Newspaper Articles from Unknown Papers
Jan 1875
Died - At his residence near the town of Laclede, Linn Co., Mo.,
brother William H. Ballow, on Saturday, Dec. 26, 1874. This aged
pilgrim was born in Cumberland Co., Va., Oct. 10, 1783. In the
23d year of his age he came to Kentucky, and married Priscilla
Manire, March 23, 1806. In 1809 he removed to Williamson Co.,
Tenn., and in December, 1812, he enlisted in Capt. Robert
Cavon's company, at Nashville, in Col. Thomas H. Benton's 1st
regiment, of Tennessee volunteers, under Gen. Andrew Jackson, in
the Cherokee campaign, at New Orleans, and was honorably
discharged on the 21st of April, 1813, and drew a land warrant
for his services, and was receiving a pension from the U. S. A.
His father, Charles Ballow, previous to the Revolutionary war,
enlisted against the French and Indians, during Governor
Randol's administration, and received a Captain's commission.
Afterwards he enlisted in the Revolutionary war, and received a
Major's commission, under General Washington, and served during
the war. He died in Virginia, in 1788. Bro. Ballow's father
fought under the crown of Great Britain, and also for our
independence; and the son fought in 1812. Thus the father and
son can hand down their genealogy for nearly 150 years.
Brother Ballow removed to Morgan Co., Ill., in April 1827, where
his wife died the May following, leaving a family of seven
children - four sons and three daughters. Oct. 4, 1828, he was
married to Susan Hodges, and in 1833 his wife Susan died,
leaving him an additional family of two daughters. He removed to
Clayton Co., Iowa, in 1847, and was married to Elizabeth
Hawkins, July 27, 1848, and in June 1854, removed to Filmore
Co., Minn., and in June, 1857, to Linn Co., Mo. He has two
daughters by the wife who survives him.
Brother Ballow experienced a hope in Christ in the year 1802,
but circumstances caused him to delay a public profession of
religion until 1838, when he united with the Regular Baptist
Church at Wilmington, Greene Co., Ill., and was baptized by
Elder Mesheck Browning. He has been a very devoted and highly
esteemed member of the Old School Baptist Church for thirty-six
years. During this time he had the confidence of all his
brethren, and had a good report of them who are without. He was
sound and steadfast in the faith.
His sickness was caused by a fall on the ice, March 1, 1873,
which disabled him from walking. He was able to attend to his
church meetings most of the time, and to do all the necessary
work about the house, up to the time he got hurt. In the death
of Bro. Ballow the Liberty church has lost one of her best
members. He leaves an aged wife, whom the writer baptized
sixteen years ago. Also ten children and numerous grandchildren
are left to mourn one deeply beloved. We mourn, but not as those
who have no hope. His funeral will be attended on the fourth
Sunday in January, 1875.
PETER AUSMUS, Brookfield, Mo.
Submitted 05 Dec 2012 by Robert Webb
1889
If the L. C. & W. railroad has, during the year 1889, done as well in proportion at all its stations as it has in Carrollton, it certainly made a handsome sum of money. The gentlemanly agent, Mr. J. M. Chenoweth, informs us that the receipts at Carrollton for the year ending Dec. 31st, 1889, were $16,348.01. This shows that the business men in Carrollton have stood by the L. C. & W.
Oct 1917
This letter was received here October 10 by Wesley Park.
Somewhere in England, September 21, 1917.
Dear Cousin: I am sorry I could not answer your last letter
before I left the States but I was very busy at the time it was
received.
I am well and having a very good time. I guess you will be very
much surprised to get a letter from me so far away. I like it
very much over here but everything is so different from in the
US.
The soldiers are fine fellows and seem to like the “Sammies”.
They call us “Sam” or “Yank.” I am at a rest camp. That is where
soldiers come to from the Front, also the wounded stay here.
This is sure a beautiful day. It is so warm and the sun is
shining so bright. How is everything in Jerseyville? I would
like to see you and the rest. Tell them I send my best regards.
We took a long hike this morning. It sure was great. This is a
very pretty country, and I wish you were here to see it but not
to fight. Maybe someday you can come over after the war is over.
There are all kinds of troops here. I am over at the YMCA now.
