Woodford County, Illinois - Chapter 15, 1910

Milling

THE milling interests of Woodford county were at one time very extensive and every town of any size had one or more well equipped mills. Wheat was an important product and milling property was considered a good investment. In their prosperous days, the mills of the county represented an investment of $200,000. Several mills were each valued at $30,000 or more. Gradually the cultivation of wheat was abandoned. A number of successive failures in the yield discouraged men, who were accustomed to raising wheat, and other grains were raised in its stead. This led to the ruin of the milling business, as wheat could not be shipped in and made into flour in competition with the great mills. They were abandoned one by one until there are now very few remaining as a reminder of more prosperous clays.

The history of the first mills erected in the county is contained in the preceding chapters. They were an essential part of the early settlements, as communication with the outside world was slow and difficult, and this condition forced the settler to depend on the home mill. The earliest variety was that operated by horse power, sometimes called a "corn cracker." One of these was found in almost every nieghborhood. In 1831 the mill on Panther creek was erected by the Moores, and was the first water mill in the county. It was soon followed by Crocker's mill at Spring Bay and Hoshor's mill at the same place. In 1839 Richardson

Brothers built another mill on Panther creek, near Bowling Green. These have long ago -passed out of existence. The more modern mill represented a much larger investment than did these early outfits. ElPaso was once an important milling point. The first was erected by II. and E. Ives. It was a two-story structure and was destroyed by fire in 1869. It was then rebuilt at a cost of more than thirty thousand dollars. In 1868, Geo. L. Gibson erected his milling plant at a cost of $33,000. Each of these was sold at a great sacrifice and the machinery was moved to points where the business was on a more paying basis.

Eureka also had two splendidly equipped plants. In 18-16, the Eureka Milling Company was organized, consisting of John Darst, John Major, George Callender, E. B. Myers and AY. S. Bullock. A large Hour mill was erected on the site now occupied by the canning factory. It was a large three-story structure, equipped with the best machinery. It later passed into the hands of J. A. Davis and R. D. Smith, the latter finally selling his share to J. J. Mishler. It was destroyed by fire in 1888, entailing a loss of $30,000 on its owners. The second of these was erected by Yan Dyke and Adams, and was located on the southeast corner of the Tot now used by T. J. McGuire as a stock yard. It was under the management of W. G. Yan Dyke, one of the best millers in Central Illinois. When roller process flour became the leading brand, the mill was furnished with new machinery and operated on the new system. It was destroyed by fire in 1882.

In 1869, Col. Sidwell and James Carrol built a mill on the present site of the elevator owned by N. N. Hettinger, in Secor. This was later operated by L. Gassner. Jan. 30, 1879, shortly after 9 :00 A. M., the boiler of this mill exploded, causing the most terrible tragedy ever enacted in Secor. There were four men killed outright, while another was crippled for life. Two of the men were blown across the track, while the engineer was covered with debris in the engine room. A piece of boiler fell on the school grounds, more than a block distant, and another piece fell thru the roof of a house across the railroad. Those killed were

The Panola mill also suffered from an explosion of its boilers, but it was by no means so serious in its results as it happened at the noon hour, when no one was there. The accident occurred in 1861 and caused great consternation among the people of that quiet village. They left the dinner table to rush to the scene of the disaster. The mill, which was owned by Patrick Hines and John Shepler was greatly damaged by the explosion. It long ago ceased to exist.

Roanoke has one of the few mills now in operation in the county. It was erected in 1877, by Isaac Snyder, and is located near the Santa Fe track, west of the machine shops. It is now controlled by E. E. Husseman.

Benson has for many years possessed a mill that has drawn the attention of men far and wide. It is built on the pattern of the old style Dutch mill. It received its power from four great wings which were propelled by the wind. These were each forty feet in length, and consisted of lattice work, on which canvas could be stretched. When the wind was strong a small amount of canvas was needed, but when the breeze was fainter, a corresponding increase in the amount of canvas was required to produce the needed power. These wings were attached to a revolving cap, that could be turned at the will of the operator in the direction from which the wind was blowing. The machinery was largely made from wood. One of the great wooden wheels which aids in transfering the motion of the wings to the machinery below measures twelve feet and seven inches in diameter. The wooden cog wheels are made with remarkable accuracy and skill. The mill was erected in 1872, by J. M. Schmidt and brother, and was for many years operated by power from the wings alone. In recent years, an engine has been installed and it is no longer run by the wind. It is said that there is but one such mill in Illinois aside from this. No visitor in Benson is satisfied until he has gone thru the now famous mill. It was owned for many years by

Industrial

The Minonk mill is now the property of J. II. Kerrick. It was erected in 1867, by Spark and Norris, and in 1874, passed into the hands of its present OAvner. It is one of those that has continued to exist long after its neighbors have passed away.

