Around Home

--Paxton Record.  31 January 1884.  Page 1.

Flora & Newman

--Paxton Record.  11 December 1879.  Page 4.

5 August 1880

--Paxton Record.  5 August 1880.

22 July 1880

--Paxton Record.  22 July 1880.

Roberts News 1874

--Paxton Record. 7 May 1874.  Page 3.

1 April 1880

--Paxton Record.  1 April 1880.

18 March 1880

--Paxton Record.  18 March 1880.

Advertisements

FLORA & NEWMAN
ANDERSON & KENWARD
FOSTER BROS. HARDWARE
RISSER & ANDERSON
R. B. CHAMBERS
CHRIS ANDERSON
ROBERTS CREAMERY
JOHN BOYLE

"I've come across some advertising on TISSUE PAPER of local businesses--two pieces of such advertising were torn off and placed between photos in the Foster/Ruedger album I have, which looks to be about 120 years old."

--Photos and comments from Ayesha H. LeRoy.  Posted to the Roberts Illinois History Group FB Page.  July 2018.

Rakings 1877

Editor Record:

Absence from home was the cause for nonappearance of usual pile of Rakings last week.
Old winter is still lingering in the lap of spring, but all think he had better get out, as she will soon want to put on her pretty green dress and flowers and don't want him in her lap any way.
News items very scarce. A. J. O'Harra has built a carpenter shop near Rice & Southwick's lumber yard, and is now prepared to contract for and build anything on his line, as he is a No.... 1 workman and a capital good fellow too, so the ladies all say.
Peter Pfaat who has closed out his dry goods and grocery stock, will preside over the implement warehouse of John Shute. Flora & Newman and Tinklepaugh & King are also about to embark in the sale of agricultural implements. Experience proves that business to be a sure road to fortune, "over the left," but strong hopes in the good time coming.
James Ducas is again on the street after four weeks of fever.
That terrible scourge of the little ones, scarlet fever, has made its appearance in our place, and taken for its first victim little Tommie McNish, one of the brighest little boys in town. He died on the 13th after an illness of only four days, it is hoped the disease may not extend.
W. R. Newman, who recently sold his farm on section 17, has concluded not to "go west," but has purchased of A. M. Haling, the Beset Grove farm, and will soon remove on to it.
Quite a number of changes and many new comers among the farmers of our community.
Dr. Cassingham has lost his Mexican mare and will have to look long before he finds her equal for speed and endurance.
Mrs. Roberts of Wenona, and Miss Rowe of Goodland, Indiana, are visiting in town with relatives.

--Paxton Record. 23 March 1877.

25 March 1874

--Paxton Record.  25 March 1874.

Flora & Newman take O. D. Sackett as a partner in the Flora & Newman Store.  Flora, Newman & Co. is the new name of the business.

4 May 1874

It having been a long time since your readers have heard from your correspondent at Roberts, I send you a few items.
Our town seems to exhibit its usual progress, both as to business and growth.  No material change this spring among the business men, except O. D. Sackett's genial countenance is now seen behind the counter at the old stand of Flora & Newman, he being a member of the firm.  Wm. J. Newman, Esq, formerly of Buckley, is now "mine host: at the City Hotel.  Pettit & Ashman have opened a furniture store.  W. C. Thompson & Co. have just opened in their new store, to which the Post Office is removed.  Thompson and Lyman have sold their lumber yard to a man at Buckley; they still continue in the hardware, store and tinware trade.
Our school has opened for the summer term under the instruction of Miss Ella Bliss, of Thawville.
Our  grain merchants are contracting corn in round lots at ??, and if the present cold weather continues it may go still higher.  Farmers are getting rather impatient at the long delay of spring.  Several proposed improvements and buildings in town are also waiting for favorable weather.  Our Good Templars Lodge is still gaining in number and influence.  The following persons were elected as officers of the lodge for the ensuing year:  Worthy Chief, W. C. Thompson: Worthy Vice Templar, Mrs. H. M. Lyman; Worthy Rec Sec., W. B. Flora; Worthy Treas., Mr. M. E. Thompson; W. F. Sec., T. M. Hubbard; W. Marshal, G. B. Gordon; W. I. Guard, Mrs. M. Hubbard; W. Sentinel, M. Cassingham, Past Worthy Chief, G. P. Lyman.
Hoping to see your editorial phiz, here some day, I am most respectfully yours, etc.,
M.

--Paxton Record.  4 May 1874.

