USA > Illinois > Johnson County > A history of Johnson County, Illinois > Part 3
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A HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY
graduate of Oklahoma Agricultural and Medical College, Stillwater, Oklahoma, was our second Farm Advisor, em- ployed 1921. Our county also boasts one unit of the "Home Bureau" under Williamson County supervision. This is known as the "Ozark Unit" and is made up of women prin- cipally from Burnside Township.
DRAINAGE
Cache River is the most important stream in Johnson County. It enters near the center of the western boundary, flows southeast, to the northern part of Sec. 30, S. range 3, east in Vienna Township, where it turns almost directly south, then southeast again, making a large bend by again turning southwest and forming the southern boundary of that portion of the county. Its principal tributaries are Lick, Dutchman, and Little Cache, or Town Creek, the first of which rises in Union County and runs into Cache in the western part of Elvira Township. Dutchman rises in Gore- ville Township, running in a southeast direction and re- ceives Little Cache, or Town Creek, in section seventeen, township thirteen and empties into Cache in section thirty of the same township. It is interesting to note that the description of the east fork of Cache given by J. M. Peck in 1837 is practically correct for today. "This stream rises in Tunnel Hill Township, flows south and a little west by Vienna and into Dutchman in section seventeen."
Big Bay Creek rises in Johnson County, receives Cedar, which with the other tributaries, drains the eastern sec- tions. The northern portion is drained by the tributaries of Saline and the northwestern section, by the streams that flow into Big Muddy River. The streams that flow to the north have narrow valleys with little low land along them. Cache is naturally a slow and sluggish stream. It has carv- ed out a valley varying from a quarter to two miles in width. Along its feeding streams, also those of Big Bay, lie large tracts of bottom land, which are subjected to over- flow and have been for many years since the Ohio River re- ceded from them.
But in recent years there have been organized several drainage systems which have for their object the straight- ening of the main streams and the reclaimation of large and valuable tracts of land. Such improvements make these localities much more healthful. The first intimation of
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A HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY
drainage in this county is a record of the appointment of Thomas Jones as "Drainage Commissioner" for the county 1852 or 1854, and of his giving a bond of $10,000 with Wes- ley Reynolds, Nathan Rushing, Jefferson Jobe, William Mounce, D. Y. Bridges and B. F. Hayward as security. This appointment, however, was not made with the view of or- ganizing a drainage system. When in 1850, the U. S. grant- ed to the several states all the swamp land lying within their limits and in 1852 the states in turn granted this land to the counties and there were, consequently 23,087.24 acres of such land in this county, there was evident need for a drainage commissioner in title at least. The law said "counties shall not dispose of more than is necessary to com- plete the drainage except they may apply the remainder to roads and bridges. The counties land to be under the con- trol of the commissioner."
As late as the fifties, swamp land sold in this county as low as 25 cents an acre; between 1870 and 1880 some Chi- cago capitalist became interested in swamp land in the vicinity of Belknap and Post Creek, but for some reason the scheme to drain it failed. Members of the State Legis- lature tried for several sessions to get aid from the state in making a survey to determine the practicability of a drain- age system for Cache River. Trousdale, of Massac, P. T. Chapman, of Johnson, in the Senate and George Martin, of Pulaski tried in the House at different sessions to secure this legislation. It failed of passage until the 43rd General Assembly when Senator Helm, of Massac and C. M. Gaunt, of Pulaski were successful. An appropriation of $10,000 for a survey of this territory was then made. A. H. Bell, of Bloomington, was employed as chief engineer and Wil- liam Moyer, of Pulaski County, as Assistant.
Belknap Drainage District was organized about 1903. It lies wholly within Johnson County and extends from near Old Foreman, southwest to Rago. It was, in fact, a levee system and protected about 6,000 acres of land. It was financed by issuing bonds, and cost $40,000. The first Board of Commissioners was S. D. Peeler, Charles Mason and W. P. Brown. The present members are Charles Marshall, D. C. Casper and T. M. Bean (1922). The system was com- pleted in about two years but the commissioners have since, in conjunction with Cache River Drainage System, con-
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A HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY
structed Foreman Flood Way and other ditches which have proved more satisfactory for their purposes than the levees.
