EARLY DAYS IN THE TOWN OF LYMAN
by Bela Foster
Continuing . . .
by Bela Foster
Continuing . . .
In 1882 J. B. Meserve was chosen Supervisor of the Town of Lyman. He had been in business here ever since the town of Roberts was started. He was a very pleasant man and had many friends. He managed the elevator which was recently torn down. After he sold that, he erected a small building where the Alexander Lumber yards are now and continued the grain business. He bought some flax seed and other small seeds as his store room was small. It was the Anderson and Jensen house in the east part of Roberts. He did some farming with his town work. He did not act as Supervisor very long. He resigned and Lycurgus Burns, Sr., was chosen to fill his place. Mr. Burns was a very prosperous farmer. He had a family of two daughters and three sons. I do not know that he ever said, "A person who does not work should not eat" but it looked like he wanted his boys to exercise their muscles to keep them healthy. He was a hard working man. He had one of the nicest farms in the Town of Lyman.
In 1883 Mr. Burns was again chosen to fill the office of Supervisor, which he did very well.
I would like to introduce you to the man we chose for Supervisor in 1884, Byron Lisk. He was a good and a Republican. The reason I speak of his politics is because he fitted me out with a uniform and torch and he and I, together with many others elected a President of the United States. He did the voting and I helped to diffuse light to the people of our town. Mr. Lisk was in business here for several years. He had a family of girls that were as nice as any group of five girls I ever saw, though they were not quintuplets. We, all, were sorry to have them move away from here even though they did go to California. Mr. Lisk was a student in the Marston School, now district No. 36. He lived about four miles east in Iroquois County.
Lyman and Lisk ran a hardware store in Roberts. Lyman sold out to Harding. Harding sold out to Allan Lisk. The Lisk Bros., were about as near alike as Smith Bros. Both were model men. Byron Lisk was Supervisor in 1886-1887.
In 1885 W. B. Flora was elected Supervisor. He was elected again in 1889, 1890, 1891, and 1892. In 1892 Mr. Flora was appointed county Clerk to fill the office vacated by Merton Dunlap, so he resigned as Supervisor of the Town of Lyman and the Board appointed Amos Arnold, a staid old settler of the prairie. He had filled some offices before. He was nominated by one of his near neighbors, A. Cook. He filled the office to the satisfaction of the voters and they elected him in 1893 and 1894 to the same office.
In 1888, E. O. Newman, a brother-in-law of W. B. Flora was elected Supervisor of Lyman. He was not so good an executive officer as Mr. Flora though they had been partners in business for many years. He was a strong Democrat and in most of the years of the nineteenth century Lyman was Republican.
In 1895 the people elected J. P. Smith, Supervisor. He came here when he was a small boy. He knew what it was to have a rattle snake sound his alarm when he was going to strike. He had seen the wild animals of the new country skipping about. I would think that he had gone forth as did the other young men and bagged a few of them. He had the advantage of some being able to conceal himself with less effort. He was a student in the Marston school. It was while he was Supervisor in 1896 or 1897 that we paid off the balance of our bonds of $25,000.00. In the spring of 1897, he presented the cancelled bond to the electors at the spring election. They were placed on file and undoubtedly could be seen now. Could the President of the United States say the same to the people of our county, would it not be much better that an increase of an amount of increased indebtedness that we cannot realize? J. P. Smith held the office of Supervisor for ten years straight, 1895 to 1904 inclusive.
In 1905, R. B. Chambers was elected to the office of Supervisor of the Town of Lyman. He came here when Roberts was about four years old and had been in business here for nearly thirty years. He was elected Supervisor for twelve years in succession from 1905 to 1916 inclusive. That shows the faith the people had in him. Mr. Chamber's wife died several years ago. he has two sons living, Elmer of Florida, and Louis, of Roberts, Ill.
--Roberts Herald. 11 December 1935. Bela Foster.
In 1883 Mr. Burns was again chosen to fill the office of Supervisor, which he did very well.
I would like to introduce you to the man we chose for Supervisor in 1884, Byron Lisk. He was a good and a Republican. The reason I speak of his politics is because he fitted me out with a uniform and torch and he and I, together with many others elected a President of the United States. He did the voting and I helped to diffuse light to the people of our town. Mr. Lisk was in business here for several years. He had a family of girls that were as nice as any group of five girls I ever saw, though they were not quintuplets. We, all, were sorry to have them move away from here even though they did go to California. Mr. Lisk was a student in the Marston School, now district No. 36. He lived about four miles east in Iroquois County.
Lyman and Lisk ran a hardware store in Roberts. Lyman sold out to Harding. Harding sold out to Allan Lisk. The Lisk Bros., were about as near alike as Smith Bros. Both were model men. Byron Lisk was Supervisor in 1886-1887.
In 1885 W. B. Flora was elected Supervisor. He was elected again in 1889, 1890, 1891, and 1892. In 1892 Mr. Flora was appointed county Clerk to fill the office vacated by Merton Dunlap, so he resigned as Supervisor of the Town of Lyman and the Board appointed Amos Arnold, a staid old settler of the prairie. He had filled some offices before. He was nominated by one of his near neighbors, A. Cook. He filled the office to the satisfaction of the voters and they elected him in 1893 and 1894 to the same office.
In 1888, E. O. Newman, a brother-in-law of W. B. Flora was elected Supervisor of Lyman. He was not so good an executive officer as Mr. Flora though they had been partners in business for many years. He was a strong Democrat and in most of the years of the nineteenth century Lyman was Republican.
In 1895 the people elected J. P. Smith, Supervisor. He came here when he was a small boy. He knew what it was to have a rattle snake sound his alarm when he was going to strike. He had seen the wild animals of the new country skipping about. I would think that he had gone forth as did the other young men and bagged a few of them. He had the advantage of some being able to conceal himself with less effort. He was a student in the Marston school. It was while he was Supervisor in 1896 or 1897 that we paid off the balance of our bonds of $25,000.00. In the spring of 1897, he presented the cancelled bond to the electors at the spring election. They were placed on file and undoubtedly could be seen now. Could the President of the United States say the same to the people of our county, would it not be much better that an increase of an amount of increased indebtedness that we cannot realize? J. P. Smith held the office of Supervisor for ten years straight, 1895 to 1904 inclusive.
In 1905, R. B. Chambers was elected to the office of Supervisor of the Town of Lyman. He came here when Roberts was about four years old and had been in business here for nearly thirty years. He was elected Supervisor for twelve years in succession from 1905 to 1916 inclusive. That shows the faith the people had in him. Mr. Chamber's wife died several years ago. he has two sons living, Elmer of Florida, and Louis, of Roberts, Ill.
--Roberts Herald. 11 December 1935. Bela Foster.
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