USA > Illinois > Tazewell County > Washington > Early history of Washington, Ill. and vicinity > Part 12
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I remember of mother attending a wool-picking at Mrs. Elmore Shoemaker's, three miles west of our home. There were many ladies at this party. They dined on their spa- cious porch, having picked the wool on the lawn. Father took me with him when he went to bring mother and the ladies living near us home at the close of the day.
It was a full day's task to take a load of farm produce to Peoria. On one occasion father took a load of wheat over and did not return at the usual hour. His wagon had sus- tained a broken wheel, and he had to transfer his load and
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have the wheel repaired. We children were quite young, but we knew that mother was anxious. She said, "Something has detained father, but when he comes he will be himself". We never had any occasion, throughout his long life, to have the confidence mother instilled in us shaken in the least. He had no more prominent characteristic than his strong con- victions and his fearless expression of them. Among these convictions were his temperance principles. These he im- bibed in his youth and which continued steadfast in his character.
Much of this world's want and woe has come through intemperance. Until 1907, when the local option law was passed, Illinois was under a dram shop law which provided for the licensing of dram shops.
The use of liquor was quite common in early days. Men sometimes used it when in the field and not infrequently they became incapacitated for work.
The common "grog shops" were numerous. There were, at one time, six saloons, a brewery and a calaboose in our little town, with drunken brawls on many occasions; fam- ilies abused and destitute of the necessities of life, except when fed and clothed by people who did not indulge their appetites in that which is not bread.
Hiram Bunn, a policeman, was equal to quelling almost any such disturbance of the peace, for the drinkers all feared his shillalah which they knew he would use with persuasive force if his commands were not obeyed. He was called to a nome where there was a daughter three days old; the father had been up town and came home drunk. The children had prepared dinner. He overturned the table, breaking the dishes, and picking up a chair, ordered his wife to prepare dinner for him. Two of the children succeeded in warding off the blow intended for their mother, while the third one ran for Mr. Bunn, who summarily put him in the "cooler". This man had been opposed to intoxicating drink, but fell a victim to it through the social glass.
There have been a number of very sad cases here through this demon rum. Some men have tried hard to re- form and have succeeded, but there were others whose com- panions have held them and forced them to drink. Among these were some of our brightest minds and our best busi- ness men. There have always been some very active tem- perance people here. The Good Templar lodge was a strong organization. Lewis Tobias was one of the leading members and entertained John B. Gough, Rev. Afflect (the Mark Twain
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of England), Ross, Mason Long and others. He was threat- ened with violence for his activities in the cause and the trees in his orchard were girdled in retaliation by his op- posers.
The "Crusaders" were a band of our purest and best christian women, and their methods proved effectual. In answer to their prayers has come the victory song, "Carry, On Illinois". The Woman's Christian Temperance Union is called of God for a specific purpose, and has been built around total abstinence-the major in law observance and law en- forcement. Nothing takes peace out of life more surely and more quickly than the curse of drink. The greatest good of the greatest number demands its social control.
In 1883 Miss Florence Kingsbury, later Mrs. A. H. Heiple, and I were delegated by our local W. C. T. U. to circulate a petition, asking that the screens be removed from the saloon windows. We succeeded, and the city council passed an ordinance granting this request.
The saloons were closed in 1907 when we passed the local option law.
Thus, step by step, our efforts have banished every sa- loon from our city, and it has improved in every way. There can be no argument on this subject when the finished pro- ducts of the "imbiber" and the "abstainer" are compared. We know that prohibition is the best method. We have stout nearts and great courage and will "Hold Fast and Go For- ward".
In September, 1855, the people of Washington and vicin- ity gave a dinner, over the west side drug store, to the offi- cials of the Toledo, Peoria and Warsaw railroad, and were in- vited by them to take the first trip over the road to Cruger. Flat cars used in building the track were converted into open- air passenger cars by the simple means of building benches cross-wise of the cars and a short distance apart. In that way they carried a great many pasengers. Mother declined to go, as did others, because it was said "they will not bring you back", but father took me on his arm and with sister Martha and brother Quincy were of that initial group of pas- sengers who were greeted by the people of Cruger and those of her country-side with loud acclaim, for a new day of pro- gress had dawned in this vicinity in the opening of the rail- road.
