USA > Illinois > Cumberland County > Counties of Cumberland, Jasper and Richland, Illinois. Historical and biographical > Part 13
USA > Illinois > Richland County > Counties of Cumberland, Jasper and Richland, Illinois. Historical and biographical > Part 13
USA > Illinois > Jasper County > Counties of Cumberland, Jasper and Richland, Illinois. Historical and biographical > Part 13
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The care of the pauper poor in Cumberland County has Jong been a vexed question. During the early experience of the county the poor were cared for by some family in the neighborhood, and the cost of their maintenance paid by the County Commissioners. A tract of land was early secured with the design of fitting it for a pub- lic alms-house, but for some reason the design was never carried out, and in 1862 the Board of Supervisors bought 160 acres of George Moreland, at a cost of $1,900, $500 of which were paid by the transfer of the land ,bought carly. The more recent purchase is pleasantly situated in the northeastern part of Sumpter Township, about four miles from Toledo. The property was provided with a log barn, and an old residence part log and part frame. With slight repairs this was made to serve as the abode of tenant and paupers. The log part of the house was subsequently abandoned, as it was not worth repairing, and in 1873 a new building was erected at a cost of about $1,500 for the tenant and his family. This building was without halls 'or other passage-way; partitions of inch boards, and ceiled with lumber. It contains seven rooms. Later in this year the report on the Poor Farm showed that the old house was in bad condition; that it was not worth repairing, and that a new house ought to be built at once. The Board of Supervisors, with commend-
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able promptness, ordered a new one to be erected at the same meet- ing of the report, and in March of the following year the building was ready for occupancy. This is a neat frame, two stories high, and about forty by eighteen feet, with a wing sixteen by twenty feet. In 1875 the old log stable, which had literally rotted down, was replaced by a frame structure, thirty-four by thirty-six feet, at a cost of $375. In 1882 a neat cottage was erected for the tenant of the farm, and the building formerly occupied by the tenant given up to the inmates of the institution. The farm is let to the highest bidder, who pays an annual rental, and receives a weekly allowance for each pauper boarder maintained. The tenant keeps, clothes, and boards the pauper, stocks the farm at his own expense, and gives a bond in the sum of some $2,000. The rental at first was $2 per acre for culti- vated land, and the allowance $2 per week for each inmate. Since then, as the farm has improved, the rent has increased and the allowance. at times, decreased, so that the annual rental reaches $200, and the weekly allowance is something less than $2 'per week. The county employs a medical attendant by the year, the services of the lowest responsible being retained. The farm is provided with a good apple orchard and good fences, and presents an attractive appearance to the visitor.
FIRST COURTS AND JURORS.
The first Circuit Court was held in the village of Greenup, and presided over by Hon. William Wilson, a man of eminent judicial ability, with Alfred Kitchell as State's Attorney, and JJames Ewart as Clerk. The Grand Jurors that served on this court were as fol- lows: M. Ruffner, foreman, Matthias Roberts, William Hutton, James Carpenter, Eleana Bright, James Phipps, Samuel Owings. Samuel B. Fairbanks, JJorden Brown, Benj. Drummond, Stephen Wait, Chipman Webster, John D. Gardner, R. K. Boyd, Jas. Cissna. William E. Smith, John Feltner, David F. Smith, and David B. Friz- zell. It is reported that this jury when convened in council presented a very grotesqueand novel appearance. During the time they were trans- acting business they were as sanctimonious as a Presbyterian deacon. but as soon as an interval of leisure interposed they would straddle their oaken benches in pairs, vis-a-vis, and engage in the harmless but scientific game of " mumble peg," or make a practical demonstration of each other's capacity as a " high low jack in the game." To be skilled in this latter accomplishment was as fashionable and indis- pensable in those days as it was requisite for a swallow-tail coat of home-made jeans to be "covered all over with shining but- tons." " Old Davy Wisner" seems to have been among the first
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.
unfortunates that was introduced to this august body of jurymen as a malefactor and flagrant violator of law and order, and although indicted was discharged and acquitted on final trial, with the excep- tion of one charge of nonfeasance of his office as Justice of the Peace, for which offence he was muleted to the tune of five dollars.
