USA > Illinois > Madison County > Centennial history of Madison County, Illinois, and its people, 1812 to 1912, Volume I > Part 67
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
care for him at night and stayed with him until the patient died at 3 o'clock in the morn- ing. Mr. Hayden then went home to obtain a little rest, and returned at 8 o'clock. Mrs. Bergen met him at the door, and exclaimed, "Oh, don't I have trouble." At half past two in the afternoon, of the same day, Mrs. Ber- gen herself died, and two daughters quickly followed, leaving two other daughters as sole survivors of a family of seven. The two girls remaining were cared for at the home of Mr. Hayden's parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Hayden. This is simply an illustration of the terrible character of the disease and the frightful rapidity with which it wrought its deadly work.
Two PRESIDENTS VISITED ALTON
Two presidents visited Alton during their term of office. One was Millard Fillmore, who was here in 1851 or 1852. He probably arrived by river as, in departing, he took the train for Springfield at the old stone depot. President Andrew Johnson also visited Alton while he was in office in his famous "swing around the circle." He made a speech at a stand at the corner of Front and Piasa streets. William H. Seward, secretary of state, also spoke. General Grant was in the party but was silent as a sphinx, yet got all the applause. The presidential party was met here by a fleet of twenty-eight steamers who escorted the president to St. Louis. Commodore Joseph Brown was in command of the fleet.
LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATE
ยท The closing debate between Lincoln and . David Baker, Sr., James Semple and Lyman Douglas in the famous contest of 1858 was held in Alton on October 15th of that year. The details will be found in Chapter XXI.
OLDEST FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY IN ILLINOIS
The Illinois Mutual Fire Insurance Com- pany, the oldest fire insurance company in
the state, was organized in Alton, April 4, 1839, with B. F. Long as president and M. G. Atwood secretary, and soon attained a high rank. I have not the names of the original directors, but in 1845 the directors were : John Atwood, Samuel G. Bailey, John Bailhache, Alfred Dow. M. G. Atwood, B. F. Edwards, O. M. Adams, B. K. Hart, John James, B. F. Long, Elias Hibbard, Robert Smith, G. W. Long, Wm. F. DeWolf, Geo. B. Arnold. The officers were: B. F. Long, president; M. G. Atwood, secretary ; Geo. B. Arnold, treasurer. In 1866 the officers were: M. G. Atwood, pres- ident ; John Atwood, secretary; H. W. Bill- ings, counsellor; L. Kellenberger, treasurer ; with Samuel Wade, Henry Lea, Lyman Trum- bull, F. A. Hoffman, J. W. Schweppe, C. A. Caldwell, M. H. Topping and M. G. Dale, added to or replacing others in the directorate. The company had agencies all over the state and for many years was a flourishing institu- tion. It built a fine office in Middletown and around it were grouped the residences of the officials. The locality was locally called "In- suranceville." The office was subsequently moved to what is now the Masonic building on State street. It extended its operations and entered the insurance field in Chicago where it met its fate. It was wiped out by the great conflagration of 1871 which de- stroyed the great part of that city. Many other insurance companies were swept out of existence by the same unprecedented calamity.
Alton was the residence of many distin- guished men including three. U. S. senators : Trumbull. Also of Hon. Cyrus Edwards, who served many terms in the state legisla- ture, both houses, and in 1838 was the Whig candidate for governor.
One of the most exciting political cam- paigns of later days was that of 1880 between Garfield and Hancock. Great meetings, flam- ing torchlight processions and general illu-
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
RESIDENCE OF HON. LYMAN TRUMBULL, U. S. SENATOR
EDWARDS HOMESTEAD, BUILT BY HON. CYRUS EDWARDS IN 1837
F
1
RESIDENCE OF HON. D. J. BAKER, SR., U. S. SENATOR
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
minations were features of the campaign. The presidential canvass of 1896, between McKinley and Bryan was almost equally ex- citing but was devoid of the great parades of 1880. Politically, for the last fifty years Al- ton has been almost equally divided between the two great parties with a preponderance in favor of the Republicans the last few years.
