USA > Illinois > Madison County > Centennial history of Madison County, Illinois, and its people, 1812 to 1912, Volume I > Part 18
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83
The Wabash system has a course of about thirty-four miles in Madison county, extend- ing from the southwest corner to a point ten miles west of the northeast corner. It was originally, in this county, the Decatur & East St. Louis road, which was completed to East St. Louis in 1871 and became part of the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific system.
The St. Louis, Vandalia & Terre Haute has a course of twenty-four miles through Madison county. It is now a link in the Pennsylvania system. In July, 1868, the track was laid as far as Highland and in July of that year, train service was inaugu- rated between that city and East St. Louis.
The Rock Island division of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy road operates eight miles of track in this county, its line lying in
Foster and Wood River townships. It ter- minates at East Alton, its trains from that point running into East St. Louis over the Big Four tracks. The road was built in 1869- 70 by the farmers and merchants along the line, together with bonuses from the towns en route, and was known as the Rockford, Rock Island & St. Louis. After numerous changes it passed into the hands of the Bur- lington in 1876, under (practically) a per- petual lease.
The St. Louis, Jacksonville & Chicago rail- road, extending from Godfrey to Blooming- ton, has about six miles of track in Madison county, extending from Godfrey to the Jersey county line. It was acquired, under lease, by the Chicago & Alton prior to 1870 and is operated as a part of its Jacksonville and Kansas City branches.
The Toledo, St. Louis & Western railroad, known as the "Clover Leaf" and allied with the Alton system, was built as a narrow gauge road and was subsequently changed to stand- ard gauge. It has thirty-seven miles of road in Madison county. Work was commenced on the line in this county in 1881.
The Alton & St. Louis railroad was built in 1864 by John J. Mitchell, of Alton, under agreement with the Chicago & Alton to merge its franchise with that road on its completion to St. Louis, which was done. The Chicago & Alton has some thirty miles of main track in this county with many miles of sidings.
The Upper Alton division of the Chicago & Alton was built in 1881 to avoid the heavy grade coming out of Alton. It is seven miles long and is known as the "cut off," saving two and a half miles in distance.
The Illinois Terminal railroad, operating from Alton to Edwardsville with branches and extensions, is really the most important road in the county as regards local develop- ment, on account of its comprehensive con- nections with all the great trunk lines passing through the county. The nucleus of this road
1
97
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
was the Madison County railroad, extending originally from Edwardsville west to the Mississippi river where it formed a connec- tion with the Alton and St. Louis packets. The road was built by Tunstall & Holmes of St. Louis, who had purchased the steamers of the Alton-St. Louis line from the Chicago & Alton road when that company extended its line from Alton to St. Louis. Leading citi- zens of Edwardsville were the promoters of the new line. Judge Joseph Gillespie, Judge David Gillespie and Capt. J. F. Lusk were prominent pioneers of this road. Edwards- ville subscribed $50,000 cash, and $25,000 bonds to this enterprise. The original intention was to build to Alton and the Ohio & Missis- sippi also intended to form a connection with the road to Alton, but rival and antagonistic railroad influences prevented the consumma- tion of the original plan and the road was only built to the river. Capt. J. True Dodge rep- resented Tunstall & Holmes contractors, in the building of the road. The civil engineers were H. C. Swift and T. M. Long and the first engine, at the suggestion of Capt. Dodge, was named "Harry C. Swift." The German Savings Bank, of St. Louis, had a mortgage on the road and eventually foreclosed it and the property was purchased at the sale by Jay Gould, who owned it for sixteen years, when it passed into the control of the Wabash and was operated by that company until leased by the Illinois Terminal in 1899. This company was incorporated in 1895 for the purpose of serving industries located in the city of Alton and developing the manufac- turing resources of the city and county. Im- mediately after incorporation the work of construction was begun and the road com- pleted from Henry street to the eastern city limits by the following February. It was the intention at the time to build the road to Edwardsville Crossing and there make con- nection with the Edwardsville branch of the Wabash, which would give the latter com- Vol. I-7
pany entrance to Alton. It was also designed to make connection with the joint levee tracks in Alton, but various delays and antagonisms developed and it was not until 1900 that, by joint arrangement with the Alton Bridge company, the railroad was able to extend to the Union station and the levee tracks. In the meantime, in the spring of 1899, a formal agreement had been entered into with the Wabash railroad, whereby they leased to the Illinois Terminal for a term of years that portion of their track from Edwardsville Crossing to Edwardsville. A connection was then constructed from the eastern city limits to Edwardsville Crossing, and the road was put in operation from Henry street in the city of Alton to Edwardsville in November, 1899.
