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Did you know......... That Judy Milde researched and prepared a history of the Van Camp Packing Company of Effingham, Illinois? Thanks for sharing Judy! You do awesome work! Scroll down to read the entire article, along with her sources. Did you know......... That Tony Mammoser has recently published a 3 Cemeteries tombstone photos DVD? The three cemeteries are: St. Aloysius Cemetery, Bishop Creek, Effingham Co., IL (2004); St. Francis Cemetery, Teutopolis, Effingham Co., IL (2005); and St. Joseph Cemetery, Island Grove, Jasper Co., IL (2004). His DVD contains about 2,900 tombstone photos that he took in April 2004 and March 2005 Tony does genealogy as a hobby, not for money, and he doesn't have a mass production setup. Although Tony is not selling his DVD, he has donated a copy of it to the Effingham County Genealogical and Historical Society. He is interested in arranging trades of his DVD with other genealogists in exchange for publications or family history books they might have that add to his collection. Anyone interested in discussing such a trade needs to contact Tony privately at ItAllStartedWith@comcast.net Linda's note: Tony is NOT offering to do lookups. Did you know......... That the 1883 History of Effingham County, Illinois is now online at the Internet Archive? It is viewable in several formats and is searchable. Thanks to Mike Hebert for sharing this information...... http://www.archive.org/details/historyofeffingh00perr Teutopolis Monastery Museum The Teutopolis Monastery Museum is located on the west side of St. Francis Church in Teutopolis at 110 South Garrett Street (just south of Route 40). It is open to the public on the first Sunday of the month, April through November. The hours are from 12:30 PM to 4:00 PM. Admission for adults is $3.00 and $1.00 for children. A tour of the Monastery Museum includes the Mausoleum and St. Francis Church. Special group tours for 10 or more adults or school groups can be arranged for days other than the scheduled Sunday openings by contacting Joyce and Ray Vahling at (217) 857-3586. There are more than 30 rooms open for viewing in the museum which is housed on the second floor in the former Franciscan Novitiate building. The articles are on display in the "cells" (or bedrooms) of the Novices. The Monastery Museum is known for its collection of articles and books used by the Franciscan friars during the novitiate year. Bibles in different languages and books from the 1700's and the Theological Seminary are on display. Other items on display are items used by early Teutopolis pioneers including furniture, clocks, quilts, toys and various household items, as well as carpentry and farm tools used by or typical of those used by the founding fathers of Teutopolis. Note: As of August 25, 2010, the School Sisters of Notre Dame are in the process of establishing "The Notre Dame Room" in the museum. The Notre Dame sisters came to Teutopolis in 1861 and became an integral part of the Teutopolis school system. Effingham County's Haunted History Ramsey Cemetery – Is it Haunted? Some Think So! Some people think that one of Effingham County’s most popular cemeteries is haunted. Stories have been told about it for years. Ramsey Cemetery is also known as Casbar, Casbah or Kasbar cemetery. It’s easy to understand why so many believe the area is haunted. The cemetery is located about six miles north of Effingham. To get there you take a narrow, winding road through large trees. The cemetery itself is quite isolated and in the middle of a forest. Many of the tombstones are old and in ruins. Many web sites contain strange rumors about Ramsey Cemetery, including this description from http://www.communitywalk.com. "There have been many strange things reportedly happening here. This old cemetery is supposed to have several haunted caves. There have also been reports of a werewolf, and a man cloaked in black with red glowing eyes.” There have also been stories of ghostly figures on horseback, strange lights and strange sounds. The cemetery is even featured in a 2007 book "The Illinois Road Guide to Haunted Locations” by paranormal investigators Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk. According to information from "Effingham County, Illinois Past and Present” by John Russell, Ramsey Cemetery began as a private cemetery when 29-year-old Alexander Ramsey was the first burial there in 1851. Three more Ramseys were buried within three years. After that it became a community cemetery. One of the most popular stories is that if you go to Ramsey Cemetery and put a penny heads up on a tombstone, when you come back, it will have been turned upside down. (Note from Linda): I personally have never seen the "caves".
