James S Pritchett,Esq From a childhood in early Lawrence County, Illinois, to a courtroom reputation that crossed county and state lines, Pritchett’s life offers a vivid glimpse into the people who shaped the region’s history. In the early history of Lawrence County, Illinois, some names surface again and again—not only in public records, but in courtrooms, newspapers, and civic life. One of those names is James S. Pritchett, a man whose story began in Indiana but soon becam

On July 10, 1849, seven families left Germany and crossed the Atlantic and arrived in New Orleans. The families were Holtze, Brausa, Boden, Barnkamp, Geisler, Storkman, and Guynot. The original name of Holtze was changed to Holze upon arrival in New Orleans and shortly after, Americanized to Holsen. They traveled up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers to Evansville, Indiana then traveled on to Lawrence County, Illinois. This seemed to be their “Promised Land.” They settled prese

Saturday October 3, 2026 10-2 Yearbooks and Local History books Make great Christmas Presents History Center on the Square, Lawrenceville Illinois Lawrence County Historical Society

During the Civil War, many women followed the troops from battlefield to battlefield, providing nursing care for the wounded and performing other duties. They were commonly the wives or loved ones of soldiers. Mary (Sullivan) Freese, who immigrated at a young age and had no known formal nursing training, followed her husband to war. Mary Sullivan was born in Ireland on November 10, 1836. She immigrated with her family to the state of Indiana in the United States when she was

Fatal Intoxication Two local St. Francisville residents were informed early on the morning of April 3, 1908, that a man’s body had been found lying on the ground 75-80 yards north of the Big Four Depot. Harve Pierson was notified about 5:30 a.m. Alan Potts was notified about 6:00 a.m. Alan left his job as a night operator to go assist with the body. Another man, Frank Sheridan, testified at the coroner’s inquest that he saw a number of people walking towards the depot and fol

Today we can go into any supermarket and buy produce shipped there from around the world. This was considered progress for the last 75 years, but because of the energy needed to do this and because of the loss of valuable nutrients, there is a movement now to buy locally. The practice of buying locally began when Lawrence County merchants first opened their doors. (Of course retail prices are a bit higher now...) The Rural Republican advertised butter sold for 15 cents a poun

Hugh K Lanterman was born in 1832. He married Lavina Wirth in 1867. The Rural Republican often mentioned Hugh as operating the Centennial Hotel in Bridgeport and that “his wife served the best food the market had available”. They failed to mention that African American Posey Belle was the cook. Researchers know this because the 1880 Bridgeport Illinois Census listed Hugh 48, as the Postmaster and his wife Lavina as a “Land lady”. Two women were included in their household, o

F W Cox shoe ad in 1914 Peters Diamond Shoes An announcement in the Lawrence County News August 5, 1943, stated that the F W Cox store that served the people of Bridgeport and community for almost fifty years was going out of business. Emmet l Cox had fixed the closing date for September 28, 1943, the 50th anniversary of the store. The business had previously been destroyed in the infamous Friday the 13th (June) 1913 fire that burned much of the business district; but for th

Born into poverty and unable to read or write, James Vance (1835-1909) nevertheless built a fortune through tireless energy and thrift, with his obituary estimating his wealth at nearly half a million dollars. He began with a small farm and steadily added to it until his holdings became immense. He continued working the land until only a few years before his death, by which time he was known as the “land king of Allison.” He married Minera Gowin in 1864, and both of their ch

In rural America between about 1870 and 1900, dentists often served communities in a practical and irregular way rather than functioning like the modern family dentist. Regularly scheduled preventive visits were not generally considered necessary by many families; people usually sought dental care when pain, infection, broken teeth, or the need for an extraction made treatment unavoidable. Because small towns and farming communities could not always provide enough steady pati