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Columns

  • LaBille earns Congressional Medal for bravery

    In 1972, a new stone was set at the grave of Joseph S. LaBille in the Catholic Cemetery. The reason? The veterans marker set at his grave in 1911 did not reflect the fact that he had been awarded the Congressional Medal Of Honor, and his name was misspelled as LaVille.

    LaBilles Medal Of Honor was awarded for his actions on May 22, 1863, when the 26-year-old was laying within four feet of Confederate troops at Stockade Redan near Vicksburg, Miss.

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  • Relationship with paper spans 65 years

    It has been a lengthy relationship.

    We met when I was in my innocent teens. She had long been accorded stature and respect. I found her exciting, I found her challenging and I always found her, even though I strayed from home.

    She is unique in our small town. She cares about all who make up the community, leaving the larger arena to be protected and guided by others. She is here. And you can count on her to be here.

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  • Arthur Wilson a blacksmith, inventor

    I pulled my copy of the 1910 History of Fayette County from the shelf and paged through it. As usual, I was looking at the pictures, and one of Arthur H. Wilson, looking straight into the cameras lens, made me pause.

    He looked like an interesting fellow. And when I turned to the biography section of the book, I found that, yes, indeed, Arthur H. Wilson was a very interesting fellow.

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  • Immigrants came here by many routes

    Some of our ancestors scrimped and saved enough money to pay their passage across the Atlantic to America. Others were dragged kicking and screaming.

    Such is the story of John Christian Forbes of Braunschweig, Germany. His great-grandson, Stan Forbes, shared the tale of how his family came to live in America.

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  • Former teacher, preacher impacted many

    Last week I mentioned in this column that F. M. Bolt, former editor of the Ramsey News-Journal, contributed stories to his hometown newspaper on a regular basis.

    Over the years, I have looked at many back issues of the News-Journal on microfilm, and when I came across a Bolt article, I would print a copy and add it to my file.

    It was this file I was looking through for my column about voting in the early days. The name Peter W. Blair kept popping up in F. M.s articles. I knew I had seen that name before.

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  • Sunshine Week empowers people

    It happens every time I walk into a voting booth.

    At those times, when Im preparing to do my civic duty, I always wonder if Ive gotten enough information about the candidates. Do I know all I need to know to cast an informed vote? Am I missing important information about the activities and character of the people for whom Im voting?

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  • Vandalism of tribute tree is sad

    All vandalism is a senseless crime – there's no arguing that. Damaging property that belongs to someone else is nothing but mean and cruel.

    It's even worse when the target of acts of vandalism, whether or not it is the intent, is to something that has been erected to pay tribute to an individual.

    Such is the case with the evergreen tree that has been planted near the start of the Lincoln Loop Walking Trail that runs through three of Vandalias city parks.

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  • State's first woman voter from Ramsey

    Now that were in the middle of all the election excitement, it seems a good time to retell a story of the first election ever held in the Hurricane Precinct near VanBurensburg.

    At this early day, Montgomery County and a portion of Fayette County were within the environs of what was then Bond County.

    Perrysville, while located in what is known as Seminary Township, Fayette County, was, in those days, the county seat of Bond County. The seat of government was later moved to Greenville, and within a few years the log cabin village of Perrysville was abandoned.

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  • A.W. McDonald visited here...and stayed

    Two weeks ago, I wrote about the John A. McClanahan family burying ground, located two miles north of "Twin Churches" in Carson Township.

    Bowling Green, a pioneer village from the 1830s, occupied the site more than 170 years ago, with John A. McClanahan as storekeeper and doctor.

    The McClanahan Family Cemetery is situated on the west side of the road. Almost directly across from it, on the east side of the road, is found the McDonald Family Cemetery.

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  • What are you going to do with your Leap Day?

    Every fall, we're faced with the question of what to do with an extra hour on the day when we "fall back" at the end of Daylight Savings Time.

    Every four years, however, we have an entire extra day. This Friday, Feb. 29 is one of those days.

    As youll recall from the old Thirty days has September ditty that you learned in grade school, February normally has 28 except in leap years, when we get a bonus day. Absolutely free. No extra charge.

    But what do you do with it?

    And, for that matter, where does it come from?

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