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THERE IS A TOWN WHERE THE TOWN SCAPE HAS CHANGED
WHERE THE TOWN SCAPE HAS CHANGED LITTLE IN 150 YEARS AS WE
LITTLE IN 150 YEARS AS WE DISCOVERED IN MAEYSTOWN, WHICH
DISCOVERED IN MAEYSTOWN, WHICH IS 35 MILES OUTSIDE OF ST.
IS 35 MILES OUTSIDE OF ST. LOUIS.
IN 1852, JACOB MAEYS SET OUT THE TOWN OF MAEYSTOWN.
TOWN OF MAEYSTOWN. IT GREW VERY SLOWLY, BUT FOR THE
IT GREW VERY SLOWLY, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, MAEYSTOWN WAS A
MOST PART, MAEYSTOWN WAS A GERMAN SPEAKING VILLAGE.
GERMAN SPEAKING VILLAGE. ST. JOHN'S UNITED CHURCH OF
ST. JOHN'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST WAS BUILT IN 1867.
CHRIST WAS BUILT IN 1867. ABOVE THE DOOR, THERE IS A GO
ABOVE THE DOOR, THERE IS A GO GERMAN SAYING, EVANGELICAL ST.
GERMAN SAYING, EVANGELICAL ST. JOHN'S CHURCH.
JOHN'S CHURCH. GERMAN WAS THE LANGUAGE OF THE
GERMAN WAS THE LANGUAGE OF THE CHURCH.
CHURCH. GERMAN WAS NOT ONLY USED IN THE
GERMAN WAS NOT ONLY USED IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT IN THE CHURCH.
COMMUNITY, BUT IN THE CHURCH. UP IN THE 1940'S, GERMAN WAS
UP IN THE 1940'S, GERMAN WAS USED IN ALL SERVICES UNTIL
USED IN ALL SERVICES UNTIL CHRISTMAS OF 1943.
CHRISTMAS OF 1943. THE SMALL BUILDING NEXT TO THE
THE SMALL BUILDING NEXT TO THE CHURCH IS REFERRED TO AS THE
CHURCH IS REFERRED TO AS THE SCHOOLHOUSE. ORIGINALLY, IT WAS
SCHOOLHOUSE. ORIGINALLY, IT WAS THE FIRST CHURCH.
THE FIRST CHURCH. THAT PARTICULAR BUILDING IS THE
THAT PARTICULAR BUILDING IS THE OLDEST KNOWN MON STRUCTURE ON
OLDEST KNOWN MON STRUCTURE ON ITS ORIGINAL FOUNDATION AND
ITS ORIGINAL FOUNDATION AND CONTINUED USE FOR RELIGIOUS
CONTINUED USE FOR RELIGIOUS PURPOSES IN THE STATE OF
PURPOSES IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.
ILLINOIS. IT SERVED AS THE FIRST CHURR
IT SERVED AS THE FIRST CHURR INCH 1857, AND SERVED AS THE
INCH 1857, AND SERVED AS THE FIRST RESIDENCE FOR THE MINISTER
FIRST RESIDENCE FOR THE MINISTER AND HIS., REVEREND ROSHI.
AND HIS., REVEREND ROSHI. TWO-THIRDS OF THE BUILDING WAS
TWO-THIRDS OF THE BUILDING WAS CHURCH, AB ONE THIRD WAS THE
CHURCH, AB ONE THIRD WAS THE ORIGINAL PARSONAGE.
ORIGINAL PARSONAGE. THE GUTTER SYSTEM HERE IS VERY
THE GUTTER SYSTEM HERE IS VERY UNIQUE.
UNIQUE. THIS IS PROBABLY CLOSE TO 140
THIS IS PROBABLY CLOSE TO 140 YEARS OLD, AT LEAST THAT'S THE
YEARS OLD, AT LEAST THAT'S THE BEST WE CAN DATE IT AT.
BEST WE CAN DATE IT AT. IT DATES BACK TO THE 1860'S,
IT DATES BACK TO THE 1860'S, 1870'S, AND IT INCLUDES STONES
1870'S, AND IT INCLUDES STONES THAT ARE EMBEDDED IN THE GROUND
THAT ARE EMBEDDED IN THE GROUND VERTICALLY.
VERTICALLY. 90% OF THE ROCK IS IN THE EARTH.
