USA > Illinois > Madison County > Centennial history of Madison County, Illinois, and its people, 1812 to 1912, Volume I > Part 70
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THE POSTOFFICE.
The first postmaster of Edwardsville was David Prickett, who was appointed on Novem-
ber 21, 1822. The office was located in a brick building on North Main street opposite the in- tersection of the Springfield road, which now belongs to the Leonard Eberhardt estate. In the summer of 1911 the federal government approved the selection of a site for the Fed- eral building, in which to locate the postoffice, the spot chosen being at the northeast inter- section of Hillsboro avenue and Commercial street. There are sixteen employees in the Edwardsville postal service now, including four city and six rural delivery carriers. T. M. Crossman has been postmaster since February 22, 1898, serving also a previous term from December 1, 1889, to January 20, 1894.
FIRST NEWSPAPER
Hooper Warren produced the first news- paper in Edwardsville, known as the Edwards- ville Spectator, the first issue of which ap- peared on May 30, 1819. It dealt largely with the political issues of the day and its articles on the subject of slavery were widely read throughout the state. There are at present three newspapers in the city, the Democrat, a weekly, edited and published by Ansel L. Brown; the Republican, issued twice a week, by William R. Crossman ; and the Intelligencer, an afternoon daily, edited and published by Charles Boeschenstein.
EARLY MILLS
Edwardsville has always been a flour mill center. On the earliest records of the Court of Common Pleas and the Territorial Court are notations of permission granted various parties to operate water-driven grist mills on Cahokia creek and neighboring streams. John Adams had a large mill which was put in operation in 1823. In 1832 George D. and John H. Randle with their father-in-law, Aaron Arnold, converted their old ox-mill into a steam operating plant, which was the first steam mill in Edwardsville. It stood in what
OFFICE OF HOOPER WARREN, PIONEER EDITOR
HOME OF JAMES MASON, WHERE GOVERNOR COLES BOARDED
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OLD WABASH HOTEL, EDWARDSVILLE
OLDEST HOUSE IN EDWARDSVILLE, (PRICKETT-EBERHARDT)
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
is now an exclusive residence district in the West End. The Phillips mill, the Prickett mill, the Crowder mill and the Gessert mill were operated in the post-bellum days. The Kehlor Milling Company of St. Louis had a 1,000-barrel mill for many years at Second, College and Main streets. It was destroyed by fire. The present mill, owned and operated by the Edwardsville Milling Company, of which C. F. Rock is president and manager, has a capacity of 650 barrels a day.
TRANSPORTATION.
The first transportation enterprise was a four horse stage coach line which was inau- gurated in 1832, and operated between St. Louis and Springfield through Edwardsville, this being the dining stop. Five cents a mile was charged. The first railroad came in 1868. With it came the telegraph, the latter being established in March and an express service in May. The city now possesses five steam roads, the Wabash, Clover Leaf, Illi- nois Terminal, Litchfield & Madison and St. Louis, Troy & Eastern. Electric lines operate in four directions. The first electric car entered Edwardsville on Monday, Octo- ber 28, 1901, coming by way of Collins- ville. A line to Mitchell connecting with the Alton and East St. Louis line, and the Illi- nois Traction System, or Mckinley line, from Springfield and other northern points, followed soon after. The Mckinley people also took over, and are now operating, the Edwardsville Electric Light and Power company, originally organized in 1892 by William Wurdack, Charles P. Lampe, and William H. Horine, Sr. They secured a contract from the city in October, 1892, and installed twenty-five 2,000 candlepower street lamps. At present there are seventy-three street arcs of 2,000 candle- power. The installation of a large gas plant commenced in May, 1912.
WATER PROBLEM SOLVED
Edwardsville solved the water problem after considerable experimenting and one failure. In 1894 Jesse W. Starr, an eastern water- works builder, secured a franchise in Edwards- ville, built a pumping station, reservoir and settling basin on the banks of Cahokia creek and erected a steel standpipe on the top of the bluff nearby. He also laid about 4,000 feet of water main. He found, however, that the creek did not furnish a suitable nor sufficient supply of water and was compelled to aban- don his project.
Experiments originally inaugurated by F. William Raeder, a St. Louis engineer, demon- strated that the deep beds of sand and gravel in the American Bottom, between Edwards- ville and the Mississippi river contained an ample supply of pure, naturally-filtered water, and this resulted in the establishment of the present waterworks system. The Edwards- ville Water Company was incorporated on April 29, 1898, secured a franchise from the city council and installed a system. The pump- ing station is located at Poag, four and one- half miles south of Edwardsville. A water tower 136 feet high stands at the corner of Main and High streets in Edwardsville. For unusual pressure demand in fire emergency, an electric pump of great power was installed in 1909 in front of the water tower and ad- joining the city hall. By its use simultan- eous streams, each more than 100 feet high, can be thrown through lines of hose in different parts of the city.
