Eddyville has always been considered one of the best and liveliest villages in Pope County. It has always been peopled by the county’s most influential citizens. The original plat of Eddyville shows that it was platted with lots one to twenty-five, inclusive, Out lots 1 and 2, and lots numbered 28 to 38 inclusive. The plat was certified September 6, 1866. The first lot was conveyed by Edward Fulghum and his wife, Mahala Fulghum, to Rufus B.Hall, August 15, 1866. The plat of John Maynor’s Addition to Eddyville, with lots 66 by 100 feet, and with streets40 feet wide and alleys 12 feet wide, and with Main, Spring, Pine and High streets, seems to have been drawn June 3, 1912. R. G. Milton and J. D. Rose were dealers in dry goods in 1877. J. B. Whiteside was a farmer and tanner. The mill was always a drawing card for business to Eddyville.
Eddyville has the only bank in the county outside of Golconda, an institution that is serving its constituency well. Cressie Ragan is its obliging cashier. Others in business at Eddyville now are Eddyville Store Co., Frank King manager, general merchandise; Mrs. Burt Rumsey, postmistress and general merchandise; Burt Palmer, grocery and undertaking and successor to T. J. Palmer, undertaker. He used to make caskets by hand. Coy King has a restaurant, Clyde Ragan a garage; A. L. Belcher is a blacksmith. Eddyville has two churches _ a Methodist and a Baptist, also Masonic and Odd Fellow lodges.
Finlay Lockaby, the blind son of James and Sallie Lockaby, graduated from the Jacksonville school for the blind; became a piano tuner and accomplished violinist. Later he entered the Kirkville, Mo. School and studied osteopathy and graduated there. Because Illinois did not license blind osteopaths, he practiced his profession at Charleston, Mo. He has become very successful and is now one of the largest land owners of that section.
Eddyville has been the home of many fine doctors, among whom are Dr. Richard J. Fulkerson, Dr. Sam Hart, Dr. J. D. Hart, Dr. David Bozarth, Dr. Eph. S. Barger, Dr. Alonzo Glass, and others. It has also turned out a lot of fine ministers, among whom are J. N. Maynor, S. W. Maynor, Chas. B. Whiteside,Daniel Hammock, J. Rue Reid, Frank P. Broadway, A. P. Holloway, Columbus Holloway, Sterling Holloway, O. A. Epperheimer, Thos. Isaac, A. L. Aplin and Burton Holloway, the great-grandfather of Loren Reid, who established the first Methodist church in Southern Illinois, at a point in Johnson County.
Eddyville has sent out some good lawyers in W. D. Beames, H. G. Maynor, and Loren Reid. It has also furnished some of our best county officers, in J. N. Maynor, county superintendent of schools; John Ragan, county commissioner and J. David Rent, county clerk for ten years. Two of the best boosters Eddyville ever had were Simon S. Barger, who represented this county as member of the legislature for two terms and Capt. Joe W. King, also a representative. Mr. Barger spent freely of his time and money to attain a railroad for Pope county, and many friends of this valiant fighter regretted that he didn’t live to realize his dream.
____ Copied from Trampe’s __"Pope County Historical Review" page 168.