Lost Towns of Illinois - Alpine, Illinois.

Rubble was all that remained of this "Class A" railroad town. It was located about a hundred yards north of 167th Street between Wolf Road (on the west) and 108th Avenue (on the east). It was located along Marley Creek and along the west side of the old Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railroad tracks, about 30 miles southwest of Chicago and three miles southwest of Orland Park, Illinois.

Alpine’s original history begins when it was founded as a Wabash Line Railroad station in 1891, even though the railroad was built in 1879. At that time in history, stations were established along the railroad every three miles or so. Its founding was followed by a land boom, in which many lots were sold sight unseen. The depot, which was claimed to be the “most ornate railroad depot between Chicago and St. Louis,” was a busy shipping point for local farmers and cattle raisers.

The Alpine Post Office was established May 21, 1881 with Herman R. Allen as first postmaster. So from this bit of information it appears the town may have been established earlier than 1891. That 1891 date might be a typo from my original sources of information. In any case, Alpine peaked around 1910 when it had a blacksmith shop, the Alpine Methodist Church, feed mill, Albert Cooper’s two-story general store with a dance hall in the rear, two saloons, and a railroad depot. 

The Alpine Methodist Church, Feed Mill, Albert Cooper's two-story general store with a dance hall in the rear, Two Saloons, and the Railroad Depot. 

On the northern side of the railroad were stockyards that allowed shipment of cattle to the Chicago Union Stockyards. Excursion trains were run into town from Chicago, and life seemed grand. The main street was also lined with a wooden sidewalk. Homerding’s and Schaffert’s saloons were located conveniently across from the depot. 

A telegrapher's strike began the town’s woes as the Wabash Company eliminated telegraph operators from every other station. Alpine drew the short straw and lost its operator. Orland kept its operator, and that station became the main shipping point, decreasing business to Alpine.

In November of 1911 or 1912, fire destroyed the store and two saloons, putting the town in a tailspin. Since there was no central water system, the three buildings burned to the ground. This blow seriously crippled the dreams of Alpine. Shortly after the fire, the railroad depot was no longer used. It was torn down during WWII, leaving Alpine a vacant site. Around 1941, Cook County officially announced the “disappearance” of Alpine when it was removed from the state’s sales tax list.

By the 1980s, the barren site was overgrown with weeds and any homes in the area were of much more recent vintage. 

Alpine has risen. Alpine Heights is a subdivision in Unincorporated Cook County. Orland Park used the same streets and street names with a new tract of homes built over the old home-site.

Compiled by Neil Gale, Ph.D.

The Bowe Brothers of Company "D" of Birge's Western Sharpshooters (66th Illinois Volunteer Infantry)

The three brothers from the Bowe family of Michigan, Seth, Prosper, and Gilbert, enlisted in Company "D" of Birge's Western Sharpshooters (later known as the 66th Illinois Volunteer Infantry). The unit was recruited by John C. Fremont, organized in St. Louis, and mustered into Federal service on November 23, 1861. 

Tintype photograph of five Company "D" privates reveals the diversity of dress in the regiment. Seated from the left - Front row: Prosper O. Bowe, James Smith, Unidentified. Rear: Unidentified, Gilbert S. Bowe. Note the smoking pipes, oversized cravats, and bottles pouring into a cup.

It consisted of ten companies recruited in different Midwestern states, Company "D" being from Michigan. Seth and Prosper enlisted in late 1861, and Gilbert in September 1862. The regiment first operated in Northern Missouri; five companies would see their first action there at Mount Zion Church. In February 1862, they were shipped to Fort Henry shortly after its capture, taking part in the capture of Fort Donelson.

Sergeant Seth A. Bowe (left) and brother Gilbert S. Bowe.
Note the sack coats tucked into their trousers.

At Fort Donelson, Pvt. Prosper Bowe was known to have captured the colors of the 3rd Tennessee Infantry. Although, it's not exactly known if he captured it in battle or after the surrender. 

The Western Sharpshooters went on to see action at Shiloh and in the Luka-Corinth Campaign. In late 1862, they were transferred to Illinois service, becoming the 66th Illinois Volunteer Infantry (Western Sharpshooters). Seth A. Bowe was discharged on June 17, 1862, due to disability, Gilbert enlisted on September 1, 1862, and Prosper remained in service and reenlisted on December 24, 1863. That December, 470 men reenlisted, and the regiment was sent to Chicago to be given a veteran furlough. 

