Wyoming Township (part 5 of 5)

The damage reported up to this time will be described, commencing at Sublette, a house belonging to a farmer named Hall, was destroyed. Mrs. Hall is said to be seriously injured. After leaving that vicinity nothing of importance occurred until the tornado struck the Atkinson homestead, one mile west of the Old Beru'. Mr. Lauer lives there. The barn and house are said to liave ])een totallv demolished, and ]\Ir. Lauer was considerably injured though nut fatally. The uext damage occurred at Frank Beemer's, about a mile north of Wesley Miller's place. His barn was overturned ; his windmill and tower were blown down. Beemer's barn contained a nmuber of horses and cattle, but none were killed. George and Mrs. Farre, were the next persons to experience the terror of being in the path of a destructive tornado. They were eating supper and had not observed the approach of the storm until the roar warned them. It was so close that they had not time to get into the cellar. This they attempted to do, but a suction of wind prevented them fr(»m oxDening the cellar door quickly, and in a flash the storm had passed. The tornado had seemed to have witnessed their efforts to escape to a place of safety, and wishing to give them a fair chance, contented itself with whisking off the kitchen, which was distributed over a large territory. The chicken house, full of poultry and a niunber of setting hens lost itself in the confusion and has not since been located, (leorge also lost a nniribcr of rods of wire fence. His loss amounts to a consideraljle smn. His dog, which was chained outside, came back a short time afterwards looking lik<^ a war vetei'an. From his appeai-auce George judged he had seen lively times. The worst devastation occurred on the old Jacob jNIiller farm. Right in this vicinity ai'e four houses, all within a i-adius of a quarter of a mile ; the Dwight Davenport, John Anderson, Ai'thur Wells and Holden Risetter houses, the three latter l)elonging to Thomas Wells, Reminglon Warriner and Jacob Miller.

The tornado twisted about among this quai'tet without doing much damage except to the Jacob Miller house, which it razed in the twinkling of an eye. Here occurred the only death in the path of the storm. j\Ir. and Mrs. Frank Chichester were li\^ng there and did not notice the storm mitil it was right at hand. jNIrs. Chichester took her two-year old child and they ran to the t)utside cellar door. Before they could reach it the blow descended and everything was chaos. The aii' was fidl of debris and for a moment Egyptian darkness prevailed. It all happened in a second. Mr. Chichester was buffeted and hurled about and finally dmnped into the cellar. He was badly dazed for a time and did not fully undei'- stand the extent of the calamity when he was foimd by the neighbors. Mrs. Chichester and the child were discovered in the field, about twenty rods south of where the house stood. Many people from town started towards the path of the storm early and J. W. Mavor and sou and W. A. Pratt and others were there in a short time. Mrs. Chichester was dead, but the child was alive. They were removed to Mr. Harvey Johusou 's house by the sympathetic friends. Mrs. Chichester was not badly bruised, but her jaw had been fi-actured.

Her sad death illustrates the uncertainty of life. She had visited her mother, Mrs. Frank Hoag, at East Paw Paw that day and had l)een at home but fifteen or twenty minutes. She had been urged to stop with Mrs. William Barringer'on her way home, for a short time, as the sky bore a very threatening aspect when she passed Mrs. Barringer's. It seemed that her fate had been marked out. Her death has caused great sorrow and Mr. Chichester has tlie universal sympathy of our people in his unfortunate bereavement. Mr. Chichester's injuries are not serious, the principal one being a gash on the back part of his head, which causes him much pain. The child, though blown about amongst the flying timbers and objects, had a miraculous escape from death and appears but little harmed. Aside from the loss of his wife, Mr. Chichester lost all of his personal property, which was scattered to the four winds. The scene of the devastation has been visited by hundreds of peol^le, curious as to the freaks of the tornado, but with delicate feelings of commiseration for the unlucky victims. The scene is highly illustrative of the force of the rotating storm. The debris is strewn about for many rods in all directions, twisted and broken. Trees of venerable age and large proportions are now dismantled monarchs, and reduced to kindling wood. Bed clothing and apparel are seen high in the l>ranches of the trees left standing. It can only l)e described as a scene of desolation. ]\Iost of the neighl)ors retreated to their cellars on the approach of the storm, but Mr. Johnson's hired man saw the destructi(»n from the road, where he was standing, undecided which way to flee. The wheel on Mr. Anderson's winchnill was torn off, and Charley Davenport's sidewalk Avas lifted out of its place and deposited in another part of the yai'd. No other damage was done in that vicinity. Mrs. Peterson's barn, about one and one-half miles north of Chichester's, was blown to pieces, Init no stock was killed. A short distance north of here was where the tornado snuffed itself out.

