USA > Illinois > Cumberland County > Counties of Cumberland, Jasper and Richland, Illinois. Historical and biographical > Part 37
USA > Illinois > Richland County > Counties of Cumberland, Jasper and Richland, Illinois. Historical and biographical > Part 37
USA > Illinois > Jasper County > Counties of Cumberland, Jasper and Richland, Illinois. Historical and biographical > Part 37
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"About the year 1820 or 1822, a doctor by the name of Sultzer, a son, and son-in-law by the name of Jack McCann, settled near where the county line now divides this county and Lawrence County, but they were suspected of belonging to the mint business, and they left the country very suddenly on that account.
"James Jordan (the father of Andrew, Joseph and William Jordan, who all live near Newton) settled on the farm now known as the Boos farm, early in the spring of 1826, started a farm, sold out there, moved up and commenced the farm now owned by Joseph Cardot, and a few years after sold it, entered the land and made the farm now owned by his son Joseph, and Joseph tells us that his father and mother have told him, that when they raised their house it took all the men in the county to raise it, and Joseph is living in the same house yet, with additions that he has built thereto. Mr. Jordan raised a large family, and he and his wife lived and died on the same farm. William Price settled about the same time, where Saint Marie now stands. He lived there for several years, and sold out to Mr. Joseph Picquet; Price Precinct was named for Mr. Price.
" William Lewis settled on the Evermond Mound, in. Willow Hill Township, in the same year (1826), made some improvements, and sold it to William Evermond, who entered the land, since which time the mound has been known by his name.
"Job Catt (the father of Uncle John, Charles and Michael Catt, and Mrs. Fithian, che mother of our present State's Attorney, who all live yet, in Willow Hill Township) settled about two miles north of Saint Marie in 1827, and the family have lived in the county
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ever since, except as they die at a good old age. About the same time, Lewis W. Jordan and Benjamin Reynolds (with their families) settled where Newton now stands. Mr. Jordan (who was no connection of James Jordan) built a cabin on the site known as the O'Kean property. Lewis W. Jordan left long since with his family; he was the first and only Sheriff of the county for some time after its organization. but had to run off for violations of the law. Of Mr. Reynolds' family, but two or three yet remain. Old Aunt Elizabeth Burford (daughter of Mr. Reynolds) lived in the county until the death of her last husband, a few years ago, when she moved to Coles County, to live with her daughter. Richard Eaton settled on the East Fork, in Willow Hill Township, in 1837, and two years after, built a mill on the creek to saw, and grind corn ; the mill passed through many hands, but has gone down at last. Mr. Eaton went to Texas on horse-back, a few years after, and never came back. By this time, other settlers began to come in, notwith- standing there were at least three different tribes of Indians camp- ing or living within the limits of the county. Uncle John Catt tells us of a little circumstance that occurred about this time, that he remembers well, and is worth repeating. A report came that a lot of Indians that were camping out on Big Muddy, near the county line, were dancing around their camp-fires with their war-paint on (which meant destruction to the pale faces). The settlers called a council of their wise and brave men, and appointed Lewis W. Jor- dan, Job Catt and two or three others, to slip out to the Indian camp and see if the reports were true ; but before starting out, Mr. Catt had his family bury all their cooking utensils, kettles and all heavy valuables, and be prepared to flee the country on their return. But only think of their surprise, when they arrived in sight of the Indian camping ground, and peeping through the brush, to find that the Indians had pulled up stakes and " moved out West." After this scare was over, the county began to settle up very fast, and in ten years there was a little town in the brush, called Newton, where Newton now stands, and it was noted far and near as being a terrible hard place."
