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LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
977.367 MI80
Mirois Historical Survey
.
-
31
(2) PAST AND PRESENT
1
OF
PIATT COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
TOGETHER WITH
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF MANY PROMINENT AND INFLUENTIAL CITIZENS.
A CHARLES MCINTOSH, ASSOCIATE EDITOR.
ILLUSTRATED.
"A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors, will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote generations."-MACAULAY.
CHICAGO: THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING CO. 1903.
"Biography is the only true history."-Emerson.
977.367: M 18p
Illinois Historical Survey
INTRODUCTORY.
29 Sept 59 armstrong
T "HE greatest of English historians, MACAULAY, and one of the most brilliant writers of the present century, has said : "The history of a country is best told in a record of the lives of its people." In conformity with this idea, the BIOGRAPH- ICAL RECORD has been prepared. Instead of going to musty records, and taking therefrom dry statistical matter that can be appreciated by .but few, our corps of . writers have gone to the people, the men and women who have, by their enterprise and industry, brought this county to a rank second to none among those compris- ing this great and noble State, and from their lips have the story of their life strug- gles. No more interesting or instructive matter could be presented to an intelligent public. In this volume will be found a record of many whose lives are worthy the imitation of coming generations. It tells how some, commencing life in poverty, by industry and economy, have accumulated wealth. It tells how others, with lim- ited advantages for securing an education, have become learned men and women, with an influence extending throughout the length and breadth of the land. It tells of men who have risen from the lower walks of life to eminence as statesmen, and whose names have become famous. It tells of those in every walk in life who have striven to succeed, and records how that success has usually crowned their efforts. It tells also of those, who, not seeking the applause of the world, have pursued the "even tenor of their way," content to have it said of them, as Christ said of the woman performing a deed of mercy-"They have done what they could." It tells how many in the pride and strength of young manhood left the plow and the anvil, the lawyer's office and the counting-room, left every trade and profession, and at their country's call went forth valiantly "to do or die," and how through their efforts the Union was restored and peace once more reigned in the land. In the life of every man and of every woman is a lesson that should not be lost upon those who follow after.
Coming generations will appreciate this volume and preserve it as a sacred treasure, from the fact that it contains so much that would never find its way into public records, and which would otherwise be inaccessible. Great care has been taken in the compilation of the work and every opportunity possible given to those represented to insure correctness in what has been written; and the publishers flatter themselves that they give to their readers a work with few errors of conse- quence. In addition to biographical sketches, portraits of a number of representa- tive citizens are given.
The faces of some, and biographical sketches of many, will be missed in this volume. For this the publishers are not to blame. Not having a proper concep- tion of the work, some refused to give the information necessary to compile a sketch, while others were indifferent. Occasionally some member of the family . would oppose the enterprise, and on account of such opposition the support of the interested one would be withheld. In a few instances men never could be found, though repeated calls were made at their residence or place of business.
September, 1903.
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING CO.
General 22 Sept 59 Mrs. J. Ennis
1
INDEX.
HISTORICAL.
CHAPTER I EARLY HISTORY, 1820-1840 9
CHAPTER II 1840-1903. I4
Township Organization 16
Civil War
18
Jail
19
Poor Farm
19
Railroads
20
Dredge Ditch.
21
Piatt Fair.
22
County Papers.
24
Improvements of County Buildings 25
Court House and Jail 25
County Officers.
26
CHAPTER III SCHOOLS OF THE COUNTY 27
School Directors' Association
29
Annual Institute.
30
State Course of Study
31
Monticello Township. 31
Bement township. 32 Cerro Gordo Township. 34
Milmine 34
La Place 34
Goose Creek Township.
35
6
INDEX.
.
Sangamon Township. 35
Willow Branch Township 35
Unity Township. 36
Blue Ridge Township. 37
CHAPTER IV MONTICELLO 37
Monticello Water Works
39
Town Hall.
4I
Farmers' Elevator
42
Banks
42
Harrington Brother's
43
Elevators
44
Telephones
44
Hotels 44
Light Plant. 44
Pepsin Syrup Company. 45
H. D. Peters Company
45
MONTICELLO CHURCHES-M. E. Church.
45
Presbyterian 46
LODGES-Masonic Order. 47
I. O. O. F 48
K. of P. 48
CHAPTER V EARLY SETTLEMENT BY TOWNSHIP 48
Bement
48
Unity
50
Cerro Gordo
51
La Place.
