USA > Illinois > Madison County > Centennial history of Madison County, Illinois, and its people, 1812 to 1912, Volume I > Part 28
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the average man was possessed of the same vices and virtues as the man of today, was actuated by the same impulses and motives, and cherished the same love of home and family. Ambition and indifference, laziness and industry, common sense and its opposite, were human attributes then as now. How- ever, if human nature is capable of elevation, let us hope that a century of marvelous ma- terial progress has wrought some improve- ment among us.
GOVERNOR REYNOLDS' CENTURY-OLD PICTURE
Gov. John Reynolds, himself a resident of Madison county in 1807 and subsequent years, gives, in his "My Own Times," a very accurate and interesting picture of the condi- tions of life in this county a century ago. He had come with his parents to Illinois from Tennessee in 1800, first living at Kaskaskia; in the spring of 1807, at the age of nineteen, he moved with his parents to what he de- scribes as a "plantation in the Goshen settle- ment, situated at the foot of the Mississippi bluff, three or four miles southwest of Ed- wardsville ; and there part of the family made a crop of corn before the rest moved up."
In speaking of the immigrants from the Carolinas, Virginia, Tennessee, and Ken- tucky, Gov. Reynolds says: "Although the pioneers knew little and cared less about lit- erature, yet they entertained just and sound principles of liberty. No people delighted in the full enjoyment of a free government more than they did. This idea of liberty gave them a personal independence and confidence in themselves that marked their actions through life. This notion of excessive independence frequently brought them into conflicts and personal combats with each other. It also gave them a trait of character that made them believe they were adequate and competent to any emergency, and frequently commenced enterprises above their power to accomplish.
"The nature and condition of the country
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forced on the pioneers intelligence and enter- prise. It enabled them to withstand the pri- vations and hardships of the settlement of a new country, and the shocks of war itself.
"The necessities of the occasion often forced the backwoods people into singular- and different employments and conditions of life. Sometimes they were compelled to act as mechanics, to make their ploughs, harness, and other farming implements; also to tan leather. At times they were forced to hunt game to sustain their families. In war, when they were called on to defend the frontiers, they frequently unhitched their horses from the plough, mounted them and appeared with their guns, ready and willing to march to any part of the globe to chastise the Indians. When they needed meal and the mills were dry, they pounded the corn in mortars into meal, or ate potatoes, if they were grown, without bread. The pioneers were exceed- ingly kind and friendly when a log cabin was to be raised. Asked or not, they gathered together and enjoyed a backwoods frolic in putting it up. In many settlements it re- quired every man in it to be present at a 'house raising,' or otherwise the labor was too heavy. The hands on the ground handed up the logs, and the cabin was generally covered before night. The clapboards to cover the house were split out of large trees, and placed on round poles called 'ribs,' and weight poles were laid on the boards to secure them to their places. Not a nail or iron of any sort, hinge or anything of iron, was seen about the house.
"Often the emigrant and family lived in a camp until his house was up and covered. Old and young indulged in much sport and amuse- ment at these house raisings. The amuse- ments occurred generally when the axemen were notching down the corners. The young ones were jumping, wrestling, or running foot-races. Leap-frog was often indulged in
by young and old. Sometimes shooting at marks was practised.
"Home-made wool hats were the common wear. Fur hats were not common, and scarcely a boot was seen. The covering of the feet in winter was mostly moccasins made of deer skin, and shoe packs of tanned leather. In the summer the greater portion of the young people, and many of the old, went bare- footed. The substantial and universal out- side wear was the blue linsey hunting shirt, made with wide sleeves, open before, with ample size, so as to envelop the body with its folds, almost twice around. A belt was mostly used, to keep the garment close and neat around the person. Many pioneers wore white blanket coats in winter. They are made loose, and a cap or cape to turn over the head in extreme cold weather. The shirts worn by the Americans were generally home- made, of flax and cotton material. Looms and flax breaks were at that day quite com- mon, and cotton gins made of wooden rollers. The pantaloons of the masses were generally made of deer skins and linsey. Coarse blue cloth was at times made into pantaloons. The factory goods from New England and Kentucky reached Illinois about 1818, and then looms, cotton, etc., disappeared-spin- ning also ceased then. Almost every pioneer had a rifle and carried it almost wherever he went. Linsey, neat and fine, manufactured at home, composed generally the outside gar- ments of the females. The ladies had the lin- sey colored and wove it to suit their fancy. A bonnet, composed of calico or some gaily checked goods (how little human nature changes !) was worn on the head when in the open air. Jewelry was uncommon. A gold ring was an ornament not often seen.
