A Historical Tidbit is generally a short Tazewell County related historical article. It could be up to 5 or 6 page story but could be as simple as a family photo, letter, or document. Almost anything Tazewell County related is eligible (see all the Tidbits listed below).

If you have a Tazewell County related article, photo, letter, or document you’d like to share, here’s how to make a submission.

If you have questions or comments, please contact us.

1910’s – John Dingledine Family

Based on John’s death date, the photograph was taken sometime prior to 1914. The picture was originally found in a box of photos of the Blumenshine and Keil family from Washington. Originally posted as the January 2019 Mystery Photo,

Our thanks to Darrel Hunter who saw the photo on our Facebook Page & identified the subjects as the John Dingledine family. Darrel supplied the family members’ names & dates.

1914 – Altorfer Brothers Company (ABC) Baseball Team

Altorfer Brothers Company (ABC) Baseball Team – 1914

Originally contributed by member Tom Dirksen and posted as the May 2021 Mystery Photo.

All team members identified by member Mary Faux who owns a copy of the 1914 newspaper the original photo appeared in (her uncle was in the photo).

1915 – Sarah Jane Prettyman Smith

Sarah Jane Prettyman Smith (11 Jun 1912 – 1 Oct 1992) spent the majority of her life in Tazewell County.

The photo was submitted by her son, Richard “Dick” Prettyman Smith of Pekin, Illinois.

1929 – Horse Drawn Illinois River Ferry

Horse drawn ferry across the Illinois River at Kingston Mines

1933 – Pendergast Inn

In 1837, James Pendergast bought a lot in the village of Mackinaw, Illinois, and erected the tavern known as the Pendergast Inn on what would become the corner of Market & Monroe Streets. This inn was used as a regular stop for the stage line between Bloomington and Pekin, Illinois. Many noted people used this inn as a stopover including Abraham Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas, Governor Oglesby, and many generals during the Civil War.

1935 – Anne Louise Smith

Ann Louise Smith, class of 1935, daughter of daughter of T. N. & Elsie (Roth) Smith.

Originally posted as December 2021 Mystery Photo. Identified by visitors to our Facebook page.

1938 – South Pekin Tornado

On March 30, 1938, a family of three to five tornadoes moved across central and west central Illinois during the afternoon. The worst damage from the outbreak occurred in South Pekin, where three city blocks were leveled, including extensive damage to the Chicago & Northwestern rail yards.