Born in England March 12th, 1805. When he was quite young it was decided to give him a thorough education and professional training in the direction of medicine and surgery. He received his schooling in England and at the age of sixteen was entered as an apprentice to Dr. Coleman of Wolverhampton for five years. The next two years were spent in London in study and practice, receiving his diploma in 1828. In 1850 he received an honorary degree, in Chicago, constituting him Dr. of Medicine.
When the family came to America they settled near Osceola Grove in 1837. When the new town of Toulon came into being in 1841, Dr. Hall and all his belongings, including his cabin, was moved to this town.
Dr. Hall practiced medicine for fifty years, none are left that knew him well, but the Stark County Historical Society is keeping in preservation his small office built shortly after he came to Toulon. In it are the furnishings and many of his medical and surgical instruments. Dr. Hall passed away in 1876, ninety years ago.
TOULON REBEKAH LODGE NO. 117
Toulon Rebekah Lodge No. 117 was instituted at Toulon on February 16, 1882 by Grand Secretary N. C. Nason of Peoria, assisted by members of the Rebekah Lodges at LaFayette and Peoria. The following officers were installed at this time: D. S. Hewitt, Noble Grand; Mrs. V. B. Thornton, Vice Grand; J. M. Brown, Secretary; Mrs. Howard Stanley, financial secretary; and Mrs. D. Chamberlain, treasurer.
The lodge now has fifty members. The officers are: Noble Grand, Hazel Thurston; Vice Grand, Virginia King; Recording Secretary, Rita Williamson; Financial Secretary, Myra McCulloch; Treasurer, Pansy Edwards.
MASONIC LODGE
"Toulon Lodge" No. 93 A. F. and A. M. was chartered October 20th, 1850.
This lodge has always been prosperous and harmonious and for many years it was the only lodge between Peoria and Cambridge. It is the parent of all the lodges in the County.
At the present writing, Toulon Lodge numbers 173 resident members, with the following officers: John Cover, Master; Duane Allen, Senior Warden; Kenneth Blakey, Jr. Warden; Leo White, Treasurer; A. P. Grieve, Secretary; James Mock, Sr. Deacon; Randall Fell, Jr. Deacon; Robert Silliman, Chaplain; Gary Whittaker, Sr. Steward; Lloyd Phillips, Jr. Steward; Cecil Little, Tyler.
AMERICAN LEGION
The first Veteran's Organization was the W. W. Wright Post, No. 327, organized at Toulon under a charter, dated August 20, 1883, with twenty five charter members. The first Commander was Capt. John M. Brown of Company K, Forty-seventh Illinois Infantry. At one time this was the strongest Grand Army Post in the county, having close to one hundred members. In 1915 they were meeting in the Masonic Hall and Levi Silliman was the Commander.
The Toulon American Legion Post No. 416 was organized in 1920. The first Commander was Ollie Colwell. They have been a very strong and hard working group. The primary purpose of the Post is to care for the disabled Veteran, his widow and orphans.
They own their building west of the Court House square and this year have a membership of ninety six members.
The present officers are: Earl Cobb, Commander; Carl Lehman, Senior Vice Commander; Max Hatfield, Jr. Vice Commander; and Ralph Gerard, Adj.
THE PRESS
The first newspaper in Stark County was the Prairie Advocate, January 4. 1856. John G. Hewitt, Editor; and John Smith, Printer. In 1857 this paper was sold to Rev. K. C. Dunn, who changed the name to The Stark County News. After a few months Mr. Dunn sold the News to Whittaker and Henderson, who placed Dr. S. S. Kaysbier in charge as Editor. At the close of 1860 the paper was suspended.
In the fall of 1861 it was revived by W. H. Butler, who named it the Stark County Union. The Union was short lived as in the spring of 1863, The Stark County News was resumed by Dr. S. S. Kaysbier, who in 1864, associated with him, Oliver White. In July the same year Mr. White became the sole owner, several more exchanges were made, and in the year 1897 the News was purchased by Charles E. Nixon of Peoria and James A. Nowlan of Toulon, the latter becoming sole owner in 1904. The Stark County News was kept in this family until it was sold in 1964 to a Morton firm. It is still in operation as The Stark County News.
The Stark County Democrat was published in Toulon during the campaign of 1860, Martin Shallenbuger, Editor-in-Chief. In 1868, the Prairie Chief with Mr. Shallenbuger and Benjamin Seaton as editors was printed. In the spring of 1872 the Chief was sold to Dr. Henry M. Hall who changed the name to the New Era and published it until January 1876, when he moved to Iowa and Stark County was without a democratic paper.
The Stark County Sentinel, another Toulon newspaper was first issued October 8, 1880. by W. E. Nixon and Thomas H. Blair. On the last day of April, 1881, J. Knox Hall succeeded Mr. Blair and in May, 1882, Mr. Hall became sole owner. In 1884, Gus Hulsizer purchased an interest, but the partnership between Hall and Hulsizer was dissolved on February 13, 1885, Mr. Hall, retiring. Under the management of Mr. Hulsizer the Sentinel became a strong advocate of probition, which policy was followed until circumstances forced it to suspend.
For two years, 1876 and 1877, Mr. Olive White published The Molly Stark, a tri-weekly paper. Mr. White's paper had no filler, using all local news and advertising, which he found to be an unprofitable business and therefore discontinued publication.
