Marissa, Its People and History

UNIVttWITYOF AT UKS^MA-QH^kMMklQN 'i I 977.389 M339 Illinois History AND Lincoln Collections 1867- -1967 V MARISSA n n m n G G FROM WAGON TO JET' 3)atnt IJrotkmcition whereas the year 1967 is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the community of Marissa, St. Clair County, Illinois; and whereas it is fitting that we the citizens commemorate this momentous occasion by paving tribute to the memory of the pioneers and founders of this communitv, we, Fleetv Bcltz and Eugene C. Bollmeier, respective Mayors of the N'illages of Old Marissa and Marissa, do hereby jointly pro- claim that the year 1967 shall be known as "The Centennial Year of the Marissa area, known as Old Marissa, Marissa, and rural surroundings." Let it be heralded that although the two villages are incorporated separately, in all other things including tribute, celebration, historical background, physical en- vironment, culture, and especially spirit, we are one. It is therefore requested that all organizations and residents in our community join together in commemoration of this Great Event. We jointly recognize "The Marissa Centennial, Inc." as the organization for the promotion and execution of the centennial celebration. Done this first day of March, 1967, at the office of the Mayor of Old Marissa, the site of the original founding, St. Clair County, State of IHinois. _J^ Mavor of Old Marissa ^^-Cf^':^^|Z^^Ji~ C- /^^M^L-r^JuJbx Mayor of Marissa -1- PREFACE This is a l)rief account of the histoi\ of Maiissa, St. Clair County, Illinois, from 1867 to 1967. Marissa is belie\ed to be the only town in the world bearing that name. The following pages are the result of the Historical Committee's action within the communit\' organization, Marissa Centennial, Inc. The information assembled b\- the Committee has been put together in vokmies, paralleling the chapters of this book. They have been placed in the Ma- rissa Public Librarx where our citizens may read with pride, and in greater detail, the interesting stor\' of their home town. Resource materials include the old St. Clair County history and atlas; biographical and family genealogy books; land grants; anticjiies; old newspapers, magazines, letters, photographs, and documents; also taped in- terviews with sexeral of our senior citizens. The more infonnation we gathered, the more we came to realize the need for a perpetual Historical Committee to continue the research into our past as an aid toward a better understanding of our present culture and future society. This information would prove to be a great help to those who will plan for Marissa's Sesquicentennial in the year 2017. We therefore pass on our incomplete work to them for additions, corrections and revisions from time to time. We heartily commend those who ha\e gi\en so unselfishly of their time, monew and efforts in order that this historical account of our community might be preser\ed for the benefit of future generations. -2- ? MARISSA CENTENNIAL, INC. OFFJCERS President Everett Vollert Vice-President Eugene C, Bolimeier Secretary Oscar Cuddy Treasurer Donald Hunt Board of Directors Officers and representatives of all clubs in town Everett Xollert CHAIRMEN OF COMMITTEES Quentin Schifferdecker Advertising Vaughn Gorman, Calvin Fruth, Vern Antry Entertainment' ;'I^^;i"'^'^^'^'"^ J°hn Schaefer Finance R°bert Heil, Sr. Grounds ; Alberta Hamilton, Betty Klee Historical Early History Alberta Hamilton Village Administrations Ella Baird Businesses & Professions Frances Boyle, Dr. B. M. Baird* Newspapers Tom and Kathleen Lee Schools Wilmer Kunze, Dr. Robert Redpath Churches Rev. Wesley P. Walters Organizatioas Margaret Irwin Fine Arts Virginia McClintock Prominent People Marguerite Emons tarly Families Clyde Wylie Antiques EIna Engelhardt Pictures & Photographs Albert Fullerton, Kay White Skits Alberta Hamilton, Betty Klee Directory Vivian Koreic Coordinating & Editing All Chairmen, Ann Reynolds, Norma Coulter Sackwitz Parade Bernard William Norton Parking Eugene C. Bolimeier Pi.J2es ^"""^"^y Publicit7--''''''-''-'--'--'--'-----'-"^ °'"' Queen Da ^ Tnmpe Calvm Fruth Rides & Concessions *Mary Hacker continued the activities of Dr. B. M. Baird whose death was a loss we deeply feel. Officers and Chairmen of Committee.s: Left to right seated, Everett Vollert, Eugene C. Bolimeier, Oscar Cuddy, Donald Hunt. Standing, \'aughn Gor- man, Quentin Schifferdecker, Calvin Fruth, Robert Heil, Sr., Alberta Hamilton, Betty Klee, Bernard Sack- witz. Not shown. Dale Trimpe, Vern Antry, John Schaefer, and \^'illiam Norton. -3- FLEETY BELTZ Mayor of Old Marissa OLD MARISSA TOWN BOARD Felix Rhein, Willard Matienbacher, Mayor Belh, Arthur Krebs, Wilmer Kunze, Irving Schickedanz, Connie Kunze. EUGENE BOLLMEIER Mayor of Marissa NEW MARISSA TOWN BOARD Front row — Robert Heil, Mayor Bollmeier, C. C. Dreman, Rudy Gegel. Back row — Norman Edgar, Elmer Lehman, Everett Vollert, Paul