USA > Illinois > Woodford County > The Woodford County history > Part 10
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Woodford County History
built the present building. The Masonic groups have the second floor while the theater on the first floor was used by vaude- ville teams and stock companies until 1912, when it was followed by moving pictures as regular entertainment.
The City Opera House was located on the second floor of the Hoagland Building. Many stock companies played there, and later it was known as Michel's Hall and was used for piano recitals, dances, etc.
Corn husking contests were popular in the 1920's and 30's. Simon Olton of El Paso won four of the first six county matches, the Illinois state contest at Earlville in 1934, and later participated in national contests.
A youth recreation center was opened in 1944 and operated several years. A similar center, known as the Teen Trap, was opened about two years ago. It is spon- sored by the Jaycees and its auxiliary, the Jayshees.
In 1947 the Chamber of Commerce sponsored the first Corn Festival, and for several years the FFA livestock show for District 9 was held in conjunction with it. The three-day celebration combines some of the features of the old fair, and play days which have been held at various times.
One of the features designed to provide funds for the Festival is the production of the "Corncapades," a term coined by Mrs. R. A. Burster, who writes the scripts and helps with the production. Curt Mahaffey, Wayne West and Galen McGuire provide the musical push for the productions which are locally costumed and produced. In keeping with the sesquicentennial, the 1968 production is titled "By Thy Rivers Gently Flowing," and will present historical episodes which are not found in the text- books.
A bowling alley in the 100 block West Front Street provides facilities for this popular game.
Parks
Each of the town founders set aside a square block for a park and they were
fenced for a number of years to keep cattle out, the fences were removed in 1904. A bandstand was located in Jefferson Park, and local and visiting bands gave summer concerts there until about 1910. Several community bands, a Boy Scout band and the high school bands, in recent years, have provided music for countless com- munity activities, as well as complete concerts on other occasions.
Corn Belt Park, on the site of the old tile factory, the right-of-way of the Illinois Central Railroad between Front and Sixth streets, and the north side of the T.P. & W. Railroad are also maintained by the city. With the addition of the large campus at the high school, El Paso now has approxi- mately 50 acres of "breathing space."
Clubs and Societies
"El Paso is clubbed to death" according to those not enthused with group activity, yet because of their long life or community activity a number must be listed.
The Masonic orders have had the long- est continuous life. The El Paso Lodge A.F. & A.M. was organized in Panola in 1857, and was transferred to El Paso in October, 1862; Mackey Chapter was or- ganized August 31, 1868: Knights Templar, December 4, 1873; and Order of the East- ern Star, April 16, 1889.
Mr. and Mrs. Porter Bassett helped or- ganize the Farmer's Club at their home March 31, 1890, with the idea of improving farm practices.
The S. T. Rogers Post No. 531 Grand Army of the Republic received its charter September 17, 1885, and disbanded 32 years later. The Women's Relief Corps was chartered January 26, 1895 and continued about 20 years.
The El Paso Commercial Club supported a number of civic projects from October. 1902 to the 1930's. It was followed by the El Paso Businessmen's Association, and in 1944 by the El Paso Chamber of Com- merce, all with the same objective: Co- operation for community betterment.
The Junior Chamber of Commerce-or Jaycees-was organized April 18, 1961, and
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has sponsored many programs for com- munity improvement.
The El Paso Literary Club was organized in 1898 and later became the El Paso Woman's Club.
Among fraternal organizations which have been active at various times are the Modern Woodmen of America, discon- tinued some 20 years ago, and the Royal Neighbors of America, still active.
El Paso Post No. 6926 Veterans of For- eign Wars was chartered June 6, 1946, and its auxiliary January II, 194S.
El Paso Post No. 59 American Legion received its permanent charter August I, 1920, and the Auxiliary September 1, 1922.
The Kiwanis International received its charter May 5, 1936 and has sponsored many community activities.
Boy Scouts were active in El Paso in the early 1900's, were inactive for some years, were revived and for some time had a very active group which included Cubs, Scouts and Explorers. At present the Scouts are the only active group because of a lack of adult leadership. The Girl Scouts and Brownies have been active for some years.
Golf Club
The El Paso Golf Club is located on a 60-acre tract east of Kappa, which was pur- chased in 1931. The club was organized in 1920, and for some time was located on the Preston Rutledge farm adjoining El Paso on the northeast. A new club house was built on the Kappa site in the fall of 1966.
