Pekin in 1924: a city celebrates its centennial (Part Four)

This week we continue our series on Pekin’s celebration of its Centennial in July 1924 with a transcription of the long catalogue of historical relics and antiques that were displayed in Pekin’s downtown storefronts along Court Street during our city’s Centennial Celebration that year. This catalogue took up a large part of page 2 of the Wednesday, July 2, 1924 edition of the Pekin Daily Times. This catalogue of relics not only gives a snapshot of American life from the 1700s to the late 1800s, but also provides a glimpse of the old-time businesses that served Pekin’s shoppers in Pekin’s Old Town one hundred years ago.

Relics On Display Contrast Period of One Hundred Years Ago In Pekin To Present Day

BY ROLAND RUST

Treasured heirlooms handed down from generations to generation, invaluable relics of slumbering ages, sacred to those in whose keeping they repose, were on review in downtown shop windows today, a singular and significant attraction of Pekin’s Centennial celebration.

Court street became a great gallery of antiques along which young and old, visitors and natives alike, passed slowly while they gazed at an amazing collection of clothing, literature, tools, weapons, toys, pictures and trinkets, familiar to pioneers of a century ago but yellow and tarnished with years that brought awe to those of the present generation.

For months the Relics committee of the Centennial celebration had carefully gathered these keepsakes that money could not buy. Committee members in many instances coaxed, cajoled and promised before the owners of the treasured heirlooms would be brought from dark garrets, trunks and secret places. The relics, valueless from a materialistic standpoint, but holding tender memories, then only brought the time worn trinkets from dusty places that they might add to the glory of the Century Festival.

Bibles were perhaps the most common of the relics on display. Family Bibles that had held the history of generation, were brought from Fatherlands and survived the struggles of early pioneers. Then came firearms, muzzle loading weapons, crude and unpolished, that had successful defended the pioneer homes against savage Indians with blood curdling war cries.

The fashions of Revolutionary days, Puritan times and the early Sixties were depicted in numerous displays. They held an inestimable historical value and stood out in sharp contrast to the modern styles displayed in the same windows. Pekin is one hundred years old and her citizenry has unselfishly (sic) does not penetrate.

Here is a partial list of relics on display and the business houses that temporarily shelter them.

Weyrich Hardware store – An array of antique firearms that saw service in the Revolutionary, Indian, Mexican, Civil and Spanish-American wars. Some of the rifles and pistols are 94 years old. A tallow dip, candle stick mould, ancient key and an Indian carving set of 1861 add variety to the display.

Blenkiron’s Book store – Peterson’s magazine of 50 years ago, candle snuffers, furniture 60 years old, a powder horn of 1777, a Pekin city directory of 1870, timekeepers’ records of the Hamilton distillery for the year 1852 and a doll 100 years old.

Peoples Market, Sarff & Company – An ancient spinning wheel and a counterpane spun on it in the year 1830, jewelry of 1840, Picture of William Snyder who operated a ferry across the Illinois river at Pekin in 1840, claim of a Revolutionary war veteran, silk shawl 110 years old, note for $27.50 dated April 7, 1821 and the head of a deer shot on Illinois prairies a century ago.

Ehrlicher’s Music store – Keyboard to a piano brought here in 1845, a portrait of Josephine Rupert, owner of the first piano owned by a Pekinite, pictures of various Pekin bands, a melodian in remarkable state of preservation despite its 115 years, clarinets and fifes 100 years old, a hand-carved piano bench 80 years old.

Schipper & Block – A cradle three generations were rocked to sleep in, bed spread 100 years old, arm gloves of the 1836 style, embroidery of 1819, fancy velvet vest of 1861, fans of 1836, cap, dress and shoes worn by a boy of 1849, wide skirts of 1862, men’s lingerie 1838, Bible carried by a Civil War soldier, and linen of 1840.

Seibert’s Electric shop – A buck saw 60 years old, a coffee mill made in 1813, waffle irons of 50 years ago, muffin irons 100 years old, and a stump of a tree with a pitch fork grown through it.

Corner Drugstore – The first rim fire gun in Pekin, paper knife made from walnut split by Lincoln, blue print of the Illinois, Winchester, Lynnville and Jacksonville railroad route, first road ever to run through Pekin dated 1836, an arithmetic 100 years old, table 100 years old that Lincoln ate from, chair, bed spread and guns 100 years old, head of a deer and the muzzle loader which killed it in Pekin in 1832 about where Ann Eliza street is located.

Blackburn & Dwyer – Rock taken from the bowels of the earth in 1794 on the site of the building that houses the drink parlor.

Peerless Cleaning shop – Ladies dresses depicting the styles of 150, 100, 80, 75 and 50 years ago; a cradle and doll 58 years old.

