Thomas Vaughn Wahl Sr.
Thomas Vaughn Wahl was born 20 Jan 1904, in Berlin, Sangamon County, Illinois. His mother was Mildred
Ellen Wahl. The birth certificate lists his middle name as "Voughn" although he always spelled it
"Vaughn" and named his oldest son Thomas Vaughn Wahl Jr.
The name of Thomas's father has been lost to the family. His father is listed as unknown on the birth certificate. Harold Wayne
Wahl believes the father's name may have been Smith but he is unsure where that information comes from. The story that was
passed down from Genevieve Wahl Ashlock (Mildred's sister) to her daughter Ruth Ashlock is as follows: When Mildred was 16
years old, she was engaged to a respectable young man who lived in the area. In the spring of 1903, a handsome young drifter
came to town and asked Mildred for a date. She accepted but her mother refused to let her go on the date. At bedtime Mildred
sneaked out the window of her bedroom and went to meet the drifter. He left the area within a few days and Mildred never saw
him again. Her fiancée broke off their relationship when he found out she was pregnant. She was 17 years old when
Thomas was born.
It is not known how long Tom lived with his mother but he lived with his grandparents, Jacob and Catherine Wahl, during most of
his childhood. The census for Salisbury Township, Sangamon County, Illinois shows him living with them in 1910 when he was six
years old. Sometime between September 1913 and March 1914, the family moved to a farm along Apple Creek in Greene County
outside of White Hall, Illinois. The date of this move is assumed based on school records and on
postcard dates and addresses that were addressed to Mrs. Jacob Wahl.
From 1914 to 1919, Tom attended grade school at New Shiloh School, Township 12N
Rt #1, Greene County, Illinois. Many years after the school closed, he went into
the abandoned building and took the book of records for the years that he went
to school there. The following information is based on those records:
He started 2nd grade 16 Mar 1914 at age 10. Teacher's comments: "poor, very
lazy and requires constant attention. Entered late in the term." (The
remark about entering late in the term would indicate that the family moved very
late in 1913 or very early in 1914.) On 31 Aug 1914, he was again enrolled in
2nd grade. He began 3rd grade on 13 Sep 1915. Teacher's comments: "fair
student". On 4 Sep 1916, he was enrolled in 4th grade. Teacher's comments:
"good work - slow for his age". Believed to be in 5th grade starting 3
Sep 1917. Teacher's comments: "good worker". He started 8th grade on 1
Sep 1919. The teacher recommended that he enter at the 7th grade level and
repeat. It is not known whether or not he repeated the 7th grade but during the
year he won perfect spelling certificates for twenty perfect lessons and on 8
May 1920 he won a perfect attendance certificate for the month of April.
Tom at age 14 in 1918.
Tom apparently quit grade school at the end of the school year in the spring of
1920. He attended Illinois Business College in Springfield, Illinois from 20 Oct
1920 until 25 Mar 1921.
Tom's mother married ___ Bruns in 19__. They moved to North Dakota where Mr.
Bruns owned some property. In 1921, he went to Jamestown, ND. Thomas went to the
Dakotas with his stepfather who had property there. He was a 'lance jack' cowboy
at $30 per month. He worked on a ranch near Jamestown, North Dakota.
A postcard dated 6 May 1923 and addressed to Miss Genevieve Wahl, Carlinville
Street, White Hall, Illinois from Buffalo, Wyoming reads as follows:
"Buffalo, May 5th, 11,00 a.m. Dear Genevieve. May 5 we are 40 mile from the
oil fields. we are now in the mountains. have been all day. have taken my
pictures of snow caped mounts and arrigtion falls. will write a letter soon.
Thomas". Front of card has picture of "Buffalo Mfg. Co., Electric
Light & Milling Co., Buffalo, Wyo.".
On 8 Jun 1923, he joined the 2nd US Cavalry at Wichita, KS. His service number
was 6495513. Besides his other duties in the cavalry, he was also a trick rider
for shows that the troop performed. One of his specialties was to have a partner
ride by at full gallop and Tom would grab the saddle and swing himself up behind
the other rider without having the horse break stride. During one of the
performances he somehow fell and broke his ankle so severely that it had to be
pinned back together. That ended his trick riding performances. On 13 Apr 1928,
he bought out of the army for $80. He was a corporal at the time of his
discharge.
19 Jun 1925 from Hillview, Illinois. "Mr Thomas Wahl, Headquarters Troop,
Secon Cav, Fort Riley, KS. "Hillview, Ill. c/o Lee Nolan. Dearest Thomas I
recieved your card some time ago and was glad to hear that you are still in this
world. So am I and also single, but there is no telling how long I will be Ha Ha
Alice A.". Front of card has picture of farmers on a hay wagon and titled
"Greetings from White Hall, Ill.".
