USA > Illinois > Madison County > Centennial history of Madison County, Illinois, and its people, 1812 to 1912, Volume I > Part 69
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but beneath the surface are limitless deposits of coal and shale, which are described else- where, and which make Collinsville not only a great mining but an industrial center of boundless possibilities. The township looks back upon a prosperous past and so prodigal has Mother Nature been in her gifts that it can look forward to a development of bound- less possibilities. The hardy pioneers who first felled its timber for their rude cabins and turned its rich soil with their crude plowshares little dreamed of the storehouse of wealth ly- ing beneath its smiling surface. They were a contented and happy people, grateful for the
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good things of the present, but unmindful of the fabulous heritage they were leaving to their descendants.
According to the census of 1910 Collins- ville township has a population of 10,607, ranking as the third township in the county in number of inhabitants. Of these 7,478 are in Collinsville city, and 789 in Maryville, a min- ing village. The census of 1890 gave the township a population of 5,224, and that of 1900, 5,812, a gain of 588, but the census of 1910 showed a wonderful transformation, the gain in the decade from 1900 being 4,795, or nearly 100 per cent. The township is coming into its own, thanks to the development of its latent resources now in progress. The city of Collinsville rose from 4,021 in 1900, to 7,478 in 1910, a gain of 3,457.
UNIONVILLE, NOW COLLINSVILLE
To revert to old times. According to Mr. H. J. Marshall the first settler of Collinsville, city, was John Cook. Mr. Marshall has his biography and a picture of his cabin. The founders of the city were the Collins family from Litchfield, Conn., who arrived in 1817 and purchased the holdings of Mr. Cook, on which the city is now located. The members of the family who first arrived were Augustus, Anson, William B. and Michael Collins. Five years later their father, Deacon William Col- lins, their youngest brother, Frederick, and the remainder of the family joined them. The settlement was at first called Unionville, but when a postoffice was established in 1825 the postmaster general changed the name to Col- linsville, there being already a postoffice in the state called Unionville. The Collins brothers were active, energetic business men. They were possessed of ample capital and proceeded to the erection of a distillery, a saw mill and a flour mill. The distillery was built of logs and stands to this day, but has been metamor- phosed, weatherboarded and converted into a dwelling house. They also erected a store-
house later, which was the first frame building in Collinsville.
THE COLLINS BROTHERS
The Collins brothers were prosperous. Their flour, lumber and whisky found a ready mar- ket, and they established a warehouse in St. Louis. But in the midst of their prosperity they were not forgetful of the religious inter- ests of the infant community, and in 1818, aided by other settlers, they built a Union meeting house, which was the first frame church erected in Illinois. It was open to preachers of all denominations. This building is still standing and is occupied as a dwelling. Their next care was the building of a fine two-story frame house in preparation for the coming of their parents and the remainder of the family. This was built in 1821 and still remains - a handsome, well-built residence. It is occupied by Mrs. R. S. Reed, daughter of William B. Collins, and her husband. At the time the brothers built their distillery the making and vending of whisky was considered as reputable as any other vocation. However, in the height of their prosperity, sometime subsequent to 1825, the echoes of the great temperance reform that swept over New Eng- land reached their ears. Their old pastor, Dr. Lyman Beecher of Litchfield, published his notable sermon, "Six Temperance Sermons," which, with other literature and their own re- flections, convinced them that the business they were engaged in was morally wrong and they decided to give it up, although to do so in- volved heavy financial loss, the rupture of the partnership in which the father and five sons were interested, and the scattering of the family. Instead of selling out at a good profit as they might have done, they destroyed the stills, sold the huge tanks for cisterns and the grain bins for storage to the farmers. Rev. Thomas Lippincott writes: "A temperance society was then organized and the owners of real estate entered into a bond to sell no lots
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within the limits of the village without a clause in the deed of conveyance by which the prop- erty was forfeited to the original owners if ardent spirits were ever made or sold upon the premises."
I do not know what became of that reser- vation in the deeds of that day, but times have changed since then and Collinsville, with a population of 7,478, has now thirty-nine sa- loons, which gives one for every 191 inhabi- tants, or one to every 38 voters at the ratio of five persons to each voter. The names of the saloon keepers sound like the roll call of an emigrant ship just arrived from the Mediterranean.