The grade for the Petersburg and Tonica railroad was completed through Washington, but the track was not laid
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and the shareholders lost their investments. The right of way here was later purchased by the Chicago and Alton rail- road.
Birth of the Republican Party
Prof. B. J. Radford, the beloved prominent old settler of Eureka, recently wrote an interesting account of the birth of the Republican party. I take pleasure in quoting the same, as follows, in my historical sketch as it relates to my father's activities at that time:
"The Republican party became seventy years old on the 29th of May, 1927. It was born in Major's Hall in Blooming- ton, May 29, 1856. Leading men throughout the state, aroused by Lincoln's two years' campaign against the plans of Senator Douglas and his Southern backers to throw the new territories of the United States open to slavery, gath- ered in Bloomington that day to see what could be done to avert the calamity. It was a large and representative body, men from all parts of the state and of both parties-Whigs and Democrats. After others had spoken, Lincoln was called out for the climax, and he climaxed. It was half-past five o'clock when he began speaking. Pretty soon everybody for- got about time, or supper; reporters forgot their pencils, and no one took a long breath till half-past seven when Lincoln ended that famous "lost speech". But, in fact, it was lost. It inspired the great gathering to inaugurate the movement which crystalized into the Republican party, nominated Gen. Frement for President and, four years later, elected Lincoln to the Chief Magistracy.
"Other times and places have laid claims for the honor of giving birth to the Republican party. There were several conventions that year of patriotic citizens which denounced the old parties and called for a new alinement, but none of them had the prestige to give momentum to a nation-wide current of reform. Illinois was the only state in which the public mind had been prepared for such a movement, and Lincoln had done the preparing by setting forth during two years the need, the principles and purpose of it, and how it might be accomplished ultimately. In New York, Horace Greeley and Seward were not yet fully emancipated from the Henry Clay policy of compromise; while in New England Sumner and his fellow abolitionists thought only of the im- mediate destruction of slavery, without any practical plans as to how it could be done. Bloomington, Ill., and May 29, 1856, were the the place and time of the birth of the Repub- lican party.
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"By the way, the public hall in which that convention was held was owned by Wm. T. Major, a brother of Ben Ma- Jor, who settled at Eureka in 1835, and became the leader of the founders of Eureka college".
May 29, 1918, Centennial year celebration in Illinois, there was dedicated a tablet of bronze upon the walls of ramous Major's hall at Bloomington. The tablet had been prepared by the Daughters of the American Revolution. The dedication was attended by many prominent Republicans of the nation. Frank O. Lowden, who was then governor, headed a delegation from Springfield.
Washington People at Notable Meeting
Father attended this convention at Wm. T. Major's Hall in Bloomington, Ill., and took five delegates with him, viz: Thomas Fish, John H. Anthony, William A. Ross, John M. Roberts and George Crandle. A call was issued for 226 dele- gates, but so great was the interest that more than twice that many were present.
Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A Douglas, in their de- pates, aroused all the people and they went far to hear them. Mother, brother Charlie and I were visiting with mother's sister, Mrs. O. B. Judson of Galesburg, Ill., and father came to attend their joint debate October 7, 1858, on the east side of "Old Main" on Knox college campus. I well.remember the day and the delegations with their flags and bands and the speakers, too, but not their speeches. My aunt who was with us later on writing me said, "Mr. Douglas spoke one hour and when Mr. Lincoln arose to speak Douglas said, 'How long, O Lord' how long', to which Lincoln replied, 'The days and the years of the wicked are short'." Lincoln was tall and lean, Douglas was short and fat, thus each poked fun at the per- sonal appearance of the other. Cowper said that "A man re- nowned for repartee will seldom scruple to make free with friendship's finest feelings".
Lincoln spoke one and a-half hours and Douglas followed with a half hour which closed their three-hour debate. The crowd was estimated at 15,000. A great day never to be for- gotten by those who were privileged to be present. We came nome the following day, and enroute the coach that we were riding in ran off of the track and rolled over, but no one was seriously hurt. We waited a long time and were brought on our way to Peoria in a grain car, with improvised seats- nail kegs with boards laid across them.
