Pickings from Pike’s Past: 75 YEARS AGO: COAL SHORTAGE IN PIKE COUNTY
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150 Years Ago
Jan. 21, 1875
Everybody has got all the ice they want just now, and the prospect for something to put in your coffee next summer is excellent.
Pneumonia is very prevalent in some portions of the county, arising no doubt from the extreme cold weather.
As will be seen, billiards are once again to have a fair swing in Pittsfield and a billiard hall is already opened.
We seat ourselves to pencil a few lines from Pleasant Hill to your valuable paper. Our little town has improved considerably since last October. There has been a new sidewalk laid on the south side of Main Street and we had a wonderful New Year’s Eve oyster supper at Mr. Henry Yokem’s. I tell you we did justice to all that was put before us.
As to weather, we have had plenty of it. There is a great deal of sickness, mostly colds and lung fever.
125 Years Ago
Jan. 17, 1900
The weather continues very warm and the roads are quite muddy. Last night, a considerable rain and this morning was foggy, damp and disagreeable.
There are 25,000 applicants for pensions growing out of the war with Spain, and the St. Paul Dispatch asks: “What if it had been a real war?”
Barry can send a lot of good men to the county seat and not half try. She was represented Monday by W. W. Watson, Esq. Crawford, Scott Wike and Harry Webber.
For several weeks past there has been a gang of pirates and thieves at work in the west end of Pittsfield stealing chickens, cider and other property. These thieves have been seen catching chickens in broad daylight.
The high school lyceum in Griggsville is attracting numerous visitors at each Friday night debate.
100 Years Ago
Jan. 21, 1925
The Wabash Railroad has agreed to run trains from Maysville to Pittsfield, but without the evening trains.
The First National Bank of Pittsfield named two additional directors, increasing the total from five to seven. The new members being Earl C. Smith of Detroit and Harry English of Pittsfield. The re-elected members are Judge Harry Higbee, R. T. Hicks, M. D. King, L. D. Hirsheimer and Sam Brunswick.
The McHose Restaurant in Pittsfield is advertising a “big 40 cent dinner.”
A petition is being circulated and has been signed by most of the land owners along a proposed route for the state hard road between Detroit and Pearl. The route as outlined would pass about a mile west of Milton. The Milton people have started a petition for a route that would go through their village.
75 Years Ago
Jan. 17, 1950
The coal situation in the county is said to be reaching the critical stage. Customers are being rationed to ton and half-ton lots. Ray Kelley, manager of the Pittsfield Shipper’s Association says that there is no chance to accumulate a reserve, but they are still able to take care of the schools and the courthouse. The weather, Mr. Kelley said, until the past few days, has been reasonably mild, and that has helped a lot.
The Pittsfield American Legion will discontinue Saturday night dances for a while, to conserve coal.
Sheriff Clifford Windsor told a Republican reporter that the frequent burglaries and lawlessness prevailing in the area, and for that matter, everywhere in the country, are the worst he has ever seen. “Lawbreakers are becoming bolder and bolder and their raids more numerous,” he said.
State Representative William J. Thornton of Nebo won loud applause at a meeting of the Illinois Republican County Chairmen’s association, held in Springfield Thursday. His first paragraph was, “For the past 17 years the Republican Party has been floundering around and pussy-footing issues while the paralysis of socialism has been creeping into our national government at a pace unprecedented.”
Jan. 18, 1950
The temperature this morning at 11 o’clock is 20 degrees, with a forecast of colder weather for today. Sunday morning a warm south wind brought a spring-like feeling in the air, but by noon the wind shifted and the temperature dropped steadily with some rain and sleet at night.
Jan. 19, 1950
Rev. Claude E. Cummins resigned as pastor of the First Christian Church in Pittsfield, after serving the church for almost five years. He has accepted a pastorate in Falmouth, Ky. Mrs. Cummins’ mother resides just 40 miles from Falmouth and is 82 years old.
50 Years Ago
Jan. 22, 1975
Newly-elected officers of the Pike County Pork Producers are Robert Hammitt, president; Terry Rush, vice-president; Kay DeHart, secretary; and Winfred Dean, treasurer.
Cub Scout winners of the 1975 Pinewood Derby were Jimmy Gresham, champ; Adam Petty, second; Patrick Petty, third and Brian Harris, fourth.
The concerned citizens advisory committee for unit 10 expressed many ideas at a three-hour meeting held last Wednesday evening. One suggestion was that perhaps a small salary for school board members might be appropriate and serve a purpose. “They get hell….but no glory.”
Tyler Frederick Miller, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roland Miller of Dallas, Tex., celebrated his first birthday, Jan. 4. He is being held by his brother, Peter, who is three years of age. Mrs. Miller is the former Kris Berry, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Fred Berry of Pittsfield.
An airplane which had made a forced landing Jan. 2 in a corn field on the Dan McCartney farm, just west of U. S. 36 in New Hartford, was moved Tuesday morning. The pilot, a young man, had made a forced landing because the plane was icing over. McCartney had obtained a township road grader to clear the stubble, and, because of his familiarity with the make of the airplane, a Piper Cherokee, Greg Carnes was asked to fly the plane from the corn field to George Schuster’s airstrip.
25 Years Ago
Jan. 19, 2000
The low moisture situation is beginning to get serious, as many rural residents who depend on wells are feeling the effects of a long dry spell. Ponds are low and creeks are barely running, so people are hauling water to their homes and livestock, according to Glenn Raines, agronomist at the Orr Agri Center near Perry.
Braxton Boren of Pittsfield received 5th place out of a field of 47 acts in the junior state competition in Springfield Saturday. He placed first in the Pike County Fair in Pleasant Hill last summer, playing piano and harmonica and singing Billy Joel’s classic hit, “Piano Man.” Boren, an eighth grader at Pikeland Community School is the son of Michael and Julie Boren of Pittsfield. His piano teacher is H. Todd Evans of Pittsfield.
The Pike County Soil and Water District Board of Directors includes Chuck Ferguson, Terry Hubbard, Steve Myers, Lanny Lemons and Chris Hamilton. The staff includes Roger Dunham, Brad Smith, Debbie Dugan and Jeremy Piper. The annual report was published this week.
10 Years Ago
Jan. 21, 2015
Pittsfield auctioneer Brian Curless will compete in the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship in Clifton, Texas in June. This will be Curless’ 4th year participating in the world championship. Curless says his goal for this year’s world championship is to break into the top 10.
Compiled by Michael Boren
