USA > Illinois > Montgomery County > History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois > Part 1
USA > Illinois > Bond County > History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96
LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
977.38 P42
Ile. History Survey
في
HISTORY 1
OF
Bond and Montgomery Counties,
ILLINOIS.
EDITED BY WILLIAM HENRY PERRIN.
ILLUSTRATED.
CHICAGO: O. L. BASKIN & Co., HISTORICAL PUBLISHERS, LAKESIDE BUILDING.
1882.
-
ver age.moyne ?? PRINTERS 18 &120 MONROE SIL CHICAGO O
017.31 D4.2
Survey
PREFACE.
T WIE history of Bond and Montgomery Counties, after months of persistent toil and research, is now completed, and it is believed that no subject of universal publie importance or interest has been omitted, save where protracted effort failed to secure reliable results. We are well aware of our inability to furnish a perfect history from meager publie documents and numberless conflicting traditions, but claim to have prepared a work fully up to the standard of our promises. Through the courtesy and assistance generously afforded by the residents of these counties, we have been enabled to trace out and put on record the greater portion of the important events that, have transpired in Bond and Montgomery Counties up to the present time. And we feel assured that all thoughtful people in these counties, now and in future, will recognize and appreciate the importance of the work and its permanent value.
A dry statement of facts has, as far as possible, been avoided, and incidents and anecdotes have been woven in with facts and statisties, forming a narrative at once instructive and interesting.
To those who have kindly assisted our corps of writers in gathering material, and furnished us data of historical value, we acknowledge our indebtedness ; and to Williamson Plant, Esq., of Greenville . Judge A. N. Kingsbury, of Hillsboro ; H. A. Coolidge, Esq., of Litchfield ; and Rev. T. E. Spilman, of Nokomis, our thanks for able contributions are especially due.
AUGUST, 1882.
THE PUBLISHERS.
gym
C
am
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
PART I. BOND COUNTY. PAGE.
CHAPTER I .- Introduction to Bond County-The Early State of the Country-Difficulties of Occupying It-Coming of the Pioneers- Hill's Station and Jones' Fort-Prrils of the Wilderness-Timber and Prairie-Prairie Fires- Hard Fare of the Settlers.
CHAPTER II .- Trials of the Pioneers-Skins as a Circulating Medium-War of 1812-Murder of Cox and His Son- Progress of Emigration-Early Manners and Customs ..... 19
CHAPTER III .- Organization of Bond County-Its Present Boundaries ind Topography-Courts Organized-County Seat at Perryville-Jail Building-Lynching-Lawyers Lost in the Prairie-Permanent Location of the Seat of Justice. 25
CHAPTER IV .- Farly Agriculture-Hog Raising-Difficulties of Teaming -- Roads to St. Louis and Springfield-Ser- mon on a Load of Apples-Building Mills and Manufac- tories .. 33
CHAPTER V .- Esrly Society-Whisky and Fighting-Work- ing Frolics-Gold and Silver Mines-Gaylord's Swindle- Slavery-Magoou Kidnaping Case- Early Physicians ...... 39
