A cigar shop, a livery barn, and a quilt factory once were thriving businesses in Milledgeville. The town's first fire truck was a four man-power wagon. It boasted only three blocks of hard-surfaced streets by the early 1900's. A sprinkling wagon was used to settle the dust on the dirt roads. The first alleys of Milledgeville were dotted with horse barns, ice houses, and outhouses.

Milledgeville today (1968) is a far cry from those early days. Located in the southeastern corner of Carroll County, it stands on a spot which the first settlers believed was worthless - that people could never live on these wide, wind­swept prairies without the protection of timber.

The first settlement in the area was at Elkhorn Grove, several miles northeast of the present site where there was wood for fuel, for building cabins, and hewing out rail fences to protect the crops. Two reasons were cited for choosing the name Elkhorn Grove: the large number of elk horns found at the site, and the twists and turns of the creek which resembled an elk's horn. John Ankeny, grandfather of Mrs. W. R. Clough, settled the town on the Elkhorn in 1831. He was driven out by Indians during the Blackhawk War but returned to his claim in 1833. Other early settlers were Levi F. and A. G. Eastabrook from Pennsylvania; Elder Henry Myers, the father of sixteen children; Lucius Thorpe, whose son, Charles S., owned and operated the last water power mill in Carroll county; John Knox and Eliakim Todd.

Milledgeville took its name from the mill which stood at the east edge of the village. In 1834, a mill-wright named Peters settled on Elkhorn Creek bottoms but falling sick, he gave up his claim to Jesse Kester, who improved it with a saw mill and a small corn­cracker mill, the first in the county to be run by water power. Kester later sold out to Adam Knox who built the grist mill and had it in operation in 1839. Before the mills were established grain had to be taken to Peoria to be ground. The name of "Pitch Ford" had been considered for the community but was appropriated by another town. It is also said that Milledgeville was named after the then capital city of Georgia.

John Knox and family settled in the Grove in 1835 and reportedly set out the first orchard in Carroll county. The Eastabrook family came from Bradford county, Pennsylvania overland by wagon, fording rivers and creeks along the way. Eliakim Todd and his brother-in-law, Joseph Hire, started from their home in Pennsylvania in September, 1837 and walked nearly the entire distance to Elkhorn Grove arriving on December 3. He was the father of Samuel H. Todd; the grandfather of V. S. Todd and Mrs. A. H. Wagner who reside in Milledgeville today as do descendants of the Eastabrook and Knox families. Other early settlers came from the New England states, Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, and southern Illinois. Settlers who lived within 20 miles of each other were considered neighbors. In 1837, Elijah Eaton built a saw mill at the Grove, which was later known as Thorpe's Mill. The first birth in Milledgeville was that of Eliza J. Knox, daughter of Adam Knox, in 1839. Soon after Adam Knox's son, Albert, died, the first recorded death in the village.

The prairie roads were little traveled and tracks so scattered and grown up with grass that travelers sometimes lost their way. This led to plowing the longest furrow ever plowed in Carroll county. Mr. Humphrey of Milledgeville furnished the plow and two yoke of oxen to mark the road to Mt. Carroll and Savanna. A man named Spencer held the plow and made the furrow from Elkhorn Grove east of Milledgeville, through Mt. Carroll township to where the road was clearly marked. The "underground railroad" of Civil War days passed through Milledgeville. This was the route slaves followed from Fulton on the Mississippi River to Byron and on to Canada and freedom. The fugitives were usually taken from place to place in the night, hidden in wagons with farm produce. For many years a Negro family named Brown which escaped by this route lived in the vicinity.

In early days, Milledgeville was known as a "tough settlement." Settlers claimed it was a meeting place of the Prairie Bandits.

The Sucker Trail followed by early settlers is known today as Telegraph Road. It runs east and west just north of Milledgeville. The trail was so named because many people from southern Illinois took this route in the spring, traveling north with their teams and milk cows to work in the lead mines near Galena. In the fall they would sell their stock and trappings and return home by way of the Mississippi river. The first store was opened by A. H. H. Perkins in 1843, and the post office in 1844 with Jacob McCourtie as postmaster. Mrs. Harriett Ankeny Greenawalt in 1910 noted that a merchant named Wheeler also opened a store in 1843 with a stock of goods said to be worth $25,000. The population reached 300 in 1878, then 400 where it remained for many years. Today the population is 1208.

