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Newspaper
Freeport Journal
Location
Freeport, Illinois, United States of America
Date
Jan 03, 1877
Page
4
A 1870s community issue details New Year reflections, mass meetings, and local events. The Opera House hosts the Original Georgia Minstrels, a 1,000,000 person estimate at City Clerk’s, sleighing reports, turkey shoots, and various social notices. Notables include C J Fry’s health, P P Bliss train crash memory, and a broom stick gift from local merchants.
Extracts show December 1876 averaged 11 degrees colder than December 1875 and 21 degrees colder than 1874. The coldest day in four years averaged 14 degrees below zero. Snowfall for 1876 totaled 42 inches and rain 4034 inches. Davin Lien contributed.
Galena and nearby towns enforce ordinances against throwing ashes in streets and urge civic improvement. A union Memorial service for Sabbath schools is proposed in memory of the late BP Bliss who perished in the Ashtabula disaster. The Good Templars host an open Lodge at Temperance Hall with Mrs. Brown the Milwaukee temperance lecturer. The Episcopal society held a Holy Innocents festival with a Christmas tree and a parish supper for Zion School children and printers alike.
A Friday Opera House program for First Presbyterian Sunday school featured a lavish Christmas tree, tableaux such as Our Art Gallery and The Magic Mirror, a Cinderella pantomime, and songs. Little Red Riding Hood and the Woodpecker recitation impressed, with Mrs Caudle’s lecture adding humor. Credit goes to Miss Jennie Aurand and Mrs Charles Knowlton for organizing the event.
A reflective note lauds the tableaux shows for their excellence and suggests future performances may yield similar appreciation. It emphasizes satisfaction with the quality and anticipates more such presentations to benefit the audience.
New Year’s Day in Freeport 1877 brought light crowds of callers with numerous visits to open houses. Ladies served generous edibles, tables shone with cookery and fruit, and “Happy New Year” rang out. A recent terrible accident dampened spirits, but the day remained largely joyful. The church announced a Union Communion Service on Sunday January 7 at 3 PM.
Our young friend Nile W Hermans spent the holidays in this city before returning to Na shotah Wisconsin. J G Knight editor of the Democrat at Darlington Wisconsin called last week. His Honor William Spensely judge of Jo Daviess County Court was in the city last Saturday. Mr and Mrs J G Cornye of Clinton Town visited on New Years Day. Dr F C Winslow formerly of this city now of Jacksonville arrived for a few days. Mrs G C Piersol of Tampico visited during the Grange Banquet. she is the former wife of our ex Sheriff’s brother.
Last Sunday at First Presbyterian Church the year 1876 closed with a solemn communion and baptism of several members. Pastor Mr Jenkins led worship as Mrs L F Farwell sang, and news of Mr Bliss and his family perished in the Ashtabula disaster cast sorrow over the congregation.
In Freeport the triennial election chose Til Edwin C Warner Com in Chief and Wm O Wright Gr Ar Eng. plus other officers for Freeport Consistory and Council P A A S. Bergman and Dorman announced completion of a mammoth Farm Machinery Warehouse and Livery Barn rebuilt on the fire site with two stories and brick construction, 80 by 81 feet, notable for speed and quality.
The Methodist and Presbyterian Churches held a union service at Embury Church on New Year’s Eve from 8 to midnight. Dr. B. A. W. Jewett preached on the theme Irreparable Past, drawing tears and response. Rev. Proctor spoke briefly, then Rev. Fr. A. Hardin led a reflection on life’s journey and faithfulness, with testimonies from long‑time Christians. The assembly, largely youth, observed the year’s end in prayer and mutual well wishes. The procession likened the moment to Hermon’s blessing on Mount Zion. A busy note follows about local business machinery and an upcoming advertisement.
A lyric farewell imagines a night turning to day and a friend leaving for unseen realms. The speaker notes the passing year and the approaching journey to the Styx and Elysian fields, contrasting mortal vigil with a stranger’s entry to a new station as time ticks toward departure.
The piece bids farewell to the old year and welcomes the new with calls for liberty and peace. It condemns Southern traitors and Copperheads, honors Rutherford B. Hayes and the nation’s centennial, and wishes prosperity, peace, and love to readers including Sagan and all.
In Jo Daviess and Stephenson counties and surrounding areas, several marriages are listed. The couples include George Workheiser and Alice Zellers in Jo Daviess. Samuel T. Betz and Esther Cook in Stephenson. Harrison Cup and Catherine Fogle at New Pennsylvania. Ashley Barber and Mary J. Haughey near Shannon. and Manford Kt. Cooper and Mary K. Moses in Ames Iowa, all tied to December 1876 ceremonies.
A gathering of township teachers met at Stout School House on December 28, 1876, to organize a Teachers Association. The session opened with standard exercises, followed by discussions on the benefits of teachers collaborating and sharing ideas in a lively, earnest manner. The group adjourned at noon and reconvened at 1:30 PM.
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