Centennial History of Nokomis, Illinois, 1856-1956
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NOKOMIS CENTENNIAL 1856 - 1956 CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF NOKOMIS, ILLINOIS 1856 - 1956 %OKOMIS daughter of the Moon FOREWORD Men in America were moving with the sun. In the 1850's, western lands could still be had for $8 to $12 an acre. Tillage began and the other arts followed. Nokomis came to be. This Centennial History calls up long forgotten scenes and the peculiar sadness of remembered sounds. It records those illuminated moments which stand out fresh and vivid after many years. Many a Seth Thomas clock still watches the pano- rama of the years, remembering a day when the sky was blue, Nokomis was young and people wished to be remembered. This is not a complete record, but we offer it with a feeling of pride and affection for all who have had a part, no matter how small, and those who expect to have a part, no matter how far in the distant future. 917, OUR TOWNS CENTENNIAL - It is a resurrection of the past An open book spread out before our eyes With narratives that history amassed For decades which today we dramatize. The horse and buggy, oil-lamp days provide The setting for events, when swishing skirts And bearded faces ruled the day with pride - A simple life, our story-book asserts. But simple life which we naively claim For those days had its conflicts; as these met With conquest, retrospective glory came Which magnifies itself in our minds, yet. As we leaf through the pages of this book, We overtake ourselves, for we are there - A part of us - and we find, as we look, Contemporaries on life's thoroughfare. These chapters bring us up to date on friends, Revealing lights and shades along the way - Continued stories with their various ends That happened on the edge of yesterday. As nineteen-fifty-six begins the sequel To this centennial Nokomis story, Will tempos which frontiers could never equal Add smarter, new dimensions to our glory? Meda G. Pennepacker Casler, Duluth, Minn. Centennial Committee Chairmen Jack Sale, Glen Loomis, Monroe Berns, Howard Case, Mildred Barnstable, Frank Berns, Alana Dasovich, Wilbur Herzog, Chris Hugener, Melba Johnson. LaRue Hugener, Walter Fricke, Anita Stanley, Stella Yackle. CENTENNIAL COMMITTEES Previous Entertainment Frank J. Berns - President. Woman's Club and Sorority. Monroe Berns - Vice-president. Pageant Alana Dasovich - Secretary. LaRue Hugener, Chairman, Esther Howard Case - Treasurer. Nantkes, Salena Mack, Dorcus Thornhill, Beard And Dress American Legion Past Commander Club. Jack Sale, Chairman, Lela Schwartzle, Violet Zueck, Anita Vercellone, Anita Stan- Alene Layel, Gladys Bottomley, Ella Sale, ley, Jack Swarbrick. Joe Kocur, George Pehanich, George Fuller- Outside Publicity ton, Alva Grauer, Steve Milavec, and Ken- C. F. Marley. neth Singler. Souvenirs Publicity - Local Rodell Satterfield, Wayne Bagley, and Walter Fricke, Edward Ovca, Co-chair- George Sale. men. Street Decorations QUEEN - PROMOTIONAL Howard Bell. Melba Johnson, Chairman, Alana Daso- Centennial Book vich, Rita Miles, Patricia Bixby, Georgette Mildred Barnstable, Stella Yackle, Co- Benya, Rose Johnson, Lucille Viola, Marie chairmen, Mary Archibald, Ed Vandever, Kettelkamp, Alene Layel, Nelda Bracken- LaRue Hugener, Esther Nantkes, Walter hoff, June Obregar, and Pauline Berns. Fricke, Arnold Woltmann, Emory Weakley, Parade Elmer Eddington, Charlotte Eekhoff, and Violet Moeller, Lee Dawson, Co-chair- Mildred Fearn. men, George Priddle, Guy H. Wharton, Parking Ralph Scheller, Leslie Sperry, Ed Gould, Glen Loomis. Mary Collebrusco, Joy Keller, Dean Gould, Electric and Evelyn Johnson. Chris Hugener. Carnival Grounds Wilbur Herzog and Clarence Wright. James Guyot. Eats Tents Theresa Tosetti and Erma Arkebauer. Fred Kettelkamp and Howard Case. HISTORY OF NOKOMIS Where a man found himself, he farmed according to soil, climate and market. Where the sturdy pioneer family found itself, it carved a home. These good neighbors, whether farmers, merchants, millers, doctors, poets, photographers, ministers, peddlers, to- gether with their wives, daughters and sweethearts lived here and loved this community they worked together to build a town worthy to last a hundred years. Today we are challenged with the thought "looking back- ward is futile unless it illuminates the future." EARLY HISTORY OF NOKOMIS ship was one-sixth m timber of oak, elm, and several varieties of maple and hickory. Up to the beginning of the nineteenth Bluford Shaw was the first settler in century little progress was made in extend- Township, who lived here with his ing the frontier beyond a small strip on the Nokomis 1840. In 1843 High- eastern seaboard. There were a few ven- family prior to Hugh section 33 and built the first turesome souls who pushed west and brought tower settled in boundaries of the township. back glowing accounts of the possibilities of house within