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God Bless America
By Jerry L. Ginther
If you were raised in Sullivan you will probably remember some bottomland not far to the west of Kirksville, often referred to as Cornbread Bottom; That is if you were born no later than say, 1970. That is the year the gates of the new dam were closed and the flooding of the land acquired for the lake began. If you were born later than that, it's likely that this bottomland was flooded by Lake Shelbyville before you were old enough to have any memories of the area. Nevertheless, it is likely that you may have heard your elders speak of this fertile valley along the Kaskaskia River. Personally, my memories center around folks I knew who lived there and the fact that I lived not far from the rim of that bottom for a short time.
During my freshman year, I lived on a road that ran west out of Kirksville; I don't recall that it had a name or a number. However, somewhere about a half mile, maybe a mile, to the west there was a "T" intersection. At that intersection a road going south originated. If one turned to the south at that intersection and continued to the next intersection, one came upon an old building known as Reedy Schoolhouse. (More about Reedy later)
Continuing on to the west, the road out of Kirksville would eventually bring you to the east rim of the bottomland. Down in the bottom there was a farm owned by the elder Jim Pierce, who was a long time friend of the family, and a place where I spent many weekends and summer days during my grade school years. The Kaskaskia River either bordered or ran through the farm providing a boy of my age plenty of fishing, and the timber covered riverbanks and pastureland afforded squirrel hunting and unlimited exploring.
For a short time, I lived at the "T" intersection mentioned above. The school bus picked up my sister and me every morning and turned around at this point on the road. Living near this particular intersection is significant for yet another reason at that time. I mentioned in a preceding paragraph that I would elaborate more on the schoolhouse.
Square dancing was a popular Saturday evening entertainment in those days and Reedy Schoolhouse provided the dance hall and country music band for the late evening fun. It is a fond reflection for me, because I played in the band nearly every Saturday night. I was just learning to play guitar and was glad to sit in without pay just to gain experience. Also, it gave me the opportunity for an occasional dance, something else for which I was in serious want of experience. I thought I could play the guitar somewhat better than I could dance, but some may argue that to be an inflated appraisal on my part.
Others providing entertainment in the band were, Dorothy Barnes, who lived in Sullivan and played rhythm guitar and sang. Her lovely voice is surely missed nowadays. The fiddle player, Lester Godwin, who was from Tower Hill, had to drive a considerable distance to provide the much needed, lively tunes for the square dances. And, finally, a gentleman from Decatur, Mr. Bill Rutherford, came to call the square dances.
Later, the dances and country music entertainment were moved to the American Legion hall in Sullivan, where Bill continued as caller, but some of the musicians changed. I would be remiss if I failed to mention the names of brothers, Cletus and Leo Hudson. Leo played saxophone and lead guitar and Cletus played rhythm guitar. These two gentlemen were among the best musicians that the area ever produced and I'm proud to have known them.
In summation I'll leave you with this thought: If you've never been to an old fashioned square dance, you haven't had much fun! There is no way you can be in one of those circles, of usually eight, swinging your partner and promenading the hall with your gal, or guy, and not have the time of your life. After several hours and many square dances you won't remember your arthritis and you'll have no trouble sleeping when you get home.
Copyright © 2002 - 2016 Jerry Ginther, All rights reserved worldwide
