USA > Illinois > Perry County > Combined history of Randolph, Monroe and Perry counties, Illinois . With illustrations descriptive of their scenery and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 36
USA > Illinois > Randolph County > Combined history of Randolph, Monroe and Perry counties, Illinois . With illustrations descriptive of their scenery and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 36
USA > Illinois > Monroe County > Combined history of Randolph, Monroe and Perry counties, Illinois . With illustrations descriptive of their scenery and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 36
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The founders of Waterloo besides donated the following town lots, to wit: Nos. 4, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 31,33, 40, 52, 53, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61 and 64. These lots were to be sold, and the amount realized was to be applied towards paying for the erection of a court house. It seems that these 23 lots were sold for $224.041.
Finally on the 26th day of March, 1831, bids were invited for the contracts for building a brick court house, 30 by 36
feet, and two stories high. W. W. Omelveny contracted for the brick work for $478.50. He completed his work by the 7th of December, 1831, when he was paid $438.50, the county remaining in debt to him to the amount of $40 on balance of contract, and 816.90 on account of extra work donc.
Robert Coleman received $150 for wood work, but failed to complete the work, which was now entrusted to J. II. Harrington, who received in pay a certificate "to recover value of work done from the above contractor."
The court house, although in an unfinished condition, was occupied on the 4th of June, 1832.
This court house must have been a very frail building, for in September, 1834, the court took " notice" that the walls of the building were "shook " and injured by the boys throwing balls against them, whereupon the clerk was instructed to draw up a proclamation forbidding the throwing of toy-balls against those walls, and have said proclamation posted, one at the court house and three more at the most public places in town. Emery P. Rogers, Solomon Patterson and Thomas McRoberts are responsible for this " ukas." From a report of John Rya', treasurer of the county, it appears that the revenue of the county for the year 1831 was $1131.02, and that all of it had been collected and paid into the treasury ; further that the collector of the revenue of 1830 was in arrears to the amount of $140 72, that pur- chasers of donation lots were still owing the county 8197.18}, and that Nancey Ramey, C. F. Fletcher, E. P. Rogers, David Ditch, John Divers, James A. James and John M. Wilson had not paid their licenses, amounting in the aggre- gate to 834 00 We have stated repeatedly that the county authorities had at every occasion exhibited great readiness to license taverns and grog-shops, and now let it be said, in honor of the good people of Waterloo, that, as early as 1832, they raised $26 for the purpose of sinking a well to procure good drinking water. Who would have thought of such a thing at Waterloo, and at so early a day ? The county board, not to be outdone by the villagers of Waterloo, appro- priated one dollar of the public funds towards purchasing a Bible for use of the county officials.
We have been assured that previous to this purchase the county officers had been using Chesterfield's Letters to his son for their edification, and, from present appearances, it may be inferred that this information is correct.
During the term of this board a number of revolutionary veterans appeared in court for the purpose of identifying themselves and in order to get their certificates for pension. From these proceedings and an official statement by the State authorities, it appears Eber ezer Brown, aged 81, had served in the Virginia Continentals, that his annual pension amounted to $45.33, and that he lived long enough to draw $144.99 ; Andrew Hilton, aged 77, of the Maryland Conti- nentals, drew 830.00 per annum for three years, so did Michael Miller, of the Virginia Continentals. James McRoberts, of the Pennsylvania Continentals, and Joseph Wright, of the Virginia Continentals, drew each $20 per annum. The total pension money paid to these five veterans amounted to $734.98. George Goble, a sergeant, and
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HISTORY OF RANDOLPH, MONROE AND PERRY COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
William Howard, private, Third U. S. Infantry, and John Jerrod, private of the Stxth U. S. Infantry, were invalid pensioners, and received $96 per annum. They were not revolutionary soldiers, however.
Solomon Patterson was appointed commissioner and agent for the disposal of school lands in 1833
A new election precinct was organized in 1834, to be called
PRAIRIE DU LONG.
It commenced at Thomas Talbott's mills on Prairie du Long creek, thence direct to the big spring on Horsecreek, thence southwest to the old road from New Design to Kaskaskia, thence down said road to the Randolph line. The poll was established at the house of John Morrison, with Preston Brickey, John Bamber and Zopher Williams, as judges of election.
In March, 1834, the county's cash box was replenished by a remittance of $300 00, due to he county, of amounts realized from sale of Gallatin county saline lands. This money was immediately made use of in completing the court house. Leman French got $250 for furnishing the upper rooms, and Daniel Converse was paid $75 for paint. ing the house.
