[Page 94]
This unique home is not quite antique by some authorities' standards, being
built as recently as 1886. Robert Waugh built the house as a home for his
family begun with Lina Stephenson whom he married in 1877. He was born in
Selkirkshire, Scotland in 1838, came to the United States in 1850 to Ontario
City, New York and Marshall County in 1853. He worked on a farm in LaPrairie
Township for three years and farmed on his own account there until moving to
Steuben Township in 1862 where he worked one year. Then he worked in
Livingston County two years when he entered Baker's 1st Calvary of District
of Columbia in January, 1865. Waugh served until December, 1865 when he was
mustered out through diseases. He came home to peddle dry goods in 1867 and
established his business in 1870, located next to (now) Franks' Hardware on
Ferry Street. He carried a full stock of boots, shoes, and clothing and dry
goods suitable to his trade. He was known as a liberal, reliable man. Robert
and Lina, a native of Woodford County, had James, Joseph, Edith, Leslie and
Robert.
Waugh lived above the store until 1887 when he moved into the octagonal
house built earlier. He purchased the land from John Martin in February,
1886 for twenty-five dollars. Edith Waugh Monier, the late Mrs. Halsey
Monier, remembered the day they moved into the house. She had been sent to
the care of friends, for she was about three years old. When they took her
home, it was the wrong house and she cried bitterly.
Working with Robert Waugh in his business was Andrew Aitchison. He was born
in Lanarkshire, Scotland in April, 1857, and came to the United States when
he was nine months old. He peddled goods from a wagon throughout the
township. He lived with the Waughs above the store for a time.
Andrew bought the business in 1912, but in the meantime he married Elizabeth
Jane Pringle in October of 1880 and they moved into the octagonal house
about the same time as Andrew bought the store. He paid $3,000 for the house
and property in 1913 to Carolyn Waugh Dunlap. The Aitchisons had six
children: Grace, b. December, l888; William, b, August, l892; George, b.
February, 1894; Dean, b. May, 1902; Fred, b. (?), and Nelle, b. (?).
The house was sold in 1973 to Gary D. and Nancy Hendrick Coker. It was in
quite poor repair and now the long restoration begins. Gary is an
illustrator with Caterpillar, while Nancy is a retired Montressori
directress and artist. In June of 1974, Sara Jane was born, the first child
born in the house in over sixty years. November of 1975 brought Joshua
Hendrick Coker and a new era of history to the Octagon House on Steuben
Township.
Mrs. Gary D. Coker
*****
Herridge Homestead
The house located on the farm four miles west of Sparland on Route 17,
Steuben Township is over one hundred years old.
This dwelling is believed to have been built in the middle 1800's by Albin
Gallup, an early settler in Steuben Township.
The farm was acquired by the Alice Herridge family in 1925.
The west portion of the home has changed little since it was built by the
Gallups. A corner window with a window seat adds charm to the dining room of
this modest home.
An original fireplace with delicately carved wooden mantel and mirror helps
heat the living room of the present occupants, Mr. and Mrs. Clifford
Herridge.
[Page 96]
Mr. and Mrs. William Monier purchased the Oak Glade Farm in 1868 from Jabez
Fisher, the old pork packer of Lacon.
William Monier was born on the Isle of Man, May 1, 1834, and came with his
parents to America in 1850. It took 21 days to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a
sailing vessel. The journey from New York to Illinois was up the Hudson
River by boat, the Erie Canal to Buffalo, thence by the Great Lakes to
Chicago. They came down the canal to LaSalle then by river boat to Peoria
and settled near Brimfield. In 1857, the family moved to Saratoga Township.
Willmina Doran, who would become his wife later, was born in New Brunswick,
Canada, July 5, 1841. In 1848, the Doran family moved to Boston. There they
became acquainted with the Fisher family, who in turn persuaded them that
the Illinois farming country had a promising future.
So in the summer of 1850, they came to Illinois by the same route that the
Monier family came. They arrived in Lacon October 31, 1850. After living in
Lacon that winter in a two room house with four adults and ten children, a
little crowded by today's standards, they moved to Jabez Fisher's "Oak Glade
Farm," the present residence of Halsey and the late Edith Monier, Robert W.
and Myrtle Monier, Joe and Donna Monier, and their families.
