USA > Illinois > Morgan County > Jacksonville > Historic Morgan and classic Jacksonville > Part 17
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"In consequence of a number of disorderly persons, the convention did not duly organize until the afternoon." There is nothing more about martyrdom than this, which seems to have been a full enough statement that the rioters broke up the meet- ing at one time. The call for the convention, signed by Elijah P. Lovejoy, touched on the fact that the Observer press had been three times destroyed in Alton in the space of a little more than a year, calling thus to the mind the history of that series of abuses which culminated in the tragical death of Lovejoy.
In May, 1842, Rev. Wm. H. Williams was installed as pastor of the First Presby- terian church, succeeding Rev. Ralph W. Gridley who had been installed April 25, 1837.
The Methodist churches during these years were under the care of the eccentric but consecrated backwoods preacher Peter Cartwright, who was presiding elder from 1836 to '43. The pastors in charge of Jacksonville station were: 1837, J. T. Mitchell ; 1838, John P. Richmond; 1839, W. D. R. Trotter : 1840, Thomas W. Chandler ; 1841-'42; W. M. Grubbs: 1843, Chauncy Hobart.
They worshiped in their first brick church until 1838 or '39, when they sold it to be used as a chair factory, and erected a more commodious church on the south side of East State street, where the marble front now stands. This church was dedicated by Peter Akers, D. D., who preached the dedication sermon from the words, "This is the house of God, this is the gate of heaven." This house they occupied until the centen- niał year of Methodism in America, 1866, when they dedicated their present house of worship, at a cost of $35,000.
The congregation, small at first, grew in numbers during all these years, and it was known as the Methodist church of Jacksonville. When the Grace church was organ- ized, being on the west side of the city, it was called the West Charge, and the church of which we are writing was called the East Charge. By this name it was known until the erection of the present church, when it was, in commemoration of the year of its erection, called the "Centenary Methodist Church."
In 1836, for the Church of Christ, a house of worship was erected, and from this date until 1850 some of the prominent ministers were D. P. Henderson, John T. Jones Jerry Lancaster, Bryson Pyatt and Elder Trimble. In 1850, a larger house of worship was erected on North Main street. The first pastor there was Elder A. J. Kane, now at Springfield. His successors were Elder Jonathan Atkinson, W. S. Russell, JJohn Under- wood, Dr. Cox, and Enos Campbell. The congregation began to hold meetings in its present church, on East State street, under Elder Campbell, who remained until 1873, when he was succeeded by Rev. J. W. Allen, and he by J. Mad Williams, L. W. Welch and A. N. Gilbert. The membership is now four hundred and fifty, and the Sunday- school two hundred and fifty.
In 1838 occurred the division in the Presbyterian church in the United States result- ing in what was known as the "Old School" and "New School" organizations. The Jacksonville Presbyterian church, like many others throughout the land, was rent in twain by this division. There were three elders in the church at the time of the division : Wm. C. Posey, David B. Ayers and Daniel (. Pierson. Mr. Posey and a minority in
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SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH-WEDDING IN 1838.
the church sympathising strongly with the Old School Assembly, adhered to that body, and carried their cause before the Synod of Illinois, which met in Peoria that year
We learn from the Rev. Dr. Harsha's historical discourse delivered April 26, 1874, that "this church was found, after the division, to embrace forty-two members, only three of whom are living, viz: Huram Reeve, Jane Branson (Mrs. Wm.) and Eleanor E. Chambers (Mrs. George M.) The church secured the services of Rev. Andrew Todd, (who died in 1850) of Flemingsburg, Kentucky, who entered upon his labors in the autumn of 1838." They worshiped first, for a few months, in a frame building which stood on the north end of the lot on the square on which the Park House now stands, the use of which was given by Gov. Duncan without charge, afterward the Congrega. tional church edifice was secured at a nominal rent. This edifice then formed the rear portion of the building on the east side of the square, used by Messrs. Johnson & Son as a furniture store, afterwards known as Union Hall and finally destroyed by fire. In the mean time preparations were made for the erection of a sanctuary for themselves.
In the year 1840, about two years after the division of the church, a frame building on West State street was completed-the lot having been donated by Colonel John J. Hardin, as his subscription-at a cost of eighteen hundred dollars. In this sanctuary the congregation worshiped for nearly thirty years, leaving it only a few months before entering the lecture room of the present building, in 1871.