At this time Cumberland was struck off from Coles County. The last assessment of taxes had not been collected, but. under a provision of the act forming the new county, Coles was authorized to collect it. The new county people looked upon this transaction as legal robbery, and felt that it should properly have been turned over to help the new organization bear some of the new burdens of inde- pendent government. However, the courts could not wait for the people to pay taxes again, nor indeed for a courthouse to be built. so an old log schoolhouse was converted into a temple of justice. and, in justice and respect to the officials and attorneys of that day, it must be said that suits were as hotly contested, law and equity as impartially dealt out, and the cause of the client as ably and earnestly advocated in the old schoolhouse, as though it had been a costly stone structure, erected at a cost of a million and a half of dollars. Some of the attorneys who attended court in this building have since attained great celebrity. Among others was Abraham Lincoln. One case in particular in which Mr. Lincoln participated was the notorious "Lustre Case," which was brought here on change of venue from Coles County. The charge against Lustre was an assault with a deadly weapon, with intent to murder. Lustre was ably and earnestly defended by Lincoln and O. B. Ficklin, and prosecuted by State's Attorney Kitchell. Lustre was convicted, but through the efforts of his counsel was afterward pardoned by the Governor on petition.
Judge Wilson held the first circuit court in this county. He was an able jurist, firm and unwavering in the discharge of the duties of his position, and yet full of sport, and enjoyed an hour of pastime or a good joke as well as anyone. He was a lover of good horses, and was frequently a witness of the horse races which were so com- mon here in the early day, but while enjoying the excitement with the keenest zest he was never betrayed into backing his opinions with a bet.
The old log structure which served so excellent a purpose as schoolhouse and courtroom, stood for several years, serving in this double capacity. It subsequently served as a warehouse, but has long since passed away, and its site is almost forgotten.
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.
COUNTY OFFICIALS.
The general administration of county affairs, in 1843, was in the hands of three Commissioners. In accordance with a provision of the organizing act the Commissioner receiving the highest number of votes was to serve for the full term of three years, the one receiv- ing the next highest vote was to serve two years, and the remaining one to serve one year. The first, a special, election was held April 3. 1843. and in the following Angust the regular election occurred. in both of which the same choice was made for this office. The Com- missioners of the county have been, therefore, in 1843-James Gill, for three years; David T. Wisner, for two years; Charles Chown- ing, for one year. In November, 1843, Amos G. Lacey was elected in place of Chowning, resigned; 1844-Isaac Hedges; 1845- David T. Wisner. re-elected: 1846-James Wright. In the same year Meredith Hazelwood was elected to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Hedges. In April, 1847, Jas. D. White was elected to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Wright; 1847- Meredith Hazelwood, elected his own successor for full term; 1848 -John Vandike for full term, and Win. Helm in place of Hazel- wood, deceased.
On April 13. 1849, the act of the legislature establishing a County Court in each county, went into effect. By this act the regular election, which had been in August, was deferred to the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The court organized by this act consisted of a County Judge and two Associate JJustices, whose term of office was four years. The Judge alone had jurisdic- tion in matters pertaining to the probate practice and law, and the three together had charge of all county business hitherto devolving upon the Commissioners. The first court was elected November. 1849, and resulted as follows: James M. Ward, Judge; Thomas Brewer, and J. H. Williams, Associates. November, 1852-John S. Smith was elected to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Brewer. 1853-W. E. Smith, Judge; Jas. Redfern and Jas. Gill, Associates. 1857-W. E. Smith, Judge; Jas. Gill and M. B. Ross, Associates.
In 1859 the county voted to adopt the township organization provided by law, and in April, 1861, elected a Board of Supervisors. The following is a list of those who have represented the various townships in this capacity: Sumpter Township-W. M. P. Rush, 1861 to 1865; W. L. Morton, 1866; Thomas Brewer, 1867 to 1868; D. D. Judson, 1869; C. Woods, 1870; M. D. Ross, 1871; D. B. Green,
David Neal
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.
