USA > Illinois > Mason County > Centennial history of Mason County, including a sketch of the early history of Illinois, its physical peculiarities, soils, climate, production, etc. > Part 7
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the slopes down which the oaken and the beechen roots descended to sip the refreshing draughts.
Ever since the time when the Atlantic and Pacific held carnival in the Mississippi Valley, these vigorous trees had stood smiling upon the face of the freshening residuum left in Illinois on the final retreat of the ocean.
A resurrected forest had risen from the tombs of the preceding epoch. And not alone around the borders of the widening lake, but upon every island knoll which raised its head above the denud- ing waters, this encircling forest, and these isolated island clumps still stood and flourished when at length the lake receded.
No turf carpeted the abandoned lake bottom. No oak, or beech, or pine raised its head through the covering of lake-slime that sep- erated the slumbering place of vegetable germs from the animat- ing influence of the sun and air. By degrees, however, the floods washed down the seeds of grasses and herbs upon the desert area, and humbler forms of vegetation crept from the borders towards the centre. At length the entire area smiled with vernal flowers, and browned in the frosty blasts of winter.
The bulky acorn, and walnut, and hickory nut, traveled with less facility, and the forest more sluggishly encroached upon the lake's abandoned domain. In this stage of history the Indian was here. For aught we know, he was here while yet the prairies were a lake bottom. His canoe may have paddled over the future spires of Bloomington, or the towering dome of the new State House, at Springfield. The muscalonge and pike may have been pursued through the future streets of Chicago or Peoria, but at least the Indian was present in the interval of time by which the herb distanced the tree in their race for the possession of the new soil. In this interval he plied the firebrand to the brown sedges of autumn, and made for himself an Indian summer sky, while he cleared his favorite hunting ground of the rank growths which im- peded both eye and foot. While the Indian was engaged in these pursuits, and while yet the forest had not time to extend itself over the prairie, the white man came up the lake from Mackinac, crossed over the prairies to the Mississippi, saw the Indian engaged in his burnings, and hastily concluded that this was the means by which the trees had been swept off, ignorant of the history that had passed, and which was even then, as now, in very progress, and which was even then, as now, actually crowding the forest
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HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.
upon the prairies, bringing about the day when, perhaps, a thous- and years hence, the prairies, like the forests of Lancashire, will live only in history.
EARLY EFFORTS AT FRUIT GROWING IN MASON COUNTY.
The following articles and correspondence was prepared many years ago, by the author of this work, for the WARSAW HORTI- CULTURAL SOCIETY, and are here copied from the Journals of that efficient and commendable organization. Little thought had the writer at that time that the communications then prepared would be used at this date, for the Centennial History of Mason county. We extract from the proceedings of that Society :
"The Secretary also read a letter from J. Cochrane, Secretary of the Mason County, Ill., Horticultural Society, as follows:"
HAVANA, ILL., March 22, 1867. N. W. BLISS, EsQ.
DEAR SIR-Your esteemed favor of the 17th inst., was duly received. Please to accept my thanks for the accompanying ar- ticle from your pen; also, for papers received a short time since. I will comply with your request in regard to the history of the Gardner Orchard, at an early date. I herewith send you a con- densed statement, furnished me, of the Fisk orchard, one of the old- est, if not the oldest, in this county.
"In the fall of 1837, we planted a lot of apple seeds, plum and peach pits in a small space of ground dug up for that purpose. In the spring following, many of them came up, and, with diligent culture, grew finely. In two years they were ready for trans- planting.
"They were set out in a valley, and on the side of a ridge facing the north. The ridge was covered with bushes, interspersed -10
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with large timber. The flat is of our richest black sandy loam, at the depth of three or four feet underlaid with a stiff clay subsoil. The ridge has but little soil upon it, towards the south part of the orchard. Soil, light sand, subsoil yellow sand, yet blue-grass will grow upon it. A few years later we purchased about a dozen of trees from near Decatur, of the large Romanite variety.
