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977.382 W783
WITT CENTENNIAL
1868 - 1968
UNIVERSITY OF ILLIT ! RARY AT URBANA CHAMPAIGN ILL. HIST. SURVEY
WITT CENTENNIAL
WITT, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, ILLINOIS
SALOON
BROADWAY - 1916
1868 - 1968
FOREWARD
Four score and twenty years ago our fathers brought forth within this township a settlement con- ceived with vision and dedicated to the proposition that MAN must build for future MEN.
Now-with sincere wishes for continuance of the prosperity they made possible with abiding faith in our future and in the guiding spirit of an All-wise Pro- vidence that has led us through the last century and brought us from trials and tribulations to our present standing-we submit this volume for your consideration.
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AERIAL VIEW CITY OF WITT-JUNE 1968
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CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES
Back row, left to right: Andrew Sarsany, Arnold Lapsansky, Louis Schwartz, John Yuna, John T. Lowe, Chal Golitko, Paul Sarsany Front row, left to right: Edna Tucker. Bertha Shelton, Virginia Char- nisky, Elaine Kuethe, Freda Yuna, Gladys Hanisko, Mary Shelton, Grace Beckham.
CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE
Co-Chairmen: Paul Hamrock, Lynn Shelton
Book Committee: Frances Pircher, Andrew Sarsany, Kathleen Lowe, Minnie Cadman. Grace Beckham, Edna Tucker, Bertha Shelton, Pat Baird, Bob Baird. Fern Tucker, Pat Herpstreith, Anna M. Mc- Neill Evelyn Degg, Ruby DeLuka, Evelyn Wittnam, Dorothy Rogers
Souvenirs: Louis Schwartz, Ruby DeLuka, Tillie Chervinko, Verona Sarsany, Anne Truhan, Margaret Korbar
Promotion: John Yuna, Freda Yuna, Keith Fath, Don Rundle, Eleanor Rundle
Pageant: Barbara Golitko, Jean Sarsany, Helen Nicolotti, Louis Nico- lotti, Harold Miller, Francis Holthaus, Charles DeLuka, Mary Phillips
Centennial Ball: Chal Golitko, Frank Bregant, Evelyn Bregant, Evelyn Lapsansky, Geneva Coffey, Ruby Degg, John T. Lowe
Publicity: Bob Worthington, Father Shea, Arnold Lapsansky, Mary Fath.
Parade: Al Lowe, Russell Masters, Skeet O'Malley
Antiques: Gladys Hanisko, Virginia Charnisky, Lawrence Huber, Page Walcher.
Dress and Beards: Wayne Kuethe, Elaine Kuethe, Jerry Wesley, Mary Shelton, Keith Fath, Joyce Shelton.
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GO WEST
HISTORY OF WITT
America has often been called a melting pot. The Witt Community could likewise be called by the same name. For here in this central Illinois community came farmers, miners, merchants, railroad men, doctors, millers, etc. Their forefathers came from nearly every continent on the globe. Here they fashioned a settlement.
This Centennial History calls up memories of the settlement of Melrose, Witt. Chance and Paisley and the union of the twin-rivals into one city which received its City Charter 1911.
May all our future rivalries be as wisely settled.
Aerial View Of
Witt 1968
Looking Northwest
THE ROAD WEST
HISTORY OF WITT TOWNSHIP
Until the beginning of the nineteenth century little progress had been made in ex- tending English settlements westward from a settled strip along the eastern seaboard. Travelers beyond the mountains, which un- fortunately had been explored first by the French brought back glowing accounts of the possibilities for settlements in the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys.
In 1763 the French made settlements at Cahokia and Kaskaskia which were the be- ginning of what was to become ILLINOIS named from ILLINI the Algonquin word for "perfect and accomplished man".
By the treaty ending the French and Indian War, Britain gained land from the Alleghenies to the Mississippi but lost it to the United States in 1783. Virginia had se- cured a claim to Illinois through the cam- paign of George Rogers Clark during the Revolution.
Illinois, as a commonwealth, remained a part of Virginia until 1787 when it was con- ceded to the Northwest Territory and con- tinued so until 1808 when it became a separ- ate territory. After Illinois was admitted to the Union as a state in 1818 a county called Bond was formed which included Montgom- ery. In 1821, by an Act of the Legislature, Montgomery became a separate county.
