USA > Illinois > Moultrie County > Bethany > A history of Bethany > Part 6
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Main Street looking west - 1974
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Main Street looking east - 1974
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Willard Ray Restaurant, located "down on the levee", present location of Loretta's Beauty Shop. Willard Ray is standing with white apron.
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Bethany in the early 1900's
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The sqaure about the Illinois Central Station, around 1917.
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1917 view of Main Street in Bethany, Illinois, looking east
The grain elevators of Bethany, Illinois, around 1917
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Main and Lincoln Streets prior to 1917
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The Bethany power plant around 1917
Lincoln Street (top) and intersecting Main Street in Bethany around 1917.
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The new Township High School in 1917
Bethany Public Grade School in 1917
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Some leading churches of Bethany in the early 1900's
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Chapter 10
1941 Grid, 1975 Cage Teams Feature BHS' Sports
Bethany High's enrollment is too small to provide the football teams with the manpower they need.
Still, Bethany was a terror in football under Ivan C. Johnson, who coached the team from 1940 through 1945 and who also served as principal.
The best years were 1941, when Bethany went 8-0 and 1942 when it was beaten only once.
The bright star of those years was Darrell Weakly, a 145- pound speedster. In 1941, Weakly scored 22 touchdowns and kicked seven extra points. He returned six punts for touchdowns on sprints of 50, 52, 60, 70, 72 and 80 yards. He once raced 102 yards for a touchdown on the kickoff, and he got off many long runs from scrimmage.
Don Bone, his teammate, says that Weakly was quite a thinker, as well. On the 102-yard run, he noticed the op- position pulled up, thinking he was bringing the ball out to the 20-yard line. Instead, Darrell turned on his full speed and raced through the tacklers for a touchdown.
One of the key games at Shelbyville was played in a driv- ing rain.
"Coach Johnson was quite a psychologist," remembered Bone. "Before the game, the Shelbyville coach kept his boys inside to keep their uniforms dry. Meanwhile, John- son had us falling on the ball to learn how to control it in the rain and mud.
"When the game started, we were covered with mud. But we were more than ready to play, and we know how to handle the muck. When Shelbyville fumbled, we were right on the ball. And we won, 34-0."
The school was so proud of the Mustangs' unblemished record, it decided to stage a dance for the heroes.
Lo, none of the squad turned up for it. Instead, the boys had driven over to Sullivan to see the film, "Harmon of Michigan."
"My father, Will Bone, really scolded me for this," related Don. "He said when someone honors you, it's the
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height of rudeness not to appear."
Weakly had several good college offers, but he was more interested in farming. So he married Virginia Martin of Decatur, and went into farming. And so a bright athletic career ended.
Seldom has a high school team blocked and tackled with the gusto of the 1941 Bethany aggregation. And the team was so light, averaging only 146 pounds.
Many other fine Bethany athletes figured, as did Weakly, that, after high school, it was time to start making a living at something that would last a lifetime.
Dwayne Barnes in 1950 tallied 19 touchdowns and kicked nine extra points. That year Bethany went 6-1-1.
But Barnes, Bethany's most versatile athlete ever, was even better in track. He was extremely fast, nearly always winning the 100-, 220- and 440-yard dashes. And he also long jumped and ran in the 880-yard relay team. He starred in basketball as well.
Standing 6-2 and slender, he would have made some college a track power. But, instead, he chose to become a veterinarian and, like Weakly, never competed again.
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Four greats in Bethany sports. Left to right: C.E. McCaslin, Dick Martin, Dean Puyear, Darrell Weakly.
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Another of Bethany's athletic legends is Dean Puyear, who was graduated in 1956. He set a record that may never be tied: Dean won 12 letters in football, basketball and track, and was outstanding in all these sports. Although only 5-10, he competed in track in field events and as a sprinter. In football, he was a fleet halfback. In high school football, he scored 41 touchdowns and gained 3,531 yards in 31 games.
Unlike most other Bethany immortals, Puyear went to college - Illinois State Normal - where he starred in foot- ball. He now is in the insurance business.