Dr. Harsha summed up in 1874, as to the church's growth : "In the thirty-eight years that this church has maintained its separate existence, 688 persons have connected themselves with it, and enjoyed its privileges and fellowship. Of these, 342 have been brought to Christ through its instrumentality."
Since the division in 1838, this church has had four settled pastors. Rev. Andrew Todd, labored with great zeal, earnestness and self-denial, from November, 1838, until failing health compelled him, in the autumn of 1849 to seek a warmer climate. The hopes of his greatly attached people, of his immediate family, and of his wide circle of friends and admirers, were not, however, to be realized. He continued to fail, until on the 2d day of September, 1850, in the 51st year of his age, he fell asleep in Jesus, at Casa Bianca, near Monticello, Florida.
Rev. Truman M. Post, D. D., was pastor of the Congregational church from 1840-'47, as well as professor in Illinois College. He was their second pastor succeeding Rev. Wm. Carter.
Before we leave the year of grace, 1838, we must give a pen picture by "Father" James Hussey, to the Journal:
In the fall of the year 1838, as I was standing between the then court house and the market house, a young man put his hand on my shoulder and said; "Old man, we want you to go jo old man - and splice a couple." He led me to a log cabin; an elderly lady met me at the door and said: "You will lose no time, for supper is now ready." I took a look at the room, and saw an elderly couple, and three young ladies, and as many young gentlemen Each lady had a dress made partly of wool, and partly of cotton, home manufactured; the gentlemen were dressed in a similar way. The room was furnished with a table and three benches, (home made,) an iron spoon (filled with lard and a shred of cotton) that was stuck in a crack in one of the logs, supplied the place of a lamp.
I took off my hat and said: "You that wish to be joined in wedlock, stand up and join your right hands." One of the ladies and gentlemen arose. The splicing and kissing were soon over, we then sat down to supper. We had a nice corn cake baked in the skillet, ham and eggs nicely fried, coffee make of corn, no sugar, plenty of nice sweet cream, a clean cloth on the table We had a merry time; and I think I never enjoyed a supper better. As I was retiring the young bridegroom followed me to the door, and in a whisper said: "I cannot pay you to-night, it took all the money I had to pay for the license; but I will pay you as soon as I can." In a few days I met him; he smiled and gave me a dollar, and said: "I got this with chopping." Thus, the bridegroom went on his wedding tour chopping, and the bride went playing music, on that musical instrument, the spinning wheel.
I lost all trace of them from 1838 until 1873. As I was traveling on the road I met a splendid carriage, a fine pair of horses. A gentleman and lady and a pretty girl sat in the carriage. I was gazing at the carriage, thinking what a pretty turn out it was,
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LIVING SETTLERS OF FIFTY-FIVE YEARS AGO
when lo! it stopped. The man spoke to me; I got out of my buggy, took the slate from my pocket and said, "I am quite deaf." He wrote on my slate, "What is your name?" I told him my name; he then wrote, "I thought it was you, but you look old." We had ten or fifteen minutes' chat. He gave me to understand that they were the couple that were spliced in the log cabin in 1838. I said, "Is that your daughter?" He said, "No, she is a grand-daughter." He gave me a present and we parted. I have not seen him since, but I have often thought since I saw him how truly did Dr. Franklin say, "He that by the plow would thrive, himself must either hold or drive."
As to his coming to Morgan county, Mr. Hussey writes :
In the year 1838, I with five other Englishmen, saw Jacksonville for the first time. We all traveled from the north of Jacksonville twelve miles in a wagon, we got into the square, we tied up our horses, my companions looked around, and began to laugh and said "Is this Jacksonville? Why it's nearly as small as a village." They went in- to the grog-shop and I into the market house. It was empty at the time, and with my pencil I wrote these lines while sitting on a bench in the market house When they came out of the hell hole I let them see the lines. They said I was a softy.
Here are the lines:
Just pause a moment when you look at me, And think what I was thirty years ago; Can you imagine what I then must be, Known only as hunting ground for who? Savage tribes then only tread my plain, Or howling wolf and wild beasts of prey- Now look and think what you can find to say.
