USA > Illinois > Morgan County > Jacksonville > Historic Morgan and classic Jacksonville > Part 11
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64
THE FIRST CYCLONE -- OLD SETTLERS OF CASS.
The first postmaster was Dennis Rockwell, who used to go over the town delivering letters which he carried in his hat, and in those primitive days the receiver paid 25 cents for each letter received. The first druggist was David B. Ayers, father of the bankers, and the first blacksmith was Seth Weatherby, father-in-law of Mr. A. C. Wads- worth, the hardware man.
Among the old and cherished friends and acquaintances of Mr. Harney were Dr. Reed, Mr. Milburn, Mr. Ayers, the Stevensons, Coffmans, Humphreys, David Cole, T. D. Eames, the Rockwells, David A. Smith, Richard Yates, Jacob Strawn, the Masseys, Thomas Wiswall and many others. Some have passed over the stream and some yet linger on this side.
The following account of the earliest known destructive cyclone in this county was obtained by the editor from the venerable A. K. Barber :
It is stated, on page 40, that Mr. Edward Harvey went to school to Mr. Barber in 1821. Mr. Barber is still living in Jacksonville, although he has not been here all of the time since he came to Morgan in 1824. He taught school before as well as after coming here and it was probably in Greene county that Mr. Harvey was his pupil. Mr. Barber tells us that upon first locating here he rented land a few miles west of town ; did not raise a profitable crop the first year, and footing it to Bond county taught school there in the winter of 1825. In the spring he was teaching in Morgan, in a log cabin school house on the Johnson farm, a few miles west of where stakes were being set for the future Jacksonville.
He described to us a cyclone, or as they called it then "hurrycane," which burst upon this vicinity in April, 1825. The school-house had a puncheon floor, and under- neath an excavation which had been used for mixing mortar. There was a terrible rain, hail and wind storm, so that everything in the cabin was wet. The books were put away where they could be best protected, and teacher and scholars went outdoors to gather up hail and watch the storm. Mr. Barber looked south towards Lynn Grove, now Lynnville, and saw a funnel-shaped cloud approaching. He had read enough of such to know what it meant to all in its path, so they re-entered the house and he and his one big scholar put all the little ones down into the mortar hole under the floor. The cyclone struck the neighborhood with great force, but not the schoolhouse. Among the houses unroofed of their clapboard coverings were those of Abraham Johnson (owner of the cotton gin, whose farm is now owned by Cortez M. Dewey) Robert James and Father Deaton. The cotton gin of Mr. Johnson and the cabin of Stephen Gorham -one and a half miles due west of the Mound-were blown down, Dr. Cadwell's house near Swinnerton's Point, the only one in the vicinity with a shingle roof- lost one-half its roof, and a house standing about where the county poor house now is was demolish- ed. Many fences and trees were levelled to the ground, especially on the Johnson farm and the storm cloud went on north and west until finally scattered. No lives were lost that Mr. Barber knows of.
The following is a partial list of the early settlers of "Old Morgan" that located in that part which is now Cass county, with the date of their coming into the county :
Mrs. Elizabeth Hopkins, 1826; Mrs. Mahala Brady, 1827; Mrs. Maria Cunningham, 1824; John S. Clark,* 1826; Arthur Loughary, 1828; J. E. Roach, 1828; W. T. Treadway, 1829; W. S. Huffaker, 1830; Franklin Bridgeman, 1830; Francis Ryan, 1825; Mrs. M. A. F. Carpenter, 1828; Mrs. D. B. Hunt, 1830; Mrs. A. Cox, 1830; Alexander Pitner, 1827; Mrs. G. Shirrill, 1830; Mrs. H. McClure, 1828; Mrs. M. J. Tureman, 1830; Charles Cox, 1828; Mrs. Elizabeth Davis, 1822; J. A. Davis, 1824; S. B. Jones, 1828; R. D. Thomp- son, 1829; Jacob Epler, 1829; John Yaple, 1824; Levi Dick, 1829; Wm. Clark, 1826 ; Jas. A. Dick, 1829; Mrs. Mary Dick, 1829; Mrs. S. H. Petefish. 1827; Zack Hash, 1822; Dr. J. M. Wilson, 1828; Mrs. John E. Haskell, 1828.
The following are the names of others who were there previous to 1830, but the ex-
* Mr. Clark freighted salt to Beardstown, on the "Mechanic"-the first boat that came up the river. Salt shipped from Washington county, Ohio.
