Columns

This week’s Mystery Banks Photo: This young man, pictured 35 or 40 years ago at his birthday party, is a native of Fayette County. He can be seen on the streets of Vandalia during the daytime, and he can be seen in any one of three police uniforms in the evening hours.

Do you know him? If so, call The Leader-Union, 283-3374.
In last week’s Mystery Banks Photo were: Jeff Hoffman, Pete Bauerle, Gary Bauerle and Freddie Bauerle.
Identifying them were: Linda Moreland, Danny Donaldson, Brenda Meyer, Peggy Hunt and Lindel Martie.

Many of the columns I write require several weeks of research before they are ready to be included in The Leader-Union. Other stories are more easily told. This story, about William Potts, is one of the easy ones.
The Potts family settled in Illinois around 1829, and although they made contributions to their adoptive state, it is the history of the family before coming to Illinois that is my subject today.
William B. Potts was born in Frankfort, Ky., in the year 1814, and came to Illinois in 1829 with his father Richard F. Potts, brother Jessie and sister Millie.

The auction notice of the building at 509 W. Edwards St., used most recently as headquarters of the Fayette County Health Department, sparked my interest because I discovered only a couple of years ago that this home was built in the early 1860s by Michael Steinhauer.

15 Years Ago

1996 – Marlys Hayner was the keynote speaker for the Memorial Day program held by Crawford-Hale American Legion Post 95 of Vandalia.
Jennifer Warden of Vandalia Community High School was awarded a volleyball scholarship at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.
Mandi Langston earned a dental hygienist degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Tony Eckhardt was trapped under an overturned tractor for about eight hours, digging himself out with a screwdriver and a lid from an insect repellent can.