USA > Illinois > Atlas of the State of Illinois, to which are added various general maps, history, statistics and illustrations > Part 25
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In tho timher above-mentioned aro soveral varieties of valua- ble hard woods, as black and white oak, black walnut, ash and hickory, besides an unusual variety of the softer woods.
HANCOCK COUNTY.
HANCOOK COUNTY lies ou the Mississippi, and contains 486,400 aeres. Tho early settlers were mainly from the Mid- dle and Southeru States. At the date of writing this history, I. J. Waggoner, of Montebello Townsbip, is the oldest settler living, bis advent dating back over half a ecntury. The noted Indian Chief, Blackhawk, is said to bave been a native of Camp Creck Township. Fort Edwards, comprising two hlock houses, a magazino and four out-buildings, was built on the site of Warsaw soon after the war of 1812, aud evacuated in 1827. Among the early immigrants was Abraham Lincoln, a cousin of President Lincoln. He was a native of Kentucky, and was the first Justice of the Peace in the region now known as Hancock County. Organization was effeeted in 1825, the Commissioners being James Whito, Gcorgo Y. Cutler and Henry Nichols. Immigrants tben began to arrive in greater numbers. Among the pioneers were John Day, who located in Fountain Green Township in 1829; Ahmham Brewer aud Jacob Compton, who settled in La Harpe in 1830; D. F. Parker, who came to Chili in 1827, and the Dixous, Mendcu- halls and Logans, who located in Durham at an unknown date. Luther Whitney erected the first house in Rocky Run in 1822, and Maj. Morrill Marston planted the first peach orehard in tho county.
In 1839, on the expulsion of the Mormons from Missouri, they crossed the Mississippi at Quiney, and received hospitable treatment. A Dr. Galland united his fortunes with them, and ultimately led them to the site of Nauvoo to unfurl tho banner of Zion. Both political parties began to bid for the Mormon vote, and after prolonged hostilities Nauvoo was besieged, and tho prophet Sinith killed, whilo mob law reigned supreme. In 1846 commeneed and was completed the Mormon hegira to Utah, and their magnificent temple was burned by incendiaries. Appanooso was surveyed in 1836, and received its name from a chief of the Sac and Fox Indians. Carthage, the county seat, was laid off in 1835, and has about 1,500 iuhabitants. Augusta and Chili dato back to 1836. Nauvoo is from tbe Hebrew, signifying " The Beautiful City," and was laid out in 1839, by Joseph Smith, Hiram Smith, Sidney Rigdon and Georgo W. Robinson. It lies at the head of the Des Moines Rapids, and at ono time had a Mormon population of several thousand, but in 1870 it contained but 1,578 inhabitants. Warsaw was laid out in 1834, on the site of Fort Johnston, which was built by the French at the beginning of the cigliteenth century. In the latter part of that century, tbis defense was succeeded by Fort Edwards, erected under the supervision of Captain (afterward President) Zachary Taylor, which was abandoned in 1825. John R. Wilcox built the first enbin in 1827. The earliest ferry was established by Lutber Whitney and William Vanee, at Montebello, in 1829; the second at Fort Edwards, two years later, by John R. Wilcox, and the third the following year at Appanoose, by Edward White and Amzi Doolittle .. Thomas Gregg edited the pioneer paper at Carthage, in 1836. The county is mainly agricultural, being favored by. a rich soil, and thoroughly watered by small streams. Its population in 1870 Was 40,966. The railways are the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw, the Toledo, Wabasb & Western, the Carthage & Quincy, and a branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quiney. The Carthagenian, the first newspaper in Hancock County, was established in 1836. Three years later, the famous Times and Seasons, the Mormon organ, was published as a small octavo monthly. The animosities engendered by the contro- versy with the Mormons lent celebrity to the Warsaw Signol, the Anti-Mormon organ, established in 1840. This county has seen more than its relative share of the rise and failure of newspaper enterprises.
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HARDIN COUNTY.
