zeb Wise
William Nixon
Jesse Nixon
Rush Anderson
Roy Felmley
Cloyd Talbott
Samuel Stephens
Jacob E. Layton
S. A. D. Alexander
James Hickman
Henry Coil
Ed Cannon
William LaBounty
Douglas Alexander
Butler Magruder
Joe Wallace
Arch Franklin
Harry Bird
Elmer Cannon
Ben Behimer
Walter Gossett
A. H. Morrison
John Morrison
George Shoemaker
Ira Blackford
Frank Sollars
Russell Duncan
Arthur Edenburn
Charles Edenburn
George Turner
Clyde Buckingham
Louis Clem
Benjamin Clemmons

W. G. Judy
Mance Abernathy
Frank Nelson
Palmer Smith
Corwin Linfoot
Noble Taylor
Jack Taylor
Elmer Layton
Ralph Young
William Cook
Charles Talbott
J. W. VanNess
Hicks VanNatta
Earl Jeakins
Paul Saunders
Arch Furrow
Thomas Young
James Davis
John Coon
A. L. Griffin
W. L. Jameson
Olen Judy
Elmer Stucker
Homer Butz
Henry Baker
Lee Musser
Bruce Harper
Floyd Allen
Walter Cooper
John Selsor
George Young
J. D. Clementz
Fred Spain
Verne Tresner
Charles Alexander
Zack Huffman
Elmer Weller
William Moyer
James Wallace
George B. Goetschuis
Harry Lincoln
Everett Wilson
T. O. Magruder
Marion Grimes
Richard Knott
Albert Sperry
Frank Henry
Abraham Landis
Landis Hall
James Taylor
Carl Talbott

Wilber Goodwine
Wayne Goodwine
Ernest Dryer
Merton Swisher
Harry Doran
Grant Judy
George Borror
Lloyd Judy
Earl Pierce
Charles Pierce
Ray Remole
Joseph Smith
Clarence Taylor
Homer Davis
Dorsey McBroom
Harry Hoskins
James Redman
Cell Reeves
Dan Reeves
Walter Perry
Joe Reeves
Dee Haskett
Bill Hines
Harry Cheney
Henry Whorall
Marion Goodwine
Pete Lawrence
Roy Brillhart
Ben Wise

Godfrey Burkhart
John Turpening
George Weiser
Walt Courtney
Sam Deamude
Amos Doan
Pete Esworthy
Clyde Felemey
John Fowler
Jim Rice
Lonnie Shanks
Frank Spain
Berrv Leonard
Fred Goodwine
Fred Schnelle
George Satterfield
Ira Blackford
Rev. James Livinston
Clifford Reeves
Burt Hall
Ernest Duncan
John Kelley

John Musser
Floyd Allen
Carl Stahl
Frank Baker
Frank Hall
Frank Spain
Sherm Littler
Ed Lewman
John Lewman
Benton Jolley
Merrill Johnson
John Haskett
Tom Humphrey
Tom Nichols
Ira Larkin
Wilham Selsor
Bill Morris
Lee Wickman
Dutch Tommy
Pick Cardiff
Doc Synder
Lee Price
Ora Alexander
George Hooker
Alva Knerr
Louis Knerr
Daniel Underwood
Ronald Newman
Beard McCollister
Joe McCollister
Willis Auten
James Parsons
Jettie J. Bressler
Fred Ermentrout
Curtis Sollars
William Beaver
Frank O'Connell
W. W. Wright
Walter Ennis
Elmer D. VanNess
D. S. Cossairt
John Cossairt
John Layton
George Young
Fred Farnsworth, Sr.
Forest McGowan
Winnie Jolley
Henry McDaniels
John Scott
John Howard
Elmer Roy Kelly

108

Hiram Watson
Myrick Coil
A. B. Duncan
Robert Lindsey
Lowell Creighton
Charles Hoshauer
Lewis Malone
Fred Osbom
Dan Reardon
Bert Pyke
Francis Shain
Edward Jester
Matt Kinney
William Camp
William Hines
John Poulson
W. Elmer Hobbs
Presley Shaw
Henry Williams
Frank Andrews
M. Max St. John
Louis Alexander
George Wyant
George W. Leonard

Cliff Reynolds
Guy Roberts
Otto Hulse
C. M. Dodson
Wilber Hurley
Fred Powell
Cornelius Dodson
Newton West
Issac Hombeck
Morris Goetschius
John Hines
Clinton Crouch
Charles Ingersoll
Ernest Woods
William Tomlin
Charles Ellis
Bert Perry
Dale Huffman
Gabriel Burkhart
William Rice
Leland Jameson
Vernon Jameson
Guy Seymour
George Cook

James Bowman

Samuel Aldridge

Marion Hall Paul Burrough

Jesse Spain

Merton Swisher

Albert Waldron

Chester Atchison

Don Crawford

Charles F. Hoth

Charles Seymour

Albert H. Ingersoll

Edward Hunt

Ray West

Roy E. Talbott

Ray Talbott

Walter Talbott

Melvin Duncan

Mason Duncan

Kenneth Willard

Curry Voss

D. A. Arthion

Kenneth Keen

Brice Ellett

Haven Sheets
Curtis Alexander
Wilbur Howell
Cheisa Howell
Frank Waugh
William Sager
George Waugh
Samuel Possee
Nathan J. Lewis
CarlStuckey
William Wilson
William Kelly
Raleigh H. Farnsworth
Fred McDonald
Joe Cannon
Bert Selsor
Evers Landis
Lee Adams
Edward J. Lawrence
Egbert Ferrill
Jesse Alexander
Harry Falconer
Cova Holt

This poem was found in the papers of John
Parker Scott, after he passed away in December
1943, at the age of 82.

PLEASE PASS THE ROSES

"When I quit this mortal shore.

