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SECTION 38 PAGESTHE COBDEN (ILL.) REVIEWTHURSDAY, MAY 23, 1957COBDEN CENTENNIAL EDITIONREVIEW ONLY PAPERTO LAST IN COBDENThe Cobden Review yas the onlynewspaper to last in Cobden. The first issue was a four-page edition with A. B. Glenn as editor and publisher, dated June ’26, 1924.The first subscription went to Prof.G. E. Goforth, Principal of the Cobden High School. The first marriage recorded m it was that of Ludwena Flanun to Albert Basler by Father Brumleve at St. Josephs Church.That was the period when ads were featured on tbe front page at special prices. All of the type was hand-set. The first issue contained ads from the First State Bank, Broadway’s Store, Kaufman’s Confectionery, Chas. Fischer and C o., Cobden Hour and Feed Store, the Aemreican Legion (announcing a three-day July 4th celebration) Milton's Cash and Carry, Fowley Package Co., It. U Lawrence, Walker and Wallace Insurance Agents, Billows Garage, Larry Dillow Mach-ine Shop, Cobden Service Station,H. A. DuBois and Sons, Cobden Clothing Co., First National Bank and the 'Page-Jewett Service Station.The following year Mr. Glenn sold the paper to R. C. Storm and a Mr. Baker from Herrin. Mr. Storm soon purchased Mr. Baker’s interest and proced d with the expansion of the plant, adding considerable mechanical equipment.The paper was purchased fromStorm in July, 1928 by Harry C. Mr. Mangold had the publishershipfor about two years.H sold the paper to Vernon It-ner of St. Louis on September 8, 1930. Mr. Ittnev stayed in Cobden three years, then moved to the Highland Journal. He sold the R -view to Charles Fierick, who had been editor of the Vandalia Union for several years previously. Mr. and Mrs. Fierick edit d the Review together for five years and were well liked and respected in the community. They now dit and publish the Metropolis News.James II. Allen, publisher of the Dongola Record, bought the Review January 15, 1938. V\ ith the help of Ralph Vancil as business manag r and Maul Corzine as printer and linotype operator Mr. Allen continued his work at Dongola and also through Cobden, and, being a news-published the Review.In January of 1944 a man drove pap rman, stopped in to talk tothose at work in the Review back-shop. Instead of moving on, he stayed. S. L. Speer liked the town so well he decided to bt’iy th Review which was for sale from Mr. Allen and Speer stayed with the Review longer than any publish r has .vet-—nine years. Mr. Spe»r was a man of many interests and whileworked with the newspaper and was a Baptist minister. He sold the paper to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bond of Dongola on January 21, 1953and bought a newspaper in Bismarck, Mo., wher he is now.So again the Review was published by a two-newspaper family. Mrs. Bond became business manager of the Review with six y ars in the newspaper business. The Bondsimproved the efficiency of the shop by installing a n w linotype andother small equipment.On June 1, 1955 Mr. and Mrs.Alonzo Dale, better known asJoanne and Lonnie to most Cobden-ites, bought the Review from thBonds. Mrs. Dale comes from a newspaper family and remembers sleeping on the back of th pressmany a Thursday night waiting for the paper to be printed so she could help with the mailing in the wee hours of the morning. Mr. Dal worked with the Elkville Journad and the Onarga Ijeader-Review before coming to Cobden. At 26 he is one of th youngest newspaper publishers in the country. In November, 1955 the Dales purchased the building formerly owned byRalph Canupp and moved the news-pap r equipment there from the Speer building next door. The building has u spacious 25-foot frontwith living quarters on the leftside.This picture was taken in front of the Miller Opera Boy unidentified, Is)gan Ferril, th« watch maker; Huston Holloman; Frank Armour; E. Foreman.IIou se, date Mrs. Ferril!,uncertain. Persons shown from left(Logans mother) Jack Miller; Willisto right, Mangold}• -*A*.'mvV,*-»•*:/'•■C:V':4lt; :m•V • *■Vlt;v-*'.VS.'*\-AIIv/.:: .-v-■ri+ A' V.81. ~' * •' m%fiMflI. iv : 'vv ’ !• •*' ± • * * * W;• *■I .lt;lt;•■b™::■mw. ‘V^r%jitsv i- i wft li g#»v\sv5? ^\mm- -Alt;»Ls * % 111 !-• t‘dff| w%■ \ .'