Roberts News 1874

--Paxton Record. 7 May 1874.  Page 3.

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.

LETTER FROM ROBERTS

 Roberts, Ill., Jan. 21st. 1873.

. . . Our town still shows signs of healthy and permanent progress, and although we cannot boast of mushroom growth yet, our place is advancing both in building and business. A large amount of corn, flax, and pork find a market here. The Star elevator handles the largest amount of grain, although other parties are buying and shipping daily. The second grain elevator here will be put up, as soon as the weather will permit it to be erected, by Montelius & Co., who have a branch store here. W. C. Thompson & Co., are soon to put up a new store, with a hall above to be occupied as a drug store, their present quarters being too limited. The Post Office will also be removed to said store, when it is completed. We have nearly every branch of trade represented by the six stores now doing business here, with competition enough to keep "middle men" within proper bounds.
Two blacksmith shops, both overrun with business, are in full blast. One wagon shop and one harness shop are doing a good business
Several dwelling houses are to be built the coming season.
The Congregationalists and German Methodist Societies both ??.
A lodge of Good Templars has recently been organized here, with twenty-eight charter members, showing that king alchohol has no inducements to erect any temples here.
Our hotel is now in running order, and I understand a livery is soon to be opened by the proprietor of the hotel.
Mr. Jos. Hurst, our collector, can be found at the store of Thompson & Lyman ready to receive the taxes for 1872.
The people murmur bitterly against the tax levied to pay interest on railroad bonds, for the reason that the generosity of the people, in voting bonds to aid in building railroads, is repaid in unreasonable discriminations and exorbitant freights and fares. The people in Lyman, as well as elsewhere, are becoming thoroughly awakened to their interests and to the impositions put upon them by railroad monopolies.
A Farmers' Grange has been organized in this town with very favorable prospects. It is composed of intelligent farmers who know their rights and are determined to maintain them. The resolutions adopted by the Farmer's Convention, at Bloomington, meet with a hearty approval.
M. C. Eisenman, a worthy German citizen of our town, died suddenly last week, leaving a family in very indigent circumstances. Supervisor Sackett is looking after the interests of the family.
Waldo, our new station agent, is gaining boats of friends by his gentlemanly treatment of all who have business with him.
In conclusion let me say in the spirit of your Rankin correspondent, we have a beautiful rolling country around us, an elevated site for our town and room for all good citizens seeking for homes in a healthy locality, while ? is our watchword and our motto, "We aspire to rise higher."

Yours, etc.,
Angus.

--Paxton Record. 21 January 1873.

29 February 1872

LYMAN ITEMS
J. W. Martain, agent for Parlin & Orendorff, Canton, Ill., manufacturers of the celebrated "Canton Clipper" stirring plow, was in town today. Thompson and Lyman gave him an order.
Our first regular mail was left on Tuesday last, W. C. Thompson officiating. It brought 58 letters and carried out 39.
We are having a season of mud, and gum boots are in demand. Sidewalks are rather scarce in this young burg of ours....
Mrs. Elizabeth Bond, wife of James Bond, of this township, expired after a lingering illness, on Saturday last -- the 24th.
Johnson and Meserve are making preparations to erect a fine warehouse here, the work to be commenced as soon as practicable. This firm are heavy operators in the great staple of Illinois, both at Buckley and at this place, and the warehouse they propose building will be a vast improvement to our business, when compared with the wholesale system of cribs now in vogue.

--Paxton Record. 29 February 1872.

The 1873 Fire

Roberts was visited by a serious fire early yesterday morning, which seriously impedes the progress and prosperity of that flourishing young village. The firms burned out were Thompson and Lyman dealers in lumbar, agricultural implements, drugs and medicines, together with the Post Office and Dr. Cassingham's medical library, and Bushors' harness and saddle shop. Mr. G. H. Thompson owned the three buildings destroyed, also a barn in the rear of these buildings... which was burned. The loss is estimated at from $8,000 to $10,000; no insurance.
The fire was discovered early in the morning, just after a train on the G. C. & S. road had passed and is supposed to have originated from a spark from the engine.
The families of G. H. Thompson and Mr. Bushor lived in the buildings destroyed, and were burned out, losing everything, even to their clothing.
Mr. Thompson with true western energy will commence at once to rebuild.

--Paxton Record. 19 June 1873.

Burned out:
Thompson & Lyman
Post Office
Dr. Cassingham's Medical Library
Bushors Harness and Saddle Shop

Early Days in Lyman #2

EARLY DAYS IN THE TOWN OF LYMAN
by Bela Foster

Continuing . . .

The first installment of these "impressions" was published in the Herald last week. The following is a continuation. The installment ended with a picnic in 1859 the first Fourth of July celebration (and the first public gathering) ever assembled in these parts.

