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t CENTRAL ;5!TRAL GARAGE JOHN ANDERSON <R) Congressman, 16th District JACKSCHAFFER(R) Senator, 33rd District CAL SKINNER (R) Representative, 33rd District THOMAS HANAHAN (D) Representative, 33rd District River View From Above NORB SMITH Johnsburg Central Garage was built in 1918 by Joe Hettermann. Fred Smith started working for Joe in 1919 and bought the growing business from him January 2nd. 1929. With an eye to the future he acquired a Chevrolet Dealership and also a Standard Oil Franchise. With these big names behind him, he established a steady following that has remained thru the years. In 1932 the county widened the Johnsburg blacktop and Fred had to cut off 28 feet of his building. He remedied this situation in 1941 and again in 1951 by extending the width of the building and enlarging the back shop and showroom area. Fred has three sons, who joined the business as soon as they finished school. Fred Jr. started in 1933, Norb, in 1935 and Harry, in 1938. All three boys were drafted into World War II in one year, but returned after military service, to continue working with their father atthe Central Garage. They are all therenow except Fred Jr., who left in 1952. Their loyal bookkeeper and general office worker, Martha Freund, has given 22 years of service to the company. Such long established fami^businesses are a credit to the McHenry Community. HARRY SMITH WAnu i?n nnnerot* hririep and the old steel bridge are shown in this aerial shot of the river looking southward. FRED SMITH / tHfcVROLFT /( i _l CENTRAL GARAGE 2303 W. JOHNSBURG RD McHENRY-ILL. 385-0200 AUGUST*. 1975- PLAIN DEALER CENTENNAIL EDITION-PAGE 20 Last Civil War Mother Dies In McHenry July 26, 1934 (Reprinted from July 26, 1934, issue of the Plaindealer) Mrs. Samantha Button, who had gained renown throughout the United States as being the only living Civil war mother, ami McHenry's oldest resident, who had lived two and one-half ye>rs beyond the century mark, died at 9:30 o'clock Sunday night, July 22, 1934, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Culver. Although she had been failing in health for sometime and had been con­ fined to her bed for several weeks, she had previously been in good health and able to wait upon herself, take care of her own room and was always active and industrious. In recent years the an­ niversaries of the centenarian had been the occasion of remembrances of Jocal townspeople in tribute to her advancing years. Her one- hundredth birthday was a particularly interesting event with tributes brought by the American Legion of the county and other organizations, music by the high school band and a reception for friends and neigh­ bors and members of the city council Born In 1831 Samantha McCollum, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William McCollum, was born in Fairfax county, Ohio, on December 12,1831, and came to McHenry with her parents and ^other members of the family in 1838 when about six years old. The trip from the east to the prairies of Illinois was made i^ a prairie schooner over winding Indian trails, which have since been transformed "into won­ derful cement highways, over which tourists travel in luxurious automobiles. Here they settled on Sherman Hill, near the lake which bears their name, where, among the In­ dians and the wild game they built their prude home. Here she grew old during the agp of some of the greatest inventions, including the reaper and harvester; she had seen the j>rowth of railroads and the development of business, the invention of the telephone, electric lights, radio, automobiles and airplanes. Pioneers like Mrs. Button are becoming few, yet it is a privilege to meet them and learn of the hardships of the early settler, his unfailing pluck and courage and his indomitable industry which are a heritage for youth and an inspiration for the generations. Happy and carefree she roamed the prairies until at the age of sixteen she was married to George Rorer ancf'had three Landmark Destroyed sons. One.of these boys, Clinton Rorer, enlisted in Comapny H, 18* h Illinois Cavalry, in February 1864, and died later from pneumonia and was brought back to McHenry and buried. At the age of 39/years, she married James Button and went to Rochester, Minn., to live but after his death returned to McHenry where she has since made her home. Mrs. Button read without glasses, composed poetry which she recited to her visitors and was always interested in the affairs of the present day. She enjoyed relating in­ teresting stories of the early days of McHenry and marveled at the growth and development of the countrv. always generous in her praise for the improving and changing trend of affairs. Witnessed Many Changes She was a remarkable pic­ ture of the heroism of the ages and in her unusual record of five score years she saw the march of time triumphant to the present age, she saw the western wilds of a century ago changed into busy cities and prosperous villages, and the Indian and the primitive log cabin give place to modern civilization and palatial homes. Mrs. Button is survived by four granddaughters, Miss Clara B. Rorer, Gilman, 111., Mrs. Ella Kerns, Onarga, 111., Mrs. Ethel Thrasher, Honolulu, and Dr. Emily Rorer, Santee, Neb.; four grandsons, Clinton DeWitt Rorer, Minneapolis, Leonard Rorer, and Frank Rorer of Dixon, and Dr. C.G. Rorer, Waukegan, and thirteen great-grandchildren. Other realtives who survive are, Mrs. Warren Fish and Mrs. Leda Foley of Woodstock, Will Dwelly of Chicago, and Mrs. Leah Brown, a cousin, of McHenry. Funeral services were held at the home at 2 o'clock Tuesday afternoon with Rev. L.H. Brattain, pastor of the M.E. Legislators (Taken from Sept. 15,1875, issue of Plaindealer) other place that has one that can beat this, we would like to have We think we have the "boss" cabbage of the county. It was left in him or her make it manifest now by producing the cabbage. If our sanctum on Saturday last by our Postmaster John M. Smith there is no one to compete, we will call on our Postmaster to tell us and