USA > Illinois > Fulton County > Fairview > History of Fairview Township and the village of Fairview : 139th anniversary, 1836-1975 > Part 7
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The Farms have made extensive use of commercial fertilizers, herbicides, etc. over the years to aid in the reclamation of the mined land. McDaniel stated that a problem of concern at the present time is both the scarci- ty and the high cost of the fertilizers and chemicals.
A look at the statistics of the Meadowlark Farms, Inc. over the past twenty-five years reveals that over one-fourth of the acreage has been brought into cultivation, in addition to some 6,250 tons of beef placed on the market, making the Farms the second highest pro-
ducer of beef in Fulton County. Truly, a great success in reclamation for the Meadowlark Farms and its local manager.
The Standard Oil Bulk Station has been in operation since the middle or late 20's. The first manager was J.D. (Booky) White who started with one bulk tank, and the petroleum products were brought in by rail. White was followed by Robert Phipps who was the man- ager until 1933 when Carl Hartstirn assumed the managership and continued the distribu- tion of Standard products until 1942 when he was called into service.
From 1942 to 1971 Evert Hagaman was the distributor. During the War gasoline was brought in frequently by truck, but mostly by rail until the late 50's when all rail service was discontinued. During Hagaman's period of service most of the products came from the Standard Oil Refinery at Wood River, Illinois, with a small amount coming from Bettendorff, Iowa. By this time there were an 11,000 gallon storage tank for heating oil, two 17,000 and one 21,000 gallon storage tanks for gasoline. Hagaman's area of service was about thirty- six square miles, mostly in Fairview Town- ship with some territory in Young Hickory, Deerfield, and Joshua Townships. Usual- ly the distribution of products were made dur- ing the week, but on occasion Hagaman would go out on Sunday to supply heating oil to some family, or gasoline to some farmer during the rush season. In 1971 John Martin became the distributor, and is continuing the service which Fairview residents have received from Standard Oil and its distributors for almost fifty years.
The Sinclair Oil Company had a distribu- tion center located in Fairview from approx- imately 1927 to 1935. The manager of this plant was Roscoe Locke, and the storage tanks were located just south of those of Standard Oil. All products were brought in by rail. Sinclair had a large distribution area ex- tending over much of the west central part of Fulton County. Later distributing points were located in Canton and Bushnell and the Fairview plant was discontinued.
A business which was unusual in its in- fluence upon the community of Fairview was Miller's Produce which was located where the Wee Wash Laundry is now located. In 1928- 29 Merle Miller operated a cream station in back of Hill's Store where he put up a
39
basketball bankboard for the benefit of the younger boys of the community.
In 1929 he moved across the street to the above mentioned location where he expanded | his business to include poultry and eggs. In the rear of the building he installed a much better facility for the youthful basketball hopefuls. All during the depression and into the late forties many boys spent their spare time shooting baskets, learning the funda- mentals of basketball, learning the essen- tials of fair play, and developing a compe- titive spirit which not only helped them at that particular time but carried over into adult life. That this was true is indicated by the numerous letters Miller received in 1972, when he was honored for his forty-five years of service to the youth of the Fairview com- munity, from adult men thanking him for what he did for them during the depression years.
Thus, here was a business which not only contributed to the economic progress of the community, but contributed to the making of better citizens of the youth at a time when there was so little for them to do.
Every Wednesday morning a large number of pick-ups and trucks can be seen coming into Fairview, and everyone knows it is sale day at the Wilson Sale Barn. In 1938 Wilson began his sales operation at the old Green- well Livery Stable. For a number of years he has held his sale on Wednesday of each week. In the span of thirty-five years Wilson recalls only once of having to call off the sale, and that was due to a late spring snow storm. When he first started his sales most of the people came from within a radius of ten miles. Now he has customers coming from a distance of 50-60 miles, which is due in part to the discontinuance of smaller sale barns, the improvement of roads and transportation, and his own efficient management. In 1970 Ronnie Tompson became a partner with Wilson. They buy some stock to sell, but the major portion of their sales is on consign- ment. Lunch is served on the ground for the benefit of the people attending the sale.