"The improvements of farms kept about equal pace with the increase and extension of the settlements. Almost every inhabitant was a farmer, and made some improvements, mostly on the public domain.
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"The whole country commenced, in a slow degree, to change its character. The extreme backwoods habits of hunting, sporting, gam- ing, and idleness, were gradually laid aside, and more industry, more cultivation of the earth and more ambition to accumulate wealth, commenced; the rifle and bee-bate were ex- changed for the plough and the jack-plane; cabins were sometimes adorned with stone chimneys, and the dogs for hunting were dis- missed ; band mills, propelled by horse power, took the place of the old hand mill and mor- tars; schoolhouses were, to a small extent, erected, and the Gospel preached in some sec- tions of the country ; the Bibles and spelling- books took the place of the rifles and the steel traps, and a savage wilderness commenced to yield to Christianity and civilization.
"All species of gaming were indulged in by the original inhabitants of Illinois. It was considered at that day both fashionable and honorable to game for money ; but as gentle- men, for amusement and high and chivalrous sports. Shooting matches, with the Ameri- cans, were great sport. Almost every Satur- day in the summer, a beef or some other arti- cle would be shot for in 'the rural districts,' and the beef killed and parceled out the same night. In the early days of Illinois horse- racing was a kind of mania with almost all people. The level and beautiful prairies seemed to persuade this class of amusements. Foot racing, jumping and wrestling were prac- tised by the Americans, and many bets were made on foot-races as well as on the horse races. Working frolics in pioneer times were also common. The whole neighborhood as- sembled and split rails, cleared land, plowed up whole fields, and the like. In the evenings of these meetings, the sports of throwing the mall, pitching quoits, and the like, closed the happy day. The females assembled also and were engaged in quilting, carding wool, and talking. Female gossiping was conducted at these gatherings in the same spirit as they are
all over the world. At these places these ex- pressions were common : 'Do not repeat this,' 'It may not be true,' 'This is a secret between you and me.'
"In early days, Sunday was observed by the Americans only as a day of rest from work. They were employed in hunting, fish- ing, getting up their stock, hunting bees, breaking young horses, shooting, racing, and the like. . In many settlements there were no clergymen or houses of worship. The older the settlement was, generally, the more religious worship was observed on it. The aged people everywhere remained in their houses on the Sabbath, and read the Bible and other books."
JOSEPH GILLESPIE ON EARLY TIMES
While addressing the Old Settlers' Reunion of Madison county, at the county fair in 1875, Judge Joseph Gillespie gave the follow- ing excellent ideas of early life in this county : "They tanned their own leather and made their own shoes. Every article of a man's clothing was made at home. Cotton, flax, and wool were all grown in the country, and the women picked, carded, spun and wove it into garments for themselves and families. Every house was a miniature manufactory. Such a thing as a silk dress was unknown, and I think the girls were as becomingly dressed then as now. These were the women who made modest wives and mothers, and, with half a chance, comfortable homes. They knew nothing of trashy writings, but care- fully read their Bibles and were posted in the history of their own and kindred nations. In my early days small grain was all harvested with a sickle, when to cut a fourth of an acre was a good day's work. Then the grain was threshed with a flail or tramped out by horses and winnowed in a sheet. They had no cook- ing stoves nor ranges, and no sewing ma- chines. The old settlers were thoroughly im- bued with the correct principles upon which
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Republican government is based. No matter how lawless a man might be in his practice, his theory was right. He never claimed a right to break the law because he did not ap- prove of it. If he did not approve of the Sunday or the liquor law, for instance, he would say that he would do all in his power to have them repealed or modified, but never did it enter his head that he had a right to disregard them while they were on the statute books.
"The old settlers were remarkably tolerant on the subject of religion. They were a highly sociable people and diligently attended all the log-rollings, house-raisings, harvest- ings, corn-shuckings, weddings, musters, horse races, and so on. This they did partly to pick up whatever news was afloat, but principally because they were fond of the ex- citement. They were remarkably hospitable, would importune travelers to stop with them, and would take offense if offered pay.