In 1904 a line was constructed from Cot- ter's station to LeClaire, adjacent to Ed- wardsville in order to secure a direct connec- tion with the Toledo, St. Louis & Western and the Litchfield & Madison railroads.
In August, 1910, a trackage arrangement was made with the St. Louis & Illinois Belt railroad, whereby the Illinois Terminal rail- road obtained the right to operate trains over that portion of the St. Louis & Illinois Belt railroad, between LeClaire and Formosa Junction, thereby securing a connection with the St. Louis, Troy & Eastern, at Troy Junc- tion and the Vandalia railroad at Formosa Junction, and giving it twenty-five miles of track in the county.
Inasmuch as the success of the Illinois Ter- minal railroad was largely dependent upon its ability to secure the location of manufac- turing plants along and adjacent to its line, a vigorous campaign for the location of indus- tries was commenced in 1907, which resulted in several large factories being located in the vicinity of Alton, and also more or less of an industrial development in and around Ed- wardsville.
The Illinois Terminal railroad maintains extensive yards, terminals, shops and round
98
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
house facilities just east of Alton, which were made necessary by the rapidly increasing traffic coincident with the development of the industrial district.
The general offices of the Illinois Terminal railroad are located in Alton and it has al- ways been the policy of the promoters and owners of the company to make it a local in- stitution as near as possible, and, in the de- velopment of the industrial interests and re- sources of Madison county for which its loca- tion and connections peculiarly fit it. The officers of the Illinois Terminal are George M. Levis, president; H. H. Ferguson, vice president ; L. A. Schlafly, treasurer; H. S. Baker, secretary; George M. Levis, H. H. Ferguson, L. A. Schlafly, H. S. Baker and James Duncan, directors.
The Litchfield & Madison railroad is forty-four miles long. It extends from Litchfield, Montgomery county, to Madison, Madison county. All but about twelve miles of the road are in the latter. Through Olive and Omphghent townships it parallels the Wabash. It was originally a part of the Jacksonville & Southeastern lines, but when that system disintegrated it was purchased by the present corporation and became an inde- pendent line. It traverses a rich territory and is known as a "coal road" from the large quantities of that fuel it transports from the mines to the markets. It is also a very im- portant factor in developing the resources of Madison county. James Duncan, of Alton, is president and a director. C. A. Caldwell of Alton is likewise a director.
The St. Louis, Troy & Eastern is another important local road and a heavy coal carrier. It has a mileage, at present, of some twenty- five miles in this county. The Granite City & Madison Belt line and the Madison, Illinois & St. Louis Railway are local connecting lines, each a fraction less than two miles in length. The Granite City & East St. Louis Company and the Granite City & Mississippi
are likewise short terminal or connecting lines.
The Alton Terminal is a short line within the Alton city limits. It is operated by the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Railway Com- pany of Illinois.
The Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis, locally known as the Bluff line, runs northwest from Granite City through Madison county, a dis- tance of some twenty-six miles, through Nameoki, Chouteau, Wood River, Alton and Godfrey townships.
The Illinois Central extends some thirty- five miles through Madison county in a north- easterly direction.
The Chicago & Eastern Illinois, the 'Frisco line, runs through Madison county parallel- ing the Big Four "cut off," thirty-three miles.
The railroads entering Alton have connec- tion with the Missouri, Kansas & Texas and the West Shore Burlington by means of the St. C., M. & St. L. Belt Line, which passes over the Alton bridge to West Alton on the Missouri side of the river.
The total mileage of steam roads in Madi- son county in 1911 was: Main track, 422 miles ; second main track, 45, and sidings or turn out tracks, 190; total steam trackage in county, 657 miles.