The First Schoolhouses in Teutopolis The first schoolhouse in Teutopolis was built about 1841. It was located about two blocks south of the cemetery. The first students were Fritz Mindrup, Casper Mindrup, Anthony Mindrup, Mary Boeckmann, Joseph Boeckmann, Francis Boeckmann, Marie Uptmor, Clem Uptmor II, Josephine Pundsack and Catherine Pundsack. The first teacher was John Henry Rabe. From 1845 to 1847 classes were held first at the Waschefort home (now the Bauer Funeral Home) and later at the parsonage. The pastor at Teutopolis, the Rev. Joseph Kuenster, doubled as the teacher. The first full-time lay teacher in the community was Peter Doerner. He taught in the new log school building built near the first church until 1851. H.H. Huels, Herr von Schuler (an Alsatian) and John Hoene who taught during 1852 and 1853 were there in rapid succession. John Hoene was the first teacher in Teutopolis to hold a state teaching certificate. The next teachers mentioned in the early history of Teutopolis were Ms. Kugler, Michael Weis, William Stilleke, P. Gottesleben, John (or Henry) Eversman, John Wehling, Brother Rudolph Horstman, OFM (who later was ordained a priest) and Brother Gottfried Memel, OFM. The first schools in Teutopolis were subscription schools. A teacher's salary was a few dollars per pupil or a few bushels of grain. Later the village schools became a combination of public and parochial. The girls academy was strictly a private school. The coming of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1861 brought the stabilization of the Teutopolis school system. When Louis Rieg was hired in 1874, he began recording the evolution of the Teutopolis school system. National Register of Historic Places The Effingham County Courthouse in Effingham was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. (Information from Phil Lewis) The Dr. Charles M. Wright House in Altamont was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. (Information from Phil Lewis) USS Effingham (APA-165) Did you know that Effingham County had a ship named after it? The USS Effingham was an amphibious personnel attack ship that participated in the invasion of Okinawa during the final months of World War II. She was commissioned November 1, 1944 and decommissioned May 17, 1946. She was 455 feet long and 62 feet wide. She had a crew of 56 officers and 480 enlisted men and could haul up to 1,500 troops. She trained at Guadalcanal with the 1st Marines, then staged at Ulithi for the invasion landings on Okinawa on April 1, 1945. With the end of the war, she transported troops for the reoccupation of Jimsen, Korea and China and returned to the United States on "Magic Carpet" duty. She helped liberate Korea from the Japanese and ferried Nationalist Chinese troops before she was decommissioned. After her decommission, she was scrapped. 5 MILE RULE - Genealogy Tip A young man couldn't go courting at night much further than 5 miles or he wouldn't make it back home the next morning in time for farm chores. Five miles was a long way to go on foot, by horseback or by buggy. Young men often married young women within that 5-mile radius, so look to the tax lists for information that may lead to the maiden name of your female ancestor. This is especially true if the tax lists ARE NOT in alphabetical order, but are listed by location. Effingham County Hanging The following is part of a write-up I found in the Effingham, Illinois Fiftieth Anniversary Book.....who got it from the files of the Effingham Newspaper, The Democrat...... "In the fall of 1874, Nathan Burgess murdered Joseph Robbins, a watchman on the Vandalia bridge east of Vandalia. He was indicted by the Fayette Circuit Court and the case was brought to the Effingham Circuit Court on a change of venue. He was tried at the March term, 1875, and was sentenced to be hanged, the execution taking place in Effingham on June 18, 1875." What They "Really" Mean!