Prosper O. Bowe

in civilian clothing.

Date unknown.

Prosper O. Bowe's two brothers, Seth, were the oldest, born in 1837, and Gilbert, the youngest, born in 1844. They also had a sister, Dorcas P. Bowe, born in 1840, to whom Prosper is known to have written letters. 

All four siblings were born in Jefferson County, New York; the family moved to Michigan in 1855.

After the reorganization in early 1864, the 66th Illinois Sharpshooters returned to Pulaski, leaving for Chattanooga in April. From there, they would travel to the Army of Tennessee in Georgia and see action in the Atlanta Campaign. 

Being sharpshooters, they saw much skirmishing throughout the campaign and were heavily engaged on July 22, 1864, at the Battle of Atlanta. 

The 66th Illinois was known for being equipped with Henry repeating rifles. Prosper wrote to his sister about how he put his Henry rifle to good use in the Battle of Atlanta, "I stood and fired nearly ninety rounds without stopping. My gun was so hot I could not touch it - spit on it... and it sizzled!"

To become a member of this regiment, a prospective member was required to fire a 3-shot group of 3 ⅓″ or tighter cluster at 200 yards. These rifles were initially known as Birge's Western Sharpshooters after their commander, Col. John W. Birge. They were made in various calibers ranging from 33 to 69 and fired a special Schuetzen bullet.

The 66th Illinois finally participated in the March to the Sea and Carolina's Campaign (May 7, 1864 - December 2, 1864).

They marched in the Grand Review at Washington on May 24, 1865, and were discharged from service on July 7, 1865. All three brothers survived the war; Prosper and Gilbert mustered out with the regiment on July 7, 1865.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

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THE BOWE FAMILY

Seth A. Bowe:
Birth: February 20, 1837, Watertown, Jefferson County, New York, USA
Spouse: Nellie H. Walton Bowe (1850-1931)
Death: March 21, 1905, Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin, USA
Burial: Riverside Cemetery, Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin, USA

Prosper O. Bowe:
Birth: March 26, 1842 - Clayton, Jefferson County, New York, USA
Death: March 25, 1923, USA
Burial: Watervliet Cemetery, Watervliet, Berrien County, Michigan, USA

Early Life

Prosper O. Bowe was born on March 26, 1842, in Clayton, Jefferson County, New York. He was part of a close-knit family, having two brothers (Seth and Gilbert) and a sister (Dorcas). At some point, likely during his childhood, the Bowe family relocated to Michigan.

Civil War: A Call to Service

The outbreak of the American Civil War likely ignited a strong sense of duty within Prosper. In 1861, he enlisted in Company D of the 66th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. This regiment, originally known as Birge's Western Sharpshooters, was recruited across various Midwestern states and had a reputation for highly skilled marksmen.

Campaigns and Battles

Prosper's service with the 66th Illinois involved participation in several notable campaigns and battles:

Fort Donelson: He was present during the capture of Fort Donelson, a crucial Union victory. Prosper is even noted to have captured the colors of the 3rd Tennessee Infantry, demonstrating his bravery.

Shiloh and Corinth: Prosper and his unit saw action in the bloody Battle of Shiloh and the subsequent Corinth Campaign.

Veteran Status and the Atlanta Campaign: Prosper reenlisted in December 1863, a testament to his dedication. The 66th Illinois participated in the Atlanta Campaign, a series of battles instrumental in the Union's eventual victory.

The Mystery of His Burial Site

Unfortunately, Prosper O. Bowe's final resting place remains unknown.

Prosper Bowe's story is a common experience of countless ordinary men who answered the call during a defining moment in American history. His service and sacrifice deserve to be remembered. 

Gilbert L. Bowe:
Birth: April 1844, Watertown, Jefferson County, New York, USA
Spouse: Mary Bowe (????-1926)
Death: January 16, 1921, California, USA
Burial: Los Angeles National Cemetery, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA

SISTER: Dorcas Priscilla Bowe Boyer:
Birth: March 20, 1840, Watertown, Jefferson County, New York, USA
Children: Sterling Edward Boyer (1859-1923) & Seymour Albert Boyer (1871-1914)
Death: May 17, 1917, Bangor, Van Buren County, Michigan, USA
Burial: Arlington Hill Cemetery, Bango, Van Buren County, Michigan, USA

FATHER: Horace Bowe:
Birth: November 12, 1802, Connecticut, USA
Death: October 28, 1880, Watervliet, Berrien County, Michigan, USA

Horace moved from Connecticut with his family in 1848 to Watertown, New York, and in 1855 to Michigan, where he settled in Berrien County. Horace died in the home of his son Prosper, with whom he had been living for several years. 

