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 81

Author: McDonough, J.L., & Co., Philadelphia
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.L. McDonough & Co
Number of Pages: 578


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 81
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 81
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 81


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At the mouth of Trout hollow in early times lived a Ger- man by the name of Jacob Trout, after whom the hollow received the name which it still bears. He was a tanner, and traces of his old tan vats can still be discovered in the hollow a short distance from the bottom. He had a wide reputation for making an excellent quality of leather, and grew rieh. An old lady, still living, Mrs. Phebe Miller 333


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HISTORY OF RANDOLPH, MONROE AND PERRY COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.


relates that one of the wonders of her childhood, was a visit to Trout's house and the sight of a chest full of silver dollars. Atter living at this place many years he moved to a farm on the river where he died.


Benjamin Byram lived for many years north of Moredock, where he was the owner of claim 825, survey 582, compris. ing four hundred acres of land. This claim was given him in virtue of an improvement right, he having settled here previous to the year 1788. On claim 1417, survey 771, lying between Moredoc's lake and the bluff and immediately below the mouth of Trout hollow, Elisha Nelson made the first improvement. Ile lived there a few years, the grant of land obtained as account of his improvement passing into the possession of Shadrach Bond, and afterward into that of John Moredock. Claims 597, survey 562, on the river a mile below Smith's landing, is a grant of four hundred acres made on account of an 'improvement here made in early times by James Curry. How long he lived there is not known. He was one of Clark's soldiers, and a man of great bravery and hardihood. Ile came to the neighborhood of Kaskaskia shortly after the year 1780, and in the spring of 1788 had a desperate fight with the indians. A ferry was carried on from the Missouri side of the river at this point in early times, for the claim is described as situated " on the bank of the Mississippi river, opposite Smorlesses' Ferry." The Rev. David Badgeley who had previously preached at the New Design, preached in the American Bottom during the winter of 1797-98, and with Elder Joseph Chance, formed a Baptist church in this prieinct in April 1798, Aaron Badge- ley lived on Moredock Lake, nearer Harrisonville.


On claim 576. survey 402, at the bend of Fountain creek, east of Smith's Landing the first improvement was made by Robert Watts. George Atcheson succeeded to his right to the grant, and lived here for many years. In early times a brick house was built near the creek, on that part of the claim now owned by Philip Jehling and which was known as the George Atcheson house. Andrew Porter, in former years, occupied the farm in the bend of the creek, included in claim 576, which is now owned by James Dacre. He mar- ricd a daughter of James Garretson as has been before re- marked. Daniel Shook, an early resident of the precinct, who came to Illinois from Pennsylvania, settled on claim 851, survey 406. He carried on a blacksmith shop and farm. Joseph, Benjamin and Jacob Shook were his sons. Farther up Fountain creek lived a man named Brewer. Solomon Shook, a brother of Daniel Shook, lived on claim 620, survey 564, on the north side of Moredoch lake, on land owned by John Sennot, on claim 917, survey 563. Ichabod Valentine lived in early times. The brick house on claim 309, survey 423, was built by Dan. Sink. It is one of the oldest houses now standing on Eagle prairie. It and the Atcheson house were the only two brick houses in this part of the county. In the assessment of 1817, Sink's house was assessed at six hundred dollars, within one hundred dollars of the highest valuation placed on any dwelling-house in the county, two others being assessed at seven hundred. On claim 957, survey 422, Henry Starr lived at an carly period.


Jehu Scott for many years lived on a farm included


in claim 578, survey 420. He was a native of Maryland, and was mostly raised in Washington county, Pennsylvania- He learned the blacksmith trade in Pennsylvania, and moved to Kentucky. In 1797 he came to Illinois and settled in the bottom, in Moredock precinct. His second wife was Polly Kinkead, daughter of James Kinkead, who came to Illinois in 1786. He carried on a blacksmith shop. He was in the ranging service during the war of 1812-14. He died near Freeburg in St Clair county, in January, 1840 The house in which he lived, in the east part of claim 578, is still standing, though additions and alterations to it have have since been made. Below Scott a man named Jameson made an early improvement. William Walker, a native of Wheeling, W. Va, settled near the old Donner place, between that farm and the brick church, in 1825. His daughter became the wife of Austin James.


One of the earliest permanent settlers near the river was John Robbins, who lived about a mile south of east from Smith's Landing, on land owned by Joseph Meyer. About the year 1x20 he had a farm of forty acres under cultivation, and worked industriously at his trade of a shoemaker.


