USA > Illinois > Clark County > History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois > Part 1
USA > Illinois > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois > Part 1
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LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
977.37 P42h
ILLINOIS HISTORICALY SURVEY
HISTORY
OF
CRAWFORD AND CLARK COUNTIES,
ILLINOIS.
EDITED BY WILLIAM HENRY PERRIN.
ILLUSTRATED.
CHICAGO: (. L. BASKIN & CO., HISTORICAL PUBLISHERS, LAKESIDE BUILDING. 1883.
917.31 PAwh
WAT
PREFACE.
THE history of Crawford and Clark Counties, after months of persistent toil and research, is T now completed, and it is believed that no subject of universal public importance or inter- est 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 public documents and number- less 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 impor- tant events that have transpired in Crawford and Clark 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 statistics, forming a narrative at once instructive and interest- ing.
We are indebted to Hon. E. Callahan for the chapter on the " Bench and Bar" of Crawford County ; to George W. Harper. Esq .. for a sketch of " the press," and to Hon. W. C. Wilson for valuable and important historical data ; also to Hamilton Sutton, Esq., for his very able general history of Clark County ; to H. C. Bradsby, Esq., for the chapter on the " Bench and Bar" of Clark, and to many other citizens of both counties for material aid to our historians in making the proper compilation of facts embodied in the work.
April, 1883.
THE PUBLISHERS.
233623
Ill. Survey 2/AP13
G
CONTENTS.
PART I. HISTORICAL. CRAWFORD COUNTY. PAGE.
CHAPTER I .- Introductory-Descriptive-Boundaries and Topography-The Science of Geology-Its Influence on Agriculture and Civilization-Geology of Crawford County-The Coal Measures-Outerops of Coal-Build- ing Stone-Its Quality and Durability-Iron Ore-Soils, Timber, etc., etc ... 11
CHAPTER II .- Pre-historie Occupation of the Country- The Mound Builders-Relics and Works of the Lost Race-The Merom Mounds-Earthworks and Mounds at Hutsonville-Other Relics, ete .- The Indians-Dela- wares aud Kickapoos-Their Position of Southern Illi- Dois-Historical Sketches of their Tribes, etc .- Local Facts and Traditions 18
CHAPTER III .- Settlement of the County by White Peo- ple-The Early Freuch Explorers-Their Claim to Illi- Dois-Gen. Clark's Expedition to Kaskaskia-Emigrauts from the States-Fort Lamotte and the Rangers-The Culloms and Other Pioneers-The Hutson Family- Their Murder by Indians-Pioneer Life-Hardships and Dangers of the Wilderness, etc. 29
CHAPTER IV .- Organization of the County-Illinois as & Part of Virginia-Divided Into Counties-Act of the Legislature Forming Crawford-Name of the County- The Courts, etc .- Locating the Seat of Justice-An Iu- dian Trial-Other Court Proceedings-List of Officers and Representatives-Court Houses and Jails-Civil Divisions of the County-Removal of the County Seat -Township Organizations, etc., etc ... 37
CHIAPTER V .- The Beneh and Bar-Justice and Her Scales -First Courts and What They Did-Some of the Early Judges-Different Judicial Districts-The First Resi- deot Lawyers-Kitchell, Janney, French, etc .- Thoir Legal Ability and Social Traits-Other Lawyers of the County-The Present Bar, etc., etc. 54
CHAPTER VI .- Internal Improvements-The First Roads and Bridges-Railroads-Coming of the Iron Iforse- The Old Wabash Valley Route-Paris and Danville-Its Completion, Changes and Condition-East and West Railroad Projects -The Narrow Gauge-Value and Economy of the System-Other Roads That Were Never Ruilt, and Never Will Be, etc., etc ...... 66
CHAPTER VII .- The " Ragiog " Wabash-Improvement of its Navigation-Boating in the Early Times-Overflows, Levees, etc .- Damage Done to the Farmers-Agriculture -Early Mode of Opening aud Cultivating Farms-Pio- Deer Plows and Hoes-Crawford County Agricultural Society-Incorporation and List of Officers-Horticult- ure-The County Poor, etc., etc. 73
CHAPTER VIII .- The County Press-Its Influence in the Community-Newspaper Enterprisesof Crawford Conuty -The Constitution and Argus-Educational-Pioneer Schoolhouses and Teachers-Advantages of Education -School Statistics-Religious History -Early Preachers -Churches Organized, etc., etc ....... 79
PAGE.