Puyear was good in any game he tried. For several years, he served as the star catcher for the Perfect Window Cleaners softball team in Decatur. Versatile, he also pitched, played third base and the outfield.
In 1932, Sullivan had a big, breakaway back in Bill Dwyer, who ran with high knee action.
In the Bethany game, the Mustangs had a young light- weight safety.
Raymond Scheer, a longtime Bethany resident, then principal of Sullivan High School, recalls that Dwyer broke through the Bethany line and was heading right toward safety with his knees flashing high.
"The safety just stepped aside and let Dwyer score," said Scheer. "Afterward his coach, Guy Cunningham, asked him what had happened.
He had no alibi. "I would just as soon try to tackle a bull," he replied.
Bethany had its best basketball team ever in 1974-75 when the Mustangs went to the finals of the Sectional tour- nament before losing, 59-57, to Hume-Shiloh.
The team was made up of Dave Warren, 6-5, Jim Bone, 5-10, Greg Florey, 6-6, Larry Puyear, 5-11, Mike Overlot, 5- 9, and Bill Reeder, 6-1. This fine team holds several scor- ing records including a game high of 108 points against Atwood-Hammond. The Mustangs averaged 81.6 points per game while allowing opponents 55.6 points per game.
Since basketball requires only five players, Bethany High has always performed well in the sport.
Bethany in 1920-21 under Coach John T. Belting com- piled a 10-4 record.
But in 1921-22, under B. W. Ward, the Mustangs caught fire and went 18-4.
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1974-1975 Bethany Mustangs.
Top row, left to right: Tony Rauch, Duane Jenkins, Greg Florey, Dave Warren, Bill Reeter, and Dick Bone. Bottom row, left to right: Ed Webb, Mike Overlot, Jim Bone, Greg Allsop, and Larry Puyear.
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1921-22 basketball team.
Back row: Ted Burkhead, Dale Warren, James Walton, Coach B.W. Ward, Principal Fred Ziese, Stanley Davis, Harold Daum. Front row: Bob Hoskins, Tom Logan, Guy Cunningham, Virgil Ward, Horace Reuss.
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This squad was composed of Robert Hoskins, Tom Logan, Guy Cunningham, Virgil Ward, Horace Reuss, Theodore Birkhead, Dale Warren, James Walton, Stanley Davis and Harold Daum.
Walton stood 6-4 and was regarded as a giant in those days. But today he would be too short for a front line player in pro ball.
In 1923-24, Bethany defeated Argenta, Maroa, Decatur (19-18) and Weldon to win the Decatur District tourna- ment.
Making up the team were Harold York, Glen Harding, Jim Stables, Reginald Cole, Orin Goetz and Horace Reuss.
In 1926-27, after Ward took a coaching job in Decatur, Guy Cunningham succeeded him at Bethany.
That year Bethany had one of the cleverest ball-handlers ever to play the game in Harold (Tuffy) Rhodes, who stood only about 5-7. That season Tuffy, in addition to directing the play, scored 388 points to help Bethany to a 22-10 record.
Performing with Rhodes were Orvil Oathout, Jim Snow, Hollis Dick and Lawrence Cordray.
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1940-41 team Cenois Conference undefeated champions. Top row: Coach I. C. Johnson, Loyal Pettypool, Don Saddoris (deceased), Junior Egnor (deceased), George Carpenter, Ted Ketchum, and Nick Tarro, assistant coach.
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. Front row: Wayne Saddoris, manager; Wendell Jones, Don Bone, Kenneth Brewer, Craig Bushert, Darrell Weakly, and Errol Reeter.
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Bethany bounced back in 1927-28 for 25-5 record and won the Moultrie County tournament, led by Hollis Dick, Jim Snow and Harold Waterson.
The next fine team came in 1932-33, and it featured hot- shooting Loren Grabb.
(Grabb later became a most successful Decatur real es- tate developer. He died in 1975.)
In 1936, '37, '38, Bethany won district titles at Paris, Windsor and Arthur. The stars of these three teams were Vernon Oathout, Keith Orris, Don Davisson and Wendell Jones.