THE CIVIL WAR
The removal of the arms from the St. Louis arsenal to Alton was the most daringly
the Illinois Glass Works. Begun in a small way the plant rapidly expanded. It is now the largest manufacturer of hollow glass ware in the world. Its plant covers an area of fifty acres. Its success is a monument to the financial genius of William Eliot Smith. Other large industrial enterprises followed which, in connection with the glass plant, demonstrated in a practical way the advant- ages of the city as an industrial centre.
It is not intended to review in detail Al- ton's history for the last thirty years. That should be the province of a later writer when
RAAM
ALTON YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION
planned and successfully executed exploit of the opening days of the Civil war. It was conducted by Capt. James B. Stokes of Chi- cago, acting under authority of Governor Yates. He was ably assisted by Col. S. A. Buckmaster, of Alton, who was also in the confidence of the governor.
Alton's part in the Civil war is narrated in Chapter XXXVI and will not be reviewed here. During the war Alton was a military post on the border and was a lively place commercially, but after peace was declared there came a slump in its prosperity that lasted over fifteen years. Times were so dull real estate could hardly be given away. The renaissance came with the establishment of
what are now current events stand out in greater relative significance. But present conditions may be adverted to and correct in- ferences drawn therefrom. Its progress in education as reflected in its splendid schools, colleges and academies, its libraries and liter- ary societies, is related elsewhere. Its trade and commerce are shown in its hundreds of wholesale and retail stores and warehouses. Its industries in many of the largest plants in the Mississippi valley. Its religious aspir- ations in over a score of stately churches and the spacious edifice of the Y. M. C. A. Its municipal expansion in the addition to its territory of North Alton in 1908 and Upper Alton in 1911, giving it now an aggregate
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
population of 21,000. Its welcome to tran- sients is expressed in ample hotel accommo- dations for visitors. The two largest hos- telries are the Hotel Madison and the Illini, the latter lately completed at a cost of $175,- 000. It is equipped with every improvement known to metropolitan life.
PIONEER MASONS AND ODD FELLOWS
Secret and fraternal lodges and societies are numbered by the score and have a large membership. Alton is the birth place of Odd Fellowship in Illinois, the order having been instituted here in 1837, and Free Masonry the same year.
The history of Free Masonry in Madison county seems to date back to organization of Franklin Lodge, No. 25, on November 25, 1837. Franklin Lodge was under the jurisdic- tion of the Grand Lodge of Missouri until 1844 when it came under the care of the newly-formed Grand Lodge of Illinois. It was moved from Alton city to Upper Alton in 1843. Charles Howard, the second mayor of Alton, was the first master of Franklin lodge. Piasa Lodge, No. 27, was constituted October 9, 1844. The orders of the craft are now represented in Alton as follows: Alton Chapter No. 8, R. A. M .; Alton Council No. 3, R. & S. M .; Belvidere Commandry No. 2, K. T., chartered September 18, 1853; Frank- lin Lodge, No. 25, as above, and Franklin Chapter No. 15, R. A. M. Other lodges were formed in years past, among them Er- win Lodge, No. 315, which appear to have been merged with other lodges.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows was introduced into Illinois by Samuel L. Mil- ler, by the organization of Western Star lodge, No. 1, in 1837. Wildey Encampment, No. I, was constituted July 11, 1838. A Grand Lodge of the State was instituted in Alton the same year. Other organizations followed. At present the order is represented in Alton by Western Star, No. I, Wildey En-
campment, No. I, Alton Lodge, No. 475, Up- per Alton, No. 466, Carlin Lodge, No. 248, D. of R. The I. O. O. F. own their own build- ing which, besides their own spacious hall houses Temple theatre and various stores and offices. The Masonic Order have a fine four-story building on State street and have just acquired adjoining property for a new 'edifice. The Elks and the Eagles also own spacious and elegant new homes of their own. The Knights of Pythias have been repre- sented in Alton since early in the history of the order. Fleur de Lys Lodge, No. 68, has a large membership. Of fraternal insurance orders the M. W. A. have the largest member- ship.