Churches
Presbyterian Church. The Rev. F. N. Ewing presided at a meeting on May 11, 1857 when the church was organized. The first year services were held in the homes of the members once a month. In 1858 the group met in Crawford's Hall, alternating with the Baptists for regular services.
A frame church was built at a cost of $3,200, and was dedicated in December, 1864. In ISST the house east of the church was purchased for a parsonage at a cost of $900, and a new one was built in 1895 for $2,500, and the first one was sold. The present manse was purchased in 1966. The
present church was built in 1903, of brick and frame construction. Plans for a federa- tion of the Presbyterian and Christian churches were discussed at meetings in October and November, 1937, and the plan was approved in March, 1935. Certain dis- satisfaction developed with the program of the Federated Church and on February 5, 1939, part of the former members of the Christian Church withdrew from the new. congregation and resumed services in their former building.
Following the uniting of the Congrega- tional Christian and Evangelical and Re- formed denominations in 1957, the local Federated Church (which had been affili- ated with the Congregational Christians) became a part of the new church in 1960. Methodist Church. A small group of Meth- odists from El Paso met with other groups from six other classes in the area, on No- vember 6 and 7, 1857, to hold a quarterly conference. There was no church at any point on the circuit, which included classes at Chenoa, El Paso, Panola, Willow Tree, and Bunch Grove schools west of Panola, Secor, and the Potter School in Palestine Township.
A lot in El Paso was purchased by the trustees and a frame church built in 1865; dedicated on July 30. The first parsonage was at 240 East Third Street; the second at 302 East First Street, which was sold in June, 1890; and the third parsonage, built in 1890, at 495 East Second Street and sold in 1944, after the present parsonage at 125 Chestnut Street was purchased at auction for $5,075.
The frame church was razed and a brick structure replaced it at a cost of $10,000. It was dedicated December 2, 1894. and burned in the night on May 12, 1895 from unknown cause. It was immediately re- built, with solid brick walls, and almost identical in design, at a cost of $12,000. It was dedicated October 20. 1895. On May 1, 1959, the residence east of the church was purchased to provide additional space for the church, school and pastor's study.
The congregation of the Shiloh Method- ist Church merged with an El Paso group
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in May, 1948. Through the union of the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, which was com- pleted at a uniting conference in Texas in April, 1968, the local churches of these denominations are working out a program leading to union of the two congregations in El Paso.
Baptist Church. On January 21, 1858, a group met at the James H. Crawford home and organized the First Baptist Church. In December of that year a number of persons who had been members of a Baptist group at Kappa were accepted as members and the Kappa Church was discontinued. Wor- ship services were held in homes, later in Crawford's Hall.
The first church was built and dedicated in December, 1864. The frame building cost approximately $6,000, and an addition in 1884 provided space for the Sunday School.
In 1911 the church was razed and the present building, of terracotta brick, with stone and wood trim, was erected at a cost of $18,250. It was dedicated April 13, 1912. A new parsonage was built that summer on the site of the former parsonage.
Congregational Church. Though the Pres- byterians were the first group to organize in El Paso, the Congregationalists organ- ized in 1859 and almost immediately built a small church-the first church in El Paso. However, the congregation increased very little and the building was later occupied by the Evangelical Church.
St. Paul's Lutheran Church. German Evan- gelical Lutherans met in homes southwest of El Paso as well as a schoolhouse near Kappa, under the leadership of Philip Pfleeger, Sr., in the late 1850's. Pastors from Bloomington usually did the preaching. About 1860-63 the group held services in Strathman's and Crawford's halls. The con- gregation was organized May 3, 1863 and given the name St. Paul's.
In 1864 a frame church was built at a cost of $1,480, and was remodeled in 1875 for an additional $1,300. A parsonage was purchased in 1871, and a schoolroom was
added to it in 1882, to accommodate 35 students. It was discontinued after a few years. The church, which had not been used for several years, was razed in 1946, and two residences were built on the lots.
St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church. St. Mary's parish was organized in El Paso in 1863, and in November, 1864 the Rev. Francis Keenan came to El Paso to super- vise the building of a frame church. It was completed in 1865 and in 1872 wings were added to increase seating capacity. Minonk was included in the parish until 1878.
A parochial school was begun in a house in the 1870's. In 189S it was razed to pro- vide a site for the present brick church which was dedicated May 22, 1899. The church cost $13,000. A brick parsonage was built east of the church. In 1953 a new vestibule and entrance was built on the church, and the basement of the rectory converted into a meeting hall.
