USA > Illinois > Madison County > Alton > Gazetteer of Madison County : containing historical and descriptive sketches of Alton City, Upper Alton, Edwardsvile, Collinsville, Highland, Troy, Monticello, Mairne, Bethalto, and other towns, including some account of the resources of the various townships, to which is added a directory of the Altons,. > Part 34
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I'rom a paper read before the Alton Horticultural Society, July 6th, 1865, we ex- cerpt the following: "The first fruit trees planted in this county, so far as I can learn, were seedling apple trees, set by Samuel Judy on his farm in section 5 of township 3, 8, about 1802 or 1803. A few of these trees are said to be still living. on the premises of M. C. Gillham, in section nine of township 1, 9, and of Samuel Squire, in section 6 of township 3, 9, are pear trees that may be still older. Those of Mr. Squire have been estimated to be a hundred years old. I do not know how- ever that any permanent settlements of that age were ever made in the county.
I do not know of many grafted tree being planted before 1820. A specimen of Lady apple planted in 1819, on the farm now owned by D. A. Lanterman in section 19 of township 5, 8, is the oldest within my knowledge.
In township 5, 8, orchards of improved varieties were planted by John Collet, Emanuel J. West, and Gershom Flagg not far from 1820. Messrs. Collet and West procured trees from the State of New York. Mr. Flagg from John Smith, of Greenville, Bond county. The latter planted three hundred seedlings in the spring of 1822, and about two hundred trees of Kirkbridge White, Rambo, Pryor's Red, Pennoek, Pennsylvania Red Streak, Newtown Pippin, Rawles' Janet, Gilpin
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Secretary. E. S. Hull, John Atwood and Jas. E. Starr were appointed a committee to report a Constitution and By-Laws, which they did at a sub- sequent meeting, held in the Common Couneil room on the 19th of No- vember, and the following persons were elected officers :- E. S. Hull, Pres- ident; C. Howard and S. Y. MeMasters, Vice-Presidents; N. Johnson Corresponding Secretary; James E. Starr, Recording Secretary, and J. Atwood, Treasurer.
The Society, during the first year of its existence, as appears from its records, was wide awake and industrious, and examined and pronounced upon a large variety of fruits, some of which are now unknown, and are being sought for trial.
The second year began with the election of Henry Lea as President, Chas. Howard and T. Souther, Vice-Presidents; J. E. Starr, Correspond- ing and Recording Secretary; and John Atwood, Treasurer. Mr. Starr re- signed his position and A. S. Barry was elected in his place. January, February, March and April of 1855, there appears to have been no meet- ings. The Society voted at the August meeting to hold an exhibition on the 30th, but whether they did so is not on record. We learn from other sources that a very fine exhibition was made.
The third year James E. Starr was elected President; B. F. Long and J. MeMahan, Vice-Presidents; E. S. Hull, Corresponding Secretary; John Atwood, Recording Secretary, and A. S. Barry, Treasurer. This was on the 10th of November, 1855. December there was no meeting, but there-
etc,, in the autumn of the same year. Some of these trees are still living, althoughi a good deal damaged by the winter of 1855-6. The grafted trees have been equally hardy and long-lived with the seedlings. The Pryor's Red has en- dured the best of any variety. Mr. Collet and Mr. West planted among other varieties Lady apple, Newton Pippin, Gilpin and Janet.
The "Western Ploughboy," an agricultural paper published at Edwardsville during the year 1831, acknowledges the receipt of Large Romanite (Pennock) apples from Gov. Bond and Gershom Flagg, and of Belleflower Apples, Quinces and Pears, (Grey Butler) from J. W. Collet.
In the same paper is the advertisement of Collet and Masson, the first nursery- men of whom I have any documentary facts. Mr. Collet was an Englishmen, and Mr. Masson a French-Swiss, and their fruit trees were probably to a larger extent than those of their contemporaries, of foreign origin.
Masson came to the country with Mr. Talon, also a French-Swiss, and had a small nursery on Mr. Talon's farm, (now owned by Stallhert, on section 22 of 5, 8.) He removed thence to Mr. Collet's farm about 1825, and thence to the farm now owned by Thomas Jones, in section 8, about 1832.
George Barnsback also had a nursery at an early date.