CHAPTER VI .- Religion-First Preachers and Churches- Methodists and Presbyterians-Moody's Camp-Ground- Sunday-Schools-" The Jerks"-Temperance-Education -The Improvement in Schools-Statistics-The People and the State Debt-War History. 47
CHAPTER VII .- Railroad History-The Internal Improve- ment Systen !- Old National or Cumberland Road-Mis- sissippi & Atlantic Railroad-The Present Vandalia Line and Its Officers-The Press of Bond County 54
CHAPTER VIII .-- Greenville Precinct-Boundaries and Con- figuration-Early Settlement-Pioneer Industries and Improvements-Sketch of William S. Wait -- Villages- Gold and Sil' er Mines-Educational-Religions ..... .. 67
CHAPTER IX .- C'ty of Greenville-Locating the County Seat at Perryville-Its Removal to Greenville-Laying-out of Greenville-The Name-Early Settlers of the Town-The Kirkpatricks and Others-First Business Men and Prom- ineat Citizeny-The Roll of Pioneers. 73
CHAPTER X .- Greenville Sale of Lots-Building a Court House-Public Buildings of the County-Taverns and Their Changes-Uncle Jimmy's Grocery-County Officers -The Water Supply-War History of Greenville and Bond County -The Hilliard Rifles, etc. 101
CHAPTER XI .- Greenville-Educational-Common Schools- Almira College-Religious-Presbyterians and Method- ists-Erection of Church Buildings-Secret and Belluv- olent Orders, etc .. 109
CHAPTER XII -Retrospective-Building of Jails-Situation of the City-More of Early Business and Business Men- Agricultural Warehouses-Banking Business-Shops and Mechanics-Snoimary 12]
CHAPTER XIII .- Ripley Precinct-Topography-Early Set- tleis-Old Ripley-Churches-Schools-Villages. ..... ..... 1:29
CHAPTER XIV .- Mulberry Grove Precinct-Its Configura- tion - Early Settlements - Bev. J. B. Woolard and Other Pioneers-First Birth, Marriage, etc .- Churches and Schools-Village of Mulberry Grove ... 133
CHAPTER XV .- Pocahontas Precinct-Topography, etc .- Pio- neer Settlers-The Plants and Jolinsons -- The OUT Meth- odist Church-Town of Pocahontas-Other Villages- Schools and Churches. 140
CHAPTER XVI .- Beaver Creek Precinct-General Description -Manners and Customis of Pioneer Times-First Post Of- bce, Blacksmith, Stores, etc .- Mills and Carding Mat- chines-Villages-Educational and Religious .. 145
CHAPTER XVII. - Fairview Precinct - Descriptive- The Name-Isam Reaves and Other Pioneers-First Elec- tion-Early Schools-Religious-" Old Hurricane " and Other Churches-Village of Fairview. 151
CHAPTER XVIII .- La Grange Precinct-Boundaries, etc .- Its Settlement by White People-Pioneer Hardships --- Churches and Schools .. 158
CHAPTER XIX .- Zion Precinct-Its Topography-Early set- tlements-Life on the Frontier-Pioncer Industries -- " Old Zion " Camp-Ground-Village of Woburn-Schools and Churches. 162
CHAPTER XX .- Cottonwood Grove Precioct-Early History -The MrCords and Robin.8008-Old Shoal Creek Church -Village of Bethel-Schools and Churches ... .....
166
CHAPTER XXI .- Okaw Precinct-Description and Topogra- phy-The Pioneers' Habits and Modes of Living- Schools, Churches, etc ... 169
MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
CHAPTER I .- Introductory-Descriptive and Topographical -Varieties of Timher-Geological Features-Limestone and Sandstone-Coal Measures-Quality of Coal-Quar- ries-Climatology-Past Compared with Present .....
173
vi
CONTENTS.
