USA > Illinois > Woodford County > The Woodford County history > Part 9
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Ilerman Marten was treasurer in 1929- 1930 and was elected elerk in 1931, serving to 1953 (the longest service in that office ). J. W. Everett served as alderman from the First Ward from 1929 to 1941, when he was elected mayor. He died while in office on November 10, 1947. Dwight Roth, alder- man in the First Ward became acting mayor in September, 1960, after the resig- nation of William Maxey and was elected to the office in 1961. He died of a heart at- tack February 13, 1965, minutes after com- pleting welcoming remarks at the dedica- tion of the new post office, which was held at the Veterans of Foreign Wars building.
Five women have served as city treas- urer: Miss Emma Glessing, 1921-22; Miss Nell Patterson, 1927-28; Mrs. Rose Med- daugh, 1931-32; Mrs. Clara Clark, 1933-37; Mrs. Ruth Arbogast, 1941-49.
County Seat?
El Paso requested the transfer of the county seat from Metamora to El Paso in 1867, arguing that the two railroads pro- vided better transportation facilities. Rob- ert G. Ingersoll represented El Paso before the board of supervisors, offering the board $30,000 if the transfer was made. El Paso lost in the election held June 3, 1867 by a vote of 1,911 to 1,901. Roanoke and Meta- mora also sought to be named county seat, but in 1894 Eureka offered its city square as a site for the new courthouse and the offer was accepted in the following elec- tion. The courthouse was completed in 1897.
A Recorder's Court was established in El Paso in March, 1869, when it appeared there was a possibility that the county seat might be located here. J. J. Cassell was the first and only judge, with all the powers of
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the courts at Metamora. It operated two years but, unfortunately, records were lost in a fire.
Post Office
William M. Jenkins was appointed post- master on March 21, 1857, and opened the office in a section of the Jenkins Bros. gen- eral store. Ile was succeeded by Hezekiah Buckley on March 19, 1861. Mrs. Martha Robinson was appointed February 28, 1863; Otha P. Richards March 9, 1865; and Mrs. Robinson reappointed August 14, 1866.
In the intervening years, El Paso has had many postmasters and the location of the post office has been changed several times. The first rooms built specifically for post office quarters were built by the First Na- tional Bank on Central Street. A new post office was built in 1964 and Harold R. Bonar is the present postmaster. appointed in 1967.
Water
Three public wells were dug early in the village history. The one on Elm Street was four feet in diameter with a windlass to raise the water in a wooden bucket. Ten- inch bored wells were located in Franklin Park and Jefferson Park. A large trough was located near each well and cattle and horses were watered there regularly.
The beginnings of the first water system came in 1882 when four blocks of wooden mains were laid, and a 40-foot tower topped with a tank was built at the well. A pump and windmill completed the proj- eet. Bonds were sold to cover the cost of $4,406. In 1894, a new water tower was constructed and gradually the wooden mains were replaced with metal and tran- site ones,
Water meters were first installed in 1907. Another well was dug in Angust and Sep- tember, 1926. The following spring the pump house was enlarged to inchide both wells and a new pump installed.
A bond issue for $64,000 was authorized August 20. 1945 to provide for construction of a water softening plant, extend water
mains to eliminate dead ends, install an engine drive unit, ete. A brick building was constructed to house the equipment.
A sanitary district to provide a system of surface drainage for all parts of the city was authorized in 1919 and the cost, some- thing over $60,000 was paid over a 20-year period.
Sewer System
In October 1963, residents along Panther Creek northwest of El Paso protested to the Illinois Water Board regarding polhi- tion of Panther Creek and the city was notified that steps must be taken to correct the condition. After investigation and numerous delays, the creation of a sewer system and treatment project was approved in an election on October 1, 1966.
The project is to be financed through sale of $300,000 in general obligation bonds, a federal grant of $43,000 and $630,000 from revenue bonds. The revenne bonds will be paid for by higher water and sewer bills. Both the general obligation bonds and the revenue bonds are to be paid over an 18-year period. A pumping station will be located in the southeast part of town. Sewers will empty into a large lagoon a mile northeast of the city.
Work of laying the sewers began in De- cember 1967, but was discontinued before the end of the year because of bad weather.
