Hi I am curious to know are there any festivals or anything going on in Johnson Co this fall? Thanks Mara

Little Egypt Heritage Articles Stories of Southern Illinois (c) Bill Oliver 24 August 2003 Vol 2 Issue: #30 ISBN: pending Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen of Little Egypt, Last week I announced that the summer had ended, for we sent the Grandchildren home to their parents because school was starting. I noted all week that loaded Vans and Pickup trucks were lined up outside of the dorms at local colleges and tech schools. Reports from around the country were much the same, except a report from Chris in Curtis, Nebraska, stating that one could distinguish Nebraskans returning to school for they were using horse trailers for moving. :) This led me to the topic of resourcefulness. Not only Nebraskans stand out in that department, but all Americans ... it is a good ole American trait! When the times get tough, the tough get going. This leads me to the fact that economic depressions and wars cause shortages, which causes people to look for substitutes. A friend of my Father's youth was Michael V DiSalle who once said, "The only way to keep food prices down is to ‘keep them down on the farm' ...." There was more to that, but I want just to emphasize that when the chips are down we as a people "make do". It wasn't only that gal in "Gone with the Wind" that when needing a new dress used the drapes. Mike DiSalle was once Mayor of Toledo, Ohio, Governor of Ohio and under Harry S Truman's administration, the Director of Price Stabilization. I was reminded of him when I found the newspaper report of a speech President Truman gave in honor of Mr DiSalle's retirement from Washington. My own youth was spent during the 1930s — a time when we recycled roller skates into 2x4 home constructed scooters. And, Christmas presents were new socks and sweaters. As boys and girls we thought it devilishly clever of us to make ink from berries ... Grandma and the Aunts canned elderberries, but we mashed them and dipped our pen points in the juices to write each other letters. We used the missile end of 22-bullets to write notes. What a dull gray mark they made. We experimented with chunks of coal from our coal bins. We weren't so clever after all. Since then I have learned that in the Southern State during and after the War Between the States that these were common items because that War caused shortages. The South had no or very few paper mills and inks were also imported. In a recent garage sale, I saw a sliced peach pit necklace strung together with a shoe lace. One very much like it can be found in museums. When all the valuable jewelry was sold off to finance the WBTS, women turned to slicing peach pits and stringing the pieces together to be worn as necklaces and bracelets. The Boy Scouts of America with their motto of "Be Prepared" prepared us to utilize what we had. Tin can cups. Gourds made into ladles, dippers, cups and/or bowls. We were taught how to whittle wooden spoons and knives. I was never much good at making forks though. Again, this was not really new skills. When folks were driven from their homes because of "visiting" armies, they also used skills to furnish these items of every day life. When the weather turned real cold, carpets were used as blankets. Soap is a mixture of lye, water and grease. A method of making lye is to filter water through a hopper filled with wood ash. This lye produces a very soft soap. To harden the soap, salt was added, [if available]. Another soap was produced by 12 quarts of water, 5 pounds of unslaked lime, and 5 pounds of washing soda that had been dissolved in 12 quarts of water. Mixed, it was left to sit for half-a-day to a full day. What clear liquid was poured off, and to this was added 3 and a half pounds of rendered grease and three to four ounces of rosin. After an hour of boiling it is poured out to cool. When meat fat was not available, cotton seed oil was substituted. Ferment Irish potatoes, grated green con and wheat bran. Skim off the surface and use the remaining solution to starch your clothes. We all know flour and water paste. How about glue from the gum of a Georgia peach or plum tree? Teeth were cleaned with crushed charcoal, or salt, or soda, or arrowroot. Tooth brushes were made from tree twigs, but I liked the licorice root, chewed until it was "broomed". When Barb and I were first married I saved every nail and straightened the out to be used again, as my Father and Uncles before me. Screws were saved to be used again and again. Even to this day my workbench is filled with coffee and peanut cans full of nuts, bolts, nails and screws. During the Civil War iron was most scarce so iron products were saved and reused and reused. Thanks to our ancestors writing to each other of their successes in utilizing substitutes for things they lacked we have a very rich heritage. Most of these things mentioned can be found in old letters and diaries. They are fascinating reading. I'm sure that you have heard of "twice turned". When dresses showed to much wear, they were "turned" — the material was rearranged, such as the top forming the bottom, with new added trim to form the "new" dress. Often dresses were "twice turned". When dresses couldn't be used any more, that material which was still usable was made into shirts for men or boys or quilts or braided rugs. Nothing was wasted. As leather became scarce, shoes needed to be conserved. In order to save wear and tear on shoes the "house slipper" was popular. They could be worn indoors and made from such things as old carpet, braided cloth, etc. The tops of old worn out boots were made into soles for less demanding wear about the house or home. Leather gloves were scarce, so were made at home from materials such as flannel. However, they could also be knitted or crocheted from yarn. e-la-di-e-das-di ha-wi nv-wa-do-hi-ya nv-wa-to-hi-ya-da. (May you walk in peace and harmony) Wado, Bill -=- Other sites worth visiting: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/SOIL http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/ILMASSAC http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ne/state/BillsArticles/LittleEgypt/intro.html