51
·Milmine 52
Willow Branch.
52
Blue Ridge 52
Sangamon 53
INDEX.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
PAGE
Adkins, Charles.
246
Allerton, Robert H. 464
Allerton, Samuel W. 148
Allman, Edward.
472
Allman, James L. .
254
Andrews, Mrs. J. E .. 494
Armsworth, Samuel S
471
Arnold, Elder John. 442
Ashmore, C. H .. 428
Baker, George W
419
Baker, T. G.
122
Bales, Dr. F. 291
Barker, Dr. B. L. 343
Barnhart, J. C .. 244
Bateman, J. O. .
412
Bateman, Thomas, Jr.
383
Bear, C. J .. 103
Beckenholdt, John 373
Bell, John D
450
Benard, Louis.
233
Benson, Rohert H. 194
Blacker, John. 493
Blagg, S. A. . 127
Bondurant, Thomas E. 56
Booth, Dr. C. O. 242
Bosserman, Marion.
345
Buckle, H. W.
169
Bunyan, George W 137
Burgess, G. A. 75
Burns, John H
203
Bushee, Jesse 512
Camp, J. M. 170
Camphell, Elijah 500
Carter, Joseph P 298
Chenoweth, E. B. 217
Chenoweth, Gideon
215
Churchill, John T. 382
Clark, Anthony 401
Clark, William. 386
Cline, J. H .. 331
Coffin, Dr. N. G. 92
Coffin, William D. 279
Coleman, Miss Lyda 511
Comerford, John E. 167
Cope, C. C.
433
Cope, L. J. 432
PAGE
Croninger, E. L. 505
Crook, Jesse J. 453
Curry, M. O .. 502
Cyphers, John W.
448
Darst, J. J 322
Dauherman, C. M. 256
Davidson, M. R ..
481
Dawson, D. H ..
486
DeGrofft, William
M.
346
DeLand, George.
420
507
Dighton, A. J .. 482
Dighton, William
145
Dilatush, W. H.
84
Dillin, · Hiram .. 304
Dresbach, Ephraim 285
Drum, Ell.
204
Duncan Brothers. 63
Edie, A. C ... 81
Edwards, J. C .. 380
Edwards, Wellington 380
Elliott, James W. 449
Ellis, Dr. Joshua G 191
England, C. E ..
498
Etnoyer, John.
302
Evans, James C.
206
Fairbanks, W. D. 272
Firke, W. H.
333
Fisher, Jacob. 355
Fisher, James 321
Fleck, W.
105
Fosnaugh, E. L .. 390
Foulk, Samuel J
231
French. J. H.
276
Frizzell, John 141
Fulk, J. G .. 234
Funk, S. M. 166
Furnish, J. C. 334
Gantz, Henry W 451
Gardiner, John. 506
Garver, J. H.
266
Gessford, Henry
347
PAGE
Gillespie, C. O. 385
Gillespie, Fred D. 361
Gillespie, H. K. 338
Gilmore, Henry
H.
422
Gordon, P. I. 394
Gross, Jacoh. 310
Gulliford, Walter 372
Hamman, Fred. 516
Haneline, Nathan 307
Harris, H. P. . 243
Hawley, Rev. Ernest. 155
Hetishee, Frank.
205
Higgins, George O 115
Higgins, William S. 222
Hill, Joshua. 64
Hilligoss, John W. 85
Hiser, Albert. 297
Hiser, Pope. 281
Hoffman, G. W. 460
Howell, J. R. 323
Hubhard, J. S.
371
Hubhart, R. B. 300
Huff, B. F.
180
Homeau, Louis C. A.
154
James, Alvah
402
James, E. P. 439
Jamison, Col. W. H. 227
Jones, Dr. B. B.
96
Keel, Dr. Fred W. 489
Kersten, Fred .. 431
Kilhorn, Major L. S. 496
Kile, Joseph G 434
Kingston, G. W. 475
Kingston, J. W 474
Kirhy, John. 66
Kizer, T. J.
490
Knight, E. G.
461
Lamh, Thomas, Sr 179
Langley, A. J. 82
Langley, J. C. 55
Larson, John. 74
Larson, Nels. 510
Larson, N. B. .
271
Leach, William H.
384
.
