PARTIAL E NCYCLO P E D I A O F W A$ E RLY Seco n d Ed iti o n (Revi s ed) SESQ UICE N TE N N IAL YEAR O F T H E STATE O F I LLI N OIS C m i l e n d r ra n ed b i l l e H a ema n M . A . o p d a a g y Lu c g , i e b M rs e r n s M . A Ed t d y . Al l n B u , . e b r n o ld N D u ewe Typ d y A a . r b i o P r i n ted y Ja c kso n vi l l e Jo u r n a l C o u r er C . UNI $ ERSI TY De I LL I NOI S L i am FOREWORD I n a n e fo t to re erve d a ta of Wa ve l l f r p s r y, this ma teria h a s been a em D n ss bl ed . u ri g 1 96 8 ma n y i n teresti n g f a c ts a n d sto ries h a ve bee n a d d ed to th e p revio us his o I n o u t t ry . r s u dy t h ere h a ve bee n ma n y l ea ds w hic h we a ve b ee n u n a b l e to o l l ow fo r l a c k of t me a h f , i , n d we si n cere l y h o pe th a t fro m time to time i n th e f ut u re mo e n o rma t o n w l l be a d d ed to t v n r i f i i h is re isio . ACKN OWLEDG ME N TS We wo u ld like to ta ke t his o ppo rt u n ity to th a n k th e Lib ra ria ns of l l n o Co l l e e W a ve l Ca n e e L b ra r Wa ve l H o l I i is g , r y r gi i y, r y ig h Sc h o a H to a n o f n ld Lib ra ry a n d th e St te is ri Spri gfi e . We a re a te u l to B r uc e Twe n h a fel a n d Co n n e Po tt a g r f i s , c h i r men a n d membe rs of t h e Sen io r a n d Ju n io r c l a sses fo r t h ei r T o t repo rts o n s po rts i n Wa verl y t h ro ug h th e yea rs . h os e wh o d l tte n ew a e r c l n a n d to r c reco rd o m f u rnis h e e rs , s p p ippi g s his i s f r l l a n t a n k . pers o n a fi es , m y h s To ea c h a n d eve ry pers o n wh o co n trib uted so g rac io us l y to oo k th e re o n e w e rec e ved wa s mo re e nt u a t c t a n this b , s p s i h si s i h we a a n t c a ted a ve r a ec a t ve t a n k o u . h d i i p , y ppr i i h y o t Wa verl y c a n i u st l y be pr u d o f h er ci izen s . P a g e T wo WA$ ERLY PI O N E EkS Across the sweeping prairie land Came the early pioneers , The land was rich with promise u As they thought of fut re years . Men of vision , men of courage Saw a city on the plain To them it would be Waverly A homeland rich to gain . - From east to west , high minded men With will to undertake . With labor buil t and tilled the soil A prairie home to make They planted many l ovely trees ’ Which have been the city s pride , Broad reaching fields of golden grain Stretch out from every side . A homeland built with loving hands With strength , with pride , with care , And all who call it home today Are glad its joys to share . in Mrs . N . E . Baldw Pag e T h ree CO NT E NT S I . I N TROD UCTIO N EARLY S ETT LEME N T OF WAVERLY A al i 1 . pp on a 2 . Waverly 3 . Ordin ances fi 4 . City Of cials 5 An Early Census OU R MA NY FI RSTS First Wedding First Child Born i n Waverly First Sermon First Teacher First Death Fir st Justice of Peace First Constable First Mail Delivery Service First Radio FO UN D ERS ’ FAITH Primitive Baptist Congregational Methodist Episcopal Christian Baptist Catholi c Lutheran V . ED UCATIO N l 1 . Early Schoo s 2 . Schools of Today BUSI N ESS WORLD Tran sportation Industries Business Bank s Newspaper Telephone Photography Hi ghways Water and Sewerage Systems Natur al G a s for Heating and Lighti ng C ULTURA L D EVELOPMENT ’ 1 . Woman s Club 2 . Library a . Congregational a n b . C r egie FRATERNAL ORD ERS 1 852 Masons 1 879 Rebekah 1 888 Pythian Si sters 1 894 Knights of Pythias 1 896 Order of the Eastern Star 1 920 American Legion 1 927 American Legion Auxiliary 1 948 Lions Club 1 950 Shrine Club Chamber of Commerce RECREATIO N A N D AMUSEMENTS 1 . Sports a . Football b . Basketball 0 . Track (1 . Baseball n e . Bowli g 2 . Theaters a . Messerly b . Bijou c . Rex $ . WARS 1 n . Wi nebago w Black Hawk w Mormon Conflict e War Between th e States g Spanish-American a World Wars I and II fl Korean 8 . Viet Nam MISC ELLAN EOUS r Deep Snow w Sudden Freeze w Cholera e Early Weddings w Fact and Fiction “ e Nickname Suckers q Shaker ag w Salter Park ’ w L aFayette s Carr iage 1 0 Liquor in Harvest Fields i P 0 1 1 1 . Automob le 0 1 935 1 2 . Centennial BI BLIOGRAP HY P ag e F i ve I NTROD UCTION The Illinois story , written by our state historian , Harry E . Pratt , is exciting and inspiring . Geographically , Illinois is located at the hear t of the great interior ri ver system of the continent a level land of lar ge fertile prairie and numerous groves . One author has called it the second Garden of Eden because of the richness of its natural resources and its abundance and variety of products . b in Automatically it ecame well known early history , because ex l r r s . p o e , adventurers , and settlers , in turn passed this way A 1 8 1 81 8 n act of Congress , April , , was passed enabling the people of the territory to form a state convention for the pur pose of draftin g a con sti tuti on . The convention was held in Madison County which included Morgan County . Benjamin Stephenson , Joseph Borough , and Abraham Prickett were members of the convention . The constitution was adopted 2 1 1 in . 3 1 81 8 r August 6, 8 8 , convention at Kaskaskia December , , Cong ess T l passed a law , declaring admission of Illinois into the Union . hus I linois 4 u 1 81 9 . became the zl st state in the Union , J ly . Many small settlements had been made along the streams and pr o tected areas during the years 1 820-2 1 -22 ; and at the session of the Legisla 1 823 . tur e in the Spring of , Morgan County was created The county was 1 7 named for General Daniel Morgan . In 83 it was the most populous county i n the state . The county seat was selected by a committee of men appointed by f r manentl the State Legislature . A ter several changes , it finally was p y located in Jacksonville . P a g e S i x EARLY SETTLEMENT OF WAVERLY u The Range a log cabin of three or fo r rooms , a half dozen rude i n 1 5 . cabins scattered near , and a mill this was Waverly 83 20 1 835 It was on Monday , April , , that Deacon Tanner and his family n reached this , their desti ation , having been exactly three weeks on the C . journey from Warren , onnecticut The log cabin was built just west of what is now called West Waverly A i al on a . on the old road to pp Humble though it was , that log house was - known for its God like spirit , and it became a haven of rest and a strong hold of courage .