Pope County, Illinois Cemeteries

Francis Marion “Fox” Clanahan’s House Built 1875

treegirl55 — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 12:14:40 +0000

Picture taken by Janice Threw last week of December 2012.

Township 13 Cemeteries

treegirl55 — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 16:35:02 +0000

Hello Everyone, Yes I am still around and working like crazy on the next cemetery book. It covers the area from the Pope/Johnson County line to Golconda along St. Rd. 146. There are about 80 cemeteries. The Golconda City Cemetery and IOOF will NOT be included in this next book.

This book will contain something extra…I am asking if any of you have ancestors buried in these cemeteries without monuments I would like to insert a picture of that ancestor in the enumeration, or just there names/birth and death dates. We don’t want to leave anyone out if we can help it! You may include your contact info in case someone would like to reach you-you may find lost kin!

Without listing all 80 cemeteries, here are a few in this township:

Mt. Zion, Bethany, Hodgeville, Prospect, Ragsdale, Roland, Whittenburg/Ford, Craig, Fairview, Waltersburg, Walthers, Spoon, Floyd, several Trovillions, several Thompsons, Sassafras, Hazel, Campbell, Simmons, Glass, Cox, Moyers, Fields, two Austins, Blatter, Kuhl, Densch, Baker, Gregory, Lewis, Clanahan, Hoffman, Butler, Romanus, Canamore, Compton, Clark/Grandpier, Vaughn/Belford, Cosby, Michel/Belford, Palestine, Barger/Flick, Coots, Anderson, Ellis, Hofstettler, Gurnell, Mitchell, Ethridge, Shedville/Slankard, Brownfield, Green, Hilderbrand …. I am searching for Volle and Sistler if anyone knows where these two cemeteries are-please help!

Please contact me through my email, putting ‘cemetery’ in the subject box if you have pictures, comments, questions-etc. Thank you:)

New Pope County Book

treegirl55 — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 15:14:25 +0000

Pope County, Illinois Death Notices & Obituaries 1900-1917. This book has over 2200 people indexed, contains several color photos of monuments, and 182 pages. Price is $15.oo. (Illinois residents please include $.94 tax) Postage is $3.31. Please email me at treegirl55@hotmail.com if you need a copy. Put ‘Obit Book’ in subject line-Thank you.

16 Days Until Golconda City Cemetery Walk!

treegirl55 — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 13:07:14 +0000

Golconda City Cemetery is hosting its seventh annual Cemetery Walk on October 13, 2012. Tours begin at 3:00 pm, then every 15 minutes until 4:30 pm. Tickets are $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for children 6-12. Proceeds are for maintenance of the cemetery.

Door prize will be DVD of the 2011 Cemetery Walk. Refreshments while you wait for the next tour will be a box social. The cemetery was donated to Golconda in 1822 by Dr. Wm. Sim who purchased the property specifically for a burying ground. The earliest grave known is 1830. The last burial was in 1986.

This year visitors will meet Naomi Moore Lowth Sim who came here with her family in 1818; Henry D. Baker, who came to Pope County as a young teen and George Washington Moyers, who was born, lived and died in Pope County. Also 3 other citizens who were important to our community. Period costumes will be show you the styles of that time.

You will also be introduced to a guest who is well known for his knowledge of the style of tombstones used in the past, Michael J. McNerney, a Carbondale archaeologist and historian who co-authored the book “Early Pioneer Gravestones of Pope County, Illinois” will speak on various early tombstones that are in our cemetery. For information call 618-683-3341. See you there!

Below is picture of the top of the Raum monument on the north hill of the Golconda City Cemetery during the flood of last spring, 2011. The flood eventually covered the Raum monument.

This and That…

treegirl55 — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 11:07:47 +0000

Presently, I am working on a book that will cover obits and death notices for Pope County, Ill. from 1900-1917. It is amazing how many people died from being struck by lightning… drowning…catching on fire…even accidentally drinking poison!

In the process, I stumbled across some tidbits…enjoy:)

Cave Springs School (couple miles from Bay City) was destroyed by fire, with all supplies and equipment. Jesse Randolph was the teacher. The building was constructed in 1889 to replace one destroyed by a cyclone in the same year. (1903)

Editor Sim V. Clanahan, correspondent for the Globe-Democrat, sent to that paper the first telegraph dispatch ever to leave Golconda direct, or any other point in Pope County. (1903) Sim V. Clanahan built my house- a pic of him and one of his wives sits on the coffee table in the living room. Wonder when the first cell phone message was sent or received here in Pope County…

For those of you sitting in an air-conditioned house: The Year 1913-A number of business houses and offices have installed and are enjoying electric fans, since the light company is furnishing day current. (that would bring the customers in…imagine no air conditioning, well I can imagine that…I refuse to turn my on…but no electricity to run the fans during the day…no wonder ladies walked around with those little fans I remember in church stuck in with the hymnals.)

OK one more: In the year 1912: “A colored fellow working on the Joe Baker place, southwest of town, yesterday ran across a terrapin which he picked up, and on examination found two names and dates cut on the shell. One was carved by Henry Reeb, Jr. on Sept. 1, 1901, and the other by Coy Lay in 1910.”

Stay cool and keep an eye out for that terrapin…

Harrington Clanahan’s Journal

treegirl55 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:29:30 +0000

‘Washington to Hoover’ with Personal Recollections of Old Times and Old Friends and a Sprinkle of History and Politics. Compiled by Harrington Clanahan and dedicated to his niece Miss Mary E. Trovillion.

This journal is in the possession of Caroline Pederson. She graciously allowed Carolyn Cromeenes Foss to type the journal and index it. As of today, there is a copy of it in the Pope County Courthouse and in the Golconda City Library.

1902 News Golconda, Illinois

treegirl55 — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 22:07:20 +0000

Thos. N. Trovillion, Brownfield, was exhibiting a deer skin. He killed the animal in Missouri and skinned it himself. The unusual sight attracted much attention as deer were a rarity in these parts. 50-Years Ago by Mildred McCormick, Herald-Enterprise.

I don’t have the exact year, but maybe in the 1940′s two doe and a buck were brought here to Pope County in hopes of repopulating the deer. WELL I GUESS THAT WORKED!!

Response to the Button Factory in Metropolis

treegirl55 — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 00:25:08 +0000

In the 1942-43, school vacation time, my sister rode a small furnished bus from Golconda with others to work at the ” Button ” factory. She “punched” out as many button blanks as possible per half shell while wearing leather gloves that were studded with metal spikes to prevent her from losing her grip on the shell and cutting her fingers off. Some folks took some home for decoration. Back then graves of loved ones OR close neighbors were decorated with fresh flowers and trinkets like these shells along with asparagras tops usually in mason jars of water. You have seen this I know, I had a friend who visited old grave yards for those jars.. Hank Vinson.

Hank told me on the phone, that the button factory building still stands in Metropolis, Illinois. Thank you Hank!

Fire Bell in Golconda

treegirl55 — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 00:29:25 +0000

You can see the long rope hanging down for ringing the bell. The photo was taken from the courthouse lawn. Across the street is the J.C. Baker store. -picture submitted by Diane Hoffman via Mildred McCormick.

1903 News of Golconda

treegirl55 — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:46:38 +0000

Three barges loaded with mussel shells, taken from the Ohio (River) at Leavenworth, OH, passed down river in tow of the Vivian. The shells were for a pearl button manufactory at Muscatine, IA.

I have found these shells in cemeteries. They have round holes cut in them the size of buttons. Why are they in cemeteries? One answer I was told, “Maybe they used them for fill.” I was also told there was a button factory near Metropolis.