RAILROAD
Work on the Peoria and Rock Island Railroad Company was commenced in the spring of 1869, and in June 1871 the first train arrived in Toulon. This was a construction train, but July 8th, 1871, the first passenger train passed over the tracks. In 1874, there was shipped from the station at Toulon, 200 ears of corn, 145 cars of hogs, 107 cars of oats, 68 cars of cattle, 30 cars of rye, 10 cars of wheat, 5 cars household goods, 2 cars of brick, 2 cars of hay, 1 car of flour, 1 car of mules, 1 car of horses, and 1 car of sheep. 251,700 lbs. of merchandise, butter, eggs, hides, etc. was also shipped.
The same year 154 cars of lumber were shipped into Toulon, plus cars of nails, lime, brick, stone and sewer pipe. 1,507,059 lbs. of merchandise also arrived by rail and the passenger business amounted to $4,492.80.
The elevator business then became a leading industry. Do you remember when a scene such as this was common?
Scene at elevator
C. R. I. & P. Depot
LEHMAN'S
One of the oldest business firms on our Main street is the Lehman feed and farm supply.
The grandfather Carl Lehman came to Toulon in 1870 working for two years for John A. Slocum, then bought the carriage, wagon and blacksmith business, this business has been carried on by his sons and now by one son William Lehman and grandson Carl W. Lehman for some 90 years.
The old shop stood just north of the present store and was abandoned when the present building was built in 1907, both the old Virginia house standing where Lehman's building now stands and the livery on the corner were torn down at this time.
Times have changed and the wagon and carriage business has given away to the changing times, the business is now mostly feed and farm supplies.
STARK COUNTY FARM BUREAU ORGANIZED 1919
The Stark County Farm Bureau was organized in the year 1919. The first meeting on record was held on Monday evening, September 29 of that year.
It would be well to note that the I. A. A., statewide Farm Bureau, had already been organized in 1916 and that many counties had already been formed.
The first farmers in this county were concerned about "the high cost of living". It is interesting to note, that even then they were concerned about the manner in which farmers seem to carry a lot of burden of our nations economy.
The first Farm Bureau members felt that by organizing farmers, farmers as a whole would stand to gain.
One of the problems that had to be solved was a more uniform price for hand picking corn. It was decided at their October 3, 1919, meeting that they would pay 6¢ a bushel for picking corn, and if the man had to shovel it also they would pay 7¢ a bushel.
By October 22, 1919, Stark County Farm Bureau members totaled near 600. W. W. Wright was elected President; W. H. Jackson, Vice President; Arthur Shinn, Secretary; and Mills D. Dewey, Treasurer. The first board members were O. L. Hatch, Dave Turnbull, Otis Montooth, J. A. Buswell, Ben Leadley, Harry Loper, Walter Finley, Bert Smith, Robert Galbraith, Gerald Snyder, William Gill, P. V. Colgan, John I. Colgan, Eugene H. Rennick., George Wilson, and George Scott.
On November 26, 1919, the Stark County Farm Bureau took up an affair in the east room of the Packer Building's first floor.
A Farm Advisor was hired on the 17th day of December, 1919. He was E. E. Brown from Newport, Indiana.
It was in the early 20's that a few of the Farm Bureau members felt that they needed good automobile insurance. It was at this time M. Ralph Cox and others started writing insurance for Pekin Farmers in their spare time. O. L. Hatch in the early 30's, started as a full time special agent and remained on the job for 10 or 12 years. Country Companies Insurance is recognized as being a front-runner in the insurance field today.
It was on February 12, 1945, that Stark County Service Company, as we know it today, was organized. Previous to this date the company was in partnership with Henry County Service Company. The incorporating directors were John Armstrong, Robert Moran, Warren Hall, F. L. Dutton, Harry Morse, O. V. Blair, and Harvey Price. On April 19, 1945, Marvin Kottman was hired as Service Company Manager.
The Stark Supply Company selling Animal Health Products was officially organized in 1939 while hogs were cooperatively vaccinated back to 1922 and before. On May 1, 1966, the Stark County Farm Bureau board of directors were as follows: Robert Clark, Clement Cox, Marvin Dexter, Wilbur Dienst, Roy Dutton, Jerry Kieser, Paul McKeever, Robert Nelmes, Kermit Newton, Lynn Newton, Harold Plotner, George Slygh, Frank Streitmatter, William O. Turnbull, and Ray Wagenbach.
In January, 1966, LaVerne Scott, Osceola Township, was killed in a truck accident south of Wyoming making him our first board member to die while in office. Membership in Stark County on April 1, 1966, totaled 850 with 195,265 in the state of Illinois. E. Sidney Foulke is presently Farm Bureau manager in the county with Dick Finney as Country Companies Agency Manager and Ray Carlson as Service Company Manager.
Picture Caption: Glen Peterson, Reuben Peterson, John McWilliam, Robert P. Armstrong, and John R. Armstrong vaccinating pigs in 1922. This was the year that Stark County farmers bonded together to purchase vaccine and serums co-operatively to insure a quality product at a lower cost. It was in 1939 that these farmers organized the Stark Supply Company.
Coles Garage 1907
Miss Anna Lowman and her 1913 class
Main street Toulon early 1900's
Old Toulon Academy and the new Toulon Township High School
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