USA > Illinois > Woodford County > The Woodford County history > Part 3
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On Nov. 12, 1902. fourteen ladies of the congregation organized a Ladies Aid So- ciety. At present only one of these charter members, Mrs. Anna Wilts, remains. There are 39 members. Officers are: Mrs. John H. Fitschen, President; Mrs. James Quiram, Vice-President; Mrs. Lawrence Janssen, Secretary, and Mrs. Milton Koch, Treas- urer.
On March S, 1922, the Lutheran Men's Club, guided by Pastor Sommer, was formed with over 30 members. In 1931 it joined the National Lutheran Layman's League. Its membership at present is twenty-five. Officers are: Kenneth Pelz, president; Harold Heimsoth, viee-presi- dent; Leland Heck, secretary, and Rev. Ernest Glock, treasurer.
The Young People's Society, organized with about 25 members on Jan. 14, 1915. Present officers are: James Swanson, Prosi- dent: Shirley Schumacher, Vice-President: Willa Winkler, Secretary, and Douglas Bammann, Treasurer.
Rev. and Mrs. Ernest Glock had three little boys when they came to Washburn in 1928. These children grew up and fol- lowed their father in the ministry: Prof. Albert Glock, who teaches at River Forest College, River Forest; The Rev. Delmar Glock is assistant director of the Lutheran Hour in St. Louis; and the Rev. Richard Glock is pastor of Our Redeemer church in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
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Woodford County History
Rev. Ernest Glock retired after 43 years in the ministry, having served St. John's Lutheran Church for 38 years and the Trinity congregation in La Rose for 32 years. He has been vacancy pastor at Roanoke, Secor, Eureka, Wenona, Chenoa, and Lexington, and served as visiting pas- tor of the Bloomington Zone.
In 1961, an annex was built to the church, containing classrooms and an of- fice for the pastor. This annex was dedi- cated on May 21, 1961.
In 1967 it was decided that the congre- gation would build a new parsonage at 111 Church Street near the church edifice. Pastor Ronald Schultz, who succeeded Pastor Glock upon his retirement, moved into the new parsonage with his family in February of this year 196S.
Washburn Christian Church
Washburn Christian Church came into being as a distinct congregation in late June of 1864. No written records of any congregational or board meetings are now available and later records have many gaps.
The organization of this church followed a successful "protracted meeting" held in the Baptist Church building on Main Street by one David Sharples. Sharples was an evangelist sponsored by the "Wood- ford County Cooperation", one of several such groups organized by Illinois Disciples for more effective work. Many of the charter members of the infant church were formerly adherents of the Salem Church whose church building was located about seven miles northwest of Washburn.
This Salem Church was organized on June 12, 1836 in the home of Nathan and Elizabeth Owen at the foot of the hill be- low what is still known as Salem Cemetery. The covenant they formed was signed by Nathan and Elizabeth Owen, Elder Henry D. Palmer and Patsy Palmer, his wife; Isaac Black; Wm. Maxwell and wife; James Ledgerwood, and Mary R. Ledgerwood; Robert Bennington and wife; Robert, Daniel and Thomas Owen; Lynn Ilend- ricks; Mordecai Bane and wife; Elizabeth
Boon; W. P. Carrithers and wife, and many others. Time passed, and the remnants of this congregation formed a nucleus for the Washburn Christian Church. Among them were "Old Sister Carrithers"; James Ledg- erwood and wife; "Sister Clell Harper" (daughter of Nathan Owen); Pleasant Ire- land and his wife Matilda; James Owen and wife; Simeon Linn, wife and daughter. Others of the 30 charter members came from a group that had been worshipping at the Vernon School house: Sister Burnham; Garrett Worth; James West and wife; "Aunt Betsy" Black; Thos. L. Pickerell and wife; Elias Fisher and wife.
