Here is another: The Washburn Grays The warmer weather and increasing number of baseball games that will be played in the area also bring back memories of teams from yesteryear. The above picture of the Washburn Grays was taken about 1917. They represented Washburn in games with teams from the surrounding communities and Peoria. Members of the team were: Back row (left to right): Herman Schroeder, Lee Jury, Henry Schroeder, "Butch" Taylor, H.F. "Cebe" Eikelbarner, Coon Schroeder, John Moschel. Front row (L to R): Loius Simpkins, Grant Ireland, Dick Pritchard, Tom Ireland, Farran "Roundy" Stewart. George Webber also played with the boys but was absent when the picture was taken. The picture is owned by Maniferd Harper. If this interests anyone and they would like to see the photo, email me at ichabod@bwsys.net and I will scan it and send along or make a photocopy and snail mail. Audrey

Here is another newspaper clipping from Washburn, IL dated June 6, 1962: Junior High Graduates Members of the graduating class of Lowpoint-Washburn Junior High School, shown above, received their diplomas at he 10th annual commencement held on Tuesday May 29, at Lowpoint. Members of the class were: Linda May Anderson, Larry Leon Arends, Sandra Kay Asher, Christine Sue Bammann, Robert Frank Beschorner, Richard Frank Conrad, Jerry Michael Crank, Randy Merlin Crum, Paul William Damerell, Steven Michael Ehlers, Marieli Catherine Favaro, Betty Ann Garber, Terry Allen Gilmore, Linda Lou Greene, Cheryl Elaine Haney, Stephan Ray Harddman, Alan Clyde Hare, Thomas Mitchell Heck, Timothy Wayne Heck, Gerald Vernon Heimsoth, Beverly Annette Herington, Ricky Jay Hinck, Betty Lou Ingold, Jerry Dean Janssen, Douglas Ray Jenkins, Christine Jan Kleen, Connie Ann Knoblauch, Terry Le Kull, Wanda Merle Lawson, Dennis Woodrow McNeese, James Franklin May, Nancy Jean Monk, Donna Jean Newbury, Donna Sue O'Dell, Roxanne Kay Parkin, Gregory E. Pelz, David Earl Petersen, June Cheryl Schertz, Thomas Dean Steffen, John Robert Strauch, Linda Kay Schumacher, Dinah Lynn Shores, Diane Linnea Thierer, Stanley Eugene Ulrich, Walter David Ulrich, Michael Walker, Ro Jean Velda Warnkes, Douglas Craig Wheele! r, Tommy Alan Wood and Carol Anne Wright. If this interests anyone and they would like to see the photo, email me at ichabod@bwsys.net and I will scan it and send along or make a photocopy and snail mail. Audrey

Interested in finding anyone who has ties to the builta surname - originally from Woodford county and then Mclean County. Thanks Leslie

My sister just informed me that the name Martha Searle is in the old Bible she has, that had belonged to our grandmother, Anna Alice Rush Carstedt. She was told this is Grandma's grandma. This sure threw a kink in my files. If this is true, Martha Searle Hazen has to be connected to my Rush line somehow. Anyone have any information on the Searle family? I had no idea where this name would take me while I was searching. Imagine my surprise when it lead me right back to Woodford County. Sharon Albright Moeller Martha Searle Gender: F Death/Burial: 16 Dec 1857 Metamora, Ill. Event(s): Birth: 28 Nov 1819Place: Norridgewock, Me. Death: 16 Dec 1857Place: Metamora, Ill. Parents: Father: Samuel Searle Mother: Betsey Searle Marriage(s): Spouse: Martin Oscar Hazen Marriage: 28 Nov 1851Place: Lawrence, Mass.

