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

Lawrence County News October 15, 1931 Chicken Thief Tries a Getaway; Deputy Hipsher Votes “No” Harry Hipsher, deputy sheriff, got an “exciting few minutes” Friday morning courtesy of an escaping prisoner. Thanks to the deputy’s quick thinking (and stubborn refusal to stay down), the would-be escape ended with the prisoner alive, captured, and very much out of luck. Charles Miller —indicted for stealing chickens (a crime with low glamour and even lower odds of success)—

Lawrence County Circuit Court 1889 Ella Richardville alias Ella Mullins on August 1, 1888 in the County of Lawrence and at other times between that time and the present time Feb 1889 unlawfully and wickedly did, and still does, keep and maintain, a boat on the Wabash River within the jurisdiction of the County, for the purposes of prostitution, to the encouragement of idleness, fornication and other misbehavior, and did then and there permit evil persons, men as well as w

NO Program Tonight In the fall of 1875, the quiet town of Sumner, found itself repeatedly in the pages of regional newspapers. What began as a brief crime report soon became a months‑long public story marked by contradiction, uncertainty, and unresolved questions—revealed not through modern investigation, but through the shifting voices of 19th‑century journalism. The Night of the Shooting On a Monday evening in early November 1875, a local “colored” barber named John Branna

Friday, February 25th , 1881 “What light through Yonder window breaks?” It is a snowball and Yonder goes the son of the glazier, reported the editor. More rain, bad roads and high water. The Vincennes paper reported that the little schoolhouse across the river was under water, and the roads on the Illinois side had been rendered impassable by the high waters. Mr. L J Hostetler, a salesman for Dr JH McLean of Saint Louis, met with a very narrow escape from drowning himsel

February 18th, 1881 (Forgive us, we are a little bit behind in the old news, so this is really OLD news) The editor described the night before as so mild and moonlit that even the frost couldn't resist joining the party. But rain then followed bringing gloom. In the morning for sake of variety, the county was having rain and sunshine at the same time. The wicked Wabash was still on the rampage. The classic old stream became more and more frightful each minute of the day. Hun