County News for September 1879

September 5th, 1879

W L Gray sold his interest in the Bridgeport store of Buchanan & Co to J M Buchanan. Warner Bros rented the upper story of the Bridgeport building they were in and put in a large stock of clothing in connection with their dry goods.

Isadore Ravellette, a much- afflicted inmate of the Poor Farm accidentally fell into the well on the premises and drowned before assistance could reach him. He was subject to fits. The Coroner held an inquest and the members of the jury were: Hiram Hardacre, Edward McHart, Lafayette Spencer, John W Musgrave, George W Abernathy, and B F McCleave.

“The annual number of births in the county from January 1879 to the beginning of September 1879 showed a total of 378 of which 194 were males, 184 females, white 373, colored 5, five pairs of twins and four illegitimate births.”

The St Francisville and Lawrenceville railroad (ST F & L RR) commenced, and considerable work was done to build the tracks. A large force was at work and the contractors would soon have even more hands to push the work through.  No agreement had been made with the O & M Railroad for the privilege of crossing its track, so the O & M RR very quietly put back the ground that had been removed on their grades and had the switch filled with logs to impede the movements of the newcomer.  Had the ST F & L been wider awake they could have agreed on a crossing before the O & M RR prepared to blockade the switch. The situation was critical with a good prospect of a spirited conflict between the opposing interests. The Sheriff started looking around for the militia in case of emergencies. The O & M RR expected some guarantee from the St F & L RR for paying damages that might occur by the crossing of the two roads.  Shortly after the above was printed in the newspaper, the differences had been arranged, the blocking lifted, the sheriff relieved, and the work was marching on quietly. Five carloads of iron arrived for the track for the new road.

September 12th, 1879

Cool nights and frost were forecast. The noise of the steam thresher could be heard in every direction. Pleasant Hill Cemetery (also known as White House) was placed in a better condition by a contribution from George Abernathy. Edward Kappas was an employee of Pixley’s store in Bridgeport. Misses Anna and May Buchanan of Denison left to attend the Bloomington Normal (Teacher’s) School. Tommy Ottie and George Smith left for Wabash College at Crawfordsville Indiana. Mr. Edison introduced his new electro- chemical telephone in Saratoga, New York.

Continuous wet weather delayed the seeding operations, and the farmers were in a stew about it. The editor said, “Back a kicking horse against a wall and let him realize how little there is in this world worth kicking for.”

September 19 1879

The schools opened with a good number of scholars. Walter Barr left for school in Greencastle Indiana. The County Board paid for repairs to the courthouse for windows, doors, and a gate. They also authorized payments for drugs, clothing, and railroad fare for paupers (continuing their program to move paupers to someplace else so they became some other county’s problem).  The board ordered Henry Clubb to procure fuel for the courthouse and jail, and that J K Dickirson procure the laying of a new floor in the office of county clerk and that the said floor be of ash.

September 26, 1879

Warner Bros of Bridgeport have sold their huckster wagon. Walter Buchanan advertised: ‘Having served as County Surveyor several years in the past I propose once more to buckle on the old harness if the people so elect.’

“Our colored citizens held an Emancipation picnic in the groove near Pinkstaff Station.” (Now this is known as Juneteenth Day)

Not the least interesting thing at the county fair was a wooden mold board plow placed on exhibition by John Elliott that was used by his father, the late William Elliot, in breaking the virgin soil where Olney now stands in the year 1821.

George and William Cooks who recently came to Lawrence County and Tom Mason of Knox County Indiana were arrested and tried before Esquire Walton upon a charge of shooting John Pennock/Pinnick with intent to kill. The shooting occurred some weeks ago on the Illinois side of the Wabash.  The Cooks were tried but acquitted of complicity in the affair; Mason waived examination and was committed to jail on a bond of $300. The trouble began in Vincennes where the whisky there has strong fighting qualities.

Seventeen deaths were reported by physicians in the county in September 1879. Seven deaths were babies and young children caused by various causes including scarlet fever, croup, and a case of insufficient nutrition. Typhoid and tuberculous caused the deaths of older citizens. The first use of the word “cancer” was found in the death record of William S Bishop, 73, who died of stomach cancer.

As reported in the August 1879 monthly report, the celebrated Stivers Springs became the fashionable resort of the county. Mr. Stivers received a great many testimonials from the sick and afflicted who had been relieved and cured using the waters. The last picnic of the season was to be held at Stiver’s Springs on October 2 and as the grove was a very beautiful one the crowd was expected to be large.

Commercial Hotel in the background

An August 1879 local newspaper reported that “Squirrels were more plentiful than for a dozen years.” The Rural Republican for September 1879 published that “the Centennial Hotel in Bridgeport served squirrel on the menu.” The paper also reported that Bridgeport had no slaughterhouse at this time. (I don’t think one was related to the other…but I don’t know…)