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 94

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 94
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 94
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 94


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David Waddle owned claim 768, survey 448, at the beginning of the present century. On part of this claim, Isaiah Levins, who married a daughter of William Chalfin, lived for some years in early times. About a mile below Nathaniel Hull's place, under the bloff lived Colonel Wil- liam Alexander. He acquired his military title in his ser- vice against the Indians. He was a justice of the peace, and a man of some wealth and standing in the community. At Hull's old place, Gilman Jewett once lived. He mar- ried a daughter of Colonel Alexander.


One of the oldest places along the river is the farm now owned by Louis Ihorn, a mile above Ivy Landing. It is included iu the old French grant, made to Deville or Vil- liers, and from him passed into the possession of Colonel Pierre Menard, of Ka-ka-kia. In 1803. Thomas Marrs lo- cated here. He came to Illinois from Kentucky in the year 1797, accompanying Judge James McRoberts in a boat down the Ohio. He first lived near Cahokia, aud then be- tween Waterloo and Whiteside's station. During the Indian troubles in 1811, the family found refuge in Whiteside's Fort He subsequently returned to Kentucky. He only had one son who died at the age of twenty, and twelve


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HISTORY OF RANDOLPH, MONROE AND PERRY COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.


daughters. Abigail married Abner Carr. Lucinda, now Mrs.


Eli Wiley, is living in Jefferson county, Missouri I'hæbe married Robert Miller in the year 1822, and is still living, and is one of the oldest residents of the county. She was born below Cahokia, in the American Bottom, on the twenty- fifth of December, 1800. Her husband, Robert Miller, whom she married in 1822, came from Kentucky, and the family settled iu the northwest part of Mitchie precinct, on the river near where Austin James now lives. Reuben Mil- ler made the first improvement here, and it was the earliest settled place on the river between Harrisonville and Ivy landing. Mrs. Miller remembers the first steamboat that ascended the Mississippi. It was the "General Pike," and reached St. Louis on the second of August, 1817. She was married to Robert Miller in 1822.


Along the bluff in this precinct is a spacious cave known as Saltpetre cave. Saltpetre was collec ed here for the man- ufacture of powder, and hoppers were arranged to catch the drippings from the rocks This was one of the last places of resort for the Indians in this part of the State. When they moved away from Kaskaskia several frequented the cave, aud used it for a shelter and sleeping place.


One of the early school teachers in Illinois had a school in the neighborhood of Chalfin Bridge. This was Edward Humphrey ; he taught school here as early as 1805.


MAEYSVILLE.


Maeysville may be said to have begun its growth as a town from the year 1852, when Jacob Macys here built a saw mill. The site of the town was known as the McRob- erts meadow tract, and was purchased by Mr. Maeys in 1848. For a year after its construction the mill remained idle on account of there not being sufficient water to drive it. Steam engines were then put in place, and the mill success- fully operated. The first store was opened in 1858 by Jacob Maeys in partnership with Judge Abraham Pos'on By this time some half a dozen houses had been erected in the place. A town had been surveyed and laid off in 1856 by Mr. Maeys, and called Maeysville. A post-office was estab- lished in 186) by the name of Maeystown. Jacob Maeys was appointed postmaster and has retained the office ever since. Mr. Maeys purchased Judge Poston's interest in the store and became sole proprietor in 1867. A steam flouring


mill was built by Jacob Pilger and Mr. Coleman. It passed into the possession of Anton Zeitinger who owned it at the time it was burned down in 1868. The building was then purchased by Jacob Maeys, William Maeys, Jacob Hoff- man, Jacob S. Jobb, George Hoffman, William Hoeft and Dr. Charles Wilhelmy. The mill was rebuilt in 1880 and made ready for machinery, but has never been put in opera- tion. St. John's Evangelical Church was completed in 1866. The Rev. Edward Jacob Hosto is the pastor. There is no public school nearer to the town than a mile, and most of the children attend a school carried on under the care of the pastor of the church. Dr. Charles Wilhelmy has been en- gaged in the practice of medicine in the village s nce 1858. ILis son, Dr. Charles Wilhelmy, Jr , is now also established here as a physician. The town contains about twenty five dwelling-houses. There is one store of which Jacob Macys is proprietor. The other business interests are represented by Charles Siebermann, wagonmaker ; Heury Wippemann, merchant tailor ; Jacob G. Jobb, saddler and harness maker ; Lewis Krone, shoemaker; and George Hoffman, black- smith.


CHALFIN BRIDGE.