As early as 1836, S. S. Parke had a mill near the present site of the village of Metamora, but it was not until 1868 that M. Tool erected his steam tlouring mill at a cost of $10,000.

The same year that witnessed the erection of the Metamora mills saw the construction of a large milling plant at Washburn. August Younker came to that city in 1856, and in the above named year entered the milling business. He ultimately gave up the enterprise and the mill has gone into decay.

Aside from the Crocker and Iloshor mills there was one erected at Spring Bay by Joe Hilenbrand and improved by William Burt. It finally passed into the hands of Ernest Fredricks.

The milling history is fraught with the record of heavy financial loss to many of its investors, yet it was the earliest and consequently one of the most useful features of our industrial life.

Grain Interests

Woodford county has always been an agricultural region. Its great wealth has been in its fertile, productive fields that have rarely failed to yield a rich harvest to the efforts of its tillers. The early dealers in grain stored it in warehouses erected for that purpose. It was many years before an elevator was erected. One of the most serious problems that faced the pioneer was a market for his grain. The markets of Chicago required ten days for a round trip. Peoria and Pekin were nearer, but even those cities were too far distant to be convenient market towns. Some time after the settlement of the county began, a market was opened in

Spring Bay. The first warehouse was erected there by C. A. Genoways and Samuel S. Burt, iu 1844. Later Richard Dement built a warehouse and Lewis and Jackson Williams followed his example and entered the grain and stock business. This firm also were pork packers, and were engaged in the sale of general merchandise at the time. The dealers would buy grain during the winter and store it in their warehouses. When the river traffic opened in the spring, shipment would be made. As it was the only river town, it enjoyed a large shipping trade. It was located at a point that furnished easy means of transportation, and it was natural that grain should be brought for miles to the Spring Bay markets. On the completion of the Illinois and Michigan canal, the facilities for shipment were greatly increased, and for many years the village was the great shipping point for the county. In the height of its prosperity there were four firms buying grain there at the same time. The completion of the railroads thru the county began to undermine the prosperity of the village. More convenient markets were opened and shipments were made by rail instead of by water. There is still, however, a great deal of grain bought in Spring Bay, and the business is a very satisfactory investment. The elevator is owned by Smith, Hippen & Co., of Pekin and is managed by Louis Warner.

The Illinois Central railroad brought the county in connection with the outside world by rail for the first time. New markets were established and these soon became the centers of commercial activity. In 1854 the first grain was purchased in Minonk. Charles Dobson, C. W. Goodrich and Samuel Work being the first dealers. There was no elevator erected until several years after this, but the business grew so rapidly that in 1872 there were four dealers and it was estimated that those shipped 1,250,000 bushels of grain annually There are now four large elevators in Minonk, three of them located along the Central, and the fourth along the Santa Fe right of way. In 1905 B. M. Stoddard and J. A

Simpson erected new elevators to take the place of the smaller ones they had previously used. The remaining dealers are U. B. Memmen and 0. M. Davison.

Kappa was an important grain market before many of the other towns were founded. It was no unusual occurrence for a hundred teams to be there with grain in a day. Probably the first dealer was Fred Niergarth, who had a small warehouse there, but a number of men bought grain at different times. There was, however, no elevator there. The Illinois Central built a large store house, which was later turned into an elevator by AVilliam Casenwinkle. This was destroyed by fire. In 1883 the first elevator was built by J. B. Drake and George Lallman. The latter entered other lines of business, but Mr. Drake retained possession until recent years. Three years ago the property was purchased by Summers Bros., who own it at this time. Ed. S. Summers has charge of it.

