Past and present of Pike County, Illinois, Part 1

Author: Massie, Melville D; Clarke, (S.J.) Publishing Company, Chicago
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 760

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LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

977.345 M38p

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN ILL. HIST. SURVEY

PAST AND PRESENT

PIKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS

CAPT. M. D. MASSIE,

TOGETHER WITH

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

OF MANY OF ITS PROMINENT AND LEADING CITIZENS AND ILLUSTRIOUS DEAD

ILLUSTRATED

CHICAGO: THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING CO. 1906

977 345

DEDICATION

To the good people of Pike county, old and young, who are proud of your homes and citizenship, and those of you, who knew some of the pioneers and the notable citizens of the past, many of you who are their suc- cessors and representatives, who lovingly appreciate the labors of the early pioneers and progressive citizens of the old county, for their life services in your and the county's interests, this work is respectfully dedicated, BY THE AUTHOR.

977.345 12 3 Pp

THY

PREFACE.

HE publishers take pride in presenting this volume to the public. The historical part is the work of Capt. M. D. Massie, of New Canton, and the citizens of the county are to be congratulated on his services being secured by the publishers, as no man in the county is better qualified for the task. A perusal of the volume will show that his work is well done.

The biographical part of the work is the compilation of well qualified men, those long experienced in the business. They have gone to the people, the men and women who have, by their enterprise and industry, brought the county to a rank second to none among those comprising this great and noble State, and from their lips have the story of their life struggles. 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 limited 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 success has usually crowned their efforts. It tells also of many, very many, 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 consequence. In addition to biographical sketches, portraits of a number of representative 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 conception 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.

March, 1906.

THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING CO.

٢٧ ١٠

LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.

PRESENT COURTHOUSE

Historical.

INTRODUCTION.

When the Divine Master dispersed the waters and said, "Let there be light," the western hem- isphere appeared and later was known as America. Then as the centuries rolled by and civilization began its march Illinois was defined and in that great state Pike county was given a boundary and a name, and now with the aid of the printer's art, old Pike will be given its proper place in a home history, and its progress and development will be carefully chronicled for this and the generations that are to come. The work will be as follows: First, Illinois ; second, Pike county ; third, town- ships; fourth, river history; fifth, war history; sixth, railroad history ; seventh, county officials; eighth, old settlers' society ; ninth, California argo- nauts; tenth, banks and bankers ; eleventh, bench and bar; twelfth, illustrious dead; thirteenth, churches and schools; fourteenth, sny levee history ; fifteenth, miscellaneous.

ILLINOIS.

For one hundred and two years, from 1673 to 1765, the French possessed Illinois. From 1700 to 1719 Illinois was a dependency of Canada and part of Louisiana with the government a theoc- racy; from 1763 to 1765 under French control, and from 1765 to 1778 under British dominion. In 1778 it was known as Illinois county in the state of Virginia. The county of Illinois then contained all the territory that is now Ohio, Indi-

ana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan. In De- cember, 1778, Governor Patrick Henry of Vir- ginia appointed John Todd lieutenant command- ant of Illinois county. On March 1, 1784, Vir- ginia ceded all the territory north of the Ohio river to the United States. Then the general government proceeded to establish a form of government for the settlers in the new territory which remained until the famous ordinance of 1787 was passed. The third and sixth sections of the much discussed ordinance in the past im- presses one with the fact that men of divine sen- timent were the authors, who are said to be Na- than Dane, Rufus King and Timothy Pickering. Thomas Jefferson and Rev. Manasseh Cutler, of Massachusetts, were 'perhaps two who did most for the passage of the resolution that did so much for the northwestern territory. A portion of sec- tion three reads thus: "Religion, morality and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind schools and the means of education shall be forever encouraged." A part of section six reads : "There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory. Otherwise than in the punishment of crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted."

From 1780 to 1809 Illinois was a part of the Indiana territory. The population of the terri- tory in 1800 was : whites 4,875, negroes 135, In- dians 100,000. The boundaries of the Indiana territory extended to the British possessions and included what is now Illinois, Wisconsin, Michi- gan and Indiana. The capital was at Vincennes

102868

PAST AND PRESENT OF PIKE COUNTY.

and there were three counties, Knox, St. Clair and Randolph. The latter two in Illinois. During this period Governor William Henry Harrison did great service in the allotments of the public lands that were very beneficial to the early set- tlers whose means were very limited.

