USA > Illinois > Marshall County > Old Sandy remembers: Evans Township, Marshall County [history] > Part 11
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Two now industries had started since the war. Wenona Wear, Inc., manufactured baby clothes for the Napper Company, which had nation- wide sale.
Wenona was prosperous, and its population continued to grow. The prices received by farmers had declined from their post-war peak, but they were much higher than before the war.
lenona, in its second century, had an air of quiet confidence in the future which was indeed heart.ning.
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ARCHWAY COOKIES OAK STATE PRODUCTS COMPANY
A new industry came to Wenona in 1952. The Chamber of Commerce reported that some twenty thousand dollars had been pledged to buy the Bishop Con- struction Company building on North Walnut Street for the Swanson Cookie Company.
Jim Doyle and his son-in-law, John Dill had been in the bakery busi- ness in Mansfield, Ohio, and the third partner was John H. Parker, Doyle's brother-in-law. When they acquired the exclusive francise to use the Swan- son name and recipes in Illinois from the Swanson Cookie Company, Inc., of Battle Creek, Michigan, they visited several mid-Illinois towns looking for a central location where they could establish their bakery and distribution center. The Wenona Chamber of Commerce was able to act as intermediary in the purchase of the 60 x 64 foot concrete block building which was remodeled for their use.
Production started in April, 1952, after the installation of the few pieces of necessary machinery and other equipment. Mr. Segard, a mixer, was loaned to the new company by the Michigan plant to help them get started. Elmer Stalter of Minonk, joined the staff in June and later was made plant superintendent.
A modest beginning soon boomed into quantity productions as the Home Made cookies caught on. The plant carried on a round-the-clock operation in three shifts, five days a week. From 15 to 18 people were required on each shift with twenty-two different kinds of cookies being made. Two large trucks, each with a capacity of 10,000 dozen cookies were required to sup- ply the 26 distributors scattered over the state.
In 1956 Byron W. Goulding and Donald Christy purchased the Archway plant and a few years later Mr. Christy sold his interest to Mr. Leighton.
A disasterous fire occured on March 11th, 1963 about 3:30 A.M. When discovered the entire interior was aflame. Office equipment and company records were all lost together with the machinery and stock. That same day Jim Kupec was sent to Boon, Iowa to supervise a third shift at the Archway plant ther. With the assistance from bakeries in Michiagan, Arch- way didn't miss filling its orders.
Plans were immediately begun to rebuild. Mr. Leighton and Mr. Gould- ing ordered new equipment and said they would definitely stay in Wenona and planned to be back in production by June 1st. In April of 1963 they purchased five acres of land south of Wenona and construction was expected to start immediately. Newer and more modern equipment was installed and a new ultra modern band oven had replaced the old one. True to their pre- diction, production was started in June. The operation was similar, but
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many new improvements had been added.
Three new additions had been built since the original building and approximately 35 to 40 people are now employed. Several new kinds of cookies are being made now as well as the old favorites.
Today Archway Cookies are distributed to both independent grocers and to most of the major chain stores throughout the country. The company has an outstanding reputation for producing a high quality product, and service with the general public as well as the grocery industry.
Wenona is indeed proud to have Oak State Froducts here.
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CHANGES IN LAND TRANSFER FROM HOMESTEADING TILL 1968
Original Owner or
Early Owner
Change in Ownership
Present Owner
Operator
Gus Cusac
Gus Cusac
Spitzer & Wayne Cusac
Wayne Cusac
Myers Estate
Myers Estate
Myers Estate Delbert Baker
Bayard Wright, Homesteader
John Wright
Willard Wright
Willard Wright
Bayard Wright
Ed Wright
Garnet Wright Leman White Mrs. Clara Wright
Bayard Wright
Belle, Irma, Ralph Wright
Roy Winter Bill Winter
Alfred Judd, Homesteader
French Estate
G.K. Braymen
Fred Henry
Judd Land
Junius Brown
Roscoe Judd Alfred Judd
Thomas Judd, Sr. Homesteader
Roscoe Judd
Mrs. Vern
& Heirs
Calhoun Kendall Judd
Wm.H. Parkinson
Grace Parkinson
Harold Kennell Missal Bros.