Panola has prospered in the grain business since its foundation. It originally drew from a wide expanse of territory in both Panola and Greene townships. As in the case of Kappa, there were frequently scores of teams with grain in town in a day. Samuel Bally relates the following interesting experience which will throw some light on the grain trade of Panola. At the time, he was living in Greene township and the Panola dealers were offering a better price for grain than other towns were paying. He was hauling for a neighbor and his team became stalled near Patton's bridge. It was necessary to double teams and before they had gotten their wagons across the stream, there were twenty-four teams waiting, all bound for the Panola elevators. The grain business is now in the hands of F. S. Larison and the Rogers Grain Company.

The first grain sold in ElPaso, was bought by William M. Jenkins and his brother, Isaac. They did not have an elevator until a number of years after they had begun business. The first was built by George W. Fridley in 1860, at a cost of $6,000. Graft and Webster also built one shortly afterward. This was destroyed by fire in 186'i, and was soon rebuilt. In 1871, William Jenkins built an elevator with a capacity of 12,000 bushels of grain, and in 1871 McClellan and Seery erected one. In 1875 Webster and Graft suffered the loss of their second building. The city now has three large elevators, each of which does an extensive business. Miles L. Miller owns one of these while F. S. Larison owns another. The third is owned by the ElPaso elevator company. During the last few years several companies have been formed among the farmers for th° purchase of grain. They have erected three large elevators at different points in the county, me company at ElPaso owning one of these. It was organized in 1903 with a capital stock of $16,000. The following are officers : President, Omer North ; secretary, Charles Gull ; treasurer, J. T. Cleary ; directors, James Wilkey, Louis Kingdon, M. J. Cleary, George Scheer, Charles Armstrong and John Pleasants. F. J. Koerner has been manager the past three years.

For a number of years after the railroad was built thru Eureka, there was no elevator in the town, altho there were several warehouses for the handling of grain. In 1863 J. M. Murray erected the elevator on Callender street. It remained in his possession until he wished to retire from active business, in 1901, when it was purchased by T. J. McGuire, who now owns it. In 1901 P. A. Felter erected a large elevator on College street, and has conducted it since that time.

Roanoke has always been a good grain point. Situated in the heart of a rich prairie region it has been prosperous as a result of the wealth of the surrounding country. Soon after the completion of the railroad in 1872, the first elevator was erected by William and Peter Crow, but it soon passed into the hands of Samuel Hollenback and W. B. Rickey. This elevator was afterwards purchased by Bartlett Frazier & Co., who sold to N. R. Moore. The property is now owned by J. P. Garber. The second elevator was soon erected by

C. K. Snyder. A third grain house was erected on the west side by John Wren, of Washington, in 1895, and it is still owned by Mr. Wren. The first grain elevator in Secor was built by Peter Crow. There are now three in town, one of which is not in operation at present. In 1908 N. N. Hettinger purchased the building erected by J. M. Murray in 1901. This has a capacity of 100,000 bushels. The most recent enterprise is the Farmers' Elevator Company. It is capitalized at $8,000 and pays 10 per cent dividends. The following are officers : President, W. II. Armstrong ; vicepresident, John Zeiger ; secretary, C. W. Frey ; treasurer, L. R. Deiner; directors, C. M. Colburn, John Ilunsinger and Gottlieb Stoler. The present manager, Wm. Greiner, assumed control June 15, 1903.

On the completion of the Santa Fe, Benson offered an inviting field for investment. In 1873, Samuel Peterson erected the first elevator in Benson, the building being the one owned by S. L. Peterson. The following year a company, composed of J. B. Miller, A. H. Brubaker and F. D. Learned, erected the elevator now owned by J. E. Eckhart. In 1874 George Fritze & Co., built the third building for handling grain, which was operated by W. A. Pickernell and T. E. Coleman. This finally passed into the hands of James Shields. It has been replaced by a modern elevator that is still owned by Mr. Shields.

Among the earliest grain dealers in Metamora was Peter Willard, who was a member of the firm of Scott and Munn in Spring Bay. This firm did an extensive shipping trade. It was not until after the building of the railroad thru the town that the first elevator was erected by Peter Schertz. There are now two elevators in the town, one owned by J. R. Wagner and the other by H. Wykle.

The building of the Chicago and Alton road opened several good grain markets. The first elevator was built at Low Point in 1874 by Piper, Bayne & Co. It remained in the hands of a company for a number of years, but finally be-

In 1871, AV. 0. Hammers & Co., erected the first elevator in Cazenovia. This was destroyed by fire ami was rebuilt by Peter Schertz. This elevator was purchased in 1895 by Bachman Bros., who still control the grain bus'ness there. In 1905, they erected a modern building.

