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Individual Record for: Lars Toresen Wicks (male)

Notes:

!Source: Kimi Larson's John Kennedy family tree on Phyllis Grissom's MyFamily.com website.
!Old Landmarks Of Newark Illinois - Which is the oldest building in Newark and who knows? The village began taking shape in 1833-4, but there is not one person here now who can remember our town as far back as that. Many of the earliest building s were overhauled or remodeled years ago and can hardly be called the same buildings now that they were at first. Mrs. Barrows was in this vicinity as early as 1834 but did not begin to reside in the village until 1837. Nor did T. J. Phillips or h is wife live here before 1838. These three are the only citizens of Newark who can tell us about the old Georgetown of the thirties from their own personal knowledge. Even this is limited to a part of the last half of that decade. After much inves tigation it is concluded that the oldest dwelling house now in Newark and still used in its original shape is the house on Front Street that was for many years the home of Robert LeBeau and now occupied by Peter Osmond. William Haymond built it i n 1838. One of the next dwellings in point of age and retaining much of its original shape is the Cooper residence on the Millington Road. James Southworth, "Galva's" father built it, in 1840. He died in this house in 1841. Another house dating ba ck to 1840 is the one where John Boyne lived; now occupied by Oscar Johnson. Ole Olson built it. He was the father of Kendall County's most noted soldier, Colonel Porter C. Olson, who passed his boyhood days at this home. Approaching Newark from t he direction of Millington, let us keep on south till we come to the next to last block on the east side of Johnson Street. Here Moses Booth erected a store building in 1837. It stands today within a stone's throw of the spot on which it was buil t and is now used as a stable by O. H. Osmond. The dwelling house built by Mr. Booth in 1842, and occupied by his widow for many years, is a good house. It was one of the best houses in town in those days. So is the house where Mrs. Barrows lives , built by Hiram Prickett in 1842 of bricks from Hiddleson's brickyard near Plano. The original of our one Newark hotel takes us back to 1836. Walter Stowell erected it where the livery stable now stands. It was there that he commenced his taver n keeping in 1837. Soon he moved the building to the opposite corner where we now find it. This was on the corner of Main and Johnson Streets. He sold the hotel to a man named Gardner and it became known as Murray's store. Over this store the Cong regationalists held their meetings until 1849 when they built the "gravel church" which was destroyed by fire in 1857. In time, this old Stowell tavern passed to Alexander R. Niblo and others. It has been used as post office, private residence o r hotel down to the present time. In 1855 it was entirely remodeled by Mr. Niblo and took on its present appearance. Another old building is the law office of the Barnards. It was built in 1840 and was first known as Pickerton's store. Nathaniel P ease Barnard, Sr., also kept store in it for nine years from 1855 to 1864. One Giesler erected the original of the Barnard residence in 1838. Giesler in those days carried the mail from Lisbon to Newark, going on foot with the mailbag on his back . So greatly has Mr. Barnard changed, enlarged and modernized this Giesler dwelling that its former self can no longer be recognized. Standing near it till recent years was the old "precinct house." This was used in pioneer days for political, edu cational and religious purposes. It was built in 1837 and you will now find it with several box stalls in it in Gilbert Torkelson's barnyard. It is about 40
rods north of its first location. It is the same building in which James Hervey used to spank his naughty pupils in 1854. Mrs. Thomas J. Phillips remembers attending school in it as far back as 1839. - From 1833 on, George B. Hollenback erected se veral different store buildings. They are all gone but the last one built in 1845 on the northeast corner of Main and VanBuren Streets. He occupied this for some years, quite into the fifties, as a store, post office, and residence. - Ever since h is day, many different parties have occupied it as a residence only. It now belongs to L. T. Wicks. It is a long, wide, single story building and looks very much as it did 61 years ago. Notice the south gable and just over one of the windows you w ill discover in large dark capital letters the word STORE hiding under later paint. The old sign is good reminder of bygone days.
!Letter: To the Editor Norwegian Names Originally published in the Kendall County Record, April 15, 1880. - Transcribed by Jane Willey-Fey - To the Editor, - Lately I saw in one of our papers a remark about a correspondence n the Wisconsin "Stat e Journal" on "Norwegian Names," which had gone its round in Wisconsin papers, generally. I do not know the tenor of this correspondence, but the remark put me in mind that an attempt to explain that conundrum might interest both of you and thos e of our readers who have had dealings with out people. - In the early history of our settlements, especially, the quibbling way n which the Norwegians gave their names was often a matter of mirth and sometimes a source of trouble. It was no uncom mon occurrence, that one would give his name to the storekeeper, land agent, etc., as Ole Oleson, another as Andrew Larson, while among Norwegians they were respectively known as Ole Farness and Andrew Myrland. As American Held a note against Ol e Nielson, for instance, the bearer drove into the settlement where Nielson lived, and inquired for him of a Norwegian; the later would hesitate, and finally say something like this: It must be Ole Hangen you mean. The