THEATERIFIRE IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIADecember 26, 1811

On December 27, 181~, the Norfolk Gazette & Public Ledger car­ried a dramatic tale of a fire which consumed the City Playhouse,where more than 60 persons died. Later issues and other newspaperscarried lists of those who survived. Though no ,addresses were given,it can be presumed that most were area residents. Following are someexcerpts from those newspapers:

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From the Enquirer, received by this d~y's Mail;At a very numerous ~eeting of the citizens of Richmond, Man­

chester and others convened at the Capitol on Friday the 27th inst.­The Mayor of this City in the Chair-the following Preamble and reso­lutions were moved and unanimously adopted:

This City having be~n visited by a calamity the most,distressing.with which society can be afflicted, which has deprived us of manyof our most valuable citizens, .... ' .

Resolved, that 3 proper persons to each ward be appointed to goaround and procure the most accurate information of the names andnumbers of such of our citi~ens and others who have fallen ~ sacri-fice by the burning of the Theater last evening .

And the following p~rsons w~re appointed in Jefferson Ward~Wi11i~m ROWLETT, Jo~eph A. MYERS and Samuel PLEASANTS: in Madison

• Ward, Jedediah ALLEN,Robert McKEEN and Robert POLLARD; in MonroeWard, Thomas TAYLOR Anderson BARRETT and Thomas RUTHERFORD; and inManchester, William FENWtCK, Mr. CLARK and Mr. A. FREELAND .. ~. '

Resolved, that the Reverend Mr. John BUCHANAN and Mr. JohnBLAIR be requested to prepare a funeral sermon fQr the occasion, tobe delivered by one oft~em on W~dnesday next in~the Church on Rich­mo n d Hi 11 •••

Resol~ed, that a committee consisting of the following gent1e­men: Gen. John MAR SHAL L ,I Tho mas TAYLOR, Joseph MARX, William FENWICK,and Benjamin HATCHER be appointed to receive contributions' and to

'make such arr3ngement$ in concert with a committee from the Common

Hall as may be necessary Ifor erecting the monument designated illOrdinance pa~sed this ~ay ....

Resolved, That although this meeting have no reasons whateverto believe that this melancholy catastrophe has been produced bydesign, a Com~ittee conststing of Thomas RITCHIE?, William'MARSHALLand Samuel G. ADAMS, be appointed to enquire into its causes, forthe purpose of submitting this statement for information of the

world ... I

From The Public Ledger, Dec. 30,1811:A List of Dead and ~issing----Jefferson Ward: Geo. W. Smith,

Gov.; Sophis Trouin,·Ceci1ia Trouin, daus. of Mr. Trouin; JosephJacobs; Elizabeth Jacobs. his dau;; Cyprian Marks, wife of Mordecai

Marks; Charlotte RaPhael'l dau. of Solomon Raphael; Adeline Bausman,dau. of Mrs. Bausman; Ann Craig, dau. of Mrs. Adam Craig; __ ?_,

Notial. a carpenter; Pleasant. a mulatto woman belonging to Mrs.Wm. Rose; Nancy PattersonJ. woman of colour supposed to have perished.

Madi,son \·Jard: Abrah'am B. Venable, Pres. of the bank; WilliamSouthgate, ~on of Wright; Benjamin Botts, and wife; Arianna Hunter;

CentralIL Gen Otlv Vol. XXTV:3 -144- Summer 1988

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ITHEATER FIRE IN RICHMOND, VA cont.

ii/Mary Whitlock; Juliana Harv~; Mrs. Heron; Mrs. Girardin and child;'Mrs. Robert Greenhow; Mrs. Moss; Barack Judah's child; Mrs. Less1ie;Edward Wanton, a youth; George Dixon, a youth; William Brown;

Mrs. Patterson; John Welch, la stranger, Nephew to Sir A'. Pigottlatefrom England; Margaret Copland; Margaret Anderson; Sally Gatewood;

Mar y ~ ; Lucy Gw athmey; L01U i5 S M~yo; Mrs ..Gera rd; M rs. G ibson ;.Miss Green; Mary Davis; Thos. F.raZler, a youth; Jane Wade, a youngwoman; Mrs. William Cook & daughter; Elizabeth Stevenson; Mrs.Convert & child; Patsey Griffin; Fanny Goff, a woman of~colour;Betsey Johnson, a woman of colour, free; Philadelphia-missing .