The Murdick family came from Kentucky, and settled in the bottom near Judge Bond in 1796. Her husband dying the next year, Mrs. Murdick married George Blair, after- ward the first proprietor of Belleville. John Murdick, her son, was born in Kentucky in 1790, and was a soldier in the second war with Great Britian. After the close of the war of 1812-14 he enlisted in the regular army, and he died in the United States service.


One of the oldest residents of the precinct is now Rugus Merriman. His father, William Merriman, was a colored man whom Governor Shadrach Bond brought from Mary- land. His mother, Abagail Warner, was a bound girl be- longing to Judge Shadrach Bond. Merriman was born in the bottom, where his whole life has been passed.


Stephen W. Miles, then a young man of twenty-four, em- igrated to Illinois and settled at Eagle Cliffs in 1819; he was horn at Cazenova, Madison county, New York. He married Lucretia Shook. He became the owner of large tracts of land and a prominent citizen of the county. Eagle Cliffs was the name given to a post-office, first established under the bluff, at the mouth of Dug hollow, whence the name. Its location was afterward changed, and abandoned on the establishment of the Merrimac Point post-office.


On the summit of the bluff, immediately below Dug hollow, is an old burying ground in which repose the re- mains of many of the pioneers in this part of the county. The situation is beautiful, and commands a far-reaching view of the fertile bottom lands, of the Mississippi river, and of the opposite shores of Missouri. Judge Bond was buried here, and John Moredock, and the tombstones disclose the names of members of the Livers, Shook, James, Miles, Todd, Voris, Alexander, and other families. The large and costly vault used by the Miles family can be seen from a consider- able distance. It is handsomely constructed of stone, with marble doors, and the inscription shows that it was erected in 1858 by Stephen W. Miles, to be used as a burial place for himself, his family and descendants, under the care and


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HISTORY OF RANDOLPH, MONROE AND PERRY COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.


direction, in succession, of the oldest male heir of the family.


Fountain creek, which traverses this part of the bottom


for many miles, was called by the French l'Aigle creek. Eagle prairie has retained its French name of l'Aigle prairie.


PINCKNEYVILLE.


PERRY COUNTY.


P INCKNEYVILLE Precinct is the largest in the county. It comprises all of town four, range three, lying south of sections seventeen and eighteen, as well as all south of Swanwiek creek ; all of township two, range two, lying west of sec- tions two, eleven and eighteen, and west of Little Beaucoup creek,-all of towo five, range three,-and all that part of township six, range three, lying west of Beaucoup creek and northeast of Galum creek. The surface is undulating, with here and there a small prairie. The greater portion, however, was formerly covered with a heavy growth of timber, most of which has long since been removed to give place to productive farms. The soil is fertile and well adapted to agriculture. The precinct is well watered and drained by Beaucoup, Little Beaucoup, and Galum creeks, with their numerous small tributaries. Lake Breese is a handsome sheet of water near Pinckney- ville. Beaucoup and Grand Cote bound it on the north ; Tamaroa and Du Quoin on the east; Jackson county and South Western on the south ; Cutler and Grand Cote on the west. Population (1880) 3,589


Pinckneyville Precinct takes its name from the county seat. The county seat received its name from the act incor- porating the county, which provided in its second section : " that the seat of justice, when established in the county, should be known as Pinckneyville."


If we are to receive the tradition from father to son, this precinct is the first settled portion of the county. In 1799, John Flack came with his family and settled in Four Mile Prairie, on or near the place where Benton Ozburn now lives, the southwest quarter of section 11, town 6, range 3. When he settled there, he found only one other white family living in the county, and their name was Cox. They lived on Claim No. 1410, Survey No. 459, where sections 17 and 18 are located, in town six, range two-the only claim and survey in Perry county. Whence and when Cox came to our county, or what became of him after having clothed himself with the honor of being the first settler of our county, we know not. We only know, from tradition, that Flack found Cox here in 1799, and that Mr. Cox disappears, so far as the history of our county is concerned.


The original John Flack left a son, Johu Flack, who was


born in 1803, and whom our first settlers found living in Four Mile, when they first came to this precinct.


Fergus Milligan came from Iredell county, North Caro- lina, in the spring of 1827, first settling three miles north- west of Pinckneyville, on what is yet called Milligan Hill. He improved the farm belonging to the Harmonies. In the fall of 1827 he removed to the Four Mile Prairie, and made himself a home on the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 11, town 6, south range 3. This pioneer had a family of nine children when he came to the county, whose names were : Abner M., John, Milton, Thomas B., William R., Joseph B, sons ; and three daughter. He died some years ago, after seeing the wonderful change in the development of the county.