There is a new house for handling grain at Woodford, erected in 1907 by J. A. Simpson, the present owner. It is modern, well equipped and has an extensive trade.

When the L. E. and W. railroad was built thru the county, elevators were erected at both Goodfield and Congerville. The first garin dealer at Congerville was J. F. Tobias, who began business soon after the establishment of the town in 1888. The elevator is now owned by Leslie Reel. The grain business owned in Goodfield was established the same year and is now owned by Simon Naffzinger.

There are two elevators at Cruger, the one owned by Rumsey, More & Co., and managed by E. J. Perrine, the other owned by the Farmers ' Elevator Company and managed by B. J. Kaufman. The officers are as follows : President, Martin Vorhees; secretary, F. II. Kaufman; treasurer, John Dorward; directors, John Dinglidine; W. E. Bradle, James Stormer, John Blumenshine, Jacob Rich, D. D. Wistehuff, Chris Schertz, Chris Guth and John Pfeffinger.

In 1870 the first elevator was built in Washburn, by S. W. McCulloch. The grain business of that city is now in the hands of Moschel and Robbins.

Banking

BANKING. The banking interests of AVoodford county have kept pace with the growing wealth of its people. For many years there was not a bank in the county, and the first steps taken toward the establishment of such institutions, were made by men connected with some other line of business and who took banking up as a side issue. During the past forty years there has been great increase in the amount invested in the banks of the county, and a correspondingly great increase in the confidence of the people in their safety. Only twice have the depositors in Woodford county banks been called upon to suffer from the inability of those having their money to pay their checks when presented.

ElPaso has extensive banking interests. In 1866 the Bank of ElPaso was organized by John G. Ferguson and E. T. Disonary. Later the firm name was changed to Shur, Ferguson & Co., and in 1868 another change was made, the firm being known from that time as Shur, Tompkins & Co.

In 1872 this company erected the magnificent Eagle Block at a cost of $60,000. This was destroyed by fire in July, 1894. In 1883, this bank failed, immediately after the failure steps were taken for the organization of the First National Bank of ElPaso. July 10th, the charter was issued and the bank opened for business with the following officers : President, A. S. McKinney ; vice-president, J. Q. Adams ; cashier, S. T. Rogers ; bookkeeper, Charles Cockel. F. B. Stitt soon assumed charge of the books and has remained with the institution since that time. The institution is capitalized at $50,000, and has a surplus of $10,000.

The following are officers, President, A. S. McKinney; vice-president, Robert Hitch; cashier, F. B. Stitt; assistant cashier, L. K. Evans ; directors, A. II. Waite, J. Gilmore, and M. A. Adams. The Woodford County National Bank opened for business September 3rd, 1900, with a capital stock of $50,000, and it now has added a surplus and undivided profit of $15,000. The following are officers : President, J. F. Shepard; vice-president, J. G. Baker; cashier, J. F. Sturgeon; directors, George Schuman, Peter Thometz, Irvin Beale and F. S. Larison.

The early banking interests of Eureka were in the hands of J. A. Davis. In 1868, he opened a bank at the Eureka Mills under the firm name of J. A. Davis & Co. Later Mr. Davis assumed complete control and soon opened a place of business in the building now occupied by the Woodford County Republican. He amassed a large fortune and on bis death left a large amount to different benevolent institutions. On the death of .Mr. Davis in 1892, the bank was closed.

In 1882, John Darst organized the Farmers' Bank and the institution has been controlled wholly or in part by members of the Darst family since that time. At present this institution is managed by J. P. Darst and J. A. McGuire.

The State Bank of Eureka was organized under the direction of John Freeman, in 1895. Later Mr. Freeman moved to Mason City and Lyon Karr assumed control of the affairs of the institution. It is capitalized at $50,000, and is managed by the following directors : Lyon Karr, Ed. C. Engel, W. M. Meek, C. J. Gibson and Jacob Rich.

In 1869, the Minonk Bank was founded by Geo. T. Baker, who was later succeeded by Jenkins, Dunn & Co. In 1873, the Danforth Bank opened, and bought out Jenkins, Dunn & Co., in 1895. The institution is operated by C. R. Danforth & Co, and has been very successful. It is capitalized at $50,000.