90% OF THE ROCK IS IN THE EARTH. BECAUSE OF THE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF
BECAUSE OF THE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF STONES IN THE GROUND, THESE
STONES IN THE GROUND, THESE GUTTERS HAVE STAYED STABLE OVER
GUTTERS HAVE STAYED STABLE OVER 140 YEARS, AND IT DOES
140 YEARS, AND IT DOES REFLECTING THE FACT THAT THE
REFLECTING THE FACT THAT THE NUMBER OF THE GERMAN INTERGRANTS
NUMBER OF THE GERMAN INTERGRANTS WERE STONEMASONS, AND IT ALSO
WERE STONEMASONS, AND IT ALSO REFLECTS THE FACT THAT WAS THE
REFLECTS THE FACT THAT WAS THE NATIVE MATERIAL WHICH THEY HAD
NATIVE MATERIAL WHICH THEY HAD TO WORK.
TO WORK. HILLSIDES WE SEE THROUGH THE
HILLSIDES WE SEE THROUGH THE WINDOWS WERE FORESTS OF
WINDOWS WERE FORESTS OF LIMESTONE.
LIMESTONE. >>THE ROCK HOUSE WHICH IS A
>>THE ROCK HOUSE WHICH IS A LOCAL TERM FOR STONE HOUSES, THE
LOCAL TERM FOR STONE HOUSES, THE ROCK HOUSE WAS BUILT IN 1857.
ROCK HOUSE WAS BUILT IN 1857. IT WAS BUILT BY THE MAN ACTUALLY
IT WAS BUILT BY THE MAN ACTUALLY WHO LATER BUILT THE INN,
WHO LATER BUILT THE INN, MR. HUFF MAN, AND THAT
MR. HUFF MAN, AND THAT PARTICULAR ROCK HOUSE WAS ONE OF
PARTICULAR ROCK HOUSE WAS ONE OF JUST FOUR OR FIVE.
JUST FOUR OR FIVE. I THINK TODAY THERE ARE ONLY
I THINK TODAY THERE ARE ONLY STILL FIVE ROCK HOUSES STANDING
STILL FIVE ROCK HOUSES STANDING HERE IN THE VILLAGE.
HERE IN THE VILLAGE. AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY,
AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, THERE WERE HARD TO BELIEVE 13
THERE WERE HARD TO BELIEVE 13 GEORGE HUFF MAN'S WHO LIVED IN
GEORGE HUFF MAN'S WHO LIVED IN THE LOCAL AREA AND FOUR OF THEM
THE LOCAL AREA AND FOUR OF THEM LIVED IN A ROW.
LIVED IN A ROW. THE FIRST ONE ON THE CORNER WAS
THE FIRST ONE ON THE CORNER WAS LAUGHED A LOT, OR LAUGHING
LAUGHED A LOT, OR LAUGHING GEORGE.
GEORGE. THE NEXT GEORGE HUFF MAN WAS A
THE NEXT GEORGE HUFF MAN WAS A VILLAGE THE BLACKSMITH, WHICH IS
VILLAGE THE BLACKSMITH, WHICH IS (GERMAN TERM ).
(GERMAN TERM ). A BRACT SMITH.
A BRACT SMITH. THE NEXT ONE WAS OVERWEIGHT, AND
THE NEXT ONE WAS OVERWEIGHT, AND THEY CALLED HIM FAT GEORGE.
THEY CALLED HIM FAT GEORGE. THIS GEORGE HAPPENED TO LIVE IN
THIS GEORGE HAPPENED TO LIVE IN THE CORNER, SO THEY CALLED HIM
THE CORNER, SO THEY CALLED HIM CORNER GEORGE.
CORNER GEORGE. THIS WAS PART OF THE LAND HE HAD
THIS WAS PART OF THE LAND HE HAD HAD TIME SOME TIME.
HAD TIME SOME TIME. HE DECIDED TO BUILD A
HE DECIDED TO BUILD A MERCANTILE, AND A HOTEL.
MERCANTILE, AND A HOTEL. AROUND THE CORNER WE CAN SEE THE
AROUND THE CORNER WE CAN SEE THE ORIGINAL SIGN, HOTEL AND SALOON.
ORIGINAL SIGN, HOTEL AND SALOON. IT IS STILL HERE.
