Jackson County, Illinois

Genealogy Trails

Odds & Ends

 PIONEER ENJOYS STURDY OLD AGE-Somerset Township woman lives on the same farm 68 years, sleeps on same bed. Octavia Johnson King, pioneer of Jackson County, has lived on one farm in Somerset Township for 68 years.   Grandma King is 86 years old. She was born in West Virginia and came with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Johnson, to St. Louis about75 years ago.  Afterward moving farther south, Ava stands on her fathers old farm site.  At this place Miss Johnson married Moses King and moved to section 2, Somerset Township buying 160 acres of land  at one dollar and a quarter per acre of land, in timber, but a small tract. Mrs. King is from a family of five children, two girls and three boys. the two girls are still living.  Mrs. King being the oldest in the family and her sister Mrs. Ida Cheatham, the youngest.  Grandma King like a majority  of our pioneers brought with them little we call wealth, but they brought what to the settlers in an unbroken wilderness is more value and industrious hearts.  How changed is the scene since first her eyes beheld this country woodsman and its wild beast, before his rifle.  Sleeps on cord  bed.  Mrs. King has much of the same furniture that she began housekeeping  with, when she was a girl of 18 years old.  She has a small stand table with a drawer in one side that is nearly 100 years old today.  She is using  the same bed that had for years called the Cord bed, probably the only one in use in Jackson County.  The ladies have in their possession their Grandfathers the Rev. Taylor's family leather bible.  (leather bound) with  many markings in it.  It contains the old family record, written with a  goose quill pen.  It can be read very readily.  Mrs. King was a great  horseback rider in her days and has run many races, both with women and men  riders.  She is the mother of eleven children, three boys and eight girls.  She has thirty-four grand-children and five great-grand-children the oldest one being 19 years.  Donated by Lauri Gray Stoewsand.  

NEW TORNADOES KILL OVER SCORE-St. Louis, March 25. Fifteen are reported killed at Makanda, Illinois 100 miles south of here last night. Source: 25 Mar 1913; Newspaper: Olympia Record

NEW CYCLONE BLOWS FREIGHT TRAIN FROM TRACK IN ILLINOIS-Special to Tribune by United Press:  Anna, IL.-March 25-Fifteen were killed at Makanda, Illinois in a cyclone last night. An Illinois Central fast freight was blown from the tracks and twenty-five heavily loaded cars dumped into a ditch. Engineer Waggoner and Fireman Andrews were seriously injured. Following the cyclone rain falling in torrents washed away the contents of the cars. The loss of the freight is estimated at ten thousand dollars.  Source: 25 Mar 1913; Newspaper: Jonesboro Evening Sun

AMERICA’S GREATEST MEDICINE-Greatest, because in cases of Dyspepsia Hoods’ Sarsaparilla has a touch like magic, which just hits the spot, brings relief to the sufferer, and gives tone and strength to the stomach as no other medicine does.  COULD NOT EAT WITHOUT PAIN. “For many years I have been a sufferer from a severe case of Dyspepsia. I could not eat without great pain in my stomach and would be sick and would vomit up what I did eat. One day I read of a case cured by Hood’s Sarsaparilla. I told my husband I believed this medicine would help me. He went right away and got a bottle of Hood’s Sarsaparilla. I took four bottles and I was cured.” MRS. ALLEN STIVERS, Makanda, Illinois. Source: 25 June 1898; Newspaper: Herald Weekly

FIFTEEN KILLED AT MAKANDA, ILLINOIS-Cairo, Ill., March 25--A tornado struck the village of Makanda, Ill. last night, twelve persons are reported killed and a large number injured. Dwellings and barns throughout the vicinity were destroyed. Mrs. Henry Walker was killed and her husband badly injured. An Illinois Central freight train was blown from the track. Engineer Waggoner and Fireman J. C. Andrews were injured.

These newspaper articles was generously contributed by Sheila Cadwalader who obtained the article from a collection of Newspaper clippings at the Brehm Library in Mt. Vernon, IL. Some of the newspapers were not identified. A special thank you goes to Carla Pulliam who aided Sheila in compiling this information. The obituaries are extracts from Harold Felty's Legacy of Kin.  Submitted by Andrew Butcher

"18 Mar 1925--The list of known dead from Wednesday's tornado follows: "

Feet Amputated as Result of Negligence

Accused of Night Riding

Transcribed and submitted by Darrel Dexter

According to the press dispatches about a dozen citizens of Makanda and vicinity are charged with night riding and intimidation and warrants issued for their arrest.  Among them are Ernest Miller, bank cashier; Rev. E.A. Ziprobt, pastor of the Baptist church; Dr. D.F. Bennett, Arthur Bradley and Herbert Bradley, Harrye E. Rodman, and Ed McGuire.

It is alleged that one night recently they armed themselves with buggy whips and went to the Clyburn home in the country near Makanda and told the Clyburn boys what would happen unless they aided their father in supporting the family.  It is asserted that they then compelled the Clyburns to shake hands all around, the minister led in prayer, and the party departed.

(Jonesboro Gazette, Jonesboro, Illinois, Friday, 16 Feb 1912)

Band Leader Comes Home

Transcribed and submitted by Darrel Dexter

Arno Terpinitz, who has been traveling in the West Indies, Central America, and other tropical points as the leader of a circus band, is visiting his brother, Emil B. Terpinitz, in Carbondale.

(Jonesboro Gazette, Jonesboro, Illinois, 27 Mar 1914)

A Big Rattler

Transcribed and submitted by Darrel Dexter

Mr. and Mrs. Alex DeRossett, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dietz, Arthur Imhoff and Pearl Imhoff, when hunting golden seal in the woods Sunday, made the biggest snake catch of the season. They came upon a rattler which measured 8 feet and 8 inches, from button to fangs, and whose body was as thick as an ordinary person's leg at the snake's middle. This big rattler is a good snake now. He is dead. The skin was taken and will be kept. The snake had eight rattles. Had the customer struck one of the party, a death would have been recorded. He was especially vicious, and well supplied with virus. --Murphysboro Independent

(Jonesboro Gazette, Jonesboro, Illinois, Friday, 22 May 1914)

Holy Rollers Egged

Transcribed and submitted by Darrel Dexter

Lindsey and Shelton, who have been putting on a big show at Macedonia in the southern part of the county, were given a "shower" of eggs and a good beating last Tuesday night according to the statements of a well known farmer of that section of the county.  A big revival meeting has been in progress there for some time and Tuesday evening some of the young men procured a number of eggs that were said to be real antique and attempted to break up the show by showering them at the preacher's head.  Although an egg is said to have hit one of the sky pilots in the face the meeting was pulled off exactly as advertised until it came time for the "tarrying."

            At the end of the regular service the Rollers hold what they call a tarrying meeting when the candidates are given the real secret work of the order, such as the laying on of hands and the unknown tongue.  When it came to this part of the service all who were not members of the Holy Roller sect were asked to leave the building.  Some of the young men present objected to this saying that they had helped build the church and as long as they behaved themselves properly had a right to stay.  The preachers attempted to eject them from the building and the result was a big rough house in which the preachers received a good beating.

            The gentlemen of the cloth made a hasty departure Tuesday night and have not been seen or heard from since and have probably gone to a place where their services will be more appreciated.  --Murphysboro Independent.

(Jonesboro Gazette, Jonesboro, Illinois, Friday, 7 Aug 1914)

Transcribed and submitted by Darrel Dexter