Following the path of the storm it would be found that it traveled between thirty and thirty-five miles in this county. This storm is reported to have killed two woiiicu at (^hio. a town a few miles southwest of Sublette.

close to the groimd all the time, in fact but a small part of the distauce. The course and action were ol:»served Ijy people all along the route, who rather enjoyed watching the unusual sight, but took good care to 1ie near jdaces of safety, into which they might dodge in case the course diverged in their direction, but being fearful for those who might be in its zig zag path. It was a sul:)lime spectacle, but not one calculated for the anmsement of a human being wlio would comprehend the probabilit}' of the frightfid results.

Mrs. Chichester's funeral was held this afternoon in the church at East Paw Paw, at 2 o'clock, Reverend Dolliver preaching. The burial service was at South Side cemetery.

In 1838 the township and range lines were surveyed, but the section lines were not run Tuitil the winter of ]8J:2-43. So soon as the surveys were completed, lU'eemptions were made jiromptly under the original act of 1841.

Prior to this time, title was held only hy right of occupancy and an imiiro^'ement made was held to l)e occupancy initil the maker of it nught return.

Many times a claimant had t(j go long distances to get work to subsist on, until he coidd go alone at his farming. In other instances the claimant desired to return to get married. In all such instances the claim was presumed to be respected. Of course once in a while a claim was jumped. David A. Towne's second claim north of the grove was jumped, but mth his well known forcefulness, it needs no great imagination to see the trespasser removed vie ct armis, as he was. This led to the various mutual protection societies, and be it said, they protected, invariably.

An instance is given by Charles Pierce of claim jumping in Wyoming. A settler gave employment to a lad until he could earn enough to stai't for himself. This lad jumped one of his employer's two forties. The connnittee came to the premises. The lad defied them in a set speech from the top of a barrel. The captain kicked the barrel from under him ; others produced a rope. The youngster then begged for mercy and left the countr3\ Ducking was employed at times. Floggings too, were used. They all were successful.

The burial ground of the Indians in this vicinity was near the southeast corner of Paw Paw Grove ; something less than an acre. The Indian method of burial there is interesting. Some twenty of the dead were thus buried : Each body was placed between two halves of a hollow log, which were supported above the ground upon posts. Other bodies were buried in the ground.

J. C. Heath was the first physician to come to Paw Paw, but George S. Hunt was the first resident physician. He came in the spring of 1844, and while I'esiding at South Paw Paw, his practice extended to all the settlements. Henry Hudson and James Goble Boardman succeeded him there.

George Ryon, luidoul^tedly was the leading physician of Wyoining. He located in Paw Paw in 1850. He was a learned physician. There was one thing he could do thoroughly and that was practice medicine. He knew how to cure; he knew how to enter a sick room and his (-onunanding presence almost drove away an illness. He was over six feet tall, )jut like many another, he thought he could do something else than his chosen j^rofession, better.

