USA > Illinois > McLean County > Empire > Heritage of the prairie : a history of LeRoy and of Empire and West townships, McLean County, Illinois > Part 9
USA > Illinois > McLean County > Le Roy > Heritage of the prairie : a history of LeRoy and of Empire and West townships, McLean County, Illinois > Part 9
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The old FAIRVIEW school. Oct. 1936. Back row: Inez Morris, teacher, Bernadine Beasley, Kenneth Moss, Harry Wilson, Maurice Moss, Lyell Lamont, Lola Lamont, Mrs. Theo Davis, teacher. Front row: Jack Moss, Barb Palen, Hazel Hodfield, Donald Foster, Mary Moss, Roger Woodrey, Lynn Lamont.
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Eugene Field School.
PRINCIPALS AND SUPERINTENDENTS OF LEROY HIGH SCHOOL
1854 - 57 Rev. Robert Patten
1857 - 58
John Long
1858 - 59
Miss Maltby
1859 - 60
A. B. Conkling
1860 - 61 Mr. Harris
1861 - 62 W. A. Monroe
1862 - 63 M. Huffman
1863 - 64 Noah Wantling
1864 - 65 W. A. Monroe, 2nd Term
1865 - 67 D. C. Clark
1867 - 68
W. A. Monroe, 3rd Term
1868 - 69 J. W. Barley
1869 - 70 John X. Wilson
1870 - 71 Mr. Shirk
1871 - 74 C. A. Barley
(The above were all Principals)
1874 - 84 M. Jesse, 1st Supt.
1884 - 87
W. H. Chamberlin
1887 - 90
L. S. Kilborn
1890 - 92
J. W. Tavenner
1892 - 95
Francis G. Blair
1895 - 96
B. T. Templeton
B. C. Moore
1896 - 00 1900 - 01 C. J. Posey
1901 - 09 S. K. McDowell, 712 Yrs.
1909 - 10 C. Kyner, 11/2 Yrs.
1910 - 13 H. H. Kirkpatrick
1913 - 14 W. A. Goodier
1914 - 15 Bert Reeves
1915 - 17 F. W. McLemarrah
1917 - 19 S. E. LeMarr
1919 - 32 C. E. Joiner, Supt.
Earl Taylor
1933 - 40 1940 - 44 Clarence Crawford
1944 - 48 Virgil Bingmam
1948 - 49 Lowell Johnson, ist. Supt Comm. Unit Dist. #2
1949 - 52 T. I. Anderson, Supt. & Prin.
1952 - 56
Loren Nicol, Supt. & Prin.
1953 - 57
Joseph Naffziger, Asst. Prin.
1957 - 59
A. M. Simpson, Supt.
1957 - 58
John Reakes, Prin.
1958 - 59
Harry Ryan
1959 - 68 1960 - 61 Loren Klaus, Supt.
1961 - 70 John Ingalls, Supt.
1968 - 71 Richard Small, Prin.
1971 - 72 Marvin Mason, Prin.
1972 - 75 Terry Park, Prin.
1970 - 75 P. R. Dardano, Supt.
WHAT HAPPENED TO LEROY UNIVERSITY?
In an enactment granted and approved by the Illinois General Assembly in 1841 it appeared that LeRoy, a town of about 300 would possibly become the educational seat of Illinois with the proposed incorporation of the "LeRoy Manual Labor University." At that time the area was in a comparatively primitive state. The object of said corporation was the promotion of the general interest of education embracing preparatory collegiate and professional studies. It was to be open to all denominations of Christians.
Whether the university ever opened its doors remains unknown. In 1841 there was no newspaper in LeRoy nor Bloomington, to provide reference to the large scale plans of a few aggressive LeRoy pioneers.
OLD NEWS ITEMS 1883
April 13, 1883 .... Skating Rink opened and dedicated to the public. J. W. Brown and A. J. Keenan were the proprietors and managers. The building was 100 feet by 40 feet.
