--"Memories of Roberts" 1995 Calendar. Roberts Woman's Club.
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Friday, March 17, 2017
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Some Melvin Photos
Iehl residence on East Main St in Melvin. It was torn down in the mid 1960's to make room for what would be the Ford County Extension Service. The tower on the front has been a ticket booth at the fairgrounds in Melvin.
Melvin Main Street view.
--Alan Thackeray posted these to the Ford County, Illinois Heritage Facebook page in 2017.
Friday, March 10, 2017
The Coliseum on Green Street
--"Memories of Roberts" 1994 Calendar. Roberts Woman's Club.
--Jean Fox wrote the following on Roberts Illinois History Group page on 03/09/17.
When we moved to Roberts in 1965 and went up to Wisconsin to see my grandmother who was born and raised here in Roberts, I told her that Roberts was so boring. Her response was, well why don't you go uptown and go roller skating? Ha! The coliseum was a busy place at one time! I did research on the building back in 1993 and gave a program at the Woman's club on the coliseum.
Otto and Emil Seng built the coliseum. When they began construction of the coliseum, school was in session. Rueben Ebert (graduated in 1919, Ida Tornowski's brother) and Claire Sanders Clements (graduated in 1922, daughter of the newspaper editor) told me that during the construction of the coliseum, when the framework was all in place, a big wind storm hit Roberts at noon and the frame collapsed in its entirety. They were in school at the time. The earliest advertisement that I found was from Feb. 29, 1912, "Roller skating at the coliseum every Sat. night."
While the late Emerson Seng's grandfather ran the coliseum, movies, skating and community affairs were held in the coliseum. Emerson said that his grandfather, being very religious, would never hold the dances. Dances came later when the coliseum was sold to Frank Gleason and the Hechts put on the dances.
Emerson said one time his dad was running a movie and the film caught on fire and while burning, dropped down into the crowd.
Louise Arnold remembered taking the horse and buggy uptown to see her first movie. Later she played the background music for the silent movies.
Claire Sanders Clements recalled Sat. afternoon matinees. The picture always ended with "to be continued" leaving the heroine lying tied to the railroad tracks with the train bearing down on her or some worse tragedy- always saved the next week.
Helen Pendergast Coyne stated she never missed a dance except in Lent. She and her sister would make an excuse to go to the drug store for a school supply and stand in front of the coliseum to talk to the boys. There were round dances and square dances. She remembered the coaches coming to the dances to see what ball players were there - they were to be home by 10 pm. She said that Jesse Kuntz and Barney Falleti bands played a lot of the dances.
John Roberts (Ida Tornowski's classmate) drew a map of the inside of the coliseum for me. There was one row of chairs on each side and on stage.(Players would run into people). Pot belly stoves stood in the SW and NE corners of the building. A metal screen was placed around them to protect people from getting burned. He said that several still got branded from the hot screen. It had a hardwood floor - good floor for roller skating. They had to run from the shower room in the school building on Weldon Street (before the gym was built) to practice BB in all kinds of weather (rain, snow, sun) and they never complained. Players called it the cow barn...
Besides roller skating, dances, BB games, 8th grade and HS graduations, school plays, there were traveling shows. Jessie Colton show, managed by J.B. Richardson and his wife, Jessie, traveled throughout Illinois for more than 20 years retiring in 1932. They usually stayed for a week presenting plays. There was a stage show called the Tilton show in the late 30's. They sold candy at 25 cents a box. Each box had a prize (like cracker jacks).
The class of 1929 held their commencement exercise at the coliseum. Since this was when the Great Depression struck the world, their ceremony wasn't like those in the past. There was an absence of all decorations, not even the class motto was displayed. There was no sign of class colors, no flowers, no caps or gowns. They were dressed "richly but plain." Their motto was: "No victory without labor."
Events continued to take place in the coliseum in the early forties. The late Bennie Daro remembered roller skating in 1943 and 1944.
In 1946, the coliseum was sold to Carl Klann of Buckley. He tore it down in May of 1946 and used the lumber to build a house in Buckley.
You will find a lot of news items about the programs in the social columns of the old Roberts paper.
Thursday, March 09, 2017
Wednesday, March 08, 2017
Roberts 1894
Photos were taken right after the fire of 1894, the reason so many people in the village.
From L to R: Meat Market, est. 1865; W. H. Wakelin (says dry goods * notions * ? * shoes * groceries * flour * salt); Next building says Groceries * Notions; next is a sign on post - Dentist; followed by R.B. Chambers; ? ; ? ; and finally Colteaux's Restaurant. After that was the school building on the corner.
The R.B. Chambers building is the current Schooney's bar. Of all the buildings in the photo, that is the only one that remains.
The school was on the corner where the bank stands today. That is the school bell tower.
--Posted photos and all comments by Jean Fox to the Roberts Illinois History Group FB page.
Friday, March 03, 2017
Salem Iler, Father of Benjamin Iler. 1805-1873.
--Buried Meharry Cemetery. Just off of 115 near Paxton.
Benjamin Franklin Iler Obit and Stone
Benjamin Franklin Iler, son of Salem and Elizabeth (Snelling) Iler was born in Tuscaraus County, Ohio, July 24, 1848, and died at his home in Thawville, Illinois, Wednesday afternoon, November 5th, 1924, aged 76 years, 3 months and 12 days.