In the neighborhood of Chalfin Bridge is the old Chalfin farm, and the small bridge that crosses what is now called Maeysville creek, but what was known to the pioneer settlers as Worley's creek, gave the post-office established at this point its present appellation. There is a store of which Nicholas Kohnz and William Keckritz are proprietors. Nicholas Kohoz owns a blacksmith shop, and William Bade carries on business as a wagon maker. The post-office is supplied with the mail three times a week, and Mr. Kohnz is postmaster.


IVY LANDING.


Ivy Landing, formerly known as Goodman's Landing, is on the Mississippi in the extreme south part of Mitchie pre- cinct, and is an important shipping point. A post-office by the name of Ivy was established in 1874. George W. Cavanaugh was the first postmaster ; Smith II. Brickey now has charge of the office. Mr. Brickcy and Zeno Aubuchon have carried on the mercantile business since 1874. There is a blacksmith shop, and the place in all contains about half a dozen buildings.


BIOGRAPHY.


J. WM. GOODMAN.


WAS born in Wayne county, Illinois, on the 30th of May, 1840; he was the son of J. Martin Goodman and Lucinda Goodman (nee Conu). Lucinda Conn was of German de- scent, and the daughter of James Conn, who settled in the eastern part of this State before its admission into the Union. J. Martin Goodman was elected Captain of a Com- pany during the Mexican War, under command of Col C. Parham, but peace being declared, his Company returned home without active engagement with the enemy. He had a family of four children, riz: Martha J., J. William, (the subject of this sketch), John and Henry-the last named lives in Louisville, Kentucky. Martha is the wife of J. Walls, a resident of Arkansas, and John is deceased.


William Goodman, father of J. Martin Goodman, and grandfather of our subject, was of German extraction, and settled in Wayne county, this State, as early as the year


1823. He was married in Knoxville, Tennessee, to Mi-s Martha Gunn, a sister of the celebrated Dr. Gunn, author of Gunn's Medical Works. Wm. Goodman was a resident of Illinois for about twenty years, and subsequently removed to Missouri. J. Wm. Goodman came to Monroe county at the age of fourteen, where he has since continued to reside. On October 25th, 1860, he was united in marriage to Miss Delitha Cheek, daughter of John Cheek, an old settler of this county ; this lady died in 1865. Mr. Goodman again married in 1879 a Miss Elizabeth Crittenden, by whom he has one child. He bas followed the business of farming all his life, and has been successful ; by persevering industry and economy he has acquired a well-improved and cultiva- ted farm ; a view of his residence and surroundings can be seen in another portion of this work. In politics Mr. Good- man is a Republican.


RED BUD.


RANDOLPH CO.


HIS precinct lies in the northwestern part of the county, and is bounded on the north and west by Monroe county, on the east by the Kaskaskia river, and on the south by Ruma precinct and Horse creek. Its territory embraces the greater portion of town 4 south, range 8 west, and that part west of the Kas- kaskia river, in town 4, range 7, north of the southern line of sections, and contains about thirty- four sections of land. It receives its name from the city of Red Bud, the only town in the precinct. Originally, it was about two thirds rich, rolling prairie, with good timber bordering on the Kaskaskia and the breaks of Horse creek. The prairie received its name-" Horse prairie"-in the early days of the settlement of Kaskaskia and Prairie du Rocher. The horses of the French settlers would escape and seek the prairies for grazing, and as this was one of the most productive in the region, it was a favorite resort for the wandering animals.


The surface is undulating, sufficient for good natural drainage. The Kaskaskia on the east, with the tributaries 398


emptying into it, afford- excellent drainage io that part of the precinct, while Horse creek and its branches in the south and west, form a complete waterway for that section of its territory. The Cairo and St. Louis railway enters the pre- cinct from the west, iu section 6, extends in a southeasterly course, and crosses the Kaskaskia in section 16; thus fur- nishing transportation facilities to the citizens of Red Bud and vicinity.


EARLY SETTLEMENTS.


From indications yet not extinct, and from all history that can be gleaned at the present time, the firstsettlements made in this precinct were in sections five and six, town 4, range 7, near the prominent bluffs on the Kaskaskia. In the year, 1795, John J. Whiteside, and a few others located on the bluff in section five, where a small town was laid off and called Washington. A beautiful panorama of field and prairie can be viewed from this site, overlooking Horse Prairie, at the west. The inhabitants of Washington enclos- ed fields and engaged in stock raising and agriculture. The houses were mere log cabins, but the town was laid out with regular streets, and took on the general appearance of a froutier village. Conspicuous among the inhabitants were the


399


HISTORY OF RANDOLPH, MONROE AND PERRY COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.


