USA > Illinois > Ogle County > Mount Morris > Mount Morris : past and present, an illustrated history of the village of Mount Morris, Ogle County, Illinois > Part 39
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44
It is true that the seminary and col- lege were never successful financially but that fact does not detract from the great influence the institution had in the growth and development of the village. The second phase of the de- velopment of the village is the indus- trial which fortunately grew during the decline of the college and took the place of that institution when it was finally compelled to close its doors. During the early days, Mount Morris was known far and wide as an educational center, and now it is even better known as a great printing center, and hundreds of thousands of magazines are broad- cast each month all over the United States and Canada.
It so happens that this hundred-year period which saw the evolution of our community from an open prairie into a thriving little city, also covers the greatest progress in science and inven- tion which the world has ever seen. At
the time the first settlers wended their way from the east by slow means of transportation very few of the impor- tant modern conveniences and inven- tions were in existence. There were no railroads except several short lines in the east; there were no automobiles, no telephones, no electric lights, no radios, no airplanes, no motion pictures. Most of these inventions might be classed as luxuries, but today they are considered necessities in the life of the average American.
It will, therefore, be interesting to check up on when these inventions were first used in this country and when they first came to Mount Morris.
RAILROADS
T HE first railroad built in the United States for the purpose of transport- ing freight and passengers was the Bal- timore & Ohio. Construction began in 1828 and the laying of rails began in 1829. Up to 1832, horses were employed to haul the cars and the first locomotive was not used until 1830. When the first settlers began to come to Ogle County in 1836 and 1837, there were no railroads whatever west of Pennsyl- vania and the only means of travel to the new country was in wagons drawn by horses or oxen, or by boats on the great lakes and rivers. The railroad through Mount Morris was not built until the year 1871, or nearly 35 years after the village was founded.
AUTOMOBILES
T modern automobile propelled by means of a gasoline engine was not in general use in the United States until about the year 1902, and the first machines did not appear in Mount Mor- ris until the year 1904. Edward Thomas claims to have brought the first ma-
413
414
MOUNT MORRIS: PAST AND PRESENT
chine here in May, 1904. It was a sin- gle cylinder machine known as the "Silent Knight" and he bought it at Hagerstown, Md., for $600.00. Later he shipped it to Porto Rico, where he was employed as an engineer. Mr. Thomas also claims to have owned the first bi- cycle brought to Mount Morris. That was in the year 1889 and it was built with a high wheel in front and a small wheel behind. It took a gymnast to ride one of those early bicycles. Chas. Ford, son of Rev. L. Ford, also had one of the first bicycles of that type.
Dr. A. W. Price probably owned the second automobile in Mount Morris. The Index of June 29, 1904, contained the following news item in regard to it: "Dr. A. W. Price brought his new automobile home from Rockford, Satur- day. It is a two-seated proper, but can be quickly changed into a four-seated affair by a clever folding arrangement in front. The machine is the Knox patent and is propelled by a 10-horse- power gasoline motor, the entire outfit weighing 1760 pounds. It is a handsome make and outline and is considered one of the best patterns on the market. The purchase was made through the agency of F. G. Jones of Oregon, but the price paid has not been revealed. Since his return Mr. Price has given many of his friends and a large number of little folks rides about town and on the fre- quent trips up and down Main Street, it is a matter of surprise how well most of the horses met have behaved. It would seem that in a very short time all danger of a scare from this source by the horse family will be over."
Others who purchased machines in those early days were Prof. G. W. Fur- rey, Frank Keedy, Willis Mumma, O. S. Watts and George Windle. However, this new mode of transportation did not materialize very fast in Mount Morris because five years later The Index of May 6, 1909, had the following news item: "Price Stouffer is the possessor of a new Jackson touring car, having made the purchase through the agency of Wingert & Clevidence. Mr. Stouffer and Mr. Clevidence went to Chicago on Tuesday of last week and in the afternoon ran the auto out as far as Elgin, resuming the journey to Mount
Morris on the following day. The car is of excellent make and Mr. Stouffer is already becoming quite proficient in handling it. A year ago there was not an automobile owned in town, while now there are sixteen and others are considering purchasing. It took Mount Morris folks a good while to catch the auto fever but it is now in full swing."
