Pickings from Pike’s Past – June 26, 2025

By Editor | June 26, 2025 |

125 YEARS AGO: 58 TRAIN CARS BRING RINGLING’S CIRCUS TO PITTSFIELD

150 Years Ago
June 24, 1875
A match game of baseball between Pittsfield and Rockport on Wednesday resulted in favor of Pittsfield, 20-15.
New Canton and vicinity today look like a perfect wreck, and a fearful wreck it is. The storm burst in all its fury about 9 o’clock last night and by midnight had done its worst. The waters of Kiser Creek flooded our town—all the streets, gardens, and many of the houses being filled with water from one to three feet deep. The cellars were all filled and many families lost the entire contents of their basements.

125 Years Ago
June 27, 1900
Hot, hotter, hottest, for the first three days of this week, and glorious hay weather. Oh, for a sprinkler to lay the dust by day and the arc light to guide our feet by night. Both are wanted badly.
The Mississippi River is extremely low, the lowest for June for 25 years. Should the decline continue boats will cease to run within a few weeks.
The strawberry crop which just closed was one of the largest ever grown hereabouts.
The world does move! All 58 cars, which brought the Ringling’s Circus to Pittsfield were stored in the trainyard without interfering with our regular trains.
Capt. Hurt of Barry will take possession of its post office July 1.
Mr. A. A. Ross of Griggsville filled the pulpit at the German M. E. Church in Pittsfield last Sunday and gave them a good sermon in German.
The shoe factory in Griggsville is being run by a traction engine while their own is being repaired.

100 Years Ago
June 24, 1925
Hay stone was dedicated on the courthouse lawn today. A large group of dignitaries from around the state were present for the occasion.
The Illinois General Assembly ended its session with a record, having passed 302 bills and appropriated approximately $280 million. At the closing, a group of Republicans and Democrats joined in singing “Sweet Adeline” and “Sidewalks of New York.”
R. M. Weeks and Charles Koch last Monday let a contract to build an oil filling station at corner of Washington and Illinois Streets to Tom Troutner for $1,500.
The Nancy Ross chapter of the D. A. R. held their regular monthly meeting at the colonial home of Mrs. Paul F. Grote. The beautiful old home and grounds were most appropriately decorated with flags.
The rest room at the courthouse, which has been in a deplorable state for some time, is getting a cleaning with new white paint, new lavatories and other adjustments.

75 Years Ago
June 20, 1950
Floyd’s Jewelry will open in a new location, 107 N. Madison, next week, just north of the Pike County Republican office. F. E. Yaeger is the proprietor, H. E. Tanner is the watchmaker and W. M. Wease is the salesman.

June 21, 1950
Bids for the erection of the new traffic lights at the southwest corner of the square were opened at a meeting of the City Council in Mayor Hooper’s office Monday night.
Pike County’s population has declined from 25,340 in 1940 to 22,080 in 1950, for a loss of 3,260. The loss of population will result in placing the office of county judge and state’s attorney in a lower salary bracket when the present terms of those in office expire. The city of Pittsfield now shows an increase to a population of 3,571. Barry showed 1,631 in the recent census and Griggsville stands at 1,198.

June 22, 1950
The former Pittsfield House Hotel on the north side of the square, has now been renamed the Pittsfield House after being named the Windmiller Hotel for some 12 years when Wayne Windmiller took over the famous hotel, which was built in 1869-70.

50 Years Ago
June 25, 1975
The Pike County Board is moving toward a possible county ambulance service. A committee is to work out “a detailed operation system for providing ambulance service in Pike County.” The committee is also authorized to seek state and federal aid to purchase four ambulances.
The ribbon was cut Thursday on the new food center of the Pleasant Hill Lions Club on the fairgrounds by Bob Dempsey, president of the Pike County Fair Association.
Wedding vows were exchanged by Dorothy Louise Lynch of rural Louisiana, Mo. and Ken Dale Renoud of Barry in an 7 p.m. ceremony June 7 at the Barry Church of Christ. Parents of the couple are Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Lynch of rural Louisiana and Mr. and Mrs. Keith Renoud of Barry. Randall Renoud of Wellsville, Kans., brother of the groom, was best man.
Melissa Ellen Wood, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Wood of rural New Canton, celebrated her second birthday June 16. She is a granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Keith L. Dodd of Pittsfield and Mr. and Mrs. George Wood of rural New Canton.

25 Years Ago
June 21, 2000
The city of Pittsfield is estimating the cost of gas for its customers to jump 47 percent next month. The council heard the bad news from Mayor Larry Snyder at last night’s city council meeting. Snyder says the city must raise its rates due to Panhandle price increase.
In the WBBA All-Star basketball game, Ryan Benz of Pleasant Hill was the leading scorer for the blue team, and was named the team’s most outstanding player.
Alan Walch, Democratic candidate for County Board has announced his intentions to withdraw from the County Board race. He was appointed to fill a vacancy in November.
The Mounted Angels program in Pike County is now heading into its twelfth year of service for challenged children. Judy Schlieper and Judy Douglas have been involved in the organization.
The Twin Pike Family YMCA in Louisiana held a ground breaking ceremony last week for the new facility.

10 Years Ago
June 24, 2015
an estimated 15 inches of rain throughout the month of June, agricultural producers are looking to the skies and saying, “enough.” Road crews have been called out to fix culverts and remove downed trees and at least two vehicles have been washed off flooded highways.
Marie Ann (Thiel) Miles, 89, formerly of Pittsfield, died Saturday June 13 at Barry Community Care Center. Marie’s life revolved around her love for her husband, Jim Miles, art, theatre, reading, knitting and travel.

Compiled by Michael Boren

Posted in Society