Deveny, T. F.
Dewey, Charles
S
357
8
INDEX.
1
PAGE
Locher, J. C .. 133
Lodge, B. F. 314
Lodge, William E. 128
Lodge, William F. 443
Lord, Dr. William L
236
Lowther, J. W. 228
Lubbers, Otto. 479
Lumsden, E. W 192
McClain, Dr. B. T. 144
McClure, Samuel. 350
McGinnis, John F 499
Maier, John ..
189
Mansfield, Charles F. 118
Mansfield, Gen. J. L. 106
Marquiss, Seymour. 218
Martin, O. M .. 476
Matson, Dr. W. F.
395
Means, Rev. W. E ..
94
Merritt, Joseph W., Sr
113
Meyer, H. G.
463
Miller, Martin E
292
Miner, Charles.
515
Miner, Ira F
468
Miner, R. S.
287
Mitchell, Emor H.
125
Mitchell, Dr. T. J 238
Moery, John. 200
Moody, R. B. 417
Moore, Allen F 117
Moore, H. V .. 134
Morris, Thomas 259
Moyer, Edward. 374
Nelson, Sylvanus 393
Noe, Dr. O. D. 508
Noecker, Dr. William. 164
Odernhelmer, F. A. 72
Ohler, August.
504
Olson, James
484
Olson, John. 488
Smothers, A. T. 278
Staats, Mrs. P. E. 492
Stanley, J. Frank. 124
Stephenson, James 136
Stevenson, Evan. 503
Stevenson, Hon. W. F 438
Stollard, Amos. 269
Stout, Edward S. 289
Sullivan, Florence 226
Swisher, Daniel P. 396
Taylor, Charles 362
Teats, George W .. 360
Rankin, J. H. 376
Ray, James P 320
Reed, S. R .. 70
Trenchard, G. R.
138
Uhl, Lewis M.
282
Van Gorder, James 349
Van Syckel, John V
404
· Vent, James A.
288
Wachs, Albert. 337
Wachs, W. A.
336
Ross, A. R ..
454
Wack, Casper
480
Warner, J. W. 444
Warren, John H ... 326
Webster, Presley B 430
Weilepp, Charles F 477
Weilepp, Frank S. 478
Scott, Matthew T 101
Shively, Isaac. 389
Shively, J. M. 225
White, Benjamin R. 99
White, J. M. 60
Shreve, John H. 381
Wilhelmy, Dr: Sylvester. 237
Wilson, Joseph. 190
Wolfe, Eli F. 80
Wood, Dr. J. H 325
Smith, James M. 406
Wyman, D. F. 429
Sınlth, William P. 248
Smock, John H ..
170
Yapp, C. W.
368
Smock, Samuel
147 Zook, N. W.
201
Orr, Baltis. 255
Peters, H. D. 469
Piatt, W. H .. 86
Pierson, A. D .. 158
Pipher, Alonzo
T
312
Pittman, George W. 178
Ponder, James.
405
Ponder, John R. 213
Predmore, Rev. Moses. 257
Prine, David H. 485
Reeves, Dr. E. L. 145
Reeves, John H. 467
Rhoades, N. E. 457
Richey, Andrew J.
176
Rinehart, C. T.
392
Rodman, J. N.
76
Rodman, Scamon C.
459
Root, Ezra S
260
Roth, Christlan. 513
Royse, Hiram 223
Ryder, W. L .. 182
Schwartz, Haagan 277
Wells, Henley C 95 Wheeler, H. W. 157
Shively, Stephen. 311
Sisson, W. J. 440
Smith, John.
359
Smith, J. C .. 399
Tippett, Mrs. Helen C. 217
Tippett, J. C ... 143
PAGE PAGE
1
PAST AND PRESENT
-OF-
PIATT COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
CHAPTER I.
EARLY HISTORY-1820-1840.
One of the richest agricultural districts in the world is the small county of Piatt, situated near the middle of the great state ,of Illinois. It lies in the great prairie region of the United States, and is a part of the rich alluvial plain of the Mississippi valley, which is noted all over the world for its wonderful fertility. The soil is a rich warm loam, particularly adapted to the raising of corn, and large quantities of it are produced each year. Oats is also a staple crop, and wheat is raised successfully along the tim- ber. Focd for stock is produced in abun- dance, and large number of cattle, horses, hogs and sheep, are raised each year. The county is distinctly an agricultural one, at least ten thousand of its seventeen thousand people living in the country. There are no large cities, Monticello, the largest having a population of some two thousand.