The "Cache River" drainage system is by far the most important undertaking of its kind in this section of the country. Its territory includes portions of five counties, Pope, Massac, Johnson, Pulaski and Union. The commission for the Cache River drainage system was organized in the spring of 1911, after a very pointed argument for the need of a drainage system had been furnished by the high water of 1910. The loss to Johnson County from this high water in crops, roads, bridges and farm improvements amounted to some $100,000. The head of this system begins a little more than a quarter of a mile east from the Big Four R. R. in Township 12, Sec. 6, S. Range 3 east, of Johnson County, running through sections six and seven in a slightly south- east direction to Township 14, Sec. 13, S. Range 2 east about 21/2 miles and is known as the Foreman Floodway, serving both Belknap and Cache River systems. The main ditch, or "Cache River Cut off" begins in Pulaski County at the mouth of Post Creek, and the course of Post Creek is changed by it in an exact opposite direction so that it flows out of Cache instead of into it and empties into the Ohio River several miles above the original mouth of Cache. Cache is, thus stortened about 60 miles. This ditch is a little less than five miles long, sixty seven feet deep at different places and 350 feet wide at some points.
S. D. Peeler, of this county, was a member of the Drainage Board for nine years and was chairman of it for seven. He gave much time and energy to this project, the value of which can not yet be estimated. This drainage pro- ject has been financed in the usual way at a total cost of $330,000. When completed over 80,000 acres of land will be drained. The main ditch was begun in 1912 and finished in 1916, but the entire system is not yet finished, (1924).
Vienna Drainage District was organized about 1911. The commissioners were D. W. Whittenberg, J. C. Chap- man, O. H. Rhodes, C. J. Huffman, secretary and treasurer. This system has two divisions, the eastern one, beginning on Town Creek at the bridge on the Bloomfield road near the Big Four Station, running in a southwestern direction and meeting the western section. The latter section begins on Dutchman, just below where the bridge crosses that stream
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A HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY
on the West Vienna and Vienna Road and runs in a south- east direction. On J. C. Chapman's farm, in section 7, the east and west branches, become one ditch to Ballow Bridge, in Section 17 on the Belknap and Vienna Road, where it meets the main stream of Dutchman. The work of digging this ditch was not begun till 1915. It was completed in 1916 at a cost of $25,000. It drains almost 6,000 acres and is being paid for in the usual manner, the taxes meeting the interest and a portion of the bonds each year.
HORTICULTURE
Although the farmers of Johnson County since early settlement have generally had small orchards to supply fruit for home use, the growing of fruit on a commercial scale was begun about twenty-five years ago. The adaptability of the Memphis silt loam to the production of fruit has made this one of the most, if not the most, important industry of this county. The most extensive orchards are in Burnside Township, but fruit growing is not confined to this locality entirely. The orchard area is spreading to all parts of the Ozark Ridge lying in the county. A. G. Benson, living in Tunnel Hill Township had, in 1918, twenty-six acres in bearing trees, from which he realized in cash $3,300. An- other fruit grower in the same township, Guy Beauman, made on his eighty acres of trees, $15,000. The large orchards are well cared for, pruned and sprayed. The ap- ples are usually sold on the trees, the buyer picking, barrei- ing and shipping. Other orchard growers are F. B. Hines, R. F. Taylor, Mrs. Mary McAvory, Dr. W. R. Mizell, Dr. LaRue, John Underwood, Gingrich Bros., Norman Casper, Hugh and P. G. McMahan and the Centralia Fruit Farm.
The most extensive fruit growers we have in the coun- ty are Heaton Brothers of New Burnside. They are known in all parts of the United States as apple growers, and have blue ribbons and medals from all kinds of fairs and exposi- tions. They have been in the business for about thirty-five years and have four hundred acres in trees. The early var- ieties they raise are Transparent and Duchess; the winter or keeping varieties are Winesap, Ingram and Kennard's Choice. The average yield from an acre of orchard is $100. The following is quoted from the pioneer orchardist of the county :
"The first commerical orchard was planted in the spring
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A HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY
of 1888 by J. C. B. Heaton. Southern Illinois was then a dumping ground for tree peddlers with left over nursery stock. Mr. Heaton went into the nursery business for a time that he might get trees true to name, and with a hope that he might be able to direct an industry that would raise his neighbors from a state of semi-poverty to affluence and independence. Seeing that nursery men and orchardists were everywhere giving their efforts to growing fall and winter apples and that there was an increasing demand for early apples, which no section was yet making an effort to supply, he began growing and planting early varieties. While he was considered visionary at the time by many peo- ple, there were a few who were willing to risk his judgment and followed his example in planting early varieties. Those who gave attention to their orchards and brought them into bearing, reaped such a valuable harvest as to cause their neighbors to sit up and take notice. It was not long until everybody wanted an orchard of early apples, and went at it in earnest."