"Now, as to the results. Some winters the water would rise in the flats, but to obviate this, we hilled up the place for the trees, and by after cultivation the mounds were increased. The first trees were set out in the spring of 1840, and in 1846 a number of them bore fruit, but the hard winter of '45 and '46 killed the Deca- tur trees to the ground and some of them never sprouted. The seedlings remained, some of them I have grafted, and some bear apples I am loth to part with, and do not care to graft. Two of them bear a small striped red and green apple that will keep until August. Two of them bear early apples; one is a striped apple, sheep-nose in shape, medium-sub-acid-juicy. The other, striped red and yellow-medium-sub-acid-juicy-flesh firm.
"Another bears a white apple, skin tender, flesh white, brittle and firm, sub-acid, September, medium. Another produces a yel- low fruit, very juicy, intensely sour, and very rich, as are all the pre- ceding. Still another grows a large green apple with red streaks. In size and color somewhat resembles the Rambo, ripens about the 15th of August, sub-acid, tender and delicate. Others bear good, common fruit, and from these trees I have a succession of fruit the year round, and every year.
"The peach trees bore in three years. They bore well for sev- eral years, and at the winter aforenamed, they went the way of all the earth. There are a few now on the place, but their fruiting is like angel's visits. The plum trees were suffered to remain with- out transplanting. I have quite a thicket of them; they bear every year; are not equal to some other varieties, yet some persons con- sider them worth stealing."
I am now getting another orchard of grafted fruit. Some of the trees, gotten five years ago of Prof. Turner, of Jacksonville, fruited this and last year. Also, quite a lot of Chickasaw, Blue and Lombard plums; all except the latter have been bearing. I am not troubled with curculio so as to suffer any inconvenience. My remedy is to DO NOTHING, hence not expensive.
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HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.
Our county Horticultural Society is in its tottering infancy; we hope to see it able, at least, to be standing alone during the present summer.
I am urging the matter of our folks taking horticultural journals, and will do "what in me lies" for the State Society. Anything you can put in our way, in the future, as in the past, will be duly appreciated.
Truly yours, J. COCHRANE.
The Secretary remarked that the history of the Fisk orchard should encourage all to experiment in raising seedlings, and thus increase the varieties of fruits, and at the same time secure hardi- ness and productiveness.
Extract from the proceedings of a meeting held by the Warsaw Horticultural Society, at Warsaw, Illinois, June 27, 1867:
" President A. C. Hammond called the meeting to order. Min- utes of the last meeting read and approved.
The Secretary said he would read to the Society a history of the "Gardner Orchard," furnished by Joseph Cochrane, Esq., Secre- tary of the Mason county, Illinois, Horticultural Society, as fol- lows:
HAVANA, ILL., May 16, 1867. N. W. BLISS, EsQ .:
DEAR SIR-According to promise, I proceed to give you a brief history of the "Gardner Orchard," in Fulton county, near this city. The "improvement" was begun by the father of the present owner of the Gardner estate, many years ago, before the time had come (in this vicinity) that
The furrows were deep that the plowman had made,
And the engines of war were the harrow and spade;
That the Soldiers of Labor had homes on their lands,
With their great stalwart chests, and their big bony hands; Where the Farmer sat down in the stillness of even,
And their children sang songs to " The Father " in Heaven.
A lot of apple seed was obtained from Griffith's orchard above the mouth of the Missouri River, near St. Charles, Mo., in the fall of 1824, and planted in a nursery the succeeding spring, where the young trees remained till three years old, when four hundred were selected and planted out in orchard. The ground selected for the orchard site was high prairie soil, rich sandy loam, with a clay sub- soil, sheltered on the East and North by timber and bluffs.
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HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.
The trees commenced bearing at various ages, from five years upward. The fruit generally was remarkable for keeping well and for long periods; the fruit from many of the trees keeping well till June, and even later. It was not generally of the largest size, but good in quality and variety. Among the trees of this orchard, which bear early fruit, is the Fulton strawberry, an apple which has become too well known to be described here, and as favorably as widely known. The old, original tree is still standing, full of blossoms, to-day, and bids fair to produce an abundant crop, as for thirty years past it has rarely failed to do. The fruit of this orchard generally was 'of so good a quality that a nurseryman sought and obtained the privilege of cutting grafts of about forty varieties there- from, for the purpose of propagation. What the longevity of these trees would have been under favorable circumstances cannot be stated, as the very disastrous hailstorm of May 28, 1840, destroyed nearly the entire orchard, or so injured the trees that they were cut down as cumberers of the ground, excepting a few, among which is the afore-mentioned Fulton Strawberry.
