Hoopeston Centennial in Home Enferfainmenf
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V n, * 1l 11^ fe ^g ^ n 1977.365 Souvenir booklet $1.°'* I?^B OIP HIOOI^ESTO 3Sr. 13. Lukens Bros. 19. Morey & Bros., Elevator. 25. Powell 's Drug 14. ]_Mie J. C. Davis's Hotel. Stora. 20. Hibberd Hotel, J. C. Davis, Proprlel or. 26. Hay Press, G. C. Davi*. 16. 1-ale Union Depot. 21. Goldstein, Brick Store. 27. Stock Yard. 16. P. G. Johnson. 22. M. D. Calkins, Lumber Yard. 28. Livery 17. G. H. White, Stable. l_and Agent. 23. Seam Noggle. 29. C. L. Calkua. 18. J. 1„ Mozier. 24. a. R. Weacott. ILLINOIS HISTORICAL SURVEY Souvenir Centennial Booklet: Dedicated to an Awareness of our Heritage, and a Sincere Interest in our Future! Without the complete cooperation of supporting Hoopeston businessmen, industries and organizations, our task of compiling the following booklet would not have been possible. Area friends and out-of-state businesses also played a part in financing the publication. References for information have been numerous. History of Vermilion County by Lottie Jones and Hiram Beckwith, "History Under our Feet", other volumes at Hoopeston Public Library and in- dividual research by members of the committee have been our chief sources. - ,^2iU.. Um>^' Admission: $2.50 Advance, $3.50 Door Calendar of Events 8:00 P.M. Glen Brasel Field High School "Pre-Spectacular Entertainment" Sunday July 18th Religious Heritage Day by the Antioch Teen Choir 900 P.M. "SPECTACULAR" 7:00 A.M. Noon-Church Services-All Churches Glen Brasel F leld 10:00 A.M. 4:00 P.M. -Hospitality Center Opens Thursday July 22nd Industry Day Noon McFerren Park "Reunion" 10 00 A.M. Hospitality Center Opens •(J. G. Williams Family) 10:00 AM. Midway Opens (Discount rides •(Leaver Family) until 5:00 P.M.) 2:00 P.M. Midway Opens 2:00 P.M. 4:00 P.M. -Open House Plant Tours 8:00 P.M. Glen Brasel Field - High School (Tour information at Centennial Headquarters) "Gospel Singing with the LeFevers FMC Corporation and Speer Family" Joan of Arc $2.00 advance, $2.50 at gate American Can Monday July 19th Senior Citizen's Day Stokely-Van Camp 7:30 P.M. Glen Brasel Field 10:00 A.M. Midway Opens (Merchant discount "Pre-Spectacular Entertainment" rides until 5:00 P.M. all ages) "Finals Beard Judging Contest" 10:00 A.M. Hospitality Center Opens 9:00P.M. "SPECTACULAR" (219 West Main Street) Glen Brasel Field 2:00 P.M. Anierican Legion "Bingo FrirJay July 23rd Agriculture Day (Senior Citizens)" Free tor all persons over 50 yrs. of age 10:00 A.M. Hospitality Center Opens $2.00 for persons under 50 yrs. of age 10:00 A.M. Midway Opens (Discount rides 8:00 P.M. Civic Center "Dance" (Senior Citizens) until 5:00 P.M.) Pat Music by Musk and Group 10:00 A.M. 5:00 P.M. -Civic Center Free for all persons over 50 years of age 11:00 A.M. (1 1 :00 A.M.-1 :00 P.M. -Luncheon) for all $2.50 persons under 50 yrs. ^f age by Helen Farrell (Civic Center) Tuesday July 20th Open Air Market Day Displays-Art Show-Style Show Band Concert & other entertainment 9:00 A.M. Downtown Area - Open Air Market Opens 1:00 P.M. Program starts 10:00 A.M. Midway Opens (Discount rides until 2:00 P.M. Pioneer Events recognition presentations 5:00 P.M.) Agriculture Day recognition presentations 10:00 A.M. Hospitality Center Opens (100 year farm placques) 11 :30 A.M. 1 :00 P.M. -Free corn on the cob '6:30 P.M. •V.F.W. "Reunion" (Class of '46) (Main Street - downtown) 7:30 P.M. Glen Brasel Field 3:00 P.M. 3:45 P.M. -"Entertainment" "Pre-Spectacular Entertainment" (Main Street - downtown) "Competitive Style Show" 7:00 P.M. 8:00 P.M. -"Entertainment" (Downtown) 9:00 P.M. "SPECTACULAR" By the Ripchords IV Glen Brasel F leld 7:30 P.M. "Preliminary Beard Judging Contest" Saturday July 24th Variety Day (Downtown) Mam Street 9 8:00 P.M. Glen Brasel Field - High School "Pre-Spectacular Entertainment" by "Hoopeston Sweet Corners" 9:00P.M. "SPECTACULAR" Glen Brasel Field Fireworks immediately following Spectacular Wednesday July 21st Youth Day 10:00 A.M. Youth Parade (Downtown) (Pet, Bike and Costume Categories) 10:00 A.M. Hospitality Center Opens 10:00 A.M. Midway Opens (Discount rides until 5:00 P.M.) 1 :00 P.M. "Movie & Cartoons" (Lorraine Theatre) Admission—for all persons 15 and under, 2 wooden nickles For all persons over 1 5 years of age, $1 .00 2:00 P.M. 6:00 P. M -McFerren Park "Games & Contests" (8 through 15 age) 3:30 P.M. 5:00 P.M.