TELEPHONES
THE telephone was invented in 1876 by Prof. Graham Bell and by 1903 there were 1500 exchanges and over three million telephones in use in the United States. The first telephone was installed in Mount Morris in 1893. It was a public station in the hardware store.
The first telephone exchange was in- stalled in September, 1900, in the Sei- bert Building over the Citizens Bank, at which time there were 86 subscribers. Miss Maude Rowe (Mrs. B. E. Avey) was the first day operator and David Craley the night operator. Business and professional men who installed phones at that time were Adams Ex- press office, B. E. Avey hardware, Baker & Coffman, Citizens Bank, H. H. Clevi- dence elevator, Clark & Wingert, City Water Works, Hotel Rohrer, Dr. Hanes office, D. F. Hamlin store, Index office, W. H. Jackson office, Fred Long livery, Oliver Miller stable, Dr. J. B. Moats office, News office, Niman's livery, C. E. Price hardware, Dr. C. J. Price office, College office, J. Strock grocery, O. S. Watts grocery, Wolfe's bakery, Burling- ton depot; also the residences of E. J. Allen, Prof. A. L. Clair, Dr. J. F. Canode, C. C. Crowell, Dr. W. W. Hanes, J. G. Royer, G. E. Weaver, Fred Frederickson, Samuel Rowe, Dr. G. B. McCosh and Prof. W. L. Eikenberry. The exchange was put in by the Ogle County Telephone Co.
In 1904 Charles Weaver was the local manager. In 1913 the name of the com- pany was changed to the Rock River Telephone Company with Walter Stage as local manager. In 1926 the DeKalb Telephone Company merged with the Rock River Telephone Company under the new name DeKalb-Ogle Telephone Company and since that time Miss Ma- tilda Bock has been the local manager.
415
MOUNT MORRIS OF TODAY
Service work has been handled by the manager at Oregon. The present tele- phone operators are as follows: Mrs. Frank Nachtman, Mrs. Hannah Ride- nour, Mrs. Stewart Merryman, Miss Lois Merryman and Miss Frances Saw- yer.
The number of telephones gradually increased each year until the present time when there are 800 in Mount Mor- ris and surrounding country. Very few houses are not equipped with this mod- ern convenience.
RADIO
RA ADIO was first heard in Mount Mor- ris in 1922. The Index of July 6, 1922, announced that Bert Baker had in- stalled the first receiving set, and Bert Tilden also put in a set about the same time. Harold Tracy, Erwin Hough and Nelson Rittenhouse were also pioneers with radio sets in the same year. These first sets were very crude and were equipped with ear phones. Later on they were connected with loud speak- ers. Now after the elapse of only 16 years nearly every home has one or two radios and many automobiles are equipped with them.
ELECTRIC LIGHTS
T 'HE introduction of electricity for light and power was made about the year 1880, and gradually came into general use, especially for street light- ing with arc lamps.
Mount Morris got along with kero- sene lamps until the year 1901, when the village board granted a franchise to Edgar F. Thomas, who installed an 80-horsepower steam engine with a belt-driven dynamo in a building east of the railroad tracks in the north end of town. This plant was put in opera- tion for the first time on Jan. 8, 1901. Most of the business houses and a number of residences had been wired and street lights installed.
Mr. Thomas operated the plant until December, 1903, when he sold the bus- iness to W. N. Wilkins of Mayfield, N. Y., who operated the plant as the Mount Morris Electric Light & Power Co. The plant was sold again in several years to Walter B. King of Redwood
Falls, Minn., and he in turn sold to another group of out-of-town men.
In 1909, Kable Brothers Company ac- quired the electric light plant and moved the equipment to its own build- ing and enlarged it sufficiently to fur- nish light and power to the village and the printing plant as well. After three years the plant and franchise were sold to the Illinois Northern Utilities Com- pany. The generating of current was discontinued in Mount Morris and the electricity has since been brought in over high voltage transmission lines.