1872; M. Ray, 1873 to 1874; James A. Eller, Sr., 1875; A. D. Mor- ton, 1876; Montraville Ray, 1877; Benjamin Cooter, 1878; D. D. Judson, 1879; J. R. Richardson, 1880; Ezra Stitt, 1881; Henry Green, 1882; A. A. Lovins, 1883. Neoga Township-John G. Mor- rison, 1861; Aaron Peterson, 1862; William Neal, 1863; J. M. Rey- nolds, 1864 to 1865: John LaDow, 1866 to 1867; Thomas A. Apper- son, 1868 to 1874; D. W. Ragsdale, 1875; Samuel F. Wilson, 1876; C. P. R. Rodgers, 1877; James M. Ewing, 1878 to 1880; David Neal, 1881; J. D. Morrison, 1882 and 1883. Cottonwood Township- Joseph King, 1861 to 1863; Reuben Bloomfield, 1864; Nathan G. James, 1865; M. G. Ryan, 1866; Joseph King, 1867; Samuel Brown, 1868; H. B. Russell, 1869 to 1870; William Berry, 1871 to 1872; F. Dunsing, 1873; W. L. Ryan, 1874 to 1875; H. B. Russell, 1876 to 1879; William Berry, 1880; Garrison Tate, 1881; C. P. R. Rod- gers, 1882; James A. Carrell, 1883. Union Township-Matthias Roberts. 1861: D. B. Green, 1862; John G. Morrison, 1863; James E. Stanford, 1864; N. L. Scranton, 1865; James E. Stanford, 1866; A. J. Snarly, 1867; John Redman, 1868 to 1869; S. S. Yanaway, 1870; John Redman, 1871 to 1872; J. Bumgartner, 1873; J. C. Mil- ler, 1874 [J. S. Reed, elected December, 1874, vice Miller, removed from township]; John Redman, 1875; William Classon, 1876; John Redman, 1877 to 1879; A. J. Carr, 1880; John Redman, 1881 to 1882; A. A. Neal. 1883. Crooked Creek Township-W. J. R. Leigh. 1861 to 1865; Walter A. Ruffner, 1866; W. JJ. R. Leigh, 1867 to 1868; Thomas F. Kelley, 1869 to 1874; W. H. DeBord, 1875; Henry Welker, 1876; W. H. DeBord, 1877 to 1878; George W. Sarter, 1879; W. H. De Bord, 1880 to 1882; G. W. Sarter, 1883. Greenup Township-James Ewart, 1861; John J. Kellum, 1862; William Neal, 1863; Warren Covill, 1864; John Feltner, 1865; John J. Kel- lum, 1866; G. Monohon, 1867 to 1876; Edward Talbott, 1877 to 1878; John Weatherholt, 1879; E. Talbott, 1880 to 1883. Wood- bury Township-John W. Aleshire, 1861 to 1862; David T. Wisner, 1863 to 1864; Daniel Kingery, 1865; Levi Farmer, 1866; J. W. Ale- shire, 1867; W. R. Patterson, 1868; John W. Aleshire, 1869 to 1870; William Cullum, 1871; James Russell, 1872; William Cullum, 1873; Henry A. Good, 1874; John L. Ivens, 1875; William McElhaney, 1876; H. A. Good, 1877; Joseph Berry, 1878; James McElhinney. 1879; A. M. Farmer, 1880 to 1881; William McKinney, 1882 to 1883. Spring Point Township-James Wisely, 1861 to 1863; Thoda Gar- rett, 1864; James Wisely. 1865; James B. Smith, 1866; James Wisely, 1867; James B. Smith, 1868 to 1869; Stephen Smith, 1870:
9
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.
Clement Uptmore, 1871 to 1872; James B. Smith, 1873 to 1874; Frank Schumaker, 1875; Louis Schi, 1876 to 1877; Charles MeEl- hinney, 1878; Louis Sehi, 1879; Louis Schooley, 1880; Louis Sehi, 1881 to 1883. The following are the other officers from 1843 to the present, 1883.
Sheriff's .- The Hon. E. H. Starkweather was the first represent- ative to the Legislature the county ever had, and took his seat in that body in the year 1844, and faithfully and ably represented the county and its interests. And during his legislative term he suc- ceeded in having an act passed for the relief of Thomas Sconce, Sheriff, who had failed to make a settlement with the State Auditor, and pay over the State revenue due from the county. At that time the Sheriff was also ex-officio Collector, and was eligible to office as often as the people saw fit to elect him, and was only legally disqualified by failing to make proper settlement with the State and county, and get a clearance, or as it was in legal parlance called a " quietus." Mr. Sconce failing to receive his " quietus " from the State Auditor, upon his second election, was refused by the Auditor his commission as Sheriff, but being a man of great popularity, and full of that mag- netic power that drew and bound the people to him, went before the people for their endorsement and re-election, saying, " well, boys, it is true, I did not pay the money over to the State, and get my ' quietus,' simply from the fact that I never collected it-you have the money, and if anybody is defaulter, it is the people themselves." And the people believed him, and such was their confidence in him that they re-elected him by an increased majority over his former vote. After this popular demonstration in his behalf the Auditor commissioned him, and he served as Sheriff from 1843 till 1848, about which time he died. Mr. Sconce never did pay the deficit, and Hon. E. H. Starkweather, as above stated, had an act passed relieving his securities from the burden. Thomas Sconce, from 1843 till 1848; Ed- ward Talbott, from 1848 till 1850; B. F. Aleshire, from 1850 till 1852: Thomas Brewer, from 1852 till 1854; C. C. Jones, from 1854 till 1856; B. F. Aleshire, from 1856 till 1858; Edward Talbott, from 1858 till 1860; Henry Rhodes, from 1860 till 1862; E. S. Meeker, from 1862 till 1864; John Prather, from 1864 till 1866; Henry Rhodes, from 1866 till 1868; John Prather, from 1868 till 1870; Edward Bum- gartner, from 1870 till 1872; Henry W. Green, from 1872 till 1876: James A. Candlish, from 1876, and is the present incumbent. The term of office is now four years.