EDWARDSVILLE AS A CITY
Edwardsville's corporate existence dates from the year following the one in which Illi- nois was admitted to the union. A board of trustees was created by act of the legislature in February, 1819, to look after the affairs of
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
PUBLIC LIBRARY AT EDWARDSVILLE
MADISON COUNTY POOR FARM, EDWARDSVILLE
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
the town. At a meeting of citizens on May 30, 1837, it was decided by overwhelming vote to take advantage of the general law of 1831 to incorporate. By special act of the general assembly the place was re-incorporated Feb- ruary 10, 1853. The power was vested in five trustees, who were elected on the first Monday in April each year.
On October 23, 1872, the town was incor- porated as a city. The first officers were J. A. Prickett, mayor; Bernard Durer, clerk; (re- signed in 1874 and succeeded by W. H. Hall) ; Joseph Chapman, treasurer ; C. H. Lynch, at- torney. The aldermen were: First ward, John P. Bonn, John Blank; second ward, Sam- uel Morrison, T. C. Clarke; third ward, Alonzo Keller, George Cobine, W. B. John- son was appointed marshal and Patrick Phe- lan, superintendent of streets.
Thirteen mayors have served under the present form of government, as follows: John A. Prickett, 1872-73; Wm. H. Krome, 1873-75; C. E. Clark, 1875-76 (resigned) ; Alonzo Keller, 1876-87; Charles Boeschen- stein, 1887-89; E. B. Glass, 1889-91; Wm. E. Wheeler, 1891-93; Wm. H. Hall, 1893-95; ยท William R. Prickett, 1895-97; John Stolz, 1897-99 ; John Crocker, 1899-01 ; N. E. Bosen, 1901-03; H. P. Hotz, 1903 to 1913.
The present city officials are: H. P. Hotz, mayor; Herbert C. Crocker, city clerk; James J. Burns, city treasurer ; W. M. P. Smith, city attorney ; Charles E. Gueltig, corporation coun- selor ; George Barraclough, police magistrate. Gustave Brockmeier and Francis Stahlhut, al- dermen, first ward; Charles A. Bartlett and Edward A. Rohrkaste, aldermen, second ward; Thomas R. Walton and Edward J. Horning, alderman, third ward; C. W. F. Lange and George A. Handlon, aldermen fourth ward.
The city government is well organized in all its departments. The present executive, Mayor Henry P. Hotz, who is now serving
his fifth term, inaugurated a policy of per- manent improvements, which has resulted in the construction of twelve miles of paved streets, and twenty-five miles of granitoid side- walks. The streets and public places are kept immaculately clean at all times. In addition there is the Civic Improvement League, com- posed of men and women, and having the co- operation of the city officials, which twice a year inaugurates a general clean-up of the en- tire city, and which also inspires the beauti- fying of public and private premises by the planting of trees, vines and grass plots. There is a paid fire department with horse-driven ap- paratus, which has the co-operation of a well organized volunteer department. The latter, known as Edwardsville Fire Company No. I, was established on February 7, 1874, and has had a continuous existence since.
COURT HOUSES
Edwardsville, since its designation as the county seat of Madison county on September 14, 1812, has had three court houses, the first of logs, the next two of brick. The first two were erected on the public square in the north part of the town, now the property of the school district, and the present one on a square of ground donated for that express purpose in the center part of town. The first building was completed and occupied in 1817, and the second on August 1, 1826, and the present structure in September, 1857.
INDUSTRIES
Edwardsville has never attained distinction as a factory town as that term is generally applied. The city has a number of large manufacturing plants, and a still greater num- ber of smaller ones, but the unpleasant feat- ures which seem an inevitable accompaniment of many lines of industry are absent. The noise, smoke and grime are missing, as many
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of the plants use electricity, gas, oil or have approved coal burning devices.
