“And so you have come to
hear of the olden times?” asked Mrs. Elizabeth Kurth, who was
Centralia's oldest resident in 1933 and who resided at 128½ East Broadway.
As
this friendly German lady entered the living room on the arm
of her
daughter,
the Sentinel reporter automatically arose in deference to
the
evident richness of her life of experience and activity, 80
years of which
had been spent in Centralia. The daily Sentinel was to
publish a
special
Golden Anniversary edition on Aug. 28, and it was eager to
carry an article containing Mrs. Kurth's reminiscences. When
she was seated
in
the antique walnut rocker, placed for her convenience, she
began to speak, leaning forward slightly with her hands
clasped in her lap, inadvertently
expressing her joy at recalling earlier days.
“In
1854, my father, Andrew Zick, came to Centralia with his
family of
which
I was the youngest. I was perhaps 8 years old at the time.
The
streets were merely wagon tracks, and all about this region,
bears
and other wild game could be found. Indians often passed
through
the town enroute to their homes farther west. Of course,
they
were
friendly Indians, causing no trouble.”
“The first time I saw
Centralia, there was little here but prairie grass
which stood so tall that only a
man of unusual height could see above it.”
“Out
there [pointing to busy Broadway with its humming motors and
modern
buildings] was nothing but this tall grass, broken by a few
wagon
tracks.”
“The block which now
contains the Winkler Building [the south side of the first
block of East Broadway] was used by the Illinois Central for
storing wood. You must remember that there was no coal and
even the
engines were propelled by steam
produced by a wood fire. These logs
were cut in cord wood length and
neatly piled in long stacks which extended the entire distance of the
block. In back of this was located the
round house which had
only recently been completed, but it
was much, much
smaller than the one with which we are now familiar and
stood back some distance from what Is now Broadway.”
“The first houses in town
were 12 cottages erected by the Illinois Central on what was
known as Cemetery Avenue. This street was so named
because all of the funeral
processions passed along this way [on the way
to Elmwood Cemetery]. It is now
known as Lincoln Boulevard. These
first houses were occupied by
employees of the railroad, and not a great
many
years ago, one was still standing.”
“My father built the seventh
cottage in town aside from the original
twelve already mentioned. This
was located where the Raines Furniture Store now stands. It was during
this year that the Illinois Central
finished its main line to Cairo, and I
recall vividly my parents discussing
this event which interested so many.”
“I
can remember that it was necessary to go to Walnut Hill for
flour and corn meal. Flour at that time
sold for $8 per barrel. I often made this trip with
my brother.”
“A
pleasant resort enjoyed by many Centralia families during
the
early
days was the old Flora Garten or Beergarten, built and
managed
by
Joseph Droll. The grounds around this large house which is
still
standing
on West Fifth Avenue were beautifully landscaped. Roses and
many
other pleasant flowers abounded. There was nothing sordid in
this
resort, and the most respected citizens took their families
to sit beneath
the trees at tables arranged there and to enjoy the
excellent
music
and refreshments dispensed there. This was at a later time
than
that
about which I
first spoke. [The Flora
Gardens opened at the time of
the Civil War].”
“Centralia has gone through many changes since I first saw it so many years ago.”