PAGE
CHAPTER II .- Early Occupation of the Country-The Mound- Builders-Their Remains aud Fortifications-The lodi- ans-Coming of the Whites-Difficulties Encountered by Emigrante on the Way-Growth and Development of the Country .. 179
CHAPTER III .- Organization of Montgomery County-The Act of Legislature Creating it-Early Officers and Courts -Location of the County Seat-Court Houses and Public Buildings - Divisions into Precincts and Townships- Convenience of Towuship Organization-The Poor Farm -Politics and Parties ... 186
CHAPTER IV .- Early Religious History-Educational, Past and Present, with Statistics-Compulsory Education and its General Effects-The Press. 194
CHAPTER V .- Agriculture -- Improved Methods and Imple- ments-County Agricultural Association - Offices, Fair Grounds, etc .- Railroads. 199
CHAPTER VI .- War History of Montgomery County-The Black Hawk War-Muster Rolls of Companies-The Mexican War-The Great Civil War-Regimeuts, Officers, etc .- Litchfield's Participation-Incidents, etc ................ 205
CHAPTER VII -Hillsboro Township-Description-Bounda- ries and Topography -- Early Settlement-The McAdamses, Rutledges, Boques and other Pioneers -- Primitive Cus- tums, etc .- Mills, Roads and Bridges-Early Schools, Churches, etc .... 215
CHAPTER VIII .- City of Hillsboro-Its Laying-out, Loca- tion and First Sale of Lots-Streets and Additions-Judge Rountree and other Pioneers-Stores, Mills, etc .- Manu- factories-Grain and Railroads-Incorporation, etc ......... 221
CHAPTER IX .- Hillsboro-Its Religious History-The Meth- odist Church - Organization, Members and Preachers -The Presbyteriaos-Other Religious Organizations- Benevolent Institutions-The Masons-Odd Fellowe, etc. 232
CHAPTER X .- Hillsboro-Educational-Pioneer Schoolhouses -Hillsboro Academy-The Public Schools-Newspapers -Ups and Downs of the Business-The News and the Journal of Tu-day. 242
CHAPTER X1 .- North Litchfield Township-Description and Topography-Character of Soil -Early Settlements-The Briggs Family -Other Pioneers - First Preachers and Churches-Schools and Teachers-Pioneer Incidents- Tax Receipts, etc .- Early Diseases and Deaths-Effects of the War. 218
CHAPTER XII .- South Litchfield Township-Its Description, Bonudaries and Topography-Settlement of White People -Early Customs aod Industries-Facts and Incidents- Educational and Religious-Miscellaneous Topics ....... 25.
CIIAPTER XIII .- City of Litchfield - First Settlers -- Laying out 8 Town-Growth and Development-Public Sule of Lots-Improvements and Increase of Business-Popula- tion in 1857-First Circus-Pioneer Business Meu-The Machine Shop and Mill of Beach, etc ... 260
CHAPTER XIV .- Litchfield - Increase of Population -- Early Politics-The Journals-Douglas and Lincoln-Incorpo- ration as a City-Late Business Meu-Physicians-Dur- ing the War-Fires-Removal of Railroad Shops, etc ...... 275
PAGE,
CHAPTER XV .- Litchfield -Educational - The Press -The Journal-the Monitor and other Papers-Banking Inter- este-The Coal Businese-Sanitary Condition of the City 289
CHAPTER XVI .- Nokomis Towoship-Position and Bounda- ries-Surface, Soil, Streams- Forest Growth-Agricult- ural Products - Early Settlements - Roads -Schools- Churches, etc .. 303
CHAPTER XVII -Town of Nokomis-Its Location and Settle- Dient-The First Stores, Mills and Other Business-Grain Trade - Manufacture of Agricultural Implements - Schoolhouses, etc .- The Press-Religious History-The Different Churches, Preachers, etc .. 307
CHAPTER XVIII .- East Fork Towoship-Boundaries-Water Courses-Early Settlers-Mille-Cattle Raisiog-Roads- Churches-schools-Secret Societies 311
CHAPTER XIX .- Fillmore Towoship - Boundaries - First Growth-Pioneers-Mills-Schools-Churches, etc. 320
CHAPTER XX .- Butler Grove Township-Boundaries-Soil- Timber-Early Settlers-Roads - Educational aud Re- ligious-Village of Butler-Business Interests-Secret Societies, etc .... 327
CHAPTER XXI .- Raymond Township - Boundaries - Early Settlement -Schools -Churches- Business Interests- The Fire-Secret Societies ... 340
CHAPTER XXII .- Irving Town ship-Boundaries-Soil -Pio- ueer Settlers-Schools-Churches-Physicians and Mer- chauts ... 350
CHAPTER XXIII .- Zanesville Township-Position - Bounda- ries, etc .- Soil and Products-Pioneer Settlements-Roads and Mills-First Election aod First Birta-Schools and Churches-Village ot Zanesville-Its Growth and Decay 362
CHAPTER XXIV .- Walsh ville Township-Teri.tory Embraced -Suil and Timber-Crops-First Settlements-Schools- Electione-First Marriage-Religion, etc., ... .....
