October 25, 2015
Since this blog has taken on a life of its own that is really outside the realms of Founders' Grove, I have moved it to its own page in the hopes it will be found more easily there. Please visit me at
http://rochellegridley.wix.com/mclean-100-years-ago
You can also visit this blog at the www.FGNA.org, where I am the FGNA Historian.
October 16, 2015
In 1913 the State of Illinois passed the Mother's Pension Act for the support of children left to the sole charge of their mothers by their father's death or permanent physical incapacity. On this date one hundred years ago, the Pantagraph found that it was necessary to explain the facts of the law to the public. Whether this was to convince the public that the law was not so lax as to allow women to take advantage of the law or to advise women to temper their expectations of the ease of procuring relief is not completely clear.
The reporter was very careful to point out that any woman left with real estate had absolutely no hope of obtaining a mother's pension. If one was so bold as to request this relief, one had to be prepared to lay out all possible facts as to assets, relatives with the ability to aid the family and most importantly, one's fitness to be in charge of children. The children had to be under 14 years of age, because of course, poor people could not expect that their c...
October 15, 2015
The City of Bloomington was introducing its new fire truck water pump to the citizens. One day previous the pump had been demonstrated near the Waterworks, but apparently an insufficient number of people turned out for the display and on October 15, 1915 the fire department announced that the pump would be on the courthouse square and would throw and stream of water OVER THE COURTHOUSE DOME! Of course this was meant to reassure the public that the fire department had what it took to protect every householder and business owner from the fearful danger of fire. Bloomington had suffered two devastating fires in 1855 and 1900. The new pump was powered by a gasoline engine. Using a one and one quarter inch nozzle, the gasoline engine was able to create 164 pounds of pressure to drive a stream of water. On the day prior, they had compared the power of the old steam driven pump with the new gasoline one. The steam pump was only able to generate 101 pounds of pressure, indicating that the Cit...
October 14, 2015
On this date one hundred years ago Roy Dale and Viola Riley of Normal Illinois took the train to Chicago and married each other. Roy's father, when he heard of it, stated to reporters that he disapproved of the marriage and that he was taking the first train to Chicago to bring his son home. Mr. Dale further claimed that Roy was not of legal age (he was 20 years old) and that Viola was much older than the telegram stated (Viola was about 19 years old). Viola's brother on the other hand, told reporters that the marriage was no surprise and that in fact the couple had gone to Chicago the previous day to visit Viola's married sister.
Why was Mr. Dale so angry that he was misstating facts that could easily be misproved? The paper states that he was a much admired grocer in Normal. Mr. Riley, Viola's father was a contractor of cellars. Perhaps Mr. Dale felt his family was superior to Viola's.
Nevertheless, in 1920 Roy and Viola were living in Chicago where Roy was a mechanic with the...
October 13, 2015
The Pantagraph reported 100 years ago that a fortune had been found on the Deslarge Farm near Assumption, IL. This discovery was made as a consequence of the death of Jean Deslarge in 1914. Mr. Deslarge had lived in seclusion with his wife and two grown children for fifty years, seldom appearing in the town and barely making an effort to farm the 120 acre farm. Their seclusion had started after the marriage of the daughter Hortense. The Pantagraph reported that there was no insanity or feeble mindedness in the family, just a desire to be alone.
One year after the death of her father, Hortense returned to Assumption and asked for a conservator be appointed over her mother and the property of her father. Upon appointment of the Conservator, he entered the home and began a search for any valuable property. Gold coins and silver coins were found in old tin cans, the mattresses and other odd places. The money was carried to the bank in a wagon and would have filled three grocery carts of th...
October 12, 2015
I've featured con artist and confidence men before on this page, but where did they come from?? Bloomington made its own contribution to the population of criminals and Walter Paul was one of these. Walter Paul was a young man born to an Alton conductor, Jacob Paul and Sophronia Couchman Paul. Young Walter was a great disappointment to his parents. Before the age of 16 Walter had forged checks totalling $1700 and his family had to sell their home to buy their way out of the disgrace. He was essentially run out of Illinois and relocated himself in California, where he passed himself off as a member of the British aristocracy and continued in his check forging ways. He claimed to be an actor and toyed with that career, but Walter was perhaps more talented at acting away from the cameras and lights. The Los Angeles paper said the he "dallied with moving pictures, and did almost everything but work." He stole automobiles and cashed a number of checks on his new friends. On this date in 191...