I apologize to all on my lists, who may have been inconvenienced by any mail directed to me, and if it bounced, it is because of the many (100 and more some days) emails with attachments I have received. I have had to set my spam filter as a result, but now I have directed my webmail account to receive the messages from the lists to which I am subscribed. Virginia

I am searching for George Wall that md. Laura Jane Henshaw, Feb. 28, 1886 in Wm. Co., IL. If anyone has any info. on this couple, please e-mail me. Thank you Linda

I have just been bombarded with about 20 attachments. So far, none seem to contain a virus. I also received one where it appeared I had tried to send it and it bounced. If anyone receives an attachment from me and you are not expecting it, don't open it, and if anyone has received any of these nuisance attachments from an email address they are familiar with, just beware.

Little Egypt Heritage Articles Stories of Southern Illinois (c) Bill Oliver 17 August 2003 Vol 2 Issue: #29 ISBN: pending Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen of Little Egypt, The Summer ended this afternoon ... we returned the last grandchildren to the authority of their parents. Some of them start back to school this week. We used to start after Labor Day ... ummmm ... times do change. However, with returning the grands signals life returning to "normal", whatever that is. Our summer has been extremely busy [as usual] developing "apperceptive" education for these grandchildren as we did for our children, Before returning them today, we visited a "ghost" town which teaches what our pioneer 18th and 19th centuries were like. We even met the ghost of "Ol BlackSwamp Bob" who was a northwestern local history buff and story teller. We took the small grandchildren to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan last week end. Things have changed a lot since we first took our children there some "few" years ago. I was fascinated looking at the Presidential Limousines. I stood by the one that transported FDR for a long time. I tried to tell the Grands that I had touched that car back in the first half of the 1940s when FDR toured the Military Base where I was attending school and we school children lined up along the roadside to wave. Vivacious granddaughter was off somewhere else and grandson wasn't too impressed either. <sigh> There were kitchen stoves of different energy sources [wood/coal ... gas ... electricity]. An earlier electric "ice-box" ... can you remember that big round glob on top?? And, all those old farm implements ... and, not forgetting the development of the "horse-less" carriage ... there was an original VW "Bug". Now that got the attention of the grandson. While in the rooms of time "pieces" my mind raced back a-ways and way-far-back. The phrase that started it all was "railroad time"! Setting on a book shelf in my study is my Grandpa Oliver's old Illinois pocket watch. He used this time piece when he worked on the railroad back in southern Illinois. It still works, keeping excellent time. When Grandma first gave it to me it had a habit of stopping exactly on Christmas Day each year. I would have it cleaned and it would run again for a year, stopping again on Christmas Day. Grandpa died on Christmas Day. I'm not sure that I should have listened to the old watch repairer for he said I should not just wind it and hang it back under its display dome ... he said place it in different positions because it was made to be carried. But, now it doesn't stop on Christmas Day. In the beginning of human time man said I'm hungry ... it's time to eat. He [yep, I said "he" ;)] This wasn't good enough for meeting schedules, I guess, cause someone found it necessary to achieve the marking of the passage of time, so someone developed the sundial. [Did you know that the "pointer" or indicator on a sundial is called a gnomon?] The Egyptians used sundials. The dial of Ahaz mentioned in Isaiah existed about 730 B.C. And, the Babylonians, the Chaldeans, were famous as astronomers, thus, their superior expertise on sundials lasted for over a millennium. Scholars the world over, from all civilizations, were familiar with sundials. In the 15th century the Nocturnal dial was developed by navigators who needed to tell time by the position of the stars. By the 17th century mechanical pocket watches were developed, but they were expensive and very unreliable, so portable or pocket sundials were still used. There is a story that Charles the First of England was given a silver pocket sundial by Eleanor of Aquitaine because he was always late for his meetings with her. During the 18th century clocks and watches began to take the place of sundials, however, they were still quite unreliable, and sundials were used to set the "true" time. As we all know, due to the rotation of the earth, the town 20 or 30 miles east or west of me would set their clocks slightly different from mine. However, by the end of the 19th century, time discrepancies began to matter a whole lot to everyone. The reason? The railroads demanded schedules. Trains demanded schedules, and schedules demanded standardization of time to accommodate clients and to avoid serious accidents. In 1884, a conference was held and four time zones for the United States [Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific] were agreed upon. All stations within each zone would carry the same time. Thus, train time, which was quite rigorously held to by the railroads, became the time that all citizens and the towns they lived in set their clocks by. When I was a boy, the noon train whistle became the signal for setting or checking clocks. Well, Grandpa, your pocket watch is still ticking telling me that it is time to post another week's article. Thank you for giving me your time piece. Lynn, do as your doctor says ... we want your time to be there for you. Oh, me Father will turn over in he grave with this one ... do you know what an Irishman misses most? An Irish meadow with its forty shades of green! e-la-di-e-das-di ha-wi nv-wa-do-hi-ya nv-wa-to-hi-ya-da. (May you walk in peace and harmony) Wado, Bill -=- Other sites worth visiting: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/SOIL http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/ILMASSAC http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ne/state/BillsArticles/LittleEgypt/intro.html

