USA > Illinois > Jefferson County > History of Jefferson County, Illinois, 1810-1962 > Part 16
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assistant librarian in October, 1939, was appointed librarian on the retirement of Mrs. Margaret (Pittman) Baird, effective July 7, 1942. lis. Metcalf is the present librarian as this is written.
War Activities
During World War Two, the lit. Vernon Library conducted a Victory Book Drive in 1943, during which 1, 560 acceptable books were collected. The Library served as one of twenty centers in Illinois. Books were received here from Flora, Fairfield, Olney, Salem, Mit. Carmel, Benton, Centralia and Mcleansbono and were shipped to des- tinations on instructions from Springfield.
Books were furnished to establish and maintain libraries in each of the four day rooms at Camp Mt. Vernon, which was west of the city on Route 15.
Growth and Development
In 1952, during the city-wide school building program, the library provided five emergency classrooms for morning use. Three
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were held in the old auditorium and two in the basement. These class- rooms served Edison School first and later Franklin,
Library operation must conform to city ordinances and to state statutes. The library is required to make an annual report and to project a budget. Projects and majon expenditures must be budgeted in advance and sometimes over several years.
A recent fifteen-year survey shows that $50, 000 has been spent fon majon nepairs and improvements on the library, such as a stoken, heating plants, tuckpointing, insulation, cement and asphalt tile basement flooring, rubber tile flooring and fluorescent lighting in both adult and junion departments, maple tables and chairs, counter height book units, reading nooks with reading lamps, cil-metal front door and entrance, drive-up book return, unit telephone system, and a. unit system of air conditioning.
The new Junion Department, which was converted from the old auditorium on the third floor, was opened in November of 1955. This required insulation, extension telephone, water fountain, adequate furniture, nest rooms, and a fire escape which is required by Law.
Modernization has provided us a departmentalized Library. lit. Vernon's Library has been written up in the ILLINOIS LIBRARIES, the magazine of the State Library. This has brought guests to the library to see what can be done with an old Carnegie building. The main floor now serves only adults, with a fiction wing, a non-fiction wing, reading and reference room with bound magazines, encyclopedia corner, current newspapers, magazines, and best-sellers.
Mt. Vernon is an educational center, with extension courses from Southern Illinois University, the University of Illinois, and Mickendree College. Vocational and adult night classes have a high enrollment in the high school and junior college. To meet these needs, a college shelf has been created in Mt. Vernon Public Library under the guidance of teachers, thus providing the proper research and resource materials.
The Library's new Current Events Room now makes available to the public, for the first time in the history of the Library, back files of newspapers, pamphlets, and now a five-year file of magazines. This is a very welcome source of reference for school
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research. It is the largest file in Southern Illinois outside of the Southern Illinois University Library in Carbondale. This room also houses the audio visual equipment which includes the Micro Reader and Micro Film of the Mt. Vernon RegisterNews; 16 mm projection and film and the Hil FI with recordings of music, social studies, speech and foreign Languages and plays.
The library provides classroom libraries to city schools and to rural schools by contract. Tours are conducted and classes on library orientation are taught to scouts and students by appointment. The Library has sponsored a First Aid Red Cross (Loss as an adult feature and service to the community in presenting a coordinated program under the Red Cross and Civilian Defense to alert the public in regard to emergencies and to provide a network of first aid trained personnel throughout civic organizations, business, churches and city employees. These were held in November and December, 1961.
The library was originally built for a calacotu pf abpit 8,000 volumes. In 1962 the library has approximately 20, 000 volumes; it has 7, 100 patrons, on about 45% of the community, and blanch circu- lation totaled more than 10, 000. This is more than four books per capita, on about eight books per patron. An average of more than 1, 100 neference questions were answered monthly during 1961,
The lift. Vernon Public Library was nominated for the 1962 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Annual Award. This is a $5,000 grant to the winning library, lange on small, for outstanding services. It is a coveted honon, because each of the fifty states is permitted only two nominations to be made by the State Library on its agency. The Southern Illinois Regional Library in Carbondale nominated the lit. Vernon Public Library for this 1962 award,
The 1962 staff of the library include: Mildred & Metcalf, librarian; Leone B. Threlkeld, assistant; Helen Turnen, assistant; Jewel Fuller, assistant; Leo Schulik, custodian; Donis Harvey, part- time; and Eugenia Welles, part-time.