After his discharge from the army, he moved to Peoria, Illinois and lived with
his mother. In 1929, they lived at 408 1st Street, Peoria, Illinois. He is
listed as a clerk in the 1929 city directory but the directory does not list the
name of the store. He also worked at various other jobs including filling
station attendant and for Armour Packing Company. He and his mother moved to
1005 W. McClure Ave., Peoria, Illinois in 1930 and lived there until they moved
to 203 East Washington, East Peoria, Illinois in 1933. Sometime in 1933, he went
to San Francisco, California with his uncle Alva Wahl to work on the Golden Gate
Bridge. Construction of the bridge had not yet started, so he returned to the
Peoria area. He is listed as a trucker in the 1933 Peoria city directory.
In Nov 1929, he joined the Illinois National Guard and in Nov 1931, he was
discharged from the Illinois National Guard.
In 1934, he was listed as a service station attendant for Verkler-Curless
Company on Meadows Avenue in East Peoria.
Wife Evelyn Pearl (Mihlburger) Wahl
listed for the first time. She was born 19 Feb 1911 in Moline, Illinois.
In 1934, son Thomas Jr. was born.
Sometime during 1950's, told sons about running bootleg whiskey made by his
mother Mildred and his stepfather, Claude Beals, during prohibition. Based on his
date of discharge from the service and the date of Claude Beals' death, the most
likely time for this event was 1928 - 1929. See also note for 1935.
Wilbur Wahl told of living with Thomas and Mildred on Washington Street in East
Peoria in 1935. Wilbur paid $4 per week for room & board. He said Thomas and
his mother Mildred also made bootleg whiskey at this time.
In 1936, Thomas started working at Caterpillar Tractor Company. During early
1936, he moved with his wife and son to intersection of Illinois Route 98 and
Groveland Blacktop in Tazewell County. They lived there until 1939.
In 1936, son Harry was born. 
Thomas Jr. & Harry 1938 in back yard.
In 1940, the family lived on Franklin Street in East Peoria, Illinois. For a
short time, they lived at 104 or 106 Franklin Street then moved a few houses
away at 110 Franklin Street. From 1941 - 1943, they lived at 142 Cass Street,
East Peoria, Illinois.
On 24 Aug 1942, Thomas joined the Illinois Reserve Militia. On 2 Oct 1942, he
was promoted to Corporal, Headquarters & Service Co., 6th Infantry, Illinois
Reserve Militia. On 19 Oct 1943, he was promoted to Technical Sergeant,
Headquarters & Service Co., 6th Infantry, Illinois Reserve Militia.
In 1943, he became an inspector at Caterpillar and was an inspector until he
retired in 1966.
In 1944, the family lived at 142 Cass Street, East Peoria, Illinois for the first part of the year. In late May or early June,
he separated from his wife Evelyn. He was awarded custody of his sons and he moved them to Manchester,
Illinois to live with his mother, Mildred.
On 13 May 1944, he was discharged from Illinois Reserve Militia. On 6 Oct 1944,
he was promoted to Master Sergeant, Headquarters & Service Co., 6th
Infantry, Illinois Reserve Militia. On 13 May 1945, he was promoted to Second
Lieutenant, Headquarters & Service Co., 6th Infantry, Illinois Reserve
Militia.
He was in France for three months during W.W.II.
Sometime in 1945, the Militia was sent to Meridosia, Illinois for flood duty.
While he was there, he met and married a local girl named Dorothy M. ------. She
was 18 at the time of their marriage. In 1946, they lived at three different addresses: 511 Smith Street,
Peoria, Illinois; On Roberts Street, Creve Coeur, Illinois; 114 Center Street, East Peoria, Illinois. In the summer of 1946,
his two sons, Thomas Jr. and Harry, moved in with them at the Center Street apartment. At the end of the
school year in the spring of 1947, Harry returned to Manchester, Illinois and Thomas Jr. stayed with Thomas Sr. and Dorothy in
East Peoria. They lived at the Center Street address until 1948.
On 27 Mar 1946, he became Second Lieutenant Plans & Training Officer, 3rd
Battalion, 6th Infantry, Illinois Reserve Militia. On 8 Apr 1946, he was
promoted to First Lieutenant Plans & Training Officer, 3rd Battalion, 6th
Infantry, Illinois Reserve Militia.
In 1948, Thomas bought a house at 115 Gerber Court, Creve Coeur, Illinois and moved there with Dorothy and his son, Thomas Jr..
It was a small house that had been converted from a garage for the house at 117 Gerber Court. It had three rooms --
bedroom, living room kitchen -- with
a small enclosed back porch. It had running water for the kitchen sink but no bathroom. It had the distinction of having the
last outhouse in Creve Coeur. It was heated by a coal oil stove in the living room. When his mother and his son Harry came to
live with them in 1948, Dorothy left and they were divorced.