May 25, 1883 .... Injury to Prof. Jess by Capt. Vanatta's muley cow. Commencement of LeRoy Public Schools at the Rink.
June 1, 1883 .... Calico carnival at the Rink.
June 22, 1883 .... Open air concert by Chase's Cornet Band.
July 6, 1883 .... Number of children of school age in LeRoy School District, 375.
August 2, 1935 - D. F. VanDeventer, was ninety years of age last Monday. To celebrate the event a family reunion was held at Farmer City on Sunday and Mr. VanDeventer was honored with a large birthday cake and a number of other gifts. He is enjoying excellent health for a man of his age, and has retained his keen sense of hearing. His eyesight is good only requiring glasses to read.
He was born six miles south of LeRoy in 1845, ten years after the founding of the town. He has a vivid memory of the many incidents and associates reaching back to his young boyhood days. He recalls when visiting at the home of his grandfather, Squire James VanDeventer, which is now the location of the McBride home, that he was attracted by the calls of peafowls and came across what was open prairie then to the home of Dr. Fields, now the site where he himself lives, and took a good look at the peafowls.
His first school house was made of logs, the windows and doors hung with leather hinges. The new school house which followed was called the Fuller school.
Congratuations, Uncle Dan, and many more happy birthdays!
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William Lewis, Prin.
Brittin School.
2
SOPHOMOREMESS
LeRoy Sophomore class of 1914-15. Front row: Fordyce Sargent, Russell Owens, Glenn Brown, Marvin Vance, Sr., Lyle VanDeventer. Second row: Hannay Keenan, Melba Kline, Leak Garst, Norma Brown, Emily Bishop, Letha VanDeventer, Maude Russell, Fairy Swartz. Third row: Lilta Kimler, Faye VanDeventer, Hazel Hall, Erma Clenenger, Herbert Tyner, Clifton Buckles, Edna Brand, Esther Hostler.
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Today's Schools
LeRoy Elementary Schools
LeRoy Middle School.
=====
LeRoy High School.
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COMPLIMENTS OF The Kline Families
Living in The LeRoy Community For The Past Six Generations
1853 - 1976
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. ..
Cemeteries
Otd Oak Grove Cemetery.
There are four cemeteries in Empire township as of this year, 1976. There were others in earlier days but they have vanished from sight and almost from the memory of even oldest citizens. Many remains were moved from early cemeteries to larger cemeteries after they were established. Many of the early settlers have several descendant generations resting in the present cemeteries. Many who saw fit to leave this area to seek their fortune have had their mortal remains or ashes returned for burial in a local family plot.
Three of the cemeteries are located near one another about a mile east of LeRoy on Route 150. Oak Grove Cemetery is first with Old Oak Grove Cemetery lying to the north of its northeast quarter. Howard Cemetery lies just east of Old Oak Grove Cemetery across a strip of land and just off the east bank of Salt Creek. Howard Virgin Timber Park borders it on the south and a foot path through the timber is the only access to it now. There have been no burials in Howard Cemetery for many years.
When the early settlers came they followed the Indian trails for roads and when they staked out their cemeteries they often chose a site the Indians had already started for a burial ground, usually a high, well-drained location. Such was the case for the Howard and Old Oak Grove Cemeteries. One authority for this are letters written by Frank Howard in the 1950s and printed in The LeRoy Journal's "Much Ado" column. Frank Howard was born about 1864 and as a small boy hunted Indian arrowheads around Howard Cemetery east of LeRoy. His letters read in part, "The Howard Cemetery was planned by the Kickapoo Indians when they camped there. There were 23 Indians buried in the northwest part of the cemetery. The markers were rocks, deer horns and arrows. I have many of the arrow points I found in the timber near there -- points healed in the trees where they practiced with bows and arrows and made points out of flint rock. They also had a camp in the north part of Old Oak Grove Cemetery, and some Indians are buried there. That
cemetery was staked out by an early settler, Thomas Rutledge, as a burying place for pale faces, the same as the Howard Cemetery was by Eleazer Howard. There are about 100 buried in the Howard Cemetery besides the Indians. My grandfather deeded the Howard Cemetery to the public. It is on record."