........... 368
CHAPTER XXV .- Witt Township-Soil, Timber and Configu- ration-Schools, Past and Present-The Circuit-Rider- Churches and Sunday Schools - Mills and Other In- dustries. 378
CHAPTER XXVI .- Harvel Township-Position and Boundaries -Topography -Productions - Pioneers -- Schools -Vil- lage of IIarvel-Industries-Churches-Secret Societies ... 384
CHAPTER XXVII .- Rountree Township-Soil and Drainage- Timber-First White Man-Pioneers-Schools-Roads- Varions Denominations 391
CHAPTER XXVIII .- Bois D'Arc Township-Boundaries and Topography-Its Early Settlements-First Deaths-Early Roads, Churches and Schools. 396
CIIAPTER XXIX .- Grisham Township-Location - Soil and Drainage-Early Settlers-Religions -Secret Societies, etc 401
CHAPTER XXX .- Pitman Township-Position and Bounda- ries-Physical Features- Productions-Early Settlers and Mille-Schools and Churches-Secret Societies-Robbery, etc 413
CHAPTER XXXI .- Audubon Township - Topographical and INcriptive - Physical Features - Early Settlements- First Birth, Death und Marriage-The Littles-Churches and Schools-Old Town of Audubon, otc ... 418
PART I.
HISTORY OF BOND AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES.
CHAPTER I .*
INTRODUCTION TO BOND COUNTY-GENERAL OBSERVATIONS -- THE EARLY STATE OF THE COUN- TRY-THE DIFFICULTIES OF OCCUPYING IT-COMING OF THE PIONEERS-HILL'S STATION
AND JONES' FORT- PERILS OF THE WILDERNESS-TIMBER AND PRAIRIE-THE
LATTER SHUNNED AS A DESERT-PRAIRIE FIRES-AN INCIDENT-HARD FARE OF THE SETTLERS-HOW THEY LIVED, ETC.
"Time though old is swift in flight, And years go fleetly by."
THE advantages to be derived from the study of history are numerous and im- portant. There is something in the breast of almost every individual which makes him de- sirous of examining the past, and ascertaining what has been, in relation to his own, as well as other countries. Man is anxious to look back and inquire into the transactions of the generation which immediately preceded him ; this creates in his mind a desire to know some- thing of the one preceding that, and so he goes on inquiring back from one generation to another, and from century to century, until he arrives at his origin-Adam-in the Garden of Eden, fresh from the hand of his Maker. Knowing this general desire of the human race, men have written histories, in every age of the world, from the time of Moses down to
the present, in order to perpetuate the sayings and doings of their fellow-beings.
The words and actions of man, either for weal or woe, constitute the most important feature in all histories ; there is no portion of the habitable earth that has not been made or ruined to a certain extent by his management. Christianity, the arts and sciences, peace and. as a consequence, civilization, render the earth
"One great garden of her God, Bright with beauty and girt with power:"
but when infidelity, ignorance, bigotry, super- stition and war prevail, barbarism is the result, and the earth becomes changed into a wilder- ness. Such has been the case in the past, and if it is any criterion by which to judge the future, it is certainly of great moment, that we become well acquainted with the history of all countries, more especially that of our own ; when we peruse its pages and find there re- corded the former errors and virtues of our
*By R. O. White.
12
HISTORY OF BOND COUNTY.
race, whether considered as individuals, com- munities or states, or, in a political, social, or religious point of view, there are many instruct- ive lessons to be learned. One of the first is to studiously avoid any course of action which has been fraught with evil consequences, and to earnestly strive for those principles that have been most productive of good, to all classes of society.