PUBLIC UTILITIES
Alton is provided with all the public im- provements and utilities any modern city can boast. She has thirty miles of paved streets within her limits and four or five more in pro- cess of construction. She has ten miles of street railroads within her corporate limits. Two Interurban lines, the Alton, Granite & St. Louis, and the Alton, Jacksonville & Peoria, the latter completed fifteen miles out of Alton. Two telephone systems, the Bell and the Kinloch, both providing local and long distance service. Two telegraph com- panies, the Postal and the Western Union. A public heating plant, gas works and an elec- tric lighting system. A complete system of water works, which, in connection with a finely equipped fire department affords ample fire protection. The water works system is built on the gravity plan with hydrants all over the city. Capacity of machinery, 10,- 000,000 gallons daily. The fire department has five engine houses provided with three horse trucks and two motor trucks.
The postal service of Alton is metropolitan with a free delivery system covering the en- tire city including the North Alton and Upper Alton additions. The office is first class in
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
rank and the government building lately erected for P. O. purposes, at the corner of Third and Alby streets, at a cost of $90,000, is modern in every particular. The postmas- ters of Alton and Upper Alton have been as follows, the names of those postmasters of what became Upper Alton being given first :
Alton, Madison Co., Ill., Augustus Lang- worthy, postmaster; date of appointment, August 27, 1819.
Alton, Madison Co., Ill., Bennet Maxey, postmaster, date of appointment, Dec. 8, I823.
Name of office changed to Salu; Bennett Maxey, postmaster ; date of appointment, Feb. 9, 1824.
Name of office changed to Alton; George Smith, postmaster; date of appointment, Aug. 14, 1826.
Name of office changed to Upper Alton, David Smith, postmaster-date of appoint- ment, July 27, 1835; Andrew Clifford, post- master-date of appointment, June 19, 1844; John Cooper, postmaster-date of appointment -Aug. 3, 1844; David Smith, postmaster- date of appointment, June 2, 1845; Franklin Hewitt, postmaster-date of appointment, April 27. 1849; Joseph Chapman, postmaster -date of appointment, June 2, 1853; James Smith, postmaster-date of appointment, Sept. 24, 1858; Aaron Butler, postmaster- date of appointment, April 8, 1861; T. B. Hurlbut, postmaster-date of appointment, Mar. 28, 1865; Aaron Butler, postmaster- date of appointment, May 21, 1867; J. H. Weeks, postmaster-date of appointment, Jan. 30, 1877 ; Mark Dickson, postmaster-date of appointment, Aug. II, 1885; J. H. Weeks, postmaster-date of appointment, April 29, 1889; Wm. L. Gillham, postmaster-date of appointment, April 14, 1894; H. A. Marsh, postmaster-date of appointment, Jan. IO, 1898; J. G. Seitz, postmaster-date of ap- pointment, March 14, 1902.
The list for what is now Alton follows : Lower Alton: Jacob C. Bruner, postmaster -date of appointment, Nov. 24, 1831.
Name of office changed to Alton; Jacob C. Bruner, postmaster-date of appointment, Oct. 16, 1835; Nathaniel Buckmaster, postmaster- date of appointment, Apr. 13, 1838; Cyrus Ed- wards, postmaster-date of appointment, Aug. 6, 1841; B. F. Edwards, postmaster-date of appointment, July 12, 1843; John Hatch, post- master-date of appointment, Oct. II, 1844; Peter Merrill, postmaster-date of appoint- ment, July 31, 1845; Timothy Souther, post- master-date of appointment, May 24, 1847 ; R. W. English, postmaster-date of appoint- ment, November II, 1853; J. G. Lamb, post- master-date of appointment, Mar. 30, 1861 ; I. J. Richmond, postmaster-date of appoint- ment, Jan. 26, 1875; Chas. Holden, Jr., post- master-date of appointment, May 31, 1878; T. H. Perrin, postmaster-date of appoint- ment, July 3, 1886; W. T. Norton, postmaster -date of appointment, Sept. 6, 1889; John Buckmaster, postmaster-date of appointment, April 14, 1894; Julia Buckmaster, postmistress -date of appointment, Dec. 1, 1896; W. T. Norton, postmaster-date of appointment, May 10, 1897 ; Henry Brueggemann, postmaster- date of appointment, Feb. 5, 1906.