The oldest ornamental deciduous trees of this region are Black Locusts. The seeds of this were planted in the prairie sod, about 1820, by Gershom Flagg. These tree, about a dozen in number, are still living. The largest measures, at three feet from the ground, nine feet and one inch in circumference, or nearly three feet in diameter, and about seventy feet in height. A Cottonwood tree planted 1819, now about dead, measures four feet in diameter. An American Chesnut of which the parent seed was planted about 1836, now measures fifty-four inches in circumference, but is unhealthy, as are all the Chesnut trees I have seen 39-
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after they were held with tolerable regularity. The Society purchased this year the American Sylva, in six volumes, and removed to the Insur- anee Office, in Middletown.
The fourth year the officers of the last were re-elected on the 11th of October, 1856. A large delegation was sent to Decatur to assist in organ- izing our present State Horticultural Society, and an invitation and a guarantee of $500 extended to the Northwestern Fruit Growers' Associa- tion, to mect at Alten in 1857. In June, 1857, an exhibition of Flowers, Fruits and Vegetables, was held in the hall of the Iliinois Mutual Insur- anee Company, which appears to have been a success.
At the fifth election on the 12th of September, 1857, A. S. Barry was elected President, F. Humbert and B. F. Long, Vice-Presidents, J. E. Starr, Recording Secretary, E. S. Hull, Corresponding Secretary, and George Barry, Treasurer. During this month the last meeting of the Northwestern Fruit Growers' Association was held at Alton, and on the 10th of October the minutes of the last recorded meeting of the Society under the old dispensation conclude with the omnious words :- "It was ordered, upon motion made and approved, that the President and Record- ing Secretary be a special committee to andit and pay all demands against this Society growing out of the contract with the N. W. F. G. A. so far ns the funds of the Society would pay the same."
The Society was reorganized on the 30th of May, 1863, after having re-
in this county, except those planted on or near the river bluffs. I attributed this difference to the subsoils, that of the bluffs being more porous than that farther inland.
The earliest successful planting of ever-greens, with the exception perhaps of cedars, native to the Mississippi bluff, was about 1836 or 1837; when B. Arnold brought from the East some Norway Spruces, &c. Of these, Robert DeBow of Upper Alton, and Mrs. Paddock, in section 3, township 5, 8, received specimens, and others were set out on Mr. Arnold's place, now owned by Mr. Hoffmeister. The Norway Spruce at Mrs. Paddock's measures forty-one inches'in diameter at. three feet from the ground, and is about thirty-five feet high. A White Pine on the same grounds, planted about 1838, measures forty-eight inches in circumfer- ence at three feet from the ground."
Dr. Long, at the same meeting in referring to lhe letter of Mr. Churchill, said: "The orchard of Mr. Seybold, thirty-two years ago, was old and decaying and he thought it might be older than that of Mr. Judy." He added that Dr. F. Humbert of Upper Alton, first introduced dwarf pear trees, twenty-six years ago."
Mr. Calvin Kinder said he first saw the two pear trees of Mr. Squire, now near Nameoki Station, in 1825. They appeared then about forty years old. The fruit is not large, of fair quality, and very abundant. Near Cahokia, in 1831, he saw pear trees of perhaps twice the age; so old that it seemed probable that they were planted about the time of the first settlements by the French in 1683."
In 1829 or 30 Mr. Charles Howard obtained some peach seeds from a Mr. Titch- cnal, which he planted on block one in Alton. Of the trees which grew from them he transplanted one to his farm near Greenwood, and afterwards to his present farm, where it is still a living fruit-bearing tree. It may not be amiss to state the fact, as we learned from Mr. Howard, that at one time, many years since, a single peach from this tree was sold in St. Louis for two dollars.
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mained dormant between five and six years. B. F. Long was elected President, H. G. McPike and W. C. Flagg Vice-Presidents, George Barry Corresponding and Recording Secretary, and A. S. Barry Treasurer.
In January, 1864, E. S. Hull was elected President, J. Huggins and H. N. Kendall Vice-Presidents, W. C. Flagg Secretary, and C. W. Dimmock Treasurer. The Society in March began to meet at the houses of members, a plan which has been attended with eminent success, and is growing in favor as it becomes better known.
In January, 1865, C. W. Dimmock was elected President, James E. Starr and Jonathan Huggins Vice-Presidents, H. G. McPike Secretary, and John M. Pearson Treasurer. Mr. Dimmock being unable to serve, W. C. Flagg was elected in his place at a subsequent meeting.