In point of size. Piatt county is a little less than the average of the state .* Its area is 440 square miles. Its greatest length is thirty-four miles, and its greatest width fif- teen miles.
. The surface generally is level, sloping slightly to the southwest. The principal river of the county is the Sangamon, which crosses near the center of the county, flowing in a southwesterly direction. This river has no very large branches, the principal ones on the north being Madden's Run, Goose Creek, Wild Cat Creek, and on the south Camp Creek and Willow Branch. Some of the land in the south part of the county slopes southeast and drains into the Kaskas-
as follows: *Four other counties of the state have the same area as Piatt, DeWitt, Grundy, Hamilton and Williamson. Thirty-five counties have a less area, as follows: Alexander, 220; Bond, 380; Boone, 288; Brown, 306; Calhoun, 251; Cumberland, 350; Douglas, 410; Du Page, 340; Edwards, 220; Franklin, 430; Galla- tin, 340; Hardin, 180; Henderson, 380; Jersey, 360; Johnson, 340; Kendall, 321; Lake, 394; Lawrence, 362; Marshall, 350; Massac, 240; Menard. 311; Monroe, 380; Moultrie, 340; Perry, 432; Pope, 360; Pulaski, 190; Putnam, 170; Richland, 380; Rock Island, 420; Saline, 396; Schuyler, 414; Scott, 252; Stark, 290; Union, 400; and Wabash, 220. These figures are taken from the official report of the Secretary of State. The population of Piatt county in 1900 was 17,706. At that time, twenty-eight counties of the state had a less population, as follows: Bond, Boone, Brown, Cal- houn, Cass, Cumberland, Edwards, Gallatin, Hardin, Hender- son, Jersey, Johnson, Kendall, Lawrence, Marshall, Mason, Massac, Menard, Monroe, Moultrie, Pope, Pulaski, Putnam Richland, Schuyler, Scott, Stark, Wabash.
IO
PAST AND PRESENT
kia, a branch of the Mississippi through the Lake Fork of the Okaw River. The "divide" between the Sangamon and Kas- kaskia basins is a ridge extending in a north- easterly direction between Bement and Mon- ticello.
Piatt County was not settled as early as those in the southern part of the state. When Illinois was admitted as a state in 1818, it claimed a population of some 45,000 souls, not one of which lived within the present limits of our county.
The settlement of the southern part of the state first came from two causes. In the first place, the early settlers of Illinois, came generally from the south, from Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, etc., and would natur- ally settle the southern part of the state first. Then, too, the Indians in the northern part of the state were very hostile to the English settlers. They were in sympathy with the French and cherished resentment towards all , the English for many years. The Ft. Dear- . then moved into Champaign county.
born massacre in 1812 helped to delay the settlement of the northern part of the state for some time.
Up to 1822, what is now Piatt County was uninhabited save by wanderng tribes of the Kickapoo and Pottawatomie Indians, and by the animals of the prairie and the forest. Along the river and creeks was the timber, and back from these waterways were the prairies covered over in summer and fall with the tall prairie grass waving backward and forward in the breeze, making it look at a distance much like a rolling sea. The deer, the wolf, and the fox were very much in evidence. During the rainy season much of the land was under water, and the country looked like one vast lake.
The same year in which Edward Cole was elected second governor of the state and
the same year that witnessed the first great contest in our state over slavery, came George Hayworth into our county from Tennessee and built the first cabin ever erect- ed within the limits of what is now Piatt county. The cabin was built in Monticello on the Lodge place. Soon after this he built another cabin, having some friendly Indians to help him. He lived in the county three years and then moved to Danville. In the fall of the same year, James Martin came to the county from Ohio. He built a cabin north of Monticello on what is now the Rhoades place. Mr. Martin's wife died within the first year, so he sold out his place to Mr. Daggott and went back to Indiana. The next spring he persuaded his nephew, John Martin and his niece, Mrs. Furnace, to accompany him back to Illinois and he re- turned and built a cabin near White Heath. Mr. Daggott lived on the place he purchased from Mr. Martin for about two years and
About 1824, Mr. Holliday came to the county and built a cabin near Mr. Hay- worth's on what is now a part of Monticello. He sold his cabin to Mr. Solomon Carver, who sold it to Mr. Cordell. In 1829 Mr. Cor- dell moved into the cabin.