The Kickapoos were the most numerous tribe of Indians in this neighborhood. In 1817, the U. S. Government acting through the territorial governor had made a treaty with the Kickapoos for the purchase of 10,000,000 acres of land which included Montgomery Countv. Rountree Township had been an In- dian Camping Ground but the tribe was friendly and interested in white settlers. The Indians made presents to the Nussman fam- ilv. traded them deer and venison for bacon and ammunition. To prove their friendship,
when visiting, the Indians left their guns cutside.
The first settlements had been made in the county in 1816 by families from Tennes- see, Georgia, Kentucky, the Carolinas, and Ohio. Witt Township was one of the later townships to be settled because of lack of reads.
In the 1850's the railroad fever struck Illinois and the Illinois Central received a land grant from the legislature. Hillsboro sought Alton as terminus for an east-west. line and in 1855 subscribed $50,000 to help bring into being the Terra Haute-Alton (later St. Louis) R.R. It came into existence as a working road in 1857 and crossed Sec. 9 of Montgomery Co. This locale became the stage on which William Wood was to play his act as founder. Wood had come to Hillsboro from North Carolina. On the Vandalia-St. Louis Highway he built Woodsboro; but his village was by-passed by the railroad and he moved to Butler that was to have a spur line to the main artery of the railroad.
Restless because he could not dominate Butler, Wood purchased land in sections five and six of township nine ( Witt). Township 9 range 2 had been settled as early as 1831 when James and David Brown built cabins on either side of East Fork in Section 17. In 1900 their farms were owned by Mr. Thumb of Irving and Mr. Blipsen. Then in 1833 came Martin Harkey from North Carolina. He went on to Nokomis in 1837. Christopher Ar- mentrout bought eighty acres of school land near the Browns and later Harkev's interests. Jas. R. Brown, born Jan. 28, 1832, first child born in township.
Distance from towns of any size made settling slow. A road was laid cut known as the Shelbyville-Hillsboro road, another to Nckomis from a southerly direction hastened settlement in township 9.
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In 1839 Joshua Seckler located in section 9. Wm. Lights came to section 8 in 1841 but sold his holdings to Alfred Borer and moved on to Iowa.
Other early settlers were: Horace Lati- mer, L. T. Towell, Wm. Hand, E. H. Donald- son, Chas. Mast, H. A. Wells, Jacob Poland, Wilson Maxey, John Price, J. T. Armentrout, George Knodle, Thos. Vermillion, Andrew Hoehn, Sherman Ransdell, J. W. Chapman, Wm. Oberlee, Geo. Guile, P. C. Able, Austin Sturgeon, Wilson Wilder, Louis Duncan, Jas. Bateman, Jas. Zepp, C. Marks, W. W. Wright, Levi Thumb, W. T. Hoes, W. H. Settle, Jas. Drew, Chas. Madan, J. M. Neisler, F. M. Rob- erts, Mike Baisch, Robt. Dixon, the Hubers, the Lohrs, and Daniel Grantham.
Though the township was crossed by the railroad, there was no village community. Late in 1868, tired of his conflict with the village of Butler over the private railroad spur he had built, Wood moved to his town- ship 9 holdings and began to build a village he called MELROSE. He placed a store facing that part of the Nokomis-Hillsboro Road he named Talmadge St. It was parallel to and one block north of the railroad over which the first train had run in January 1855. Later this building was occupied by Anton Leon,
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-Photo Copy by Floyd Karrick, Butler, Ill.
A.LEON. GROCERIES & DRY GOODS
THE STORE OF A.LEON, WITT, ILL. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
-Photo Copy by Floyd Karrick, Butler, Ill.
then by Chris Marks, later by J. Wubker. In early 1900's, Carriker and Maxey had a gen- eral store at that location. Until replaced by the Martin Elevator Coal Bins, a Standard Oil Station occupied the building.
On Febuary 8, 1869 Wood sold seventy acres in section 5 and 6 of Township 9, on which his town failed to grow, to Thos. Saunders of Philadelphia for $25 per acre. The original site consisted of nine blocks laid out on three streets all north of the railroad.
The deed was recorded April 19, 1869 and an account of the transaction appeared in the Hillsboro Democrat, March 18.
