Pickings from Pike’s Past 2.8.23
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.
75 YEARS AGO: PITTSFIELD MOOSE LODGE ESTABLISHED
150 Years Ago
Feb. 13, 1873
The weather still moderates with hard freezing at night and moderate thaws through the day. The snow has mostly disappeared.
Hon. W. R. Archer returned from Springfield last week very unwell. His complaint is erysipelas in the face.
125 Years Ago
Feb. 15, 1898
Has anyone been able by any means to touch the bottom of our roads in south Pike, or has the bottom simply dropped out entirely?
We have mud, mud, and more beautiful mud in Pleasant Hill Township. The man who will pledge himself to spend half or more of the road tax in graveling will get our vote and also a large portion of the voters. Better one mile of good road than the whole world of mud.
Weather has been of a mixed character and no two days alike. Travel is still mostly suspended and nobody goes nowhere for no purpose not at all nor no one else nohow.
Brick laying has been going on for a few days past and one story of the lengthy “ell” to the Mansion House is nearly up.
Ducks in plenty on the Illinois River and the pop, pop, pop of the gun is heard in every direction in the Pearl vicinity.
Feb. 18, 1898
A lady who is a great lover of birds and flowers informs us that the robins and bluebirds are on hand. Last year they made their appearance on the 14th.
The evangelist, Mrs. E.E. Williams, continues to draw large crowds at the Griggsville M.E. Church. She is no crank, but is an up to date preacher of the gospel, a brainy woman and has few equals as a pulpit orator.
The attendance at the Detroit M.E. Sunday School was 98 and at the Christian Church was 112, which for a town of this size is a splendid showing.
100 Years Ago
Feb. 14, 1923
Some of the West Pike townships have been practically depopulated of young farmers. Upwards of 75 have gone to work at the Burlington R.R. shops in Hannibal. Some who were making $30 a month for farm work are now making $150 for two weeks’ work in the shops.
Ben Brunswick has instituted apple day in the Pittsfield schools. On Feb. 14 every Pittsfield school child received a big red or yellow apple. Brunswick intends to make this an annual event.
Preliminary arrangements are being made to incorporate a building and loan in Pittsfield.
The Pittsfield High basketball five won from the Ft. Madison, Iowa team Friday night 33-13. The largest crowd of the season witnessed the game, which was a far better one than the score would indicate. Coach Eddy’s team was minus three regulars, all fired from the team for smoking.
Miss Edna Williams, county nurse, reports that many Pittsfield grade school children are very much underweight and that a third of the pupils have tonsils that are slightly enlarged or bad.
Mr. Bingham Lowe, age 68, of the Sunny Hill neighborhood passed away suddenly last Saturday, after being ill only for a few minutes. He was the father of 12 children. Nine of the children survive, and they were all present for the funeral in the Sunny Hill United Brethren Church yesterday.
Montezuma is the banner Farm Bureau township in the county, with a total of 61 members signed up in the recent drive. Otis Johnston was chairman of the drive, supported by Virgil Parks, J. Wes Smith, Russell Scranton, Judd Hoover, Chester Bauer and others.
75 Years Ago
Feb. 11, 1948
Two hundred and eighty men of Pike County Saturday afternoon formed the county’s first Moose Lodge, designated as Pittsfield Lodge No. 420. The lodge was formed at an initiation ceremony at Legion Hall. Ed Lowry was named first governor of the lodge. Tom Geisendorfer is secretary. The other officers are Carl Lohman, Roscoe Benson, Wayne Willard, Harvey Hurd, Charles A. Hooper, Alfred Sanders, Ivan Curley, Don Zimmerman, Alvin Brant and Paul Hammitt. Several buildings are being considered as a location for the lodge.
Pike Countians are donating to fill a train car load of 100 lb. sacks of flour. The car will be added to the Abraham Lincoln Friendship Train to be shipped to the needy in western Europe and Asia. Each sack bears the inscription, “100 lbs. flour, a gift from Pike County, Illinois, U.S.A.”
Mr. and Mrs. Gawain Brokaw of Pleasant Hill (June Hillman) are parents of a son born at Illini Hospital February 10, named Larry Gawain.
Barry’s newest church, the building housing the Church of God (commonly known as Independent Holiness) was completed January 7.
John Main, the oldest resident of Nebo, celebrated his 91st birthday Thursday at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Emma Galloway.
Standard Oil now has a new oval sign with a flaming torch on the top. Pittsfield has Benson’s Standard Service on the southeast corner of the square and Blacklock Standard Service, 827 W. Washington Street.
A top of $27.75 was received by V.T. Parks and Son of Milton for 42 head of hogs that averaged 222 pounds.
50 Years Ago
Feb. 14, 1973
Clay Owens, second ward alderman for the past seven years, will not be a candidate for re-election. One reason given for the decision is the fact that his ward voted almost 2-1 against the proposed airport, which Owens strongly supports.
State’s Attorney William Lowry told the county board that Leroy Orr, the part-time probation officer and teacher in Unit 10, should receive a pay increase, as the case load has doubled in recent years.
Three incumbent township supervisors will not be candidates for re-election. The three are Fred Schwartz of Levee Township, Loren Batley of Hardin Township and Jesse Smith of Pearl Township. Schwartz has been supervisor since 1937.
Hoover Bros Inc. of Milton has been sold to Robert Lemons of Springfield, Va., formerly of Milton. Dick and Phil Hoover have been in business for 27 years. Lemons is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Lemons of Milton. He is married to the former Joyce Fields, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Foreman Fields of R.R. 1, Nebo. They have two daughters and will be moving here in March.
25 Years Ago
Feb. 11, 1998
Al Salvi, Republican candidate for Secretary of State, has announced that Robert and Susan Browning of Chambersburg have agreed to coordinate his campaign for Pike County.
“Sweethearts in the workplace” was a Valentine’s article in the Pike Press. Those featured were Chuck and June McGrew of Perry, Brad and Cheri Lummis and Rick and Karen Puterbaugh of Pleasant Hill, Floyd and Norma Rennecker and Carl and Luetta Swartz of Barry, and Walter and Wilma Wade, Ben and Jane Lin, Wayne and Iris Piper, and Pat and Pam Cooney of Pittsfield.
Community Bank is now open in Pittsfield. Chris Brown is executive vice-president and Sharen Hawkins is assistant cashier.
10 Years Ago
Feb. 13, 2013
The Red Dome is open! New owner Steve Martin took over the business Tuesday and opened Saturday night with a limited menu. Martin has other businesses based in Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware. The new manager of the facility is Robert Brewer.
Gawain Bertrand Brokaw age 90, of Summer Hill, died Feb. 4, 2013 at the Barry Community Care Center. He was married to June Hillman Brokaw for 65 years, and is survived by four sons, Larry, Ed, Roger and Alan and their extended families.
Erin Hart returned to a packed gym in Pleasant Hill after she won the gold medal for figure skating at the Special Oympics in South Korea.
ν Compiled by Michael Boren.