Thomas O. Rutledge staked out Old Oak Grove Cemetery in April, 1830. By some strange fate he was the first to be buried there as he died August 20, 1830. He also was believed to be the first white person to be buried in Empire township. This cemetery also has been called the Cope Cemetery. possibly because the land to the north and west of it was settled by the Cope family.
Until 1875 Old Oak Grove Cemetery was the burial place for most of the families of this vicinity and by that time there were very few spaces left. On Sept. 8, 1875 the Oak Grove Cemetery Association was incorporated and 12 acres were purchased from the Wiley Estate adjoining Old Oak Grove Cemetery on the south. This was surveyed and platted and roads laid out so lots could be sold. The first recorded burial was that of Theophelus Cornish Humphrey who died Dec. 5, 1875. There is some question that P. J. Watts may have been the first buried there but so far no one has come forward with dates to prove this.
After opening of Oak Grove Cemetery the Old Oak Grove Cemetery was somewhat neglected, only being cared for by each family as it saw fit for its own family plot. In 1907 the voters of Empire township voted to levy money to care for Old Oak Grove, Howard and Gilmore Cemeteries, and also elected trustees to carry out the work. In 1914 a board of commissioners was elected and Old Oak Grove Cemetery was given a good cleaning. Trees were trimmed, trash hauled away and all holes filled in so a lawnmower could be used. It has been well kept ever since.
About the turn of the century the ladies of LeRoy were desirous of a sidewalk to the cemetery. In 1903 they organized themselves and set out to raise the money for this sidewalk.
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J. T.ANDE. J.
CRUMBAUGH
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Beautiful Oak Grove Cemetery.
They thought it would take $1000 to put in a board sidewalk and they talked of raising it to $2000 which they thought would put in a concrete walk. They had suppers and all manner of fund raising affairs but were still short of their goal when the ladies of LeRoy Commercial Club took the idea of building a concrete road to the cemetery before the LeRoy Commercial Club in 1910. The men considered the idea impractical and dropped the matter. The matter was again taken up on February 8, 1912 and a committee was appointed to make an investigation.
On April 5, 1912 the sum of $3,148. was obtained by a tax levy and on April 18, 1913 a new committee was appointed to work with the highway commissioner. The contract for the hard road was let on September 1, 1913 to the Davis-Ewing Concrete Company of Bloomington for $1.16 per foot. The 4.930-foot long, nine-foot wide hard road was completed in eight days. The road from the east limits of the city to the cemetery cost $5,817.80. This was $6,669.80 more than the tax raised The balance was paid off by public spirited citizens and property owners.
Shoulder work was yet to be done on the road so 20 carloads of gravel were ordered and when it was set on the Big Four siding the people of LeRoy decided to make the hauling of this gravel a gala occasion. The 200 to 300 men with shovels. approximately 100 wagons with teams furnished by farmers and others paraded through the town led by the LeRoy Band. Stores closed so all could help. They started at the cemetery working back towards town laying a three-foot wide shoulder of gravel on each side of the concrete. By noon the work was half done. The Commercial Club handed tickets to the workers to get dinner at the restaurants. By five o'clock all the gravel was hauled but one carload.
The rest of the "Road Day" program was a band concert in the park from seven to eight o'clock, then to the Opera House for a program of orchestra music, speeches by the chairman of the event and the state engineer of roads from Springfield, a solo by Miss Pearl Sarver, Glenn Patterson read a poem he had written for the occasion, more orchestra music and short
talks by LeRoy citizens. It was a day that made news -- a day long remembered by those who took part -- a day the ladies of the LeRoy had their fondest wish come true, they had more than a sidewalk -- it was a ROAD TO THE CEMETERY.