Streets
Board and cinder walks were used in El Paso prior to 1899 when a block-long section of brick was laid adjacent to the Catholic Church, followed the next year by about three miles of the new type walk. Many of the earlier brick walks have been replaced by cement, with the city provid- ing either the labor or the cost of materials, at the discretion of the property owner. Hitching racks made of heavy chains, and later ones of two-inch pipe, were not re- moved until 1907; some as lato as 1922.
Streets were sprinkled during the sum- mer to allay the dust, and dragged after a heavy rain or thaw to fill the ruts and
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speed drying. In 1911, a street oiling proj- ect was instituted.
Three blocks on Front Street were paved with brick in May and June, 1907 at a cost of $14,546.34. In the summer of 1913 an additional thirteen blocks of brick pave- ment was laid, at a cost of $13,286.28. The largest paving project was done in 1923, when 56 blocks of cement pavement was poured. Front Street was widened by eight feet in 1931, and Central Street was wid- ened as a WPA project in 1940.
New paving on Main Street (which is part of Route 24) was done by the state in 1949.
The V.F.W. Post constructed a parking lot along the T.P. & W. Railroad in Septem- ber 1949. Similar parking areas have been constructed along the sides of the two parks, and adjacent to St. Mary's Catholic Church, to provide better parking facilities for the churches.
In the late 1920's and early 1930's auxili- ary streets in El Paso were graveled, with its share of the 2% gas tax levied by the state for road purposes. These streets were later black-topped, so there are few streets which are not all-weather roads.
Fires
Between 1856 and 1873 El Paso had grown from a railroad crossing on the prairie to a town with eight churches, two flour mills, a barrel factory, a brewery, a roundhouse, an iron foundry, plow and wagon factories, two lumber yards, a plan- ing mill, several livery stables, three buggy and carriage factories, three elevators, a newspaper, several hotels, in addition to a number of stores and four three-story structures.
During the period between 1868 and 1894, many of these buildings were de- stroyed by fire, some were rebuilt, and burned again, but most vanished from the scene entirely. George Gibson built a flour mill on the present Corn Belt Park site in 1868; it burned February 11, 1882. Ives Brothers flour mill was built in 1868 and burned in 1869. It was rebuilt on a larger
seale, converted to an elevator in 1874, and burned July 19, 1921.
In 1873 the Bigham & McOmber buggy and carriage factory and livery stable and the Seary & Rouse elevator burned. The elevator was rebuilt and the building burned February 21, 1930.
David Craft's planing mill and the Web- ster Elevator burned September 19, 1875. Arson was suspected in the fire which de- stroyed the Illinois Central roundhouse in the late 1880's.
On October 10, 18SS, the buildings fac- ing Front Street east of the Illinois Central Railroad were all destroyed. The fire began in the hotel located at the corner of Front and Cherry streets. It resulted in an ordi- nance forbidding construction of business houses in blocks 41, 42, and 43 unless built with brick walls and fire resistant roofs.
Seven months later, on May 8, 1889, fire began in coal sheds owned by the Illinois Central Railroad, and a high south wind carried sparks northward. The railroad agent's house west of the tracks (which had been El Paso's first depot ), the freight houses at the railroad crossing, the Summit House (a hotel), Saltzberger's grocery, the S. S. Patton barn, and the Christian Geiger residence, four blocks northeast, all burned. The Campbell House was badly damaged.
El Paso's first elevator and the two earliest residences in town burned April 30, 1890 in a fire which began in the elevator. The west half of block 41 on Front Street was burned August 15, 1893. El Paso's most disastrous fire began in the basement of Tegtmeyer's store and, in three hours, burned every building ( except a residence ) in block 43. It occurred July 19, 1894. Both water supply and fire fighting equipment were inadequate, and though neighboring towns sent help, all they were able to do was confine the fire to one block.
One of the most dangerous threats to the community occurred January 21, 1963, when nine freight cars on a T.P. & W. train were derailed, overturning two bulk tanks belonging to the Sweeney Oil Company. Over 15,000 gallons of gasoline ran into the streets and were flushed through the
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sewers in the sub-zero cold. Miraculously there were no injuries, though four days later a flash fire burned gasoline in a ditch into which it was drained for removal. Several homes were evacuated because fumes were detected in the basements, and the firemen were recalled several times during a two-week period before danger was past.