At that time grain was eight or nine cents per bushel. Crops were poor and after the deer, wild geese and ducks had taken a portion there was not much left. In the evening the deer would go into the fields and ere daylight returned, would be in there refuges in some low spot where grass grew tall. Could you have had some vantage point three miles north of here in the fall you might have seen the deer, one by one, going to the corn fields of the settlers.
The depredations of the deer were soon to cease. Deep snows and hunger made them scarce. The wolves hampered the farmers somewhat. Their scope was large. They would visit the farmer in the night and when daylight came they would be in their cover in the marshes to the north. By means of powder, and lead and poison, they also became scarce.
The early settlers felt the need of a school house. The first school had been held in a room in S. K. Marston's house. They petitioned the I. C. Railway Company to bring the lumber for a school house to Onarga gratis. When it came the settlers hauled the lumber and had a bee to put up the school house which was about 24 by 40 feet in size. The community had plenty of talent. Mr. and Mrs. Marston were musicians as well as teachers. The new building was erected one-half mile west of where the school building now stands. It being the first in twp. 25 was numbered one.

--1884 Plat Lyman Township

Roads in those days went as nearly as possible toward the town one wished to visit. The school house was erected on the Onarga road. The attendants of the school came from several miles around. Byron Lisk came from three and a half miles to the east. Maria Tinklepaugh from nearly six miles to the west. There are only two of those pupils of 1859 now living in Lyman Township. These are John P. Smith and Effie Maxson. There are only four living in the township who were here then. The other two are Mary Hurst and Maggie Mosher. Others came closely after the Connecticut colony and of the four mentioned only one, Effie Maxson belonged to the Connecticut settlers. Mary Hurst was from England. John Smith and Maggie Mosher Canada. 1859 was the year Ford County was organized. The community had been a part of Stockton Township, Vermilion County. It became a part of Benton Township, Ford County.
The early teachers of Lyman Township as far as the writer can learn were Mrs. Marston, Mr. Marston, Miss Mills, Quinn Thayer, Maria Tinklepaugh Havens, George Lyman, Marthaetta Wyman, Mary Ayer, Minnie Wilcox, David Bliss, Ida Burt, John Havens, and L. B. Wilcox. All were members of this early settlement.
The Lyman home for several years was a distributive point for the community mail. Each neighbor who went to Onarga would take the mail for the others to the Lyman home. They did not take daily papers in those days. The year 1858 was a wet one. The rain fall exceeded anything they had seen. It started in the spring and rained for three months. There was scarcely any drainage. The water could not get away fast enough to dry the land between showers.
Had you taken a balloon ride over this present Town of Lyman about 1860 you would have noticed that one section was occupied, the next prairie, the next occupied and then prairie. This formation was in regular checker board style. The government had given the Illinois Central Railway Company every other section of land for twenty miles on each side of the railroad, the line through Onarga. The Connecticut settlers bought their land from the Railway Company. The company was anxious to sell its land. I remember the maps and literature that representatives of the Company gave my father. On the map the sections altered, a red square then a white square; showing the railway land and the government land. These Connecticut settlers bought railway land. Most of the settlers who came between 1865 and 1870 took government land.

http://www.museum.state.il.us

Prairie fires (so numerous and terrible in the early years) began to wane. It was really frightful when one would hear a fire in the night roaring like a hurricane as it passed through some slough of rushes and course grass. I remember one such fire. The men went to fight it. In fighting a fire they put out side fires to confine it as much as possible.  The keep the side fires under control and burn a strip so that the larger fire can not spread. After it has subsided or passed the danger point the men return home and leave all blackness. As they start for home they do not know which light is theirs. The prairie all black with nothing to guide them. I remember that night hearing C. Pierce who lived on what is now the Henry Onken farm calling for help. He was answered and a light guided him to our home. After getting his bearing he was able to find his home. The new sod was covered with "tickle grass' and tumble weeds which burned like powder. In a brisk wind one could hardly keep up with it.
 
--Roberts Herald. 20 March 1935. Bela Foster.

More Roberts Rakings . . .

ROBERTS RAKINGS

News of interest in our town is almost as scarce an article at present as the sometimes abused but muchly coveted greenback.
A series of evening meetings is now being held here by Rev. Mr. Wenge, pastor of the Congregational church of Thawville, assisted by Rev. Hart, pastor of the Methodist church, in Roberts.
James Gell, Esq, is building a banking office on his lot just east of Anderson & Campbell's....
H. Tinklepaugh is putting up some splendid farm wagons, every part warranted.
Ed. Newman has just returned from Chicago, where he has been after a fresh stock of winter goods, ready made clothing, etc.
Thompson & Lyman now have a practical tinsmith, and are ready to manufacture everything in their line.
Our grain merchants have plenty of greenbacks in exchange for corn, oats, and flax at the highest market prices.
Rice Bros. have opened their new meat market. With two meat markets we have meat enough to spare and potatoes to match.
Miss Montgomery has opened a millinery shop in the old post office building.
John Bunker has a new house nearly ready for occupancy, just north of the school house.
Ed. King is building a house for John McNish who has sold his farm and is coming to town to engage in the manufacture of boots and shoes with his brother.

--The Paxton Record. 18 November 1875.