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| Mary Quinn, Thomas Robert Quinn, and Nellie Quinn circa 1885 |
My mother always said that the Quinn family came from Fidelity, which is a small village about 10 miles east of Jerseyville. When Nellie Quinn was beginning her teen years, in 1885, "going to town" meant visiting the local the village of Fidelity, which had about 200 residents. The family would have visited the post office in town to send their letters back to relatives in Ireland. The women of the family would have spent time in the general store, run by Mr. Lesem, where they could choose cloth for their dresses, and look at various items for sale. A Quaker gentleman, Mr. Mercer, was the local tailor for men's clothing. There was a grocery store run by Mr. Graham, for buying the few things that the family did not produce on their own.
Nellie's father would have gone to town for farming needs; Mr. Bringherst was the local blacksmith who would have mended tools, made horseshoes, and other metal items. Of prime importance to farm families was the local flour mill, run by the Miner family. The town boasted a railroad depot and the St. Louis, Jerseyville, and Springfield railroad ran through town.
Nellie would have attended the local school house in Fidelity, which was a two story building with a steeple built in 1866. The primary department was on the first floor, and the older students had classes on the second floor. Mr. Cornelius Roach was the principal for the school in 1885, and Nellie's eldest sister Mary was the primary teacher. Just like my mother, Nellie likely had her own sister Mary for a teacher when she was young. Nellie's brother Richard was also a teacher in Jersey County. Nellie herself would teach in rural Jersey County schools for nearly twenty years.
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| Richard Quinn |
The closest village was Piasa, in Macoupin County, which was 5 miles away.
There were three protestant churches in Fidelity, but no Catholic church. The Quinn family would have had to travel 10 miles to Jerseyville to attend mass at St. Francis Xavier church. Surely the Sunday trip to Jerseyville was an event looked forward to every week by the hard working Quinn family. This welcomed day of rest provided for a leisurely ride to town for worship and fellowship. Once a week the family could reunite with their many relatives in the area, and meet up with old friends. The young people of the family must have enjoyed dressing their best to socialize with other young people in the congregation, and picnics and family dinners would have provided a bounty of enjoyment for all.
From History of Greene and Jersey Counties, Illinois, Springfield, IL: Continental Historical Co., 1885, pp. 411 – 432
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