From a few local shipments in 1895 the industry grew to more than 150 car loads in 1920. During all this period there has been no year that a well cared-for orchard has failed to pay expenses. There has been no such thing as a total failure and probably never will be. It is admitted by our State Horticultural Department that no section of the state gives better care to the orchards than the New Burnside section. The United States apple census in the June report of 1918 says that Johnson and Union Counties have the largest early apple industry in the United States. Mr. Heaton also says, "The New Burnside vicinity will double its output within five years, trebble it in eight years, and quadruple it in twelve years at the present rate of planting. Good orchard land easily accessible to New Burn- side, the shipping point, can be bought for $30.00 to $60.00 an acre. But good orchards in bearing, readily sell for $300 to $400 an acre. These prices are not based on estimates, but actual sales. Apples grown near New Burnside captur- ed a gold medal at Louisiana Purchase exposition; also at St. Louis in 1903, a silver loving cup at the State Horticul- tural Show, and many minor premiums. In fact, Heaton Bros.' apples exhibited anywhere have never failed to get their portion of premiums. While this is one of the small- est counties in population, it is a pleasure to note that two
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A HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY
thirds of all her land is as well suited to the production of early apples as the section of New Burnside. There is no place in the United States that offers better opportunities for a young family to grow themselves into a fat living than Johnson County. The current expression "Go West and grow up with the country" might well be applied here to read "Go to Johnson County and grow up with an orchard of early apples and live on the fat of the land."
A former resident of New Burnside Township writes a little history of a farm he knew in his boyhood days which he says, could not be given away, but which really would have sold high at $20 per acre owing to the rocks and pov- erty of the soil. This farm has been planted in orchard and sold in 1922 for $500 an acre. This fact substantiates the assertions of Mr. Heaton in his contribution to this subject. Ozark has recently built a packing house for the benefit of the Cooperative Fruit Growers of that section which is the first of its kind in the county. There are few peaches grown in this county for market although they are a most profit- able crop when they withstand the late frosts. This crop is so frequently destroyed that there are no large orchards planted in this section. Chapman & Hooker took a first prize on Elberta peaches at the Buffalo Exposition, New York, 1901, which proves that the best peaches can be pro- duced in this locality. The number of acres of commercial orchard in this county in 1922 was at least 6,000.
CLARK'S TRAIL
PART II
Parish, an early historian of Illinois says, "In 1792 M. Juchereau with 30 Canadians and Father Jean Mermet left Kaskaskia to form a French settlement and to build a fort on the Ohio River. He erected a palisade, a cabin or two, and a store house. His purpose was ostensibly trading. Mermet established a mission nearby and called it Assump- tion. This place was deserted a few years after on account of trouble with the Indians and if it was named, all records have been lost." Other historians tell us it was occupied by traders in 1710 and 1711, but remained unimportant till 1756. During the French and Indian War the French in retreat under Aubrey landed here, threw up earth works and erected a stockade with four bastions furnished with eight cannons and quarters for a hundred men. From that date it has been known as Fort Massac. The origin of its name is no more certain than its other early history. It was ceded to the British in 1783, but they never occupied it with troops, which made it easy for Clark to enter the Illi- nois country.