He also aided in the division of the territory. In 1805 Aaron Burr made a treasonable move to found his southwestern empire but failed. In 1809 Illinois by act of congress was made a sepa- rate territory, John Boyle was appointed gover- nor but declined, to accept a judgeship in the Kentucky court of appeals. Ninian Edwards, upon the recommendation of Henry Clay, was ap- pointed territorial governor by President Madi- son. Its population was estimated at 9,000. The census of 1810 made it 12,282; 11,500 whites, 168 negro slaves. It is said that the largest part of the territory was filled by a roving band of Indian savages that outnumbered the whites three to one. At this period territorial revenue was raised by a tax on the land. The land on the river bottoms was taxed one dollar on every one hundred acres, uplands were seven- ty-five cents on the one hundred acres. Horses were taxed not to exceed fifty cents per head and cattle ten cents. The entire revenue 1811 to 1814 was four thousand eight hundred seventy-five dol- lars forty-five cents, only two thousand five hun- dred sixteen dollars and eighty-nine cents paid in to the treasury two thousand three hundred seventy-eight dollars forty-seven cents remained in the hands of deliquent sheriffs. This conduct of the sheriffs remained a curse for many years after Illinois was admitted as a state. Illinois had her first constitutional convention at Kaskas- kia in July, 1818, and the fifteen counties, St. Clair, Randolph, Madison, Gallatin, Johnson, Edwards, White, Monroe, Pope, Jackson, Craw- ford, Bond, Union, Washington and Franklin, had thirty-two members. The convention signed the new constitution August 26th, and without ratification by the people. The new document took effect at once, and in September the new state officers were elected. The first general assembly met October 5, 1818. In 1824 there was an effort to call a new convention with the evident pur- pose of making Illinois a slave state. Pike county

had sent Nicholas Hansen to the legis ature, whose seat was contested by John. Shaw and as the house needed one vote to submit the call for a new convention Hansen was unseated and Shaw admitted. The latter voted for the convention and a great uprising then occurred and a howling mob formed and marched the streets of Van- dalia, insulted Governor Coles, burned Hansen in effigy and did many other things that they after- ward regretted. The matter was submitted to a vote and after bitter canvass of eighteen months, the effort to make llinois a slave state was de- feated by 1,800 majority. The whole vote of the state was II,612. Thus we see that the early pioneers were duly imbued with the glorious principles shown in the declaration of independ- ence and the ordinance of 1787. They were earnest, far-seeing men and laid foundations upon which the state structure stands to-day. The people of Illinois suffered great losses from early banking system and up to 1821 the state was rich in "wild cat shin plaster money." In 1821 the Illinois State Bank was evolved with a capital of a half million dollars, the issues bore two per cent annual interest and were to be redeemed in ten years by the state. An effort was made to keep the bills at par with gold and silver and they were to be made receivable at the land of- fices. A vote was taken in the Illinois Senate when Pierre Menard, the old Frenchman, was presiding officer, and he put the question thus: "Gentle- men of de senate, it is moved and seconded dat de notes of dis bank be made land office money. all in favor of dat motion say aye, all against it, say no. It is decided in de affirmative and now gentlemen, I bet you one hundred dollars he never be made land office money." There was no takers of the best, but the sturdy old Frenchman was correct as they never were and soon were utterly worthless. In 1821 the counties of Greene, Fay- ette, Montgomery, Lawrence, Hamilton, Sanga- mon and Pike were established. Pike's territory was then all between the Illinois and Mississippi rivers up to the Wisconsin line. At this time the state's population was nearly 75,000 with perhaps nearly 100,000 Indians and 500 negroes.

Illinois has had the following governors: Ist, Shadrach Bond, St. Clair county, October 6,

PAST AND PRESENT OF PIKE COUNTY.