The village was platted May 19, 1850 and surveyed by Philander Seymour. Oscar Freeman's addition was laid out February 7, 1854, surveyed by L. S. Thorpe. The land on which the village stands was patented by Adam L. Knox. Incorporation came in 1887. F. J. Greenawait was elected first president of the village board. Legal papers to secure a charter were drawn by Walter Stager, Sterling.

Wysox township, originally known as Enterprise township, which surrounds Milledgeville is as pretty a country as one will find in a day's travel, said an article in the Diamond Jubilee edition of the Sterling Gazette, "with high hills to the south providing an alluring panoramic view of city and fertile farmlands." Mrs. Greenawalt's history of the community recounts the story of a village character who grew wrathy during an argument over the proper method of selling lots in the first cemetery. He exclaimed "I'll never be buried in that cemetery as long as I live."

Miriam Whitney of Belvidere taught the first school in the summer and fall of 1847 in a private home. Pupils walked five and six miles through the cold and snows of winter as classes were not held when work could be done in the fields. Later a school was opened over the drug store and post office in a building originally used as a tavern. This building stood across the street from Byvick's Service Station. Two teachers were employed before the Civil War. The first public school house was built in 1852 for $400. A large four-room school building erected in 1877 cost between $6,000 and $7,000. An addition was built in later years. The school was remodeled and the grade system adopted. The first class graduated in 1891 with A. T. Cowan as superintendent. The graduates were Cora Barber, Clara Snell and Mary Fletcher. J. H. Shirk followed Mr. Cowan as principal for seven years. During his administration the four year high school course was established. Struck by lightning during a violent winter electrical storm in January 1947, this school building burned to the ground. Classrooms were set up in churches and the library until a new brick building was completed. It was connected to the high school constructed in 1920.

From this early start, Milledgeville has eveloped a fine school system. A unit district set up in 1948 serves the community and surrounding area. Today, Milledgeville has one of the top rated schools in the state.

The Chicago Burlington and Quincy Railroad came through town in 1885. The first train called for a celebration. Mr. N. Spencer killed and roasted an ox and general merry-making followed. Milledgeville residents were happy to have secured the right of way. The people had worked hard to get the road rather than have it go through Coleta which was also considered. Residents worked to bring State Highway 88 through Milledgeville. Again the community vied with Coleta and was successful. The main road through town was originally known as the "Indian Head Trail" and led from Peoria to Stockton. It was later named Route 40, and still later became a part of Route 88..(Today in 2006 it is Route 40).

Community leaders realized the importance of a railroad and good roads and Milledgeville profits from their foresight today. In the summer of 1876 a substantial iron bridge, King's patent, was built across Elkhorn Creek costing the township $2,000. Electric lights came about 1917 and sewers were installed two years later. William Hacker, village mayor, and John Bracken were instrumental in getting both projects.

Before the coming of the railroad, the main business section was located in what is now called "Old Town" four blocks south and several blocks east of the present business district. The town pump was on the village square at the corner of Route 88 and the Polo blacktop. A St. Paul Land Development Company bought part of the Henry Meyers farm just north of the tracks and later sold it off in building lots. Many businessmen, realizing the advantages of a location closer to the railroad and depot north of the tracks, either built new stores or had their buildings moved to where the main business district stands today. Many of the two and three story business houses now in use have cement plaques dated 1887 and 1888. A brick yard started at that time is responsible for many brick homes and places of business.

The movement from "Old Town" to "New Town" was so general that a man named Rundall had a full time business as a building mover. The old hotel was moved to the new business section, later torn down and the lumber used to build a house just north of the Methodist Church. The old bank building was moved and now houses the Milledgeville Merchant. The livery barn was moved and stood near the Ewers Garage. Brown's Print Shop was also moved from the old part of town. A number of homes have been moved, some twice. The house occupied by the Larry Nicholson family was once a grocery store in "Old Town." Roy Frederick's home and the William Kendall house have been moved twice. The Art Litwiller house came from "Old Town" and the Lyle Nicholas house from a farm three miles north. Businessmen of that day who built or moved their buildings to the present business district were Walters and Lawton, druggists; Wolf and Greenawalt; Shumway State Bank; Chester Olmstead, hardware; Thomas Knapp, grocery and dry goods, Walter Ethridge, restaurant; Mrs. Ethridge, millinery; Frank Picken and Frank Hollewell, meat markets; Walter Sunderland, photographer; Albert Queckboerner and Henry Welty, restaurant; Hacker and Fike, grocery and feed; Homer Olmstead, undertaker; Sam Kaisinger, painter; Henry Dirsten, grocer; Clarence Calkins, harness shop; John Heitzman, novelties; Whitman Inman, laundry; and Rube Meyers, blacksmith. Several places of business sold buggies and equipment. Those owning rubber-tired buggies were considered the "elite." The Town Hall was one of the most pretentious buildings. It was built by the township and was for years the cultural center of the community. School functions, graduations, band fairs, lecture courses, moving pictures and dances were held here, and shows by traveling chautauquas.

