Raymond Trivia

The information below appears in Raymond's 125th Anniversary Book. Can you imagine growing up in Lula, Illinois?      

• The village was first known as Lula, named this after the first postmaster's daughter. The railroad imposed the name of "Raymond" on the village. Prior to the mail being received in Lula, mail had been delivered at Herndon post Office in the home of John Todt, north of the village. Todt had received his commission in 1868 and mail was delivered from from Springfield via Pawnee, White Oak, and Shawspoint to Herndon once a week on Saturdays. Todt received a salary of $20 annually.

• In 1873 licenses were issued for three taverns in the town. Owners were Thomas Fahey, Samuel Harvel, and Frank Huber. Two of the taverns had pigeon hole tables and one had a billiard table.

• The Free Methodist Church, Raymond, was erected in 1884.

• In 1888, The Ravmond Leader was started by W.S. Parrott but was published only about two years.

• At one time there were six lodges active in the village: Masonic, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Grand Army of the Republic, Knights of Pythias, Mutual Protective League, and Modern Woodmen of America.

• The first burial in St. Raymond's Cemetery was that of Mrs. Bernard (Sophie- nee Wiefenstett) Beiermann who died October 9, 1874.

• James Lonergan owned and operated the brickyard in Raymond in 1901. His nephew Dan was a brick molder and coal digger.

• Some early 1900's businesses: 

Frank Luking, blacksmith/farm implements; Philip Mangers, shoemaker; Joseph Mangers, harness; John McMillan, furniture and undertaking; Stephan Schulte, bakery/confectionery; Theodore Stoevener, merchant/tailor; Henry Gees, pabst beer; J. Guller, dry goods; A. Engel, clothier/hatter; Geo. Back, lunch counter; Geo. Beeler, blacksmith; J. W. Strain, jeweler/optician; Pratt-Baxter Grain Co., elevator; E.R. Steele and Co., dry goods; A.B. Whittaker, grocery; Miller & Gragg, furniture and undertaking; Day & Shaffer, farm implements, buggies, wagons; E.P. Darlington and Co., lumber; L.J. Dickson, hardware; W. L. Seymour, paints/drugs; J. G. Alsbury, hardware; Oscar Potterj grocery; A. H. George, grocer; Hough's boots and shoes; C.F Scherer, grocery; Dr. W.H. Mercer; and Dr. J. R. Seymour; W.H. Scherer, DDS.

Raymond's Claim to Fame

 Just spent a great week here in the 217! Please enjoy tonight's encore presetantion of the Throwback Thursday post, "Raymond's Claim to Fame" originally published in 2014. 

Did you know?

Actress Kate Capshaw, wife of Steven Spielberg, had relatives in Raymond and Waggoner. Myron Nail was her grandfather, Henry Nail was her great-uncle, and Edith Hantla was her great-aunt.

Francis Martin's shrine along the West frontage road was featured in Route 66 books and videos, aired on "Nightline" with Ted Koppel, and was featured on several Route 66 programs.

Bruce House and Alan Pecht, known as the "Tapekho Brothers Juggling Act" were featured on the "Regis Philbin Show" and the "Corky the Clown" program.

Gus Sutter, a rural mail carrier in the Raymond-Harvel area, was on CNN, CBS, NBC, and featured in local and national newspapers when he retired from the U.S. Postal Service after 64 years of service.  He was recognized for being both the oldest and the longest-term mail carrier in the United States.

Rusty Bergman, son of Harry and Evelyn Bergman went on to become a well-known college basketball coach.

Jim Held and Wendell Egelhoff were related to American Statesman, Lewis Cass, who ran for president of the United States in 1848. He was defeated by Zachary Taylor. Cass later became a U.S. Senator and served as Secretary of State under President James Buchanan.

Verne Pinkston served as General Patton's jeep driver.

John Dillinger was a cousin to Raymond resident, Jimmy Richardson, owner of "Jimmy's Junk" store on main street in the early 1930's. The store was located next to Temple Hough's beauty shop and Bob Hough played cards with Dillinger when this notorious gangster was in Raymond "hiding out" shortly before his death.

Hank Scheisser went to school with Theodore Kaczynski, "The Unabomber."

(The information above appeared in the book commemorating Raymond's quasquicentennial published in 1996.)

Close Call

The following article appeared in The Raymond News on September 11, 1958: 

A Wabash fast passenger train struck Lewis Lessman’s car on the main street crossing Monday afternoon and threw it into the depot on fire. No one was hurt. When Mr. Lessman’s car stalled on the tracks, Charles Warnsing rushed to help him out of the car while P.M. Greenfield, Wabash agent, hurried down the tracks to flag the southbound passenger No. 11 due through here at 4:20 p.m., but there was not enough time to stop it.

The car was tossed into the depot and exploded, throwing flaming gasoline on the wooden structure and breaking several windows. The Raymond fireman extinguished the fire quickly before any great damage was done to the building. As one can see, there is very little left of the car. 

