The next meeting of the Tazewell County Genealogical and Historical Society will be Tuesday, November 11th at 7 PM. Katrina Sotomayor, a member of the Peoria NSDAR chapter as well as a docent with the NSDAR museum, will present the program “Dining in Early America” which will feature elements from the museum. Meetings are free and open to the public. 

TCGHS was asked to contribute to the East Peoria Hometown Voice and we are delighted to do so. We are so appreciative of the Molleck family bringing good news to our communities. This photo and story first appeared in the August edition of the TCGHS Monthly.

1917 East Peoria Business District
In this one snapshot we can see the Eugene C Lasher grocery, Ansbaugh & Beetler Saloon featuring Leisy Beer, John Wilson Saloon featuring Terre Haute Beer, First National Bank, Guppy’s Bar and John J Amsler’s grocery as well as the old trolley tracks on Washington St. as they end at Main St. The Saloons pictured were severely impacted by America’s entrance into the World War.

About Ansbaugh & Beetler…
Edward Christian Ansbaugh, Jr. was born 9 December 1865 in Germany. It would appear that he never married or had any children. He was an East Peoria saloonkeeper, in partnership with Philip Beetler. Their tavern was located at 100 W. Washington St. After they were forced to close by the government agents, Edward went back to being a blacksmith until he retired. He and his father of the same name, seem to have come over sometime before the 1900 census. His father (1838-1904) died in the Peoria Almshouse. Ed died 23 April 1939 in East Peoria. They are both buried in Fondulac Cemetery in East Peoria. His death notice mentions he had four sisters in California.

Philip Beetler was born 26 August 1855 in Pekin to Philip (1822-1892) and Elizabeth (1828-1907) Rhodes Beetler. His father was a coal miner, working in the Hope Mine at Pekin. Young Philip was married to Mary Scheidel (1867-1934) on 23 April 1885 in Peoria. He also started out as a miner but by 1910 he was a Saloonkeeper in East Peoria. Philip passed away 2 March 1915 and was buried at Lakeside cemetery in Pekin. The couple had no children.

Guppy’s Bar
Albert Sam Guppy was born 26 February 1884 in Bartonville to Wm. Robert (1851-1905) and Jennie Crall (1853-1914) Guppy. Sam lived in Limestone township and was listed as a miner in 1910. He was married 3 August 1905 in Peoria to Lizzie Staub (1887-1935) who was born in Germany to Nicholas and Annie Kohler Staub.

For a short time, Sam had a tavern at 101 W Washington in East Peoria as pictured in the street scene above but by 1920 he had a soft drink parlor in Peoria. The 1930 and 1940 census recorded him as a miner but by 1950 he was a wire rope machine operator. Sam and Lizzie had three children: Fred A (1906-1980), Evelyn Molloy (1908-1985) and Jennie Phinney (1910-1994). Sam died 9 January 1951 in Peoria and was buried in the Lutheran cemetery.

Wilson Saloon
John Wilson was born 12 August 1869 in Scotland to John J. and Agnes McRoberts Wilson. He married Emma Gehrig 11 September 1894 in Creve Coeur. Emma (1876-1948) was a daughter of Sebastian and Catherine Gehr Gehrig.

John started out a coal miner like his father but was able to open a Saloon at 101 E. Washington in East Peoria where he sold Terre Haute Beer. Unfortunately, his saloon was shut down after Camp Herring opened adjacent to Holt in early 1918. That sent John back to the mines. 

He and Emma had four children, Katherine Mitzelfelt Schonwise (1894-1981), Margaret Stein (1896-1952), William J (1898-1945) and Mary Anne Richardson (1901-1986). John died 18 September 1931 in Peoria and was buried in Fondulac cemetery as was his wife and the three oldest children. 

Amsler Grocery
John Jesse Amsler was born 15 January 1874 in Bartonville to William and Melissa Wilson Amsler. He married Anna Elizabeth (1871-1922) Macher 6 September 1900 in East Peoria. Anna was the daughter of Charles and Anna Haag Macher. Anna’s father died when she was very young, her mother then married Nick Petri. John and Anna raised two sons, Lester (1902-1967) and Russell (1904-1946). John operated a store at 107 W Washington in East Peoria in the earliest days. He’s there in 1910 and 1920 census records. The awning of his store is seen on the far-right side of the photo above. He passed away 3 December 1939 in Peoria. He’s buried at Springdale.

Lasher Grocery
Eugene Charles Lasher was born 2 February 1891 in Cedarburg, Wisconsin to Frank and Ada Jenkins Lasher. He married Ricka (1896-1988) Lange 28 March 1917 in Morton. Gene operated a grocery at 104 W Washington street in East Peoria. 