Through a deadlock in a republican convention, his brother-inlaw, William E. Ives of Am])oy, got him the republican nomination to fill a vacancy in the Legislature. He was elected. He grew intimate with Governor Yates and brought home with him the promise of a commission as colonel to raise the Seventy-fifth Regiment. He went to the war, and at the PerryWlle fight he was charged with sending his troops into the field without ammunition. A court martial was ordered and he was acquitted. He then resigned. In 1858 he was admitted to the l)ar and rather expected to practice law. After the war, he conceived the idea that he might grow very I'ich at coal mining. In this venture he lost heavily. He tried banking in Amboy, and after making some atrocious loans, (juit. Fn all he had lost the coinpetency he had amassed and with everything gone, he turned again to medicine, in Amboy. Practice came instantly and he was astonishingly successful. When he died he left a fine estate for that period.

Braffet, Thomas Steller and Thomas D. Palmer. The last named today has a commanding position in Chicago as a physician. Doctor Avery is now in Paw Paw, and has assumed a strong position there. For a long while he acted as assistant to Dr. A. W. Chandler of Compton.

The Elephant

In 1880, the skeleton of a monster was discovered by L. W. Bidwell, in the employ of George Lindsay, excavating in a slough for an ice pond. Its length was twenty-two and one-half feet and its height about fifteen or sixteen feet. Its eye socket was about the size of a tea cup. The head was about three feet in length ; the lower jaw twenty-six inches. In this, two teeth remained; one twenty-one inches in circumference, the other two inches smaller. The upper joint of the hind leg measured four feet foiir inches long and twenty-one inches in circumference at the knee; from there to the ankle joint the measurement was three feet, two inches. The foot was about twelve inches high. The backbone and ribs were well preserved, some of the ribs measuring six inches in circumference.

East Paw Paw

East Paw Paw, though partially in DeKalb county, was connected by such inseparable ties that it cannot justly be divided here. Some of the items already related, were indigenous to DeKalb county soil ; but interlocked with Lee county, they always have been associated with the latter and always will be.

William Rogers reached there about 1836, the first man. He was a great gambler. After buying part of the Ogee section, he sold it i^iece meal. Subsequently he went to Dixon ; run the Western tavern ; then he went to the Mexican war ; then to California. He probably was the widest known man who ever lived in Lee county. In 1877, when he came back, John Wentworth of Chicago, and others banqueted liim.

1840. He bought from Rogers a quarter section. Part of the village was platted on his land. His house was the second built on the town site.

At one time when Breese had $400 in cash he was offered forty acres of land near the Bulls Head tavern near Chicago ; but Rogers persuaded him to buy more land and he bought from Rogers. He was a cousin of Judge Sidney Breese. He died in 1859.

Jacob Wirick came along in 1842 or 1843 and bought out William Rogers. A tavern was on the place and he i-un it awhile. He later moved to the southeast part of the village.

In Ohio he was converted to Mormonism, removed to Nauvoo ; thence to Missouri ; lost his property and later by leaving the fortunes of that sect, he regained a fortune.

Wirani (lates came in 1845, bought out Mead and settled down. He had been a circus proprietor. He was believed to be a copartner of counterfeiters and horse thieves, and while never caught with the goods, the goods were found suspiciously near, more than once, and thieves were caught at his place.

At one time he owned 600 acres of land. He built a fine establishment for the time. His house cost about three thousand dollars. One day it burned down and he never recovered any insurance.

He entered mercantile life in East Paw Paw. Once he brought $12,000 worth of goods to the place, to be disposed of fraudulently, as has been said. Before the goods reached there, the settlers sent a party to the scene and required him and a son, who had means, to indorse for the son who originally had bought them. Unable to meet the notes at maturity, the goods were seized and Bogus Gates' career was at an end.

The first store was opened by Charles Howard in 1847. This stock subsequently was moved to East Corners (East Paw Paw), and sold to Sherboru Gates. In 1849, S. B. Warren bought the store and James Little entered as a partner.

