USA > Illinois > Madison County > Centennial history of Madison County, Illinois, and its people, 1812 to 1912, Volume I > Part 76
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The environs of Highland, extending over a radius including neighboring towns in every direction, afford most pleasing picturesque views to the lover of natural scenery. The land is mostly rolling, with gently sloping hills, except towards the creek bottoms, where the slope is naturally steeper. A drive in any. direction through fields and woods is delight- ful. From the hilltops and heights the scenery enchants the eye with fine fields in their variegated colors, nice farm houses, large barns, silos, and orchards, while the passage through the virgin forests along the
Free public band concerts are given once every week on the school square in the even- creeks makes a deep romantic impression.
CHAPTER LXIV
JARVIS TOWNSHIP
PHYSICAL FEATURES-JOHN JARVIS AND OTHER EARLY SETTLERS - FIRST SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES-CITY OF TROY.
By B. W. Jarvis
This township, number 3, range 7, the boundaries of which coincide with congress- ional townships, is bounded on the north by that of Pin Oak, on the east by St. Jacob and on the west by Collinsville. The southern township line is also that of the county, be- yond lying the territory of St. Clair county.
PHYSICAL FEATURES
The surface of the township is generally rolling with soil adapted to varied culture and on a good average in fertility and value with any other in Madison county. The township was originally more than half timber, the balance prairie. About one-third is embraced in what was formerly well known as Ridge Prairie, the soil of which there is none better in the county. In the southern part of the township lies what is known as the Blackjack district. It contains a good deal of fine land, especially adapted to wheat growing, and the farms in that section command a high price. This section of the township is inhabited mainly by German farmers whose prominence is widespread.
Natural water courses are abundant, the largest being the far-famed Silver creek which enters the township in section I, in the extreme northwestern part, and flows south, leaving at section 35. In the southern portion of section 13 the waters of East Fork
are mingled with those of Silver creek. These water courses are not navigable but with in- numerable smaller ones, are all available as drainage basins and afford abundant water for stock and other purposes.
JOHN JARVIS AND OTHER EARLY SETTLERS
Jarvis township was named in honor of John Jarvis, who made the first entry of land from the United States government on Sep- tember 10, 1814. The first settlement within its present boundaries was made by Messrs. Moore and Gregg, who located near the pres- ent site of the Vandalia depot. In the spring of 1804 came Herman and Titus Gregg, na- tives of Kentucky, and Robert Seybold, a native of Virginia. Titus Gregg, in 1814, en- tered the north half and part of the south half, in all 520 acres, in section 4. Among those who settled soon after 1804 were: Wm. F. Purviance, John Jarvis, Robert McMahan, Jesse Renfro, Wm. Hall, Sr., James Watt, and others, all of whom settled here before the organization of the state in 1818.
In an address delivered by Dr. John S. Dewey at the centennial celebration in Troy on July 4, 1876, he stated that Jacob Gregg settled the old Baird place in 1804 and plant- ed the old pear tree which up to that time was still standing, and in 1865 yielded a crop which was sold in Dubuque, Iowa, for $125. Philip Gregg settled the Julius A. Barnsback
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
farm, Titus Gregg the place of Ignatius Rig- gin, John Gregg the place of James H. Tay- lor and Herman Gregg on the present site of Troy. Robert Gregg made settlement in sec- tion 8, near John Gregg, and not far from the head of Cantine creek.
Jarvis township was not surveyed until the year 1806. Robert Seybold made an entry of 100 acres, part of the northwest quarter of section I, in 1814. On May I, 1815, Pierre Menard entered 160 acres in section I. The first burial in the township was that of John Grotts, who was interred in the spring of 1804. The first justice of the peace was Joseph Eberman, who was appointed soon after the war of 1812. The first supervisor elected in the township was Ignatius Riggin in 1876, who at this writing still survives and is one of the most prominent and influential farmers of this section. The second military station in the county was established in Jarvis township a short distance of where Troy now stands.
William F. Purviance was a native of Car- rabus county, North Carolina, and came to Illinois in 1809. He first worked at his trade of a wheelwright and blacksmith with Thomas Gregg who carried on that business on the present farm of Ignatius Riggin. In 18II Purviance moved north, but in 1816 moved back and settled in section 7, where he lived until his death in 1870. He was a mem- ber of the first grand jury that convened in Edwardsville, after the organization of the county, and survived longer than any other member of that body. In the early times he made spinning wheels for spinning wool, cot- ton and flax.
