Roberts News

--Paxton Record.  20 May 1886.

Marriage Licenses

--Paxton Record.  20 May 1886.

Montague Smith Wedding

--Paxton Record.  23 November 1876.  Page 1.

6 December 1883

--Paxton Record.  6 December 1883.

9 November 1882

--Paxton Record.  9 November 1882.

McCann Smith Wedding

--Paxton Record.  6 January 1881.

1907 Article Part 1

--Paxton Daily Record.  16 September 1906.  Page 2.

Wedding in 1878

--The Weekly Standard.  Paxton, Illinois.  17 August 1878.  Page 8.

15 August 1878

--Paxton Record.  15 August 1878.

NOTE:  Obit for Abraham Shafer.  Wedding for John F. Smith and Mary C. Barker.

15 February 1872

LYMAN ITEMS
Weather the coldest we have so far experienced for this winter.
Our Station Agent, keeps his head tightly bandaged and gets as mad as a hornet when any one says "Ears," and mentions last Sunday as an extremely cold day. "O dear what can the matter be."...
The R. R. Co. has seen fit to change Agents at Melvin, Mr. Thompson not being an operator, and they intending to make that place a telegraph station, a change was necessary.
Geo. H. Thompson, of the firm "Thompson & Lyman," has the appointment as Postmaster at this place, this is a good appointment and gives almost universal satisfaction.
The Revival Meetings noticed in our last, have at last been discontinued. Much good as been done. It is the intention of the Pastor to commence a series of meetings in the Grand Prairie school house.
Why is it that we see so many Peach Orchard's farmers hauling their corn to our station and doing their trading at our town? We wondered at this, and so we inquired, and this was what they told us. We can get more for our corn at Johnson & Meserve's than we can in Melvin, and then we can get more for our money here. So!
Considerable Real Estate is changing hands in our vicinity at rather low prices.
Christopher Anderson, one of our citizens, has taken a journey to Scotland. It appears that Mr. Anderson was at one time manager of a R. R. office in that county, and that company now wishes his proof to their books in an important case, and so gives him $25 per day and expenses of journey.
Hon. C. H. Frew passed through town, on the up passenger, on Saturday last.
A Farmer's Club is making its appearance in our part of the county.
Seven emigrant wagons passed through town one day last week, bound further south.
And still they marry: Geo. Barnhart was the lucky man, to Miss Amelia Smith, all of this town.

 

--Paxton Record. 15 February 1872.

1874 Elections

In 1874 election was held in the school house and the following officers were elected. Supervisor H. B. Furgerson, Town Clerk G. P. Lyman, Assessor J. L. Smith, Collector W. H. Thompson, Commissioner of Highways James Bond, School Trustee A. B. Graham, Overseers of Highways B. G. Hersperger, E. T. Havens, H. N. Hawk, John Miller, J. N. McNeil, A. T. Light, W. R. Kennedy, W. Wilson, J. B. Meserve, A. Shaffer, J. Landel.

--Roberts Herald. 15 May 1935. Bela Foster.

J. P. Smith

Then and Now.

https://archive.org/stream/historyoffordcou02gard#page/578/mode/2up/search/smith


Buried Lyman Township Cemetery

John P. Smith, son of James F. and Elizabeth (McKelvey) Smith was born near Kempville, Ontario, Canada, July 17th, 1855, and departed this life at his home in Roberts, Illinois, Wednesday, afternoon, March 2, 1938, at 5:30 o'clock, aged 82 years, 7 months, and 15 days. When barely four years of age he came to Illinois with his parents and settled on the wild prairie land of Ford County. The father arrived here on the second day of May 1859, just two months and fifteen days after the county was organized. The mother and children did not come until a few months later after the father had built a home.
They did not come to Roberts because the village of Roberts was not started until twelve years after their arrival and they lived in this prairie home ten years before the organization of Lyman Township. However their home was three miles north of the present location of Roberts on the farm where the Smith School stands.

