Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society
“…increasing and enriching public knowledge of our heritage”
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.
Cornelius & Cassandra Fuhrman were early settlers in central Illinois, eventually residing in Lilly.
This photo of Cassandra and obituaries for Cornelius & Cassandra were submitted by their great-great-granddaughter Becky Rosser of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Frances Idella Schappaugh (7 September 1882 – 12 September 1981). Lived in Parkland – Manito area. She married Walter Bender
Originally posted as June 2020 Mystery Photo..
Identified by Member Susan Bohm – “My mother, Verla Schappaugh Pannier, has this photo in her collection.”
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.
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).
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.
1926 Pekin High Football Letterman
This photo was submitted by Edwin Lampitt – grandson of team member Ivan E. Lampitt.
Horse drawn ferry across the Illinois River at Kingston Mines
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.
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.
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.
Pekin Grays Baseball Team – 1940’s
Originally contributed by Beth Rosenberg Zweig and posted as the November 2021 Mystery Photo.
All team members identified by Deanna Oltman.
Four generations of the Lampitt Family
This photo was submitted by Edwin Lampitt – grandson of Ivan E. Lampitt.