-Vl . II » -ur- J If f*■WiXkgps'A«.'MRmof P. LODGE: Date UncertainRITZ THEATRE ABREAST OF THE TIMES IN MOTIONPICTURE ENJOYMENTThe Ritz Theatre was started on March 20, 1940 at the present location in Cobden.Mr. W. E. Waring, Jr., of Zeig-ler, who was in the theatre business there sold his theatre and came to Cobden to open the liitz. The building which now is the Ritz was known for many years as the Charlie Norris Store. For a number of years following Mr. Norris’s death a number of owners had owned the building. In 1940 J. R. Stewart of Cobden, the owner at that time, sold the building to Mr. Waring. This was to he Cohden’s first theatre for a number of years. Through the War Years the people of Coh-den were able to see many of theirown relatives on the screen through the eyes of the newsreel camera.As the war came to a elose and gasoline rationing was ended andpeople were driving again the Drive-In Theatre was to become so popular that Mr. Waring opened a Drive-In thearte between Murphys-boro and Carbondale which today is one of Southern Illinois’ finest, t In 191s Charles Veal, the presentmanager who bad worked for Mr. Waring at. the Doll Theatre jn Jonesboro, was appointed to manage the Ritz.ELKINS APPLIANCES CARRIESWELL-KNOWN NAMEBRANDS OF APPLIANCESIn May of 1955 the Elkins Appliance Store of Anna purchase!! the Betty Appliance Store of Cobden. Claude Kikins started in Anna in 1939 and in April, 1956 withIn 1953 as the theatre progressed a very fine snack bar was added to the theatre along with completely new rest rooms. The theatre can well be proud of its knotty pine snack bar and lobby which is oneVof tin* finest for any theatre of itssize.As new inovations come along in any business Cinemascope was nowmaking its debut. The Ritz in accord with its policy to show the* finest movies was the first theatre in Union County to install a wide screen along* with new sound. It liasbeen said by nmnv that Cobden hasBPone. of the best pictures to be seenon any screen reguard less of siz \At tlie present time a family mav buy a ticket which admits the whole family for all the shows for a wholemonth at a very reasonable price.The present employees are William Tweedy, projectionist, Mrs. Charles Veal and Miss Nancy Kelley, cashiers, Mrs. Elva Smith, janitor and Charles Veal, manager.(he two stores became Elkins, Inc.Among the brand names at Elkins are Philco appliances, Magic Chef Gas Stoves, May Tag, Bendix, ABC Washers, Zenith TV, A.O. Smith, PermaGlass Water Heaters, f/ewyt and G. E. vacuum cleaners.The store also sells bulk and bottle gas, Seigler, Magic Chef and Empire gas stoves.Elkins, Inc. is made up of tha following officers: Claude Elkin*, pres., Bill Elkins, see., and Graco Elkins, treas.Lorenc Sweitzer i« present manager of the Cobden store and PaulPonland is salesman and bottle gat deliveryman.POOR WERE “AUCTIONED OFF FOR UPKEEP INEARLY DAYSAs early as 1K18 provision was made for caring for the poor, thenged and dependent children inUnion county. Relief was given intwo ways, either by cash ptvymenta to the poor in their homes, or bypaying board for them in a private home.Auctions were held and bids were made by persons wishing to boardthe dependents. The lowest bidderwas given the job of caring for the pauper, and at, the end of the period he was again “bid off.”of r. L.UWVil.:nding left to right; George D. Rich, E. A. Strong, (Unknown) H. A. Dubois, .L tv Stroud, C«r’c Norton,ke Broadway, Charles Flannigan, T. A. Du Hoi.-, Robert Wallace, Bert Jacques, Henry DuBois, Walter Wood, lie Green, (Unknown) Lindorf Walker, Virgil Castleberry, Jim Blankenship.mt Row: Hal Abernathy, Den Wallace, T. R. Doty, Paul Miller, Henry Miller, Hal Finley, Charles Milton, ward DuRoia..»■»MRS. JANE CLAXTONREMINISCEStTihis story was taken froan a tape recording by George Penrod)I remember when we nil used to go up to Baid Knlt; b for singings and church years ago.I remomiber when there was a tin shop, a butcher shop, Bucks, Si Greens, Nat Greens, Blooming-ta$te,and Oharlie Bells. And there a Springers or Springs upwhere Charlie Norris was.was before or after I was rried. There was a bakers, too.tzes. They usi-d to bake bread, id to give five ioaves for a ,rter. There was the hotel, and kickamith shop.Metzler had a factory down on the east side. Kaufmans ran a picture show a while. Bloomingtalls waswhere Ridgway is now. That’s where f got my outfit to go tohousekeeping on. That will be