Librarians, listed chronologically, have been: Neone Chance (1893), Mns. H. M. Jones (1899), Emma Johnson (1904), Gertrude Holler (1914), Mildred (Threlkeld) Metcalf (1927), Ruth (Metcalf)
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Keaton (1929), Margaret (Pittman) Baird (1930), and Mildred (Threlkeld) Metcalf (1942).
Following is the Listing (alphabetically) of the litt Vernon Public Library directory of staff personnel: Margaret (Pittman) Baind (1930, and part-time in 1949), Marjorie Brydon (1924), Neone Chance (1893), Daisy Davis (1903), Elizabeth Doty (1947), Paula (Mccracken) Dulaney (1949), J. E. Edson (1917), Geneva (Jeanne) Estes (1927), Mabel Fields (1945), Jewel Fullen (1949), Donis Harvey (1962), Many Lynn (Robison) Hayes (1960), Donald Heffington (1957), Geneva Herbert (1920), Lillian Hoffman (1932), Margaret Hoskins (1922), Ray Jackson (1960), Emma Johnson (1904), Caroline Jones (1949), Mrs. H. M. Jones (1899), Josephine Keelon (1953), Ruby Kincheloe (1915), Sara (Metcalf) Kitch (1953), Lola Knight (1938), Frederica Loan (1947), Rena Mckittrick (1937), Hanley Marshall (1914), Mary Matheus (1903), Jane Maynon (1954), Martha Bell lenzen (1921), Mildred (Threlkeld) Metcalf (assistant 1924; librarian 1927; assistant 1939; Librarian 1942), Ruth Metcalf (1925), Gertrude Moller (1914), David Parker (1956), John Paul (1953), Mollie (Fuller) Payne (1957), Helen Rainey (1919), Doris Rankin (1941), Nelle Scott (1946), Leo Schulik (1960), Roy Scrivner (1953), lins. H. B. Setzkonn (1917), Mary Setzkorn (1921), John Shehorn (1949), Lewis Shehorn (1943), Willis Smith (1945), Leone Threlkeld (1941), Helen Turner (1960), Dorothy Upton (1938), Pauline Warfel (1960), Berintha Waters (1929), Felia Warren (1939), Eugenia Welles (1962), Donace West (1953), Gradon Williams (1940), Harry yearwood (1927), Helen Young (1923).
