Help needed---search for old family friends within an hour or less drive of Peoria... (Bartonville: license, plumbing)

[linicx]

Here is crazy idea? Find a licensed hypnotherapist and see if he can unlock the answer? You know the names; you can see the faces; you know where they lived. And you can probably drive to the house. It's in your memory.

[xrhonda91]

Hello Linicx,
BTW---saw your site about Havana, have been through there many times through the years...
Both sets of grandparents lived in Canton---where we stayed depended on who
took us to Illinois, Mom or Dad...
The picnic was not actually a reunion, but a gathering of several friends and their families---Grandma was not familiar with the area where the particular friends I am seeking lived... Pretty sure it was the day before Father's Day, 1969.
I remember the phone ringing that saturday morning and Mom telling me Grandma
was going to pick me up from Grandpa Buddy's ( think at 10:30 AM ). My memory
shut off as we pulled out of driveway and turned back on when Grandma asked me
to look for sign and/or road to turn off onto. And just before we left, I remember
Grandma being told about a shorter route which involved leaving the opposite direction from their place---and probably half mile down the road memory shut down again... There are several bits and pieces that I can't make a positive connection---such as their road coming to a tee where you could see a highway & construction several hundred feet beyond the tee, we turned right and continued until road ended at another highway. Can't connect this for certain with this trip and also unable to find this road arrangement in any of my atlas-plat books...
Ed & Loretta Warner were my Grandparent's best friends and like extended family
to me---they were also friend's of people I'm seeking. Besides several of Ed & Loretta's family, another couple of friends, Bill & Lil who had car dealership in Eureka were there... Our family was represented just by Grandma & me. Think Grandpa
had to work that day... I have thought about this event and "who & where" probably
every day for around six years now. Have done much research, talked to and visited
many people & places, did genealogy on friends I knew families thinking that they
might have been their relatives, etc, etc... There aren't a whole lot of areas I haven't touched upon---but then there's the chance someone I've talked to didn't
remember or inadvertently gave bad info...
Really appreciate your input and time---haven't done much with Havana area, yet, since it doesn't seem to fit---do you know any old time Heating / Plumbing or gas-station guys there ? Thanks again. John

[xrhonda91]

Hello Linicx, Our last postings crossed ! Believe it or not, I have considered a Hypnotist ! But just don't have much trust in one being
ethical... That's what's really frustrating---I can almost just walk into
that picnic, can remember clearly most things. Recall looking right at
many things that would identify them & place, hearing things that would
do the same---but all identifying clues are either fuzzy or blocked...
And yes, this probably has become an obsession---I value family and
friends very much and this is the only missing piece of past puzzle...
Right now, would just like to know if we crossed the Illinois River---knowing this would eliminate a huge part of research... Remember the
drawbridges ??? We usually crossed at 9 or 24... Aside from this
endless research---Canton & surrounding areas are more like home to me
even though I grew up in Indiana... Have you ever had Catfish at the
Riverview Inn in Liverpool ? Been to Viano's in Norris ? Grandma took
us to Dickson Mounds, Wildlife Prairie Park, New Salem, etc... Had and
have family & friends all around the Canton, Peoria, Yates City, Galesburg
areas... Lots & lots of good memories from there and still enjoy visiting...
And one more thing I forgot to ask the other day---do you know the year they started construction on I55 around Lexington & Chenoa ? Looked at several sites online, but couldn't find start dates... John

[linicx]

There was only one drawbridge in Peoria on Franklin Street. There may have been one at Pekin near 9/24. That would be the Scott McCellan today - I think is the name. It would be south of Bartonville at the 9/24 junction. turn toward Pekin.

A state licensed hypnotherapist is not the same as someone who does it at parties as a gag.

Call the IL Dept. of Transportation in Springfield. If they do not know they know where/who has the has the old records. It's probably been 50 years. Look up the history of the Mothe Road 66. It was replaced in IL by 1-55.. .


PS: You can get catfish all day long in Havana on Friday from the grocery store deli to every restaurant.

[xrhonda91]

Hello Linicx,
The main drawbridge we used in the 60's was the one on route 9 on edge of Pekin, a short distance from the 9/24 junction---do remember the other in Peoria when there was construction in Pekin and that bridge was closed...
I have looked on-line for that I55 date and realize I55 replace US66---many sites
talk about the construction, but no dates for groundbreaking in that area---sure
that the ILDOT would have it---thanks for tip...
I forgot to mention that I've even looked at websites on self-hypnosis...
I'll surely let you know what I find---there are others I've talked to that want to
know the outcome... And forgot to mention---Besides the Illinois resources I have,
I also have many old phone books from mid-50's to mid-70's from Kokomo, IN where
I grew up and would be glad to help if you have any interests in this part of
civilization... John

[linicx]

Thanks for the offer. I had two families that moved through Indiana and settled in Illinois. The first family settle about 1850. The other family settled in Illinois after the Civil War.

Self-hypnosis can get you into all kinds of trouble. On the other hand if you can teach your body f to relax to the REM level (you are fully awake and in control) it is possible to unlock the memory. It is not difficult, nor is it any more dangerous than a Buddhist chant. But, it does take time and concentration to achieve your goal. If you are interested send me a private message.

[doll lady]

Good luck on your search....I live in northern Menard county, just south of Mason county. I know it wasn't in Menard county and I am almost positive it wasn't in Mason City (northeast part of Mason County). We're always out and about on country roads south and west of Peoria and stop and look at historical things. I'll be on the lookout things that look like an old gas station.

[xrhonda91]

Thanks Doll Lady---I actually have atlas-plat books for Mason & Menard counties from years ago that I have studied and would be glad to look anything up you
might want. Also, have Mason County Aerial History book by John Drury which
came out in mid-1950's... Actually talked to a guy who's family had a Texaco
near Mason City many years ago, and he said place didn't sound familiar to him,
either... Am planning to visit Chenoa & Monmouth while over in Illinois weekend
after next to see family. They are about the last areas that I haven't touched
upon yet...

Hello Linicx---I have tried to relax and "meditate" to refresh memory, nearly
every night I try to think deeply about what I have recalled and connect the
"scattered memories" of travel to their appropriate time frames... Honestly, I am
amazed at the detail that has accumulated over the years of thought and other
great detailed memories of youth and family that have surface during process. But
for some reason, as mentioned before, all identifying details are either fuzzy or seemed to be "blocked"... Another "off-beat" idea for narrowing search was to
find which Telephone companies serviced different areas---thought I remembered that the business phone was a standard, black, Western Electric 500 desk phone and
that would indicate an area of Illinois Bell, but when I got a little excited that this
was a good lead, the memory quickly became fuzzy... A lot of the area around Peoria
was either GTE or independent at that time, so this would have eliminated a huge
part if I could be certain of their phone type... I have high hopes of getting this
solved by the "40th anniversary" of "event" in June and definitely appreciate all your
and other's input... Did your family come through this area on way to Illinois ?

[xrhonda91]

Hello Linicx,
Replied to your direct message---would like to hear your relaxation process...
Have been researching deep relaxation's connection to memory recall tonight---there
are a LOT of sites & items out there ! Thanks.

[xrhonda91]

Wow---almost two years since this post & still haven't found these people or their place...

Think this is the eighth year of research---have remembered much more detail of place, but still can't remember their name of nearby town...

Welcome anyone's memories of any old 50's rural Texaco or Sinclair that was in area...

Thanks much for any info...

John