The first national Republican convention was held in Chicago, May 16, 1860, when Abraham Lincoln was nomin-
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ated for the presidency. Father was there and on the stand next to John M. Roberts of Morton, Ill., who was a teller. It was an intensely exciting experience, for they all realized that the destiny of the republic was changed.
On one occasion during this exciting campaign Lincoln's opponents asserted that they had completely flayed him. He arose and pointed aptitudinally to their assured political death :
"Hark from the tomb, the mournful sound, Mine ear attend the cry,
Ye living men come view the ground Where you shall shortly lie".
Lincoln was vindicated in this assertion by being elected to the presidency.
The Washington Republican wigwam, on the lot east of our Community building, was dedicated by Judge Sweat of Chicago on the afternoon of June 23, 1860. The "Wide- awakes", wearing black oil cloth capes and black caps of the same material, with this word in white letters across the front, carried torches and paraded in the evening, accompan- ied by a fife and drum corps.
In September, 1860, delegations from Morton, Eureka and Washington met at Charles Kinnear's corner, Cruger, enroute to Metamora for a campaign rally, and a vast throng was present. There was an improvised large wagon decor- ated with red, white and blue in which were small girls who met at Cruger dressed in pink calico dresses, white aprons bound with pink, a blue strip across their waists on which was the name of a state in white letters. A large flag was on the wagon and each of the girls carried a small one.
There were several troops of ladies, mounted, viz: Elm- wood, Metamora and Eureka and Washington as one. They also represented the states of the Union. The latter wore blue velvet hats, pink shambry waists, white skirts, blue sashes and brown debeige riding skirts. They made quite an impressive showing. The other troops were each dressed dif- ferent, but were as attractively attired as were ours. A prize was offered for the best and most graceful rider in these troops and it was awarded to cousin Elizabeth Gertrude Scott, who rode a beautiful, spirited, dapple-gray horse that pranced and danced to the lively martial music. He and his rider attracted much attention and she received many com- pliments on her graceful riding and equestrianism.
Both Morton and Washington were represented by splen- did drum corps. The former was composed of John M.
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Roberts fifer, Luke Humphrey snare drum and George Cran- dle the bass drum. In the latter's was Thomas Fish fifer, Oliver Hungerford snare drum and Morris Reece Trimble bass drum. Oliver Hungerford was later band major of the 47th Ill. Infantry.
Stephan Douglas' Visit to Washington
The Metamora Herald a number of years ago contained an extended write-up of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Among other things, it had the following with reference to Douglas' visit to Washington in 1858. They were unable to discover an account of Lincoln's visit:
The visits of Lincoln and Douglas do not appear in the history of the debates of 1858 between the two statesmen by reason of the fact that Metamora was not on the scheduled list of speaking places advertised at the outset of the cam- paign. The two candidates for United States senator were on their way to Galesburg for one of their great debates and were traveling by easy stages through the country, speaking in all the counties traversed. As seen from the dates of the speeches here, Lincoln was two days' travel behind Douglas. Unfortunately no printed description of Lincoln's visit has yet been found, but Douglas' trip from Peoria to Metamora and his stops in Washington and Metamora are tersely re- lated in the following dispatch taken from the Chicago Times of October 6, 1858:
"Metamora, Ill., Sept. 30, 1858 .- The demonstration here todav was never equalled before, and can hardly be equalled again. Senator Douglas, accompanied by a large number of friends, left this morning by the eastern extension of the Peoria and Oquawkya railroad and on arriving in Washing- ton, a thriving town in Tazewell county, near the Woodford county line, was met by an immense delegation and escorted to the town square by Dr. R. B. M. Wilson, the Democratic candidate for the legislature in Tazewell county."
The correspondent then gives a synopsis of the address of Dr. Wilson, and relates the trip from Washington to Meta- mora in the following :
"After a short reply from Senator Douglas the delega- ton set out for Metamora, seven miles distant. On leaving Washington there were 108 wagons in the procession, aver- aging eight persons to the wagon and some 25 or 30 car- riages and buggies, and this long line of vehicles received ac- cessions at every cross road and farm house along the route. When within three miles of Metamora we were received by the Young Men's Democratic club of Woodford and delega-
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tions from Minonk, Eureka, Spring Bay, Metamora and other places. The Minonk delegation had eight four-horse teams in their line, and turned out strong. The procession must have been over four miles long, so great was the number of wagons, carriages, buggies and horsemen in it. Such a scene I never witnessed before. The air was full of flags, banners, music and the shouts of the multitude, while ever and anon the thunder of cannon came in to swell the general jubilee. It was indeed a glorious sight, far beyond my descriptive powers to convey to you an idea of. About noon a heavy shower passed over the town, which served to lay the dust (a terri- ble quantity of which had been kicked up), but not to dampen the ardor and enthusiasm of the people."