Col. Monroe got back Saturday. He has been up about Irving surveying. Mr. Saunders from Philadelphia has bought the town of Melrose. He thinks he has made a good strike. The Wood-Butler controversy is not yet settled.
The name of the town is explained in Saunder's letter to The Hillsboro Democrat, June 3, 1869.
Friend Jones -- Witt seems a curious name to call a station but as Shakespeare says: What's in a name? A rose (MELROSE) by any other name would smell as sweet. We feel proud of our station and the benefit it will confer on our farmers, and that I have been of some service to my fellow citizens is of great gratification.
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Evidently citizens of his dav knew what has since been almost forgotten but recalled recently by an Armentrout descendant. The name of the town was changed because when an application was made for a U. S. Postof- fice it was found Illinois had a Melrose-now Melrose Park.
Almost immediately Wood seems to have regretted his sale of the town site, moved his store across the railroad track and in section 6 of Township 9, Range 4, laid out another station he named CHANCE.
CHANCE Part of MeSE'D See 6 TO YR.L.W. Seule 500f1 tol inch.
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The following item appears in the July 29 Hillsboro Democrat.
We would state that the old residenter and benefactor-Wm. Wood, founder of Woodsboro, Butler, Melrose, etc., has laid off another new town named Chance where he proposes to donate perfectly free of charge every alternate lot to those who will take a "Chance".
Keyes and Bartlett built a store next door to where Woods' store had been in the village he had sold and Keyes received the appointment as postmaster of the new village of Witt. Almost certainly the first postoffice was in the "Fortune" building which burned down a few years ago.
When the railroad established a station across the tracks from the elevator on the CHANCE side of the settlement the merchant
Lee Hall became the first depot agent.
With the building of the station the vil- lage gained dignity. The train stop at the road crossing had been known as "Lick Skil- let".
The ineffectual Terra Haute and Alton Railroad was being rebuilt as the Indianap- olis and St. Louis-later it became the Cleve- land, Chicago, Cincinnati, and St. Louis (Big 4).
Several business places had been built- a hay barn near the present location of Mil- ler's Standard Oil Station. From it the Shup- ing owners shipped hay and grain by rail to St. Louis.
A creamery operated for years near where Miller's House now stands on Tal- madge Street.
John Tratt had opened a store near the track and across the street from the elevator. Sam Lee bought the property in 1881 and when the elevator was discontinued brought part of it across the road and it now serves as Lee's Chicken House and storage room.
In conjunction with the elevator. N. Bentz erected a steam mill with two runs of stone and a capacity of two barrels of flour a day. Earlier a similar mill had been built in the southwest corner of the township.
David Gregory built a carding machine on his farm and ran it by horsepower. A saw was attached to the machine but Gregory did not operate the saw mill long.
RES.OF DR.W.H.MELRATH, WITT. ILL.
-Photo Copy by Floyd Karrick, Butler, Ill.
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In 1870 Sanders deserted his village and returned to Philadelphia but the town was firmly established.
Wm. Wood died in 1873 and was buried near Woodsboro. When his estate was settled. his heirs sold 110 lots which he had retained when he sold the nine "blocks" to Sanders.
ATLAS MAP
The Atlas Map of Montgomery County printed in 1874 lists these farmers of Witt as contributors to the cost of their book. They are listed with section of land, birthplace and year came to Montgomery Co. or year born in Montgomery Co.
Armentrout, J. T. 17 Montgomery Co. 1849
Battles, T. S. 15 Philadelphia 1861
Brown, J. R. 10 Montgomery Co. 1832
Brown, Algare 11 Ohio 1838
Baker, Calvin 30 Mass. 1829
Brown, Thos. J. 21
Montgomery Co. 1843
Brown, Jas. K. 21
Montgomery Co. 1846
Donaldson, E. H. 25
Fayette Co. 1861
Drew, Jas. E. 19
England 1865
Dees, John 7
Macoupin Co. 1868
Houck, Daniel 10 Pennsylvania 1863 Hard, L. 12 Ohio 1851
Hoes, W. T. 12
Maryland 1858
Hampton, Thos. W. 7
Illinois 1866
Kerr, N. H. 12 Virginia 1865
Maxey, Wilson 16
Kentucky 1835
Neisler, John 27 Montgomery Co. 1841
Oberle, Wm. 22
Germany 1869
Opdyke, W. L. 7
Pyle, Chas. 3
New Jersey 1835 Kentucky 1843
Ransdell, Geo. 9
Indiana 1866
Roberts, Peter 16
Tennessee 1869
Row, Jacob C. 2
Indiana 1867
Mrs. Alonzo Betty
(Former Ida M. Berry, picture taken 1876)
Thumb, Marvin 19 New York 1855
Wells, J. R. 13 Virginia 1862
Wright, W. W. 1 Mass. 1836
But few resident of the village were in- terested enough to contribute. Chapman, J. D .- Postmaster-born in Illinois came to county in 1866.