Dan Well
Well's Estate
Willis Miller Willis Miller
Benjamin Foster
Thomas Foster
Clayton Foster Don Sunken
Thomas Judd
Ira Cunningham
Alta Symington
Alvin Wcerner
J. Wilson
Harry Winter
Roy Winter Bill Winter
J. Wilson
Jay Winter J. Winter EstateEngene Cook Fort Heirs Louis Colehower Wally Lindgren
Greenberry Fort
A. Allen Estate Abram & C.M. Allen Est.
Louis Colehower Darwin Kuehn
Hawes Estate
Milton White
Albert Prestin Albert Prestin
Joshua Evans, Homesteader John Evans
D. Hall Estate
Hall Estate
Wenona Unit #1 Wenona Unit #1 C. Hamilton Leach Ralph Johnson
Milton White
Sam White
Carl Nelson Carl Nelson
W.M. Hamilton Est. W. H. Hamilton
Fred Missal Fred Missal
Lash Lash
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Original Owner or Early Owner
Change in Ownership
Present C.me
Operator
Cap Hawes
Harold Ong
Harold Che Wilbur Foote
Shipley Estate
Carrie Engel Oliver Mason
Carrie Engle Oliver Mason Thaddius Akridge
William Swartz, Homesteader
Carmi, Arthur, Charles Swartz
Proctor Estate Robt. Henderson
Dr. J. B. Hudson
H. M. Taggart
Taggart Est. W. Wudtke
B. Fowler
Richard Taylor
Taylor Heirs Allan Taylor
William Svartz, Homesteader
Harry Swartz
Clarence Aeschliman Clarence Åeschliman
Aaron Axline Axline H. S. Axline
Viron Feterson
Hodge Estate
George Hodge
Univ. of Ill. Herb. werzlaff
Grimes Estate
John Hodge
Hodge Heirs Clarence Schaefer
Wilson Estate
Guy Wilson
Pearl Wilson Bill Umbarger
Francis Thierry
Fred Thierry
Homer Thierry Mrs. Wilma Thierry
Raymond Crone
Joe Weiland
Wilson Estate
Edith Gants
Tura Gants Hawley
louis Bentlin
Joshua Evans
Douglas Evans
Mrs. Stanley Barnes Ellsworth Strode
Samuel Cox
J. S. Thompson
Emma Mae
Scholz Vernon Kerner
B. Moore
Chas. Burgess, Sr.
Axel Helander Geo. Ball Axel Helander
J. W. Holton
John Crone
Edwin Schwiderski Edwin Schwiderski
Joseph Donnelly
Elzer Mcclure
Edwin Schwiderski Edwin Schwiderski
Dancy Haugens
Edward Haugens
Harold Lutz
Harold Lutz
Charles Wolf
Julian Woolf Charlene Kalf Kramer
Julian Wayne Woolf & Charlene woolf Krazer Roy Flesburg
Griffin Futat.
tiz iffin Fetatc
Fall Bros. Raymond Crone
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Original Owner or Early Owner
Change in Ownership
Present Cwner
Operator
George Griffin
Harry Griffin
Harry Griffin Griffin Heir
Benjamin Darnell, Homesteader
Wilber Mann
Mrs. Wilber Mann Virgil Mann
· McAdams Homesteaders
Austin Garvin
John Garvin Ed Weisbrock
Chalfant
Aug. Lindgren
Lindgren Heirs C. Lindgren
David Moore
W. T. McAdams
H. B. Axline Viron Peterson
W. T. McAdams
Bill Miller
Bill Miller Bill Miller
Sam McAllister
Jim McAllister
Dave Johnson ... Gaylord Johnson
Arthur Turner
Lee Turner
Ed Paulsen Larry Paulsen
Arthur Turner
Lynn Turner
Louis Colehower Gus Volker
Joshua Evans
Lewtellis Kemp
Dell Kemp & Heirs
Edward Nenne
Minor Ames
J. H. Taggart
Louis Colehower Wesley White
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STARS THAT SHONE FOR WLNONA
Among some of Wenona's people who have acquired prestige in certain fields in their lifetimes have been:
DENT PARRLTT who invented the tractor and moved to Schoolcroft, Michigan where he owned and directed the manufacturing of this tractor.
