International Shoe Factory - Mt. Vernon, Illinois

I have been shamefully absent from my blogs the past month for a myriad of excuses, first vacation, then a death in the family, stresses at work and finally just plain laziness.  I was going through a number of old postcards I have purchased and this particular one struck me as I remember my Grandmother, Doris Wade Smith, telling me how she went to work at the Shoe Factory when she was just fifteen years old.  This would have been around 1928, I believe when her father, Joseph Wade, lost his job with the "Car Shops" in Mt. Vernon and she had to leave school and get a job to help out her family.  It appears, however, by the 1930 Census of Madison County, Illinois that Joseph had moved his family to the Village of Madison and secured a job as a machinist at the Car & Foundry Co. and my grandmother was back in school.

International Shoe Factory, Mt. Vernon, IL

I remember seeing this old building all my life, it is located at 19th Street and Perkins in Mt. Vernon, IL.  It was owned by the International Shoe Factory and produced many famous lines of shoes.  According to an article in the Mt. Vernon Register News, April 15, 1964 in the text of a speech given by M. R. Chambers, President of the International Shoe Factory, "the production of the 75,000 square foot building was finished and production started in 1920."  By 1963 the factory had made over 31,755,000 pairs of shoes and at one time employed over 800 people.  Sometime In 1968 it announced it's closure of the factory; In July 1969 in another Register News story, Florsheim Shoes stated their intention to take over the factory and keep on many of the 350 employees.

Those Places Thursday - Downtown Mt. Vernon, IL

Another postcard that I purchased of my hometown of Mt. Vernon, IL - this one is from the West side of the square.  This is the Third National Bank and it is postmarked 1909.  According to Thomas Puckett's book "Mt. Vernon, A Pictorial History, 1991 the address is 101 South Tenth.

This is what this site looks like today:

According to Wall's History of Jefferson County (thanks to cousin Jim Smith for sending me the Google search on this):

The bank was formed by a company of prominent citizens, John R. Allen, A. C. Johnson, D. H. Warren, R. J. Bond, W. C. Arthurs, I. G. Gee Morris Emmerson., L. L. Emmerson and F. E. Patton, who became the directors with others, purchased the Evans and Gee Banking Company and organized the Third National Bank, an institution of which Mount Vernon is justly proud.  John R. Allen was chosen president; A. C. Johnson, vice-president; L. L. Emmerson, cashier; F. E. Patton, assistant cashier, and Charles H. Patton, attorney.  It was organized with a capital stock of fifty thousand dollars and began business February 4, 1902.

In 1903, the Banking Company purchased the Harvey T. Pace Corner, removed the “old land marks" and erected the present magnificent three-story building, in the first floor of which the Third National Bank makes its home, with all the modern improvements of banking.  The building is an ornament to the city, the bank occupying the entire first floor, except an office in the west end occupied by the Electric, Light, Gas, Heat & Water Company.  The second and third stories contain twenty handsome office, the whole outfit being lighted , heated and watered from the city light, heat and water plants.  It is by far the most prominent and commodious business house in the city, and is continuously and fully occupied by many of our best business men.  Other business houses have followed in the wake of the Third National and have taken on the light, heat and water utilities.

The lot where the bank was erected was originally settled by the Maxey family in 1823.  Mr. Maxey built a log house on the site now occupied by the Third National Bank.  Additons were later added and the house stood where it  was originally bult unitl about 1902, when the old building were wrecked to make way for the new building of the Third National Bank. 


Source:  http://www.archive.org/stream/wallshistoryofje00wall/wallshistoryofje00wall_djvu.txt

Those Places Thursday - Mt. Vernon, Illinois Town Square View from Courthouse

Another great score from eBay, this postcard was postmarked 1916 and shows the town square view facing south from the Courthouse of my hometown Mt. Vernon, Illinois.