The eight trunk lines traversing Madison county pass through the following towns or cities. The stations on the Chicago & Alton are: Venice, Madison, Granite City, Mitchell, Edwardsville Crossing, Wood River, Wann, Upper Alton, Alton and Godfrey. The Toledo, St. Louis & Western has stations at Madison, Horseshoe Lake, Stallings, Peters, Glen Carbon, Edwardsville, Fruitt, Kauf- mann, Alhambra and New Douglas. The Big Four (New York Central lines) has stations at Venice, Granite City, Nameoki, Mitchell, Lake View, Edwardsville Crossing, Wood River, East Alton, Alton, Moro, Bethalto and Dorsey, also Lenox and Livingston on "cut off." The Wabash stations are Venice, Gran-
99
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
ite City, Mitchell, Poag, Edwardsville, Car- penter and Worden. The Vandalia, Penn- sylvania system passes through Collinsville, Troy, Formosa, St. Jacob, Highland and Pier- ron. The stations of the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis are Madison, Granite City, Chou- teau Slough, St. Thomas, Oldenburg, Hart- ford, Federal, Alton and Clifton Terrace. Illinois Central stations are Madison, Barco, Stallings, Peters, Glen Carbon, Mont, Kuhns, Marine, Ellison, Alhambra and Binney. The stations on the Chicago & Eastern Illinois are Granite City, Lenox and Livingston.
ELECTRIC RAILROADS
Within the last decade the system of trans- portation by electric roads has made great progress in Madison county. There are now five electric lines in the county as follows : Alton, Granite & St. Louis, operating some sixty miles of track including the street lines in the city of Alton. This includes branch line from Mitchell to Edwardsville.
Alton, Jacksonville & Peoria which is now
completed nearly to Jerseyville and will, doubtless, enter that city before this work is published. Five miles of the road have been in operation for five years from Alton to Godfrey.
East St. Louis & Suburban, operating from East St. Louis via Collinsville, to Edwards- ville, sixteen miles.
Edwardsville Belt line; mileage not given.
St. Louis, Springfield & Peoria, thirty-one miles in county, passing through Edwards- ville.
The total mileage of electric lines in the county is some 130.
This review of the railroads of Madison county is a striking picture of the wonderful progress of methods of transportation in the past hundred years, from Indian trails in 1812, to hundreds of miles of steam and elec- tric railroads in 1912. Probably no other county in the state, except Cook, is traversed by so many trunk-line railroads radiating to all parts of the country.
100
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
HOOPER WARREN, PIONEER EDITOR
CHAPTER XIII
A CENTURY OF NEWSPAPERDOM
THE "EDWARDSVILLE SPECTATOR"-DRAWBACKS TO PIONEER JOURNALISM-HOOPER WARREN -DIFFERENCE WITH GOVERNOR COLES-"SPECTATOR" OVERLOOKS LOVEJOY TRAGEDY -- "AL- TON TELEGRAPH"-"EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER"-"EDWARDSVILLE REPUBLICAN"-THE "ALTON BANNER" AND "ALTON JOURNAL"-"COLLINSVILLE HERALD"-"HIGHLAND UNION" AND "JOURNAL"-HOOPER WARREN AGAIN-LAWSON A. PARKS-HON. JOHN BAILHACHE- HON. GEORGE T. BROWN-REV. JOHN M. PECK-OTHER MADISON COUNTY EDITORS.
The beginning of journalism in Madison county is almost coincident with the admission of the state to the Union. Illinois was ad- mitted December, 3, 1818, and the Edwards- ville Spectator was established in 1819 by Hooper Warren. It was the third paper founded in Illinois and the first after the ad- mission of the state. Its predecessors were the Illinois Herald, founded at Kaskaskia in 1814, and the Illinois Emigrant, established at Shawneetown in 1818. The Herald changed its name in 1816 to Western Intelligencer and later to Illinois Intelligencer, and in 1820 fol- lowed the state capital to Springfield. The Emigrant, a year after its establishment, was renamed Illinois Gazette, but the Spectator re- mained a looker-on until its demise in 1826 after an honorable and highly important ca- reer.
DRAWBACKS TO PIONEER JOURNALISM
Publishing a newspaper in Illinois in those early days, was a strenuous task. The enter- prise was hampered in every way by adverse conditions. First was the difficulty of obtain- ing a press and type from the east and trans- porting them from the point of shipment to their destination. The only roads were mere
forest trails, and at the time the first paper was established not a paddle wheel was turn- ing on the Mississippi or Ohio rivers. The first steamboat to ascend the Mississippi to St. Louis was the "General Pike" in 1817. It seems very fitting that this pioneer steamer should have been named after the great ex- plorer. No steamer is recorded as stirring the waters of the placid Illinois until 1822. The delays in transportation of paper and supplies for printing offices often occasioned the sus- pension of these pioneer sheets for weeks at a time, awaiting the arrival of orders forwarded months previously.