LEVIS FUIKS who, under the name of VICTOR ATiDEN, headed an or- chestra that recorded many records for Victor and had a radio show, The Manhattan Merry-go-Round, In New York City.
GUY CAHCON, an architect who became prominent i.l his profession in Dallas, Texas, and wrote a text on architecture.
LUCILLE KOSINSKI who was a photographer for Hearst Newspapers and later was private secretary to Mr. Meigs of Meigs Air Field.
% DR. AND MRS. PAUL VERNON who conducted an Academy of Fine arts in Chicago in 1939 and now take part in Chamber Music Concerts in Los Angeles. Dr. Vernon serves as choir director for Los Angeles Lutheran Church.
LEWITT WRIGHT who was head of the law department at Duke Uni- versity, North Carolina, before his death.
FLOYD WINTER, agronomy professor at the University of Illinois, who is now head of a foundation studying development of plant species at New Haven, Connecticut.
GRAHAM KERMWEIN, star half-back for Alonzo Stagg on the Chicago University football team, became one of the prominent orthopetic sur- geons in the state and is located at Rockford.
MRS. MILDRED VAN HORN KING who had won many medals in declama- tion in Marshall County, joined a Chataqua Circuit and was in this en- tertainment field for several years.
Few organizations gave more pleasure to the Wenona area baseball fans than the WENONA GREYS who once played the Chicago White Sox, and four of whose members, DEWITT ERWIN, HERMAN BLOCK, GEORGE MELODY, and CLAIMDE WATERS later played in the Minor Leagues for varying periods of time.
The popular CARMEN QUARTETTE, consisting of AL and FRED BEECHER, CAL ERWIN, and PROFESSOR BARRETT, were harmonizers whose talent was Ciently sought after throughout the county.
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LUMINARIES WHO HAVE BEEN IN WENONA OR TOUCHED ITS BOUNDARY
* On May 13, 1880 GENERAL GRANT passed through Wenona on a special train and stopped at the Illinois Central depot. The next president made his appearance, and a goodly number of our citizens had the pleasure of shaking hands with him.
* ALFRED LANDON of the sunflower state, Republican candidate for president, came through on the Illinois Central and waved from his ob- servation car window to the people assembled outside to greet the Kansas statesman.
* On November 11, 1937, MRS. FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, wife of the president of the United States, paused briefly in this city on Tuesday forenoon. The first lady of the land was on her way to Bloomington, where she was scheduled for an address that afternoon. Her special car was attached to the Illinois Central passenger train arriving in Wenona at 11 A.M. A crowd estimated at 500 was at the station in order to get a glimpse of Mrs. Roosevelt, but a lot were disappointed. She did not leave her seat, but smiled and waved to the people on her side of the train.
Dr. Lindley Bufkin, Wenona physician, was present with his camera and motioned to Mrs. Roosevelt that he wanted a picture. She pressed her face to the window and favored the medico with a dazzling smile.
According to visitors at the station, the train was well guarded by secret service men.
* On Tuesday, November 11, 1937 this city was host to a number of celebrities. The sixteenth district convention of the American Legion Auxiliary was held here that day and Wenona was full of good-looking members of the organization. At 11 o'clock, MRS. ROOSEVELT, wife of our president, stopped here for a short time. In the afternoon, along came EVERETT M. DIRKSEN, our popular cangressman, who was slated to give an address at the Auxiliary convention. Both he and Mrs. Roose- velt were of the opinion that the flag-decked street was in their honor but they were wrong. The flags were out as a courtesy gesture to the Auxiliary women.
* SYDNEY SMITH, the famous cartoonist, was to have his Negro chauffeur drive his long black limousine with its Andy Gump cartoon on a window, through the town and stop at Kane's Smoke House where he had a coke and visited with the Kane brothers.
* CHARLES LINDBERG, the Lone Eagle, when he was piloting a mail plane through this area, was forced down at the beacon light on the Howard Aukland farm late in the winter of 1927. He brought the mail into Wenona and stopped at the high school where a basketball game was being played. The night-watchman took him to the postmaster who put the mail into the post office.