1818, to December 5, 1822; 2nd, Edward Coles, Madison county, December 5, 1822, to Decem- ber 6, 1826; 3rd, Ninian Edwards, Madison county, December 6, 1826, to December 9, 1830; 4th, John Reynolds, St. Clair county, December 9. 1830, to November 13, 1834; 5th, William Lee D. Ewing, Fayette county, November 17, 1834, to December 3, 1834; 6th, Joseph Duncan, Mor- gan county, December 3, 1834, to December 7. 1838; 7th, Thomas Carlin, Greene county, De- cember 7, 1838, to December 8, 1842; 8th, Thomas Ford, Ogle county, December 8, 1842. to December 9, 1846; 9th, Augustus C. French, Crawford county, December 9, 1846, to January 10, 1853; 10th, Joel A. Matteson, Will county, January 10, 1853, to January 12, 1857; 11th, William H. Bissell, St. Clair county, January 12. 1857, to March 15, 1860; 12th, John Wood, Adams county, March 21, 1860, to January 14, 1861; 13th, Richard Yates, Morgan county, Jan- ary 14, 1861, to January 16, 1865; 14th, Richard J. Oglesby, Macon county, January, 1865, to 1869, January 13, 1873, to January 23, 1873, January 30, 1885, to January 14, 1889; 15th, John M. Palmer, Macoupin county, January 11, 1869, to January 13, 1873 ; 16th, John L. Beveridge, Cook county, January 23, 1873, to January 8, 1877 ; 17th, Shelby M. Cullom, Sangamon county, Jan- uary 8, 1877, to January 10, 1881, January 10, 1881, to February 6, 1883 ; 18th, John M. Hamil- ton, McLean county, February 6, 1883, to Janu- ary 30, 1885; 19th, Joseph W. Fifer, McLean county, January 14, 1889, to January 10, 1893 ; 20th, John P. Altgeld, Cook county, January 10, 1893, to January 11, 1897; 21st, John R. Tanner, Clay county, January II, 1897, to January 14, 1901; 22nd, Richard Yates, Morgan county, Jan- uary 14, 1901, to January 14, 1905; 23rd, Charles S. Deneen, Cook county, January 14, 1905, to the present.

In eighty-seven years the state has had eleven democrats and twelve republicans as governors. In the old whig party days they were only in the running but did not capture the prize. From 1810 to 1813 the territory of Illinois furnished 1,500 men for the Indian wars that the general govern- ment was suppressing, and the state furnished 8,500 men in the Black Hawk war, 1832 to 1833.

In the Mexican war Illinois was called upon for thirty companies to rendezvous at Alton and seventy-five companies responded. Governor Ford selected thirty companies to go. In the Civil war, 1861 to 1865, Illinois furnished 259,- 147 men as follows: One hundred and fifty-five infantry regiments, sixty-seven independent com- panies, fifteen cavalry regiments, eighteen inde- pendent cavalry companies, thirty-eight compa- nies of light artillery. Washington army records show that under the different calls for troops, Illinois furnished 60,171 more men than her quota, leading all the other' states in a total in excess of 149,393. Ohio came next with 28,429; Indiana, 25,511 ; Iowa, 13,897; New York, 5,517. We have just cause to be proud of the great state that gave a Lincoln, a Grant, a Logan and so many other illustrious patriots and heroes. Not forgetting the great army of gallant boys that carried the muskets and wore the imperishable title of volunteer soldiers. For eighty-eight years territorial and state history shows that Il- linois has been the big and generous one in the gifts of men for human rights.

Illinois had Kaskaskia as a territoral capital and from 1818 to 1836 the state capital was at Vandalia, and since that date Springfield has been the seat of. government. The state has a larger number of railroads with a greater ex- tent of track than any other state in the union. The railway interests are so vast and complicated that they are under the supervision of a state railway commission organized by the last consti- tutional convention. Illinois was the eighth state admitted after the adoption of the federal consti- tution. It is 388 miles long and 212 miles wide and has in its borders 36,256,000 acres, and is the third state in the rank of population. Its corn crop in 1880 was 325,792,481 bushels, and the nation's crop in 1905 was 2,707,993,400 bush- els. In forty-seven years the Illinois Central Railroad has paid into the state treasury in con- formity with the law enacted at the instance of Senator Stephen A. Douglas $20,581,528.26, in sixty-three years there has been paid into the state treasury from property tax over two hun- dred millions dollars, and for over twenty-five years the state has been out of debt.

PAST AND PRESENT OF PIKE COUNTY.

