USA > Illinois > Woodford County > The Woodford County history > Part 24
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
The Jaycees received their charter, Feb- ruary 1963 and now they have 25 members. Their purpose is to enlist young men under 35 to work for community and civic better- ment. They have many accomplishments, such as placing yield right-of-way signs, park care, teen dances, erecting a star and cross on Mít. Jumbo.
The Sportman's Club was organized be- fore World War 11, but didn't become very active until around 1946. They now have
70 members and their main activity is rais- ing pheasants.
The Roanoke Art League was organized in January, 1967. Their 25 members have sponsored art shows and art classes.
Local people belong to county organiza- tions such as Civil Air Patrol, Isaac Walton League, and Woodford County Veteran's Barracks, 1918.
Incidents-Some Not So Pleasant
Our town has not been passed by, by events of startling character, although in comparison they have been few. Roanoke has withstood three major fires in the busi- ness district-1893, 1901, 1909.
On October 23, 1893, after midnight. the entire block on the west side of Main Street and south of Broad Street burned in one and one-half hours. It is believed to have started when an argument arose between two men who had been gambling and drinking. They started to argue and one threw a kerosene lamp at the other, caus- ing the fire. All structures except the pres- ent Roanoke Hardware building were burned and the loss approached $20,000.
Eight years later on November 14, 1901, the southeast business block with five busi- ness houses was destroyed by fire in less than two hours after the alarm was sounded. It seemed to have started from an over-heated chimney in Rosenak's store. This same store was completely burned two years later.
About 2:30 p.m. on April 22, 1909, smoke was seen coming from under the tin roof of the Paul Audi saloon, where the fire is believed to have started. It destroyed all the buildings on the west side of Main Street and north of Broad Street except the Grey home and Blottiaux butcher shop. Crowds of people gathering on the street hampered the firemen immensely.
In the winter of 1870-71, there occurred in the western part of the township a hor- rible murder. Mr. Christian Schertz, while sitting by his fireside playing with his chil- dren, was brutally murdered, by a shot from without by some person unknown.
167
Roanoke Township
A suspect was tried for the murder but was not convicted.
The township in 1875 was visited by one of the most violent tornadoes that has ever been known in this part of the country. Though confined to a narrow belt, in some places not exceeding 50 yards in width, the destruction of all within its swath was com- plete. Houses, barns, trees, cattle, and horses were swept away. The whirlwind struck in the southwestern part of the township, demolishing the school house that stood a mile from the west and three miles from the south line. The teacher, seeing the storm approaching, dismissed school and only just in time, for they had gotten but a dozen yards outside the track of the storm, when the school was crushed to fragments. From this point the tornado passed across the road and completely de- stroyed the house occupied by the Bing- ham family who barely escaped by taking refuge in the cellar. The Bullington home shared the same fate, and the Gideon Jeter and C. Waldron homes were also de- stroyed. No lives were lost, although a number of persons were injured. The freak winds were extremely curious, and in many instances, almost incredible. Large stones, partly imbedded in the earth, were scooped up and carried long distances. Horses were carried through the air and fence posts were drawn from the ground. A child was blown from its mother's arms, deposited safely in a straw stack, and found later when someone heard its cries.
Floods have plagued the villagers many times, the worst being in 1924. One, com- ing in August of 1924, after a continuous downpour, and one storm after another, made it a night to remember. Torrential rains flooded Panther Creek making it a raging torrent and raising its level a foot every few minutes. Houses in the lowlands were soon flooded, and the current of the water was so powerful that neither man nor beast could resist it. Water covered South Main Street and West Front to a depth of three to six feet. The Leo Bod- haine family, near the park, left their home about midnight. Miss Sadie Robinson and
Fred and Otis Darling were rescued from the former hotel building. Dr. Rodaway swam to Mrs. Julia Nafzinger's house with a rope which he fastened to the porch. Ile managed to break the door and found Mrs. Nafzinger clinging to the top of a door frame, standing on the knob of the door. He rescued her. The Benj. Fehr machine shop was filled with water to a depth of four fect. The city pumping plant was also filled so that no one could get in to start the pumps. Hundreds of feet of Santa Fe railroad track were loosened and washed out both east and west of town. Houses within reach of the flooded creek were covered with water; then left with inches of mud and muck to be cleaned ont.
A flu epidemic struck Roanoke, as it did all over the nation in 1918, and a great number of persons who contracted the dis- ease died. The Roanoke Grade School was set up as a hospital to help take care of the sick.