Oak Grove Cemetery lies on a rise of ground that used to slope rather sharply on the south side. The family plot of Permelia Watters Wiley Crumbaugh was on the south edge of the cemetery and she decided to have a crypt or mausoleum built under her family plot. It had a beautiful arched entry. It wasn't quite understood as to whether she expected to be interred there or if she built it just to hold bodies being held for delayed burial for various reasons. She died in 1887 and was buried in the family plot. Some remember that it was used once when a body was shipped back to LeRoy for burial. The crypt has long since decayed and disappeared.
The sharp south slope of Oak Grove Cemetery disappeared about 1964 when all the brush was cut and some grading was done and a large amount of filling began which has continued until the present time. A road is being built along the south side connecting with the road on the east side which was rebuilt in 1964. Through the years new roads have been put inside the cemetery. They were graveled in the 1930s and are now covered with white rock. A large metal shed was built on the east edge of the cemetery to house mowers, tools, etc. A new section has been opened on the north side of the cemetery. Most of the improvements are made with donations of money and work by interested persons. The state has passed laws governing cemetery associations and their funds are accountable to state auditors. All cemeteries must keep a perpetual care fund and only the interest can be used by the association. The principal may not be used at any time.
Oak Grove Cemetery is said to be one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Central Illinois. This is due to the lay of the land, the fine stone markers, the care given each grave and the beautiful grove of native growth white oak trees from which it gets its name.
A LeRoy Journal article of 1903 tells of the very careful
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Gilmore Cemetery.
records being kept of all interments in Oak Grove Cemetery. The record shows the name, date and place of birth, residence, age, sex, cause of death, date of interment, exact place of burial, undertaker and name of nearest relative. If these records have been kept this completely then they must have been a great help to Kenneth Humphrey, a fourth generation LeRoyan, who set out more than 10 years ago to make a record of every grave or grave site in all the cemeteries in this vicinity. A very noble work which consumes almost every spare minute of his time. He has yards and yards of maps with all graves in their proper location and thousands of index cards with any information and pictures available of the people in those graves. He has given special attention to veterans' records and has them catalogued to themselves. The majority of the work is done on the two Oak Grove Cemeteries and at present he is working on Gilmore Cemetery.
Gilmore Cemetery lies two miles southwest of LeRoy at what was once known as "Gilmore's Point." Nathaniel Gilmore, with his brother, William, came overland from near Cadiz, Ohio in 1851 and bought land in Sections 19 and 30 in Empire township. Nathaniel donated the land for Gilmore Cemetery where both brothers with their wives are buried, also many other members of their families. It is believed the Gilmores started it as a burial ground in the early 1850s. It is not incorporated but is cared for under township supervision by trustees elected for that purpose. Occasionally there are some burials made in Gilmore Cemetery.
In July of 1915 Governor Dunne signed a bill, sponsored by the Women's Relief Corps of Illinois, which stated that every soldier's and sailor's grave must be designated. That is, a certificate put on file with the clerk of the county in which the grave was located. The certificate must give the name; military service engaged in; number of regiment or company of soldier; the command of a sailor or marine; the rank and period of service; name and location of grave, of any person who has served in the military or naval service.
LeRoy has a traditional Decoration Day Parade with services in Oak Grove Cemetery when graves of veterans of all wars are decorated in both Oak Grove and Old Oak Grove cemeteries. Someone always walks across the creek to decorate the one soldier's grave in Howard Cemetery. Graves in Gilmore Cemetery and Rutledge Cemetery are decorated early in the morning before the parade starts at 10 o'clock. Rutledge Cemetery is about a mile west of Gilmore Cemetery and is in Downs township. There is no definite date as to the beginning of this parade or the decorating of the graves. Decorating the graves may have started after the organization of the G.A.R. in 1866 and especially after General John A. Logan's Order No. 11 went out in 1868. It was after that order that small groups of veterans and their families started decorating graves of Civil War veterans.
