USA > Illinois > Madison County > Centennial history of Madison County, Illinois, and its people, 1812 to 1912, Volume I > Part 9
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These congressional townships, as they were termed, were originally known only by the numbers of the town and range, though some had names to designate them more easily. Thus, 3-5 was Highland; 4-5, Saline ; 5-5, no name; 6-5, New Douglas; 3-6, St.
Jacob; 4-6, Marine; 5-6, Alhambra ; 6-6, no name; 3-7, Troy ; 4-7, no name ; 5-7, no name ; 6-7, Lamb's Point ; 3-8, Collinsville, 4-8, Ed- wardsville ; 5-8, no name; 6-8, no name; 3-9, Six Mile; 4-9, Madison; 5-9, Upper Alton ; 6-9, Fosterburg ; 3-10, Venice; 4-10, no name ; 5-10, Alton ; 6-10, Godfrey.
But, with the adoption of township organi- zation in April, 1876, superceding the previous commissioner system, each congressional town was given a name for political purposes, as noted in the paragraph above. There are really twenty-four townships in the county, but 4-10, a fractional part of Chouteau island, is incorporated with Chouteau township (4-9), giving the county but twenty-three townships by name, and as political divisions, that is, for purposes of county government.
The area of the county as now constituted is, as stated heretofore, 720 square miles, with an acreage of 461,315.86, and its divisions are given in the "Madison County Gazetteer," as follows :
Township. Acres.
Helvetia, 3-5 22,998.56
Saline, 4-5 . 22,562.58
Leef, 5-5 18,532,91
New Douglas, 6-5
15,967.15
St. Jacobs, 3-6 22,691.15
Marine, 4-6 . 22,394.18
Alhambra, 5-6
.22,162.21
Olive, 6-6
20,087.15
Jarvis, 3-7
.21,713.34
Pin Oak, 4-7
22,142.96
Hamel, 5-7
23,173.4I
Omphghent, 6-7
21,494.65
Collinsville, 3-8
. 22,452.85
Edwardsville, 4-8
. 22,515.74
Fort Russell, 5 -- 8
Moro, 6-8 . 23,359.24
. 20,573.13
Nameoki, 3-9
22,600.00
Chouteau, 4-9 19,834.08
Wood River, 5-9 .21,030.54
Foster, 6-9 . 20,207.64
Venice, 3-10
7,000.00
No name, 4-10
1,349.25
Alton, 5-10 4,013.51
Godfrey, 6-10 20,459.63
Total
461,385.86
CHAPTER V
COUNTY GOVERNMENT
TERRITORIAL COUNTY OFFICERS APPOINTED-OFFICERS ELECTED UNDER THE STATE-BOARDS OF COMMISSIONERS-COUNTY COURTS-COUNTY COMMISSIONERS-BOARDS OF SUPERVISORS.
As previously stated, the territory of Illi- nois was at first organized without representa- tion, the governor and judges forming the legislative council, but in 1812 a representa- tive legislature was organized, consisting of a house of representatives and a legislative council. As population increased and new counties were formed, the governor appointed such officials as were necessary to carry on the local government. On September 14, 1812, the county of Madison was organized, with the boundaries heretofore given. In territo- rial times the government of the counties was entrusted to the courts of common pleas. On the 19th of the same month the governor ap- pointed Isam Gilham as the first sheriff of Madison county (this name is also spelled in early records Isom Gillham). He also ap- pointed William Rabb (sometimes spelled Robb), John G. Lofton and Samuel Judy, judges, and Josiah Randall (also spelled Ran- dle) clerk of the court of common pleas of Madison county. On the twenty-seventh of September Josiah Randall was named recorder and Robert Elliott, Thomas G. Davidson, William Gillham and George Cadwell were appointed justices of the peace of Madison county. This seems quite a full complement of officials for a new county, but it must be remembered that Madison county then ex- tended to the Canadian line.