About October 19, 1860, the people of this community gave a supper to the "Wide-awakes", in the wigwam, with Mrs. Thomas Fish as chairman, after which there was a great parade, people having come to town from every direc- tion.
When Abraham Lincoln's call "to arms" came, many from Washington and vicinity volunteered to sacrifice their lives to preserve the Union. Our boys went, for the most part, in the 47th, 86th and 132nd Illinois Infantry and the 14th Illinois Cavalry. We, among their relatives and friends, went to the camp in Peoria to bid the boys of the 47th good- bye. They were brave and composed.
Those were stirring times, and the loyal people here could not have done more for the boys in the "war zone" nor for their dependants at home than they did do.
There was a high flag pole set up in our public square which was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies. The men of our neighborhood went to father's timber and made a flag pole, which was set on our land in the corner opposite the South Mennonite church, that being a high point on a much traveled highway. The women met at Uncle Patterson Scott's and made a large flag which was flung to the breeze by Joseph Culbertson, who then lived in our tenant house.
1 well recall the pall that fell over this community when Captain Daniel Miles fell out of the ranks. His funeral caused people to more fully realize the conflict that was then being waged. He stood for principle, and did his duty as he saw it. He was fearless in his denunciation of those who were not loyal to this government-some of whom sought hiding in Canada and elsewhere until the smoke of battle cleared away and then had the audacity to return to the pro- tection of our "flag" that had been preserved, but not through
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any of their efforts. The Knights of the Golden Circle were quite active here, too, for a time, but they were silenced.
There were fifteen who went from our road, less than four miles in length, viz: Stephen Decatur and William Henry Humphrey, Russell, Newton, Albert and Rodney Shoe- maker, Robert Lewis, Jacob, Sebastian, Henry and George Minch, Ebenezer Wood, William and Sanford Van Meter and William Culbertson. They came off victorius in battle, and all were honorably discharged from the service in the Civil war except Stephen Decatur Humphrey, whose head was severed from his body by a cannon ball at the battle of Corinth, Miss., Oct. 3, 1862, while Charles Crane and Theo- dore Amsbary were on either side of him. Phelix Monroe, Captain William Bogardus, Captain B. F. Biser and David Smith also were of those who made the supreme sacrifice on their country's altar. When the soldiers came home they and their friends were given a supper in the old seminary. Al- though there were many sad hearts because their dear ones had not been spared to return, it was nevertehless, in many ways, a time for great rejoicing.
Sebastian Minch was the first one to "pass on". All are now (Jan. 2, 1928,) gone and their wives, too, except Albert Shoemaker and his wife, Lavina Riddle, who live at 800 Pacific avenue, Long Beach, Calif. He is 86 years of age, without a gray hair and appears but 60; she is 82. They and Jacob Minch and wife, Ann Eliza Birkett, lived in our tenant house and farmed our land the first year they were married, 1866.
May a grateful nation every pay tribute to their valor and our government long endure, which it will if we are true to our flag.
No Red-Without the White and Blue There's no other land like my land, Beneath the shining sun; There's no other flag like my flag, In all the world-not one; One land, one tongue, and one people, To one flag loyal, true-
No red shall wave o'er my fair land Without the white and blue.
There's grandeur in my land's mountains, Contentment in her vales;
There's wealth in her broad prairies, There's freedom in her gales. In my land all men are equal,
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Her flag proclaims it, too-
No red shall wave o'er my fair land
Without the white and blue.
There's majesty in Old Glory, Hope in each stripe and star;
It heralds freedom, liberty,
To nations, near and far;
Unsullied and triumphant, Glorified, she floats anew-
No red shall wave o'er my fair land Without the white and blue.