About the year 1818 or 1819, it is said, a man named Bates, or Bets, made some little improvements on the banks of Beaucoup. about three miles south of the present site of Pinckneyville; and tradition has it that Bates came home from Kaskaskia oue night terribly wounded and cut to pieces, from the effects of which wounding he died; and that he was buried about ten rods west of the old coal bank. How and from whom he received the wounds is not known. Indeed, the family had abandoned the county when our set- tlers, in 1820, came into the county. Traces, however, re- mained to show improvements of a rude kind made near the place described, which is strong evidence that somebody had been there. Whether it was Bates or not we have no positive information.


B. A. Brown and family settled in Six Mile Prairie about 1815. We have no further trace of this family. In 1822, Shadrach Lively settled in this precinct in southwest corner of Holt's Prairie.


Matthew Jones settled on the west side of IHolt's Prairie about 1826. John Hazzard came with Jones, or about the same time. They were from Tennessee. Also, John Berry, from Tennessee, settled in Holt's Prairie in 1826.


Abner Flack. from South Carolina, settled in Four Mile Prairie in 1826. George Franklin settled one-half mile south of Pinckneyville in 1826.


HI. B. Jones came to Pinckneyville, and settled near the site of the Old Spring, April 21, 1827.


Humphrey B. Jones, a Kentuckian, came to Browns- ville, Jackson county, this State, first in April, 1821, pre- vious to coming to this county.


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HISTORY OF RANDOLPH, MONROE AND PERRY COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.


Ephraim Bilderback and Charles Garner came to Four Mile Prairie and settled in the southwest part of it in 1826. They came from Randolph county.


Jonathan Petit came from Randolph, and settled on what is now our County Poor Farm in 1827.


Robert Woodside, James Kinzey and William Armstrong came to the Four Mile and settled in 1829. They were Kentuckians.


In 1828, James Steele (father of John Steele), and Wil- liam Craig settled in Four Mile Prairie.


Berry Crain, from New York, and - McDowell, from North Carolina, settled in the south end of Four Mile Prairie in 1828.


In 1830, James Woodside (father of S. M. Woodside), set- tled on the west half of northeast quarter of section 7, town 6, range 2 west. They were from Kentucky.


A. Crawford was one of the old settlers of the south end of Four Mile Prairie,-the date of his settlement not being known, though it was previous to 1827, as he was then liv- ing on what is now known as the Old Bill Murphy place.


Abner Flack surveyed the State Road from Shawneetown to Kaskaskia, and gave Four and Six Mile Prairies their present names.


The second store kept in Pinckneyville was by David Baldridge in 1×30. His log-cabin store-house, which he afterward built, occupied the lands where the buildings of Charles Hoffman now stand, on the east side of the squares.


By reference to the county records we find that a license was granted to David Baldridge by the county commis- sioners' court to keep store in the county in 1831. He first kept store in the court-house.


About 1827 and 1828, H. B. Jones kept the post-office at his residence near the Spring. About the first paper that we have any account of coming to the county through the post-office was called the Kentucky Reporter.


Joseph Wells kept the first licensed tavern at Pinckney- ville in the year 1829. His little log-cabin stood on the corner where G. R. llinck & Bro.'s store building now is, and was the first house ever put up in Pinckneyville. Wells entertained travellers when the case demanded it.


From the old county records we find that the county com- missioners' court rented the court house to David Baldridge to keep store in, from April, 1830, to October, 1830. Except during terms of court Baldridge was to pay seventy-five cents a month rent for the use of it. The county records also show that a merchant's license was granted to Josiah B. Denning in the year 1830, and that a license was also granted to Limmick & Denning in 1831. Denning started his store in the same year with Baldridge, commencing shortly after him. Previous to the establishment of dry goods stores in Pinckneyville the settlers obtained their stock at St. Louis, going on a kind of pilgrimage once or twice a year for this purpose.


John Milligan, of Four Mile, states that he was one of the party who met at Pinckneyville in 1828 for the purpose of cutting out the first roads from the place. They divided into parties, opening the road north toward Nashville, an-


other toward Six Mile, west, and still another to the east boundary of the county.