Circuit Clerks .- Under the constitution of 1848 the Recorder's
1
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.
office was an independent one, and Otis Perry was the first, and A. K. Bosworth the second to fill this office. Under the new constitu- tion the Circuit Clerk was made ex-officio Recorder, and the inde- pendent office abolished. The Clerks have been James Ewart, from 1843 till 1852; Edward Talbott, from 1852 till 1856; S. D. Tossey, from 1856 till 1864; Edwin S. Norfolk, from 1864 till 1872; Andrew Carson, from 1872 till 1876; W. L. Bruster, from 1876, and is the present incumbent. The term of office is four years.
County Clerks .- In 1855, when the county-seat was removed from Greenup to Prairie City, A. K. Bosworth, who was then County Clerk, refused to move to the new county-seat as the law required, and was finally, upon an order of the court, removed from office, and A. G. Caldwell appointed in his place. The recalcitrant Clerk made an excellent officer, and was highly esteemed for his many good qualities as a man, but being determined to make his own village the county-seat, he could not endure defeat with equanimity. In this he had the sympathies of the community of Greenup, and in 1857 was re-elected, over Mr. Caldwell, to his old position. Legally, he was clearly in the wrong in his opposition to the removal of the records, and yielding to the inevitable, he went to the new county- seat, where he filled the office of Clerk for the ensuing four years. The County Clerks have been John F. Holley, from 1843 till 1847; A. K. Bosworth, from 1847 to 1856; A. G. Caldwell, appointed, from 1856 till 1857; A. K. Bosworth, from 1857 till 1861; M. B. Ross, from 1861 till 1865; M. R. Lee from 1865 till 1869; A. A. Lovins, from 1869 till 1873; W. R. Humphrey, from 1873 till 1877; L. B. Ross, from 1877 till 1882; G. M. Lemen, from 1882, and is the pres- ent incumbent. The term of office is four years.
County Judges .- This office was created under the Township Organization Act, but in 1843 an officer possessing similar powers was elected, and termed the Probate Justice of the Peace. E. H. Starkweather was first elected to this position in 1843. In the August election he was elected to the legislature, and J. M. Ward was elected to the Justice's position, which he continued to fill until the constitution of 1848 transferred the duties of this office to the County Court. He was then elected Judge, as before noted. As at present understood, the first County Judge was H. B. Decius, from 1861 till 1865; Reuben Bloomfield from 1865 till 1869; Wiley Ross, from 1869 till 1873; JJohn W. Miller, from 1873 till 1882; L. L: Logan, from 1882, and is the present incumbent.
Treasurers .- Abram Trease, from 1843 till 1845; S. W. Huffcutt.
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.
from 1845 till 1850; W. L. Morton, from 1850 till 1861; John Vandike, from 1861 till 1863; Andrew Carson, from 1863 till 1871; A. J. Edwards, from 1871 till 1875; T. L. Norman, from 1875 till 1877; John W. Goodwin, from 1877, and is the present incumbent.
Surveyors .- There is no record of any election to this position in Cumberland County before 1847. At this date record is made of the employment of Thomas Sconce. In 1848 the records note the employment of John W. Aleshire. In 1849 William E. Smith was elected, and served until 1853; William Jones, from 1853 till 1857; George Moreland, from 1857 till 1861; William Jones, from 1861 till 1869; W. H. Rissler, from 1869 till 1872; William Wyldes, from 1872 till 1879; George Moreland, from 1879, and is the present incumbent.
County School Superintendents .- This official originally had principally to do with the school lands in the county, and the distri- bution of the school funds. Under the school law of 1855, and sub- sequent enactments, the duties of the office were enlarged, and the County Superintendent of Schools established. The gentlemen who have filled this position in Cumberland County are D. C. Decius, from 1843 to 1845; J. F. Holley, from 1845-February, 1847, Will- iam Freeman was appointed to fill vacancy caused by death of Hol- ley; L. H. Goodwin, from 1847 till 1851; A .K. Bosworth, from 1851 till 1853; II. C. Woodworth, from 1853 till 1855; Reuben Beals, from 1855 till 1857; H. B. Decius, from 1857 till 1861; L. H. Good- win, from 1861 till 1865; William E. Lake, from 1865 till 1873; T. C. Kille, from 1873 till 1877; Henry J. Crosscup, from 1877 till 1881; W. E. Lake, appointed for 1881; Sammel C. Miller, from 1882, and is the present incumbent. The term of office is now four years.