MOTION PICTURES
C
HAS. WISHARD started the first
motion picture theatre in Mount Morris in the year 1912 in the small building now occupied by Hagemann's Service Station, and this theatre was used until the Wishard Building was built in 1920. Sound pictures were first shown here in February, 1930.
THE AIRPLANE
TN THE year 1905, aviation was in its infancy and Wilbur Wright made the first successful flight in a heavier-than- air machine in that year. It was 13 years later when the first airplane landed at Mount Morris and The Index of July 31, 1919, reported the incident as follows: "The circling of an airplane over Mount Morris for a few minutes shortly after 7 o'clock Thursday morning and its final alighting in the pasture field of Price Stouffer at the south edge of town, attracted much attention and a large crowd soon gathered to learn what the early visit meant, for it was the first airplane to stop in the town, although others have passed over in their flights elsewhere. The machine, a small two-seated Curtiss biplane, was in charge of two young men recently discharged from the service and they were enroute to deliver it to parties at Madison, Wis."
In 1938, Mount Morris has everything that an enterprising city should have. All of the important streets are paved with concrete; the business houses and homes are protected against fire by an adequate water system of mains and hydrants and fire-fighting apparatus;
416
THE SOUTH BUSINESS BLOCK as it appeared in 1900, before the street was paved. Note the old Startzman building at the farther end of the street, now replaced by the Township Hall. Also note the kerosene street lamp on the corner at the left.
MOUNT MORRIS: PAST AND PRESENT
MOUNT MORRIS OF TODAY
I
HANN'S BEER
THE SOUTH BUSINESS BLOCK as it appears in 1938, 38 years after the picture on the opposite page was taken. Quite a few changes can be seen in the buildings at the lower end, including the Brayton Block and the Town Hall. Note the electric lights and street paving.
417
418
MOUNT MORRIS: PAST AND PRESENT
the streets are well lighted with elec- tricity; the educational facilities are ample and well administered; there are four prosperous churches which fill the religious requirements of our people; fraternal and social organizations are in a flourishing condition; and the bus- iness interests are ably represented by our enterprising merchants.
Brief sketches are given in the fol- lowing pages of the business men and enterprises in Mount Morris which are not covered in preceding chapters.
ORLO AUMAN, owner and operator of "Whitey's" Barber Shop, came to Mount Morris from Lanark in August, 1933, as barber in Harrington's shop. He started in business for himself in June, 1937. He is the son of George and Fanny Auman and was born Sept. 12, 1909, at Kent, Ill. He graduated from the Cissna Park High School in 1927 and attended Mount Morris College for one year. He graduated from Molar's Barber College in Chicago in April, 1932. He was married in September, 1936, to Helen Wolfensberger.
HOWARD CORBETT, manager of the local Standard Oil Station in Mount Mor- ris, is the son of Joe and Bessie (Ballard) Corbett and was born March 24, 1913, at Oregon, Ill. He graduated from the Polo High School in 1930 and attended Mount Morris College for two years. He was a member of the undefeated football team of 1931. He was employed by the Kable News Co. from 1932 to 1936, and in March, 1936, became the manager of the Standard Oil station. Mr. Corbett was married in 1934 to Olive Weybright and they have two children: Joan and Carol.
SYRIL E. AVEY, owner of Avey's Elec- trical & Variety Store, is the son of Solo- mon E. and Belle (Beard) Avey, and was born Jan. 26, 1899, in Mount Morris. He graduated from the Mount Morris High School in 1916, attended the Marian (Ala.) Military Institute for one year, and the Naval Academy at Annapolis from June, 1917, to October, 1920. He learned the electric business with the Seaman Electric Company at Middletown, Ohio, and was local manager for the Illinois Northern Utilities Company from 1921 until 1929. Since then he has been in business for himself. He is a past commander of American Legion Post No. 143, and is a member of the local Masonic lodge and the Business Men's League. In 1922, he married Lulu Pyper of Leaf River and they have had five children: Robert, Jean, Spencer, Dorothy and Betty (deceased).