In April, 1824, Mr. Abraham Hanline and his four sons, (Abraham, Jacob, James and Nathan), his wife having just died, took a claim of one hundred and sixty acres near the Coon Spring north of Monticello and commenced at once the task of clearing the ground and building the cabin. The same year Mr. York built a cabin where Mr. Geo. Varner now lives which was the first house ever built within the limits of what is now Goose Creek township. In 1830 Mr. Cordell built a cabin on the Woolington place north of Monticello. In 1830 the York and
II
PIATT COUNTY, ILLINOIS. .
Cordell claims were the only ones on the north side of the Sangamon river between Friend's Creek and Cheney's Grove.
In the spring of 1829, Mr. James A. Piatt, from whom the county is named, bought the Hayworth claim paying $150 for it, and giving all but $18 of it in tinware. He moved to the county that spring from Indiana, and bought in all 600 acres of land, on part of which the city of Monticello is now located.
In 1830 Mr. Frye put a cabin at the mouth of Goose Creek. The same year, Mr. Terry came to the county and built two cabins, one for himself, and the other for his mother-in-law, Mrs. Randolph. In 1831 Mr. Olney, a captain in the Revolutionary war, built a cabin on what is now the Mr. Ezra Marquiss place. His son-in-law, Mr. Law- rence, built a cabin near him. One of his sons took possession of the Frye cabin, and the other built a cabin where Mr. William Piatt now lives. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence both died here. Their sons became dissatis- fied with the place and moved away. In 1833, Mr. Abraham Marquiss came to the county and took possession of the cabin where Wm. Piatt's residence now is. In 1832, Peter and Mary Souders settled in what is known as the Argo settlement in the northeastern part of what is now Sangamon township.
Between 1830 and 1840 the settlers came into Piatt county rapidly. Among those who came about this time may be mentioned the following: Abraham Marquiss, Ezra Marquiss, William Barnes, John and Rich- ard Madden, Samuel Oulrey, Joseph Mal- lory, Isaac Williams, Samuel Sever, Cyrus Widick, Michael Dillow, Mr. Ater, Mr. Bailey, James Hart, Jesse, Richard and Wil- liam Monroe, James Utterback, Joseph and
Luther Moore, Ezra Fay, Daniel and Samuel Harshbarger, Simon and Nathaniel Harsh- barger, Samuel Havely, Abraham Collins, John Tenbrook, Samuel West, A. J. Wiley, A. Rizeor, John Argo, John Welch, William Smock, Peter Adams, George and Silas Evans, the Armsworths and the Coons.
Such in brief is the history of the county up to 1840. We who live in Piatt county at the present time and enjoy all the comforts of civilized life can have no adequate con- ception of the privations of the early settlers.
The first settlements were always made in or near the timber because their houses were made of logs and they would build the house were the logs were. Then, too, they must have fuel for the winter, and if they lived in the timber, it did not have to be hauled very far.
When they first came, they must bring with them enough bread and similar provi- sions to last until a crop could be raised. Corn furnished a large part of the diet. Johnny-cake for breakfast and dinner, and mush and milk for supper were things nearly always on the "bill of fare." There was a great deal of wild fruit, plenty of wild game, including turkeys and deer, and an abun- dance of fish in the rivers. They would find a "bee tree" occasionally and rob the faith- ful workers of their sweets. Afterwards the "truck patch" furnished an abundance of garden vegetables for the tables. In some . places they made a great deal of maple sugar.