Old Spartan Lodge, iSFo. 272, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, is the parent of five other lodges, Shabbona, of Earlville; Anchor, of Paw Paw ; Fidelia, of Steward ; Fei'tile, of Shabbona ; and Triumph, of Melugin's Grovo. It was organized March 31, 1859.

South Paw Paw

South Paw Paw, on the UeKalb coimty line in section 24, is more a small collection of houses than a village, a Methodist Episcopal church, a cemetery and a few private houses.

John Ploss, who settled there in the spring of 1835, was the first settler. Eber St. Jolm bought his claim when he left to return to Michigan, and when Deacon Orlando Boardman reached there in 1840, he bought the claim.

David R. Town, son of Russell Town, came to Wyoming at the age of ten, in 1835. He went in 1848 to California, across the plains, in the Government service.

In the year 1838 Rev. Caleb Morris, Nancy, Caleb and Isacher Robinson, Betsey and Lydia Town, organized a Methodist class here. Caleb Robinson was made leader and steward and acted as such until 1858.

Thirty-four legal voters and tax i^ayers petitioned to have called a special election to vote on the pi'oposition to issue $50,000 in bonds for the purpose. John Harding, town clerk, issued the call, and on Sept. 22, 1869, the election was held, 142 votes were cast in favor of the bonds and 62 against. The eastern terminal was to be Calumet and on that imderstanding many voted affirmatively who would have opposed the issue, otherwise. It terminated at Shabbona.

Injunctions were issued and the matter was litigated by James K. Edsall, for the town. On his election, as attorney-general, Judge John V. Eiistace pushed the suit, but in the end the bonds had to be paid and now that the road is done, who shall say, he would do without the road?

Paw Paw Of Today

A little older, but the Paw Paw of the early day just the same. In point of years many may be classed advanced, but in all the delightful ways of life they are young. A constant sunlight is reflected from Paw Paw.

Here are the LaPortes of 1838, just over the line for so many years. The only difference between those who lived over in Paw Paw township and those living in Paw Paw village, Wyoming township is one generation. Alonzo LaPorte, the father who died at eighty-one some time ago, was not more than eighteen in spirit. Frank A. LaPorte, James H. LaPorte, Mrs. Lillian Nisbet and Mrs. Lucie Herrick, children of Alonzo, all live here yet and endowed as they are with plenty, it is improbable that they ever will change their residences.

For many years James H. LaPorte was engaged in the general merchandising bxisiuess and aside from large ownerships elsewhere, he made money rapidh'. A few years ago, desiring to get out into the open air more and enjoy the sights afforded out in the world, he closed out his business and now Frank LaPorte Edwards, grandson of Alonzo LaPorte is installed in business in the same store.

But James could not stand idleness. He opened a real estate office and he enjoys a very successful business in that line. Loans upon real estate too are negotiated by him. A large number of valuable farms have been sold by him in Lee and DeKalb counties.

From James LaPorte I foimd my information about the values of lands at present in Wyoming. The average price per acre is $175 and the average rental is $7 per acre. But most of the farms in this township are rented on shares.

Bird'S-Eye View Of Paw Paw

Cliarles W. McMillan is a very active aud successful real estate man. Within the past year he has sold a large munber of farms in this township and Willow Creek. Mr. McMillan does a large insurance business as well. S. A. Wright and Ed. P. Fleming too, are very successful real estate men. Paw Paw is a center for big deals and these firms prosper.

Among the professional gentlemen of AYyomiug, is Mr. C. F. Preston, the attorney who long has been a resident of the village of Paw Paw. By coimnon consent he is conceded to have the largest and best paying legal business in Lee coimty. Tlie village is so situated that three counties are tributary to Preston, and from those three counties. Mr. Preston draws. His probate practice is one of the largest in the down state coimties. This may seem incredible, but so it is. As a professional man Mr. Preston stands very high. Many attempts have been made to lure him into limning for office, liut all to no purpose. Beyond a doi;bt were he to permit the use of his name to his party, the democratic, he might win ; but sensibly enough he refuses steadily.