Here is a list of the directors of the Library, listed alphabetically (dates are first term expirations. It is assumed that each was appointed three years prion): Albert Allen (1929), Mins. Joe Frank Allen (1939), J. R. Allen (1899), H. J. Alvis (1901), lins. J. J. Baker (1914), Mrs. Lawrence Bedand (1939), Mrs. Grover C. Bond (1932), Howard Bosley (1933), Mrs. George Bovand (1933), James P. Bunke (1961), Earl Carroll (1941), Mrs. Sam Casey (1899), lins. H. A. Cawood (1937), Mrs. John Corlew (1953), E. E. Cotton (1930), Kenneth Cross (1952), Lowell A. Dearinger (1959), Mrs. Arnold DeVitt (1962), lins. James M. Dickson (1919), Marion Dykes (1948), John Eaten (1939),
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Silas Echols (1975), Mrs. Silas Echols (1936), Mrs. Morris Emmerson (1899), lins. George W. Evans (1899), Mrs. Ted Glass (1962), Ils. George Green (1933), William H. Green (1904), Carl Hammond (1944), Albert H. Harlow (1932), Clarence W). Harris (1902), Mrs. J. T. Hartnagel (1901), W. W. Harvey (1948), Mins. Melvin Hassebrock (1956), Demetri Hassakis (1961), Brownlow Hawkins (1934), Glenn Hawkins (1963), Leo A. Heffing- ton (1956), Mrs. Martin Hess (1950), Henry Hinckley (1908), Harold Howard (1916), Joe Howard (1900), Mrs. Gary Hutchison (1956), Leland Hutson (1961), Mrs. A. C. Johnson (1902), Mrs. James L. Johnson (1931), Donald O. Lee (1948), Hubert Leonard (1934), Ins. John Manion (1944), B. A. Marshall (1904), Thomas J. Mathews (1899), Mrs. Moss Maxey (1925), C. Z. Meffert (1933), Mrs. William Minon (1913), William H. Miner (1926), Mrs. J. H. Mitchell (1902), Mrs. Warren Moore (1922), Mrs. Norman Moss (1900), Mrs. William T. Pace (1926), Albert Parker (1949), Louis G. Pavey (1903), Lacey Payne (1958), livs. Leonard Rhodes (1930), Marlin Rich (1943), Eleanor Richardson (1955), Rena Robon (1941), Arnold Ross (1960), Mrs. Richard Roth (1949), Mrs. Vernon Scrivener (1960), lins. M. J. Seed (1974), D. P. Settlemine (1931), Mrs. Roy Simpson (1956), A. Spiese (1899), lins. C. A. Stelle (1940), Mrs. Chauncey Stratton (1923), Mrs. Harry L. Threlkeld (1929), Turner (1901), Beatrice Tuttle (1942), E. E. Van Cleve (1903), Mildred Warren (1931), Mrs. O. M. Waters (1899), Albert Watson (1899), Fern Watson (1941), lis. Fred P. Watson (1924), Mrs. A. D. Webb (1899), Mrs. Wilton Webb (1964), links. Charles Wetzel (1938), J. T. Whitlock (1913), Mrs. A. L. Williams (1963), Wendell Williams (1940), Mrs. W. P. Wood (1926), and Leona Zimmerman (1947).
LITTLE GROVE CHURCH OF CHRIST
This congregation was organized December 27, 1838, as the Grand Prairie Congregation. For reasons unknown now, in the year of 1844 the name was changed to Little Grove Church of Christ (Christian). Trustees were John A. Williams, Andrew Copple and William Copple. Members of the original congregation included Richard Breeze, J. A. Williams, Andrew Copple, Miles Sanders, David Copple, Nelson Andrews, Elias Gaskins, William Snow, John Copple, William Copple,
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James Snow, Catherine Bare, Elizabeth Cameron, Christopher Copple, 'one H. Breeze, Many Fine, Sarah Garren, liany lic (ullough, liany, Gaskins, Many, Sanders, and Martha Bundy.
On December 18, 1351, the congregation met to transact business relative to church membership. They met two days each month to try members accused of such crimes against the church as betting, lying, drinking, using propane language, dancing, playing cards, etc. I found guilty, unless they came before the church, confessed and asked forgiveness, they were excluded from the church.
In 1854 or later, a resolution gave the trial of offenders against the Church of Christ into the hands of the elders, and it seems that was about the last of that business.
James Snow and Jacob Copple acted as eldens of the congre- gation for a number of years. In April, 1360, Jacob Copple resigned and Franklin Cruzen was appointed to fill the vacancy. Henry lilalti- mone, jacob Copple, William Snow, Mark Cameron, John Sanders, George Bundy, J. A. Copple, ). Foster and Alex Bundy were others who served as elders in the early days of the church.
November 16, 1861, the following was recorded: "The congre- gation has always tried to have preaching at least two days each month, but at times it has failed. For seven years we have met on the first day of the week for the purpose of attending to the institutions of the Lord's House. "
The first record of a revival meeting was in 1961; it was held by Bro. Andrew Beand.