Another bank was opened there about 1903, thru the instrumentality of L. A. Buchner and others, but if continued in business but a few months.

In 1909, an institution was organized known as the Minonk National Bank, with a capital stock of $50,000, and opened for business in January following. John F. Shepard is cashier of the new institution. The circulation at present is $12,500.

Altho Benson is one of the smaller towns of the county its banks are very important institutions. The deposits at the present time are about $400,000.

The Benson Bank was opened in 1880, by B. F. Zinser, who operated it for a number of years. In 1900, the name was changed to the First State Bank of Benson. It has a capital stock of $25,000 and a surplus of $20,000. The of-

A second bank was organized in 1904, by A. H. Brubaker & Co., known as the Farmers' Bank. It is capitalized at $25,000, and has been liberally patronized since its organization. It is conducted by the following officers : President, A. IT. Brubaker ; cashier, M. C. Brubaker ; assistant cashier, K. C. Ficken.

The banking interests have grown to be quite extensive in Washburn. In 1869, Frank N. Ireland organized a bank, that has been in operation since that time. Mr. Ireland came to Woodford county in 1855 and has been one of the leading men of the county since that time.

In June, 1908, the People's Bank of Washburn was organized with the following officers : President, Wm. G. West ; vice-president, J. F. Shepard ; cashier, L. F. Shepard. It is capitalized at $50,000.

The banking interests of Metamora have been of more recent development than other features of its history. In the days prior to the organization of the Schertz institution, Isaac Wykoff founded a bank in connection with his drug business. In 1873, the Metamora Bank was established by James F. Earl, and in a couple of years it passed into the hands of John W. and Adino Page. In 1885, Peter and David Schertz assumed charge of it, and continued in control for a number of years. In September, 1902, Heiple and Kingsbury purchased the bank and continued to control it from that time, until December 15th, 1908, when it was purchased by Snyder Brothers.

The first banking interests in Secor were in the hands of Henry Dierking. January 1st, 1902, the First National Bank of Secor was organized. The following are the officers: President, F. B. Stitt ; vice-president, C. W. Frey; cashier, E. J. Harseim; directors, J. Gilmore, Robert Hitch, John VanScyoc and George Burster. It is capitalized at

The hanking interests of Roanoke have grown to be of great importance. The early hanking was in the hands of Herhst, Altofer and Sauder, but in 1805 the Farmers' Bank was organized. It has prospered and is now controlled by the following officers; President, II. D. Harms; cashier, L. W. Harms ; assistant cashier, II. D. Ilollenback.

Low Point has a bank conducted by Banta Bros. & Co., and connected with their other extensive business interests. It belongs to the Bankers Association. Bachman Bros., at Cazenovia also do some banking business.

These fifteen institutions, thirteen of which have separate banking establishments, represent the banking interests of Woodford county. They represent an investment of more than half a million in capital stock, while an additional one hundred thousand is represented in the surplus and undivided profits of the institutions. It is estimated from the report of the Bankers' Directory of 1908, that the deposits at the present time approach two million dollars.

The Press

No single influence has been more potent in developing the county than has the press. It has invariably stood for progressive movements, and, with a few exceptions, a high moral standard has been maintained. There are now nine weekly papers published in the county. The first was established at Metamora in 1854, altho the earlier issues were not printed there. The greater number of these are nonpartisan, but the center of the political arena is the county seat, where each of the leading political parties has an exponent of its doctrines, the democratic party being represented by The Democrat-Journal, while the republican ideas are championed by the Woodford County Republican.

In 1854, the Woodford County Times was established. It was published in Peoria by Phattonberg and Mann and was brought to Metamora for distribution. As the wagon fastened to a pole and carried as a flag. The paper was later published by Calvin McKenzie and Mark Aiken. The first press was of the army style, which consisted of a flat bed and a small cylinder, that, when revolved, drew the bed and type beneath it, making an impression. No roller was used and the ink was merely daubed on the type. The paper, which became known as the Woodford Sentinel, changed hands several times, passing into the possession of W. B. Whiffen in 1860, and was published by him until 1866. In that year Power & Harl assumed control of it. Later Mr. Power sold out and Mr. Harl continued its publication. In 1889, A. L. Hereford began the publication of the Herald. It was continued for a short time and John Knoblauch purchased both papers and united them. It was later published by Miss Henrietta Knoblauch and her sister. November 10, 1904, W. Ryan purchased the plant and paper. He has introduced a number of new features, among them, occasional historical sketches, that have been both interesting and valuable.