.MonroeJI~t:'d: Mrs. Taylor Braxton; Mrs. Elizabeth ~; Mr.s.Jerrod; Miss llliotfrom N. IKent; Mrs. Gallego, Mr. A1merineMarshall of Wythe County; Miss Conyers; Lt. James Gibbon; Mrs.Thomas Wilson; Miss Maria Nelson; Miss Mary ~; Mrs. Laforest.

From The Public Ledger, Jan. 3, 1812:

~ •.. How heavily has th~ hand of death fallen upon the family

~\J' f the Ha rv; es~ Pour' mo urners: deep 1y indeed ha ve ye drunk of the~Y/cup of affliction. Within five short years ye had numbered among

~~:.yo the dead, the venerable John Harvie, the distinguished Lewis Harvie~the amiable Mrs. McCray, the .•• litt1e boy of Dr. Brokenbrough. But

by one blow, the distressed1mother, Mrs. Harvie, has lost her noblehigh-souled daughter, Juliana, her excellent son E. J. Harvie, and

!:4u that sweet little girl, Marl Whitlock, her beloved grand-daughter:~,·1~~ ..• in addition to the. 3 persons who were published in our las~,\ from the Report of the Committee, we are pained to be compelled to"

subjoin the following melancholy list: Perished in the flames~ Miss '.

Elvira Coutts; Mrs, Pitket,lnot wife of Mr. G. P.; Miss Littlepage;Jean Baptiste 'Rozier; Thomas Lecroix; Robert Ferrill, a mulatto oy.Expired since ...Mrs. John Bosher; Edwin James Harvie Esq ..

I *(d. Apr. 14, 1807)

Notice from The Public Ledger, Jan. 3, 1812:To the Citizens of Richmond. In the sincerity of afflicted

minds, and deeply wounded hearts, permit us to express the anguish

which we feel for the late Idrea dfu1 ca1ami ty ,0 f which we cannot butconsider ourselves the innocent cause ...we fear no repro~ches, but'.we are conscious that many have too much cause to wish they had rieverknown us ..To their mercy we appeal for forgiveness ... in this miser­ab1e,.calamity 'vIe find a sen1tence of banishment from your hospitablecity ... Here then we cease--the eloquence of Grief, is Silence.Signed James Rose, William IAnderson, Hopkins Robertson, CharlesYoung, Charles Durang, William Twaits, Thomas Burke, A. Placide,J. W. Green, Wm. Clark.

NOTE: Photocopies of the original pages of the abovenewspapers have 'been placed in the library ofthe Decatur Genealogical Society.

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Central 1L Gen Qt1y Vol. XX1V:31-145- Summer 1988

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C e..-,.,h-,--1 II {{M /--:$- Ce....,..,ell (j?A 'C --f (.1t.<. .-.--;r- f-.:-../7·J / .--------' " ? -Y---'< I LJ ""' GJ "1/'-'I. ~ / /\1<=, . .::> { {,. •.••r•....n-.e.-r- U I

NEWSPAPERS OF OLD DECATUR 1863-1901

I ....- A Continuing Series -

The articles are taken from old Decatur newspapers donated to the DGS by

the Moultrie County Genealogicall Society in February of 1988. The gene a-. I

logical data will be abstracted from these papers as precisely as possible.

Terms used at that time will not be updated, however, explanations will

be given in parentheses where riecessary.

Sixth Article in Series

Vol. IX No. 14

abstracted from

I .The Saturday Bul1et1n

Saturday, September 29, 1894 $1.00 per yr.

Continued from Spring 1989

so badly that it had to be killed.

Muir was picked up unconscious butcame out all right.

Lost Her Pocketbook.

Mrs. ~ ~ Briggs, motherof ~ ~ ~ Young, started

for Bloomington Monday morningon a visit. While at the depot

she lost her pocket book containingabout $300, a draft payable

to Mrs. Briggs, and a key andtwo trunk checks.

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SUMMER 1989

Rev.~ !=.. Ca.rlos, ~ Hard, !:. ~Randle, ~ ~ Coleman, THornton,.

Frost Craft, and I. Cravin were

all speakers at the anniversary

of the Woman's Foreign Missionarysociety.

Sunday service, the love feast,

was held at Armory Hall and .j v.1~v '/1was led by Rev. S. H. Whitlock, ~'l- ';vof Danville. at 10:30 Rev. Thomas

METHODISTS CONFERENCE.

STILL CONTINUES IN SESSION AT

CHAMPAIGN

Saturday and Sunday-Love Feast and

Memorial Services- Ordinationof Deacons and Elders.

(Condensation due to the length of

this article. All names are given

and any district or locality for fur­ther research.)

