USA > Illinois > Piatt County > History of Piatt County; together with a brief history of Illinois from the discovery of the upper Mississippi to the present time > Part 1
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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
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LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINO.I.S.
977.367 P57 cop. 2
ILLINOIS HISTORICAL SURVEY'
,
--
-
98.
LIBRARY TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
RESIDENCE OF JAMES A. PLATT, SR.
FIRST HOUSE IN THE COUNTY.
HISTORY
OF
PIATT COUNTY
TOGETHER WITH A
BRIEF HISTORY OF ILLINOIS
FROM THE
DISCOVERY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI TO THE PRESENT TIME.
BY
EMMA C. PIATT.
"Go, little booke, God send thee good passage, And specially let this be thy prayre, Unto them all that thee will read or hear, Where thou art wrong, after their help to call, "Thee to correct in any part or all." -Chaucer.
WITH MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
SHEPARD & JOHNSTON
PRINTERS
-- : :
140-6 Monroe St., Chicago
977.367 P51 Cop.2
DEDICATION.
TO MY FATHER-TO MY MOTHER,
AS A TRIBUTE TO THE FORTITUDE WITH WHICH THEY ENDURED THE TRIALS OF PIONEER LIFE, AND BECAUSE OF MY LOVE FOR THEM, DO I AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATE THIS BOOK.
EMMA C. PIATT.
1
975847
PREFACE.
WE do not present this book to the public as a mnodel literary effort, but expect it to be classed with county histories only. Neither do we claim it to be a complete history, since no complete history was ever written. But we do claim it to be a record of the most important items that could be collected by one person in over two years of unceasing labor. The object of the book is to preserve certain valuable items relative to the county's past and present, which, but for the preparation of such a book, could not have been collected. With the failing memories of the citizens, and the passing away of many of the pioneers, the opportunity for obtaining such items would soon have been lost.
The writer has spared neither time, trouble nor expense, and in addition to riding 172 miles by rail within the limits of the county, has traveled, by actual count, in a carriage, 883 miles, stopping for neither cold nor stormy weather. Doubtless some mistakes occur ; but our best judgment has been used, and we have conscientiously striven to keep out as many errors as possible. Since not more than ten inen out of every hundred interviewed could give the exact date of their marriage, it will not be strange if some of the dates are wrong. A number of men could not give the number of their children without stopping to count them up. Several would have left out one of their children's names had not the child appeared during the interview. One man averred he had ten children, but upon counting them over time and again, said, "I guess there are only nine, but I thought there were ten !" Upon asking one man if any of his children were in the army, he said. "Yes, a boy and a girl," which statement he afterward contra- dicted. Frequently people are unable to give the names of their
6
PREFACE.
married sisters, their grandchildren, and, in some cases, their own children, even. One or two men actually had to study awhile before they could give the names of their own wives. After such answers having been given relating to personal items supposed to be well established in each person's mind, if mistakes occur in this book, they will be the more readily excused, or at least the people will know some of the disadvantages we have labored under in obtaining facts.
There are some worthy and important persons in the county whom we failed to see, which fact is regretted, but it would take many more than one trip over the county ere all of the over fifteen thousand of the county's inliabitants could be found at home, or at leisure sufficient to be interviewed. Although we advertised in the county papers for personal matter, many that we wished to hear from did not reply. Although over one hundred pages have been added that were not promised to our patrons, still we were obliged to cut out some of the personal items. We have endeav- ored, however, to leave out the sketch of no person who encouraged us to go on with the publishing by agreeing to take one of the books.
In our travels among the old settlers we heard a great deal about the hospitality of the old times, and we want to take this opportunity to assure the public that the county still retains a great deal of that estimable virtue. In the majority of cases we were greeted cordially by the people, and many times were we enter- tained cheerfully in the homes in the county.
We wish to extend thanks to the people who have encouraged and befriended us in any way in the preparation of this work. Especially do we thank the old settlers who took the pains to recite their deeds of years ago. We also acknowledge the assist- ance of Mrs. N. D. Scovell in the preparation of the article on geology, and we are grateful for the assistance rendered by Miss Nettie Adams in the arrangement of some of the final notes for the book.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
RESIDENCE OF JAMES A. PIATT, (Frontispiece)
COUNTY COURT HOUSE,
23
COUNTY JAIL, .
