Wayne County
History & Genealogy
The following article was sent to me by Marcia Schafer, Thanks Marcia! If you have information you would like to add to this website please contact me. Laurie lselpien@msn.com
Although the following article was not dated it had to have been written sometime before 1962 because that is the year the author had died. Click on the underlined name for more information Laurie
Wayne County Historical Society Scrapbook
EARLY HISTORY OF WAYNE CITY, ILLINOIS & VICINITY
By A. G. Scudamore
(Alvin G. Scudamore)
Transcribed by Laurie Selpien
Do you remember in 1870 when traveling from Fairfield to Mt. Vernon on the road crossing Skillet Fork on an old wooden bridge, covered with shingles, known as the Maulding Bridge? This bridge took it’s name from a man named Maulding who built a watermill in 1835 about 300 yards west of the bridge. Mr. Maulding was instrumental in getting the state to grant a road forty feet wide from his mill to a watermill on Big Muddy River, near the present site of Murphysboro there was no town at either place then. About this time, 1870, there lived a family of five boys and a girl, who was a half sister of the boys. The boys were John, Benjamin, Siles, Ed and Austin. The girl was Anna. They all married and settled in western Wayne County and their descendants still live in the vicinity north and northeast from Wayne City. Benjamin married my next oldest sister, Ada Scudamore.
Wayne City was incorporated about 1890. The first President of the Town Board was Dr. B. E. Garrison and the first Village Clerk was Mr. J. E. Tenney. He recorded the business proceedings of the first meeting of the Board on Jan 5, 1891. The Territory incorporated covers all of Section 18,12S,R6E except SE ½ and east half section 13T2S, 15E, which is west of Main Street.
Mr. Tenney was an early resident of Wayne City, coming from near Johnsonville. He and his wife, whose maiden name was AUSTIN, had a family of two girls and four boys,. One boy Jimmie, and one girl Maude, have passed away. Martin Tenney now lives in Jacksonville, Florida, Edna on a farm four miles south of Dahlgren, Shirley in business at Sarberton, Ohio and Frank, the only member of the family remaining in Wayne City works as a tinner? (TANNER) at the same location and trade as his father.
Dr. B. E. Garrison was one of the first practicing doctors in Wayne City. None of his family are now living. I had thought the first car in Fairfield was owned by Dr. J. D. Harlen. I remember it very well. It had high wheels and looked more like a buggy than an auto. I saw it in Eldon Fleming’s writings about early days in Fairfield that Jake Gaddis brought the first car to Fairfield.
THE GADDIS FAMILY
Speaking of Jake Gaddis reminds me to tell of the Gaddis family as early residents of Wayne City and the part they played in improving the town. John Gaddis, as I remember had five sons, William, Charles, Jacob, Bert, and Robert or Bob as we called him, and two girls May and Mannie. They first owned a mill on the river east of Wayne City on a site called Tan Yard, evidently in early days there had been a tan yard located there. The river at this point had a gravel and rock bottom and we could ford the river there. This saw mill had been brought from Mill Shoals by a Mr. Behymer. He later was shot to death by a man named Kirby, and the Gaddis family became the owners of the mill. The also own a grist mill uptown.
Wayne City in the early days was a very dry town as far as water wells were concerned. My father had trouble about it before and after the town was started. The only open wells were cisterns and in dry seasons water ran out. I have hauled water many times to fill our cistern at home before there were any deep wells in Wayne City. The Gaddis family brought relief from our water famines by getting a well drill and bringing in the deep water wells for which Wayne City now is noted. They drilled a deep well on the north side of their mill and put in a pump attached to the mill and pumped the water by steam power to run the mill. These wells were strong enough to pump water all day to run the mill and there were quite a few of these deep wells drilled for water. Later I owned the drill and made many wells. We usually had to drill sixty or more feet, sometimes nearly one hundred feet to get a good well. We would usually strike sand rock at about ten to fifteen feet and drill through sand rock the rest of the way but the water is fine and now Wayne City has plenty of wells. It also now has a water line from Skillet Fork and of course that is quite a convenience for those who went modern pluming. That used to require a deep well, electric pump and septic tank. Jacob Gaddis married a Wayne City girl, Libbie Beetle, a helper at the millinery shop owned by Mrs. Lizzie Williams in early days on the west side of Main Street near where Mr. Holmans’ Jewelry Shop in now. He was near my age. I think he went west but do not know if he is now living or not. Charles Gaddis lives in Illinois, I believe Mt. Sterling. The rest of the family scattered and I do not know where they now are. Years ago May Gaddis and her husband – I believe his name was Seiler – lived on a farm near Albion.