Daniel Semple and William Bridges settled southeast of the present site of Troy in 1808. William Skinner, John Lamb and Walter Denny also became residents about that time. All these were from Kentucky and Tennes- see.
Robert McMahan settled on Ridge Prairie,
two and one-half miles south of where Troy now stands. He was a Virginian by birth and come to Illinois in 1793, settling near New Design. His wife and four children were killed by the Indians and he and a daughter were taken prisoners but escaped. He married a second time and raised a large family. His death occurred here in 1822.
John Jarvis, a native of Virginia, came from the settlement of Turkey Hill, which was southeast of where Belleville now stands, and which was the only American settlement in St. Clair county previous to 1800. Frank- lin Jarvis, a brother, was a member of the original colony which made the settlement of Turkey Hill in 1793. John Jarvis bought the improvement of Herman Gregg and on Sep- tember 10, 1814, made the first entry of gov- ernment land ever made in the township. John Jarvis put up a tavern for the accom- modation of immigrant travel westward, and in 1816 built a grist mill which was largely patronized by settlers far and wide. Although accustomed to slavery from early life, Mr. Jarvis was bitterly opposed to the practice of holding human beings in bondage and he sac- rificed his own pecuniary interests in slaves, being probably the first abolitionist in the township to openly express his views on the matter. A faithful old slave owned by him and called "Ben," was set free, but would not leave. Mr. Jarvis' last request was that "Ben" be buried by his side, and the request was faithfully carried out by the former's chil- dren. The graves of these two life-long friends still remain marked and may be found a short distance from Troy. The descend- ants of the pioneer Jarvis family numbered not a few and many are yet residents of the township.
George Churchill, who settled on section 8, was one of the most remarkable men who ever lived in the township. In early life he learned the printer's trade and at intervals went to St. Louis and worked in different
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
offices there. He was a bachelor with habits peculiar and eccentric, but was nevertheless held in high esteem and was several times sent as representative to the legislature. He was one of the most active opponents of the efforts to introduce slavery into the state in 1824, and his votes in the legislature excited so much displeasure to his opponents that he and Nicholas Hansen, a fellow member of like views, were burned in effigy.
Jesse Renfro, another pioneer settler, was a native of Kentucky and came to Illinois in 1810. In the spring of 1814, when not yet 18 years of age, Mr. Renfro enlisted as a mounted ranger in Captain Samuel White- side's company which was engaged in the protection of the settlements against the In- dians. He served in this capacity a year and six months.
Titus Gregg, who lived north of Troy on the present farm of Ignatius Riggin, was known as a conservative and unprogressive man who grumbled excessively at the law es- tablishing a free school system to be supported by taxation, and advocated that every man school his own children.
Calvin and Horatio McCray, of Connecti- cut, made settlements in section 5 in 1816. James Whiteside made an early improvement in section 6, and Gaines Moore settled in sec- tion 8 in 1817.
About the year 1818, a Kentuckian named Laban Smart began making an improvement in section I. Samuel Wood, who lived in section 5, was also a native of Kentucky. He was a Baptist preacher and a pioneer of the Wood family which afterwards became well known in this township.
David Hendershott, a Virginian by birth, was one of the early settlers of section IO. He was in favor of slavery and was connected with the burning of Churchill and Hansen in effigy. Hendershott thought that the es- tablishment of slavery would raise the price of land.
William Vineyard was an early settler in section 2, as was also Stephen Collyer, in section 12, the latter being a tanner by trade and conducted a tannery on his farm. The first house in section 13 was erected by a Methodist minister named Nowland, and was afterwards sold to a man named Maxey. Sec- tion 14 was first settled by two brothers, John and Jacob Hagler. William Good was also an early resident of this section. William Hagler settled in the township in 1818. Early settlers in section 16 were Abraham Van- hooser, Daniel Reese and Coulson Townsend. J. P. Anderson settled south of Troy at an early date. John and Charles Edwards were also early settlers in this section, the former filling for many years the office of justice of the peace. William Hall became a citizen of the township in 1815. James W. Watt, of Kentucky, and the son of a Revolutionary soldier, settled south of Troy in 1817. John Cook, father of Harrison, William and Wes- ley Cook, was among the pioneer settlers of the township.
