The Point Is...I Forgot: November 2012

Monday, November 12, 2012

Veteran's Day

Sharing some Free Postcards with you on Veteran's Day.

Please use these to Honor the Veteran's you love.

I believe this postcard is from World War I.

The Sailor's Prayer.

Honoring my Great Grandfathers on Veteran's Day. Fred Baxter and James Dallas Boren.

I want to honor all the Veteran's in my family. My grandfathers William E. Foster and John L. Boren both served our country during WWII. But since I've already posted some information on them, I thought today I'd talk about my Great Grandfathers. Fred Baxter and James Dallas Boren.

Williamson County Illinois In The World War 1917-1918, Hal W. Trovillion,
Published by The Williamson County War Historical Society, Marion, Ill., 1919.

You can read online or download this book, Williamson County Illinois in the World War, at

Internet Archives. Direct link to this book - http://archive.org/details/williamsoncounty00bair

Fred Baxter picture from "Williamson County Illinois In The World War
1917-1918". Fred Baxter is my Great Grandpa.

Fred Baxter Bio from "Williamson County Illinois In The World War
1917-1918." Yes he was wounded, but Fred survived WWI.

I believe these are Spanish American War Veterans. My Great Grandpa James Dallas Boren
is on the far right. This could be Williamson County Illinois, Jackson County Illinois,
or just Southern Illinois Veterans.

Newspaper article found at Newspaper Archives Online with Great Grandpa James Dallas Boren.
"Spanish War Vets Celebrate", Jack Brundage, The Daily Independent, Murphysboro, Illinois,
22 May 1948, page 5.

Picture that goes with the newspaper article above.
James Dallas Boren in front row of bottom picture.
He's the one with the black vest.

Newspaper article from Newspaper Archives Online featuring my Great Grandpa James Dallas Boren.
He's the picture on the left.
"Area Veterans Recall Spanish-American War", The Southern Illinoisan, Carbondale, Ill.,
09 Oct 1960, page 5.

I love newspaper archives online. Yes it is a site you have to pay for, but they have a lot of newspapers from Southern Illinois. So it has served me well. I've found many newspaper articles on my family through newspaper archives.

However there are some locations that newspaper archives lacks papers. So you just have to check it out and see if it would be useful to you. At one time they had FREE front pages. This is very handy if your ancestors are from small towns. Many times small town newspapers posted obituaries on the front pages.
I believe when I joined they had a free two week trial. Not sure if that was a special or if they still do that.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Little Toot Railroad, Carterville, Illinois

Little Toot Railroad

Carterville, Illinois

And some Scott Family Memories

As a young child my Grandparents, Frank and Peggy SCOTT, often took me to ride "Little Toot". What wonderful memories! I have no idea when Little Toot opened or when Little Toot closed. But I know many people in Southern Illinois miss Little Toot!

Little Toot was off of new Route 13 right at Carterville, Illinois. You would turn left if going towards Carbondale or turn right if going towards Marion.

Just down the road from Little Toot was my Uncle Don SCOTT. (actually Great Uncle) Don was very handsome and he had a beautiful wife and two beautiful girls. I loved visiting them.

I also remember visiting another of Grandpa Frank's brothers, Earl SCOTT and his wife, Aldine. Earl was a character! Very funny. I also remeber visiting a sister of Grandpa Frank, Kay SCOTT. She might have been Kay HOUSTON. I remember a nephew of Grandpa Frank, Scotty HOUSTON. He may have belonged to Kay. He was cute and had a very pretty wife with long long beautiful hair.

All these SCOTT's lived in Carterville, Illinois. They were the children of Walter SCOTT (1886-1984) and Mary TREGONNING SCOTT (1891-1975).

All this was a long time ago and I believe all of Grandpa Frank's brothers have passed on.

Little Toot Railroad Postcard
Back of Postcard Reads:

Little Toot Railroad
Miniature railroading at its best. The real steam locomotive travels over 1/2 mile of 15 inch gage track,
by route 13 between Carbondale and Marion, Ill. Another attraction in Scenic Southern Illinois.