And mosey round the world no more,

Don't weep, don't sigh, don't sob;
I may have struck a better job.

Don't go and buy a large bouquet
For which you'll find it hard to pay.

Don't mope around and feel all blue,
I may be better off than you.

Don't tell the folks I was a saint
Or any old thint! that I ain't;

I you have jam like that to spread,
Please hand it out before I'm dead.

If you have roses, bless your soul.
Just pin one in my buttonhole

While I'm alive and well today;
Don't wait until I've gone away."

Author Unknown

109

Poi^omac's Businesses

Street Scene
CURTIS BARBER SHOP

According to the abstract of the shop, this
land was first bouglit from the United States Gov-
ernment by Isaac Haughom June 6, 1834. It was
then sold to Francis Morton, to John Bailey, to Rob-
ert Marshall, to John Smith, and 1 867 to David Part-
low and his wife Sarah. Next it was sold to Herman
Biedermann, June 19, 1876, who came here from
Germany. He died March 18, 1937, at 90 years of
age. His daughter Mary Biedermann sold it to Ernest
and Sadie Woods who had it until Sept. 19, 1958,
when Ellis and Mildred Curtis purchased and still
own the shop.

Tine, as everyone knows, is the third generation
in his family to be a barber. His grandfather, father,
and 2 uncles were barbers in the surrounding com-
munity of Potomac. One gentleman told me not too
long ago that all 3 generations had cut his hair, start-
ing when he was a small boy of 3.

Would you believe at one time there were 3 bar-
ber shops in Potomac at one time! These were Fred
Rice, Elmer Jameson (now the Curtis shop) and Jess
Vanness. This was back in the 30's.

Tine is busy shaping hair, giving haircuts and
driving a truck besides.

Tiny Curtis

110

POTOMAC LOCKER

Paul Burroughs bought the locker late in 1948
from Forsythe Brothers, and they had just taken it
over from Leo Wahls from Homer, Illinois.

The Slaughter House was built in 1951.

The store was purchased from Jim Holden ( Bob
and Wilma Taylor had owned it prior to Mr. Holden)
in 1963. At that time the opening between the store
and the locker was made, and the two businesses be-
came one.

Postoffice

POTOMAC LIBRARY

In 1939, Potomac wanted to have a public li-
brary. The Home Bureau made a study of the pos-
sibilities, and the town board agreed to allow them
to use a part of the city building. Neva Littlepage
made a trip to Springfield. Illinois to learn the nec-
essary procedure in setting up a library. She appoint-
ed Leda Stephens as president; Nell Taylor, Myrtle
Anderson and Estella Moreland as Library Trustees.

The Library opened on September 8, 1939, and
Ina Taylor was selected to be the librarian. She was
paid by W. P. A. funds from the state. The State Li-
brary at Springfield furnished some of the books,
many others came from the Danville Library and
many others were donated.

Mabel Lowe was librarian from 1943 to 1946,
when Myrtle Anderson was elected librarian. She
held the position of librarian for 22 years, retiring
in 1968.

The library is supported by the residents of the
community. It has over 5,000 volumes and there are
260 borrowers. The library joined the Lincoln Trails
Libraries System in 1971, and the residents are able
to obtain many services.

Clarabelle Boggess was elected librarian in
1968, and is now serving in that capacity.

The Board of Trustees are:

Lilah Voss. president; Marylyn Hoshauer, treas-
urer; Nelle Bennett; Dale Goempler; Margaret End-
sly and Jewell Clements.

Elevator

Lincoln Trail booknidhilc comes tn town along
with a furry animal to attract the kids!

Ill

BUILDING AND LOAN ASSOCIATION

Building & Loan Association. Early in the year
1889, when the Village of Potomac was a teenager-
13, to be exact, a group of men of the village talked
it over, and decided to start a Building & Loan Asso-
ciation. A State Charter was obtained and the Poto-
mac Building & Loan was born.

It was set up on a basis of service to the Ordin-
ary people. Many saved money for education of their
children. Many young people saved their own money
for college. Many saved for old age and unexpected
expenses. Some saved for homes they wished to buy.

Then great numbers of people borrowed mon-
ey to buy homes. Others to remodel, etc. The fore-
sight of this group of men was remarkable. The bus-
iness they started has continued longer than any
other ever started in this village. It was sound. It
stood the test of 2 depressions (the '90's and the
'30's); it was there in the Boom and Bust, through
wars and peace. The Board of Directors, who over
the years were many different persons, kept the bus-
iness solvent. No one ever lost a penny of their in-
vestments. The crash of '29 was survived.

How can you sell that kind of business? Only

one way: pass a law that puts too much on it. This
was done June 30, 1 973. Although the reserves were
enough, because others in other towns failed, the
state passed a law requiring Federal Deposit Insur-
ance. The board quickly explored this and found
that to do this you would need to have at least
$1,000,000 in assets. With us that was impossible,
so a group of directors went to Springfield to talk it
over with the people at the Savings & Loan Commis-
sioner's office as to what we could do. It was found
that there were only about 2 things that could be
done: 1 . Sell our mortgages to someone else and close
up shop; 2. Sell our business to someone else who
would be willing to keep a facility in Potomac.

The board decided that the second alternative
was the best for all concerned. So, the business has
been sold to Unity Savings Association of Chicago,
Illinois. Unity is an over $300,000,000 association.
They are fully insured by the Federal Deposit Insur-
ance Corporation.

Money deposited with them is as safe as in oth-
er financial institutions in the U. S. The office in Po-
tomac is open and ready to do business.

MORRIS DRUG STORE

In the summer of 1942, on July 13, Clark Mor-
ris purchased the Alexander Drug Store from Charlie
Alexander as a family project to be owned and op-
erated by himself, his wife and 2 daughters.