SPIRIT OF 1918
PRESIDENT COULDN’T PUT IT BETTER THAN THIS
“If I am Killed, You Can Be Proud of Giving a Son, as I Am
Proud to Give My Life”
“I am not worrying about what is in the future,” writes Wm. C. Gillingham of Co. D, 309th Machine Gun Battalion, 78th division, A. E. F., in a letter to his mother, Mrs. Lizzie B. Gillingham of Bluffdale town. The letter is dated August 4. “If I get killed you can be proud of having given a son, as I am proud to give my life to my country. If I come back, I hop you will be proud of me, and I am sure I shall be proud of myself.
I should like very much to see the war close, but I want to see its close in the right way. But you know the Stars and Stripes will see it done in the right way. I am well convinced that the U. S. A. is the greatest nation in the world. I did not realize the fact until I had left it and got among people of other nations. The French people are very kind to us but I do not like the country at all, though the land is very good. They have some of the finest crops taking the country as a whole. I have seen wheat, rye, barley, oats and clover, and it all looks fine. But they do not raise corn, as the season is too short. The small grain is just ready to harvest now. Some of the wheat is cut.
I see very few finders and ________ - cradles are used mostly, and they bind by hand, so you can see how far behind they are. Most places the houses and the barns are under the same roof. And at many of the houses they sell drinks of different kinds. But I will never be a drunkard as long as I am over her, as it is the rottenest stuff I ever drank. Besides, this is no place for business of that kind, though some of they boys get too much of it at times. This causes our captain to lose confidence in the company, and that makes it hard for the ones who try to do right. We sure have a fine captain and lieutenant.
I will sure be glad when I can scrape the mud off my feet at the old home doorstep. If that time ever comes. But I want to come back with honor to you, to myself and to my country.
I am glad to hear of the crops being good and that you are going to move to town. The kids will have better advantages of school than they have now.
I guess there are several around there looking for letters from
me, but I do not have much time to write, and there is not much
I can write about. But maybe I can write to most of them before
I get back. Love to all. Your son,
Wm. C. Gillingham
Transcribed 19 Jan 2003 by Carol S. VanValkenburgh
1918
Mrs. JESSIE HODGES, who had been employed as teacher in the
primary room of the Kane school has resigned her position
Elsie Perkins Married.
Miss Elsie Perkins, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Perkins of
Old Kane, was married Saturday, Aug. 10, to Everet Warren of
Kane. They will probably make their home with the bride’s
parents until her husband is called into service.
Marries Soldier Lover.
Miss GUSSIE VARBLE became the bride Sunday, Aug. 3, of Harry
LANHAM , at Circleville O. Miss Varble went to Camp Sherman to
spend a few days visiting with Mr. Lanham who is in training
there. Miss Varble was accompanied by her sister-in-law, Mrs.
Mannie Varble of Delhi, who returned home Saturday. Mrs. Lanham
will remain in Chillicothe until her husband leaves for oversea
service.
Robert Magee Is Overseas.
Mrs. George Magee received the government card Monday stating
that her son, Robert Magee, had arrived safely overseas with the
medical corps.
Girl dangerously Ill.
The little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. RALPH MCCARTHY is very
dangerously ill
Corn in Bad Fix.
The corn around the Kane vicinity is practically ruined and
farmers say that even if we should get a rain now that there
would only be a half a crop. There is still some chance for a
better corn crop in the bottom than on the uplands. ORLEY
RITCHEY had a 20-acre field of wheat in the Panhandle Drainage
district that made 41 bushels to the acre this year.
Miss JESSIE MORGAN of Jerseyville came to Kane Saturday to
assist in the Smith-Irwin dry goods store during their 10-day
clearing sale.
Mr. and Mrs. W.L. WILLIAMS and children, Beulah, Grace, Emma,
Porter and Kentnar, and Mr. and Mrs. Edward Williams returned
home on Tuesday from their three weeks’ automobile tour to
Niagara Falls, Washington, DC, and other eastern places.
Mr. and Mrs. G.W. DAVIS left on Tuesday morning for Kansas City,
MO to spend the winter at their home. Mr. Davis is principal
....