In January 1974, Wilson sold his interest in the sale barn to Delbert Fidler who with his partner, Tompson, will continue to oper- ate under the firm name Wilson Sale Barn. However, Wilson will continue to work for the new management in a limited capacity.
There has been a cafe on the ground floor of the Masonic Building since April 1932 when the James Betar's moved there after their restaurant, which was located on the site of the present post office building, burned to the ground. After the Betar's quit business in the early 1950's several people operated the Cafe at various times until Bobbie and Betty Bowen purchased the Cafe from Bea Dufour on March 1, 1962, and have continued its operation to the present time as the Valley Cafe. The Bowens specialize in serving noon- day meals to the general public. They usually close around 5 p.m. and are closed on Sundays. Special dinners or banquets are served after hours to any group requesting such service.
A favorite eating place in Fairview Town- ship is the Myers' Cafe located on Route 116 one mile east of Junction 97 and 116. In Oc- tober 1950, Obil Myers and his mother started the Cafe and Mobil Service Station with Mrs. Myers operating the Cafe and Obie the Service Station. About 1952 Mrs. Myers became ill and Lou Myers, Obie's wife, took over the operation of the Cafe which she has continued to operate.
The Cafe has been a most popular eating place since its beginning. Around noon a large number of trucks make it a "must" stop on their runs. For a number of years a familiar sight was either a M. and St. L., or North- western train at a stand still above the cross- ing on Route 116, which told you that the crew was enjoying its favorite food at the Myers' Cafe. Also, many mine workers at Midland eat their lunch here as well as passing tourists.
One of the well known favorites of the Cafe is the "Home Baked Pies" as Lou arrives at 3:30 a.m. to have freshly baked pies for the day's trade. Another speciality, which is a favorite with the Public, is the "Home Made Noodles". On certain evenings special fried chicken dinners are served which attract people from as far away as the Galesburg and Canton areas.
Since 1952 the business has increased to such an extent that the help has been enlarged to two shifts a day. Among the workers who have been with Lou over an extended period of time are Martha Rotz and Margaret Dun- blazier. In 1972 a larger dining area was added so that private parties and banquets could be served.
Lou noted that one problem facing the
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smaller eating establishments is in the whole- sale buying, as the wholesalers are requiring larger purchases to be made than can be util- ized by the smaller businesses. But whatever the problem facing the small business enter- prises, one has the feeling that "Home made Pies and Noodles" will be served for many more years at the Myers' Cafe.
On January 1, 1955, Ray Root, anassistant mortician from the Tri-City area, purchased the Voorhees Funeral Home from the Voor- hees estate and the late William C. Wilson. Root made extensive repairs to the building, and remodelled the interior to conform to the standards of a modern Funeral Home. On January 1, 1956, Root purchased the Maquon Funeral Home from Roy Davis, and later bought a house and equipped it as the Root Funeral Home.
Root's eldest son, Ronnie, has completed the necessary training, and is now licensed to perform all the duties of a mortician. Ronnie is married and lives in Maquon, and is a full time associate with his father.
Some of the changes during the past twenty years noted by Root were that on the whole the number of people attending a Service has declined, while the attendance at the visita- tion has increased; and, the number of visita - tions in the deceased's home has noticeably declined in preference to the visitations at the Funeral Home.
In June 1955 Ray Root began working in the Fairview Insurance Agency which at that time was owned by Ivan Mahr. In January 1958 Harold Latimer, who had an agency with Pekin Insurance, and Root purchased Mahr's Insurance Agency and combined the two agen- cies retaining the name of Fairview Agency. Root served as manager of the agency until Latimer's death in 1967, when he became sole owner. The business continued to be called the Fairview Insurance Agency.