The Morris Family came to Potomac from Mar-
shall, Illinois where Mr. Morris also managed a drug-
store.

Clark Morris was to own and operate this bus-
iness for 21 years, through the history-making years
of Worid War II and the Korean conflict.

Mr. Morris sold his place of business in 1963,
when he retired to Mr. & Mrs. Ray Fulk. It has since
changed hands several times and is now known as the
Village Discount Store.

Morris Drug Store

u:

BIGGS MOTOR COMPANY

On September 14, 1945, Russell and Katha-
leen Biggs stored their furniture in Kankakee,
climbed in their '39 Ford and motored to Potomac,
Illinois to go into business selling Case Farm Machin-
ery. To add to the dismal day of pouring rain were
the tears shed by Kathaleen all the way to Potomac.
The rain continued for 3 weeks! As we passed the
Mental Institution in Kankakee, it was questionable
as to whether we should leave Russell or not. Having
arrived in Potomac, we rented a sleeping room from
Mary Reeves in the Buckingham House. We started
in the Case Farm Machinery business in the Daniels
building which was a part of the Daniels Lumber
Yard. Alden May and his father, John May, built the
counter and parts bins for us in that building. We op-
erated business from there for a year and a half when
Dorsey McBroom bought the Daniels Lumber Yard.
Russell then bought a piece of ground west of town
on State St. from Qare Young and started to build.
Dorsey, being the kind and considerate man that he
was, let us stay there in the lumber yard and operate
business from there until our building was complet-
ed. Trees had to be cut down, and a huge hole, which
had been a basement, had to be filled in by a bull-
dozer. Then the footing was started and the begin-
ning of Biggs Motor Company.

Peachie Wright and Herb Warren laid the brick
and the block for the new building. Tanner Jameson
and his crew- Cari Stuckey and Winnie Jolley, Harry
Bird and his crew- William Bird and French Spain,

did the interior. Peachie Wright, Herb Warren and
Sellis Lawless did the concrete work.

In November of 1 948, we moved into our new
building. Lowell Creighton, Jack Biggs and Vivian
Hoth were the first employees in our new building.

A great day in April of 1 949 came around noon
when Russell signed his Chevrolet contract. He
signed it, came straight home and we started to Sa-
lina, Tennessee with Dorsey and Ruth McBroom on
a fishing trip.

All wasn't fun and sunshine, as Russell became
quite ill with a sore throat. After 2 days, we had to
start home, but didn't make it. We stopped off at
Lake View Hospital in Danville with him. The doc-
tor hospitalized Russell with quinsey. He was there
for 3 days and upon his arrival home, he was greeted
by our first carrier of Chevrolets. We shall always re-
member this as one of the greatest thrills of our lives!

July 1 , 1 949, we moved into our own home pur-
chased from Orvill Bottrells. Then in September,
1949, we got our daughter, Sue Ellen. We have al-
ways said these 3 things were of the greatest impor-
tance for us, and all in the same year- 1949.

Business was growing and we needed more
room, so in 1953, we added the back part of the
building, which took care of all the shop. Frank
Auten with the help of the employees, Nelson Kes-

Biggs' secretary for years-
Grace Stucky

113

singer, Short LaMar, Ray Wesley, Gene Poyner and
Eldon Larkin laid the block and poured the garage
floor and put in the drain. George McClellan engin-
eered the roof construction.

The first bookkeeper to work for us was Rob-
ert DeNeal. He was with us for 1 2 years and then
left us to become a rural mail carrier. He was re-
placed by Grace Stuckey who was with us for 15
years. She had to leave us because of failing health,
so our next bookkeeper was Anne Duncan.

Eldon Larkin, Herman Ackerman, Eugene Poy-
ner, Ray Wesley, Vernon Brown, Allen Shumate,
Ronald Ellett, James Polhtt and George Marrs were
ail good mechanics and worked on many Chevrolets
for us. Gerald Chesnut and Curt Grider, who was
with us for 1 5 years, worked in the Parts Depart-
ment. Nelson Kessinger and Francis Clements were
our salesmen and part-time parts men. Francis was
the last salesman to work for Biggs Motor Company.
He started working in 1962 and worked for us until
his death in 1974. We missed Francis very much as
he was our "Detail Man."

Our present employees are Ronald Ellett, Mark
Bartlow, Ron Smith and Anne Duncan.

Over a period of years we owe much of the
success of Biggs Motor Company to all of these
people. They were not only our employees, but also
our friends. We have made many friends here in Po-
tomac in the 30 years we have been in business as
well as many fine customers for which we are thank-
ful. We had some that were "stinkers" too, but you
can't win them all, now can you?

As of this writing we have sold our business to
Tom BeVard of Lincoln, Illinois. It became Tom
BeVard Chevrolet effective February 1, 1976. It
makes us sad to be going out of business, but "time
waits for no man" and it's time to turn it over to a
younger man. Please be as considerate of Tom as
you have been to us. Potomac is a good place to live.
We like it here!
Kathaleen & Russell Biggs

ELLIS IMPLEMENT COMPANY

Everett Ellis and Lowell (Cap) Creighton ran
the Standard Gas Station in 1939.

In 1 940, Everett started a garage and Ford trac-
tor agency in a building where the Potomac Post Of-
fice now stands.

In 1945, he moved to the building where the
new addition to the Goodwine State Bank is, where
he was a dealer of Allis Chalmers, Oliver, New Idea
and M & W Gear Implements. He also handled ma-
chinery parts, lawn mowers, and did machinery re-
pair work in the back of the building. He operated
this business until his death in 1972, when the build-
ing was sold to the Goodwine State Bank and torn
down for the addition to be built to the bank.

114

STANDARD OIL

Standard Oil bulk plant was built at the present
location in 1929. Davey Allen was the agent at the
time the plant was built. Prior to Davey were agents
Charlie Weiser and Homer Butz. Davy's first tank
wagon was 500 gallon capacity.

