Palestine Public Library ~ 116 South Main Street ~ Palestine, IL 62451
Phone: 618.586.5317 ~ Fax: 618.586.9711
 

 

 

Staff Picks for August

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Did You Know...?
 

  Did you know Palestine (pronounced Palesteen), Texas, was named after Palestine, Illinois by Isaac Parker, who emigrated with his family from here to Texas in the 1830's.  Isaac's parents, John and Sally White Parker were married in Virginia in the late 1770's and had six sons--Daniel, Isaac, John, James, Silas, and Benjamin.  Moving to Georgia for better opportunities, John Parker became restless and decided it was time to move his family west to the "wild frontier".  The Parkers headed west in 1801 or 1802 and for the next twelve years resided in south central Tennessee.  As the Parkers were a close-knit family, the whole clan would move with John and Sally, including married sons and their families.  After the War of 1812, the Parkers moved again to Illinois, where John participated in community affairs and his oldest son Daniel became the leader of the clan.  Daniel was an ordained minister of the old Baptist church so in 1833, after organizing the Predestinarian Baptist Church in Palestine, Daniel, with some of his brothers and friends, started out to Texas, which at that time was under Mexican rule.  Daniel and the majority of his followers settled near Elkhart, Texas, where a replica of the Pilgrim Baptist Church still stands in their memory.  Others of the party traveled to the headwaters of the Navasota River where, because of Indian uprisings, they began building Fort Parker.  In 1836, Texas gained her independence from Mexico in the Battle of San Jacinto.  Since things seemed to have settled down with the Indians, the settlers let their guard down somewhat.  During the day, the men would go out in the fields to work while the women, children and older men stayed in the fort.  Watch this space in the future for the continuation of the story about the Indian attack on the fort.

More information about Palestine's history can be found in books and newspaper articles here at the library.

 

New Books
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Hours: Monday-Friday (except Thursday) -- 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Thursday -- 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday -- 8:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Check here for weather-related library closings.

This site was funded by The Leo A. Herning Foundation.