John Gregg disposed of his improvement to Sylvanus Gaskill, a native of New York, and moved to Arkansas. Between 1825 and 1830, Gaskill operated a horse mill at his place. S. W. Cowles and his stepfather, James Mills, be- came residents in '1829. Josiah Caswell, of Vermont, also figured among the early set- tlers.
Most of the early settlers of the township were of southern origin, and the McCrays, on account of their New England birth, were called "Yankees," a term which had been brought into some disrespect by the sharp tricks of some Yankee clock peddlers and itinerant venders of various articles, who had traveled through the country. The name, however, was subsequently redeemed by the settlers from the eastern states who set the community good examples of sobriety, thrift and enterprise.
Following is a list of the earliest settlers of
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
the township, many of whom have been pre- viously referred to: Titus Gregg, William Hayes, John Jarvis, David Moore, Joseph Eberman, Gaines Moore, Abraham Van Hooser, Henry Hall, Abraham Van Hooser, Jr., William Hall, Jr., Henry Peck, William Kingston, Daniel Reece, Sampson Kingston, Joshua Armstrong, Baptiste St. John, Wil- liam Robinson, Rivers McCormick, Job Rob- inson, Stephen Dewey, Josiah Caswell, Rob- ert McMahan, George Churchill, Israel Tur- ner, William Howard, John Riggin, William Vinyard, Milton Hall, Jesse Renfro, William W. Hall, Cleveland Hagler, George Bolton, Benjamin J. Hagler, Thomas Bolton, Andrew Stice, James Downing, William Hall, John Harrington. John Hall, David Hendershott, Noah Hall, Field Jarvis, Lyman Gillett, Sam- uel Vincent, Jonathan Denton, Anderson Smith, Sylvanus Gaskill, James Simmons, David Gaskill, Andrew W. Waddell, Jacob Gregg, Hardy Warren, William F. Purvi- ance, Walter Denny, Valentine Van Hooser, Isaac Clerk, Joseph Snodgrass, Giles Kelley, Isaac K. McMahan, G. W. Kerr, R. K. Mc- Mahan, Jr., Elijah Renshaw, Thomas S. Mc- Mahan, Harry Riggin, Andrew Moore, James Newell, John C. Riggin, James Riggin, Dr. Thomas Baker, Whitmill Harrington, Calvin McCray, Nicholas Russell, Horatio McCray, John Painter, Samuel Wood, Henry A. Long- staff, Alexander Conlee, Jesse Roundtree, John Conlee, Isaac Conlee, Andrew Black, James Watt.
FIRST SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES
The first school taught in the township was on the western line of Section 8 in the year 18II. The teacher was Greenberry Randle, who agreed to teach the principles of arith- metic as far as the "Double Rule of Three." In this school the Kinders, Jarvises, Gaskills and others of the early settlers received the first elements of an education and laid the foundation for their subsequent usefulness as
honored and respected citizens. Jesse Ren- fro taught a six months' school for one year in section 10 for $100 and supplied all the necessary books to the scholars.
The first building erected in the township for religious purposes was the Gilead Meth- odist church in section 14. The building was a square frame structure, about twenty or thirty feet in dimensions. The outside was weatherboarded with rough clapboards and the inside was plastered. The benches were made of logs split in two, with pins driven in the round side for legs, and the whole structure throughout was destitute of paint. This church was afterwards used as a school house. Among the early preachers there were Rev. Samuel H. Thompson, John Dew, J. H. Ben- son and Washington C. Ballard. Prior to the building of the church, religious services were held in the homes of the various settlers.
On the southwest corner of the same sec- tion a church was afterwards erected by the Baptists, in which services were held only a few years. An Old School Baptist church was also erected in section 16. The Method- ists in the western part of the township built the Mt. Zion Methodist church in section 19. A Roman Catholic church was established in section 19 and services were held in the Ger- man language.
Today there are three churches in the town- ship outside the limits of the city of Troy. They are the Mt. Zion Methodist and the Roman Catholic and German Evangelical in the Blackjack community.
There are at present six school districts in the township in addition to four others which are known as union districts, and they are numbered as follows: 41, 43, 60, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67 and 84.