Carriker, John A .- Brickmaker from No. Carolina, Leon Anton, Merchant from Spain, 1859. McCambridge, Blair, Trader, Ireland, 1849. Melrath, Dr. M. A., Pennsylvania 1867.
1870-The census showed 126 voters in the Twp .: Dwellings 182; Farms 262; Improv- ed Acres 18364; Horses 550; Mules 54; Sheep 197; Swine 1495; Cattle 718; Bushels of wheat 3900; bushels of corn 4377.
Chal Groner's
Threshing Crew
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Elevator Built by Bentz
In 1876 added mill at back. In 1901 elevator belonged to Independent Harvester Co. Sold at end of two years. Buildings moved away. Mill building is Lee Brother's Store Room. Office, granary on farm of Raymond Mil- burg. Man in picture Ed Chinn.
EARLY SETTLERS
Until 1872 the affairs of Montgomery County were managed by a board of three county commissioners from the various pre- cincts. In that year, it was decided to adopt township organization and a committee was appointed to make the division and name the townships. Dr. Hood acted as secretary.
The committee selected the name WITT for T9, R2 evidently because it was the name of the only settlement in the township. In the Atlas of Montgomery County published in 1874 the township is so named.
Among the list of settlers in T9, R2, af- ter the first wave of immigrants were: Pascal Able-born in Illinois of Ohio parents. who came to Montgomery County after service in the 47th Infantry, U. S. Army during the Civil War.
Daniel Grantham came about the same time from Carolina.
Joseph Hand, of Maine ancestry, born in Hillsboro, married an Attleberry, then moved to T. 9.
Wm. Opdyke fought in the 144th Illinois Infantry, married Julia Wood of Old Woods- boro, settled in T. 9 where his wife became active in religious affairs.
Elijah Donaldson came from Fayette County in 1871, later served in Illinois Legis- lature.
Other families who came were: Verickers, Beaslevs, Frazers, Kings, Deans, Carstens, Lounsburys.
For the 1880 census, storekeeper Jas. M. Berry was designated census taker and Will Rhinehart clerk.
Mr. Berry reported 134 persons com- posed the town. This was a growth of 30% since 1870. There were 36 families, or heads of families listed but 17 cited farming as their source of income. The rudiments of a town were there. Two grocers, James Berry and Henry Wubker. Joseph Chapman was in charge of the Indianapolis and St. Louis de- pot. James Myers filled a real need in this farming community as the first resident blacksmith. Dr. W. W. Parkhill continued as doctor. Nicolas Benz was assisted in his imp- lement, milling, and elevator business by two full time employees-N. Smith and P. An- drews. Thos., John, and James Vermillion, the latter the only divorced person in town, served as carpenters.
Christian Marks now kept a hotel where traveling salesmen were occasional patrons. By 1880 there was enough local stock raising to warrant a buyer-James Hull bought and sold livestock and shipped to the St. Louis and Indianapolis markets.
Only one person in 1880 is listed as a cervant. Families were large and few could hire help.
The behavior at camp meetings was not always of the best. Ministers and members had many difficulties maintaining good or- der, especially at night with only flickering candles for light. Frequent disturbances oc- curred such as shaving off horse's manes and tails, smearing tar on seats and saddles, throwing water-melon rinds and empty whiskey bottles among the mourners.
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WITT DISTRICT NO. 66, 1906
The first school in Witt Township was a contribution school taught by Gay in an abandoned cabin seventeen feet square on East Fork Creek near the Browns.