After abandoning the distillery business the Collins family separated, locating in different places, William B. alone of the brothers re- maining in Collinsville. Deacon Collins, the father, died in 1849, aged 88 years. His wife died in 1834. Of his sons, Augustus died in 1828. Anson and Michael located in Naples and Frederick in Quincy. Both Anson and William B. died in 1835. One daughter, Almira, married Rev. Salmon Giddings of St. Louis. Michael married a daughter of Capt. Blakeman, and Frederick a daughter of Capt. Allen, both of Marine. William B. married a daughter of Joseph Hertzogg, who con- ducted a large flouring mill originally erected on Cahokia creek by William Rabb in 1813. Prior to their separation the Collins family took a prominent part in the Anti-Convention campaign of 1824. The election took place in August of that year. The Edwardsville Spec- tator of Sept. 14, 1824, following, has this comment: "On the 2nd inst. Augustus Col- lins & Co. gave a dinner to the Anti-Conven- tion voters of Unionville precinct (Collins- ville), who met to celebrate the success of the friends of freedom in the late election. At one o'clock a procession was formed and marched under the command of Ezra Post to the meeting house, where the ceremonies were opened with prayer and the singing of two
appropriate odes, after which an address was delivered by Augustus Collins. The proces- sion then marched to the house of the Collins brothers, where 120 persons sat down to a sumptuous dinner at which Curtis Blakeman was president and William Otwell vice-presi- dent. After dinner a number of toasts were drunk, accompanied by martial music and the discharge of cannon. It is worthy of note that while in accordance with the custom of the times an abundance of liquor was served, there was not an instance of intoxication, pro- fane .swearing or angry conversation during the day."
This celebration was prior to the conversion of the Collins brothers to the temperance cause. It is likewise evident that the whisky of those days was different from some modern brands, which are potent enough to "make a rabbit spit in the face of a bull dog."
To resume: The first interment made in what is now Collinsville cemetery was that of Michael Squiers, who was buried there in 1816.
The oldest church society in Collinsville is the Presbyterian. It was organized May 3, 1823, by Rev. Salmon Giddings of St. Louis, with eleven members. Seven of these were members of the Collins family. The others were Oriel and Susan Wilcox, Horace and Emma C. Look. This church society is still in existence and is the oldest Presbyterian organization in the county, in continuous ex- istence, and the building it originally occupied (still standing) is the oldest frame church in the state. This church is singled out for spe- cial mention because of the historic record of its original members in connection with the founding of the place and the establishment of its earliest industries.
The first industry in Collinsville, city, ex- cept those located by the Collins family, was an extensive tannery established by Oriel Wil- cox in 1820. He continued the business for several years and then sold out to H. L. Ripley. Horace Look came west in 1818 and
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located in Collinsville in 1821. He was post- master for upwards of thirty years. Some of his descendants still reside there.
THE CORPORATION
The town plat of Collinsville was laid out by the representatives of William B. Collins, James L. Darrow and Horace Look. Just when this was done does not appear, but it was recorded at Edwardsville May 12, 1837. Its incorporation was recorded in the office of the secretary of state Feb. 15, 1855. (Doubtless a misprint for 1850), and organized as a city Oct. 1, 1872, under the general incorporation law. The town records from 1837 to 1850 are missing up to the election of Nov. 25, 1850, when the following trustees were elected and organized on the 30th of that month: D. D. Collins, president ; J. J. Fisher, H. L. Ripley and Horace Look; Almanza Tufts, clerk. The last president of the town board, according to the record the writer examined, was O. C. Look. Mr. H. J. Marshall says it was I. C. Moore. The first mayor was John Becker, elected Nov. II, 1872, who is still living at the age of 85. The present mayor is R. Guy Kneedler. His immediate predecessors were J. C. Simpson and Dr. J. L. R. Wadsworth. Without making any invidious comparison it is but just to say that no name in Collinsville is more indelibly impressed upon its history than that of Dr. Wadsworth for the last fifty years. A minister of mercy in the abode of sickness, a leader in the social, moral and edu- cational uplift of the place, and public spirited and progressive as a civic official, his name will live in the annals of the place as does that of the Collins family of the early days. It is a singular coincidence that both the Collins and Wadsworth families hail from Litchfield county, Connecticut.
Joshua S. Peers was for many years a prominent citizen of Collinsville. He came from New York in 1832.