Fire Department
The first volunteer fire department was authorized by the City Council on October 14, 1875, and the first fire house was built in the fall of 1877.
A new fire station was erected in the fall of 1964. It measures 40x60 feet, with three large truck doors to the south. The cement block building has a room for firemen's meetings, as well as space for the equip- ment.
Electric Lights
M. A. Adams and Lee S. Straight built a small electric power plant on West Front Street, near the water plant, and began service on November 21, 1891, with 67 street lights and over 200 lights in the vari- ous stores. The office was located at 165 East Front Street. On April 1, 1912, the business was sold to the MeKinley system. It was not until March 8, 1913 that the current was available for daytime use, the current being turned on at 6 p.m. and off at midnight before that time.
Ornamental street lights were installed in the business district in November, 1928, paid for by contributions from the busi- nessmen. Electric signals were installed at the intersections of Rontes 24 and 51 in 1929, but were replaced by four-way stop signs in 1941. The street lighting is to be upgraded under a recently approved con- tract with the Illinois Power Company.
A brick substation was erected south of the T.P. & W. Railroad in 1912, and in 1945 an all-steel outdoor plant was erected.
The Rural Electrification Association erected a substation three miles south of El Paso. The first power became available in 1938 through the Corn Belt Electric
Company. Few farm homes are without this service.
A pipeline for natural gas was laid in the area in the fall of 1952, from Texas to the Chicago area. It crossed the northwest corner of El Paso Township and the south- east part of Panola Township. The North- ern Illinois Gas Company installed gas mains in El Paso in May, 1962.
Banks
John G. Ferguson and E. T. Disonay established the first bank in El Paso in 1864. After several changes in the partnership, the firm of Shur, Tompkins & Company built the Eagle Building in 1871-72 at a cost of $60,000. The bank was moved to the ground floor of the new building; Tomp- kins later bought out the other members of the firm. The bank failed in ISS3, and depositors received about 7% of their do- posits in the following settlement.
The National Bank of El Paso was or- ganized in June, 1883, after some difficulty because of Tompkins failure, and the fact that El Paso's bondsmen had paid deficits of some county officers who had defaulted. The new bank began business July 11, ISS3, in Tompkins former quarters. The building burned, but the bank resumed operation as soon as the new building was completed. Some time later the name was changed to The First National Bank of El Paso.
In 1919 the bank expanded its facilities by adding on a room. In December, 1931, the business was suspended "in order to protect the depositors from possible loss," according to a statement by the bank of- ficials. A receiver directed the closing of the old bank. The El Paso National Bank was organized, taking over the assets as well as the liabilities of the old bank. The new bank opened for business September 1, 1932, and continues in the same location.
The Woodford County National Bank opened for business on September 2, 1900, in the Hendron Building. The building has been remodeled several times, including a new front in 1905.
Both El Paso banks were closed by
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Franklin D. Roosevelt's proclamation of March 6, 1933. The El Paso National Bank opened March 15, and the Woodford County National Bank on March 28, sub- ject to certain restrictions. The restrictions were removed January 11, 1935.
Schools
The north half of El Paso Township, as well as the village, was included in the first public school district, but when the three-story briek building was erected in the 500 block on East Second Street in 1869, the community was split into "east side" and "west side" with scars which have not completely healed a century later. The brick school replaced the first public school.
James H. Wathen and David Graft were ring leaders in the program which divided the district, with the Illinois Central Rail- road the division line, and El Pasoans learned what it meant to live "on the wrong side of the tracks." A new frame school house was built on West Second Street and called the Jefferson Park School. A two- story briek edifice replaced the frame building in 1897. In 1960-61 a two-story addition was constructed north of the main building. It contains six classrooms, a teach- ers' lounge, and space for storing various equipment. A $140,000 bond issue for its construction was approved April 23, 1960.
The two schools offered a two-year high school course until 1892, when it was in- creased to four years. About ten years later a combined commencement exercise for the two high schools was held at the Grand Opera House. This practice was continued. Shortly after the death of President M2- Kinley in 1901, the east-side school was re- named in his honor.
The El Paso Township High School District No. 375 was organized in 1916, combining the two districts and some ad- ditional rural areas. The first class-25 students-graduated that spring. Some classes were held in office buildings down- town for several years because the two schools did not have sufficient space. A
vote for a bond issue to construct a new school was finally approved May 29, 1919, and a portion of the El Paso Fairgrounds was purchased as a site. The building was completed in 1921.