Among all grades of history, none is more instructive or sought after with a greater eagerness than that which truthfully deline- ates the rise and progress of the State, com- munity, or even county in which we live. There is pleasure as well as profit to every well-educated and inquiring mind, in contem- plating the struggles of the early settlers in all portions of the great West ; how they enconn- tered and overcame every species of trial, hard- ship and danger to which human beings were ever subjected. But these things strike us more forcibly and fill our minds with more immediate interest when confined to our own little county of Bond, where we can yet occa- sionally meet with some of the now gray-haired actors in those early scenes, with whom life's rugged day is almost over, whose bravery in encountering the troubles and misfortunes incident to a frontier life has borne an impor- tant part toward making our county what it now is, and whose acts in connection with hun- dreds of others in the first settling of our vast domain, have compelled the civilized world to acknowledge that the Americans are an invin- cible people.
It may appear, to some, rather small and in- significant work to record the history of a diminutive county like Bond, but it will be remembered that our vast republic is com- prised of States that are made up of counties, each of which contributes its share toward the general history of the country. Though occu- pying but a small portion of the State of Illinois, yet Bond County has a history that is
fraught with interest to its own citizens, at least, besides many of those in adjoining counties.
How little do many of the present genera- tion, when they behold the "old settler," as he is termed, either realize or appreciate the hard- ships through which he has passed, or the part he has performed in reelaiming our country from the rule of the wild and savage tribes that roamed at will over all parts of it. " Young America," as he passes the old settler by, without so much as nodding his head, little dreams that he has spent the bloom of his life in helping to make this country what it now is, or rather, in preparing it for the reception of all those modern improvements and business which surround us on every side. The old settler and his deeds should be remembered and appreciated by all. Every lover of self- sacrifice and undaunted energy cannot but admire that adventurous spirit, nnited with cool determination, which influenced the hardy pioneer to leave the civilization of the older States, and locate in this wild region, far re- moved from the influence of the schoolhonse and the church, driving back the savage, and paving the way for the great advantages we now so fully enjoy. And what must be the reflections of the old settler himself, as he looks upon this country and contrasts the present with the past-for he knows some- thing of the past. Hle looks over the thriving county of Bond, which may be termed almost one vast farm, and calls to mind the time when all those prairies, now teeming with grain, fruits and vegetables, were thiekly covered with grass six feet in height, where the deer and wolves held high carnival, undisturbed, save by the stealthy Indian, or the occasional appearance of a white hunter passing from one to another of the settlements or forts that were "few and far between." He views our elegant homes, telling of wealth, case and com- fort, and remembers the time when there was
1
13
HISTORY OF BOND COUNTY.
not a glass window in the whole county-not over two dozen dwellings, all of them log cabins with weight - pole roofs and wooden chimneys. Ile beholds neat churches, fine schoolhouses and colleges, and thinks of the time when there was not a church or school- house in the county. He looks at our court house, provided with its comfortable rooms for the accommodation of various county officers, and remembers the holding of the first court that ever assembled in the county, which met in a rude log house, the jury room being in the woods. He contemplates with wonder and de. light the railroad. one of the grandest achieve- ments of human enterprise, and as he beholds the numerous trains of crowded ears rapidly conveying passengers and freight from one point to another, his mind reverts back to those early days when there were no railroads, and not even tolerable wagon roads in all this country, the means of transportation being ox teams, the only market St. Louis, then a small town, while in some portions of the year the mud was many feet in depth. He sees our tine flouring mills in all parts of the county, and thinks of the days when there were no mills here of any kind, and the inhabitants lived on hominy and bread made of pounded corn. He is delighted with our various agricultural im- plements, and recollects the hardships of farm- ing, when there was not a seed-drill, corn- planter, reaper, mover, or thresher in the State. when scythes and sickles eut down the harvest, and flails or horses' feet, threshed or trod out the grain. He looks back to the first advances that were made here in improvement and civil- ization-the early schools, their teachers and many incidents connected with them ; the sing- ing-schools, where the young men brought their sweethearts behind them on the same horse ; of camp-meetings in the olden time, and promi- nent individuals and circumstances connected therewith; of old-fashioned muster and elec- tion days, and the heroes of the various fights
which there occurred, the result of old grudges and bad whisky. These, and a thousand other reflections must pass in review through his mind as he looks around upon the Bond County of to-day in contrast with that of fifty years ago.
