While walking recently I was looking at rooflines on houses and comparing them with those built during my childhood. My childhood was dominated by box-like houses with box gable roofs without embellishment. Which is probably why I enjoy the beauty and variety of old houses. The rooflines on this house caught my eye because of the complexity of the roof. While the box type houses were easier and cheaper to build, no one will ever wax nostalgic over the simple ranch home. The home below is not an immediately impressive home, but if the interior was given as much attention as the roof, the home must be very interesting inside!
This house was built for Lyle Shoemaker, the McLean County Coroner sometime between 1924 and 1926. Shoemaker was a WWI veteran who served in Intelligence in the Argonne until he was gassed. After returning in 1919, he underwent years of surgeries for his gas wounds. Prior to the war he had been a farmer and carpenter in White Oak Township. He was elected as coroner in 1924 and married Lola Crump in 1925.
1929 must have been an especially interesting year for Shoemaker as the coroner. There were five murders in McLean County: the first was that of Sam Capshaw by Henry Mendina. Sam Capshaw was a known bootlegger in McLean County and the shooting allegedly occurred because Capshaw would not sell to Mendina. Mendina shot himself during the police pursuit.
On January 17, 1929 Bert Izzard shot and killed his wife at the home of her sister in Normal. He then turned the gun on himself and died the same day.
Joney Jasper was shot by his father on July 27. George Jasper, who was 67 years old was convicted of manslaughter and sent to Statesville to serve his time. That shooting occurred as part of the father's drunken spree. The Pantagraph noted that the elder Jasper showed no remorse for his crime.
On August 3, 1929 Robert F. Baldwin of Decatur was found several miles south of Bloomington with a bullet hole through his body. He was covered with grass and had apparently been dead about two or three days. No reasons for his death were ever found.
On October 25, 1929 a murder occurred that was investigated thoroughly by the police and coroner, but no conclusion was ever reached as to the death of Dr. Leonard Lockett. Dr. Lockett was found on a country road near his car with a bullet through his head. No reason could be found for suicide, but a local authority states that the perpetrator was known and escaped justice through judicious use of influence and money.