On December 23, 1860, William Monier, age 26, and Willmina Doran, age 19,
were married and began farming in Saratoga Township.
In 1868, William and Willmina Monier sold their 160 acre farm in Saratoga
Township and purchased the 327 acre "Oak Glade Farm" from Jabez Fisher.
Now in 1976, Rodney Monier, the son of Robert W. and Myrtle, has an interest
in a cow and calf herd on this farm. It is the fourth generation of Moniers
to have a working interest in "Oak Glade Farm" and the fifth generation to
live there.
The old horse barn that was built before Willmina Doran's parents moved to
"Oak Glade" is still standing.
At the present time, Joe Monier's family lives in the house pictured. It was
built by William Monier in 1878. The original home is basically like it was
constructed ninety-eight years ago.
Mrs. Robert W. Monier
[Page 98]
Norin-Guigler Farm
In l889, Mr, Rathbun, an unmarried man, purchased 40 acres in Section 17,
Steuben Township from Barsillia Ridgway and Rosetta, his wife, for $l600.
Mr. Rathbun never rnarried, and at his death in 1921 his property,
consisting of several farms and property in Chillicothe, Illinois, was
inherited by his several nieces and nephew. This nephew, John Norin, died
less than a year later and thus his holdings then came into the possession
of his four daughters, Julia (Norin) Guigler, Alverna, Mary, and Ida Norin.
The four were co-owners of this acreage and another acreage until the late
1930's when Alverna sold her holdings to one of the sisters. The three
remaining sisters owned the property until about 1964. At this time the two
younger sisters, Mary and Ida, sold their share of the farm to the oldest
sister, Julia. All other farms and rental property had also been disposed of
from time to time.
This last forty acres was owned and occupied by Julia, the remaining family
member until her death in 1971.
At the present time, it is owned by her three remaining children, a son,
Walter Guigler, and two daughters, Alba McDonald and Mary Lou Winkler of
Lacon. A grandson, Gary Guigler, also shares in this acreage.
Since its purchase in 1889, it has been continuously occupied by family
members, with the exception of a short time when it was rented during a
two-year period.
Today's occupant, Larry Guigler, is a son of Walter Guigler, one of the
present owners. None of the original buildings remain today.
Mrs. Alba McDonald
[Page 99]
Methodism has played an important role in the Sparland community for more
than a century. In 1837 the Rev. Zodac Hall of the Central Illinois
Conference traveled through here and organized the First Methodist Society.
The members were the Thompson, Tanquary, Drake and Watkins' families.
Preaching services were held in the Samuel Thompson cabin, just west of the
present site of Sparland. One year later a log cabin house was built in
which the second Sunday School in Marshall County was organized. Children
from many Protestant families attended; some walked while others came from
Lacon crossing the river in canoes.
In 1845, Frank Smith, a young man of nineteen was sent to serve the Henry
Mission. He preached in Henry, in the Thompson School and in the home of
John Hammett on south Yankee Street. The first Quarterly Conference recorded
was held in 1847 when Rev. W. C. Cummings preached in the schoolhouse and in
the cabin of George Sparr.
The next year, under the leadership of Rev. J. K. Kirkpatrick, money was
raised to build the Bethel Church. Asa Thompson was given a contract to
erect the building on his farm; this farm is presently owned by Ezra
Rumbold. Specifications called for a stone foundation, oak or walnut frame,
oak sheeting and pine shingles. It was to be built in a substantial manner
and at a cost of $650. The Presiding Elder, Rev. Horey, dedicated the
building December 1, 1849. Trustees of the church were John Hoskins, James
Tanquary, Jehiel Watkins, Leonard Timmons and I. Q. Tanquary. Great revival
meetings were held every winter, sometimes lasting as long as six weeks.
In 1857, J. T. Wilson began preaching in the village of Sparland every
Saturday evening. The name of Washington Gehr appears as the first class
leader.
In February, 1864, the trustees, S. R. Hurlbut, Zelmon Johnson, S. H.
