USA > Illinois > Franklin County > Franklin County, Illinois, war history, 1832-1919; containing a brief review of the world war--complete history of Franklin County's activities--photographs and service records of Franklin County's soldiers, sailors and marines--industrial and biographical review of business and professional firms who have made this history possible > Part 37
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Eagle Summers was born February 24, 1895, son of Andrew and Altha (Summers) Summers. Andrew Summers is a prosperous farmer and stock dealer of Akin, and Eagle industriously assisted his father until 1912 when he secured the agency for the Ford automobile. He soon became a proficient automobile salesman and became identified
with the Dimond Motor Sales Company as their representative in the townships of Northern, Cave and Eastern, continuing in this work until enlisting in the service. Upon returning from the army he again took up the selling of automobiles, but desiring a garage and more complete facilities for work, purchased the present place from L. C. Bayless. He now has the county agency for the Garner automobile and there is little doubt that he will soon be numbered among the leading automobile dealers of the county.
The Benton Auto Sales Company em- ploys as its leading mechanic, Fred Sexton, who is considered one of the most dependable automobile mechanics of the county.
A complete assortment of automobile accessories and all needed supplies for the autoist are kept for sale. The large garage building gives ample space for storage which is rented at a very nominal rate.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, ILL. WAR HISTORY.
West Frankfort Building and Loan Association
D. C.JONES. PRESIDENT.
W.A.KELLY. SECRETARY.
SOUTHERN Illinois has many large and prosperous building and loan associations, but the one association that stands in a class by itself is the West Frankfort Building and Loan Association, which was organized on July Ist, 1909, with an authorized capital of $2,500,000.00. It was just at this time that the necessity arose for a loan association to finance the hundreds of homes necessary for the large influx of population constantly streaming into West Frankfort on account of the large development of the mining industry. The initial steps for the organ- ization of this Association must be credited to D. C. Jones, Harry Stotlar and W. A. Kelly, who were constantly striving to find methods of financing the huge building operation in which they and their companies were interested.
The Association has financed the building of about one thousand homes in West Frankfort. The membership fee per share is ten cents; monthly dues, fifty cents and
one dollar; monthly interest on one hundred dollar loan, fifty cents and fifty cent prem- ium. A series of stock is always open for borrowers and investors. Paid-up stock fifty-five dollars per share in class "C," forty dollars per share in class "D," seventy- five dollars per share in class "E." The first series matured in seventy-two months as was originally estimated and many people have saved their first one hundred dollars by paying one dollar per month.
The tenth annual statement of the Asso- ciation showed the total assets to be $653,197.14. The business transacted by the company in 1919 showed a wonderful total of $451,079.88.
The officers of the Association are D. C. Jones, president; W. B. Crawford, vice- president; W. E. Pharis, treasurer; and W. A. Kelly, secretary. The directors other than the officers are Harry Stotlar, E. M. Stotlar, D. O. Jones, Barnard Hampton and Fred Stotlar.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY. ILL WAR HISTORY.
J. L.SMITH, CHAIRMAN Board of Directors.
R.P. BLAKE, PRESIDENT.
JESSE DIMOND. S. Director.
W.J. FITZGERRELL Director.
THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF WEST FRANKFORT. Organized 1902 _ Resources $950, 000.00
WALTER MOSS, Book-keeper.
SAFE AND RELIABLE.
CASHIER.
O.5. BROWN, Vice-Pres.
L. S. HAFF, ass't. Cash'r.
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1832 1919
E. C. AKIN, Book-keeper
W. R.TODD.
FRANKLIN COUNTY, ILL WAR HISTORY.
First National Bank of West Frankfort
THE growth of a small village into a rapidly growing city demands unusual banking facilities, and a bank that has met such demands is the First National Bank of West Frankfort which was organized in 1902, first as a private bank known as the Citizens' Bank, with W. H. Hart of Benton as president; G. D. Dimmick, cashier, and R. P. Blake, bookkeeper. The private com- pany was organized with a capital of $25,000.00 and the first day's deposit was $2,500.00. The rapid growth of West Frankfort is shown by the fact that the deposits were soon $103,000.00 and the business of the bank outgrowing private banking facilities.