1884 

 

2016

The boy John P. Smith remained on this farm until he was nineteen years of age. He attended the country school and later the Northern Indiana Normal School, now the Valparaiso University, at Valparaiso, Indiana. He specialized in telegraphy and bookkeeping and then accepted a position with the Gilman, Clinton and Springfield Railway as agent at Cornland where he served seven years. This Railway is now a part of the Illinois Central Systems.
Later he came back to Roberts and entered the General Merchandise business with this father and brothers. In 1889 he started the grain business but after a few years sold that business and established a bank which he conducted for twenty-five years. He was always, very popular in his business relations.

 

 

 

 

 

In 1920 the forming of the Roberts State Bank united the Roberts Exchange and the John P. Smith Bank and Mr. Smith retired from active business relations but during the eighteen years since that time he has been in frequent consultation with those who sought his advice and help in their own business ventures.

On the sixth day of October, 1880, Mr. Smith then at Cornland married Miss Sarah N. Day of Logan County, who preceded him in death April 25, 1937.  To them were born three children, one son Clyde who met a tragic death at the age of nine years, and two daughters, Della and Edna, twins, who survive him. Della is the wife of Dr. E. M. Glenn of Wichita, Kansas, and Edna is the wife of Dr. J. A. Colteaux of Roberts. He also leaves four grandchildren, Miss Jeanette and Wilfred Colteaux of Roberts, and Mrs. Sterling Kreuger and Jack Glenn of Wichita, Kansas. He leaves one sister, Mrs. Margaret Currie of Lincoln, Nebraska, and three brothers, Rev. William A. Smith of Ashland, Oregon, and David B. Smith and James R. Smith of Kansas City, Missouri, also a large number of other relatives and friends who mourn his passing. Two sisters Mrs. Jane Light and Mrs. Mary Montague preceded him in death.
Mr. Smith was a devout member of the Methodist Church at Roberts and always supported it with his presence, his advice, his official action and his finances. He served on the official Board for so many years that only the records can establish the number. He leaves a vacancy in the church circles that will be hard to fill. He was a member of the Masonic order joining at Mount Pulaski when he was at Cornland and transferring to Melvin Lodge 811. His membership extended over a period of about sixty years.
He served as a public official of the Village of Roberts from the time of its incorporation until recent years. He also served many years on the school board and was supervisor of the town of Lyman for several terms.
The funeral services were held at the home in Roberts Friday afternoon March 2, at 2:00, Rev. John T. Killip and Rev. E. B. Morton officiating. Burial was in Lyman cemetery. Those from outside the state who attended the funeral were his brothers, David and James, Roy McGovern and son, Robert of Kansas City, Missouri, the daughter, Mrs. E. M. Glenn of Harper, Kansas, who had been with him for thirteen weeks preceding his death, and others. Telegrams were received from the brother in Oregon and the sister in Nebraska, sending regrets at being unable to attend. Several other telegrams were received. The banks of flowers and tokens of remembrance showed the esteem in which he was held.
Others from a distance were Mrs. Irene Mathes, Mrs. John Siregg and Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Day of Springfield; Mrs. and Mrs. George Read of Lincoln, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Read and Mrs. Read of Broadwell, Dr. and Walter Gonwas of Chisman, Mrs. R. E. Squires of Piper City and Mr. and Mrs. Angelo Stephesn of Paxton.
It was one of the requests of Mr. Smith that Tennyson's poem, "Crossing the Bar" should be read at his funeral service which was done. This poem is published in another column of this paper.
The following tribute from a daughter was also read:
I am grateful to Heaven
For blessings it sent.
For Peace and Good Friends
For success and content,
I am grateful for health
And for skies bright and blue,
But most grateful of all
For a father like you.

--Roberts Herald.  9 March 1938.

The Death of the their little son, Clyde. Buried Lyman Township Cemetery.