A contribution school was provided whenever parents felt the need of a school and could find a teacher. State qualification laws were not enforced. Any abandoned cab- in school or church was utilized.
Fees were one or two dollars per month per pupil. Schools were in session only in the winter when boys were not needed in the fields. Seats were split log benches and any table or arrangement could be used as a desk. The room was lighted by a fireplace and school was in session ten hours with only a lunch period off.
Text books included the New Testament as reader and speller, Pike's arithmetic and Kirkluan's grammar. Promotion was from book to book.
Married teachers were paid "in kind". potatoes, etc. Single teachers boarded around.
John Wheat taught in the southwest of the township until succeeded by Ben Norman in 1839.
Maxev School was the first Public School built in 1850 in Section 16 near Gooseneck Church.
During Civil War years women were per- mitted to teach and school board members took over the "wholloping duties". In 1877 Lizzie Shrout taught a spring term for small children. Her salary was set at 20 dollars per month. No teacher, especially a woman. should be paid more than a man.
Her school challenged Gooseneck to a spelling bee. One program of her school in- cluded the recitations: "Somebody's Darling", "Mr. Caudle's Lecture on Shirt Buttons," "No Sects In Heaven" and "Socrates Snooks".
Maple Grove School was brought from Section 7 to the present location of the Duty Home. Later it was taken near the John Max- ey residence and put on a lot donated by R. Dixon. It became the Witt District 66 School. Later, as Witt grew, a third room was added.
In 1901-02 the teachers were R. Barringer and Lizzie Hughes. When the Parkview School was completed more than ninety pu- pils attended and the teachers were E. A. Lewey, Addie Hanks, and Eva Lewis ( Mrs. N. O. Carriker ).
The seven country schools that remained after Maple Grove was brought into the Witt Village limits were:
Prairie College, near Bock's, once taught by Ida Moser.
Pleasant Hill, or Thumb, in Section 19 near Norman Drew's farm.
Pleasant View, or Gooseneck, in Section 16 near land of Durward Holmes and Russell Armentrout.
Olive Branch, Section 28 near land cf Lillie Knodle.
Starr, Section 21, near Anna Houck and Louis O'Malley farms.
Kroeger on Nokomis-Fillmore road.
Sandy Bend on Nokcmis Blacktop north of Hamlin's.
All the buildings have been sold. Some are community centers. others have been torn down.
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Railroad Station Built Half Way Between Witt and Paisley.
Railroad Objected To Two Stations Only A Mile Apart.
Witt Incorporated
Witt had an existence as a village for thirty years before being incorporated as a town Aug. 25, 1895. The cost of incorpora- tion is given in the minutes of the 'l'own Board as $11. To Witt, Paisley-described as part of the S.W. quarter of Sec. 6, T. 9, R. 2- was annexed Aug. 27, 1905. The founder of the annexed village-George William Paisley -disconnected sixty acres of his holdings (described as part of south end of east half of N. W. quarter of Section 7) from the new town.
The first officers after incorporation were: President of Board of Trustees, Robert Dixon; Clerk, C. E. Maddox; Treas., Wm. Shuping; Trustees, Sam Lee, R. Holmes, C. Scott, E. H. Ransdell, James Hartlieb, and Alfred Gragg.
W. A. Shuping succeeded Dixon in 1904 and Dixon became Treasurer.
J. A. Waer was elected Clerk in 1901, Elisha Clark in 1904, and Geo. Powis in 1906.
Other trustees who served one or more terms during the first ten years of the Town's history were: Smallwood Ransdell, Tom Campbell, J. Callison, N. O. Carriker, George Powis, James Smith, W. S. Lyerla, Con Sulli- van. J. V. Walker, R. H. Redman, J. Shannon, Caleb Marfell, B. Griffith, T. Faletta, H. Whitnack, Joe Kimball, A. Ladassor, Sam Kessinger, Stephen Hall, Wm. Holmes, Jas. Cullen, Ed Wittnam, Elisha Clark and Ed. Bottomley.
Early Business Concerns
Among business concerns mentioned in the minutes of the Board of Trustees 1898- 1908 are:
Taverns: Carstens and Brakenhoff, 1898; E. Brakenhoff & Co., 1899; Mike Hanisko and John Kessinger, 1901; T. B. Jones on Lot 2, Block 10, 1902; E. Clark and Ben Rohlfing, 1903; J. Wauchalg 1903; P. A. Gary, Lot 1, Block 9, 1905. At first a license was $900 per year but soon cut to $700.