On June 29, 1906, four men, employees of the Roanoke Coal Co., fell to their death down the shaft of the coal mine. They were Andrew Mitchell, August Mueser, Joseph DeWasme and Camile Fancon. The men were at work on scaffolding timbering the shaft, 60 feet from the top of the 500 foot shaft , when the scaffolding broke caus- ing the tragedy.
Roanoke has not been an idle spectator during any of the wars, as records show we have veterans from as far back as the War of 1812. To date we have records of 72 deceased veterans from the Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, and the Korean Conflict. A 4-ton rock was brought to town on a wooden drag by the American Legion and was dedicated May 30, 1931, honoring all veterans. This was placed in the cemetery. In 1945, an honor roll was placed by the okl water tower, paid for by donations collected by the old Service- men's Club; it was later replaced with a new one by the American Legion.
Governor Henry Horner spoke to a large crowd here on September 7, 1936. L. Ris- ser and L. Knoll were instrumental in so-
16S
Woodford County Ilistory
curing the governor to give this short talk at the Labor Day celebration. Governor Wm. Stratton made a brief helicopter stop at Roanoke High School while campaign- ing in 1960.
What started out as one of the highlights of the 1938 Labor Day celebration turned to tragedy when Edd Ray, 61, Blooming- ton, fell to his death while parachuting from a gas filled balloon. He left from the Legion Park and when he reached 2000 ft., he jumped and all seemed to go well until about 1200 ft., then his belt broke and threw him free of his parachutes. His body
landed in Miss M. Rocke's yard. One para- chute was found in the grade school yard and the other on M. Aeschleman's barn. Mr. Ray actually had traveled a land dis- tance of only eight blocks.
SOURCES OF ROANOKE HISTORY
1. Past and Present Account of Woodford County. 1878;
2. History of Woodford County, Roy L. Moore;
3. Past issues of Roanoke newspapers;
4. Records of county court and village board;
5. Woodford County and It's Towns;
6. Pamphlet issued by Roanoke Businessmen's Association, 1956;
7. Church histories;
8. Older citizens and family diaries.
Spring Bay Township
by MRS. ROSA MCCARTY
TIMIS COMPARATIVELY SMALL, fragmentary bit of land, known as Township 27 North, Range 4 West of the Third Principal Me- ridian, with a small corner of Township 28. is located in the southwestern corner of Woodford County. It is the smallest of the townships in the county, but has a history equal to any portion of Woodford County. It is bordered on the west by the Illinois River, on the north by Partridge Township. on the east by Worth Township, and on the south by Tazewell County.
The Indians
There were many Indians in this section at the time of the first settlements and for several years thereafter. This was one of the early Indian settlements. It had been their home and hunting grounds, in all probability, for centuries before the coming of the white man. Because of the sheltering timber and the innumerable springs of pure water it was a desirable spot to the roving bands of Indians. The Ottawas and Potawatomies, with a few Sacs and Foxes were here when the first settlers started coming and when kindly treated, were far more of a help than a drawback to the newcomers. During the "Winter of the Deep Snow," they were of great help in furnishing them with venison and other wild game.
It is believed that the Mound Builders occupied this country prior to the Indians. From examination of artifacts and bones in his possession, Dr. Zeller believed these earliest people to be Mound Builders.
This part of the country is rich in relics of previous occupation. A number of mounds were found in Partridge and Spring Bay townships. Near Spring Bay
(on Mrs. Gunther's property ) was found a very perfect specimen of a mound. It covered quite a large area and was almost perfectly rounded at the top. It has never been opened, in deference to the wishes of the owner who desires to preserve it as it was.
An Indian graveyard extended north and south through the Village of Spring Bay. In digging cellars or excavating for foun- dations along the line of this graveyard, Indian skeletons are frequently found .*
Early Settlers
There is little doubt that one of the first settlements made in Woodford County was in what is now Spring Bay Township. Among the first people who came here were the following: Wm. ( George ) Blay- lock, (near Spring Bay), 1819; William Blanchard, 1822; a Mr. Dillion and Horace Crocker, unknown dates; William Phillips, 1823; George Kingston, 1823; John Stephen- son, 1824; IIesse Dale, 1829; Auston Crocker, 1824; Charles Fielder, 1827; Row- land Crocker, 1828; Jacob Wilson, IS28; Richard and Lewis Williams and William Walker, 1829; David Mathews. 1829; "Widow" Donohue, 1829; George Hopkins, 1829; Ilirman Curry, 1829; William Iloshor, 1830; Joseph Belsley, 1831; Phineas Shot- tenkirk, 1831; Louis Guilbert. 1833; a Mr. Gingerich, 1834; Nicholas, John, and Isaac Snyder, 1834: William Hunter, 1835.