Williams, James Callen, W. E. Gehr, Charles Savell, A. J. Baughman and
Samuel Tuttle purchased Lots 6 and 7 in Block 3, Cotton's Addition to
Sparland, from John Y. Cotton and Sarah Cotton for the sum of $150.
In 1867, Reverend William Leiber was sent to this charge and he spent a year
raising the money to build the Sparland Church in 1868. Two years later the
parsonage was built. At this time the Whitefield Church was also a part of
this charge.
Bethel Church was now considered to be located too close to the Sparland
Church and not centrally located for its own membership, so it was moved one
and one half miles farther west in 1875 and located on a site owned by James
Bussell. In a few years a vestibule was added and new windows, furniture and
decoration made it adequate for the increasing membership.
Sparland church members were growing and a parlor, belfry and bell were
added at a cost of $700. During the pastorate of Rev. Franklin Rist, the
church underwent a complete remodeling at a cost of $2,700 and the parsonage
was modernized for $2,000.
Men of high ideals and great vision served the Bethel-Sparland charge.
In keeping with the times, Bethel Church joined forces with Sparland in 1922
and the old Bethel Church stood as a silent tribute to her many years of
faithful service until 1932 when it was torn down and the material used to
enlarge the Sunday School room and build a kitchen for the Sparland Church.
At this time church services were in the morning with Sunday School in the
afternoon.
In 1928 the Sparland and Henry Methodist Churches were put on one charge.
From 1932 to 1940 the church was at its peak in Sunday School and church
attendance. The county award for high Sunday School work was won for several
years in succession.
A member of this church has been serving as a missionary in Chile. Miss
Lucille Jacobs has been in South America for the past thirty-five years.
In 1944, Sparland, LaPrairie Center and Blue Ridge joined together as a
three point charge.
On Easter Sunday, 1953, new pulpit furniture was dedicated in memory of
those who have meant so much in building the Kingdom of God.
A new organ was purchased in 1957, in 1961 a new heating system was
installed. These improvements have added to the beauty and comfort of the
old building which continues to serve well since 1868.
Currently the church is served by the Reverend LaRoss Fistler.
[Page 101]
The handsome brownstone house, which for nearly one hundred years stood as a
landmark in the village of Spar land (where the Shell station is today), was
known by all the local folks as the Tesmer House.
The house on the hill was built in 1869 by an eastern financial tycoon, John
Y. Cotton. Mr. Cotton brought a St. Louis architect to Sparland to design
his new home. The splendid home patterned after those found in the Chateau
country of France was erected. Mr. Cotton realized his dream of transporting
a hillside in France to Sparland on the Cotton Hill overlooking the Illinois
River.
After the completion of the home it was sold to an immigrant German, Dr.
Tesmer, who had recently married Lizzie (Elizabeth) Shaw, daughter of George
and Penelope Shaw, the owners and builders of one of Marshall County's best
known landmarks, the old brick home at Shaw's Point just west of Varna.
In the late 1950's the heirs of Dr. Tesmer sold the property. The old home
was torn down and the site became the location of a service station.
[Page 102]
As visitors enter Sparland from the east on Route 17, a fainiliar landmark
to their left is the “Whiffle Tree Place."
It was constructed by Frank O'Leary for his residence when he acquired the
40 acres of reclaimed river bottom land around 1890.
In the early 1930's, Mr. Charles S. Jackson, a wealthy Chicago mortician and
insurance executive purchased the property. He remodeled and redecorated the
home into his summer home and hunting lodge. Because of Mr. Jackson's
interest and love of fine trotting horses the name "Whiffle Tree"
(singletree) was chosen for the house at this time. He was the owner of many
prize trotting horses. Racing friends, entertainment stars, and sports
figures were often guests of the Jacksons for duck hunting on the Illinois
River.
Miss Elizabeth Hexter recalls the times she assisted the famous Joe Louis
when he stopped in Hexter Brothers Department Store in the early 1930's.
After the death of Mr. and Mrs. Jackson (they had no children) the property
was left to Mr. Marshall Byumn of Chicago and eleven years (1965) ago, the
Larry Wilkins family purchased the farm. Their five daughters have grown and
today Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins reside in Whiffle Tree Place.
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