The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1920
Stronghurst Graphic, April 8, 1920
DIES DOWNTOWN: The community was shocked when it became known that Mrs. Martha Barnhart, mother of Mrs. J. Howard Miner, had passed away following an attack of cerebral hemorrhage, which occurred while she was out taking a walk about town. At about 2:30 p.m Mrs. Barnhart left the home of her daughter in the south part of the village taking some letters with her to mail at the post office. After completing this errand she started north on Broadway from the post office. She had walked but a few rods when she was observed to turn and start to hurriedly retrace her steps.
When in front of the Community rest room next door to the post office, she hesitated a moment and then started on again. After taking a few steps, she was seen to put out her hand as though to grab some support and then sink to the sidewalk. A meeting of the W.C.T.U. was in progress in the Community Club room and a number of those in attendance saw Mrs. Barnhart drop to the sidewalk as did also Mr. Mains, the post master. These were quickly at hand to render any assistance possible and the sufferer was quickly lifted up and carried into the Community rest room and made as comfortable as possible. Dr. Marshall and McClelland were speedily summoned and word telephoned to Mrs. Miner of what had occurred. All attempts at resuscitation of the victim on the part of the physicians were without avail and she passed away within a few moments after the arrival of her daughter and without ever regaining consciousness. The remains were removed to the Miner home and Mr. Miner, who was away on business, was notified by wire of the sad occurrence. The body of the deceased was prepared for burial by W. C. Regan, the local undertaker and taken to Urbana, Ill., Mrs. Barhart's former home. The funeral party left on the afternoon train following a short service at the Miner home on Thursday. Funeral services were conducted at Urbana the next afternoon.
Mrs. Barnhart was in her 60th year. Her husband died some three or four years ago and since that time she has been making her home with her children and other relatives. She had only lately returned from a visit with her son in Albuquerque, N.Mex. She is survived by his son, Charles Barnhart and her daughter, Mrs. J. Howard Miner of Stronghurst. She was a very active woman for her age and of a sunny and cheerful disposition and had won the respect and esteem of many friends during her comparatively brief residence here.
1895 GRAPHIC: Joseph Hulet died at his home in Gladstone on April 5th after a brief illness; he was 70 years of age. M. T. Beardsley of Yates City was in Stronghurst and noting the air of prosperity here decided that he would proceed with the erection of two brick buildings on lots between the Hamilton drugstore and the Columbia Hotel, he having bought three lots during the previous fall. Albert Small, a former well known citizen of Olena died at his home in Lincoln Nebr. on April 4th. The Rock Island R.R.Co. was preparing to expend considerable sum of money in conducting "rain making experiments during the summer throughout the arid belt in the West. A car load of oats from this section of the country was sent to the unfortunate farmers of Page County, Iowa, to be used for seed and feed.
1920 LOCAL FARM NEWS-HARTQUIST BROS.: If you want to see how livestock is handled for the market to the best possible advantage, just go out to Hartquist Bros. At the present time they have 145 head of cattle on feed and between two and three hundred hogs. They have, perhaps, as fine an equipment for caring for this stock as can be found in this county, having an immense cattle and feed barn combined with a large self-feeder down center of the barn which will hold several thousand bushels of corn, hay racks at each side and more room for 126 tons of hay and also water inside the barn so that it is not necessary for an animal to go outside in stormy weather. They are also putting in 40 acres of oats and 136 acres of corn which will all be fed to livestock besides thousands of bushels which they will buy. The ambition of these young men is to each year do things just a little better than they did the year before. They are great believers in livestock keeping up the fertility of the soil and each year in cleaning up their lots and barns, they have enough manure to cover 40 acres of land. They also will build this summer a concrete silo 18 x 60 ft. which will hold 487 tons of ensilage when filled.
TOWNSHIP ELECTION AND MEETING: The election of township officials for Stronghurst township was effected with scarcely a ripple in the ordinary tide of events, the facts of there being no contest for any of the offices to be filled except that of Assessor with Chas. Lukens winning with 79 votes.
A township meeting was held at the village pumping station with A. H. Kershaw acting as moderator. Financial reports of the Town Supervisor and Treasurer were read and accepted. A sum of $1,000 was levied for town purposes for the ensuing year and a committee of C. H. Curry, P. A. Stamp and B. L. Mudd were appointed to apportion the amounts to various funds. A levy of 66 cents per $100 of taxable property in the township was passed for road and bridge purposes. C. R. A. Marshall moved that the Township Highway Commissioner be authorized to provide a convenient and suitable building for housing the road machinery and tools. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned.
W.C.T.U. MEETS: The local chapter of the W.C.T.U. met at the Community Room which was beautifully decorated with Easter lilies. A special program descriptive of the work of the various officers and departments promised to be very interesting. This was followed by a social program brought to an abrupt end when Mrs. Barnhart was stricken with death at the door of the rest room, carried inside where she expired. Medical aid proved of no avail and with her daughter, Mrs. Miner by her side and surrounded by kind friends, the spirit of Mrs. Barnhart took its flight.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: The old J. W. Hicks property located in the extreme western part of the village passed into the possession of Bert Putney, wife and sons. The Putney property on the east side of town became the possession of Mr. A.S. McElhinney. Frederick Salter is working at Morning Sun, Ia. Miss Opal Stine spent Easter at the August Wiegand home in Biggsville.