For most of the first three years the in- fant church worshipped in the Baptist Church building at the corner of Main and Church streets, at the northwest corner of the Baptist Cemetery. At times it seems to have been necessary to use the facilities of the German Reformed Church, about three blocks further north on Main Street.
In 1867 the congregation decided to erect their own church house. A lot was procured, and during the summer, fall and winter the structure was built. It was dedi- cated in February 186S. There they wor- shipped and taught until 1890, when the building was moved to its present site, im- proved, and rededicated just before Christ- mas, 1890. Additional improvements were made over the years, including the con- struction of a new parsonage in 1909. The new educational plant and combined chapel and church parlor were built and dedicated in 1961. In October 1964 the church celebrated its first 100 years of service.
Thirty-two men have served Washburn Christian Church as regularly called minis- ters; the first was the Reverend John L. McCune. The present minister is the Rev- erend F. Gwynne Cook. Four sons of this church became ministers of Disciple churches-L. B. Pickerill, Stephen E. Fisher, Charles Richards, and Gilbert Gish; another son, Charles Myers, is an effective Methodist minister in Indiana.
The current membership of the church is 290.
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Cazenovia Township
Lowpoint E.U.B. Church
Lowpoint Mission was organized in the Spring of 1921 with Rev. J. E. Widmer, pastor. Charter members of this church were the Daniel Kief family, Mrs. Anna Abel and daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Ben J. Schneider, Mr. and Mrs. Rudy Attig, Mrs. Amanda Baker, Thelma Attig. and the family of the pastor, Rev. J. E. Widmer. Three trustees, A. L. Banta, Daniel Kief, and Ben J. Schmeider were elected at the first official meeting, April 13, 1922. A building committee of nine included the above trustees and Frank Banta, David Call, Nelson Crawford, Ed Mundell, Wm. C. Stauter and Rev. J. E. Widmer. Mr. and Mrs. A. D. Banta's offer of two lots oppo- site the high school for the site of the new church was accepted and Dan Kief's plan for the new church was agreed upon. The church built by Dan Kief and A. L. Banta, was dedicated June 21, 1925, with W. A. Stauffer, pastor. At this time there were 62 members, and many more who supported the church. The Ladies Auxiliary worked nobly from 1923 to 1940 to help pay the indebtedness incurred in building the church. One of the most memorable proj- ects came in the late twenties when thresh- ing dinners were served in the church basement. Threshing crews came at stated hours for their dinners, as many as 9 runs being fed from 11:00 to 1:00. This annual project continued until combines replaced threshing machines as a method of grain harvest. The Ladies Auxiliary continued as the Women's Society for Christian Service.
For many years the congregation shared a minister with Metamora Christian Union, and later with the Spring Bay Evangelical United Brethren. In Nov. 1946, the merg- ing of the Evangelical Church with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ brought some changes in the Church Dis- cipline as well as a change in name, to the Evangelical United Brethren Community Church of Lowpoint, Illinois.
There are 83 members of the present E. U.B. Methodist parish. It is now a yoke field with Washburn Methodist Church.
Rev. Walter Krech is minister for both congregations.
On the Sunday morning of July 9, 1967, the Junior High class of the Sunday School buried a time capsule which included everything from a Bible to teen fashions. pictures of the class, and other things of interest to them. The capsule, built by Ralph Whisler, Sunday School Superin- tendent, is to be opened in the year 2000, A.D.
Cazenovia (Village)
On Dec. 10, 1835, the United States of America gave possession of 80 acres in Sections 28 and 33 to Daniel B. and Mary J. Price of Jessamine County, Kentucky, who later sold it to Jesse Hammers and wife, Ruah. On May 30, 1870, Jesse Ham- mers gave possession to W. O. Hammers (a son by his first wife, Eleanor Bucking- ham) and wife, Julia. On September 26, 1870. by order of E. N. Farnsworth and W. O. Hammers, the plot that was to be the town of Cazenovia was surveyed by D. Il. Davison, Woodford County sur- veyor, and laid out in blocks and lots. Cazenovia occupies 20 acres of the south- east corner of Section 28, 19 acres of the northeast corner of Section 33, and about S acres belonging to what was formerly the western division of the Chicago and Alton Railroad.