13 Jun 1918
Enlists in Navy.
Messrs. John RIPPLEY and Lloyd HAYES of this city, went to St.
Louis last week where they enlisted in the US Navy. Both young
men were supposed to go with the next bunch of drafted men from
Jersey County.
Weiner Roast
On Saturday evening a crowd of young folks from Grafton
journeyed to the Slate bank, a few miles out of Grafton where
they enjoyed a weiner roast. The trip was made in machines. A
big bonfire was built, where they prepared the luncheon. They
spend a delightful time by singing and usual good time; at the
conclusion of the evening’s enjoyment, a regular Indian war
dance took place around the bright campfire. A delicious
luncheon was served.
Those in the party were Misses Hazel and Fern DAUBMAN, Lora and
Freda FREEMAN, Edyth and Clara MEYSENBURG, Ethyl JOURNEY, Thelma
WAGNER, Monica, Bernice and Margie RIPPLEY and Dorothy ARCHER of
Shipman, Messrs. Raymond and Charles FREEMAN, Harmon DAVIDSON,
Lake MEDLIN, Roy DEPPER, Lloyd TRAVIS, Joseph ZARRETT, Leo
LAMARSH, Jack LARIMORE, Carlyle RIPPLEY.
Soldier Visits Sister.
Joseph ZARRETT, who has enlisted in the Aviation corps at Kelley
field in New York City, spent the weekend in Grafton with his
sister, Mrs. L. PETERSON. Mrs. Peterson’s other brother, Dan
Zarrett, was drafted a few months ago, but has been placed in a
powder mill in the east by the government as they thought he was
needed very badly in the manufacturing of powder. He was
employed in the Illinois Powder mill at Grafton for a year.
21 Nov 1918
According to a letter received by Louis Brockman, secretary
of the M.W. of A. of Jerseyville, Wednesday, Clinton W. Fiske,
aged 27 years, 2 months and 29 days died at his home in
Frankfort Heights, IL, Nov. 8.
He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. S.N. Fiske, former residents of
Jerseyville. He went home from the Nashville Encampment
September 1, and took up his work as electrician at the mine,
making rapid advance in his line of work.
Clinton had held a position of trust at Nashville as overseer
for some time and had a position open to him at the largest mine
in the state when he took sick. He took ill of pneumonia and
lived only eight days.
He leaves a wife and his parents to mourn their loss. The
funeral services were conducted from the home of his parents in
Frankfort Heights, Sunday, Nov. 10, 1918 at 11 am, Rev. J.C.
Kinison officiating.
Dec 1918
Many inquiries have been made as to the death of Harry Hawk
while in action in France. The following letter was written to
his mother, Mrs. Morris Hawk, of Kane:
“France, 30th Nov, 1918
“Dear Mrs. Hawk – your letter of November 6th just received and
without delay, I wish to answer your inquiry relative to your
son.
“The personal belongings of Harry, were carefully saved and
forwarded to the address as shown on the memorandum attached
which also lists the articles. In accordance with army
regulations they in turn will be forwarded to you.
“I take this opportunity in offering my sympathy to you and your
family in the loss of your son. He was known by every member of
this company as a fine fellow and it deeply saddened us all to
lose him.
“While our company was in the line in action, Harry was wounded
by schrapnel from a shell which burst near him when he was going
out of the dugout which he occupied. Another man was wounded at
the same time and both of them died very shortly afterward.
“One thing I personally will not forget, he was a typically fine
soldier of the company, always on the alert to do his duty,
during the performance of which he brought a high honor upon
himself and his good parents in sacrificing his life bravely for
a noble cause.
“If you feel the need to call upon me for further assistance or
information do not hesitate at any time and incidentally I wish
to advise you that when making further inquiry relative to your
son, it will prevent delay if you will mention his serial
number, shown opposite his name above, Yours most sincerely,
Grady O. Harr, Capt., 130th Inf.”
Home on Furlough.
GEORGE KING, who has been in the US Navy on board the merchant
ship, “Pensicola” having made three trips overseas, arrived in
Kane Saturday to spend a ten-day furlough
TORNADO OF 1927
About 12:30 P.M. on Tuesday April 19, 1927 occurred one of the most devastating tornadoes and cyclones that ever struck this section of the state. Property damage is estimated at hundreds of thousands of dollars. It is fortunate that the path of the cyclone missed the larger towns or the loss of life and property would have been very much greater. It was bad enough as it was.