CHAPTER IX .- War History -- The Struggle for Independ- enee-Our Second "Round" with John Bull-Black Hawk and his Braves, and How We Thrashed Them- The Mexican War-Illinois' Participation Io It-War of the Rebellion-Different Regimeuts in which Craw- ford County was Represented-Facts and Incidents of the War, etc., etc ... 91 CHAPTER X .- Robinson Township-Description and To- pography- Geueral Character of the Country-Land Entries-Advent "of the Whites-Time and Place of Settlement-Early Society-The Beginning of Agricult- ure - Pioneer Industries and Improvements-Early Markets, etc., etc .... 107
CHAPTER XI .- Robinson Village-The Star of Empire-A New Town Laid Out-First Plat and Subsequent Addi- tions-Early Development-Growth of Business Inter- ests-The Railroad Impetus-Sehools, Churches and Benevolent Societies-Cemeteries, etc., etc ... 119
CHAPTER XII .- La Motte Township-General Description and Topography - Early Settlement-Joseph La Motte -The Eatons-Other Pioneers-The Seven Jesses-Ex- tract from Ficklin's Address-Schools and Churches- Palestine-Its Growth, Development and Incorporation -The Land Office-Registersand Receivers-Education- al, Religious, ete., etc .... 127 CHAPTER XIII. - Hutsonville Towuship - Topography- Early Settleincut-Flutsoo Family-The Barlows, New- lins aud Hills-Other Pioneers-Early Trials and Troub- les-Schools and Churches-Village of Hutsonville-Its Situation as a Trading Point-Some of the Merchants and Business Meu-Fire, Water, ete., etc ... 145
CHAPTER XIV .- Licking Township-Deseription, Bounda- ries and Topography -Early Settlement-Pioneer In- provements and Industries - Villages - Early Schools, ete-Churches and Church Buildings IGO
CHAPTER XV .- Oblong Township - Physical Features- Soil and Productions-The Coming of the Pioneers-De- velopment of the Country-Early Industries-Roads aud Mil's - Village of Oblong - Church History - Early Schools-l'atrons of Husbandry. 173
CHAPTER XVI .- Montgomery Township-Physical Feat- ures, Boundaries, etc-Early Settlers and Where They Came From-The Hurricane-Frontier Industries-1 Race for the Bottle and its Results-The Poisoning nf Reed-Villages-Religious and Educational ..
CHAPTER XVII .- Martin and South west Townships-Posi- tion and Boundaries-Formation of Southwest-Water Courses - Soil- Productions - Timher-Pioneer Settle- ment-Early Incidents and Industries-Life in the Wil- derness-Early Roads- Church and School History-Vil- lages, etc., etc ... 193 CHAPTER XVIII .- Iloney Creek Township-Description and Topography-Advent of the Pale-Faecs, and their Early Struggles-Pioneer huprovemente-Religions His- tory-An Incident-Schools and Schoolhouses-Villages 202 -Parting Words, etc., ete.
vi
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
PART II. LARK COUNTY.
PAGE.
