Ya Gotta Know This About That: Unknown Local History

A Circus in Petersburg You Say? And a Queen of sorts?! Burlesque that is!

Sometimes history can be right under your nose and you still don't know about it. In this area we tend to concentrate on Petersburg being known for Abe Lincoln, but, until recently, I didn't realize there were so many history related items that enriched Petersburg during the days of old. Thank you to all of my friends who gave initial information on pieces of history that I didn't have any knowledge of.

One of the people with the most notoriety (besides Abe Lincoln) was Amy May Coomer, who moved here with her mother when her mother married a Petersburg farmer, Curtis Hinds and lived on his farm (according to the 1930 census).

It seems Amy May Coomer attempted to change her name to "Evelyn $50,000 Treasure Chest West" in the Menard Circuit Court. You see, Evelyn West (aka Amy Coomer) was best known for her bosoms. Her famous 39.5 inch bust was insured through Lloyd's of London for $50,000. She was apparently also known as the "Hubba Bubba Girl" and was a burlesque legend in the forties, fifties and sixties. Wow a stripper among us! Miss West died in 2004 in Florida.

Then thinking about fun things, I was doing some research and found some info on Petersburg being a former Circus mecca in the early 1900's. I didn't know that. There is a huge story related to the multiple circus people who lived in Petersburg in the days of old. During the next week or so I will do some posts related to these circus people.

I also found out there was a gas station and a store at the corner of Curtis Road and Route 123. On the northwest side where the pasture is. There is also an old small building there but in the early 1940's it was run by a person of the name Flumiydoal. Thus, this corner got its name "Floomydoodle Corner". Later it was ran by Ed and Haskell Pike who had the store and a trucking company at that site.

My trips down memory lane also led me to information about a Dairy Business which was along Route 123, right about where the rock waterfall is at the entrance of the subdivision at the top of the hill past the bridge going toward Greenview (left side).

Of course I already knew about the slaughter house which was located on the east side of the river, turning down a road at the end of the bridge. The person who operated this was a relative of mine and also ran the locker plant on the west side of the uptown square.

(Cheese Factory)

Among other things, Petersburg also had a Cheese Factory which was in the building which later became the skating rink along the tracks. E. E. Brass Canning Factory was known for canning pumpkin under the brand name "Man In The Moon".

(E. E. Brass Canning Factory)

The old brick yard at the far north end was a really busy place making bricks of all sorts for the needs of the expanding community.

(Petersburg Brick Yard)

And, of course, there was the Peabody Mine in Petersburg.

Did you know that Petersburg was greatly damaged in 1907 during an earthquake originating in the New Madrid Fault. Towns all over Central Illinois had damage but Petersburg suffered the most.

A gruesome murder occurred in Petersburg. Charles Houlden and his wife were constantly bickering and on an evening in March, 1884, he decided he couldn't take it any longer and grabbed an axe. He hit his wife over her right eye then jumped on her chest and withdrew his dull knife and proceeded to saw her throat. Even after all of that, his wife was still alive and tried to crawl to her son which her husband had threatened. So Houlden again jumped on her with his dull knife and began hacking away again. She succumbed to her injuries. Houlden was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. This was the first execution in the city and the last public execution.

(Jennison Hall at Old Chatauqua 1908)

And of course Old Chautauqua was well known all over the state. It drew crowds by the hundreds. It was founded as the Old Salem Cumberland Presbyterian State Chautauqua Association of Petersburg in 1897.

(Another Old Chautauqua building).

Our neighboring town and county seat is indeed rich in history....and I've only skimmed the surface. Makes me a little jealous that our community didn't have as much. Perhaps if it did, our little town would have grown to a huge city full of life and history. Perhaps you knew about all of this history lore, but maybe you didn't. And if you did, I'm sure it was fun to once again jog your memory. We will again visit history in the county in the near future.

Thank you for coming to my blog.