Following are family names well known in this area before the turn of the Century: Ahrens, Barth, Buockler, Drury, Davis, Dubois, Deford, Ege. Eichhorn, Fauber, Fischer, Fagott. Goehring. Leineweber,
· Excerpt from "History of Woodford County," Roy L. Moore.
169
170
Woodford County History
Loveless, Meister, Reising, Rohman, Spill- man, Scheerer, Williams, and Zeller. To trace the history of all the early settlers after the lapse of so many years, would be an impossible undertaking. Some others are mentioned elsewhere in this history.
Many of the first settlers were from Ger- many, France, Sweden, and Ireland. For the most part, they came to this area by way of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. The predominate nationalities were Ger- man and French.
William Blanchard, born in the town of Peru, Vt., came to Illinois in ISI9. He was in the War of ISI2, and after being dis- charged from the Army in Detroit, early in the year of ISI9, he and three com- panions purchased a bark canoe and came up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. Upon arriving at Peoria (then known as Fort Clarke) and learning of the unsettled state of the country, Blanchard crossed over the river opposite the present city of Peoria, planted and raised a crop, consisting of corn, potatoes, and pumpkins. This was the summer of ISI9.
In 1822, he built a cabin in Tazewell County, near the Woodford County line. This is said to be the first cabin erected between here and Chicago; and during the year, he opened the first farm in the area with Henry Race, a young man he had em- ployed to help him. On this place he raised several crops which, like the first, he culti- vated mostly with hoes, as horses had not yet been imported. In 1830, he settled on a farm in Spring Bay where he was still living in 1878 .*
First Cabin. In the fall of 1822, a man named Darby, with his wife and three chil- dren, came from Vermont; arriving in Spring Bay upon the verge of winter. Mr. Blanchard took them in and kept them at his cabin until spring, when they built a cabin on a part of what is known as the old Crocker farm in Spring Bay Township. This was probably the first house built in this township, and is thought to be the first in the county. This section of the county
was deemed an unhealthy place in the early days, and many fell victims to the "grim monster" before becoming accustomed to the climate. The Blanchards all sickened and died in a few years. Henry Race, the companion of Blanchard in his lonely set- tlement, married a grown daughter of Darby's, but she died within a few months. According to the Woodford County History of 1878, it is believed that this unfortunate family had the first marriage, and the first death.
Spring Bay Village
This little village is situated on the Illi- nois River, about ten miles north of Peoria. It was surveyed and laid out in 1836 for Day, Matson and Brush, who owned the land, and had purchased it from one Jacob Woodcock, an old settler of whom but little definite information could be obtained.
The name of Spring Bay is derived from the beautiful little bay in the river at this place, and the numerous springs within its compass. Springs abound throughout the township, and at one time were the operat- ing force for the early mills.
The first house in the village was built by Benjamin Merithew, who, it seems, had once owned the land or had preempted it. The cabin was built before the village was laid out. It was a small building and stood where Genoway's storehouse was later built. However, the first storehouse was owned by Lewis Williams, and was a very rough affair that was built in the early part of 1838. About this time a man named Rice had a little store in the brush, just within the present limits of the village, which dealt chiefly in whisky and tobacco. In I843, Fra Y. Munn came to the village and opened a store in the building formerly owned by Williams. The firm of Munn and Scott, who had a business in Fremont, opened a mercantile business and also handled grain.
Just after Munn commenced business, a Mr. Thorton built a residence, which was the first to be erected after Spring Bay was laid out into a village.
C. A. Genoways and Samuel S. Burt
* Taken from the Woodford County History 1878.
171
Spring Bay Township
built the first grain warehouse in IS4.1, and after completing it sold it to Munn and Seott for $400. It was a frame building, 30×60 ft., with a capacity of 8,000 to 10,000 bushels. Richard Dement built a grain warehouse soon after; also, Lewis and Jack- son Williams built a grain warehouse and for many years did a large business in grain, pork packing, and general merchan- dise, in which they made a small fortune.
Hoshor and Dement built a warehouse, and for about 20 years, beginning in 1844, the grain trade at the village equaled any point on the Illinois River. In its most pros- perous day, Munn and Scott, Dement, Mc- Manus, and William Hefelbower were all handling grain, and all were doing a heavy business. Practically the whole county hauled grain to this place, and 100 wagons on the street in one day was a common occurrence.