At present the plant is owned and operated by
Arnold Reynold who has been servicing the area in
and around Potomac for the past 1 7 years. Prior to
coming to Potomac, Arnold worked for Standard
Oil in Danville, Illinois for 8 years.

He presently operates one 1,700-gallon tank
truck and services 1 20 square miles around Potomac.

Floyd Faulkner on Floyd Davie Allen's
1934 Chevy tank truck for Standard Oil.

PAPERS

The Marysville Independent was established in
1 876 by Benn Biddlecome. It was a six-column folio
independent in politics and religion, devoted to the
news of the day and was well-sustained by the busi-
ness men.

The Vermilion Patrol— ]893— Albert Flaningan
The Potomac Rustler- 1 897-Clyde C. Buckingham
The Vermilion Patrol-lS91-'W.T. Flaningan
The Potomac Record- 1908-E. A. & C. R. Barnes
The Potomac Record— 1 9 1 0— Alva Leonard
The Potomac Record-l9l6-0. W. Hickman
The Potomac Record- 1911— O. W. Hickman
The Potomac Record -1922- J. H. Patton
The Potomac Record— \926—G. Huntoon
The Potomac Record— \930—Geo. A. Reinhardt
The Potomac Record -1934-^. W. Burke
The Potomac Leader-\94\—B. F. Morgan
The Middle fork Journal- 1950-CTaw & Craw

MIDDLEFORK JOURNAL

For 7 years Potomac was without a weekly
paper when Craw & Craw came here and started the
Middlefork Journal. The first issue was April 28,
1950, and now in its 27th year. B. F. Morgan was
the last publisher in town and he had The Potomac
Leader. Best wishes from the entire area, Joyce and
Lyle Craw!

REMOLE COB SERVICE

As times come and go, so did Remole Cob In-
dustries after about 6 years of operation in Potomac.

Usually a surpressed grin and a polite twinkle
in the eye were obvious when Delbert Remole an-
swered inquiries as to what his profession was, and
he answered, "the com cob business."

Despite the indignity that went with it, Del-
bert began the operation in 1947. His equipment in-
cluded a hammermill, a tractor and a truck with high
sideboards and he had a new bride to take his phone
calls.

Com cobs were hauled from a corn sheller, run
through the hammermill and blown into railroads
boxcars. Each car would hold from 20 to 40 tons.
The ground cobs were then shipped to Quaker Oats
Company in Memphis, Tennessee. Other plants were
in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska.

Contrary to what some folks might think, the
cobs were not used for cereal. Quaker Oats Co. ex-
tracted a chemical, called furfural, which was simi-
lar to industrial alcohol. About 50% of this was sold
to Dupont to be used in the production of nylon.
The rest was used for coating airplane wings, cement
for light bulbs and coating for the wiring in electric
generators. Furfural is an adhesive product that was
used to revolutionize the old farm grinder to the high
speed grinder of today.

Delbert's fondest hope was that they would
start using nylon in track tires. This came in later
years.

Shortly after the beginning of Remole Cob In-
dustries, a storage bin with a 25 car load capacity was
built in the northwest part of town and truckers

115

were hired to haul cobs from com shellers to the
storage. Most farmers were anxious to get rid of this
by-product and it was often that more calls were re-
ceived to haul cobs away than there were trucks a-
vailable to haul them. Between 400 and 500 boxcar
loads were shipped each year.

Because more cobs were available than could be
stored in the bin and shipped, a stock pile was star-
ted near "Bud" Young's gravel pit, north of Poto-
mac. The pile grew until at one time, it reached 700
tons.

In 1953, the demand from Quaker Oats Co. be-
gan to diminish because of the increased production
of com in the south and lower freight rates. It was
obvious that the demand would continue to de-
crease. This caused Delbert to begin to look for
brighter horizons and so Remole Cob Industries, like
the old soldier, just faded away with the final ship-
ments in 1954.

REMOLE SOIL SERVICE

It was in the spring of 1954 that Delbert Rem-
ole announced the birth of a new industry in the Po-
tomac area, and Remole Soil Service began as an in-
fant.

The first services included one tRick with a
lime spreader bed on it and a small stock of bagged
fertilizer. The first fertilizer customers were Del-
bert's brother. Sonny Remole, and the late Charles
Hoshauer. This was all it took to spark the enthusi-
asm that grew as time went on. The late Burtt Hall
was hired as the first employee, and Delbert's wife,
Frances, was to be the keeper of the telephone and
books. Their dining room desk was the office.

That same spring, despite much discourage-
ment from outside, Delbert decided to add a new
product that had never been introduced in the area
before. Anhydrous Ammonia was becoming well-
known for side-dressing corn, but there was a new
type of low-pressure liquid nitrogen coming onto
the market and because of his desire to add some-
thing new, it was added to the Remole fertilizer fam-
ily. The product was being produced by Allied
Chemical Co. and was called Nitrana. It proved very
satisfactory and was soon being made by other com-
panies and given their name brand. It became very
popular in the fertilizer industry.

Again, Delbert's pioneering spirit began to
show as he studied the possibilities of offering liquid
fertilizer. With the approval of the Farm Extension
Service, in 1955 he became the first fertilizer dealer
in Vermilion County to introduce non-pressure
mixed liquid fertilizer to go through a corn planter.

Mr. Irvin Story was the first customer and was a sat-
isfied one. It caught on fast. The company's selling
slogan was "All you have to lift is the end of a hose."

Enthusiasm was running high as Remole Soil
Service began to grow and in 1956 a storage shed
was built and the equipment added for mixing dry
blend bulk fertilizer. The following year a liquid
manufacturing plant was built and the name brand
"Rem-Gro" was attached to both the liquid and dry
blend fertilizer.

