Newspapers: 1928 "All the news that's fit to resurrect"

Decatur Herald, January 15, 1928 Finish Sullivan Lighting System Improved Lights Installed With Little Extra Cost Over Repairs SULLIVAN, Jan. 16 -- Installation of the new lighting system about the square was completed Thursday, and, as one merchant remarked, It gives Sullivan more of a "big city" appearance. The single large globe upon each standard, each containing a high powered bulb, give ample light, and quite an improvement over the abandoned system . The scraps from the old fixtures were sold to W. H. Walker by the light committee, who had charge of the installation. The upkeep of the new lights will be much less than the old, as the globes are much heavier and will stand rougher usage. Since they stand upright on the poles, they will not be so likely to work loose and fall, and it is said that they will use but half the current required by the old ones. The hailstorm of August 6 had broken practically all of the globes formerly used, so the cost of installing the new system was not much greater than it would have been to replace the old. The cost is paid by the municipal light department. Plan Factory H. V. Bowman, Industrial agent of the C.&E.I., was in Sullivan Friday accompanied by men contemplating the erection of a factory here for the manufacture of lumber substitutes from corn stalks. They were here at the invitation of the industrial committee of the community club to discuss the requirements of the proposed company, whose patents upon their process were recently received. It is said that should the factory locate here, it will use an enormous amount of corn stalks. Survey Route 132 Surveyors are at work east of Sullivan determining the location of proposed Route 132 [note: designated later as 121]. The routing through Sullivan has been changed from Harrison street to Jackson, which will cause the route to pass two blocks north of the square instead of through the business section, as had been contemplated. Jackson street is paved with brick from the west to the east city limits and there is a narrow slab connecting it with route 132. It will be necessary to widen this strip and to construct a wider bridge where the route will cross Asa creek in the east part of the city. Harrison street is paved with brick and is a part of route 32 from the stations to Hamilton street, two blocks west of the square. Although Harrison is paved to a point two blocks east of the square, the former plan for route 132 would have taken it along Harrison to its end near the W. A. Steele property, through which it would have passed over rough country in the rear of many of the best homes 1n the city, swinging back north near the city limits to the Masonic home road. The change simplifies the construction of the route through the city, but carries it past the Powers school, which in the primary grades. By some it is feared that Jackson street, which is already a speedway, will cause additional difficulty to that respect when the new route is opened. Route 132, as laid out by the surveyors, will continue east from Sullivan, past the Masonic home to the Freemon corner, curving south over the Winchester bridge to Allenvllle. A wide curve is being planned and staked out through a field, where the route will make its turn to the south. Hamblin Heads Farm Charles Hamblin of near Lovington has bean selected from a total of 22 applicants for the position of superintendent at the county farm, to succeed M.E. Shaw, and Mrs. Hamblin will be matron. Mr. Hamblin is an experienced farmer, and lived upon the Millard Monroe farm until about a year ago. He will take charge of his new duties March 1. DALTON CITY Mr. Willis and sister. Mrs. Flannigan of Rice's Landing. Pa, who have been visiting with Mrs. Flannigan's son, Rev. Mr. Flannigan and wife for the past few weeks, left Friday morning for their home. Mrs. N. R. Welsh entertained the ladies' Afternoon club to her home Thursday afternoon. Five hundred was played.

