Goode Barren Township High School - Tatler Yearbook (Sesser, IL)

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T H E C H I E F 39 IIIIIIllIIIIIIIIllllllllIIlllllllIllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlllllllllllllllllllilllllIIIIIIllIIIIIIIIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIlllllllllllllIlllllllllllllllllllllllllllIlllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlIIllIIIIIIllllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllllllllllllllillllllll When the town was first founded the boys and girls attended school at Mt. Tabor. The first school in town was taught by Harley Lewis. The land on which the brick building now stands was donated by Evan Fitzgerrell. The High School was organized in 1915 and 1916. W. D. Higdon was the first principal. Mr. Black has done more for our school than anyone. He put it on the accredited list and also in the North Central Association. School was held in several buildings, but our present building was finished in 1922. The Missionary Baptist Church was the first church in Sesser and was built in 1906 and dedicated in 1908. The building cost 32000. The church was organized by Laburn Estes. There were seventeen charter members, four of whom still belong. There are now two hun- dred members. The second church was the Methodist, organized in 1909 and dedicated the next year by John Harmon. There were twelve charter members of this number twelve still belong. Rev. Davis organized the church. There were nineteen at Sunday School on the first Sunday and they sat on boards. Demonia D. Crain was teacher at that time and has been teaching ever since. There are now one hundred and twenty-nine members. The Christian Crurch was built in 1910. There were eleven charter members. The church was paid for by M. Kirkpatrick, but he was later paid by the members. The bell was raised by a mule. 1 The Church of God was organized in 1920 in the city park. They built their building in 1921. Later they divided, one section going into the Sam Moore building on Franklin Avenue, and the other section remaining in their old building. Every community has produced some interesting personalities. Of ours Uncle Bill Willis and wife are two of the most interesting. They were among the first settlers and have lived here ever since. They are both well informed and very interesting to be with. Mrs. Minnie Tackitt, Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Lewis, Mr. George Webb are others who have been here ever since the beginning of Ses- ser. Mr. R. D. Webb moved here in 1907 and has been connected with the First National Bank since it was establihed. The bank was first kept in a corner of a small store. There are others in our town who have been ardent workers for education, and to them should be given much praise. -American History Class. llllllllllllllllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllllllllllllllllllllllllIIIIIIllIIIIIIIIIIIllllllllllllllllllllllllIIllIIIIIIIIlIIIIllllllllllllllllllllllllIlllllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIlllllllllll

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38 T H E C H I E F IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlllllllllllllllllllllllIIIIIIllllllllIIIIIIIIIllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllIIIIllllllllllllllllIIIIIlllllllllllllI1IIIIIIIII1IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlllllllllllllllllllllll HISTCRY OF SESSER ....0- The City of Sesser was laid off in July, 1905, by John Sesser, an official of the C. B. and Q. railway, from whom it received its name. Another official of this railroad, John C. Elliot, sold the first lots in Sesser. The site was only four blocks square, extending from the depot on the east, and from Charlie Gualdoni's residence on the north to the street south of the High School. The first business building was where Otrich's Drug Store is at the present time. The first grocery store was owned by John Bates in 1905 and afterwards sold to W. A. Willis. Mr. Willis was appointed postmaster in 1906 and had his office in a corner of the store. He held this position for eight years. Mr. W. D. Moore occupied the first building in Sesser. Mr. McCollum and Mr. C. B. Lewis built the next two buildings here. Sesser Bates was the first boy born in Sesser, Viva Harrison the first girl. V In December, 1905, there were only 17 people in Sesser, in March 1906, there were five or six hundred people, some living in huts, tents, and other convenient places. The 1920 census showed that the population of Sesser was 3400. In 1906 the sinking of Keller Coal Mine was begun, and in five months they were hoisting coal. Mr. Keller was the first owner of the mine, and under his ownership it worked constantly for eight years. The mine is 648 feet deep, and extends I mile around the base. There are about 600 men employed when the mine works, and about 3000 tons of coal are hoisted every day. Mr. Buchanan is now president and Mr. Dougherty is mine manager. The machinery of this mine is all modern electrical equipment, and is said to be the best in the United States. The other mine in Sesser was sunk by the Modern Coal Corp. The Work was begun by Avis and Jones. Five hundred and fifty men are employed there when it is working, and 3500 tons of coal is the average tonnage. Later the mine was sold to the Southern Gem Coal Corporation. Jesse Dimond is president and B. Schettler is superin- tendent. This mine has a lower death rate than the average mine. Elza Angle was the first man killed in it. Sesser was incorporated in October and November of 1906, Andrew Webb being the first Mayor. R. D. Webb was the first treasur- er and held this ofiice for thirteen years. B. A. Murray was the first clerk. The present mayor is Neal Gilliam, and Glenn Malone is clerk and Lloyd Martin is treasurer. IIIIIIIIIlllllIIIIIIIIllllllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlllllIIllllllIllllllllllllllllllllllllIllllIllIIIIIIIllllllIIIIIIIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIlllllllllllllllllllllllllIlllllllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllllllIIIIIIIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllll

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