My Memories of Thompsonville 1905 - 1921

Written by A. Elmer Criley

These memories started west of Thompsonville, July 12, 1905, where my parents farmed and like the rest of the community, it was their way of survival. These memories cover the year of 1921 when I finished my last year at Thompsonville.

When I was old enough to remember, my folks did their shopping and trading at Thompsonville, as did their neighbors. There were no surfaced roads or gravel, only dust or mud. My first memory, starting from the west end of the village, was of the old brickyard and kiln across the road from the John Vaughn place and the pond for the water to mix the brick material. We would drive into the pond to soak our buggy wheels so the tires and rims wouldn't rattle.

My grandfather, Nathaniel McClerren, told me this bit of history. --- When he was in his late teens, he worked at the brickyard where they made the bricks for many of the buildings in the village. They used oxen to convey the finished product to town. These were the bricks used in Martin's Store (last owners Villa and Everett Carlyle), the Jimmy Knight store across the street and others. All of the equipment and kiln were allowed to fall into disrepair.---

Passing the kiln, we entered the town along the south side of Illinois Central Railroad track. Across the track was the produce house where they bought and dressed chickens and other poultry. This was shipped to St Louis in barrels of ice, by rail. This business had the public scale. That also sold ice from the ice house at Galatia.

If the folks needed some mill feed or corn meal, they would go to the creamery and mill in the east part of town. This creamery was located east of where the Historical Log Museum is now located. The power for the churn and stone burr was supplied by a stationary steam engine. It is too far back in my memory to recall who owned this business. I remember a Mr Fate Perryman running it. I can still see him with a straightedge and a stone hammer, sharpening the buhr stone, with his glasses well down on his nose.

From the mill we returned to the depot if we were expecting freight or just to watch the passengers, a curiosity in those days. Crossing the street to the north side of the tracks, we came to the site of the Thompsonville Tribune and Print Shop. Sometimes Father would stop for a visit with Mr Trigg who was the editor. Next to the Print Shop was the hotel, last known as McCasburn Hotel. This stood on the spot where Steed's Store now stands. Next to the hotel and along side the Weber and Burns General Store was a small building used for a furniture showroom for the W-B store. It also housed the hearse and related items, in the rear.

We are now at the Weber-Burns store which was the "big" store of its day. The combination name came from a marriage partnership. Mr Harry Burns married Mae Webber, whose father furnished the necessary funds and know-how. To the north and adjoining was the bank. In the rear, one of the local doctors had his office, Dr W L Johnson and an insurance company shared the rest of the first floor. The upper story was a lodge hall. In front of the bank was the town well and watering trough. There was a pump which was a novelty to most of us kids.

There was an alley next to the bank and across the alley may have been the first State Bank in Thompsonville, for there was a strong vault in one corner. In my day this was the Post Office, where five mail carriers left daily in buggies on 25-27 mile routes. The next and first brick building was the Martin Store, last known as the Carlyle Store. This building was destroyed in the tornado in the seventies.

This part of town was more or less the main part of Thompsonville. Back of the Martin Store, across the alley was the Townhouse with a steel cage where the town marshall kept the rowdies overnight, or until they could find the Justice of Peace.

From here we cross the street to the north. There was a repair shop as part of the Puckett holdings as I believe Tom Puckett owned a farm on the north side of this part of town and going west from there Puckett had a lumber yard and hardware store. It was here the first subsoil attachment was made for the riding plows. An employee of the Puckett store had the idea and the blacksmith in the shop made the first working model. Next to that store was a frame one that housed doctors and dentists from time to time. The last building, next to where the filling station stands was the site of M Heard and Sons, Hardware, buggies and wagons. This entire block of buildings burned one night.

Across the highway going south was the Jimmy Knight store. It was manned chiefly by the family, dealing in general merchandise. Next to the Knight store was a frame building, probably owned by E S Bundy, since he was most anywhere the money was. He also dealt in real estate. As we continue south, I remember the JJ Bundy Drug Store, where we could buy many other than drugs. Next door was another store, Carter and Plasters, Hardware. Dr Carter had a small building next to the hardware store. I believe the hardware store was owned by the doctor's son-in-law, Doug Plasters. There was a barber shop next, then a small soup kitchen with seven or eight stools. These were all separate metal buildings. Fire had destroyed some of the brick buildings about 1910 or 1912 and were replaced by these metal ones. In these buildings Mr WB Saddler and John Jones had small businesses, on of which had soft drinks and some food. I think this section of Main Street is depicted on the Memorial Plate.

The next building was used for shows or when a hall was needed for special events since there was no gym or gathering place, other than churches. Next was a small building about 12x20 that seemed to be used by anybody who needed space for a small shop. Its last use was by an elderly lady for sewing and dress making. I am not sure, but this also could have been her residence. Anyway, a local character robbed and murdered her. Two nights later, the building burned.

As we continue across the tracks there was a lumber yard and an office where the feed mill now stands. This was last owned by McCreery. It burned about 1926. Next to the lumber yard was the residence of ES Bundy, next to it JJ Bundy's first home which was later occupied by William McCreery, manager of the lumber yard. There was another bungalow and then the school.

Across from the school was the Methodist Church. Turning north toward the main part of town, there was a livery stable in the next block. This, of course, was the sort of center for the traveling men and drummers, as we called them in those days. They would hire rigs to go to small towns that did not have railroads, Akin being one I remember.

Returning to the main street and the street east and west, there was a hitching post along the north side of Jimmy Knight's building and the Martin Store. Much visiting and horse trading was done here on Saturday afternoon when the farmers came to town.

Also west on Main, now on the highway, was a village blacksmith named George Jones. (In later years he had a son-in-law, Ott Poole.) This was another gathering place for farmers while their wives were shopping or visiting in the stores. Mr Jones was full of humor and tricks. I think the Post Office now stands on the site where he did business. Mr Jones was not one of the regulars at church and he delighted in outwitting some who were, especially if they tried to cheat him.

A Mr Scott Wall needed some plow bolts. They were priced two for a nickel. Mr Jones said he would let him have them cheaper if he wouldn't tell anybody. He let him have them three for a dime. Mr Wall went straight to Main Street and told how he had wickered Mr Jones. They knew no one had ever wickered George Jones and then it came toWall that he had been taken. He returned to the shop with a wagon wrench in his hand, but Mr Jones had gone to lunch and his son-in-law gave Wall another bolt. I doubt that a day passed that Mr Jones didn't pull one of his tricks. I am sure that if he had been a writer he could have written a book on blacksmith humor.

Thompsonville has other memories for me, some best forgotten. One I remember too well. My path to school went through the field where the brick kiln was located. A man who farmed the land was gathering his corn in March. There was a cow in the field so the farmer caught it and tied it to his wagon. The cow's owner came for his cow and found Mr Farmer with a shotgun in his hand, which he hastily used on the cow's owner. The owner had a pistol which he used with more effect. He shot the farmer dead, also hitting one of the horses, which died later. The team ran for home, which crossed my path. The wagon made two deep tracks across the path which was still there on the last day of school, a month later.

The school was staffed by HH Hamilton as principal, DD Wollard, Neil Plasters, Nadine Bundy, to name a few. BL Casteel was the cashier at the bank, Mr Bradley was the depot agent, Clay Duke was clerk, his brother, Lon Duke worked for Burns-Weber Store and Produce. Scott Harris was funeral director for Burns-Weber Undertaking.

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