It will be the object of the following pages, to describe as accurately as possible the rise and progress of Bond County, and the incidents and characters pertaining thereto, from the first settlement within its limits down to the present time. In doing this, the great aim will be to present faets, so far as it is possible to obtain them. Many of these mnst necessarily be gleaned from individuals now living, who emi- grated to the county in an early day, and either witnessed, or were actual participants in the scenes connected with its carly history, there being no written account to which we can go for information.
The task will be a pleasant one, both to the reader and the writer, to go back to the period when this county, along with other portions of the State of Illinois, was a wilderness unmarked by the hand of man, and note the advent of the first white families, and contemplate the numer- ous and apparently insurmountable difficulties with which they were surrounded. But to give precise dates in all cases of the early history of Bond County will be almost impossible, as there are but few of the old pioneers now liv- ing. The lapse of fifty-five or sixty years has not only swept from the theater of life most of those heroes of the old and perilous time, but has dimmed the memories of those who yet re- main, so that some of them have forgotten the exact time when many events, appertaining to our history, transpired. However, by a careful comparison of the different statements and dates, they are given with sufficient accuracy for general utility, even in the instances where there is any lack of coincidence.
The first settlement made within the present limits of Bond County was at Hill's Station,
14
HISTORY OF BOND COUNTY.
or fort-(called also White's Fort)- about the year 1812. This fort was situated about eight miles, in a southwesterly direction, from where the town of Greenville now stands. One mile and a half south of this was another station, one called Jones' Fort, built near the same time. These buildings were erected by the white inhabi- tants, as shelters not only to protect them from the inclemencies of the weather, but from the incursions of the Indians, with whom the county was infested, it being considered unsafe for one family to reside at a distance from others. These settlements were all made within a year or two of the same time, and during the last war with England.
When we view the present prosperous condi- tion of the country, it seems scarcely credible to believe that no longer age than the period under consideration, the entire population of Bond County was comprised of only two feeble bands of adventurers, each containing but a few families, shut up within the walls of a fort, out- side of which it was dangerous to venture any distance. These forts, stations or block- houses, as they were variously called, were located in the edge of the timber, and were con- strneted of hewed logs. They would not, it is true, present a very formidable resistance to the military arrangements of the present day, but when considered as a protection against the implements of savage warfare, they proved quite efficient.
The only land cultivated was a few acres im- mediately surrounding or near the stations. 'These farms, or patches, as they would now be termed, were in the timber also, and planted in cotton, tobacco, corn, pumpkins, melons, pota- toes, and a few other vegetables. Wheat, for the first few years, was not cultivated, as there were no mills ; hence, it would have been of little service. Most of the first settlers were from Kentucky, Virginia and North Carolina, where all the land is timbered, and the prairies, they viewed as uninhabitable deserts. The
idea of hauling rails, fire-wood and building timber, several miles was not to be thought of by them. It was a current remark by the people then, that " the greatest drawback to this country was scarcity of timber."
In the autumn of 1816, a few families of emi- grants were crossing the prairie east of Beaver Creek, in the southern part of this county. The grass had nearly all been burnt off, afford- ing a fine opportunity for viewing the soil and situation of the country. An old gentleman belonging to the party was walking along be- hind the wagons, in company with a few others, who, like himself, had become fatigued with riding and got out to walk. The old man gazed with wonder and delight on the boundless ex- panse of prairie spread out before him in all its original beauty. Taking up handfuls of the rich, black soil, he would examine it minutely, then toss it aside with the exclamation, "Ah me, how rich it is ; what a pity there's no tim- ber to fence it." He greatly deplored the strange freak of nature, which deprived a vast extent of country of trees, otherwise so produc- tive, evidently believing this arrangement one of the mysterious workings of an All- Wise Provi- dence, in creating a soil where trees would not grow, and that it would be of no avail to ever plant them, for if the Almighty had so intended it, they would have been found growing there of their own accord.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.