Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 74

Friday February 22, 1185 Section B- iPstmDtiDns JJ.il I l)I)ooo0 aoOgRCt0 I- vte-- 1 TP Taylorville Public library: photo The Taylorville Fire Department was created on July, 8, 1886. father and the school originally was called Vandeveer'High School. The school was built in 1936-37 at a cost of Eugene A. Vandeveer gave the city of Taylorville his birthplace, where the present public library stands. The Hopper family The story begins in the fall of 1922 when Ber-trand Hopper of Kalamazoo, purchased the deserted E-Z Opener Bag Co.

at the northeast edge of Taylorville. He was president and principal stockholder of companies using paper in writing tablets, writing paper, envelopes and greeting cards and for many years had wanted his own source, of paper. The Taylorville plant had originated in 1894 as the Prairie State Paper and manufactured butchers' wrapping paper. It later became the E-Z Opener Bag adding brown paper bags to its product line. Hopper converted and modernized the abandoned mill, with the goal, of manufacturing fine stationery paper.

Upon his death in March 1934, his son, Bert C. Hopper, then only 24, succeeded him as president of Hopper Paper Co. By age 39, the son had built the concern into a business with more than $1 million in annual sales. The operation now is part of Georgia Pacific Corp. Bert C.

Hopper has shared his success with the community, serving on many boards of civic, charitable and social organizations. Hopper scholarships, totaling $16,000 a year, have been offered since 1956 from the Bertrand Hopper Memorial Foundation. A college work program at the Georgia Pacific Hopper Division paper mill helps many further their education. And the Janice Hopper Memorial Clinic; adjacent to St. Vincent Memorial Hospital, is a tribute to the wife of Bert C.

and mother of bis two sons, Bill, a banker, and Fred, a lawyer and businessman. The Hopper family continues in leadership roles and was instrumen-' tal in the campaign to establish a YMCA in TaylorviUe. pointed the first county recorder. A natural leader, he was elected the state legislature in 1842 and again in 1860, served as a quartermaster in the Army with the rank of captain in the Mexican War, and was in the state Senate. In-1870, he was elected a circuit judge.

From the 1840s through 1880s his name was synonymous with the civil and political history of Taylorville. His two sons, William T. Vandeveer and Eugene A. Vandeveer, established the H.M. Vandeveer and Co.

Bank with financial backing from their father. It became the largest private banking business house in Illinois and was recognized as one of the strongest in the United States. Among William T. many philanthropies was a 1935 gift of $100,000, which led to construction of the present Taylorville High School. The gift was made in honor of his By SHARON GOODALL NrimNmMtlnkw TAYLORVILLE When Kicka-poo Indians and herds of buffalo roamed the prairie, Trappist monks from a settlement in Terre Haute, were the earliest white people to explore the area now known as Taylorville.

Soon after, pioneers from Kentucky arrived. The first settler is believed to have been John Sinnet, who was born in Lexington, and later lived in Missouri. In 1818, Sinnet built a cabin near the springs that feed Manners Park Lake. Known as a hunter, he remained in the area for 11 years before selling out to Col. Thomas S.

Young. Among those important to the city's history are: Daniel C- Goode Purchased land from the federal government on Dec. 14, 1835, that was later included in the original plat of Taylorville. The Christian County seat was located on his property on May 24, 1839, by a commission appointed by the legislature. On that day, Goode was host at a festive party, where the name Taylorville was chosen in honor of John M.

Taylor one of the surveyors who subsequently pre-pared the original 80-acre plat for the city. Legend says the new name was toasted with old monogahela (liquor). Horatio M. Vandeveer Bom on March 12, 1816, in Washington County, he was the son of Aaron Vandeveer, a Baptist minis-' ter. In the fall of 1829, his father settled his family on a farm 12 miles west of Taylorville.

Vandeveer grew up to became a teacher and later was admitted to the practice of law. He participated in the organization of Christian County and was ap Ta yldpirviillll I mi yi i i ii in 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ij 1 1 1 i in ni.iu.iii. i tfjji 'Mtti 1913 The city council votes funds to purchase 54 acres from the C. A. Manners estate for a park.