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
The pioneers of Cumberland County, with limited exception, came from Kentucky. The larger number reached this point of the State after some temporary stay elsewhere, in Indiana or in Illinois. A few years later a large accession to the settlement was received from Morgan County, Indiana. In 1850 the gold excitement attracted a considerable number of men from this county to California, but the smaller part of this number found their way back to Cumberland, and to this extent the "old stock " was depleted. On the whole, however, the community found here are the descendants of original pioneers, while enough of the fathers are left to trace back the ties which bind the present to the past. With the people came the
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.
customs and prejudices of the section from which they came. Whisky was a prominent factor in all social matters. Distilleries were found in every part of the county, and their product was seen and used in every cabin and at every gathering. A citizen of the county describ- ing the difference between the product of that day and this, said that the present liquor was stupifying, and had not more than one fight in a gallon. That of forty years ago had at least ten fights to the gallon, and was of that exhilarating sort that leads a man to think he might move mountains. A natural result of the general use of this beverage was the frequency of pugilistie encounters. At every ordinary gathering there was a tendency to quarrel, and few passed where many were brought together that a fight did not occur. Sat- urday afternoons were regular holidays, in which the male portion of the community came together at the various villages, and indulged in pitching quoits, wrestling, shooting at the mark, or running their horses on a wager. In most of these contests gambling in one way or another was a prominent feature. To one accustomed to different customs, such amusements seemed to betray a vicious character and a ruinous tendency, and it would be generally conceded that, con- tinued to this day, such practices would greatly retard the prosperity of the community. But these practices had their origin in the cus- toms of an older society. Brought here in contact with other cus- toms, transferred from other sections, new forms of amusement and new customs were developed, and with the change of circumstances and surroundings society invented new modes of amusement. The early law allowed the voter in general elections to vote at the county- seat or elsewhere in the county, and such occasions and the opening of court brought a large proportion of the male population together. Subsequent changes broke the larger community into smaller ones, where the more thoughtful ones had greater influence, and this boisterous conviviality has gradually been done away with. Another powerful influence toward the social development of a community, is its contact with others. A profitable emulation springs up, business interests become involved, and orderly habits become a necessity. In this early stage of development, therefore, the first highways played an important part. They were the great arteries that touched the lines of the various minor communities, and linked their prosperity together.
The Cumberland or National road was laid out about the time, or before, of the earliest settlement here. It was subsequently com- pleted sufficient for general travel as early as 1832. This was of
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.
great influence upon the community, bringing, as it did, persons from all parts of the older settled portions of the east in contact with the community settled in the southern part of the county. From this road, at different points, the early roads led back on either side to the remoter settlements. Of the earliest wagon-ways in Cum- berland County, scarcely more than trails, one led from Greenup to the Johnstown settlement; another led from Woodbury to Johns- town, and a third led from Greenup to the Glenn settlement, in Coles County, by way of "Cutwood Gap." These were at first the only regular routes of travel. These led along the edge of the timber, as the green-head flies made it impossible for animals to pass through the prairie during the larger part of the day. These roads were not officially established, nor regularly laid out, nor worked. They were simply the routes from one point to another, which the people generally agreed, under all the circumstances, were the most direct. Streams were forded, sloughs were avoided by circuitous routes, or plunged into and through by the dint of horse power and endurance. Often the teamster was forced to relieve his team by unloading a part of the burden in the midst of the slough, if his pru- dence had not led him to do so before entering, and then this portion of the load had to be transferred to the wagon again upon the shoul- der of the man. Thus it frequently occurred that the day was spent in making a comparatively short distance, and the teamster would find himself worn out with his exertions and covered with the mud in which he had been obliged to work. In 1835, the road from Greenup to Charleston was established, connecting with a road that passed southward through Jasper County. In 1839, a road from Charles- ton, via Johnstown. was laid out to Lonisville, Clay County, in this State; in 1846, a road from Greenup to York, in Clark County, and a little later, the State road, which runs northward through the center of the county. These were the principal inter-county roads. In the meanwhile, scarcely a session of the County Court passed without action was taken on some of the neighborhood roads. These at first were constructed upon the most available direct route from one neighborhood to another. As lands were entered, and these routes were found to interfere with private interests, they were changed to ri on section-lines.
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