Here is a record of some deaths: Many Fine died December 18, 1260, aged. 100 years. Elwood Sanders enlisted September 3, 10'62, in Company, H, 20th Regiment, Illinois Volunteers and died at Gallitan, Tennessee, Hospital 1/4, February 1, 1363. James Cameron enlisted Company C, 11th Illinois Volunteers, August, 1862, died at home August 1, 1865 -- he was second sergeant.
In the early times funerals were held differently from now. At times a funeral sermon was preached from one to ten years after burial. Records show a lange attendance of the funeral of liary Shipley, preached by Bro. S. I. Leonard on lay, 8, 1365. On August 5, 1856, James Snow preached the funeral of Bro. Talbott, two sons and
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one daughter. On September 9, 1066, James Snow preached the funeral of Brother and Sister Phelps and four children.
Some early ministers of this church include: Brothers Boggs, liecks, . T. Williams, N. M. Shipley, Clank Braden, James Snow, Bro. baltimore, Bro. Van Deusen, Bro. Brown, Theo. Goodnan, and john . Villians. These preached 1364-1867. Then the congregation hired James Snow for one year, but during this year Bros. Williams, Brown, Goodman and J. D. Morgan preached at times. The next regular preacher hired was Bro. Griffith.
This church has always been liberal in its support of preaching the gospel. For three years it has contributed liberally to the Marion County Missionary Society.
In 1865, over 50 was paid the Missionary Board. November 24, 1864, the collection taken for soldiers' wives was $2.40. Regular collections for church purposes were: January 1, 1265, $2.65; January 15, $1. 85; February 5, 1365, 90 cents; February 18, 3.20. For a revival meeting held in January, 1365, $20.00 was paid. These were liberal suns for that era.
In October, 1366, Bros. John A. Williams and Thomas Goodman held a revival meeting, "restoning brotherly love and fellowship, lack of which had destroyed some of the unity of the congregation."
This church has kept a record of marriages performed here. The original. building was of log construction. During the fall of 1370 a new building was proposed. A committee composed of john Sandens, Riley Copple, Franklin Cruzen and George Bundy was appointed to solicit funds to erect it. The committee employed George Burgraph to complete a building, seating, pulpit, painting, etc., on a total cost of $1895.00. This building (the present one) was completed the last of January, 1871. On Friday night before the first Lord's Day, in February, 1371, a revival meeting was begun by Josiah neap. The building was dedicated the first Sunday in February, 1971.
The first burial in the cemetery (at present about seven acres in area) was a child. Some travellers were camped in a grove of trees near the church, and a child of their group died. They buried it on a knoll north of the church. The grave is not marked, and hence the exact place is unknown.
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There are three veterans of the War of 1012 buried in this cemetery, two veterans of the Mexican Wan, and sixty Civil War veterans buried here. Cornelius E. Breeze was a lieutenant. in the 60th, Illinois In antry and the Mexican ilan; James (need was a captain of the 71st Illinois Infantry and the Mexican ilar.
-- Estes E. Oldfield
MT. VERNON LIONS CLUB
The list. Vernon Lions Club was organized in 1924, with H. W. (Coc) Faulkner as its first president.