57
MAP OF PIATT COUNTY,
105
COUNTY POOR HOUSE,
137
RESIDENCE OF EZRA MARQUISS,
171
PORTRAIT OF JAMES A. PIATT, Sr.,
205
PORTRAIT OF MRS. JAMES A. PIATT,
239
RESIDENCE OF F. E. BRYANT,
273
RESIDENCE OF JOHN DICKSON,
307
PORTRAIT OF WM. H. PIATT,
.
341
PORTRAIT OF MRS. WM. H. PIATT,
375
RESIDENCE OF RICHARD MONROE,
409
RESIDENCE OF WM. H. PIATT,
443
PORTRAIT OF F. E. BRYANT,
477
RESIDENCE OF MICHAEL HARSH-
BARGER,
511
PORTRAIT OF EZRA MARQUISS,
545
PORTRAIT OF J. O. SPARKS,
579
RESIDENCE OWNED BY SAM'L ALLER-
TON, .
613
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.
CHAPTER I.
TOPOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS.
TLLINOIS, in common with several other states, has the proud dis- tinction of lying within the Mississippi valley. This fact alone places it on an equality with some of the most magnificent states in the Union.
In area, Illinois contains about 55,531 square miles of territory. The greatest length from north to south is near 380 miles. The ex- treme breadth is a little over 200 miles. It lies between 37° 3' and 42° 30' north latitude. Extending thus through a range of over five degrees of latitude, its climate is quite varied, permitting the growth of seini-tropical plants as well as those which are common to the north temperate zone. An excellent system of drainage is furnished by the 2,000 miles of navigable rivers whichi bound, or take their course through, portions of the state.
Illinois is bounded on the north by Wisconsin. The waters of Lake Michigan, the only one of the great lakes wholly within the United States, form a northeastern boundary line of about sixty miles in length. Indiana and the Wabash river form the eastern boundary line, while the Ohio river, on the southeast and south, separates the State from Kentucky. Illinois is separated from Iowa and Missouri by the Mississippi river, which forms a boundary line about five hundred miles long.
The general surface of the country is level or slightly rolling. Near the large streams, especially in the southern part of the state, quite good-sized liills are found. The highest lands, however, are "The Mounds," in the northwestern part of the state. From these mounds, which have an altitude of over 1,000 feet above the level of the sea, to the southern part of the state, there is a gradual slope of the land toward the southwest. This slope of the country causes the general course of the streams to be toward the Mississippi river.
The Desplaines river, rising in the southeastern part of Wisconsin, and the Kankakee river, which rises in northern Indiana, unite in
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10
A BRIEF HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.
Grundy county, Illinois, to form the Illinois river - the largest in the state. The Illinois flows almost directly west across La Salle county, until, in Putnam county, it makes a bend, and from thence on to its mouth, about twenty miles above the mouth of the Missouri, the gen- eral course is southwest. This river is near five hundred miles long, and is navigable by steamers to La Salle. The Illinois and Michigan canal, extending from this place to Chicago, opens communication by water between the Mississippi river and the Great Lakes. The Rock river in the northern and the Kaskaskia in the southern part are the other principal tributaries of the Mississippi within the state. The Wabash receives the waters of the Embarras, Little Wabash, and Saline Creek, which are the principal streams in southeastern Illinois. Besides the streams mentioned there are many of smaller size, the ma- jority of which flow toward the Mississippi. This state is somewhat remarkable for the small number of lakes and ponds within its boundaries.
Although Illinois is known as the "Prairie State," still it contains a great amount of timber, which is found along all the water-courses. It is a noticeable fact that the amount of timber is constantly on the increase. The prairies, which were once covered withi tall grass and flowers, are now dotted here and there with groves of trees, and the cereals have taken the place of the grasses.
The material resources of Illinois are many. Its minerals are a constant source of wealth. Zinc, copper, fire-clay, and many varieties of building stone are found. The Galena lead mines alone would make the state famous, while the coal mines seem exhaustless.