John Hamilton, a brother of Mrs. Isaac Boys, was the first station agent. The post office was established in 1870 with W. O. Hammers as postmaster. In 1871, W. (). Hammers and Co. built a grain elevator, 29x40 ft., 32 ft from ground to caves, at a cost of $4.000. It could hold 15,000 bushels and was operated by horsepower. In time, it burned and was replaced by the present structure. The first grocery store was opened in March, 1871, by Wikoff and Bowen. Later, a brick building, containing the general store of the Speas Brothers, occupied this site. Nick Portman, of Meta- mora, started the first dry goods store, in a building owned by E. N. Farnsworth, W. O. Hammers, and Richard Tanton. The
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Woodford County History
first blacksmith shop was owned by 1. J. Kise, who had come from Virginia in 1870.
In IS78, there was a general store, kept by Samuel Amsler; wagon and blacksmith shop, by G. W. Clingman; harness shop, by Jesse Hammers; and shoe shop, by G. W. Baden. The Bachman brothers owned the hardware and implement business, includ- ing a harness shop, housed in a large brick building. Later, Henry Bachman owned the first car in Cazenovia.
Mrs. Mary Robertson, had charge of a grocery store next to the post office and telephone exchange (both in the same building) with Helen Hare and Pearl Clingman in the post office and at the switchboard. Another store at the other end of the block was run by Dennis Sny- der, then by Al Robbins, and finally by the Mackie family until it burned. The Soren- sons had a small store on Route 89; later, Ernest Broers had the last store in Caze- novia. At one time Fred Weiland had a hotel building between the two stores, but this burned.
At present there is an elevator used for drying and storing grain, and a garage run by Bernard Foster, a grandson of Ilenry Foster and great-grandson of Jeter Foster, one of the early settlers. There is a small post office, with Eulah Bachman the post- mistress.
The first house put up after the town was laid out was of stone, on Lot 5 of Block 12 on State Street. W. O. Hammers owned the lots and home until Nov. 1, 1874, when he sold it to George Clingman, who owned it until April 4, 1913, when he deeded it to his son Clarence C. and wife Mary H. Aug. 20, 1919, Clarence and Mary Clingman sold the house and 5 lots to Mark J. Ranney of Metamora, who at that time purchased it for John E. Zoss, a minor, to whom it was deeded by Mr. Ranney on Nov. 29, 1920, when he became 21. Mr. Zoss, a native of Switzerland, had come to Cazenovia Township in June, 1904 and has spent most of his life here. Mr. and Mrs. Zoss remodeled the house, 1960- 1961.
Another of the old houses in Cazenovia
is that just south of the John E. Zoss home. Formerly occupied by the John Broers family, it is now the home of the Collins family.
West of the present Route 89, which runs through Cazenovia, is the site of the two-story house which served as a "light house" in the early days when the roads were more like unmarked trails. This was the highest point between Metamora ( then called Hanover) and Washburn. A light was kept burning in the attic at night to serve as a guide to east and west roads. This was on the Peter Durst farm, back of the house later built by Peter Durst.
The school house was built in 1858, long before the birth of Cazenovia. The average attendance was 30 pupils and Miss Edith Bayne was the teacher. This structure burned and a second one was built in 1907. The average attendance was 20 pupils. After schools consolidated in 1952 the building was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Ray- mond Montgomery and family who now reside there.
The Baptist church was built in 1873. It was 28x36 ft., cost $3,600, and had about 115 members. Rev. C. D. Merit of Fair- bury delivered the sermon of dedication the first Sunday in January 1874. The ground this church occupied, 5 lots, was donated by Mrs. Mary Farnsworth. Rev. W. E. James, the first pastor of the new church, moved to Cazenovia from Wash- burn in April, 1874. The last pastor, Rev. Musser of Metamora, left this church in IS93. The Baptist church burned and was never rebuilt.
