100 years of progress : the centennial history of Anna, Illinois

464 Pages·2015·22.88 MB·English

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LIBRARY OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
977.3995
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100 Years
of
Progress

YEARS OF PROGRESS
100
Published by Authority of the
ANNA CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE
THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY
OF ANNA, ILLINOIS
ANNA CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE
Howard Lam, Chairman
George E. Parks Robert L. Rich
COMMITTEE ON CENTENNIAL PUBLICATION
Percy M. West, Chairman
Delias Buzbee Don Ostrich Elmer Chamness
Printed by
MissouRiAN Printing & Stationery Co.
Cape Girardeau, Mo.
iz
19 5 4
^"^ '^^
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to the several people who have so
diligently worked as a committee and to the individuals who
graciously gave of their time, efforts, and money to contact
the many contributors whose names will be found throughout
this volume.
The volume was compiled by volunteers, who, seeing the
need of such a publication, banded together as a public serv-
ice, feeling it a privilege to work for the common good. Each
person or worker depended on the others for a certain por-
tion to be completed. When the fruits of their efforts were
assembled and published, the following pages were the result.
May we as citizens of this community, both past and
present, pause for just a moment in our thinking and try
to recall some of the people who have been in some small
way responsible for the privileges we now enjoy. As we think
back over the years, many memories will undoubtedly come
—
to our minds some happy, others sad. But, regardless of
our concern at the present time, they all have a purpose in
this theme of life. As you know, many worlds are around us,
all framed by the same Divine artist, and we, as human be-
ings, are a part of that design. So, surely, the future holds
many new achievements for the human race.
As the knowledge of our times is imparted to you through-
out this volume, may it be a reminder to you never to lose
sight of the allegience due to your God, your Country, your
Family, your Neighbor, and Yourself!
HOWARD LAM,
Centennial Chairman.
^
—
FOREWORD
The richest heritage that shall ever come into our pos-
session—is the simple story of the men and women, our fore-
fathers who planted in this western wilderness the homes,
the schools, the churches, and the state.
We shall never know the story in its completeness, for
these brave men and women, who opened up the way for
civilization in the Illinois country of which the City of Anna,
County of Union, State of Illinois, is a part, have long since
gone to their reward, and they have left meager accounts.
It is the purpose of this little volume to reveal a portion
of that story to our people, from the territory in the making
down to the present time.
In celebration of the Centennial of Anna, it is the desire
of the Centennial Committee, in co-operation with all its
citizens, to give to this and future generations a brief history
of their beloved city.
The several sources of the history used in this survey
have been freely drawn upon in the preparation of this volume.
There are many individuals and places of business from the
earliest days until now in Anna, will not be mentioned in
this survey. They have not been omitted because of their
insignificance, but because it is impossible for us in the time
we have and the limited pages allotted to the volume to give
a complete detailed report on all of them.
Part 1 deals with the earliest beginnings and carries the
general history forward to the last quarter century. Part 2
includes the past twenty-five years of the city's history as
portrayed by the individual and organizational contributors
sponsoring the publication of the History of Anna.
ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS, the history
of Anna and her people, is now presented with the hope that
it may bring its readers to a higher appreciation of the char-
acter and worth of the men and women who conquered the
west and planted here the institutions which we enjoy today.
—
ii