Among the earliest settlers of Jasper County was Michael Grove, who has left some life-like pictures of the early times that are well worth a place here. He writes to the editor of the Press, in 1876, as follows: " My father settled, January 14, 1817, in the north edge of Elwards County, two miles and a half southwest of where Lawrenceville now stands. There were but three families
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living west of the Embarrass River in that section of the country at that time. Well, there we were in the woods in mid-winter, with- out any roads to any place, more than Indian traces; no mills nearer than fourteen miles, and a horse-mill at that. Our nearest trading place was Vincennes, but we did not visit that place often, as there was no such thing as going to the stores then to buy clothing. You could see a spinning-wheel in every cabin in the community, and a pair of cotton-cards. As soon as the farms were sufficiently ahead, you would see a flax-pack and a cotton-pack. Common domestic goods and prints were worth from thirty-seven and one-half to forty cents per yard. Coffee was seventy-five cents per pound, and other things in proportion. There was no such thing as young ladies wearing calico dresses to meeting in those days; they went dressed in spun cotton. Boys were not dressed in woolen drawers in winter, but were dressed in buckskin-got out of warm beds in a cold morn- ing, and went to work in their cold breeches; and that is what made the boys of those days of such good constitution. But enough of this.
" In 1818. Illinois became a State, and was admitted to the Union, and, in 1820. there was a call for a new county, and Lawrence was formed out of a part of Elwards and a part of Crawford. The county- seat was donated by the heirs of Dubois, and called Lawrenceville. Land at that time was entered under the old two-dollar law, in 160 acre lots. The land-office was at Vincennes. If a man paid $80, it would hold his land for five years; if no more was paid, it then went back to the government, and if one payment of $80 was made, in four years from the first payment, a purchaser then obtained a patent. There were some who entered several quarter-sections, with a view to speculation, but times were so hard they were unable to pay for what they had entered, and a great many were about to lose all they had, but congress about this time passed a law called the Relinquish- ing Act, which gave them a chance to withdraw a part or all if they wished, and get a certificate for the amount. Those certificates would go in payment on other land. Those who entered only one lot, and could not pay out, relinquished and sold the certificates to others who were trying to pay out. About the same time, congress reduced the price of public lands to $1.25 per acre, and sub divided the quarters into forty acre lots. Then if a man could raise $50, he could have a home, but that was very hard to get. After Jackson vetoed the United States Bank in 1832, nothing but silver and gold would be received at the Land-Office, and that was not to be had
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HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY.
here. A number one cow, with a young calf by her side, would bring but $10; common cows brought from $6 to $7; a good pair of work cattle was worth from $30 to $40; a number one horse would sometimes bring $50. I have seen pork sell in Lawrenceville, after the head and feet were cut off, at $1.37 per hundred pounds, to pay a store bill. Those were times to try men's souls. Then, to make matters worse, there were scattered throughout the country counter- feiters and horse thieves, who were so well posted that the civil law could not reach them. If two or three good men came as evidence against them, they would have ten or a dozen persons to prove an alibi. They carried this on to such an extent that the citizens of Lawrenceville held a meeting and formed a company of regulators of eighty men, elected their officers, and then went with Lynch law, and notified them to leave the place in so many days or they would have to abide the consequences. Some left, and some took the black hickory before starting.
"We will now turn our attention to the first settling of Jasper County. At that time, it was called Crawford County, and there was a man by the name of Lewis, who settled on what is now known as the Evermond Mound. The next settler was a man by the name of Sulzer, who settled on what is now called Mattingly Point, below Saint Marie. Soon after, others, some in Dark Bend-the Eulows, Crabtrees, Wilkenses, Bayards, Jobs, Jordans, Garwoods, Lambs, Richards, and the Wades, were among the first settlers.
" In February of 1836, I came to Jasper County, and settled six miles north of Newton, on the Embarrass River. At that time, the county was very thinly settled; I don't think there were ten pieces of deeded land in the county. On the east side of the river, there were but three families living between Newton and Greenup. We, had no roads, and for our groceries we had to go to Lawrenceville. There was a mill at Greenup, and another on North Fork, but no road to either. In the spring, it was so muddy that it was a hard task to get to either of the mills; in the summer, if we went, the trip had to be made in the night, on account of the horse-flies, and in the fall a good per cent. of us were shaking with the ague. So you may conclude that hand-mills, hominy-mortars and tin graters were very common. The first settlers of the county were mostly horse-men, and there was no place in the county where a man could work for a few dollars to buy groceries. His groceries had to come from the woods. Beeswax, venison hams, deer, coon and other hides would supply the wants, so the most skillful and industrious hunter
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HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY.
fared the best in that respect. When the Greenup road was first laid off in the direction of Greenup, to the county line, I was appointed supervisor to open the road. My district was the county line north to what is called the Narrows, two miles east of Newton, and I had seven hands in my district-so you will perceive the place was thinly settled.