Bethany's 1950-51 quintet posted a bright 20-3 record and captured both the District tournament at Atwood and the County title. Leading this club were Bill Morris, James Tipsword and Bill Bland.
The 1960-61 and 1961-62 squads took district titles at Lovington, Dave Shelton and John Mclaughlin paced the 1961 surge and Verl Cordray and Mike Shelton led the 1962 five.
In 1966-67, Bethany again won the district at Lovington, paced by Verral Cordray and Dick Martin.
The Bethany Jr. High Mustangs won the Illinois State Lightweight Basketball Tournament in 1960. The Mustangs were led in the four game tournament by Charles Bland with 40 points and David Walker with 39 points. Bethany defeated Mt. Sterling 40-35, Chillicothe 36-32, Pekin 54-27, and Carmi 40-35 in the final. The other members of this squad were Jack Schwartz, Mike Orris, Sam Scott, Jim Thomas, Dean Brewer, Joe Ishee, Tom Armer, and Jim Gregory.
John Moody, who starred in basketball at B.H.S. from 1957 through 1960, rates as the all-time leading scorer with 1,439 points in 85 games, an average of 16.92 a game.
John was a diabetic and in constant need of sugar. So, even at timeouts during a game, he would rush over and eat a Hershey bar, for he kept a stack of them on the bench.
Although he wolfed down many Hershey bars, Moody remained slim at 6-2. He attended the University of Illinois, but did not go out for basketball because of his dis- ability.
Much of this basketball information comes from Glenn E. Austin, a super historian, who is assistant cashier of the Scott State Bank.
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Here are the all-time leading scorers by years at B.H.S. where records were available to Austin:
1920-21, Thomas Logan 139 points; 21-22, Thomas Logan, 101; 26-27, Harold Rhodes, 388; 27-28, Orvil Oathout, 152; 28-29, Hollis Dick, 170; 29-30, Jim Scott, 124; 30-31, Jim Scott, 151; 31-32, Loren Grabb, 359; 32-33 Loren Grabb, 361; 33-34, 321; 34-35, Troy Scott, Jr., 235; 35-36, Minor Mathias, 197; 36-37, Vernon Oathout, 213; 37-38, Keith Orris, 284; 38-39, Wendell Jones, 83; 39-40, Wendell Jones 148; 40-41, Wendell Jones, 211; 42-43, Don Saddoris, 269; 43-44, Jay Sanner, Jr. (points not available); 45-46, Bill Glover, 185; 46-47, Jim Bone, 154; 47-48, Jim Goetz, 211; 48-49, Jim Walton, 326; 49-50, Bill Morris, 328; 50-51, Bill Morris, 421; 51-52, Bill Bland, 445; 52-53, Dale Bland; 53-54, Dean Puyear, 277; 54-55, Dean Puyear, 381; 55-56, Arnold Mitchell, 361; 56-57, Ronald Garrett, 334; 57-58, John Moody, 332; 58-59, John Moody 433; 59-60, John Moody, 592; 60-61, Dave Shelton, 536; 61- 62, Lonnie Coslow, 408; 62-63, Mike Shelton, 400; 63-64, Gerald Garrett, 479; 64-65, Dean Brewer, 392; 65-66, Dean Brewer, 481; 66-67, Verral Cordray, 405; 67-68, Roger Crowder, 271; 68-69, Roger Crowder, 413; 69-70, Bill Smith, 265; 70-71, Randy Florey, 287; 71-72, Randy Florey, 495; 72-73, Mike Overlot, 297; 73-74, Mike Overlot, 360; 74-75, Greg Florey, 464.
Bill Pine's 1974-75 cagers won the hearts and minds and cheers of all Marrowbone fans. Most every game was a sellout, and, at two home contests, many buffs were turned away at the door.
At the Tuscola Sectional of 1975, Gibbly Florini re- marked to Jim Stables of Bethany: "It looks as if all Bethany is here. I guess it's a good time for me to advise them against permitting a bar in Bethany."
Florini owns a tavern in Sullivan, well-patronized by Bethany citizens. He didn't make his speech but it was un- needed. The liquor proposal lost at the polls, anyway.