The ])hysicians aud surgeons of Paw Paw are W. M. Avery, the associate of Doctor Chandler at the Compton hospital, T. H. Stetler and J. R. Crowell. J. B. Daugherty is a D. D. S. and E. L. Von Ohlen, has established himself in a fine business in Paw Paw, as a veterinary surgeon. S. ]\L Bennett also is a veterinary surgeon. These medical gentlemen enjoy practice far into the two adjoining counties. In fact it may be repeated that Paw Paw always was singularly fortimate with its doctors.

Unusual for the small to^m. Paw Paw has a fine greenhouse of which J. J. Bennett is the proprietor. His greenhouses have a demand for every bloom it can supply.

Mr. C. C. Falser beyond doubt enjoys one of the l)est trades in meats in Lee county. Not so very long ago, he was requested to ship clear back to Virginia, some of the meats of his preparing. Here, too, is a fine example of doing things down to date. Mr. Faber's market attracts people from those same three counties. We have seen in so many small villages how difficult it is to maintain a first-class market. Mr. Falser never has been confronted with that feature of the meat trade. He has large interest in lands up in Minnesota. The grain elevator of Frank E. (luffin and J. W. Banks, known to the trade as Warner and fluffin, does a very large business, not only in the shipment of grain, but in the sale of coal, and seeds aud those kindred commodities which go with them. Last year over 250,000 bushels of grain were shipped from this village and by .this company alone. The proprietors own the elevator at Compton, just to the west and between both elevators these gentlemen have one of the best businesses.

Paw Paw is siDlendidly supplied with hotels and restaurants The Detamore House is one and Mrs. E. M. Ransom is i^roprietor ; the other is the Conimeix-ial House and Dallas ^McLaughlin is the proi)rietor. These two hotels stand side by side just to show that neither dislikes having rivals in business. Besides the hotels, there are hmch rooms kept by Thomas Harj^er and Fred Gehlfuss. The latter keeps a full line of fancy groceries besides. C. M. Gibbs sells cigars and confectionery and in connection with his grocery trade, H. R. Town sells confectionery and ice cream. Thus it may be seen that he who hungers can find no legitimate excuse for going hungry.

Paw Paw is the center of a large amount of building and to care for it, the village is especially well provided. Arthur S. Wells pays most of his attention to things built of cement and he is without doubt one of the best posted men in Lee county on cement and what may be done with it.

At a recent meeting of the board of supervisors of which he long has been a member, he was made superintendent of highways for Lee county at a salary of $2,000.

Harry Prentice, E. J. Valentine, J. O. Morrow, H. G. Beach and C. C. Smith are contractors and builders. The telephone system which serves Paw Paw is the Northern Illinois Telephone Company which has headquarters at Sandwich.

Paw Paw is well eared for so far as lighting is concerned. The Paw Paw Electric Light Plant owned by Beemer Bros., composed of the brothers, J. J. and Harrison Beemer, have but lately established a plant here. Since opening for business the village is as well lighted as any other in the state.

The postoffice is managed in a very superior manner. Wilbur Woods, sou of A. N. Woods, was assistant for a long while before his recent appointment, the first ap])ointmeut of postmaster in the county. Mrs. Verna Woods is assistant.

The firm of J. M. Beale and Co. has been established here for a long while. They send their ont])ut to almost every state in the Union. Brick and drain tile are made by them in large quantities. Over at West Brooklyn they have another branch plant.

There are two very large general stores, one owned by Edwards and Case and tlie other by Chaffee and Faber. These two stores are large, and the stocks are very large and selected with especial care for the trade of that locality. In fact they are much larger than the average village store. The store that I am most familiar with, the one of Edwards and Case has made four generations wealthy.

Pratt & Hartwell carry a full line of jewelry, silverware and cliina. The drug, paint, oil, medicine, toilet articles and school book trade is very well provided for by Wilbur A. Pratt.