Horrible Death of Little Clyde Smith At about 2 o'clock P.M., Monday, Clyde Smith, aged 9 years, son of J. P. smith, was sent to the north end of his father's elevator under the dump to fill a bucket with kindling wood, but for some unknown reason, instead of going where the wood was, he crawled under the storage bins which are between the dump and the power house, and was the caught by the tumbling rod that connects the elevator with the power, which rod in his attempt to pass over caught his clothing and wound him around the shaft, breaking every bone in his body and hour after hour his body and limbs beat the ground at every revolution. Indications are that he was instantly killed. He was not missed by his parents until towards evening, his father supposing he had procured the wood and taken it home, and his mother thinking he had neglected the errand he was sent on. Vigorous search was made and about 7 o'clock, not finding him elsewhere, his father and grandfather concluded to re-search the elevator. So in company with Mr. Woolsoncroft they began and soon found Clyde, who had been dead for several hours, so wrapped about the rods that his clothes had to be cut off before he could be gotten off. We shall not attempt to describe the shock to the father thus to find his boy within 10 feet of where he had been working all afternoon. Nor shall we attempt to describe the mother's loss. Words cannot do it. The funeral rites were conducted by Revs. Davenport and Sillence, at 2 o'clock Tuesday, at Clyde's home. No bereavement has called out more heartfelt sympathy among us than this, not has any event taught us more plainly, "When we are in the midst of life we are in death."
In behalf of ourselves and family relations we desire to render grateful acknowledgments to all our neighbors -- and friends for loving service and sympathy in the darkest hour of our lives, and may an ever ??? and all wise providence shield you from the heart anguish and agony which called forth your loving sympathy and assistance in our behalf.
J.P. Smith and Family.

--Paxton Record.  5 June 1890.

Early Days in Lyman #7

EARLY DAYS IN THE TOWN OF LYMAN
by Bela Foster

Continuing . . .
1869 was a very wet year. It was so wet that scarcely anything except grass and weeds grew. Hardly a farmer raised more than one or two hundred bushels of corn. I remember that J. N. Barker worked the Deacon Woodward farm. He was to have half he raised and his board. He raised one load of corn. The boys sat pretty that year. They could go swimming every day if there was no work to do. The flies and mosquitos flourished as did the chinch bugs here last year. The horse fly is very voracious and is not particular about what animal supplies his meals. They hatch in the low lands and have eyes that are large and full of sight. They alight on an animal and when they are filled and they leave the blood flows for a few seconds. If the animal is not well blanketed it is covered red with blood spots before night. They did not bother by entering houses much. Mosquitos were the worst pests as they worked nights and cloudy days. In the evening we would build smudges something like your neighbor does with dry and green grass, on the windward side of the house, as we had no screens in those days. The flies were chased about with green branches and home made extirpators.
These pests multiplied almost any place that year. This year was followed by several years of malaria, starting that year. Some had chills every day, others every other day. The druggist could not supply the demand for quinine, which was used as a febrifuge. It is no wonder that people were sick and many died. The water they drank, the food they ate, the flies and mosquitoes preying on their system, was enough to bring these results. My sister, Martha and I were spared the suffering and therefore came in handy to help those who were sick.
A. M. Haling and others had made an agreement with the G. C. & S. Railway to give them the right of way if they would put a town on his land, the Beset half section. After some litigation the company put in a side track one half mile east of the present Fred Woodruff home. 

My Note:  I have to get a plat for 1935ish, when Mr. Foster is writing these article.

 

--1876 Lyman Township Plat 

Mr. Haling put up an office and a large corn crib and bought corn and sold coal and flour. The company had also promised Alonzo Roberts, Van Stlenbert, Taylor John of Thawville and the people of Melvin, the same thing. When it looked as though the town would be at Beset, George H. Thompson and Doolittle erected a store building just north of Otto Bleich's house.

My Notes:  Otto Bleich is the father of Edwin Bleich per FAG.  And Edwin Bleich is on the 1977 plat. And the side track would possibly be located on what was Ray and Leonard Rock's property in 1977.  Currently owned by John Zick Jr. per the 2016 plat.  And in 2016 Chester Bleich would be the owner of the Edwin Bleich property.  Chester died not too long ago; I posted the obit on the Roberts Illinois Facebook Group page.) So was the Thompson and Doolittle store building where the Bleich home is now standing, just over the tracks off of 54?  And this was the store I believe that was moved from the Beset location, to Roberts, then to Thawville.