During the time of the joint ownership of Latimer and Root, they purchased the Fair- view Telephone Building in 1961, and com- pletely remodelled the building providing a re- ception room and private offices. In August 1972 Root purchased the Folkenroth Insurance Agency in Maquon, and eventually this busi- ness will be handled through the Fairview office.
The Fairview Insurance Agency handles all types of insurance including Life, Health and
Accident, Fire, Wind, Hail and Automobile. The package policy has become very popular in the last 10-15 years, and is one of the Company's best seller. A new type of insur- ance which is increasing in popularity is the Umbrella Policy which gives the insured greater protection especially against costly law-suits. The No-fault Insurance received a set back when the State Supreme Court de- clared the law, enacting no-fault insurance, unconstitutional. It is expected that in the near future a law will be enacted to meet the ob- jections of the Court, thereby giving the in- sured more modern protection.
For some time Root has been interested in the Real Estate business. In 1969 he received a Broker's License and formed the Ray Root Realty Company with offices in Fairview. In 1974 he moved his Realty Office to Wee-ma- tuk, and now has eight full time employees. At the present time Root is President of the Fulton County Board of Realtors. Under his presidency the organization inaugurated the Multiple Listing Service.
Ronnie, Root's son, has had insurance training with both the Hartford and Pekin Companies, and is now working with the Fairview Insurance Agency.
The Fairview Fabricating Shop was opened in the J.C. McComb Building by Boyd Johns. In 1961 he moved to the Wilson Building where he had his shop on the first floor and living quarters on the second floor. The next year he tore down the McComb Building and in 1970 built a home on the south end of the lot. In 1972-1973 he razed the Wilson Building and built a shop to house his busi- ness.
The Fairview Fabricating Shop is engaged in construction of all kinds of buildings, sell- ing equipment and furnishing for home and business, and general repair and mainten- ance work. In the past twenty-five years, Johns noted, there has been a change from the demand for custom made products to more of the products made by mass scale production, and also a rapid growth in the use of plas- tics not only in the building trades, but in almost every type of commercial product.
In 1964 the Parish Fertilizers, Inc. of Can- ton opened a second plant in Fairview with Ronald Newton as manager. During the first year of operation in Fairview they used the Fairview Depot Building for housing and office
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space. They immediately started building a permanent facility on the site formerly oc- cupied by the Simpson-Powelson Lumber Company, and on October 3, 1965 the new building was ready for use.
During the first year the Company sold ammonia and bag fertilizer to the area farm- er. After the new facility was completed bulk fertilizer was added, and soil testing was begun in order to provide the farmer with prescription fertilizers with the right amount of nutrients for his particular soil. With the growing demand for ammonia and commercial fertilizers the Parish Ferilizers, Inc. has in- stalled a 12,000 gallon storage tank for am- monia, added thirty wagons for distributing ammonia, and sixteen fertilizer spreaders. Newton noted that in the spring and fall very often all of this equipment would be inuse as some 200-300 tons of ammonia and 2,000 tons of fertilizer would be distributed to the farmers within a radius of twenty-five miles from Fairview. A new Morton Building has been added to the original facility and in 1973 Parish Fertilizers purchased approximately seventy acres of land just west of the plant which will be farmed and used for experi- mental purposes. With continued emphasis on increased yields of crop production, New- ton predicted that the demand for their pro- ducts would continue to rise from year to year.
On September 18, 1966, Lloyd and Sarah Rasmussen opened an Antique Shop in a build- ing across the street from the post office which they had purchased from Glenn Hagaman.
Lloyd and Sarah have been interested in antiques for some thirty years, and when Lloyd retired from the Truax mine he decided to ex- tend his hobby into a business enterprise. Along with buying and selling of antiques, he does refinishing of furniture.
