The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1915
Stronghurst Graphic, May 20, 1915
100 MILE RACE: Considerable interest is now being aroused in the Second Annual 100 Mile Automobile race to be held in Galesburg on the famous mile track Wednesday afternoon, June 9th and a great many from this vicinity are already talking of going.
The race is scheduled to start promptly at 2 p.m. and will furnish two hours of the most exciting amusement ever witnessed. Some of the world's greatest drivers are expected to compete including the DePalma Brothers, Bob Burman, Rickenbacker, "Wild Bill" Carlson, O'Donnell, Alley, Mulford, Resta and others.
John DeLong, the director of the contest is in Indianapolis signing up entries of the speed kings now preparing for the great Indianapolis race who will come direct to Galesburg. The purse this year is $3,000 in gold divided into 5 prizes: $1200, $800, $500,$300 and $200 and will draw the best drivers in the country. Fred Wagner, the well known Indianapolis starter, will start the races and Mayor Thompson and party from Chicago will occupy one of the boxes. Best seats can be secured now at Temple & Carroll's Book Store, Galesburg.
M. E. CHURCH NOTES: Rev. Hanes will give the Memorial Day services held in the church next Sunday morning at the hour of preaching with different congregations of the village uniting in these services. Preparations are being made for the Children's Day Service in June. The contest for Sunday School attendance shows that the men are ahead of the women...
U.P. NEWS: The Sabbath school had an attendance of a record 155 Sabbath morning. The baccalaureate service of the Stronghurst High School will be held in this church next Sabbath evening. This will be a union service with the United Presbyterian pastor delivering the address to the graduates.
Mid-week prayer meeting is on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. And the observance of the Lord's Supper will take place in the church on Sabbath, May 30th. The preparatory service will be held on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. The session will meet one half hour before this service with any who may desire to unite with the church either by profession of their faith or by certificate. Full attendance of all members and adherents is desired and urged at this preparatory service.
DID THE HORSE WIN? Mrs. James Campbell of Galesburg suffered injuries of a painful nature Wednesday evening in an auto accident which happened on the road a mile south and about a half mile east of Stronghurst. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell and Mr. and Mrs. D. A. King were in an auto on their way to the home of the latter couple near Raritan. They collided with a horse and buggy being driven by a man by the name of Duncan. The rig was coming from the opposite direction and the horse became frightened and after bolting across the road backed the buggy directly into the path of the auto.
In the mix-up which followed the occupants of the buggy were thrown out and the horse ran away. The windshields of the auto were smashed and the car other wise damaged. Mrs. Campbell was the only one who sustained any severe injuries. She suffered a badly broken nose, painful cuts on the chin and forehead and a number of severe bruises. (Those new-fangled autos just made too much racket!)
1890 GRAPHIC: A meeting of village citizens considered the question of removal of the Henderson County Fair from Biggsville to this place. A new weekly paper, the Nauvoo Rustler, began publication. Petitions were being circulated in the south end of the county asking the county commissioners to grant a vote of the question of township organization. Lee Price, a one time barber of Stronghurst, married Miss Van Winkle of Carthage. A festival was held at the U.P.Church to help pay costs for sidewalk in front of the church. Fifteen dollars was realized.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: The Bi-County League composed of the High Schools of Warren and Henderson Counties will hold their annual meet at Biggsville. A public reception was tendered to Rev. and Mrs. Kenneth Anderson, the new pastor of the Stronghurst U.P.Church last Tuesday evening at the church with many in the community participating. Mrs. Belle Peterson of this place is said to be lying in a critical condition at the Galesburg Hospital where she underwent a serious operation two weeks ago.
The combined resources of the two banks in Stronghurst amount to $774,649.01 which is a little less than 36 per cent of the total bank resources of the county.
C. N. Salter suffered a slight paralytic stroke and has since been confined to his bed. He is also suffering from serious kidney disease and his condition is causing considerable apprehension of the part of his friends. (The paper had to "tell it all" or how else were interested parties to know what was happening?)
Arthur Mesecher who lives northeast of the village and a number of other men captured a litter of 6 wolf pups on the old Rankin farm 2 1/2 miles east of the village. Miss Maxine Lovitt of Stronghurst school tied with Miss Madaline Parks of Media for first place in the county spelling contest at Biggsville. In "spelling off" the tie Maxine missed one of the five given words given out and the Media girl spelling all of them correctly was awarded the gold medal with Maxine receiving the silver one.
No arrangements have been made for the public observance of Memorial day in Stronghurst and as there appears to be no disposition on the part of the citizens to join with the two surviving veterans of the Civil War in this community, Squire Morgan and M. J. Green, in planning a program, it is not likely that there will be one.
Amos Morris of Raritan lost his five-passenger Mitchell automobile by fire when the building on his farm in which the machine was housed burned down. It is supposed the fire was the result of a stroke of lightning.
The telephone poles and trees along the streets of the village which form part of the "blue grass trail" have been painted with circles of white and blue. G. W. Worley has just installed a handsome new sanitary soda fountain and dispensing outfit in his drugstore and also a number of tables and chairs and will now be prepared to serve the public with all kinds of refreshing beverages and ice cream.
The contract for the brick pump house for the village water system was let to T. D. Steffey for $2040. Work began and will be pushed as rapidly as possible. Now is the time to buy chicken coops and Dixson has both round and square.
Stronghurst High School's George Brokaw captured one point in the big Inter-scholastic State High School meet at Urbana. George finished fourth in the "Class B" 440 yd run. The meet was won by the LaGrange school with a total of 30 points.
A representative of Standard Oil Co. was in town making preliminary arrangements for the erection of the tanks of the supply station which the company expects to locate here. Rev. O. W. Rose, pastor of the Raritan M .E. Church, was badly hurt in a runaway; his injuries consisted of two fractured ribs, a ligament of one shoulder torn loose and a number of bruises about the body.
Charlie Anderson and a friend by the name of Alven Kane from Okmulgee, Okla. Are visiting in the vicinity. Charlie has been gone for 5 years and this is Mr. Kane's first visit to the county. Time was spent with Charlie brother, White Anderson of Burlington and his sister, Mrs. Tom Woodall of Biggsville.
The May festival of the public schools of Henderson County was held at Biggsville. In Media area John Gibson has purchased an auto in which he now carries the mail-when it doesn't rain.
OBITUARY***JOSEPH EDWARD CREECH*** Joseph Edward Creech was born near Nebo, Pike County, Illinois on Oct. 31, 1848 and passed away at his residence in Terre Haute, Ill. on May 16, 1915, 66 years, 6 months and 15 days. At an early age he was taken by his parents to Clarksville, Mo, in 1852 where he resided 50 years. In 1868 he united in marriage to Miss Fanny Meacham and to this union one child, a boy, was born who died at the age of 13 in 1882.
Mr. and Mrs. Creech removed to Dallas City in 1902 and then to Terre Haute in 1910. He united with the Christian Church in Clarksville in 1877 and remained enrolled as a member until his death. Two brothers, Thomas and Littleton, and two sisters, Susan and Nancy, preceded him across the river. Remaining to mourn his loss are his widow and three brothers, Marshall and William who live in Clarksville, Mo. (paper does not identify the other brother)