THE EARLY TOWN
Beginning at Robinson Avenue and Main Street I will tell what I remember about early and present buildings on the east side of Main. The corner lot in early days had a swelling occupied by Turner Thompson. It now has the Richardson’s Funeral Home, a building of which any town would be proud. The next building in early days was the small frame office of Dr. B. E. Garrison. This site is now occupied by the Wayne City Bank Building. The Bank is also a source of pride to the town’s people. It was organized in 1902 by Goddard and Hall as a State Bank. H. H. Clark was the first cashier. In 1913 it was changed to a National Bank and Amos Tyler was the first President O. W. Talbert was the first Cashier. The bank went through the depression when many banks closed and now one of the original stockholders is the President Frank Mateer, W. O. Allen is the present Cashier and the citizens of Wayne City are very thankful for the services and accommodations given by them.
The Bank of Wayne City 1903
Across the street south from the Bank in the early days was a two story frame building used as a business place with a residence upstairs. I at the time had a small grocery and meat market in this building and lived above it with my family. Later Elmer McElfresh had a grocery there and while in business brought the first known Model T Ford to Wayne City. One day he took my wife and me for a ride four or five miles into the country and we got a thrill out of that ride as much as we did in 1954 when we took our first airplane ride from Champaign, Illinois to Port Huronk, Michigan about 450 miles. This took about two and a hours – about the same amount of time as our first ten mile auto ride. This spot is now the location of Ferrel Scriver’s produce business. The next building south was a grocery store owned by my father-in-law C. V. Wright. He was a radical Democrat and in 1884 after Grover Cleveland was elected, he was appointed Postmaster. My wife, then Dessie Wright worked for her father in the Post Office. We were married ion May 29th 1888 and when Cleveland was defeated I was appointed Postmaster, serving for four years and when Cleveland was re-elected, I resigned as was the custom for the victor belonged the spoils. James Forth was then appointed. In this connection it might be of interest to know all the Postmasters of Wayne City and the years they served.
POSTMASTER OF WAYNE CITY
|
Name |
Year Started |
Year Ended |
|
1871 |
1876 |
|
|
Herman Greathouse |
1876 |
1877 |
|
Frances A. Scudamore |
1877 |
1879 |
|
Alvin F. Ellis |
1880 |
1881 |
|
Eliz. J. Scudamore |
1881 |
1885 |
|
Charles V. B. Wright |
1885 |
1889 |
|
Alvin G. Scudamore |
1889 |
1893 |
|
James Forth |
1893 |
1897 |
|
James J. Lyell |
1897 |
1901 |
|
Joseph B. Scudamore |
1901 |
1906 |
|
1906 |
1915 |
|
|
Wm. B. Draper |
1915 |
1917 |
|
1917 |
1922 |
|
|
Russel P. Garrison |
1922 |
1927 |
|
Francis M. Draper (Acting) |
1927 |
1928 |
|
1928 |
1933 |
|
|
Ira Dezouche |
1933 |
Present |
After the Post Office building disappeared, Ray Jacobson owned the lot and has a small barbershop on it. On the south corner of this block at Mill Street was a hotel. Most of the material was brought from Belle City, ten miles south of Hamilton County. The building was taken down in sections and moved and rebuilt. I don’t remember how long it stood. Later the A. F. & A. M. Orel Lodge No. 759 bought this lot and 8 additional feet from Ray Jacobson and built the present building. The lower floor is occupied by Chase Hardware, Post Office and a ladies, ready to wear shop with the upper floor used for lodge hall and recreation room. I have been a member of this lodge since 1889 and know they are very proud of this building after renting and being pushed around for many years.
The next building south across Mill Street was first owned and occupied by Charles Jacobson, who came from Belle Rive, Illinois, and was our first druggist. He was first in business on the west side of Main Street then moved across to this location. His family consisted of five sons and one daughter. The boys were Ed, Alf, Alonzo, Frank Richard and Ray. Ed Jacobson was a barber as also was Ray for a while. Ray later left Wayne city and passed away a year or two ago in Mt. Vernon. Frank Jacobson married my sister Molly and they later resided in and owned this property. After Frank’s death Molly continued to manage the business at this location until her death. Their family consisted of two daughters and one son. One daughter, Lena and the son Guy, who was a doctor have passed away leaving only Carrie, who resides in Lincoln, Illinois. On the back of this lot was a bakery and on the southwest corner a swelling?. There is also a Livery Stable just south of the Drug Store, back in the days when horses were the principle means of transportation.
