Lockridge Times; Lockridge, Jefferson Co, IA; Friday, Feb 16, 1917:

The History of Lockridge
     On account of lack of space this paper could not be published last week. It was read by Chas. Smithline at the recent meeting of the Lockridge Historical society:
     Once upon a time there were two wise men who sought to build a city. They could not agree who should turn the first spade full of earth. One was Remulus, the other Romulus. So they decided to go to the forest and the one that saw the most beautiful omen should turn the first spade full of earth. They both returned. Remulus saw a limb that grew straight out from a tree. Upon that limb sat seven beautiful white birds. This so angered Romulus that he slew Remulus with his spade.
     Not so long ago there were two prominent men that wanted to build a city. Ward Lamson of Fairfield wanted to build a city at Coalport. Major Pierce wanted to build a city one mile father east. The location suited Mr. Perkins, superintendent of the Burlington Railroad, better, besides the people in this vicinity donated a large amount of work in building switches and other work. Mr. Perkins wanted the town called Pierceville and it was so called for awhile but for some reason unknown to us Major Pierce named it Lockridge.
     The town was platted in 1870. The first building near the business section of Lockridge as near as John Heron and myself can remember was the old log school house that stood on part of the ground where now stands the Baptist church.
     John Heron, George Craff and Isabelle Sampson are the only ones remaining that went to that school. A Mr. Samuelson bought the old school house and rebuilt it. It stands on the land owned by Mr. Erickson, south of Lockridge.
    The first house in Lockridge was built by John Toothacre in 1870, where Fred Graff now lives. The Baptist church was built the same year. The first store was built by W.F. Carter in 1871. The station was not built until 1873. Joseph Riply was the first agent. The second store was built by Brown Bros. about 1877 and stood on part of the ground now occupied by the old bank building and the store of Boos Bros. The building burned and was never rebuilt.
    The merchants that have been in Lockridge are rather numerous. I therefore give only the date when they were in business: M.F. Carter, 1871; James Vorhies, 1873; J.K. Price, 1874; D. Still, 1876; Edward Payne, 1878; John Welcher, 1880; John Louger, 1883; Brown Bros, 1878; Hopkirk Bros, 1884; James Dunlap, 1886; A.G. Smith, 1888, Chas Overstrom, 1890; Henry Unkrich, 1891; Geo. Unkrich, 1904; W. C.Rauscher, 1904; Graff & Danielson, 1906; Mosher, 1904; Albert Carlson, 1905; Ira Shainer, 1910; D.R. Lynn, 1909; Chas. Overstrom, 1912. W.C. Rauscher started the first lumber yard.
    The first two doctors belonged to the blue pill school of medicine. That is, where a patient becomes so sick that he was not expected to live they gave a mercury or blue moss pill. That pill meant kill or cure.
    The Lockridge Savings bank was organized in 1904. The first druggist was a Mr. Hufferd; he was succeeded by Dr. Morrow and he in turn by Harvey Freeman; he sold his stock to C.F. Craf, he sold to the present owners.
    The first addition to Lockridge was the Hopkirk addition, in 1900, the second was the Pierce addition, in 1905, and the third was the John Carlson farm in 1910. The fourth was a small track on the north side of town, in 1916.
    The first blacksmith shop was established by Mr. Lindberg in about 1874 and stood where Elliott's store now stands.
    The first carpenter was Albert Larson who started building here in 1886 and is still plying his trade. The town of Lockridge was incorporated in 1913. A.F. Johnson was its mayor and A.L. Anderson town clerk. Councilmen were E.A. Brand, E.A. Smith, Roy Lynn, Dr. P.J. Sherlock, Lewis Duttweiler and Charles Overstrom. Marshall was Charles Hildebrand. The first pastor of the Baptist church was Rev. Decker, he was succeeded by Rev. Brown. The Trinity Lutheran was dedicated in 1913. Its first pastor was Rev. Swenson.

   LOCAL NEWS

-Davis Peterson is visiting at the parental John Peterson home south of town.
- Mrs .Malcolm Nelson left Thursday for a visit with her daughter at Winfield.
- Mrs. Clarence Murphy visited her daughter, Mrs. Verle Frazey, Saturday at Fairfield.
- William Millspaugh spent Sunday with his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Rivey.
- Lewis Hildebrand had a severe attack of appendicitis the latter part of last week but is recovering nicely.
- Mr. and Mrs. Edward Quick were over -Sunday visitors at the parental Johnson home near Beckwith.
- Frank Dill, who has been suffering for the past several days with inflammatory rheumatism, is now much improved.
- Rev. Ossman was here Wednesday preparing his goods for shipment to Hopkins, Mo., where he has accepted a pastorate.
- E.W. Hulse has moved his household goods from the farm he recently sold and is now occupying the Lutheran parsonage.
- Mr. and Mrs. Edward Quick were given a shower in Salina hall last Friday evening and were the recipients of a purse of money.
- Lewis Capion, of the Lockridge Lumber company, has had his office remodeled and arranged and now has much better office facilities than in the past. It presents a very attractive appearance and we do not blame him for being proud of it.
- Jacob Scheffel, Fairfield, is interested in the case of Jacob Zehr, who is a prisoner of war on the Isle of Man. Mr. Scheffel was in Lockridge Wednesday morning seeking information concerning Zehr's parents. Zehr was born, in 1860, about a mile southwest of Lockridge, his father's name being Christian. Mr. Scheffel interviewed several of our older residents, but it has been many years since the father and mother died and he was unable to find anyone who could give him information of any value. Several affidavits have been sent to English military authorities, but they are not fully satisfied that Zehr is an American citizen and have demanded information concerning his parentage. Probably some one in this neighborhood can help Mr. Scheffel.