The foregoing facts have been collected from the President's address of January 4th, 1866, during the course of which he remarked :
"Turning from the past to the future of our Society, I see every reason for encouragement and continuous effort. We have awakened and foster- ed a renewed interest in Horticulture-the poetry of Agriculture-in our midst. Fruit growing is largely on the increase. The suburbs of Alton are changing from stump-dotted commons to terraced vineyards. The majestic bluffs that tower along the Mississippi for twenty miles above are changing their old forests for blooming orchards, with their red and golden fruit. New men of intelligence and culture are being added to our ranks, and the old pioneers are encouraged and hopeful. Abroad we find we have an honorable name as a living, energetic and intelligent Society-a repu- tation which we should all strive to make and keep good."
Madison County Teachers' Association,*
In pursuance of a public call a meeting of the Teachers, School Officers and friends of Education in Madison County, was held at the Methodist Church, in Edwardsville, on Saturday January 16, 1858, for the purpose of
*The following items respecting the schools of this county were, per request, communicated to the publisher by W. P. Eaton, Esq., County School Commiss- ioner.
'Reynolds relates that amongst the French settlers of Illinois instruction was imparted to the children through the efforts of certain benevolent old ladies who went from house to house for that purpose.'
"So far as can be ascertained the first public school was opened in the present limits of Madison County, at Casterline's School House in township 3, 8, in 1804 or 1805, by one James Bradsburry. This pioneer continued in his place for one year, dispensing knowledge to the children of the settlers, who evinced their apprecia- tion of the same by flocking in from a large circle of country.
"A school house (a log cabin) in ancient times stood at the foot of the bluff half way between Judy's and Wm. B. Whilesides; but more than half the time it was not occupied. This house was built in 1814.
A school, however, was taught in Mr. Judy's door-yard two years previous to that date by Elisha Alexander. Mr. Thompson initiated the "cabin" into its
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forming a Teachers' Association. A committee was appointed to draft a Constitution, and the following officers elected. President, Wm. Hayden of Alton, Vice Presidents, Henry Wing of Collinsville, and E. M. West of Edwardsville; Recording Secretary, W. J. Ela, of Edwardsville; Corres- ponding Secretary, James Newman, of Alton; Treasurer, M. G. Dale, of Edwardsville; Executive Committee, M. G. Atwood, of Alton, ;H. K. Eaton and Joseph H. Sloss, of Edwardsville. The first meeting was ap- pointed to be held at Edwardsville, on the fourth Friday of April, 1858, when a very interesting and profitable session was held. The subsequent
uses. This was during the last British war, and the inhabitants of that neighbor- hood participated in that struggle, more particularly against the Indians. Ac- counts of inany a sharp contest victoriously ended by their friends inspired the youth with a martial feeling, which one morning led them to barricade the cabin door against "the master;" after brave but ineffectual attempts to carry the posi- tion by storm, he sounded a parley aud received the surrender of the garrison af- ter promising a treat.
Mr. Yancy succeeded Mr. Thompson, and after him, in 1816, came Mr. Enlow, who taught part of a term of six months. Benaiah Robinson, a pupil of Enlow's, completed the unexpired term of the school.
There once stood a block house on the farm of James Gillham, on the sand ridge in township four, nine, and during its occupancy by the neighboring families in 1813, a school was opened in one of the cabins by Mr. Vache Clark. In the follow- ing year this school was conducted by Micajah Cox-the next teacher who appear- ed in that locality in ISI; and taught twenty-one months, closing in the spring of 1820. Not till nine years after did he have a successor in that neighborhood.
A school was taught in 1809 or 10 about two and a half miles south of Edwards- ville, and continued at intervals for some years afterwards, during which time it was frequently dispersed by rumors of Indian inroads.
As early as this period a school is supposed to have been kept in the Six Mile settlement, that being one of the oldest in the county.
James Renfro had a school under his charge on a Mr. Moore's place near the south line of the county. This was in 1810 or 11.
Jesse Renfro taught the first school in township 3, 7, in 1821 or 5, at "the Old Gilead Church." During the last year of his labors there in the capacity of teacher, he had forty pupils under instruction for six months, and for his services and the books which lie had contracted to provide, he received one hundred dol- lars, a little over sixteen dollars per month,
The above mentioned, so far as can be learned on hasty inquiry, were the first schools in the oldest settlements. As districts became populated the necessity for schools began to be telt, and while in the beginning but one school house might be seen in a township, four or five are now thought insufficient to properly accom- modate the children of the same territory.
All records prior to the creation of the office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction and County School Commissioners contain little more than accounts of funds received and paid out or of copies of petitions to sell lands.
