GOSSIP & NEWS

Of

Griggsville

Pike County IL

The Daily Review 22 August 1853
Mr. Hughes of the Griggsville independent reports several cases of small pox in the area. William P. Jones died here there Tuesday night and was buried before morning. There is great terror in the neighborhood. There have been 2 deaths and 8-10 down with the disease. It was brought to this region from Cuba, Fulton County .

The Alton Weekly Courier(Alton, IL), 20 April 1854
MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR --- We are informed by Dr. Roberts, living near Griggsville Landing, on the Illinois river, that on Friday, March 31st, the dead body of a man was found in the river opposite his house, and brought to shore by his son. From appearances the body had been in the water a long time, and it was therefore found necessary to bury it as soon as possible. As the Coroner resides a considerable distance off, a Justice of the Peace was called, A jury summoned, and a sort of inquest held. Without going into a thorough examination of the body, a verdict was rendered to the effect, that the man had probably been drowned by accident. No money was found about his person, or nothing that could lead to his identity. Having business in Naples the same day, Dr. Roberts learned there that a man had disappeared from Meredosia, about a month before, under mysterious circumstances. He was a Tennessean, had resided near that place about a year, and had raised a fine crop of corn. About the 1st of March he went to Meredosia and sold seventeen hundred bushels of corn to Mr. Trover, and was supposed by his friends to have received the money, amounting to some six or seven hundred dollars; but it was ascertained afterwards that he did not receive it. He disappeared very suddenly, and all the efforts of his friends to find him proved fruitless. After hearing his story, Dr. Roberts immediately sent word to the friends of the lost man, that a body had been found, as above stated. They went down, and having disinterred the body, recognized him at once as the lost man. Upon a close examination a fracture was found in the skull, which appeared to have been made by the stroke of a hatchet. It was immediately suspected that the man had been murdered and thrown into the river, by some one who knew he had sold the corn, and supposed he had received the money therefore. We have been thus particular in stating the circumstances of tins case, as we received them, in the hope that it may lead in some way to the discovery of the perpetrators of this foul deed. Our informant had forgotten the name of the murdered man. He left a wife and four children. Morgan Jour. (Contributed by Sandi & Delaine Donaldson)

The Daily Republican(Decatur, IL) 13 August 1874
At the convention of the Independent and Reform party held at Whitehall today to select a candidate for Congress for the Eleventh District, the Rev. J. P. Dimmit, of Griggsville, Pike County, was chosen over Hon. D. M. Woodson, of Greene. Strong efforts were made to have the convention indorse Beaty, who is the Republican nominee, and equally strong work was had to unite the Republicans on Woodson, but the farmers concluded to go it straight.—J. Dimmit is a Methodist preacher, with strong anti-monopoly proclivities. (Contributed by Sandi Donaldson)

The Daily Review Decatur IL 28 January 1875
Griggsville is rejoicing over the arrival of her town clock. It is a beautiful piece of mechanism, weighs 900 pounds, with four dials, each 4 feet 7 inches in diameter, with handsome gilded figures and hands, and cost $350. It will lie placed in the new school house. (Contributed by Sandi Donaldson)

Decatur Review (Decatur, IL), 10 March 1881
Mr. Hughes, of the Griggsville Independent was in the city last night. He reports several cases of small-pox in his section. William P. Jones died there Tuesday night, and was buried before morning. There is great terror in the neighborhood. There have been two deaths and eight or ten are down with the disease. It was brought to that region from Cuba, Fulton county. (Contributed by Sandi Donaldson)

Decatur Weekly Republican (Decatur, IL), 17 March 1881
Small pox is becoming quite troublesome this season in many parts of Illinois, particularly at Cuba, in Fulton county, at Canton, Griggsville, in Chicago and fears are entertained that the dread disease may gain a foothold in Central Illinois. The Danville school board has ordered that all the children attending school there be vaccinated by March 21st, or they will thereafter be excluded from the buildings. At present there are no cases of small pox in this city or county, so far as is known; but it will be well for all persons to be on their guard, and be prepared with proper remedies. (Contributed by Sandi Donaldson)

The Reflector - 15 November 1881
Married - In Whiting, Kansas, on Tuesday morning, November 15th, 1881, in the M. E. Church, by Rev. Mayer, Mr. John Harrison and Miss Matil­da J., daughter of Mr. G. A. Fies­ter. The happy couple arrived in Griggsville, Thursday at 6:30 P. M., and were the guests of Dr. T. W. Parker. They will remain a few days, visiting friends and relatives in and adjacent to this city, when they will prolong the bridal tour to Jacksonville and Chicago visiting the groom's, relatives. The REFLECTOR unites with Miss Jennie's many friends in this city and vicinity in wishing them much joy and unalloyed happiness in their journey through life. (Contributed by Sandi Donaldson)

The Decatur Daily Republican 03 February 1883
Miss Emma Stoner of Griggsville is in Decatur visiting her uncle Dr. A.J. Stoner & Family.