Among the many activities of the club have been: financing day nursery, organizing and sponsoring baseball teams, distributing Christinas baskets, erecting safety signs, cooperating with schools, entertaining blind people; sponsoring and securing subscriptions for the Boy Scout club house (1928); cooperating in staying Easten cap. Hunt for all children of the county; cooperated with the Chamber of Commence and other service organizations of the city in putting over a combination Fourth of July and Washington Bi-Centennial celebration in 1932; conducting of manble tournaments for grade school boys beginning in 1933; donated an electric basketball scoreboard to the High School and assisted in the dedication of the new high school gymnasium in 1936; in 1937 aided the Red Cross in relief of the great flood; during world Jan Two sponsored the erection of a lighted County military Honor Roll, adopted Company ) of the U. S. Army Illitany Police Camp, Camp It. Ver- non and furnished their lounge room; and at the end of the war, during which they had expended so much time and money in trying to further the war effort, they erected the Memorial tionon Roll at the court house. They have purchased eye testing equipment for our schools; gave a lion to the city 300 in 1950 and next year a tanned lion skin was given to the Boy Scout Camp; helped fog-spray the city; donated toward the purchase of signal lights at school crossings; participated in the purchase of the "little house" for civic use; contributed to the purchase of a TV set for the State TB Hospital; assisted with cam- pains to secure new industries for the community; promoted organization of an airport authority; participated in bicycle riders safety programs;
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presented a motion picture projecton to the methodist Children's Home; purchased a complete tent unit for the Boy Scouts; sponsored Rubinoff and his violin.
Over the years, the Lions Club has been noted for its eye cane program, whereby they provide eye examinations, fit persons with eye glasses and provide eye treatment if needed. They purchase nain- coats and hats for school boy patrols, sponsor football teams and base- ball teams, and donate to all worthy development and charity programs. Each year they hold a chicken barbecue on the east side of the lit. Vernon square, using the proceeds for worthy causes.
Presidents of the lit. Vernon Lions Club include: H. W. (Doc) Faulkner (1924-25), Rev. Meyen Madsen (1925-26), Rev. Owen W. Pratt (1926-27-28), Dr. Handy Swift (1928-29), Guy A. Wood, Sr. (1929-30), Marion F. Heifner (1930-31-32), W. Barney lilyens (1932-33), W. H. Gott (1933-34), Ralph O. Kaufman (1934-35-36), Dr. Tommy B. Williamson (1936-37), C. Dale Carpenter (1937-38), John Powell (1938-39), D. A. Whitlock (1939-40), John J. Manion (1940-41), George.J. Howard (1941-
), Otto Funbringen (1942-1943), James L. Woodruff (1943-44), Paul 1. Fitch (1944-45), A. Paul Fellingen (1945-46), Glee Wood (1946-47), J. Marvin Powers (1947-48), Charles ). Covington (1948-49), Rev. R. B. Guthrie (1949-50), Albert Schroeder (1950-51), Gilbert N. Wood (1951- 52), Herbert G. Downey (1952-53), Louis C. Pavledes (1953-54), Frank fil. Case (1954-55), Arthur lilward (1955-56), George Heidenreich (1956-57), Robert land (1957-58), Ogie Ellis (1958-59), Harry Maulding (1959-60), Malcolm Hinons (1960-61), and Demetri Hassakis (1961-62).
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FIRST METHODIST CHURCH
After John Wesley had spent considerable time in America and had returned to England he wrote to certain followers of his faith here in America and requested them to hold a conference, perfect a permanent organization and select a name for it. This conference was held in Baltimore, Maryland in 1784 and a permanent organization was formed and named "The Methodist Episcopal Church. " Thereafter throughout the various states and territories small groups of people of the Methodist faith met in school houses and in the homes of members for worship. These groups were designated as "Societies of the liletho- dist Episcopal Church. "
Such a group as above described was organized in the new log cabin home of Edward Maxey, about four miles northwest of lit. Vernon on on near the Richview Road. This was on November 1, 1818, being about one month before the Territory of Illinois was admitted as a state and seven months before Jefferson County was organized. The town of Mt. Vernon was named and made the county seat on June 9, 1819.
The first sermon was preached to this group by a local preacher of the Methodist faith named Zadoc Casey, who afterwards became Lieutenant Governor of the State of Illinois and in whose honor the Zadok Casey Junion High School is named. This service was held in the one room log cabin home of a Mr. Hicks who lived some four miles west of Mt. Vernon.