The first church organized in the area was the South Elkhorn Methodist with James McKean, a circuit-riding preacher as pastor. He preached his first sermon in 1836. The first class meeting was held in James Mc­Creedy's barn. It was not uncommon for Milledgeville people to drive to Mt. Morris to attend prayer meetings and class sessions before that time. The South Elkhorn Church was built in 1845 and razed just a few years ago. Today, Milledgeville has five active churches; Methodist, Brethren, Trinity. Lutheran and Community Baptist in town and the Church of the Brethren, several miles west.

The Milledgeville Library was built in 1923, a gift of Mary Fletcher. Mrs. Elizabeth Overholser served as the first librarian and held the position for 33 years. Mrs. Elwood Diehl is the present librarian.

A regular fire department was organized in March, 1939. Before that time, the only equipment was a hose cart owned by the city. Whoever was handy pulled it to the scene of the fire and manned it. John Bogott was mayor when the village board voted to organize the department. John Warren, Loren Crawford, Paul Bracken, Bill Ewers, and Hubert Hanna, all still living in Milledgeville were among the first fifteen volunteer fire fighters. The fire truck, a 500 gallon pumper came from St. Louis. This truck was for use inside the city limits only so in 1947 the farmers banded together and raised money to purchase a second truck. A referendum for setting up the Milledgeville Fire Protection District with 150 square miles passed in 1949, and took effect the following spring. Harold Miller, Richard Graeh­ing and Orion Stover served on the first board of trustees. Funds were raised from taxation which allows up to a mill and a quarter to be levied. The law now allows 2 1/2 mills by referendum but the levy in this district has not yet reached a mill. Loren Crawford was elected chief in March, 1947 and served for 20 years.

A new fire station was built in 1951. Present equipment consists of three fire trucks, a tanker, an emergency wagon, and a two­wheeled 500 gallon trailer-pumper. The Fire Department now numbers 25 men. Firemen receive $1 if they attend the monthly meetings; $2.50 if they attend drill held once a month; $2.50 for the first 90 minutes spent at a fire; and $5 additional if they are at the scene of a fire more than 90 minutes. The only notice firemen receive is the fire siren. Their first duty is to go to the fire station. The first man to arrive takes the telephone message locating the fire and posts it on the station blackboard. He also has the privilege of driving the fire truck. When enough firemen have arrived and donned their gear, they take off usually within minutes after the alarm. Eight area fire departments formed a mutual aid pact in 1958 to assist each other upon call. A fireman must be between 16 and 45 years of age and live in the district. There is always "a waiting list of volunteers. New members are elected by vote of the entire force. The worst fire in the history of Milledgeville hit the business district in September, 1965 taking the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Gaar and resulting in some $100,000 of property loss.

For many years there was little industry in Milledgeville. During the winter months, ice cutting and storing provided work for many. Today, the Kraft Food Plant is an important part of Milledgeville. The business grew from a small creamery and the new addition with 18,000 square feet of floor space gives the town one of the largest Swiss cheese manufacturing plants in the midwest. A new sewage treatment plant was completed in 1960 with funds from city revenue bonds and the Kraft Company.

Since 1952, Milledgeville has been the home of the Carroll County Fair. William Ritenour presently serves as president. The fairgrounds are located east of town on the Milledgeville-Polo blacktop on land donated for that use by Charles Schell. The Chamber of Commerce membership includes some 50 businessmen and boosters. Officers are Roger Traum Jr., president, Roger DeVries, vice president, and Mrs. Richard Williams, executive secretary. The importance of such an organization was recognized as early as the winter of 1909­1910 when the first Commercial Club meeting was held at the hotel. It was instrumental in getting the telephone company started and in voting Milledgeville "dry." With the exception of two saloons here during the 1930's, Milledgeville has been dry since 1907.