Manners had come to the area as a railroad construction contractor. The price is reported to be $25,000 to $26,000, with the stipulation that a memorial gateway be erected at the main entrance bearing Manners' name. February 1931 A. j. Westrick establishes Sangamon which becomes a nationally known manufacturer, of greeting cards.

July 25, 1939 Taylorviile celebrates its centennial. Included in Here are some of the important dates in Taylorville's history: NOV. 21, 1818 John S. Sinnet builds cabin. Others follow.

May 24, 1839 Festive party is the scene for naming of Taylorville, designated as Christian County seat. 1840 New courthouse is built at cost of $2,350. John Wheat opens schoolhouse. 1850 Dr. Goudy erects first steam saw and gristmill.

1853 Taylorville incorporated as a town. Jan. 19, 18w.Thithepen-:that draws an estimated 18,000. aent tress puDHsnescitys first newspaper, 'i -r 1944 City builds airport two miles west of town. Taylorville Public Library photo 16, 1932, during the 'mine The Daily Breeze newspaper office was bombed on Sept.

Mnnnes piraDdHmiee dInsseimsndDim 1867 -t jGreatS Eastern Stage Line arrives. i'y-. October 1869 Pana and Springfield Railroad (Baltimore Ohio) runs train into city. 1881 Marbles tone Brothers open clothing store. 1882 Taylorville is incorporated as a city.

Thomas W. Long is elected mayor. 1889 Coal mine shaft is sunk in Hewittville, later becoming Pea-body Mine 58. It provides employment until closed in (Hewittville was and is a small residential Emma Cummerlato, a bystander, and Vincent Rodems, a miner, are killed. April 27 The home of John Stanley, local PMA president, is bombed, the, 13th bombing in Christi-an Countv.

'J V'--v March 1945 Taylorville High School wins' state basketball championship: 1951' Former Taylorville Harry B. Hershey is elected to Illinois Supreme Court. He serves as chief justice in 1955, 1956 and 1961. He resigns from the court in 1966 and dies on Aug. 30, 1967, at age 82.

He was the Democratic candidate for governor in 1940, losing to -Dwight H. April 1952 C.F. Jewell completes shopping center oh eight acres on West Spresser Street. 1962 City opens Lake Taylorville. It covers 1,300 acres and has 44 miles of shoreline.

July 10, 1972 New City Hall complex opens. Nov; 30, 1975 Sherman's Department Store One hundred firemen battle blaze. Damage totals $200,000. January 1981 Groundbreaking is held for Christian County YMCA, June 2, 1981 Wal-Mart Dis-' count City opens. area south of the city.) nSyliXJlT ar -1900 Taylorvilie Public Li, from Taylorville.

opens. -Dec. 23 Gun battle erupts in iam rJJi inn lueSalnle persons are wounded. yjiie inirlr Hunt finA nf tho ujnnnHpifl rfiei! gressive Miners of America and a mine war begins. Striking members of both unions fight each other, battle with their' non-striking members and war against coal operators.

The United Mine Workers remain dominant in Christian. County. Sept. 7 Peabody Coal Co. bf Chicago refuses to deal with the Progressives despite a PMA warn-V ing: "Recognize us or.

use i breakers." r- Oct. 19 Mine5tfat Hewitt-? ville reopens after being shut down due to union turmoil. Troops use gas bombs to route pickets. Jan. 3, 1933 PMA mem- bers march on the Chicago Midland Railroad, over which coal is shipped.

Pickets fire on working miners and special deputies fire back. i Mechanization of coal mines and less demand for Illinois coal contributed to cutting mine employment in the state from. 1923 to 1932. The employment was 103,566 in and 51,544 in 1932. In August 1932, in an effort to boost employment and compete with non-union wages paid in the South, United Mine Workers officials and; the coal operators forged a contract calling for pay reductions.

Here are some of the major developments that followed in the Taylorville area over the next several months: Aug. 17, 1932 Some 4,000 striking coal miners from the area march, ignoring the new contract. Others return to work, including many in the Taylorville area. Sept. 1 Dissidents of the United Mine Workers form the Pro Original Vincent's Dec.