From the report of 1860 it will be seen that in the twenty-four townships there were 122 schools with an attendance of 6903 pupils; 61 per cent. of the children of elligible age in the county, requiring the services of 173 teachers. Average time taught during the year was seven months and a half. Total amount expended for all school purposes $39,819.
In 1865 there were 119 public schools in the county, attended by 9295 scholars, 80 per cent. of number between 6 and 21 years of age, requiring 190 teachers, and a total expenditure of $39,432 for their maintenance.
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meetings of the Society have not been deficient in either particular, and the work which has been accomplished for the County, by this and other agencies of the "friends of education," is highly honorable to both, as will be seen by referring to the statistics of Educational matters.
Earthquakes, Tornadoes, Etc.
EARTHQUAKES .- Shocks of earthquakes have been experienced in this region at the following times, as appears by notes in Mr. G. Churchill's Meteorological Register, commencing in the year 1831 :
"July 31, 1831, 6 o'clock A. M .; Jan. 4, 1843; July 2, 1551, 10 o'clock 20 min. A. M .; April 4, 1855, between S and 9 o'clock P. M .; Oct. 8, 1857, 4 o'clock A. M .; two shocks June 6, 1562, 10 o'clock 50 min. A. M .; May 29, 1865, 6 o'clock 43 min. A. M.
In 1811, the year of the celebrated earthquakes which had their seat at New Madrid, Mo., shocks were felt more violent than any since experi- enced in this region. It was humorously remarked by some of the old settlers with whom I conversed that certain persons, whom they named, "had been shaken into the church by the earthquakes."
REMARKABLE HURRICANE .- May 17, 1838, P. M., a violent hurricane, ac- companied with heavy rain, occurred, which prostrated nearly all the fences running east and west within its pathway.
HAIL STORM .- An extraordinary hail storm visited townships three and four north, in range seven west, on the afternoon of July 24, 1854. One of the hail stones was picked up and weighed immediately after the storm. Its weight was one pound. There were on the ground a vast number of nail-stones quite as large, though the majority of them were much . smaller. Roofs were greatly injured; some of them having to be renewed. Fruit and foliage and the smaller boughs together with patches of bark were stripped from the trees The fences leng bore the marks made upon them, while turkeys, hens, and geese, in many instances, were killed by the falling hail-stones.
TORNADO .- "The most distructive storm in this section of country which has occurred within the memory of man broke upon our city on Satur- day evening, and in twenty minutes destroyed property to the amount of many thousands of dollars. No lives however were lost, and very few persons in the least injured.
*"The German Catholic Church built last year, at an expense of abont $9,000, is almost a complete wreck, the basement and a part of the upper front wall alone standing. The steeple was blown off the Episcopal Church. It is said the Church is almost a total loss, the walls being very much sprung and cracked. The Church cost about $12,000. The organ
*From the Alton Courier June ith, 1880.
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is ruined: The steeple was also blown from the Methodist Church. The roof was considerably injured by the fall, and the interior is also some- what damaged. Loss $3,000.
No loss in the city is commented on with more and warmer expressions of sympathy than that of the Democrat Office. The building, presses, engine, stock and all is a complete wreck, the entire loss must be at " least $8,000. The house of D. Simms was also completely crushed by the falling steeple of the Methodist Church. It was worth $1,800.
Over one hundred houses throughout the city were damaged, and the loss of property was estimated at $200,000."
FLOODS .- In 1844 a great and destructive flood swept over the American Bottom, doing an immense damage to property. The Mississippi rose this year higher than ever before or since, and laid a large part of the country under water. Others followed in 1851, and again in 1858, but of less extent.
EXPLOSION OF THE POWDER MAGAZINE .- Although this county has since its occupation by the white man been hitherto fortunately free from voleanic eruptions, yet in the night of June 20, 1840, the site of Alton City was shaken by an artificial "Earthquake," the recollection of which is still fresh in the memory of many of the older citizens. The account of it here prosented is from the Telegraph, June 23, 1840, and was written by the late Judge Bailhache.