My email address of [email protected] has some type of problem , which I have had since 98 , anyway if you have problems using [email protected] please change my email address to [email protected] this email address will get you help with the JOHNSON CO IL MAIL LIST Now for the Johnson Co IL ILGenWeb site which I hope to update starting OCT 01, 2003 you will see some new material. Anything to do with JOHNSON CO IL ILGENWEB page send email to [email protected] and in your subject line type JOHNSON CO IL . If you need help with Family lines that I have such as Harner, Shelly, Moore, Toler, Stokes, Tripp, Turner, Bird, Williams, Sutton, Miles, Casey, Choate, Goddard, Taylor, Treece, Oller, and I probably have others (grin) some I know more about , some I don't but have collected alot over the last few years. You can EMAIL ME at [email protected] and in the Subject line type the Surname or family you are asking about. I have not been as busy working on my genealogy or webpages due to the fact , I am working everyday it seems. So I needed to update you with these new email addresses. Tim Casey Johnson Co IL mail list Johnson Co IL IL GenWeb ILGenWeb Southern Regional Coordiator

On LDS SITE, there are 5 Oris HARRIS in 1880 census. http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp If you find out anything that looks like it might be him, I have access to 1860 and 1870 census. At 03:27 PM 8/9/03 -0700, you wrote: >Does anyone know anything about a HARRIS family that lived in Johnson >County. I am looking for parents & siblings of Oris "Pap" HARRIS b. 26 Nov >1854 - d. 9 Jan 1947 in Randolph County, AR. Thank you. > >Barbara Reeves Whittaker >Mesa, AZ >[email protected] > > > > > >==== ILJOHNSO Mailing List ==== >Do not send Virus warnings to this list. >"Problems with Johnson Co IL Mail List email Tim Casey" >[email protected]

Does anyone on the list connect to the Lundy family of Johnson & Massac Counties? Benjamin Franklin Lundy was born c1827 in KY/TN. He married Martha Sheldon Cheek born c1825 in TN on 5 July 1853 in Johnson County. She had previously been married to a Cheek. Benjamin's father was Ralph Lundy from Canada. Benjamin is buried in the Holt Cemetery. Their children: 1. Missouri Anna born 16 Jan 1852? in Massac County. She married William Thomas Johnson c1871. 2. Mary 3. Louisa born c1858 married Charles Wright on 10 Oct 1873. 4. Margaret born c1859. 5. Julia Miller born 26 Aug 1861 in Massac County died 15 July 1940 in Grantsburg. She married Thomas Robert Burris on 6 Sep 1879. 6 & 7. unknown males I believe it possible that the two sons & Missouri Anna were children from a first marriage. It is also believed that Benjamin Franklin Lundy may have married a Oma Bridges in the late 1880's and had a daughter Emma that moved to Indiana. He marriage record states her birth place as Vienna, IL. There are more Lundy's buried in the County Line Cemetery that may be children or grandchildren of Benjamin. Names that appear in records that may be related to Benjamin are Lillie May Evans & Mrs. J.W. McCorkle. Any help on the Lundy, Cheek, Bridges, Wright, Johnson, Burris, Evans or McCorkle lines would greatly be appreciated. This is one of those "brick wall" lines. Thanks James

Does anyone know anything about a HARRIS family that lived in Johnson County. I am looking for parents & siblings of Oris "Pap" HARRIS b. 26 Nov 1854 - d. 9 Jan 1947 in Randolph County, AR. Thank you. Barbara Reeves Whittaker Mesa, AZ [email protected]

