USA > Illinois > Shelby County > Tower Hill > History of Tower Hill and vicinity > Part 6
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MASONIC LODGE
In addition to the various items of interest that make for a community besides its churches, schoolhouses and printing office, of which Tower Hill can boast of, one more modern structure adorns her business center, which stands as a monument not only to civic pride, but of the culmination of a long cherished desire of a group of men whose "dream. came true," is that splendid Masonic building. Built upon that old pioneer spot known as the John F. Moore corner, it occupies a commanding position, facing west with its imposing front of Grecian architecture.
Tower Hill Lodge A. F. & A. M., No. 493, organized in 1866 is the proud owner of this structure. (By way of special interest I find the records show that among the original charter members of this lodge organized in 1866, that only recently the last one passed away, namely, Martin Hanson, dying at the age of 88 years).
An interesting page in the history of Tower Hill and the community is the official census record as furnished by the Department at Washington.
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Yr.
Cold Spring Twp. Tower Hill. Twp.
Vil.
1860
1017
312
1870
1656
1176
1880
1864
1478
392
1890
2021
1549
543
1900
1133
1538
615
1910
978
1832
1040
1920
910
1541
769
THE POSTOFFICE
Previously I spoke of the first postmaster, Mr. Thomas Craddock, who was appointed postmaster at Westminster August 23, 1854, and so continued until May 11, 1857, when the postoffice at Westminster was discontinued, and Alexander (Elick) Hunter was made the first postmaster at Tower Hill. The others are as follows: Robert B. Poors, Sept. 27, 1858; Thomas Craddock again Feb. 15, 1859; and strange to relate and which may be a surprise to many, I see by the official records that the office at Tower Hill was dis. continued that same year on Oct. 28, 1859, and re-established Dec. 15, 1860. No reason is given, bui for over a year Tower Hill was without a postoffice. On the same day of re-establishing, Thomas W. Craddock was re-instated as postmaster Dec. 15, 1860. To this day there has been a continuous office as follows: William Harrison, July 9, 1863; Alhurtus V. Harper, April 10, 1866; Ambrose M. Craddock, Feb. 24, 1868; Ner Middlesworth, April 15, 1869; Harvey B. Baines, March 31, 1873; John Weeks, Nov. 16, 1881; Henry K. Baines, Aug. 31, 1885; Susan E. Baines, Dec. 7, 1888; John Weeks, April 13, 1889; John W. Deane, June 23, 1893; Hugh P. Faught, July 20, 1897 (20 years); Fannie S. Morrison, April 24, 1917; Thomas Verner Eiler, Dec. 22, 1921.
In our previous article about the post office we left off with Verner Eiler being appointed Postmaster on Dec. 22, 1921, and served until 1929. His wife, Mary Eiler, as deputy, became acting postmistress in 1929 and served until 1933 when Ora C. Maze succeeded as postmaster and continues to the present time.
Through his kindness Mr. Maze has given me the rural department re- cord as follows: The records show that Tower Hill office was designated as a rural center in April, 1901, with our old friend Lem W. Morrison as the first rural carrier. He served in this capacity until 1922, retiring on a government pension.
Others who were given rural routes in the beginning and at later times serving 4 routes were as follows: William Tilley, Ray Stumpf, Charles Morri- son, Wm. Fluckey, George Myers, Charles Inman, Roy Rhodes, Frank Lane, Jesse Cullumber, L. F. Story.
A few years ago the 4 routes were consolidated into 2 with John J. Rhodes serving route No. 1 with a mileage of 43 miles and Walter Myers serving route No.2 with 42.90 miles.
In the boom days of the late 80's and 90's the mail receipts were heavy, and my recollection is that the office received mail daily from 6 trains and possibly more. The morning mail from the B. & O. was the heaviest, and I can yet visualize the crowds in the office awaiting the final distribution of the mail.
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The outstanding characters as postmasters as I look back 50 years or more were H. K. Baines, with his wife as deputy, then came that most oblig. ing public servant the Hon. John Weeks, with his gracious deputy, the daughter, Miss Stella.