The early records show that Secretary Na- thaniel Pope, acting governor before the
arrival of Governor Edwards on May 4, 1809, issued commissions to Martin Brisbois, as lieu- tenant, and John Marie, cardinal ensign of a militia company at Prairie du Chien (Wiscon- sin), which place was within the domains of Madison county as organized in 1812. On June 21, 1814, the governor appointed George Kennedy a captain and James Kennedy as lieutenant at Prairie du Chien. On May 3rd he had also issued a commission to Samuel Judy, later appointed judge, as lieutenant in a military company of St. Clair county, showing that Judy was then a resident of that part of St. Clair afterwards organized as Madison. The first general assembly in Illinois was elected on the eighth, ninth and tenth days of October, 1812, one month after the organiza- tion of Madison county, and thus the county participated under its own name in the elec- tion of members of the first representative legislature. Membership in the legislature will be considered under another head and we now proceed with the evolution of local government in the county.
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TERRITORIAL COUNTY OFFICERS APPOINTED
At this period all the local officers were ap- pointed by the governor, no officers being elected, in fact, except members of the legisla- ture. The names of the first judges of the court of common pleas, who were the rulers of the county, are given above, but it seems a
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
change of some kind was made for, on the 24th of December, Jacob Whiteside was ap- pointed a judge of the Madison court of com- mon pleas, and the court held its first meeting April 3, 1813, at the house of Thomas Kirk- patrick, with Judges Lofton and Whiteside present and Josiah Randle (Randall) clerk. On June 2nd the governor appointed Thomas Kirkpatrick a judge of the court, whether to insure the presence of a quorum, or not, does not appear. The court was still further strengthened, on December IIth, by the addi- tion of George Cadwell to its membership.
These courts of common pleas were super- ceded December 19, 1814, by a territorial law providing for the creation of county courts. These courts were empowered with the same duties and privileges as the courts of common pleas except as relates to the trial of civil and criminal causes, thus confining their func- tions to administrative and executive affairs of the county. The members of this court, com- missioned by the governor, were John G. Lof- ton, Thomas Kirkpatrick and George Cadwell, and they opened their first term March 6. 1815. The law creating the county courts was amended by the legislature in January, 1816, giving them increased jurisdiction and provid- ing for four terms per year; under it George Cadwell, Samuel Judy and Thomas Kirkpat- rick were appointed judges and on January 14, 1817, William Jones was also appointed judge.
The close of the year 1817 ended the reign of the county courts, as above constituted, the legislature having passed an act January 12, 1818, placing the administration of county af- fairs in the hands of the justices of the peace, who thus constituted the county court. The last meeting of this court was held December 9, 1818, the territory of Illinois having now ceased to be, and the justices' courts ended with it.
OFFICERS ELECTED UNDER THE STATE
Madison was now a county of the state of Illinois. The first state legislature placed the county government in the hands of three com- missioners, to be elected annually, thus, for the first time, giving the people the right to elect their own local officials.
BOARDS OF COMMISSIONERS
The first board of commissioners ( 1819-20) elected by the people entered upon its duties June 7, 1819, and consisted of William Jones, Samuel Judy and George Barnsbak. Joseph Conway was appointed clerk and George Bel- sha, treasurer.
Second board (1820-1)-Amos Squire, James Tunnel and Abraham Prickett.
Third board (1821)-Amos Squire, Abra- ham Prickett and Emanuel J. West.
Fourth board ( 1822-3)-John Barber, Ben- jamin Spencer and Hail Mason.
Fifth board (1823-4)-Hail Mason, John Barber and Thomas Lippincott.
Sixth board (1824-5)-Hail Mason, John Howard and Benjamin Steadman.
Seventh board ( 1825-6)-John Howard, Benjamin Steadman and Daniel A. Lanter- man.
Eighth board (1826-7)-William Montgom- ery, Samuel Seybold and Emanuel J. Leigh.
Ninth board ( 1827-30)-There was a change in the law and the terms of the com- missioners were lengthened to three years. The ninth board consisted of E. J. Leigh, George Smith and David Swett.