Fort Massac is not now in Johnson County, but it was at one time and the history of any place in Southern Illinois can scarcely be written without mentioning this old land- mark. This fort was built by the French sometime in 1700, as a trading post and mission. Later a fort was construct- ed here forming one of the chain built by the French to be used in the defence of their claim to this part of the country known as the Northwest Territory. It was occupied by the French at different times and garrisoned by the U. S. in 1794. Victor Collet, a Frenchman tells us in his notes "On a Journey in North America," that Captain Pike was com- mandant of Fort Massac in 1796. His garrison consisted of one hundred men and the batteries were mounted with twelve pieces. Near the fort were seven or eight houses or huts inhabited by Canadians. From its isolation Fort Mas- sac was sometimes the rendezvous of conspirators; here Genet, Powers, Wilkinson, the famous Aaron Burr with Blenerhasset, plotted wild schemes against this government,
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A HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY
just what was never known. Here, no doubt floated the first American flag in this state which the valiant General George Rogers Clark brought with him on his journey of conquest, if he possessed one, if not, he carried the salute in his loyal heart. At least here he touched soil, camped and began his victorious march across Illinois. There has been some contention as to which route or trail General Clark took from this ancient fort to Kaskaskia. There seems to have been three known routes between these two places in 1778; number one lead from Fort Massac east and north to avoid the swamps, into Pope County; then turned west- ward past what is now Allen Springs entering Johnson County about two or three miles from Double Bridges and north of the site of Simpson, passed through Moccasin Gap, Sec. 3 township 12, range 4 east, Reynoldsburg, Sec. 33, township 11, range 4 E, Ezekiel Choat's, Sec. 30, township 11, range 4 east, Charles Burton's place near Parker, Salem Church then to Sulphur Springs about a mile southwest of Creal Springs and on into Williamson County, through old Bainbridge and out into the prairie country.
The second route circled Massac Lakes to the westward cutting in between them and the canyons of Cache River, entering Johnson County near what is known as Indian Point, then running north of northwest crossing Dutchman Creek a short distance above Forman then up the east side of Cache crossing the Ozarks through the Buffalo Gap. Johnson County on into Williamson meeting the upper trail at old Bainbridge. It is not necessary to describe the third route because it could be used only in the dry weather.
Since Clark's expedition was in the early summer it is hardly probable that he would have taken the third route.
The evidence gathered from Clark's correspondence is in favor of the second route; he says "on the third day out we reached prairie." This would have been impossible owing to the distance on the first route. He further says they were very much afraid of being discovered, another reason why they would take the least traveled or second route. He ordered his guide to find Kaskaskia trace when they thought they were lost, which would not have happen- ed had they been on the original trace or the one known as route one. It had been marked by the French and was, no doubt, easily followed. A U. S. Survey notes an Indian trail
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A HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY
which is described in "Roads." This central route was probably the same as this survey and shorter by seventy- five miles, another reason Clark would select it. The Daniel Chapman Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution of Vienna were so thoroughly convinced from these reasons and Draper's manuscripts of Clark's Memoirs, 1791 in the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, also from authority of Hurlburt in his history of this route, that this was the route Clark traveled on his historic journey, that they marked it with four markers of stone set in concrete bases with suitable inscriptions in 1913. One of these is located at Indian Point on the right of way of the Chicago, Burling- ton and Quincy Railroad, just inside the Johnson County line, and where the state hard road crosses into Massac County. This was Clark's first camp out of Fort Massac. These trails always followed the ridges and passed near water, consequently they placed one on the West Vienna road near a spring two and one-half miles west of Vienna about where the trail would naturally cross the present road. Clark's men, no doubt, tramped on up the ridge to- ward Goreville through Buffalo Gap where there is a break in the range of hills. The third marker was placed here by the permission of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Rail- road, this being an old crossing used by the native buffalo, and made by nature. The fourth was placed on the Vienna and Marion road at the Pink Thornton Farm as the spring where they most likely camped the second night out of Fort Massac is just off the road, about three-fourth of a mile, near the present site of Pully's Mill and only a short dis- tance from where the stone is located. The Egyptian Press, a local paper of Marion, Illinois, describes the marker as follows: "On his second night out from Fort Massac, Gen- eral Clark and his men camped at a spring which is located near the Thornton home, two miles north of Goreville on the Marion and Goreville road. Here is now to be seen one of the monuments but recently located by the Daughters of the American Revolution. This monument is a granite marker standing above its heavy solid concrete base about two feet. It has a beveled and polished face measuring about 18 by 24 inches and bears the following inscription : 'Second Camp of General George Rogers Clark, on his March from Fort Massac to Fort Kaskaskia, 1778. Erect- ed 1913 by Daniel Chapman, Chapter D. A. R.'"