"Going" families. They were emigrants from Kentucky, and on first coming to Illinois stopped for a short time a little distance south wet of Bellefontaine, where they erected a fort. A little later they came to the town of Washington. They consisted of the father and son, both having familie:, and were blacksmiths by trade, and proved useful citizens to the little colony. Another re-ident of the town, was John Grosvenor. He was a native of Con- necticut, and located here in 1799. He was ast one-mason by trade. lu the same year, John Pulliam located in the vil- lage. He emigrated from Kentucky in 1796, and first stopped at New Design, in Monroe county. A year later, he moved to a point west of St. Louis, and in 1799, came to the town of Washington. While here he cultivated a farm, near the town. He had a large family, and several of his descendants are citizens of the state. In 1802, he removed to Monroe county, and finally made a plantation on the Kaskaskia. in S. Clair County, where he died in 1813.


Late in the fall of 1797, the families of William Scott and his son-in-law, Jarvis, located in the town. They were from Kentucky. They remained here but a few months, then moved to Monroe county. The "old man " Scott died at Turkey Hill in St. Clair county, in 1825, at the age of eighty-two years. The town of Washington by common consent changed its name to that of " Horse Prairie Town," under which name it lingered and died about 1810. Twenty-five years later, another little town sprang up, and was called Lafayette. This was situated on or near the old site of Washington. At one time it contained one store kept by John Ralls; a saw mill owned and operated by J. & R. Ralls, and a population of eight or ten families. It, too, has passed away, with scarcely a relic to tell where it once stood. Among others who settled on Horse Prairie as early as 1800, were Robert McMahan, Jarrot Brickey, Samuel and Winder Kinney, Chance Ratcliff, Gibbons, Teter, Everman and Henry Levins. McMahan was an emigrant from Kentucky, and first located in New Design, Monroe county, in 1794. A year later he moved his family to "Yankee Prairie," a few miles southeast in the same county. He is mentioned more at length in other portions of the work.


Jarrot Brickey was a native of Virginia, and while a youth went to Kentucky, and from thence to Illinois in a very early day, and located in the " New Design Settle- ment." About 1800, he moved to Horse Prairie, and set- tled a little northeast of the present site of Red Bud. For a time this little settlement was so harassed by Indians that nearly all the pioneers left it and moved to other re- gions, only two or three families remaining. Among these was Mr. Brickey. This was about 1810. In the war of 1812, the Indians became more bold and troublesome than before, but these hardy few stood their ground, and braved the dangers of those times which tried the souls of the pio- neers Mr. Brickey joined the Rangers, and did faithful service in protecting the frontier. He lived an industrious, respected citizen of Horse Prairie for nearly half a century, and died lamented by many friends. His eldest son, Preston B., was also in the service of 1812. He located a little north of Red Bud. Two of his sons, John and


William, purchased the Red Bud flouring mills, and for many years were among the leading business men of the city. They moved to other parts about two years ago. Another pioneer was Rawleigh Kalls, a Ser tchman by birth. He emigrated with his family from Virginia to Randolph county in 1804, and located in section 6, township 4, range 7, not far from the Kaskaskia. This is a high, rolling ridge of ground, and from this pioneer that part of the pre- cinct retains the name of Ralls' Ridge The pioneer chil- dren were two sons and five daughters Mr. R. lived but a few years. His wife survived him about ten years The sons, Edward and John, married here and reared families. The latter became quite a prominent local Baptist preacher in early days. He died in 1857. Edward hecame a promi- nent farmer, and died early in 1875.


Samuel Crozier came from South Carolina in 1808, and located three miles south of Evansville, where he died The eldest son, John C., came to Red Bud in 1820, and settled in section 8, town 4, range 8. He was then a young mar- ried man without children. Only two of his children are now living, John L. and Caroline, wife of R. D. Durfee. The former is now 59 years of age, and resides on the farm where he was born, now within the city limits of Red Bud. He says that he can recollect, when a small boy, that in this region of the country there were a dozen Indians to one white man, and that deers, wolves and wild turkeys were numerous.