He and his wife had two children, Kathryn Barnett (1917-2004) and Julia Connor (1920-2023). Gene died 22 August 1964 and was buried in Fondulac cemetery.

Ansbaught, Guppy and Wilson, along with others, were forced to close their taverns after Camp Herring set up in East Peoria next to Holt:

AGENT CAPRON CLOSES UP SIX MORE OF OUR SALOONS—WAR ORDER
Yesterday afternoon Special Agent Capron called on six of our saloons and told them to shut up—that they were within the half-mile limit of Camp Herring, and they all quit and went out of business then and there.

They were Anderson & Lee, Ed C. Ansbaugh, Sam Guppy, John Wilson, W. D. Petri and John Hoffman. This only leaves three saloons for us—Dehn’s, McKenzie’s and Slagle’s.

This war business is certainly doing things in East Peoria.

Clerk Joe Day says first they cut the drinks to half size, now they are more than cutting the places in two and pretty soon there won’t be any at all. 

–East Peoria Post 8 March 1918.

Less than a year later, everyone celebrated the end of the war:

HOLT EMPLOYEES IN BIG PARADE
Shortly before 1:00 o’clock the entire force of the Holt company munition plant, more than 3,000 strong marched on Peoria enmasse. With the Holt band at their head and the soldiers of Camp Herring and the Holt detachment and a Holt caterpillar of the “tank” variety, they marched into and thru Peoria to join the endless parade.

One of the features was a huge American flag, one of the largest ever carried in Peoria. It was borne horizontally by seventy-two men from the tool shop and spread nearly the entire width of the street.

SALOONS CLOSE AT NOON TODAY, MAYOR ORDERS
As a precautionary measure against any possible outbreak of any kind, policemen on the beats this morning, acting under instructions of May Woodruff and Chief of Police W. W. Rhoades, directed all saloons in the city of Peoria to close at noon today and remain closed until tomorrow morning.

By 10 o’clock there was an increasing number of drunken men on the streets and city officials were fearful of consequences if the saloons were permitted to remain open.

–Peoria Journal 11 November 1918

Camp Herring in East Peoria 1918
The camp was only in East Peoria for a short time, but it had a big impact. The American troops that trained there were able to service Holt tractors on the battlefield in Europe and they no doubt gave the Americans a huge advantage. This story appeared in a local paper at the time:

Where U. S. Army Men Are Trained for “Tank Service”—Plant of Holt Caterpillar.
October 23rd, 1917, there arrived in Peoria, quietly and unannounced, seven first lieutenants of the Ordnance Department of the United States Army under the command of Major Harry T Herring (then Captain Herring.) 

The purpose of this small band was unknown to any but the powers in Washington, the officers mentioned, and one or two officials of the Holt plant, the home of the “tanks.” 

Crew realized as they saw the small group of officers around the hotel or club that in Peoria there was to be established one of the most important factors for the success of the United States Army in Europe, the Headquarters of the Ordnance Motor Section Instruction School. An article on this subject from the pen of H. D. Baumflek, of the Allied Fraternal Societies and to them also must be given credit for the two half tones used in this issue, is presented herewith. 

With possible exceptions of the aeroplane, it is conceded by all the authorities that the artillery is the factor to be reckoned with. To move the big guns from place to place, to follow up the retreating Germans, as soon must be the case, to keep the guns, the tractors and the ammunition motor trucks working at the highest efficiency to keep all of this mechanism “on the job” every minute is what the soldiers at Camp Herring are learning to do. 

Contrary to the general opinion, the Motor Section men will not be miles behind the lines in safety or in bomb-proof dugouts. When a gun tractor or truck is put hors de combat, it will be their duty and their pleasure to go out in the fire zone and either repair it in a rain of shell and shrapnel or bring it back to safety. 

Camp Herring is the headquarters for the five schools which comprise the Ordnance Motor Instruction schools. Major H T Herring is in command of all the schools embracing Peoria, Illinois: Kenosha, Wisconsin; Clintonville, Wisconsin; Racine, Wisconsin and Rock Island, Illinois. 

Those who travel out Washington street in East Peoria have seen a large vacant tract of land grow from nothing to a large and important army post where the bugles are heard during intervals during the day and night and where the stars and stripes float from the high flagpole between sunrise and sunset.

—Excerpts from 15 March 1918 East Peoria Post

Enlisted barracks pictured above.
The Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society is an award-winning 501c3, all volunteer organization that has been in continuous service to our members and the public for 47 years. TCGHS operates an archive, library and research facility at 719 N. 11th St., Pekin. Visit our website at www.tcghs.org to learn more about us. If you have any point of interest that you would like to know more about, stop in at TCGHS or drop us a line.