But the agricultural products go beyond all these. It has been said that " perhaps no other country of the same extent on the face of the globe can boast a soil so ubiquitous and its distribution so univer- sally productive." Illinois " is a garden four hundred miles long, and one hundred and fifty miles wide." Portions of the state have been under constant cultivation since the beginning of the French occupa- tion at Kaskaskia, over one hundred and fifty years ago.
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CHAPTER IL.
ORIGIN OF THE PRAIRIES.
I "LLINOIS has long been known as the "Prairie State." By this appellative her fame has been carried from country to country all around the world. Nor has this state been made unjustly famous. The prairies are her pride, and well they may be, for it is owing to their extent and fertility that Illinois has made such rapid advances in civilization. At first their great beauty was their chief attraction. All early writers on the subject, as well as the early settlers of the state, agree in the statement that the vegetable growth on the prairies was, in their time, more profuse than now. The grass grew very high, and when it waved to a summer's breeze it seemed to the pioneer that a sea of great extent stretched out before his vision. A feeling of awe came over him,-that feeling which always comes upon beholding Nature's great handiwork. Marquette, in his account of his first voyage on the Illinois river, over two hundred years ago, mnade special men- tion of the beauty and fertility of the prairies.
After their beauty and grandeur, the prairies' next attraction was their utility. Gov. Reynolds said of them: "It is one of the great elements in the rapid growth of Illinois that such large and fertile prairies exist in the state. Nature has made the prairies the finest and most fertile fields in the Union, and has prepared them for cultivation." The experience of persons who have lived since Gov. Reynolds' time proves that his statement is still a truthful one.
One cannot look upon the broad and beautiful prairies without a feeling of wonder as to their origin, which has been a subject of thought for years, and of which there can yet be only conjecture.
In dealing with this subject we can but give the opinion of persons who have given it their long and thoughtful attention. Judge Caton, of Ottawa, Illinois, and H. W. Beckwith, of Danville, Illinois, have both written very instructive and interesting articles on the subject. The unwritten opinions of many of the early settlers of the state should not be disregarded, for such men, although in many cases having but little scientific knowledge of geology and botany, are remarkable for their deep insight into the visible workings of nature.
The various prairies in different parts of the earth have originated, most likely, through various causes. It would, then, be wrong to attribute the origin of all to the supposed causes which led to the
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.
origin of some special prairie. Illinois prairies, it may be, had an origin entirely different from that of the prairies in the western part of the United States.
One of the first theories, and one that is still held by many, is that our prairies here were produced by fire. It is certain that at an early day great fires swept over this state. Ofttimes, within the remem- brance of some of the early settlers here, portions of forests have been entirely burnt down. In course of time these settlers have seen the prairie grass take complete possession of the ground where great trees had stood.
Gov. Reynolds said : "Many learned essays are written on the ori- gin of the prairies, but any attentive observer will come to the conclu- sion that it is fire burning the strong, high grass that caused the prairies." He further said, in speaking of the forests of southern Illi- nois: "I have witnessed the growth of the forests in the southern counties, and know there is more timber in them now than there was forty or fifty years before. The obvious reason is that the fire is kept out. This is likewise the reason the prairies are generally the most fertile soil. The vegetation in them was the strongest, and the fires there burnt with the most power." "It will be seen that the timber in the north part of the state is found only on the margins of streams and other places where the prairie fires could not reach it."
A later opinion, and one that is held by some of the best geologists in the United States, is that the prairies were formed by water rather than by fire. Judge Caton says : "That the prairies,-that is, the land itself,-have been formed under water, except the very limited portion of the surface which has been added from deconiposed aninial and veg- etable matter since their emergence, will not be questioned by anyone of the least observation ; but that is not the main question involved in the present inquiry. Why are they not covered with forests?"