Amy, Thanks for the information. I was one of the people that expressed an interest in the Pickard's of Minonk. I do have a photo copy of the picture and the article, but thanks for thinking of us. If you find anyone else that wants information about the Pickard's, I do have a web site that has pictures and information about them. The present Baptist Church at Minonk has the name of "Alfred and Sophia Pickard" in one of the stained glass windows. Alfred and Sophia Pickard came to the US in 1865 with 10 of their 12 children. Their sons were the Pickard Brothers: Tom Pickard, George Pickard, Joseph Pickard, Edward Pickard, and James Pickard that started the Pickard Brothers Co. (blacksmith, buggy, carriage, farm machinery, paint, etc.) Their daughters were: Jane (Pickard) Lockwood, Alma (Pickard) Ridge, Louise (Pickard) Rucker, Ann (Pickard) Vilven, Ellen Sophia (Pickard) Gaisford. Cindy Pickard

A while back I offered to do lookups from a Woodford Co book. Several people expressed an interest in the PICKARD surname. I just ran across a photocopy of a newspaper article (not dated or titled but most likely from the Minonk News Dispatch) with a photo of the old Pickard building. I can scan and send the picture for anyone interested. Here is the text below the photo: "We noted last week that the old Pickard Building which now houses the Petri Bros. Construction Co. was getting a facial renovation with new paint and other improvements. So Babe rummaged around in all his pictures of early Minonk and came up with this one showing the Pickard Brothers business in all its glory. As it shows in the picture the Pickard Brothers were in the farm machinery, buggies, wagon, carriages, blacksmith shop and you name it, we have it, business. Babe says that the East side of town at the time this picture was taken was the busy part of town. Charlie Ridge ran a grocery store there at one time, he tells us. There was a bicycle shop run by old man Livingston, and a millinary store run by several different ladies. There was a paint and wallpaper store and a feather renovating factory, where they steamed and cleaned feathers for use in pillows. A factory that produced cotton flannel gloves was on the east side of the business district at one time, along with a nickelodeon theater about where the theater is now, he says. Pope Meat Market was on the corner for years and years where the beauty shop is now. Several doctors had their quarters over there during one time or another and an early Minonk newspaper, the News, later to be incorporated into the News-Dispatch was in the Pickard building after the decline of the carriage and blacksmith works there. Pickard Brothers were by that time in the grocery and dry good! s business in one of the middle buildings. He said the building was renovated in 1900 at which time the front which we have known there for so many years was put on. The Modern Woodmen at that time had a modern meeting room and dance hall on the second story of the building. Some other interesting notes, Babes says that Johannes De Boer, who was hanged for the murder of Ella Martin, in Minonk's most famous murder, was an apprentice blacksmith with Pickard Brothers at the time of the infamous act. Also, a man named Martin O'Connell had a momument works in the building across the street from the Picard building, and being a bachelor, he lived there at his work. Babe said he had his four legged iron bed extended off the floor by gas pipes with large funnels inverted on the pipes to keep the rats, which were in profusion in the building, from getting into his bed while he slept at night. The idea of the funnel was that the rats would run up the gas pipes and be stopped under the 'roof' of the funnel. He was also in the tea business, says Babe, and when he died several large ratten, tinlined, casks of tea were found in the place. This photo was taken about 1880." Amy Robbins-Tjaden atjaden@mindspring.com amy@tjaden.com