Gehrig Cigar store – Pictures of the first band organized in Pekin in the year 1863, old time rifles, pipes ad trinkets.

Birkenbusch – Shell comb brought from East Indies 200 years ago and carved in New York for a Pekin lady, Hand-made line table cover made in Germany 285 years ago and brought to this country by pioneers, Bible printed in 1881, spoon made of silver dollars in 1790, cocoanut wood cane made 100 years ago, antique fans and candlesticks.

Heisel Shoe store – Pieces of embroidery 100 years old, deer skin from a deer shot on Illinois prairies by Pekin pioneers 100 years ago, a clock of a century ago, black lace 100 years old, Umbrella 77 years old, vest pocket edition of a Bible printed in 1842.

Schnellbacher’s Shoe store – Albino picture purchased in Pekin 55 years ago, a speller of school days in 1825, a grammar of 1830, a letter from Henry Tazewell to Otho Gaither dated 1795, baby’s boot 55 years old.

Ehrlicher’s Drug store – Birdseye view of Pekin in 1877, furnished by Judge Rider, silver coffee pot 100 years old, old deer knife used in 1830, sundial and compass that guided pioneers in 1775, Bible 100 years old, spinning wheel 100 years old, a cannon fired for the first time July 4, 1776, pistols of 1845, a cup 125 years old, an organ 75 years old (an heirloom of Mrs. Habbe Velde), a watch 150 years old.

Goldsmith Clothing store – Bible printed in 1769, a rock from Lick Creek 208 years old, portrait of C. Schradski’s parents taken 125 years ago, Floral album 67 years old, clock 125 years old, German Bible printed in 1760, urn 100 years old, Indian pistol holster 50 years old, Indian cup 50 years old.

Arlington Cigar store – Popular magazines of 1854.

Aper Feed store – Display of Bibles of a century ago.

Pekin Decorating company – Toys of 50 years ago, doll, buggies, clothes, beds, cradles and trinkets 100 years old.

Reuling garage – Geography of 1833, rope bed, buckskin lasso, trinkets.

Rubart bakery – A meat platter 100 years old, ancient cake pan and sugar bowl.

Court garage – A bench 105 years old, dresser 125 years old.

York Plumbing company – A dining table Armington pioneers ate their wedding dinner from in 1840, chair 125 years old and a bed 65 years old.

Central Drug store – Birdseye view of Pekin in 1877, silverware 60 years old and trinkets.

Adler Furniture company – Earthen ware, table cloths and china, 100 years old.

Mrs. S. Thurman millinery shop – Hats, bonnets and jewelry, from 50 to 74 years old.

D. H. Abrahams, tailor – Copper tea urn, 100 years old, cup and saucer, about 125 years old, map of Pekin in 1872, with picture of First National Bank building front.

Louis Wieburg, auto accessories – Cattle yoke used 20 years ago, ox shoe worn 75 years ago, newspaper printed Jan. 14, 1800, carrying story of the funeral of George Washington, horns of Texas steer with circus killed here in 1878, doll buggy of 40 years ago.

Beimfohr’s confectionery – Indian relics, a splendid collection of coins, the oldest being of 1288, hickory brooms, gun, others.

Heckman & Spengler furniture store – Painting, English opera stick, fan, doll cart, sewing machine. One relic in this window is 150 years old.

Piggly Wiggly – Mahogany table which might have been used by Abraham Lincoln, sewing machine 100 years old.

Kraeger’s Drug store – A unique group of pictures in one frame ranging from 1870 to 1875, furniture, spinning wheel, books, quilt 111 years old, cradle over 125 years old, other relics.

Louis Hoff book store – Books, billfold about 158 years old, doll 74 years old.

A. L. Johannes – China, some over 100 years old, book 110 years old.

Lohnes & Merkel – Portraits, book 1869, quilt, spinning wheel, dress, candle sticks, and irons, law shawl 90 years old, land grant 70 years old, Wedding ribbon 102 years old, fashion exhibit 1860 and up.

The Model – Books, silverware, glass vase 122 years old.

John Walter, jeweler – Clock, dishes, silverware, fan and others.

N. Reuling Dry Goods store – Bed spreads, shawls, cap 84 years old, petticoats, baptismal dress, others.

Rhine, tailor – Two irons, 100 and 125 years old, furniture, spread.

Pekin Waterworks Co. – Old fashion well with bucket, at least 35 years old.

Pekin Shoe store – Mirror, shoes and pair of boots.

Pekin Dye house – Doll, doll buggy, cradle and baby buggy.

Central Illinois Light company – Dishes 85 years old and 108 years old.

Fred Moenkemoeller cigar store – Cigar case 50 years old, old pipe 90 years old, fancy piece tapestry 97 years old.

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Next week we’ll continue our series with the list of the entries and floats that took part in the Centennial Parade on July 4, 1924.