bearer, chagrined at findin g that the payer went by another name, inquires more particularly and finds that he "calls himself" Ole Nielson. Now to the cause of the quibbling. - In Norway each farm or estate has its distinct name, such as Farness, Myrland, Hangen, Skogstad , Hangsrud, etc., and as such it is known in the records; but among this multiplicity of names there is seldom any such repetition that caused confusion. Now suppose a man names Lars (Lawrence) owns or lives on the farm Myrland: let his father's n ame be Knud (Canute); Lar's full name is then Lars Knudson (Knud's son) Myrland-usually Lars Myrland. He has sons and daughters; let his son's name be Ole, and he will go by the name Ole Larson Myrland, or for everyday use Ole Myrland. He settle s on the farm Skogstad as proprietor, or even as tenant, and his name becomes Ole Larson Skogstad. Again suppose Lars Myrland's daughter, whose maiden name s Carolina Larsdatter (daughter) Myrland, is married to Erik Hangsrud, her full name become s Carolina Larsdatter Hangsrud. - The rule is, therefore, that the name of the farm becomes the surname of its occupant. This rule generally applies even to the small tenement houses and lots belonging to the lager estates - a system which I belie ve belongs exclusively to Norway - even these lots have their fixed names, which becomes the surnames of the tenants. Now this exhibit of names of course applies only tot he agricultural class or country population. The city population and officia ls, even in the country, have their family names and retain them through all changes of residence. - Now further: When Lars Myrland emigrates and arrives here he finds that the place where he settles has no fixed name and he is no longer a residen t of Myrland, and besides that the Americans can not pronounce the name Myrland to suit him, so he gives it up and hits upon the expedient of giving only a part of his name, Lars Knutson. His daughter, Maria, whose full name is Maria Larsdatter My rland, gets a place in an American family and encounters the same difficulties; she cuts them short by giving her name as Mary Larson (or even anything her employer can make out of her Norwegian name), but by and by that family or some American fr iend learns that her father's name is Knutson and not Larson, and she is given to understand that she must bear her father's name. Well, so said, so done. Thus in time she becomes known as Mary Larson, Mary Knudson and perchance as Mary Myrland, b ecause the last is her name among the Norwegians. What happened to her may have happened to her brother and a large number of Norwegian brother and sisters. If their father had at once adopted his farm's name or some suitable equivalent as his sur name, all this ado would have been avoided; but t was with this matter as with many other things that we had to learn; they were forced on us through experience. - Another fruitful source of changed names especially among a certain class was a dre ad of the epithet "Norwegian." They wished to obliterate everything that reminded them of their descent from poor old Norway. With this class I have no sympathy. A son that despises his mother because she is poor, does not possess very good qualit ies for an adopted son in my estimation. A poor parent out of necessity must teach her son many a wholesome lesson - form in him those stern qualities which make up the frame work of his normal structure through her means deny her the opportunit y to apply the outer polish; which after all is only of second rate import. But here I enter a field of speculation from which I shall withdraw in time. - Respectfully yours, - Lisbon, April 5th, '80 Nordmand
!NOTE: from Lew Huntley who works at the Charles B. Phillips Library in Newark Illnois Subj: Thank you for the pictures Date: 9/25/2004 12:51:22 PM Central Daylight Time From: lewhuntley@@hotmail.com - Kimi: - Thank you for the pictures. The two p ictures (1912 building) I am having the hardest time trying to find a location. The picture of the "Newark Garage" was very easy for me to locate because we have a picture of the same building at a slighly diferent angle and in good condition in o ur collection.. - Back to the 1912 building. the old Ford Garage was built between 1915 and 1920 after a fire that level about a block of Newark. That by the way is where the "Newark Garage" was located and our printed material indicates that th e Ford Garage took these builings place. Unfortunately, the wife of owner of the Ford Garage just had a stroke and is in a nursing home is not doing well. She was my neighbor for many years but I am going to continue do some research. Also, the 11 25 for an address gives me problems because I think the longest street in town only goes to about 60 - We have several pictures of L.T. Wicks. Unfortunately, they are not of the best quality. Several of the guys I have coffee with in the mornin g remembered him. - By the way, the Wicks home is still standing . Also, when we talked other day I said I was going to talk to a friend of mine who grew up in town. FYI, is great grandmother was Cecilia Terrison's sister, Augusta. His secretar y lives in the house which is quite charming. - You asked about a genealogial department, we don't have much but hopefully in the next several years we will be expanding and improving our holdings. The library has been in town for 80 years but th e library district was formed in 2003 so we are just beginning to find out what is in our collection. - I am not suggesting you take a road trip but you are always welcome. - At present, our scanner is not up and running but when it is I will sca n our picture of Newark Garage and send it to you. In the mean time, I will try to find more information about the 1912 building. - If you have any question call or e-mail. Lew

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