The N. O. Nelson Manufacturing Company, in 1890, located their works in Edwardsville and named the suburb Leclaire, in honor of the pioneer French profit sharer. The factor- ies comprise fifteen buildings, most of them of brick, covered with vines and surrounded by lawns and flower beds. The United States Radiator corporation has one of its big foun- dries and factories in Edwardsville. The Ban- ner Clay Works and the Richards Brick Com- pany are two of the largest brick concerns in Illinois, the first manufacturing paving blocks and the second building brick. The central roofing manufacturing plant of the National Roofing Materials Company is here. There are several mills and elevators, planing mills, and factories for the manufacture of plumbing supplies, brass work, woodwork, architectural marble, machinery, automobiles, engines, shirts, farm machinery, etc. There are four coal mines in operation and extensive railroad shops, together with ice plants, eaves trough and gutter works and smaller industries ..
AS A RESIDENTIAL CITY
While its transportation facilities, coal and
water supply are excellent and naturally in- vite the locating of factories, it is as a residen- tial city that Edwardsville lays its chief claims. Situated on a thickly wooded bluff over the river bottoms, Edwardsville enjoys pure air, good water, splendid drainage and the advan- tages that its wonderful agricultural surround- ings naturally afford. It has schools of the highest degree of excellence, a fine public library, a theatre seating 1,250 people, and many smaller halls and places of amusement, ample hotels, and an enterprising, progressive citizenship. The majority of its working peo- ple, no matter in what line, own their own homes. The resources of its three banks ap- proximate two and one-half million dollars. Its beautiful forest trees are not excelled any- where. It has never known hard times, and its people are prosperous, contented, peaceful and happy.
During the week of September 14-21, 1912, people came by thousands from far and near to celebrate in Edwardsville the centennial of Madison county, and to witness the dedication of a monument erected here by the State of . Illinois in commemoration of this event.
CHAPTER LVIII
FORT RUSSELL TOWNSHIP
STATISTICAL VIEW - RAILROADS - PRODUCTS, TOWNS AND POSTOFFICES-SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES-EARLY SETTLERS-TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.
By Norman G. Flagg
No spot in the Madison county of 1812 was of greater interest historically, or of greater importance in the military affairs of that day, than was Fort Russell, and it was highly proper that this township (5-8) should be named for this noted frontier post. It occupied a half- acre in the northeast quarter of section 34, be- ing in the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter of the above-named quarter section, the site being the property, in 1912, of the heirs of Mrs. Nellie (Burroughs) Wiseman. Quot- ing from Davidson and Stuve's History of Illi- nois (1874) :- "The most notable, as also the largest, strongest, and best appointed in every respect, of the stockade forts, was Fort Rus- sell (named after Col. William Russell), estab- lished by Gov. Edwards early in 1812. The cannon (five) of Louis XIV., which had done service in the ancient Fort Chartres, were re- moved hither and placed in position. This stockade was made the rendezvous for the militia and the regulars, and the main depot for military supplies. Gov. Edwards here established his headquarters, during the peril- ous times of 1812, and gathered about him the beauty and chivalry of those days. Within the protecting walls of this stockade were at- tracted and found shelter much of the talent, fashion, and wealth of the country, and here his Excellency presided with a courtly grace and dignity, well befitting his fine personal appearance and his many accomplishments."
Quoting again from the reminiscences of the old settler, Solomon Preuitt: "Fort Russell was a stockade, with huts inside, half an acre being picketed in."
STATISTICAL VIEW
This township is the largest in extent of any of the twenty-three townships of the county, comprising 23,359.24 acres. In the north tier of sections some quarter sections contain as much as two hundred acres.
The census returns of 1860 give the prairie (improved) and the timber (unimproved) lands as about equally divided, but this pro- portion has since changed largely, until, the proportion of improved to unimproved lands was in 1912, probably three to one. By the census of 1860 again, taken by Deputy Marshal W. B. Dorsey, the township is given a popula- tion of 796, a real estate value of $277,336, and a personal property value of $90,729. The 1910 census gives the township a population of 1067. The total assessment of the township in 1911, on a one-third basis, was $648,125, ex- clusive of railroad, telegraph, etc.
Three streams are found in Fort Russell township. Cahokia creek passes through the southeast portion and after a protracted storm or a heavy thaw of snow is a veritable river and can not be crossed for several days. Indian creek traverses the entire length of the town- ship from north to south, running from section
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
4 to 31. Paddock's creek is a smaller stream, entering in section 3 and running southeast into Cahokia creek.
RAILROADS
There are four lines of railroad in this town- ship, with only one depot,-at Bethalto, in the extreme western edge of section 6. The Big Four (New York Central lines ) has two lines, the old railroad running through section 6, one mile, (formerly called the Alton & Terra Haute,) and the new "cutoff" built in 1904, traversing the south half of the township from southwest to northeast. The Wabash has two tracks here, one being the old Madison county coal road, formerly running to the river west of Edwardsville crossing, now used by the Illinois Terminal railroad; the other Wabash line runs through the southeast corner of the township, being formerly known as the Toledo, Wabash and Western.