"A little before twelve o'clock ou last Wednesday night the citizens of Alton were aroused from their slumbers by an explosion incomparably louder, as well as by far more destructive, than the discharge of one hun- dred pieces of the heaviest ordinance. Hundreds hurried towards State street, from the direction of which the report seemed to have proceeded, when it was ascertained that it was occasioned by the blowing up of the Powder Magazine, situated on the bluff a few rods west of the Penitentiary, and containing at the time upwards of six tons of powder. To describe with some degree of minuteness the damage done by this explosion would fill up several columns of our journal; suffice it, therefore, to remark, in general terms, that scarcely one single building within the thickly settled part of the city remains uninjured; and that some of those nearest the site of the magazine have been literally reduced to a heap of ruins; chimneys demolished, roofs started and nearly blown off, windows and window frames shivered to atoms, are among the results of the explosion. But although fragments of the stones of which the magazine had been con- structed were hurled with resistless force in every direction, some of them to the distance of upwards of a mile, perforating houses and overthrowing every thing which stood in their way, no life has been lost as far as our information extends, nor has any serious injury been done to the person of any one.
Of the many hair-breadth escapes which have come to our knowledge
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we may briefly notice the following :- Mr. J. H. Hodges and his wife were sleeping in their house on Market street, about one-third of a mile from the magazine. A piece of stone supposed to weigh about fifty pounds, preforated the roof of their dwelling, and forcing its way through the gar- ret floor descended in a slanting direction within a few inches of their heads, and broke through the petition into an adjoining room, without doing either of them the least injury. Mrs. Tomlinson and her daughter were in a like manner asleep in the same bed at their residence on Third street, having between them a child about two years old belonging to a citizen of this place who had lost his wife, of whom Mrs. T. was taking care. Seeing the flash the worthy lady, alarmed for the safety of her precious charge, snatched it up and hugged it to her bosom, when a heavy stone bursting through the building fell between the mother and daughter, in the very place previously occupied by the child, without touching either of them. Another large fragment of stone forced its way through the building occupied by the family of Mr. T. Clifford on State street, and fell in the corner of a lower room where his children had slept for several months past; but his wife, by some unaccountable impulse, having moved their bed a few hours previous to a different part of the house, they all es- caped unhurt. Two young girls, whose names we have not learned, were also sleeping in the same bed in another part of the city, when a heavy stone fell between them, slightly grazing the limbs of one, but inflicting 110 material injury on either of them.
The belief universally prevails that the explosion was the work of some villian or villians; but although every exertion has been used for the de- tection of the perpetrators, they still remain undiscovered. Two indi- viduals were arrested on suspicion on Wednesday, but were discharged after being subjected to a rigid examination, no evidence sufficient to jus- tify their detention being brought against them. A reward of five hun- dred dollars has been offered by the Common Council for the apprehension and conviction of the offenders. The damage done to buildings and otlier property is estimated at not less than $25,000."
Political Statistics and Public Officers.
This synopsis of the "political statistics of Madison County, ending with the list of representatives, is from the MSS. of Mr. G. Churchill.
In the year 1809 the Territory of Indiana was divided and the western portion formed into a new Territory called the Territory of Illinois. On the east, west and south its boundaries were the same as those of the State of Illinois, but on the north the Territory extended to the northern boun- dary of the United States.
Ninian Edwards was appointed Governor, Nathaniel Pope, Secretary, and Jesse B. Thomas, William Sprigg, and Alexander Stuart, Judges of the Territory,
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Until the year 1812 the Governor and Judges, in addition to their other duties, constituted the Legislative Department. Hitherto there were only two counties, viz., St. Clair and Randolph; but in 1812 Gov. Edwards es- tablished, by proclamation, the additional counties of Madison, Johnson, Pope and Gallatin. In the same year members of the Territorial Legisla- ture were elected, who, according to Gov, Reynolds's "Pioneer History of Illinois," were convened at Kaskaskia, on the 25th of November, 1812. According to Goudy's Illinois Almanac for 1845, they convened on the 12th of November.
Samuel Judy, of Madison, William Biggs, of St. Clair, Pierre Menard, of Randolph, Thomas Ferguson, of Johnson, and Benjamin Talbot, of Gallatin, constituted the Legislative Council. John Thomas, of St. Clair, was elected Clerk of the Council.
William Jones, of Madison, Joshua Oglesby and Jacob Short, of St. Clair, George Fisher, of Randolph, Philip Trammel and Alexander Wil- son, of Gallatin, and John Grammar, of Johnson, constituted the House of Representatives. Their Clerk was William C. Greenup, of Randolph. One Doorkeeper attended npon both Houses.
The second Territorial Legislature met at Kaskaskia, Nov. 14th, 1814. Ninian Edwards, Governor. The Legislative Council was composed of William Biggs, from St. Clair, Benjamin Talbot, from Gallatin, Samuel Judy, from Madison, and Pierre Menard, from Randolph County. Pierre Menard, President, and J. Thomas, Clerk.
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