When I was in the Echo office in the summer of 1975, a gentleman came down Main Street on a bicycle.
It turned out to be Bethany High School's first coach, C. E. (Mac) McClasin, who lives at 202 East Main Street with his wife, the former Blanche Brown, widow of Coy Brown. They were married in October, 1971.
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Blanche and Mac spend their summers in Bethany, their winters in Mesa, Ariz.
McCaslin coached football, basketball and track at B.H.S. in 1916-17-18. His 1918 football team won all its three games in a schedule shortened by World War I.
On Aug. 1, 1918, Mac entered the U.S. Army with Harrison Bone and Walter Roney.
The war ended shortly after, and from 1919-23, McCaslin coached the three sports at Burlington, Iowa.
In 1923, he moved on to Fort Madison, Iowa, where he taught vocational subjects in the high school.
From 1952 to 1963, he had supervision of recreation in Fort Madison.
McCaslin retired from recreation work in 1971. Mac used to play a lot of golf but an injury grounded him.
But, a stickler for physical fitness, he has never been out of shape.
Several Bethany High School graduates became coaches.
Guy Cunningham, graduated in 1922, returned to B.H.S. as basketball, track and football coach in 1926-27 and stayed until the late 1930s.
Don Davisson, a 1938 graduate, coached football at Collinsville High but in 1975 was its golf coach.
Dean Puyear (B.H.S., 1956) coached at Streator but soon gave up coaching to sell life insurance around Bloomington, Ill.
Dean Brewer (B.H.S., 1966) coached football and basketball at Illiopolis.
And Jim Thomas (B.H.S., 1965) was coaching track at Stephen Decatur High in 1975.
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Chapter 11
The Musical Doc Boros Keeps Bethany in Tune
It was a fine, warm August day in 1939 when a young doctor, Eugene J. Boros, and his wife, the former Helen Reson, rolled into Bethany in their car.
Driving around the village, Dr. Boros found it quiet and orderly. Birdsongs filled the air, as well as the sweet aroma of lilacs. Moreover, it was close to Sullivan, where his college friend, Bill Scott, a native of Monticello, had started his medical practice. And his good friend, Dr. William Requarth, had begun his medical career in his home town of Decatur, where he was once an Eagle Scout.
Dr. Boros was so impresed by Bethany that he decided to inaugurate his practice there.
Bethany citizens never heard of Dr. Boros before. But it was the greatest thing to happen to the village, as it soon was to learn.
Very few doctors have the qualities of Dr. Boros. He combines the friendliness of early-day physicians with the competence of the most knowing of today's doctors.
His medical training has never stopped. A voracious reader, he keeps in close touch with all new medical prac- tices and ideas.
Nor does Dr. Boros mind long hours and hard work. In the morning, he covers the hospitals and nursing homes. Then, after lunch, comes his long day at his downtown Bethany office. Sometimes, there are so many patients awaiting him, that he does not escape until 11 p.m.
Doc Boros understands the problems of his patients, and he is most honest with them.
He doesn't hesitate to send a patient to the hospital or to a specialist, if he feels it necessary.
When he can find the spare time, Doc likes to return to his original chosen profession - music. He loves to play the piano. He once rewrote Bach's nine-volumes, written for the organ, into music for the piano.
But he can also play the organ, as he has demonstrated at the Presbyterian Church.
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E. J. Boros, M. D.
Bill McIlwain, former publisher of the Bethany Echo, described him as "witty when it's time to be witty, serious when it's time to be serious."
Bethany has been so proud of Dr. Boros that it honored him in August, 1964, for his 25 years of unstinted service to the town.
Some 800 persons turned out to pay homage to the plea- sant dark-complexioned doctor at the testimonial, held in Bethany High School's gym.
McIlwain, serving as master of ceremonies, gave the welcome and narrated "This Is Your Life" part of the program.
Will Boros, his brother, gave some interesting sidelights of Dr. Boros' early life, telling where he derived his drive and interest.
Dr. William Requarth gave the main address, pointing out how fortunate the community was to have a doctor as competent as Dr. Boros.
