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Cobden known for more than its apples

BY JOHN D. HOMAN, THE SOUTHERN

Monday, September 22, 2008 10:16 AM CDT

COBDEN - Nestled among the hills of Union County south of Carbondale on U.S. 51 is a small town known for its fruit orchards.

But Cobden, which celebrated its sesquicentennial last year, is much more than apples and peaches.

"We're a happy town, a friendly town," said Mayor Wes Lyerla. "I don't see problems in our town like I see in others. That's not to say we're trouble-free, but Cobden is a nice place to be. And I can say that since I've lived here for more than 30 years."

Lyerla said his town is "right in the heart" of the Southern Illinois wine trail, and the town is trying to take advantage of tourism opportunities. The mayor added that while there isn't a great crush of business in the downtown area, the town is far from dying on the vine.

"We're in good shape financially because we don't spend frivolously, and I cannot recall a better crew of city workers, police and fire personnel," Lyerla said. "I'm very proud of our town, and I think our residents are, too."

Former mayor and longtime village trustee Patrick Brumleve is a lifelong resident of the community. He agrees with Lyerla that the village is in good financial shape and is a great example of small-town living at its finest.

"I think we're ideally located, close enough to bigger towns like Carbondale, Paducah and Cape Girardeau, but also far enough away to enjoy country life," Brumleve said.

One of the town's historians, Brumleve said Cobden has a storied past, having been settled in the 1850s and incorporated in 1857.

"The name Cobden comes from an English statesman, Richard Cobden, who was visiting the United States in that time period," Brumleve said. "Before that, the town was known as South Pass because this area was a natural path through the valleys and bluffs for the Illinois Central Railroad."

Brumleve said there is only one other Cobden in the United States, and it's a town much smaller than the one here in Southern Illinois.

"It's in Minnesota," he said. "They only have a population of about 50 or so where ours is 1,100. But there are also Cobdens in Canada, New Zealand and Australia, all named after this statesman. And we've all communicated with one another. I've personally been to all three of those other towns. We call it the Cobden Connection."

Brumleve said the town is host to the Union County Museum, sports a growing Hispanic population, a strong Lions Club and Women's Club and an annual peach festival, which has treated residents to an entertaining time for the last 75 years.

"People know each other here, and they try to be good to each other," he said. "We are fortunate not to have a lot of worries."

Allie Jane (Miller) Davis is another of the town's treasures. Davis, who will turn 78 in October, was born in the house where she resides today, one her grandmother built after the old hotel burned that her great-grandparents had built.

"I live on land that was settled by one of the original settlers of Cobden," she said. "My great-grandfather came here to cut railroad ties. His brother, David L. Phillips, was a friend of Abe Lincoln and was also sent here to cut ties for the railroad. He built a log cabin that used to sit behind my house, but it's been gone for years."

Davis said she moved to Texas and was gone from Southern Illinois for 30 years before moving back in 1986 after the death of her mother. She has stayed in Cobden ever since.

"I love living here in the hills. The scenery in the fall is amazing. I love everything about it," she said.

The town has changed considerably since Davis was a child.

"Absolutely," she said. "We were a bustling little town back in the day with give grocery stores, three filling stations, a jeweler, bank, two box and basket factories, a machine shop, confectionary, movie theater and at least three restaurants, as well as both a Ford and Chevrolet garage."

Davis said Cobden may not enjoy that kind of business these days, but she wouldn't live anywhere else.

"I still love it here. It's hard for me to picture being anywhere else."

john.homan@thesouthern.com / 351-5805

DETAILS

Cobden was incorporated in 1857 and has a population of 1,119.

Cobden is home to the Appleknockers. Its boys' basketball team placed second in the state when there was a one-class system in 1963. Its 1998 baseball team placed second, and the 2008 softball team captured the state title.

Horticulturalist Parker Earle, who moved to Cobden in the mid-1800s, developed refrigeration for railroad boxcars that allowed fruit and vegetables to be shipped great distances and remain fresh.