L. C. Coss and F. J. Adams are the barbers. W. H. Smith is the undertaker and in connection he handles a full line of furniture, carpets, rugs, curtains and paints and oils. Closely identified as a kindred business is the Williams & Henry establishment. These gentlemen are extensive painters, paper hangers and decorators.

Paw Paw has 800 inhabitants and being in line for all the down to date features which go with 800 people, she has a first class "Lyric Theatre." JNlr. J. H. Hackman is projjrietor of that. The movies and occasional vaudeville are put up here in the latest fashion.

The Beemer Brothers who run the electric light plant are proprietors also of the Paw Paw garage and it nmy as well he said at this point that this township of Wyoming owns and operates eighty automobiles and almost every business man in Paw Paw and many of the women own automobiles.

The Lee CoKiiti/ Times is the only newspaper in Paw Paw and it enjoys a splendid patronage both in circulation and in job work. Ed F. Guffin, chairman of the republican county committee, is the owner and editor of it. Its history is quite fully n( )ticed in another cokunn. I am indebted to Mr. Guffin to a very large extent for facts obtained which went into this history. He and Mr. J. H. LaPorte approached every business proprietor and obtained the facts needed to make this chapter. Moreover, Mr. Guffin loaned me several copies of his files from which to derive facts I needed ver}^ much. I desire to thank him for his kindness, right here. His office turns out some of the best job work in the county and the paper turns out some of the best reading matter to l)e fomid. The paper is very ably edited. Fi'om these and the geologically added fact, Mr. Cuffin's office is one of the most j^rofitable offices in the county. Paw Paw is singularly fortimate in its triljutary coimtry.

S. Baker is the proprietor of a flour and feed store. Julius Schamberger is a merchant tailor. R. L. Tarr has a large agricultural implement house. Clemons Bros, operate a very large shoeing and blaeksmithing business. Another one is carried on over at Compton.

Ellen C. Mitchell is proprietor of a millinery store. A. L. Coakes repairs and tunes pianos and organs. Snow Brothers is another firm. Harper & Stroyan are proprietors of the livery, feed and sale business. J. W. Mayor has the harness and blanket store. Beginning with the hay that the farm animals eat, we find F. Flewelliu, the hay dealer. For years Wyoming township produced some of the best pui'e bred horses and cattle one might find. J. W. Larabee has a large herd of red polled cattle with which he lias met great success at the various fairs.

J. W. Lambkin has gathered around him a splendid herd of pure bred Herefords. Tn making his selections, he has secured the best animals both on blood lines and individual merit. This has been the home of Herefords for half a century, but Mr. Lambkin has assembled the best herd of all that period.

J. T. Epla is i^roprietor of the West Side Stock Farm. He raises and trains and drives fast horses. I should lil?;e to stop and talk a little while about the fine horses which have been develoi^ed by Paw Paw men, but it cannot be done.

George W. Frey & Co. are large buyers of poultry and eggs. Mr. M. D. '\^^arren is the manager. F. R. INIead is proprietor of the Paw Paw dairy. Mr. J. C. Miller long has been a successful horse buyer. He buys and ships for market.

There are three churches here at present: the Methodist, Rev. O. T. Canfield, pastor; First Presbyterian, Rev. C. 11. Miller, pastor; and the Baptist, Rev. J. B. Martine, pastor. There are three cemeteries in W^^oming township - Wvoming, Harding and Cottage Hill.

In conmienting on the postoffice it was my plan to state the business of this well managed office. The number of outgoing pieces of mail, first class, for one year were 100,000 ; the number of second class, 6,000; the nmnber of third class, 2,000; the number of parcels post, 4,500. The record of the incoming is as follows : First class pieces, 80,000 ; second class, 75,000 ; third, 45,000 ; parcels post, 7,000. The total receipts for the year Avere $2,600. This volume indicates plainer than words the amount of business the village does.