The First Mill. A little horse-powered mill was built in 1827, by Winston Barton- called in those days a corn-cracker. It was a small affair and never amounted to much, but was the first mill in this section to be run by water power. It was built by Austin and Horace Crocker ( brothers), and was still operating in 1878. It was powered by water from several large springs in the immediate neighborhood. William Hoshor, who came from Ohio in 1830, built a mill near the Croeker mill in 1835. By 1878 mill business had slackened, and by 1910 little evidence of this once flourishing ac- tivity remained. Both the Crocker mill and the Hoshor mill were located near James Lambie's man-made lake and mobile home park of today. The Crocker's mill was south of the James Lambie property. The Hoshor mill was just a short distance north of the Lambie lake. The property was at that time a part of the Hoshor land holdings. William Hoshor built a distillery in con- neetion with his grain mill, which did a large business for a number of years, but ceased to operate about 1866-67.
Peter Eichhorn built a large brewery in Spring Bay where the Spring Bay Fire House No. I now stands. It was a frame
structure of a capacity to make about 2,000 barrels a year, most of which was shipped to Peoria, and the remainder sold in this county.
David Couch built the first hotel to be erected in Spring Bay in 1850. It has been said that at one time there were three ho- tels in "The Bay."
In 1849 a levee was started and enlarged and improved in 1851-52. The levee ex- tended out 500 yards into the river, or rather the "bay" (ground at low stage of water was barely covered). Here boats could land at the low stage of the water. Wm. H. Delph, of Metamora, was the engi- neer in charge of the work.
River traffic continued to drop with the coming of the railroads into Woodford County in 1854, but navigation on the Illi- nois was open and Spring Bay was quite a good port for many years until the railroad went down the other side of the river to Peoria.
Spring Bay was still a growing town as late as ISS6 with every street lined with hitching posts and racks for the teams that came long distances with loads of grain and produce to exchange for lumber and merchandise brought from New Orleans, St. Louis, and Chicago. One of the steam- boat captains was C. A. Zeller ( son of Dr. John G. Zeller and husband of Kate Zel- ler). The town, in its golden age, claimed grocery, hardware, and drygoods stores, breweries, three taverns, wagon makers, blacksmiths, grain elevators, along with a school, post office, and hotels.
Water was no problem, for all that was necessary was to drive a pipe a few feet in the ground and the water shot up like an oil well. When Bayview Gardens was first subdivided many of the people didn't have a well (the deep wells on the hills and bluffs have to be put down all the way from 90 to 140 feet), so they sometimes drove a pipe into the river bank, attached a pump and hauled water to their homes from these shallow wells.
The town hall was built in 1853 by a special tax levied for the purpose, and cost $700. It was, for many years, the most serv-
172
Woodford County History
-
Spring Bay Village in 1890 photographed from the Illinois River.
iceable building in the place, and was de- voted to a variety of uses. For all meetings, public or private, sacred or profane, the town hall was requisitioned. This hall was used extensively until the day it was sold to HIanna Johnson for $559 on May 28, 1957. In 1960 the Township and Village of Spring Bay had built a concrete building in the Spring Bay Park that they both use. It also serves as a branch of the Illinois Prairie District Library for the village.
Politically Speaking
Politically, this township has always been largely Democratic, even from the very earliest period of voting. As it commenced in the early day of Whigs and Democrats, so it still remains, and the Republican can- didate found it a poor field in which to in- angurate political issues. It is said that at one time Dr. John G. Zeller was the only Republican in the village. Today the Re- publican who holds a local office usually received the votes as an individual and not because of his party.
Among the older residents of this com-
munity who have faithfully served their community in public office for many years are the following: John Miller, farmer, who at the age of 21 began serving as town clerk, tax collector, tax assessor, school board member, and township clerk for 25 years. He has served a total of 61 years as a public servant.
William (Bill) Williams, farmer, has held office for four terms on the school board, and 20 years as a member of the Board of Supervisors.
Oliver Garber, Sr., farmer, served three and one-half years as road maintenance man under Governor Horner, was charter member of the Spring Bay Cemetery Board, village treasurer, road commis- sioner, and served 38 years as a Democratic Party precinct committeeman for Precinct No. 1.
Christian Hoshor, farmer, has served 60 of his 82 years in some public office, ten years on the Woodford County Board of Supervisors, 50 years as tax assessor, while serving several terms as village clerk con- currently.