None of the trees of this orchard were ever affected by blight or other disease, but they were magnificent specimens of thriftiness and healthfulness.
Pear trees have not done well in this locality, having invariably died of blight.
Peaches have succeeded, especially a black seedling brought from Kentucky. The Red or Indian Peach has also done well here.
Early settlers in Mason and McDonough counties came and selected trees from those remaining in the original Gardner apple tree nursery, thus raised from seed brought from St. Charles, Mo., and did themselves and their posterity good service thereby, for the fullness of time had not yet come when philanthropic individuals should disinterestedly perambulate the country, recommending, with exaggerated pictures and studied eloquence, the " wonderful strawberries and marvelous grapes " they have to sell, at the low price of $3 per plant, to the "hard-fisted yeomanry " of the land.
If I were called upon to name the obstacle to the general plant- ing and cultivation of fruit in this country, I should unhesitatingly say it is the Tree Peddler, who, being itinerant, does not hesitate to tell the most stupendous lies, in praise and recommendation of what he has to sell. Thus purchasers are imposed upon, and after
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HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.
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much time and money is thus spent to no purpose, they become discouraged in their very laudable undertakings.
Very respectfully yours,
JOSEPH COCHRANE.
On motion, the thanks of the Society were tendered to Mr. Cochrane for his very interesting and instructive contribution to Apple History, in giving us this valuable account of the " Gardner Orchard."
Since the above account of the Gardner orchard was written, the old Gardner homestead has descended to Mr. James Gardner, the grandson of the original proprietor, who, with his accomplished wife, now occupies the old home.
In addition to the above, we find, in the early history of the county, there were apple trees planted by Mr. O. E. Foster, three miles northeast of Havana, about the year 1835 or 1836, and by another party, whose name we have been unable to learn, in the vicinity of Crane creek.
AGRICULTURE IN 1776.
From an eastern publication we extract the following, which may interest the reader as to "then " and " now:"
In the course of a century, within their narrow fringe of country, the colonists had transformed the wilderness into a fertile and pro- ductive territory. Agriculture was their favorite pursuit. Trav- elers from Europe were struck with the skill with which they cul- tivated the rich and abundant soil, the fine farm houses that filled the landscape, the barns overflowing with harvests, the cattle, the sheep. The northern and middle colonies for wheat and corn were famous. Pennsylvania was the granary of the nation. In New Jersey the farms that spread from Trenton to Elizabethtown ex- cited the admiration of the scientific Kalm. Long Island was the garden of America, and all along the valleys opening upon the Hudson, the Dutch and Huguenot colonists had acquired ease and opulence by a careful agriculture. The farm-houses, usually built of stone, with tall roofs and narrow windows, were scenes of in- telligent industry. While the young men labored in the fields, the mothers and daughters spun wool and flax, and prepared a large part of the clothing of the family. The farm-house was a manu- factory for all the articles of daily use. Even nails were hammered out in winter, and the farmer was his own mechanic. A school
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HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.
aud a church were provided for almost every village. Few chil- dren were left untaught by the Dutch dominie, who was sometimes paid in wampum; or the New England student, who lived among his patrons, and was not always fed upon the daintiest farc. On Sunday, labor ceased, the church-bell tolled in the distance, a happy calm settled upon the rural region, and the farmer and his family, in their neatest dress, rode or walked to the village church. The farming class, usually intelligent and rational, formed in the north- ern colonies the sure reliance of freedom, and when the invasion came, the Hessians were driven out of New Jersey by the general rising of its laboring farmers, and Burgoyne was captured by the resolution of the people rather than by the timid generalship of Gates.