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PERSONALS, CORRECTIONS, ETC.
act year of their coming we do not know: Zack W. Gatton, Mrs. C. H. Oliver, Mrs. Mark Buckley, Mrs. Andrew Gale.
Among the mercantile and other licenses issued by the county commissioners in 1831, besides those given on page 51, might have been named those to George F. Bris- tow, Stephen Mallory, Erasmus Elliott, Zeph Judson, A. and M. Collins ($7.50.)
Judge Thomas says, that in 1826, when he came to Jacksonville there were but twelve or fourteen families here, none of them had a separate room for him to occupy ; the entire family slept together in one room. The country was quite naked, yet still beautiful. In Morgan, Scott, and Cass there were then perhaps 1,000 voters, all told. The county did not fill up rapidly between 1820 and 1826, but after that people com- menced to roll in, but were forced to live in tents and rail pens. In 1827 was the Win- nebago war, a war few remember or know anything about, because it did not amount to much. In 1826 most of the milling was done in Greene county, though there was a mill in Exeter which, however, had no water part of the year to run it. They were de- pendant on ox or horse mills, and Allen's, on Apple Creek, was the most prominent. One man would go for the neighborhoond, and stay a week.
Col. W. D. Wyatt, of Lincoln, master in chancery for Logan county, was born in Morgan county September 1st, 1821, his father was a Virginian, and moved to Nashville, Tenn., and afterward to Kentucky, and settled on the Ohio River. He relates how his father and many other men of his neighborhood were brought to Illinois to fight the Indians, and in this way were brought to settle in this state and in this county.
Before passing into the 1830's we will add a few names of settlers of 1819 to '29 not already mentioned-John Gorham, '24; M. R. Foster, '23; Mary Smith, '23; Minerva Smith, '28; Aaron Phillips, '29; Amanda Reeve, '24; Mary Humphrey, '28; Mrs. P. W. Vail, '25; Amanda MI. Harney, '21; G. L. Gilham, '23; Eliza W. Foreman, '29; JJacob Stout, '25; Mrs. Sarah J. Turley, '29; Wm. H. Markley, '29; Capt. Win. Patterson, '29; Mrs. Edward Harney, '19; J. R. Clark, '28; Mrs. Mary Hinrichsen, '25; John F. JJordan, 24; W. W. Riggs, '25; Elizabeth Smith, '29: Elizabeth Freeman, '29; Matil- da Wilhoit, '22; Rachel King, '29; J. G. Babbitt, '29; Stephen Shepard, '29; Mahala Turley, '28; James Edmonson, '28; G. W. Smith, '25; William James, '22; Palmer Holmes, '21; J. M. Filson, '29; Mrs. Sarah Fay, '29; William Clark, '25; Eliza Clark, '23; Elizabeth Moss, '21; J. D. Jaywood, '22; W. C. Johnson, '29; A. C. Woods, '27; Mrs. A. C. Woods, '24; Charles Rockwell, '25; William Rockwell, "27; John T. Robertson, '23; Wm. C. Stevenson, '29; Edward Scott, '29; John Carter, '27; Joseph Cooley, '25; Win. H. Broadwell, '23.
ERRATA.
The amount of money offered by the Yale students for the founding of Illinois Col- lege, see pages 55 and 56, was $10,000 not $1,000 as stated a typographic error.
Mrs. Emma F., widow of George D. Rearick, and sister of Mrs. Joseph Codding- ton, informs us since the first chapter was put into type that her sister's child was not born "in a tent in Diamond Grove," (see page 19) but in a log cabin. Mr. Coddington was postmaster at one time. She states further that "Mr. Roe built the first herred log cabin that was built here, there were other rough log cabins before his. Mr. and Mrs. Coddington lived in this cabin, Mr. Roe boarding with them and it was in this log cabin Mr. Roe died."
Michael Antyl and Michael Arthur mentioned on page 11, are probably the same persons, but which is the correct name the compiler cannot decide.
JACKSONVILLE FEMALE ACADEMY. FOUNDED 1830.
Lat E
ILLINOIS COLLEGE. FOUNDED 1830,
CHAPTER V .- 1830-36.
"College" and "Academy" Chartered and in Full Blast-Faculty und Graduate-Wed- dings in Ye Olden Tyme-The Black Hawk War-Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopal Church Growth-Old Settler's Testimony as to Business, Transportation, Crime, de .- The Deep Snow and the Quick Freeze.