The first local bond issue for hard roads was issued in Wysox township. It covered every road leading out of Milledgeville - some for one mile, some for two miles, and one for four miles. The first bond issue in Carroll county for a complete sewer system was voted in Milledgeville. The first bond issue in Carroll county for a community high school was issued for the high school built here in 1920. It was through the Commercial Club that $20,000 was raised to bring electricity to town. Now the village hopes to improve its parks, the land for which was donated by Charles Schell and Orion Stover.

Carroll County Mirror, Aug. 1889: Milledgeville Free Press says 16,190 pounds of butter shipped from there last Monday.

Milledgeville 1968 is a thriving rural community of well-kept homes, spacious lawns, and shaded streets. From the first tiny settlement on the banks of Elkhorn Creek and the opening of the first store 125 years ago, Milledgeville has grown to a population of 1208 (1960 census).

A good share of the people who live here are natives of Milledgeville. Many are retired farmers who were born and raised on their family farms in the area and then retired and moved to town. A number of people live in Milledgeville and commute to work in Sterling, Polo, and Dixon. In the last several years, this trend has been more pronounced. More people are buying homes in Milledgeville to raise their families and then driving to larger towns to work. Many who live here are businessmen or work in stores. Probably about a third of the young people stay in Milledgeville after high school or return after college to make their homes here. Approximately 75 per cent of the people who live in Milledgeville own their own homes. The community enjoys a healthy business climate although the decline in farm income is being felt. There are several empty buildings on Main Street and the local Chamber of Commerce is working toward filling them.

A Kraft Foods Plant which has operated in Milledgeville since 1918 has been a stabilizing influence and furnishes work for about 70 persons. Swiss cheese and whey concentrate are produced for a national market. Major improvements and additions made recently to the local Kraft plant include a cooler, bulk intake, laboratory, lunchroom, locker rooms, make room, vat deck, starter lab, and ice tank room.

Milledgeville is anything but lacking in social life; it might be said to be "organization happy." There are 37 organizations with interests ranging from those of youngsters to the golden-agers. The group includes three service clubs, numerous church organizations and social clubs, Masons and Eastern Star, 4-H clubs, and scout groups. A bowling alley is a center of activity for both youth and adults. A recently-formed Teen Club sponsors dances once or twice a month, with music furnished by guitar-drum­organ combos. These are attended by large numbers of area youth. Many young people enjoy swimming at Rawson's Lake. Other recreation enjoyed in nearby communities include golf, swimming, movies, and summer theater. The JayCees sponsor a summer recreation program for youngsters. A public library offers a good selection of books for all ages, also lends films and paintings. A village park is being developed; its facilities include a shelter house, a baseball diamond and bleachers, children's playground equipment and rest rooms. Every street in Milledgeville has a blacktop surface. Water and sewer service has been improved and expanded to serve the community now and in anticipated growth in the future.

Good highways lead to communities south and west and blacktop roads connect the community with towns to the east and north. Passenger trains no longer stop in Milledgeville and there is no bus service. Each family is dependent upon itself for transportation and this often results in one, two, or even three­car families. One or two new homes are usually built in Milledgeville each year. Houses sell in the neighborhood of $16,000 and the selling price of farms averages around $550 an acre.

Most family needs could be supplied here, except for women's clothing but people often travel to larger cities to do their buying. Good roads and good cars make traveling to other towns easy and many consider a shopping trip a family outing. Basically, the people of Milledgeville are conservative. The overwhelming majority is staunchly Republican. Many feel that taxes are rising too rapidly and too high for the good of the country. The common feeling is that there needs to be a change in state and federal government; that legislation more favorable to the farmer must be passed if his business is to survive. Opinion on the war in Viet Nam is divided. Everyone would like to see our soldiers return home, but many feel that if aggression is not stopped we must meet and stand up to it somewhere else in the world. The population is well informed on current happenings and discusses events from a background gained from newspapers, radio, and television. Exposure of young people to television has made them more aware of current situations, too.

The problem of race has not arisen; Milledgeville is an all-white community. It remains to be seen what the attitude of people would be if a Negro family were to move here. Major crimes are rare; there seems to be a minimum of vandalism. One concern of the community is a teen-age drinking problem. As a whole, the community enjoys a law­abiding and church-going population. Five churches in the area, the United Methodist, the First Brethren, Community Baptist, Trinity Lutheran, and Church of the Brethren, each has a congregation of from one hundred to several hundred. The town has been "dry" since 1907 except for several years during the Roosevelt administration.