COAL AND INDUSTRIES
Lying in the center of the coal mining dis- trict, the shipments of that product from Col- linsville are immense and are more fully spoken of in Chapter XXIV. Hon. Louis Lumaghi is one of the leading operators. His father, Dr. Octavius Lumaghi, was one of the pioneers of this industry. In 1875 Dr. Lu- maghi erected works for the smelting of zinc at his coal mine. This smelting business passed through various hands and has devel- oped into the principal industry of the city, operated by the St. Louis Smelting & Refining Co. It operates a $2,000,000 plant and em- ploys 1,500 hands with a pay roll of $25,000 every two weeks. Other important factories are the Chester Knitting Mill, the Triumph Pickle Company, the Luker Bros. creamery and last but not least the Stock Bell factory. This unique enterprise was established years ago by I. C. Moore, who was succeeded by O. B. Wilson, and is now operated by F. C. Blume. The tinkle of a cow bell is now sel- dom heard in this county but its cheerful sound still echoes in many remote sections of the south and west, where thousands of the bells are shipped annually.
Collinsville has many miles of brick-paved streets ; a fine system of water works ; a model fire department, electric lights and other met- ropolitan utilities. It has two lines of the East St. Louis and Suburban Traction Co. It has but one railroad, the Vandalia line, built in 1868.
SCHOOLS AND NEWSPAPERS
The earliest schools in Collinsville were taught in the Union church spoken of above. Several academies were opened later. Of these, one established by Philander Braley, and a later one taught by Rev. Charles E. Blood, were noted educational institutions. They were succeeded by the public school system.
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The city is now provided with three spacious public school buildings. The first of the three, erected in 1873, is a three-story building with twelve rooms. The only township high school in the county is located here. It is a handsome edifice, modern in all respects, costing $50,000. Professor Charles H. Dorris is the efficient
newspapers, the Semi-Weekly Herald, edited by B. W. Jarvis, and the Advertiser, published by Schimpff & Stucker. Both are enterpris- ing journals and successful moulders of public opinion. Collinsville has a reputation as a graveyard of newspapers, but the present occupants of the field have no intention of
TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL, COLLINSVILLE
superintendent of schools. There is also a ever allowing their enterprises to seek rest large and flourishing parochial school. under the daisies.
Collinsville is a city of handsome churches and costly private residences. Its churches, lawyers, physicians, bankers and newspapers are spoken of more minutely in previous chap- ters and likewise some of its early industries.
At the present time Collinsville has two
James N. Peers, an old-time journalist, re- signed the editor's uneasy chair some years ago, and is now devoting his energies to pho- tography and poultry raising. He is a talented artist in the first named pursuit and a great success in the latter.
CHAPTER LVII
EDWARDSVILLE TOWNSHIP
EARLY SETTLEMENTS-TOWN LAID OUT-FAMOUS RESIDENTS-JUDICIARY AND CIVIL GOV- ERNMENT-CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS-SOCIAL AND FRATERNAL-THE POSTOFFICE-FIRST NEWSPAPER-EARLY MILLS-TRANSPORTATION-WATER PROBLEM SOLVED-EDWARDSVILLE AS A CITY-COURT HOUSES-INDUSTRIES-AS A RESIDENTIAL CITY.
By Charles Boeschenstein
In the early days of the nineteenth century historical facts concerning Illinois, the county of Madison, and the town of Edwardsville were usually grouped in the same chapter, so largely identical were they. Edwardsville was one of the historic places of Illinois during the formative period of the commonwealth, even before it became a state. The town was the seat of government, the distributing point of its business and trade activities and the center of social and communistic features. Desig- nated as the government land office and as the Kickapoo Indian agency, Edwardsville formed the gateway through which flowed the early tide of immigration from Kentucky and the eastern states and from this point the settlers deployed to the northward as far as Lake Michigan. Here also centered those measures for protection necessary to combat the acts of reprisal with which the Indians met the ad- vance of civilization.
Edwardsville a hundred years ago was the governmental center of a vast area, embracing all of Illinois north of the south line of Madi- son county extended across the state to Indi- ana, all of what is now the state of Wisconsin, and taking in small portions of Minnesota and upper Michigan. The Canadian line was desig- nated as the northern limit of the county.
Vol. I-32
EARLY SETTLEMENTS
The earliest permanent settlement in the vicinity of Edwardsville was in 1800. Eph- raim O'Connor located in Goshen, as the south central part of Madison county was then known, his place being between Edwardsville and Collinsville. He was bought out the next year by Colonel Samuel Judy, who remained on the property until the time of his death.
