21 December 1871

LYMAN ITEMS
Weather fine for this season of the year.
Roads dry, smooth and somewhat dusty.
News miserably scarce. Nobody married, though rumor says that certain parties contemplate entering the married state shortly. Nobody dead. Not even a dog fight....
Our young folks had a party at F. A. Roberts new house. On Monday last. They had a very fine and enjoyable time. We were there and speak from experience.
David Howe, one of our oldest settlers, and the father of our present County Surveyor, has been suffering for some time with an asthmatic complaint and is now very unwell.
We have as yet heard nothing from anybody about putting up a hotel at this place; a splendid location for one. A lot opposite the depot building is offered, free of cost, for this purpose. Our improvement in town, for this week, is a blacksmith shop, which we have sadly needed for some time, but now the vacancy is filled with a first class workman.
The inhabitants of the south west part of our township have been treated to some miniature prairie fires -- not much in size or extent -- mere pocket editions of those we used to have four or five years ago. No damage done.
A team of horses ran away in town last week, and the way they did "git up and git" was a caution. Consequences, a goodly supply of kindling wood, and minus a wagon.
The United Presbyterian denomination are holding their quarterly meeting in the school house, just out of town.
Our township still retains a smack of its original wildness yet. A wolf was seen on section 19, in this town on Sunday last.
Since scribbling my first item the weather has changed suddenly and is now cold, and the dust I bragged about, is covered up with snow.

--Paxton Record. 21 December 1871.

7 December 1871

LYMAN ITEMSWe notice with pleasure that F. A. Roberts is determined to make the R. R. station, in this town, decidedly a nice little village, in which persons may make their permanent home.
For some time past he has been planting trees for shade along the principal streets, and although the freeze, just past, has stopped operations for this fall, he assures us that he expects to plant two thousand more the coming spring. He has also been boring for water at the crossing of Main and Green streets, having found an abundance at a moderate depth, is now making preparations to put down a town well.
The Newman Bro.'s have been shipping a large quantity of broom corn to Philadelphia markets.
Our switch is filled with cars loaded with iron for the L. B. & M. road, making it quite inconvenient for persons doing business here. Melvin is also in the same fix.
Johnson & Meserve bought 103 loads of corn on Saturday of last week, and considerable of it being shelled, it weighed out 3,100 bushels. Can Melvin beat it?
Our drug store has come at last. We notice quite an amount of freight for W. C. Thompson & Co., the firm who proposes to carry on that business here. They are energetic, go ahead, and all that sort of thing," and mean business right up to the handle. We hope they will have good success
Most of our schools have commenced their winter terms, with a good attendance. We notice that Lyman Township furnishes most of the teachers, and good ones they are.
A large number of good substantial buildings have been erected in this town during the year '71, which is now rapidly drawing to a close, and as every good building increases not only the wealth of the man who erects it, but also adds dollars and cents to the acres of his neighbors, we should take pride in every home improvement -- let folks know what we are doing and ask them to say what they have performed. Last year our worthy editor called for statistics on this subject from the different towns of this county, and only one town responded, that of Brenton, and only two men were public spirited enough to collect these statistics and forward them. They were Messrs. Conrow & Finney of the above mentioned town. Now we think if this call were made again this year it would be better responded to. Would it not be worth while to try it and see, Mr. Editor?
Roberts' Station wants a hotel bad, a Sherman House or Tremont Jr., or even another Bennett House would be very acceptable, as it is hard to find a boarding house at times. Who will be the lucky man? Don't all speak at once.

--Paxton Record. 7 December 1871.

23 November 1871

LYMAN ITEMS
Corn has "riz." -- Johnson and Meserve now pay 30 cts.
All our farmers are bragging of their big corn crop; hardly any of them estimate the yield at less than 50 bushels per acre.
Some of our young folk took a notion to get married the other day, to wit: Mr. Nelson Busick to Miss Maria Woolsoncroft, and Mr. William Wilson to Miss Alice Busick, all of Lyman. They were nice looking girls and proper young men. Maybe you saw them yourself as they departed for Paxton after the event.
Some boys concluded to "charivari" the married folks, aforesaid, and one of them loaded his gun so heavily that on firing it, it burst, injuring his hand so badly that amputation was necessary.
A new time table for the Gilman, Clinton & Springfield Road, took effect on Monday, the 20th. Two passenger and four freight trains a day -- lots of business and heavy trains.

--Paxton Record. 23 November 1871.

9 March 1871

--Paxton Record.  9 March 1871.

12 January 1871

. . . Thompson and Dashiel of Onarga have built a store in our town, and filled it with Dry Goods and Groceries, and are doing a good business. Our R. R. is graded and bridged, and ties are contracted to be hauled. A water tank is also under way.  Most of our farmers, after keeping their hogs until the present time, -- and their value depreciating every week -- have at last concluded to sell, and quite a large amount of pork has been started Chicagoward in the past few days. I have been talking to our farmers about their corn crops and its average yield, and have found that excluding sod corn, the average is fully 43 bushels per acre, and this average, unlike others, is an under estimate, rather than over.

--Paxton Record. 12 January 1871.

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.