Paw Paw has a right to be proud of her schools. It holds one of the best buildings in the county. W. C. Duff is the superintendent; Mrs. W. C. Suft is principal; Miss Elizabeth Turner is assistant principal. A four-year course is taught in the high school. Besides there are four rooms in each of which two grades are taught. In the first or primary grade there are today ninetct'n jjuj^ils, eight boys and eleven girls ; in the second grade there are five boys and six girls. Miss Erma Lowrey teaches these two grades. Grade three has nine boys and six girls. Grade four has eleven boys and nine girls. Miss Gertie Smith teaches these two grades. Grade five has six boys and eight girls. Sixth grade has six boys and twelve girls. Miss Avis Adams teaclies these two grades. In the high school for the first year there are five boys and nine girls. In the second year there are eight boys and seven girls. In the third year there six boys and six girls. In the last year there are five boys and eight girls. Total enrollment, 175.

Officers of Paw Paw Encampment are E. J. Kirk, C. P. ; C. C. Tarbell, H. P. ; R. L. Tarr, S. W. ; G. C. Schrock, J. W. ; D. R. McLaughlin, Scrilje ; Albert N. Woods, Treasurer ; L. A. Coss, representative to the Grand Encampment ; D. R. McLaughlin, official examiner and instructor.

Officers of Paw Paw Camp 4453, R. N. A., are Lula Rosenkrans, Oracle; Nettie Fightmaster, Vice Oracle; Jessie Bai-stow, Chancellor; Lettie G. Hyde, Recorder; Grace Baker, Receiver; Grace Rogers, Marshal ; jNiittie Lilly, I. S. ; A. M. Carnahan, Manager 1; Florence demons, 2; Rose Hanunond, 3; Wilbur M. Avery, physician.

Officers of the M. W. A. are A. M. Carnahan, Consul ; F. D. Rogers, Adviser; Byron Rosenkrans, Banlver; George E. Hyde, Clerk; Willis Hinke, Escort; W. T. Fightmaster, Watchman; Frank Ambler, Sentry; Dr. W. M. Avery, physician; F. D. Rogers, B. F. Ambler and W. T. Fightmaster, board of managers.

The State Banls; of Paw Paw is one of the strongest banks in the state. In a little village of 800 this bank on October 30 made a statement which totaled $416,253.31. But more than this: its stockholders are men of such business strength, that were they called to pay the last depositor and to the last cent, they could do it without very much effort. Just a little while ago, Mr. J. B. McBride, the vice president, died. He was one of the biggest of all our big Lee county men. He had led a long and quiet life in Paw Paw. He had been generous and public spirited. When his estate was inventoried a short while ago it footed $] 80,000, and but a few years ago he divided between his children, so I am told, a large fortune. All made in Paw Paw. The cash reserve held in this bank runs all the way from 35 to 60 per cent. The bank enjoys the comfortal)lc distinction of being able to take any good loan that comes along. Tf a certain reserve was desired, several stockholders could make the loan out of their own funds. It's a wonderful bank.

In 1882 this bank was founded by M. M. Morse and P. C. Ransom under the name of "Union Bank." A coiiple of years later, Mr. Ransom retired. In 188G, B. J. Wheeler and Teal Swarthout, who were partners known as B. J. Wheeler & Co., bought the bank and continued it ^imder the name of the Union bank. This firm continued the business until 1901 when the partners, with others organized the present State Bank with a capital of $25,000, which capital was increased to $40,000.

In 1902 the First National Bank was organized, but during the same year the banks consolidated and increased the capital of the present bank to $50,000. The officers and directors who direct its affairs are: President, B. J. Wheeler; A. C. McBride, cashier ; Frank Wheeler, assistant cashier ; all of whom are directors besides S. B. MUer, W. M. Goble, W. T. Chaffee and J. H. LaPoi-te. The surplus is $15,000.