Mack Robb with his fox hunting hound dogs

Clyde "Pid" Bassett with his fox hunting dogs

Fox Hunters Club - Ready for the Centennial Parade in Kinmundy - 1957

Fox Hunters Club - Ready for the Centennial Parade in Kinmundy - 1957

Fox Hunters Club -  Centennial Parade in Kinmundy - 1957

Fox Hunters Club -  Centennial Parade in Kinmundy - 1957

"The Fox Hunters Club from Sandy Branch and Breakneck (Swift) Community"

by Marvin Bassett - Jan. 11, 2011 - "Sandy Branch West column" in "The Kinmundy Express"

“One of my script advisors suggested that when local news is scarce, why not write something of a historical nature of the past decades from west of Kinmundy.  OK, now is the time.

I’ve chosen the Local Fox Hunters Club from Sandy Branch and Breakneck (Swift) community.   There was two factions of guys interested in the red fox population.  A few hunters wanted to shoot them for their hides as there was a market for them.  The other group and most vocal of the two was the chasers and they had no use for anyone that would kill a fox.  I’m more familiar with the second group.  On many occasions we would pass by a place where a small bond fire had been burned as the guys would gather around to listen to the fox chase and argue who’s hound was in the lead.  The chase would end when the fox had enough and would go into it’s den usually before eleven p.m.  Conditions had to be just right for best results like no wind, and early dew and red fox close by.  The club would have a reunion west side of Kinmundy in Charlton Park and invite other Fox chasers from far and near for their field trials and judging of hounds.  I will list some of the members as I remember but not all since I was not involved in the sport or hobby.  These are remembered as some of the guys I’ve seen around at bond fires.  S.M. “Mac” Robb, C.C. “Pid” Bassett, Raymond Swift, Clyde Ballance, Glen Johnson, D.A. Arnold, Thurman Robb, Elsworth Harvey, and Ed Jezek one of the younger members.  This sport has faded away due to passing of the active members and when Interstate 57 came through so many prize hounds were getting killed trying to cross the highway trailing the wily fox.  Then too the fox population dwindled and coyotes became numerous.  They were asked if that hobby wasn’t a waste of time to sit out in the mosquito’s and listen to an old hound bay off in the distance.  The answer was “Oh no, it’s a lot of fun and good fellowship besides we get away from the ole Lady for a spell.”  We pay tribute to the memory of the members of the Fox Hunters Club of yesteryear.”

"Remembering a Country Sport"

Submitted by Agnes Clesson & Betty Jane Easley

 (Sandy Branch West column – The Kinmundy Express” – Apr. 5, 2001)

“Fox hunting has been a sport in Marion and surrounding counties for many years but it is dying out.  The Kinmundy Fox Hunters Association was very active in the 1940’s and 1950’s.  An annual dog show was held in Charlton Grove, west of Kinmundy.  For the American fox hunters the sport is listening to the dogs bark as they trail the fox, unlike the English hunt.

Ruth Hanes attended a chase with her dad, Tom Dorris, Agnes Clesson and her dad, Melvin Hines, went by horse back to the gathering point.  Agnes thought it boring, but is glad she attended the hunt.  Mr. Hines purchased a dog named Fred, from Freddie Miselbrook that was an excellent hound.  Later hunters drove Model A Fords and pickups to the release area, build a bond fire and listened to the chase.

            Weather was always a consideration on the dogs.  Personal clothing or blankets were left at the release point if the dogs hadn’t come in and the hunters would go back the next morning and pick them up.  Hunters were good keepers of their hounds and the American Fox Hounds were never mean or bad natured.  Horns were used to call the hounds and some horns are still around.  Melvin Hines horn has carvings on it like – MH – 1887 and BS (Britton Smith) 1840 and the horn still remains with a family member.

            There aren’t many hunters left.  We tried to contact some for more information.  It is not intended to leave out any names from our listing.  A special Thank You to Donald and Nola Robb for helping.

            A few of the hunters we knew were Tom Dorris, Melvin Hines, Lewis Moser, Freddie & Roy Miselbrook, Clyde Ballance, Wiley Campbell, Whoopy McMackin, Pearl Easley, Glen, Mac and Thurman Robb, Paul Courson, Gene and Merle Baker, C.C. “Pid” Bassett, Ralph and Francis Krutsinger, Glen Osborne, Bill Hayes, George and Alva Jett, Bill McWilliams, Nan Silvey, Dayton Crutchfield, Jerry McCarty, Gale Sill, Roy Williams, and Glen Johnston. 

