Pickings from Pike’s Past 5.17.23
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75 YEARS AGO: “DESPERATE TEACHER SHORTAGE”
150 Years Ago
My 23, 1873
Yesterday was very warm and pleasant. There has been a large amount of rain fallen since last week. Farmers are very backward with their planting.
Candidates have been very active in Pittsfield this week, and each and all seem to be in the best of humor.
Rumor has it that there is to be a large influx of summer visitors to spend the heated season in Pittsfield. We hear of many rooms being engaged at our most excellent hotels, and we can assure all who may come that they may find no pleasanter place than Pittsfield to stop for the summer.
We suggest to the Louisiana bridge builders that at Pleasant Hill, on this side of the Mississippi, can be found the very best quality of rock that can be easily quarried and transported.
Someone robbed Dr. Tandy’s drug store at Kinderhook of some small change and a few pocket knives. It was a small robbery and probably was done by a small person.
125 Years Ago
May 24, 1898
What a rain that was Friday night when the floods descended from above about 9-12 p.m. and after that it simply rained the balance of the night. In speaking of the wet weather for this season of the year, it might be of interest to remember that during the month of May, 1892, it rained 27 days.
The thermometer at 7 a.m. today stood at 80 above.
The Griggsville public school graduating exercises came off last week with two young ladies as the graduating class.
The Shakespeare Club of Pittsfield, composed of 10 young ladies, gave a reception and dance to their gentlemen friends last week.
May 27, 1898
The morning of May 30 a procession will be formed of the Grand Army men and citizens of the town and school children will proceed to the West Cemetery where the graves will be decorated and the ritual observed.
Everett Miller of Martinsburg, who enlisted in Co. A, writes back that he sees more fighting done in camp than he would if he were in Cuba.
The first ice cream and strawberry festival of the season will be at the Pittsfield Christian Church, with music by Miss Fagan and corps.
Wool shearing is on with a better price for fleece. A much smaller quantity of dirt will be sold for wool this year owing to the heavy rains all spring.
It is a peculiar fact that while a bounty of two cents each is paid for killing sparrows between Dec. 1 and March 1, you are liable to a fine of $5 for each one you kill at any other time.
100 Years Ago
May 23, 1923
Mrs. Otis Hesley was the accompanist for the Pittsfield High School commencement program for the 25th time at the 51st annual exercises which were held at the K.P. opera house.
Memorial Sunday services will be held at the Pittsfield Methodist Church. Decoration Day will be observed May 30, with a parade, dinner and program. The Legion boys, Civil War and Spanish-American veterans will march to the West cemetery. All business houses will close between 1:30 and 2:30 in the afternoon. Anyone having a car they are willing to use in carrying the old boys to the services will please notify Morris Turner.
Pleasant Hill High School had seven graduates, New Canton had a class of 11 and Milton’s class included four girls and one boy.
There are 17 high schools in Pike County. Atlas and Rockport are two year high schools, Kinderhook, Nebo, Pearl and Baylis are three year high schools, and Barry, Chambersburg, El Dara, Griggsville, Hull, Milton, New Canton, New Salem, Perry, Pittsfield, and Pleasant Hill are four year high schools.
Most farmers have finished corn planting and egg prices are down to 18 cents a dozen.
75 Years Ago
May 19, 1948
Forty-two percent of Pittsfield’s 61 high school graduates have no definite business or career plans. In spite of the desperate teacher shortage only one graduate lists school teaching as a chosen profession.
Promotion exercises at the Pittsfield Junior High School will be held May 27, with 49 students receiving diplomas.
The drive for $15,000 to make possible the establishment of the Pittsfield Community Center at the Jacob Strauss house will begin Monday. Ralph Harp will head the drive with the assistance of Henry Strauss, Gus Kientzle and others.
Mr. and Mrs. Don Parks were honored at an open house reception and miscellaneous shower Wednesday in their new house two miles east of Milton.
Eddie Crossman of Nebo found 605 mushrooms in one patch—a washtub full. He left behind a lot that were too dried to pick.
Make Bueter’s ButterKrust your daily bread.
50 Years Ago
May 23, 1973
A special election to decide whether a Bay Creek Watershed Conservancy District shall be established in Pike County will be held Wednesday, May 30.
Griggsville High School graduates 33 May 25 and Pleasant Hill High School graduates 27 May 31.
Pittsfield’s parks are being spruced up for Memorial Day picnickers. The work is being done primarily by the hard-working members of the Junior Parentals Society.
Andy Borrowman was named best chorus member by the PHS Thespian Society and Jim Eatock and Eric Artman jointly received the special director’s award for their outstanding backstage work.
Fred Ruzich, PHS Saukee football and basketball player, has signed a letter of intent to participate in the athletic program of Olivet Nazarene College in Kankakee. Although Olivet doesn’t play football, it has a notable basketball team.
25 Years Ago
May 20, 1998
Over 300 Jeep lovers came to Pike County last weekend to participate in the 6th annual Land of Lincoln Jeep Jamboree.
The Pikeland Community Schools PTA recognized Donna Tomhave as the teacher of the year on Tuesday, May 12. Tomhave is a second grade teacher at South Elementary School.
Pittsfield High School crowned their prom queen, Brooke Bauer, and king, Brian Fox, on May 2. West Pike crowned Jessica Batchelor and Jimmy Harris as prom queen and king, also on May 2.
High school graduates in Pike County this spring included 89 at Pittsfield High School, 20 at West Pike, 30 at Pleasant Hill, 24 at Barry and 30 at Griggsville-Perry.
10 Years Ago
May 22, 2013
After weeks of cold, rainy weather, Pike County farmers have been able to get into the fields and make progress during the past 10 days.
A new structure at the New Philadelphia site near Barry completes the first of three phases in developing the site. Earlier this month, students from the John Wood Community College’s construction trades class framed up the sides and put a roof on the 30 x 30 structure. Phil Bradshaw, president of the New Philadelphia Association, says that the Illinois Rural Electric Cooperative has “made the project possible by donating $7,500 the past two years.”
Members of Landmarks Illinois visited the Higbee school building in Pittsfield May 16 to assess the possibility of renovating the structure and putting it to use in the future.
• Compiled by Michael Boren