View me when thirty more years are gone; I then may stand a monument of wonder, Like some great city I may become Loaded with wealth, but not with plunder, Even 1 may then he called a city.
At present, 1884, there are living in Jacksonville seven persons who have been residents of the city since 1828, and in October 1883 one of their number, Mr. Foreman, published the following lines entitled : "Reminiscences of 54 Years and 10 Months."
The world moves on, The years rotl slowly by; Youth comes of age, The aged droop and die.
New faces crowd the ever bustling scene
And tell to one what I have been.
My old friends are wrinkled, bald and grey,
And I advancing grow old as they.
Yet my thoughts oft backward flow,
To memories of 54 years 10 months ago.
Ah, oft when busy recollection plays,
Mid by gone scenes, What fancies rise familiar to the call?
What memories all my faculties enthrall ? What various visions of Jacksonville 51 years, 10 months ago ?
Where are they now! Some have risen high. Aiming their arrows even at the sky ;
Some have been wayward and gone astray;
Some hold the even tenor of their way. Some are recorded with immortal name, With gilded letters on the scroll of fame, Many have departed : a few remain, of 51 years, 10 months ago.
The names of the seven referred to are Matthew Stacy, William Thomas, Smiley Henderson, Anderson Foreman, Mrs. George Richards, Mrs. Charlotte Chappel, Mrs. E. T. Miller.
Writing of old settlers we should refer to Philip Stringham, born 1794. He came to Ohio from New York in 1836, and two years later reached Jacksonville, and found lodging in one part of a house occupied by Mr. James Cooper, who was postmaster then. Joseph MeCaslin was the first man he became acquainted with. Mr. McCaslin was one of Jacksonville's oldest citizens and a fine, genial man. His second acquaint- ance was the late Dr. Reed, whose life still stands out grandly in our midst. Murdock, Coffman. Milburn, Bancroft and, we might mention a score of others, were also among his old and highly esteemed friends and acquaintances. Some of his old friends still
102
FIRST MURDER TRIALS IN MORGAN 1839-'41.
survive, while most of them have gone to the echoless shore of great Eternity. Ile be- came afflicted with asthma about the year 1845, and continued to grow worse until 1856. Dr. Reed, his physician, advised him to go over the "plains," which he did the same year. He reached Salt Lake City with his family in September and found himself per- fectly free from his old trouble, asthma, but environed by such a state of things as soon resolved him to return to the states again. He landed again in Jacksonville early in September, 1859, where he is now residing in 1884.
The first indictment for murder in Morgan county was found in 1839, at the June term of the circuit court. It was against John A. Hall for killing Robert Denny, by stabbing him in the left breast with a large pair of shears. He was tried in Novem- ber, 1839 and found "not guilty." Wm. Brown was State's Attorney, Wm. Thomas, Judge, and Josiah Lamborn, Attorney for the defendant.
The second murder case tried in the county was George Gardner indicted in Scott county in May, 1841, for killing Philip W. Nash by shooting him in the heart with a shot gun. The case came to this county by a change of venue. John S. Greathouse was state's attorney and the defendant had John P. Jordan as his attorney. The case was tried in July, 1841, and the defendant was found guilty by a jury and sentenced by Judge S. A. Douglas to be "hung by the neck until dead," on the 23rd day of July, 1841, between the hours of twelve o'clock noon and three o'clock p. m. This is the only person ever sentenced to be hung in this county. The execution did not take place, however, as the prisoner escaped from jail a few days before the time of his execution and has never been heard of since.
Among "old settlers" reminiscences we might quote Mr. A. J. Thompson, as follows :
There has been a great improvement in many things in this country. I was not here in the earliest times, but I was here in time to have seen many and great changes in this country I have been almost persuaded to believe that this part of the country has been more highly favored than other sections, but it is probably because I am more intimately acquainted here. In the olden times a man would rig out a plow, harness and all necessary rigging to go to work, and the only iron used was the bridle bits and the plowshare, and sometimes they used rope for bridle bits. One of the greatest meetings that was ever held in this county was that assembled to consider the propriety of putting through a railroad in this county. In the olden times there was everything to encourage us if it was rude.
Mr. Thompson, as noted above, refers to the railroad meeting, a subject which we must now consider at some length, because the laying of those rails was indeed an his- toric occurrence of much more than local interest.
