The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-04-04
RECALL TREASURED MEMORIES
Widely Known Men Among Pioneers
Meet at San Antonio, Texas, and
Have Festival of .fOId Kenosha. 4
Many Interesting Incidents Recalled.


will be of great interest to many of
the older readers of the Evening News.
San Antonio, Texas, March IS, ~.
Dear Telegraph:
For more than fifty years, indeed,
ever since, nigh sixty years ago, when
I turned my footsteps outward from
the old town, and bade goodbye to the
associations Of boyhood your columns
have been witness to the epoch, that
have occasionally gratified the penchant
and pleasure of contributing something
in the way of "Reminiscences And / have
the weakness to believe that some old
time friends are always pleased at such
reminders of those primitive days, now
well nigh lost in the oblivion of the
fleeting years. Incidents sometimes hap
pen that transport me back in memory,
and then | revisit the old town and
recall once familiar landmarks, as we'll
as renewing associations of old, I'M
conscious of the lapse Of years, or that
most Of the personalities that were
wont to greet and welcome me, had
passed to the Great Beyond.
Some days ago in glancing over a
local paper in San Antonio, | noted
the arrival at one Of the leading hotels
of this city of "a wealthy retired
merchant and manufacturer Of Kewau-
nee, ILL.,, who had just come from the
City of Mexico, where he had been So
journing the while, and was glad once
more to be under the protecting aegis
Of The Stars and Stripes" His name
as given was Hiram T. Lay. 1t at once
occurred to the writer that back sixty
years ago [ had much beloved school
mate of that name, of whom / had not
heard since in 1854, his father s family
moved from Kenosha, and hence had
disappeared entirely from my knowl-
edge. With the inclination born of the
memories which welled up in my heart,
I called at the hotel, sent up my card,
and was most agreeably delighted to
find that this tourist was no other than
the boyhood friend and seat-mate, who,
in the years beyond the recollection of
most of the readers of the Telegraph,
was fellow pupil at the Kenosha high
school. We had a pleasant meeting and
a food Of joyful memories poured in
upon us. 1t was IN the years 1852 and
1853 that John G.. McMynn, whose name
was once a household word = in Wis
consin, as a noble citizen and an edu-
Gator, was the presiding genius of the
old high school, and largely contributed
to make that institution the leading
school Of the northwest.
There are many incidents of historic
interest, which in connection with the
old high school, are not of record in the
archives, and live only in the memory
of those who were contemporary with
those bygone years. Incidents and facts
which have never been published. And
here, in far away Texas, two gray and
wrinkled old men found pleasure in
reviewing and discussing them.
Back in the year 1885, a time SO re-
mote that no citizen now living can
remember, Nelson Lay settled in the
frontier village Of Southport. His
home was on the north side and his
neighbors were the Blodgets, Lathropes,
Mygatts and other pioneer families.
Here he reared his family. 1t was
through the invitation and solicitations
of Nelson Lay that John G. McMynn,
then young man of 25, who had come
around the lakes to seek his fortune
id the great northwest, that he was
induced to cast his lot in Southport
At that time there were two educa-
tional centels in the little village and
Mr.. McMynn was engaged to accept the
place of principal of the school north
of the river. Mr.. McMynn was on his
way to Chicago when he met Mr. Lay
on a steamboat, and by him induced
to stop off, which resulted in his To-
eating in Kenosha, thus opening up a
life work which was ever honorable,
and a credit not only to the city Of
kenosha, but to the great state which
he served SO well, and the flag he fol
lowed on the field of battle.
Mr.. McMynn succeeded Mr.. Coe as
principal Of the high school, and it
was under his tuteage, that Hiram Lay
and your correspondent, then youths
of fourteen years, came under the
training Of this sterling master.
AS previously stated, Nelson Lay re-
moved with his family from Wisconsin
and settled at Kewaunee, H., in the
early SOS, aud here our friend grew
and prospered. Hiram Lay was in the
government service in 1864, as iiou-
tenant in the 134th Illinois infantry.
and at the close Of the civil war, en-
tered the mercantile business, and lat
er, engaged largely il manufacturing
enterprises. At this time he is inter
u