Werner, George Stoll. -4- Early History Long before 1700 Marissa and its surrounding area viewed in the village library museum. Kess' Hill, a was a semi-open prairie where tlie Indian roamed free- summer picnic place and winter sledding slope for five ly on his own terms, hunting and fishing as he had or six generations of Marissa children, was a camping always done. This was a time when gentle breezes waved groimd for Indians passing through our area. The story the tall grasses of the flat lands and rustled through is- is not complete without the description of the nearby, lands of trees which hugged the gradual slopes and flow- narrow, foot-deep trail which was visible for many ing streams. Perhaps the Indian had different names years. It is supposed that the Indian trail was made by for Dozaw and Mud creeks, but even he could not fore- the pounding of many feet and hoofs and the dragging tell in the deep silence that some da\ all would be of the two pole ends of the Indian-stvle sled \ipon which changed. he transported his possessions. It may have been an When the vear 1700 arrived, French settlers were offshoot of the Kaskaskia trail which we know today as building homes and tilling the soil in the areas of Ca- the Baldwin-New Athens Road. hokia and Kaskaskia. The Indians were friendly with Shortly after 1800, the wheels of covered wagons were the Cahokia French. The\- regarded the white man with rumbling and crunching over rock and soil on trails mild curiosity and seldom molested earK- American set- leading from the south. In spite of long and difficult tlements in St. Clair county. It is very likely that the journeys, Marissa settlers were on their way. Entering French crossed and re crossed Marissa many times while our beautiful semi-prairie land, they walked and rode hunting and trapping. through the tall grasses which were said to be "shoulder horseback." settlers favored the The first white man to visit our locale was a French- high to a man on The cabins, for man, Ele.xe Doza, famous in his time as a hunter and wooded streams where the\ built their log for Indian fighter. He gave his name to the creek along here was water, wood for many puq^oses, shade fires, easy access which he so loved to do his fishing and hunting. the livestock, protection from prairie plant Many different spellings of his name have been encount- to hunting and fishing, and fertile land on which to ered: Doza, Dose, Dosa, Dozaw and Dowsaw. Based on crops. a biographical record of his descendants, D-o-z-a was The first settler to arrive in this vicinity was John selected as the correct spelling of the family name. Liveh in 180.5. He came from South Carolina and erect- ed the first log cabin in the Risdon school area. About The Illinois confederacy of .Indians were tribesmen five years later, Nathaniel Hill from North Carolina of Algonquin stock, the principal tribes of which were arrived in a place which later settlers called Hill Prairie. the Kaskaskias, Peorias, Cahokias, Tamaroas, and Michi- He was probably Marissa's closest white settler who gamies. The French were their friends but the Iroquois disturbed the profound quiet with the sound of hammer were tlieir mortal enemies. In 1768 the Irocjuois waged and axe as he fashioned the second log cabin. a long and destructive war against them, after which brother other tribes fought them almost to extermination. The One account says: "The Indian saw his white southern part of the state was for the most part the final at home in his cabin on the Indian's old camp ground." the arriving home and hunting ground for three of the Illinois tribes Although this is of general reference to — the Cahokias, Kaskaskias, and Tamaroas. Evidently white pioneers, we are sure it refers also to the Indi- aware of Lively, these were the tribes that traversed the Marissa area, ans on Kess' Hill as they were John Sev- probably the Tamaroas most frequently. Before the turn Nathaniel Hilt, and others who were settling here. Nathaniel Hill, Joshua of another centur%', the Illinois were dwindling and leav- eral historical writings say that Reuben Lively, ing their age-old camp sites. In 1800 the only surviving Perkins, Reuben Stubblefield, James and block house on tribes were the Kaskaskias and the Peorias. The Kaskas- and Richard Beasle\ built a log type of our township. kias were the sole survivors in our area. They departed Dozaw creek on the northwest border protection against the along wth the Peorias under their chief, DuQuoin, into They banded together tor mutual two- the southwest. By 1850 the Indian had disappeared. Indians shortly after they arrived around 1810. The fort, its second story projected over the first It was well known that Turkey Hill near Belleville stor\' with upon hostile intruders, was was for many generations an Indian camping ground, so they could shoot down more mostly Tamaroas.

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