HARDIN COUNTY is on the southeastern horder, and con- tains but 175 square miles. It has long been noted for its iron ores, and is the only county iu tho State whero furnaces for their reduction have been ereeted. Kidney oro is found in the ahaly beds of conglomerate and coal measures near Sel- ler's Landing, and also just below the mouth of Saline River. Tho hydrous oxide of irou oceurs in irregular accumulations in the erevices of the St. Louis limestone, and in an irregular hed near the base of the conglomerate, as also in tho surface de- posits over a considerable arca. The limonite of the St. Louis limestone is the only ore used in this county for the manufac- ture of iron. The Illinois furnace was erected in 1837, and continued operations until 1861. The oro was first burned on log heaps, to expel tho water, 200 hushels of charcoal being consumed in tho production of one ton of pig iron, and nine tons were made daily. It usually ran from six to nine months each year. The metal produced was of excellent quality, and always commanded the highest market price. The Martha furnace was built in 1848, and discontinued operations in 1857. The discovery of lead and fluor spar enused the government to reserve, in 1820, a large amount of lands for mineral prospect, They camo into market in 1847, and were mostly entered within a few years at $1.25 per acre. James MeFarlan, Sr., having been engaged by tho government to provide with beef the gar- rison at Fort Massano, settled in 1808 at the preseut site of Elizabethtown, the erossing of the trail from Nashvillo to the Salt Works, and ran a ferry at that point for nearly twenty years. Lewis Barker was a very early settler at Cave-in Rock. A Mr. Roberts was the first to locate in the present limits of Rose Clare, but shortly afterward sold his improvements to Hugb Rohinson. Ahout 1810, John Morris located just above him, and opened a small farm. Waliam Wood located on the river about two miles above Elizabethtown in 1808, and saw the first steamboat pass down the river four years later. Benona Lee located one mile hack of Elizabethtown iu 1809. From the Land Office at Kaskaskia, in December, 1807, James Green received permission to settle opposite the mouth of Tradewater Creek. In November, 1808, William Henry Harrison, Gov- ernor of the Territory of Indiana, authorized Isaac White and Jonathan Taylor to run a ferry across the Ohio at Eliza- bethtown. B. A. Allen and Elisha Pieree took charge of the ferry, which, in 1813, was transferred to George Flynn, by whose name it has since been known. The earliest mill in the county was ereeted by Jordan & Neil, on Big Creek, in 1811, and was washed away in the freshet of 1840. The first chairs used in the county were made by John King. Among tho pioneers may be mentioned Waliam Jackson, Nathan Clampet, Morton Ubanks, John Howard, Ezekiel and Walter MeCoy, Benjamin Walden, John Smith, Daniel Chandler, Joseph Riley, Samuel Omelveny, Absalom Sparks, Peter Hammons, the brothers Dees, Thomas Wallace, the Joiners and Wilsons, William Pankey, John Kiug, Alexander Blair, Wiley Hutson, Elias Jordan, Aaron Neil, Jonas Ingram, Joseph Baker, Henry Rose, David Shelby and Abram Hobbs. Saltpeter Cave, two miles from Elizabethtown, has been explored for 200 or 300 yards. At an early day, Mr. Ridenhour made considerable saltpeter from material obtained thercin. A spring on the Ohio, near tho mouth of Peter's Creek, ebbs and flows daily, as if governed by the tides of the ocean. Lead was diseov- ered by James Anderson while digging a well. He took about one hundred pounds of tho ore to the New Orleans Mint, be- lieving it to be silver. In 1842, William Pell discovered spar and galena near tho site of the Rose Clare mines, and Messrs. Marshall and White took a leuse and commenced mining. The oldest native-born citizen of Hardin County is said to bo J. M. Jackson, who still resides on the hill near Rose Clare, where he was horn. Samuel Omelveny came from South Carolina in 1807. About 1815, Mr. Ewell taught a select school in his cahin, and Rev. Mr. Stilley, a Baptist, preached the first ser- mon on the bank of tho Ohio River. Dr. Cook kept the earli- est store at Roso Claro. Hardin is one of the six counties of Illinois devoid of railway facilities. Two thin coal seams underlie a very limited area in the northeastern corner, and are worked with peeuniary success. Oak, hickory, maple and eliu, and locust, cottonwood, persimmon and sassafras timher are the chief varieties. Elizabethtown was laid out, in 1840, by James MeFarlan, Jr., and contains 600 inhabitants. It is furuished with maila by the Evansvillo and Cairo packets. Parkinson'a Landing is on a rolling ridge in the aouthwest cor- ner of tho county, and does considerable business. The popula- tion of Mardin County, in 1870, was 5,113.