A Christian church was built and dedi- cated September 9, 1900. For a number of years this pulpit was supplied by students of Eureka College. In 1957 the building was sold to the Mennonites, who had started a Sunday School in it in July, 1949. During the period when no church serv- ices were held (about 30 years), Mrs. Isa Stivers gathered 25 or 30 of the children of the community together regularly for Sunday School. Later, she asked H. R. Schertz, pastor of the Metamora Menno- nite church to take charge. In February
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Cazenovia Township
1957 the church was organized with IS charter members and Melvin Hamilton in- stalled as pastor. That fall, the Christian church gave the building to the new con- gregation. The Women's Missionary and Service Auxiliary, meets once a month. Of- ficers are Mrs. Clarence Ulrich, president. and Mrs. Wayne Gross, secretary and treasurer. The youth group, with S or 9 young people, called the Mennonite Youth Fellowship, meets once a month. Officers are John Gross, president; Marjorie Gross, vice-president; Ann Schertz, secretary, and Arlene Ulrich, treasurer. Among the charter members of this church were Mr. and Mrs. Richard Garber and Mr. and Mrs. Eklon Schertz.
At present, Cazenovia has a population of 123. Mrs. Stivers, now 95, has lived here since she was about three years old. Her husband. Jean D. Stivers, was the first and only mail carrier out of Cazenovia, and carried the mail for 30 years, retiring in 1934. At first he carried mail by horse- back, then used a horse and buggy, and at last, as roads improved he used a Model T Ford. although sometimes he delivered mail on foot when the weather was bad. At present. Mrs. Stivers' daughter and hus- band, Mr. and Mrs. John Tjaden make their home with her. Other children are Dane A. of Cazenovia, and Glen of Oregon State.
About 25 years ago a "Good Neighbor Club" was organized and holdls monthly meetings: its present membership is IS.
Lowpoint
The unincorporated village of Lowpoint is located on Section 22 of Cazenovia Township. It was surveyed and laid out by D. H. Davison, County Surveyor, in IS71. for James G. Bayne, who owned the land.
Mr. Bayne had come to Illinois with his family from Brown County, Ohio, in 1846. His home was just outside the corporate limits of Lowpoint. He was the first town- ship clerk, and for 20 years was school treasurer. In those days of hard money he often found himself in possession of large sums of silver. This he would put in an old
oven which he would bury under the rasp- berry bushes in his garden for safe-keep- ing. In 1869-70 he was a member of the Constitutional Convention. He also took an active part in getting the railroad through the township.
On December 10. 1849, the first post office in Cazenovia Township was estab- lished in the Lowpoint settlement. It was located in the home of the first postmaster, Mr. William E. Dodds. This house was in the extreme northwest corner of Section 27, and was the first house built in the township.
In the 1930's this building, old and di- lapidated, was torn down. A few years later a house was moved from Wilbern and placed on the same site. A few trees ro- main as evidence of the once heavily wooded area.
The oldest house in Lowpoint, which is known as the Dyar house, is said to have been there before the town was laid out. It is located at 301 E. Washington Street, the home of Edwin Anderson. The first house built by Piper, Bayne and Company, was a storehouse, put up just after the town was laid out.
A schoolhouse was built in 1848. The first school in it was taught by Orson Cheedle. In 1874 an association to open an academy was formed. A building was erected and, in 1875, Prof. J. E. Lamb con- ducted a school of higher grades than the public school. An average of 40 pupils at- tended. In December, 1876, it burned to the ground and for lack of funds was not replaced. A brick elementary school was built in 1906 and later remodeled.
A two-year high school was built in 1916 which, in 1920, was expanded to a four- year curriculum.
At one time Lowpoint had a tile factory, opened by John Pinkerton, whose son. Oscar Pinkerton, operated it in 187S. About 4,000 feet of tile were turned out daily. By 1910 it was no longer in operation.