Thanks to the kindness of someone on this list, the following short bio of John J. Tjaden can be shared with anyone interested. Now if I could only find some bios like this with my Tjadens as the subjects...<G> I'm not related to this Tjaden family but know others on the list who are. >From the book Portrait and Biograpical Album of Woodford County. Chapman Brothers, 1889. John J. Tjaden is one of the extensive farmers and stock raisers of Woodford County, and occupies a prominent place among the leading agriculturalists of Linn Township, whose highest interests he is subserving. He owns one of the largest farms in this part of the county, whose broad, smiling fields yield him abundant harvests in due season, and in its rich pastures graze fine herds of cattle and horses. Our subject is the son of the well-known Jacob and Maria Tjaden (of whom see sketch on another page in this volume). He was born in the Province of Hanover, Germany, Aug. 18, 1846, and was in his tenth year when his parents brought him to America, and his life has since been passed in Illinois. He remembers attending school in Germany, where he gained the basis of his education, completing it in the public schools in Woodford County, where he was reared to man's estate and has passed the most of his life. As soon as he was large enough, he began to work on his father's farm, and from him gained a sound, practical knowledge of the best methods of carrying on farming. He made his home with his parents until his marriage, when he established one of his own, settling at that time on his present farm. His success as a stock raiser and general farmer has been great. Inheriting the sagacity, far-sighted forethought and large roundabout common sense so characteristic of his ! father, together with industrious, methodical habits, he has worked to a purpose, and has accumulated a valuable property. His farm comprises 587 acres of land of surpassing fertility, on which he has erected a neat and substantial set of buildings, including a commodious brick house and large frame barns, and has it well stocked with Short-horn cattle of excellent grade. March 11, 1873, the marriage of our subject to Miss Tjaka Reuben, was consumated, and much of his success in life has been brought about by her encouragement and co-operation. They became the parents of six children: Mena, Geske, Jacob, Catherine, Charlie, Tena. Geske, the second child, died at the age of six years, and Jacob, the third child, died when four months old. Mrs. Tjaden is, like her husband, of Hanoverian birth. Her paternal grandfather, George Reuben, was a lifelong resident of Hanover, and her father, Claus Reuben, was also a native of the German Province, where he carried on farming until his emigration to the United States in 1872, with his wife and two children. He settled in Linn Township, and still resides there. Though of foreign birth and antecedents, Mr. Tjaden was reared under American institutions, and the United States has no more loyal or law-abiding citizen than he, or one who more heartily approves of the Republican form of Government. In his calling he has displayed more than ordinary capacity for intelligent and skillful farming, and his labors have been crowned with remarkable success while he is yet in life's prime, as may be seen by a perusal of this brief biographical review. Religiously, the Lutheran Church has in him a valued member. In politics, the Democratic party finds in him an intelligent supporter of its policy. Amy Robbins-Tjaden atjaden@mindspring.com

This newspaper clipping Cousin Audrey posted mentioned a Leona Jacquot who played the piano at the festivities of this wedding anniversary. If anyone is working on that line, I have a picture of Elizabeth Jacquot. My grandmother, Anna Elizabeth Demange, was named after her. I've also got a card announcing her marriage on March 16, 1886 to Alvah Benson. Isn't it wierd what gets saved? I don't even want to THINK about what's thrown out! Barbara Pedrick Bray Audrey's 4th Cousin Sandy, UT

When sorting out my step grandmother's house, we came upon several newspaper clippings. I would like to post them here in the hopes that some people would be interested. Here is the first one: COUPLE FETED ON ANNIVERSARY On Wednesday evening, January 19, several relatives gathered at the home of Mrs. Carrie Eikelbarner in Washburn to celebrate her sister's golden wedding anniversary. Honored guests were Mr. and Mrs. N.H. Owens, of Wilbern, who were married January 19, 1899 at the farm home of Mrs. Owen's parents, Dr. and Mrs. B.F. Feazel. The Rev. Lawrence officiated at the evening ceremony and Miss Leona Jacquot, who later became Mrs. Loius Tolan, played while the couple exchanged their marriage vows before an improvised altar in the living room. Mr. Owens is the eldest son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Frank Owen. he is now manager of the Owen Construction Co. of Washburn, In honor of their marriage fifty years ago appropriate gifts were presented to the couple. Centering the refreshment table was a bouquet of yellow roses which were in a lovely gold mirror-glass vase. A large wedding cake also decorated the table. Present were the honor guests and their only child, a son, Leslie, Mr. and Mrs. William Feazel, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Feazel, Mrs. Carrie Eikelbarner, and Miss Lulu Draper all of Washburn. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Ford, Toluca; Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Hattan and son Ray, Mrs. Edna Sheppard, Mrs. Ella Bieneman; Mrs. Velma Branham and son Larry, all of Peoria. I hope this article is helpful to someone. Audrey Haney

I need very much to find an obit for Bartholomew Bietsch, also found name Bardle Beach used. Family story has that he was killed in a horse accident, Nov. 1859. Possibly in the Springbay or Eureka area. Would appreciate this very much. Thank you. Coleen Beech Thomas

If you don't get an answer from someone on the list about cemeteries near Metamora in the 1840s, try asking the wonderful people at the Metamora Library. You can write to them snail or e mail at: Illinois Prairie District Public Library P.O. Box 770 Metamora, IL 61548 ipdpl@mtco.com Amy Robbins-Tjaden atjaden@mindspring.com Can anyone give me the names of cemeteries within about a 10 mile radius of Metamora which existed in the 1840's? Any help will be appreciated.