In 1948 a community unit distriet was formed which retained No. 375. The rural schools in the district, which was larger than the former high school district, were closed and students brought by bus to El Paso and Secor schools.
A bond issue for $395,000 was approved June 12, 1954 for construction of a new grade school. The building was 360x180 feet, L-shaped, and was built across the driveway west of the high school. The re- mainder of the fairgrounds was purchased on March 1, 1954 by the El Paso Com- munity Unit School District from George Williamson.
Plans for the new school were begun that year, and it was given the name of Cen- tennial School to commemorate the town's founding. It contained 14 classrooms, a complete cafeteria, and an agriculture de- partment. A portion of the building was in use in the spring of 1956 and it was com- pleted before the fall term began.
A 100x100 foot steel and concrete gym- nasium was added to the Centennial School in 1958, and a playroom adjoining the cafe- teria was converted into lockers and rest- rooms. The area above the industrial arts department was enelosed for a study hall in 1966. Both of these projects came from the regular building appropriations.
On March 19, 1966, a $215,000 bond issue was approved to provide for additional rooms at Centennial School and to remodel the pool area in the high school. A music and band room was completed by the fall of 1966 and the rooms were used as quar- ters for kindergarten elasses which were authorized that spring. The high school re- modeling was also done that year, but the Centennial School classrooms were not completed until 1967. The kindergarten classes were then transferred to the Jef- ferson Park School.
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Library
The Ladies' Library Association was or- ganized in February, IS73, and shares were sold at $3 each to provide funds for the new project. From rooms at three different locations, offered rent free, the group chose quarters in the new Eagle Block basement. Members of the new organization donated their services as librarians, keeping the room open from 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. each Saturday. By 1894 the group had ac- quired some 2,000 books, and voted to
and a grey stone building was erected, and was dedicated in 1906.
A basement room was refinished in 1967 and an outside entrance provided on the west side of the building. This made pos- sible a "children's memorial room," with much of the shelving and furniture pro- vided from funds given as memorials to loved ones, whose names are listed on a plaque. A study center was provided on the first floor by rearranging equipment in the former children's section.
The El Paso Public Library was dedicated in 1906, a gift from Andrew Carnegie. A Ladies' Library Association was organized in 1873 and had a room in the Eagle Block, which burned in 1894. The insur- ance provided a nucleus to begin again, in the second floor of the post office on Central Street. This was one of the earliest library groups in the county. The program has been tax supported since 1906.
carry insurance for one year. On July 19 the library burned.
The insurance enabled the ladies to be- gin again, and in 1901 they moved the 500 volumes they had acquired into a room above the post office. In 1905 the council agreed to levy a two mills tax on all prop- erty of the city to provide for support of a free public library, Andrew Carnegie having donated a building to the commu- nity if support were assured. A site on the south side of Jefferson Park was selected
Mrs. S. Il. Worthington, Mrs. S. T. Curtiss, Mrs. W. G. Johnson, Miss Sarah Gough, Mrs. Carrie Tucker, Miss Hortense Ferrell and Miss Katherine Jenkins gave many years of service as librarians. Mrs. R. A. Burster has been librarian since 1944; Mrs. Lloyd Pfister, Mrs. Merval Byerly and Mrs. Max Lemon are assistants.
Newspapers
Five newspapers began publication in El Paso between February 1, 1863 and No-
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Woodford County History
vember, 1896, but only one had more than a few months of life. The Gazette, a four- page paper, was published by Robert Cauch; The True Patriot, a "states' rights" advocate, by Charles R. Fiske; The Wood- ford County Republican by M. T. Hyer; The El Paso Press (editor not learned); and the Saturday Review by Curtiss and Williams have left but a few scattered references which tell of their existence. Hyer moved to Eureka in 1896; The True Patriot was purchased by J. W. Wolfe and consolidated with The El Paso Journal in November 1865.