Dixon and Shuping sold the town lum- ber for sidewalks, 1898.
L. Ladassor paid $2 for meat market li- cense, 1899. J. W. Osborn at east end of Broadway opposite railroad station was given permission to make truck track (20 ft. wide) to station platform from his creamery, 1905. L. Houck paid one-third of cost of sidewalk in front of his store. Carriker and Maxey of East Witt sold road scrapers to the town, 1902. C. E. Maddy rented the town a store- room in 1904. F. S. Clark asked for a light on post near his Box Ball Alley, 1903. W. P. Hagthrop printed election ballots. W. S. Bax- ter was paid for blacksmith work, 1902. C. J. S. and C. S. Clickner managed light plant,
PL
Betty's Meat Market in New Town.
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1905, and sold arc lights to the town. Wm. McMahon in 1905 had Billiard Hall on Lot 22 Broadway. Walcuts Tavern was visited in 1901 by police at order of Board of Trustees and told to stop use of "indecent language". Andy Prebeck had Bowling Alley in 1901. A. Spannagel Hardware sold various articles to the town 1901-1908. Grantham and Clark obtained a slaughter house permit. Fesser Brothers Meat Market was across the track from Sam Lee's Store. Voytilla's store was one block farther east on same street near Zepp's Barber Shop and several other stores.
THE BIG FOUR TRAIL
One good state road crossed Twp. 9- THE BIG FOUR TRAIL. It extended from Hillsboro to St. Louis through Woodsboro and on south. Eastward from Hillsboro it passed through Irving and northeast to Pana and Shelbyville.
The trail entered Twp. 9 two miles north of its southern border and passed between sections 30 and 19. Just east of the Irving border on land now owned by Pearl Baker was the East Fork Post Office. Two letters bearing East Fork cancellations are owned by Russell Armentrout.
The Trail continued one-half mile to a Relay House, then turned northeastward through section 29 where the useable road now ends, crossed sections 21, 15, 14, 11, 12 and at Caesar's Creek, one mile south of the northeast corner of Twp. 9, entered Audubon.
The stage coaches used two horses ex-
cept when conveying passengers, then they used four. The last contract was held by Moses David of Walshville but not renewed when the Terra Haute R.R. ran trains after January 1855.
The Relay House was erected in 1854 by John Warburton and the vicinity was known as Rushville. It was a stopping place on the Shelbyville road where tickets were sold and travelers could find meals and lodging.
The house and farm were sold in 1857 to Wm. Wolcott and in 1866 to Jas. E. Drew. Joseph Eddington bought the farm in 1904 and Joe Eddington, Jr. and his family moved there.
The Eddington children-Homer, Lynn, and Lois (Mrs. Wm. Hadley) were born there. The Relay House burned to the ground in 1917.
Roads were often bogs although the Supervisor and his Commissioners did their best with limited funds to keep up the Twp. roads. They were helped by farmers who felt responsible for their own strip of road. Yet, during January thaws, the new village of Witt could be reached only on horseback and the stage road was four miles away.
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Hogs of the early days were of one breed-a lank sharp-nosed, long-legged. rav- enous creature that ran wild in the woods three-fourths of the year. Near winter, they were driven into enclosures, fed nuts and acorns, and fattened for slaughter.
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In this picture, taken in 1894, left to right, are, Mollie Mowry ( Mrs. Walter Satterlee ). Susie Drew (Mrs. Harvey Neisler ), Mrs. Elya Drew, Bert Walcher, Miss Tempa Myers who taught Pleasant Hill rural school ( later Mrs. Will Whitlock of Bost Hill). Nettie Drew is on the far right.
The dapple horse hitched to the buggy and held by Bert Drew was named "Old John".
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Taylor's Store
PAISLEY
In 1879 George Paisley interested him- self in Witt. After completing his education in the Hillsboro Academy he enlisted in an Illinois regiment and fought in the Civil War. Returning to Hillsboro he practiced law, became owner-publisher of The Mont- gomery News and interested himself in de- veloping mine properties. Perhaps with this in mind, he bought a section of land north of Witt in 1879.
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