The first store in Lowpoint was kept by John E. Dodds, a son of the first post- master, and in time a postmaster himself. In 1875, there was another store, kept by
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Woodford County History
Hornish Brothers; a blacksmith and wagon shop kept by Lucius 11. Ellsworth, who owned 212 lots with dwelling and shops. A native of Connecticut, he came to Low- point from Ottawa, with years of skilled experience working with wood or iron, and was a machinist and engineer.
In the summer of 1873, Piper, Bayne and Company built a grain elevator in Low- point, 70 feet high, 24x40 feet in size, with 20,000 bushel capacity, for $7,000. They handled about 200,000 bushels of corn and oats annually.
A. Lincoln Banta and his brother Frank came off the farm in 1889, to purchase the general merchandise store from llenry J. Wehner, who had also been postmaster since 1886. A. Lincoln Banta was commis- sioned postmaster in 1889 and also pur- chased the Dodds store at this time. The first year they were in business, trade came to about $6,000. In six years time they in- creased trade to $25,000 a year. In 1895, Frank D. Banta was commissioned post- master. At this time the spelling of the name changed from Low Point to Low- point, to avoid confusion with the com- munity of Long Point, about 40 miles northeast of Lowpoint. Another brother, A. D. Banta, followed Frank as postmaster, and he also managed the grocery and mer- chandise departments in an expanding business.
Banta Bros. and Co. of Lowpoint opened this store in 1910. Advertised as the largest store in Woodford County, it was destroyed by fire in 1921 and never rebuilt.
Banta Brothers and Company built a large new store on the corner of Grant and Washington streets in 1910. It was adver- tised as the largest store in Woodford
County. This firm controlled the lumber, grain, stock, implement. merchandise, grocery, and banking interests of Low- point. On Dec. 3, 1921, this emporium burned, and the business moved to an older building on the north side of Wash- ington Street, near the grain elevator. The post office did not get a building of its own until it moved in 1946 from the Bantas' store and occupied the building at the corner of Clark and Grant streets which now houses the library. Paul V. Lancaster was postmaster at this time, and during his tenure, in 1944, the office advanced from 4th to 3rd class.
Wilbur M. Abel was commissioned post- master, September 8, 1956. A new post office building was occupied just north of the old one, on Grant Street, on September 10, 1960. Congressman Les Arends and Postal Field Service Officer Claude Karr were guest speakers, the high school band gave a concert, and well over 300 people were present.
In 1903, rural delivery service was in- stituted. From 1904-1918, John Banta and Oscar Owens carried Lowpoint rural mail. Arnie Camp began to carry the mail in 19IS and retired in 1929. In August, 1929, Irl Owen carried mail until George T. Clark was appointed and began service Jan. 1931. He retired in Dee. 1965 and for a year Vyrl Gronewald acted as mail car- rier until Emerson Braun, present mail carrier, began his appointment Jan. 1, 1967.
A Yeoman Hall was built and for years served as a recreation center. Basketball games, plays, dances, and other entertain- ments were held there. Remodeled, it has become the present grocery store.
Other business firms in Lowpoint have been the Mundell and Owen Garage, later run by Ben Schneider, son of Peter Schneider, and at present operated by Don A. Gay. For years, the blacksmith shop was the enterprise of William Kunkel. Barbers came and went.
For years Lowpoint had a hotel. It was started by Mrs. Caroline Jackson (Aunt Cal) as a service to the many traveling salesmen who called on Banta Bros. store.
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Cazenovia Township
The hotel then passed to the successive management of Mrs. Amellia Miller; Mrs. Ella Pratt, Mrs. Emma Wagner, Mrs. Tillie Christ, and Mrs. Lenna Humphrey, who with her brother, Elmer Cain and his wife, Minnie, were the last to operate the hotel and its dining room. The building is now used as a residence by Thomas Hamon and family.