Some people here feel that new industry is needed if the community is to grow and prosper. Others feel it should remain a typical rural community and be a "bedroom city" for those who wish to live in a smaller town but work at factories or businesses in the cities. Several service clubs are investigating the need for a community center as a meeting place for all age groups and special activities. Perhaps the greatest lack felt in a small community is cultural advantages. Little is offered here for developing an appreciation of art, music, or drama. But most people feel the disadvantages of living in a rural community are far outweighed by the advantages.

How State Highway 88 Came to Milledgeville by Vernon S. Todd

In the late 1890's as gravel and paved roads were being built, Wysox township (Milledgeville) voted a $37,000 bond issue to surface main roads leading into town and also heading south toward Sterling. William Wolber, township road commissioner, who owned what was known as the Merlak farm south of Elkhorn Creek, improved a half mile of road by his place. This road drew Sterling traffic to the Whiteside­Carroll county line and Milledgeville. This route later was marked the Indian Head trail and was first considered for the proposed new state cement highway 40, now Route 88.

A gravel road had been built due north out of Sterling, later veering northwest, and since the road south from Coleta was unimproved dirt, agitation led by Loren E. Birdsall, chairman of the Whiteside county Farm Bureau road committee, and others, began to bring Route 40 west from Sterling through Emerson and north past the Birdsall farm to Coleta and thence north and east to Milledgeville. Gov. Len Small in his first term in Springfield, had stirred up opposition over his personal use of interest money on public funds during his term as state treasurer. Milledgeville Republicans were inclined to support Charles S. Deneen for next Governor. Attorney Mitchell of Sterling and the Birdsall committee had induced Gov. Small to come to Coleta for a good roads speech. Reportedly he agreed to bring the new state highway within a mile of Coleta.

The first survey by the state was north out of Sterling to near the Carroll county line. This survey was stopped and redirected to the west from what was known as Pfundstein's Corners to within one mile east of Coleta thence north to Milledgeville. As chairman of the Carroll County Farm Bureau road committee, I found a book in my father's library containing the enactments of the last (1919) Illinois legislature which included the $60 million bond issue for locating and constructing state highways. The bill stated that Route 40 (now 88) was to leave Sterling on the north taking a northwesterly direction to Milledgeville, thence to Chadwick and Mt. Carroll. With his description I went to Jordan township (Whiteside county) and contacted William Hacker, a former Milledgeville businessman, and John Hay, township supervisor. We arranged a meeting in the Gould school house.

We learned that a committee was active in trying to get the route west of Sterling through Emerson, then north through Coleta. Our group was enthusiastic and agreed to support an effort to keep the route where it had been directed. I furnished the car and the committee consisting of Mr. Hay, Mr. Hacker, James Lee, and C. A. Spanogle representing the Milledgeville Commercial Club contacted state highway headquarters in Dixon, also Democrat State Representative John P. Devine, who later was elected speaker of the Illinois House. Mr. Devine knew of the dissension over the route but said he was not the man to see; we should contact our former states attorney and circuit judge, Franklin J. Stransky of Savanna. Judge Stransky, a close friend of Gov. Small, later became Republican state chairman. We returned to Milledgeville partly discouraged, but after some discussion Hacker and Lee accompanied me to Savanna. Luckily, we found Judge Stransky in his office. I had served four days on a grand jury under him so I did most of the talking. The judge said he represented Gov. Small in his interest trouble and we should not expect him to use this connection with the Governor. However, he agreed to make an effort for us for a down payment of $600 and $2500 if we got the road. The route was to enter Milledgeville at Old Town Pump as it is today. After several meetings and a lot of bickering, the money was raised in Milledgeville and Jordan township.

Had this effort not been made the route would have been one-half mile west of Milledgeville. Charles Kingery, Chadwick banker, also a road committee member, caused the road to turn northwest of Milledgeville to Chisholm corners, then to Chadwick. Otherwise it would have followed the railroad.