In early days two main wagon roads ran through this part of the county; the "Alton and Greenville road" entered the township in section 7 and ran almost due east, and the "Springfield road" ran practically north and south from section 3 to Edwardsville. On this latter highway, on May 8, 1822, was estab- lished a U. S. mail-route in connection with the stage service between St. Louis and "San- gamon Courthouse." Many other roads and crossroads have since been opened, and Fort Russell has now about sixty miles of public highway.
PRODUCTS-TOWNS-POSTOFFICES
The soil of this township is much varied. With the exception of a belt of rich soil, a mile or more in width and extending from sections 6 and 7 northeast, most of the good soil of the township is found in the middle and western portions, south of the Greenville road and west of the Edwardsville-Prairietown road. Wheat, corn, hogs, and cattle are the leading products ; much fruit is raised for home con-
sumption, and the housewives reap an amazing harvest from poultry. Wherever railroad fa- cilities are within reach, dairying is becoming a much practiced industry and is much needed to conserve soil fertility. Splendid timber is found along the water courses.
No towns are within the limits of Fort Rus- sell, save one-fourth part of the village of Bethalto, in which are located a custom mill, a creamery, a hotel, a four-room school and four churches. About 1850 quite a village flourished in section 9, known as "Libertyville" or "Gooseville," where were a tavern, store, and blacksmith shop.
In 1838 a postoffice, "Paddock's Grove," was established, with Volney P. Richmond as first postmaster, at the Paddock settlement on the Springfield road stage coach line. When rail- roads superseded the stage coach, the mails came to Bethalto, Edwardsville, Moro, and Wanda. A "star-route" mail was run for many years between Edwardsville and Bunker Hill, through the eastern part of the township, and on this route was established "Liberty Prairie" P. O., located first at the F. Gaertner residence, in section 23, and later moved to J. Russell Newman's home, opposite Liberty Prairie school house, where he and his suc- cessor E. A. Lanterman, kept the postoffice un- til the township was granted R. F. D. service in December, 1902.
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES
The first schoolhouse was built in section 20 in 1819, although Rev. William Jones con- ducted a school one year earlier, in the block- house in section 18. Another of the pioneer school houses was located on the John Esta- brook farm, in the extreme northwest corner of section 14. After many years of meager. school facilities, the present division into school districts was made, whereby almost all pupils are within reasonable distance of a school.
In 1842 the first church was built, in section
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
23, by the German Lutherans, west of the Gaertner cemetery. In 1850 the Methodist Episcopal church on the John Estabrook farm was erected, in section 15. In 1871, the Cum- berland Presbyterian church of Liberty Prai- rie, the successor of the Omphghent church, was built. In the northwest corner of Fort Russell are found six churches-the Presby- terian near Moro, the German Evangelical southeast of Bethalto, and four in the village -the Methodist Episcopal, Catholic, Presby- terian and Baptist. In pioneer days there was a strong congregation in attendance at "Beth- lehem" church, located in the extreme south- east part of section 18; the old building has in recent years been removed to the premises of Z. B. Owens, a descendant of the pioneer Jones family.
EARLY SETTLERS
Isaiah Dunnegan, a native of Georgia, was Fort Russell's earliest white settler, so far as known. He made his home in section 31, very near the present Wanda, in 1803, erecting there a log cabin for his small family. Two boys, Joshua and Thomas, were born before the Dunnegans came to Illinois, and later were born four more children-Louisa, Abner, Jo- seph and Isaiah, Jr. He died in 1814 and his widow survived him twenty years. Before her death, she entered forty acres of land for each of her children in sections one and twelve of Chouteau township.
In 1804, Joseph Newman, a Pennsylvanian, settled in section 34, bringing a wife (maiden name Raab) and four children : Zadock, Maria, John and Andy. One daughter, Emily, was born after the family moved here. Joseph Newman died about 1825. His eldest son, Za- dock, was married, in 1810, by Rev. William Jones to Martha Ewing, to which union six children were born, among them John Russell and William E. Newman, lifelong residents of this township. At one time Joseph Newman owned several sections of land in the south cen-
tral part of Fort Russell township. The first frame-house was built by a Mr. Pemberton for John Newman, in section 14 on the Hill place.