173
Spring Bay Township
Charles Loveless hasn't held a county or township office, but until the last ten years was very active in village affairs.
All through the record books of the town- ship. village, and schools, from the first gen- eration to the fourth the same family names are to be found, Ege (John Ege was the first mayor of Spring Bay), Fredrich, Sny- der. Zeller, Winkler, Hoshor, Eichhorn, Loveless, Fisher, Ahrens, Collins, Spillman, Belsley, Williams, Garber, Loser, and Mil- ler.
Present Township Oficers. Supervisor, Wallace Tipsword; tax assessor, Christian Hoshor; town clerk, Paul Knight; town auditors, Charles Garber, Lyle E. Hard- man, and Lawrence E. Nieukirk; highway commissioner, Leslie Allen. Precinct Com- mitteemen: Precinct No. 1, Clyde Toler (R); Precinct No. 2, James Lambic (R); Precinct No. 1, Oliver Garber, Jr. (D); and Precinct No. 2. Wallace Tipsword (D).
Spring Bay Village Board. President, Rus- sel Draggist; village clerk, Nancy Draggist; zoning officer, Keith Zeller; and the other five board members, Loyal F. Ohl, Andy Smith, William Mendenhall, Fred Schaah, and Harold Dyc.
Post Office
A post office was established in 18-14, and was the only one in the township. C. C. Shultz was appointed the first postmaster. The mail was carried between this place and Peoria, and after the building of the Illinois Central Railroad, a weekly mail service was established with Kappa. It was some time after the establishment of the post office, before the government would allow a contract for carrying the mail, so whoever chaneed to go to Peoria brought it back, tied in his handkerchief. With many changes in administrations of the af- fairs of the office, it passed into the hands of Charles Keolcher, who was postmaster in 1878, with a semi-weekly mail to and from Peoria. After Charles Koolcher, Kate Zeller had the post office in the front of her store. Steven Eichhorn was the last carrier from Peoria. When the system of handling
the mail was changed (about the year 1901) the people on the Upper Spring Bay Road and side roads east of there received their mail in boxes on Route 3, Metamora. Later the route was divided and today it is Metamora Route 2. Persons living in Spring Bay and on the old River Road re- ceived their mail addressed Route 35. Peoria. Illinois. In 1918. the route was changed again to Peoria Route 6, and re- mained so until 1952 when the post office of Peoria split the route again, and now the Spring Bay route is Route I, East Peoria, Ill.
Schools
There isn't much information to be ob- tained on the carly schools of this town- ship. They consisted of a few children col- lected together at one of the larger cabins and instructed in "reading, writing, and ciphering." The first record shows that Mrs. McQueen taught at her house in IS40; however, it is probable that similar schools were taught before this one. For years after organization of public school no records exist. The earliest records in the township are for the years beginning 1862. John Ege, treasurer of the township in 1862, said they had all been destroyed previous to that date. In 1862 the township had two school districts: School District No. 38 located in Spring Bay and School District No. 68 in the southern part of the township.
The first schoolhouse was built in 1846- a frame structure of very rough workman- ship costing $300. There is no record show- ing the exact location of this building. This served for 20 years, and in 1868 was re- placed by an elegant brick school house, "up on the hill," at Oswego and Tazewell streets. It cost about $3,000, was two stories high, and 30x40 ft. in size. There aren't any records showing the cost of the first school built in District No. 68. Mrs. John Miller remembers the little, one-room school standing across the road ( now State Route 26) from the present buildings (now a private dwelling) that was first known as School District No. 2 and later School Dis- triet No. 68. This school was built in 1895.
174
Woodford County History
Two bonds of $500 each were sold to fi- nance the building of the one-room school.
The school board hired Lloyd Engel for the term of six calendar months at $35 per month as the first teacher in the new school. In 1902, School Districts No. 1 and No. 2 were changed to School District No. 38 in Spring Bay and the other school in the south end of the township was changed to District No. 68. Hill Side School District No. 117 was created and a building erected in 1911. Until that time, the district's school children had to go either to one of the Spring Bay schools or to Lourdes. Hill Side School was in Worth Township. Spring Bay High School Distriet No. 119 was created for the school term of 1915-16. Cecil C. Milleson was hired for a nine months year at $84 per month. Two years of high school were taught and there was an enrollment of 11, four boys and seven girls. High School was taught in one room of the grade school. The High School Dis- triet paid $50 per month rent to the grade sehool, supplying their own furniture and heat for their part of the building.
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.