Local History
Items compiled by the Dongola Library, librarian Alison Holderfield, are being added to an adjacent website - dongolahistory.googlepages.com. The library has a recently compiled book of Dongola history available.
Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge
Cache River State Natural Area
Southernmost Illinois Tourism Bureau
Illinois County Boundaries 1790 - Present
heritageconservation.net/ws-kornthal.htm
http://gazetteer.midwestplaces.com/il/union/ County population change by census
http://www.answers.com/topic/illinois-central-railroad - Railroad history
The name of the Illinois Central railroad was popularized in the song "City of New Orleans" written and performed by Steve Goodman and covered by Arlo Guthrie among others.
You can still ride the "City of New Orleans" which passes through Dongola.
Tri- State Tornado 1925
The Tri-State Tornado of March 18, 1925 came within 30 miles of Dongola. Its continuous 219 mile track was the longest in the world. It started near Ellington Missouri, and ended in Indiana, going a record 60 to 70 MPH.
The tornado cut a swath almost a mile wide through Gorham, Murphysboro, De Soto, Hurst-Bush, and West Frankfort. Within 40 minutes, 541 lives were lost and 1,400 were seriously injured. In Murphysboro, 234 were killed, the most in a single city in U.S. history. In Illinois, at least 613 were killed, the most in a single state in U.S. history.
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Marion Tornado 1982
In May 1982, an F4 tornado touched down for 17 miles across Williamson County, including the City of Marion. At times it was nearly a quarter mile wide. It claimed 10 lives in Marion, injured nearly 200, and left 1,000 homeless. Remembering
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New Madrid Fault
The New Madrid Fault, 55 miles away, violently erupted in mid-December 1811 and continued for three months. Few if any European settlers were in the immediate area to experience it.
Union County 1875 Map
Bank Robbery
David Gibson (left) and his brother Darin.
8/9/07 1:20 pm - A man wearing a bandana and baseball cap robbed the First State Bank of Dongola. None of the six or so people in the bank were hurt. He displayed a small caliber handgun, announced it was a robbery and demanded money.
He fled up the street toward the village hall, to where a woman and car were waiting. David Gibson, 16, and his brother Darin, 14, were headed into the bank when the suspect charged out the front door.
"He came running out, trying to hold his jacket closed," David Gibson said. "He actually dropped money - it fell from his jacket - while he was running down the sidewalk."
The two brothers said they recognized what was happening and began chasing the man. "My mom works in that bank," David said. "They've got some good people in there."
"He looked like he didn't know what he was doing; he looked confused," David Gibson said. The teens chased the man to the Chrysler sitting nearby. The vehicle took off before the Gibsons could reach it, they said. DeWayne Gibson, the brothers' father, who was waiting nearby in his truck, said he picked up his boys and gave chase.
"They (his sons) asked me what I was going to do if we found him," the elder Gibson said. "I said, 'I'm gonna run him over.'" The Gibsons said they lost sight of the man before seeing him again, this time passing him in a "small silver car".
About two hours later, near West Vienna, police stopped a silver compact car carrying two people and a "sizeable amount of cash." Assistant State's Attorney Brian Trambley says the Yates were pulled over on the side of the road checking a tire on the vehicle. That's when investigators say $4,100 in cash fell from his shorts.
Samuel Yates of Cobden is charged with aggravated armed robbery and armed violence. Sheriff Livesay said he took at least $5,700. $1,900 is still missing. His wife, Laurie Yates, is also charged after police say she drove the getaway car. The two could face 30 years in prison. Bond was set at $250,000 for each. -- compiled from WSIL, KFVS, The Southern
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Dongola Postmaster Killed
8/10/07 - Rebecca Rutherford, who was appointed postmaster of the Dongola post office six months ago, was killed in a motorcycle accident early Friday morning. She was 34.
According to the Illinois State Police, Rutherford was driving a motorcycle west into town, passing the BP gas station at I-57, when it was struck by a pickup truck driven by Marietta Lingle, 72, of Dongola, turning into the station. State police are investigating the 7:09 a.m. accident.
Rutherford lived in Cypress, Ill., with her husband, Derek, their sons, Amos and Thomas, and a daughter, Iris Malynn, all at home.
She had worked for the U.S. Postal Service for several years. Besides the postmaster, the Dongola office has a staff of five, including two substitute carriers.
-- from SE Missourian