the were R. N. Lee, the regions lying in the valley of the Missis- Following Mr. Hightower William Bonton, Absolom sippi and Missouri Rivers. In 1763 a settle- John Wetmore, William Andrew- ment was made by the French at Cahokia Van Hoosier, Lee and living just north of and another at Kaskaskia; these two were the Coiner. John Whitmore, first Justice beginning of what was to become Illinois, the present city limits, was the the first Constable was which gots its name from the Algonquin of the Peace and Indian word Illini which means "perfect and J. W. Hancock. accomplished man." Illinois as a common- The first sermon was preached in No- wealth remained part of Virginia until 1787 komis township by Rev. J. L. Crane, a when it was conceded to the Northwest Ter- Methodist Episcopal minister. The Baptist ritory and continued so until 1800. By this congregation was organized in 1856, with time there were enough settlers to make a Rev. Hueston as pastor. History tells that separate territorial government possible, so the Lutherans were active in this community Illinois was admitted to the Union in 1818. as early as 1852 in Audubon Township; the After the admission, a county was made Daniel Easterday family, from Jefferson called Bond which included what is now County, Ohio, was the first to come, and Rev. Montgomery County. Montgomery looked D. D. Swaney was the first minister. Within to the Legislature to afford them some relief a few years the Lutherans moved to the new from the cumbersome machinery engendered town of Nokomis, where St. Mark's Lutheran by the large area forming Bond County. In Church was established. 1821 the Legislature approved an act creating Other denominations established them- Montgomery County. selves in Nokomis in the years to come, and From the first obtainable information it more detailed information will be found is conceded that the Kickapoos were the elsewhere. most numerous tribe in this county. The The first school is said to have been first white settlement was made in this taught by Henry Lower, at his residence in county in 1816, the settlers coming from 1848. It was a private school supported by Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, the Carolinas, subscriptions. The first school house was and Ohio. The soil was remarkably fertile. built in 1853 near the former Jacob Haller About 1834 the town of Audubon was farm south of the city. It is said that some laid out, lots sold, and stores opened. The of the original lumber is at present in the colonists went so far as to build a court- Oak Grove school still standing near the house but the people refused to aid their ef- farm. forts and the investors saw they were losing The first road through Nokomis was money so dissolution was inevitable. Other known as the Nokomis-Hillsboro road and towns in more favorable surroundings suc- was laid out in a northeasterly direction. ceeded and, as the Spirit of Progress is never Today it is our main street and an important actually crushed, the spirit of these towns State Highway which was paved in 1923. continued to live and as Hamilton and Wood- The first railroad was the Alton and side became Hillsboro, so Audubon became Terre Haute and the first train rolled over Nokomis. its tracks in 1855. Since that time the rail- There is no better township in the county road property has changed hands several in productivity than Nokomis. Here are the times and is now the property of the New best stockraising and marketing in the York Central. The tracks of the New York county. In its natural state, Nokomis Town- Central are also used by the Chicago and Presidents oi the board of trustees or mayors down through the years follow: C. 11. Schaper, G. H. Upstone.*Thomas Trif- fet, H. M. Randle, John Hukill, John Noli mann, J. H. Weinstein, Nick Singer, Dr. W. C. Hovey, A. O. Kettelkamp. V. C. Singler, F. Kroeger, A. J. Eekhoff, S. B. Brow i Jenkins. Frank Yackle, A. E. Vandeve Virgil Adams, Kenneth Kellerman, and th< present mayor, Homer Stanley. Currenl commissioners are Gerald G. Cain. Alvin Hagemeier, Primo Tosetti and Clarence Hard. Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Schaper The appointed officers include T. H. First President of Board of Trustees Harrison, city clerk; Lee Dawson, city treas- urer; Andrew Cibulka. supt. of water; Robert Eastern Illinois railroad passing through Bowes, chief of police and John Price, supt. Nokomis and directly into St. Louis. of streets. A station was established in Nokomis in March 27, 1869, the charter was amend- 1856, which was the beginning of Nokomis ed by a special act of the legislature. At this as a place of importance, and now one of the time the city had a population of 700 people, most beautiful small cities of South Central three churches, ten stores and such indus- Illinois. It was platted and surveyed by P. C. tries usually found in places of comparable Huggins of Bunker Hill, and Captain Samuel size.