Pickings from Pike’s Past 12.28.22

By Editor | December 27, 2022 |

100 YEARS AGO: HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 62 DEGREES ON CHRISTMAS DAY!

150 Years Ago

Jan. 2, 1873

We have had winter in earnest, commencing since the 19th and continuing it every few days. The thermometer in Milton has been as low as 20 degrees below zero.

There is not as much marrying and giving in marriage in Griggsville as there should be. As the old lady said, “There’s the making of several good husbands and wives in the town just going to waste.”

The best cattle yards and stock pens in the county are in Griggsville.

Hoyt and Co. in Griggsville had to shut down on hog killing and packing for want of water.

Pembroke Paine is the mail carrier from Pittsfield to Bedford. This week his horse gave out at Milton and so he started out afoot with the mail on a sled, sliding downhill and hauling on the level and the upgrades. He had a boy helping him and he gave him the short downgrades.

125 Years Ago

Jan. 4, 1898

Good winter weather, but the snow is nearly gone.

Mrs. George Barber on Christmas night made glad the hearts of a lot of little folks, children of relatives and friends of her Pittsfield neighborhood, by inviting them to a beautiful Christmas tree which she had prepared and loaded down with presents for them.

Isaac Gerard, who lives a few miles southeast of Pittsfield, had a straw shed to fall down and bury five or six head of cattle. They were all taken out alive except one cow which was smothered.

In our rounds we stopped at Niebur’s shoe store. The first sign that greeted us was, “1897 accounts now due. Please settle by cash.”

Dogs fell off like everything else in Pike County this year. In 1896 there were 1,972; in 1897 just 1,605, a decrease of 367.

Jan. 7, 1898

The ice cutters at Pearl have cut some hard water, averaging six inches thick.

Pearl has organized an interesting reading circle and the Baptist Church began the new year by organizing a Sunday School with Mrs. Kate Meisenbach as superintendent.

Elmer Turnbeaugh, a young man of Nebo, made a trip from Pearl to Hardin on his skates.

The Griggsville Press speaks of B. F. Cunningham, who was buried here the other day, as the “pioneer printer” of Pike County, and this writer thinks it is mistaken. “The Sucker and Farmers Record” was established here in 1842 by M. J. Noyes, and at that time Frank was but 13 years of age. If not mistaken, Isaac W. Cunningham, an older brother, helped on the first issues of the Sucker and is the pioneer printer of Pike.

100 Years Ago

Jan. 3, 1923

New Year’s Day was pleasant. The sun shone and the weather was mild. Rain Friday spoiled the good roads we have been having. Christmas Day, 1922 was even warmer, with the high ranging from 60 to 62 degrees, as warm as Los Angeles and warmer than San Francisco. Skies were cloudless and roads were just right. Old timers say they do not remember a finer Christmas Day.

A crowd estimated at over 800 attended the Pleasant Hill Community Christmas Tree program on Christmas Eve.

The Good Fellows of the Pittsfield Lions Club delivered 45 baskets containing all the necessities for a complete Christmas dinner to needy families. They also provided others with clothing, treats or fuel. Altogether 75 families were remembered.

The Pittsfield, Barry and Griggsville Methodist churches are planning to form a basketball league that will consist of the Sunday School students of the three churches.

Prof. Ernest E. Orrill of Cottonwood school district No. 105 in Pleasant Hill Township has a fine line up of basketball players this year, both boys and girls. The boys have not lost a game and the girls have won the only game they have played this year. The Cottonwooders feel they are a match for any grade team in the county, either boys or girls. Who will be the next taker?

Elmer Ator has served as Sunday School superintendent of the New Hartford Sunday School for the past 20 years. There are nine classes in the school with a splendid teaching force.

75 Years Ago

Dec. 31, 1947

Albert McGinnis, proprietor of the Pittsfield Bowl, invited all of his pin boys to attend a turkey dinner Monday, December 22 at his home on West Washington Street.

John Brass, assistant manager at Strauss’, told a Republican reporter Monday that pre-Christmas sales broke all records at the store.

Nick Haskins of Nick’s Clothes Shop reported a 28 percent increase in business over last year and Kenneth Watson of G & W Furniture and Appliance Company said his business was considerably higher than last year.

The Pittsfield Lions Club offered five prizes this year for the best decorated homes, and they were awarded as follows: First, $25, Mrs. Ross Shaw; second, $15, Mrs. Guy Zimmerman; third, $10, Mrs. Dee Logan; fourth, $5, Ted Dell; fifth, $5, Kent Zimmerman.

The Illini Hospital Auxiliary’s first annual holiday dance was the highlight of the Christmas social season in Pittsfield.

50 Years Ago

Jan. 3, 1973

Miss Debra Curfman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roger Curfman of Perry and the 1972 Pike County fair queen, will compete Saturday, Jan. 13 in Springfield for the title of state-wide county fair queen.

Miss Nina Hubbard, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hubbard of Nebo and the 1972 Fall Festival Queen, will compete next week in the annual Illinois Fruit Queen contest in Belleville. She will be accompanied by her mother and Miss Marjorie Nighbert, Chamber of Commerce secretary.

Coach Will Ferguson’s scrappy crew came home from Macomb with the third place trophy. This is the highest any Saukee team has made in 16 team tourney play in the five years they have been competing in tourneys of this size.

Miss Vickie Shoemaker and Dan Allen were crowned the queen and king at Griggsville High School’s annual homecoming, held Dec. 19. Miss Shoemaker, a junior, is the daughter of Mrs. Bertha Shoemaker and the late Clifton Shoemaker of Griggsville. Dan Allen, a senior, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Dan Allen of Jacksonville.

25 Years Ago

Dec. 31, 1997

As the news of more and more crystal methamphetamine labs make headlines, the newest drug of choice is creeping into Pike County. So far no labs have been found in the county.

In the past year, 14 work crews from the Pike County Work Camp have maintained 10,000 man hours per month in Pike County and surrounding areas such as Scott and Morgan Counties.

Pat and Cecil Long are soon to become retirees, after almost 14 years in their Gambles’ retail business in Pleasant Hill.

The Saukee boys’ seven game winning streak was ended by Farmington in the Macomb Tourney, but PHS came back to win third place with a victory over Illini Central 54-45.

10 Years Ago

Jan. 2, 2013

Pittsfield First Baptist Church will have a grand opening and rededication Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 12-13.

The PHS Saukee boys, led by Kennedy Kattelman, Wayde Smith and Ethan Borrowman, won the consolation title at the Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament.

The Griggsville-Perry boys basketball team went undefeated at the Carrollton Holiday tournament last week, winning the championship after defeating Carrollton 82-69. Dryden Craven and Matthew Kennedy were on the all-tournament team. Other squad members were Jordan Dehart, Tristin Hobson, Riley Bradshaw, Skyler Dunham, Isaac Whitaker, Chance Vose, Joseph Myers, Wyatt Bradshaw, Hayden Bradshaw and Levi King.

ν Compiled by Michael Boren