The usuual items found in an Antique Shop may be found here, and are available for pur - chase every Sunday afternoon. Parties may make an appointment at other times to visit the shop. There have been many businesses in Fairview through the years, but as far as records are available, the Rasmussen Anti- que Shop is the first of its kind.
Doyle Williams opened the D and D Sales and Service in May 1968 in the former post office building next to the Fairview State Banking Company. He provides plumbing and heating services to the Fairview community. At the
present time he has been appointed by the Village Board to supervise andinspect sewer installations for the Village.
The Valley Radio and TV Shop, now loca- ted in the Taylor Building, is owned and op- erated by Warren Van Liew. In addition to servicing radios and TV's, he is the author- ized Philco dealer for this area.
The Fairview Barber Shop, owned by Floyd Dierdorff, has been leased to Dick Coleman of Lewistown. Coleman is in the shop on Wed- nesday and Thursday evenings and all day Saturday.
Dale Mathis has operated a garage and auto repair shop on North Church Street for the past twenty-one years.
The Wee Wash Laundry, located east of the Valley Cafe, is owned by Lloyd Henderson and has been in operation for the past eleven years. Mrs. Lyman Roberts is the caretaker.
Other business establishments in the Vil- lage include Rod's Autobody Repair Shop, Marsha's Styling Shop, Dorothy's Beauty Shop, Sylvia's Beauty Salon, and Jan's Swirls 'N' Curls.
In 1926 Route 97 was extended to Fairview from Route 9 ending at the east end of Car- ter Street. Travel from the south came west on Carter Street to Church Street, thence north on the old Knoxville Road. In 1931 Route 116 was constructed coming across the north end of Fairview Township. In 1938 Route 97 was extended northward from Fairview skirting the east side of the Village, and be- fore reaching Coal Creek veered to the west to avoid crossing the two forks of Coal Creek as had the original Knoxville Road. After crossing Coal Creek, the road angled in a northeasterly direction connecting again with the old Knoxville Road.
The administrative officials on October 1, 1974, for the Village of Fairview are George Nott, President; Barbara Combs, Clerk; Harold Omer, Treasurer; Joseph Toohill, Attorney; and Forrest McComb, Joe Tiezzi, Gerald Hilton, Fred Powell, James Endres and Berwyn Taylor, Trustees.
George Nott is serving his fourth consecu- tive term as a Village President. Prior to be- coming Village President he served as a Village Trustee, thereby having served the Village as a public servant for some eighteen years. During that period of service Nott has seen numerous improvements in the Village,
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3.
2.
/
Route 116
cree
8
9.
10
11.
12.
swegle
18
17
North Brunch
creek
14 Kogl
20
22
23
24
Route 97
30
29
28
27
26
2.7
MILL
Creek
31
32
73
34
35
36
Fairerewe
State Roads
Through Fairview Township
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5.
4.
/
15
13
South Fork
the major ones being: (1) installation of vapor lights, the first town of comparable size to in- stall such lighting in the Cilco area; (2) im- provement of the water system by replacing the two shallow wells with a 1600 foot well, the result of a $25,000 bond issue approved by the Village residents; (3) improvement of streets with an asphalt treatment; (4) the erection of street markers designating the name of the streets; and (5) the construction of a modern sewage disposal system which is now in the process of being completed. Again the resi- dents approved a bond issue to aid in the fi- nancing of this project.
In the near future Nott hopes that the water system can be further improved by install- ing a new tank to provide an increased vol- ume of pressue so that the water pressure will remain more constant.
The administrative officials on October 1, 1974, for the Township are Carl Hartstirn, Supervisor; Ora Keefauver, Clerk; Howard Vollmar, Cecil Huffman, Marion Schleich, and William Burnside, Auditors; John Downing, Road Commissioner, and Lyman Roberts, As- sessor.