Mrs. Flora Salter returned to Stronghurst after a sojourn of several months in California. Miss Ella Ahlers, who is teaching school near Adair, Ill., was an over Sabbath visitor at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Ahlers southeast of Stronghurst. The material for concrete stave silos to be erected on the C. H. Curry, Frank Pierson, Chas. Heisler and Wm Hartquist farms arrived in a shipment from Elgin Ill. The Willing Workers of the U. P. Church of the village are planning to re-decorate the interior of their house of worship along with the extensive improvements now being made on the church edifice. Through the agency of A. S. McElhinney, the 188 acre farm located about nine miles southwest of Stronghurst owned by Chas. W. Nelson of Pittsfield, Ill. was purchased by Mr. Willis Keener.
Roland Davidson has a very acceptable position with a firm of chemical research and consulting engineers who have laboratories and plant at Niagara Falls, N.Y. Messrs. Wax and Tucker disposed of their restaurant on the east side of Broadway to Dr. R. H. Dickinson, who has been here for the past year in the capacity of federal veterinarian.
Dr. Dickinson has already taken charge of it and will give it his personal attention. Lawrence Lynch and family, who have been staying at Monmouth since their house near Raritan burned, have returned to the farm and are being temporarily housed until suitable arrangements can be made for the summer. A house to replace the one which was burned will be erected at an early date.
Master-in Chancery J. W. Gordon and Atty. Werts of Oquawka, were conducting the sale of the real estate of the late Warren Kemp last Saturday. The property sold was the N. E. frac. quarter of Sec. 1 in Lomax Township and the east half of the S.W. quarter of Sec. 36 in Carman Township comprising about 192 acres in all and the north half of Willow Island in Shokokon Slough.
The three tracts were purchased by Martha Dowell, John Kemp, Jesse Kemp and Lizzie Lynch, heirs of the deceased for the lump sum of $9,400 (today would be $111,766).
Mrs. Frank Murphy is confined to her home with an attack of influenza. Charles Whiteman returned from the Burlington Hospital where he had been for the past four weeks sick with typhoid fever. Dick Miller of Hamilton, Ill. came home with Richard Peasley from Knox College to spend Easter vacation. Rev. Ruel of Chicago was in the county organizing the work of the Inter-Church movement. Mrs. Dr. Wells of Washington, D.C. sent the ladies of the Stronghurst U.P. Church a beautiful Easter lily to grace the pulpit during the Easter day services and then passed on to some "shut-in" in the community.
The Johnson Garage installed a new 10 horsepower electric motor in their work shop and hereafter the burning in machine, compressor and other machinery will be operated by electricity instead of gasoline power thus adding considerably to the efficiency of the plant. Saturday the Wennerberg Male Chorus of Augustana College, Rock Island. will present a program of sacred and secular productions at the Lyric Theater.
BROKE HIS LEG: While some of the older boys were practicing board jumping on the high school athletic field, Tommy Tucker, the young son of Mr. and Mrs. B. L. Tucker, rolled into the landing pit while Clarence Burrell was in the set of jumping. Burrell landed on Tucker's legs with the result that one of them was broken near the ankle. The broken limb was set by a physician and the boy is now confined to the house.
***WEDDING BELLS***NEGLEY-INGERSON: Miss Grace, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ingerson of Stronghurst and Ernest Negley, son of Mr. and Mrs. A.L. Negley of the south country were untied in marriage at the parsonage of the M. E. Church in Galesburg, the pastor of the church officiating. The couple were attended by Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Schroeder of Media. Following the ceremony they left for Chicago on a brief honeymoon. On June 1st they will be home to friends on the Negley farm three and half miles south of Stronghurst.
CHANDLER-VAUGHN: Ray Chandler, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ed. Chandler of Decorra neighborhood and Miss Leafa Vaughn, Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bev. Vaughn of Lomax occurred in Burlington on March 18th.
MEDIA MEANDERINGS: Jet Wimp of the cattle commission firm of Jet Wimp and Co., Chicago, was a business caller in town. The body of Samuel Mathers, Sr. will arrive from the west, then short funeral services will be held at the home of his son, Grier Mathers and burial will be made in the Walnut Grove Cemetery. The students of the Wever Academy have been busy practicing for the play they will give at the Academy Saturday evening.
CARMAN CONCERNS: David Pendry is in the Burlington Hospital and not well. The Larkin Club was entertained at the home o Mrs. Virgie Mead. Mrs. Edna Babcook and Miss Cheryl were called to Lomax to help care for Mrs. L. Paul, whose health does not improve much. Miss Violet Pendry is able to be up after a siege of measles. The roads up near Clear Lake are covered with water from the rise in the river.
GLADSTONE GLEANINGS: Dr. Hills, who was practicing here most of the winter, moved his office fixtures to Peoria. Lyle Graham, who has been attending school in Indiana, was home visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Graham. The Ladies Aid held a social Friday afternoon and evening at the post office and made $15 (today $178) for the M. E. Church. The dancing club had a program ball Thursday evening at Bryan's Hall with the music furnished by the Jazz orchestra of Monmouth. Mr. and Mrs. Al Hays moved to Rock Island where they will have employment for the summer.