Among the first blacksmiths in Pinckneyville was Bergen Happy. The first blacksmith that pretended to keep a stock of iron on hand was William Neil. We were informed by J. S. Wilson that he has in his possession a pair of old dog-irons, as they are called, which he purchased at Michael Baldridge's sale, and which are the workmanship of this pio- neer blacksmith, Neil, and, what is more, he says, they are pretty good yet. Joseph Craig, who resides in Grand Cote, had a blacksmith shop west of Pinckneyville, near where W. G. Wilson now lives, at an early day. He ironed the first jail built in the county, in 1833-34. In 1825-26 the farmers made most of their own plows. They were famil- iarly known as the bull-tongue pattern of plow, and in many instances were constructed out of a forked stick, one fork answering to the beam, the other acting as plow and doing the scratching, while rude handles were pinned to the main branch. Our informant states that when the first settlers saw an iron plow at work in 1830 they declared it would ruin the land, because it turned the ground up so sleek. The first iron plows, if we are correctly informed, came from Kaskaskia. Bergen Happy made the first plowshares at Pinckneyville about 1830. They were known as the Carie plow. Alexander did the stocking part. The mouldboard was generally a slab split from a twisted post oak in order to give it the proper curve.


Alexander Nelson, who came to this county from Ireland in 1832, was a wagonmaker, and perhaps the first in the precinct. He lived two miles southwest of Pinckneyville. He generally went round in the neighborhood and begged seasoned white oak rails, out of which to make the running gear of the wagons. Bergen Happy did the iron work. Matthew Thompson was the first wagonmaker to put up a shop in Pinckneyville ; this was about the year 1833.


Previous to 1830 a great many truck wagons were made ; the wheels being made of sections sawed from sycamore or black gum logs. Of that class of wagons every man was his own manufacturer. With a heavy load, ou a dry day, it was no uncommon thing for the spindles to take fire. The old settlers represent their screaking as loud enough to be heard a mile on a still morning.


George Franklin was among our pioneer shoemakers. In 1829, Mr. Wilson states, he made Franklin one hundred rails, while Franklin made him a pair of shoes. David Baldridge sold the first pair of shoes at his store in Pinck . neyville. Wash Glover was perhaps the first man that made shoes at Pinckneyville, in 1829. One of our old pio- neers took him a piece of leather to have himself a pair of shoes made ; the first pair he burned on the last and ruined, and after he had taken still another piece of leather and cut out another pair, he ran away.


In the matter of grist-mills, Pinckneyville had her share in the early days. Previous to 1830 the settlers, or many of them in this precinct, had their milling done at Elijah Well's mill on the west side of Nine Mile. In 1829 they got some grinding done at Shade Lively's mill in Holt's Prairie.


336A


1


HOUSE,FARM AND RESIDENCE OF WM H. MILLIGAN, SEC. I, T. 6. R. 3, PINCKNEYVILLE PRRECINCT (PERRY CO. ILL.)


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HISTORY OF RANDOLPH, MONROE AND PERRY COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.


In 1839, Levi Green built a thread mill, six or eight miles west of Pinckneyville on the Chester road. It was operated by six or eight oxen, and was considered about one of the best mills in the county. It was operated for several years. The records of the county court contain an order of per- mission to Amos Anderson (after an inquest by a jury of ad quad damnum) to build a mill dam across Big Beaucoup near the present crossing of the W. C. and W. R. R. Track. We believe neither dam or mill was ever built. This occurred in 1831, and in 1832 similar proceedings were had for the erection of a dam across Beaucoup at the Woodside Ford. Shade Lively had an old hand or tug mill in Holt's prairie. It was put up in 1829, and run about four years. James Woodside built a horse-mill on Beaucoup shoals in 1833 and '34. He died, however, before its completion, and his son Samuel Woodside put it in operation and run it several years, when he sold it to Robert Yearing, who removed it to Nine Mile Prairie and ran it some years. In 1840, John Steele and John Elder put up a carding mill, and run it several years on the place where John Hepp now lives. In 1839, David Thomas built a steam saw mill, (the first thing of the kind that we knew of in the county) on the lake which bears his name, south of the present site of Pinckney- ville, about a mile and a half distance. This mill was run ahout four years. In 1852, what is now known as Schulz's old mill, was purchased by Wood & Kirkwood, of same parties, on Mary's river, moved here and put up. At that day it was an important thing. It too, however, has had its day and generation. Blanton & Stilley put up a water mill on Beaucoup, a short distance above Lake Breese, about the year 1836, but it proved a failure after a few years' trial. The floods destroyed it, and financially its owners also. As before stated, Joseph Wells kept the first saloon in Pinckneyville in 1827, and Humphrey B. Jones the first postoffice in 1827 and '28. A minister named Micajah Phelps probably did the first preaching in Pink- neyville, at the little house that stood on Hincke's corner, about 1828 or '29. Phelps was a Methodist. The first camp meeting in the county is said to have been held at Mud Prairie about 1838 or 1839. The Rev. James Gore, Nathan G. Curlee, and Father Chase preached to a large attendance. In Feb., 1830, Rev. S. C. Baldridge, an Associate Reformed Presbyterian Minister, preached at the house of James Brown, Sr. It was about this time the Hopewell Con- gregation was founded. In 1831, the Rev. Peter Hagler, a Baptist, preached at the house of James Thompson, in Four Mile Prairie. The Hopewell was the first church built in the county. Commenced in 1831 and com- pleted in 1833. The members all united and worked to- gether to build it under William Adair, chief carpenter. The occasion of the interruption and delay in building was Adair's absence in the Black Hawk War.


