The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1915
Stronghurst Graphic, Dec. 23, 1915
RETURNS AFTER 40 YEARS: In the year 1875 when he took his departure, F. C. Nichols was just a lad of 10, living with his uncle Isaac Nichols on the farm in the residence now owned by J. W. Hicks which became the site of part of the present village of Stronghurst. He eventually found his way to Peoria, Ill., where he is now established in a lucrative practice of medicine and surgery.
Yielding to a long cherished idea of revisiting the locality of his early childhood, in the company of his nephew, J. W. Buckingham of Washburn, Ill., he paid the town a visit. He found little here to remind him of the farm he left 40 years ago.
The tract of land which was then a vast cornfield, he found covered with many blocks of fine business houses and private residences; and running before the very door of the home which he left and where the sound of a locomotive whistle was never heard, he found the double tracks of the great Santa Fe system over which was an enormous traffic in freight and passengers is now conducted daily. (Today, a constant stream of freight continues to flow through the village on that very same railroad.)
Accompanied by his cousin, Frank Wilshire, Dr. Nichols took an automobile trip over the country lying south and west of Stronghurst. Although he found the changes less striking, the progress which has marked 40 years of agricultural development in the section traversed, was every where in evidence. (In the 1918 Prairie Farmer Directory of Henderson County it states the USDA found in 1855 that it required 4 hours and 34 minutes of human labor to produce a bushel corn. In 1918 the Minnesota experiment station reported that 45 minutes of human labor would be required for the same work. Time had changed!)
Dr. Nichols would have remained for a longer visit but for the fact that he was obliged to depend upon the use of crutches in moving about as the result of a fracture of one of his limbs which he suffered some 5 or 6 weeks ago.
***OBITUARY***JAMES BROWNING: Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Lant of Olena neighborhood received a dispatch stating that heir son-in-law Joseph K. Browning had passed away at his home in Winnebago, Nebr., after a brief illness from pneumonia. They left immediately for there. (Note the difference in names-James vs Joseph. Consulting Henderson County Cemeteries, Vol.I by Ross & Evans identifies this man as Joseph. This book is available at the Henderson County Library's new Local and Family History Room in Biggsville.)
BATTLED TO A "DRAW:" The wrestling match between Angelos Polos, the former Decorra man, now of Burlington, Ia., and the "Terrible Sweed" of Omaha, Nebr., held in the Lyric Theatre last Saturday evening, resulted in a draw after an hour of strenuous effort on the part of each contestant to put the shoulders of the other on the mat. Although the rules for wrestling provide that a "draw" shall be announced where neither party gains a fall within one hour, the match would probably have been continued beyond the time limit but for the fact that Polos had sustained an injury in his side by coming in contact with an electric light fixture connected with the foot lights of the stage and was unwilling on that account to go beyond the 60 minute limit.
Although Polos was something like 22 lbs. lighter than his opponent, it was the opinion of most of the spectators that he was the more clever wrestler of the two. The match is said to have been a clean exhibition, both contestants evidently striving their best to win. The attendance was rather meager and the financial returns to the principals in the affair were as a result not very large.
TAMA BUILDING BURNS: One of the most disastrous fires which the city of Burlington, Iowa has experienced in recent years, partially destroyed the "Tama" Building situated on the corner of Third and Jefferson streets at an early hour last Monday morning. The damage to the building which was the finest business edifice in the city with the exception perhaps of the new Burlington Hotel is estimated at $100,000.
Forty some mercantile and professional firms were housed in the structure and nearly every one of these suffered more or less loss. The heaviest of these losers was the Ringold Clothing Co. which occupied the first floor and which estimates its damage at $40,000. The drug firm of Sutter and Ludman also on the first floor lost their entire stock as did also the Washburn Millinery Co. The Kaut and Krichbaum Hardware Co., the remaining occupants of the first floor, escaped with comparatively slight loss.
The fire started in the Sutter and Ludman Drug Store at about 2:30 a.m. but its origin in unknown. Firemen found the task of getting the blaze under control a difficult one owing to the cold weather and the difficulty in getting at the points where fire had obtained a hold. Eight hours or more elapsed after it started before it was completely subdued.
CHRISTMAS OBSERVANCES: All the churches in the village are preparing for the Christmas season with appropriate exercises. The Sabbath Schools of the U.P. and M. E. churches will render cantatas in their respective churches on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24th and there will be a Christmas tree and distribution of presents with treats for the children at each church. That same evening, The Christian Church will have an entertainment and tree too. At the Swedish Lutheran Church will be full services Christmas morning beginning at 5:30 o'clock and on second day Christmas, Sunday evening. Dec.26th a program will be given by the children of the church with a Christmas tree offered afterward.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: The board and county supervisors again turned down the proposition to accept state aid for building permanent roads in the county. This makes us believe $11,000 which the county has forfeited will go to help improve the highways of other counties in the state.
The Stronghurst Motor Company suggest that one give an Overland Six or Two cylinder car for Christmas. Model 75 is priced at $615 and Model 83 at $750. Roadsters are $595 and $725. For those with more cash, they suggested the Willys-Knight with four styles: the touring car at $1095, the roadster at $1065; Coupe at $1500 and the limousine at $1750.