The Decatur Daily Republican 07 April 1883
Mrs. Nancy Dimmitt, the mother of Rev. J.P. Dimmitt and Mrs. A.A. Bentley, his only sister are in Decatur visiting him this week and will remain for the grand jubilee at Tuesday next.

The Decatur Daily Republican 29 July 1886
Mrs. Louise E. Conover is in Decatur under the medical care of Dr. Naomi Pierce.

Decatur Republican 11 August 1887
W.F. Thompson has returned from an unsuccessful search through Illinois and Missouri for his father H.H. Thompson, a prominent stock dealer of Griggsville. Mr. Thompson left Griggsville 2 weeks ago taking a westbound Wabash passenger train. He was under the influence of liquor and displaying a large sum of money for which his son believes he was murdered.

The Decatur Daily Republican 19 November 1887
Miss Clara Leaton daughter of Rev. James Leaton, and Rev. Harry Beales were united in marriage at Griggsville on the 16th. The father of the bride officiated.

The Decatur Daily Republican 18 February 1888
Dr. James Leaton has had something resembling a stroke which prostrates him to a great extent. He will leave shortly for a few weeks at Wichita KS and should this fail to restore his health he will give up the ministry completely.

Waterloo Daily Reporter (Waterloo, IA), 21 April 1889
Alber D. Arbegast. of Parsons. Kan.; Mrs. Laura Diehl, of Griggsville, Ills., and Mrs. Josephine Bloser, of Newvillc, Pa., 56 years old, arc believed to be the oldest living triplets in the world. (Contributed by Sandi Donaldson)

The Decatur Review - Decatur, IL, November 3, 1890
Griggsville Mob in 1837: “Instances without number might be cited, running through more than a half century of Illinois history, showing the injustice of the laws and the blind, unreasoning fury of race hatred. In 1843(Note: The year is wrong. It should be 1837, as indicated by John M. Palmer’s statement in his recollections.) a man who undertook to circulate a petition against slavery in the District of Columbia at Griggsville was pursued by a mob, whipped and given short notice to leave the state. The mob then turned upon the signers of the petition, among whom were the late O. M. Hatch and Nathan French. The latter was hotly pursued and ran into a store where a Yankee clock peddler named John M. Palmer, afterward a general in the Union army, governor, and United States senator from Illinois, gave him a pistol and told him to use it in self-defense.” (Submitted by Delaine Donaldson)

Delphos Daily Herald (Delphos, OH), 06 August 1903
A severe wind and rainstorm struck the Central Illinois fair grounds, where there were 2,500 persons. Trees, tents, carriages, stand and sheds were hurled through the air and the rain fell in torrents, creating a panic. Several persons were injured. (Contributed by Sandi Donaldson)

Fort Wayne Daily Gazette(Fort Wayne, IN), 12 April 1904
The gentlemanly conductor held his train at Maysville station, the other day, just long enough for Mr. Burkes, of Baylis, and Mrs. M Barnes, of Griggsville, to be pronounced man and wife, after which the locomotive gave a joyful shout, and soon the bridal party were landed safe at Baylis. (Contributed by Sandi Donaldson)

The Edwardsville Intelligencer 9 May 1931
Boiling coffee which was spilt on her face and arms when she slipped and fell ont he kitchen floor while preparing breakfast Wednesday morning was blamed today for the death of Mrs. Mrs. Albert Albor, 50 ( Griggsville). A coroners jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

The Edwardsville Intelligencer 25 January 1936
Death of Jackson Bright, 75 year old bachelor from burns last night was attributed today to a night lamp which is believed to have set fire to his clothing. Firemen, called to put out the blaze in his home, found Bright dead, his clothes burned from his body and one room of the house in flames.

The Edwardsville Intelligencer 19 May 1936
A fall down the basement steps was blamed today for the death of Mrs. Albert Rhodes, 83, here yesterday. She was found lying unconscious on the basement floor by her husband. Mrs. Rhodes had lived here since 1875.

The Edwardsville Intelligencer 21 March 1955
Charles Staffy 18, died Sunday of burns received Saturday in an explosion at his fathers salvage yard in Griggsville. The boy and his father Francis Staffy, 47, were burning an old car when the explosion occurred. Authorities believe some gas was left in the tank of the car.