COUNTY HISTORIES.
HENDERSON COUNTY. 1
HENDERSON COUNTY lics along the Mississippi, in the northwestern quarter of the State. Dr. Isano Galland was oue of the pioneers of tho section, locating, in 1827, at Oquawka, then called the Yellow Banks. The following year his elaim was purchased by S. S. Phelps, who settled perma- nently. In 1829, Jeremiah Smith built a mill on Henderson Creek, which is still in use. About that time, Messrs. Beatty and Pence and Thomas B. Wells were added to the colony. Other pioneers were Daniel MoNoil, W. R. Jamison and Will- iam Beattie. The Blackhawk war stopped colonization and caused tho ereetion of a fort at Oquawka. A company was stationed here, of which Peter Butler was Captain and S. S. Phelps, Commissary. During the struggle, Gov. Reynolds marehed through with his forces. Immigration recommenced with the restoration of peaco, and in 1836, tho settlement at the Yellow Banks was laid off into the town of Oquawka, and mado the seat of government for Warren County, in whoso limits it was, at that time, located. Henderson County was set off in 1840, and the first court was held at Oquawka in April, 1841, Preston Martin, Benjamin C. Coghill and James C. Huteliinson being Commissioners. Alfred Knowles was appointed Clerk, William D. Henderson, Sheriff, and John Mckinney, Recorder. Alexis and Stephen Phelps donated two hundred lots at Oquawka to tho county, and seeured the permanent location of the county seat at that place. These lots were sold at quetion, and the first steps toward the erec- tion of a court house were taken in 1842. S. S. Phelps built the first frame house in the county. The Presbyteriaus erected the earliest church, and Revs. Stuart, Wilson and Stebbins were the first preachers. The latter was for many years Indian Agent for the fur company. Rev. Peter Cartwright was an carly laborer iu this field, and gave to an adjacent piece of land the name (which it still retains) of "The Devil's Half Acre." Judge Stephen A. Douglas held the Circuit Court in May, 1841. The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy was the earliest radway. The Rockford, Rock Island & St. Louis now penetrstes the eastern portion. The finest view in the county is obtained at Ball Bluff. Previous to the advent of tho loco- motive, Oquawka had an important grain trade with the South. Biggsville, tho second town, does considersble business with the farmers of the neighborhood, and Sagetown haa extensive stone quarries. Henderson County is eredited, by the last census, with 12,582 inhabitants.
HENRY COUNTY.