hi, My records indicate a Richard J CROUCH b abt1818 NH and was in Livingston Co in 1860 had a brother Chester F CROUCH b abt1817 NH would this Richard J be the same as your Richard Googin CROUCH? BTW my Richard J had Rebecca, Edwin O, Florence Leulla, and Alice E with his first wife before he came to Livingston County and married Joanna/Joana Hanna 24Feb1858 and they had 3 more... thanx dennis in reply to: In a message dated 4/7/02 3:04:19 AM Central Daylight Time, ILWOODFO-D-request@rootsweb.com writes: << X-Message: #3 Date: Sat, 6 Apr 2002 20:11:15 -0600 From: "DJC40" <djc40@mtco.com> To: ILWOODFO-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <002301c1ddd9$da4ff740$8bcfb3cf@djc40> Subject: [ILWOODFORD] Cemeteries Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" My Great Grandfather, Richard Googin Crouch, lived in Woodford Co. in the 1840's and buried his first wife Sara someplace in Woodford County. I at first thought is was Gabe Town, but I cannot locate a grave there. Can anyone give me the names of cemeteries within about a 10 mile radius of Metamora which existed in the 1840's? Any help will be appreciated. >>

hi, At one time it was common practice to have several towns of the same name in the state, and many towns and cities had former names with a few having had several, so if you have used a current map to find an old town name you may have created your very own brick walls or even worse you have connected with the wrong lines. "Bloomfield" is an excellent example of this common practice, just look at any current map and find it now in Johnson County close to Vienna, in 1958 it had a population of 80. Did you know there was another Bloomfield in Adams County? Close to Quincy, in 1958 it had a population of 25. There were others in Edgar, Fulton, Greene, Johnson and Scott Counties and all were spelled "Bloomfield." Plus precincts in Johnson and Scott Counties by the same name of "Bloomfield." Nine localities, all named "Bloomfield." Do you need more examples, maybe hundreds of examples? Sure hope you can easily see the point i am trying to make... many genealogies are out there now with improper connections because an inexperienced genealogist has picked the wrong county and matched up the wrong "SMITH" or "JONES" or "WHOEVER" because they thought they had the right county to chose from. Wrong connections are now made as the names that were available in that county were close so they figured a few misspellings or similar names would suffice. Or the town was the correct town but the county changed several times? Some still can't make the connection and are experienced enough to know that close doesn't always count, so they know they have hit a brickwall. My suggestion is that you jot down the towns your ancestors are known to have lived in and look them up on the statewide list of over 15,750 place names using your Ctrl/f keys to do the search. Copy down each county that each town appears in after the town name and you'll probably be amazed to find that instead of them moving all around the state they lived in a few neighboring counties. For details of when the town was active you could consult the web pages listed below for the 25 Northeast Counties as those are now online, the 44 South Counties will have details online beginning later this month, and the last 33 West Counties should have details online beginning this summer. When those new pages are up and running i'll send out an updated e-mail here and i'll post it on each Rootsweb county list as each county becomes available for research. The following web pages are enormous and each will take over four minutes to download if your connection is a dial up modem and AOL is NOT busy and your computer is PROPERLY tuned. If you get a message that AOL is busy just rapidly tap on your reload button a few times and AOL wakes up and lets you in. It works for me as i use the IE browser instead of the AOL browser... here are the url's: <A HREF="http://hometown.aol.com/illinoygenealogy/myhomepage/writing.html"> Illinois Family History Research: Place Names of Each Illinois County</A> is a statewide list of over 15,750 towns, cities and townships known to have ever existed, grouped by county, covers all 102 counties. Each county now has "last updated date: brief description of the last update" at the beginning of each county listing. Each county has it's own listing of US Post Offices of 1859/60. For the 25 Northeast Counties, if a dash (-) after the name that indicates it is either obsolete or you won't find it on most current maps, but it may appear on an older more detailed map, and as other counties are completed this will show on them as well. If i determined a listing was made either in error or it conflicts with other more reliable sources i've listed the source of information. This is the most complete list of its kind to be found anywhere. <A HREF="http://hometown.aol.com/illinoygenealogy/myhomepage/tv.html"> Illinois