More Observations from 1873

Part 2 of 3

Her little business world is peopled by a genial crew.  J. B. Meserve, (whose absence prevented our scraping his acquaintance) presides over the finest steam elevator on the G., C. & S. Railroad, with J. V. Riggs as assistant, while Thompson and Lyman dispense Lumber and Hardware; Montelius & Co., Gose & Smith and Flora & Newman do the fair thing in the line of Dry Goods and General Merchandise. Tom McNish looks after the good of men's soles, and does the agreeable in a well appointed boot and shoe store.  E. A . Bushor, horse tailor, presides with urbanity over his department, while Samuel Tapp and A. Orr, play the anvil chores to the hum of industry.  Peter Pfaat kills the beef, while H. Tinklepaugh divides his time between selecting the choicest places for the guests of the City Hotel -- of which he is proprietor -- and making and mending the wagons and carriages of his neighbors. Miss E. McMasters supplies those airy nothings, which the ladies dote upon and de?? bonnets, while G. H. Waldo belongs to that much abused class -- station agents.

--Paxton Record.  12 June 1873.

8 February 1872

LYMAN ITEMS
Our revival meeting still continues, much good has been done.
W. C. Thompson arrived at home from his visit to the "celestials."
H. J. Howe, our county surveyor, was seen in town this week....
Flora & Newman's building rapidly approaches completion; a good frame east side of Main street. Another house in town, this time a dwelling, Alfred Guise is the proprietor. Mel Lincoln, of the firm of H. Lincoln & Son, of Buckley, was in town this week.
This week an important event has taken place; nothing more nor less than the birth of the first child inside of the corporate limits of our town, G. H. Bushor, our business maker, is the happy "parent," and he is just about as happy as a man can be -- and live.
The grain business is nearly at a stand still, no more cars are allowed to be loaded with grain until further orders, and as everything in town capable of holding shelled corn is full, (which is not otherwise occupied) buyers are constrained to purchase nothing except ear corn for the time being.
The called meeting alluded to in our last, was largely attended by the citizens of Lyman. After considerable desultory talking, a committee consisting of Messrs. Gose, Hurst and Haling were appointed to take the best legal advice obtainable on the subject in question, viz; our "G., C. & S." R.R. aid bonds, and to report at an adjourned meeting, on Feb. 7th, 1872.
Public sales are many, too numerous even to be noticed. Auctioneering must be good business. We notice that Ed. Gill is booked for one in the north part of the Township.
Weather cold, blowy and blustery.
Some of citizens are making preparations for a "new departure," Missouri is the destined point. We hope they will never regret their leaving Lyman and that they will enjoy both health and prosperity in their future homes.
Real Estate is changing hands in our vicinity and at good fair prices.
One of our citizens who sold out with the intention of making Kansas his future home, has returned and is now about purchasing another near here. He says he can buy land here as cheap as he can good land there, and the poor land is dear at any price. So much for Kansas. "Suckers" stay at home and don't grumble.

--Roberts Herald. 8 February 1872.

William B. Flora Obit

--William B. Flora and his wife, Mary J. (Newman.  Buried Glen Cemetery, Paxton, Illinois. 

 

--Paxton Record.  22 February 1917.

Willam B. Flora

William B. Flora has done much for the upbuilding and development of Ford County, and his name is inseparably connected with its history.  This work, therefore, would be incomplete without a record of his life. He was born near Carthage, Campbell County, Ky., in the famous Blue Grass region, August 5, 1844.  His parents, John W. and I. J. (Herndon) Flora, are also natives of that State, the former born in June, 1821, and the latter in March, 1825.  Mr. Flora was an old-line Whig in politics, but since the organization of the Republican party has been one of it stanch supporters, and has served for twenty-five years as Justice of the Peace.  Himself and wife are members of the Methodist church, and are classed among the highly respected and representative people in that portion of Kentucky in which they make their home.  Of their seven sons and five daughters, eight are yet living, of whom William is the eldest; Emily is the wife of H. F. Tarvin, an agriculturist of Charleson, Ill.; Samuel, who married Sarah Hardy, is a farmer of Carthage, Ky.; Augustus wedded Miss Hester White, and is a mechanic and farmer;  Mollie is the wife of Arthur Kinzel, a farmer of Lovington, Ill.; James is represented elsewhere is this work; John married Mattie Dawson, and resides near California, Ky.; and Luella is the wife of John Newkirk, who is employed on the electric street railroad of Covington, Ky.
Our subject spent his boyhood days in his native State, and acquired his education in the common schools.  At the age of nineteen, he enlisted for the late war as a member of the Company H, Thirty-seventh Kentucky Infantry, and was mustered in at Covington, in July, 1863.  The troops were ordered to Louisville, and then to Glasgow to guard Cumberland River.  They did guard duty for some time, and at Mt. Sterling were organized for a raid, mounted and equipped with carbines and revolvers.  Every step of the way was vigorously contested, but they at length arrived at Saltville, Va., with a force of four thousand.  An engagement was commenced at four o'clock in the morning and continued uintil ten at night, when our men retreated to Big Sandy River and returned to Lexington, Ky. Mr. Flora rode one horse during this raid fifteen hundred miles.  He left the animal at four o'clock in the moring, and in the evening, seeing a mounted negro approach, his lieutenant told him to secure that horse.  It was then dark.  Mr. Flora, on approaching the fellow, commanded him to halt and give up his horse, which was done, and behold, it proved to be Mr. Flora's own property.  He was honorably discharged to his Kentucky home.