The court house was now completed, about ten years after Waterloo had become the county seat. It speaks well for the morals of the people of the county, that the want of a jail was not felt until in 1835, when the court commenced to moot the question of building a jail. After four years of diligent talking and planning, the question was brought to a vote and decided in favor of building a jail.
In the meantime the county had come into possession of a large amount of money, her proportional share of the so- called improvement fund, mentioned in this chapter under the heading of Randolph county. John Morrison had been appointed to collect this fund, to wit $6,900, at Vandalia, and he brought it safely to Waterloo on the 5th of Novem- ber, 1838. There was trouble now, how to save and preserve so vast an amount of actual money. The county board, composed of Sidney Todd, William Threlfull and J. M. Wooten, ordered, that Edward Newsham, J. H. Portle and James B. Needles should become the custodians of this fund, that each of them should receive $2 300 of the money in order to loan it out in sums not exceeding $500, at not less than twelve per cent. annual interest for the benefit of the county This order, made at the December term, 1838, was succeeded by another order, of March, 1839, instructing the fund custodians to at once collect these funds and to hold them in readiness for further orders.
The jail project had now ripened into shape, contractors, who had heretofore given the county a wide berth, were now ready and eager to go to work. The jail contract was let on the 3rd of June, 1839.
This jail, the first in Waterloo, was erected in 1839. John Taylor of Belleville, contracted for the building of it on July 1st, 1839, for $2,400 (This jail stood east of the present court house). It was to be erected of good sound limestone, thirty-five feet long and twenty-five feet wide, two stories high, eight feet each exclusive of the joists.
The walls of the lower story to be two feet thick, and the second story above the joists twenty-two inches thick, both stories to be divided by partition walls, eighteen inches thick of same materials, leaving an entry of ten feet wide, two outside doors and one door from the entry into each room, eight windows of fifteen panels, ten by twelve glass, four of which to be secured with iron grates. The founda- tion to be of limestone, to be sunk two feet and a half below the surface of the ground and raised to a level one foot above the surface of the ground, two feet and a half thick to extend under the partition, as well as side and end walls, and all to be laid in good lime and sand mortar. The dungeon to be lined with timber five inches thick with suitable doors and grating. The contractors had to furnish all the materials, which were to be of first-rate quality, etc.
The jail was finished on the 9th of September, 1840 Its construction cost $100 more than contract price. The con- tractors were paid $1,205 in cash, and $1 295 in twelve per cent. interest bearing county orders.
The county authorities appropriated a round thousand dollars of this fund, towards improving the road from Waterloo to Harrisonville, and entrusted Jacob J. Danner with the disbursement of this amount ; $250 of it were paid to Henry Hill for grading the road on Tamaroi's hill. The fund had been gradually reduced to $4,200.34. December 8th, 1840, the fund commissioners surrendered this balance, all in promissory notes, to the county clerk for safe keeping. They were paid $508 for their services. (John Morrison received 845 for making the collection and bringing the funds from Vandalia to Waterloo). Converse, the clerk, remained custodian of this fund until December, 1843, when he turned the papers over to the county treasurer, by whom they by rights ought to have been kept and preserved from the beginning. These moneys were subsequently treated and disbursed as other public funds belonging to the county.
New Design precinct was organized December 8th, 1840, with poll at the house of Matthias Harrison. The popula- tion of the county, more than 1200 in 1816, amounted now over 4000 souls
The United States census of 1840, furnishes the following data : The population of Monroe was 4481 in the aggregate; there were then eleven slaves in this number, two male and nine female. Twenty-eight of the above number were over seventy years of age. The occupations of the inhabitants of the county, were defined as follows: Agriculture, 979; commerce, 32; manufactures and trades, 115; uavigation of canals and rivers, 2; learned professions and engineers, 13; number of pensioners for revolutionary or military services, - The unfortunates were: One deaf and dumb, three blind, two iusane, all at private charge. There were five schools in the county attended by 168 pupils. Three hundred and seven adults were unable to read or write.