Tenth board ( 1830-3)-Thomas Gillham, Robert Aldrich and David Swett.
Eleventh board (1833-6)-David Swett, Robert Aldrich and John Newman.
Twelfth board (1836-8)-Robert Aldrich, Abe. Moore and S. T. Robbins.
Thirteenth board ( 1838-9)-Hiram Arthur, Edmund Fruitt and Thomas J. Waddle.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
By act of the general assembly in 1838 the tenure of office was changed so that the com- missioners held office for one, two and three years, as determined by lot.
Fourteenth board (1839-40)-Hiram Ar- thur, Edmund Fruitt and David Smith.
Fifteenth board (1840-1)-Hiram Arthur, David Smith and Ephraim Harnsberger.
Sixteenth board (1841-2)-David Smith and Samuel Squire.
Seventeenth board (1842-3) - Ephraim Harnsberger, Samuel Squire and James Webb.
Eighteenth board (1843-4) - Samuel Squire, James Webb and J. G. Anderson.
Nineteenth board (1844-5)-James Webb, J. G. Anderson and Samuel Squire.
Twentieth board (1845-6)-J. G. Ander- son, Samuel Squire and I. B. Randle.
Twenty-first board (1846-7) - Samuel Squire, I. B. Randle and W. B. Reynolds.
Twenty-second board (1847-8)-I. B. Ran- dle, W. B. Reynolds and J. G. Anderson; the last named dying in November, 1847, James Squire was elected to the vacancy.
Twenty-third board (1848-9)-W. B. Rey- nolds, Samuel Squire and I. B. Randle. This was the last board of commissioners ; the new constitution of 1848 substituted therefor a county judge entrusted with probate business, and two associate justices to conduct the county business. These officials were elected for terms of four years each.
COUNTY COURTS
Under this new order of procedure the first county court elected consisted of Henry K. Eaton, judge ; I. B. Randle and Samuel Squire, associates, and their term extended from 1849 to 1853.
Second county court (1853-7)-Henry K. Eaton, judge; D. D. Collins and Joseph Chap- man, associates.
Third county court (1857-61)-M. G. Dale, judge ; E. M. Morgan and George R. Stocker, associates.
Fourth county court (1861-5)-M. G. Dale, judge; Constantine Rilliet and W. B. Hund- ley, associates. Mr. Rilliet died in 1862 and was succeeded by Xavier Sutter.
Fifth county court ( 1865-9)-David Gil- lespie, judge; Edmund D. Keirsey and An- thony Suppiger, associates; C. W. Dimmock, clerk.
Sixth county court (1869-74)-W. T. Brown, judge; George R. Stocker and Henry C. Gerke, associates.
The new constitution of 1870 abolished the county court system of government and sub- stituted the county commissioner system, with a three-years' term of office for members elected after 1873. Those then elected had to draw lots for one, two and three-year terms of office.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
County commissioners (1874-76)-W. E. Wheeler, chairman; W. W. Jarvis and T. W. Kinder, members.
The second county board consisted of T. W. Kinder, chairman, and A. W. Crawford as new members. J. Bardill was elected in 1875 to succeed W. W. Jarvis, and served until April, 1876, when the commissioners were succeeded by a board of supervisors, the county having, in 1875, adopted the township system of county government. This necessi- tated the division of the county into political townships. This was done by following the congressional township lines and naming the townships.
BOARDS OF SUPERVISORS
This system provided for the election of one supervisor for each township and assistant supervisors, in addition, in proportion to popu- lation. This system of county government is still in force, with the exception that the supervisor is now elected for two years in- stead of one, as at first.