MOTHER: Susan Clark Bowe:
Birth: November 5, 1809, Connecticut, USA
Death: November 25, 1882, Watervliet, Berrien County, Michigan, USA 

The History of Carmi, Illinois.

The story of Carmi, Illinois, reveals itself to anyone standing on the steps of the 1883 White County Courthouse. To the east is the Little Wabash River, which first attracted settlers from Kentucky or Tennessee via Shawneetown mostly from 1809 through 1814. 

Carmi is 15 miles west of New Harmony, Indiana. It is about 40 miles north of (Old) Shawneetown Illinois' first settlement on the Ohio River. This town was largely abandoned after the 1937 Flood, but its 1840 bank building, badly in need of restoration, impresses travelers crossing the Illinois Route 13 bridge. 

The oldest house in town, originally a double-pen log cabin built in 1814, sits just beyond the city park. It was used as a courthouse when White County was founded in 1815, and Carmi was chartered in 1816. 

Double-pen log cabin built in 1814.

U.S. Senator James Robinson and his family lived in the home until the 1870s, when the Italianate home of descendant Frank Hay was finished across the street. After the collapse of Hay's bank in the Panic of 1893, the family's fortunes declined and the Senator's granddaughter Mary Jane Stewart moved back into the sided cabin after 1901. Upon her death in 1966, she willed the home and its contents to the White County Historical Society which maintains it as a museum.

James Ratcliff, known as "Old Beaver" served in many county offices from 1818 to 1848. Abraham Lincoln stayed at the Ratcliff Inn on September 1, 1840 and spoke for the Whig Party at a rally at the western edge of Carmi. 

Ratcliff Inn, Carmi, Illinois.

A member of the Illinois House of Representatives, Lincoln was 31 years old when he hit the campaign trail for William Henry Harrison in the "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" campaign song. Lincoln, although six years older in this photograph, still looked like he did when he visited Carmi in 1840.

Abraham Lincoln photograph 1846.

Directly across from the Courthouse is "the Castle," an 1896 mixture of Richardsonian Romanesque, Eastlake Victorian, and fantasy architecture dominated by three turreted towers and strong limestone arches over brick.

The home was built by Rep. James Robert ("Dollar Bob") Williams, who oversaw the construction of the Courthouse while serving as County Judge from 1882-1886. Williams served several terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, and spoke for his friend William Jennings Bryan in his presidential campaigns. 

"The Castle" built in 1896.

William Jennings Bryan (in 1896) and Harry Truman (in 1948) both made whistle-stop visits to Carmi during their presidential campaigns. Williams owned a house designed by Knoxville Tennessee architect George Franklin Barber, who sold plans by mail . Barber sold pre-cut woodwork and shipped it to wealthy homeowners in Washington, California and Texas. The home was almost destroyed in the 1980's, but local preservationists had the home placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 and helped find buyers for the property.

To the east of the Castle is the James Robert Ready building, a small office building built in 1940 to the design of the Ready family storefront of 1840. The new building was needed to allow the Williams family to manage its oil interests, which was discovered in White County in 1939. 

Carmi's population grew from 2,700 to 5,500 in a matter of years during the Illinois Basin oil boom, and is now about 5,100 (in 2014). Many of these residents came to Illinois from Oklahoma and Texas, where the oil business was already established. West of the city park are the 1828 Ratcliff Inn and the 1896 L. Haas Store, both maintained as museums. 

L. Haas' Store (with banner) is next to the Schoemann's store in 1910.

Erwin Haas' cast-iron storefront reminds us that the early merchants of Carmi included several Jewish families who fled turmoil in German in the 1860s. These structures, as well as the Robinson-Stewart house are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Robinson-Stewart House, Carmi, Illinois.

The Webb-Hay house in Carmi, Illinois looking towards the Old Graveyard. Across the street is the Robinson-Stewart House. 

Carmi, Illinois, Historical Footage from 1928.

Compiled by Neil Gale, Ph.D.