Info from Deeds In the lower-left corner of most old deeds, you will find two to four witnesses. The first one is always from the husband's side, the next two from the wife's side. That is to protect her one-half dower rights under the law. (Nothing you will ever use will give you greater clues to a woman's maiden name). Famous People from Effingham County
— Samuel L. Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, wrote “his songs have lifted my spirit like a strong and helpful hand” about 19th century Mason native James Matthews. “Such poets as Matthews are the world’s best benefactors,” wrote Clemens. This accolade to Dr. James Newton Matthews is one of a laundry list of accomplishments the Mason native reached before his death in 1910. In addition to his extensive literary accomplishments, Matthews was known as the first student of the University of Illinois, Urbana. “When faculty gathered at the door to welcome new students on the first day of registration (March 2, 1868), Matthews was the first to appear,” wrote associate director of development at University Illinois Library Roxanne Frey in “Country Doctor” and “Poet of the Prairies.” “The son of a country doctor in the small town of Mason in Effingham County, he was just 15 years old when he officially became a student at the new university organized under the Morrill Act of 1862, federal legislation that established land-grant institutions,” wrote Frey. The college, known then as Illinois Industrial University, was a five-story building in the middle of a field. While Matthews flourished as a student, life as a college student had its challenges. “In a March 1870 missive, Matthews declares he’s ready to leave school at the end of spring term and mentions the need for additional funds (having received $7 from his father of which $5 had been stolen),” wrote Frey. Writing about the acceptance of women into the college in “Boys of the Spring of 1868,” Matthews notes he “delighteth in the society of the fair, and thinketh often of that good saying, ‘It is not good that man should be alone.’” Other aspects of the U of I that hold Matthews’ initial influence, according to Frey, can still be found around campus. Matthews was an editor for The Student, a publication that eventually became The Daily Illini, and he was a charter member of the Beta Upsilon chapter of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Upon graduation, Matthews worked as an editor of the Champaign Gazette and a columnist for the Chicago Record before returning to school to become a doctor. Following in his father’s footsteps, Matthews graduated top of his class at St. Louis Medical College. Returning to Mason, Matthews became a traveling country doctor. This coupled with a continued dedication to literature, which garnered him noticeable national publication and fame. Matthews provided valuable additions to society on local and national levels. Recognized by the University of Illinois with a degree of Master of Letters and a medical career heralded for diagnostic skills, Matthews died after traveling in a winter storm to minister to a patient. In passing, Matthews left a legacy of impressive educational firsts, national literary achievements and a successful medical practice. His life has been remembered through literature and the college by the James Newton Matthews Scholars program, which recognizes high achieving incoming freshman. “Those who sat on the initial selection committee in 1996 for the scholarships (which are awarded in a blind selection process based primarily on academic qualifications) were astonished to discover their first choice for the award was Adam Hooks, a native of Mason who was majoring in English,” wrote Frey of the ironic history. The old Mason Cemetery is the final resting place of James Matthews and his family. Did you know.......how the Teutopolis Wooden Shoes got their very unique name?? 'Way back in 1932, when John Harold Griffin was hired as the coach of the new athletic department, he looked for a "unique" name for the basketball team. At the time, there was an old Teutopolis pioneer, George Deyman (pronounced diamond) who carved wooden shoes for a living. To recognize Mr. Deyman and the German heritage of Teutopolis, Mr. Griffin chose the name "Wooden Shoes" for the team. (Information courtesy of Paul Kralman [my dad] and Lawrence Carie (retired coach of the Wooden Shoes and Mr. Griffin's successor). If you get the chance, stop by the Monastery Museum in Teutopolis. One room is dedicated to Mr. Deyman and features wooden shoes he carved, as well as his carving tools. Just a little background on Mr. Griffin.... He was born April 26, 1906. Came to Teutopolis from East Hampton, Massachusetts in 1925. Married Luella Siemer August 21, 1929. As well as being the athletic director for all sports, he taught accounting, typing and shorthand in Teutopolis High School until his retirement. (Taught my dad, taught me 25 years later, and then my two younger brothers). He died in Teutopolis December 4, 1993 and is buried in St. Francis Cemetery, Teutopolis. The Teutopolis High School Gymnasium is named in his honor. Yeah! Shoes! (I graduated from Teutopolis High School in 1960). Did you know.......That Teutopolis once had a brickyard AND a brewery? The owner of the old brickyard was George Deyman (yep, the same feller who carved those wooden shoes)......... 1868 - Krieg Brewery owned by Mathias Krieg - located on Salt Creek, north of Teutopolis. The water was not suitable, and the brewery was discontinued. (from the Historical Sketch of Teutopolis and of St. Francis Parish by Eugene Hagedorn, OFM dated 1926) And there was a bottling company....the Jos. H. Buehnerkemper Bottling Company, which bottled cream soda in 4-5 different flavors, using a "special family recipe". It was located in the block building located next to Weber's Clothing & Jewelry Store. Plagues in Effingham County Effingham County suffered three terrible plagues of cholera....in 1832-33, 1854-55 and 1872-73. Many tombstones in Effingham County bear these dates. The Price of Illinois In 1723 the state of Illinois was bought from ten Indian chiefs representing ten tribes by 22 white men of Pennsylvania and England. The territory was in two tracts, one called "Southern Illinois" and the other called "Northern Illinois".