Roberts Surveyed in 1871

The exact location of our town was no doubt determined by the railroad, at that time known as the Gilman, Clinton, and Springfield Railroad.  In 1877 the Illinois Central purchased this branch.  One location seriously considered was Beset Grove.  According to an article written by Bela Foster in the April 17, 1935 issue of the Roberts Herald, A. M. Haling had an agreement with the G. C. & S. Railroad to give them the right of way on his land if they would put a town on his land, the Beset half section. 

--Lyman Township Plat.  Atlas of the State of Illinois.  1876.

The company did put in a side track, and Mr. Haling put up an office and a large corn crib.  George H. Thompson and Doolittle erected a store building just north of Otto Bleich's house and a temporary building on the Haling property for a flax seed storehouse.  Some time later, however, the G. C. & S. began the erection of a depot on the Roberts land, and hope of a town at Beset waned.
In the fall of 1871 land that became our village was surveyed by Francis Alonzo Roberts after whom the town was named. 
It is recorded in an old atlas that the first two families to live in the village were those of Dr. Marshall Cassingham and E. A. Bushor.  Dr. Cassingham, born in Ohio in 1841, had come to Roberts from Kendall and Grundy Counties in 1871.  He was graduated from Rush Medical College, Chicago in 1865.  In 1880 Dr. Cassingham's brother Ora came to Roberts to engage in the drug business with the doctor.  Ora had been a map publisher for some years.  During his years in Roberts Dr. Cassingham built the home later owned by the Ortlepp family. 

--History of Ford County, Illinois.  1985.

*****     *****     *****     *****     *****

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. 
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.
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.  In 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.
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. 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.

--Roberts Herald.  17 April 1935.  Bela Foster.

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.

Edward Van Steenbergh and the Hay Press

EDWARD VAN STEENBERGH
Edward Van Steenbergh is one of the most extensive farmers of this township. Born in Ulster County, N. Y., in 1814, he came to this township in 1871 settling on Section 28. He owns a splendid farm of 640 acres, and annually ships large quantities of hay to Chicago.

--Historical Atlas of Ford County Illinois. 1884. Page 75.

Magnolia House

Fred Pettit built the original hotel when Roberts was started in 1871. It was the only hotel or Magnolia House, as it was called, ever to be built in Roberts.
The land first belonged to Mr. Francis Alonzo Roberts. Then it was passed on to different families.
Some of the families that owned the hotel were P. J. Foster, Charles O. Hayes, Francis M. Hancock, O. M. Decourey, William H. Wilson and Oliver C. Dilks....
The hotel was once a very popular stopping place. Salesmen who came in on the railroad spent the night there and then used the Roberts livery stable services the following day to drive to Melvin and other nearby towns.
A dentist, Dr. E. D. Wilkenson, from Gibson City, had an office in one of the upstairs rooms. He would come to Roberts once a week. For several years, the Roberts telephone switchboard was operated in one of the rooms.
The hotel had 22 rooms, two dining rooms, and one bath. They used gas to light the rooms.
Sometimes when trains would go through, the sparks from the train would land on the roof of the hotel and start a fire.
Oliver C. Dilks was born in Thorton, Leicertershire, England. he came to the United States in January, 1893 and became a citizen in 1894. Mr. Dilks came, with his wife Catherine, to Roberts in 1912 from Ludingon, Michigan.
Mr. and Mrs. Dilks purchased the hotel building in 1918. They had five children: Katherine Dilks Johnson, Oliver C. Dilks, Arthur L. Dilks, (dec.) Sidney H. Dilks, Evelyn Dilks (dec.)
In 1918, Mr. Dilks was called to serve his country. On the morning of Nov. 11, 1918, he with other men, arrived at the Paxton depot to take the train to Chicago for their physical. Before they took the train, word was received that the Armistice had been signed. So, all were sent back to their homes.
In June, 1942, Mr. Dilks, Sr., was a member of the Selective Service of Ford County at Paxton.
Sidney H. Dilks, one of their children, was the youngest States Attorney to be elected in the state of Illinois. He also, as a young man, helped with the building of Route 115 in 1913 and 1917. One day he was run over by a load of bricks, but being a young man, he lived.
Jack and Katherine (Dilks) Johnson took over the hotel in 1941, but did not operate a hotel after the death of her parents. Mr. and Mrs. John (Jack) Johnson have one son, Arthur.

--Robert Area Centennial 1872-1972. 100 Years of Plowing, Planting, Progressing.  1972.

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.

ROBERTS RAKINGS
 
--Paxton Record. 12 January 1871.

. . . Thompson and Dashiel of Onarga have built a store in our town, and filled it with Dry Goods and Groceries, and are doing a good business. Our R. R. is graded and bridged, and ties are contracted to be hauled. A water tank is also under way.  Most of our farmers, after keeping their hogs until the present time, -- and their value depreciating every week -- have at last concluded to sell, and quite a large amount of pork has been started Chicagoward in the past few days. I have been talking to our farmers about their corn crops and its average yield, and have found that exluding sod corn, the average is fully 43 bushels per acre, and this average, unlike others, is an under estimate, rather than over.