-109-Gen. Qtly Vol XXV:3

Has Lived 100 Years.

Mrs. Hattie Gardner, living10nEast Mason street (now Wabash Ave.)celebrated her one hundredth birth­

day anniversary by a family reunion.IThere are about 40 persons present

representing five generations of

the family, the youngest being a

great-great grandchild. She saysshe was born on September 25, Q794,in Ohio, in a cabin on the banks

of the Scioto creek, near whereColumbus is now situated. At that

time, the country was in a stateof wilderness and Mrs. Gardnerl says

that they were among the earlier

settlers and had many eqcounters

with the Indians. Her parentsl wereboth born in this country. She

comes of a long lived family as

her older sister died at the ageof 105 and her father at 95. She

has a younger sister, Mrs. Eli~a

~, of this city who is 88 yearsold. Mrs. Gardner says she can

at times remember many instancesof the early wars.

Collided With A Car.

About 11 o'clock Saturday night

~. Owens and a friend named MuirWere drIVIng on Front St. The :horse

took fright at a street car and

~~~hed East on Eldorado St. Just",.>east:..~ofI. C. railroad it con!ided

"~r-th a.street car, badly demol'ish­ng the buggy and injuring the horse

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Central IL Gen. Qtly Vol. XXV:3SUMMER 1989

~ ~ Hamiltonr a carpenter of thiscity, while working at the home of

his brother, Richard Hamilton

near Harristown, on Saturday, wasbadly injured. He was working ona house and losing hi& balance fellfifteen feet to the ground. In

falling he grasped a piece of the

framework, but this broke ~d hefell on top ,of it, breaking ~is

right thigh. Dr. Corillelley,ofHarristown, were (sic) called to

attend the man, and Dr. Catto wassent for later •. HamIlton will beunable to work for some time as

his injuries are severe.

Gone To Iowa.

The following named parties left

Decatur last night over the Central,

for Storm Lake, Iowa, in company

with George !:.. Fleming, the landagent: J. C. Dross, Blue Mound;

Henry ElIriCh, BoodYiMr. Grass,Boody; Johnny Herbert, Assumption;

Geo. Lancaster, Macon; ~ ~ Lambert,Casner; J.A. Wilson, Casner; William

Blalock, Mt. Zion; Geo. Richardson

Prof. H. D. Gashert and wife

left todaY-for a tourthrough thestate, where Mr. ~oshert will teach

special classes in penmanship.On Saturday night about twenty-five

of the friends and neighbors pleas­

antly surprised them at their homeon N. Monroe street. Refrhshments(sic)

were served and the evening spent

in games and convers~tion. The

affair was planned by Mrs. Trainer

and Miss Marguerite Kellar.

Ethel, The daughter of Geo. Ash­more, celebrated her 14th birthday

Monday evening at the home ofher parents on West macon street.

The evening was pleasantly spent

by the young people in gamesand amusements. Refreshments

wer~ served and a time long

to be remembered was enjoyed

by all present.

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Madden.II

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will leaveextended visit

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Miss Anna Strohm

on Saturday for anin St. Louis.

IIBowman, D. D., the senior bishopof the church, preached. 5,000

to 6,000 persons were present~II

CONFEANCE (sic) APPOINTMENTS.IRev. Howe Returned to Decatur-- I

and Rev. ONeal Goes to IChampaIgn:" - - I

The following are the ~ppoint­menIS made by the Methodist Con­ference for the Decatur disttict:

Presiding Elder- C. GaleenerlArgenta- To be supplied. IAssumption- J. A. Stout IBlue Mound- E. E. Carr.-----Butler- C. Wehelman.Cerro Gordo- W. Poe.

Decatur- First-Church, D. F.!Howe;

Howe; Grace Church, R.~.~obbS7

DeCatur Circuit- !:.. M. Dane1!'!"Y'

Hammond- ~ ~ Campbell.Harristown- J. G. Jeffers.

Hillsboro- C. W. Jacobs. IIlliopolis- w. A. Reynolds. IIrving- F. C-.-Read. I---- IKenney- P. Wood, Jr.Lovington=- W. BraCklow.Latham & Niantic- N. S.

Macon- J. W. Eckmai1:'"­Maroa- ~ ~ Hurd.

Moweaqua:: E:" J. Durham.Mt. PulaskI: ~H. Hartrickt