AVashburn has for a number of years had a paper that has done much for the town, as will be seen by the following. It has been at various time the property of a number of different owners.

S. C. Bruce began the publication of the Washburn News in 1877, but it was not continued long. In 1879,the Washburn Revelie was issued by the Sparland Chronicle, and at a later date the Woodford County Sentinel published a Washburn edition. In 1882 the Washburn Times was published by Matthiessen and Snow, and in 1890 the Washburn Leader was established, under the management of Wm. Rowley, later Rowley and Crane. J. H. Schultze and George Weinteer in turn owned the paper, and in 1905, it passed into the hands of its present owner, R. E. Patterson.

Eureka has had several newspapers, and various editors have from time to time sought to mold the opinions of the people. December 10th, 1867, John W. Karr issued the first copy of the Woodford Journal. After several changes in ownership this paper passed into the hands of R. N. Radford and was operated by Mr. Radford and the firm of Radford and Davidson for many years. It is still in the hands of the Radford family, being owned by Dr. B. J. Radford and published by B. J. Radford, Jr. The name was changed to the Eureka Journal and continued as such until the consolidation of that paper with the Woodford County Democrat, a paper founded by J. D. Clark, and that later passed into the hands of J. A. Schaffer. It was then changed to the Democrat-Journal. In 1896, M. T. Hyer started the Woodford County Republican. This paper ultimately passed into the hands of P. E. Low who still publishes it. Another paper that had a brief, tho prosperous career in the city, was the Eureka Progress, published by J. P. Slyter. It was founded by F. M. Bolt, about 1888, and was owned at one time by Kennith Coleson. The plant was finally removed to Deer Creek, where it is still published.

The publications of Minonk have undergone numerous changes. In the early seventies there were two papers. The Minonk Journal, published by G. IT. Jenkins, and The Minonk Index, published by M. A. Gushing. Neither of these papers were continued long. In 1874, Irving Carrier began the publication of the Minonk Blade. At a later date J. M. Fort assumed control of the paper. The name of the publication was changed to The Minonk Register after Mr. Fort disposed of it, and was again changed by Mr. C. R. Denson, the present proprietor, to the Minonk Dispatch. In 1877 a second paper was established by S. C. Bruce who came there from AVashburn. The new publication was known as the Minonk News and has been published under that name since its establishment, altho it has been owned by various parties. It is now owned and published by George Werkheiser.

The Benson Bee is a weekly publication edited by H. D. Lewis. In 1895, B. W. Kinsey began the publication of the Benson Post. In a short time he sold his interest to D. Davis, who later transferred the paper to Minonk. In 1891), II. D. Lewis came to Benson from Eureka and began the publication of the Bee, which he has continued to this time.

The first newspaper published in ElPaso was The Gazette, a little 10x14 four page publication, founded by Robert Couch. The present owner of the Journal, Mr. George W. Curtiss has a copy of the first issue of that paper. Its publication was begun Febuary 1st, 1863. In April, 1865, the ElPaso Journal was launched. The question as to who established it is in dispute. The anniversary edition of the Journal, published February 6th, 1909, names John S. Harper as its founder. The History of '78 names John S. Harper and D. B. Fisk as its founders. Be that as it may the issue of November 8, 1865, bears the name J. W. Wolfe. The first few years of its existence recorded a number of changes in ownership. It passed thru many experiences, until in 1889, it came under the control of G. R. Curtiss and R. of the leading papers in Central Illinois. Mr. Curtiss has of the leading papers in Central Illinois Mr. Curtiss has recently celebrated the twentieth anniversary of his control of the paper. It has been operated under the same name longer than any other paper in the county. There have been various other publications, but they have been of short duration. Among these was the AVoodford County Republican that was first published there, but was later removed to Eureka by M. T. Hyer. Another was the Patriot published in the '60 's by D. B. Fiske. The last publication was the El Paso Press published by Beard of Chenoa.

The Roanoke Call began the nineteenth year of its publication in July, of the present year. It was established by P. B. Hobbs, 'who still retains possession of it and it has enjoyed a healthy growth. Priar to the founding of the Call there had been a paper there known as the Roanoke Era. It was established at the time of the county seat contest in 1883, and when the election failed to remove the county seat its publication was abandoned.