The progress of agriculture at the South was even more rapid and remarkable than at the North. The wilderness was swiftly converted into a productive region. The coast from St. Mary's to the Delaware, with its inland country, became within a century the most valuable portion of the earth. Its products were eagerly sought for in allethe capitals of Europe, and one noxious plant of Virginia had supplied mankind with a new vice and a new pleas- ure. It would be useless to relate again the story of the growth of the tobacco trade. Its cultivation in Virginia was an epoch in the history of man. Tobacco was to Virginia the life of trade and in- tercourse; prices were estimated in it; salaries of the clergy were fixed at so many pounds of tobacco. All other products of the soil were neglected in order to raise the savage plant. Ships from England came over annually to gather in the great crops of the large planters, and Washington, one of the most successful land- owners and agriculturists, was accustomed to watch keenly over the vessels and their captains who sailed up the Potomac to his very dock. The English traders seem to have been often anxious to depreciate his cargoes and lower his prices. Virginia grew enor- mously rich from the sudden rise of an artificial taste. From IS24, when the production of tobacco was first made a royal monopoly, until the close of the colonial period, the production and consump- tion rose with equal rapidity, and in 1775, 85,000 hogsheads were exported annually, and the sale of tobacco brought in nearly $4,000,000 to the southern colonies. This was equal to about one- third of the whole export of the colonies. Happily since that period the proportion has rapidly decreased, and more useful arti-
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HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.
cles have formed the larger part of the export from the New World to to the Old.
One of these was rice. A Governor of South Carolina, it is re- lated, had been in Madagascar, and seen the plant cultivated in its hot swamps. He lived in Charleston, on the bay, and it struck him that a marshy spot in his garden might well serve for a plan- tation of rice. Just then-1694-a vessel put in from Madagascar, in distress, whose commander the Governor had formerly known. Her wants were liberally relieved. In gratitude for the kindness he received, the master gave the Governor a bag of rice. It was sown and produced abundantly. The soil proved singularly favor- able for its culture. The marshes of Georgia and South Carolina
were soon covered with rice plantations. A large part of the crop was exported to England. In 1724, 100,000 barrels were sent out from South Carolina alone. In 1761, the value of its rice crop was more than $1,500,000. Its white population could not have been more than 45,000, and it is easy to conceive the tide of wealth that was distributed annually among its small band of planters. They built costly mansions on the coasts and bays, lived in fatal luxury, were noted for their wild excesses, and often fell speedy victims to the fevers of the malarious soil. Indigo, sugar, molasses, tar, pitch, and a great variety of valuable productions added to the wealth of the south. But cotton, which has grown through many vicissitudes to be the chief staple of British and American trade, was, at this period, only cultivated in small quantities for the use of the farmers. It was spun into coarse cloths. But it was not until Whitney's invention, in 1793, that it could be readily prepared for commerce, and to the inventive genius of Connecticut, the South- ern States owe the larger part of their wealth and political impor- tance.
HAVANA.
Havana is beautifully situated on the east bank of the Illinois river, and is the county seat of the county. The situation is some- what elevated, perhaps an average of forty feet above the river. It contains many fine residences and pleasant homes, and more than ordinary taste is exhibited in the improvement and ornamen- tation of grounds.
The town contains, as near as we can estimate in the absence of precise figures, 3,000 inhabitants. During the past year has erected a fine school edifice on the bluff cast of the court house, at an ex- pense of nearly $30,000, an improvement of which our citizens are justly proud. In addition to this main central school house, there are smaller houses for the primary schools in both the north and south ends of the town.
The churches are as follows: The Methodist Episcopal church, corner of Main and Broadway, is a good, plain house, and the place of worship of one of the oldest societies in the city. Being centrally located, and of easy access, it is as well attended as any. The Reformed church is located on the second block south of the M. E. church; a neat, well finished house, of unpretentious ap- pearance, erected at a cost of about $7,000.
The Lutheran church, on the bluff northeast of the court house, is still smaller, though the average attendance is larger than in the two preceding. It is as old, if not the oldest organization in the city, and its membership is the wealthiest of any. A neat parson- age is attached to their grounds, and their pastor has a pleasant homc.
In the northern part of town is the Catholic church, a neat, commodious frame building, as are all the others, very tastefully finished. This society has a large membership, and some of the most substantial citizens of town and country are included in its
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numbers. All the foregoing churches have pastors in charge, and regular services, though the minister of the Reformed church re- ceives his salary from the Board of Domestic Missions of that church in the East.