IT IS STILL HERE. THIS IMMEDIATE SET OF DOORS TO
THIS IMMEDIATE SET OF DOORS TO MY RIGHT IS THE OLD SALOON.
MY RIGHT IS THE OLD SALOON. THAT IS SIX DOORS EACH SET WOULD
THAT IS SIX DOORS EACH SET WOULD OPEN UP IN A SUMMERTIME ON A HOT
OPEN UP IN A SUMMERTIME ON A HOT DAY LIKED TO AND PROVIDE WELCOME
DAY LIKED TO AND PROVIDE WELCOME AIR CONDITIONING.
AIR CONDITIONING. UPSTAIRS WAS A BALLROOM.
UPSTAIRS WAS A BALLROOM. TO THE RIGHT WERE TWO HOTEL
TO THE RIGHT WERE TWO HOTEL ROOMS ON THE SECOND FLOOR, AND
ROOMS ON THE SECOND FLOOR, AND DOWNSTAIRS WAS THE LIVING
DOWNSTAIRS WAS THE LIVING QUARTERS FOR THE OWNERS.
QUARTERS FOR THE OWNERS. THE BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET
THE BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET IS THE OLD BANK BUILDING, AND IT
IS THE OLD BANK BUILDING, AND IT INCLUDED A CANNON BALL SAFE
INCLUDED A CANNON BALL SAFE WHICH WE HAVE IN OUR MILL.
WHICH WE HAVE IN OUR MILL. IT IS RETURNED TO MAEYSTOWN, AND
IT IS RETURNED TO MAEYSTOWN, AND THIS SAFE WE ARE TOLD WEIGHS
THIS SAFE WE ARE TOLD WEIGHS CLOSE TO FOUR TONS.
THE STONE BUILDING BEHIND ME IS THE OLD MILL, OLD MAEYSTOWN
THE OLD MILL, OLD MAEYSTOWN MILL.
MILL. IT WAS BUILT IN 1859 AND SERVED
IT WAS BUILT IN 1859 AND SERVED AS A MILL FOR ONLY TEN YEARS.
AS A MILL FOR ONLY TEN YEARS. IN 1869 A FIRE DESTROYED THE
IN 1869 A FIRE DESTROYED THE MILL.
MILL. WE THINK THEN FOR 11 YEARS THE
WE THINK THEN FOR 11 YEARS THE PROPERTY STOOD VACANT. WE KNOW
PROPERTY STOOD VACANT. WE KNOW IN 1880 IT WAS REBUILT AND USED
IN 1880 IT WAS REBUILT AND USED AS A FURNITURE FACTORY.
AS A FURNITURE FACTORY. TODAY THE BUILDING IS THE HOME
TODAY THE BUILDING IS THE HOME OF THE MAEYSTOWN PRESERVATION
OF THE MAEYSTOWN PRESERVATION SOCIETY.
CLAIM TO FAME TODAY IS THE FACT THAT MAEYSTOWN IS PROBABLY ONE
THAT MAEYSTOWN IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST PRESERVED HISTORIC
OF THE BEST PRESERVED HISTORIC TOWNS IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS.
TOWNS IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS. IT IS A TOWN THAT IS FOR WHERE A
IT IS A TOWN THAT IS FOR WHERE A LOT OF LOCAL PEOPLE BRING THEIR
LOT OF LOCAL PEOPLE BRING THEIR FRIENDS TO SEE WHAT LIFE WAS
FRIENDS TO SEE WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE IN THE 1800'S.
LIKE IN THE 1800'S. ALMOST ALL THE BUILDING DATES IN
ALMOST ALL THE BUILDING DATES IN 1850'S, UP THROUGH 1900, 1910.
1850'S, UP THROUGH 1900, 1910. MAEYSTOWN IS JUST ONE OF A
MAEYSTOWN IS JUST ONE OF A HANDFUL OF VILLAGES IN ILLINOIS
HANDFUL OF VILLAGES IN ILLINOIS LIST ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF
LIST ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MAEYSTOWN, VISIT THEIR WEB SITE
MAEYSTOWN, VISIT THEIR WEB SITE AT WITH WWW.MAEYSTOWN.COM.
AT WITH WWW.MAEYSTOWN.COM. OR CALL (618)458-6660.