|
 San Jose's depot saw
12 stops per day. Folks would get off, stay in the hotels, shop in the stores and eat
in the restaurants. The railroad was used to move freight in and
out of town and was the primary transport for grain from the local
farmers.
At its peak, the town had grocery stores,
mills, banks, doctors' offices, a drugstore, bakery, restaurant,
hotels and more.
Through the years San Jose added to its
businesses with gas stations, automotive dealerships, a telephone
office and a farm implement dealership.
But just as people change with age, so do
towns. Resident, business owner and mayor of San Jose, George Weyhrich says that the town took two hard blows that resulted in the
dwindling of the community's businesses.
First, the railroad went to the wayside. As
technology improved and automobiles evolved, trucks became more
popular, more versatile and cheaper than rail services. Weyhrich
observed that this has cycled around just as many other things in
history do, and today many people wish they had that rail system
back.
The second blow to the community was when they
lost their public school. Children living in San Jose now attend
school in Mason City. No one likes the busing, especially of the
small children, but the school districts cannot afford to keep the
smaller schools open.
Today the population of San Jose is slightly
less than 700 souls, and most of the downtown businesses have closed
their doors.
At this point, many would think that the future
of San Jose is dismal, but Weyhrich sees the glass half-full.
He says that Greenhaven Animal Clinic, located
just east of the city limits, is an asset to the community, and just
recently Bob Johnson opened a used car dealership on the west side
of town. San Jose also offers an auto body shop, a secondhand
store and Bernie Bree's Auction Haus.
Three contractors claim San Jose as the home of
their businesses, and there is a rock and dirt hauling company,
Weyhrich's repair shop, a Casey's gas station and convenience store,
a bank, and the post office.
Weyhrich says that the town does a lot to keep
its community close. There are three churches in town, the Lions
Club, American Legion, United Methodist Women's organization, a
homemaker group, 4-H and the recently formed San Jose Tri-County
Antique Tractor Club.
When the Royal Order of Masons in the town
decided to join themselves with the Delavan group, they donated
their building to San Jose. Weyhrich says that the town uses that
building as a gathering spot for folks -- a "loafers' spot," if you
will. He says that folks come and go as they please, and they have a
section set up for coffee and gossip. Someone brought in a pool
table, so they have something to do while they are there.
When San Jose had its 150th anniversary
celebration in 2008, part of the program was a farm show. Folks
around the community brought in their antique farm tractors and
other things. Weyhrich says that while there, a bunch of them got
to talking about it and decided to form a club.
"We all enjoy our old tractors, and we decided
to start a club, and it is growing. It seems every month someone new
shows up," he said. The club has meetings about every month; they
have been doing raffles and other fundraising activities; and this
summer they are going to host an antique tractor pull in San Jose.
Weyhrich says that they hope to attract some
out- of-town visitors for the pull, as well as offer an entertaining
activity for the community. The pull will be on June 27. The night before,
the San Jose Volunteer Fire Department will have a
fish fry; the morning of the pulls, the tractor club will have a
breakfast; and at noon, the American Legion will serve lunch. All of
these activities will be at a cost, and the money will go to support
the organizations.
Another annual activity for the town is the
townwide garage sales. Weyhrich says that there is no specific
group behind the activity, but each spring someone takes the
initiative and gets it started. He adds that the week following the
sales, the town foots the bill for a townwide cleanup. Folks can
set out all their leftovers from the sales, or anything else that
they need to get rid of.
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Weyhrich credits Mrs. Rachel Woll for doing something no one
believed could be done. With three city parks, she worked hard to
get a referendum passed to form a park district.
Weyhrich says that Pree Park is on ground
donated by the Pree family and offers a stage for live music. In
the past there have been events on the stage, and he is hoping that
they will be able to see more events in the future.
Memorial Park is dedicated to past and present
veterans and features bricks engraved with the names of those who
have served our country from the San Jose area.
West Park is the home of the town's ball
diamond. Weyhrich says that Illini Central has had a few games
there, but again, it is something that he would like to see more of.
He says that when the referendum passed for the
park district, it was hard to believe. The property taxes in San
Jose are high already, but the people of the community showed
that they want the assets of the town taken care of.
Weyhrich was born near the little town of
Winkle, located between San Jose and Delavan, and says that little
town eventually shut down all together. About the only thing left
there is a sign showing the name of the town. He says that San Jose
will not go the way of Winkle, because of the people who live there. They will stay close-knit, will look out for their neighbors
and will do all that they can to keep San Jose a nice, friendly place
to live and visit.
[By NILA SMITH]
From
Footnote.com:
George Pree was born
soon after his parents' arrival in America. His birth is registered
at the Tazewell County Courthouse in Pekin, along with his
license to marry Grace Kleen. George Julius Pree and Margaretha
Gesina Kleen were married Jan. 22, 1911, in Delavan. They
first farmed near Allentown, then moved to a farm near San Jose, where
they stayed until 1958, when they sold out and moved to town.
George worked hard
all his life. He and Grace raised five of their own children and a
few extras too. He knew how to plow his fields with horses and then
with tractors. He knew how to take care of his livestock and grow a
good harvest. After retirement, he liked to sit on his front porch
telling stories to his grandchildren. He had the bluest eyes.
In researching San
Jose and Pree Park, LDN made acquaintance with Denise Day,
who wrote the following regarding the Pree family and their genealogy:
Although my family no longer lives in San
Jose, we were there for almost 120 years in one shape or form. My
parents also owned the grocery store there for 26 years, and we were
a part of the German, "Ostfriesland," ancestry that heavily
populated the area.
George and Grace
Pree's son Phillip Pree passed the property in San Jose down to his
daughter, Phyllis Pree Harbin, who donated the property to the
village to be used as a park.
There were earlier
owners, but at one point Grace's grandmother and grandfather Peter
and Hebe Christians also owned the property, after coming to America
in the 1880s.
The house directly
across Arch Street to the south is where I grew up. I believe a
Wagner may own it now and rent it out to someone.
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