Thomas Riddle Post of G.A.R. was organized in 1883 and Women's Relief Corps was organized in 1886. It may be that the parade started about the time of the organization of these two bodies. Today they decorate about 56 graves in Old Oak Grove Cemetery and more than 260 in Oak Grove Cemetery. These are graves of veterans from all wars. Thomas Riddle Post has four lots in Oak Grove Cemetery dedicated to the "Unknown Dead."
There is one Revolutionary War soldier in Old Oak Grove Cemetery. He was John Tolliday who came to McLean County in 1830 and moved around, finally settling in LeRoy in the 1840s where he died in 1849. George Ross Kibbey who is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery may be another Revolutionary War soldier but so far there are no dates available for proof.
John Buckles, the only Illinois Ranger in the war of 1812 buried in McLean County, lies in Old Oak Grove Cemetery. Ten of his companions in arms who enlisted from various states rest near him.
Location of some early cemeteries that have now disappeared have been recalled by some cooperative citizens of LeRoy.
The Conaway Cemetery is in Section 28 of Empire township just south of LeRoy on the east side of what used to be the south LeRoy blacktop road. It was feared that I-74 would go through the cemetery but it is just north of 1-74. Some of the people buried in that cemetery were moved to Oak Grove Cemetery after it was started but not all of them were moved.
The Deffenbaugh Cemetery is in Section 5 in the southwest part of Empire township.
There was one burial from the Buck family on what was once Cheney land just north of LeRoy in Section 16 of Empire township. Mrs. Cheney's maiden name was Buck. There was no name mentioned for this cemetery that hardly got started.
The Love Cemetery in Section 5 in the northwest part of West Township is another of the early cemeteries that now has vanished.
These early small family or community burial grounds were most in use during that period from carly settlement until after the Civil War when there were no undertakers in this vicinity. The markers in these early cemeteries were usually sandstone or marble about three inches thick. This may be one reason these cemeteries disappeared. After some of the people were moved to larger cemeteries and the remaining graves neglected it was easy for the stones to be piled along a fence row so the land could be farmed or livestock grazing around them trampled them into the ground. Many of these stones, especially the ones in fence rows, were carried away by people for door steps, walks and even patios.
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Lowe's Log Cabin
"Eat At The Log Cabin Often, Your Neighbor Does"
Ph. 962-5951 LeRoy, Illinois
Station Liquors and
Hayloft Lounge
Leland & Pat Dehm
A. L. Killion Garage Retired 1971
KNLIN
Picture Taken September, 1957
Compliments of Mr. & Mrs. A. Lee Pray
Morgan Transfer & Enterprises, Inc.
Phone 962-9498
Keith and Kenney Morgan
COAST TO COAST STORES
Charlie's Hardware LE ROY, ILLINOIS 61752 Phone: 962-2501
THE STORE WHERE YOUR DOLLAR WILL DO THE MOST
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Store Phone: 962-7771 Home Phone: 962-9574 LeRoy, Illinois
Joe E. Harbison, R. Ph.
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Businesses
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co
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Percheron Horse Co. owned by Ed Spence and Mr. Cotton. 2nd from left, Floyd Williams. Boy thought to be Dean Bishop. Taken in early 1900's, north side of alley north of Jones Oil & Supply.
Wirt & Martin Livery owned by E. W. Wirt and W. L. Martin. It was sold in 1910. Southeast corner Chestnut and Cherry. Patrons could rent rigs, stable horses, while shopping, board horses, and use hack services to and from the railroad depot.
Smoking Tobacco
1
STANDARD
WORLD
Earliest business in the LeRoy area was the establish- ment of the farm. Each settler in new territory had to do this for his own survival and then later he could enlarge it if he chose to stay in the farming business. Today's businesses depend on the farm for much of their business now.