John T. Harper founded The El Paso Journal on April 5, 1865. It changed owner- ship 12 times before February 11, 1889 when it was purchased by George R. Curtiss. In 1885 W. D. Meek had pur- chased the Review from Curtiss and Wil- liams, who were employed by Meek in the publication of The El Paso Journal. A. O. Rupp purchased the Journal in September, 1886. Curtiss, who continued with the paper, bought it in 1889 and sold an inter- est to Robert Evans. They continued pub- lication in the Eagle Block. After the fire in 1894 they salvaged the equipment they could and continued publication in the old creamery building on Route 24 until the new building was completed, in December, 1894, on the former location.
Evans sold his interest to Curtiss on Sep- tember 15, 1904. In 1912 the business was moved from the bank building to the first floor of a building, just completed, on Central Street. Publication date was changed from Saturday to Thursday on June 23, 1910. Mr. Curtiss died May 2, 1946. Chester Curtiss, who had been em- ployed in the Journal office for many years, continued its publication after his brother's death until October 16, 1946, when the paper was purchased by John F. McGuire of Chicago. He discontinued publication November 16, 1950.
Walter Bailey began publishing the El Paso Advertiser on October 31, 1940, print- ing it in Normal until the spring of 1942 when he opened an office in El Paso. Ile purchased the Gridley Advance in January,
1956, and merged the two papers under the name of El Paso Advertiser-Advance. Following his death in 1961, his wife, Clara, continued the business. She was as- sisted by their sons, Donald and Eugene. She died March 7, 1963. Donald bought his brother's interest in the business July 22, 1965. He is assisted by his wife, Frances.
Webb Hartmen published The El Paso News for a few months in the fall of 1960.
Telephones
The first telephone in El Paso handled long distance calls only and was located in the office of the El Paso Journal. Later service was available to the bank and three elevators through the McLean County Telephone Company. Some of the business houses were served by the Peoria & Eastern Company in the 1890's, but the service was discontinued after an argument over rates. Charles M. Wescott set up a switchboard in his hardware store and was granted a franchise in 1896, but discontinued service after a few years.
Dr. R. E. Gordon rented equipment in 189S and connected his home and office, later contacting a group of farmers in Panola Township who had set up their own line, but had no switchboard service. A switchboard was set up in the Gordon home and Mrs. Gordon became the opera- tor. Businessmen became interested and new patrons were added.
The El Paso Telephone Company was organized September 20, 1901, and had 100 subscribers when they began business in December. Dr. Gordon, the first president, later purchased the shares of the other stockholders and was president and general manager until his death on November 16, 1951.
V. C. Gordon has been both president and manager of the company since his father's death. Installation of underground cables was begun in 1920, and the work has been extended. The first switchboard outside the Gordon home was located in a small building on the site of the present telephone office, built in 1912.
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Scene on the central business block on Front Street on June H, 1913, during a community "play day." A 100 mile automobile road race (around two sections southwest of town ) was the principal attraction; it resulted in the death of one of the drivers. The bank building on the corner was remodeled in 1919, the corner steps removed and a new street level entrance on the south created. The corner of the building on extreme left is the rear of the Campbell House, a combined depot-hotel, which was a landmark in El Paso lor 75 years.
Entertainment
Strathman's three-story building had a theater and dance hall on the third floor which was the center of entertainment prior to 1882. Crawford's Hall was used by church groups and for club activities dur- ing the same period and perhaps even later.
The Grange movement, which began in the East in 1867, provided the impetus for an agriculture fair held September 18, IS79. It was so successful that a fair as- sociation was formed the next year, and on June 30, ISSO, they purchased a 37-acre plot on the northwest corner of town for $1,537.50. Here the Woodford County Fair was held every year (except 1893 because of the Chicago World's Fair) until 1927. Headline entertainment through the years included a balloon ascension, 1889: bicycle
races, 1896; Kemp's Wild West Show, 1899; and airplane exhibitions, a parachute drop. and automobile and motorcycle races on the half-mile track.
Kemp's Wild West Show was an El Paso product and the name was later changed to the Kemp Sisters' Wild West Show be- cause of the popularity of Lida and Mida Kemp, daughters of G. P. Kemp, one of the owners of the show.
After the fair was discontinued in 1927. buildings were sold to the Henry Fair As- sociation and were taken to Henry, where they were rebuilt for the Marshall-Putnam Fair.
Following the fire of 1893 in which the rooms used by the Masonic Lodge were destroyed, the group joined stockholders of the El Paso Opera House Company and
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