Christian Church. "Uncle Jimmy" Robinson and Elder Joh Lindsey organized the church on July 3, 1864, with 40 charter members. They held services in Strath- man's Hall when ministers were available. Their first church was built in 1865. An ad- dition in 1877 doubled its capacity. Serv- ices were discontinued in 1881. The church was reorganized in 1886 and a new church was built in 1894, at a cost of $8,035.
Between March 9, 1938 and February 5, 1939, the congregation, in cooperation with the Presbyterian congregation, functioned as the Federated Church, and on a later date part of the group returned to their former church. They have no minister at this time.
German Evangelical Church. The German Evangelicals held services in various homes northwest of El Paso in the 1850's, and built a church in 1864. As the use of the German language decreased in the com- munity, the congregation diminished. J. D. Jenkins purchased the church and parson- age in April, 1902. For some years the church was used for the newly developed game of basketball; however it was razed in 1910 to make way for a residence.
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Emmanuel Evangelical United Brethren Church. The congregation was organized in 1872 from among the English speaking Evangelicals of the community, and they purchased the former Congregational church building the same year. The par- sonage adjoining the church was built in 1876, and remodeled in 1901.
The present briek church was erected on the same site in 1927 at a cost of $17,200. A plan of union with the local Methodist Church is being worked out, in keeping with the national program.
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. Though Episcopal church services were held at various times in El Paso in the early days, the congregation did not build a church until IS96, and was dedicated October 29, 1896. St. Andrew's has had few resident priests and services have been discontinued for some months at various times. At pres- ent the majority of the congregation re- sides in neighboring communities.
Church of the Nazarene. For a time after its organization on June 30. 1935, the con- gregation of the church worshipped in the former St. Paul's Lutheran Church build- ing. which had been vaeant for some time. In 1940 they built a church and later pur- chased a residence for a parsonage.
In 1966 a new parsonage was built, the former parsonage being dismantled and the area converted into a lawn. The basement of the parsonage has been converted into a fellowship hall. Much of the construction on both buildings was done by members of the congregation.
Gospel Tabernacle. The Gospel Tabernacle congregation was organized in 1935 and built a small church, which was dedicated in June, 1936. The congregation was small and services were discontinued about 1950. Trinity Lutheran Church. The newest El Paso congregation is Trinity Lutheran, Missouri Synod, which was organized De- cember 7, 1947. Worship services were held in St. Andrew's Church, and Sunday School in rooms in the Woodford County Bank Building. In 1950 a $30,000 bond issue pro- vided funds, and men of the congregation,
with some professional help from elec- tricians and masons, built a parish hall. The project was completed in September, 1951.
The sanctuary was built in 1952, adjoin- ing the parish hall, and was dedicated De- cember 7, 1952. The church was badly damaged by fire on January 15, 1960, and was completely redecorated.
Cemeteries
The El Paso Cemetery Association was organized August 11, 1859 to solicit funds for the purchase of a site for a cemetery. Section 4, located east of the village, was a part of the Illinois land grant to the Illinois Central Railroad, which agreed to sell the NW14 of the SE14 for $1,000. Alex- ander Hawthorn, Dr. Samuel L. Kerr, Robert McClellan, George L. Gibson, and L. B. McOmber made up the committee which completed the purchase. Stock was sold at $10 per share. The purchase agree- ment was approved and Governor Yates approved the charter February 14, 1861.
Dr. Stockwell replaced Mr. Gibson and with others of the purchasing committee they were elected directors of the new cemetery association, with Dr. Kerr as president; Mr. Hawthorn, vice president; and Mr. Gibson, treasurer.
Early burial records for the cemetery were lost when the home of the sexton, James T. Hewitt, burned on February 21, 1890. A number of persons were transferred from farm graves, so some stones show earlier deaths than the cemetery records would provide, and it cannot be deter- mined when the first burial occurred.
William Heifing purchased 2.7 acres in the northwest corner of the cemetery on August 4, 1870 and the following day he transferred the property to Bishop Foley of Chicago, head of the Roman Catholic Church, Illinois Diocese. It has been the burial site for German members of St. Mary's congregation since that time. It is called St. Joseph's Cemetery.
St. Mary's Cemetery, located one and one-half miles north of town. is used by the Irish members of St. Mary's. It was
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Woodford County History
purchased by Bishop Foley October 10, 1870, from John and Rosetta DeBolt.