Mayor F. H. Bland presented Dr. Boros with a plaque in recognition of his long service to the community.
The late Joe Scott, then president of the Scott State Bank, who was chairman of the "Dr. Boros Day Com- mittee," presented Doc with a wrist watch on behalf of the people of Bethany. Several new pieces of equipment were purchased for his office, in which he was soon to move.
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Dr. Boros warmly accepted his accolade, and he thanked the community for "such a fine day in my life." A recep- tion followed the program.
Dr. Boros was born in Toledo, Ohio, a son of the late Rev. and Mrs. Eugene Boros. When Eugene, named after his father, was 3, the family moved to Gary, Ind., where the Boroses remained two years before going to Chicago.
Dr. Boros' father was the minister of the Reformed Evangelical Church and held pastorates at three Hungarian churches in Chicago.
His mother, a skilled musician and linguist, assisted her husband with his church work, and she also started the boy off on a musical career by giving him piano lessons at the age of 3. At 5, Eugene was put under an accomplished piano instructor.
He continued his music studies at the American Conser- vatory of Music in Chicago. He also gave piano lessons to kids while attending Park High School in Chicago. Eugene played the organ, as well, every Sunday for nine years in his father's three churches. He also played at weddings and other celebrations to help pay his own way.
After giving up his idea of becoming a minister, Dr. Boros entered the University of Chicago in 1930, and received his BS Degree in 1934. He studied Greek, Latin and history with the idea of being a teacher of theology.
In 1934, during the Chicago World's Fair, he sought to find work as a musician but the Depression was still on, and competition for jobs still severe.
Unable to find work, Dr. Boros then thought about becoming a doctor. He had read two books, “Men in White," and "Of Mice and Men," both of which stirred his interest in becoming a doctor.
He was offered a scholarship to study medicine at the University of Budapest, Hungary, which he accepted. He had been there only two months when his father died suddenly of a heart attack.
Returning for his funeral, Dr. Boros then entered the University of Chicago again, taking pre-medicine for two years; later he entered Rush Medical College, which was then a division of the University of Chicago.
While attending Rush, he met his wife, Helen, whom he married in 1935.
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Dr. Boros completed his college training in 1938, and did his internship at the Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.
After arriving in Bethany, he continued to practice until he entered the Medical Corp in World War II in 1942 with the rank of second lieutenant. He served until March, 1945, when he was released with the rank of captain, and he at once resumed his practice at Bethany.
Dr. and Mrs. Boros have two sons, Bill of Los Angeles, Gene of Ames, Iowa; and two daughters, Mrs. James (Rhoda) Terlizzi of Pennsylvania, and Mrs. Jack (Renee) Lundy of Chicago.
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Chapter 12
The Bethany Echo - Mirror of Life
Since Bethany started to grow before the turn of the Century, there were three stable businesses in town: Wilkinson Lumber Co., Scott State Bank and The Bethany Echo.
By 1975, only the bank and the Echo survived.
The Bethany Echo since pioneer days has provided a permanent record of how people live and what has hap- pened.
Newspapers are so important for obtaining past facts that the State of Illinois is now microfilming all dailies and weeklies in the state.
While researching this book in the summer of 1975, it was impossible to get precise dates on some early events for the Echoes of this period were in Springfield being photographed.
The Bethany Echo had its genesis in April, 1888, when Frank Trainer opened up with only $25 behind him. Dur- ing the six-month period that Trainer was setting up his shop and hustling advertising, he made arrangements to have the paper printed on an Army press in Decatur.
For 12 years, the Echo office was on the north side of Main Street, where the Library is today.
Late in the last century, fire destroyed the building to the west of The Echo, and Trainer felt the building too weak for his new presses.
In November, 1893, Trainer, in ill health, sold the shop and paper to John Robertson, and Robertson continued to publish the paper until March, 1898, when Trainer, recovered, bought it back.
J. W. McIlwain purchased The Bethany Echo from Trainer Nov. 1, 1898, thus beginning 75 years of continuous family ownership.
He quit his job as a teacher in schools around Moultrie County to devote full time to his weekly.