 

--1977 Lyman Township Plat

So on the map below Otto has property on the other side of 54.  Ida is Otto Bleich's spouse.  I don't see a home in Section 15, but one is on Ida's property on Section 10 appear.

--1948 Lyman Township Plat

They also put up a temporary building on the east side of the road on the Haling property for a flax seed store house. They carried on the business for about one year, until the chances of a town at Beset was nil.
1871, Dr. Cassingham, then a young man saw the possibilities of a town in Lyman came here and had his office at Conger's who lived on the Tornowski farm on the hill a mile north of the Thompson store.

--1916 Lyman Township Plat.

My Notes:  The Tornowski farm on Section 3 is where we believe the old cemetery is located. Right between Section 2 & 3. The Forbes farm would be Section 2. The old article from 1922 states the Forbe farm is the location of the burial site.  How convenient for the MD to be located near a cemetery???  With the Thompson store being located only a mile south.  Across the highway???  Dr. Cassingham had his office at Conger's who lived on the Tornowski farm on the hill.  Maybe where Daniel Flessner lives???? Kay Schmidt who is part owner of this corner of Section 3 told me she spoke with Wayne Tornowski, and he told her there was a cemetery at this site.

He boarded at Conger's until his family came when he moved into the only residence in the new town which we named Bungtown. When the G. S. & C. began the erection of a depot on the Roberts land the hopes of a town at Beset waned. Bungtown was moved to the site of Roberts. Thompson's store was moved to Roberts and anchored a little north of where the hotel is now.

My notes:  The hotel was located where the Roberts Feed Mill currently sits.  Next to the Congregation Church.  So it would have been very close to the church or in the same spot.  Moved to erect the church???

Dr. Cassingham occupied it for a year or two and later it was put on skids and moved to Thawville. It stands on the south side of Thawville's main street yet but has been remodeled and changed in appearance.

My notes:  Sandra Grohler Kay gave me info on this building.  I need to find that.  On the Thawville History FB page I think.

James R Smith, of Kansas City , Missouri, writes Mr. Foster as follows: "I have been interested in the articles you have written in the Roberts Herald recently, giving a very interesting story of the early days, settlers and settlements of Lyman township and of Ford County."
"It is certainly splendid of you and the editor to give the readers of the Herald, such a plain and accurate account of those old times and conditions, which those first settlers passed through in helping to make Ford County what it is today."
"Many of the names and places mentioned by you were brought back very vividly to my memory, although it has been more than fifty years since I left Ford County, and many of those good old settlers have gone on again to another home. But those old sweet memories will always remain until time with us, also shall be not more. So far as I know, I believe my brother, David B. Smith and myself are the oldest living natives born of Lyman township. Both of us were born near the site of the old school on the Smith farm. Personally I thank you and the editor of the Robert Herald for the articles you have written."

--Roberts Herald. 17 April 1935.

Early Days in Lyman #3

EARLY DAYS IN THE TOWN OF LYMAN by Bela Foster

Continuing . . .

I am sorry that I can not tell more of the early settlers of the south half of Lyman. I remember of only once that I crossed the section line north of Roberts before the Gilman, Clinton & Springfield Railway was built. I had head of the Tobys, the Pfaats, the Burshams, the Russells, and the Hursts, but to my knowledge had never seen them.
John T. Forbes came from England with a large family of boys and girls, J. F. Smith and family came from Canada in 1859, John McDonald and family came from Canada in 1862. The Forbes farm joined the Marston farm on the west.

 

--1884 Lyman Township Plat
 

My Notes:  So the Marstons were in Section 2.  Possibly on the G. Schuler site.  The school is located in this section.  They were the first school teachers, in their home and at the first school.

 

The Smith farm was lots 1 and 2 NE Sec. 4. The McDonald farm north of the Smith farm.