Carl Hartstirn has been Fairview Township Supervisor since April 1959. He noted that the roads in the Township during that period of time have been improved and that two roads, one from Coal Creek Lutheran Church east to Route 97 and Coal Hollow Road had been re- located and surfaced; also, a new Township Building was erected in the south part of the Village with revenue sharing money; and the purchase of new equipment for the mainten- ance of the roads.
If one were to assess the history of Fair- view Township he would, undoubtedly, indicate that the greatest accomplishment was the establishment of a strong social, moral, and religious atmosphere which has prevailed throughout its history. The Reformed Church, from its very beginning, was instrumental in developing this particular climate, and other Churches, Clubs, and Societies added their contributions. During the early days there were many skilled artisans in Fairview who produced the immediate and primary needs for a growing pioneer community. But these young industries failed to develop into great enter- prises. One factor hindering expansion was the lack of capital, or a too conservative attitude to make use of the available capital. Also,
all through the 60's several efforts were made to secure a railroad which would pass through Fairview, but for various reasons none of the proposed plans were materialized. A railroad at this time, most likely, would have been a boost to the economy and prosperity of the community. If the Reformed Church hadbeen successful in its bid for a college in 1859, Fairview would have enjoyed the benefits, financially and culturally, of a college town. Thus, either or both of these opportunities would have been a tremendous potential in- fluence for the betterment of the community. It is true that Fairview did get a railroad in 1880, but it was a more or less local affair rather than a part of a through net work, and the pattern of development in Fulton County had been fairly well established by that time. One would not take any credit from the "Peavine" Railway for it served well the purpose for which it was established.
The automobile has had its effect on the prosperity of Fairview Township. Through its use marketing has been easier to do out- side the Village, and labor has been able to secure jobs out of the confines of the Town- ship all of which make it more difficult for the local business firms. Conversely, the auto- mobile has been a factor in bringing more buying dollars into the community as a result of laborers working elsewhere. Too, many young families who commute to work prefer to live here to raise their children in a clean, wholesome environment. So far the advantages and disadvantages seem to balance each other as the population has hovered slightly above the 500 mark for several decades. An evalu- ation for the future population trend would seem to indicate that this mark will be main- tained for some time to come with the percen- tage of retired people decreasing as the per- centage of young families increase. Whatever the outcome of the future, those who have lived in Fairview Township will continue to be proud of the heritage which has been bestowed upon them.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Bylsma, Bartel, Historical Sketch of Fairview Reformed Church.
2. Chapman, C.C., History of Fulton County, 1879.
3. Department of Deeds and Records, Coun- ty Court House, Lewistown.
4. Fulton County Atlases, 1871, 1895, 1912.
5. Fulton County Historical Society of Cata- logued Records, 1970.
6. Heylin, Jesse, Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and Fulton County, 1908.
7. History of Fulton County, 1818-1968.
8. Maxam, V., Footsteps in the Sands of a Century.
9. Newspapers
Canton Daily Ledger
Fairview Bee Fairview Graphic Fair View Leaf Fulton County Ledger
Galesburg Register Mail London Times
10. Official Records and Minutes of Organ- izations, Clubs, etc.
11. Office of County Superintendent of Schools.
12. Portrait and Biographical Album, pub- lished by Biographical Publishing Com- pany, Chicago, 1890.
13. United States Postal Service, Washing- ton, D.C.
14. Van der Meulen, Jacob, Hollanders, The Development of their Objectives in Eur- ope and America.
15. Wilson, H.M.B., Unpublished Manuscript History of the Village of Fairview and the Reformed Church, 1912.
16. Winter, J.P., A Brief History of Fairview, 1954.
45
PAGE 1
1. Counties of Illinois, Pub- lished by the Office of Sec. of State, 1967
2. Chapman, 623
3. Vol. I, pg. 614
4. Vol. Il, pg. 1165
5. Vol. III, pg. 2008
6. Wilson, pgs. 109-110
7. Fulton County Atlas, 1871
8. P. and B.A., 218
9. Fulton County Atlas, 1871
10. County Records, Vol. Ill, Pg. 457
11. Fulton County Atlas, 1895
12. Chapman, 624
PAGE 3
1. ibid.