The census of 1840 recites that the county of Monroe was engaged in " mining " at that period. A closer examina- tion into this astounding statement led to an easy explana- tion. The " mine " was a stone-quarry, in which one man was employed, who contrived to get out 300 dollars' worth
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HISTORY OF RANDOLPH, MONROE AND PERRY COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
of rock during 1839. The agricultural wealth consisted in 2289 horses, 8532 neat cattle, 3338 sheep, 16,516 hogs and 3668 dollars' worth of property. The agricultural products of the year 1839 were reported as follows: 22,512 bushels of wheat, 150 of barley. 21,975 of oats, 350 of rye and 293,462 of corn; 436 pounds of wax, 10,016 bushels of po- tatoes, 397 tons of hay, 550 pounds of flax, 300 pounds of tobacco, 20 pounds of cotton, 3659 cords of wood, 11,844 dollars' worth of milk, butter and cheesc, and 1910 dollars' worth of fruit. Homespun goods, woven on the famous old loom, represented a value of $16,630. Gardening produced a value of $66 and a " nursery" $145. Nine merchants were doing business in the county with a capital of 831,2×1. Under the head of "Fisheries" we find that 28 gallons of oil had been produced in the county. Eight men had manufactured 920 dollars' worth of bricks. Two woolen manufactories, employing two persons turned out
goods valued at 8550. Three tanneries, worked by 5 hands, turned out 600 sides of sole leather and 1050 sides of upper leather. Two saddlery shops did 1800 dollars' worth of work. Two distilleries manufactured 7000 gallons of whis- key. The products of 2 flouring, 3 grist and 4 saw mills, with a capital of 837,750, giving employment to 11 persons, were valued at $20,300.
The proceedings of the county board during the succeed- ing years are void of interest. As a curiosity, we may mention here an order of the county board in reference to the official conduct of James B. Needles, ex-sheriff of the county, to wit :
"Ordered that he have a certificate under the seal of the court, that he has faithfully discharged the duties of the office of sheriff of Monroe county for 6 years previous to September 1, 1840, and punetually settled and paid over all moneys charged against him as collector of the revenue of the county."
The settlements of the treasurers had for years exhibited a balance of funds ou hand, and yet there were considerable amounts of county warrants outstanding and remained un- redeemed for want of funds. This contradictory state of affairs finds an explanation in the following report :
" The undersigned having been appointed agent of the county wi h instructions to convert the uncurrent funds in the treasury of the county into lawful money, and to use it in paying off' the floating debt of the county, begs leave to report, that he realized 8315.37 cash from the sale of $647 of State bank paper, sold at 44 cts. per dollar, and also of 899 of the bank of Shawneetown, sold at 33 cts .; that he bought county warrants amounting to $60 for 836 cash, and $372.50 more for $279.37 (cash); that he charged $9 for his trouble, and further that there were still $20.50 out in county warrants which could be bought for $15.37} cents in cash."
Soon after, in 1845, Mr. Morrison, as sheriff of the county, filed a report of his revenue collections, which will be intro- duced here at length, because of its accuracy, and because of its being the only one spread on the county record since the organization of the county. The following is the docu- ment:
JOHN MORRISON, collector, in acct with the county of Monroe.
DR.
To am't of co. revenue as per receipt for 1814, $3,446.77
To am't collected more than charged, . 50.90
CR
By treasurer's receipts filed, . $2,338.37
By taxes remitted under art for relief of sufferers by flood, . 441 15
By errors-lands assessed twice, 21.00
By errors-in calculations, 26.72
By delinquent lists. 26.67
By adv. lands inundated,
146.50
By forfeitures to the State, 246.03
By commission, 77.95
By balance pd. to treasurer to-day,
182.18
Septb. 9, 1845.
JOHN MORRISON, Sheriff and collector.
The assessed values of the taxable property in the county for 1845 was $798,094, as reported by John Ryan, the assessor.
From the report of Mr. Ryan we glean the following facts :
Monroe county had then 910 resident tax-payers, and their personal property was valued at $172,500. Eight of these 910 had personal property exceeding 1,000 dollars in value, to wit :
S. W. Miles 83,710 J. D. Whiteside $1.400
James A. James
1,625 Samuel E. Owen 1,352
Jacob Trout 1,581 Jewett heirs 1,209
Samuel Newland 1,560 Ferdinand Roye 1,025
Slave property was assessed at 81,350. Henry Wademan, A. W. Gardner, Cecelie Beaird, M T. Hornie, S. W. Miles, and A. Eckert, were the slave-owners in 1843.
There was quite a number of citizens who sported pleasure carriages worth from $100 to $300. The present generation may have some curiosity as to who it was that drove to town in carriages forty years ago, and their curiosity shall be gratified. The gentry of 1843 was made up by the follow- ing :
B. F. Masterson-his carriage was the finest or newest, for it was assessed the highest ; John Morrison, W. H. Gale, A. W. Gardner, William Wilson, J. R. James, J. M Moore, P. B. Brickey, Milton Moore, W. T. Eckert, Jesse Wiswell, Abram Clark, Lewis S. Steigers, and John Ste- vens.
The assessor's report further states that there were then thirteen capitalists in the county, who, together, were draw- ing interest on $8,930 loaned out. The report speaks also of thirteen merchants doing business in the county, who had stated their several stocks of goods to be worth 86,150 iu the aggregate.