JAMES BARBEGELLO has been op- erating the Mount Morris Cafe since De- cember, 1937. He previously operated a restaurant in Rockford. He was born Jan. 17, 1883, at Calascibatta, Italy. He attended school in Italy and served in the Italian Army during the World War. He became a U. S. citizen in 1937. He was married in 1905 to Angelina Bonzignara and they have three children: Joseph, Antoine and Carlo.
ALLISON BLAKE has been operating a shoe shop in Mount Morris since Sep- tember, 1937. He is the son of Errett and Bessie (Black) Blake and was born north- east of Mount Morris, Aug. 8, 1914. He graduated from the Mount Morris High School in 1934. He married Winona Bur- right in October, 1936, and they have a daughter, Karlene Marie.
419
MOUNT MORRIS OF TODAY
ROBERT E. BUSER, president of the Buser Concrete Construction Company, is the son of Nathaniel E. and Arbanna C. (Middlekauff) Buser. He was born in Mount Morris Sept. 7, 1880. He attended the Mount Morris Public Schools and graduated from Mount Morris College in 1905. He taught country schools in 1898 and 1899 and then became associated with his father in the building and building material business, of which he is now the head. He was married in 1905 to Elva M. Jacobs and they have three children, Maurice E., Gail J. and Doris (Mrs. Harry Conrad). He lives at 104 Emily St.
DR. PAUL BOYLE, Dentist, located in Mount Morris in October, 1935, and has
built up a large practice. He was born Jan. 3, 1911, at Sutherland, Iowa, and grad- uated from the Lanark High School in 1929. He attended the University of Illi- nois and graduated from the University of Illinois College of Dentistry in Chicago in 1935. Prior to coming to Mount Morris he served as instructor in operative dentistry in the school in Chicago where he gradu- ated. He is assisted in his office by Mrs. Raymond Osborne. Dr. Boyle was mar- ried in 1935 to Miss Lilian Borop and they live in the Kable Apartments.
CHARLES O. BAKER has been in the bakery business in Mount Morris since 1921 and operates a high-grade establish- ment. He employs Wm. Esderts. Mr. Baker is the son of O. W. and Eleanor (Wilson) Baker and was born in Mount Morris, March 18, 1885. He attended the Mount Morris public schools and worked at the baker's trade in Benton Harbor, Mich., Dallas, Texas, and Rockford, Ill. He is married and has three children.
ERNEST A. BRUNER owns and operates a Confectionery store at 115 S. Wesley Ave. He is the son of Theodore L. and Etta (McCoy) Bruner. He was born at Somerset, Pa., April 7, 1880, and came to Mount Morris in 1888. He attended the Mount Morris Public School and later en- gaged in farming at Stillman Valley. In March, 1929, he purchased the confection- ery business from Daniel Kees which he has conducted since that time. He is a member of Mount Morris Business Men's League. Mr. Bruner was married in 1905 to Gertrude Leupkes and they have five children: Theodore, Kenneth, Bernice (Mrs. Forrest Kable), Lois and James.
420
MOUNT MORRIS: PAST AND PRESENT
L
THE NORTH BUSINESS BLOCK as it appeared about the year 1900, before the street was paved and before the general use of automobiles. Note the horses hitched along the street.
MOUNT MORRIS OF TODAY
THE NORTH BUSINESS BLOCK as it appears in 1938, 38 years after the picture on the opposite page was taken. The buildings are practically the same, but autos take the place of buggies and the street has been paved.
421
422
MOUNT MORRIS: PAST AND PRESENT
MAURICE E. BUSER, secretary-treasurer of the Buser Concrete Construction Com- pany, is the son of Robert E. and Elva (Jacobs) Buser and was born at Stillman Valley, Nov. 21, 1907. He graduated from the Mount Morris High School in 1924, and attended Mount Morris College for one year. He was a member of the 129th Infantry Band of the Illinois National Guard for three years. He is a member of the Business Men's League and of the local Masonic lodge. He was married in August, 1925, to Leotta Heftye and they live at 306 W. Hitt St.