C'IIAPTER I .- General Description of Clark County-To- pography and Physical Features-ticology-Coal Meas- ures-The Story of the Rocks-Building Stone-Soils, Timber and Productions-Artesian Well-The Mound Builders and Their Works-Indian Relies, etc., etc ....... 210
CIIAPTER 11 .- Early Settlements-The Pioneers and Where They Came From-Their Hard Life, Rude Dwellings and C'oarse { "lothing -- Incident of a Biscuit- Salt-Negro Slavery-An Exciting Campaign -- Col. Archer-liame-" Marks" and " Brands "-Taxation- The Indians-Shooting Matches-Early Society-( 'hris- tianity and Pioneer Preachers-Intemperance-The ('limate, etc., etc. .. 219
(IIAPTER Ill .- Organization of the County-The Legisla - tive Act ('reating It-Location of the Seat of Justice- The Courts-Aurora and Darwin-Removal to Marshall -Bitter Contests-The Question Finally Settled-Di- vision of the "'ounty into Precincts-English Tithings -Township Organization-Benefit of the System, etc .... 250
CHAPTER IV. Clark's First Courts and Administration of Justice-AD Incident of Flogging-Ilow a Sheritf Adjourned Court-Officers and Their Pay-War His- tory-Early Military Forces of the County-Black Hawk -- Mexican War-The Rebellion-Part faken in it by Clark, etc., etc ... 252
CHAPTER V .- Educational -- First Steps Toward Knowl- edge-School Lands and the Fund Derived From Them -The Duncan School Law-Taxes for Dlucational l'nr- pose -- Changes of the School Laws-First Schools of the County-Early Temples of Learning and Pioneer Teachers-Academies and Colleges-Statistics, etc., etc .. 265
( HAPTER VI .- Internal Improvements-The Old National Road-How it was Built-Railroads-Their Appearance in ('lark-Builling of the Vandalia Road-Wabash and Other Railroad Projects-Conclusion, etc., etc 273
CHAPTER VIL .- Bench and Bar-The Early Comers and Who They Were-Some Comments on the Profession First Lawyers-Biographies and Character Sketches --- Anecdotes of Ficklin and Linder-other Legal Lumina- ries, etc .... 279
CHAPTER VIII .- Marshall Township-Introduction-To- pography-An Illinois Barreu-Primitive Attractions- Early Land Eotries -- Origin of the Village-Pioneer In- dustries and Improvements-Early Society, etc., etc ...... 29.1
CHAPTER IX .- The City of Marshall-The Plat and sub- sequent Additions-Official Organization and Progress -- Internal Improvements-Business Growth-Newspapers -Schools and Churches-Secret and Benevolent Orders, etc., etc. :05
CHAPTER X .- York Township - Topographical - Inion Prairie-The Pioneer Settlement of Clark County-Early Life on the Wabash-Boating-York Village-Its Growth and Development-The Rise of Church and School, etc .. 330
CHAPTER XI .- Darwin Township -- Description and Topog- raphy-Walnut Prairie-First Step Toward Civilization -Work and Play in a New Country-Sterling-Aurora and Darwin-County Seats-Religious, Educational, etc. 347
CHAPTER XIT .- Casey Township- Boundaries-General Topography-Soil -Streams - Early Settlement-Inci- dents-Vigilance Committee-Pioneer Life-Condition of the Country-Indians-Mills-Village of Cumberland -Village of Casey-Secret Societies-School History- Religious, etc., etc ..... 333
CHAPTER XIII .- Westfield Township - Topographical Features-Early Immigration-Social Characteristics- Growth and Development of Settlement-Richmond Westfield Village-Its Rise and Progress-The College- Churches, Ministers and Schools. 377
CHAPTER XIV .- Wabash Township - Configuration, Boundaries, etc .- Early Settlement-Pioneer Society- Amusements-Indians-Improvements and Industries -Villages-Churches and Schools, etc., etc ... 394
CHAPTER XV .- Martinsville Township-Topography- Soil and Timber-Pioneer Settlement-National Road- Early Hotels-Incidents-Indians-Village of Martins- ville-Its Growth and Development-Mills-Secret So- cieties-Schools-Churches. 403
CHAPTER XVI. - Dolson Township - Topography and Physical Features-The coming of the Pioneers-C'har- acter of the People-Mills, Roads and Other Improve- ments-Schools, Churches, etc .- Village of Clarksville, etc 417
CHAPTER XVII .-- Anderson Township-The Lay of the Land-Original Entries-Early Settlement-The Birch Family-Schools and Churches. 425
CHAPTER XVIII,-Orange Township-Position-Topog- raphy-Soil and Productions-Pioneer Settlement -- In- cidents-Early Condition of Country-Pioneer Dwell- ings-First Birth - First Marriage-Early Schools - Church History .. 432
CHAPTER XIX .- Melrose Township-Surface ( 'haracter- istics-Timber, Growth, Soils, etc ~ First Settlement -Back wood Experiences-Pioneer Industries-Churches and Schools 439
CHAPTER XX .- Johnson Township-Location and Bonnd- aries-Topography-Pioneer Settlement-Early Mills -- First Birth, Marriage, Death- Schools-Church History 448
(IAPTER XXI .- Parker Township-Surface Features-The First Settlers-Pioneer Industries and Improvements- Churches and Preachers-Educational Facilities, etc ...... 454
('IIAPTER XXII .- Auburn Township-"E Pluribus Unum" -Its Pioneers and Organization-The " Emperor" of Auburn-Early Expectations-Auburn Village-Church and School. 458
CHAPTER XXIII .- Douglas Township-Geographical Po- sition - Settlement by the Whites-Improvements - Distilleries, Mills and Roads-Schools, Schoolhouses, Churches, etc .- Village of Castle FinD .. 465
PART III.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. CLARK COUNTY.