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Sesquicentennial Flag at Wenona
Sculpturing the 21-star Illinois Sesquicen- tennial Flag was Mrs. Marguerite Osborn. The flag was a gift from the former Wenona- California picnic association.
The flag, dedicated July 4, 1968, in a fitting ceremony, will fly over the beautiful Wenona park during the homecoming festivities. It will then become the property of the Wenona Museum.
C. R. (Cliff) Stateler Plays Civil War Drum
C. R. (Cliff) Stateler, Marshall County's one remaining Spanish-American War veteran, is pictured playing the drum brought to Wenona by Captain Southwell, returning from the Civil War.
The drum was given to Marshall Stateler, father of Cliff. His father played the drum with the National Guard unit located in the Wenona armory, which was the second floor ol what is now the J. A. Kurrlee building.
Cliff later played the same drum in the Wenona Band.
Pictured with Cliff and wearing Cliff's Spanish-American War uniform, when he was a corporal in the 1st Illinois Cavalry, is Brent Evans, Wenona High School senior, and a descendant of Joshua Evans, for whom Evans township was named.
Cliff hopes the drum and uniform can some day be the property of the Wenona Museum.
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JUDGE DAN GREGG
In the late teens and twenties a familiar figure could be seen every morn walking down First North Street from the west end of town with a large shepherd dog at his heels. This was Judge Dan Gregg with his tousled sandy hair cropping out from under his hat and his eyes generally twinkling as if he had just heard a good story. The shepherd dog was a definite part of the picture. The story goes that Gregg and his neighbor's small sons each claimed a shepherd dog and quarrels were arising every day so this plan was devised. The boys were stationed on each side of the street with the dog down the street. Both boys were to call the dog and the dog would choose its owner. The plan worked but the dog considered it his business to escort Mr. Gregg on his way.
D. H. Gregg was born August 15, 1867 at Rodman, Jefferson County, New York, one of eight children born to Joseph and Margaret Irwin Gregg. The family moved to Harding, Illinois, a small village in La Salle County in 1872. Dan worked on a farm while young, and attended school during the winter months. He attended Northwestern Normal School at Geneseo, Illinois, taught a country school near Geneseo, then taught school in Chicago for several years. In April, 1898 he came to Wenona and entered the law office of J. H. Jackson to pursue the study of law, then studied at Kent College of Law, graduated in 1902, and a month prior to his graduation he had passed the State Bar examination and was admitted to the Bar. In 1903 Gregg married Martha Missal of Wenona and had three children - Neal, Donald and Lorraine.
During Mr. Gregg's term as mayor of Wenona, the City Hall was built and the City Park in East Wenona was completed. In 1902 he was elected county judge of Marshall County, a postion he held for four terms, and was appointed judge of Putnam County during that time. During the same period he was appointed acting probate judge of Cook County in Chicago, the largest court in the United States at that time. He was also appointed judge of LaSalle County for a period of time. In 1912 he was a delegate to the "Democratic National Convention' that nominated Woodrow Wilson. In 1919 he was appointed referee in Bankruptcy with office in Peoria and held that office until 1934. Judge Gregg was widely known in politics and had received personal letters from Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
In the period from 1912 through 1920 Judge Gregg was a member of the Wenona School Board. With the well-known Doctors Love and Yarnell, Howard Statler, W. H. Moffett, John Locke, and Gregg as members of the school board, teachers really had to come through with credentials to become members of Wenona school's faculty. Judge D. H. Gregg was one of Wenona's fine citizens.
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TALENTED NONAGENARIAN
Mrs. E. A. (Alice) Myers who was born November 4, 1875, has taken an active part in countless community affairs and witnessed many events and changes in the passing scene. At ninety-two plus, she is still ac- tive -- spades, plants and cultivates her vegetable and flower gardens.
Some of her pupils still remember 'way back when she was Alice McDonald and commuted from her home in Rutland to Wenona where she taught "with an iron hand in a velvet glove," at the Phoenix School. Rising early, she drove her horse and buggy daily, or, "when the horse broke down," resorted to the railroad train chugging between the two ' towns.