The first settlement on the present site of Edwardsville was made in 1805 by Thomas Kirkpatrick, a native of North Carolina, who built his cabin on a militia claim of a hundred acres on Cahokia creek, originally granted to Pierre Lejoy. During the three years previous several other families from the east settled in the neighborhood. The confirmation of Kirk- patrick's claim is to be found in the second volume of the American State Papers, the grant being listed as No. 991. In the easy- going style of those days Edwardsville was listed as three miles east of the Mississippi, when in reality it was between eight and nine miles.
TOWN LAID OUT
The town itself was roughly laid out in 1813 and three years later it was surveyed and
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COURT HOUSE, EDWARDSVILLE
CITY HALL, EDWARDSVILLE
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platted by Thomas Kirkpatrick, its original settler, who bestowed upon it the name Ed- wardsville, in honor of Ninian Edwards, then the territorial governor of Illinois.
No one occupied a more important position in the early days of Edwardsville than did Kirkpatrick. In 1812 he built a fort on what is now North Main street in Edwardsville, at a point 300 yards from Cahokia creek, which was to be used as a defense against the Indians. When Madison county was formally created on September 14, 1812, the home of Thomas Kirkpatrick in Edwardsville was named as the seat of government and it was there, on the 5th day of April, 1813, that the court of common pleas held its first session.
After the War of 1812 the deeds to most of the land in northern Illinois, distributed by the government to soldiers who had partici- pated therein, and which were known as "mili- tary bounty lands," were registered in Ed- wardsville. Entries of government land were recorded here and the town was the scene of negotiations of treaties with the Indians. All these things brought together a great number of people and the town grew rapidly.
FAMOUS RESIDENTS
Eight persons who filled the office of gov- ernor of Illinois, at various periods were resi- dents of Edwardsville. Three spent long periods here. They were: Ninian Edwards, the only governor of the territory and after- wards governor of the state, Edward Coles and Thomas Ford. The residence here of Governor Coles was the most extended. Four others, John Reynolds, Joseph Duncan, Thomas Carlin and John M. Palmer, lived here during part of their eventful careers. Charles S. Deneen, present governor of the state, was born here.
Edwardsville was the home of the first two United States senators from Illinois, Ninian Edwards and Jesse B. Thomas, and they lived here at the same time during their terms of
office. Benjamin Stephenson, who was repre- sentative to congress when Illinois was a terri- tory, and Daniel P. Cook, who was the first representative to congress from Illinois elected by the people after it became a state, were numbered among its residents.
Benjamin J. Seward, brother of Secretary of State W. H. Seward, and James D. Henry, who achieved the distinction of capturing Black Hawk and putting an end to the war that was named for that noted chief, were among famous residents of the first period.
In 1813 George Coventry erected a mill in Edwardsville on what is known as Tan Yard branch because of the tan yard which was operated at the head of the stream. In 1816 Abraham Prickett opened the first store in Edwardsville and shortly afterward his ex- ample was followed by Benjamin Stephenson
JUDICIARY AND CIVIL GOVERNMENT
The judicial side of the civic scheme re- ceived its first representation when the court of common pleas in Madison county held its initial session on April 5, 1813, at the house of Thomas Kirkpatrick in Edwardsville. John G. Lofton and Jacob Whiteside were the judges, Josias Randle being appointed clerk.
Prior to 1817 the sessions of court were held in the taverns of the town but toward the latter part of this year a court house consist- ing of a log cabin erected by Samuel G. Morse, at a cost of $437.50, was opened. A jail of similar construction was completed by Wil- liam Otwell at a cost of $194, both being in the north part of the city as it is at present constituted.
The first mention of government for the town of Edwardsville that can be found on any of the records is the passage by the state legislature on February 23, 1819, of an act appointing Benjamin Stephenson, Joseph Bowers, Robert Latham, John Todd, Joseph Conway, Abraham Prickett and Theophilus W. Smith the board of trustees for the town.
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The first hotel in the city was called the "General Washington" and was opened by W. C. Wiggins in the fall of 1819 in a brick building on the northeast side of the public square. Another famous old hotel was located a few doors south of the square and on the west side of Main street, and came to be
with thirty-five members. Rev. Washington C. Ballard preached to the congregation. John Hogan, a young Irishman who traveled on the circuit, preached to the members in the old court house. In the spring of 1829 the first Methodist church was erected on the spot where St. John's M. E. church now stands.
THE OLD WABASH HOTEL AT EDWARDSVILLE, WHERE LINCOLN AND DOUGLAS WERE AMONG THE DISTINGUISHED GUESTS DURING THE 50'S
known in later years as the Wabash hotel. In early times this building, which is now used as a tenement house, was the scene of the principal social functions, and political and general gatherings.
CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS
Edwardsville had its share in the early re- ligious development of the state as well as in its material progress. Near the city was built the first Methodist church in Illinois. It was on land occupied by Thomas Good, two and a half miles south of Edwardsville, and was erected in 1805 of unhewn logs, clapboard roof, puncheon floor and roughly constructed windows. It was known as Bethel.
The Methodist church in the city of Ed- wardsville was organized in December, 1827,
Rev. William S. Deneen, grandfather of Gov- ernor Charles S. Deneen, arrived the follow- ing year and was the first Methodist minister regularly stationed in Edwardsville.
The German Methodist church of Edwards- ville had its inception in 1847 when an assist- ant preacher from Alton commenced the hold- ing of services in the Progress school house. The Baptist church was rented in 1861 and used until 1866, and the Episcopal church was rented and used until 1869, when it was bought by the German Methodist congregation. Later this was succeeded by the present hand- some brick structure. The First Presbyterian congregation was organized in Edwardsville March 17, 1819, but later lapsed and was re- vived in 1837 and again in 1845, and in 1867 the present congregation was formed. The
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congregation was organized in Edwardsville building on Second street, moving a quarter of a century ago to the present building at Kansas street and College avenue.
On April 18, 1828, the Baptist church in Edwardsville was organized at a meeting held at the residence of Dr. Benjamin F. Edwards, later the residence of Hon. Joseph Gillespie. The first church was built in 1830 and was sold in 1866, the present building, which suc- ceeded it, being dedicated on October 6, 1872.
the corner stone was blessed by Very Rev. P. J. Baltes of Alton. A parochial school is conducted in connection with this church.
The German Evangelical, German Lutheran, Episcopal and Christian denominations are all well represented in Edwardsville, each con- gregation having a substantial brick house of worship.
The earliest settlers in Edwardsville estab- lished subscription schools. The expenses, which consisted principally of the salary of the
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EDWARDSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
Services of the Roman Catholic faith were first held in Edwardsville between the years 1835 and 1840 in the dwelling houses of Mrs. McCabe and Mrs. Bartlett in what is now "lower town," and the home of Michael Mur- ray, a mile east of town on the Hillsboro road. The first church was built in 1843 and was entitled "The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary," which is the present St. Mary's Irish Catholic congregation. St. Boni- face's German Catholic congregation in 1867 reached a size at which it was determined to build a church and on the 2nd of June, 1869,
instructor, being defrayed by contributions from the patrons. Joshua Atwater is the first teacher of whom any mention is made. He taught from 1818 to 1820, opening a store in the latter year. Madam DeJerome opened an academy in 1820, wherein was given instruc- tion in the French language, geography, his- tory, drawing, arithmetic, embroidery and plain needlework. The present school build- ings of Edwardsville are of the most modern construction and equipment, and the enroll- ment of children is in the neighborhood of 1,200.
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SOCIAL AND FRATERNAL
The social and fraternal side is represented by the following lodges and societies : Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Knights of Columbus, Modern Woodmen, Mutual Protec- tive League, Maccabees, Eagles, Owls, Red- men, Pocahontas, Rebekahs, Royal Neighbors, Eastern Star, Turnverein, Maennerchor.
Edwardsville's patriotic contributions to the Federal service have been generous. They began in 1809, when the settlers banded to- gether to resist the Indians whose depredations were believed to be incited by the British traders and agent at Prairie du Chien. Fort Russell, a few miles north of Edwardsville, was the headquarters of Governor Edwards for military stores and munitions of war. On August 1, 1812, a company was enlisted for the border warfare under command of Cap- tain Samuel Whiteside and it included forty men. William Jones and Samuel Judy com- manded other companies organized in the fall of 1812. In the Black Hawk war of 1831 and 1832 many Edwardsville people took part, and it was James D. Henry, a pioneer of Edwards- ville, who captured that famous warrior. When the Mexican war broke out in 1846 the Second and Sixth regiments out of a total of six from Illinois, were organized at Alton and contained a large enlistment of Ed- wardsville men, and the county seat furnished a goodly proportion of the 4,221 men from Madison county who enlisted for the Civil war. The memory of the achievements of that strug- gle is kept green by Edwardsville Post, No. 461, Grand Army of the Republic, and General Phil Sheridan Camp, No. 50, Sons of Vet- erans. Only a half a dozen Edwardsville men enlisted for the Spanish-American war in 1898.
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