HE interesting period of which we propose to write in this chapter, begins with the actual opening of those two educational institutions, the foundations of which were laid in the previous year-Illinois College and the Female Academy, pio- eneer schools of the modern Athens-the Western New Haven. As we have re- corded, the place was laid out in 1825. It was incorporated as a town in 1826, and made the county seat of Morgan, then embracing the territory now included in sev- eral counties, viz : Cass, Scott, Greene.
The population had slowly increased until in 1830. it is said to have numbered 446.
The board of trust for Illinois College had been organized in December, 1829, among the carpenters' benches and shavings of its unfinished building; and on the 4th of Jan- nary 1830, nine students assembled to receive instruction.
Dr. Sturtevant says: "It was said that morning. We are met to-day to open a foun- tain for future generations to drink at. May God prosper the omen.' The deep snow fell upon and around the building, now known as the library building. I remember as though it was but yesterday, how the snow lay around it An area of a few feet in breadth all around the building was blown quite bare. Beyond that stood the frowning wall of snow three feet high, as if forbidding our escape to the outside world. That building is by many years the oldest brick building now standing in this town.
There are names among the early founders and friends of this college that ought to be held in lasting remembrance. Among them are the names of William Collins, the donor of $500 on its original subscription list. John Tilson, Thomas Lippincott, John M. Ellis and Theron Baldwin. In the mind of Mr. Ellis the idea originated, and the site on which it stands was selected by him and Thomas Lippincott, after an extensive tour of explora- tion for the best place; both of them poor in this world, but rich in faith, and caring for the welfare of this great people with self-sacrificing solicitude for generations yet to be. Such men are the true founders of states and empires.
More than half a century has passed since those consecrating prayers dedicated that school. Clouds have gathered, winds have shifted, tempests have beaten, supplies have been uncertain at times, frowning rocks have threatened a wreck, but through all he has stood erect in his place, and with a firm, faithful hand guided the craft he then launched. After the school was in actual operation funds were procured, students were gathered, and an able faculty secured. Families looking to the best advantages for the mental and moral training of their children, came in increasing numbers from the east and south, and our village in the prairie became the nucleus, around which was to gather, not only many other schools of learning, but also three of the great eleemosy- nary institutions of a state holding a proud place in the union.
The erection in 1832 of the large dormitory building, which was burned in 1852, involved the institution in a heavy debt. To relieve that, and to provide for a more numerous faculty, subscriptions amounting to more than $100,000 were obtained, chiefly in this state, in 1835 and 1836.
The first application for a charter was unsuccessful, on account of the prejudice then existing against such institutions. But at the session of 1834-35, by a combined effort, Illinois, McKendree, Jonesboro and Shurtleff colleges were each granted a char-
69
ILLINOIS COLLEGE AND JACKSONVILLE FEMALE ACADEMY.
ter and upon the same day. February 9, 1835. Illinois College was founded as a col- lege proper, and as such is the oldest in the state. Its first president, Edward Beecher, D. D., was appointed in 1832, holding the position until 1844. The year of the granting of the charter was also that of the sending forth of the first graduate -- Richard Yates. in later years the brilliant orator, the patriotic war governor of Illinois, and the state's representative in the House and Senate of the Congress of the United States. Since that graduation in 1835, four hundred and ten have been added to the alumni of "Old Illinois," and three hundred and forty are still in the land of the living.
The school's founders were undoubtedly wholly influenced in their efforts in its be- half by motives of patriotism, philanthropy and piety. They recognized liberal learn- ing as indispensable to national and general prosperity, to the maintenance of civil and religious liberty and the highest influence of christianity, over the minds and hearts of men. They meant, in the infancy of this State, the future greatness of which was al- ready foreseen, to found an institution which should be a fountain of generons culture to the mighty people that should soon inhabit these fertile plains, and to millions that are yet unborn. They had no religious ends to subserve except to promote the king- dom of God among men; and no political ambitions except to extend the dominion of liberty over a vast and fertile region, then a wilderness. The ends and aims of the in- stitution are still the same ; and the ends will be strictly pursued by the men who now have it in charge, and by them will be transmitted in sacred trust to their successors.
In the courses of instruction provided, the trustees and faculty always aim at thor- oughness. They seek to extend the course over as wide a field as practicable. But they believe it is better to know a few things well, than many things superficially.
Turning to the sister institution, now known as the Jacksonville Female Academy. we find the origin due to the same Christian pioneer and Presbyterian preacher, Rev. Jno. M. Ellis. The seminary was organized the same year (1530), and simultaneously chartered by the Legislature (1835.)