This section of the state for the past several months has been experiencing unusual rainy weather and it has been rather cool for this season of the year. The development of this particular storm, according to the weather observers, was somewhat out of the usual. To all general appearances last Tuesday, the weather indications did not presage such a storm. It seems to have developed in the vicinity of Star Center, a small inland village between the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers in the south part of Calhoun County, near Hardin. It took a northeasterly course, crossed the Illinois River, and picked up quite a lot of water and fish, according to one observer. This fish and water was deposited east of Carrollton in several fields. The same observer said he saw the ____________________when the water was lifted ____ the storm took a man out of an upstairs window, west of Woody and actually destroyed a shack in Woody, but did not actually go into the village of Woody. The residence of Eldon Rathgeber was almost completely destroyed, Mr. Rathgerber was killed and his wife severely injured. Cyrus Bushnell, Eldred vicinity, to the north, was also killed. The storm continued on a northeasterly direction and when it struck the home of Ward Hobson’s father, the old man then said, “It’s time to leave,” a large pole had just come through the window. Dick Ward’s home was totally destroyed, and afterwards he and his wife moved to St. Louis with their daughter. He died of a broken heart as the story goes. The Peter Steinacher home destroyed. In the home on the Hobson’s, their daughter had just received a bridal shower, for she was to be married soon, and the gifts were laid out in the front parlor. The storm destroyed a complete set of Haviland china for her, but the marriage was planned and she had her wedding in what was left of the Hobson home. Afterwards it was torn down and completely rebuilt.
The storm at this time crossed the L. C. & W. Railroad tracks and hit Centerville School, where Miss Annie Keller was in charge. She managed to save all her wards, but lost her life in the process. No one knows why she did not take cover, some say she did not have time, others say she was holding the door closed, and one report says she went into shock and could not move. The building fell in on top of her and the children, but none of the children died. They were badly bruised, cut and had broken limbs, but safe otherwise. There were 12 children in the classroom at the time.
From this point the storm moved northeasterly and destroyed or damaged the following places: Black, Thomas, Ward, and Eldred. Horses and animals of all sorts were missing, injured or dead. The storm hit just north of Carrollton, Illinois, but some of the debris was left in the city. Charles Lewis, Henry Steinacher, Benjamin Schnelton and others were not so lucky. Their places were severely damaged. The large barn at B. D. Hodges’ farm just north of Carrollton, and the residence of Howard Prices, across the road to the east, were badly damaged. Telephone poles and fences for a distance of nearly a quarter of a mile were snapped off, falling on the paved highway, a mass of debris that blocked traffic for two or three hours.
The storm missed Berdan, by going south of this place, and
continued its path of destruction.
The doctors who came out of Carrollton to assist the people
southwest of that city were; Converse, Burns, Hensler, and
Jouett. They had offices in Carrollton located as follows;
Convers, east side of the Square, upstairs. Burns, north side of
the Square. Hensler, in the Hodges’ Building. Jouett, above the
PATRIOT office.
The children that had been injured at Centerville School afterwards attended school in town. The school being rebuilt the following year.
The storm crossed the B. & _ Railroad, north of Carrollton, south of Berdan. At this point it destroyed many homes and we have tried to assemble as many names as possible. Those being, Mr. and Mrs. Flowers home (now Harvey Kesinger home), completely destroyed, south west of Wrights, Willie Wright place on the corner east of Apollonia School, Thomas Thaxton house east of where Elmer Tucker lives now. Lee Walker’s barn and house totally destroyed, and later rebuilt (the rafters from this barn were found south of Springfield later), this is the Alma Prough home now. Lewis Doyle home destroyed, and later they found a jar of lard that he had brought up from the cellar that morning, buried in the ground nearby when they were digging fence postholes to replace the ripped out fence. The jar was buried in the ground about 3 feet and no holes were ever found, for entry of the jar. It was still full of lard. We must at this point tell you that some of these people did not believe this storm was as severe or as fast moving as seen in this story. Elmer Flowers, wife and small boy saw the cloud approaching, but Mr. Flowers did not want to go out to the cellar without his boots, so while his wife and boy were on their way to the cellar he sat down to put on his boots. When he finished, he found that he no longer had a home, all that was left was the floor that his chair was on and one wall to the west of him. His family was not so lucky, the wife and boy were dead.