The west 20 acres of the cemetery were sold to Lewis and Horace McOmber on June 12, 1868. In 1903 a cement walk was extended on Second Street from Adams Street east to the cemetery entrance. A township highway on the south side of the cemetery was vacated in 1917 and a quit claim deed from adjoining landowner James W. Cleary secured the area for an addition to the cemetery.
A. E. Fleming and J. J. DeMotte built a 200-crypt mausoleum of steel reinforced concrete blocks near the north central part of the cemetery in 1908. Mr. Fleming purchased the DeMotte interest and after Fleming's death, the building came into possession of the cemetery association.
A six-foot high marble cross was erected in 1965 by contributions from the public. The project was sponsored by the two vet- erans organizations and their auxiliaries, and it was dedicated on Memorial Day. It is located near the east boundary of the cemetery, south of the mausoleum.
An infant daughter of David and Susan Hibbs, who died in 1849, is believed to be the first burial in the Hibbs-Bigger ceme- tery, on the llibbs land in Section 28. This was also the first cemetery in the township, the one at the northeast corner of Kappa being established several years later.
Undertakers. Most of the early morticians in El Paso had other businesses as well, and a number remained in the community only a few years. William Neifing, who had a harness shop in the 1860's, and who buried Count Clopieki, and William Zinkan, a furniture dealer who died here in 190S, probably served the longest. Mr. Zinkan's son, Chris, assisted him for some years. Mr. Zinkan and his son had three unusual fu- nerals-that of William Fleming, El Paso's tallest man (couldn't use the hearse ); George Kraker, a baker and El Paso's fat- test man; and David Strother, the first Negro voter in the U.S. after the 15th Amendment.
John W. Becker, in the 1890's and early 1900's, and Joshua J. DeMotte, who moved
here from Eureka in 1896, were others. DeMotte sold his business to John J. Ficken in 1919, and sold his furniture business several years later to Burt L. Brown. Mr. Ficken had a funeral parlor on East Front Street before he purchased the home of Captain W. M. Bullock and remodeled it for a funeral home.
After Mr. Ficken's death the business was sold to R. W. Vincent and Albert Otto, January 23, 1943. Mr. Vincent bought the Otto interest in January, 1950, and then sold the business to William Froelich, of Gridley, September 21, 1967. It has been continued as the Vincent Memorial Home.
Professional Men
Doctors. Before 1894 most doctors came to El Paso and remained for a few months, a decade at most. Among the early ones were Alanson V. Stockwell, Albert Reynolds, Jr., Daniel Lewis, L. B. Martin, J. M. Berry, and John Quincy Adams. Since that time our community has been fortunate to have the services of a great many able doctors and dentists.
Samuel L. Kerr, El Paso's first physician, came from Kappa in 1857. He was active in community affairs, serving as mayor in ISS6. Another doctor, D. W. Lamme, served as mayor in 1880.
In 1968 the community's doctors are E. E. Cryer, Robert P. Lykkeback, Darwin HI. and Isabella Pope, Cletus T. Kearney, and R. E. Gordon.
Lawyers-Of the lawyers who practiced in El Paso before 1900, at least 11 remained for comparatively short periods. Among them were W. G. Randall ( from New York), Calvin E. Barney, Simon P. Shope, Benjamin F. Baker, Walter Bullock, Mc- Culloch & Cloud. All practiced in El Paso in the 1860's and perhaps a bit later in some cases.
For a time in the 1870's, five lawyers in the Robert T. Cassell family practiced law in El Paso. Robert was a native of Ken- tucky, came to Metamora about 1838 and was admitted to the bar in 1851. He served in the State Legislature in 1867-6S and came to El Paso about that time. For a time
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he had a partnership with E. G. Ingersoll of Peoria, and his two sons, Joseph J. and Martin H. Cassell. Joseph was the only judge of El Paso's Recorder's Court; Martin was postmaster from January, ISSO until 1887, when he was elected county judge.
A. M. Cavan, born in Pennsylvania in May, 1838, came to El Paso after the Civil War and studied in the offices of Harper, Cassell, and Ingersoll. He was admitted to the bar in 1867, elected for a term in the legislature in IS70, served as city attorney for some time, and was postmaster from 1880 until elected county judge in 1890, and served as judge for eight years.
Other lawyers of prominence were Chris- tian Schroeder, Isaac B. Hammers, and John F. Bosworth.