The earliest proceedings with reference to the Academy, took place September 29th, 1830, when "a meeting of gentlemen favorable to the establishment of a Female Seminary in the town of Jacksonville, was held at the house of Mr. John P. Wilkinson." The record does not give the names of those who were present, but it states that "Hon. Samuel D. Lockwood was called to the chair and Rev. J. M. Sturtevant appointed clerk." What the spirit of the occasion was may be inferred from the fact that a committee was appointed to report upon the subject at a subsequent meeting. That committee consisted of Judge Lockwood, Rev. Mr. Ellis, and Professor Sturtevant. The adjourned meeting was at the same place. three days afterwards, i. c., October 2d, 1830, when the committee reported the following preamble and resolution, which appears to have been unanimously adopted, viz :
"WHEREAS, The vast importance and urgent necessity of extending the blessing of education to all classes of American citizens are felt and acknowledged by all enlightened patriots and christians, and
"WHEREAS, The power of female influence over the intellectual and moral char- acter of the community must ever be too great for any or all other causes entirely to coun- teract, commencing as it does with the first dawn of infant intelligence, and forming perhaps the most important. certainly the most desirable part of that character before any other causes can begin to act upon it, and accompanying it through all the subsequent stages of its developments; considering too that in the present important crisis of our be- loved republic not one effort ought to be withbeld which can tend to give permanency to its foundations-the intelligence and virtue of the people: wherefore
"Resolved, That an Academy ought to be immediately established in this State, to be devoted to female education: and that Jacksonville, in Morgan county, is, in our opinion, a situation highly favorable for the successful operation of such an institution."
In the language of Dr. L M. Glover (1880), we can but mark and admire the breadth of these views, the patriotic and christian sentiments they embody, the directness and energy of purpose they exhibit; and it is impossible to overestimate the value of the rec- ord containing them, occupying the place it does at the very outset of an important edu- cational movement, and so clearly outlining the motives to such a work and the objects it was designed to subserve. That record will be to the friends of this institution, in all the
70
FIRST TRUSTEES AND CHARTER FOR THE ACADEMY.
future, a reminder of the principles on which it was founded, and a covenant against its perversion to had or un worthy purposes.
At the same meeting. and in immediate connection with the action just referred to. an organization was effected by choosing a board of trust, consisting of thirteen members, whose names are as follows:
"Bazaleel Gillett, Joseph Duncan. David B Ayers Dennis Rockwell, John M. Ellis. Elihu Wolcott. Ero Chandler, Joseph M. Fairfield. James G Edwards, John P. Wilkinson, Samuel D Lockwood, Ignatns R Simms. and Julian M Sturtevant," all of whom, except two, have passed away from earth-Dr. Chandler, of Warsaw, Ill .. and Dr. Sturtevant, who is permitted in his fresh old age to witness with satisfaction so much good fruit of educational enterprises to which his early and later life has been wholly de- voted.
It would be difficult to find in any community. large or small, especially In one just forming, a body of men more intelligent, cultured, and wise, than those to whom this important interest was first committed. Taken together, they were persons of mark in the professional, business, and social circles in which they moved. All of them were well educated, and some of them liberally educated; several of them belonged to the learned professions and reached high rank in them. As religiously distributed, two of them were Episcopalians, two Baptists, while the remaining nine were by profession or sympathy. at that time connected with the Presbyterian church. Other denominations were after- wards represented in the board; but though the institution was designed to be broad in principle and unsectarian in spirit, its principal management was always without ques- tlon and without jealousy conceded to those who took the leading part in founding and rearing it. No denominational name found a place in its legal title, it was and is simply the "Jacksonville Female Academy," though in common speech designated as the "Pres- byterian Academy.'