Still living in the Wenona home provided by her husband, the late Dr. W. H. Myers, a veterinarian who served in the Spanish-American War cavalry and was the first commander of Wenona American Legion Post #3, Mrs. Myers is widely known for her diverisified handwork, especially with shells, oil painting and making cornhusk dolls.
Years ago she was one of the ladies in a popular string quartet which sometimes expanded into an orchestra. Members included Miss Dell Kemp, first mandolin; Mrs. Myers, second mandolin; Mrs. Walter (Lura) Howe, first violin and Mrs. C. B. (Mercy) Scott, guitar. Others pinch- hit if one of these regulars was indisposed and sometimes two genera- tions were represented if Mrs. Howe's daughter, Harriet, or others were drafted to perform. Mrs. R. L. F. Rezner, Mrs. Clark Harter and Miss Blanche Lindgren took their turns accompanying the group on the piano.
The stringed instrument artists were much in demand at social functions. They performed at afternoon teas, evening entertainments and programs, locally or in nearby towns, traveling as far as Chillicothe to play semi-classics for diners at Webb's Inn. Their mellow music was often heard wafting along the airwaves from Wenona's radio station WLBI in the 1920s.
Mrs. Myers is looking forward to resuming mandolin duets with her next -door neighbor, Mrs. Robert Earp. Last time they practiced, the nonagenarian became so absorbed in the score of one of the old string selections and played with such fervor, she fell off her piano stool. Undaunted, she laughed, picked herself ur and resumed plucking the strings, hardly missing a chord.
Be it paintbrush, shells, cornhusks, garden fork, snow shovel or mandolin pick, Mrs. Myers h s wielded them with all her might for nearly a century and still does.
-Times-Press Photo
MRS. W. A. (ALICE) MYERS, 92, of Wenona, arranges her cornhusk dolls in a creche scene. All of the figures were made by her except the angel above the stable, made of wheat straw, a gift from Mrs. Ronald Tallyn.
Mrs. Myers spends many hours meticulously fashioning each doll. She uses husks of various hues, cornsilk for hair, seashells for buttons and corncobs for feet. Many are historical char- acters, including Indians and pioneers.
Her cornhusk dolls have been exhibited in schools, at fairs and other events, as far away as California where they won a special award at the National Date Festival.
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Samples from Peg Earp's column that ran in the Index in the 1950s:
PEG TALES 1
July 7, 1955 The subject of nicknames is fas- cinating ...... When I hear someone called a nickname ..... I wonder how it came to be ...... It is apparent that some belic the character of the one so named ..... for instance, .mild-mannered, casy-going Ernie Pomerenke is known as "Lightning."
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A sobriquet can often be traced back to childhood ... Take the Pick- ard brothers. Frank is "Buzz". Raymond is "Peewee" and Phillip is "Fanny. " Here's why: In his youth Frank joined a Wenona ball club --- The Rinkydinks. Strertor's prize pitcher's name was Buzz Ballard ... Frank became such a whiz on the mound that fans dubbed him "Buzz".
Phillip was a great friend of elderly Fanny Everly who lived in the house now owned by Ray Smith. The way I heard it, this was a mu- tual admiration & benefit associa- tion -- Phil cutting her lawn & do- ing other chores & she bestowing upor. him homemade pie, cake and other items desirable to a boy ... Now Miss Everly naturally was not known for basketball prowess. One day while practicing shocting baskets, Phil was not sinking his shots ... which led a pal to holler "You shoot like Fanny Everly !" called "Fanny".
When movie stars Tom Mix and his western sidekick, Peewee were popular Sam Monk & Raymond Pick- ard were nicknamed Tom & Perse ... and to this day, some people do not know Peewee's real name. Speaking of Sam Monk-Sam isn't his name-it's Roland. Rut that's another story.