John A. Prickett, of Edwardsville was
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
chairman of the first board ( 1876-7). Other members were H. M. Thorpe, Helvetia ; Jones Tontz, Saline; Daniel Ruedy, Leef; Andrew Jackson, New Douglas ; F. S. Pike, St. Jacob; J. L. Ferguson, Marine; R. O. Utiger, Al- hambra ; James Olive, Olive; Ignatius Riggin, Jarvis; J. B. McKee, Pin Oak; W. A. Mize, Hamel; James Kell, Omphghent ; B. R. Hite, Collinsville; J. B. Gibson, Fort Russell; E. K. Pruitt, Moro; Philip Braden, Nameoki; Amos Atkins, Chouteau; S. B. Gillham, Wood River; Edmund Dooling, Fosterburg; R. J. Brown, Venice; Henry C. Sweetser, Ed. Woodman, J. M. Tonsor, C. A. Herb, Alton ; and John M. Pearson, Godfrey.
We have now traced the local government of the county through a period of one hundred years from the appointment of courts of com- mon pleas by the territorial governor. The first court was constituted in 1812; this was succeeded in 1814 by the county court; this body was succeeded in January, 1818, by the administration of the board composed of the justices of the peace for the county. The reign of the justices was short, the territory having been admitted as a state the same year, the legislature in 1819 placing the government of the county in the hands of three commis- sioners to be elected by the people. This com- mission form had a long life extending from 1819, with some changes in tenure of office of its members, to 1849. Then came the reign of the county judge and two associates, which continued from 1849 to 1874. It was suc- ceeded by a revival of the commissioner sys- tem, which continued from 1874 to 1876, which was succeeded by the township system of government by a board of supervisors.
The first period, under courts of common pleas, continued five years ; the second, under county commissioners, thirty years ; the third period, under county judges, twenty-five years; the fourth, under county commission- ers, two years ; the fifth, under board of super- visors, thirty-six years.
SOME TERRITORIAL APPOINTMENTS
There were various appointments made by the governor prior to September, 1812, which included citizens of this county, then a part of St. Clair, but we shall confine ourselves to the names of officials named after the organiza- tion of the county up to the period when the territory became a state, and not including those previously named above.
Justices of the peace :- Robert Brazil, De- cember 6, 1812; Uel Whiteside, March 9, 1814; Nicholas Boilvain, June 21, 1814; John Mckinney, August 10, 1814; William L. Smyth, December 7, 1814; Abraham Prickett, December 23, 1815; Alexander Waddell and - Eberman, January 10, 1816; John Robin- son, January 11, 1816; Joseph Meacham, March 2, 1816; John T. Lusk, January 16, 1817; Abraham Prickett, February 24, 1817; John Howard, May 22, 1817; Levi Roberts and William May, December 10, 1817; Jona- than Harris, December 17, 1817; Isaiah Cum- mings, Martin Woods and Micajah Coxe, January 8, 1818; Samuel Gilham, February 5, 1818; Jacob Lurton, February 10, 1818; Ro- dolphus Langworthy, February 17, 1818; Thomas Johnson, Amos Squire, Samuel Judy, William Jones and George Cadwell, February 28, 1818; Joseph Duncan, John H. Morgan, Thomas Johnson, Walter Creepwell, August 7, 1818.
During the same period certain other ap- pointments were made for this county, by the governor, as follows: Daniel G. Moore, coro- ner of Madison county, March 9, 1814; Isham Gillham, sheriff, September 19, 1812; Bird Lockhart, coroner, September 1, 1812; Josiah Randle, clerk of county court, December 12, 1812; Josiah Randle, clerk of supreme court for Madison county, December 24, 1814; Wil- liam Jones, treasurer Madison county, Decem- ber 24, 1814; Asahel Enloe, surveyor of the county, February 20, 1817; Joseph Conway, clerk of circuit, January 13, 1818; John Y. Sawyer, surveyor, March 12, 1818.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
The last appointment which seems to have been made by Governor Edwards prior to the territory becoming a state was that of James D. Thomas to be lieutenant colonel of the Tenth Regiment Illinois Militia, vice Andrew Bankson, resigned.
The list of military appointments, during the territorial period from 1809 to 1818, is a long one and includes many names that became well known in the subsequent history of the state.
It includes the names of all the officers from Madison county who served in the War of 1812 and the Indian wars of that period.