At once he bought a new press for his job printing and a Washington hand newspaper press. At the same time, he
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changed the paper from four columns to five.
Over the years, The Echo has shifted back and forth between full size and tabloid. It was the first paper in Cen- tral Illinois to go tabloid, the favorite size of bus and subway-riding city workers.
Circulation kept increasing so McIlwain purchased a Monona Leverless Cylinder Press that could print 800 papers.
From the start, The Echo published a Dalton City edi- tion as an insert to The Bethany Echo. At the time, eggs were 10 cents a dozen and butter 10 cents a pound.
Advertisers of this era included Bone and Guthrie, veterinarians; Fleming and Noble, Wheeler & Campbell, J. M. Hogg, Pyatt's Restaurant, J. B. Brock, jeweler and op- tician; Bone's Cash Shoe Store, Ross Lawrence, dentist, D. L. Farm Equipment and Armstrong Bros. Hardware.
By 1926, the Echo had even more advertisers, its all-time high. So a serial was run called "Black Gang," and earlier, a comic strip, "Mr. Henry Peck and His Family Affairs."
On January, 1900, C. E. Heckler reached Bethany, driv- ing a hayrack. Immediately, he secured a job at the Echo. For two weeks he stayed at the three-story Kendall Hotel until his family arrived to enjoy his more than three decades of service with the paper.
McIlwain got much of his news at the busy depot, where he interviewed those waiting for the train and then the arrivals as they dismounted.
J. W. continued to publish The Echo until his death in March, 1931, at the age of 64.
He had been married three times. He and his first wife, Effie Foster, had two sons, Elmer and George. She died in 1908 and George died following a diving accident at Wyman Lake in Sullivan in 1925. J. W. later married Mrs. Cora Schwartz, who had two sons, Bliss and Theodore. After the death of his second wife, McIlwain married Mat- tie Hoskins, who survived him.
Elmer McIlwain was running a garage in Sullivan when his father died, and he immediately sold his business to take over the Echo. Elmer was married in 1920 to Lois McMullin of Sullivan, and they had a son, William.
Elmer purchased the Findlay Enterprise from the late Mrs. Bonnie Mauzey in August, 1947, and printed it along with The Echo.
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Elmer's son, Bill, after a hitch in the Navy, opened Mac's Appliance and Refrigerator Service in Bethany. Later, he and Harold (Tuffy) Rhodes, the basketball whiz, opened a Rhodes & McIlwain Hardware store.
In 1952. Bill decided to go into the newspaper business with his father.
Elmer McIlwain suffered a heart attack in February, 1956. and died two weeks later at the age of 59.
Bill McIlwain then became the publisher of The Echo.
He also started a column, "Thinking Out Loud," in which he was alternately humorous and serious, nor did he ever duck controversial subjects.
Following the death of Elmer McIlwain, his widow moved to Sullivan, where she worked for the Moultrie County News until her death.
Bill McIlwain married Marguerite Shuck, and they have three children, Cynthia, Margaret and Bill.
And his family often helped him in publishing the two papers.
More and more business houses were failing in Bethany, and it became necessary to bring in advertising from near- by towns to survive.
In August. 1973, Bill made the decision to sell The Bethany Echo and Findlay Enterprise, and he made the announcement in his column, explaining his reason for selling after 21 years.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Best, owners of the thriving Moultrie County News, bought the two papers.
With the Sept. 6, 1973 edition, Mrs. Best took over as editor of the Findlay Enterprise and Mrs. Janine Shervey as the editor of The Bethany Echo.
To keep up with the changing times, the three papers are published in offset, which is an improvement over hot type and much less expensive.
Shortly after the sale, Ruth Suddarth, took over as office manager of The Echo, for which she does much of the writing.
Trained as a bookkeeper, Ruth brought a sense of business to the newspaper and a realization of the value of time. She also developed into a thorough and facile writer.
Bill kept his job printing press and has been a big help to Ruth in tipping her off to news sources as well as cheering her with his happy personality.
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Bill has the voice of a television announcer, and few can tell a story better.
Many big businesses today don't even know how their trademark originated, and have no thought of history.
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