HENRY COUNTY lies in tho northwestern quarter of the State, and has an area of about twenty-three townships, or over 800 square miles. The pioneer of this region was Dr. Baker, who located in the town of Colona, in 1835. He was immediately followed by James and Thomas Glenn, and Anthony Hunt, who built onbins three miles distant. John Kilvington came to Kewanee in 1836, and John F. Willard and Henry O. Little to Wethersfield. In the year following, Jacob Kemerling settled in Burns, and Jamies Mascall and William Stackhouse in Cambridge. The Oeneseo eolony was organized at Bergen, New York, in 1835, and Roderick R. Stewart, C. K. Bartlett and others were among the first set- tlers. Andover Colony was organized the same year, in the city of New York. Wethersfield Colony was organized in Connecticut, Rev. Ithamar Pillsbury aiding in tho selection of lands for this and tho Andover Colony. Wethersfield was laid out in 1837, on a purchaso of 16,000 acres of prairie. Mor- ristown Colony was formed in New York City, in 1836, and among the first to arrivo was Joshua Harper, who was recently living at Oeneseo. Lagrango Settlement was planned at Pitts- field, Massachusetts, and Alfred Buell was its leader. The county was organized in June, 1837, the first officers being as follows: Commissioners, Philip K. Hanna, Ithammur Pillsbury and Joshua Browning; Sheriff, Robert MoCulloh ; Coroner, Roderick R. Stewart; Reeorder, Joshua Harper; Surveyor, Arba M. Seymour. The first court was held at Dayton, on which ocension Charles Atkinson, John P. Hanna and George Tyler obtained, for one dollar and a half, a licenso for a ferry at Cleveland. The county scat was removed to Richmond, in 1837, and to Geneseo in 1840; thenee it went to Morris- town, in 1842, and to Cambridge in the queceeding year. In
1840, the population of the county was 1,260. At the Cir- cuit Court that year, Caroline Bishop obtained a divorco, and threo suits for alander were commenced. Heury Hand'a ferry, nt Cleveland, was chartered in 1841. The American Central Railroad, now the New Boston Brauch of tho Burlington Road, was commenced in 1847, but remained unfinished until 1868. The Chicago & Rock Island was completed through the county in 1854, and the Burlington line, to Galesburg, the samo year. The Pcoria & Rock Island Road was finished in 1871, as also the Rockford, Rock Island & St. Louis. The Bishop Hill Colony was organized by a religious sect in Sweden, the first to arrive being Olof Olson, who settled in the town of Weller, in 1845. An early incident in the history of this community was tho murder of Erio Jansen, by John Root, in a quarrel in the court house at Cambridge. Root was eventually pardoned from tho Penitentiary, and died in Chi- eago. Some of these immigranta lived the first winter in caves in the ground. The colony was, in 1853, chartered by the Legislature, vesting the property in seven Trustees, the communist plan of life and labor being adopted. Suspicions respecting the pecuniary management led to dissensions, which caused the colonists to separate their lands and labors. Geneseo is a thriving town on the Chicago & Rock Island Radroad. It was laid out in 1838, and, by the last eensus, bad a population of over 3,000. Galva lies on the southern border, at the eross- ing of the Burlington and Peoria Roads, and bas over 2,000 inhabitants. Kewanee, in the southeastern eorner, has a popula- tion of 2,500, aud Cambridge and Andover are towns of con- siderable importaucc. By the census of 1870, the county had over 35,000 inhabitants.
IROQUOIS COUNTY.
IROQUOIS COUNTY lies on the northeastern border of the State, and has an area of 1,122 square miles. In the spring of 1830, two pioneer settlements were made simultaneously. One was at Bunkum, now called Concord, where elaims were mado by Gurdon S. Hubbard, Benjamin Fry, Messrs. Cart- wright, Thomas, Newcomb and Maler, two Striekler famdies, two Hoagland familiea and three Eastman families. The other waa at Milford, where the earliest settlers were Robert Hill, Samuel Rush, Messrs. Miles, Piekell and Parker, two Cox families, two Moore families and three Stanley families. These were mostly from Ohio. In a log house near Milford, Judith Stanley kept the earliest sehool, in 1832. The first cbureh was erected in John Morris' settlement, by the Methodists, in 1835. The first child was the daughter of William Stanley, born in December, 1830, and the pioncer marriage was that of Elijah Sapp and Allie Thomas, in the year following. The Indian tribes of the region were the Kickapoos and Pottawat- tomies. They were alwaya friendly, and removed