These lists show that the office which be- came Upper Alton was established August 27, 1819, under the name of Alton. The name was changed to Salu in 1824; changed back to Alton in 1826, and to Upper Alton in 1835, which name it retained until consoli- dated with the Alton office in 1912. The Al- ton office was first named Lower Alton and
was established in 1831. The name was changed to Alton in 1835 which it has since retained. The receipts of the Alton post- office for the year ending September 30, III, were $42,202.32. The disbursements for the same period were $28,338.54. Sur- plus earnings forwarded to department, $13,-
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
863.78. This is a handsome showing of the business prosperity of Alton. It does not include Upper Alton which continues an in- dependent office at this writing.
OLD-TIME CITIZENS AND BUSINESS MEN
The Madison County Gazetteer, of 1866, says: In 1830 there were few permanent set- tlers located in the village. Among those who arrived in 1831 were B. I. Gilman, Edward Bliss, William Manning, Samuel Wade, Sam- uel Avis, Mark Pierson, William Hayden, Elijah Haydon, A. C. Hankinson, J. D. Smith,
Arba Nelson, 1836; hardware.
P. B. Whipple, 1835; dry goods.
H. B. Bowman, 1839; dry goods. Isaac Scarritt, 1837; dry goods.
Richard Flagg, 1837 ; dry goods. Robert DeBow, 1835; grocer.
- Thos. G. Starr, 1838; grocer. S. A. Parks, 1836; publisher.
Charles Phinney, 1838; grocer.
Amasa S. Barry (located 1837) ; druggist ; 1842.
J. W. & H. Schweppe, 1844; clothiers.
J. W. Schweppe, came 1837.
POST OFFICE, ALTON
J. S. Lane, J. T. Hudson and R. M. Dunlap. Thos. G. Hawley had come some time previ- ous, as had George and John Quigley, also Andrew Miller. Winthrop S. Gilman came in 1829. William Hall came in the early thir- ties. He built a frame house in upper Middle- town which is still standing. Samuel Pitts, Sr., came in 1836, W. W. Cary also in 1836, and Rev. A. T. Norton in 1839, although he came to the state in 1835.
The Gazetteer also gives the following list of men who established themselves here in early days and were still in business in 1866:
Samuel Wade, lumber; 1831 ; banker.
Dr. E. Marsh, druggist ; 1832; banker. Vol. I-31
William Hayden, 1831 ; lumber. H. C. Sweetser, 1838; lumber. George Quigley, 1832; tinware. M. W. Carroll, 1832 ; harness and saddlery. James S. Stone came 1836 or '37. E. L. Dimmock, 1838; boots and shoes."
The Gasetteer also gives a list of many resi- dents who were here prior to the close of 1840. I copy those not mentioned in some previous connection: Hezekiah Davis, Wil- liam McCorkle, M. Gillespie, William Bar- rett, J. A. Langdon, Richard Shipley, S. H. Denton, John Quigley, Isaac Negus, S. C. Pierce, J. T. Thurston, George Kelley, Eli Foster, O. J. Foster, Samuel Bush, J. W.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
Stoddard, G. Robbins, Hezekiah Hawley, John R. Woods, Arba Nelson, B. F. Child, Henry Lea, W. Libby, Calvin Stone, A. L. Corson, S. E. More, T. L. & T. Waples, G. S. Gaskins, W. Harned, John Hogan, W. and H. Tanner, Dr. B. F. Edwards, T. P. Wool- dridge, J. C. Woods, J. M. Morgan, W. T. Miller, John Batterton, J. C. Milnor, John Dill, A. Platt, J. W. Hart, C. S. Leech, A. G. Sloo, H. G. McClintock, Caleb Stone, George W. Fox, R. McFarland, Moses Forbes, S. L. Miller, Chas. E. Frost, Geo. Walworth, S. H. Kennedy, James H. Lea, J. G. Lamb, John Dye, E. Trenchery, W. F. and J. Leonard, S. Lufkin, George L. Ward, John Chaney, Ed- ward Levis, James E. Starr, Geo. McBride, Andrew Mather, John Mullady, W. L. Chap- pell, George and W. A. Holton, B. F. Sar- gent, E. H. Harrison, John Rowe, Charles Trumbull, James D. Burns, J. R. Stanford.