The Baptist church is a neat frame building, near the southwest corner of the public square. The membership is few in number, and without a minister at this time.
Our Swedish citizens, of whom there are about fifty, are making efforts to hold religious services in their own language, and a min- ister of that nationality has recently visited them several times for that purpose. A word in reference to our Swedish population. Though not wealthy, they are in fair circumstances, and are right- ly ranked among our most valuable citizens. Honest, industrious, temperate and reliable is the reference we must make to them, and a personal acquaintance with each enables us to know "whereof we affirm."
If there is one class of inhabitants more than another of whom we have just reason to be proud, it is our
MECHANICS.
We have a large number of mechanics, in all the various trades usually pursued in inland towns. Carpenters, machinists, black- smiths, shoemakers, tailors, painters, jewelers, printers, tinners, etc., etc., that are equaled by few and excelled by none. Strangers have remarked to the writer, in regard to some of our mechanics, whose abilities they had tested, that they regard them as very supe- rior, indeed. It is ever our pleasure to give honor to whom honor is due, and we hold it as a fundamental principle of a democratic government, that the masses, the man who earns his bread by the sweat of his brow, either in common or skilled labor, is the bul- wark and stay, the anchor and safety, of the institutions of our country. Hence the value of the free school system in our country, where the property is taxed for the education of the poor man's children. With few exceptions, the best minds in America have sprung from the laboring classes, and been educated in the common schools. More of this under another heading.
The first settlement was made where Havana now stands in 1839. In 1829, in September, a postoffice was established, and six
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HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.
years later, or 1835, a town was laid out-O. M. Ross, proprietor. The second family was named Myers, and the third was the Kre- baum family, some of the members of which have been identified with the public and business interests of this city and county down to the present day.
The details of the early settlement of Havana are so fully set forth in the biographies of Pulaski Scovil, A. W. Kemp, N. J. Rock- well, O. E. Foster, J. H. Neteler, and others, that a repetition here would be a work of superogation. In lieu there of, we will refer the reader to the biographies above named, to the extracts from early newspapers, and the railroad department.
Havana contains many substantial business houses, warehouses, steam elevators, and three hotels; and her trade, though not as flour- ishing as many towns, has had a slow, healthful growth. In 1856 there was no brick building in Havana. In 1857 J. H. & D. P. Hole built the first brick store, and in the same year Wm. Walker built the first brick dwelling.
Havana's improvement in trade and the erection of new build- ings, has been equally slow. A reason for this is readily seen in her manner of doing business. Manufactures of various kinds have been undertaken here and failed for the want of patronage, and from being driven out by competitive articles being brought in and sold at such rates that an honest workman could not compete with shoddy articles, and from a determination of the people to buy no- thing at home that could be shipped here from abroad. This sys- tem of business has been felt here in every department of trade. We aim to state facts and facts only, and the preceding we would gladly have omitted had candor allowed it to have been done.
No city in our knowledge can claim more beautifully laid out or better improved streets than Havana. All are regular and cross- ing each other at right-angles, corresponding to the four cardinal points of the compass, and beautifully ornamented with trees. Our town viewed from some of the fine elevations within its limits, pre- sents the appearance of a densely peopled forest, many of the buildings being entirely obscured by trees. Among the many fine improvements we can name, are the residences of Adolph Kre- baum, R. R. Simmons, C. G. Krebaum, F. H. Cappel, L. Dear- born, S. C. Conwell, and others.
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HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.
all were desirous that an enjoyable time should be the order of the day, with our guests who might favor us with their presenee on that occasion. To this end, many of the buildings were orna- mented with shrubbery and flags; wreathes and arches spanned the streets.
The morning was rendered unpropritious by a slight rainfall, and the two first trains brought but few guests.
The skies brightened, and the faces of our people partook of the same blessing. Wagons and carriages brought their hundreds from the country, and the later trains brought other hundreds.
A band of music enlivened the scene. At the park, all was life and enjoyment. A tall liberty pole, with the national emblem, graced the summit of the mound in the park. The tables were being loaded with the abundant supply of food for the assembling mass.
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