Maj. Isaac Ferguson came in 1806 to sec- tion 18, and here his son John L. Ferguson, the first white native child of the township, was born; but this family soon left for the Marine settlement, selling out to the pioneer Baptist minister, teacher and legislator, Rev. William Jones. The old block-house, erected on Martin Preuitt's farm in section 18 (north part), was moved in 1817 to Rev. Jones' place, and in this blockhouse home was born James Jones, a life- long resident of this neighborhood. Rev. Jones died in 1844, and is buried in the old "Pioneer" cemetery in section 24 of 5-9. Ephraim Woods (brother-in-law of Rev. Jones) and John Finley were other pioneers in this neighborhood,-then called "Rattan's Prairie," after Thomas Rattan, a pioneer of Wood River township. William Montgomery, a native of Kentucky, was another pioneer of this vicinity, coming in 1814. A carpenter by trade, he wedded Sarah Rattan and later moved to Wood River township.
John Springer, the pioneer head of a most worthy family, settled in section 30 in 1814, where he built a hewed log house, said to have been on the exact site of the Thomas O. Springer homestead, now owned by Mrs. E. Gusewelle. John Springer and wife were vic- tims of the cholera epidemic in 1849, and were buried in one grave.
No account of early days in Fort Russell is complete without prominent mention of Maj. Solomon Preuitt, who with his father Martin Preuitt came in 1806 to the sand ridge prairie, a few miles east of Alton, and in 1818 moved to section 18 of this township. Maj. Preuitt served in the Ranger companies during the In- dian disturbances of 1812 and following years, and was also a Black Hawk veteran. He died in 1875, at the age of eighty-five. He was said to be "a history within himself of the pioneer times of Madison county" and many of the
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most valuable, because reliable, portions of "Hair's Gazetteer of Madison County" (pub- lished 1865) had their source and authority in Maj. Solomon Preuitt.
John Estabrook, Gaius Paddock and Ger- shom Flagg came to this township in 1818, all of them from New England and all of them making their homes on the "Springfield road," theirs being the first homes erected on that road in this county north of Edwardsville. Mr. Paddock had a large family and had come first to St. Charles, Missouri, then to St. Louis and lastly to section 3 in Ft. Russell, where he spent his declining years. He was a Revolu- tionary soldier, and participated in several im- portant battles. He died in 1831 and was buried in Paddock cemetery.
Next to John Newman's frame house, the Paddock house, still standing (1912), was the first frame house erected in this part of the county. John Estabrook put up a log cabin on his land in section 14 or 15, and kept bachel- or's hall until his marriage, in 1820, to Nancy White. A large family of children were born to this union, and many of Mr. Estabrook's de- scendants live in different parts of the county and state. Gershom Flagg, also a bachelor, set- tled in the southeast quarter of section 3, where he paid special attention to starting an orchard of grafted apple trees. He served sev- eral terms as justice of the peace in the twen- ties and thirties. In 1827 he married Mrs. Jane (Paddock) Richmond, daughter of his neighbor, Gaius Paddock. He died in 1857, leaving one son, Willard C.
In 1819 Daniel A. Lanterman, a Kentuckian, came to Fort Russell, having settled in St. Clair county the year previous. He taught school many years, and later bought the farm of Jacob Linder in section 19. He died in 1865, leaving a son, William A., a justice of the peace for many years.
The Robinson homestead in section II was settled in 1832 by William S. B. Robinson, fa- ther of Sidney Robinson, and a son of Joseph Robinson, who had come from North Carolina
to Madison county in 1815, settling in Ed- wardsville township. In the 'forties came the C. P. Smith family, which has large interests in the south central part of Fort Russell. Philip and Mary (Mueller) Smith came from Hesse- Darmstadt, Germany, with their three children. He purchased an eighty-acre tract in Fort Rus- sell, upon which had been erected a cabin, seventeen by twenty feet. The son, Christian P. Smith, conducted a steam saw mill in sec- tion 33 and became one of the largest land- owners of this county.
Hon. John C. Burroughs should be men- tioned in any history of Fort Russell, being one of the most public spirited and energetic of her citizens. Coming from Maryland in 1857 and first teaching school at the "Progress" schoolhouse, and later studying law, he turned to agriculture, making a specialty of stock- raising, and lived in section 27 until his un- timely death in 1876, in his 38th year. In the same neighborhood lived another prominent resident, F. Gottlieb Stahlhut, who after work- ing by the month for Gershom Flagg in the 1840's went to California at the time of the gold fever in 1849; on returning to Madison county, he settled in section 22 and amassed a very large estate.
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