Those Places Thursday - Appellate Court House - Abe Lincoln & Clara Barton Stopped Here

My hometown of Mt. Vernon, IL is located in Jefferson County with a population of 15,277 according to Wikipedia.  One of the jewels of this town, is the Appellate Court House, a building which I have seen all my life.  It's one of those things you just take for granted and is located at 14th and Main; a beautiful stone building with twin wrought iron stairways, the 5th District Appellate Courthouse was built around 1857 and is famous for when Abraham Lincoln came to town to try a court case for the Illinois Central Railroad. It took three weeks to bring the iron stairways for the front of the building from St. Louis to Mt. Vernon via ox-cart.

On February 19, 1888 the "Great Cyclone" of  Mt. Vernon struck and destroyed over five hundred buildings, killed thirty citizens and injured several hundred other residents of Mt. Vernon.  An appeal went out for help to relief committees and medical providers.   Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross came to town to help the citizens of Mt. Vernon and an emergency hospital was housed in the Appellate Courthouse under her supervision.  Today the courthouse looks much as it did one-hundred and fifty years ago when it was first constructed.

Wedding Wednesday - Joseph Wade & Charlotta Banks

Joseph W. & Charlotta Banks Wade

My great-grandparents, Joseph Washington Wade and Charlotta Ruth Banks were married on 24 Apr 1912 in Chester, Randolph County, Illinois.  Joseph was thirty-six (36) years of age, Charlotta, known as Lottie was just sixteen (16).  According to the "Application for Marriage License," Lottie's mother, Eva Bruce, gave her permission for her minor daughter to enter into marriage with Joseph.  She stated she was the legal guardian of Lottie who was born on 31 May 1896 in Allendale, Wabash County, IL.

Both Joseph and Lottie lived in Chester, IL at the time of the marriage.  I am writing a bio on Joseph and will talk later about how I believe Joseph and Lottie most likely met. Here is their Marriage License.

According to the Return of  Marriage to a County Clerk, Joseph was a Machinist, born in Carmi, Indiana.  His parents were Joseph Wade and Elizabeth Pelt.  It was his first marriage.  Lottie's father was Sherman Banks, although she was raised by her stepfather Frank Bruce.   The witnesses to the marriage were Thomas Devine, Justice of the Peace and Mary Bruce (most likely related to Frank).

Sunday's Obituary - Sarah Eva Talley Bruce - Mt. Vernon, IL

Sarah Eva Talley Bruce 1914

Sarah Eva Talley Bruce
23 Sep 1870 - 23 Mar 1953

My great-great-grandmother, Sarah Eva Talley Bruce was born 23 Sep 1870 Wabash County, IL to Richard Henderson and Jane Frances (Williams) Talley.  She died 23 Mar 1953 in Mt. Vernon, Jefferson County, IL.


 

Sunday's Obituary - Joseph Washington Wade

Joseph Washington Wade 7 Sep 1875 – 14 Jan 1942

Joseph Washington Wade 12 Apr 1912

My great-grandfather, Joseph Washington Wade, was born 7 Sep 1875 to Joseph R.H. and Elizabeth (Pelt) Wade in Carmi, White County, Illinois.    He was married to Charlotta (Lottie) Ruth Banks on 24 Apr 1912 in Chester, Randolph County, Illinois.  This small obituary was placed in the Mt. Vernon Register News (Mt. Vernon, IL)  on the day of his death.  

According to his death certificate (see below), he died of bronchial pneumonia and undernourishment.  The funeral director was H. A. Myers of Myers Funeral Home and he was eventually buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Mt. Vernon, Jefferson County, Illinois.

Those Places Thursday - Mt. Vernon, Illinois Town Square

I bought this old postcard on eBay of my hometown, Mt. Vernon, Illinois postmarked 1915 that shows the North side of the downtown square looking West.   I just love these old postcards because I can imagine my ancestors strolling the streets, or perhaps pulling up to a store in their horse and buggy to go shopping.

Mt. Vernon, IL Postcard Postmarked 1915