The town lots in the county were assessed at 821,955 ; the values vary from $10 to $1,000 per lot. Of the latter class there was but one, to wit : lot No. 90 in Waterloo, owned by E. Moore.
The lands were assessed at from $3.00 to $5.00 per acre. There were 48,060 aeres described in claims and surveys, and 124,800 acres in sections.
The county levy for the year 1845 was 50 cents per $100,
19
$3,506.57 $3,596.67
146
HISTORY OF RANDOLPH, MONROE AND PERRY COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
which would yield a revenue of 83,900.00, a tax nf about 80 cents per capita.
Before closing our remarks in reference to the adminis- tration of county affairs by the county commissioners' courts (1819 to 1849), we should mention that the boundary line question between St. Clair and Monroe, and between Monroe and Randolph counties, had been adjusted during this period. The reports of the county surveyors may, therefore, find space here.
J. Milton Moore, surveyor of Monroe county and J. Mes- senger surveyor of St. Clair county made the following re- port, which is ordered to be filed and recorded.
We the undersigned do hereby certify that on the 30th of November 1829 we commenced at the former corner to townships 2 and 3 south, between ranges 7 and 8 west of the third principal meridian, where we set a new post in the re- mains of a former "mound " from which a pine oak now 18 inches in diameter, a former witness tree bears south 69° west 233 liuks distant, and with the compass set at a variation of 8° 45 east and ran thence north 89° 05 between townships 2 and 3 south range 8 west along the former line, renewing the blazes when passing through timbered lands, and setting posts when in the prairie at several points 5 miles and seventy, five chains to a flag stone placed at the point of the former corner to townships 2 and 3 south, ranges 8 and 9 west, from which stone a post oak, 30 inches in diameter bears south 21° west 135 links distant and a post oak now 15 inehes in diameter bears north 69° west, 161 links distant ; each of them former witness trees to said eorner, thenee run north along the former range line and renewing the blazes in the same, 1 mile to the former corner of seetions 30 and 31 T 2 south, R. & west, reblazed the old line where we set a new post from which a Sycamore 30 inches in diameter bears north 59º east 72 links distant, each of which were the former witness trees to said corner, thence north 44º 06 west, 8 miles and 33 chains blazing the same to the former corner of sections 30 and 31 T. 1 S. R. 9 west where we set a new post by the remains of the former witness trees to said corner, they having been recently felled, and take for new witness trees a post oak 18 inches in diameter bearing 463º west 187 links and a post oak 15 inches in diameter bearing north 163° west 243 links distant, they being the former witness trees to sections 25 and 36 T. 1. S. R. 10 west thence north along the former line between ranges 9 and 10 west, reblazing the same 1 mile to the corner of sections 19 and 30 T. 1 S. R. 9 west where we set a large flag stone in the prairie, thence north 44° west intersecting the former section corner diagonally to sections 13, 14, 23 and 24 and sections 10, 11, 14 and 15 and sections 3, 4, 9 and 10, five miles and 52} chains to the northwest corner of section 4, T. 1 S. R. 10 west thence on the same course 2 miles and 66 chains to the banks of the Mississippi river, where we set a post, from which a black walnut, 18 inches in diameter, bears south 68} east, 25 links distant and a sycamore, 26 inches in diameter bears south 8 east, 56 links distant. The aforesaid line being in conformity to an order of the county commissioners of St. Clair and Monroe counties and in conformity to the act of
the legislature relative to the northern boundary of Monroe county.
Report is dated December 3d 1829 and signed by J. Mil- ton Moore and John Messenger, surveyors. Cost of survey was $43 16.
Southern boundary line. Report of James Thompson and J. M. Moore, county surveyors, made the following report, March 1st 1830 and ordered to be recorded ..
Report : We commenced to run the line between the coun- ties of Randolph and Monroe at the southeast corner of township 4 S. R. 9 west of the third principal meridian at a variation of 7º 36 east, thence south 70 west on a random line 62 chains to the house of James M. Canada ( Kennedy) about 6 chains north of the line 1 mile 30 chains a B K 5 links, thence north west 2 miles and 40 chains, second south east 4 miles 163 chains, Kaskaskia road, 5 miles to the top of the bluff, 7 miles and 61 chains to a road, 8 miles 236 chains, road to Kaskaskia, 8 miles and 55 chains to Alexander McNabb's farm, fell 122 chains south of said farm, thence cerrected the course and run from said farm sonth 71º 05 west on true line to the Mississippi river, which nine miles and 78 chains to the river bank we set a post from which a cottonwood, 18 inches in diameter bears north 61 east 24} links distant and another cottonwood tree. 16 inches in diameter bears north, 25° west, 27 links distant, thenee went baek to A. MeNabb's farm and corrected the line and blazed .it back to the beginning corner.
