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News Check this page for recent news and events!__________________________________ Erastus DeMoulin Ledgers and Family Photos Discovered In August 2005 James McDonald and family from Central Illinois, descendants of Erastus DeMoulin, contacted us with some important DeMoulin items. Included were many great photos of the entire family and early ledger books in Erastus' hand from when he was still in Sebastapol making goats for the factory in Greenville! These have yielded great information, and many thanks to the McDonald family for loaning them. _________________________________ John Goldsmith article in Scottish Rite Journal The July-August 2005 issue of the Scottish Rite Journal featured an article titled "Bucking Goats and Lung Testers" written by John Goldsmith about the DeMoulin brothers and and their trick devices for lodge fun in the early 20th Century. Many thanks to the Scottish Rite for their publishing the article and the attention it has given to this web site. To view the online article click on the link below. www.srmason-sj.org/web/journal-files/Issues/jul-aug05/goldsmith.html __________________________________ Trick Chair and Traitors Judgment Stand Found Recent additions to our collection have included a rare Trick Chair and Traitors Judgment Stand. The Trick Chair would collapse on the floor when a candidate would sit down and a wire was pulled in the back. The Traitors Judgment Stand was a platform that would collapse and fire a cartridge when someone stood on it. Each of these items are in excellent working condition, which is rare considering the hard use they received. Check out our Internet Museum Page to see them! __________________________________ New supply of "Three Frenchmen And A Goat" has arrived! A second run of "Three Frenchmen and a Goat" has been printed and is now available. So far we have shipped books to Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Texas, California, Florida, New Jersey, Kentucky, Alabama, and even Brussels and Ontario, Canada. _______________________________________________ New DeMoulin Information Discovered While organizing the DeMoulin Bros. catalogs in the factory’s vault in December 2004, John Goldsmith discovered a vintage Greenville Advocate article nestled in the pages of one of the catalogs. The article featured a photo of four women who were said to have been the first seamstresses at the factory. They were identified as Cordia Ward, Miss Jones, Libby Julian Bean, and Louella Hair. These DeMoulin pioneers brought their own sewing machines to work before packing up and returning home at the end of the day.
The Winter 2004 issue of the Bond County Genealogical Society Quarterly mentions August Kroder who, in March 1920, quit his job often years in the DeMoulin painting department to join his uncle’s business in St. Louis. This is the first reference to Kroder that we’ve found in our DeMoulin research.
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Thanks to Velora Mahie Sever who sent an e-mail concerning a story shared by her sister-in-law, Charmion Leidel. Charm’s aunt Lizzie Dixon was one of the company’s early seamstresses. “She eventually was ‘floor lady’ (sewing room supervisor) and when she was deemed too old by the DeMoulins was let go. As a lay-off benefit, she was given a sack of groceries.” _______________________________________________
Terri Derrick, granddaughter of former DeMoulin Bros. president William DeMoulin, recently found a box of documents and photos belonging to U.S. DeMoulin. In this box was a seven page history of the factory written in the 1920s for publication by the Modern Woodmen of America. This is an important piece in the DeMoulin puzzle as it is the first document to confirm that the factory began in a small room adjoining Ed DeMoulin’s photo studio on the Greenville square. This article also states that Ed’s first creations were the Molten Lead Test, Branding Iron, Deceptive Beer Glasses, Trick Saw Mill, and ceremonial axes. This confirms the theory offered in “Three Frenchmen And A Goat” that the DeMoulin goats came a year or more after Ed began manufacturing items for the Modem Woodmen of America.
Exciting DeMoulin Bros. photo found! The picture (circa 1907) showing the catalog department was donated courtesy of the Eileen Compton Estate. We have been unable to determine if this picture was taken in the three-story factory that was destroyed by fire in 1907 or the current “E-shaped” building which took its place. __________________________________________________ “Three Frenchmen And A Goat” Introduction On June 19, 2004 an event was held at the American Legion hall in Greenville, Illinois for the introduction of John Goldsmith’s book, “Three Frenchmen And A Goat.” The day turned out to be a reunion for many past and current DeMoulin employees. Also, some of the Goldsmith’s DeMoulin products and catalogs were on display in the hall. The event was a big success with over 175 people attending. One of the highlights was the attendance of two former company Presidents: Bill DeMoulin and his son Dick. Click Here To See Pictures of the Event!
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