Others who followed later were no doubt, just as obliging, but my removal from the Hill left me without personal acquaintance. (I have been persuad- ing Miss Stella Weeks (now Mrs. Hunter) to write of her experience as post- mistress in the Hill fifty years ago, and hope she will respond, for no doubt it would be very interesting in speaking of the citizens of that day and their peculiarities. It is a generation almost gone).
(The following is the personal reminiscence of the oldest official of the history of the Post Office at Tower Hill, in the person of Mrs. Stella (Weeks) Hunter, now of Cowden. She is the daughter of John Weeks who was P. M. in the late 80's and the daughter, then Miss Stella, was the efficient deputy, This installment has to do with history reaching back almost a half century, and I feel the Times readers will appreciate the effort. H. E.)
I felt quite honored, recently, when I received a letter from my old-time friend and classmate Homer Eiler, now of Pasadena, California, asking me to contribute a chapter, or, rather, a few reminiscences to the history of Tower Hill which he is at present writing and publishing in the Tower Hill Times. I am happy to add my contribution. Tower Hill is my native town. Mr. Eiler has asked me to write of the time when my father, the late John Weeks, was postmaster, and I was his deputy.
My father served 2 terms, the first under the Garfield-Arthur administra- tion. My mother helped him during that term for I had not reached the age required by the postal laws. I think I helped him some at the last of his term.
Grover Cleveland was the next president of the United States and since the policy of each of the 2 great political parties had long been "to the victor belong the spoils," it was to be expected that a man of the same political faith as that of the president would succeed my father. If I remember correct- ly the new appointee was the same man whom my father had succeeded, namely, H. K. Baines .. Mr. B. with Mrs. B. as his assistant, were good, plea- sant, accommodating officials.
Benjamin Harrison was elected on the Republican ticket at the close of Mr. Cleveland's first term, and my father was appointed postmaster, again succeeding Mr. Baines. I was his assistant until late 1892, when I was married.
I like to remember my father's integrity, there, as elsewhere, his desire to please, his willingness to accommodate his patrons in every way possible, his patience in explaining the minutest details, and I pause here to pay tribute to his memory. Of course he made mistakes-he was human. I re- member one he made very well. In distributing the mail one morning he put a card in a box adjoining the right one. The man to whom the card belonged came in soon after and I gave him his mali. In the meantime I had dis- covered the error and put the card in the right box. Later, this man came in on another errand, saw the card in his box, asked for it and also asked
me how it happened that he hadn't got it when he got the rest of his mail
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that morning for there had been no other mails in since. He told my father a number of years afterward about it and said that I had very nonchalantly replied, "Oh, I hadn't had time to read it then!" I do not remember saying that, but I certainly shall not deny it, nor try to excuse myself, for it was grossly impudent. I wonder if E. S. McLean still remembers that episode.
During my father's 2 terms the post office was housed in 4 different buildings. First, in the little frame house just north of the Corley brick store building, then across the street next to the Dutton and Craddock store, then in the building just east of the M. Guinnee residence, and finally to a build- ing between the railroads and just across the street from the old Gross hotel.
Those were the days before Rural Free Delivery had been made possible, the days before paved or gravelied or any kind of surfaced roads and it seems to me as I look back that the dirt roads that we have today never get as muddy as those did. Mud to the axles, roads well nigh impassible for weeks at a time during the winter and spring months! How the mail did pile up for the folk living in the rural districts; stacks of newspapers, numbers of letters, sometimes over a period of a month or 6 weeks. But anyway, they were news when the owners did get them, for we had no party line tele- phones and there was no radio to bring the world's latest news to us as we sat in our comfortable living rooms, news we now know before we look at the morning paper. If Edward VII had lived in those times we would have. been compelled to learn from the paper that he felt unable to carry on as king without the "help and support of the woman he loved."
We had 4 mails a day, 2 each on the B.&O. and the Big Four, later, there was a closed early mail besides. Who can forget the coming in of the mail? It was an event occurring 4 times every day and yet each event just a bit different. I doubt if one could find a corporal's guard of those who used to "wait for the mail" and yet the front of the office was usually full. Some would be waiting for letters that gave them a starry-eyed look just in antici- pation, older people waited for their favorite newspapers, others waited who didn't expect mail and were not disappointed-all in all it was always a happy crowd, typical of the small community, knowing each others' good and bad qualities, and excusing the bad, remembered the good and continued to be kind and neighborly, and as they waited they laughed and joked and kidded one another, and discussed the affairs of the day, local and otherwise.