The census of 1910 gave Jarvis township, which includes the city of Troy, a population of 2,828. The census of 1900 was 2,298 and that for 1890 was 2,196.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
CITY OF TROY
Troy, which is located in township 3, range 7, is one of the oldest settlements in Madison county. The early history of Troy is closely related to the township in which it is located, however, the history of Troy occupies a place of its own and to go into every detail would require many pages to note all the things of interest that have made history for the town
John, Herman and Titus. In the spring of 1804, John Gregg settled on the present site of the James M. Taylor place, Her- man Gregg settled on what is now the central business portion, and Titus Gregg made an improvement on the present site of Ignatius Riggin's farm, just north of Troy. Among other arrivals during the next few years were: Stephen Dewey, James Riggin, Harry Riggin, John C. Riggin, John Jarvis,
MAIN STREET, TROY
since the first white man established his rude cabin within its present limits.
The land on which Troy is mainly built was entered from the government by John Jarvis, a native of Virginia, on September 10, 1814. The date of this entry of land, how- ever, does not indicate the first occupation and settlement. Farms in the immediate vicinity were operated a long time prior to that date.
The first settlement within the present . limits of Troy was made by Jacob Gregg and a Mr. Moore, who located a short distance north of where the Vandalia depot now stands, on April 1, 1803. Gregg had three sons, viz :
Joseph Eberman, David Hendershott, Samuel Ried, David Gaskill, George W. Carr, Calvin McCray, Jacob Gonterman, and others.
John Jarvis purchased the improvement of Herman Gregg, which occupied the present site of M. W. Powell's residence. Here he erected a tavern and a grist mill. The for- mer proved a popular stopping place for emi- grants and the latter such a source of con- venience for the settlers that travel to this point caused the convergence of rude bridle paths and cartways, so that the vicinity became a desirable location for a village. First came a store and later residences were erected near the small trade center. Thus, from the es-
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
tablishment of the tavern and grist mill, grew Troy.
The central portion of the present city of Troy was known only as Columbia prior to 1819. In that year James Riggin and David Hendershott bought the town site, which com- prised about ten acres, from John Jarvis, pay- ing $10 per acre for the same. Riggin and Hendershott surveyed the tract into lots and laid out the town of Troy, the name being given to it by Mr. Riggin.
After the town was platted, a store was started, in which James Riggin, Harry Riggin
was a house on the southeast corner of Main and Market streets, where the store of M. F. Auwater now stands. It was built by David Gaskill and was so rude in construction that a party of residents in a playful mood tore it down and burned the rough logs, that they might not again disgrace the corner.
On the northwest corner of the same street intersection stood a building which was oc- cupied by Calvin McCray as a storehouse. McCray carried on his business successfully for a number of years and finally came into possession of nearly the whole block. A log
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MARKET STREET, TROY
and Samuel Ried were partners. Three hun- dred dollars were invested in merchandise. All were alike inexperienced in the merchandise business and one George W. Carr was brought from St. Louis to manage the same. The store failed to prove a paying investment, and after a few years the business discontinued. The stock of goods was loaded on a wagon by James Riggin, who took it to Lebanon, at which place he engaged in business for a num- ber of years and acquired quite a competency for those days.
One of the earliest buildings erected in Troy
hut stood next to the storehouse and served the purpose of a tavern, which was kept by Horatio McCray. The block afterwards passed into the possession of Jacob Gonter- man, who continued the tavern.
A frame storehouse was built on the north- east corner of what was then known as the square, by Riggin and Hendershott. On the southwest corner, Joseph Eberman erected a frame building for tavern purposes.
In the year 1831 the firm of White & Mer- ritt conducted the only merchandise business in town. This was at the southeast corner of
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
Main and Market streets. At this time Lewis Scantland kept a public house on the north- east corner. Scantland subsequently sold out to a man named Hickman. A harnessmaker named Abner Kelly was also one of the busi- ness men in these primitive days.