The territory began inching out and by this
time an office was set up in the backyard at the Rem-
ole residence and the business was incorporated. In
1959, the existing fertilizer facilities at Bismarck,
Illinois were purchased from Cleo Dolbee. Storage
buildings and tanks were installed and it became an
active branch of Remole Soil Service, Inc. The next
year the business expanded to the west as storage
buildings and tanks and an office were erected at
Gifford, Illinois. Later, facilities were established in
Fithian, Illinois.

Due to needed space for expansion, ground was
purchased just west of Potomac along the railroad
tracks and the liquid and dry manufacturing plants
were moved to the new site and a new and larger
office building was built with a complete state ap-
proved soil-testing lab in the basement. A bagging
machine was installed for bagging dry fertilizer.

During the spring planting season production
at the Potomac plant reached 5,000 tons of liquid
Rem-Gro and 10,000 tons of dry Rem-Gro with a-
bout 1 ,000 tons of the latter going into bags. Em-
ployment reached 60 a couple of times, however,
full-time employment was about 20. The small fleet
of trucks operated the year around, spreading lime-
stone and rock phosphate along with the fertilizer.
In addition, spring and fall found nitrogen apphca-
tors and tanks in the fields and tractor-drawn spread-
ers were available for the farmer's own use. The com-
pany's slogan was, "A Department Store for your
Soil Needs."

In 1967, the entire operation of Remole Soil
Service, Inc. was sold to Standard Oil Co. of Ohio,
and Delbert and Frances Remole retired from the
fertilizer industry. The business continued to oper-
ate as Remole Soil Service for a year until it was
changed to Sohigro, and still is serving the respective
areas under this name.

Cash for Eggs.
The Bargain Couater^

John A. Smith.

16

HISTORY OF
THE GOODWINE BANK OF POTOMAC

Teddy Roosevelt was President, the airplane
was just beginning to become a reality, a buggy with
a gasoline engine to take the place of a horse was be-
ing tried for the first time, and the average working
week was sixty hours with an average pay of 1 54 an
hour, when John Goodwine (Jack, as he was better
known), a prominent fanner and land-owner of this
community, along with his oldest son, John W.
Goodwine, founded and established the Goodwine
State Bank of Potomac. Jesse Stone's Lumber and
Coal, along with W. H. Copeland & Son funeral par-
lor are the only businesses in Potomac that are still
in operation today as they were in 1903, the year
the bank was established.

The bank operated as a private one until a law
was passed to the effect that all banks must be
either state or national in organization and oper-
ation.

John (Jack) Goodwine was president and his

son, John W. Goodwine, was cashier. A few years
later Cora Goodwine, now Cora Rice, became book-
keeper. John VV. later moved to Fredrick, Oklahoma,
and entered the insurance business. Later, when his
father purchased additional land in Michigan, he
moved there and took up fanning. It was while living
m Michigan that he became interested in politics
and was elected to the Michigan State Legislature
on the Republican ticket. In 1 935 he, along with sev-
eral other state senators and representatives, lost his
life in a hotel fire in Lansing.

U. S. Goodwine, another son of the founder,
joined the bank personnel following his death.

Business was slow at first and some of the pres-
ent bank officers can recall that there was plenty of
time to read the newspapers during banking hours.

October 1 2, 1920, and application for permis-
sion to organize and become a state bank, with a cap-
ital stock of S50,000, a duration of 99 years, to be

117

located at Potomac, Illinois was filed by John Good-
wine, U. S. Goodwine and Cora G. Rice, in the of-
fice, of the Auditor of Public Accounts at Springfield
This application for permission to become a state
bank was approved October 23, 1920. In 1922, Cora
G. Rice discontinued working in the bank, but still
had an active interest in its operation. With the death
of John Goodwine, May 30, 1 924, Cora G. Rice be-
came president; U. S. Goodwine, cashier, and Mar-
garet Goodwine (wife of U. S. Goodwine), assistant
cashier.

In 1929, the Potomac National Bank, which
was founded by the late Dr. L. C. Messner, with Al-
bert Rice as president and Palmer C. Smith as cashier,
decided to liquidate its banking business and join
forces with the Goodwine State Bank, thus selling
to them certain of its assets. With this new consohda-
tion of forces, U. S. Goodwine became president,
Cora G. Rice, vice-president, Albert Rice, cashier,
and Palmer C. Smith and Margaret Goodwine, assis-
tant cashiers.

The bank continued to progress and grow, even
though it has had set-backs and both large and small
decisions to "iron out." With the depression of the
early 30's and the election of President Franklin D.
Roosevelt and his declaring a bank moratorium; the
Goodwine State Bank suspended operations for a
short time, along with many other thousands of
banks in the country, some of which were destined
never to resume business. President U. S. Goodwine
was finally given the OK to re-open and continue
giving this community a safe and competent banking
service.

In 1948, Gordon A. Rice, son of Albert and
Cora A. Rice, joined the bank personnel, and in
1950, Marvin F. Goodwine, son of U. S. Goodwine,
President, joined the personnel of the bank.

A complete remodeling operation of the bank
building, both inside and out, was started late in
1949, and completed in 1950. A new fire-proof
vault for storage of records, along with a new dir-
ectors' and consultation room, was added on the
rear of the building.

In 1954, U. S. Goodwine, president of the
bank, passed away and Cora G. Rice became presi-
dent. In the latter part of the 1950's and the early
part of the 1960's another extensive remodeling pro-
gram was underway. This time a new bookkeeping
room was added in the lower level (basement), and
new consultation rooms were added on the ground
fioor.

Albert Rice, cashier, passed away in 1964, and
Gordon A. Rice became cashier. Evelyn J. Rice was
employed in 1966. Marvin F. Goodwine, vice-presi-
dent of the bank, passed away in 1967, and Evelyn
J. Rice was elected vice-president. In 1972, Cora G.
Rice, who was president of the bank at the time, re-

tired and Gordon A. Rice became president.