Veterinarians. J. W. Parkinson, an El Paso veterinarian in the 1890's, was the earliest of whom we found record. W. D. Carver began practice about 1895 and continued to 1949. F. J. Krenz was another who prac- ticed here.
Dr. J. A. Owens practiced here from 1925 until his death in 19-16. Ezra Kelsey bought Dr. Owens' equipment in September, 1946. G. E. Scott was associated with him in 1952-53. Richard White joined Dr. Kelsey in June, 1955, and on January 1, 1967 Dr. White opened his own office.
Dentists. El Paso has had comparatively few dentists, P. A. Forbrache, a native of Ohio, L. G. Roberts and son, who were here in 1865, and Mark 11. Patton who came in 1872 being the earliest of whom we learned. James M. Fishburn was an- other. Gordon D. Heiple is our present dentist.
The names of three brothers, natives of Lancaster, Va., appear frequently in the early history of El Paso. Isaac Merideth Jenkins, Sr. (January 20, 1803-December 15, 1897: Robert Smith Jenkins (June 23, 1812-1830); and William Merideth Jenkins (March 23, 1814-about 1890) settled first at Kickapoo where they operated a grist and saw mill. They came to El Paso in the spring of 1856 and built the first store, and moved to the town in 1857. Isaac and Caro-
line Bicking Jenkins lost three sons in one week in 1860, during an epidemie. Isaac, Jr. and Katherine were born later. The family farmed just east of El Paso.
Industry
Only one of the businesses which were in operation a century ago is still in opera- tion. A lumber yard, which was started in 1858 by George L. and Cyrus Gibson, was purchased in 1868 by A. S. Mckinney, of Elmwood, and James Hotelikiss, of Peoria. MeKinney bought out his partner; then in 1890 bought the stock from the Lee S. and Guy Straight yard on the cast wye and moved the entire operation west to the area between the west wye and the two railroads.
John McKinney joined his father in the business and continued it after his father's death in 1921. The Kent Lumber & Coal Company purchased the business on Janu- ary 15. 1944, and Mr. MeKinney retired. The lumber sheds were rebuilt in 1952 and 1953, and a new office building was erected in 1966.
The Mitchell, Harper & Company plow and wagon factory also manufactured sov- oral kinds of cultivators. The factory was converted into a livery stable about 1885. The building was razed in 1903.
The Muller and McWilliams wagon and farm implement shop, I. Lemon and sons blacksmith shop and wagon factory, and the Gibson flour mill were all located in the block where the present Corn Belt Park is located. The mill burned in 1882, and the other businesses were finally re- moved, the site providing the clay for the El Paso Tile and Brick Works, which was begun in 1883 by Lee S. Straight and Elias Furman. William Climpse and son, Clint, moved from Kappa in 1890 and, for some time, operated another brick factory.
John Henning's wagon factory and Dan- ner Bros, wagon factory were located on opposite sides of West Second Street in the 1860's and 1870's. Both were dismantled after 20 years or so.
A number of men, including Weke, Sachs, Tegard, Mitchell. Patton, and Col-
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Woodford County History
burn, maintained livery or feed barns at various times. The Pierce Furniture Store Building was built for a stable, but was changed to a garage when its builders, Peter Donner and D. P. Risser, decided "Dobbin" was on the way out, and auto- mobiles would soon replace him. The Pat- ton barn was converted to a broom factory in 1920, and then to a garage by the Boyd Motor Company in 1926. Herschel Boyd built a new garage in 1948 and the old building was dismantled. This is now the Rebbee Motor Company garage.
A. H. Wolk and Fred Crane built the first greenhouses, they later added the Wolk building to the east side of their plant. R. E. Gordon purchased the Plumb interest and the company specialized in raising carnations for a number of years. The business changed hands a number of times and the building was razed in 1959. The Frank Hartzell greenhouse began in 1957.
A building erected in 1892 was occupied by a butter factory, later it housed the Marvin Manufacturing Company, then a garage, a factory for grain dump carriers and trucks, a firm manufacturing lawn swings, one making tractor cultivators, and finally a junk yard before it was dismantled in 1933.
The F. S. Larson lumber yard was lo- cated south of the T.P. & W. and east of Sycamore Street in 1902. It was purchased by John Pleasants in 1924 and converted into an ice house. It and an adjacent feed mill were dismantled to make room for a new shop and display room which was oc- cupied for several years by Heller's Farm Store. A service station was built, on the mill site, which was operated for some time by J. M. Letsinger. It is presently William Bowman's body shop.
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