Notes from the White County Historical Society as they appear in "The Carmi Times."

Copyright ©2001 by "The Carmi Times" Permission to reprint granted to Cindy Birk Conley and the ILGenWeb by Barry Cleveland, editor, "The Carmi Times."

This continues the history of Indian Creek Township, as composed by
Judge Ulys Pyle about 1960.

........

The first officers of Norris City were C.F. Ingersoll, mayor; S.J. Beck,
M.N. Thompson, William McKenzie, Asbury Gaines and William L. Davis,
councilmen; George B. Weaver, clerk; William A. Johnson, treasurer; J.J.
Addison, constable and street commissioner. The post office of Norris
City was established in 1871, with William A. Johnson as the first
postmaster. The first business firm in Norris City was Harper, Ritchie
and Co., general merchandise, in 1871. Others were T.S. Barnes & Sons,
Boyd Bros., R.B. Lemmon, druggist; Henry Wakeford, grain dealer; and W.
B. Jones, miller.

The first school house in the city was erected in 1871 at a cost of
$1,800.

Norris City's first newspaper was published Aug. 22, 1895, by A.C.
Clippinger and B.B. Miller. It was called The Norris City Record.

Middle Point, another community center southeast of Norris City on the
B & 0 Railroad, had as its first settlers John Pearce, Alexander
Trousdale, Henry McMurtry and William Eubanks, about 1820. The post
office was established there in 1874. Alfred Pearce was the first
postmaster. The Village Church in this community was organized in 1819.

The community of Roland was established about 1859.

Sacramento, one of the oldest communities of the township, was laid out
in 1857 by Joel Rice, Archibald Rice, George B. McCarthy and William
Steele. Joel Rice built and ran a hotel, and George B. McCarthy ran a
saloon.

Gossett, about four miles below Norris City on the Big Four Railroad,
was laid out in 1873 by John D. Gossett. [It] thrived as a community
center for many years but, like all the others except Norris City, has
become a mere landmark in the progress of time.

........

Then and now: making meal by hand; planting corn by hand; drying fruit
on the roof; pickets and boards.

........

Dr. Daniel Berry's closing statement at the Old Settlers' Meeting July
4, 1882: "You have nobly done your part in shaping the future for us.
For all that we bless and thank you. We can only hope that this legacy
you have given us, with all its blessings enlarged, improved and with
just as good prospects of durability, we may be able to pass over to our
children, when we, in our turn, shall have become Old Settlers."

........

The Genealogy Library is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2
p.m.

........

Address letters to Genealogy, White County Historical Society, PO Box
121, Carmi, IL 62821.

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The Coordinator for the White County, Illinois ILGenWeb page is Cindy Birk Conley

Copyright © 2001 by Cindy Birk Conley, all rights reserved. For personal use only. Commercial use of the information contained in these pages is strictly prohibited without prior permission. If copied, this copyright notice must appear with the information.