            As a final tribute to our local Fox Hunters of years gone by a quote from Tennyson:

“Sunset and evening star,

And one clear call for me,

And may there be no moaning at the bar

When I put out to sea.”

Kinmundy Fox Hunter’s Association

Fox Hunting in Kinmundy

By Helen (Robb) Garrett

"Fox hunting, as a sport, had a big membership here.  This was not the kind we have the beautiful prints of, with horses and riders in red coats, caps, hunting boots and pants!  Those foxhunters rode beautiful riding horses, jumping fences as they came to them, with the dozens of foxhounds barking in hot pursuit.

Our foxhunters were very proud of their hounds and could “identify” the bark of their own.  There were various places the hunters would meet; build a big fire for warmth if needed, and sit around it, listening as the hounds scared up a fox.  The hounds chased the fox round and round with no chance of ever catching it.  That was not the goal of the chase.  That was recognizing the voice of the foxhound in the lead of the chase and claim it as your own!  Some of the area hunters were:  Virgil Livesay, Clyde Bassett, Mack Robb, Ellsworth Harvey, Thurman Robb, Otis Charlton, Roy Miselbrook, J.B. Maxey, Jack Chance, Lem Ballance, and Gale Sill.  Dr. Logan, a Salem doctor, was also a very ardent hunter and sponsored a dinner meeting once a year on Sunday.  This was at his farm and timber area several miles east of Kinmundy.  He furnished a lot of the food with the rest contributing also.

“The Fox Meet” was organized in 1941 and was held annually from then on in September at Otis Charlton’s Grove west of Kinmundy.  This was quite an event lasting 3 days and 3 nights.  Hunters from all over the State of Illinois gathered there going to a designated area to turn their hounds loose, and the chase was on!  There were various food stands and souvenir stands.

The Norton “Tang” Mulvaney family, which was well known in the area for their musical ability, all came and camped there for all 3 days and nights.  They each played a musical instrument, as well as singing, and their love of music was evident to all.  As the evening wore on, square dancers took the stage, and the musicians played on.  Mrs. Shirley Potter was the granddaughter of “Tang” Mulvaney, and at the age of 8, sat on a chair and called the different square dances!  The stage was a wooden one, built for the event with long wooden benches set on concrete blocks for the audience to sit on.

There were various contests, which brought lots of laughs during the evening.  Among them were: men’s jig contest, girl’s jig contest, ugliest man, and ladies cow calling.  First place winners in each category received $1, and 2^nd place winners received fifty cents.  One year, Walter Burkett won the old fiddler’s contest and was awarded $3.  Mrs. Kate Keen came in second and received $2.  There were also contests for the dogs from puppies 6 months or younger, male and female; all age dogs, female and male; best dog of foxhound breed of any age, male or female.  Some of the names of the winners are:  Skipper Stride, Mary Lou, Big Boy Buzzard, Rock, Fly, Dude, and Black Jacket.

The Seventh Annual Kinmundy Fox Hunter’s Association Meet was a huge success the year of 1948.  The largest crowd was Friday when officials stated that about 2000 people were present at the program.  Saturday night followed close behind with about 1500 attending.  On Thursday night, the Derby Foxhound chase was held with dogs entered.  However, no dogs scored, and no prizes were awarded.  In the all age hound chase, 16 dogs were entered, and two dogs were scored with first prize going to “Jim” owned by Luis Adams of Wheatland, Indiana and 2^nd prize went to “Jack owned by Lester Robb of Kinmundy.

Thurman Robb owned a foxhound named “Libby”, who by his account, led the pack of hounds almost every time!  So raising a litter of pups every summer from “Libby” became a way to make much needed money.  Buyers would come from miles around, look them over, pick the one of their choice, and arrange to come back for it later when the pups were weaned.

One day while Thurman was outside doing his farm chores, a familiar hound came racing up the field toward him.  He recognized it as belonging to Wiley Campbell, a fellow hunter.  This time, however, it lunged at him, bit him on the arm, and kept lunging for his throat.  He put his hands around the dog’s neck and choked it to death.  The dog, of course, was rabid, and no treatment was available in the local area.  Thurman took a train to Chicago and stayed with a friend, Ed Green, who was a lawyer there.  He stayed for two weeks, taking treatments daily.  The rabies treatments, while very severe, were successful."

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