Judge Caton agrees, in general, withi Prof. Lesquereaux, who pre- pared a paper for the Geological Survey of Illinois, and thinks that the prairies were formed under water. He, however, disagrees with the Professor in the particular process of formation under water: and the fact that the elements of the soil of the prairies are such that are not conducive to forest growth. The Judge further says: "I en- tirely concur in the popular opinion that among the most important of the causes which have produced this interesting result is fire, while the exhaustion and replenishing the soil with their particular elements have, no doubt, hád their influence." "The hard, impenetrable char- acter of the sward, formed by most of the herbaceous vegetation of the prairies, forms a serious impediment to the germination of seeds of
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ORIGIN OF THE PRAIRIES.
trees, when, by accident, they fall upon it. It is not the composition of the soil that prevents the germination of this class of seeds, but whatever difficulty is experienced in this regard arises from the me- chanical cause above suggested." "The cause of the absence of trees on the upland prairies is the problem most important to the agricult- ural interests of our state, and it is the inquiry which alone I propose to consider, but I cannot resist the remark that wherever we do find timber throughout this broad field of prairie it is always in or near the humid portions of it,-as along the margins of streams, or upon or near the springy uplands." "If the head-waters of streams on the prairies are most frequently without timber, so soon as they have at- tained sufficient volume to impede the progress of the fires, with very few exceptions, we find forests on their borders becoming broader and more vigorous as the magnitude of the streams increases." " Another fact, always a subject of remark among the dwellers on the prairie, I regard as conclusive evidence that the prairie soils are peculiarly adapted to the growth of trees is, that wherever the fires have been kept from the groves by the settlers, they have encroached upon the prairies, unless closely depastured by the farmer's stock or prevented by cultivation. This fact I regard as established by careful observa- tion of more than thirty years, during which time I have been an in- terested witness of the settlement of this country,-from a time when a few log cabins, many miles apart, built in the borders of the groves, alone were met with, till now nearly the whole of the great prairies, in our state at least, are brought under cultivation by the industry of the husbandmen. Indeed, this is a fact as well recognized by settlers as that corn will grow upon the prairies when properly cultivated. Ten years ago I heard the observation made, by intelligent and observing men, that within the preceding twenty-five years the area of the tim- ber in the prairie portions of the state had actually doubled by the spontaneous extension of natural groves. However this may be, cer- tain it is that the encroachments of the timber upon the prairie have been universal and rapid, whenever not impeded by fire or other phys- ical causes, without regard to the constituents of the soil."
Hon. J. D. Caton's article on the origin of the prairies delivered before the Chicago Historical Society, is so to the point that we have quoted quite extensively from it.
Mr. H. W. Beckwith says, in the conclusion of his article on the subject in his " Historic Notes of the Northwest": "The prairies of Illinois and Indiana were born of water and preserved by fire for the children of civilized men who have come to take possession of them."
CHAPTER IIL
THE MOUND BUILDERS.
W HO were they? What were they? Wlience came they? What became of them? These are questions which the civilized world has for nearly four centuries been trying to answer. Although some of the best minds of the world have been at work for years trying to solve the mystery connected with these people, still their conclusions are but conjectures. The astonishment of the Europeans when first they knew that the New World was peopled with a race different from any before known, was more than equaled by that produced when, many years later, it became known that a race was here long previous to Indian habitation. Antiquarians say, now, that the Europeans are the fourth race to people America.
Evidence in regard to the early races was not obtained from the Indians. Their earliest traditions told nothing of the builders of the wonderful and magnificent cities, the remains of which are found in various parts of Mexico and Central America. Neither could any- thing be obtained from them in regard to the earthworks of the United States, which are so numerous in places, and are scattered all the way from the southern shore of Lake Ontario southwesterly to Mexico. The original inhabitants of this great country passed out of existence leaving almost nothing for the later inhabitants to know of them save what is inherent in the grand and ofttimes magnificent ruins scattered from the Great Lakes to the Andean Plateau.
The inhabitants of Mexico and Peru at the time of the Spanish conquest had some traditions relating to their predecessors, but all were of so conflicting a nature that but very little could be obtained from them. Aztec traditions indicate that Mexico was once occupied by a savage people, supposed to be the first owners of the land. These savages were displaced by a more civilized race which came in ships. This people was, in turn, conquered by another civilized people, who united with the former inhabitants. Allowing that there may be truth in these traditions, it has been suggested that the original mound- builders were a branch or colony of the second of the races which emi- grated to Mexico, and that they finally were attracted to the warmer climates, where they conquered and united with the people already there. These three peoples probably furnished the curious and inag- nificent structures the ruins of which have been objects of wonder- ment for so many modern minds.