The state has had the following United States Senators : Ninian Edwards, Jesse B. Thomas, John McLean, Elias Kent Kane, David J. Baker, John M. Robinson, William L. D. Ewing, Rich- ard M. Young, Samuel McRoberts, Sidney Breese, James Semple, Stephen A. Douglas, James Shields, Lyman Trumbull, Orville H. Browning, William A. Richardson, Richard Yates, John A. Logan, Richard J. Oglesby, Da- vid Davis, Shelby M. Cullum, Charles B. Far- well, John M. Palmer, William E. Mason and Albert J. Hopkins. Edwards, Thomas, McLean, Robinson Kane, each had two terms, Douglas, Trumbull and Logan three terms, Cullom four terms. They were fifteen democrats, nine repub- licans and one independent. From 1818 to 1832 the state had only one congressional district. Shadrach Bond was the first delegate and served in the twelfth and thirteenth congress. John Mc- Lean was the first state congressman and was in the fifteenth congress. In 1818 the state had one member in congress and 1905 had twenty-five. In the census of 1820 Illinois had nineteen counties with 55,162 population. The smallest county was Jefferson with 691, and the largest was Mad- ison with 13,550. In the census of 1900 the state had one hundred and two counties and 4,821,500 inhabitants, and in 1905 perhaps 5,250,000. The state's growth has been wonderful. In 1830 a gain of over 100,000; 1840, over 300,000; 1850, a gain of nearly 400,000; 1860, over 860,000; 1870, nearly 828,000; 1880 nearly 540,000 ; 1890, nearly 750,000 ; 1900, nearly 1,000,000 gain. The A little village of Chicago in 1833, now in 1906 is the second city of the nation with over 2,000,000 population and the greatest interocean city in the world.

ILLINOIS CONFEDERACY.

The Illinois confederacy, the various tribes of which comprised most of the Indians of Illinois at one time, was composed of five tribes: The Tamaroas, Michigans, Kaskaskias, Cahokas, and Peorias. The Illinois, Miamis and Delawares were of the same stock. As early as 1670 the priest Father Marquette mentions frequent visits made by individuals of this confederacy to the missionary station at St. Esprit, near the western

extremity of Lake Superior. At that time they lived west of the Mississippi, in eight villages, whither they had been driven from the shores of Lake Michigan by the Iroquois. Shortly after- ward they began to return to their old hunting ground, and most of them finally settled in Illi- nois. Joliet and Marquette, in 1673, met with a band of them on their famous voyage of discov- ery down the Mississippi. They were treated with the greatest hospitality by the principal chief. On their return voyage up the Illinois river they stopped at the principal town of the confederacy, situated on the banks of the river seven miles below the present town of Ottawa. It was then called Kaskaskia. Marquette re- turned to the village in 1675 and established the mission of the Immaculate Conception, the oldest in Illinois. When, in 1679, LaSalle visited the town, it had greatly increased, numbering 460 lodges, and at the annual assembly of the differ - ent tribes, from 6,000 to 8,000 souls. In common with other western tribes, they became involved in the conspiracy of Pontiac, although displaying no very great warlike spirit. Pontiac lost his life by the hands of one of the braves of the Illinois tribe, which so enraged the nations that had fol- lowed him as their leader they they fell upon the Illinois to avenge his death, and almost anni- hilated them.

When Illinois was admitted into the Union in 1818, James Monroe was president of the United States, also when Pike county was named in 1821. The author of the famous Monroe Doc- trine will always live in the history of the world and especially in the United States. The doc- trine reads thus : "That we should consider any attempt on the part of European powers to ex- tend their system to any portion of this hemi- sphere as dangerous to our peace and safety, and that we could not view any interposition for the purpose of oppressing or controlling American governments or provinces in any other light than as a manifestation by European powers as an un- friendly disposition towards United States." This doctrine immediately affected the course of foreign governments, and has become the ap- proved sentiment of the people of the United States.

PAST AND PRESENT OF PIKE COUNTY.

This with many other notable words: Lincoln "No man has a right to rule over another without his consent," and "with malice toward 1763-Illinois country together with Canada ceded to English by the French. 1763-1764-Pontiac's Conspiracy. British fail to reach Illinois country. none, with charity for all;" Grant : "Let us have peace," and his heretofore unknown magnaminity to Lee's soldiers; and with Roosevelt's splendid saying, "'Tis not who or how rich, but how good 1765-Ft. Chartres surrenders to the British. a citizen you are," has aided Illinoisans in being among the best citizens in the universe. Many of . THE BRITISH DOMINION IN THE ILLINOIS COUN- our citizens, past and present, have doubtless had TRY, 1765-1778. in mind this thought given by Epictetus, the Ro- man stoic and philosopher, who lived and died 1768- Colonel Wilkins organizes first British Court at Ft. Chartres. in the first and second century : "Remember that you are an actor in a drama of such sort as the 1769-Pontiac assassinated by an Illinois Indian, at Cahokia. author choses, if it be his pleasure that you should act a poor man, see that you act it well, or a crip- 1771-Mass meeting at Kaskaskia demands rep- resentative privileges. ple or a ruler or a private citizen, for this is your business to act well a given part."