It is a noticeable fact that no sooner had the enterprise been organized by the ap- pointment of Trustees, than a piece of ground was donated upon which to locate the new institution, and to be forever consecrated to the sacred purpose of female educa- tion. This was the gift of Dr. Ero Chandler, and is the magnificent block on which the Academy now stands. * * * *
* This ground, when thus donated, was of small comparative value, being then some distance from the business centre and the platted limits of the town, and embraced in fields that were used for farming purposes. flere grew the tall corn, here cattle grazed, rude fences enclosed these outlying prair- ie regions and not a tree was seen, as one looked westward from where we stand, nearer than Wilson's grove in the rear of Illinois College, almost a mile away But what shall we say of its value now, near the heart of a beautiful and thriving city, surrounded by costly residences and by public buildings that are regarded as fortunate because of their proximity to it; charming too in itself, with its fascination of vener- able trees and shaded lawn; nature and art vying in the effort to clothe it with attrac- tions and to bring it into complete harmony with the purpose to which it is devoted. * * * * * An act of incorporation was secured in Jannary, 1835, and it receiv- ed approval on the 27th of that month. It was prepared by Hon. James Berdan and introduced into the Legislature by Hon. John Henry and advocated by Hon. Wm. Thomas. The corporators were the original Trustees with the exception of John M Ellis, Joseph M. Fairfield, Ignatus R. Simms and James G. Edwards, whose names disappear and are supplied by new appointments as follows: Benjamin Godfrey, Ebenezer T. Miller, Matthew Stacy and William Brown. The provisions of the act were for the most part liberal and wise, though exhibiting a rather unnecessary fear of monied monopolies as appears in Section 6th, which limits the amount of land to be held in perpetuity for the uses of the Institution to twelve acres, and requires that lands donated to it at any time "shall be sold within three years from the date of such donation," and "in failure whereof, the lands so given shall revert to the donor;" fur- ther, the trustees were forbidden "to lease or rent out any lands so held in trust." The charter, however, was gladly accepted and it was entirely acceptable with the ex. ception of the following rider which was attached to it: "That all the real and per- sonal property of each of the trustees shall be bound for the payment of all contracts which they shall enter into for the said institution," a proviso which was subsequently repealed on motion of the late Col. John J. Hardin. Among the good things in the charter which there can never be a motive or desire to change, is the provision of sec- tion 2d, that the trustees "shall hold the property of the institution solely for the pur. poses of female education and not as stock for the individual benefit of themselves or of any contributor to the endowment of the same, and no particular religious faith shall be required of those who become trustees or students of the institution."
It is worthy of notice that this seminary is the first of the kind established in this State, and the first of any kind to be chartered by the Legislature, though three col- leges Illinois, Shurtleff and MeKendree, were subsequently incorporated by that body, during the same session. It is a still more interesting fact that in all the vast territory covered by the ordinance of 1787, excepting only the State of Ohio, this is the earliest school of high grade having exclusive reference to the education of woman. This
71
MR. AND MRS. J. M. ELLIS AND DR. ERO CHANDLER.
circumstance may be mentioned in honor of our commonwealth, and it confers a pre- cedence upon this seminary of which it may justly be proud. In the wide region re- ferred to, many institutions now share in the work begun here, but Jacksonville Fe- male Academy antedates most of them by many years, and in the generous sense of the words, it will be admitted that she is the mother of them all.
The trustees were no sooner organized than they began to agitate the subject of building, They had suitable ground, but there was no structure of any kind upon it. The plan of an edifice was soon projected and adopted, though by no means with the hope of realizing it in full except in the course of years. The plan contemplated a centre building 40x50 feet on the ground, with wings 30x40 feet each, respectively two stories and one and one-half stories above the basement, all fronting the north, the main entrance covered with a lofty portico supported by heavy columns. It was cal- culated that the building when completed would cost something more than twenty thousand dollars, but what it actually did cost we have no means of ascertaining. The first thing undertaken was the erection of the east wing and subscriptions for that purpose were at once taken.
It should be noted here that the actual founding of the Academy was due, in great measure, to the efforts of Mrs. John M. Ellis, who had been preceptress of a boarding school for young ladies for some years, the church parsonage being used for that pur- pose, as well as that of home for the pastor and his family.
It was owing to the prejudice then existing in the popular mind against institutions with educational, charitable or religious aims that the Legislature refused to grant any charters until the session of 1834-'35, when this feeling was measurably overcome. No regular classes were graduated until the year 1844; but that year Catherine Murdock and Juliana Wolcott, (afterwards Mrs. Prof. James B. Smith and Mrs. W. Chauncey Carter, both living in Jacksonville at the present writing.) received the first diplomas of the institution, and from that time there has not been a year without a class ranging from three to twenty-six graduates, the whole number now (1884) in the alumna being about 400.
The history of the Academy speaks for itself-a history of constant growth, advanc- ing reputation and prosperity. Over three thousand young ladies have been connected with the school since its establishment. It is and always has been the aim to make its course of study equal to the best. It already requires four years, or three for the seien_ tifie, not including the preparatory course. The system of classification is that usually adopted in American institutions. It ranks first in age among the now numerous schools of high grades for young ladies in the west, and is second to none in point of excellence. But to resume our extracts from Dr Glover's remarkably complete and able historical ad- dress upon the occasion of the celebration of the Academy's semi-centennial in June 1880:
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