-McFerren Park "Games & Contests" (3 through 7 age) 8:00 P.M. Civic Center "Teen Hop" Music by: AMBOY DUKES In The Beginning: The Naming of Grant Township (from: "History of Vermilion County by H. W. Beckwith. H. H. Hills & Co., Chicago, 1879) Grant Township was. until 1862, a portion of Ross, and as now constituted, occupies the northeastern corner of the county, having Indiana for its eastern boundary, Iroquois county for its aarihern. Butler township for its western, and Ross for its southern. It is rectangular in shape: is twelve and one-half miles long by seven and one-half wide, containing 58,880 acres and is the largest township in the county. In 1862 it was almost entirely prairie, having but a few acres of timber near the center of its southern line, known as Bicknell's Point, (2 miles north of where Rossville is today) and formed the great treeless ''divide" between the head waters of the Vermilion and of the Iroquois. As late as 1860, very little of its land had been brought into cultivation, although the great highway of travel from the south to Chicago (Hubbard Trail) ran directly across its center twenty-five years before that time. When, in 1872, the railroad great was built through it, few farms were intersected. The prairie from Bicknell's Point stretching north was the dread of the early settler when he became benighted on his return from The Bicknell House built on North Fork, 1835: rebuilt as Bicknell Chicago after a ten days' trip to that, their only market. The Inn in 1845. Located about 2 miles north of Rossville (called dark, stormy, wintry nights carried terror to many a household Liggett's Grove and Henpeck). George and William Bicknell set Hubbard's Trail, when it was feared that the father or husband or son was trying up a homestead and as traffic increased on to find his way home over the treeless waste of the great divide. they erected the inn in 1845. Abraham Lincoln w/as said to be a patron years later. freeze every article of wet clothing in an instant. The ground full of water, became frozen in a very few minutes, and no man could stand it for even a short time on horseback. The men walked for a while, until they became numb and lost. To be lost on this great prairie at anytime, and under any circumstances mentally, one of weather, was a most painful condition, could be placed in; but lost in a storm, conscious that one was gradually and surely becoming less and less able every moment to care for himself, was as near like enduring the torments of the damned as one can well imagine. On, on they went, vainly hoping to reach some place where they might at least be protected from th? fearful blasts. They had given up hope of getting what King James asked in somewhat similar circum- stances — "rest and a guide, and food and fire"; but they still hoped to find the friendly shelter of Bicknell's Point. But finally that hope also abandoned them, and, with almost the certainty them, of death, they decided to kill their horses and disembowel hoping that the friendly shelter of the stiffening carcass and warmth of the animal heat might save them from certain death. Unreasonable as their hope seems, they actually carried their plan into partial execution, by killing one of the horses, and pushing him over as he fell so that the back would lie toward the west, and protect them in a measure from the terrible blast. The other horse for some reason was not killed, and the two half- made themselves as comfortable as possible in the GEN. U. S. GRANT frozen men shelter which they had thus prepared. In the morning. Frame A PRAIRIE TRAGEDY was dead, and Mr. Hildreth was so badly frozen that he suffered A single incident of such tragic nature as to be told over and partial amputation. He died in Carroll township in 1876, living to over again at every fireside in the 1830's will serve to show the see almost forty anniversaries of that dreadful night. terrors which in those days were consequent upon winter travel. GIVEN NAME "LYON" In December, 1836, on a mild warm day in which rain and snow When the old township of Ross was divided the name of Lyon mingled until the ground was covered with slush, and every- was given to this. When the name was sent to Springfield, the thing which travelers wore was wet through, the thermometer auditor notified the supervisors that there was already a ranging above forty degrees, two travelers. Frame and Hild- township named Lyons in Cook county, and it would be reth, were making'their way back toward the settlements on the necessary to find another name.