Much has already been written about the earliest merchants and shopkeepers but records on businesses during the period of 1840 until about 1870 are scarce.
Around 1870 LeRoy had a steam flour mill which had been erected at a cost of $35,000 and capable of manufacturing 100 barrels of flour per day, 3 agricultural warehouses, 2 lumber yards, 6 dry goods stores, 2 tinware and hardware stores, 2 harness factories, 3 boot and shoe factories, one bank, 2 drug stores, 3 blacksmith and repair shops, one wagon making
establishment, one hotel, one livery stable, one merchant tailor, one watch and clock establishment.
The railroad was built through LeRoy in 1869 - 1870 making the shipment of goods into town much easier.
A list was compiled of businesses advertising in The LeRoy Enterprise, issue of June 23, 1876, published by G. M. Davis. It was noted that all business firms in the city were represen- ted. That list of businesses of just 100 years ago follows:
Brindley & Stout, groceries; J. M. Stearns, boots and shoes; D. Cheney, dry goods; L. H. Parks & Sons, dry goods; William Jones, blacksmithing; Mrs. M. C. Hampton, millinery; Fisk & Miller, drugs; D. Roland, tailor; J. Hammond, picture gallery; A. M. Hopper, shoe shop; J. Keenan, banker; I. N. Kaufman, carpenter; Cottage Hotel, J.
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Bus owned by Ingle's Livery.
The W. L. Martin grocery was housed in what is now the east side of The How. Groceries were delivered in this wagon. Itomer Martin is in the wagon and Ilarry Fry and Charles Martin are standing.
PHONEAL.
H. Arnold, proprietor; R. C. Hallowell, pumps and lightning rods : C. A. Barley, insurance; S. A. Moore, G. D. Crumbaugh and H. M. Phillips, justices of the peace; T. D. Fisher. W. D. Marlow and Jehu Little, doctors; J. C. Mayer, barber; Tarman & Son, restaurant; W. A. McFarland, dray line; A. Murray, groceries; D. Young, clothing; William Buckworth, druggist: Corcoran & Bro., harness; J. Keenan, dry goods; R. S. Howard, undertaker: Louis L. Fry, painter; W. H. Beeney & Co., hardware; J. Schuler, restaurant; Bruner. Barnum & Keenan, mill and lumber; A. L. Moore, temperance saloon and billiard hall; Humphrey & Son, groceries; Ed Johnston, livery stable; Crumbaugh & Son, school books, jewelry, notions; B. F. Ayton, carriage and wagon shop; Barley & Davis, real estate; W. M. Tarman, proprietor of Transient House; N. L. Robinson, wagon maker; William Calhoun, carpenter; Mrs. J. A. Kies, plants and flowers; J. Baddely & Son, general merchandise (Sign of the Golden Boot ).
By 1880 approximately a dozen new businesses had been added.
In 1895 Charles Chase published a LeRoy City Directory. It listed 67 different businesses with the majority having two or more merchants in each business. Some merchants handled two businesses - such as jewelry in a barber shop or china and glassware in a dry goods store. Agriculture implements could be bought from 5 different merchants. Other multiple businesses were 2 banks, 3 hardware, 5 groceries, 3 grain dealers, 4 shoe dealers, 7 sold china and glassware, 12 carpenters - builders and contractors, 10 dressmakers, 4 dry goods stores, 2 newspapers, 5 doctors, 10 painters and paper- hangers, 2 variety stores and 2 telephone companies. There were two stockyards in LeRoy. One was on Oak St. near the end of the "Punkin Vine" track. The other was on the southwest corner of Main and Cedar Sts. where "Dude" Wheeler now has his garden.
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LeRoy Savings & Loan Association
107 South Chestnut Street LeRoy, Illinois 61752 Phone (309) 962-3691
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June 16, 1916
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