I am looking for the graves of James Ira Summers and James Wesley Summers, James was not on the 1860 census but his children were already in Stoddard Co Mo living with their grandparents the Nathaniel Scholes Family. James lived in Belknap and were back and forth across the borders into both counties. James Wesley married Rebecca Black. I have been told that her grave is in Illinois but family history is that she died enroute to Missouri and was buried on the roadside (how many times have we heard that one?) Any information would be appreciated. Wilma

Looking for info on Geo. H. CALDWELL, b. 1893, New Liberty, IL, son of Wm. A. CALDWELL and Emma GOLDEN, and found in the 1920 Census in Johnson Co., IL, age 25, married, with a son, George W. CALDWELL, and one stepson, Wallise CAVITH. George H. was my grandmother's brother. Would love to find out more about him and his family. Regina

Little Egypt Heritage Articles Stories of Southern Illinois (c) Bill Oliver 3 August 2003 Vol 2 Issue: #28 ISBN: pending Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen of Little Egypt, When I walked into the Genealogy Office on Wednesday morning last, my friend Gene, asked, "What happened to this week's article?" I had to answer "fatigue". We had spent the weekend in the Windy City, Chicago with three grands and one daughter touring the Field Museum. The dino named "Sue" was the big attraction, but we did lots of other things also. When we returned home Sunday evening, there was a house full of furniture to cram into the living/dining area so a new carpet could be installed. Monday night the reverse moving of furniture, by this time it was Wednesday already. The article which follows was written in Chicago and would have been ready to mail out if I had had the energy. This week the catch word is "preservation" because the family spent the weekend in Chicago Museums and Aquariums. The main objective was to see and visit "Sue", the dinosaur at the Chicago Field Museum. Museums preserve our history. It was crowded, and it was hot, but seven year old grandson spent several hours observing and departing his knowledge of huge reptiles and Egyptology, as well as asking more questions than Carter had "Little Liver Pills". My digital camera took many pictures for him. The word, preserve ... preservation, again allowed my mind to wander, as I remembered the preserves my daughter gives me each year to spread upon my morning toast. And, this thought runs ramped exciting my taste buds. Now, I'm not a King, by any stretch, and strawberry jam is favored over orange marmalade, but I remember marmalade always being on Grandma Lester's table. Then, somewhere in the family there was apple jam, ... apricot, blackberry, elderberry, cherry, blueberry, gooseberry, elderberry, loganberry, and even ... grape jams. Other jam delights were offered in the homes of friends: passion fruit, and even fig jam. Oh, and I forgot quince; and, wild plum from those that grew along the country roadsides in Nuckolls county, Nebraska. I don't wish to put down marmalade. In my seven decades there has been offered and enjoyed such marmalades as orange, grapefruit, tangerine, cumquat, and even lemon. Golly, rhubarb suddenly popped into my mine, and I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting, such as mincemeat. This is opening Pandora's Box [E=MC squared]. Then there is the family of picked foods. Besides picked beets, there were pickled cucumbers, sweet and dill pickles, gherkins, onions, cabbages, green tomatoes, mixed vegetables such as cauliflower, beans, and carrots. In addition there were pickled eggs, apples, orange slices, plums, pears and peaches. Golly, Molly, how could I forget raisins to spice up the tastes? My gastric juices flowing as they are reminds me that my relatives would work all day and maybe several days doing all this "preserving" for winter fare. Usually the Grandmas and their daughters would gather and for the day hands and tongues were extremely busy. As a boy I would hang around closely ... not to listen to the chatter, but hoping for the "taste testing" ... the sampling of the "goings-on". Everyone of my Aunts and Great Aunts were great cooks. These family gatherings not only created the preserves we ate, they were the things that preserved the nuclear and broader families. And, today in a few dishes that I've learned to prepare I remind myself of these family gatherings. However, as much and as hard as I've tried, I cannot make the biscuits like they did. They were thick and light, always served warm. They tell me that it was all in the "lard". Well, I substitute Bisquick. For one of our daughters who asked what "buckle" in Blueberry Buckle meant: It is the "archaic" term used to describe a crisp curl or ripples/crinkles in the top crisp of the desert. Another way to imagine a crisp curl is to think of bacon curling in a fry pan. Well, the canning day was part of the life of our family. Jars with rubber rings and glass lids and a spring clip to hold the lid down were sterilized. There also were lacquered metal discs or ceramic caps with screw bands to secure the lids. These also had rubber rings to insure good seals. The glass jars had to be the type which could withstand sterilization. I remember the large containers used to do this and to give the preserves their final "water bath". There had to be a mesh rack to spare hands from the boiling water and to keep the jars off the bottom of the pan. Seems I remember jar tongs to lift then in and out of the hot water. A thermometer was needed to track the water temperature. In town we used gas to heat the water, but if we were in the country visiting Great Grandma Ames or one of the Great Aunts, wood burning stoves were used for heating the water. e-la-di-e-das-di ha-wi nv-wa-do-hi-ya nv-wa-to-hi-ya-da. (May you walk in peace and harmony) Wado, Bill -=- Other sites worth visiting: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/SOIL http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/ILMASSAC http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ne/state/BillsArticles/LittleEgypt/intro.html

