PITTSFIELD ROTARY CLUB   1-28-09

Student guests from Pleasant Hill:

Dana Johnson, daughter of Dennis and Shelley.  She is in FFA, Softball, FACS, Vice President of Class, helps at home, cooks at Pam’s Café, plans on going to cosmetology school at Vanderott.

Riley Jo Simpson, daughter of Will Ken and Terry.  She is in band, general manager of Special Olympics at Pleasant Hill, has been to China twice in Special Olympics and received gold medals each time. She enjoys reading, horseback riding, and plans on attending John Wood to become a Veterinary Assistant.

Farmer’s Day will be March 4^th at the Farm Bureau Hall.  Starting to eat at 11:45….and will has a special speaker.  Get your guests lined up.  Agriculture is the backbone of this county.

District Conference will be at Macomb on May 29-30.  Judge Drummond will be the speaker on Saturday.  Try to make plans to attend, if possible.

Visitors: Jason Filbert with Dad, Jim.

Dr. Bob Bollenbaugh DC with Mark Meleski

Barb Fosco, Pittsfield Main Street Board member introduced the new Main Street Director, Teresa Ralph.

Program:  Barb Fosco  introduced Burdette Irwin, maintenance engineer for the pike County Courthouse and Historian.

Burdett told us that Pike County was formed in 1821  from the ‘Military Tract, land set aside for rewards to soldiers of the Revolution and the war of 1812. 

The lst courthouse was a log structure in Cole’sGrove in what now is Calhoun County.

Today, it is named Gilead.  It was taken down and moved to Atlas in 1823.  The Courthouse was then established in Pittsfield in 1833in what was Heck’s Bakery later.

A wooden courthouse was constructed on the square in 1839 and r3placed by the current structure in 1894at a cost in the 60,000s…The roof replacement in 1991 cost 10 times that ….It is regarded as one of the 10 most beautiful courthouses in Illinois.

There are 15 offices housed in a very cramped building…..

One hanging occurred in Pike County, so far….was carried out in the jail.