Wilbur Doyle’s place was destroyed northeast of Wrights. Wilbur Doyle said after the storm he kept hearing his rooster crow but he couldn’t locate him. Finally he was near the barn and again heard the rooster, so proceeded to locate where he was trapped. Upon examination, the rooster was located in a glass jug and could not get out (I hope you will remember that some of these stories will grow as time goes by).
Lewis Doyle lost a car and wheat binder when they rolled across the ground until they reached a fencerow and were destroyed. Willie Wright’s house came off the foundation and when it came back down it dug a hole large enough to bury a car in. This impact totally destroyed the house. Lucky no one was living here at this time. At Henry Thaxton’s place, two clay block silos were left standing but the house was never seen again.
The storm has now reached north of Wrights, Illinois and has already crossed three sets of railroad tracks, those I have mentioned before and another called C. B. & Q. that went through Greenfield and then to Wright’s where it continued on through White Hall until it reaches Quincy, Illinois.
When the storm was over boards and other debris were found some 10 miles away in Mrs. J. H. Winter’s pasture at the south edge of White Hall. It seems that the main path of the storm was about ¼ to ½ mile wide, but debris carried much farther or was thrown by the storm.
The storm north of Wrights, ripped a wide path from the ground along this area. It took Charles Sanson’s house, then Guy Cooper’s house, where it trapped his wife Becky and their child under the house when the storm moved the house off the foundation and they could no longer get out of the basement. Mr. Piper was injured. Sell Piper, his father-in-law was also injured. When the storm passed them by, they were released from under the house and the neighbors helped carry Mr. Piper over to Frank Piper’s home that had not been damaged by the storm, some ¾ miles away. This storm also took the house from the property that Ed and Hanna Frazer owned later, and across the road it took the house of Brock’s west across the road from Settle’s and destroyed the new car that Mr. Settles had just purchased the week before.
Short Cemetery was damaged some, but it was restored. The Short School house was missed, but the teacher being told by one of the students that there was a funny looking cloud outside (she had to be told twice, for she did not believe the child), managed to get all the children but one to safety in a cellar across the road from the school. The one child that was not in the cellar, (who was Lee Raffety’s brother) could not be found at the time for he was over the hill from the school in the “John”, and when he came out everything was over, but he could not find anyone. The teacher came out of the cellar and looked to the west to see a wide path where before there were trees and now there was nothing.
Harry Piper’s house was destroyed, and Emmert Raffety saw it go. He said he peeked out of his cellar and Harry’s house just looked as if it exploded, seeing the rugs being shook as if the lady of the house were cleaning house, then they disappeared. Lawrence Short’s home was destroyed, Laft Nettles and his wife, tried to run for cover, but both were killed when the storm hit, by her being thrown in a hedge tree and he being smashed against a tree. Benny Nettles’ wife had 3 buggy spokes driven into her abdomen. Bonnie Prather wanted her husband to wait for her and the children after lunch and she planned to go out in the fields with him. She had to do her dishes before she left so he lay down on the couch to take a nap. She woke him up and asked him to look at the sky, but he did not think in necessary. (You know that women are naturally worrywarts) She again woke him up and this time he wanted to hurry to the cellar! They grabbed the children and ran fast, but part of the kitchen stove hit her in the back. Their home was totally destroyed, but her purse was brought back to her by a man from Alexander who found it in his field while plowing. The trunk that they had kept all their important items in had been opened and all that was missing was here marriage license and the envelope that it had been in was still in the trunk. Bonnie’s nightgown was in the top of one of their trees completely torn to shreds.
Bonnie said the baby stopped breathing until the storm had passed them by, (she thought it might have been because of the sucking effect of the wind that pulled all the air out of the basement.) all their friends and relatives who had not been hit by the storm donated items for their next home, since they had nothing left. She says one of the cabinets in her kitchen is one that was given to her after the storm.