28. Hospital opens on South Walnut Jack Glasgow is charged on Jan. btreet. The next year, the hospital 5, 1934, with killing Hunt. He is acquitted on June 26.

March 27, 1934 Militia goes home, although street fightuig, gun fights and killings caused by inter-union rivalry are frequent throughout 1935. and Peabody Coal Co. enter into ah agreement for the hospital to care for injured miners. 1910 Trolley cars run from Hewittville to the paper mill at a cost of 6 cents a trip. Views GDnffffjO (Dim tfiDwim: flumtuniPCB is converted to electricity for the northern part of Illinois.

"The power plant 340 employees) may grow slightly the next few years," says.Emer- son Lacey of Commonwealth Edison. "We'll continue burning Illinois coal under the exist-' tog EPA Jean Neal, president of the Taylorville As- sociation of Commerce and Industry7says an -informal committee has been meeting to help secure new business and industry and boost exisiting firms. "It's not a total answer," she says, "but it's a beginning." Ron Spears, a lawyer who is on the association's Industrial Development Copimittee, says, "We want to retain the industry we have and make the best use of the marketing tools already available. Eventually, we want to see an overall development plan." i Clothing 'store merchant Jim Marblestone is optimistic that recently installed brick side- -walks downtown will improve the city's image: "The downtown is coming back," he says. "Fve put a lot of money into this (Mar- Uestone's Inc.) and I wouldn't have if I didn't think it would pay off." f.r about that We, need to change our image.

I'm tired of being in sleepy little Taylorville. I want TaylorvUle to wake up and Taylorville "isn't necessarflya bedrbbm community," Hopper observes, explaining that a bedroom community has no industrial jobs and that's not the case in Taylorville. Spokesmen for area industries predict little growth Jerry Robinson, general manager of Georgia Pacific Hopper-Division (184 employees), says, "We hope to maintain our seven-day "We may be plus or minus 2 to 3 percent," says Gene Buss, treasurer of the Sangamon which manufactures greeting cards. and employs 260 people. "It looks stable." Helene Hennelly, director of legal and public, affairs for.

the Illinois Division of Peabody Coal says, "Our only market is Commonwealth Edison Co. They have an option on that Peabody's giant coal mine about 15 miles from Taylorville employs 1,000 Christian County workers and is crucial to the city's economy, AO coal mined there goes to the ad-, jacent Commonwealth Edison power plant and His daughter, Amy Marblestone Ryan, last year opened a women's dress shop on the second floor of her father's store. She is the fourth generation to work in the 104-year-old "It doesn't take hard work to succeed just in Taylorville," she says. "Anywhere it takes hard work." Bob Appleton, 34, owner of Apple Muffler, one of Taylorville's newest businesses; says he located in the city because "I discovered it invests in itself with parks, Lake Taylorville, renovation of the town square, the -But Dr. Verlin Bundy, superintendent of schools, says there's little support for a school property tax increase: "Money is going to have to come from some We'll have to look to the The state already is "cooperating with us -in an industrial placement program, Hopper -says.

are also loans available small business expansion." K- The federal government, meanwhile, has provided a $2 million grant for airport expan-: sion and improvements. "That will help (the nearby) Industrial Reese said. "We have to keep moving; we. can't just stop." vx By SHARON GOODALL NrMNmMlRMimi Taylorville isn't angry. However, the Christian County seat with a population of 11,386 can't wait to get even after experiencing recent unemployment rates in the range of 10 percent or more a month.

"Anyone who says there's no problem is maybe not seeing the total picture," says Bill Hopper, chairman of board of First Trust -and Savings Bank. ''It's created by being involved in the industrial Midwest" Mayor Daniel G. Reese agrees. "Unem-, ployment is not only a Taylorville problem. It's all over Central "Farming is close to being in limbo," adds Bill Harryman, Christian County farm adviser.

"I would hope we would draw some in- dustry, but I'm pessimistic. don't see Tay-lorville growing except as a commuter com- munity." Leaders don't hesitate to speak out with a difference of opinion on mat issue, v- "We are a bedroom community to some extent," Reese toys. However, Realtor Dick Adams, who is challenging Reese in the mayoral election, "Some people might be concerned.