MORE OLD LANDMARKS
In the next block south, Wm. DeWitt, an early resident, built a home which stood for many years but it is now gone and in its place a large salesroom for farm implements. The street running east and west at this corner ends at Main Street and on the west side of Main Street in line with the east and west street stood another old time landmark – The Public Well. The iron pump stood on a rough wooden platform, which extended over a rather deep ditch. It was shaded by a high silver poplar tree. There was a large watering trough where grateful horses drank & barefoot children splashed on warm summer days. The tin cups hanging near were often rusty and probably quite unsanitary but the water was clear, cold and delicious. Before the deep wells becoming numerous, many residence carried all their drinking and cooking water from this well.
A few feet north of this well and on the west side of Main Street is the lot on which the Scudamore residence and the first house built in the territory covered by the Incorporation is still standing although it has been remodeled and re-roofed, it is now very dilapidated.
The next lot north of the residence has had several buildings, the first used for merchandise by father and then later a photo gallery and small frame post office. It is now a vacant lot. Next north were two frames store buildings. These buildings burned. I don’t remember just when and are now replaced by brick buildings occupied by Esmon & Wood & Thomason Furniture Store. Just south of the alley is a service station. Across the alley north were frame buildings occupied by Jake Jarvis and John Chandler and at one time by Eldon Fleming. There have been replaced by McRill’s Department Store. I can’t remember what stood where the Barber Shop & Holmes Jewelry now are but on the corner was a two story frame building Tyler Brothers Hardware.
THE ALVIN ELLISES
Another pioneer family in Wayne City was that of Alvin F. Ellis, Postmaster in 1880. He was commonly known as Frank Ellis and was a distant relative of my fathers. He came to Wayne City about 1872 to work as a blacksmith in a shop owned by my father. He married Mary Stroud and they had a family of four boys and one girl. The girl May, married Dan Whittenburg and spent her entire life in Wayne City passing away in 1947. Lawrence Ellis lived in Mt. Vernon and was employed by the Mt. Vernon Car Shops for forty three years. He passed away in May 1950. Ed Ellis lived in Decatur and died in January of this year. Bill Ellis was also a blacksmith and worked as such in Wayne City for many years. He now lives at DeKalb Illinois, and Milburn Ellis lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. The only descendant of Frank Ellis now living in Wayne City is a granddaughter, daughter of Lawrence Ellis and wife Earnest Richardson, the highly respected owner of the Funeral Home.
I recently read Mr. Lappin’s writings about the early history of Upper Dry Fork and his mention of a John Batt, who came to his rescue when he was threatened by a patron of a school where he taught , reminds me of another early Wayne City Family, that of Mr. R. E. Batt. He was a carpenter and a blacksmith. He had two sons John and William, and one daughter. The daughter married Calvin Thomason. Their children settled on a farm in the neighborhood they were born and one son Orval Thomason was in business in Wayne city.
Additional Information
Dr. B. E. Garrison was born in 1860 and died in 1928 buried in Thomason Cemetery
Elmer McElfresh was born Apr 25, 1850 and died Nov 21, 1913 he is buried in Thomason Cemetery
Illustrated and Descriptive Sketch Book of Wayne Co., Il. (1909)
“J. B. SCUDAMORE (Joseph B SCUDAMORE)
In Preparing our sketches on Wayne County history and the personal biographies of many of the prominent citizens it is with a feeling of pride and pleasure that we present the name forming the caption of this sketch.
The history of Wayne City could not be written without mention of J. B. SCUDAMORE who may well be called the founder as he built the first dwelling and the first store on the present site of the town, was the first postmaster and was instrumental in securing a post office for the place. Our subject was born in Gallatin County Illinois August 23 1832 and is the son of George and Rebecca BUCK Scudamore. He received his common school of early education principally in Hamilton County of this state. Mr. Scudamore was united in marriage Jan 1, 18-6 with Miss Elizabeth J. LEWIS of Champaign County Illinois. Their union proved happy and was blessed with eight children. Our subject has figured prominently in public life having held fourteen commissions as follows: eight as Notary Republic, one Justice of the peace, Three Army commissions- one as second Lieutenant, one First Lieutenant and one Captain; two commissions as Postmaster of Wayne City. In addition to these offices Mr. Scudamore represented Wayne County in the thirty-sixth General Assembly of the State of Illinois for which he held a certificate. He has served as a member of the county board of Supervisors four terms and was chairman one term. He is the present Postmaster of Wayne City but has retired from public life and has the able assistance in the office, of two unmarried daughters.”
NOTE: Joseph died in 1922 and is buried in the Thomason Cemetery
Thomas F. Dickey was born in 1856 he was the died Jan 13, 1941 and is buried in the Thomason Cemetery
Geo. H. Sherman was born in 1872 and died in 1950 buried in the Thomason Cemetery
Francis M. Draper was born in 1878 and died in 1962 he is buried in the Thomason Cemetery
Wallace Leach was born in 1868 and died in 1949 he is buried in the Thomason Cemetery
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