"Of the first two or three courts which were held in Jasper, it took every man in the county to form the court. There were not men enough to change jurors, so they had to be reversed. Those who were grand jurors one term had to serve as traverse jurors the next term; thus it was the same men trying the same case each term. Although we were few and lived far apart, yet we were willing to help each other a great deal more than we do now. Men thought it no hardship to go seven or eight miles to a house-raising or log- rolling. All met friendly and parted the same way. On public days, some would drink too much whisky; then we would have two or three whisky fights, but soon all would be right again.
" When first I came to this county, game was quite plentiful. Bear, deer, wild turkey and wild bees were easily obtained, while the river and ponds were well filled with beavers and otters. Pan- thers, wolves and wild-cats roamed at large. The hogs we raised for sale were driven to the Wabash, and they were not worth much when we got them there. I drove thirty-seven head to Vincennes, and the best I could do then was to sell on ninety days time, at $1.50 per hundred pounds, and did not get land-office money at that. Those who think they could have gotten rich if they had been here in the beginning, could not have supported a small family. Those. who were not good hunters did leave. If a man brought gold and silver with him, he could get all the land he wanted, but if he thought to make it here, he missed the mark, for it was not to be had here.
"A little anecdote will illustrate the feelings of hunters in gen- eral, and the good-natured pranks that were played by all in the early times. Old Hiram Wade, two of his brothers and one brother- in-law, were out on a coon hunt, and by hunting the scratched trees they caught a good-sized coon. Old Hiram having grown somewhat tired, and getting off one side, thought of a plan to get some rest. He found a large water-oak tree with a large hole in the top. He took his knife and sharpened a hard stick so as to answer his purpose, and went to work making bear scratches on each side of the tree as high up as he could reach. He then gota forked pole, set it up against
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the tree, got upon it and continued scratching the tree as high up as he could reach. He then got down, cleared away all signs, and then raised a yell for the boys. They came with a rush. " I have found a coon tree; worse than a coon-a bear tree," said the old man. " Is it possible?" inquired the party almost out of breath. "Yes, he is up there, sure, and a large one at that," replied Hiram, hardly able to refrain from laughter. The boys were highly elated, and went to work with a will on the big tree. Hiram told them to look well to their guns and see that they were all right; that he would take the dogs out of harm's way until the tree fell, and then he would set them on. This he did. When the tree fell, all hands rushed up with cocked rifles ready for slaughter, but behold there was no coon there, and what had become of the bear? He must have climbed the tree and then jumped off, as there were no downward scratches on the tree. Old Hiram had to keep the secret for some time, but finally told the boys all about it.
" This will do well to illustrate the good spirits of the people. They were generally frank, free-hearted, whole-souled fellows, and had a hard time of it generally. The early settlers would hunt all day hard, and when night came on would find a place where there was water, build a fire by a log, roast meat, eat it, take mother earth for a bed, go to sleep with the heavens above them as a covering, and wild wolves howling around them and about them."
Another old settler of Jasper County gives his experience with wolves as follows: "In the first settling of Jasper County, wolves and wild cats were very plentiful, and there were new comers from old-settled places, that had a great dread of them. For my part I had always been used to them, and often wished that they would attack me in the woods so that I might have some fun. In my hunt- ing days I had a comrade that hunted and camped out a great deal with me. At those times, all the old hunters had 'nicknames.' They call me ' Uncle Mike' now, then it was 'Lidyer.' My com- rade's name was 'Sock.' One day ' Sock ' had been in the woods riding his Indian pony. I think it was in the month of September, 1820, when he came to my cabin with his bristles up. He told me that he had seen more wolf signs that day than he had ever seen before in his life, and that his pony had got seared at the scent of them so that he could hardly be controlled. The next morning I girded on my weapons, which included a rifle, butcher-knife and tom- ahawk, and struck out for 'Sock's' wolf signs. I got in range of them, and saw one playing with a bush. I fired at it and knocked
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it over, and instantly another one came up. Everything being ready and in order, I soon knocked the second one over. Shooting in such a hurry I only hurt it. By the time I was ready for the third shot, it was on in its fect, and I shot it again. All of the three shots were supposed to be within one minute by those that heard them. The first wolf I shot got up and walked a short distance. So I went home, got my dog, followed it up, and got it. The scalps were $2 apiece, in the payment of State tax, and while I was skinning them the old ones attacked my dog, and I shot and killed one of them.