When he was five years of age his family moved to Delaware County, Ohio, and later came to LaSalle County, Illinois.
On the 29th day of November 1867 Mr. Iler married Miss Susan Brown. They lived for five years in LaSalle County then in Wall Town after which they moved to Lyman and 43 years ago moved to the farm north east of Roberts which has been the family home since and which is now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. John Iler.
Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Iler, all of whom are living. They are Mrs. Elmeda Dixon of Melvin, Willis of Carthage, Kentucky, Mrs. Serena Smith of Onarga, Mrs. Ann E. Mott of Mason City, Iowa, Mrs. Nancy C. Woodward of Thawville, Mrs. Ida Mae Wilson of Paxton, John L. of Roberts and Mrs. Allen E. Woods of Onarga. There are also twenty-two living grand children and five deceased. November 29, 1917, Mr. and Mrs. Iler celebrated their golden wedding. Shortly after that they moved to Thawville where Mrs. Iler died the following August.
On the 4th of August 1919, Mr. Iler married Mrs. Sarah Norvell who survives him.
Mr. Iler was a large, strong, muscular man, a man with few equals in either size or strength. He was also a man of Christian character, always ready to help any who were in need. Very few people ever saw him angry, all who knew him can vouch for his good nature, generosity, kindly helpfulness and excellence of character. He was a charter member of Meadowmound grange and a faithful worker in it during its entire existence, he and Richard Trigger being the only charter members to hold membership all three years.
The funeral services were held at the Congregational Church in Thawville Saturday afternoon at one thirty o'clock, Rev. Holp officiating. The remains were then laid to rest in Lyman Cemetery.
Among those from a distance who attended the funeral were all the members of the family previously mentioned, Mr. and Mrs. Gillispie and family of Gilman, Mrs. Nancy Weaver, Mrs. Frances Snelling and Herman and Ray Snelling of Paxton.
--Roberts Herald. 12 November 1924.
When he was five years of age his family moved to Delaware County, Ohio, and later came to LaSalle County, Illinois.
On the 29th day of November 1867 Mr. Iler married Miss Susan Brown. They lived for five years in LaSalle County then in Wall Town after which they moved to Lyman and 43 years ago moved to the farm north east of Roberts which has been the family home since and which is now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. John Iler.
Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Iler, all of whom are living. They are Mrs. Elmeda Dixon of Melvin, Willis of Carthage, Kentucky, Mrs. Serena Smith of Onarga, Mrs. Ann E. Mott of Mason City, Iowa, Mrs. Nancy C. Woodward of Thawville, Mrs. Ida Mae Wilson of Paxton, John L. of Roberts and Mrs. Allen E. Woods of Onarga. There are also twenty-two living grand children and five deceased. November 29, 1917, Mr. and Mrs. Iler celebrated their golden wedding. Shortly after that they moved to Thawville where Mrs. Iler died the following August.
On the 4th of August 1919, Mr. Iler married Mrs. Sarah Norvell who survives him.
Mr. Iler was a large, strong, muscular man, a man with few equals in either size or strength. He was also a man of Christian character, always ready to help any who were in need. Very few people ever saw him angry, all who knew him can vouch for his good nature, generosity, kindly helpfulness and excellence of character. He was a charter member of Meadowmound grange and a faithful worker in it during its entire existence, he and Richard Trigger being the only charter members to hold membership all three years.
The funeral services were held at the Congregational Church in Thawville Saturday afternoon at one thirty o'clock, Rev. Holp officiating. The remains were then laid to rest in Lyman Cemetery.
Among those from a distance who attended the funeral were all the members of the family previously mentioned, Mr. and Mrs. Gillispie and family of Gilman, Mrs. Nancy Weaver, Mrs. Frances Snelling and Herman and Ray Snelling of Paxton.
--Roberts Herald. 12 November 1924.
Buried Lyman Township Cemetery.
Benjamin Frank Iler
--Vol. 2. History of Ford County, Illinois; from its Earliest Settlement to 1908. Gardner, Ernest Arthur, 1862-1939. Pages 753-755.
Are they still standing?
In the first article Bela Foster wrote about the early settlers of Lyman Township, he discusses the first homes erected in Lyman Township. He notes all the houses are gone now except the one north of the L. G. Chambers farm and one known as the Iler home. Are they still standing? I doubt it, but I better go check it out.
Looks like the "one north of the L. G. Chambers farm" may be in Section 4. On the 1916 plat (below) a small square (house location) is seen just in the corner of the L. G. Chambers property. This property is located on 115, just a short way (1 to 1 1/2 mile?) south of the Thawville blacktop on the east side of the road.
The other home known as the "Iler" home is located in Section 10. This is close to Rt. 54, not far from Beset Grove. The 2016 Lyman plat show 2 homes in Section 10, across the highway from the new Wasmer home near Beset Grove. I don't think either one is the Iler home. Looks like the one to the north was occupied by a ? (possibly John, but I can't read the small print) Fuoss on the 1916 plat. And possibly Roger Thompson currently (2016 plat) lives near the Iler property although I believe Roger may be in the M. Havener home.
--Roberts Herald. 13 March 1935. Bela Foster.
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