Everywhere groups are largely the same. Some are courteous, others are not. So in the village post office. Some demanded being waited on, no matter how busy one was, others politely waited their turn, gave a smile and a "thank you."
Once in a while a patron would declare that a certain letter should be there and darkly hint that there was a possibility of something being crook- ed about that particular post office. I remember one lovely spring afternoon I was alone in the office and a woman came to the window and asked for mail for a certain name. I looked in the general delivery and there were neither letters nor papers and told her as nicely as I knew how that there was nothing for that name. She informed me that there should be a large number of newspapers, I have forgotten now how many, that they had been destroyed at that place and that she was going to have such carelessness
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looked into and I think that she painted the prison for us, and besides, keep- ing all her papers, she said that that very day a money order had been bought at the Robinson Creek post office, payable to her and mailed that very day to her at Tower Hill on the afternoon train and here I said she had no mail, and so on.
My dad always said try to explain but never talk back to patrons. I tried to tell her that Robinson Creek was not a money order office but didn't get much of a chance. She finally ran down as people and clocks do, but I have often wondered if she ever got that money. Well, that is just one disagree- able, unreasonable person one meets in any kind of public work to one hundred, kindly, understanding, reasonable ones. One soon forgets the one in the pleasure derived from the other hundred.
I think of the friendly business men of old T. H. who came to the office, R. E. Cannon, J. A. Andes, the Eilers, Fred Stumpf, Doug Corley, always with a new joke, and so many more that I haven't space to name. I think every one of them that I knew when I worked in the Tower Hill post office are sleeping out in the cemetery along with my own parents and my brother, Chase.
The mail order houses in those days had hardly passed the embryo stage, there were not so many magazines and periodicals as now, Christmas was not the time of extensive giving as it is at present, Christmas, birthday and Easter cards were yet to be thought of, Mother's Day and Dad's Day had not been placed on the calendar, the parcel post law was 2 or more decades in the future-consequently the volume of mail was small compared to these days when even a baby has been sent by parcel and thousands of baby chicks, eggs and hundreds of other things that we never dreamed ,of now reach their destination thru the efficiency of Uncle Sam's mail service. The only thing alive that I ever remember going through our office was a queen bee consigned to Geo. W. Grisso from that great bee man, A. I. Root, Medina, Ohio. There was some royal buzzing in the office that day until Mr. Grisso took her majesty home.
At the time of which I am writing, the Tower Hill post office was a fourth class office, and as such, the boxes and rentals belonged to the post- master. The rental was ten cents a quarter, and my dad manitained that everyone should own a box, but somehow he never succeeded in getting the matter entirely over.
Looking back across the more than forty years of a busy life with its attendant problems and perplexities, its joys and sorrows, I am surprised that I still remember so many of the box numbers and their owners. The rental was donated to the different ministers. I can still almost hear the old Presbyterian minister, so long the shepherd of the flock in Tower Hill, the Rev. Adam Johnston, call in his gruff Scotch voice, "77." The Methodist minister's box was 47, and that of the Free Methodist, 37.
There are confidences and other peoples' secrets associated with a village post office that are to be kept inviolate and I am glad to be able to say that so far as I know neither my father nor I ever betrayed these things. I have often wondered, if some things had been told just what sort of an uproar would have been created.
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Memories are crowding in faster than I can make my typewriter go and I almost forget that there are lines on my face and gray hairs on my temples, for it seems but yesterday that I was handing out mail to so many that I am thinking of, who have been gone so long, Miss Jennie Hook, for one, who came regularly every day, rain or shine. Homer says she wore a red Paisley shawl .I don't remember about that.
Well, one who used to wait for the mail is postmaster there now, and I am wondering. Do folks still wait for the mail? Are some still critical and accusing and fault-finding and refuse to understand? Are some still kindly and charitable if a mistake is made? Do some come in with a cheery "Good Morning"? Are there still some who smile and say "Thank you"? Does the ratio still stand one hundred nice, pleasant patrons to the one habitual grouch? Human nature doesn't change much and "We are the same that our fathers have been."