Nokomis- W. C:-Lack IO~onee- J:-W:-Waltz. I----- IOwaneco- !:.. !!.=. Hoffer. IPana- M. W. Everhart.- ------Rosemond- S ••A. Cecil. ISton1ngton- T. N~ew. IWarrensburg- Q.:. !:. Newkirt '.

Resolutions for transfer: :

C. A. Crane- Colorado Dist:tlct.

-M-.-A-ue-r---D-anvilledistrictl--- IIDeath reported: Dr. Peck, Mission-

ary Secretary. -- II

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NUMBER 3

MAROA

1)DECATUR

HICKORY POINT

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MACON C04NTY TOWNSHIPS

tJfIIIRTEIiLS"

ILLINI

AUSTIN

HARRISTOWN

·SOUTHWHEATLAND

BLUE MOUND

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MOUNT ZION,J'...

SOUTH MACON

PLEASANT VIEW t •r-••MILAM...

L 1RLIE.

".1( .• n.".C:.

_ I Published by ..Decatur Genealogical Society

~acon County, IL

1 I SSN 0577-0807

R.IW.

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a I NIANTIC" I ,"

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CENTRAl~·.ILUNOIS{

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,GENEAlOGlG4l

VOLUMEXXVIII

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GLEANINGS FROM ITHE NEWTON PRESS, NEWTON, ILLINOISSubmitted by Jane SmiU\enry KLOTZ

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PART II: Jasperites Abroad - December 28, 1897; .Ex-Residents/of llie County now Living Elsewhere

A Detailed History, Confined to a few lines, of their OccupationsI .

This material is reproduced from the Jasper County (Illinois) Historical & GenealogicalSociety's quarterly, c/o Newton Library, 100 Soulli Van Buren Street, Newton, IL 62448.

S. A. CONNER is attending school at Danville, Ind.Miss Nelson WHITLOCK resides at Stanwood, Mid\igan.Al KELTER coal mines at Trenton.'Dr. E. T. PRINTZ enjoys a good medical practice at Moulton, Iowa.George MONELL is station agent, telegraph operator and express agent at Little Rock, Iowa.George H. STRATNER cultivates dranges at Crystal River, Florida.

James GENTER, Mrs. Sarah OSTIN HOEL, Mrs. Sarah MAHAT and Charles SCHOENLAUBlive in Evansville.Brown SNIDER is at Poplar Bluffs, Mo.Israel WHALEY is rusticating at Sabula, Mo .

. Mrs. C'. B. BOSTWICK writes letters to the Mattoon Gazette from Denver, Colorado.John T: RUSSELL. paints cars at Pullman.Miss Josie THERlAE is a teadler at St. Sdlolastica college, Shoal Creek, Ark. Misses Josieand Stella FALLER are wiUl her. I ,J

C. M. DAVIS, founder of the Newlon-Menlor, publishes the Hugoton, (Kas.) Hermes. Wm.BALCHLEY is willi him. IMiss Ida JAMES is at college in D,anville, Ind. "J. E. LEWIS is a telegraph operator at Ft. Scott, Kansas.C. M. NEWLIN sells jewelry in q.nton, Ind., and John STUTEVILLE runs a barber shop atthe same place.W. J. RAEF has a position on the IMissouri Pacific railway at Richland, Kansas.J. B. KffiLER keeps a restaurant in Terre Haute .

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J. M. GASS edits the Miller (Dak) Gazette, where he is also an alderman.[Perry McCALL runs a sawmill nE;ar Oblong.Frank GROVE, formerly forema~ in Ulis office, publishes the Mullinville (Kansas) Mallet.R. A. CAMPBELL, a lawyer in 1868 in Newton, served two terms as county attorney of Renocounty, Kansas. He lives at HutChinson. '

Rev. N. E. HARMON talks gospel on Sundays and real estates the rest of week at Widlita,Kansas, where he has made a fottune and built up a big congregation in the M. E. Omrch.Mrs. Lizzie TODD, nee JOHNSON, gets Ule leading paper at Kansas Oty.

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Paul RIDER fires on the J. & St. L. railroad wiUl headquarters at Mattoon.Albert MONELL owns a ranch near Kimball, Dakota. !

Mrs. Mary W. MARTIN resides in Chicago. Will, Ed, and Flora SHAMBECK eadl have agood position as clerks.Sam McCULLOUGH is in a lively stable at Brazil, IN.J. D. DAVIDSON and brother Harry are at Wiles, CO., speculating and merrnandising.

Mrs. Mattie HOGGINS attends the National Normal college at Lebanon, OH.Dr. E.:]. TICHENOR, a physician of Newton during Ute war, resides at Lebanon.I

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Central IL Gen. Qtrly. XXVIII:)

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FALL 1992