With the continued financial growth of the
Goodwine State Bank, it was decided to purchase
the adjoining building, which was the E. F. Ellis Im-
plement dealership (formerly the W. H. Goodwine
Garage, which was one of the first Ford dealerships
in the country, starting in 1913 . This building was
razed and a new building was constmcted and joined
with the original building, thus giving the bank twice
the floor space. This construction was completed in
1975. The bank has remained at its present location
during the 73 years of business.

The present stockholders, directors, officers,
and employees of Goodwine State Bank are:
Stockholders:

Lois Andrews, Frank Andrews, June Goodwine, Ev-
elyn J. Rice, Gordon A. Rice, Stephen G. Rice, Dr.
Weldon G. Sheets, John Goodwine, Doug Goodwine,
Dean Andrews, Gilbert Goodwine, Gertrude Good-
wine, and Dan Rice.
Directors:

Lois Andrews, Frank Andrews, June E. Goodwine,
Evelyn J. Rice, Gordon A. Rice, Stephen G. Rice,
and Dr. Weldon G. Sheets.
Officers:

Gordon A. Rice, President; Dan Rice, Vice Presi-
dent; Frank Andrews, Vice-President; and Evelyn J.
Rice, Vice-President, Cashier.
Employees:

Sonna Carley, Becky Chngan, Connie Dawes, Pat
Downing, Carolyn Howie, Rocky JoIIey, Ruthanne
Reardon, Dan Rice, Roger Showalter, Shirleen War-
ren, and Beverly Reynolds.

Today the bank stands as a $9,000,000 insfitu-
tion that is striving to serve the Potomac, Armstrong,
Collison, Henning communities and rural areas.

CHESTER ATCHISON

Chester Atchison was first licensed to sell in-
surance for State Farm Insurance Company in 1 937.
At that time he was residing on a farm near Rankin,
Illinois.

In spring of 1947, he moved to the Potomac
area. At that time, insurance business was conducted
from home until spring of 1972, when the business
was moved to the village. The first office in Potomac
was next to Curtis Barber Shop on the east side
where the late Ben Behimer had conducted insurance
business until his death.

After a few years at this location, opportunity
arose to rent the telephone building where the cen-
tral office had formerly been. One more year will
round out 40 years in the insurance business.

I feel that the Potomac area is a good place to
live and hope to continue a long time yet!

118

POTOMAC EQUIPMENT COMPANY

About the turn of the century, Fred Duncan &
Chas. Jester started the business known as Duncan &
Jester at 41 State Street, on the south side.

About 1 907, Claude Duncan came into the bus-
iness and it became known as Duncan Bros. They
sold McCormick Deering tractors starting about
1916, as well as hardware, wagons, buggies and mak-
ing their own harness. They continued in business
until 1952, when they sold out to Jack Prillaman. It
then became known as Jack W. Prillaman Hardware
& Implement. They sold International Harvester
tractors & farm equipment, and in 1961 also sold
Ford cars and trucks.

In Febniary of 1968, the buildings at 41 State
Street burned. The business was then incorporated
into Potomac Equipment Co. and moved to 42 Ver-
milion into what was at one time the old livery sta-
ble.

In 1973, they purchased the old empty hotel
or apartment building just north of them known at
various times as the Batey Place or Taylor or Behim-
er. They tore it down and put up a new storage build-
ing on the lot. At the present time, they sell and ser-
vice International Harvester tractors and machinery
as well as some hardware.

ALEXANDER INSURANCE AGENCY

A youthful Curtis Alexander came to Potomac
in 1920 to assume teaching and coaching responsi-
bilities at the high school. A native of tiny Eminence,
Indiana, the 21 year old Alexander had already held
teaching positions at Gosport and Lewisville, Indi-
ana.

During his 16 basketball seasons at Potomac,
Alexander guided his teams to an over-all winning
percentage of 78%. He was the first coach in Ver-
mihon County to win 4 consecutive regional tourna-
ments (1933-36).

In 1921, Alexander married Ola Taylor, a Poto-
mac native. Their only child, Robert Lee Alexander

taught at Williamsville, Illinois for 5 years; acted as
instrument instructor at Chanute Air Force Base for
1 year; served as Wellington High School principal
for 7 years; and was principal for 4 years at Unity
Senior High School at Tolono, Illinois.

After the untimely death of Ola in 1 945, Alex-
ander married Hilda Roodhouse of Jacksonville, 111.,
in 1947. Their 2 children were christened John and
Julia.

In 1953, after devoting 35 years to education,
Alexander returned to Potomac and purchased an
insurance agency from Elmer Moreland, who was
failing in health. The agency was originally estab-

119

lished in 1879 by J. B. Payne, and later, Moreland
bought into the agency. The agency was located up-
stairs in the old Stone building on the north side of
State Street.

After purchasing the agency, Alexander moved
into the Charles Jester building south of the Grab-It-

Here Store. In 1966, the offices were moved next
door south to the Miller house at 105 S. VermOion
Street.

Alexander's son John joined the firm in 1975,
after completing college. Juha is now a Junior at
the University of Illinois.

REEVES CAFE

At one time there was a two-story brick build-
ing east of the present florist shop to the alley west
of Paul Burroughs locker and grocery. This building
was owned by W. E. Stone.

This building was bought by Jack Prillaman
who had it torn down in 1959, and now uses the lot
to display farm machinery. Mr. & Mrs. Hobart
Reeves stained their restaurant in the 2 rooms on the
ground tioo'. on the east end of this above-men-
tioned buiiumg on Saturday, May 22, 1944. These
rooms, as far back as I can remember, had always
been used as a restaurant. I bought equipment and
stock from Mr. & Mrs. Carol Hammond who oper-
ated the restaurant for about a year back in the ra-
tioning days.

