A Review of Lawrence County Life in April, May and June 1878.

James C Allen was the Judge; Thomas H Huffman was the State’s Attorney. B L Cunningham was the Circuit Clerk; Issac Potts was the County Judge; John P Scott was the Sheriff. Edmund Ryan was the Deputy Sheriff; W P Cox was the Supt of Schools. Jas W Whittaker was the County Treasurer; Jesse B Benefiel was the County Surveyor. Gabriel Graffham was the Coroner. 

The Board of Supervisors were Henry Reiley, Allison (who died in office) ; Wm H Fritchey, Bond; D D Lanterman, Bridgeport; T M Stevens, Christy; Wm T Buchanan Denison; T Kirkwood, Lawrence; J L Flanders, Lukin; Moses Petty, Petty; and Adam Lackey, Russell township.

The temperance movement continued.  More and more people signed the pledge not to drink. The O&M RR reported it had only transported four barrels of liquor during the month and none to Lawrenceville. Bridgeport had two barber shops. There were no houses for rent in Sumner. Godey Lady’s Book with its engravings, fashion plates, stories and recipes was read by all the fashionable young belles in the county.

In Bond Twp, Rosa Hentz had a quilting; Peter Akers made a nice fortune catching muskrats and selling them for ten cents each.  One week he caught 782.   The shoemaker in Bond was J W Walker.

The Poor Farm was in existence but not the one built later near the intersection of Rt 50 and the Bridgeport Road. The county commissioners advertised for bids to keep paupers for the year. The successful bidder would furnish housing, beds, bedding, clothing, table, and a heating stove. This was awarded to Ishom Wells/Weltz at 26 cents a day per pauper.  Also, bids were accepted for medical attention for paupers at said Poor Farm-- one visit per week and medicine to be furnished by the successful bidder. Dr C M Carter won the contract with a bid of $122. There were 14 paupers in residence.

Gooseberry pies were just the thing as were strawberries and cream. Butter sold for 15 cent a pound; strawberries sold for 15 cents a box. The streets of Lawrenceville were flooded by hard rains. Mops, pails, and whitewash brushes were selling well. The names of “preachers” and the subject of their sermons were prominently featured weekly in the newspaper.

Joseph Ropus working on the farm of Robert Piper plowed up an old flint lock English musket.  Bridgeport measles and whooping cough were making the rounds.  Harry Root was the barber there. Debates were good entertainment.  The newspaper reporter noted that during the last debate, St Francisville decided women shouldn’t vote.

Wm Moore of Lukin was charged with chicken stealing. Tramps were troublesome. Arson was found to have caused the fire at the Empire Hotel in Sumner.  Emma Shrayer was sent to the Insane Hospital. (This was probably in Anna Illinois) Margaret Coates divorced her husband, Wm Coates. Gus A Norton was appointed the guardian for the French children, Tandby, William, James, and Lydia. John D Wagoner divorced Alice Wagoner. Dr Lovejoy of St Francisville was taken to St Louis for the treatment of nervous diseases.

The month of May brought May parties, picnics, and fishing expeditions. Women made gardens and raked flower and lettuce beds, while chickens wandered aimlessly around. Straw hats and fans were in full bloom. A hack line (taxi) ran from up town Lawrenceville to the O & M RR. John M Buchanan bought 20 fleeces of wool from Wm T Buchanan that weighed 204 lbs. Edmund Gillespie raised Cotswold sheep. Cherries were selling for 15 cents a gallon; eggs were selling for 6 1/4 cents a dozen.

Corn planting was lively. An Ordinance was passed against horses running at large in Bridgeport.  A cornet band was organized by Chares K Warner. The sound of croquet balls was heard. (Croquet was sometimes referred to in the newspaper as Presbyterian billiards.) Masons were already organized in Sumner. The Freese Brothers installed a soda fountain. 

Bridgeport may have had the Walmart of the day (aka Warner Bros) but Sumner was acknowledged as having the largest agricultural implement seller (S J Eckenrode and Co.).  A railroad car of farm wagons was delivered to Sumner for sale. There were vigorous competitions between representatives of various reaping machines and self-binding harvesters for wheat. Leading machines sold were McCormick, Marsh, Osborne, and Champion. Trials were held on various farms for demonstration purposes. One was held at R Clements 1 ¾ mile northwest of Sumner.

Unfortunately, blight had struck the growing wheat, and, in many instances, it was beyond recovery. In Sumner the mill of Witters and Snodgrass would exchange 40 lbs of flour for 1 bushel of wheat just to keep operating. Harvest hands were getting $2.00 per day and using old fashioned wheat cradles for good wheat that had been downed by heavy rains. The newspaper complained that there weren’t enough young men who knew how to use a wheat cradle, but he did admit that Jake Schlenker was the champion wheat binder.

In Bridgeport Jake Garing opened up his ice cream saloon. Centennial Hotel had 29 boarders. In Sumner the school directors secured a frame building near the schoolhouse for use as a primary department and the newspaper said Sumner might be the next county seat.

A reward was offered for the capture of the thief who stole a sorrel horse from R H Freese and an open buggy from Wm Jeffers.  John Clark was captured two days later on the other side of Olney by determined reward seekers and returned to Lawrence County for trial. Two firms from Sumner worked on the Lawrence County Court House. C C Gray and Co and Jones and Sons added iron rods that extended through the building to give it greater strength, new timbers replaced old ones, and the roof was repaired.

Summer school was closed. (This was March through June for younger students to allow older students to help with the planting.) An attempt was made to organize a company of Illinois National Guards. The law would exempt all who enrolled from jury duty and payment of road labor. They elected R W Musgrave as captain.

The blackberry crop was good. A band of gypsies passed through with six wagons and 17 horses. They pitched their tents below the O&M RR depot. A lot of young people visited the camp to have their fortunes read.  Mrs. W F Curry of Russell Twp advertised she had peaches for sale. 

John Gault, confined to the county jail for a month or 6 weeks on a charge of larceny, made his escape.  Supposedly he had help from the outside as one of the bars in the window was broken.  He let himself down to the ground by means of his blanket that he had torn into strips. He tried to help the others escape but finding it too difficult and fearing he would be caught; he took off for parts unknown.

A storm of wind and lightning left a mark on Lawrenceville.  The stable on the premises formerly owned by Hon J K Dubois (but in 1878 was the property of Cobe Garrard) was struck by lighting and burned to the ground.  One of Mrs. Leach’s horses was inside and saved by that lady almost at a risk to her own life, with the fire burning the hair from the back of her head.  A horse of Garrard’s, one of his gray matches, perished in the flame.  Rev W S Hennessy who was nearby, endeavored to rescue the animal but could not do so.

Lawrence County residents were invited to Vincennes to see a traveling circus. Advertised as having 7 elephants, a black rhinoceros, 12 camels and a “congress of human miracles”, a ticket cost 50 cents to be admitted.

(continued)