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15
THE MOUND BUILDERS.
The great number and magnitude of the ruins in Mexico, Central America, and South America, show that these countries were once quite densely populated. The time of the building and occupation of the cities now in such utter ruin and desolation is almost beyond con- jecture. From the present crumbling condition of the once massive stone structures, it would seem that, in point of time, they long ante- date the Egyptian and other noted ruins of the Old World. Judging from their art displayed in various utensils, and in the' construction of the magnificent edifices, the inliabitants of ancient Mexico and Central America were much more civilized than those of the United States.
The great number and massiveness of the earthiworks found in the United States are no less a matter of speculation tlian are the more artistic ruins found farther south. 'These earthworks are of divers shapes, and were evidently designed for varions purposes. Some of them are ruins of forts; of these some are rectangular, others are square ; some are protected by outer embankments, while almost all are surrounded by ditches. Ohio, probably, contains the greater num- ber and the most interesting forts. On the banks of the Saline river, in Illinois, there was fonnd the remains of a stone fort having walls four or five feet high. The remains of a walled town was found on Paint creek in Ohio.
Mounds of various sizes have been found in many of the states. In many instances these mounds seem to have been originally intended for bnrial-places. In general, these earthen tombs were for single fami- lies or persons, the size of the monnd indicating the rank held by the persons while living. The Indians used some of these mounds for burial- places, which accounts for the many skeletons sometimes found in them. Illinois has the honor of containing the largest mound in the United States. It is called the Cahokia Mound, and is about six miles northeast of St. Louis. This mound was, ere modern improvement marred its shape and diminished its size, in the shape of a parallelo- gram, having sides seven hundred and five linndred feet respectively in length. Its heiglit was ninety feet. A large terrace on the sontli- west was reached by a winding road. The summit was truncated, and in the middle of the large platform thus formed was a conical mound abont ten feet high. This mnound contained hnman bones, as well as the remains of various articles and utensils. The most probable sup- position is that a temple of wood, or other perishable material, origi- nally stood on this mnound. Here high priests performed religious rites, which were witnessed by multitudes of people from below .*
Illinois contains a great number of smaller mounds. These are
* Foster's " Prehistoric Races."
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.
often arranged in groups. Mr. Foster, in his " Prehistoric Races," mentions a group of fifty-nine mounds found on the banks of the Meron river. Some of the earthworks assume the shape of gigantic animals. Adamns county, Ohio, contains a mound in the shape of a monstrous serpent one thousand feet in length. Northern Illinois and Wisconsin contain the majority of these animal mounds.
It is supposed that the mound-builders were sun-worshipers. This conclusion was deduced from various facts. The finding of mounds, such as that at Cahokia, which were evidently used as the bases for temples ; the placing of the dead with their heads toward the east, the openings of tombs and forts being toward the east, and finally the finding of rude carvings representing the sun,-all lead to tlie conclu- sion that the mound-builders were sun-worshipers.
What remains that have been found of this curious people show that in civilization they were far in advance of the Indians. They mined and quarried stone; they were acquainted with the curative properties of salt ; they had a national religion, and they built a great line of defense for protection from their enemies. The great size and number of their works showed that the government must have been such that the inany were ruled absolutely by the few. No similarity can be found between this government and that of the Indians. There is certainly a similarity between the works of the mound-build- ers and those of the ancient inhabitants of Mexico. It is Dr. Foster's opinion that the mound-builders were expelled from the Mississippi valley by a barbarous race, and that refuge was taken in and about Central America, where their civilization became more complete. They thus left behind them the magnificent edifices the ruins of which have elicited the admiration of so many.
Quite an excellent proof of the antiquity of the mound-builders was evinced when a comparison was inade between the bodies found in the earthworks and some of those found in the Old World having a known time of burial. Considering the unfavorable conditions for preservation of the latter as compared with the favorable conditions of the foriner, the condition of the bodies when found in works of the mound-builders show a much longer interment. The conclusion is arrived at that the mound-builders were here at least two thousand years ago.
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