Mr. Thompson came to Morgan in 1834, and says :
They had no wagon roads, no railroads, except those they made by taking some of Uncle Sam's timber to lay in the mud. There was a little railroad laid before that from Jacksonville to Meredosia. It was built in 1836, about a mile out from Naples, and there was a tremendous ado made about it. Ile supposed it could make that mile out and back in less than half an hour! It was about that time that the first steam- boat came up the Illinois River to Naples, and when she blowed off her steam every horse all over this country broke loose and ran, and it was three weeks before some of them got back.
Of this railroad the four men taking prominent part in the laying of the first rail were Col. James Dunlap, Prof. J. B. Turner and Senator Richard Yates, of Jackson- ville, and George B. Plants, of St. Louis. Mr. Plants and of the Jacksonville gentle- men drove the first spike, and Senator Yates made an address upon that occasion.
Rev. Levi Crawford, of Bloomington, formerly an Illinois College student, in 1881 contributed to the Lincoln (Ill.) Herald, the following about this and connected occur- rences :
In the year 1836-'37, one Charles Collins, an enterprising but somewhat visionary citizen of St. Louis, took in hand to buikl a railroad from Naples on the Ilinois River to Jacksonville. I am not sure but his plan took in Springfield as the terminus.
Well, the survey was made and the forces gathered to build the road. We began at Naples, threw up a road bed as far as the slough, about two miles east of town. then we put down ties and laid upon them rails of white oak, six inches square. These were fast-
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FIRST RAILROAD EXCURSION IN ILLINOIS.
ened to the ties by oak or hickory pins. Not a particle of iron was used in the construc. tion. In this way the road was built until we reached the slough; and that is as far as it ever went, under the corporation of Charles Collins.
Upon this railroad there ran but one car, and it was not a locomotive, but a simple four wheeler. drawn by gray horses. Poor fellows, they are dead and gone long ago! Well, the road was finished, as I have said, to the slough, and was in readiness for the grand Fourth July celebration in 1837. Let me tell you something about that celebra- tion. It was a grand affair. The celebration was held in a grove of "black jacks" up on a sand ridge in the northeast part of the town. The stage was built under one of the trees. the tree being used as a support.
Early in the morning, the people began to gather from all quarters, making a great crowd. There was a cavalry company, I believe from Jacksonville, I am not sure, but think John J. Hardin was the captain. Well do I remember their gay appearance as they came prancing out upon the green where stood the old church, built by the Collins brothers. They came at the call of a bugle blown by a little man dressed in a red suit and mounted upon a bay horse. After the company had galloped around for awhile, the little man in red with the bugle, got off his horse and came and stood on the platform where the band was. Then they gave us "Hail Columbia" in grand style. Then some one got up and read the Declaration of Independence Then the band gave another tune. Then the orator of the day was introduced. I remember just how he looked-a slender boy without beard, blushing like a girl and with his knees smiting together like that old Babylonian king's.
Well, I did not know much about oratory then and have learned but little since; but I made up my mind that he had done "first rate," for a boy; and I think all the people thought so, too, for they swung their hats and yelled like Indians. Some of the men on the stage took him by the hand and congratulated him on his success. I remember of hearing some one ask who that boy was. The answer was, "Dick Yates, a young chap from Jacksonville."
After the speech the great ones went down to the hotel where diuner was prepared for the select few. After dinner there was music, speeches and toasts. I was outside, but remember one toast given by Gen. Hardin: "Naples-the great commercial empori- um of Illinois The time is not distant when she will cover the plain to the Bluffs, which will not be able to confine her; but she will burst the bounds and unite with Jacksonville and they shall become, in fact, what they are to-day in heart." I do not give the exact words, but such was the sentiment. Alas! the prophecy was never fulfilled. Naples had reached her pinnacle of glory on that day.
In the afternoon the grays were put to the car, upon which had been constructed a frame work for seating the magnates. The band was put aboard and also the president of the road-I believe-and the orator and a few others and away they sped across the prairie for two whole miles with banners flying and music filling the air. As I walked home through the dust, I met the returning excursionists, and it was a grand sight-such as Illinois had never before seen. And I venture the assertion that it was the first rail- road excursion ever given in Illinois, made on Illinois' first railroad. As I have said, the railroad was never built further than the slough, under the Collins management; for that same year the company, which was made up of one man, failed and left the laborers in the lurch. Sure am I that I am one of the creditors of the concern still; the last pay I received wa, twenty pounds of soap grease, weighed out to me by the boss after the laborers had all left. This I turned over to my mother, and quit railroading.