"The old settlers did not generally work continuously. They recreated a good deal. The houses were generally indifferent, and the stock were without shelter in the winter, as a rule. Horses, hogs, and cattle were the principal commodities, from the sale of which money was raised to pay the taxes, doctor's bills, blacksmith work, etc. Store goods and groceries were paid for with butter, beeswax, eggs and peltries. The people had great dif- ficulty to make ends meet. Money was in- tensely scarce. Every dollar that could be raked or scraped together was placed in the land office and expended on the seaboard. Corn was frequently as low as 5 cents, wheat 371/2 cents, cows and calves $5.00, beef and pork 11/2 cents per pound.
"We did not suffer from the long droughts in the fall then, as now, and we had fewer frosts. Nearly all the hay was cut from the wild prairies. Cotton, tobacco and castor beans were cultivated. Paroquets were com- mon ; also gophers abounded everywhere."
SAMUEL P. GILLHAM'S RECOLLECTIONS
From the reminiscences of Samuel P. Gill- ham (born in 1809 in Chouteau township) are taken the following extracts: "The facili- ties for getting produce to market in early times were mainly a yoke of oxen and a wooden cart. There were a few large four- horse wagons in the country, which the peo- ple moved to the country in. Later a few of the well-to-do farmers got what was then called a Dearborn wagon, drawn by one horse. These were their pleasure carriages; they were without springs, but were considered wonderful institutions. As to provisions, they had meat, cornbread, very coarse flour, milk, butter, honey, and vegetables. The re- ligious privileges were much better than the educational The Methodist itinerants had a preaching place in almost all the settlements of the territory; ever after the fall of 1830 they came around about once in four weeks. And yearly they had the great camp meeting, and nearly everybody attended. They were often seasons of great spiritual power, strong men falling to the ground, and occasionally some would be exercised by what was then known as the jerks."
No account of pioneer life in Madison county is complete without mention of the struggles which the early settlers underwent with the "ague." It became a matter of com- mon belief, founded on the teaching of ex- perience, that each immigrant must endure a term of "seasoning" to this climate, as a siege of chills and fever was sure to visit him either the first or second year of his life here. In fact the settlement of Illinois was some- what retarded by the prevalent idea that Illi- nois was an unhealthy region. According to Governor Reynolds' sketches, Illinois was once termed a graveyard! He ascribes the prevalence of ague to the strong vegetation, so abundant in the uncultivated fields and swamps.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
In addition to those early settlers already mentioned, there were other distinguished residents of Madison county in her earlier days, who played an important part in the history of the state and whose prominence and strong personality cause them to stand out in bold relief in the county's early history.
GEORGE CHURCHILL AND GEORGE CADWELL
George Churchill and Dr. George Cadwell deserve especial mention, and should be named together, because of their faithful and effective opposition, as members of the state legislature from this county, to the pro-slavery plan to hold a constitutional convention in 1824. George Churchill was a Vermonter by birth and a printer by profession. His career is spoken of in a previous chapter.
Dr. George Cadwell was born in Connecti- cut in 1773, and acquired his medical educa- tion in Rutland, Vermont. He removed to Kentucky in 1799 with his father-in-law, the celebrated congressman from Vermont, and later from Kentucky, Col. Matthew Lyon, but remained in Kentucky only three years. The institution of slavery was so distasteful to Dr. Cadwell and to his brother-in-law, John Mes- senger (the pioneer surveyor of St. Clair and Madison counties), that in 1802 they came to Illinois. After a very hard journey across country in wagons encountering furious storms, in one of which the wagon in which Mrs. Cadwell and two small children were riding was completely overturned, Dr. Cadwell finally reached the banks of the Mississippi, where in the present Venice township, a short distance north of the Merchants' Bridge site, he purchased 200 acres of the south end of the Nicholas Jarrot survey. Here he built a cabin and practiced his profession in connec- tion with farming. St. Louis was then a thriv- ing village of 1,200 people, mostly French. The first record we have of the Doctor's public
services is that of his appointment as a justice of the peace, on July 9, 1809, which appoint- ment was continued by Gov. Ninian Edwards when Madison county was established in 1812. In 1813 he was appointed judge of the court of common pleas of Madison county, and on December 24, 1814, he received a Christmas gift from the governor of the territory in the shape of an appointment as judge of the county court.