In 1905 the Citizens' Bank was incorpor- ated as the First National Bank with G. D. Dimmick, president; W. W. Williams, vice-president; R. P. Blake, cashier and J. M. Willmore, assistant cashier. The principal officers were retained until January 11, 1911, when J. L. Smith, a prominent lumber merchant, was elected president. In 1919, Mr. Smith retired from active par- ticipation in the bank on account of other large interests and R. P. Blake, the efficient cashier, who had been identified with the bank since its organization as a private bank, was made president. Mr. Smith is still chairman of the board of directors. W. R. Todd, who became identified with the bank in October, 1914, was formerly with the Old Ben Coal Company; a world war veteran with over-sea service and the present financial officer of the West Frankfort American Legion. O. S. Brown, the vice- president, came to the bank in 1913 and had previously been cashier at the C.& E.I. station, coming to West Frankfort from Flora. L. S. Haff, assistant cashier, came to the bank in 1918 from Frankfort, Ken-
tucky, where he had been identified with the Farmers' Deposit Bank for about six years. E. C. Akin and Walter Moss are both Franklin county boys, having been reared near Akin and both came to the Bank during the year of 1918. The other members of the organization are W. J. Fitzgerrel, director and secretary of the board of directors, a former vice-president of the bank and now in the automobile business in Benton, but still has financial interest in the bank, and Jesse Dimond, who has large financial interests in the bank and has been identified with most of the development work of Franklin county. The last financial state- ment issued May 4, 1920 indicated a won- derful growth of the Bank, the total re- sources being $928,330.39 with deposits of $795,998.62. Seventeen years of successful banking has given the bank its deserved growth.
This sketch would not be complete with- out a short biography of the one officer who has given all his energies to build up this institution, R. P. Blake. He was born in Franklin county near Osage, the son of J. S. and Ella (Perrin) Blake on May 30, 1879. He received his early education in the district school. He attended the State Normal at Carbondale for two years, after which he taught for two years. Desiring to enter business life he attended the Draughon Business College at St. Louis and after graduating in the commercial course was employed as bookkeeper for the bank as mentioned above. Mr. and Mrs. Blake are parents of three children: Thomas, Maxine, and Aileen. Mr. and Mrs. Blake were also actively identified with the home service work of the county's war activities. Another section shows their part in this work during the war.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, ILL. WAR HISTORY. L
The West Frank fort American
T THE power of the Fourth Estate is generally conceded to be the strongest influence in the United States, where the absolute freedom of the press is allowed as in no other country.
The responsibility rests heavily, therefore, on the shoulders of those trusted with the moulding and direc- tion of public opinion. An example of the progressive newspaper which has boldly met the different issues and has taken the initiative in the daily newspaper field of Franklin county, is the West Frankfort American, published as a daily and weekly.
As most newspa- per successes, this news- paper was founded by a practical printer and newspaper man-B. W. Elkins, who was born in Benton on May 7, 1876, the son of A. J. Elkins, a veteran of Co. I, 110th Illinois Volunteers of Civil war. He was reared in Ben- ton, attended the com- mon school and later worked in a store for a short time. At the age of thirteen he became an apprentice on the Franklin County Chronicle, at Benton; and then worked as a journeyman on Benton papers for a number of years. In 1902 he came to West Frank- fort and was employed on the "American" until 1913, when he, in partnership with Frank Boyd, purchased the paper. This partnership continued until 1918, Mr. Elkins then purchasing the interest of Mr. Boyd. At this period in the history of the West Frankfort American, the paper gained in its organization, W. A. Kelly, a very popular and influential business man who purchased a half interest. Mr. Kelly for many years
has been closely identified with many suc- cessful business ventures that have been a great stimulus in the growth of West Frankfort. A more extended review of his activities will be found on another page.
After two unsuccessful attempts to firmly establish a daily paper, the American with its issue of July 1, 1919, was permanently confirmed, and at this writing has passed the first milestone, constantly growing stronger in prestige and influence.
The plant of the West Frankfort American is the largest and most complete of any print- ing plant in Franklin County. Two modern type-setting machines, large seven - column quarto news press, job- bers, and late automatic stitching machine is part of the equipment.
B. W. Elkins is editor and manager; P. R. Noll, city editor; Nell Elkins, society editor; Fred Greer, circulation manager; Henson Pur- cell, foreman, M. C. Page, linotype operator, and H. M. Fulmer, job compositor.
Mr. Elkins was mar- ried on May 7, 1897, to Miss Mary Cabaness, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Cabaness, of West Frankfort. Mr. and Mrs. Elkins are the parents of five children: Nellie, Lena, Tyke, Tim and Eugene-the first four are valuable assistants of their father in the newspaper work.