It has been suggested to me, that it is a possibility that Sarah DOWNEY, who m Dennis C HODGE in Johnson Co in Jan 1870, could possibly be the mother of Albert DOWNEY. She was listed as 22 in 1870 census, and Albert was 8. She would have been 14 at his birth. Could he have been an illegitimate child? Does anyone have access to bastardy bonds? I would appreciate any help on this.

The library is a good place to do research and the librarian is very friendly and helpful and knows a lot about Johnson County. The library is open 1 PM to 5 PM and is closed Thursday and Sunday. You will find the courthouse across the from the library and is also a good place to research and very friendly and helpful. Homer ----- Original Message ----- From: "Virginia Flesher" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, July 25, 2003 8:05 PM Subject: [ILJOHNSO] 1865 census > I did find from this page, that IL did have a state census in 1865. I > wonder if anyone has access to the one for 1865. I may be able to be in > Vienna around the 5th or 6th of August, could someone please give me > information on the library or genealogy room there? I will be passing > through on my way to visit my sister in Momence. > http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache:JiNGaSV4BCIJ:www.library.sos.state.il.u > s/publications/pdf_publications/state_census_rec.pdf+state+census+illinois+1 > 865+johnson&hl=en&ie=UTF-8 > > > ==== ILJOHNSO Mailing List ==== > Visit the Official Johnson Co IL ILGenWeb Site! > http://www.rootsweb.com/~iljohnso/ > >

I did find from this page, that IL did have a state census in 1865. I wonder if anyone has access to the one for 1865. I may be able to be in Vienna around the 5th or 6th of August, could someone please give me information on the library or genealogy room there? I will be passing through on my way to visit my sister in Momence. http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache:JiNGaSV4BCIJ:www.library.sos.state.il.u s/publications/pdf_publications/state_census_rec.pdf+state+census+illinois+1 865+johnson&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

Thanks to everyone for the help and information on Sarah and Dennis C HODGE, especially the cemetery information and marriage. If anyone has children for this couple, or grandchildren, I would love to have that. If anyone has access to death certificate or funeral home information, or obituaries, which might help me with Sarah's parents, that would be a big help. I found Dennis and Sarah in 1910, and they had a grandson living with them, but I could not make out his name exactly, it was Earl Galman or Calmon or might have been Callahan. He was 12 then. Sarah had given birth to 10 children, 6 were living. I have a biography of James M DOWNEY who had lived in Johnson Co, but it didn't mention a daughter by the name of Sarah.

I know that Pope County did. Kenneth R. Searles Huntsville, KY ----- Original Message ----- From: "Virginia Flesher" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, July 25, 2003 1:35 PM Subject: [ILJOHNSO] 1865 state census? > Did IL have a 1865 state census? > > > ==== ILJOHNSO Mailing List ==== > Visit the Official Johnson Co IL ILGenWeb Site! > http://www.rootsweb.com/~iljohnso/ > >

Virginia, I found some cemetery info for you about Dennis and Sarah and I sent it to your email address. If anyone else needs cemetery information for Johnson County, I have the books for the 9 townships of Johnson County. Email me at [email protected] and I will look it up for you. Thanks, Homer ----- Original Message ----- From: "Virginia Flesher" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, July 25, 2003 8:57 AM Subject: [ILJOHNSO] HODGE marriage lookup > Thanks for the lookup on HODGE-DOWNEY marriage. If anyone has information > on these two, Sarah and Dennis in a Johnson Co IL cemetery, I would > appreciate lookup. Also, any DOWNEY who may have been Sarah's parents. > Thanks again. > > Virginia Flesher > > > ==== ILJOHNSO Mailing List ==== > Visit the Official Johnson Co IL ILGenWeb Site! > http://www.rootsweb.com/~iljohnso/ > >

Did IL have a 1865 state census?