Mt. Vernon IL Register (Weekly) - May 6, 1896

McClellan Township Sunday School Convention was held in the grove near 
West Long Prairie Church yesterday and was attended by between 300 and 
400 people. Among the many Sunday School workers present were Rev. F. L. LAWRENCE, 
township president; R. A. DALE, town president Dodds Township; S. T. MAXEY, 
ex-county secretary; Superintendents Stella KEMP of Wolf Prairie school, 
S. S. HOWE of Long Prairie school, Eva DAVIS of Soloman school and R. L. LACEY 
of Woodlawn, Rev. CRAIN of Woodlawn, Bud PIERCY of Shiloh, Mrs. Geo. MUCKLEROY, 
Mrs. LANG and many others.

Three Sunday School choirs were present and furnished excellent music. The 
township has four Sunday Schools, all in a prosperous condition, and plans 
were laid for more earnest and thorough work during the coming year. An effort 
will be made to induce a larger attendance of parents at Sunday School. Rev. 
LAWRENCE was re-elected president and D. N. MILLINER secretary. The stand 
erected in the grove was handsomely decorated with flowers, the work of 
Misses Melzelda RUTHERFORD, Margaret BENNETT, Mary ROSENBERGER, Annie MUCKLEROY, 
Drusilla SMITH and others. Mr. and Mrs. R. L. LACEY and son Joseph and the writer 
and his little daughter Ethel were entertained by Mr. and Mrs. James PLOWMAN, 
who came to this county from Adams County last spring. They are most excellent 
people, spread a feast fit for a king, and if Adams County has any more like 
them to spare, Jefferson County will welcome them.

Mt. Vernon IL Register (Weekly) - May 6, 1896
 

Belle Rive, Ill., April 30, 1896 - Editor Register: I wish to tell your 
readers something about our village and the people that compose it.  
We have a first class dry goods store, Uncle Jo GUTHRIE, who has been in 
business in our town twenty-three years: also, Mr. HOWELWELL, who has been 
in business eight years. We also have two first class physicians, both graduates, 
one good drug store, one undertaker's establishment, one notion store, one 
blacksmith shop, one livery stable, and two hotels.

Well, we have had three elections this year in the township, which resulted 
in the election of three Republicans, three Democrats and one Populist. We 
also held our village election, which resulted in our town going dry. The Clerks 
tied and the board decided that they should decide by lot. The contest was between 
William WILLBANKS and Rufus BOSWELL. Mr. WILLBANKS drew the lucky ticket.  
Then our school election was next, which was very exciting, W. C. MERRITT, 
Frank FOSTER and C. C. KNIFFEN being the candidates. The ladies swarmed out in mass.  
The result showed a tie between MERRITT and FOSTER, so they had to cast lots, 
MERRITT being the lucky man.

I want to say something about the old people of our town. I believe there are 
a greater number of very old people in our town than any other town of its size 
in the state. The first is Uncle Thomas HOLLAND, who is in his 92nd year, who 
has lived in Jefferson County more than 55 years. He is in good health and walks 
to town two miles, and seems to enjoy the exercise. Uncle Carroll McCARNER, who 
is 90 years old, can walk about town, and is very spry for a man of his age.  
Grandma DAWSON, who is 84 years old, does her own housework and is in good health.  
Uncle Quince WILLBANKS, who is 72 years old, I believe is the oldest merchant 
in Jefferson County. Uncle Quince commenced to sell goods in the year 1848.  
He is postmaster at our village now and is in good health.

We have a first class school in operation. Prof. CROSS of Hamilton County and 
Miss Maud JONES of Mt. Vernon are the teachers. I consider them as good instructors 
as the county affords.




Mt. Vernon IL Register (Weekly) - June 3, 1896

At Pleasant Grove - EDITOR REGISTER

Pursuant to call the people of Pleasant Grove neighborhood assembled at 
the Pleasant Grove Cemetery and Church on the 30th and carried out the 
program as published. The house was filled by 1 o'clock and exercises 
commenced by Bro. J. W. SUMMERS' choir and prayer by Capt. S. T. MAXEY.  
The object of the meeting was stated and we proceeded to the cemetery and 
strewed flowers upon the graves of our deceased comrades, after which they 
were called by the drum corps. Comrade Rev. H. B. DOUGLASS, of Mt. Vernon, 
was then introduced and gave one of his characteristic soldier talks that 
went deep into the hearts of old soldiers and the congregation. At the close 
of the talk the dinner call was heard and those that wished stayed for dinner, 
while others went to Mt. Vernon to attend services there.

