Pickings from PIke’s Past: 100 YEARS AGO: PLEASANT HILL VOTES ON SITE FOR NEW HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING
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150 Years Ago
June 17, 1875
Lightning is no respecter of person. It even attacked a U.S. mail contractor, W. B. Green, in the telegraph office at Rockport, singeing the hair at the top of his head and knocking him senseless for a moment or two.
Business is very dull down here in Pearl, as there are a great many of the people in Pearl who make money by shipping cord wood to St. Louis, and at present there is no demand for it at any price.
125 Years Ago
June 20, 1900
A French scientist has seen a big spot on the sun lately and says we are going to have an awful hot summer. It would seem as if the more spots on the sun, the less heat it would give out.
A year ago, the Pittsfield post office came within 27 cents of doing enough business to entitle the postmaster a $100 increase in his salary, and Postmaster Grigsby kicked himself all over town because he didn’t know how close he was to the required amount. This year, however, it is different and the salary goes up another hundred, making $1,800 per year.
A Jacksonville bag of wind blew into this office Monday morning, and was the breeziest yet—and red-headed at that.
One of the most deplorable homicides that has ever taken place in this county occurred about four miles southeast of Pleasant Hill Monday morning, Wm Henry shooting and killing his brother-in-law Charles Jennings. Both men are well-to-do farmers in the area.
100 Years Ago
June 17, 1925
The Pleasant Hill Community High School district voted on the selection of a site for the new high school building. The Clara Galloway site received 316 votes and the hill site 191.
Ivan M. Tittsworth, 12-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Tittsworth of El Dara, died recently of infantile paralysis.
Wellington Doocy, 21-year-old son of Judge and Mrs. Edward Doocy, drowned at Kespohl’s ford while swimming with some friends. None of them were strong swimmers and Bay Creek at that point is 15 feet deep where the large bridge spans the creek just northeast of Pittsfield. Four of the Doocy children survive. A daughter died in infancy and Lieutenant Elmer Tiffany Doocy was killed in action during the World War.
For the first time in more than a year, the Pike County jail is without an occupant.
Two hundred and thirty-five deaths from heat prostration were reported for the nation last week.
In spite of 90 in the shade, 231 were in attendance at the Pittsfield Christian Sunday School. It was Children’s Day and Flag Day and the bright-faced happy children had been practicing hard for the occasion.
75 Years Ago
June 13, 1950
Altogether 54 Pittsfield merchants are participating in Appreciations Days, a special promotion that is designed to bring throngs of shoppers to Pittsfield every Wednesday afternoon.
Bernard Draper, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Draper of Nebo, graduated June 6 from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. with a B. A. degree in psychology. He plans to attend the University of Illinois Medical school in Chicago this fall.
Pike County, Mo. shows a drop of 1,554 in the last 10 years and the city of Louisiana shows a drop of 290 persons. Pike County, IL has a drop of approximately 3,200, while Pittsfield shows an increase of 676 to a population of 3,560.
June 14, 1950
Dr. and Mrs. Gene Goodman had a son born at Illini Hospital June 13.
The Raymond Peecher’s of Summer Hill are having some remodeling done on their home.
A large crowd of relatives and friends attended the shower given for Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Guthrie in Milton Wednesday evening. They were honored with a shower given at Time Tuesday afternoon and at Nebo Wednesday. Wayne is serving as a minister at several places over the county. It will be remembered that lightning struck their home and burned it to the ground.
June 15, 1950
The Pittsfield City Council has received many complaints about dogs running loose and damaging gardens and flower beds.
Churches of the Bay Creek Association are to be in Pittsfield June 25, at which time a Southern Baptist Church will be constituted. A tent revival will begin June 18 on the old carnival grounds in Pittsfield.
Mrs. Harry Foote and daughter Sue were in Quincy Friday. Sue will enter Gem City Business College Monday.
50 Years Ago
June 18, 1975
Firemen from five communities battled a massive fire Saturday night in Pleasant Hill as flames destroyed three storage buildings and much of the contents of the Pleasant Hill Lumber Company. Firemen from Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, Pittsfield, Nebo and New Canton fought the blaze. Three Pleasant Hill firemen, Gary Yokem, Ronald Dale Campbell and Rev. Rev. Ronald Eaker, were overcome by heat and smoke and taken to area hospitals.
No shorts, tank tops, or muscle shirts. That dress code restriction for Barry students in grades kindergarten through high school was renewed by the school board recently.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard J. Cook of Princeton have announced the engagement of their daughter, Carol Ellen, to Glen Dale Cooley of Macomb, son of Mr. and Mrs. Elza Cooley of RR 2, Pittsfield. The couple will be married June 29 in the First Lutheran Church of Princeton.
The Illinois Office of Education has found 43 alleged “violations” for the Unit 10 administration, East Pike High School and Pearl Elementary School, which might place Unit 10 on “probationary status.”
25 Years Ago
June 14, 2000
The first steps have been taken to boost the economic development of Pike County as the Pike County Development Corporation (PCEDC) kicked off its first fund-raiser in Kinderhook last Thursday.
The economy is booming but gas prices are soaring. Prices in Pike County are now up to $1.85 per gallon in Pittsfield.
Paul Grote and Braxton Boren were the recipients of the Pikeland Community School Jazz Band Award, given Tuesday, May 23. Paul plays saxophone and Braxton plays trumpet.
10 Years Ago
June 17, 2015
Brian Curless, a Pittsfield auctioneer, has participated in the World Livestock Championship for the last three years. Last week he made his fourth appearance at the competition for auctioneers in Waco, Texas, and he finished second, or as they call it, “Reserve Grand Champion.”
Megan Daniel was officially inducted as the Pittsfield Rotary Club’s newest member last week. Megan is our club’s eighth new member this year. She was sponsored by Rotarian Debbie Dugan.
Compiled by Michael Boren