weighs 20 lbs., 5 oz. If there is any individual in this or any what he knows about farming. church, officiating; McHenry Post, American Legion, at­ tended in a body. Appropriate songs were rendered by Bob Peterson. Members of the Legion who acted as pall-bearers were Peter Neiss, C.J. Reihan- sperger, Ed Nickels, James Marshall, Fred $choewer and Howard Cairns. Daughters of the G.A.R., and members of the American Legion Auxiliary were also present to honor the last of the country's brave Civil war mothers. Escorted by the flag of her country, for which she gave her son, and by the Legion colors and with the tolling of church bells, she was carried to her final resting place beside her soldier son in Woodland cemetery. As the funeral procession passed St. Mary's church the bells tolled in honor of her memory and people of every faith paused in tribute to this aged and respected citizen who had gone to her final reward. Old Items Of Interest BIG STORM AND TRAIN WRECK: (by Nunda correspondent) Early on Thursday morning last, news was brought to this place that an accident had happened at the Night Express in Harvard caused by the washing away of a bridge by the heavy rains, resulting in the killing of eight persons and the wounding of several more. At 10 a.m., your correspondent accompanied by William Height and L. Bentfiuysen, started for the scene of the accident. At Woodstock we passed a train on which was a man badly cut up, the first signs we had of the disaster. When we arrived at Harvard, we met Dr. Lowell of Crystal Lake. He was on the freight train just ahead of the Night Passenger that went into the ditch killing two men. They were at or near Clinton Junction. The Night Passenger was crossing the bridge 20 rods north of Lawrence and the forward part of the engine had got across when it went off the track, the drive wheels striking in the dirt just ready to roll back into the creek which was about 12 feet, when the force of the train striking the engine drove the drivers deep in the mud, jarring the bridge and causing it to give 'way for 30 feet, the tender going down into the awful chasm first, the other cars piled on top with the exception of one passenger car. The Baggage and Express cars were smashed to pieces and floated off down the stream. One passenger car with the top off was lying at right angles with the track 40 feet away right side up. The water ^ank was jarred off its foundation and carried through the bridge and down stream 2 miles where it now rests in a pond. The engineer, Mr. Morris, was found wedged betwefen the river and the boiler badly scalded and burned and cut and bruised about the face. His remains were taken by his brother vyith a special train to Janesville via the Madison division. The fireman (no one can tell how he escaped being killed) is badly scalded and was taken to Ayers hotel, Harvard. He will probably recover and he the only one who can tell just the facts as to how the accident happened. Jim Ranus, conductor of the train, is badly hurt but not dangerously. James Fury, the baggageman, lived to be extricated from the ruins when he expires. Dr. Lowell examined a man who had an envelope in his pocket addressed to P.H. Black and found that he had not been hurt but died from drowning. The creek below the bridge was full of broken cars, trunks, mail bags, express books, clothing, etc., which were picked up and sent to Chicago on the mail train Thursday evening together with three dead bodies. Five dead bodies also lay in Ayers hotel. (Taken from Sept. 15,1875, issue of Plaindealer) BIG STORM: On Tuesday and Wednesday nights of last week this section was visited by one of the severest rain storms accompanied by thunder and lightning ever known in this section. The rain came down in torrents and on Thursday morning, very small streams and ponds were swelled to the proportions of rivers and in many places, mill dams and bridges were swept away and untold damage done. In this village, the dam near Owen's Mill barely escaped and had it nofbeen one of the best, could not have stood the test. As it was, large excavations were made in the south end and had it not been for the prompt action of Mr. Owen and his men, the dam would have been swept away. The foot-bridge and main bridge below were not so fortunate, the former being swept entirely away and the abutments of the latter so undermined that it fell into the creek during the day. A temporary structure now does duty at that point. The flat on the east side of the store from the Mill was one vast lake and the l iver was higher than it has been known for years. Illinois - Smith's -\m 1075 For more than seventy years, McHenry's 90-foot wafer tower on Waukegan road was a familiar landmark in the city. After several years of non-use, the tower was taken down in September of 1971 in interest of safety. Construction of the tower was begun in 1898, ^according to city records. The trees will whisper a solemn requiem over her grave and the present generation will pause to recall memories of her vast experience and her courage and will bow in gratitude for the achievements she represents. As we have wished this veteran of a century Godspeed so many times as she continued her journey through life, again, this time with a tear and a sigh of regret, we say Godspeed as she crosses the bar into eter­ nity. Relatives who were present at the funeral services were the grandchildren, Miss Clara Rorer of Gilman, Dr. C.G. Rorer of Waukegan, Leonard Rorer of Dixon, " great­ grandchildren, Harold, Mary Kathrine and Elizabeth Rorer of Dixon, children of Frank Rorer, Mrs. Warren Fish and Mrs. Leda Foley, Woodstock, and Mrs. Leah Brown, McHenry. Dr. Emily Rorer of Santee, Neb., arrived on the midnight bus Tuesday night, too late for the funeral of her grandmother. She left Wednesday morning with Miss Clara Rorer for Gilman, 111. The Harrison G. Smith home on Main street is now owned and occupied by Mrs. Rita Ulrich, daughter of Mrs. Nellie Bacon. This photo was taken about seventy years ago. Old Home Of McHenry BRUCE W ADDELL (R) Representative, 33rd District