about 65 years ago last September.There has always •been the railroad down the middle of town. Itwas shaped like it is now.I wus 13 or 14 when we usedto come to town to shop. We usedto d our trading at Anna. It was more handy for dad. Annaused to he smaller than Cohden. It only had two stores when Cohden was big and you could buy any-were strawberries, ibltack berres,raspberries and sweet potatoes.There was no fir*: departmentwhen I was young. We lived about •seven miles out of town.Dad had a still and made brandy when I was a little girl. They letthe apples fall and brought themin by the wagonkad. He paid revenue on it. He had to put up a $1000 bond.Tomatoes was a great thing way hack then. I didn’t used to think they was fit to eat. Peopledidn’t think asparagus was goodto oat, either.thing you needed here. The things pelt; pie used(Mrs. Claxton will be 93 year* to ship old in November.).VCOBDEN HIGH1892Top Row: Loft to Rithi; l lorvio * Liiu«f*Uf John I), Mo Arena Grepory, Dan Hnrtline, (?), Jennie Holloman,renee, Lillian Spring, Grace Lawrence* Annie DilUmier, Foreman, Walter Finley, George Bageott, Prof f, S.hr, Hen Chilaon, Lee Sumner, Ellen Hnnlin, (Unknown) Jo*sit* Gunther, Bottom Row: Bertha Morse, Lizzie J-*uw-Mabel Watson, Esther EUle, Minnie Holloman, Mabel Tarhov, School Principal,■ 1’Js® /. At.-'au .3: v'LAMER SCHOOL 1900According to our best Information the above pictured are: (left to right) Front row;’Clyde Hall, Ruth Stroud •’Babe” lamer—Messamore-— Frizzell, Roan Eaves, Mm-nu* Cowsert: Second Row: George Bostiun, Pat James, Lawrence learner, Babe Hughes, Pearl Cowaert. Third Row: Eddie Malone, Maude Hawkins, Beulah Lamer— Ethel Hughes, Ella Hughes, Pearl Tanner, Blanche Lamer and Essie Lamer. In the Fourth row: Eddie Malone, Will Frizzell, Lula Broadway, Frankie Ferrill, Nellie Tanner, Etta Hughes, Gussie Parmly, Sadie Bittle, Elsie Messamore, Bertha Cowsert. Back Row: —Bittle Bittle, Nora Bosttan, Fred lamer, Bertha Ferril, John Hughes, Floyd Spann, Teacher,BACKWARD GLANCES”by C. Jo# Tboma*In the year 1922, a group of hows were sprawled on the rocks, on the peak of Bell’s Hill. The gorgeous* pur drama, visible from this spot, whs as familiar to them as i* is unfamiliar to most Cobden folks today. But one feature of the northeast lundscape seemed to occupy theirattention that balmy afternoon. It was a giant poplar tree, that dwarfed all other visible trees and protruded above th* skyline severalmiles away.During the Civil War, the American flag was flown from a staff that was fastened to the top of this great tree. It wus a huge flag, sixty feet long, which was maintained and protected by a special guard of honor. Through glasses the flag could be seen from Anna, twelvemiles south, Vienna, thirtyeast, Marion, twenty five tnile.-uml even from the decks of boats on the Mississippi River,tv miles west.milesnon h tearn-twen •Union Countv was a hot-bed of%vvnA sympathizers who were, no doubt, displeased by the flap's prominent display; yet it.- daily presenceproved to be an inspiration and source of strength to loyal Unionpeople.iIn 1902 a book was published, written by a Cobden authoress,Mary Tracy Earle. It’s title wa.-,“The Flag on The Hilltop,” and it’s story consisted of a conflict of characters who were enemies and friendsof the famous flag during the Civil War. These characters were probably suggested by people who lived in the Cobden area at thattime.The aforesaid group of hoys, onthat lazy spring day in 1922, weru planning that which they had planned many times before a trip to this falnous tree. Aware of it’s richhistory, it’s groat size and age,had often admired it fromatop Beil’s Hill.Mntilltheir rocky perchr* *envisioned this adventurousodvssev thev easily imagined that they could see the fluttering of tho tluK the treetop and hear therumbling of the cannon Dir to thesouth.But once again their trip was postponed, from spring to summer, from summer to fall and then came September, 1922. During this month the tree was toppled by a wind storm and destroyed. But the wind destroyed much more tiian an aged tree; it eliminated a historic landmark of the Cobden area and also
Newspaper Details
Cobden Review
Cobden, Illinois, US
Thu, May 23, 1957
Page 17
Full Page
Clipped by
Misty C.
NA, 17 Apr 2022
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