Mining

Woodford county also belongs to that part of Illinois that is underlain by rich deposits of coal, at varying depths, in veins of sufficient thickness to make mining a paying investment. The first mine sunk was at Minonk, in 1869. It was inaugurated by a stock company. The first board of directors consisted of Frank Burt, II. R, Kipp, M. L. Newell, J. D. Webber, H. C. Dent, Chas. Whittaker and Samuel Ewers. The mine was first sunk 329 feet, at which depth it was found that it could not be operated on a paying basis. The company was reorganized and the shaft was sunk to the depth of about 550 feet. It finally turned its interest over to Minor T. Ames, of Chicago, who operated it under the name of the Minonk and Chicago Coal and Coke Company, with great success for many years. Later a second shaft was sunk. The property is now in the possession of Mrs. Ames, but it is operated under a lease. For several years before passing into the possession of its present owners it was in litigation.

The second shaft in the county was sunk at Roanoke in 1881. A company was organized to sink it, in which Isaac Snyder, Peter Kennell, and Peter Belsley were the chief investors. A shaft was sunk in the east part of town to the depth of 480 feet. A vein of fine quality was reached at this depth. Two other veins had been reached before but these did not give promise of such rich returns, and were passed. The mine produces about 500 tons of coal per day and employs about three hundred men. In 1899 the property was sold to the Roanoke Coal Mining Company, and it is now owned and operated by Duggan Bros., under the above name.

sink mines at different points. Among these was the Panola mine, which was started forty years ago. The workmen reached a depth of seventy-five feet, but were unable to go on, altho the prospectings had shown coal in paying quantities.

An attempt was made a number of years ago to sink a coal shaft at Eureka. The company was organized in 1881, and several thousand dollars were raised for the work. Prospectors found a vein of coal at a depth of 205 feet. At the depth of 281 feet a thicker vein, and the best vein at the depth of 380 feet. The shaft was sunk to the depth of about 100 feet, when it became impossible to continue the work, and the shaft was abandoned.

An attempt was made a number of years ago to sink a shaft at Metamora. It was sunk to the depth of 130 feet and abandoned. At a little over fifty feet a seam of coal was found a foot thick and at a somewhat greater depth another thin vein, and finally a vein of three and half feet in thickness was struck, but only a small part of this was marketable.

One of the most extensive canning factories in Illinois is located at Eureka and is owned by Dickinson and Company In 1895, a stock company was organized and capitalized at $10,000, for the purpose of erecting a canning factory. A plant was put up east of town, and it was operated one year. The company lost heavily on the first season's pack, and the factory was idle until 1898, when R. B. Dickinson & Son purchased it and operated it with great success. The year following, the firm of Dickinson and Company erected their large plant where it now stands. Since the building of the original plant, thousands of dollars have been expended in improvements. The company cans peas, corn and pumpkins, and the season's pack exceeds three and half million cans. They raise a large part of their own products, but a portion of the corn is raised by farmers under contract. They employ 300 people during the busy season, and have 15 men employed by the year. Their stock is sold all over the United States, much of it being shipped to neighboring states. California receives a number of cars of their goods every year. In the fall of 1909 the company entered into an arrangement for a factory at Washington, similar to the original plant, and it will be ready for the next season's pack. Of the members of the firm, R. J. Dickinson has charge of raising the products, while E. B. Dickinson has charge of the office work and the factory. The plant represents an investment of many thousands of dollars. MINONK PRODUCE COMPANY. Another important enterprise in the county is located at Minonk and is known as the Minonk Produce Company. In the spring of 1884 W. F. Priebe and F. J. Simater began business, buying and shipping poultry and eggs. They originated the idea of shipping poultry in the summer time, and shipped the very first barrel of ice packed poultry ever sent out. The business of shipping has increased until ice packed poultry is going into the eastern market in lots of 20 to 25 carloads per day, the chief points being Boston, New York, Buffalo, Baltimore, Philadelphia and other large cities. In 1897 the firm began to branch out and its growth has continued until they ship a million pounds of poultry a month, and handle 210,000 cases of eggs a year. They also handle a million pounds of butter annually. The branch houses are located in different points of Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. The business in Minonk is managed by F. J. Simater. and represents a large investment.