The names of all officials in the county, be- fore the admission of the territory as a state, have been compiled from the territorial rec- ords, while for the names of the county com- missioners or judges, after the admission of the state, up to 1876, we are indebted to Brink's "History of Madison County."
CHAPTER VI
THE EDWARDS ADMINISTRATIONS
GOVERNOR EDWARDS AND ILLINOIS TERRITORY-MOUNTED RANGERS ORGANIZED-WAR AGAINST BRITISH AND INDIANS-GOVERNOR EDWARDS AND MADISON COUNTY-INDIAN MAS- SACRES IN MADISON-THE WOOD RIVER TRAGEDY-BARBARITY OF RANGERS.
John Boyle, associate justice of the Ken- tucky court of appeals, was at first appointed governor of the newly organized territory of Illinois, but declined to accept the office. Thereupon Ninian Edwards, chief justice of the same court, received the appointment from President Madison, April 24, 1809. Nathan- iel Pope, of Kaskaskia, late of Kentucky, was appointed secretary of state. Before the ar- rival of the governor, who was detained in Kentucky, Secretary Pope organized the gov- ernment, and, by proclamation of April 25th, reestablished the counties of St. Clair and Randolph, as before the separation from Indi- ana. Governor Edwards arrived in Kaskas- kia early in June and assumed his duties.
GOVERNOR EDWARDS AND ILLINOIS TERRITORY
The new executive came of a distinguished Maryland family, the son of Benjamin Ed- wards, a name since honorably perpetuated in Illinois history. Ninian Edwards was born in Maryland March 17, 1775. His early educa- tion was under that great lawyer, William Wirt, and he completed his studies at Dickin- son college, Pennsylvania. Leaving home at the age of nineteen, he settled in Kentucky and immediately embarked in large enter- prises. However, he fell into youthful ex- cesses in which he wasted his patrimony. Soon realizing his imprudence, he reformed his course, removed from Nelson to Logan county and settled down to the study and prac-
tice of law. He was quickly and eminently successful in his profession and, entering upon the political field, served two terms in the Ken- tucky legislature, and became, later, chief jus- tice of the court of appeals, which office he was filling when he was appointed governor of Illinois territory, in tribute to his eminent ability.
The task before Governor Edwards was a stupendous one. The territory was unorgan- ized, save as to two counties. Its area was something immense, as noted elsewhere, stretching from the Ohio river to the Canadian line, with the Wabash and Lake Michigan on its eastern border and the whole course of the Mississippi on its western. It was mainly a vast wilderness, inhabited by warring Indian tribes, with French settlements on the north at Green Bay and Prairie du Chien, Wiscon- sin; military posts at Chicago and Rock Island; white settlements at Kaskaskia, Prai- rie du Rocher, New Design, Fort Chartres and Cahokia, together with the settlements along the Wabash and at Fort Massac. In addition there were several hundred settlers south of the present north line of Madison, who were not located in villages. This was especially the case in Madison, where there was no town except the flourishing settlement at Goshen. The station of Peters, on the Clover Leaf, about six miles southwest of Edwardsville, oc- cupies the original site of Goshen.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
GOVERNOR NINIAN EDWARDS
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
Associated with Governor Edwards were the three territorial judges appointed by the President, Jesse B. Thomas, Alexander Stuart and Obadiah Jones. The two last-named soon resigned and their places were filled by Stanley Griswold and William Sprigg, who thus con- stituted the territorial Federal court, continued until the admission of the state in 1818. All the laws for the new territory were framed by the governor and the judges, who thus com- bined legislative with judicial functions, but all appointments to civic or military offices were made by the governor alone. The people had no part in the choice of local officials until the territory was raised to the second grade when they were given power to elect members of the territorial assembly. This, however, did not take place until 1814. The govern- ment for these first five years was not repre- sentative but autocratic, yet it was wisely, justly and humanely administered.