Respectfully, Mrs. Stella (Weeks) Hunter.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
This interesting item was very intelligently compiled during the last year by Mrs. Eva Myres and others, and with their courtesy will incorporate into this history bits of that history.
Mrs. Eva (Hook) Cannon wrote of her early memory: "In 1866 the first school building, a one-room frame building stood facing the south about where the present west wing of the present building stands. It had two front doors and the teacher's desk just between them. There were nine double desks and seats on the east side and nine on the west, with recitation seats in the center of the building. Mrs. Dave Canaan was one of the first teachers, also a one-armed man, a Mr. Miller, who taught about 1867. D. S. Brown taught two terms during the last of which the pupils were divided, Cass Brown taking the first and second grades to a building just between the present post office and the M.E. parsonage. (This building is at present H. H. Runkel's garage).
In these earlier days it was often the privilege of the older pupils to teach the younger pupils, just to help the teacher. Imagine a class of eighteen or twenty standing up just before evening closing in the 'big spelling class.' The one at the head went to the foot for the next day, but often a good speller has spelled down the whole class, and stands at the head the next day."
From other records I find that the first schoolhouse erected in Tower Hill township was called "Old Hickory," a log cabin building. It stood in the center of section 3, Charles McCabe was the first teacher. It must be re- membered that there were other school buildings in different sections of the county. And ever so interesting to note that a school building had been erected as early as 1821 in the Cold Spring village with Moses Storey as teacher. This was fully thirty-five years before the one at "Old Hickory." This gives you an idea of the early records as to settlement of Williamsburg.
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In the late 60's a second building was erected on the site of the prezent schoolground, because of the growth of the village of Tower Hill. In the early 70's J. W. Sharrock, a Civil War veteran, was one of the teachers. The readers of the Times will remember of reading his obituary published during the last year. he dying at the age of 84 years. It was the writer's privilege to be a scholar in 1874 in the room of this respected citizen, soldier, and teacher. He was my first teacher and very distinctly do I remember my first day of school. I note with much interest the change in methods of teaching in those days as compared to the present. Then it was the A.B.C. method and form- ulating into words, now the word and sentence method.
In the late 70's Miss Frances (Frank) Baines, and W. C. Kelley (a lawyer of Shelbyville) and Wash Rarer were teachers. Dr. I. L. Brant was a teacher in 1879.
Mrs. Sarah E. Howard contributed the following: "In 1880 Dexter Corley was principal, Louis Leighty and Sarah E. Howard as teachers. A school building west of town had been moved in and joined to the first building. (At present these buildings are residences in Tower Hill, one occupied by O. Y. Roberts, the other by Miss Nettie Crout)."
In the early 80's Cass and John - - were teachers, and the Tower Hill high school had established a reputation for theroughness, and was at- tracting many students from the surrounding country.
For want of space we refrain from recording the list of teachers from this time until the present.
The frame buildings stood for several years until a fire destroyed them. They have been built from time to time until today a modern plant is the pride of the community. The curriculum has also been improved until today the various courses compare favorably with larger communities.
THE COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
While the village of Tower Hill has met a very decided adverse record as to the matter of general merchandise business as a trading center, and a stock and grain shipping point for the community, as compared to the period of the '80's and 90's and the same decline applying to the population, church and Sunday school, yet it has made an extraordinary advancement in the matter of general education in local grade work, and specially in the estab- lishment of a Community High school.
Previous to the '20s it had been the community talk pro and con, as to the advisability of the establishment of a Community High school to meet the demands of the 8th grade graduates of the town and rural centers, that these pupils could have the advantage of an accredited high school within their midst, and thus from an economical view secure for them this advanced course. without seeking such in other established educational centers.