Telephone service was operated from an exchange in Banta Bros. store until it burned. In 1921, the exchange was moved to the home now occupied by the Melvin Wehrli family. For years this was the Dora Owen home and Dora was the telephone operator. When the exchange was moved across Clark Street to the front room of the home Mr. and Mrs. Sanders Curry now live in, it was operated by Mrs. Kunkel, Mrs. Broers, Mr. Bridgewater, Mrs. Porch, Mrs. Ehrhardt, Mrs. Woods, and Mrs. Rull. For the convenience of people who lived east of Lowpoint, there was a tele- phone exchange located in the home of Valentine Garber, a mile cast of the vil- lage. This also had a direct connection with the doctor's office in Lowpoint, and was used quite extensively. Calls were con- nected with people as far north as Varna and south to rural Metamora or even farther. This system of call bells, each having a different sound, and a five-phig switchboard, was discontinued sometime around 1914 or 1915, although separate lines for Washburn, for Lowpoint, and for Cazenovia continued in operation there for several years longer, including a private family line.
The railroad tracks still run through Lowpoint but the passenger traffic was discontinued in 1935. At one time, high school students went by railroad to Wash- burn in the morning and returned to Low- point in the evening. At that time it was possible for ladies to commute to Peoria for shopping in the morning returning in the late afternoon. Now, a small business in freight is transacted.
In 1929-30, Route 89 was established and concrete poured. It passes Lowpoint to the west, but goes right by the original
settlement, the "low point" between Caze- novia and the present Lowpoint.
With the coming of "hard" roads, truck- ing lines began to be established. Sanford Imhoff operates a trucking business with offices in Lowpoint.
Doctors who have lived in Lowpoint and served the community where Dr. Mc- Broom, followed by Dr. Blackburn, who lived in the house on Clark Street occupied by the Beasley family. Then came Dr. Stephen Malcom Burdon, who started practice in 1914 and recently retired in 1967, after a lifetime devoted to the wel- fare of the community.
Lowpoint, with a population of 225, has street lights, blacktop on the streets, a vil- lage water system with a new well at the southeast corner to replace the former vil- lage wells to the southwest, and natural gas is available.
Bricktown History
In 1853 this community was the place of briek kilns and tile sheds, where many bricks were made from the clay soil found here. One kiln was located just west of the Theodore Braun residence ( the old Newt Lewis home) now occupied by the M. A. Whislers. Another kiln was located just southeast of the Henry Weber residence, now occupied by Julius Christ. Here also, was a blacksmith shop, a store and post office. The first school was not far distant. This school had a chimney made of sticks and mud; later the first frame building to be put up in Cazenovia Township, housed the school, on the main Bricktown road, located on what was then the Michael Wagner farm. Also the Bricktown ( Oak Grove) Church of the Brethren, 14 mile west of the school, is on land donated by the Wagners.
This church was first organized in Mar- shall County in ISSI, seven miles south of Lacon and known as Pigeon Creek; in 1883, this church relocated, building on the land donated by the Wagners, which is the present site. There were 13 charter members: Mr. and Mrs. Bernhardt Braun (grandparents of Clarence Braun, Low-
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Woodford County History
point ), Mr. and Mrs. Henry Long (great- grandparents of Harold Long of Low- point ), Mr. and Mrs. Sam Holman ( father of the late Spurgon Holman of Eureka), Mrs. Isaac Carter (grandmother of Mrs. Helen Hardmeier, Lacon), Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Henry, Mr. and Mrs. John Lewis, Mrs. Maria Calvert, and a Mr. Fike.
The early settlers were "so happy to have a church, that they came regularly in farm wagons or any other mode of travel they had", (so reported by one of them).
This church burned to the ground in early June 1939, and by December a new building was erected that serves the con- gregation. In 1926 Rev. M. A. Whisler and family moved here from lowa, to pastor the church while also farming for 31 years, but now retired. Rev. Larry Jones of Chi- cago is now the pastor.
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