--Photo courtesy of Daniel Flora.

In 1865, our subject went to Marysville, Kan., and engaged in teaming between Atchison, St. Jo and Marysville. He afterwards clerked in Marysville until the succeeding November, when he returned to Kentucky, and for three years engaged in the manufacture of brick, shipping his products to Cincinnati.  In the spring of 1868, he removed to Buckley, Ill., and engaged in the manufacture of brick for Ed Gill, of Paxton.  He afterward engaged in carpentering, and also followed farming.  In the winter season, he engaged in teaching in Charleston, and, in 1871, bought the second business lot ever sold in the village of Roberts. He commenced building upon it in December of that year, and then embarked in business as a member of the well-known firm of Flora & Newman, who continued operations for sixteen years.  They first carried only a grocery stock, but afterward engaged in general merchandising, and worked up an excellent trade.  In 1883, their volume of business amounted to $40,000.

(From an article by Bela Foster published in the Roberts Herald: 
In 1871, George H. Thompson and George Lyman put up a hardware store where George Ensign's garage now stands. William Thompson put up a drug store beside it. Flora & Newman put up a general store on the Anderson Bank corner, facing west. Anderson & Montelius put up the store that William Thompson's poultry business now occupies. Haling & Scott put up an implement building where Dietterle's store now stands. In 1873 fire destroyed the Thompson and Lyman hardware and the William Thompson drug store. I came to town and picked up nails at one cent a pound.Flora & Newman turned their store around so that it faced the north where Whorrall's restaurant now stands. Thompson & Lyman built a new store where Tarvin's store now stands. William Thompson built his drug store where Foster Brothers store now stands.
--Roberts Herald.  1 May 1935.  Bela Foster.  Early Days in the Town of Lyman.)

Mr. Flora was married, February 2, 1873, to Miss Mary J., daughter of W. I. and Ruth C. (Parish) Newman, who are mentioned in the sketch of Joseph V. King, on another page of this work.  Unto them have been born four sons and two daughters:  Bessie, Vincent, Harry, Claude, Grover and Mabel.  The mother and eldest daughter are members of the Methodist church, and Miss Bessie belongs to the Epworth League, the Ladies' Foreigh Missionary Society, and the Temperance Society.
Mr. Flora cast his first Presidential vote for Gen. Grant, and has since been an inflexible adherent of the Republican party.  He takes quite an active interest in political affairs, has served as Town Clerk, and has filled the office of Supervisor for many terms.  He has several times been tendered the chairmanship of the Board, and has served on the most important committees. Since 1876, he has been officially connected with the educational interests of the community, and for many years has served as School Treasurer of Lyman Township.  Socially he is a charter member of Buckley Lodge No. 634, A. F. & A. M.; Lyman Lodge No. 293, K. P.; and of Melvin Post No. 500, G. A. R. Mr. Flora is widely and favorably known throughout this community as a public-spirited and progressive citizen, well deserving of a representation in this volume.  He is spoken of in the highest terms by his fellow-townsmen, and is deserving of their warm regard. 

--Portrait and Biographical Record of Ford County, Illinois.  1892.

Early Roberts Businesses

In 1871, George H. Thompson and George Lyman put up a hardware store where George Ensign's garage now stands. William Thompson put up a drug store beside it. Flora & Newman put up a general store on the Anderson Bank corner, facing west. Anderson & Montelius put up the store that William Thompson's poultry business now occupies. Haling & Scott put up an implement building where Dietterle's store now stands. In 1873 fire destroyed the Thompson and Lyman hardware and the William Thompson drug store. I came to town and picked up nails at one cent a pound.Flora & Newman turned their store around so that it faced the north where Whorrall's restaurant now stands. Thompson & Lyman built a new store where Tarvin's store now stands. William Thompson built his drug store where Foster Brothers store now stands.

--Roberts Herald.  1 May 1935.  Bela Foster.  Early Days in the Town of Lyman.

1871
Thompson and Lyman Hardware Store
William Thompson Drugstore
Flora & Newman General Store
Anderson & Montelius
Haling & Scott Implements

1873 Fire Rebuilds
Flora & Newman
Thompson & Lyman
Thompson Drug Store

--Paxton Record.  19 June 1873.