3
Marshall Township
57
Wabash Township.
L'ascy Township .. 77
Martinsville Township. 106
Johnson Township 131
Parker Township 146
154
Darwin Township. 170
York Township
18G
Melrose Township
200
Auburn Township
2016
Dolsou Township. 213
Orange Township. 2217
Anderson Township
Additional Sketches-Received too late for insertion in proper place. 218
PART IV. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. CRAWFORD COUNTY.
Robinson Township. 2:25
IIutson ville Township .. 260
La Motte Township. 295
Montgomery Township. 326
Oblong Township 339
Martin and Southwest Township ..... 357
368
Honey Creek Township. 372
Licking Township.
Westfield Township 160
Douglas Township. 410
vii
CONTENTS.
PORTRAIT -.
PAGE.
PAGE.
Harper, G. W.
81
Ilill, Doctor.
Bishop, Ezekiel.
45
Bradbury, J. S.
243
Bradley, R. 11.
261
Callahan, E
Reavill, Andrew J.
441
Cox, Bryant
189
Ruddell, Martha
459
('rews, W. . I
279
Draper, W. L.
297
Firebaugh, 1. L 315
323
Golden, J. J
351
Wilson, W. C ..
Ilarlan, J
369
Woodworth, A. P Part IV. 233
135
225
405
Ilippard, G.
123
Hurst, John R
153
Jones, William C.
Steel, .James 11
117
Swearingen, S. G
27
Talbott, John
171
Fox, Jobn.
Taylor, Henry
Part 11I. 17
Harlau, Lucinda
Woodwortb, .I. S.
Archer, W. B.
ulver Frage moyne22 PRINTERS 18 &120 MONROE ST (
CHICAGO
PART I.
HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.
CHAPTER I .*
INTRODUCTORY-DESCRIPTIVE-BOUNDARIES AND TOPOGRAPHY-THE SCIENCE OF GEOL- OGY-ITS INFLUENCE ON AGRICULTURE AND CIVILIZATION -- GEOLOGY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY-THE COAL MEASURES-OUTCROPS OF COAL-BUILDING STONE-ITS QUALITY AND DURABIL- ITY-IRON ORE-SOILS, TIMBER, ETC., ETC.
" If the events of the past are buried in the waste ot ages, there are no landmarks by which to trace the track of time, and no means of understanding the influences which have molded human destiny."- Dickey.