beyond the Mississippi in 1836-7. Iroquois County was set off from Vermilion in 1833, aud organized in the spring following. The first seat of government was Montgomery, on tho Iroquois River, opposite Coneord settlement. Thence a removal was made to Middleport, and, finally, to Watseka. Iroquois County lies partly in the great coal fields and partly in the limestono regi », tho latter occupying the northeast and the former tho southwest portion. Owing to the abundaueo of timber for fuel, few mines have as yet been opened, but an ex- ' eellent quality of budding stone is obtained. In several locali- ties is found a superior quality of clay, from which are manu- factured great numbers of red brick. The blue olay at Watseka is admirably adapted to the manufacture of eroekery. Tho county is watered hy the Iroquois River and Sugar, Spring and Beaver Creeks, and comprises nearly all of the artesian well region of tho State. In nearly every locality a never-failing stream of pure cold water ean he obtained by boring and piping from 30 to 150 feet. The first well was sunk on tho farm of Solomon Sturges, near Gilman. In one instance, a well sunk south of Watseka entirely stopped tho flow of another but three-fourths of a mão distant. It has been ascertaincd that droutb and frost will diminish the flow of water. These artesian wells make the region oue of the best in tho State for grazing and dairy purposes. Tho soil is a rich alluvial loam, well adapted to grain, and all fruits except the peach are produced in great abundance. The railways are the Illinois Central, the Gilman, Clinton & Springfield, the Toledo,
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Peoria & Warsaw, the Chicago, Danville & Vincennes and the Kankakee line. The census of 1870 gave the county a popu- lation of 25,782. Watseka was platted under the name of South Middleport, by Micajah Stanley, in 1860. The present name is that of a Pottawattomie squaw renowned for her beauty. Watseka adjoins Middleport, and the two towns have ahout 2,000 inhabitants, aud a trade of 8500,000 per annum. The court house is one of the finest in the State. The jail and vaults for records are fire-proof. The city charter of Wat- seka prohibits the sale of alcoholic liqnors except for what are regarded as necessary purposes, and drinking saloons linve been effectually barred out. Gilman has three railways, and is the best husiness point in the county. Loda, Onarga and Chebanse are thriving grain towns.
JACKSON COUNTY.
JACKSON COUNTY is on the southwestern horder of the State, with an area of 587 miles. Its history begins with the century, at which date Grand Tower was a stopping place for flatboats. W. Boon settled in 1814. Joseph Duncan was in the county in 1815. Oliver Cross located in Sand Ridge in 1817, as also Mrs. William Kimmel, in Bradley Preeinet, S. Lewis, E. Harrold and George Butcher, in Ora, and W. Enkin in Levan. The Bysleys appear as landholders in Levan as early as 1818, as also Mark Bradley, James Hughes and John Barrow, the three latter being donhtless the first to locate back from the river. Between 1820 and 1830, few immigrants arrived, the elearing up of the dense woodlands beginning in earnest in the latter year. The county government was estab- lished in 1816, and the seat of justice placed at Brownsville, on the Big Muddy, upon a twenty aere traet donated by Conrad Will. Among other pioneers were S. Etherton, who located in Ridge precinet in 1827; John Robinson, settling in Elk precinet in 1829; S. and W. Manskier, locating in Foun- tain Bluff the same year; W. Doty, wbo made a claim in Vergennes in 1831 ; besides Edward and G. Schwartz, W. Davis, D. B. Tuthill, R. Cheatham, M. Etherton and Edward Youngman, who scattered over the region in 1833. In 1850, the population had inereased to nearly 6,000. Along the river streteles a broad valley of bottom land, while the southern and southwestern portion of the county is broken by hills believed to be the outrunners of the Ozark Mountains. The soil of the bottoms is exceedingly rich, but liable to overflow. East- ward of this we find compositions of warm soil, especially adapted to fruit, beneath which are some of the richest eoal beds in the Stato of Illinois. In many places, coal erops out to the surface, varying in thickness from a few inches to four or five feet. From 1,500 to 4,000 quiners are constantly em- ployed, and the four leading companies ship daily about 3,000 tons. A sandstone found iu Makanda Township has been largely used by the Illinois Central Railway, and marble quar- ries and salt springs abound. The flats are