MOUNTED RANGERS ORGANIZED
The new authorities found the social and civic condition chaotic, due to the distance from the former seat of government at Vin- cennes. The people were divided into cliques and factions owing to differences arising from separation from Indiana, and the harmonizing of adverse elements was the first work to which the authorities addressed themselves. The first code of laws enacted, June 16th, con- sisting mainly of those in existence under the former Indiana government, helped to adjust the differences.
The white population of the territory at that time was about nine thousand, with an esti- mated Indian population of twice that number. The governor next turned his attention to the reorganizing of the militia, owing to the threatening attitude of the northern Indians. They had been provoked to hostility by the en- croachments of the whites and aroused to ac- tion by the fanatical eloquence of Tecumseh. The great battle of Tippecanoe, in Indiana, Vol. 1-3
November 6, 1811, in which General William Henry Harrison defeated the famous Indian chieftain, served only to intensify the hostility of the Indians in Illinois. The massacre of the garrison of Fort Dearborn, the following year (August 15, 1812), the bloodiest in Illi- nois history, also aroused further ferocity on the part of the Indians. Viewing the danger- ous situation congress had, in 1811, provided for the organization of a regiment of mounted rangers for the protection of the Illinois coun- try, but prior to that Governor Edwards had called out the militia and established a line of stockade forts from the mouth of the Missouri across the country to the Wabash, bearing a large share of the expense himself. The regi- ment authorized by congress was commanded by Col. William Russell, of Kentucky, and the captains of the four companies located on the western border were Samuel Whiteside, Wil- liam B. Whiteside, James B. Moore and Jacob Short, names well known in later annals.
WAR AGAINST BRITISH AND INDIANS
The declaration of war by the United States against Great Britain was made by congress June 19, 1812. The Pottawatomies and other tribes in northern Illinois and Wisconsin openly sided with the British. Others were friendly to the Americans. The governor con- structed a fort near Edwardsville, which he named Fort Russell, in honor of the officer spoken of, and made it his headquarters for the campaign. He organized a force of three hundred and fifty mounted men, with two companies of Rangers under Colonel Russell, and an independent company under Captain Samuel Judy, and, on October 18th, began his march against the Indians near Peoria. They destroyed two Kickapoo villages en route, and, after a five days' march, came in sight of the village that was the object of attack. The Indians were ignorant of the approach of the troops; many of them were friendly, but no discrimination was made by the assailants.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
When the attack was made the Indian children were playing on the green. As the soldiers ap- proached, the inhabitants fled, but were shot down as they ran. Some thirty Indians were killed and many wounded. It was a massacre, not a battle, in which only one of the Rangers was wounded. John Reynolds and Thomas Carlin, both afterwards governors of Illinois, were among the exultant soldiery. In truth, many atrocities were perpetrated by the pio- neers in those days, over which it is well to draw the veil. The campaign was a brief one, Governor Edwards marching his trumphant troops back to Fort Russell after an absence of thirteen days.
In the meantime Capt. Thos. E. Craig had been dispatched up the Illinois with two com- panies on boats to capture the ancient French village at Peoria, whose inhabitants had been represented to the governor as sympathizing with the British and Indians, a charge which had no basis. The inhabitants were traders, trappers and hunters, numbering over two hundred. Arriving in front of the town No- vember 8, 1812, the Captain heard several shots in the woods made by hunters, which he hastily conceived to be signals for an attack on his forces. Craig, in return, shelled the woods, and advanced on the town. There was no resistance. Reporting the reason of his at- tack to Indian Agent Forsyth and others, they made light of his fears, whereupon he became enraged, charged them with being in sympathy with the enemy and took them prisoners, save those who escaped-seventy-five in all, men, women and children. Craig then burned half the town and proceeded down the river with his prisoners, including the Indian agent, a loyal and reliable man. Arriving just below Alton, he put his prisoners ashore, on the east bank, without food or shelter. Winter had already set in and the helpless victims were compelled to make their way to their desolate homes as best they could, or to the nearest French settlements. Some of them, it is said,
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