The history of the Edward Dobbins Lodge Building can be found in the Abstract of Title of Lot 69 in Valentine J. Bradley’s Addition to the Town of Lawrenceville. The building may be the oldest in the city. The first entry is the land patent from the United States to Toussaint DuBois that was granted on August 28, 1788. The land Patent covered a group of seven locations comprising what was known as ‘the Schoals’, a part of the Northwest Territory France ceded to the colony of

Friday, March 11, 1881 Happenings around the County The old Odd Fellows building in Lawrenceville was sold to Barton and Curry for $500. A C. Clippinger took control of the Lawrence County Press published at Sumner. Jim Ryan was going into the rafting business. Mrs. Lib McCleave, 3 miles west of town, was seriously sick with spotted fever. James N Blevins was suffering from an attack of fever and the meat market he operated was closed that week. Sheriff Ryan had been q

In 1908 Lafayette Perkins laid out Arlington Heights Subdivision located on the west side of town bounded by on the north by Church Street, east by Kenwood Avenue, south by Depot Street, and west by Lexington Avenue, He was known as the Home Seeker’s Friend and had an office across from the First National Bank with Mr. Dickirson and Mr. Milligan. He offered a $1.00 prize to readers who would answer the questions he posed. The answers were published in the newspaper.  Why will

George W Glover held the record for being in the same line of business longer than anyone in Lawrenceville at the time of his death. He opened his confectionery on the West side of the square on a Sunday morning in March 1942 to begin the second half of a century in business. He had completed 50 years when he closed the store Saturday night. Fifty years in one city is a long time when one considers that he worked seven days a week, including the holidays. Arriving at noon M

There was no on-line copy of the January 1, 1881, Rural Republican so Lawrence County news printed in the Western Sun  was used for this blog.    News: The previous Tuesday Matt Harvey had four horses killed and one crippled by the O&M railroad between Lawrenceville and Vincennes. A baby boy of Sheriff Ed Ryan died Friday and was buried on Christmas Day. Unfortunately, the only other ‘news’ item published was by a special correspondent to the Western Sun  who criticized La

December 17 1880 The new editor Sam B Day noted that the Rural Republican had the largest circulation of any paper in the county. “Lawrenceville”, he said, “was located one mile north of the crossing of the Ohio and Mississippi and Danville and Southwestern railroads. It was a beautiful little village of about 1000 inhabitants surrounded by some of the finest farms and farming land in the state. It was a strong temperance town and was inhabited by a thrifty and enterprising

Don't forget the Ladies of Lawrence: Clothing Through the Decades program Thursday Dec 4 10:00 at the History Center! News in Lawrencre County as reported in the Lawrence and Knox County newspapers for the week ending on December 3 1880. After the death of Mary Buntin , the new editor, her brother- in- law Sam B Day , began reporting the news. He had spent fifteen years in the publishing office setting type but stated that he would do a fair job with the news.    The worthy c

November 19th, 1880 Old man winter had pitched his tent right here and looked like he was going to stay. The sudden cold spell with six inches of snow made one hustle along lively to the fire.  All the weather prophets predicted a cold winter. Miss Mary Buntin was still very ill.  William Laws of Sumner would be the Deputy Sheriff after December. Isaac Shields of Birds Station moved to Olney and was reading law with Judge A Shaw . The Dedication of the Pleasant Ridge Chri

October 1 1880 The Rural Republican The paper was still filled with political news. Orators were imported many miles to speak at...