The consideration was 200 strouds (whatever those were), 260 blankets, 360 shirts, 150 pounds of stroud breech-cloth, 500 pounds of gun powder, 4,000 pounds of lead, one gross of knives, 30 pounds of vermillion, 2,000 gun flints, 200 pounds of tobacco, 2 dozen gartering, 10,000 pounds of flour, 5,000 bushels of Indian corn, 12 horses, 12 horned cattle, 20 bushels of salt and 29 guns. The articles were paid and delivered in full council. The deed was signed and executed before a French notary public at Kaskaskia village exchange. Vanished Lake Kanagga Lake Kanagga was a 20-acre lake that was drained and abandoned in the early 1990's. German immigrant John Knagge, a former tollkeeper on the National Road Bridge over the Little Wabash River, operated a gristmill on the lake at the east end of his property, about 1 1/2 miles west of Effingham. The lake was originally called Lake Knagge, but after Knagge sold his property to the old Vandalia Railroad, the name was changed to the more phonetic spelling of Kanagga. You will find records with either spelling. While the primary purpose of the lake was the watering of the steam engines for the railroad, employees of the railroad could use the lake for swimming, boating and fishing. Cabins were built which could be rented by the week or month. The lake was later opened to the general public for recreational uses. When the railroad switched from steam to diesel engines the lake was used only for recreational purposes. Then property owners filled in a road that had been used to get to the lake. As time went on, the lake began to fill up with silt. By 1972, the cabins and piers were long gone. The lake was drained in the early 1990's and sold to the city of Effingham. The lake had to be abandoned because it would discharge sediment into the nearly Central Illinois Public Service lake. The property remains vacant. (Thanks to Kate Bourland and Phil Lewis for supplying this information). Masquelet's Place - 1839-1843 Masquelet's Place was a small log church/settlement west of Teutopolis and east of Effingham on Route 40 that is long gone. It was about 75 feet south of Route 40 near the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks. The story is that it was a log church with a small cemetery, located very near where the old Crystal Bar was, just south of the tracks. It was built about 1840 by Reverend Joseph Masquelet, a native of Alsace, France. It seems this little church was quite a thorn in many sides. It caused dissent between St. Peter's Catholic Church (now St. Francis of Assisi Church in Teutopolis) founded by the German Land Company settlers and the German Catholic communities in Effingham and Green Creek. Many historians feel that Masquelet's Place was the first Catholic church in the area. Since no deeds or land records are available, this cannot be proven (or disproven). Many years ago, I was given the land records for my grandparent's place just west of Teutopolis, and those records seem to support the fact that the first surveyed records of the area showed it as being owned by Joseph Masquelet and various members of his family. Father Masquelet left the area in October 1843 after incurring the wrath of his bishop. No one really knows what happened to the cemetery's residents (3 adults and 3 children). One version of local verbal history says that they were removed and reburied in St. Francis Cemetery in Teutopolis. Other accounts say they were removed and reburied in St. Anthony's Cemetery in Effingham. According to Father Eugene Hagedorn in 1926, the adults were Mr. F. Schlepper, M. Mindrup, and Mrs. Adelaide Bruemmer. No names are known for the children. This seems to be one of the on-going "mysteries" of Effingham County. Brewery in Effingham Source: Old Settlers' Annual & Homecoming Reunion, 1912 (page 38) F. B. Schooley wrote the following to be published in the annual "How many of the present residents recall that once in the city limits there was a brewery on the bluff south of the city cemetery, owned by a German whose name I cannot recall. I remember Van Allen taking me there, the beer was the genuine old brew, pure hop and malt amber color. I also remember one glass was all I could chamber and stay on the earth." |
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