The first school taught in this precinct was in 1831, near Robert Woodside's, in the western part of Four Mile Prairie, in a little log house, 16x16 feet. The term lasted six months, at $2.50 a scholar. Webster's old spelling book and Pike's arithmetic were the principal text books. In 1832, Eliza Smith, from Ky., kept school in a small log


cabin near Thomas Armstrong's. This schoolhouse was kept up about four years. S. M. Woodside also taught school there. The New Testament, Webster's Spelling Book, the first edition of Pike's Arithmetic, and the Colum- bian Orator, were the standard text books. June 3, 1833, the Sheriff, as the records of the County Commissioners Court show, was authorized to let the court-house for a school-room, for fifty cents rent per month, to be paid either by the teacher or subscribers. In 1833, Bryant Bender taught a neighborhood or family school in an old outhouse, near where Cy. Willis lived. Books were so scarce that they sometimes divided a Testament into two or three pieces, so each might have a portion.


The first physician who practiced in Pinckneyville precinct, was Dr. Brayshaw of Old Du Quoin, and Dr. Conrad Will of Brownsville, Jackson county. Dr. Will. it is said, was very fond of hunting, and, for that purpose, kept a pack of hounds, which he would often take along, when he went to see a patient and stay and hunt until the patient either got better or died. He was elected to the legislature, sitting at Vandalia, and to while away leisure hours he took his hounds along with him to coon-hunt. Dr. 1I. B. Jones was the first resident physician at Pinckneyville, settling there in 1827.


The first resident lawyers were H. B. Jones, and W. B. Edwards. Next came Sylvester Adams, B. G. Roots, and Charles L. Starbuck. H. B. Jones held most of the principal offices of the county at an early day. Few men in that early day commanded the influence of H. B. Jones, and few men have sustained such unbroken confidence in all the varied ca- pacities in which he served the people, whether as physician, attorney, or officer. H. B. Jones, the first lawyer, first cir- cuit clerk, first recorder, first justice of the peace, first notary public, first postmaster, first judge of prohate, and the first master in chancery in the county, was born in Shelby county, Kentucky, January 13, 1799, and died at his home in Pinckneyville, Nov. 18, 1855, without a stain upon his name or character, private or public, honored, esteemed, and respected by all who knew him.


The first lands entered in what is now Pinckneyville township were as follows: March 2, 1813, James Flack, W. } of S. W. }, section 14, 80 acres ; October 1, 1814, John Flack, N. E. } of section 22, 160 acres ; April 25, 1815, William McIntosh, all of section 27, 640 acres; April 25, 1815, S. Lavapein, S. } of section 10, 320 acres ; April 25, 1815, Alexander Douglass, N. } of section 10, 320 acres ; March 16, 1819, Roger Claxton, S. W. } of section 34, 160 acres ; and Benjamin Brown, W. ¿ of the N. E. } of section 19, 80 acres, all in town six south, range three west. In town five south range three, Joshua Davis entered the E. ¿ of S. E. + of section 34, containing 80 acres, November 30, 1818.


CITY OF PINCKNEYVILLE.


The history of the survey and plat of Pinckneyville may be found iu the chapter of Civil History of the county. At the first sale of lots, on the fourth Monday of February we find the following sales :


43


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HISTORY OF RANDOLPH, MONROE AND PERRY COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.


Charles C. Glover, No. 21, . $22.00


Eli Short, No. 42. $13.00


Amos Anderson, No. 20 . 8.00


David H. Mead, No. 19 10.00


Amos Anderson, No. 22 . 16.50


James Murphy, No. 18. 10.25


Amos Anderson, No. 2 6.00


William H. Threlkel, No. 36 15.50


Joseph Wells, No. 38 .. 32.50




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