Seneca Historical Guild

08/30/2026

Happening in Seneca, Illinois, 75 years ago this week... (1951).

Milton Pope School opened its doors for the first time to 93 students and four teachers. Located 8 miles north of Seneca, the Miller Township School District 210 was formed by the consolidation of 13 smaller districts, including some in Manlius and Mission Townships. The consolidation was made possible by a bequeath made by a former Miller Township farmer and Ottawa banker: Milton Pope. Go Pilots!

08/24/2026

Happening in Seneca, Illinois, this week 93 years ago... (1933)

The new Seneca Bridge was opened for vehicular traffic. The first to cross in a car were Seneca Postmaster, D. B. Comegys, Seneca hardware dealer, Elmer Ellis, and Seneca butcher, John Heaton. The bridge replaced the 1876 bridge. Most bridges on the upper Illinois River were replaced during this time in order to accommodate the vessels traveling on the newly opened Illinois Waterway System.

08/22/2026

Assistance needed from any and all SHS graduates! The Seneca Historical Guild is working with Seneca High School in order to highlight any and all past SHS students and their accomplishments on the Irish Portal website (also known as the TouchWall at the school.). Please take a couple of minutes and relive your glory days and tell us about your high school experience and accomplishments.

After editing, biographies will be added here

https://senecahs.touchpros.com/Start

Thank you for helping us in our effort to preserve Seneca’s history!

This form is intended to collect information from former Seneca High School students that they want to have included on the Seneca High School "Irish History Portal."

08/17/2026

Happening in Seneca, Illinois, 118 years ago... (1908)

A severe storm tore through Seneca leaving the village dark as trees, power poles, and the electric light system were damaged.

A 12-year old Somnambulist was found walking towards the I&M Canal at 11:00 PM. Frank Underhill was successful in directing him back to his house.

Construction began on Albert Beffel's "White Front Store" on Main Street. Beginning in 1910, the Dunn and Morrow clothing store was doing business in the store until the early 1930s. Dr. Coulter's office was on the second floor as was the K of C Hall. The store then became a grocery store and meat market... first it was Johnson and Raibley, then Raibley and O’Brien’s, and finally, simply Raibley's until the 1970s. The K of C occupied the ground floor in the 1980s. The building, currently getting a facelift, is the workshop of Drake's Woodworking.

08/09/2026

Happening this week in Seneca, Illinois, 119 years ago… (1907).

The Village of Seneca was abuzz with speculation as coffins (appearing to have been used) were found floating in the I&M Canal east of town. It was eventually determined they had been stored in a building in Morris and pushed into the canal by some local lads. To the relief of many, they did not come from Mt. Calvary or Mt. Hope.

Seneca has had only a few entities involved in the furniture and undertaking business. In many small towns, the furniture dealer by extension was also the undertaker because they made the coffins.

One of the earliest furniture dealers/undertakers was T.J. Clark who was located on the NW corner of William and Bridge Street (current location of The Lumberyard). He sold out to Adam E. Heeg in 1896.

A newspaper ad in 1888 shows a Thayer and Armstrong undertaking business.

The Pfeffer family started their business in 1874 and lasted until the early 1970s. The Seneca Historical Guild has a copy of every funeral record from Pfeffer’s for the public’s research.

08/03/2026

Happening in Seneca, Illinois, this week in 1939… (87 years ago)

North Main Street was hopping as Seneca was a fun place to be this week in 1939 where there was a choice of two dances to attend depending on your taste in music. You also had the opportunity to cheer on the local softball team.

07/26/2026

Happening in Seneca, Illinois, 50 years ago this week… 1976.

Single family homes in Seneca were being advertised for sale for between $35,000 and $45,000.

The Village of Seneca held its US Bicentennial Celebration under the leadership of chairman, Fran Kasten. The celebration included a parade, games in the park, a dance, a pageant, a style show, and much more entertainment. The stars of the show were the Hager Brothers, regulars on the popular show at the time, “Hee Haw!” (If you don’t know who they are, ask your parents or grandparents.)

07/20/2026

Happening this in Seneca, Illinois, 98 years ago…(1928).

Residents of Seneca gathered at a public hearing to discuss the possibility of improving Main Street… specifically to have the road through Seneca paved.

The Grassilli Explosives plant began dynamite production operations southeast of Seneca. Three months later it was purchased by DuPont and the manufacturing of explosives would be a cornerstone of the Seneca economy for six decades. Many Seneca area residents can trace their family’s arrival to Seneca because of their employment at DuPont.

The A&P (Atlantic and Pacific) grocery store was advertising for a “young man to work extra on Saturday. Must be over 16…”

07/05/2026

Happening around Seneca, Illinois, this week in 1922… 104 years ago.

Sheds and boxcars at the Graves Lumberyard caught fire. Thanks to the assistance of the Morris Fire Department, most of the lumberyard was saved. A recent shipyard of cement to be used in the construction of the new high school was ruined by the water that was used to put out the fire.

The M.J. Hogan Grain Elevator office (across the street from Graves Lumber) was remodeled and stuccoed.

Brookfield Township was the place to be for sporting events. In a baseball game held at the Ballard ball diamond (pasture) south of town, the Seneca Reds defeated the Brookfield Babies, 25-7.

The annual horse races were held at the Mallaney Farm in Vienna Township with large crowds in attendance.

06/28/2026

Happening in Seneca, Illinois, this week 115 years ago… 1911.

Seneca held its traditional, large 4th of July celebration complete with horse racing, baseball games, dances, and fireworks.

The fireworks didn’t work out as planned as the first one lit went sideways directly into all of the other fireworks and caused them all to go off at once in many different directions. Many people were injured, store windows were shattered (including the Dunn and Morrow store on Main Street), and the band stand on Armour Street was destroyed by fire.