Westville High School - Janus Yearbook (Westville, IL)

Page 9 text:

Foreword . . . Every locality lias a history all its own. The 1938 Janus staff has worked hard to ascertain the past history of our school and our district. We have tried to prepare this historical material so as to preserve it for the generations to come. We have interviewed the old men who still remember many of the facts; we have searched through voluminous volumes in the libraries; and through the dusty old tiles to get at the truths. We have uncovered so much material of historical value that we had difficulty in selecting that part which seems to be the most important. The 38 school year is now history and so the happenings of this year, together with the early history of our locality is recorded in this, the 1938 Janus. W e hope that you will like it! Staff Editor-in-chief........Adele Guntor Junior Editor........-......Victor Howard Literary Editor........................Mary Janosik Sports Editor-........................Frank Lesko Asst. Sports Editor-.........Harmon Hensley Business Manager...........Franklyn Dugas Junior Manager..........Billy Gayer Advertising Manager.........Elaine Sacotnik Eugene Lvnch M. Petrus' H. Szlinsky I . Puskac Art Editors. Wm. Szlinsky, A. Ncverdousky Jokes......-......-.........Orpha Benton Snapshots.................. John Brazas Typists........-.....A. Chicas, M. Sydes Faculty Advisor............P. W. Thomas Advertising Assistants. Tot' Koxv (Junior. F. Dugas. K. Sacotnik, F. Lesko, P. Puskac, Brazas. Second Rote—W. Szlinsky, Petrus. Caycz, II. Szlinsky, II. Hensley. A. Nivenlousky. Third Row- A. Chicas. Lynch, Janosik. V. Howard, O. Benton, Sydes.

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Preface hen the first white settler came to this region in 1824, thi localit} was inhabited by the Ricka| oo Indians, who had erected their tepees at a point near the place where the stream of Grape Creek flows into the Vermilion River. 'Phis | oint was also the site of a village of the Piankeshaw Indians for two centuries prior to the coming of the Rickapoos and Pottawattomies. The white man came into this territory by following the buffalo trail. Prom that early day when on a crosstrail, just such a crossroads as our famous five points, Union Corner—an Indian and a white-man met to exchange the values of two so different civilizations, perhaps the Indian to introduce his beloved maze and the white man his valued iron and steel. From such a beginning arose the storied part of our Westville Township High School.

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The Early History of Grape Creek The village of Grape Creek was incorporated in 1890. It got its name from the little winding stream along whose hanks wild grapes were trellised in abundance. In the early days there were but three industries which made the town famous. One was the coal mines in this region, another was the old brick plant, and the third was Kyger’s Mill. The mines in the district yielded great returns in the 60’s and 70's before the six-foot vein of coal in this immediate vicinity was mined. The Grape Creek Coal and Coke Company exploited the great coal deposits, demanding men, and hence (■rape Creek became a boom town. Houses were constructed; first Redtown sprang up and just around the shoulder of the hill second Redtown began to develop. Soon the town had 2,(K)0 population. i he old brick plant was the first of its kind in Vermilion County to turn out a good grade of paving brick and because of this fact it became a famous enterprise. Kyger’s Mill was built in 1858. It was a two-story frame structure and stood about three-quarters of a mile from Grape Creek on the banks of the Vermilion River. People came here from miles around and the mill was known for the quality of the product it turned out. The building at the lower left is the remains of an old tavern: a remnant of the deep mine era. One hundred yards east of it was the old Blue I.ird Mine. Kelly Xo. 5 was just back of it. and Kelly No. 1 was a short distance south. It was the meeting place of the miners at the turn of the century. THE OIJ) TAVERN