|
Local resident Kelley Tierney, who resides with her
husband, Bob, in the former Methodist Church building in the town,
was the mastermind behind "Zip Code Day" but she will be the first
to say it was a team effort. Tierney's vibrant personality and
creative mind made her the perfect person to carry out the dream of
gathering folks on this once-in-a-lifetime day. You see, this day
will only come around once in a hundred years.
"It is beyond our wildest dreams," said Tierney of
the crowd of people who gathered Tuesday evening around the little
post office. "I'm telling you what, who knew when you say to
somebody, "You want to have a little something for Zip Code Day and
everybody says, "What's Zip Code Day?" And then to have a turnout
like this."
The population of Cornland is currently estimated at 73 residents.
Yes, Tierney counted the residents herself. After Tierney checked
the signup sheet for the Zip Code Day photo she counted 78 names
signed up. Impressive turnout.
Both local current residents and former residents who made the trek
to the little town were treated to two photo opportunities, one that
was taken in front of the post office and another by the "One and
Only Cornland" sign located at the entrance into town off Illinois
State Route 54. An interesting side note about the sign at the edge
of town: The original sign was damaged and stolen some time ago and
then one day this new, beautiful sign showed up in its place.
Residents still do not know who painted the new sign but they are so
thankful that someone thought enough of their town to replace the
sign that disappeared.
Providentially, people pull off the highway all the time to take
their picture with the "One and Only Cornland" sign.
"One and Only" is pretty self-explanatory and yes, it's true. There
is not another Cornland in the entire United States of America,
according to the local residents. The town of Cornland was surveyed
in August of 1871 by Joshua Day and as the founder of the town,
legend has it that he proclaimed, "I've never seen land that will
grow better corn and therewith it should be named Cornland."
Tuesday night brought about a reunion of sorts on the street in
front of the post office and even founder Joshua Day was
represented. Direct descendants of Joshua Day attended Zip Code Day
and they are some pretty recognizable Logan County names.
The direct
descendants of Hardin Cherry are front row: Mary Thomas George and
Vera Thomas. Back row: Melissa Cherry Beal, Julie Cherry
Cooper, Laura Cherry Hanner, Becky Cherry Simko and Jean Meadows
Guffey.
The Joshua Day descendants in attendance are all
great-granddaughters of Hardin Cherry. Those granddaughters who
gathered in Cornland included sisters Mary Thomas George and Vera
Thomas of Lincoln, Cherry cousins Melissa Beal, Julie Cooper, Laura
Hanner and Becky Simko, and Jean Hannah Meadows Guffey. Guffey
traveled the farthest on Tuesday, coming all the way from southern
Missouri for the event. Guffey's mom, Vera Meadows, worked at the
Cornland Post Office for a number of years.
Cornland residents
Sam Koehl and his sister Lillian Koehl hold up the commemorative
postcards by the highway sign.
The current postmaster of Cornland is Debbie
Greenwood. Greenwood has worked in Cornland for three years. She was
on hand Tuesday night overseeing the selling of the four different
designed Cornland commemorative postcards.
The post office also created a special commemorative
cancellation stamp just for Cornland. Customers can get mail
cancelled with the special stamp for thirty days after 6-25-19. In
fact, the post office has already gotten mail from ten different
states of people sending mail to Cornland to get the stamp
cancelled.
[to top of second column] |
T-shirt orders are also still being taken by Tierney.
The crowd hung around Cornland for a good hour and a half after the
6 p.m. photo op on Tuesday night, as folks enjoyed snacks and
reminisced about Cornland history.
Mary George and Vera Thomas both vividly remembered when the post
office used to be located in the back of Ford’s Store in Cornland.
Ford's Store was located just next to the building that houses the
current post office the two said. "You went through the grocery part
to the post office in the back," said George. Customers could buy
stamps and pick up their mail from the post office boxes in the back
of the store. George even recalled their post office box was number
34. "You went three this way and four that way and then it came
open," said George, demonstrating the turns in mid-air. "Those were
the good old days," she added.
The current post office was built in the mid 70s, residents
concluded.
As the event came to an end, Tierney smiled and gazed around at the
last of the long-time Cornland couples hanging around and taking
pictures.
“It just goes to show you, you don’t need much of an excuse to have
a party, do you?” laughed Tierney.
Joe and Kay Hickey
(57 years of marriage).
Leroy and Bev Ramthun
(51 years of marriage).
"Newbies" Bob and
Kelley Tierney (28 years of marriage).
By the way those royal couples of Cornland
who boast decades of togetherness in the tiny town are pretty
impressive. The longest married couple residing in Cornland is Joe
and Kay Hickey, with 57 years of marriage. Coming in second is Leroy
and Bev Ramthun with 51 years of marriage. Although Leroy is a
life-long resident of the town. Meanwhile, Tierney and her husband,
Bob, call themselves the "newbies" of the town with 28 years of
married life in Cornland.
Left to right: Kelby
Ford, Gayla Hughes, Lisa Mikuleza, Debbie Greenwood, Barb Hodel and
Anna Krug.
Kelby Ford is the current rural carrier for Cornland and his
grandfather owned and operated Ford’s Store that once housed the
post office. Gayla Hughes and Lisa Mikuleza work in the Riverton
Post Office and helped with Zip Code Day. Debbie Greenwood is the
current postmaster of Cornland. Barb Hodel worked for 20 years in
the Cornland post office with former postmaster Barbara Harlean
Veech. Anna Krug succeeded Veech as postmaster and worked in
Cornland for 10 years.
That's it from the "One and Only Cornland" for now. Stay tuned in
2021 when the community celebrates 150 years.
[Teena Lowery] |