October 11, 2015
In 1915 the YWCA of Bloomington was not as well established at the same association for men, and did not own its building. Bloomington had had a YWCA only since 1908. But at this time the organization was extremely active with numerous programs aimed at fulfilling its stated goals:
1. To guide girls into work for which they are suited.
2. To show them where and how to prepare for it.
3. To urge women to make good in their chosen field of work.
4. To develop in women workers such a responsibility for younger workers as will create better and enlarging opportunities for them.
The organization planned to touch of a number of important topics in the coming year: "Simple Business Transactions," "The Investment of Small Sums," "The Installment Plan and the Loan Shark," and "Law as related to Women." Apparently a need was seen for preparation of women for independent life.
The "Y" also provided a place for young women to "rest, read and wait." Of course waiting for a friend in a public pla...
October 9, 2015
We all may feel at times that our lawn is taking place in an unofficial contest and resent the challenge of keeping up our lawns during a rainy season, but in 1915 Mr. Egbert Hawk instituted a lawn contest in Bloomington. This contest was limited to those lawns that were maintained by the homeowner -- no lawns that were maintained by hired help! Egbert Hawk was the owner of a wholesale grocery company in Bloomington, not a nursery man, so he had no hopes of increasing his own profits through this contest.
The contest was adopted with some enthusiasm. Three hundred and twenty eight home owners entered their lawns in the contest and a squad of inspectors visited each lawn four times through the summer months to see it at various stages of blooming or growth. On this date the winners were announced and photographed for the Pantagraph.
1st Prize Joe Rediger 1007 Barker Street
2nd Prize Frank Baker 911 E Taylor
3rd Prize, William Kehr, 1000 S. Low...
October 8, 2015
Bert Kyger was an engineer on the Chicago Alton for several decades and had a few adventures during that time. One hundred years ago today, Bert was pulling into the station at Godfrey, IL when he saw a rail car on fire in the yard. Bert quickly went into action, detaching the cars from his engine. He then used the engine to pull away the cars that were close to the one in flames, saving the railroad a great loss.
In October of 1898 he had a much more exciting adventure when he was driving a load of strike breakers to the mines at Virden IL. The strike breakers were African-American miners brought from Alabama by rail to St. Louis. Kyger was driving the northbound limited to Bloomington when when it met up with the train from St. Louis. Kyger was ordered to take over that train and complete the run to Virden. Kyger had no idea at that time that he was driving into a mob scene.
As the train arrived in Virden, Kyger was to drive to the stockade and unload the strike breakers, but he coul...
October 7, 2015
On this date the Pantagraph headlines said: FIRST GREEK RESPONDS TO CALL TO COLORS. The Greek government was appealing to expatriates to return to Greece to defend their country. The article does not name the man who left, but he was a worker with the Chicago and Alton Shops.
The Pantagraph acknowledged that this was not a draft, but a call which men could answer voluntarily. They also observed that the Greek government did not care if the men had taken new citizenship and would welcome any man who returned to fight for Greece. The tone of the article was somewhat xenophobic stating: "The fact that they might have become American citizens in the meantime does not cut any figure. American citizenship papers are not recognized in foreign countries any more than they are in Mexico. . . . word has come by cable message to do nothing in regard to paying for transportation for the reserves and others until further notice, but despite this fact 500 New England Greeks who have registered with...
October 25, 2015
October 16, 2015
October 15, 2015
October 14, 2015
October 13, 2015
October 12, 2015
October 11, 2015
October 9, 2015
October 8, 2015
October 7, 2015
Past posts
October 25, 2015
October 16, 2015
October 15, 2015
October 14, 2015
October 13, 2015
October 12, 2015
October 11, 2015
October 9, 2015
October 8, 2015
October 7, 2015