Chesley Allen settled here in 1809. He came from Virginia, aud several of his descendants are now citizens of the county. After the close of the war of 1812, the Indians became less hostile, and there was quite an influx of immi- gration. Among these was Edward Faherty, a native of Ireland. He landed at Baltimore in 1800, being then but seventeen years of age He afterwards married Mary Tewell, and moved to Kentucky. Early in 1818, he migrated to Randolph county and located in section twenty- one, town four, range eight. He erecte.l a log cabin at the edge of the prairie. His family then consisted of his wife ant six children, Patrick, Bridget, Bartholomew, John, Mary and Micha I, all of whom are now dead. Two other children were born to the family, James and Edmond. Mr. Faherty remained here until his death, which occurred in 1846. James resides on the place his father first located. Edmond lives in Red Bud. Both are congenial men, aud fair types of the hospitable pioneer. John Adams was from Kentucky, and settled in section twenty, town four, range seven, in 1819. Shelton Evans and Levi Simmons settled at a point below Kaskaskia in 1819. In 1825, they moved to Horse Prairie. Another early settler, is Henry O'Harra of Red Bud, who is now engaged in the lumber trade. For the history of the O'Harras, see Ruma chapter. Among other prominent citizens of the precinct at this writing, and who would rank as being with those of a more recent date are, David Ohlwine, and the descendants of Bartholomew Hoy, and Timothy Liddy.


Believing that the first land entries will prove of interest to the reader, we here append a few. The first entry made in town four, range eight, was by W. Rector and E. Ban-


400


HISTORY OF RANDOLPH, MONROE AND PERRY COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.


croft, April 14th, 1815, being the S E. one-fourth of sec- tion No. 1. The following are in the same township : Checquer and others. entered the S. E. one-fourth of section twelve, the 29th of April, 1815. Paul Haralson entered the S. E. one-fourth of section twenty-five, April 24th of the same year. The first school taught in the precinct was by John C. Crozier about 1826. The school-house was a little pole cabin that had been abandoned by a squatter. It was situated north of Red Bud, near the county line. About this time there was a small frame church house erected in the Brickey and Ralls' settlement. The denomination was the Baptist. John Ralls, the pioneer, was the first pastor. Near where this old church building was situated may be found an ancient cemetery. It was here that the first inter- ments were made. The first facilities or conveniences for milling purposes in the immediate neighborhood of this precinct, was erected by Edmond Faherty at his premises in section twenty-one. This was in 1825. It was what was then known as a "horse band mill," and served an excellent purpose. The first to give attention to the raising and propagating fine stock was Edward Ralls. At this writing the leading stock men are, Judge William Mudd, and John and Daniel Liddy. According to the late census, the population of Red Bud precinct numbered 2,554 inhabi- tants, composed mainly of a thrifty German population.


CITY OF RED BUD.


In order to give the history of this town properly, it is necessary to go back a few years-1838 -- a d give an ac- count of the little town of Prairieville, which would, un- doubtedly, have been the town to-day if good judgment had been exercised by its proprietors. This nucleus for a town was situated in section 16, a mile or two south of Red Bud, and was laid out by J. W. Baker and Miles A. Gilb rt. As subsequent history must relate, it was merely a prospective town and only placed on paper. It is true that a post- office was located here, and a few goods sold, by William S. Hughes ; but a little later more active parties located in what is now Red Bud, and from the hamlet then begun now booms a live little city. It is situated upon a rising eminence in Horse Prairie, a little south of the Monroe county line, in sections 4 and 9, town 4, range 8. It receives its name from a species of flora that was then growing largely in this part of the prairie. Indeed, where the city now stands was a jungle, com- posed of black haws, grape-vines and red bud. Ou what is now the northeast corner of Market and Main streets there was a large patch of the "red bud " flora, and Mr. R. D. Dur- fee, being one of the settlers of the town, saw fit to name the hamlet and post-office Red Bud. The first indication of civilization within what is now the city limits was made by Preston Brickey, in 1820. He constructed a little log cabin, a few yards north of the depot, and here cultivated a farm; but no thought could have entered huis mind that only two decades later there would be a city of life and activity within a stone's throw of his cabin. In 1839 James Pollock placed a small stock of goods in the log cabin built by Henry Simmons, where he did business for about a year. This was situated about a quarter of a mile east