Family History Research: Place Names of the Northeast 25 Counties</A> is a detailed list of everything known about each town, city and township, with over 5280 listings. Each county now has "last updated date: brief description of the last update" at the beginning of each county listing. Each county has it's own listing of US Post Offices of 1859/60 as well as a listing of the 1876 RR's and the towns the RR ran through. When the list is complete, as the first 17 of the 25 counties are, the following will be listed on each town or city, if known, in this order: how it got it's name; former name; alias name; later name; present name; a dash (-) after the name indicates it is either obsolete or you won't find it on most current maps; the township the town or city is in; another county the town may overlap into; date of incorporation; elevation; railroad name of old and new; (Post Office history of: former name; when established and in which county; when discontinued; new name if changed; if active and the current zip); RFD in 1960 or 1990 mail to town; and 1990 population. For each township, if known: how it got its name; former name; later name; every town that has ever been in that particular township; currently the town that accepts mail for this township; and 1990 population. The following 17 counties are completely done: Boone, Champaign, De Kalb, De Witt, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Kankakee, LaSalle, Livingston, Logan, Marshall, McLean, Putnam, Tazewell, Vermilion, and Woodford. The following eight counties are not yet completely done, each has all towns and townships known to be in existence from before 1818 up to 1960, but lacks the next 30 years, and in the next month will be brought up to 1990: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Will, and Winnebago. <A HREF="http://hometown.aol.com/dennisvcarter1/myhomepage/heritage.html"> Illinois Family History Research: Place Names of the Southeast 44 Counties</A> is in development and will begin later this month, with over 5261 listings. Will start off with all towns, cities and townships known to be in existence from before 1818 up to 1960 and current information, up to 1990, will follow in the summer or fall. <A HREF="http://hometown.aol.com/dcarter956/myhomepage/heritage.html"> Illinois Family History Research: Place Names of the 33 Western Counties</A> is in development and will begin later this summer, with over 5209 listings. Will start off with all towns, cities and townships known to be in existence from before 1818 up to 1960 and current information, up to 1990, will follow in the fall or winter. <A HREF="http://hometown.aol.com/livingstoncounty/myhomepage/tv.html"> Illinois Family History Research: Timeline for Genealogy</A> is from the year 1400 to present, a chronological history of Illinois, United States, Germanic, British, France, and other European countries, each of these events have a bearing on family history. This list has been designed to help you also study your other lines that lived outside Illinois and each of the several thousand entries has been cited with its own source, over two dozen sources cited, and links to "the rest of the story" in many cases. This is the most complete list of its kind to be found anywhere. <A HREF="http://hometown.aol.com/livingstoncounty/myhomepage/business.html"> Livingston County, Illinois, Family History Research: Genealogy</A> is a master index of every family known to have lived in this county from 1831-1985. Several thousand surnames are listed alphabetically and each surname has each source cited, several hundred surnames have multiple sources cited, and 30 sources have so far been used. Many of these sources are online so you can easily confirm your suspicions of connections within a few minutes. Sources include records from biographies, cemetery, census, church, death, land and deed, marriages, military, etc., and a system is used so that by looking at the code following a surname you'll know the decade the record came from as well as the type of record and actual source. Many researchers from other states have found quickly found their missing connections from this index and i challenge other researchers to do this with a county of their choosing so others may quickly confirm their connections and be encouraged to research their roots. Hard to use the keyword and eat popcorn so i'll have to close for now... btw i buy my popcorn already popped and butter flavored in jumbo 36 ounce bags so it saves time and isn't oily... do wish it wouldn't hide out in my beard! 8>:{}##] happy hunting dennis

My Great Grandfather, Richard Googin Crouch, lived in Woodford Co. in the 1840's and buried his first wife Sara someplace in Woodford County. I at first thought is was Gabe Town, but I cannot locate a grave there. Can anyone give me the names of cemeteries within about a 10 mile radius of Metamora which existed in the 1840's? Any help will be appreciated.