" In the late fall of the same year, I started out one evening for a deer hunt. There was some snow on the ground, and I had not got more than a mile from home, when I saw two wolves coming towards me. When near enough for a shot, I raised my gun to my shoulder, but it missed fire and they ran off. I had not walked ten steps, however, when I saw two more, and I took a snap at them, and they too ran off, having a bad flint in my gun-lock that day. I had not walked more than a quarter of a mile, when I saw the last two, as I supposed, coming down the prairie some 200 yards from me. I concluded I would shoot at them anyhow, not expecting to hit one at that distance. So I drew high and cut away. At the crack of the gun I saw one of the wolves fall. I broke to run, and as I was coming up to it, I drew my tomahawk and struck it two or three licks. I thought I would not mash the head too bad as I wanted the scalp. Its mate had halted on the prairie, so I sat down, re-loaded my gun, laid my knife and tomahawk on the body of the one I had shot, and proceeded to ' howl' the other nearer. I failed, and the other left when I turned to scalp the one at hand. I observed at once that the animal was still alive, and so seizing my tomahawk gave the wolf a blow to finish it. This did not seem to accomplish the purpose, and taking my ax I proposed to sink the blade in a vital part. The wolf dodged the blade and was on its feet, and in an instant was run- ning off. My gun failed me again, and I followed that 'dead' wolf from ten o'clock in the morning until four in the afternoon, and I never did get his scalp.
" Hunting was largely a matter of necessity with the early set- tlers, some of the men making it a special business during the season. One man has been known to kill and market as many as a hundred deer in one season. But there were a few who had time to indulge in hunting purely as a sport. A hunting club was organized by Joseph Picquet, Benjamin Harris and others, and wolves were hunted very much as the English follow the fox. Each hunter was mounted,
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some of them on horses of good Kentucky blood, and the company drawn out in single line would advance through the prairie. The fleetest horses were placed on either wing, and on the discovery of a wolf, it was the duty of the huntsman leading the nearest wing, to lead off and attempt to enclose the wolf, driving him toward the cen- tre where the dogs were held in leash. The members of the club owned several greyhounds, among which was an Irish thoroughbred. When the wolf was near enough the dogs were set off, and the whole field rushed after the game. No firearms were allowed, and the stir- rup only was used to finish the victim. This sport was indulged in to a considerable extent, and as many as thirty were killed in one year. Wolf scalps were quite a source of income, but the fur-bear- ing animals afforded a surer and larger revenue. Agents of the Amer- ican Fur Company came to the settlers throughout this region, and paid good prices for all the settlers had to sell. Coon skins brought as much as seventy-five cents at times, and the successful trapper was able in this way, not only to pay his taxes, but also to provide his home with the limited supply of store goods needed. Without this adjunct of backwoods life, it is difficult to understand how the new country could have been so early settled. As it was, most of the pioneers brought to this country a love for, and skill in the sport, and thus united business and pleasure, and found an easy way to les- sen the rigor of frontier privations."
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HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY.
POLITICAL ORGANIZATION.