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A HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY
ROADS
Our first roads were trails made by the Indians. Rey- nolds tells us that in 1800 the old road leading from Ft. Mas- sac to Kaskaskia was plainly marked, the number of miles having been cut or burned on trees and painted red. Just how long this road or trail has been in existence, we have no way of telling. We know, however, that it was laid out when Fort Massac and Assumption were built, which time varies from 1702 to 1711. Thus our first road was con- structed early in the 18th century as Fort Massac had been a depot for emigrants from almost the beginning. Rey- nolds says, "from time immemorial." These emigrants had floated down the Ohio River on rafts and settled in southern Illinois. This road after leaving Fort Massac made a great curve to the north into Pope County to avoid the swamps of Cache and Big Bay, entering Johnson County about sec- tion 13, township 12, range 4 east, thence through Moccasin Gap, section 3, township 12, range 4 east, thence through Reynoldsburg, section 33, township 11, range 4 east, on to the northwest by or near Parker City leaving the county about a mile southwest of Creal Springs at or near Sulphur Springs going into Williamson County, passing Ward's Mill, Old Bainbridge and on into Jackson County. This was, without doubt, our first road though possibly not much more than a trace in 1800 as most of the travel was by foot or horseback. Reynolds says there was not a single house on the road from Hull's landing, a few miles above Fort Massac, on the Ohio to Kaskaskia in 1800. Good roads were just as necessary to civilization in the early day as now and among the first things that the county court did after its organization was to begin laying out roads. Sep- tember 13, 1813, the court having taken into consideration the necessity, ordered Issac D. Wilcox to open a road from Massac the nearest and best way to William Style's in Center Township, and to make or cause the same to be made passable for carriages; that Moses Evans, Joseph Eubanks and Wm. Styles be appointed to view the road. Joseph Eubank's estate was settled in Massac Township in- dicating he lived in what is now that county. No doubt, some part of this road is in use as the road from Vienna to Metropolis at the present time. The second highway we have a record of is where Ezekiel Wells, Thomas Green and Solamon Penrod were appointed to view a road from Earth-
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A HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY
man's ferry, which was on the Mississippi River. The terminus of this road is not given, but doubtless was Elvira in which case it would cross the present Union County. This order was made sometime in the year 1813. January 1814, the court ordered that all the inhabitants for eight miles on either side of this road from Earthman's ferry should work this road. January 12, 1814, a petition was presented to the court for a road from "Col. Furguson's opposite the mouth of Cumberland River, in what is now Pope County, to Cape Girardeau; the present mail route." This was a long route extending from one river to the other and, no doubt, left Vienna to the north. "Green's old ferry road passed through Vienna. Reynolds says there was an old road from Massac to Cape Girardeau." Tradition call- ed it a military road. Levi Graham, William Lawrence and Abraham Price were to have charge of the road from Cache to Cape Girardeau and John Pritchard, James Tits- worth and John P. Givens were to have charge from Col. Furguson's to Cache. Wm. Lawrence had a mill and a still on Cache and from the best evidence to be obtained he lived in the extreme southeast corner of the present Union County or perhaps, just over in Pulaski. W. N. Moyers, County Superintendent of Highways of Pulaski County describes the two crossings or trails from one river to the other made first, by the Indians and later used by the new settlers as follows: One of the trails from Fort Mas- sac west, followed down the Ohio River beyond old Fort Wilkinson and the head of the Grand Chain, thence west to the present site of Levings, thence north by west to Cache River about the corner of Sec. 16, 17, 20 and 21, Township 14, S., R. I. East. This is the first point at which the high lands reach the bank of that stream after leaving the Strat- ton Bridge site. The other route reached Cache about where the Black Slough empties into it. If Cache was high, the traveler went up the slough a short distance where it could be forded and skirted the scatters of Cache to Indian Point where the trail followed the ridge in a northwest direction and the one, no doubt, used by Gen. George Rogers Clark. An old United States Survey says that an old trail skirted the north banks of Cache basin near the east end. The Vienna and Metropolis road crosses it in Township 14, range 4 east near the center of the range. Grand Chain and Belknap road crosses it in R. 2 east, township 14. These old trails were, no doubt, referred to as roads in the early
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