The growth of the town was slow and it was not until .1833 that the citizens were ac- commodated with a postoffice. George Church- hill was the first postmaster. A school was not established until 1824, and it was not until
on the Mississippi river, was brought to Troy and placed on the church. It was the first bell of its kind brought to Troy. This his- toric old bell was afterwards given to the pub- lic school, where it continues to do service to this day. The church was afterwards suc- ceeded by the present brick structure on Main street. The Baptists built their first church in 1848, which was supplanted by the present church on Main street in 1876. The Lutheran church was established in 1865, and that con-
TROY CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL
1842 that a church was organized. A pro- tracted meeting was being held in a grove east of where the Central hotel now stands, when the organization of a Presbyterian church was effected, with thirteen members. Through the enterprise of several of the members, a frame building was afterwards erected. The studdings were poles, which were covered with split boards one foot wide. This structure gave way to a fine edifice of brick in 1871, built at a cost of $10,000. The organization of a Methodist church was effected in 1842 and the site was then in the woods. In 1847 a bell, which came from a sunken steamboat
gregation now has one of the finest edifices in the city. The German Evangelical church was established in 1865, and the Roman Cath- olic some years later. From a little frame church of the latter grew the present hand- some, towering edifice attended by a large con- gregation.
The original public school building was erected in 1856 and contained four rooms. In later years, owing to the growth of the town, two more rooms were added. Other addi- tions were afterwards made and the present building contains eight rooms, with all mor- ern improvements, equipment and conven-
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
iences. In addition to the public school, Troy at present has two parochial schools conducted by the Catholic and Lutheran congregations. The latter has just completed a handsome and commodious new school building at a cost of about $8,000.
One of the important educational institu- tions of Troy is the McCray-Dewey academy, endowed by the late Angeline (McCray) Dewey, widow of Dr. John S. Dewey, in 1880. By the provisions of a will, this benefactor of
From 1842 to 1846 the business enterprises of Troy had increased to a considerable ex- tent and proprietorships were materially changed. William Henderson kept a tavern at that time in a building which occupied the northwest corner of the square; John Hen- derson, a son, conducted a blacksmith shop; George Hulme at this time served the com- munity as a tailor; Thomas Moore and An- drew Kimberlin kept groceries; Daniel Peter- man was engaged in carpentering; Dr. Green
McCRAY-DEWEY ACADEMY, TROY
the young people of Troy and vicinity be- queathed an estate of 400 acres of land and $3,000 in money for the establishment of a school for high school or academic work. The tuition is free to all persons under the age of twenty-six years residing within the limits of the common school district in which the town of Troy is included. The endowment has been raised to $9,000 by the trustees of the academy through the sale of coal under- lying a certain part of the estate, and the institution is looked upon as one not only offering great advantages in the past and present, but great possibilities for the future.
was the only physician ; Julius A. Barnsback conducted a store and acted as postmaster and agent for the St. Louis & Terre Haute stage line. At this time Troy contained about a dozen houses and had less than one hundred inhabitants.
The route of the National Road, which had been constructed as far as Vandalia at that time, was surveyed through Troy. Over this route passed a line of stages running between St. Louis and Terre Haute, Ind. Troy was the first station out from St. Louis where horses were changed. The arrival and departure of the stages was a great fea-
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
ture for Troy and they were always greeted by a throng. When the east and west became connected with railroads, the stage line went out of existence, but a hack line was estab- lished between Highland and St. Louis for the accommodation of travelers and the car- rying of mail. This line passed through Troy and kept up until the completion of the Van- dalia Railroad from St. Louis to Highland in 1868.
A voting precinct was not established in Troy until 1844. Previous to that year voters had the privilege of casting their ballots any- where within the limits of the county. Ed- wardsville, being the county seat, was the favorite polling place, and many journeyed thither to exercise their rights of citizenship.
Troy, as mentioned in a foregoing para- graph, was platted in 1819. About the year 1836, Josiah Caswell laid out the town of Mechanicsburg, which was what is now the western portion. The plat of the town of Troy was not placed on record until March 5, 1839, and the town was incorporated by a special act of the legislature in 1857. The first presi- dent of its board of trustees was John Padon. Mechanicsburg was subsequently merged into the town of Troy. The plat of Brookside, which lies on the south in the vicinity of the Vandalia depot, was recorded September 26, 1873. Brookside was annexed by Troy in the spring of 1891. This gave a sufficient popu- lation for city organization, which was effected
April II, 1892. Jacob F. Clepper was elected as the first mayor of the city.
Among the enterprises and advantages of Troy are two railroads, two coal mines, two grain elevators, steam brick yard, two tele- phone toll lines, telephone exchange connect- ing with toll station, one bank, one newspaper, two building and loan associations, business men's association, municipal electric light plant and a well organized and well equipped fire department.
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