Among others who were here in the thirties were James S. Stone, Andrew Alexander, A. W. Corey, Samuel Thurston, B. F. Long, Beale Howard, J. A. Langdon, Charles Holmes, W. H. Robertson, Geo. W. Fuller, Orrin Cooley, D. T. Wheeler, Nathan Johnson, A. Olney. In Upper Alton the names of Enoch Long, Isaac Waters, H. K. Lathy and Henry H. Snow may be added to those resident there prior to 1821.
Of leading German citizens who were early residents of Alton, Fred Hoffmeister, who came here in 1833, seems to have been the vanguard. Dr. F. Humbert came to Upper Alton in 1836. Hon. Geo. H. Weigler in 1838. He became prominent in public life ; was a justice of the peace, member of the city council many years, and a representative in the general assembly in 1874-6. Hon. J. H. Yager, who came here prior to the war, having previously lived in Edwardsville, filled many public offices including state's attorney and member of both houses of the state legis- lature. Among other leading German citi- zens who settled in Alton at an early date
may be mentioned A. L. Hoppe, the Joesting families, C. and F. Wuerker, J. W. and H. Schweppe, R. Maerdian, J. J. Hartmann, An- drew Rosenberger, Philip Maurer, Henry Neinhaus, G. A. Deterding, M. Jaeckel, Chas. Rodemeyer, Philip Wenzel, Dr. E. Guelich, Joseph Floss, Col. John H. Kuhn, Jacob Kuhn, H. M. Tonsor, William Sonntag, R. Gossrau, Louis Berner, Anton Sauvage, Theodore Lehne, H. F. Lehne, R. J. Bier- baum, Charles and N. Seibold, Maj. Emil Adam. Many of the descendants of these early German residents are among the leading business men of Alton today.
Among those who arrived here in 1831 and survived to an honored old age in Alton were Samuel Wade and William Hayden. Mr. Wade served four terms as mayor.
Of the pioneer business men named above Charles Phinney was the last survivor. He died in 1904, aged 94 years. He established himself in the grocery business here in 1838 and conducted it personally until his last ill- ness in 1904, a period of sixty-six years-a record almost without parallel-of active business life.
INDUSTRIAL NOTES OF TODAY
The industries of the Alton of today are many and various. They are headed by the Illinois Glass Co., employing 3,500 hands. This is a monument to the wonderful enter- prise of Edward Levis, Sr., William Eliot Smith and their successors, the five Levis brothers, who now head this great enterprise the largest bottle factory in the world.
The Glass Company turns out ten million gross of bottles annually, equal to 144,000,000. Value of product, $2,500,000. The officers are: Geo. M. Levis, president; R. H. Levis, vice president ; Charles Levis, secretary ; and J. M. Levis, treasurer.
The Sparks Milling Co. and Standard-Til- ton Milling Co., give Alton rank as the fifth Milling centre in the country. Their output
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
in 191I was 938,271 barrels of flour of which the Standard -- Tilton turned out 534,390 bar- rels and the Sparks Co., 403,881.
Each mill has a capacity of 3,000 barrels of flour per day. James T. Corbett is superinten- dent of the Stanard-Tilton mill. The officers of the Sparks Company are: H. B. Sparks, president; F. R. Milnor and W. L. Sparks, vice presidents ; C. F. Sparks, treasurer ; Geo. S. Milnor, secretary.
Other great idustries are Beall Bros.' three factories, the first of miners' tools and miners' supplies; the second of high grade shovels, spades and scoops; the third (at East Alton) of heavy hammers and railroad track tools. The value of the output of the three factories annually is $1,000,000. The officers are: J. W. Beall, president; A. M. Beall, vice presi- dent; E. H. Beall, treasurer; and Charles L. Beall, secretary and manager of East Alton branch.
The Alton Brick Company conducts a mam- moth plant turning out 185,000 brick daily. Edward Rodgers is president and Eben Rod- gers, secretary of this enterprise which is revo- lutionizing road building in Illinois.
The Duncan Bros. Foundry and Machine Shop is another notable enterprise of vast di- mensions, of which the three brothers, James, William M. and George D. Duncan, are the proprietors. They operate the American Coal Washer Co., with James Duncan, president ; Geo. D. Duncan, vice president ; W. M. Dun- can, secretary and treasurer. Also the Illi- nois Stoker Company, with James Duncan, president ; W. M. Duncan, vice president ; and Geo. D. Duncan, treasurer. The annual out- put of these factories is valued at $500,000, and is shipped to all parts of the United States and Canada.