Dan, Thanks for the link to the El Paso history web site. Very interesting! Does anyone have pictures of students from any of the schools in Woodford County? Also still seeking a photo of Douglas Rush, or any of the Rush family. Douglas Rush was my great grandfather who was born in Woodford County in 1861, died 1895 or 1896. He had two young daughters, Anna and Mary Jane. Anna was my grandmother. No one in the family ever saw a picture of him except Anna. The picture was never found after her death. More photos on line now is wonderful. I enjoy them. One day I will find the photo I am looking for. Thanks. Sharon Albright Moeller

Ken-- I didn't see anything on your Levi Smith in a (very) quick skim of the Metamora chapter of Moore's _History of Woodford County_, but did find this in a bio of El Paso photographer Levi F. Smith in _The El Paso Story_. Could the "Uncle Levi" mentioned be yours? "At the time of his death on March 18, 1929, Levi F. Smith enjoyed the distinction of being the oldest acting photographer in the United States. He was also El Paso's oldest active business man. Mr. Smith was born in Holden, Massachusetts, October 7, 1855, the son of Benjamin F. and Sarah Maria Smith. From Holden the youth moved with his parents to Worcester; in 1866 the family made another change to Woodstock, Ohio, and in 1867 they moved to El Paso, Illinois. Here young Levi worked at the shoe trade with his father and Uncle Levi." <-------- Allen Drake's El Paso History webpage at http://www.elpaso.net/~bank/elpasohistory/index.htm has a lot of El Paso history. The quote above came from page 292 of _The El Paso Story_ available on this site. There may be other mention in the text, if you have time to invest in some browsing. Harriet Ball Smith 1820-1875 and Levi Smith (no dates) are also listed in David Fever's Evergreen Cemetery Database which can be linked from this page. Dan Steffen At 09:01 AM 4/6/02 -0700, you wrote: >______________________________X-Message: #1 >Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2002 19:20:20 -0800 >From: "Ken Newton" <k-newton@cox.net> >To: ILWOODFO-L@rootsweb.com >Message-ID: <000e01c1dd19$fba80ce0$6a860644@sd.cox.net> >Subject: [ILWOODFORD] SMITH >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" > >Researching Levi Smith b. 1818 MA, his wife Harriet (Ball) Wheelock Smith >b. abt 1820 MA, daughter Alletta b. 1842 MA married Sylvanus Newton in OH >in 1856. Another daughter is Ella born abt. 1856 IL. Levi is in Metamora >in the 1860 census. Is Levi listed in the History of Woodford Co? >Is anyone else researching this line? >Ken Newton

Researching Levi Smith b. 1818 MA, his wife Harriet (Ball) Wheelock Smith b. abt 1820 MA, daughter Alletta b. 1842 MA married Sylvanus Newton in OH in 1856. Another daughter is Ella born abt. 1856 IL. Levi is in Metamora in the 1860 census. Is Levi listed in the History of Woodford Co? Is anyone else researching this line? Ken Newton

My great grandfather, Gottfried Walters, according to the 1860 Montgomery Township, Woodford Co, IL Census was ae 46, a cooper, & born in Hessi, Darnstadt, Germany. His wife, Elizabeth, was 36, born in Baden, Baden, Germany. Four children were with them on the 1860 Census: Elizabeth, ae 6, born in MO. Lana, ae 7, born in MO. Sophia, ae 3, born in IL. Jacob, ae 6 mons, born in IL. . The family was not on the 1870 IL or the 1870 MO Census. They were on the 1880 IL Census, same township. Gottfried was ae 66 & a farmer. His parents were born in Hessi. His wife, Elizabeth had died within the year but was not on the 1880 Mortality schedule. All of the children but Lana were on the 1880 Census with Gottfried. If anyone knows anything about any member of this family or their descendents, please contact: Frank Hicks 13606 NE 22nd Street Vancouver, WA 98684 erhicks1@attbi.com

Would someone who has access to the 1870 Woodford County Census please send me the listing for James RYAN, age 37, born Ireland, living in Minonk Township? Thank you so much for help! Sue

There was an old log house torn down there in Woodford County at one time. My mom saw about it in the paper. We have always wondered if they were able to determine who built the chimney (assuming it was made with bricks.) We don't know how far afield our Jerome Knapp roamed from Perry County, IL. He had a stamp for the bricks he made for chimney building -- jk run together. We heard he built the first real red brick chimney in Missouri so he was a wanderer... in fact, he wandered all the way from VT to IL with his tools carried by his cow. I guess that is why at age 45 he wandered off to the Civil War...adventure seeking. Well, the Battle of Shiloh put an end to his wandering; he is buried at the national cemetery there. Kristy and Syl