The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.


The 1917 Graphic

Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1917

Stronghurst Graphic, April 5, 1917

LIVELY ELECTION: Although little interest was manifested in the primaries, the election itself was marked by more than the ordinary display of activity A number of autos were busy throughout the day hauling voters to the polls and when the hour for closing came, 315 ballots had been cast: 247 men and 68 women.

W.R.Dobbin was re-elected supervisor; John Fordyce selected highway commissioner, both Harvey Lant and Richard Marshall will serve full terms school trustee, John Lant and W.E.Hurd were elected Justices of the Peace with John Francen and Ira Peterson elected constables.

WED IN KANSAS: Harry Burnham Fort, son of Sarah A. Fort and Miss Bessie A. Davis, daughter of William Davis, both of Stronghurst were united in marriage at Olathe, Kansas on March29th at the parsonage of the U.P.Church of Olathe, Rev. J.A. Monteith, the pastor, formerly pastor of the Stronghurst congregation.

KILLED IN ARKANSAS: A marked copy received by Tom Morgan of the Sioux city, Ia. Tribune contains the following item: Little Rock, Ark.-"Noah Richmond, aged 23, has surrendered to answer an indictment in which he is charge with the murder of Fred Brewer, aged 46. The police say that Richmond told them that he and Brewer became involved in a quarrel because Brewer denounced the United States and praised Germany."

Many people here think that the man who was killed was Fred Brewer who was until recently a resident of this village and moved to Sioux City last fall. His relatives here, however have up to the present, received no report of his death. (Guess you just didn't have to be absolutely certain if the man you knew was dead before publishing.)

QUARANTINED: At a special meeting of the Stronghurst village board they closed the schools, churches, theatres and all places of public meetings pending an investigation by the state board of health. Developments leading up to the action were during the past three or four weeks several cases of children in the village and vicinity have had eruptions of the skin diagnosed as "boils under the skin," "chicken pox," "LaGrippe," etc.

Last Saturday evening a consultation of three of the physicians of the village was held in the case of Roy Kirby, who had developed symptoms of the same general nature as the others and it was decided that he had a "mild form of small pox."

Up to the present time no state official has arrived and until he does all public gatherings have been cancelled. However, none of the cases of the malady mentioned amongst the children have the patients been sick enough to miss a meal or to be incapacitated from work or play and it would, therefore, appear that there is no very serious cause for alarm.

1892 GRAPHIC: W.E.Salter and family returned from Kansas and he was preparing to enter the mercantile business here. E.B.Campbell purchased the P.M. Carnahan stock of implements. Nearly every cellar in the village was reported as being partially filled with water as result of recent heavy rains. Glen McElhinney told me when I was researching the Stronghurst village centennial book that the town was built on a swamp and that when his house (the one now owned by Tony Griepentrog) was built that cattails were growing where the former Jacobs Hardware Building stands today. So if you wonder why you have water in your basement, remember, this is a SWAMP.

A small cyclone passed near Raritan on April 4th doing considerable damage to buildings and trees. G.H.Dixson of Emerson, Iowa, was visiting at the home of his brother, Joe. Mrs. Slater of Hancock County was visiting at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Ivins. Alex Rankin, Jr.had purchased the grain elevator at Media and was preparing to operate it.

BRIDGE OPEN: The new wagon bridge across the Mississippi River at Burlington opened formally to traffic last Thursday. No public celebration was held but a good deal of interest was taken and many people crossed the new structure both directions.

The number of foot passengers and extra occupants of automobiles who crossed between 6 o'clock in the morning and 6 o'clock in the evening was 479:92 automobiles, each with a driver and one passenger, 92 two horse vehicles, 15 singe horse vehicles, 4 led horses, 3 motorcycles, 12 children and one single horse and rider crossing. Tom Nichols and Dr. James S. Cooper were the first to drive an auto across from the Iowa side.

DIES IN BURLINGTON: John H. Tadlock, who had made his home for several years with his son-in-law, E.Moreland of Decorra, died March 30th at the home of his son in Burlington at the age of 86 years. Mr. Tadlock was the sixth child of James and Ruth Tadlock and was born March 19, 1831 near the town of Jonesboro, Green County, Tenn.

In 1844 he moved with his parents to Schuyler County, Missouri. On July 23, 1854 he married Sarah E. Hayes and to this union were born eight children: four died in childhood and another, Mrs. May Moreland, passed away in Feb.1904 leaving Mrs. Mary Anderson of Cantril, Ia.and two sons, James and Frank Tadlock of Burlington, Ia. as the only remaining children. In 1862 the family moved to Henderson County, Ill., where he made his home until the end of his life. He leaves to mourn his loss his aged companion in life and the three children, one brother and thirteen grandchildren. Funeral services were conducted at the Stronghurst Christian Church by the Rev. Catlin of Old Bedford officiating and interment in the Stronghurst Cemetery.

LOCAL AND AREA Happenings: O.P. Lovitt died at his home in the south part of town. C.E.Peasley, Chas. F. Heisler, T.A.Marshall, Jas. Sutliff, C.R.A.Marshall, T.C.Knutstrom, Rev. A. Jaggers and I.F.Harters were appointed to represent Stronghurst as delegates to attend the meeeting selecting the location of the "Abe Lincoln Automobile Trail."

Albert McElhinney is moving from the Geo. Chant property to his new home on the Wm. Wilsher place in southeast part of the village. Mrs. Flo Tillotson who has been teaching the Burrell School in Olena neighborhood is spending the week with her husband in Moline owing to its closing because of small pox. Warren Dowell is loading a car with household goods and farm machinery and will ship it to Mendon, Illinois, where he has rented the farm belonging to Tulin Nelson and lately purchased from Tom Nichols.

A marriage license was issued in Burlington to Harold C. Watson, son of Mr. And Mrs. Chas. Watson of Gladstone, and Miss Edith Reynolds, daughter of Jeff Reynolds of Olena. (Always check surrounding counties when searching for a marriage license.) Co. Supt. Of Highways, C.R.A.Marshall and family were the first to cross the new Burlington bridge from the Illinois side in their new car. ( I was told of a pair of young lads from Stronghurst who drove across the structure before the sides were attached. I'm sure that the Burlington City fathers did not approve.)

Mr. Marshall again visited Burlington Saturday evening cooperating with the Burlington Exchange in an effort to improve the highway across the Mississippi bottom leading up to the new bridge. He informs readers that every possible effort is being made to make the new grade recently built from the old wagon road to the new bridge a substantial dirt road that will accommodate all classes of traffic. It is being dragged twice daily, the low places filled in and the grade widened. Mrs. Wm. Wilsher departed for Galesburg where she expects to make her home in the future.

Charley Floyd has again returned to Stronghurst; it's a safe guess that a great many farmers will now be supplied with stock cattle. Ruth Davis entertained friends at her home with a two course luncheon. Wever Academy has again been placed on the accredited list of high schools.

Much credit is due to the principal, Miss Harriet R. Lockwood and the substantial backing of the trustees of the institution. Frank Crenshaw in company with others made an extended tour of inspection of the wheat fields in the country south of town. He says that few fields, if any, are worth leaving. (Crop failure and when prices were high!) J.E.Amerman is filling a position in the M.E.Beardsley and Co. Clothing store.

Rushville merchants are said to have paid out one thousand dollars for eggs in one day recently. Alvah Putney, Harold and Howard Weddington, Fred Salter and Ernest Foote went to Burlington to offer their services to the Iowa State Militia as defenders of the flag of this nation.