In conformity with a law of the legislature of the state of Illinois providing for running a line between the counties of Randolph and Monroe Dated February 18th, 1830. Cost of survey $46.00.
REPORT OF SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.
From the reports it appears that the school lands of town- ship 3-8 were sold in 1836, averaging about $3 50 per acre. Amount realized, $2216 00.
T 1-10. $ 926.90 T 4-10. 350.00
T3-9 1909.60 T 4-9. 4×4.29
T3-10. 1627.17 T4-11. 1726.60
T2-9. 1366.80
T 2-11.
762.00 Total School fund in 1848 . $11.309.36
The regime of the county commissioner's court ended in 1849. The constitutional convention of 1847 entrusted the administration of county affairs to county courts, composed of a county judge and two associate justices, who held their respective offices for four years.
The last county board of Monroe county was composed of E. P. Rogers, Joseph Livers, and John Burk.
Before reciting the events of the period from the adoption of the new constitution, March, 1848, to the present time, we shall here introduce an extraet of the circuit courts of the county.
CIRCUIT COURT8-1817 TO 1848
The first circuit court, held July 21. 1817, at Harrison- ville, was presided over by Hon. Jesse B Thomas, with Charles Matheny as prosecuting attorney. The grand jury at this term was composed of the following gentlemen free- holders : William Chalfin, foreman, Alexander MeNabb, Daniel Hull, Jacob Trout, Ebenezer Bourne, John Worley,
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HISTORY OF RANDOLPH, MONROE AND PERRY COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
Jacob Clark, John Shehan, Daniel Shook, Jacob Clover, Leonard Kerr, George Ramey, Daniel Starr, John Roach, Joseph A Beaird, Elijah Davis, Daniel Link, Michael Dace, Solomon Shook, and Levi Piggott.
The indictments returned were as follows :
Andey Kinney, assault aud battery for severely beating and wounding, at his mill in Harrisouville township, one William Hogan, tried and acquitted.
John Lock, larceny. John had stolen a bridle from John James, of the value of $6.00 ; pleaded guilty, and paid a fine of $12.00 and costs, and returned the bridle.
William Hogan, the very man on whose account Andey, the miller, had been indicted, was brought up for larceny, because he had, by force, broken the loek of a chest, left in his custody by Joshua Carey, and stolen its contents of the value of $11.50
There were 7 more casesof assault and battery ; the fighters were invariably fined from 85 to $12 00, but the fine was as invariably remitted by a lenient and benevolent judge.
A divorce case, Sarah Miller vs. Abraham Miller, was tried and Sarah's prayer granted. She was also awarded the custody of their only child, a boy named Isaac.
Another divorce case, Joseph Hogan versus Patsey ( prob- ably an abbreviation of Potiphar) Hogan was tried before Judge Warnock at the August term, 1818. Joseph's griev- ous wrongs are set forth in the following pathetic declaration :
To the honorable Circuit Court for the
county of Monroe, Illinois Territory.
Your petitioner humbly sheweth that sometime in the month of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, he was lawfully married to Pat- sey Bailey, now Patsey Hogan, that he continued to live in peace and happiness with her for about three months, when the said Patsey Hogan, contrary to the duties of a wife and the matrimonial injunetions, eloped from his bed and board. without his knowledge or consent, and now lives in open adultery with other men.
Your petitioner humbly prays the bonorable court for the causes above stated, to deeree a dissolution of the bonds of matrimony entered into with the said l'atsey llogan, and your petitioner will ever be in duty bound to pray, etc.
For JOSEPH HOGAN, by E. Martin, his attorney.
Hogan had the following witnesses subpoenaed, to wit : Alexander Jameson, Edward Croush, and Adam Payne. Patsey made no defense, and the divorce was granted.
The first criminal court held in Monroe county after the admission of Illinois as a sovereign state, was presided over by Joseph Phillips, chief justice of the supreme court, May 3d, 1819. Subsequent terms were held by John Reynolds in 1819, 1820, and 1821. Hon. Phillips is on the beneh again in 1822, succeeded in 1823 and 1824 by Thomas Rey- nolds. In 1825 and 1826 Samuel MeRoberts, the former clerk, was found on the bench ; he had entered upon his career to fame and honors, which elevated him to a seat in
the Senate of the United States. The next judge was T. W. Smith. While at the bench at Waterloo, in March, 182%, he heard the first murder case tried in the county. From papers on file we glean the following facts in this,
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