DATES IN WHITE COUNTY HISTORY PREPARED BY CINDY BIRK CONLEY OF THE WHITE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOR A "TODAY IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS HISTORY" PAGE PLANNED BY A CARBONDALE PUBLISHER, WHICH DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ONLINE MARCH 18, 1925--GREAT TORNADO RIPS THROUGH COUNTY FROM ENFIELD TO CROSSVILLE--27 PEOPLE KILLED IN THE COUNTY SEPTEMBER 30, 1895--VILLAGE OF CROSSVILLE INCORPORATED JULY 19, 1820--THOMAS CROSS, NAMESAKE OF THE VILLAGE OF CROSSVILLE, WAS BORN JANUARY 29, 1951--CROSSVILLE GRADE SCHOOL DESTROYED BY FIRE NOVEMBER 19, 1899--BIRTHDATE OF IVAN A. ELLIOTT, SR., OF CARMI, ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL 1949-1983 FEBRUARY 8, 1816--CITY OF CARMI PLATTED AND CHOSEN AS COUNTY SEAT DECEMBER 11, 1830--JOHN M. ROBINSON OF CARMI ELECTED BY ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE TO SERVE OUT U.S. SENATE TERM OF SEN. DAVID J. MCLEAN (DECD.) OF SHAWNEETOWN--ON MARCH 6, 1843 ROBINSON WAS ELECTED (BY THE LEGISLATURE) TO THE ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT (HE DIED APRIL 25, 1843, DURING HIS FIRST TRIP AROUND HIS NORTHERN ILLINOIS CIRCUIT)--THE HOME OF SEN. ROBINSON IS NOW A MUSEUM OWNED BY THE WHITE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, AND STILL CONTAINS MANY OF HIS FURNISHINGS. APRIL 9, 1830--BIRTHDATE OF COLONEL JOHN M. CREBS (WHOSE FAMILY CAME TO CARMI IN 1836), WHO HELPED ORGANIZE 87TH ILLINOIS REGIMENT IN THE CIVIL WAR--SERVED IN U.S. CONGRESS FROM 1869 TO 1873. DECEMBER 9, 1815--WHITE COUNTY ORGANIZED OUT OF GALLATIN COUNTY SEPTEMBER 16, 1853--ORIGINAL LOTS OF VILLAGE OF ENFIELD AUCTIONED OFF--MANY RESIDENTS MOVED TO THIS SITE FROM SEVEN MILE PRAIRIE VILLAGE, DUE TO RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION, WHICH FINALLY ARRIVED IN 1872. AMONG THE FOUNDERS OF SEVEN MILE PRAIRIE IN 1813 WERE THOMAS AND SALLY RUTLEDGE, PARENTS OF ANN RUTLEDGE, FIRST LOVE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN. AUGUST 14, 1814--JONATHON BOONE, BROTHER OF DANIEL BOONE, SETTLES NEAR THE CURRENT BORDER OF WHITE AND GALLATIN COUNTIES, BUILDING A STOCKADE AND MILL IN WHAT BECAME THE VILLAGE OF NEW HAVEN. JUNE 26, 1919--FIRST BUILDING FOR ILLINOIS BAPTIST CHILDREN'S HOME IN CARMI WAS DEDICATED--THE HOME CURRENTLY HOUSES TROUBLED TEENAGERS FROM THROUGHOUT ILLINOIS IN HOME-LIKE COTTAGES DECEMBER 27, 1851--BIRTHDATE OF JAMES ROBERT WILLIAMS NEAR CENTERVILLE, ILLINOIS, WHO SERVED IN THE IN THE U.S. CONGRESS FROM 1887 TO 1903 AND WAS A CLOSE ALLY OF WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN. WILLIAMS WAS COMMONLY CALLED "DOLLAR BOB". DECEMBER 27, 1896--FIRST KNOWN EVENT TO TAKE PLACE IN CARMI'S "CASTLE," A TURRETED BRICK MANSION WITH RICHARDSONIAN ROMANESQUE AND EASTLAKE DETAILS DESIGNED BY GEORGE FRANKLIN BARBER, WHO ALSO DREW PLANS FOR THE GRAY HOUSE IN GRAYVILLE (NOW THE FOUNDERS MANSION INN), AND THE ARTHURS MANSION IN MT. VERNON. THE EVENT WAS A BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR THE OWNER, CONGRESSMAN AND JUDGE JAMES R. WILLIAMS. JANUARY 29, 1987--CARMI'S "CASTLE" IS PLACED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES, A TURNING POINT IN EFFORTS TO PREVENT DESTRUCTION OF THE HOME BY MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS WHO HOPED TO PLACE A NEW LIBRARY AND PARKING AREA ON THE SITE. MARCH 31, 1865--47 WHITE COUNTY SOLDIERS ARE KILLED WHEN THE STEAMER "GENERAL LYON" BURNED AND SANK IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AS THEY WERE RETURNING HOME NEAR THE END OF THE CIVIL WAR. AUGUST 15, 1939--FIRST SUCCESSFUL OIL WELL DRILLED IN WHITE COUNTY, IN STORMS FIELD, SETTING OFF ILLINOIS BASIN OIL BOOM. OIL PROSPECTING HAD STARTED BACK IN 1936 AND 1937. 1840--ABRAHAM LINCOLN ADDRESSES CARMI RESIDENTS AT WHIG RALLY FOR WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON, AND SPENDS NIGHT IN RATCLIFF INN. 1896--WILLIAM JENNINGS BYRAN VISITS CARMI ON WHISTLE-STOP TOUR--INTRODUCED BY US REPRESENTATIVE JAMES ROBERT WILLIAMS. 1948--HARRY TRUMAN VISITS CARMI ON CHAMPAIGN TRAIL--INTRODUCED BY US REPRESENTATIVE ROY CLIPPINGER. 1839--PATRICK DOLAN ENTERS CLAIM ON LAND IN ENFIELD TOWNSHIP--FIRST CATHOLIC SETTLER IN COUNTY. EARLY CATHOLICS SERVED BY FR. ELISHA "DADDY" DURBIN, CIRCUIT RIDING PRIEST FROM BARDSTOWN, KY. JULY 1920--DEATH OF W.W. GRAY, SON OF FOUNDER OF GRAYVILLE, ESTIMATED TO BE WORTH $10,000,000--KNOWN AS THE COTTON KING FOR MISSISSIPPI PLANTATIONS. Cindy Birk Conley cbconly@midwest.net From Southeastern Illinois to your modem!! http://www.midwest.net/scribers/cbconly ------------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Cindy Birk Conley< cbconly@midwest.net > (© 1997 Cindy Birk Conley)