CARROLL BOSTON is manager of the local office of the Illinois Northern Utili-
ties Company. He is the son of Charles and Virgie (Campbell) Boston, and was born April 30, 1903, at Girard, Ill. He graduated from the Mount Morris High School in 1922 and from the Sweeney Electrical Trade School at Kansas City, Mo., in 1924. He worked in the folder de- partment at the Kable plant for 11/2 years, and then as electrician and clerk for C. H. Newcomer. In 1929, he started as serv- ice man and lineman for the Illinois Northern Utilities Company and was ap- pointed local manager in January, 1937. He was Master of the local Masonic Lodge in 1937 and also Worthy Patron of the Eastern Star. He is president of the Mount Morris Business Men's League. He was married in August, 1929, to Arminnie Sons.
BERT A. BAKER has been in the auto- mobile and radio business in Mount Mor- ris since 1914. He was one of the first per- sons in Mount Morris to operate a radio receiving set. He is the son of Edward F. and Barbara (Hammer) Baker and was born in Pine Creek Township, Feb. 7, 1886. He attended the Pine Creek school and graduated from Mount Morris Col- lege in 1910. He then attended the Uni- versity of Michigan and graduated in electrical engineering in 1914. He was a member of the Village Board of Trustees for ten years. He married Edna M. Fry in October, 1923.
MRS. LETTIE CRAMER is the owner and operator of the LeMae Beauty Shop at 61/2 W. Main St. She received her training at the Rockford Beauty School and became a licensed operator in 1930. She came to Mount Morris in 1932. Mrs. Cramer is a member of the Eastern Star.
423
MOUNT MORRIS OF TODAY
ET &CO. ALS
BUSERcof BUILDING
THE BUSER CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY is an outgrowth of the con- tracting business of Nathaniel E. Buser. He operated independently for a number of years, then in partnership with Willis Mumma, and later added building material and coal sales to the business. The business was then incorporated in 1906 by N. E. Buser, Robert E. Buser, and John W. Wine. N. E. Buser continued as president until his death in 1931. The present officers and directors of the company are Robert E. Buser, president; Elva M. Buser, vice-president; Maurice E. Buser, secretary and treasurer, and Mrs. B. C. Buser, director. All of the stock of the company is held by members of the family. The regular employes of the company are Grover Eakle, Errett Blake, Albert Sprecher, Ben Corbett, Jesse Raney, Darrell Toms, Keller Smith and Faustina Curley.
MARY CATHERINE (SPRECHER) MILLER, daughter of John and Alydia Ann (Palmer) Sprecher was born in Mount Morris on June 13, 1875, and at- tended Mount Morris Public Schools and Mount Morris College. She has been con- nected with her father's store in Mount Morris since 1894, and for a number of years has been the efficient manager of the store. She married Supervisor John H. Miller, who passed away in December. 1936. She is a member of the Church of the Brethren.
CHARLES C. SPRECHER, son of John and Alydia Ann (Palmer) Sprecher, was born in Mount Morris, Octo- ber 22, 1873, and attended Mount Morris public schools. He has been connected with the Sprecher store since 1903. He is unmarried.
WENTWORTH WHEELER SPRECHER, son of John and Alydia Ann (Palmer) Sprecher, was born in Mount Morris, Dec. 17, 1877, and attended Mount Morris public schools. He has been connected with the Sprecher store since 1902. Mr. Sprecher was married Sept. 7, 1921, to Essie Pieper and they have two children, John and Lois.
424
MOUNT MORRIS: PAST AND PRESENT
DANIEL S. CLAUSSEN, proprietor of the Claussen Garage, is the son of Menne and Grace (Poppenga) Claussen and was born at Oregon, Ill., July 3, 1894. He attended the country school and graduated from the Oregon High School. He also attended the Sweeney Automobile School in Kansas City, Mo. He came to Mount Morris in 1928 as an employe of the Central Garage and later established a business of his own. D. B. Allen is in his employ. Mr. Claussen was married in September, 1920, to Luetta M. Harshman and they have four chil- dren: Manley James, Duane Francis, Gloria Joy and Patricia Ann.
