Lawrenceville, Ill. Nov 29,1929 —Today was Thanksgiving, but “Jaybird” Sisson, recently returned from Kansas, could not think of a single thing for which to be thankful. He started the day off in a “thankful” mood stimulated with a mixture of liquid spirits. An automobile, a faithful flivver which had served him well in the past, was contributing to his celebration of Thanksgiving. But an ice- and snow-covered pavement was the first obstacle in the way, bringing the first

August 29, 1890 The good people of our neighboring village of Pinkstaff, four miles north, retired to sleep on the last Sunday evening as usual, not dreaming that they would be called out that night to fight fire, but such was the case. It had a good start however, and every store but one had burned to the ground. The following are the names of the business people with their losses: · S.I. Carlyle, postmaster, also carried a stock of notions, books, wallpaper and dru

Daniel Swinehart Jr. was born in Ohio in 1827 and later made his home in Lawrenceville, Illinois. By 1878, he was advertising in the local paper as a veterinary surgeon—an occupation that would have carried real value in a rural community where horses, cattle, hogs, and other livestock were essential to transportation, farm labor, food, and family income. In the late nineteenth century, a “veterinary surgeon” in the countryside was often called when an animal’s illness or inj

The exhibit, Dresses Worn by Lawrence County Ladies Through the Decades, may well be one of the finest displays the curators have ever assembled. For a small museum, the collection of vintage clothing is exceptional—not because it can offer the broad, uninterrupted sweep of fashions that a large metropolitan institution might provide, but because of the quality, local significance, and care represented in the pieces that have survived. Small museums are unlikely to have a wid

Allen Charles Gosnell was born in 1822 in Ohio. Three of his daughters married Ruddy brothers in Vincennes. When the 1870 census was taken Allen was a shoemaker in Lawrenceville, Lawrence County Illinois. In the 1878 Rural Republican, A C Gosnell advertised that he was a shoe and boot maker and repaired harness. In the late nineteenth century, a boot and shoemaker held a practical and highly visible place in a small town. Before ready-made shoes were widely available to ever

In 1911, one could travel to Los Angeles or San Francisco from Lawrenceville on the B & O Railroad round trip for $62.00. That same amount would also purchase a round-trip ticket to Portland or Seattle. For $27.60, one could travel to Philadelphia and back: $30 would purchase a round-trip ticket to New York City. In 1921, the B & O Railroad offered a popular excursion from Lawrenceville to St. Louis on Sunday, August 14. A round-trip ticket cost $3.00. Children 5 years and

August 9, 1930 Daily Record "Considerable excitement and congestion of traffic at the City Hall corner (11th and State, Lawrenceville) resulted about 10:30 this morning when dozens of people gathered to inspect an Austin coupe, the baby of the motoring world. The tiny car has been seen by about 2000 people at the Wolfe Garage in St. Francisville, B.F. Wolfe estimated today, since it was driven in from the factory at Butler, Pennsylvania. The machine is less than five feet

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