Shortly after this promotion, Dr. Cadwell removed to Edwardsville, purchasing from Thomas Kirkpatrick on July 1, 1815, two lots containing the dwelling which was by the proclamation of Governor Edwards made the seat of justice of Madison county. This prop- erty is described as "lots 27 and 28 in the town of Edwardsville, lying on the west side of Main street and on the north side Cross street No. 5, containing one-quarter acre each." On January II, 1816, Dr. Cadwell was appointed county judge "during good behavior for three years," and in September, 1818, he was chosen Madison county's first representative in the state senate, convening at Kaskaskia. In drawing lots at the first session for two or four-year terms, the Doctor drew a two-year term, but in 1820 the voters of Madison county returned him to the senate for a full four-year term. Prior to the close of his second term, Dr. Cadwell removed to the present Morgan county, a part of the then Madison county.
We are proud to note that the names of George Churchill and Dr. George Cadwell are among the fifteen legislators who, in the mem- orable struggle in 1822 to 1824 to exclude slav- ery from this state, signed the brave and im- passioned appeal to the voters of the state. pleading for justice for the colored man.
While eight governors of Illinois have, at various periods of their lives, lived within the confines of Madison county, namely, Gover- nors Coles, Edwards, Reynolds, Duncan, Car-
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lin, Ford, Palmer and Deneen, special mention should be made, in any account of pioneer days in Madison county, of the three first named. Of Governor Reynolds some mention
has been made in this chapter. A sketch of Governor Edwards and his administration is contained in chapter VI, and of Governor Coles in chapter VII.
CHAPTER XX
FLORA AND FAUNA
TREES AND PLANTS-PLANT GROWTH-FAUNA-BIRDS-DRIVEN TO THE CITIES.
Perhaps this chapter is not strictly histori- cal, but it is relatively so at least, as indicating the conditions of animate and inanimate life that confronted the pioneer and upon which he was dependent for existence prior to the opening of farms and the rearing of domestic animals and fowls. He was dependent on the forest for logs for his rude dwelling, upon the wild fowls and animals for his meat, upon the wild grasses for food for the live-stock he brought with him, and upon the forest and prairie for all fruits and edible roots and plants that found their way to his table, also for such medicinal herbs and leaves as were of use in case of sickness.
TREES AND PLANTS
As this is not a scientific work the editor will simply give the names in common use of trees, plants and flowers which make up, or have made up the flora of the county, leaving their botanical or arborcultural designation to others. Following is a list of trees indigenous to the county with minor exceptions :
Pawpaw: Originally abundant on American Bottom and along various creek and river bot- toms.
Prickly ash and poison oak ; not common.
Summer and frost grapes and Virginia creeper ; abundant.
Buckeye; scarce.
Sugar maple, white maple, box elder ; abun- dant on bottom lands.
Red bud, dog wood, red and black haws; abundant.
Wild cherry, wild crab, black cap-raspberry, black berry, dew berry, elder berry, persim- mon ; common.
Gooseberry ; once abundant, now scarce.
Honey locust and black locust ; common.
Sassafras, white elm, red elm, red mulberry, white mulberry ; common.
White ash and black ash; common.
Sycamore, cotton wood, black walnut; com- mon.
Butter nut, or white walnut; not abundant except in certain localities.
Linden ; not abundant.
Pecan; not common throughout county, but abundant in township 4-9, and some still re- maining in 6-10.
Overcup oak; common on low lands. Post oak, white oak, black oak, red oak, water oak; common. Yellow oak; scarce.
Hazel nut; once abundant in valleys and on low lands.
Willow, several varieties; common along creek and river courses.
Red cedar ; scarce; found on river bluffs.
PLANT GROWTH
Water lily, May apple, pepper grass; com- mon.
Ginseng and Indigo weed ; scarce ; some gin- seng roots still gathered in bluff forests.
Rag weed, cockle bur, Spanish needle, beg-
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
gar ticks, ox-eye daisy; common. Fire weed; scarce. Common thistle, burdock ; common.
Dandelion ; introduced in early days of set- tlement ; now disputing with blue grass for su- premacy on lawns.
Plantain and mullein; common; the latter not as much so as formerly.
Horse mint and catnip; abundant.
Thoroughwort, hoarhound, nightshade and ground cherry ; not common.