Eva Lee Short’s home destroyed. Lizzie Johnson who lived in a log cabin, (and had never been known to turn away anyone who needed a place to stay), had a couple living with her, who, when they saw the storm approaching ran to get to safety, since Lizzie did not have a cellar. They got to a ditch and dropped in afraid to go any further. Lizzie who had bread baking in the oven would not go; she just got under the wood box and waited. She said the storm shook the walls a bit, but did not harm anything. The couple in the ditch, were drenched with water and slightly injured.
When the storm came to the Range home, Grandpa (Frank) Range lived with his son, Jesse and wife, Wilma, Grandpa was late for dinner and saw the storm coming in their direction. He rushed into the house and said, “Grab the kids, get to the cellar!” They managed to escape, Wilma who had had dinner on the table, said when they came out everything on the table had mud covering it and there was not even a piece of bread fit to eat, after the storm left. They, at that time had two children, Loyal, age 3 and Wilfred, age 1 year. The storm blew out their north windows, pulled open their back door, took several outbuildings and they lost their cistern pump that had been outside the back door. Mrs. Range said that people from town came out to see if they could be of any help. But some of them had not even had their lunch! She said, “I searched around the house and finally remembered a loaf of bread that was in a towel, and fed them the bread.”
This tornado proceeded between the Range home and the Frank
Piper home, and crossed the road now known as Route 67. There it
continued its destructive path, destroying the home belonging to
a family named Whitlock, then, the home of Oliver Maberry,
continuing on to the Hettick place, where the hired girl who
worked for the Hettick’s lost her leg. Ray Cunningham’s home
destroyed; Robert Barrow’s daughter was injured and later died
from her injuries.
Fern Bruner, from Rockbridge, at that time was teaching at the
Franklin School, and she said all morning the air currents had
been warm and then cool, cool to the point of needing a coat.
Miss Bruner, saw the clouds to the west of her school, and she
said they divided and became two clouds. And that is when she
had her children go inside the school and sit down, for they had
no cellar to retreat to.
The train had just reached White Hall and stopped for passengers, when they received the news of the destructive storm ahead. They unhooked from the cars and carried people to the area to help in any way they could, with doctors, medicine, etc; to the people in the Wright’s area. At Carrollton they received the news and had to go down the railroad tracks, for it was the only place you would walk after the drenching rain. The doctors took anyone’s horse they could get, didn’t ask, just took! Two small boys on their way to town met some of these doctors and lost their rides.
Some of the names I have missed above, I will add here, that were either injured or killed in this storm; Robert Scoggins, north of the fairgrounds, severely injured; Mitchell Brothers farm wrecked, no one living here at this time; Louis Doyle, Wilbur Doyle, L. E. Walker, Wm. Walker, Wm. Wright, W. L. Nettles, Jack Sullivan, Lawrence Short, Ross Kesinger, Britton and maybe others lost their homes. Waverly was hit slightly. Loami suffered some damage. Buffalo Hart and Cornland, two villages on the lines of Sangamon and Logan Counties, both lost many lives and suffered much damage. Mt. Pulaski, slight damage. The storm then turned north and missed Lincoln, but hit Delevan and Tazewell, doing some damage, but it seemed to have just about died out.
A memorial to Miss Keller was put in White Hall, Illinois, the town where she and her family lived. She was the teacher who lost her life in this terrible storm, at Centerville School. It is located in the park on the east side of the street as you go into the main part of town. Also there is a school in Chicago named, Annie Keller School. When the Centerville School was rebuilt, there was a tablet in her memory placed at this school, when the school was sold the tablet was removed and in an old newspaper article it says the tablet was taken to the library in Carrollton, but later I was told it might not be there.
Mr. Russell W. Senniff, 4319 Barrington Rd., Baltimore, MD 21229 would like to correspond with anyone who wishes on the storm of 1927, for he was on a train that day and saw some of it.
Transcribed 06 Jan 2003 by Carol S. VanValkenburgh
26 Mar 1929
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Start on Hunt for Gold in California Eighty Years Ago
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Submitted 25 Jan 2013 by Virginia Dyson