2. Heylin, 688
3. Official Plat
4. Chapman, 629
5. Fulton County Atlas, 1871
6. Wilson, 3
7. P. and B.A., 517
8. Winter, 3
9. Wilson, 6
10. Wilson, 6
11. Fulton County Atlas, 1871
PAGE 5
1. Wilson, 8-9
2. Chapman, 623
3. P. and B.A., 808
4. Chapman, 629
5. ibid., 627
6. ibid.
7. ibid., 637
8. Heylin, 716
PAGE 6
1. 100th Anniversary Reformed Church Pamphlet
2. ibid.
3. Wilson, Il
4. ibid.
5. Winter, II
6. Wilson, 265
PAGE 7
1. Winter, 11
2. Wilson, 186
3. Van den Muelen, 13
4. Galesburg Register Mail, March 23, 1957
PAGE 8
1. London Times, February 18, 1898
2. Wilson, 8-9
3. Winter, 2
4. Wilson, 9-10
5. Wilson, 10-12
FOOTNOTES PAGE 9
1. Wilson, 13-14
2. ibid., 17
3. Winter, 5
4. ibid.
5. Canton Daily Ledger, May 25, 1921
6. Fairview Bee, September 24, 1903
PAGE 10
1. U.S. Postal Service
PAGE 12
1. Chapman, 639
2. Wilson, 17
3. Chapman, 641
4. P. and B.A., 831
5. Chapman, 635
6. ibid., 641
PAGE 13
1. Winter, 10
2. Heylin, 742
3. P. and B.A., 742
4. ibid., 790
5. ibid., 214
6. Heylin, 741
7. ibid., 749
PAGE 14
1. Fulton County Ledger, 6/29/99
2. Fairview Leaf, 12/2/76
3. Fulton County Ledger, 6/29/99
PAGE 15
1. P. and B.A., 258
2. Deed to Building
3. Chapman, 642
4. P. and B.A., 1154
5. ibid., 547
6. Fairview Bee, 9/24/03
PAGE 16
1. Wilson, 20-30
PAGE 18
1. P. and B.A., 798
2. Heylin, 999
3. Heylin, 999
4. Official Records
5. Heylin, 789
6. ibid., 1025
7. Chapman, 630
PAGE 19
1. Office of County Superin- tendent
2. Fairview Bee, 6/21/99
3. ibid.
4. London Times, 8/13/31
5. Fulton County Atlas, 1871
6. Fulton County Atlas, 1895
7. London Times, 2/18/98
PAGE 21
1. Wilson, 5
2. Chapman, 631
3. Heylin, 785
4. Fairview Bee, 2/1/87
5. ibid., 4/9/96
6. ibid., 12/21/05
7. Fairview Graphic, 11/16/39
8. U.S. Postal Service
9. Galesburg Register Mail, 2/8/61
10. U.S. Postal Service
11. County Recorder's Office
PAGE 22
1. Wilson, 19
2. ibid.
3. Official Records
4. Official Records
5. Official Records
6. Canton Daily Ledger, 5/11/23
PAGE 23
1. Fulton County Ledger, 6/29/99
PAGE 24
1. Official Telephone Records
2. Wilson, 43
PAGE 25
1. Official Records
2. Official Records
PAGE 26
1. Canton Daily Ledger, 5/11/23
2. Official Records
PAGE 27
1. Official Records
2. Canton Daily Ledger, 5/25/21
3. Official Records
PAGE 28
1. Canton Daily Ledger, 5/11/23
PAGE 29
1. Dedication Brochure, 12/9/73
46
PAGE 30
1. Office of the County Superin-
tendent of Schools
2. Winter, II
PAGE 31
1. Wilson, History of the Reformed Church
2. Fulton County Historical Society of Catalogued Records, 1970
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