The West Franklin American is republican in politics, and in all elections its columns are used freely in fighting for party prin- ciples. As the proprietors are both active in party work, their paper bespeaks their sentiment on all occasions.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, ILL. WAR HISTORY.
W. A. Kelly
A S one of the representative business men and progressive citizens of Franklin county, W. A. Kelly, of West Frankfort, is eminently entitled to special recognition in this history. His special financial and business ability is shown in his connection with the organization and upbuilding of many important industrial enterprises, and through his active identification with the same he has gained precedent as one of the veritable captains of in- dustry. He has won large and worthy suc- cess through his own ability and well directed efforts, while his course has been so guided and governed as to retain to him the unqualified confidence of those with whom he has come in contact in the varied relations of life.
W. A. Kelly was born Jan. 24, 1864, on a farm near DuQuoin, the son of Thos. B. and Nanny B. (Fleming) Kelly, who were natives of Ohio, coming to Illinois in the last months of the Civil war. Obtaining the education possible in the graded schools of that period and later attending the DuQuoin seminary, our subject at an early age began a business career. His first position was with the Illinois Central Coal & Mining Co., and then accepted employment in a clothing store, gaining his first mercantile knowledge that was to prove valuable in later efforts. His first business experience as a proprietor was as a member of the firm of Kirk & Kelly, at DuQuoin. Not long after this partnership, the business instinct of Mr. Kelly directed him to the new Franklin county coal fields. Helocated in West Frank- fort in 1905 and was bookkeeper for the Firsco Lumber and Hardware Co. until the business was sold and he became manager
of the Witt Mercantile Co., which position he held until 1909 when he was appointed postmaster. He served the government and community in this capacity until 1913. When the West Frankfort Building & Loan Association was organized in 1909, Mr. Kelly was elected secretary which position he has held since. He was one of the organizers and incorporators of the West Frankfort Bank & Trust Co., same being organized in January, 1913. Served as cashier until 1916, when the business of the Loan Association be- came so extensive he resigned to devote more time to the Association. He has always been recognized as one of the important factors in the development of the large interests of the Association and Bank.
Mr. Kelly has many insurance clients and represents the old re- liable lines such as the Franklin, Aetna and Hartford. In 1900 he joined B. L. Elkins in the purchase of the West Frankfort Amer- ican. He is a member of the firm of Hampton & Kelly, general mer- chandise; Kelly & Bart- mes, Essex and Hudson automobiles; Carter & Kelly, real estate. Each of these business enterprises has the benefit of his guiding hand and leadership.
Mr. Kelly was married to Miss Anna Rogers, Sept. 3, 1890. They are the parents of six children: Mrs. Carrie Martmes, Lillian deceased), Helen, Mrs. Edith Hampton, Roger and Marion. Mr. Kelly has always been active in civic affairs and no citizen is more popular. Many home activities during the war had the benefit of his assistance and prestige. An active worker in the Repub- lican party, he is the present central com- mitteeman.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, ILL WAR HISTORY.
D. C. Jones
E VERY progressive city has one or more citizens that are directly responsible for its upbuilding. West Frankfort has been fortunate, in that citi- zens have used the necessary energy in building a
hustling and bustling city from a small mining camp. This rapid building required considerable resourcefulness in financing, and the citizen directly responsible for bringing the necessary capital to West Frankfort, is D. C. Jones, the subject of this sketch. Mr. Jones is the son of Samuel S. Jones and Mary E. Ray. His father was a soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War. The Jones family came to southern Illinois from North Caro- lina by way of Tennessee; the Rays came from Tennessee. D. C. Jones was born on a farm in Williamson county, near the present site of Johnson City. This neighborhood, during his early boyhood days, was famous for the raising of tobacco and up to the time he was fifteen years of age he claims to have spent more hours working with the tobacco crop, either in the woods, the field or in the barn than in school, however, at the completion of the course of training in the public schools of Williamson County he made the best grade in the county in the final examination. At the age of eighteen he began teaching school in the winter, attending school at Carbondale Normal in the spring and selling books, life insurance or pianos in the summer. One summer he worked on the farm of Mr. Thomas Stotlar at Herrin's Prairie, which acquaintance possibly decided his life's occupation.
