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

In the mid‑1850s, Jacob May was running a busy general store in the newly formed village of Sumner, Lawrence County, Illinois. Fortunately for us, his account book for 1853-1857 survived and was later published by the Richland County Genealogical and Historical Society in 1991, giving us a wonderfully nosy look into everyday shopping habits of the era. Benjamin Umfleet was a schoolteacher in Lawrence and Richland Counties. The Account book shows that even then, schoolteach

Sumner’s origins trace back to Benjamin Sumner, one of the first permanent settlers in Christy Township. He arrived in 1817, building a round‑log cabin and establishing the family presence that would later give the town its name. The O & M railroad was built through Lawrence County in 1854-55 running through what would eventually become the town of Sumner. The first lots sold were on February 3, 1854. The town itself was incorporated in 1858- 59 but the state of Illinois did

Attention: Program by Nancy King scheduled for February 5, 2026 at History Center, Ladies' Lingerie through the Decades, has been cancelled due to weather. Thomas Perkins was born February 10,1832, near Sumner. He was the son of Alfred Perkins and Susan Shidler Perkins. At age 20 he moved west to the territories of Oregon, Washington and California where he stayed for almost forty-four years. Around 1854, he joined the U.S. military to assist in the Indian Wars in Washington.

Born in Richland County, Illinois on March 8, 1908, Virgil Henry was the son of E Clinton and Rosa Shick Henry. He came from a family of schoolteachers; his father was a teacher; his brother Omar taught in schools in Lawrence County and his sister Fern was a teacher at Sumner High School. While a student in 1924, Virgil Henry of Sumner was awarded the prize in the home lighting contest conducted by the Central Illinois Public Service Company. The prize was a radio outfit

Friday, January 14th, 1881 The weather was thawing, and the fine sleighing of the past month was almost over. Wanted : A good lively undertaker to bury deadbeats. The editor appeared to being having a problem with ‘leeches’ reading the newspaper as long as they wanted and then leaving it at the post office to be returned with “refused” marked on it.  Wanted: to trade or sell one- horse light open buggy. Will trade for a good milk cow. Harness goes with the buggy. Notice: The

Benjamin Sumner, a native of North Carolina (or possibly South Carolina, researchers differ), was one of the first permanent settlers in Christy township, Lawrence County, Illinois. He came to this area in 1817 and built a small round-log cabin. He was married three times. According to family legend when the Sumner family left the Carolinas, The first Mrs. Sumner placed a setting of eggs inside a slab of bacon and covered them over with a pillow to keep them warm. The eggs ha

First call of 113 Lawrence County men appeared for physical inspection for the selective service draft for WWI.   Headquarters of the local board had been moved from the courthouse to the basement of the Lawrenceville Township High School building, and the first quota of men for the new army were being examined. Doctor BF Hockman of the local board was being assisted by Doctors CP Gore, RL Gordon and JE Cornett. The physical examination was held in the gymnasium. On enterin

The Redman General Merchandise Store in Sumner was owned by Albert Lloyd Redman. Albert Lloyd Redman was born In Mount Carmel Illinois on June 8, 1861, to William and Jenny Redman . He was nine years old when the 1870 census was taken; he and his family lived in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana. Ten years later the family had moved to Mount Carmel, Wabash County, Illinois. Albert was working as a clerk in the dry goods store. He had managed to get an 8 th  grade educat

Sumner 1899 Sumner came into existence with the building of the Ohio and Mississippi railroad, the construction of which was first started in March 1853 at Sandoval, Illinois. The railroad was open for operation in 1855 from St Louis, Missouri to Vincennes, Indiana. The road then was later completed to Cincinnati, Ohio. Its name was changed to the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern railroad (B & O SW) in 1890 and again changed in 1916 to the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) railroad omi