Vespasian Warner Blog Page!

As a wife, mother, sheriff, community volunteer, and high school teacher, Mrs. Myra Westray made a significant impact on the Clinton community.

Two pioneers in Nixon Township who left lasting footprints were Cicero Twist, blacksmith and medicine man, and his father-in-law Evan Barrickman.  They both have descendants living in DeWitt County today.

Susie Hoover and Jacob Simon's forbidden romance ends in Susie's untimely death. What caused young Susie's passing? Was Jacob at fault, or was it merely a dreadful accident? What secret was Susie Hoover hiding? Terri delves into what the Pantagraph described as "A Terrible Tragedy."

Pioneer Edom Shugart, the youngest in the Nathan Shugart family, was the first to conduct school classes in DeWitt County. After some time of moving from place to place, Edom decided to leave Iowa in 1852 and journey to Texas with his family. His travels, fraught with challenges from cholera and measles, are recorded in his journal, which includes some heart breaking entries.

The early education process was all about “readin’, ‘ritin’ and ‘rithmatic” – the three R’s – usually with a heavy dose of discipline.  Here in DeWitt County, schools began to spring up well before the official creation of the county in 1839. Explore how the schools in DeWitt County and the City of Clinton have evolved over the years.

Building his initial cabin on the northern side of Salt Creek, Elisha Butler went on to develop land in the area that would later be known as DeWitt County. Along with several business partners, Butler purchased government land, made enhancements, and then sold the land to settlers. Some of the well-known homesteads in DeWitt County were originally owned by Butler.

If your surname is Baker or you have Baker ancestors, as I do, you might have heard of the “Baker Hoax.” You see, scams are definitely not something that just came up in the 21st century. This particular scam, by some estimates, persisted for as much as a hundred years or more, despite the fact that it was disproven over and over.

The term "bound out" historically described the practice of placing children with another family to serve as indentured servants or apprentices. In return for food, shelter, and a basic education, the child would learn a trade to become a productive member of society. Children in DeWitt County were "bound out", but where did they end up? With a little digging, Terri shares some of their stories in this week's blog.

Terri from the DeWitt County Genealogical Society recounts the tale of DeWitt County pioneer and cabinetmaker Levi Davenport and the small table he crafted, which is kept at the library.

Baseball had earned a reputation as “America’s pastime,” and that moniker stuck for generations and was especially true in Kenney, Illinois.

In this final blog about the Soldiers' Plot at Woodlawn Cemetery in Clinton, IL, Terri highlights four notorious soldiers.

There are 80 gravesites in the Soldiers’ Plot at Woodlawn Cemetery, did they all die in battle?

Uncover 106 years of Christmas celebrations and advertising in DeWitt County newspapers.

From pharmacists to musicians, unearth the occupations of soldiers buried in the Soldiers' Plot at Woodlawn Cemetery.

Discover the rich local history and evolution of the Soldiers' Plot monuments at Woodlawn Cemetery.

Uncover the captivating local history behind The Soldiers' Plot at Woodlawn Cemetery, featuring the legacy of George W. Gideon.

This is the account of Evan Richards' voyage from DeWitt County to the Civil War and ultimately to his burial site in the Soldiers' Plot.

The library staff were honored to be asked to decorate a room at the C.H. Moore Homestead for the Christmas holiday tours again this year!...

Last week I noticed that some things at the library had been moved! As I looked around, I noticed this new "Local History" section! I...

While the first Apple ‘n Pork is still well within living memory, the Festival is already in its 54th year. Apple ‘n Pork has its roots in the very earliest days of the DeWitt County Historical Museum, so we’ll start there.