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Lowpoint was surveyed and laid out in 1871 for James G. Bayne, who owned
the land. The post office had been established in 1849 and the school was
built in 1848. William E. Dodds was the first post master and Orson Cheedle
was the first school teacher. The oldest house in Lowpoint, located at 301 E.
Washington Street, was there before the town was laid out. It was known as
the old Dyar house.
The first store in Lowpoint was owned by John E. Dodds, who was the son of
the first post master. In the summer of 1873, Piper, Bayne and Company built
a grain elevator that was 70 feet high and 24 x 40 feet in size. It handled
about 200,000 bushels of corn and oats annually.
John Pinkerton had built a tile factory that was operated by his son, Oscar
in 1878. In 1878 there was also another store, owned by Hornish Brothers and
a blacksmith and wagon shop owned by Lucius H. Ellsworth.
In 1889, A. Lincoln and Frank Banta purchased the general store. A. Lincoln
became the postmaster in 1889. Frank became the postmaster in 1895. They
expanded the business until they had, what they claimed was the largest store
in Woodford County by the early 1900's. It controlled the lumber, grain,
stock, implement, merchandise, grocery and baking interests of Lowpoint. The
store burned in 1921 and was never rebuilt. The business was moved to an
older building near the grain elevator.
The Chicago and Alton railroad ran through the village. There was a hotel in
Lowpoint when passenger trains stopped in the village. Rural mail delivery
service was instituted in 1903. In 1917, the business people in Lowpoint were
H.A. Allen, veterinarian; Banta Bros. & Arnold, livestock; Banta Bros.
& Co., banking, general merchandise, grain, lumber, implements; Banta
& Kenyon & Co., livestock; Banta & Whitmer, livestock; Dr. S.M.
Burdon, physician; Dan Keif, contractor; Wm. Kunkel, blacksmith; Mundell
& Owen, garage; Carles Rosebery, barber; National Express; Self Closing
Gate Company.
Bricktown
Bricktown was established in 1853. It started as a brick factory and was
composed of brick kilns and tile sheds. Later there was a blacksmith shop,
store and post office and school. The Church of the Brethren was moved to
Bricktown in 1883. Once the brickmaking was discontinued the Bricktown
community moved elsewhere.
Information gathered by Nancy Piper and
Illinois Trails at http://www.piperspages.com/Woodford/#Villages
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