!THE earliest records of humanity are found in the Sacred Scriptures, and for that rea- son have a strong claim on our diligent study. Next to inspired history, our own town, our own county, our own State, and our own com- mon country, and the deeds of our forefathers, who first settled and improved the land we call our own, should receive our notice. The history of our age and our locality comes home to us personally. Commonplace as it may seem to us now, in the ages to come it will help to make up a whole; increasing in interest as time reels off the centuries, one
after another. It is the actions and deeds of the citizen which speak through some repre- sentative whose talent for becoming their ad- vocate has given him a fame justly to be shared by his cotemporaries, and of these, county history is to speak. They constitute the delicate tracery and details of the historic landscape destined some day to be as grand as it is distant. Just as the setting sun bathes every object he leaves behind with a fresher beauty, and more attractive interest, so in- scribing upon the historic page glowing views of past scenes, affords a richer enjoyment than when those scenes were enacted. This power of reproduction compensates for the flight of time and the decay of the physical powers. In the annals of a community, fathers being dead, yet speak, and the old man still living loves to rehearse the scenes of his early days. To preserve from oblivion the scenes and the
* By W. H. Perrin.
12
HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.
facts and incidents which have transpired in this section of the country, is the object of this volume.
Not long ago, comparatively, as to the world's chronology, this vast domain, which Columbus promised to give to his king, was an unbroken wilderness, the undisputed home and hunting-ground of savage men. Of this promised land Crawford County comprises but a small and insignificant portion, and its his- tory, since the advent of the pale-face pioneer, is brief and soon told. But there is a page which comes before this, and like the prologue to a drama should be recited first. It is a page which treats of a science that traces the history of the earth back through successive stages of development to its rudimental con- dition in a state of fusion. The history of any country properly begins with its geological formations, for it is upon them that it depends for the pursuits of its inhabitants and the genius of its civilization. Phases of life and modes of thought are induced by them, which give to different communities and States char- acters as various as the diverse rocks that un- derlie them. It is no less true that the moral and intellectual qualities of man depend on material conditions. For instance, where the soil and subjacent rocks are profuse in the bestowal of wealth, man is indolent and effem- inate; where effort is required to live he be- comes enlightened and virtuous; and when on the sands of the desert labor is unable to procure the necessaries and comforts of life he lives a savage.
" Fifty years ago," says a writer on the sub- ject, " no popular belief was more fixed than that the work of creation was accomplished in six days, each occupying twenty-four hours. Geologists, however, in investigating the structure of the earth, saw that, to account for all the mutations which it has undergone required the lapse of an indefinite period of
time, stretching back so far remote as to defy computation. To this requirement every in- telligent investigator of this day assents. Geologists now find that the antiquity of man far antedates the era assigned to his creation by the received system of chronology, and submits the evidence of their belief to an en- lightened public sentiment. In the silent depths of stratified rocks are the former cre- ations of plants and animals, and even of hu- man remains, which lived and died during the slow dragging centuries of their formation. These fossil remains are fragments of history, which enables the geologist to extend his re- searches far back into the realms of the past, and not only determine their former modes of life, but study the cotemporaneous history of their rocky beds, and group them into sys- tems."
There is an intimate relation existing be- tween the physical geography and the geo- logical history of every portion of the earth's surface; and in all cases the topographical features of a country are molded by, and therefore must be, to some extent at least, a reflection of its geological structure, and the changes it has undergone from the surface agencies of more modern times. The varied conditions of mountain and valley, deep gorge and level plain, are not the results of chance, but on the contrary, are just as much due to the operations of natural laws, as the rotation of the carth, or the growth and con- tinued existence of the various species of plants and animals which inhabit its surface. Moreover, all the varied conditions of the soil and its productive capacities, which may be observed in different portions even of our own State, are traccable to causes existing in the geological history of that particular re- gion, and to the surface agencies which have served to modify the whole, and prepare the earth for the reception and sustenance of the
13
HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.
existing races of beings .* Hence we see that the geological history of a country determines its agricultural capacities, and also the amount of population which it may sustain, and the general avocation of its inhabitants.