Mr. Jones taught school eleven years, altogether, being the first principal of the Carterville High School which position he held for two years, and was, then superintendent of the Ava schools for three years, retiring from school work in 1904. then engaging in the real estate, hardware, and furniture business. For the past twelve years he has been manager of the business of the Stotlar- Herrin Lumber Company in West Frankfort, and besides taking care of a large part of the general
lumber sales of the community he has sold about five hundred lots and the material to build houses on them.
For the past twelve years there has been no movement for the general up-build- ing of West Frankfort in which Mr. Jones has not taken an active part. One of his ambitions has always been that his friends could know his side of any issue without consulting him. He has never with- held his time or money to help make West Frankfort a better place in which to live. He has been a booster for good churches, good schools, good roads and law enforcement since the day he came to town.
He was in West Frankfort but a short time when he organized the West Frankfort Building & Loan Association, which is today the largest building and loan associa- tion in southern Illinois, and has been president of the Association since its organization. He was one of the original stockholders in the West Frankfort Bank & Trust Company and has been one of the directors since its organization.
He was an original booster for our township high school. About eight years ago he had an election called to establish a high school district exactly as we have it now, but on account of sickness in his family he was away at the time of the election and because of lack of organization the proposition fell through and the district is now paying the penalty in building our present building on war prices.
One of the things of which Mr. Jones is most proud is what he has been able to do in helping bring the present Baptist church of West Frankfort from the small church with preaching once a month in a small house, with a small salaried preacher, to the present plant, which is one of the best equipped in Southern Illinois. He has taught in the Sunday School, has served in the capacity of church treas- urer, choir leader and Sunday School superintendent and his attitude has always been to do that which needed to be done, no matter how small or how hard that task might be.
For three years Mr. Jones taught school at Bandy- ville, near the present city of Herrin, and the bright- est girl in school was Miss Bessie Walker, who seven years later became Mrs. Jones, and in all his plans, whether business, church or social, she has been his constant inspiration and help-mate. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have three fine sons, Don C. Jr., Henry Charles and James Walker.
Mr. Jones was a willing helper in all the late war drives, and was chairman of the "United War Works Campaign" which came after the Armistice and was one of the most difficult propositions to put through, but thanks to the influence and energy of Mr. Jones and his helpers West Frankfort came up well with her part of the work.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, ILL. WAR HISTORY.
D.C.JONES & SONS.
Don C. Jones, Jr.
James Walker Jones.
Henry Charles Jones
Arer can
D. C.JONES.
D.C.JONES & SONS FURNITURE&HARDWARE
Alfonso don
D. C. Jones & Sons
THE firm of D. C. Jones and Sons, furn- iture and hardware, came into existence on the 11th day of December, 1918, just thirty days after the signing of the armistice, when they bought the hardware stock of W. J. Fitzgerrel, located at 206 East Main street.
D. C. Jones, senior member of this firm, having come up from a farm boy without any opportunities excepting good health and lots of ambition, and being thoroughly imbued with the fact that a boy's time had better be spent in learning something useful than in playing on the streets, bought this store with the idea of providing useful employment for his three sons, Don, Henry and Walker, during vacations, afternoons and Saturdays, hoping that they would learn the business and that some member of the family would continue the store for many years to come.
It was not long after the store was pur- chased until the elder son, Don C. Jones, Jr., took it into his head to become a store man in fact, so to the great surprise of his parents and friends, he took for a wife Miss Ruth Campbell, daughter of the competing hard- ware merchant on the West Side, and settled down to give his entire attention to the store.
About this time the entire building, con- sisting of almost a quarter of a block, was purchased by the elder Mr. Jones, and another room was taken over and a stock of furniture was added. Since, other exten- sions have been built to the building and other rooms occupied.
As suggested above, it is the hope of the founder of this store that some member of the family will be running this store, under this name, at this location fifty years from today.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY, ILL. WAR HISTORY.
7
C.A.GARDNER, Asst. Cash'.
L. B. HEARD, Ass'. Cashr.
IRENE DUNCAN, Teller.
ADA THOMAS, Bookkeeper.
WEST FRANKFORT BANK & TRUST COMPANY. Capital.$50,000.00. - Organized 1913 .- Resources over 700,000.00.
HARRY STOTLAR, PRESIDENT.
W. B. CRAWFORD, CASHIER.
W. E. PHARIS, VICE - PRES.
D. C.JONES, DIRECTOR.
W.A. KELLY, DIRECTOR.