-Ernest E. Cole.
The Methodists built their first church on the corner of Main and Jefferson streets in 1839, during the pastorate of Rev. Zadoc Hall. This site was exchanged for the corner of Walnut and Elm streets on which their second edifice was dedicated December 8, 1867, when Rev. E. D. Hall was the minister and Rev. J. Borland the presiding elder. This was then the most commodious church building in Washington, Illinois.
The Presbyterian church is their second on the original site.
In the fall of 1876 the Christian church was struck by lightning and entirely destroyed. They soon built their third church, for the brick church, now the home of the Telephone Co., was their first edifice.
The Baptists, too, were quite numerous in the early life of Washington, but lack of strength caused them to disband some years since.
The total eclipse of the sun in August, 1869, made ani- mal life believe that night had come. The cattle and sheep came to their pens and lay down, the chickens went to their roosts and when it passed off they crowed as though morn- ing had dawned.
During the Chicago fire, which was ignited October 9, 1871, the heat and smoke from it produced here, 150 miles, distant, a glowing haze in the atmosphere of those balmy autumn days.
Professor Kellogg was superintendent of schools in the old seminary, and with his family resided on the corner of Main and Holland streets, later known as the Rev. I. A. Cor- nelison home. Sister Martha attended school there and she later took me with her when Prof. James Brady and Miss Isadore Trimble were conducting an oral examination for teachers. The Misses Anna and Victoria Triplet (later Mrs.
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Whitmer Kern and Mrs. Jacob Ray), Misses Mary R. and Rebecca V. Scott (the latter later Mrs. John Guthrie) were among the applicants for certificates.
The school gave a play in which Silas Eccles had the leading part, and Monroe Webster was also in the cast. The orchestra attracted me most. Miss Mollie Wood was the ac- companist, George and Charles Bayler and Dr. E. F. and Prof. Josiah Wood were violinists.
We were two miles from either Jefferson or Greenridge schools, but belonged in the latter district. Our parents were much interested in education, and have sent us to Jef- ferson when their teacher was superior to ours. Prof. Cyrus Parker, at Jefferson, was an excellent instructor. My first teacher was Miss Josephine Sickler, daughter of Jaser Sick- ler, Sr., and the first wife of Luther North, Miss Laura Parker, daughter of Prof. Cyrus Parker and wife of Charles Crane, came next. I was tutored by many, for we often had a new teacher three times in a school year. Moses Yoker stands out most prominent of those at Greenridge. He made study attractive by setting a goal and an incentive to attain it. He was a fine elocutionist and there were none better as a grammar teacher. There is but one person now residing in Greenridge district who attended school there when I did; that is Mrs. Julia White Callahan, and comparatively few of our schoolmates are now living.
Boyhood Days at Greenridge School
I can see the doors and windows In the school house far away, Where in youth I played and frolicked With my schoolmates-ever gay.
More than thirty years have fleeted
Since the time on Greenridge ground, Where we played all games at noontime, And at recess frolicked round.
But all scenes are quite familiar, Desks and blackboards, hooks and all,
Where we sat and learned our lessons- Hung our hats on each side wall.
Teachers with an eye for business Called the roll and rang the bell, But we boys were full of mischief- Stories oft times did tell.
Still we toiled-recited-figured Many a problem with a will,
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Hoping thus to be the master of
Each book and learn to spell.
In we came and took our places In the desks all made of pine, Where with penknife notches gathered --- Made they were in broad day time.
All the masters were good fellows;
Lady teachers very kind,
Excepting one who flailed the writer
To the tune of dancing time.
And to her I'm still revengeful;
Perhaps she's dead-I can not say,
But if she is-I can not help it-
Man was born to go that way.
-Lincoln R. Scott.
We attended Jefferson school under Prof. Josiah Wood. He was a real schoolmaster and a grammar king. His methods were somewhat in advance of those of the old Scothman's division of his subject into four parts, viz: or-tho-gra-phy, et-i-me-lo-gy, swyn-tax and per-so-da. Re- capitulation was a hobby of his. Often when we became restless he would tune up his violin, and tell us what he would play or ask us what we wished him to play. Tell us who the composer was and of his compositions. He then expected us to work. Nothing escaped his eyes or ears. We could
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