A handsome new piano, the gift of the Ladies Aid Society of the congregation, has been installed in the M. E. Church. John H. Tracy has a public sale of his household effects and took his departure with his family for Alboin, Nebr. Sewell Peasley who has extensive farming interests near Ft. Collins, Colo. and is feeding a large number of sheep this winter, accompanied a shipment of them to the Omaha market and then came on to Illinois.
Joe Long has just completed the artistic interior decorations at the Wolf residence. E. R. Bowen is opening up an auto and buggy paint shop in the building recently vacated by the Stronghurst Motor Co. at the corner of Main and Mary Streets. A. C. Yaley has been confined to his home east of town for a number of days past by a severe attack of rheumatism.
Happiness entered the home of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Lant north of town with the added presence of two daughters born Dec. 22nd. Dee Headen received a much appreciated Christmas present from his son Hal at Bakersfield, Cal., consisting of a box of Kern County oranges of the large size, fine color and luscious quality.
Cheer up! Dec. 21st is past and the electric light bills should now begin to diminish in size. (Stronghurst had its own light plant at this time and had been having frequent outages.)
The river closed at Oquawka. J. H. Bowen return to the scenes of his childhood days in Virginia. Geo. Chant and Joe Marsden have been selected as grand jurors from Stronghurst Township for the March term of circuit court.
G. S. Bailey is preparing to go to Colorado for his health and advertises the sale of livestock and farm implements at his residence near Olena.
Bernice Tucker underwent an operation for appendicitis at St. Mary's in Galesburg; she has returned home and is almost completely restored to health. The bill for the proposed new bridge across the Mississippi at Burlington was one of the first passed by the recently assembled Congress. It is expected that work on the structure will soon be under way.
Ex-sheriff Robt. T. McDill has been chosen by the board of supervisors for the position of overseer of the county farm near Oquawka. Bob has decided to give up his position as guard at the Joliet penitentiary.
A few days of warm sunshine has caused the ice and snow to almost disappear and the indications now are for a "green" rather than a "white" Christmas. Farmers are indulging the hope that they may yet be able to finish up gathering the large acreage of corn still in the field before spring comes.
In Gladstone the village is to have a new opera house which can be used in the future for entertainments. D. S. Bryans is putting up a new building size 32 x 60 with the upper story to be fitted up for entertainment uses arranged with ample stage room and seating capacity of 32 x 48. They hope to have it ready by New Year's Day.
GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY: There was a double celebration of Christmas day this year at the C. S. Apt home in the village, both an event celebrated by the whole Christian world and an event which occurred 50 years ago and which had a direct influence upon the destinies of many of those present-the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Apt on Dec. 23, 1865.
Fifty-two relatives, descendants, old neighbors and friends gathered in the home on the occasion. Thirteen children have been born to the couple, one of whom was taken at the age of 5. All others were present and sat around the festive board laden with the rich profusion of tempting viands.
Charles S. Apt was born in Philadelphia on May 5, 1840, being one of a family of fourteen children. He came to Henderson County May 15, 1858, and has resided here ever since. Celia Miller was born in Henderson County July 30, 1846 and was also one of fourteen children. The marriage 50 years ago was performed by Rev. Wm. Archer at the "Grandpa Miller" farm west of Stronghurst. (The farm where Jerry and Barb Malcolm now live.)
The twelve children who grew to maturity were in attendance: Mrs. Frank Painter and Mrs. John Fordyce of this vicinity. C.M. Apt of Oakland, Ia., Frank A. Apt of East Pleasant Plains, Ia., Silas I. Apt and Clarence E. Apt of Decorra neighborhood, Christian E. Apt of Terre Haute and Willie, Ernie, Priscilla, Edith and Fronie Apt who live with their parents.
Of the latter named five children all excepting Edith have been blind from birth and consequently have been prevented from entering into the avocation in life open to most people.
They have, however, all been endowed with musical genius and ability and this talent has been made use of not only in a profitable way financially but also in making the atmosphere of the home congenial and pleasant. In addition to the 12 children, 15 or the 21 living grandchildren were there too.
During the course of the afternoon their children presented the couple with a purse containing $55 in gold and $4 in silver, and with two handsome easy chairs. A number of nice tokens of esteem and remembrances were also left by old friends and neighbor among the guests. (Mr. and Mrs. Apt lived in the home of the recently deceased Evelyn Shafer.)
***OBITUARY***MARIA J. JUSTICE: Maria J. Justice was born at New Castle, Pa., Dec. 11th ,1832 and died at Pulaski, Iowa, Dec. 24, 1915, aged 83 years and 13 days. She was married to William P. Bryan at New Castle, Pa., March 22nd, 1854.
Four children were born to this union. Joseph J. of Terre Haute, Illinois; Mary, who died at the age of 7 years; Mrs. Luella Genung of Upland, Calif.; and Mrs. Laura Sutton of Pulaski, Iowa, with whom she was making her home at the time of her death.
Besides these, she leaves 8 grand children and 6 great great grandchildren, two brothers, Jefferson and Joseph, one sister, Miss Emma Justice, all of Philadelphia, Pa. and also 8 nieces and nephews, all residents of Pa. except J. R. Justice of Galesburg and Mrs. S. G. Miller of Terre Haute, Ill.
She was an earnest Christian and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and also a charter member of the Ladies Aid Society of Terre Haute...For more than 60 years Grandma Bryan, as she was called by old and young, had lived in Terre Haute or in the immediate vicinity.Terre Haute Cor.
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