GEO.F.CAMPBELL, DIRECTOR.
D.M. PARKHILL. DIRECTOR.
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1832 SAID
FRANKLIN COUNTY, ILL. WAR HISTORY.
West Frank fort Bank & Trust Company
D URING the period of rapid growth and development of West Frankfort, the demand for banking facilities which would encourage and help in the work of making a large and flourishing city out of a small mining community, was the occasion for a group of progressive citizens to undertake the organization of a bank that would liberally co-operate in the work of building this flourishing city. On January 17, 1913, by the application of H. M. Rea, Jesse Dimond, W. E. Phares, W. A. Kelly and B. H. Webb, a charter was received to organize the West Frankfort Bank & Trust Company. The original capital stock sub- scribed was $50,000, and has remained the same since the organization, although the earnings have warranted an increase. The first officers were: Harry Stotlar, president; W. E. Pharis, vice-president; W. A. Kelly, cashier-directors other than officers: B. H. Webb, Thomas Horn, D. C. Jones, Ben Westbrook, Jesse Dimond, L. T. Clem and G. W. Wilkens.
The bank at once became the center of a circle of large real estate and building ac- tivities and especially from 1915 when the same gentlemen above mentioned became identified with the West Frankfort Building & Loan Ass'n.
In February, 1916, upon the resignation of W. A. Kelly to become the secretary of the loan association, W. B. Crawford, was elected cashier, and the organization gained an active recruit to their rank of progressive- ness. The rapid growth of this institution is best shown by the increase in deposits from year to year: 1914-$49,743.93; 1915- $69,555.37; 1916-$127,017.36; 1917- $264,383.99; 1918-$434,029.94; 1919- $603,450.18.
The report of the bank at the close of business, June 30, 1920, as made to the auditor of public accounts, is as follows:
RESOURCES
Loans and Discounts. $470,508.89
Bonds
50,816.41
Banking House, Furn. and Fix. 34,907.61
Cash and Due from Banks 125,303.04
$681,535.95
LIABILITIES
Capital Stock $ 50,000.00
Surplus
10,000.00
Undivided Profits. 6,442.69
Deposits 587,593.26
Bills Payable 15,000.00
Dividends Unpaid. 2,500.00
Due from Banks.
10,000.00
$681,535.95
The present officers are: Harry Stotlar, president; W. E. Pharis, vice-president; W. B. Crawford, cashier; C. A. Gardner, assistant cashier; L. B. Heard, assistant cashier-directors other than officers are: D. C. Jones, D. M. Parkhill, Geo. F. Camp. bell and W. A. Kelly.
The West Frankfort Bank and Trust Company was one of the leaders among the financial institutions of the county in using the banking connections and resources in assisting in every drive during the war period. The officers and every employee used their efforts to the utmost in working to put the drives over at the earliest possible moment. The local activity section of this history shows the different official capacities in which they labored. It is public know- ledge, and commented upon, that the West Frankfort Bank & Trust Company deserves the greatest of commendation for their patriotic efforts during the war period.
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EASY PAYMENTS
WESTET ANKFORT HOUSEFURNISHING CO.
West Frank fort Housefurnishing Company
T 'HE wonderful growth of West Frank- fort has been the occasion for the rapid building of several large mercantile insti- tutions, but none that is more conspicuous than the West Frankfort House Furnishing Company, which has grown in a few years to be the largest furniture and house furnish- ing company in southern Illinois. In this large market place can be found everything to completely furnish the home-selections for the most elegantly furnished residence or the more humble home. Young married folks have formed the habit of first visiting the West Frankfort House Furnishing Com- pany when ready to build their nest.
This large institution was organized Feb- ruary, 1913, and from its inception became a popular furnishing headquarters, but not until after a fire had destroyed the old building, on February 28, 1916, and a new home builded on August 1, 1916, across the street from the old location, did the firm become ambitious to lead in their line. From organization, the firm was fortunate in hav- ing as its manager, Clifford R. Thienes, who had by learning the business from the ground up, prepared himself for the management of such an enterprise.
The West Frankfort House Furnishing Company is a closed corporation-the stock being held by members of the Thienes family. The officers are Clifford R. Thienes,
president; J. C. Thienes, vice-president, and Chas. Thienes, secretary and treasurer-the latter being mother and father of Clifford R. Thienes.
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