The Society selected as its regular meeting place a log cabin school house which was about a mile northwest of Mt. Vernon and near what is now known as Old Union School. This continued to be used as the place of worship until the year 1835. The people assembled there for class meetings, prayer meetings, preaching ser- vices, coming from the growing town of Mt. Vernon, from nearby neigh- bonhoods and from miles distant, for this was the only house of worship in the county at that time.
History tells us that the early settlers of this area were nearly all Methodists coming from Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. The original Society and early congregations were largely made up of families bearing such names as Allen, Baugh, Casey, Edwards, Johnson,
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laxey, Moss and Watson, and many of their descendants are active members of the First Methodist Church.
From year to year the membership of the Society grew, and in 1835 the Society purchased a lot on what is now known as North Eleventh Street, in the Town of Mt. Vernon, this lot being across the alley immediately north of the present city hall; they erected thereon a substantial frame church building, the first in the town for divine worship. In this building, before it was entirely com- pleted, a political debate was held in which Abraham Lincoln partici- pated, At this time the name of the Society was changed to the "Mt. Vernon Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church." This frame structure was used for a place of worship until 1854 when it was sold and a new two story brick building was erected on Main Street on lots owned by the Society immediately west of the present (though not for much longer) post office building. In this new building the church auditorium was located on the second floor of the building while the ground floor was used for many years as a private school conducted by Professor Thomas H. Hendman. Prof. Herdman afterwards became president of lickendree College. In the steeple of this new building, the gift of Lt. Gov. Casey, was installed the same bell that is now in the belfry of the present church building.
In the afternoon of February 19, 1888, this fine building was destroyed by a tornado. At that time the Sunday School was held in the afternoon and many who lived in Mt. Vernon at that time felt that it was a miracle that Sunday School had been dismissed in time for the children to reach home before the tornado struck,
Of course the destruction of this building necessitated the building of a new church edifice, and this was done on the lots immediately west of the destroyed building, which had been previously purchased by the church. The building that was erected at that time is still in use, having been remodeled from time to time.
It appears that the services of the Society were conducted by local preachers of the Methodist faith until 1822, when the Society became connected with a regular circuit, and from 1822 to 1854 the Society remained a circuit church; but as soon as the new building was erected on Main Street it became a station change with a full time minister,
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Until 1893 this church was known as the Mt. Vernon Society of the Methodist. Episcopal Church, but at about this time another Methodist church was formed and a church building erected on South Union Street (now South Tenth Street) and this church was named Union Street Methodist Episcopal Church. The church building was in Later years moved to a new Location on South Twelfth Street and now is known as the Wesley Methodist Church. With the coming of another Methodist Episcopal Church in the city, the Mt. Vernon Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church was renamed the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Mt. Vernon, Illinois; and it retained this name until 1939 when, at the Uniting Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church South and the Protes- tant Methodist Church, the three organizations merged under the name of "The Methodist Church," the word "Episcopal" being eliminated. With this change in the official name of the parent church, Local churches likewise dropped the word "Episcopal" and thus this church became the First Methodist Church of Mt. Vernon, Illinois.
During the ministry of Dr. G. E. McCammon an alargement and modernization program was begun at which time the east and west wings of the building were enlarged and extended and balconies were built in each wing including the north wing, the basement was enlarged and the church interion nedecorated. This work started in 1913 and was completed in :914 under the ministry of Dr. C. C. Hall.
We believe that it should be recorded in this historical sketch that it was through the influence and hard work of the pastons of this church and certain of its devoted members that the Union Street Methodist Episcopal Church (now Wesley Methodist Church) and the Epworth Methodist Church were organized. Rev. W. F. Daniel, a devoted member of this church and a local preacher, was largely responsible for organization of what is now known as the Wesley Methodist; he served as its minister until its membership became large enough to support an assigned pastor. Much credit for the organization of the Epworth Methodist Church must be given to Charles Yearwood, Harry Johnson and the members of the Westcott family, all of whom were members of the First Methodist Church.
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