The first task of the settler was the erec- tion of his cabin. These were usually sixteen feet square. They would get large logs for sills and on these lay the "sleepers" for the puncheon boards which constituted the floor of the cabin. The house was then built up with logs until about seven and a half feet high, then the "butting pole sleepers" were
12
PAST AND PRESENT
laid on the ends. These were logs that pro- jected about 18 inches over the others, on the projecting ends of which were placed the "butting poles" which gave line for the first row of clapboards, which formed the roof of the cabin. These clapboards were made to lap about a third of the way, and were sometimes kept in place by heavy poles laid along the roof. The cracks were then daubed with mud, the door made of rough boards with large wooden hinges and a wooden latch, the string of which always hung out as a sign of welcome, put in place. One or more small windows containing a few pains of glass, the fireplace occupying nearly one whole end of the room, large enough to contain a back log heavy as any man would care to carry, and the cabin was ready for occupancy. The furniture was of the most primitive kind. In one corner the bed or beds, sometimes made by driving sticks in the wall and supporting the other end from the floor and covering the slats with straw ticks; the table-a puncheon slab supported by four legs made by boring large auger holes in the lower part of the slab and inserting the sticks used for legs. The chairs were made much like the tables only they had but three legs. Occasionally, split bottomed chairs would be found. The old fashioned spinning wheel stood in a corner, perhaps in another the cumbersome loom, while over the door hung the rifle and pow- der horn always ready for instant use. A rude cupboard to hold the dishes was all else needed. But few "store goods" were used. The settlers were so far from market, and the cost of transportation was so great that they could buy but few articles for every day use.
When the cabin was finished and oc- cupied, they commenced to clear the ground
for the crop. They had not yet learned that the prairie soil could be cultivated. The prairies were covered over with luxuriant crops of prairie grass, which, on the low places, grew from six to eight feet in height. The roots were very tough and fibrous, and it was very hard to plow with the implements they then had. The early settlers thought it never would be settled.
In the meantime, the women of the household were not idle. Nearly every far- mer kept a few sheep. From these, enough wool was secured for home use. The "lin- sey-woolsey" made of equal parts of cotton and wool was a very important article for the clothing of the early settlers. The spin- ning wheel was found in nearly every home, and frequently the loom, and the women made all the clothes for the entire family. The children were given some work to do as soon as they were old enough and they were early inured to labor.
In early times the nearest mills were on the Sangamon and Wabash Rivers, and the people would go to Danville for their "store goods" and for their flour.
Some of the early settlers had a home- made arrangement, for mashing the corn, called a "hominy-block." This was made by making a hole about a foot and a half deep in a block of wood. Corn was placed in the hole and pounded with another block sometimes supported on a sweep fastened to the side of the house. The finer part of the corn was made into bread and the coarse part was used for hominy. The first large mill in the county was made in 1838, and was on the Sangamon River about two miles north of Monticello.
During this time, the mails were carried on horseback in saddle bags. Most of the mail was letters, postage ranging from ten
I3
PIATT COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
to twenty-five cents, and could be paid at either end of line, but was usually paid by the receiver.' When the stage routes were estab- lished through the country in 1839, the mail was carried by stage.
The ague season commenced usually in August and lasted several months. Some- times whole families would be "shaking" at once. Typhoid fever was very common.
One of the greatest difficulties was the prairie fire. In the fall the people would pro- tect their farms by ploughing furrows around them, and sometimes by ploughing furrows wide apart and burning the grass between them. Fires sometimes came, burn- ed the stacks of hay and wheat and some- times fields of corn. Fires moved very rap- idly. Prairie fires prevented growth of timber, except on highlands or in broken country near streams.
Green head flies were very bad. For about six weeks in late summer, travelers had to go at night. These flies sometimes killed horses, goading them to death with pain, loss of blood and incessant kicking to become rid of them.
be had. It literally starved to death. Before snow fell, deer were fat as could be, but be- fore the snow passed away they were so poor they were not fit to eat. It was almost im- possible to travel. In the spring the snow melted, the ground was flooded and it was almost as difficult to get around as it had been in the winter.
The "sudden freeze" occurred in January 1836. It had been raining in the morning and was not very cold. The storm came from the northwest, and reached our county a little afternoon, perhaps two o'clock. The temperature fell suddenly from about 40 de- grees above zero to twenty below and much suffering followed. The face of the coun- try was changed almost instantly from water to ice. The roads were left sharp and it was sometime before horses could be taken from barns. Jacob and Samuel Deeds were frozen to death while on their way to West Okaw. Such are some of the privations . of the early settlers, yet we must not think that their life was altogether a bitter one. They had their "bright spots," just as we do now. Human nature is pretty much the same now, as it always has been, and it de- mands a period of relaxation occasionally. These were obtained at the "quilting bee," the "corn shucking," and the "apple bee." At the "quilting bee," ladies for miles around would assemble some afternoon. Busy hands then worked hard and fast for the work must be gotten out of the way for the fun in the evening. In the evening the gen- tlemen came, and the time was spent in some boisterous games or in a dance.
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