timbered with post oak, and nearly every town has its saw-mill. Wheat is the staple crop, and tobacco and fruit flourish. The county has 93 school houses, and over 11,000 scholars. Tho county buildings at Brownsvillo were burned in January, 1843, caus- ing the removal of the seat of government to Murphysboro, where a tract of land was donated by Dr. John Logan. Here was horn Senator John A. Logan. The place is a thriving mining town of 2,000 inhabitants. Carbondale was laid out in 1850, by John Dougherty, with the proviso that lots subse- queutly used for the sale of liquors should revert to the city and be sold for the henefit of the publio schools. Grand Tower was platted for a town in 1867, although an ancient steam boat landing, and has two extensive iron furnaces. The scenery of the vicinity attraets many travelers. Makanda has good sand- stone, and some of the finest fruit orchards in the region. The Illinois Central and the Cairo & St. Louis Railroads traverse the county north and south, and the Carhondale & Shawnee- town road, joined with the Grand Tower & Carbondale line, erosses the county from east to west,
The Inst census of Jackson County gives the population as 19,634. It now amounts to nearly 25,000, and a steady growth in population, wealth and importance, from this time forward, can be safely predicted. That it will retnin the position it now holds as the most important county in Egypt there is no reason to doubt.
COUNTY HISTORIES.
JASPER COUNTY.
JASPER COUNTY lies in the southeast quarter of Illinois, and has an a.ca of 490 square miles. It was organized in 1831, and had, in 1870, a population of 11,234. Township organization was effeeted in 1860. In 1870, the total assessed value of property was 81,432,990. Newton, the county seat, was laid out in 1835, the original Commissioners heing B. Reynolds, W. Richards and George Mallingley. The popula- tion is about 800. The Emharras River runs southeasterly through the county. There is no railway in the county and no large towns within its limits. A narrow-guage railroad is projected to eross the county from east to west. Indiana is credited with the pateruity of 2,193 of the people of the county, Ohio with 1,323, Kentucky with 668, and foreign countries with 527. There are 90,867 aeres of improved and 70,273 of unimproved land, the number of farms being 1,334. The surface of the country is level or gently undulating, and the timber and prairie ar> well distributed, Among the products for 1870 were 10,015 pounds of tohaeco, 43,465 of wool, and 18,845 of butter. The principal agricultural pro- ducts are eorn, oats, wheat, potatoes, fruit, sorghum and wool. There are forty-ono manufacturing establishments, employing a capital of $63,125, and with an annual produet of $154,567. There are six saw-mills, producing annually lumber to the value of $50,000. The number of church organizations in the county, in 1870, was 11; number of sittings, 4,100. Value of church property, $8,900. The principal denomina- tions are the Baptist, Roman Catholic, Christian, Presbyterian, Methodist and Lutheran.
The principal stream in the county is the Big Muddy River, which flows through its center in a southerly direction to join the Mississippi. This and its tributary, the Little Muddy, furnish aloug their banks a fine growth of valuable timber, in- eluding black walnut, maple, sycamore, water oak and swamp white oak, and affording large quantities of hard-wood lumber for export. Railroad facilities are afforded hy the St. Louis & Southeastern, and the Loisville, New Albany & St. Louis Railroads, which form a junction at Mt. Veruon and tbence proceed iu a due westerly direction,
The country is mainly level, and the soil rich, and well adapted to grain and all kinds of fruit, with but little waste land.
An extensivo hed of fine building stone in the central por- tiou of the county, known as the Shoal Creek Limestone, and varying in thickness from seven to fifteen feet, affords ample material for heavy masonry. There is an abundance of run- ning water, while a subdivision of the upper eoul measure, a senin of six to twenty-four inches in thickness, underlies the entire county. In some sections, the water manifests a decided saline impregnation.
The requisites for the production of brick are abundant, and they can be manufactured wherever needed.
Mt. Vernon was incorporated as a eity in 1872, and is the location of railway machine shops and car works, which add materially to the business interests of the city ; as well as of three mills that are well supported.
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