of the Catholic church building, on the property now owned and occupied by William Gubert. The next year he moved his stock of goods into a log building erected by John C. Crozier, which was situated on the ground now occupied by Henry O'Harra s lumber yard. He contin- ued the business here about three years, when he moved to Preston. In 1840 R D. Durfee became the first permanent merchant in Red Bud. Two years later he built a frame store house on the southeast corner of Market and Main streets, where the Commercial Hotel now stands. In the same year he erected his dwelling just in the rear of the bank building. These were the first frame houses. The town was laid off and platted by William Simmons, January 19, 184. The village grew and prospered, so that other addi- tions were soon made by R. D. Durfee and Samuel Crozier. The first brick building erected was the school-house; it was built in 1854, in the east part of the town. It is still standing. The first brick store was built by Durfee & Crozier, in 1855, and is situated on the northeast corner of Main and Market streets, and is now occupied by L Marx & Co. The first hotel was built by Lawrence Smith in 1850. and was located on the northwest corner of Market and Main streets. It was a two-story frame build- ing. Gabriel S. Jones was the first blacksmith. He com- menced business .in 1847, and his shop was situated on the north side of East Market street, where Peter Wey's jewelry store now is. The first church house was erected by the Lutheran denomination. It is yet standing by the side of the present magnificent structure, in the southeast part of the city, and is now used by the church for a parochial school.


According to a directory made in 1859, the following was the business of the town : five dry goods stores ; six groceries ; two flouring mills ; two Inmber yards ; six merchant tailors ; one drug store; one brewery ; one livery stable; five boot and shoe shops; three blacksmiths; three wagon shops; one saddler ; four hotels; two brick yards ; four earpenter shops ; three cabinet shops ; three tinners ; one jewlery store ; and one ambrotype gallery.


Incorporation -It was organized as a village, April 19, 1866, the officers being as follows : John Brickey, president of the board, Gerhard Boekhoff, William Schuck, Gerhard Ortgeisen, and John Brunner. B. C. F. Janssen was appointed clerk, John Washbaugh, town constable, and G Boekhoff, treasurer.


The village charter was not received until February 28, 1867. In January, 1875, a vote was taken for the purpose of incorporating as a city under the general law ; the result being 94 votes for incorporation, and 76 against it. The citizens, therefore, being in favor of incorporating as a city, on the 3rd day of April following, an election was held for city officers with the following result : Mayor, Jacob Miller ; Aldermen, Alexander N. Green, Heury Fohrelt, John Gerner, Peter Kardell, Benedict Rau, and Frederick Roepke. City Treasurer, George Carl ; City Attorney, Joseph B. Simpson ; Police Magistrate, John Stoehr ; Clerk, Fred D. Guker ; City Marshal, J. Matt Smith ; Collector, John Hahn ; Street Supt., Christian Sippel. The officers at


400A


GARDEN AND POULTRY YARD.


OLD STORE ESTØD 1852.


KHO


NEW BUSINESS BLOCK. THE BUSINESS PROPERTY OF S BOEKHOFF. DEALER IN GENERAL MERCHANDISE, RED BUD, ILL.


401


HISTORY OF RANDOLPH, MONROE AND PERRY COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.


this writing are Mayor, Benedict Rau; Aldermen of the first ward, Fred Merz, Henry Wahlmann ; seeond ward, Alexius Mudd. John Schirmer ; third ward, William Bar- rett, William J. Schroeder ; Street Supt., Philip Lindner ; Cemetery Supt, Fred Ahnefeld ; Way Master, Valentine Heck ; City Marshal, Henry Weidling ; Treasurer, John Hahn ; City Clerk, Fred D. Guker; Police Magistrate, John Stochr.


The city at this writing contains a population of about 1,700, mostly composed of a wide-awake German class, and with the most substantial improvements. There are ex- eellent brick and stone side-walks, and the business houses and dwellings are constructed mainly of brick : indeed it might be termed a brick town.


PRESENT BUSINESS, ETC.


Red Bud Flouring Mills and Elevator. -- This leading in- dustry was established in 1857, by a stock company, and was subsequently purchased by Brickey Brothers, and in the summer of 1880, it passed into the hands of the present proprietor, G. Ziebold. It is a brick building, three stories high, beside basement and attic, and the main building is 42×56 feet on the ground. It is located in the northeast part of the city, situated between Mill and Pine streets. The mill contains six run of burrs, and has the capacity of manufacturing 225 barrels of flour in 24 hours. The intention of the proprietor is, in a few months, to put in the mill a complete " roller system." It has the conveniences of a side traek, extending from the railroad to the mill. Twenty- three men are given employment by this industry, and the estimated value of annual manufactured product is 8200,000. The firm does its own coopering, haying extensive shops situated a little east of the mills. The elevator was built in 1×81, and is constructed in the regular elevator style. It is 36x56 feet on the ground, and to the top of the ventilation, is 62 feet. It has a capacity of elevating 500 bushels of grain per hour, and can store 50,000 bushels




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