The Hannibal branch of the Wabash uses the old Collins road bed. If that corpora- tion wishes to confer any favors upon the laborers who built that first road and never got their pay, or if they feel that they inherited the obligations with the property, I would say, "Gentlemen, please send me a ticket for a free ride over your road, and you shall have a receipt in full!"
Mr. Editor I have some very distinct recollections about that other road, built after the same pattern with a strap on top of the oak rail. Well do I remember seeing the first locomotive ever brought to Illinois make its trial trip from Meredosia to "Dickinson Lake," as it was then called; filling the tender with a hand pump. * * * * * *
Almost every one whom I have heard speak of this matter "the first railroad in the west" has insisted that it was the old road, built by the state from Meredosia, on the Illi - nois River, to Springfield, and that it was built in 1839. In fact I have just read an ac- count of the arrival of the first train to Jacksonvile, furnished by some of the old resi- dents of that city. * * * * *
That was not the first railroad in this Sucker state. I claim the honor of having helped build the first railroad that was laid down or thrown up, in this great state.
The following is probably some such account as Mr. C. refers to, which went the rounds of the press:
"The first railroad train ever run in Illinois made its appearance on the first railroad in the state, which extended from Jacksonville to Meredosia. This was in the fall of
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THE FIRST RAIROAD TRAIN IN MORGAN.
1839, and the day was a memorable one. Nearly all Morgan County had. according to accounts. assembled in the public square to witness the arrival of that wonderful first train. School children had been given a holiday and the daily labor was everywhere neglected except in the shops in the town.
The public square was filled with teams, and when the engine steamed into the square making all the noise possible, there was such a stampede of horses as was never before heard of, nearly every team breaking loose, and at least one-third of the vehicles in the county were broken, and many of the people were as much scared as the horses at the steaming monster as it came rushing up into the square."
There were then 23 miles of railroad in Illinois. Now the county is crossed by the Chicago & Alton, the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific with thePeoria branch, the Jack- sonuille Southeastern and the C. B. & Q., which goes through Chapin. Two have their termini in Jacksonville, and there are several trains run for the accommodation of this city.
But of this old road, the track took its course down what is now known as West State Street, and directly through the center of our public square. Those who have made Jacksonville their home for many years remember well the sensation which was created when the iron horse first came puffing and blowing down State Street. Not such a locomotive, to be sure, as we have now, but for all that a novelty, and the same persons doubtless remember when the engine was discarded and mules took its place, and also, when the road was abandoned, and the rails extending through town were torn up. Many of the ties, which were left in their places and covered with dirt were unearthed by the men who were digging the trench for the sewer, on State Street in 1880. They were but a short distance below the surface of the earth, and were, of course, so badly decayed that they fell to pieces when struck by the pick-axe. They were arranged in as regular order as when first laid down, and for some distance not one was missing.
An eye witness reports that when the Jacksonville & Meredosia road was first com- pleted, an excursion was planned from this place to Meredosia, the railroad men prom- ising to return the train by sundown. The train, by the way, consisted of two common passenger cars and several sand ears. The excursionists had a merry time at the river, and in fact were enjoying themselves so much that they did not get started on the re- turn voyage until about sundown. Then came the tug of war-the engine was by no means a powerful one, the grade was rather steep, and in the language of our inform- ant, "every time they came to a leaf or a twig on the track, the engine couldn't pull them over, and all hands were obliged to get out and push." Of course they made but little headway, and when midnight came they had accomplished but half the distance At this juncture the conductor slyly unfastened the coupling which joined the cars, and away went the engine with the two passenger cars, leaving a terribly enraged crowd upon the platform cars. The engine and favored few arrived in Jacksonville about daylight, and then it started back after the remainder of the load. When they reached the place where the remaining cars had been left, the engineer found that they had all been pried off the track, and thrown into a ditch by the maddened passengers, who were, in consequence, obliged to walk home.
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