Pickings from Pikes Past: 125 YEARS AGO: WARM, WET WEATHER CAUSING SPOILAGE

By Editor | November 13, 2024 |

150 years Ago

Nov. 19, 1874

The transactions in town property indicate that Milton is not dead. If six blacksmiths and as many doctors be a blessing to a town, we certainly have reason to be thankful; we will state, however, that we have but one coffin maker.

Street meetings upon the corners of the Milton square will be held as usual every Sabbath, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Boys under six years old, who can smoke a cigar or swear without rebuke from their parents, are requested to stay at home. All others, friendly to the cause, are invited to attend.

Our Jolly Republican friend, L. J. Frank, who is postmaster at Bedford, sends us $2 for a subscription to the Pike County Democrat, and adds: “Old fellow, I suppose you think that the old Democratic party has come to life again. It partially succeeded, but about the next Presidential election, we will try to put the party out of sight forevermore. We don’t see hardly how, after the eternal everlasting walloping you have just received, you can muster courage to even to say you will try to do it. But bully for your spunk.”

125 Years Ago

Nov. 23, 1899

The wet, warm weather is playing the mischief with apples, eggs, etc. on their way to larger markets. They are spoiling badly. So far this week’s weather has been very unpalatable, especially to farmers. All day yesterday a heavy damp fog rested upon the earth, becoming almost virtually a rain.

Thanksgiving isn’t so far away, but whether or not to learn how high your Thanksgiving turkey is roosting, it will pay you to be looking out to see. Thanksgiving is mighty hard to carry on according to the original design without a roast turkey.

The Democrat comes to you today in a brand new suit of clothes. This week it is printed from new type on a new press.

100 Years Ago

Nov. 19, 1924

L. M. Parisho, publisher of the Pearl Tribune, died unexpectedly at his home last week. He purchased the Tribune 18 years ago from Truman Dinsmore of Nebo.

Last Tuesday the Democrats were overwhelmed, and all the rock-ribbed Democratic counties in this part of the state went Republican. On Nov. 6, 1894, a similar Republican landslide occurred in Illinois.

Armistice Day in Pittsfield passed rather uneventfully. The courthouse and banks were closed, but the post office and business houses remained invariably open. Flags were flown generally. At noon the Women’s Relief Corps entertained the few remaining members of the Dick Gilmer Post of the Grand Army of the Republic. Only six of the Civil War veterans were in good enough health to attend.

A nice entertainment was given at the Montezuma Church Wednesday night by the Montezuma Community Club. The program consisted of musical numbers and recitations. At the close of the program voting tickets were passed out and the audience was asked to vote for the homeliest man and the most popular lady. Miss Eva Walk won the cake, and Ben Wheeler received the jar of pickles.

75 Years Ago

Nov. 15, 1949

Burglars, evidently ones with extremely low mentality, visited the Republican office and made off with less than a million dollars—considerably less. In fact, the burglars succeeded only in messing up the combination of a perfectly good safe.

Two Pike County barns were razed by fire this past week. One was a mammoth barn on the W. W. Stock Farm about two miles south of Time, the other was a large barn owned by Walter Ghrist.

The Pittsfield Saukees swamped Winchester Friday night 32-0 and won undisputed second place in the Illinois Valley Conference. Their season record was six and three. In Coach Glenn Smith’s six seasons the Saukees have been in first place four times and in second place twice.

Nov. 16, 1949

Walter Branson, widely known resident of Pleasant Hill, died very suddenly about 4 o’clock Monday afternoon at the government grain storage bins, where he was employed as supervisor. Mr. Branson was 70 years old and had spent most of his life on a farm in the Carrollton Ridge community near Nebo. He was married to Esther Hack, who with the following children survives: Kelly and Mrs. Mayo Guthrie, Nebo; Kermit, Galesburg; Bernard, Woodriver; Bliss, Barry, and Lavelle, Tulsa, Okla.

Armistice Day, Nov. 11, was unseasonably warm, with temperature around 80 and bright sunshine. Perhaps more leaves were raked and burned that day than any time this fall.

Nov. 17. 1949

Clyde McCoy’s band has been booked for a one-night engagement Thanksgiving Eve at Ocean Trail Park in Florence. The band has just completed a stay at the Stevens Hotel in Chicago.

V. T. Parks and Son of Pearl received the day’s top of $17.25 cwt. at National Stock Yards in East St. Louis for a shipment of 49 hogs. They averaged 226 pounds.

Truman Dinsmore’s son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. R. Vernon Ellis, have taken on another Indiana newspaper. Dinsmore, of Nebo, who is with the Citizens Tribune in Springfield, says, “The paper is such a good business venture he wouldn’t mind having it himself.”

50 Years Ago

Nov. 20, 1974

Mrs. Fred Berry, whose husband is coordinating the details of Pike’s Pork Day, puts the finishing touches on signs to be displayed at a pork buffet supper to be held at the Ramada Inn following the Illini-Northwestern football game. Some 100 Pike Countians will go to Champaign Saturday for the football game and special pork events.

Mr. and Mrs. Gene Wilder of Pittsfield have announced the engagement of their daughter, Linda Diane, to Tim Belford, son of Mr. and Mrs. Terrill Belford, also of Pittsfield. The bride-elect, a 1972 graduate of Pittsfield High School, is a junior at Western Illinois University, where she is majoring in business education. The prospective bridegroom, also a 1972 graduate of Pittsfield High School, is a 1974 graduate of Spoon River College in Canton. He is employed by the First National Bank of Pittsfield. A June 14 wedding is being planned.

William E. Shotts, president of NBC and Associates, has announced opening of a new management consultant business in West Pittsfield. Services will be offered in Springfield, Jacksonville, Quincy and the surrounding area.

The new Pleasant Hill fire station is almost completed. It includes a fully-equipped kitchen and a large bright meeting room. Arnold G. Guthrie has been the chief of the volunteer department for about six years.

Deer killed in Pike County during last week’s three-day shotgun season totaled 334, according to Roger Frazier, Pike County Conservation officer. Last year there were 270 deer killed in the same three-day season.

25 Years Ago

Nov. 17, 1999

Pike County has basically received no rain since July 1st. Many farmers say that haven’t seen it this dry, this deep into the soil for some time. Dozer operators are running into dry soils with no moisture down to 4-5 feet.

Patrick Dodd, 17-year-old son of Dennis and Susan Dodd of Pittsfield, just returned from 10 days of filming in a Columbia Pictures movie set where Mel Gibson was making a new movie, “The Patriot.” Dodd was a member of the Green Dragoons. He says he was mainly chosen because of his riding ability.

10 Years Ago

Nov. 19, 2014

Patients at Illini Community Hospital no longer have to leave Pittsfield to see physicians in Quincy and other cities, thanks to telemedicine, which operates somewhat like Skype, a popular video telephone application found on some computers and smartphones.

The Pikeland Community Tuesday mourned the sudden tragic loss of 20-year-old Ty Rylander, who was killed in an automobile collision Monday evening. Ty was the son of Gina Rylander, who recently retired as a teacher at Pikeland Community School, and Steve Rylander, who is still employed with the district, teaching special education at Pittsfield High School and coaching junior varsity basketball.

Compiled by Michael Boren

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