But when the delayed supplies were re- ceived and the papers run off on the primitive hand presses the next difficulty was the distri- bution to the subscribers. The mail routes were few and the subscribers widely scattered, and the mail carriers only traversed their routes once a week, and then were subject to chronic delays caused by flooded streams and impassable trails. The name of "trace" ap- plied to these trails was significant-a trace of a route was about all there was of it. Money was scarce and the subscribers were generally on the delinquent list. It was the custom of publishers to have two rates :- one for cash
101
102
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
subscriptions and the other a dollar more, if "paid at the end of the year." But even with these elastic provisions the publisher's struggle to make both ends meet ended generally in failure and the turning over of the plant to some ambitious politician with an axe to grind. The starting of the pioneer papers was due not so much to business, or in response to a popular demand, as for political reasons ; there were United States and territorial or State laws to be published, and such contracts were, if obtained, of sufficient value to keep things going even though delinquent subscribers turned deaf ears to frantic appeals to settle.
For three years after its establishment the Edwardsville Spectator had no rival. But in 1822 the Star of the West began to illumine the western sky. Its name was subsequently changed to Illinois Republican, having dis- covered probably that the orbit of a news- paper was sublunary rather than celestial. The Spectator was an anti-slavery paper, the first in the state and the Republican was es- tablished by the pro-slavery element to counteract the former's influence.
The general character of the newspapers of the early day was political and controversial, but their tone was moral and often religious. They paid but little or no attention to local news; therefore the historian finds in them surprisingly little note of events that occurred in their immediate locality. They seemed to think that items to be really news must have originated in some distant country. The edi- torials were mainly political ; in many cases the editor was merely a figurehead and behind him was a coterie of politicians, who manipu- lated the paper in their own interest under the guise of directing public opinion. The jour- nals were generally open to contributors to ex- press their views which was usually done anonymously. But the influence of editorials on the public was far more marked than at present, and the views expressed were often
those of the most influential leaders of the day reflected in the columns of the paper. In the place of local news the space was often filled with literary clippings, often of merit, or with original contributions on matters of interest, but what is called "home news" in these days was seemingly studiously ignored.
The usual plan of starting a paper was for some ambitious person, generally a lawyer, to find a printer, furnish the plant, write the edi- torials and leave the printer to rustle for ad- vertisements and fill the gaps in the columns of the paper with more or less elegant miscel- lany. In addition to official advertising the prospectuses of new town sites, notice of run- away negroes and advertisements of taverns were numerous.
HOOPER WARREN
But the Edwardsville Spectator was of a different type from most pioneer papers. Its editor, Hooper Warren, was a man of great ability, independence and courage. He was a printer and an original thinker. He seldom put pencil to paper but set up his editorials at the case without "copy." He was a strong and out-spoken anti-slavery man and his cam- paign, in 1823-4, in opposition to the calling of a convention to revise the constitution in the interest of slavery was a masterly one. He was assisted by George Churchill, a man equally gifted and fearless, and by such men as Rev. Thomas Lippincott and Jeremiah Ab- bott. His paper was the first distinctively anti- slavery paper published in the state. Among his contributors were such men as Governor Edwards, Judge S. D. Lockwood, Daniel Blackwell, Jonathan H. Pugh, Morris Birbeck, Daniel P. Cook, Thomas Mather and George Forquer. It is doubtless true that, with the exception of the Illinois Intelligencer at Van- dalia, owned by Governor Coles, the Spectator did more than any other paper in influencing public opinion in opposition to the convention.
103
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
DIFFERENCE WITH GOVERNOR COLES
But even in the anti-slavery ranks there were divisions. Warren had conceived an antagonism to Governor Coles, the great leader of the anti-slavery movement. They differed, first, it is said, on a question of policy, Gover- nor Coles had, in his first inaugural, strongly advocated the repeal of the barbarous black laws and the extermination of the remnants of slavery remaining in the state. This aroused the intense opposition of the pro-slavery ele- ment and precipitated the movement on their part to call a convention to revise the consti- tution. While holding the same views as the governor, Mr. Warren viewed his bold ex- pressions with alarm as being premature and calculated to do more harm than good. For this reason he held aloof from cooperation with the governor and his coolness towards the executive continued through the campaign. That was one reason why the governor was impelled to buy the Illinois Intelligencer in or- der that he might have an organ of his own. Both men fought bravely and unflinchingly for the same cause. But it is only just to say that while the governor regretted Warren's antipa- thy he did not resent it. He was fighting for a great cause and personal feeling had no place therein. Probably mutual explanations, could they have been brought about, would have allayed the antagonism. It is to be hoped that in the hour of victory these personal dif- ferences were forgotten.