Decatur Review, June 12, 1928 Wyman Park At Sullivan Beauty Spot of Illinois Provided For by Late Albert Wyman -- Everything at Park Is Free. By F. W. WOOD. [Information about F. W. Wood is in Tracing the Wood Family.] Sullivan, June 12. -- Probably one of the most beautiful parks in central Illinois is Wyman park at Sullivan, Ill. located in the north part of the city limits, a forty acre tract of land beautified by trees, shrubbery and flowers, a gift of the late Albert Wyman, a wealthy shoe merchant of Sullivan, whose custom it was every morning and evening to take long walks in and about the city. The supposition is that Mr. Wyman foresaw the necessity of a park for Sullivan and made it possible in his last Will and testament in which he bequeathed $31,504.35 to the city of Sullivan for park purposes. In commemoration of Mr. Wyman, who passed away in March, 1912, the park was named Wyman park and the six acre body of water Lake Wyman. THE WILL. Mr. Wyman's gift to the city of Sullivan, as written in his will of 1911, reads as follows: After the payments of all other bequest and charges mentioned heretofore in the will, all the remainder of my estate of whatsoever kind of which I may possess I bequeath unto the city of Sullivan for the purposes of purchasing suitable land for a public park and for the purpose of improving the land so purchased, and for the purpose of properly equipping, establishing, improving and beautifying such public park, said land so purchased shall consist of not less than forty acres nor more than sixty acres and shall lie in, adjoining or near to and be easy of access to the city of Sullivan. Said park shall always be kept open and free for the use of the inhabitants of the city of Sullivan for general park purposes. Ordinances shall be passed by the city of Sullivan, providing rules, regulations and penalties for the government of said park. which shall have incorporated therein the following, to-wit: "A"-No circus, side show, menagerie, hippodrome, or similar show shall exhibit in said park. "B"-Said park shall not be used for baseball or football games or for any other purpose where an admission or entrance fee is charged or collected to gain admission. "C" -- Horse racing and all other kinds of gambling and the sale of intoxicating liquor shall be forever prohibited in said park. CITY ACCEPTED. The bequest of Mr. Wyman was accepted by the City of Sullivan under those terms under date of June 17, 1912 during the administration of W. H. Birch, mayor, Wesley Shanks, G. S. Thompson, O. B Lowe, E. 0 Dunscomb, J. W. Gaddis and J. T. Enterline, aldermen. The city council at that time deemed it advisable that the legal voters of the city should by an election select the site for the park and of the many sites presented the Titus land which laid within the city limits was selected by a lame majority of votes. The purchase and construction of the park was made under Mayor F. E Pifer, aldermen G. S. Thompson, C. F. McClure, O. B. Lowe, J. T. Enterline, Charles Blackwell, N. C. Ellis, city attorney R. D. Meeker, City Clerk F. C Newbould. The Titus land consisting of thirty-eight and one-half acres was purchased for the sum of $15,340 and one and sixty-five hundredths acres was purchased from Freeland addition for the sum of $3,000 which lies near the entrance to the park to make a total of 40 acres as stipulated in the will. Then Mr. and Mrs. J. B Titus gave to the city of Sullivan a tract of land 473 feet square for the purpose of an athletic field which adjoins Lake Wyman on the north. [Note: the Titus grant also permitted the circumvention of the prohibition of baseball and other sports, since the athletic field was not on land purchased with Mr. Wyman's legacy.] BIG UNDERTAKING. With the land purchased the work of beautifying and improving the park was a big undertaking. Lake Wyman, an artificial lake, was built covering six acres of ground and fed by tiles and springs and is now one of the best recreational spots in Central Illinois, where thousands of people enjoy themselves during the summer months. The lake was built at an approximate cost of $5,000. Deer park covers about five acres and contains eleven deer. Seven years ago Marion Cunningham a former Sullivan resident, shipped two deer from Texas as a gift to Wyman Park and the herd has increased. There are plenty of benches and seats, good drinking water for picnickers and every Sunday afternoon at 3 30 o'clock a band concert is given at the band stand in Wyman park by the Sullivan concert band during the summer months. At 2.30 o'clock each Sunday there is a ball game on the city athletic field between the Sullivan Greys and some other team ALL FREE. There is a playground for kiddies, as well as tennis courts, tourist kitchen, park drives, bathhouses, diving boards, diving tower boats, and all is free. The shrubbery cost $2,700. There were 250 trees planted in the park, 30 varieties and all lived but four. The city gets a 2-cent tax to operate the park each year, which amounts to about $1,200 which is far too little.