PEG TALES
December 8, 1955 Who will ever forget Dec.7, 1941 when Pearl Harbor was attacked ?... Gradually Wenona's streets became bereft of young men. Here are ex- cerpts from my contributions to "This, That and Something Else" column in the Index in 1945:
Steve Grimm installing refriger- ators that failed to keep him cool in Luzon ... Souvenirs from the Mar- shall Islands from Don Robinson ... Red Donnelly in Rome ... Helen Mer- haut in the USN at Camp Folk. .... SPAR i.lyce Holmstrom studying to become a coxin in the Coast Guard. Don Kane writing letters to Elle- nor from Belgium but no word from her until he received 50 letters all at once ... Hohnny Marks trying to find Bill Lehman, Wenona coach in ilew Guinea ... Red Hallam's Ma beaming because his 101 points rate an early discharge.
Then as they come home, one by one : Louis Milbrandt on crutches ... Doug Verrill with shrapnel in his back ... George Monser safe af- ter being missing in action .. Pee- wee Pickard & Floyd Johnson get- ting food ration books -- one thing they didn's need in the army ..... Buddy Haugens learning to use his cane ...... Hohnny Flahaven, Wayne Wright, Bill Archull, Andy Bishop Jack Calhoun, Bill Brunski, Rich- ard Brumsey and others returning.
Did you ever see a dream walk- ing? Well I did. After dreaming of the day war would end & Wenona soldiers & sailors tread these streets again, it became a reali- ty for many ... but joy for the re- turned was dirmed by the absence i of those who never came back.
THIS, THAT AND SOMETHING ELSE
By John T. Marks
February 10, 1966 In the long "Little Brown Jug" series with Minonk, which goes back to 1928, the Mohawks have won it 48 times to Wenona's 33.
February 17, 1966
A logging crew is cutting down hard maple and walnut trees out on Big Sandy. At the rate the timber is being cleaned out the day is not far away when the shady slopes of the creek will be just a memory.
February 24, 1966
If automobiles are any criteri- on, attendance at local churches on Sunday is growing. Drive by any of the city's five churches while services are going on, and you will usually find the parking areas jammed with cars.
March 4, 1966
Sure easy to get confused on these nickels and quarters with the images of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Then turned face up its easy to mistake a quarter for a nickel or vice versa.
March 10, 1966
No keener rivalry exists anywhere in the state than that between We- nona and Toluca in sports and that is no doubt one of the big reasons the two towns keep coming up with good teams year after year. Both hope to be the first to make it to Champaign. This year Venona has the edge. Darned if it isn't almost, as keen a rivalry as the race to the moon between the U.S. and Russia.
THIS, THAT AND SOMETHING ELSE **** The Wenona Index, March 24, 1966
"130ª in Tribute to JOHN T. MARKS 1911 - 1966 Conductor of this Column since September 12, 1946
Wenona Community Unit No. 1 has lost one of its greatest boosters in the passing of John Marks. This well liked and universally respected individual gave much of his time and effort to school hap- penings and affairs. I am proud to have known him for the past 27 years. He had a kind word for ev- eryone, and many have remarked, "He spoke no ill."
He was a familiar figure at Wenona basketball games -- his 38 years of keeping the score book making hime the dean of statisti- cians in this area. Old and young are avid readers of his column where his interest in clean ath- letics and good sportsmanship were always felt. -- If there is a Valhalla where 'community stalwarts gather, John Marks will be there.
-- A. H. Tomlinson.
TH. NEWSPAPER GUY
(Some day I'll pass by the Great Gates of Gold,
And see a man pass through un- questioned and bold.
"A Saint?" I'll ask, and old ! Peter'll reply:
"No, he carries a pass -- he's a newspaper guy."
-- By Benjamin Scoville
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RESOLUTION
WHEREAS :
Several counties in the State of Illinois have County Flags, and Whereas Marshall County has enough history to warrant a Flag, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Marshall County Board of Supervisors authorize the Historical Society to sponsor a Flas design contest in the schools of Marshall County, under the supervision of C. W. Swanson, County Superintendent of Schools, together with a committee of competent and Qualified he sons to act as Judges.
RULES TO FOLLOW
No. 1 Must depict Marshall County History.
No. 2 Must co-ordinate in shape with the American Flag.
No. 3 Judges selected must be acquainted with the history of Marshall County.
No. 4 Any further rules deemed necessary by the committee
in charge may be added. Deadline Nov. 1, 1963.
SUGGESTED JUDGES
Nrs. Doris Leonard, Immediate Past State President, and a resident of Putnam County.
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