FOR SALE- Eggs for hatching from pure bred R.C. Rhode Island Reds, $1 per setting, $6 per hundred. Also a few fine Cockerels. Order taken for baby chicks 10 cents apiece. Mrs. William Zurmuehlen, Fairfield, Iowa, R.5 or 1-2 mile east of Glasgow.

School Notes

-Margaret and Harry Hartwell, Florence Sodergren, Glen Rupp, Burnice Lewis, Frances and Florence Carlson have been absent on account of sickness.
- The following eighth grade pupils will go to Fairfield next week to take the county examinations: Elsie Graff, Velda Allender, Manford Lewis, Arthur Mickey, Fred and Paul Rauscher, Frances and Florence Carlson.

In District Court.
- The case of H.L. Scott vs. L.B. Fisher, concerning the sale of an automobile has been disposed of by the court, the jury returning a verdict for the defendant.
- The following divorces have been granted: Bertha Verne Woolums vs. C.H. Woolums and Onie M. Smith vs. Clifford Smith.
- Monday morning the case of Elsie M. Clark vs. F.W. Carter was taken up. It is a $5,000 damage suit growing out of an accident at Libertyville in 1915. The plaintiff alleges she was seriously injured when an automobile in which she was riding collided with a buggy driven by the defendant.

The New Van  Buren County.
    To make of Van Buren and Jefferson counties one county is a plan being promulgated by Mr. E.R. Smith, whose birthplace was in the former county and whose residence is in the latter.
    Probably the kindly feeling that a man may hold both for his native and adopted home may actuate Mr. Smith in this matter to some extent, much as a man may wish to see his mother and his wife living under the same roof, and in amity. However this may be, the proposition made by Mr. Smith comes as something of a shock because it suggests a change from settled and accepted conditions.
    But Mr. Smith's scheme is far from being chimercial [sic]  and there are really a number of reasons why it may be given consideration. The interests of the people of the two counties are not inimical in any way-the business pursuits of  the people of Van Buren county are the pursuits of Jefferson. There exists in each county about the same degree of foreign ancestry; the inhabitants have the same social and civic standards. There could be no fear of the compatability [sic] of the inhabitants of the two geographical divisions if they were united.
    Mr. Smith proposes to retain the name of Van  Buren for the united counties and to make of Fairfield the county seat. What the name of the county might be would matter little, but what and where the county seat might be would be of grave importance.
    Fairfield would be the logical county seat, not alone by reason of its being the largest and most important city in the two counties but also because of its superior accessibility from any point in the two counties. Fairfield is now the trading center for practically all of Van Buren county, although there is no direct line of rail communication leading from any of the Van Buren county towns to this city.
    The long-dreamed of electric line running north and south through Fairfield would, if built, make disposition of this objection; in the event the counties were united in the building of this road would probably look like a good investment to Dows, Smith & Reed.
    Van Buren county has a number of small towns all pretty much of a size, and is consequently without a metropolis. Railway connections throughout the county are very bad, and save for distance, Fairfield might be reached about as readily from Van Buren county towns as any town in their own county.
    On the whole, Mr. Smith's plan looks  very feasible and very advantageous to the people of both counties and may well have consideration.--Adv.
    Huglin & Rorick, Fairfield lawyers.

James Strong Billingsley.
    The following was taken from the Republic County Democrat, published at Belleville, Kan., and will be read with interest, as Mr. Billingsley was well known here.
    James Strong Billingsley, son of Elijah and Prudence Strong Billingsley, was born near Glasgow, Iowa, August 20, 1856. He received his early education in the district school and in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Afterwards he taught in the public school for several years.
    October 30, 1879 he was married to Mercy Jane Schneringer, and to this union two children, Mary Prudence and William Hall, were born. He studied medicine in Rush Medical College, from which college he graduated in 1883.
    In October, 1885, he came to Belleville where he has since resided. For more than twenty-five years he was actively engaged in the practice of medicine.
    He was appointed local surgeon of  the Rock Island Railroad at the time it was built through Belleville.
    On December 2nd he was taken ill, his condition becoming serious on Wednesday, December 13th. On December 27th he was taken to Stormont hospital in Topeka. At first he seemed to be recovering but his troubles were complicated and his death, due to endocarditis took place Friday afternoon at 4:30, January 26, 1917.

 Lockridge Times; Lockridge, Jefferson Co, IA; Friday, Feb 23, 1917:

COUNTY NEWS

Round Prairie.
- Emery Crane and Miss Lela Shelman were married at Mt. Pleasant Wednesday of last week.
- Mrs. Sarah Litton is quite poorly at her home.
- Mr. and Mrs. Ray Church went to Fairfield Saturday to attend the funeral of the latter's aunt.

Glasgow.
- Leo Barton of Hillsboro spent Sunday at the home of his grandmother, Mrs. Elizabeth Archibald.
- There will be a "hard time" party at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Stewart Thursday evening. The guests are expected to come attired in all sorts of rag muffin costumes that will be amusing. Prizes will be awarded the most ragged and ludicrous costume and a fine time is anticipated.

Glendale.
- Herbert and David Hanell are sick with the measles.
- Hiram Heaton has sold his farm to Mr. Mufenix of Fairfield.
- Mr. and Mrs. John Gohn are rejoicing over the birth of a son.
- Chas. G. Larson expects to start for California about the first of March where he has been working for four years.

New Sweden.
- This community was shocked by the sudden death of Arthur Kauffman, a former resident of this place. Funeral services were held at the Methodist church Tuesday afternoon.
- The young folks of this vicinity gave Mr. and Mrs. Joe Anderson a miscellaneous shower Saturday evening. The evening was spent in playing games, after which dainty refreshments were served. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson received many beautiful and useful gifts.