( NOTE -- This road is now back to its original Route 40 name. ... because Interstate 88 now runs through that are - causing a lot of confusion )

Railroad Racket?
September, 1885 newspaper clipping
Work on the new Chicago, Burlington and Northern is being pushed rapidly at both Savanna and Oregon. Grading has commenced between Oregon and Polo and many Italian laborers are at work. Between Polo and Savanna little has yet been done; locating the route has been delayed either intentionally or unavoidably much to the disgust of contractors who are getting impatient. Those who are trying to make themselves and others believe that the company is only playing a bluff to bring some other company to time and that the road will never be built, might make a note of this little straw: The contractors notice found elsewhere, signed by E. P. Reynolds and Co., of Dubuque, is found in all the leading papers between Oregon and Savanna and is marked paid six months in advance.

Believing as we do that the road will be built without a doubt and that we will lose some trade from the south on that account, we would urge our citizens to make some combined effort to establish manufactures here so that the railroad will be a benefit instead of an injury. Milledgeville's opportunity has at last arrived and Milledgeville has shown herself equal to the occasion as the following substantial subscription list shows: There followed a long list of names.

Feb. 2, 1869: Advertisement. The Mt. Carroll and Polo Hack eastbound leaving the Pratt House, Mt. Carroll, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 9:00 A.M. and Polo on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, west­bound, changing horses at Milledgeville; so that the difference in time will be about 30-40 minutes. Express to be delivered along the line will receive prompt attention. J. T. Spear, Prop.

In 1844, a well was drilled in the middle of the road in Old Town. There was a watering trough at the pump for horses. Water was carried home in pails. After the railroad came through it was called "Old Town Pump." When the hard road came through in 1916 the old pump was pulled up and the well buried beneath the pavement. This was the last Old Town landmark.

Abe Calkins whose dairy farm was two miles south of Milledgeville had the first town milk delivery. He started in 1887 and hauled the milk in a ten gallon can. He would drive up to the house, ring a bell and when the customer came out with a pail or pan would dip out the amount wanted for three cents a quart.

A. B. Puterbaugh, raised in Lanark and a graduate of the Davenport Business College, began buying grain and livestock in Milledgeville, September 1, 1886. By January 1, 1887 he had built an elevator which gave farmers a ready market for their grain. Previously they had had it ground into flour, took what they needed home and left the balance at the grist mill to be sold. Eighteen months later he added a second grain dump and in 1891 a gas engine which took the place of horse power to elevate the grain.

Mirror, Aug. 1890: The Rev. J. H. Davis, his wife and little child while out boat riding on the raging Elkhorn had their boat upset and were all dumped out. Being near the shore he had no difficulty rescuing them.

Mirror, Aug. 1890: About 40 children ranging from four to 15 years old came from Chicago to spend two weeks enjoying country life. Places had been prepared for them and a large crowd gathered at the depot. The majority of them were intelligent and clean, while others were not so comely. We think it will take more than two weeks to make saints out of some of them.

Apr. 29, 1909, Milledgeville:
The alarm of fire was turned in Friday forenoon at 11 o'clock. It was sent in from the home of John Austick. The excitement subsided when it was discovered that it was only a chimney burning out. But some of our citizens on hearing the 11 o'clock fire alarm thought it was the regular 12 o'clock bell and went home for dinner.
In August, 1892, the Morrison Produce Company built a new poultry house in Milledgeville. By 1905, William Kennedy, the manager from Morrison, had built up a big business. Chicken buyers would bring in large loads from all parts of the country. These chickens were put in feeding pens and fattened to be dressed for market. They were picked dry by 15 to 20 pickers who cleaned as many as 2,000 a day. They were graded, put in a cooling room, packed in boxes and shipped out in carload lots. The company averaged a car­load of dressed poultry a week.

Mirror, Aug. 27, 1926: About one o'clock Frank Wood who had been separated from his wife fgr several weeks went to the residence of Dr. R. MacPherson where she was staying, and in the front room threw his arms around her neck and shot her twice in the head killing her instantly, then sent a ball from his revolver through his brain. She was formerly Annie C. Ransome of Elkhorn, aged 25, who had been married three years and one month before she had placed him under bond for threatening her life.

April, 1885: Saturday last week the editors of Carroll county met in the Mirror office and organized a Carroll County Press Association. They were D. D. Frazer, Carroll County Herald; Myers, Lanark News; W. Hunter, Savanna Independent; J. W. Parkinson, Savanna Times; W. D. Hughes, Carroll County Mirror; and Royal Patton, Shannon Express.