Previous owners were: Louis Pinno, Cleo Ten-
nyson, Claude Tennyson, Clint Crouch, Fred Tay-
loy and Clifford Bush. We operated the restaurant in
the above-mentioned building until Sept. 12, 1955.
We then moved to the northeast comer of the square
now operated by Ronald Newnum and Laddie
Grimes.

We rented the restaurant part of the building
for 6 months, then bought the building from Arthur
Reepe. The building contained 1 large 6-room apart-
ment and 1 small 1-room apartment upstairs. The
small room behind was Harry Grimes' pool hall. The
large room which we had rented was the restaurant.
We retired from the restaurant business on July 31,
1970.

The building was purchased by Mr. & Mrs. Wil-
son Morgan. Mr. &. Mrs. Morgan opened August 1,
1970.

Ours was the first restaurant that had pre,ssure
water in town in 1945. It was a pump installed by
■;rge Borror.

When we first opened the restaurant, our cooks
were as follows: the late Sylvia Magruder, the late
Emma Reynolds (grandmother of Don Reynolds),
Edith Hall, the late Mary Reeves, my mother, the
late Ella Creighton, and the late Carrie Keller. They
were plain old-fashioned country cooks who con-
tributed to the success of our restaurant business.

EGIMBEL STORE

CLOA.K

DBF'yXRTMBNT.

Pr irlps 1 lie lowest, ritnge uf sizes
cnipctt*, Vft'iely of styles unsurprtsscrt
and fit Hud nisli ot every ummeut per-
f(Ct. Film tliH plainest and 'ow price
to llie ninst I'xpHnsive. I he Kft''>'e"it''
have « ilistiDcf ivL' cliiiriioler— not iisu
»llp found ID :ill cnjitg nnd cupes. This
is nwiiii; til llib ptoficit-nny of the
Giinlielx 09 biiyei^. No firm in the
priidu tod:iy me l)etter known ti» the
Chink m«nuta»:t.iier3 of tipscuntiv t'f
whieli symiicule we me memlnrs. Voii
c.iily know out (usEl's tiirr)U<jh our diSM
ctelioii in kt-epiu<; poor itvles out;
wliite you feel thiitT>ui' helpfulness in
the econ.any we mhke att-ch la the
most exclusive things.

Women's Reefer
Coats,

Women's Cloth

Capes.

D.fuhle capes of good heavy cloth, up^
per <:t\pe trnd C'»lliir t-rtgeJ with tfjl AO
fur. 30 inches long at ffl • vO

Women's cloth capes.

Dnrhle cHpe^i, tfti'.or made, siiiched
(dge, tielvet collar. 24 incites ^4) AO

Women's cloth capes.

Fine UeMVer cloth double cape, 30 in.
loi'i;. 160 ill. sweep. fftlin libnoa
stitclied collar, upptr c-ipe and all
a ound the bottom^ colors ^1 Q^
black and navy ut ^T^VV

v7omen's cloth capes.

Double cape >>( fine Kersey, v*iiii six
IOW9 of stitchinjj aiound cdjje* set in
velvet r.olhir, Urife sweep iHilst <frK HK
ov niftdo, extraordinary value ai<P^« I 0

120

Adveriisers

121

COMPLIMENTS OF

Remole Mobile Homes, Inc.

2019 Georgetown Road
Danville, Illinois

Located 1 mile south of 1-74 on Route 1

We can furnish you with a beautiful new twelve foot or fourteen
foot wide mobile home, a double wide mobile home, a modular
home, or we can build you a home according to your plans.

We Congratulate

POTOMAC

'One of the greatest httle towns in the Midwest'

COMPLIMENTS

OF

Wescove Christian School

«& 3 ^ &

\/ Completing our first quarter-century in the Potomac \/

5> 0 community. Providing quality Christian education by ^0

' people who care. '

El

R. & H
Company

TRUCK TOPPERS

Custom Built
Camper Repairs

Charles Rogers
776-2761

John T. Hoskins

776-2767

BRUTLAG
LIVESTOCK

Cotomac, IMinoi;

BUYING ALL
CLASSES OF HOGS

DJtiv / a.m. I p.m.

:.i >i

Phone:

217-987-6121
for
Market Information

BOB BRUTLAG. Owner
FRED CURTIS, Manager

123

Good wine

State

Bank

ESTABLISHED 1903

Complete Banking Service

~"-.". -;?:^.i'^sis;'<:«Ss^-CA:-'.vs->„. ;.

Fan)] Loans
Real listafc Loans

Auto Loans
Conuiicrlcal Loans

Member of tlie Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

124

Young's

Standard

Blue Jay

Automotive

State Street
Potomae. Illinois

AUTOMOTIVE REPAIRS

Plu'iie; 9S7-6300

Grimes

&
Newman

CORNER CAFE

Home cooked meals and rriendl\ seniei.

Ron & Sii/ie Newman

Lndd and Diana diinK-^

Vermilion Service Co.

ARMSTRONG FS

Service Co.

Alois

dene

Bart

Ray

Eloise

Steve

POTOMAC FS

Service Co.

Verne

Joyce

Mark

Jim

Ray Crc

Jim King

126

Hospital Life

Jim Mullen and Associates Representing

Pioneer Life

Insurance

748-6162
Individual Retirement Disability

Accounts Income

Bur rough's

Potomac Locker and Star Market

Complete Line of Groceries - Custom Meat Processed for Your Freezer

Potomac, Illinois

987-6615

127

Bob L. Davis

Mobil

GAS-OIL-HEAT

776-2215

128

(^ CARGILL6BAIN

HENNING, ILLINOIS
PHONE (217) 286-3214

COMPLIMENTS

GRAIN DRYING-

OF

GRAIN STORAGE

Vivian & Slain Hoth

Alexander Insurance

Agency

105 South Vermilion Street
Potomac, Illinois 61865
Phone: (217) 987-6144

Curtis Alexander John C. Alexander

Owner-Agent Agent-Broker

Meeting Potomac's Insurance Needs Since 1953

130

Let us help you

with your

SEED CORN

Divan Disposal

CHEMICAL & FERTILIZER NEEDS

RESIDENTIAL & BUSINESS

Sohigro

SATISFACIION

Service Co.