Pleasant Grove was the honor of being the only cemetery in the county so far 
as heard from, containing the remains of soldiers of every war in which the 
nation has ever engaged in. An honor that we, as a neighborhood, should be 
proud of. They are as follows: War of 1776, Loyd WARD and Peter OWEN. Second 
war with England, A. B. BRUCE, Bennet N. MAXEY, Ashel BATEMAN, Thos. BADGET, 
Joe McMEEN, Zachariah HARVEY, Nathaniel PARKER.  War of 1812 or Black Hawk War, 
Gilbert LANE, Franklin S. CASEY, Joshua OWEN, Geo. BULLOCK, Peter OWEN. War with 
Mexico 1846-8, Chas. STEARNS. War of the Rebellion 1861-5. Chas. MAXEY, Mark HAILS, 
J. S. GALBRAITH, Benjamin JOHNSON, Monroe GALBRAITH, Dr. MURPHY, Logan McGREW (Navy), 
Hardin WOOD, John Y. SHELTON, Geo. A. COLLINS, Jas. S. SATTERFIELD, Hiram LINSLEY, 
Green W. BISHOP, Jas. C. GALBRAITH, Frank WILLIAMSON, Thos. MADDOX, John HARLOW, 
Harrison J. TYLER, Geo. J. PETTIT, Samuel T. BRUCE, Thos. F. MATTOCKS, 
Thos. Merritt BULLOCK, a total of 37, a grand record for old Pleasant Grove and 
the descendants of these old veterans are all around us yet today. In the evening 
several comrades gave their experience in time of war, giving the pathetic as well 
as the funny incidents of camp life. An able and interesting recitation describing 
an incident that occurred at the battle of Fredricksburg, was rendered by 
Mrs. John PEARCE, which was received with applause, after which a rising vote of 
thanks was voted unanimously to Comrade DOUGLAS and Bro. SUMMERS and committee on 
decorations.  It was then announced that hereafter, Decoration Day would be observed 
at Pleasant Grove every year. After singing the "Red, White and Blue" the meeting 
adjourned to meet May 30th, 1897.



Mt. Vernon Register (Weekly) - June 10, 1996

A fair day and an affectionate reverence for the men who laid the 
foundation of the prosperity that now blesses the people of Jefferson 
County, brought many of those people to the city today to participate 
in the annual reunion of the old settlers.  To these were added many 
of the townspeople and the whole filled comfortable the circuit court room.

Preliminarily the meeting was called to order by Captain MOSS. Cornation 
was sung by the choir.  A scripture lesson was read  by Rev. J. W. WEBSTER 
and the invocation made by Jas. E. FERGERSON.  In the forenoon addresses 
were delivered by Rev. J. W. VanCLEVE and Judge E. D. YOUNGBLOOD, and the 
afternoon by Revs. H. B. DOUGLAS and R. F. CASEY.  We regret that lack of 
space precludes our giving attention to these addresses that the known 
ability of the several gentlemen deserves.

From the report of the secretary we glean that this was the twenty-fifth 
annual meeting, the society having been organized June 7, 1892 (1872?).  
Of those who became members then there were 45 persons who had resided in 
the county fifty years or more. Of those, eight are living today: Robert HARLOW, 
Clinton M. CASEY, Isaac HICKS, Joshua C. MAXEY, Lewis JOHNSON, Celia P. HICKS, 
Elizabeth P. SATTERFIELD and Joel F. WATSON.

Since the last meeting these have died: Mrs. Angeline GIBSON, William CLAYBORN, 
Mrs. Katy TYLER, Mrs. Ann M. HALE, Mrs. Eva POOLE, Mrs. Margaret CORRELL, 
John H. IRVIN, Mrs. Martha OLLOMAN, Jeremiah TAYLOR, and Burton ALLEN.

The pioneer element of the organization is rapidly disappearing. There were 
numerous frosted heads among those attending the meeting today, but it was 
only at rare intervals that here and there could be discerned heads whose 
snowy whiteness was evidence that there were those present whose memories 
carried them back to the time when Indians were their neighbors.  Today's 
meeting was most heartily enjoyed by all who were present.



Mt. Vernon IL Register (Weekly) - July 29, 1896

James FRIZZELL married Nora FIELDS last night. Guests: Mr. and Mrs. Mack HALL 
of Evansville; Mr. and Mrs. M. A. IGLEHART; Mr. and Mrs. Charles VAUGHN; Mr. 
and Mrs. John G. VARNELL; Mr. and Mrs. W. A. JOYCE; Miss Minnie MICK; Miss Daisy 
FRIZZELL; Will WOOD; Allen BROWDER and Rev. BROWDER and wife; Mr. and Mrs. FRIZZELL 
will leave on Wednesday for Longview, Texas where they wil make their future home.



Mt. Vernon, IL Register (Weekly) - September 2, 1896

Duff WEBB attended the annual reunion of the WEBB family near Ewing 
yesterday. He reports the attendance this year at about 800, a very 
much smaller number than usual, which he attributes to the prevalent 
sickness in Franklin County. Addresses were delivered by W. H. GREEN 
of this city, Captain Thomas SHERIDAN of Enfield, and Judges STELLE and 
EDWARDS of McLeansboro. Elijah T. WEBB was elected president and 
Charlie BRITTON secretary of the association for the current year.