There were nine schools in Lukin township: Buckhorn, Cleveland, Frogeye, Grant, Prairie, West Liberty, West Point, White Hall and White Oak. This is the story of White Oak. Located about in the center of Lukin Township, and near the Bethlehem church, it was a typical one-room school. (Some of the readers may remember that it was located east of the Saben/ Sabine White Corner, seven miles south of Sumner and a mile east of the Sumner Lancaster Road. If you have a plat map, it

The ‘tombstone cleaning’ volunteers of the Historical Society have been working in the old section of Pleasant Hill, also known as White House Cemetery north of Bridgeport on the frontage road. (You are welcome to join us…just email a contact number.) In the process they are comparing the stones’ information with Irene Black’s Cemetery book. Some of the stones that were there fifty years ago and able to be read, are not there now. The older stones were probably difficult t

Fruit trees were then in bloom and from appearances there would be an abundance of fruit if nothing happened to destroy or blight it. Farmers were rejoicing over the fine weather and the outcome of the wheat. Health was good in general. Croquet seemed to be the principal amusement of the young folks. Simon Vandermark had disappeared; information was wanted as to his whereabouts. Lou Hite, a young man well known in the county formerly clerking in the drug store of Ed Schmalhau

"According to a newspaper account, in June 1875 the good people of the towns of Lawrenceville and Bridgeport were not getting along. The two had been struggling for several years over which community would become the County seat. Although the decision had been made, the feud continued. The John Robinson circus was traveling through the area in 1875. Mr. Robinson had selected Lawrenceville as a venue, leaving Bridgeport out in the cold. With the motive of revenge and to show t

As our researchers discovered when they did the life stories of the Civil War soldiers from Lawrence County, not only was there a conflict between the states but that often, while the men and boys were gone, there was also trouble on the home front. This was the case of a Crawford County soldier named Lt. Archilles M. Brown. While serving in Illinois Infantry company he received several letters from ‘concerned friends’ that things were not going so well at home with his you

The Jamie Rae This photograph is of the Steamboat known as the Jamie Rae taken at Hutsonville 1890. The Jamie Ray was the last large steamboat to quit the Wabash River. She began operating on the River during the 1870's as a packet boat and up to the early 1890's was used as an excursion boat. The boat was one of the largest and most pretentious ever operated on the Wabash. In this photograph the boat was carrying an excursion party. A notation on the back of the old picture

The county elections in the spring of 1881 were about as exciting as watching paint dry, and nearly as quiet—there being so little hard feeling among the candidates that one might have supposed they were all running on the same ticket. However, the anti-saloon license issue was heavily contested in each of the county’s towns. Bridgeport’s vote against taverns was carried by a large majority and the people in Sumner voted the same. The village election in St Francisville, wher

News in the County April 21 1881 Dan Osmond painted the courthouse fence this week. The editor noted that it would add to the general appearance of the town if the board of supervisors would have a courthouse treated to a new coat of paint perhaps in a dark stone color. Baseball seemed to be a favorite Sunday amusement among the boys. Doctor FM Pickern, who resided in the north part of the county, died last week. Sid Rawlings was baptized in the river by Elder Lockhart last M

Don't Forget: — Dr. Jacob Skousen of the Illinois State Archaeological Survey will present “Exploring Mississippian Culture from Cahokia to Otter Pond” on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at Pleasant Ridge Christian Church at Pinkstaff near Lawrenceville. Allison Prairie, Lawrence County, Illinois The discovery of an early African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) church in Lawrence County was made by John M. King. For many years, it was believed that the A.M.E. church at

Don't forget: Genealogy Workshop: "Find Your Patriot" begins Saturday April 18, 9-11 at the Research Library Lawrenceville. It's not too late to know what part your ancestor played in America250. Call 908-208-2372 for information. The following newspaper article was published in the South Kansas Tribune (Independence, Kansas), Wednesday, April 10, 1889, pg. 2 From The Olney (Ills .) Republican. How the News of the Firing on Fort Sumpter was Received at Lawrenceville— It