BlairAndCernyFamilie..

_i
l_
l_
l- I
1: i
I I
|j
il
t_
IJ
I
,!
tJ
I
I
I
I
IJ
l--
I
i-
.j
l
I
-J
.t
I
All the rails, spikes and joinings for the tracks
had been imported from England. It was not much of a
railroad compared to the railroads of today. It had
been hurriedly and cheaply constructed. Between Niantic
and Harristovrtr the track was laid right on the prairie,
no attempt being made to build a grade. There was no
balIasts not even side ditches. A npdern locomotive
would today drive that railroad track into the earth the
first trip over it....the track followed the line of least
resistance regardless of distance or curves. l\lo more
cutting and filting were done than was necessary. Though
it was atrshabby construction traiDr pulled by a dinky,
rvood burning locomotiverrr its arrival was an event of
real signi fi cance.
The early engine to enter Niantic, Il linois was
rf0l d l{urnber 152"
Niantic has the distinction of havin! had a most
beloved ci ti zen, Mrs. Hary Oel aney born. i n County Carl ow,
Ireland. She was the mother oll nine children who lived
to the ripe old age of one hundred and two.
To those valiant pioneers whose keen eyes first viewed
the broad prairies of Illinois and remarked, rrA settter
woutd not there spend ten years in cutting down and burning
trees vhen on the very day of his arrival he could put his
plow into the ground.rl
0n Septenber tl, 1890, the predecessor of the State
Bank of Niantic was formed. Wree, Jacobsen & Co" was
started by George l.lreel Henning, Jacobsen and Herman
Nottlernann. Each contributed SZOOO to capitalize the bank
at $6000.
In 1893, t{aller Pritchett purchases one-half interest
in the young bank and it was renamed Wreel Pritchett 6 Co,
He bought out Jacobsen and Nottldnann in 1893. l.lhen Wree
died in l!08, Wal ler bought l.lreers interest and named the
bank Ualler Pritchett & Co,
A nen building was erected in l9l0 and on July l, l9l5
the bank was incorporated as the State Bank of Niantic. The
bank was extensively renodeled and enlarged in 1956.