Yearly Archives: 2013

1980 Late Spring Windstorms

Posted on by December 21, 2013

July 2, 1980 Windstorm
July 2, 1980 Windstorm
July 2, 1980 Windstorm
July 2, 1980 Windstorm
July 2, 1980 Windstorm

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The end of June through July 1980, found most of the country, including Southern Illinois in the grip of a massive heat wave that brought about drought conditions, searing inescapable heat and periodic high winds and storms.

In Southern Illinois, a damaging windstorm on Sunday, June 29th was followed, only a few days later, on Wednesday, July 2nd, by another damaging windstorm, which was reported to be, several times the intensity of the first, causing major damage throughout Southern Illinois. Continue reading →

1980 Killer Heat Wave

Posted on by December 21, 2013

Heat July 16 1980The July 1980 United States heat wave was a period of intense heat and drought that wreaked havoc on much of the Midwestern United States and Southern Plains throughout the summer of 1980. It is among the most devastating natural disasters in terms of deaths and destruction in U.S. history, claiming at least 1,700 lives and because of the massive drought, agricultural damage reached $20 billion dollars. It is among the billion-dollar weather disasters listed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Continue reading →

Grant, Wendell L. 1893-1980, School Principal and WWI Vet

Posted on by December 20, 2013

Wendell Leon Grant was born in Lake Creek Township in Williamson County, on January 26, 1893 to farmer Elijah Lodge Grant (1863-1943) and Sarah Ella O’Neal Grant (1867-1961). Leon Grant spent 54 years of his lengthy life in public service to his community and to his country serving in WWI and also as teacher and principle of the Washington School and principle of the Marion Junior High School. Continue reading →

1923, First Christian Church Gets Klan Visit

Posted on by February 7, 2017

Charles R. Scoville EvangelistThe following post is a transcript of the Carbondale Free Press dated May 21, 1923. It is somewhat typical of the Klan’s approach to infiltrating its way into the good graces of local christian churches, as long as those churches weren’t Catholic, that is. This area during the early 1920’s, was wrought with bootleggers born out of prohibition, prostitution, gambling houses and gang warfare. Much of the system of authority and law enforcement were on the take and useless against these elements. Continue reading →