Meeting the demands of the surrounding districts, the proposition of organization was finally taken up with those interested, and the dream finally took definite form with the boundaries fixed at 62 square miles, with 230 property owners in this district, all legal matters adjusted properly, and in the fall of 1922 saw the opening officially of the Tower Hill Communtiy High school, with Mrs. Etta M. Russell as principal, and assistants Miss Opal M. Fry and L. C. Cannon|
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The enrollment the first year was 47 with a graduating class of 3. It may be of interest to recall that the first commencement was held in the Fluckey Opera house, and in connection all those events that go to make up that very interesting program. The baccalaureate sermon was delivered by the Rev. J. C. Yeck, pastor of the Free Methodist church of the village.
The graduates were Leah Selby, now Mrs. Ernest Crum, living in Colo- rado; Grace Selby, now Mrs. Roland Meyers, living near Tower Hill, and Frederick Blauth, a citizen of the town, and now serving as Highway Com- missioner for the township.
The records show a fourth member of the class as Miss Ethel Henderson, who died at near Christmas time of the year.
It was apparent that the establishment of this advanced grade of learn- ing was meeting with the approval by the community interests, because of the economical advantage of having within their own midst, that advantage for which students had to seek elsewhere.
Then the decision of the educational board to emphasize the courses of study that would apply directly to this agricultural region, such as Com- mercial and Vocational Agriculture, made many friends of the project.
In addition to this there is the regular high school course of Math- ematics, Languages, History, Literature and the Sciences.
The matter of stressing the athletic phase of the curriculum met with favor as such a course is a universal support in all institutions, so a pro- gram commensurate with the institution was planned and is being carried out.
The records show that a regular athletic schedule was introduced by Prof. W. B. Garvin of the faculty who had succeeded Mrs. Russell as principal in 1923-24.
The games basketball and football were played for a time, under the coaching of L. C. Cannon. After a few years the department dropped football, but basketball continued and remains as a definite program of athletic con- tests to the present time.
Athletic work for girls was introduced into the school program in 1925, when Miss Hazel J. Wheeler became a member of the faculty. Inter-high school contests have never been sponsored for girls because of the ruling by the Illinois State High School Athletic association to that effect.
Class teams of basketball for girls have been organized each year and compete with each other during athletic class periods.
The coaches who have directed the basketball teams have been as fol- lows: W. B. Garvin, L. C. Cannon, Walter Smith, Roy Adams, Harlan Walley, Albert Millington, and the present coach, Dawn Neil, who has been a mem- ber of the faculty for 4 years, and is a graduate of the class of '27.
I wish it were possible to extend the history and give a list of all the members of the faculty from the beginning. also to include a catalogue of the course of study, and the listing of the text books, with comments on the courses of study, as compared to that of 50 years ago when the writer was a student in the Tower Hill grade school, but space forbids.
As we have already noted, the establishment of the school met with a hearty response by the patrons of the district. The enrollment increasing each year it was soon apparent that larger quarters would be necessary to take care of the increase.
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So while it was learned in 1934 that Federal agencies monetary assistance could be secured, the board took necessary steps in an election held to vote on a proposition of a new school building, which was carried
A new building, located in the south part of town, costing around $68,000 was erected and occupied in February of 1935. This building is the result of the architect's best planning for conveniences, and is sufficient to take care of the needs for many years to come.
At the time of planning and construction of this new building, the Board of Education was composed of the following citizens: C. J. Sibbitt, pres., Paul Blauth, clerk, and directors Edward Schoch, George Fringer and Dale Glick.
For the year 1936-7 a faculty of 6 comprise the teaching staff, with an enrollment of 102 and a graduating class of 18 which record speaks for itself as to the popularity of the school.
The present principal is Miss Hazel J. Wheeler, who came to the school in 1925 as a member of the faculty, from the Central Missouri State Teachers college with her B.S. and A.B. degrees and the Degree of A.M. from Missouri State university.
The present Board of Education is Charles J. Sibbitt, pres., Paul Blauth, as clerk, and directors Albert Doll, Dale Glick and Roy Hockaday.
The writer wishes to add this bit of comment, in complimenting the youth of today on their excellent opportunities in obtaining at home what those of a generatin ago had to migrate to some distant seat of learning, to possess knowledge of a character perhaps not as well presented as at the present time.
Special acknowledgment is due the principal, Miss Wheeler, for the facts and information in general so kindly given the writer in presenting this record.
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