 

--1884 Lyman Township Plat
 

J. F. Smith and J. T. Forbes made sorghum molasses. This was a good business. Everybody used molasses. It was the dressing regardless of what was eaten. Alexander Forbes, eldest son of J. T. Forbes, was handy with tools. He made a windmill for grinding grain. It did not ? the meal but was better than a coffee pot. He also made a self drop corn planter. It did not use wire but corn was dropped by wheel traction.
The reapers used were the combined reaper and mower. The Kirby was the prevailing one. It needed two men to operate one. One man drove and one sat on a low seat behind with a hand rake to take the grain off the platform. It took a good man to be a good deliverer.

 

The only hay rake I remember seeing was a wooden one of the revolving sort. A boy rode the horse and a man held the rake and dumped it at the window. Bumble bees were plentiful. When the rake turned them up the boy was lucky to get off with fewer than half a dozen punctures. The early settlers had plenty of prairie hay as every other section was unbroken prairie.

In 1865-6-7 the influx to Lyman township was great. The new settlers took mostly government land. This took the hay land and the pastures from the older settlers.
A. M. and A. A. Haling bought all of section three. This is one of the large sections, 1240 acres. They made a new survey of it and dividing it into farms sold it to later arrivals.

 

--1884 Lyman Township Plat

 

A. M. Haling was a man with much "push." He put up good buildings. His stables were not roofed with slough grass hay. He burned a strip to protect his buildings and hay. One day when his men were busy on other parts of the farm a prairie fire came and with the aid of tickle grass jumped the barrage. It burned his barn and all within except one horse which his daughter, Kate succeeded in getting out. The other horses would not go out of the barn.
During the civil war prices rose. Corn sold for $1.00 per bushel, flour $16.00 per barrel, hogs $10.00 per cwt. The new settlers who came with no stock and little money were in a quandary. Corn meal proved to be the staff of life. Could you have looked into the larder of almost any family you would have found it stocked with corn meal. Several families came from southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois about the time we (the Foster family) did, 1865. Some of them settled in Iroquois County. One man made a trip back and when he returned brought some flour in his trunk. The agent mentioned the flour sifting out and the man replied, "Say nothing about it, that is some flour I am taking to a needy widow." In this community we were all in need. Had any one brought a barrel of flour to our home we would have celebrated the day as an epoch in the family history.

Could you see a picture of men planting corn in those early days you would wonder what they were doing. They would have an ax, a spade, a shovel, a sharpened stick, anything to make a cavity for the seed. Then came the hand corn planters, then the two row hand drop horse drawn planters.
Weeds soon became plentiful and it became necessary to check-row the corn. They used markers, 4-row size. The ground was marked off and the planters went at right angles across the marks. By check-rowing they could cross the corn with their single shovel, double shovel or five shovel one horse cultivators.
As a closing paragraph for this installment we shall return to that Fourth of July Celebration of 1859. This was a gathering of the people of a widely scattered community, not of Lyman township. The Town of Lyman was yet ten years in the future. Even Ford County was just being organized that year. The people came from north, south, east, and west. The meeting was held at Beset instead of the School Section Grove. That day, July 4th, 1859, is remembered in this local history for two important facts. First, this well remembered celebration and second, the frost. This was a cold morning. What corn had escaped the ground squirrels and other pests was killed by that Fourth of July frost. The settlers had no crops that year. That day they came to the picnic wearing overcoats.

--Roberts Herald. 27 March 1935. Bela Foster. 

Little Homer Newman dies.

--The Pantagraph. Bloomington, IL. 27 March 1899. Page 2

Officials of Lyman Township 1870

--Paxton Record. 14 April 1870.

LYMAN

E. S. Gose, Supervisor
A. B. Graham, Clerk
Jos. Hurst, Assessor
F. G. Atwood, Collector
T. Russell, Commissioner of Highways
J. S. Smith, Justice of the Peace
T. A. Ireland, School Trustee

Overseers of Highways:
John Davis
W. A. Conger
James B. Jones
John Hammill
Jas. Drummond
James Dycus
Horace Lester
G. G. Atwood
A. Shaffer
P.P. Russell