The Illinois Corrugated Paper Company manufactures strawboard products of all kinds and although a new enterprise is one of the great industries of the city.
In 1873 the Hapgood Plow Company estab-
lished their famous factory in Alton. The original partners were Chas. H. Hapgood, John Lane and Geo. R. Laughton. As the years passed on they revolutionized the indus- try by putting on the market the Riding Plow and the Hancock Disc Plow which swept the country. The concern has patronage from all countries of the civilized world. It is now owned by H. L. Black, C. H. Hapgood having retired, but retains the old name.
Other industries of note are: Luer Bros.' Packing plants, the C. F. Sparks Machine Co., which has built many of the finest yachts on the river, four planing mills, four ice plants, mam- moth box factory, two carriage factories, three bottling plants, numerous lime kiln and stone crusher plants, two breweries, a broom fac- tory, rug factory, several extensive quarries, etc., etc., in all some seventy plants with an aggregate output in value of some $35,000,- 000 per annum. Adjoining Alton are The Stoneware Pipe Co., the Equitable Powder Manufacturing Co., the Western Cartridge Co., with branch in Alton city, Beall Bros.' Tool Works, the Federal Lead Works, the largest smelter of the Guggenheim system, the Alton Boxboard and Paper Co., a new but im- mense concern, the Standard Oil Refinery, the largest western branch of that great corpor- ation. Wood River, town, and Benbow, city, are the outgrowth of this great industry.
Other features: City hall, twenty-five churches, modern theatres, two public li- braries, two Old People's Homes, two public parks, Rock Spring park, containing 75 acres ; large hospital, 200 mercantile houses, four- teen public school buildings, one college, one military school, three academies, several pa- rochial schools, two business colleges, modern hotels, Y. M. C. A. building, cost $50,000, nearly one hundred social, fraternal and liter- ary organizations, seven building and loan as- sociations, five banks with resources of $5,490-, 303 and deposits of $4,889,403.
CHAPTER LV
CHOUTEAU TOWNSHIP
NATURAL FEATURES-EARLY SETTLEMENT-EARLY LAND CLAIMS ENTERED-PIONEER HARDSHIPS, PLEASURES AND DANGERS-EDUCATION AND RELIGION-FIRST MILL AND STORE -INDIAN MOUNDS-OLD SALEM CEMETERY-THE OLD GILLHAM ESTATE-MADISON VIL- LAGES-OLD SALEM AND MITCHELL-THE DRIVEN WELL-COUNTY BOARD REPRESENTATION -PROTECTION FROM FLOODS.
By L. M. Southard
The name Chouteau island and later Chou- teau township, is given in honor of Pierre Chouteau, who was largely interested and closely identified with the early history of St. Louis.
NATURAL FEATURES
This township lies wholly in what is known as the American bottom and possesses a rich alluvial soil composed largely of a dark sandy loam. Chouteau is bounded on the north by Wood river, east by Edwardsville, south by Nameoki and on the west by the Mississippi river. It is interspersed by a number of lakes and sloughs-the most important of which are Grassy lake, in sections 2, 3 and II, embracing some four hundred acres, and Long lake, which begins in section 4 and ranges in a southeast- erly direction entirely through the southwest- ern part of Chouteau and continues into Na- meoki township.
Long lake is about five miles long and has an average width of some four hundred feet. It was probably at one time the channel of Wood river. Chouteau slough, in the south- western part of the township, has an average width of some two hundred feet and parallels the Mississippi a distance of about four miles.
Grassy lake has long been a favorite resort for sportsmen in quest of wild geese, ducks and other water fowl, while Long lake and Chou- teau slough have been equally famous as pleas- ure resorts for fishing and boating parties. As late as the seventies, at times, in the spring of the year, wild geese and ducks fairly swarmed in the vicinity, nor was it an uncommon sight to see a number of beautiful snow-white swans flying over it or floating gracefully and peace- fully on Grassy lake-peacefully, for at that time there were no rapid-fire shot guns and few hunters in that locality.
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