Pickings from Pike’s Past 1.03.24

By Editor | January 2, 2024 |

25 YEARS AGO: SNOW OF THE DECADE PARALYZES PIKE COUNTY

150 Years Ago

Jan. 8, 1874

The New Year’s ball in Pittsfield was the grandest success of the season. Early in the evening the crowd was almost too large for comfort, with as many as 18 sets dancing at once.

The custom of watching the old year die was very generally observed in Griggsville on the night of the 31st. Many were congregated at the churches where they hailed the new year with prayer and sacred song, while others who have not lost all taste for worldly pleasure were losing themselves in the mazy dance.

’73 passed out and ’74 came in at Milton with about the usual amount of noise. Those who felt interested were well entertained Christmas Day at the school exercises.

Lewis Ham of Chambersburg, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, informs us that his town has the honor of containing three deer, the only wild ones that have been known to be in the county for a great many years.

In the village of El Dara we have two large dry goods houses, one owned by Jones and Easley, and the other by Burke and Davis. Jones and Easley have recently erected a large and spacious store room, with a hall above it which is occupied occasionally by the gay when they want to enjoy the hop.

The number of deaths in New York City in 1873 was 29,059, of which 1,169 were from violent causes.

125 Years Ago

Jan. 10, 1899

This is written Jan. 6 with the sun shining brightly, a slight wind stirring, and three double teams, one buggy and one single horse hitched about the Pittsfield public square. It’s a bad day for President McKinley’s prosperity boom.

A movement is on foot to display the names of streets in conspicuous places on all corners and it probably will be brought before the Pittsfield City Council at its next meeting.

Women of fashion are violet mad—so say the florists and dealers in perfumes. A prominent perfumer says he makes nine varieties of violet perfume, ranging from 50 cents to $4.50 an ounce.

Jan 13, 1899

We have had several days of miserable gloomy weather. The snow is all gone, mud and slop abound and the sun has forgotten how to shine. Skating is spoiled now, the ice being too soft and everyone is sick with the grip.

100 Years Ago

Jan. 9, 1924

We have had intensely cold weather in Pike County during the first week of January. Temperatures ranged from 12 to 15 below zero in Summer Hill Friday morning and between 18 to 20 below in New Hartford Saturday morning. Some men who work outside have complained of frozen ears. Ice skating has been very good on the Bates pond on the south part of Pittsfield.

The Pike’s Peak Ocean-to-Ocean trail has now been routed through Pike County by way of Florence, Pittsfield and Barry over what is termed a “hard-surfaced, high-gear road.”

At the third quarterly conference of the Pittsfield First Methodist Church it was voted to hire a minister to assist Rev. W. G. Pulliam. The new minister will receive $1,800 per year. Rev. Pulliam’s salary is $2,200 and the parsonage. The church membership is about 600 with new members coming in all the time. The cost to finance the church has been about $4,500 per year; with two ministers it will take about $6,000.

75 Years Ago

Jan. 5, 1949

Walter Hassett, a former Mayor of Pittsfield, and for 45 years a mainstay of the Strauss Store in Pittsfield, died Monday in Illini Hospital where he had been taken following an attack sustained at his home earlier in the day.

The Pittsfield City Council last night approved the city zoning ordinance proposed recently by a zooming commission that gave the zoning problem several months of study.

All employees and officers of the Kamar Co. enjoyed their second annual Christmas dinner at the Cardinal Inn dining room at 7:30 Thursday evening. The company was organized in 1946.

The Rainbow Restaurant, operated by the Geisendorfers, is closed this week for remodeling and redecorating and they will have a grand opening next Sunday and Monday, January 9 and 10.

A son, Richard Leo, was born at Illini Hospital to Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Graham (Erma Reed) of Pleasant Hill, January 3rd.

50 Years Ago

Jan. 9, 1974

Two prominent Pittsfield citizens died within two days in the new year. Frank Montgomery Lewis, Jr., of Pittsfield, owner of the Ford tractor agency, died Jan. 1, 1974 at Illini Hospital. He was 79 years of age. And Albert L. Wuellner of Pittsfield, owner and operator of the Strauss Company store died Jan. 2, 1974 at Illini Hospital. He was 69 years of age.

The Perry Pioneers finally put it all together and sprang the biggest upset of the year by downing Barry 85 to 83. The victory for Coach Dan Patterson’s crew knocked Mike Fray’s Barry Tigers out of the undefeated class. For the losers Gary nation hit a season’s high 35 points and Bob Grimsley added 26. For the victors it was a team effort. Greg Witham had 26, Doug Elledge 18 and Rick Curfman and John Mountain had 14 each.

According to the County Clerk’s office there were 201 marriages in Pike County in 1973 compared to 194 in 1972. According to the Circuit Clerk’s office there were 88 divorce decrees and one annulment issued last year, a total of 26 more than the previous year. The number of babies born in Pike totaled 210, 10 more than 1972. There were 222 deaths in the county in 1973 and 208 the year before.

Kamela Lee Davenport, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Davenport of Summer Hill, celebrated her fourth birthday New Year’s Day. She has a sister, Karin Elizabeth, two and a brother, Christopher, one.

Dr. Frank J. O’Connell of Pittsfield, well-known veterinarian in Pike County, was elected to the board of directors of the Farmers State Bank, Pittsfield, at the stockholders meeting, Mon. Jan. 7. Dr. O’Connell succeeds Clarence Marshall as director on the board. Earl S. Grigsby, Lewis M. Grigsby, Sr., J. Harold Voshall, and Dr. E. Fredrick Berry were re-elected to the board of directors.

The new minister for the Milton Christian Church, David Leslie, and his wife and son Scott, moved from Joplin, Mo. to the parsonage in Milton Dec. 27. Dick Campbell, Lanny Lemons and Mike Bauer went to Joplin to help with the moving.

25 Years Ago

Jan. 6, 1999

The snow of the decade paralyzed Pike County Jan 2 and 3. A heavy, wet snow, ranging from 12 to 16 inches, coupled with temperatures of 15 below zero, caused many delays and cancellations over the weekend. Fortunately, no weather-related accidents or injuries were reported locally.

As the 20th century enters its penultimate year, many people are wondering what the new millennium will bring. The year 2000, the last of this millennium, poses quite a threat in the form of the Y2K bug, a concern that computer chips will malfunction because they have not been programmed to deal with the year 2000 as a possible date.

The Pittsfield High School wrestling squad continued it excellent start of the 1998-99 season with a trifecta at Camp Point Central, defeating Litchfield 59-7, Aledo 61-15 and the Hannibal jv squad 54-17. “Anytime you can defeat Aledo and Litchfield as soundly as we did, that’s impressive,” said head coach Jon Frieden. The PHS record now stands at 11-0.

10 Years Ago

Jan. 8, 2014

Snow of 5-7 inches and temperatures around 10 below zero shut down much of Pike County Monday and Tuesday. Every school district cancelled, and there were a few cars in ditches and stranded vehicles, but no injuries.

Pittsfield’s newest convenience store is scheduled to open Thursday morning at 5 a.m. Casey’s, at the corner of Jackson and Washington, will open as scheduled.

• Pickings from Pike’s Past is compiled by Michael Boren.