OR

DOUBLE YOUR Lli'lbK BACK!

Potomac

987-6392

Bob Doran, Manager

Phone: 987-6113

131

». — ■ '

Reynold's

Oil

Co.

STANDARD OIL PRODUCTS

V J5 '

Potomac, Illinois

987-6946

1

i

Jim Clingan

AUCTIONEER

CoUison, Illinois

Wayside
Florist and Gifts

Weddings * Corsages * Cemetery Decorations

Plants * Sympathy Tributes * Rain Gardens

SERVING:

fw>

Armstrong-Collison
•x Potomac- Royal

Gifford-Penfield

Phone: 569-3180

Cornelius & Johnson

GRAIN COMPANY

Rielly — Ellis - Armstrong

FORMERLY FARRAR GRAIN

133

Bushboom

Grain Co., Inc.

Comson-776-2253

Royal-583-3105

134

BEST WISHES

Shirley's

Fashionette

BEAUTY SALON

106 S. Wilson
Potomac, Illinois
987-6444 for appointment

owner—Shirley Willard

CONGRATULATIONS

ON YOUR FIRST 100 YEARS!

Smitty's

DUAL WHEEL & TIRE SERVICE

Complete Line of Car, Truck
and Farm Tires and Batteries

8 miles west of Rossville
1-217-748-6138

McGuffee

Body Shop

Potomac, Illinois
987-6690

135

T & J
Gas for Less

GAS-OIL-GREASE
CAR REPAIR - TRACTOR REPAIR

Tod— Jim

136

CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES!

Null Ice Service

'Ice Goes With Everything"

Potomac, Illinois
987-6316

COMPLIMENTS

OF

H. F. Cope Co,

GRAIN ELEVATOR

Potomac 987-6341

137

Crawford

Trucking

Service

LIVESTOCK-GRAIN-ROCK

987-6668

Potomac

CONGRATULATIONS POTOMAC!

^Si

i

^ Leaver's

FLOWERS AND GIFTS

Potomac, Illinois 61865
987-6100

anytime

Pam's

Beauty

Salon

TWO LOCATIONS

Potomac — Danville

139

La nham

Funeral

Home

987-6425

Fred W. Lux-Joe D. Gallivan

140

CONGRATULATIONS, POTOMAC, ON

100 YEARS OF PROGRESS /

Depend on

/

/ BEST WISHES

Dekalb

/

/ NEW YORK LIFE

/ INSURANCE COMPANY

Dekalb Agricultural
Research. Inc.

200 College . . . Potomac, Illinois 61865

Telephone . . . (217) 987-6355

Life, Health, Group Insurance, Annuities, Pension Plans

Charles C. Remole

Business and Personal Insurance Planning

141

COMPLIMENTS OF THE

Potomac Lion's

Club

Community Service

for

45 Years

142

\^ Beck

and

Son

\. BLACKSMITHING AND

MACHINE SHOP

COMPLIMENTS OF X.

Electric &

O.xy-Acetylene Welding -
Lawnmowers & Lawnmower Repair

Con - Ron

\v Henning, Illinois

Laundry

Lane

\v 61848

We do our best to promote clean living.

\\^^

Ron,

Connie, and Jeannine Weishaar

Beef -

0 -

Sow

143

CONGRATULATIONS POTOMAC, ILLINOIS

from

Tom Bevard Chevrolet

NEW AND USED CARS AND TRUCKS

Impalas

Caprices

Wagons

Monte Carlos

Carvettes

Chevelles

Camaros

Novas

Monzas

Vegas

El Caminos

'/2 Tons

% Tons

Chevy Vans

Blazers

Sportvans

4 Wheel Drives

Suburbans

Thank you for letting us be a part of your community and in helping celebrate your 100 years

PUTTING YOU FIRST

KEEPS US FIRST

144

Marauder &

*Kit Cars

*Boats

*Body Work

*Welding, Gas, Arc, Tig, Mig

*Fabricating of Fiberglass and Metal Products

* Repairs of Fiberglass Farm Products

RR /,/ 2

Potomac, Illinois
Phone: (217) 569-4255

Farms

Business

Homes

Markwalder Realestate

Lyle Markwalder

POTOMAC, ILLINOIS 61865
PHONE: 987-6923

145

All Of Us
at

Potomac Equipment Co.

are pleased to see the first 100 years go by and hope to help make the next 100 a little easier

for our friends and customers.

Jack Prillaman

Mike Haley

Don Davis

Walter Carpenter

Eric Judy

Mike Kinnett

Marjorie Hudson

Jeff Steinbaugh

Eddie Goon

John Brans

John Allison

INTERNATIONAL HARVESTERS SALES & SERVICE

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 100th BIRTHDAY!

Judy Bros. Electric

Stan Judv

Potomac
987-6486

146

Phillips %

Gas-Oil-Tire-Repair

Caesar's
Fraternity

of Potomac, Illinois

PRIVATE SOCIAL CLUB

WITH

CIVIC PRIDE & PROJECTS

Davis
Market

Bob & Bobbie

CoUison, Illinois

THANKS FOR YOUR

PATRONAGE AND SUPPORT

Farrar Grain Co.

Harrison & Dot

147

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOISURBANA

3 0112 050742219