JAY CRATTY is engaged in the cleaning and dyeing business in Mount Morris. He is the son of James and Lettie (Boyle) Cratty and was born Feb. 27, 1890, at
Rochelle, Ill. He graduated from the Ro- chelle High School in 1909. In the World War, he enlisted at Belvidere and was sworn in at Columbus Barracks, Ohio, Oct. 18, 1917. He went overseas Feb. 20, 1918, with the 26th Division and served until Sept. 16, 1919, when he was dis- charged at Camp Lee, Va. He came to Mount Morris in 1926. He belongs to the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Mr. Cratty was married in 1921 to Olivia Carney and they have a son, James.
H. E. COFFMAN, who owns and operates a coal business, is the son of Frank and Grace (McCoy) Coffman and was born in Mount Morris, Dec. 20, 1900. He gradu- ated from the Mount Morris High School in 1918 and attended Mount Morris Col- lege in 1919. In March, 1922, he started in the coal business for himself. Mr. Coffman has in his employ, Earl Crowell, James Chambers, Louis Borneman and Harvey Hiteman. He built his office building in 1931. He has served on the Village Board of Trustees and the Grade School Board and is a member of the Business Men's League, director of the Mount Morris Building and Loan Association and a member of the local Masonic lodge. He married Ruth Prugh in August, 1922, and they have three children: James, William and Suzanne. Mr. Coffman owns his home at 311 E. Brayton Road.
WILLIAM FOUKE owns and operates a barber shop at 200 W. Main St. He is the son of Dorsey and Elizabeth (Alsip) Fouke and was born May 6, 1880, in Mount Morris. He attended the Mount Morris public school and has been in the barber business for 25 years. He is a member of the Sons of Civil War Veterans. He is unmarried.
425
MOUNT MORRIS OF TODAY
R. L. CRATTY, son of James and Lettie (Boyle) Cratty, was born at Rochelle, Ill., June 26, 1894. He graduated from the Rochelle High School in 1913, and in 1917 located in Mount Morris in the clothing business. He was married in 1916 to Laura Lewis, and two children were born to them, Robert L. and Doris. Mrs. Cratty died in 1932, and Mr. Cratty was remarried in 1935 to Ann Shaw. They reside at 314 E. Brayton Road. Mr. Cratty served two years as Village Clerk and three terms on the High School Board of Trustees. He is a member of the local Masonic Lodge.
HENRY G. DOHLEN conducts an electri- cal business in Mount Morris which he
started in 1931. Merlin Root is in his em- ploy as service man. Mr. Dohlen is the son of John and Benjia (Genandt) Dohlen and was born Sept. 21, 1894, at Ackley, Iowa. He attended school in Mount Mor- ris and attended the Sweeney Auto School at Kansas City. In the World War, he en- listed in April, 1917, in Chicago; was sent to Jefferson Barracks and then to El Paso, Texas. He went to France with the Fifth Engineers and saw active service under fire at Belleau Woods for 32 days. He was on the front line when the armistice was signed. He was discharged at Camp Grant on March 29, 1919. Mr. Dohlen was mar- ried to Ruth Gilbert in 1922 and they have one daughter, Marlene Joyce. He belongs to the Business Men's League, the Amer- ican Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Masons.
OSCAR L. DOWARD, son of Alfred and Annorah (Nichols) Doward, was born in Mount Morris, March 3, 1864. He attended the public school in Mount Morris and then learned the trade of sheet metal worker, which vocation he still follows. He has been in business most of the time for himself. He has been a musician of considerable ability, both vocal and in- strumental. He played bass viol in many of the old orchestras and also had a very low bass voice. He was twice married, first to Helen Lizer, who died in 1901. They had four children: Anna, Daniel, Alfred and Orville. His second marriage was in 1902 to Laura M. Wedge. He died in August, 1938, after the above was writ- ten.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.