Mr. Warren conducted the Spectator for six years and then sold out to Thomas Lippincott and Jeremiah Abbott, but in October, 1826, the publication of the Spectator was sus- pended. It probably ceased for want of sup- port. Perhaps the new proprietors lacked Warren's aggressiveness and virility. But the most probable reason is found in conditions following the great excitement of the cam- paign. The victory being won and the state saved from the incubus of slavery, there was a slump in public interest on the question. The
mass of the people had shown that they were opposed to slavery in Illinois, but they proved indifferent afterwards to its existence else- where. As a political and even as a moral question, it lost interest for them, and hence the subscribers to the Spectator fell off. It is lamentable that a paper with such an honor- able record could not have been perpetuated. After selling the Spectator Mr. Warren went to Cincinnati. His career is dwelt on more fully on another page of this work.
The second paper established in the county and the fourth in the state, as stated above, was the Star of the West, renamed Illinois Re- publican, also at Edwardsville. The founders were Miller & Son. Their enterprise was op- portune, as an organ to combat the Spectator was desired. Some of the pro-slavery leaders furnished some of the capital. It soon passed into the hands of Thomas J. McGuire & Com- pany and became the organ of the convention party, with Judge Theophilus W. Smith as virtual editor, and such contributors as Will- iam Kinney, Emanuel J. West and other lead- ers. After the defeat of the convention party in August, 1824, the paper suspended. The contest between these two papers was virulent and bitter, but after the campaign was over the defeated party, in Madison county, at least, accepted the result quietly.
For a few months after the demise of the Spectator the county was without a news- paper, but in 1827 R. K. Fleming started the Illinois Corrector, which he published for a year at Edwardsville and then moved back to Kaskaskia whence he came. The paper was pro-slavery and was probably intended to cor- rect its opponents' heresies.
FIRST AGRICULTURAL PAPER
The fourth paper in the county was the Crisis, established at Edwardsville in 1830 and edited by S. S. Brooks. It was charged with being the organ of Judge T. W. Smith. In less than a year its name was changed to the
104
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
Advocate, and it passed into the hands of Judge John York Sawyer and Jonathan Ange- vine. Judge Sawyer had previously estab- lished an agricultural paper (January, 1831), called the Western Ploughboy and the two publications were soon merged, the Advocate thereafter maintaining an agricultural page. The Ploughboy was the first paper published in the state in the interest of the farmer. In 1832, the Advocate was removed to Vandalia, Judge Sawyer having been appointed state printer.
"SPECTATOR" OVERLOOKS LOVEJOY TRAGEDY
The next paper published in the county seems to have been the Alton Spectator which was established January 21, 1832, by O. M. Adams and Edward Breath. It was first is- sued at Upper Alton and removed to Alton in October, the same year, by Mr. Breath, his partner having retired early in the campaign. Mr. Breath continued the publication for two years, then sold to J. T. Hudson. It was con- tinued under various proprietors, including W. Beatty, D. Ward, William Hessin and Seth T. Sawyer. A file of this paper is now before me extending from April 10, 1837, to September 15, 1838. William Hessin was the last pro- prietor, Mr. Sawyer, his partner, having re- tired in October, 1837. The next month, No- vember 7, occurred the pro-slavery riot and the death of Lovejoy. The issue of November 9th contains no report of the tragedy except a statement signed by the mayor, John M. Krum, giving particulars of the riot. The statement is a column long and is preceded by the following editorial reference: "We have delayed our paper for the purpose of inserting the following statement of the tragical occur- rence that took place in this city on the 7th inst. The mayor presents a plain statement of facts written without comment. This state- ment precludes all remarks from us, except as to the correctness of the statement, which we
have been assured from various sources to be entirely correct."
This prelude is rather incoherent, but must be forgiven to the excitement of the hour. However, in the next issue of the Spectator, a week later, by which time Mr. Hessin's nerves ought to have become tranquil, there is not a word, line or reference to the tragedy. That is the way in which many old-time papers sup- pressed or ignored national events which oc- curred in their own purview. Of the two original proprietors of the Spectator, O. M. Adams and Edward Breath, the former re- mained in Alton and became one of its most prominent citizens, and was elected mayor in 1854. Mr. Breath, Alton's pioneer publisher, soon after retiring from the Spectator, went to Oroomiah, Persia, where he published a paper and engaged in missionary labors until his death in 1864.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.