More diphtheria deaths . . .

--Paxton Record.  14 November 1878.

Diphtheria, that scourge of the human race is still prevalent in the township, though perhaps somewhat abated as to the malignant type originally assumed by the disease.  Many adults have been attacked with the almost epidemic.
Mr. and Mrs. H. Tinklepaugh, who have been confined to the house with fever, are unending; as is also little Maud, who has been down with a severe case of diphtheria.
Little Minne, only daughter of L. E. Bressie, died Nov. 4th of diphtheria.  The entire community deeply sympathize with family in their sad bereavement.  Henry Michael also buried a little six year old daughter on the 9th inst.  Death by diphtheria.
Mrs. M. Wilcox, mother of H. w. and L. B. Wilcox, of this town, and relict of Rev. L. Wilcox, was buried at this place, Nov. 13th, having died while on a visit at her daughter, Mrs. Penny, of Odell, Illinois.

On Find A Grave Henry Michael, spelled Michaelis.

28 March 1878

 

--Paxton Record.  28 March 1878.

Luhman B. Wilcox



--History of Ford County, Illinois: From its Earliest Settlement to 1908. By Gardner, Ernest Arthur. Published 1908. Pages 564-568.

Lyman Township Cemetery

--I got this at the Fort in Lexington, Illinois.  It was in a binder of obit-clippings for the Lyman Township Cemetery. 

18 January 1872

LYMAN ITEMS
Allow me, Mr. Editor, to make my excuses for this lengthy hiatus in my items, and with the promise of being more punctual in the future, I send these for your next issue.
Weather and roads very fine for this season of the year.
Corn is coming into town lively, through the rather low price has a tendency to make the farmers hold on to their maize tighter than they otherwise would.
Considerable corn is being shipped to the East from this station. --To the New England states especially.
Another new house is going up in town. Messrs. Newman & Florey are the builders. Our "G., C. & L." R.R. has made another "time arrangement in regards to its passenger trains." The two night trains are taken off, in order to use the engines to move the freight that has accumulated along the line. This is for a short time only, as the road expects new engines this week.
O. B. Taft, of Chicago, was in town last week.
Several changes in real estate have been made in this vicinity lately.
Alexander Forbes, of this town, has returned from the south where he has been sojourning for some months. We were all glad to see Aleck once more.
The Methodist's are holding a Revival meeting at the school house, in District No. 4. The meetings are largely attended.
The Rev. W. Matthews, of Onarga, agent of the "Western Seamen's Bethel Association," of Chicago, has been lecturing in our town quite extensively Mr. Matthews drew good audiences.
Four hearts that beat as one, four souls with but a single thought, were made contented and happy a short time ago. Those principally interested were Mr. John Barker and Miss Leua Forbes; Mr. J. A. Forbes and Miss Mary Scott, all of this town. We wish them much joy.
Melvin has the blues.... They have a doctor to keep it alive, "Vade in pace."
Miss Rouse, of New York, is visiting relatives in this vicinity.
A. A. Haling of this Township, intends removing to the East in a short time.
The Rev. Mr. Wilcox, the well known and highly esteemed pastor of the Congregational Church, of this town, expired on Tuesday, Jan. 9th.
Several runaways in town lately. No particular damage done.
Something of an accident occurred at the R. R. crossing, near Thawville, a few days ago. A man trying to cross the rail road upset, broke his wagon, killed a horse and otherwise shook things up considerable. Moral, let not drunken men try to cross the "G., C. & L." R. R. near Thawville.
A special petition for a town meeting is circulating in our Township, having for its object to devise ways and means to escape our R. R. indebtedness.

--Paxton Record. 18 January 1872.

Early Days in Lyman #11

EARLY DAYS IN THE TOWN OF LYMAN
by Bela Foster

Continuing . . .

The nearer up-to-date I get, the faster the changes come. Perhaps they did not occur any faster but my horizon increased so that more people became my neighbors.

 

 

Foster.  Lyman Plat 1884.

 

In 1874 I went east two miles to drop corn for Mr. J. Davis.

 

 

Davis.  Lyman Plat 1884.

 

He was a widower with three children. Dr. Homer Davis of Genoa, Nebraska, was the oldest. Homer and Sammie used to go to the field with us and ride around until they were tired then get off and lie on a blanket or play in the field. I dropped corn on that planter eight days. It was a hard pull. The plates moved with the hand instead of opposite as in the later machines. Mr. Davis was my Sunday School teacher. I remember my first lesson. It was Healing the Blind Man, as recorded in the eighth chapter of St. Mark. I had never been in Sunday School before. These little things are as magnets drawing me closer to God.
Mr. Davis and family moved to Mitchell, South Dakota in 1884. Mr. Davis was State Representative at one time. Samuel was county Judge and afterward State Representative. Homer is a doctor. He has two boys who are also doctors. They are in Los Angeles, California.

Whitfield Wilcox and family moved west in the late seventies. L. B. Wilcox moved to Dakota in 1884.

 

 

Wilcox.  Lyman Plat 1884.

 

An orphan boy went with this family. He and I were close friends. He and I corresponded until he entered the army. After that our letters grew farther and farther apart. He served in the war with Spain. After the war ended he enlisted this time in the artillery. He went to the Philippines. He said he was going to learn more about the art of "killing men." I wrote him but my letter was returned undelivered after following him around about a year. It was covered with postmarks. About twenty-five years ago he returned from the Philippines and sent word that he would stop here on his way to the east to visit his sister. He failed to stop. He went to his sisters in New York and I have not heard from him since.
The Wilcox family returned to their old home in Lyman Township. Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox have both passed to their reward. Three of the children are living. Ernest in California, Mrs. Bessie Beasley in North Dakota and Mrs. Alice Remsburg in Thawville. L. B. Wilcox taught school in Dist. No. 1, (now 36) in 1872.
H. N. Wilcox, brother of Whitfield and L. B. moved to Onarga in or about 1876. Mr. and Mrs. H. N. Wilcox were regular attendants at Church. Mr. Wilcox's pocket-book was easily opened for Ladies Aid or socials and when a social was there one was assured of a good time. One time at a social there Mrs. Hersperger asked me to do something and said "I will be your aunt." Mrs. Wilcox said, "then I will be your aunt too." From that time on I always called them aunt and they always called me nephew. I have often thought, "If a little like I did could win me two such worthy aunts, what should a really worth while act win for a boy?" They are all gone and I am left to think of them.
Rev. and Mrs. Wilcox and all their children except William who lives in California, have all gone on to their reward. It was a family of purity and that includes their daughters-in-law. Mary Wilcox, a teacher in Dist. No. 1 died in 1871.

Thomas Adamson and family came to Lyman in about 1869. They lived in the northeast corner of section 11.

 

Adamson.  Lyman Plat 1884.

 

They had two boys and four girls. The oldest, Robert, lives in Paxton. He works in the "Consumers Store". He was a conscientious young man and has held to the principles of right living. His father, his mother and his sister, Maggie, have passed to the home beyond. One sister lives in Missouri. Two sisters and one brother live in Michigan. They were all my school mates and were my pupils.

--Roberts Herald. 22 May 1935. Bela Foster.