In 1950, his aunt, Genevieve, came to live with the family. Genevieve was recovering from stomach surgery and was in a very
despondent state of mind. Her husband had fallen out of a hay loft some years before and suffered head injuries that eventually
left him paralyzed. In addition, her youngest daughter, Lois, was killed in a car accident at the age of fifteen. By March 2,
1950, life had become too burdensome for her and she shot herself with a "squirrel rifle" that Thomas kept in the bedroom closet.
After the funeral, Mildred could no longer bear to live in the house where her sister had killed herself and she moved back to
Manchester to live with her mother.
Thomas and his two sons continued to live on Gerber Court until the sons graduated from high school and moved out; Thomas Jr. in
1952 and Harry in 1954. In July 1953, Thomas, his two sons, and a friend drove to Yellowstone Park. They drove across Iowa, into
Minnesota, into South Dakota, and up to North Dakota. They visited some friends of his who had a farm and that he had known from
his days as a cowboy in North Dakota. The following is a postcard that he sent to his mother.
11 Jul 1953 from Mobridge, SD. "Mrs. Mildred Beals, Manchester, Illinois.
Arrived here last nite - quite a place, this Dakota land. lived here 4 years.
now the boys they get somewhat bugeyed at the little Rabbits, Goffers etc. Going
on to the Yellowstone. By Toms & Harry". Front of card is picture of
monument in Mobridge, SD.
From 1956 - 1957, he lived at 121 Hollywood Circle, Creve Coeur, Illinois with his son Thomas.
In 1956, he taught himself to become an auctioneer. He then taught his friend, Jim Callahan, and they operated an auction house
together on South Adams Street in Peoria for some years.
In 1956, at the age of 52, he also taught himself to water ski. He then taught his son, Harry, how to water ski when he returned
home from the army in 1957.
In 1958, he moved to 126 1/2 Cole Street, East Peoria, Illinois.
In Aug 1959, he suffered his first heart attack during the first week of the month.
In 1960, he married Mary Callahan. They lived at 1514 North East Perry, Peoria, Illinois. Their daughter Annette Marie was born
in 1961. Their son Kenneth was born in 1965.
On 1 Jan 1966, he retired from Caterpillar Tractor Company and moved to Sierra Vista, Arizona. For the first three or four
months he lived with his son Harry and his family.
From 1967 - 1983, he lived at various locations in Sierra Vista
and Huachuca City, Arizona and enjoyed his retirement by engaging in a number of varied activities. From 1966 - 1974, he worked
as a maintenance man in a trailer park in Sierra Vista. In 1975, he managed a cleanup team at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. He had
learned to play the guitar and fiddle as a young man and again started playing these instruments as a hobby. He became a
rock hound and found a spot where desert roses grew. These are soft crystals that grow below the ground and become hard when dug
up and exposed to air. They are shaped like roses. He collected and sold Jim Beam bottles. He found a ghost town, Sunnyside,
Arizona, at the top of the Huachuca
Mountains and took his sons and their families there in the summer of 1966. Getting to Sunnyside required driving up a narrow,
winding mountain road to the top of Mount Huachuca. At or near the top of the mountain was a trail wide enough and barely
smooth enough for a car to drive on. After the trail ended, there was a field that would allow a car to be driven for a short
distance. From that point, it was a matter of walking to the town. The town buildings were in excellent condition. A hermit
was living in one of them. Thomas also knew of, and gave his sons directions on how to get to, an abandoned silver mine by
following a trail a couple of miles across the mountains from Sunnyside. On another occasion that same summer he took his
sons and their families out into the semi-desert and showed them a field that was filled with geodes. He also knew of
other ghost towns that were far less remote than Sunnyside. Thomas formed a partnership with a couple of local men who were
trying to work a gold mine in the Huachuca Mountains but backed out of it when he realized that his partners were not too
reliable. For a short time he worked with a trucker who was in the long-distance moving business. He also bankrolled a
small band that was trying, but failed, to get its start in Sierra Vista. He often visited the Mexican border towns of
Nogales, Naco, and Aqua Prieta. He also took a couple of driving trips deep into Mexico.
In Dec 1979, his son Thomas visited him for a week in Arizona and from 16 Mar to 29 Mar 1983 Thomas visited his family in
the Peoria, Illinois area.
He died 9 Aug 1983 at Valley Park Mobile Homes in Huachuca City, Arizona. Death
certificate lists arteriosclerotic heart disease as primary cause of death with
cancer of the lung as a contributing factor. Actual cause of death was unknown
since an autopsy was not performed. In addition to his long history of heart
attacks, in his later years he had cancer spreading throughout his body (lumps
were visible on his hands and arms). A final possible complication was the fact
that a week or two before he died he had been in the hospital for food poisoning
-- which may have weakened his heart. His failing eyesight probably caused him
to give himself food poisoning from poorly cleaned cooking utensils or eating
spoiled food. Under the circumstances, the authorities saw no need for an
autopsy. Buried in Cochise Memorial Gardens, Sierra Vista, Arizona. Buried
8/11/1983 or 8/12/1983.
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