Jamestown weed, milk weed, poke weed, pig weed, yellow dock, sour dock, stinging net- tle ; common, but first named not as abundant as formerly.
Cat tail, Indian turnip, arrow head, yellow and white lady slipper ; abundant, except lady slipper now rarely found.
Bulrush, spear grass, crab grass, foxtail, iron weed; violets, daisies, buttercups, sweet william, golden rod, and various minor wild plants and flowers, still as abundant as ever.
The words "abundant" and "common," as used above, refer generally to indigenous con- ditions. Many of the indigenous trees and plants have become extinct. Their places are supplied by imported trees and plants from all quarters of the globe, originally domesticated, but which have spread to fields and forests and flourish as luxuriantly as those native to the soil.
This enumeration gives some idea of the va- riety of wild products of which the soil and climate of the county are capable and indicate, in some measure, the resources from which both the aborigines and the early settlers could draw means of subsistenence from the forests and prairies.
FAUNA
The native fauna of the county were abun- dant and varied. The game of the forests and prairies, and the redundant life of the streams furnished the Indians and the early settlers with their main sources of livelihood.
The American elk once roamed through
the land and herds of deer were numerous, the latter furnishing the Indians and early set- tlers not only with food but with moccasins and clothing. The deer were so numerous that they did not become extinct until the county was thickly settled. They were still occasionally seen as late as 1860.
The American buffalo were once common here and were mentioned by the early French explorers, but before the first permanent set- tlements had been made, the bison, through some strange instinct, migrated beyond the Mississippi. The heads, horns and bones of these animals were found in abundance as late as 1820, throughout the county, mute evidence of their former occupancy. The mighty mas- todon, or mammoth, also dwelt here in pre- historic times, and their bones have been dis- covered in various places. The jaw bones and teeth of one was discovered, some years ago, within the limits of Alton, by Professor Mc- Adams, the geologist, where a gully had been washed through a clay hillside, immediately above the limestone. One of the teeth weighed fifty pounds and was as hard and polished as ivory.
Carnivorous animals were once numerous. The black bear was occasionally seen by the early settlers, but soon became extinct. The panther and wild cat were also frequently en- countered. The grey. wolf and prairie wolf were common and it was long before they be- came entirely extinct. They were, for a time, a serious menace to the pioneers. Foxes were also common and a nuisance to the farmers. Their cunning enabled them to survive long after other carnivorous animals had been ex- terminated. They were especially numerous along the river bluffs, where the caves and crevices in the cliffs gave them secure hiding places. Grey wolves have been seen along the bluffs, within five miles of Alton, within the last decade, and a few foxes still have their habitat there.
The weasels, minks, skunks, raccoons, opos-
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sums and wood chucks are still abundant. The badger and beaver have disappeared.
Of the squirrel family the fox and grey squirrel are still numerous in the forests, but the flying, ground and prairie varieties are less in evidence.
Hares, or rabbits, not only hold their own against the advance of civilization, but are, probably, as numerous as in primeval days.
Of minor fauna, bats, shrews, moles and water rats, there seems to have been little di- minution outside of the cities and towns.
BIRDS
Madison county must once have been a paradise for the ornithologist. Of birds it has had many species, the majority of which are unfortunately extinct. Birds of prey were numerous and many species still remain. The turkey buzzard, pigeon hawk, swallow-tailed hawk, night hawk, Mississippi kite, red tailed hawk still remain with us; the great horned owl, barred owl, snowy and screech owl, the bald eagle and ring-tailed eagle, once common, are now seldom seen with the exception of the screech owl, which still makes night melodious sometimes even in the cities. A flock of screech owls remained on the premises of the editor during almost the entire summer of 19II, to the terror of other birds which made fierce onslaughts on them in the trees every evening until darkness put the owls in posses- sion of the field.
The Carolina parrot was found in the county at an early day. Paroquets are spoken of in the writings of the first French explor- ers.
Other birds were numerous: Wood peck- ers of the hairy, downy, red-headed, golden- winged varieties. The ruby-throated humming bird (always scarce), the chimney swallow, cliff swallow, whippoorwill, belted king fisher, pewee, scarlet tangier, summer red bird, barn swallow, blue martin, cedar bird, mocking bird, brown thrush, house wren, yellow bird, oriole,
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