FIRST THINGS IN ILLINOIS-CHRONO- LOGICAL TABLE.

THE FRENCH IN ILLINOIS, 1673-1765.

1673-Illinois river explored and Mt. Joliet named by Joliet and Marquette.

1674-1675-Marquette revisits Illinois country. 1675-Mission known as Kaskaskia mission near present site of Utica founded by Mar- quette.

1677-Claude Allouez takes charge of the Kas- kaskia mission.

1680-Ft. Creve Coeur, near present site of Pe- oria,. erected by LaSalle. Later the same year he finds it destroyed.

1682-Ft. St. Louis, on Starved Rock, erected by LaSalle.

1687-Assassination of LaSalle in Texas. 1699-1700-Cahokia mission established.

1700-Kaskaskia mission and the Kaskaskia In- dians removed to the Mississippi. The mission established near the present site of Kaskaskia.

1717-Illinois annexed to Louisiana.

1718-1720-Ft. Chartres built near Prairie du Rocher.

1720-Renault introduces African slaves. 1723-Renault land grant.

1754-French and Indian war begins.

1756-Rebuilding of Ft. Chartres completed. 1758-Ft. Massac erected by the French.

1772-Ft. Chartres damaged by overflow of the Mississippi and abandoned. Kaskaskia made capital of Illinois country.

1775-American revolution begins.

1778 -- George Rogers Clark conquers the Illinois country for Virginia.

ILLINOIS A COUNTY OF VIRGINIA, 1778-1784.

1778-October. "County of Illinois" created by the Virginia legislature.

1779-February. Clark's expedition against Vin- cennes. May. Col. John Todd, com- mandant of "Illinois County," sets up a temporary government at Kaskaskia. 1783-Treaty of peace with Great Britain recog- nizes title of the United States to the Illinois country.

1784-March 1. Virginia cession of the North- west Territory to the United States.

ILLINOIS UNDER TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT, 1784-1818.

1784-April. First ordinance for the Northwest Territory.

1785-April. Massachusetts cedes her claim in northern Illinois. May. Congressional ordinance establishes township survey system.

1786-Connecticut cedes her claim in northern Illinois.

PAST AND PRESENT OF PIKE COUNTY.

1787-July 13. Ordinance for the government of the Northwest Territory.

1790-Governor St. Clair visits Kaskaskia. The county of St. Clair organized.

1795-Judge Turner holds court for St. Clair county. Removal of records from Ca- hokia to Kaskaskia. Creation of Ran-

· dolph county. Treaty of Greenville. Nearly all of Illinois reserved for In- dian occupancy.

1799-General Assembly organized for North- west Territory. Illinois sends two rep- resentatives.

1800-May 7. Formation of Indiana territory, which included Illinois.

1804-Land office established at Kaskaskia. The erection of Ft. Dearborn (Chicago) by United States troops.

1805-First election of a territoral house of dele- gates for Indiana.

1806-"Burr Conspiracy."

1809-February 3. Illinois territory organized. April 24, Ninian Edwards appointed first Governor. June. The Governor and judges first met as a law making body at Kaskaskia.

1811-Battle of Tippecanoe.

1812-May 21. Illinois raised to the second grade of territorial government. Election of territorial officers and delegate to Con- gress, October. First session of Terri- torial Legislature at Kaskaskia, No- vember 25. June. War of 1812 begins. August 15. Massacre of Ft. Dearborn. September 14. Creation of Madison, Gallatin and Johnson counties. Novem- ber. French village near present site of Peoria destroyed by Captain Craig.

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Past and present of Pike County, Illinois, Part 1

Author: Massie, Melville D; Clarke, (S.J.) Publishing Company, Chicago Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 760

Author: Massie, Melville D; Clarke, (S.J.) Publishing Company, Chicago
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 760