In the topography and geology of Craw- ford County, we extract most of our facts and information from the new geological survey of the State, recently published, and which does full justice to these subjects. It says: "Crawford County contains seven full and several fractional townships, making an argregate area of about 438 square miles. It is bounded on the north by Clark County, on the east by the Wabash river, on the south by Lawrence and Richland Counties and on the west by Jaspar County. It is located on the western side of the Wabash river, and is traversed by several small streams tributary thereto. The surface is generally rolling, and was originally mostly covered with tim- ber, a large portion of which, however, has been cleared away and the land brought under cultivation, though there is still re- maining an abundance of timber to supply the present and also the prospective demand for many years. The southwest portion of the county from the Shaker Mills on the Em- barras river, nearly to Robinson, is quite broken, and there are also belts of broken land of greater or less extent on all the streams. The principal water-courses in the county tributary to the Wabash river are the Embarras, which runs diagonally across the southwestern corner of the county; the North Fork, traversing its western border from north to south; Crooked Creek, also in the southwest part, and Brushy Fork, Lamotte Creek, Sugar Creek, Hutson Creek and a few other smaller streams in the eastern portion of the county. But a small proportion of the land is prairie. The few prairies are gener-
ally small, and for the most part rolling, and are mainly confined to the northern and west- ern portio is of the county, and to the bottom and terrace lands adjacent to the Wabash river."
Geology .- "The quarternary beds in Crawford County consist of buff or drab marly clays belonging to the Loess, which are found cap- ping the bluffs of the Wabash, and attaining a thickness of ten to twenty feet or more, and from twenty to forty feet of brown gravelly clays and hard-pan, the latter resting upon the bed-rock, or separated from it by a thin bed of stratified sand or gravel. If these beds were found in a vertical section they would show the following order of succession: Buff and drab marly clays or sand, ten to twenty feet; brown and yellow gravelly clays, fifteen to twenty feet; bluish-gray liard-pan, ten to twenty-five feet; sand or gravel three feet. Generally these superficial deposits are thin, and at most places the bed-rock will be found within fifteen or twenty feet of the surface. Small bowlders are frequently met with in the branches, but large ones are quite uncommon, and they are more frequently derived from the limestone and hard sandstone of the adjacent coal meas- ure beds than from the metamorphic rocks beyond the confiues of the State, though some of the latter may be seen.
Coul Measures .- " The stratified rocks of this county all belong to the upper coal meas- ures, the lowest beds appearing in the beds of the Wabash river and the highest along the western borders of the county, and include the horizon of coals Nos. 11, 12 and 13 of the Illi- nois Section. The only knowledge that we have of the underlying formations is derived from a shaft, and boring made at Palestine Landing. The shaft was sunk to reach a coal seam reported in a boring previously made to be four feet thick, and at a depth of 123 feet. The bore was made about a mile and a half northwest of the shaft, and commenced fifteen
*Worthen.
14
HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.
feet below a thin coal which outcrops in the bill above. It was made for oil, during the oil fever, and no great reliance can be placed in the reported thickness or character of the strata penetrated. The shaft was sunk to the horizon of a coal seam reported four feet thick in the bore, but on reaching it in the shaft it proved to be two feet of bituminous shale and six inches of coal. If any reliance can be placed on the reported section of this boring, it must have passed through coals Nos. 10, 9 and 8 of the general section of the Illinois Coal Measures, and it is noticeable that in the shaft sunk at the landing, they found two thin beds of limestone over the coal at the bottom of the shaft, coal No. 9, showing that although this limestone has thinned out very much from what its outcrop shows in Clark County, it has, nevertheless, not quite disappeared. This coal was reported in the boring at four feet, without any recognition of the bitumi- nous shale above it, while in the shaft that was sunk down to this horizon in the antiei- pation of finding a good seam of coal, the bi- tuminous shale proved to be two feet thiek and the coal only six inches. The rotten coal No. 27 in the section heretofore referred to, probably represents coal No. 8, which in Gallatin County is from 50 to 75 feet above No. 7, though no trace of the latter was re- ported in the bore. The coals intervening between Nos. 8 and 15 are seldom found of sufficient thiekness to be worked to advan- tage except when it can be done by stripping along their outcrops, and here they are of but little value as a resource for fuel. In the western portion of the county but little coal has been found, and only in a single mine, hereafter to be mentioned, has there been any attempt to mine for c al in a systematic way. The exposure in the bluffs just below Pales- tine Landing show the following beds: No. 1, covered slope of Loess and Drift, fifteen to twenty feet; No. 2, shelly brown lime-
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