Watch Where You Sit

We have only spotty digitized county newspapers for the summer of 1879, so the researchers had to look for local news in the Vincennes and Mt Carmel papers.

Deaths for these two months were either slight or not reported because the total was only 21. Eight were children under 5 years of age; one died from “malnourishment from artificial food and hot weather”.  Predominate causes of death for all persons included typhoid and malaria. Cancer was specifically mentioned for the first time.

June 1879

Thomas A Miller, born in Miami County, Ohio, February 11, 1809, passed through Vincennes in 1816 and settled in Lawrence County. Jane Miller was born in Dearborn County Indiana on September 23, 1820, and settled in Lawrence County.

Mrs. Matilda A Garrard was the daughter of Dr. Coburn and was born in Mason County Kentucky on January 11, 1826. She married Dr WM Garrard of Bourbon County Kentucky in November 1848. During the year 1856 after a residence in Paris, Dr and Mrs. Garrard with their children moved to Lawrenceville where they resided until her death.  She died May 29th, 1879, after an illness of eleven days of gastric fever.

 In her obit she was described as always cheerful and buoyant, she made others feel happy. Her whole life was one of untiring devotion to her husband, her children and her friends. She made visitors feel at home as soon as the threshold of her house was crossed, and her home was known all through this section of Indiana and Illinois as the seat of genuine old fashioned Kentucky hospitality. Her devotion to her husband was unparalleled and even thou they had been married nearly a third of a century, she and her husband were more like young lovers than a person who had been married for thirty years. A young orphan boy who had been taken from the county infirmary almost dead, was nursed back to life by Mrs. Garrard at her own home. This boy remarked on the day of the funeral that he had lost the best friend he ever had. Burial was in Lawrenceville city cemetery.

St Francisville deserved the ribbon.  One of her justices sentenced a young woman to jail for milking Joe Ryan’s cow or to pay bail of $100. She was brought up by the officer, but several gentlemen kindly gave the bond, and the poor sickly creature was released. In other St Francisville news, Miss Calista Tougas was attending college in St. Louis Missouri and Mr. Jesse Traylor opened a drug store in connection with the post office.

The Arkansas legislatures of 1879 passed a law making three million acres of land in the state subject to donation and a white citizen of the United States upon application would receive from the state a deed for 160 acres free. (Any of your ancestors leave Lawrence County Illinois to settle in Arkansas?)

1200 or 1500 people gathered in the beautiful yard at the courthouse at Lawrenceville to hear a series of sermon-lectures delivered by Rev WF Black, an Indianapolis evangelist.  Mr. Black was a long-winded speaker and held his audience spell- bound for two hours and a half.

A new hotel was just about finished near the P & D RR depot in Lawrenceville. Sand Ridge school house on the east side of Lawrenceville had been newly weather- boarded and new shutters added. DS Porter of Lawrenceville was brought home from the northern part of the state suffering from a congestive chill.

The three drugstores in Sumner took out licenses to sell whisky for “medicinal, chemical, sacramental and mechanical purposes”. (Not sure what mechanical purpose whiskey could be used for . . . .)

Misses Allie, Flora, and Calista Sprinkel of Allison Twp studied at Vincennes University. C and V Company was rebuilding the bridge across the Wabash near St Francisville with a large force of men.  The bottom part of the structure was made of iron and the upper part of wood as before. The wheat harvest was finished, the weather during the season unremarkable. Jacob Schlencker and Dr. Ferguson were among the members in attendance from Bridgeport at the Masons of Vincennes celebration of Saint John’s Day picnic. Mr. Schmalhausen and Dr. CM Carter of Lawrenceville represented the Lawrenceville Lodge.

July 1879

Elias Grabill, the one-armed lawyer who lived in this place 12 years ago and was sent to the penitentiary from Shelby County last March for forgery, has been pardoned by Govenor Cullom and is again at liberty. (Insert one of John King's jokes about lawyers here .)

The many friends of Dr. WP Harvey were grieved to learn of his death. Dr Harvey, formerly of Wabash County, died at his residence in St Francisville on the morning of July 12, 1879, after a very brief illness in the 38th year of his life. Dr. Harvey was a physician of more than ordinary ability.  During the late war he served his country honorably holding at the time of his discharge, a commission as Assistant Surgeon of the 40th Illinois Infantry.

The Big Show circus with its 7 elephants including two babies pulled into Mount Carmel July 24 and several residents from the Land of Lukin attended.

Mary E Hill of Lawrenceville brought suit for breach of promise of marriage against Hedgeman Dalrymple and asked for $5000 to heal her slighted affections.  Mary kept house for the sly deceiver for some time and wanted the position for life.