 

People from the Past: Merle Burley

The following appears in Raymond's 125 Years of Memories book published in 1996: 

No history of Raymond would be complete without the mention of Robert M. (Merle) Burley. Merle moved to Raymond from Morrisonville in 1935, along with his parents Alda and Robert Orville Burley, and sister, Elsie (who married Guy Pitchford). He soon became a regular fixture in the community by being always ready and able to help with many small and large jobs

Among Merle’s jobs were Sorrells Trucking, Raymond Tile Yard, Kroger Store, Smith Distributors, Raymond Lumber, and many more. Merle mowed yards, delivered papers, and did many odd jobs around Raymond for almost everyone in town at one time or another.

Merle is best known for the fine job he did as a crossing guard at the intersection of Rote 48 and Broad Street in Raymond. Merle helped the schoolchildren across the highway, rain or shine, very faithfully for over 30 years. He always said he saw a lot of babies grow up in his years as the “Raymond Guard.”

The Raymond Cafe

 Please enjoy tonight's encore presentation of the Throwback Thursday post, The Raymond Cafe, originally published in 2014.  

Bandy's Cafe in the early 1930's. Pictured (from left) Anna Bandy, Pauline Bandy Hinkley, Elsie (Burley) Pitchford, and an unidentified person. 

I mentioned Bandy's Cafe a couple of weeks ago. My grandparents, Charles and Anna Bandy, opened the cafe in 1929 in a brick building on Main Street where the current Raymond-Harvel Fire Department and Ambulance building is located. The Bandy family lived in an apartment directly above the restaurant, and grandma was downstairs making pies every morning by 4:00 a.m.

Back then, the restaurant served three meals a day, six and a half days a week (they closed on Sunday after lunch). The cafe was always open after ballgames and other activities, and it was a popular gathering spot for the high school crowd, as well as adults. Hamburgers sold for 10 cents, plate lunches for 35 cents, and a complete dinner cost 45 cents. Customers could get a piece of homemade pie and a cup of coffee for 15 cents. There was a nickelodeon, and for 5 cents, customers could hear their favorite songs. There was a short wave radio, and for the Illinois State Police (who rode motorcycles), the restaurant was a warm place to gather and listen for police calls.

A crowd of young people went to the restaurant on Saturday nights to listen to the Philip Morris Hit Parade on the radio, and find out which of their favorite songs topped the list for that week. Many people were employed at the cafe during those years including (my aunt) Pauline Bandy Hinkley, Lela Hudson, Beulah (Fortin) Lowe, Loretta Lessman, Elsie Pitchford, Helen Luking, Merrill Foster, Geraldine Hendricks, and Georgia (Halford) Plappert.

In 1943, grandma sold the restaurant and it became known as the Raymond Cafe. Some of the people who owned it through the years included: Harry Garard, Eleanor Miller, Loretta Lessman, Claude Carlock, Leon Martin, members of the Vickery family, June Funderburk, and Vi Heisman.

Dad talked frequently about the restaurant days, and how a lot of hard work and "elbow grease" were required to make a living there, especially during the Depression. He often commented that although they didn't have money or any luxuries during those years, the family never had to worry about having food on the table.  

When I was in afternoon Kindergarten, occasionally mom would take over at the Variety Store while dad and I walked to the cafe to enjoy a hamburger and a "Bubble-Up" before I went to school. I always looked up to see the words, BANDY'S CAFE, that had been painted across the top of the building in the 30's. The large, white letters were still visible when the building was demolished sometime around the turn of the century.

Many thanks to Susan Lebeck for providing this week's photo.

Citizens of Tomorrow

From The Raymond News, July 17, 1958

Connie 10, Harlan 6, David 4 and Tommy 2, are the children of 

Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Brown, Route 1, Harvel. The Browns are engaged in farming.

Terry, 2 years old, and Garry and Larry, 6 month old twins of Mr. and Mrs. George Todt of Raymond, seem to enjoy having their pictures taken. George works at the Checkerboard Soybean Co., here in Raymond.

Pictured above are the children of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Held, Jr., of near Raymond. They are: Gloria, 11 yrs., Gary, 10 years; Donald, 9 years; Billy, 7 years, and Gerald, 5 years. The Held family is engaged in farming.

 Pictured above are: top row, left to right, Carolyn, 10 ½ years old, Stanley, 5 years old, and Lana, 11 months old, children of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Bockewitz of Harvel. Second row, left to right: Donna, 11 years old, Sherry, 7 years old, and Joey, 18 months old, children of Mr. and Mrs. Cleo Lewey of Raymond.

Fire Department Purchases New Equipment

 From The Raymond News, October 30, 1958

Pictured above is Mr. Robert Hough displaying the new Resuscitator, Inhalator and Aspirator, purchased by the Raymond Community Fire Department and is available for use to anyone living in our fire district at no cost. Having this equipment might save a life in case of drowning, heart attacks, accidents, etc. The Fire Department has appointed Mr. Hough to be responsible for keeping the equipment ready for use at any time.