N TO trace of the early organization is to be found in the county rec- ords. The large tract of country comprised in the area between the western bounds of the present county of Crawford and the Kas- kaskia River, originally, did all county business at Palestine. Grad- ually the line of settlements following up the river, reached this territory, and Fayette County was formed. Subsequently, Effing- ham and Jasper were organized. Until about 1820, the territory between the line of Fayette and Crawford seems to have had no set- tled population, the tide of emigration flowing into this region along the lines of the two rivers, and gradually extending inland from these points, east and west. There was probably some sort of precinct organization, which included all this unorganized territory, but it is not until 1834, that any hint of the modern organization is found. In June of this year, the Commissioners of Crawford County, on the petition of " sundry inhabitants," established the pre- cinct of Newton, with the voting place at Newton. This was done in June, 1834, and W. M. Richards, David Phillips, and Benjamin Lamb, appointed judges of election. The first vote at this point was taken in January, 1834. This was under the administration of Crawford County. In January. 1835, the election was held here to elect the first officers for the new county, in pursuance of the organ- izing act of the legislature, as noted before.
County-seat .- In the absence of the report of the Legislative Commissioners, tradition must be relied upon for the facts concern- ing the location of the county-seat. There was no competition. L. W. Jordan, either from shrewd foresight, or because of the natural attractions of the locality, entered, in 1831, the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 1, Township 6 north, Range 9 east, and the northwest quarter of the same section. This entry covered the geographical center of the new county, or the only available spot for a town, near that center. On the formation of the county, Jordan offered the twenty acres required by law, as a site for the new county-seat. This was accepted without delay, as the Commis- sioners were only two days in settling the question. But two of them were present, and each one was paid some months later six
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dollars for his services. At this time there were but one or two houses near the site of the village, Benjamin Lamb having entered land on the same section in 1832.
ACTS OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
The County Commissioners having been duly elected, proceeded at once to set the machinery of government in motion, holding a special session in February, 1835. The following copy of their rec- ords will give some idea of the routine and character of the business first transacted:
" FEBRUARY 2, 1835.
" At a special term of the County Commissioners' Court of the County of Jasper, and State of Illinois, began and held at the house of Lewis W. Jordan, was present W. M. Richards, Geo. Mattingly and Frederick W. H. Claycomb, Esqs., County Commissioners, after taking an oath according to law, the court being regularly opened by the Sheriff, according to law, the court hereby appointed John Barnes, Clerk of said court; he filed his bond with approved security in the words and figures following (then comes the bond with pen- alty of $1,000). The bond was approved, Barnes took the oath and court adjourned till court in course.
" March term Commissioners' Court, first day, 1835. Commis- sioner's all present as above, and Lewis W. Jordan, Sheriff, and James Barnes, Clerk. The Board proceeded to lay off the county into vot- ing precincts, as follows:
" Newton Precinct-Beginning at the north line of the county, at the head of Crooked Creek, where the county line crosses said creek, thence down said creek to the mouth, thence due west, to the west line of said county, thence north along the Jasper county line, to the northwest corner of the county, thence east to the place of beginning, and to be known by the name of Newton Precinct.
"Ordered, That the following boundaries shall compose Clay- comb Precinct-Beginning at the Jasper county line, where it crosses Crooked Creek, thence east to the northeast corner of said county, thence south on the county line to where the county line last leaves the North Fork of the Embarrass River, thence down the North Fork to the Embarrass River, thence up said river to the mouth of Crooked Creek, thence up the same to the place of beginning, and shall be known by the name of Claycomb Precinct.
"Ordered, That the following boundaries shall compose Price Precinct-Beginning at the southeast corner of the county, thence
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north to the North Fork, thence down said stream to the Embarrass River, thence up the same to the mouth of Crooked Creek, thence west to the county line, thence south to the southwest corner of the county, thence east to the place of beginning, and shall be known by the name of Price Precinct.
" Ordered, That court adjourn until to-morrow morning, at 10 o'clock.
WILLIAM M. RICHARDS, GEORGE MATTINGLY, Commissioners.
F. W. H. CLAYCOMB,
" March term Commissioners' Court, second day, 1835.
" Court met pursuant to adjournment. Present as yesterday.
" Ordered, That the place of holding the election for Newton Precinct shall be at the house of Lewis W. Jordan, and John Garwood, Benjamin Lamb, and Levi Lee, be, and they are hereby appointed judges of election for Newton Precinct.
" Ordered, That Absalom Eaton, Jas. Miller and Benjamin Eaton, be, and they are hereby appointed judges of election for Clay- comb Precinct, and that the place of holding said election, shall be at the house of F. W. H. Claycomb.
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