USA > Illinois > Morgan County > Jacksonville > Historic Morgan and classic Jacksonville > Part 2
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54
Mr. Olmstead settled at a point now known as Allison's Mound. A settlement was made the same year on the north fork of the Mauvaisterre by Samuel Scott, and James Kerr. General McConnel came into the county the same year.
In 1819, when the Kelloggs located their humble and now historic cabin on the banks of the Mauvaisterre, their nearest white neighbors were thirty miles distant, where Illinois' capital city is now growing so vigorously.
In the spring of 1820, James Deaton, Isaac Reeve, Sr., and family, Robert R. James and others settled north-west of the present site of Jacksonville. In the fall of the same year Jolin Bradshaw, Joseph Morton, Joseph Buchanan, Ancil Cox and Michael Antyl settled south and east of the same. In 1821, Lott Luttrell, Johnston Shelton and Francis Petree became residents within the present bounds of Morgan county. In 1822, William. C. Verry, Thomas Wiswall, Adam Allison and a few others were added to the sparsely inhabited settlement. From this time emigration poured into this golden land of promise. The wild prairies were fenced, plowed and sown, rank wild grass yielded to corn, wheat, oats, ete. Homes were established, fruit trees planted, live stock im. ported and the savages' hunting ground converted into as charming a farming region as beautifies this earth.
The act of Congress reducing the price of the public lands from $2.00 to $1.25 per
12
THE CHURCH IN THE JORDAN CABIN.
acre, was passed on the 24th day of April 1820, and took effect on the first day of July thereafter. Very little land, if any, had been sold in Morgan county before this time.
Levi Deaton, one of the first settlers in Morgan county, has, in answer to an inquiry, written the following about the introduction of Methodism into this county :
"The first sermon preached in the county, so far as I know, was by Rev. John Glanville. at my father's house, in 1822. A class was then and there organized, con- sisting of my father and mother, and a brother named Johnson and his wife. The first quarterly meeting was held the same year at Father Jordan's-father of John and Wm. Jordan, in the east part of Jacksonville. The first camp meeting in the county was held on Walnut Creek, near Lynnville, by Peter Cartwright."
The statement is undisputed that the first Morgan county church was organized in 1822 by a few persons who held their meetings for worship in this famous large log cabin of "Father" Jordan. It stood just back of the old Berean College building and was erected before Morgan county was created. Its members were scattered over the country, many of them coming many miles to attend service. The Methodists continued to hold meetings in this cabin until the completion of the school house in which Judge Thomas held the first school in Jacksonville. They worshiped here until 1833 when they erected a brick church on East Morgan street, which was the first brick church in the county.
It was in 1822 that "Uncle John" Jordan, now living in Jacksonville, removed with his father to this county, but he went back to Missouri and did not finally settle here until 1833. That year cholera prevailed, and he and his brother spent nearly their whole time during the season in caring for the sick. They settled on the Hardin farm, in the east part of town and the first Methodist meetings were held at their house, as stated above, and since that time the home of the Jordan's has been the place of religion. He has been married three times and has survived all. Considering his age he is still very strong and hardly a day passes but that he is seen upon our streets. He does all his work, even to sawing the wood. During his whole life he has been a staunch Chris- tian and one of the most honored members of Grace M. E. church. Ever since there was a Journal, or an ancestor to the Journal, published in Jacksonville, he has been a subscriber and now reads his Daily Journal thoroughly and regularly. Mr. Jordan is one of the few men now living who took part in the war of 1812 which forever decided the strength of our claims. He was in the most disagreeable part of that war, because those troops who went out against the Indians experienced unspeakable hardships and many died from exposure. After the treaty was made they moved back to Buffalo creek and engaged in the more peaceful pursuits of farming. The principal crop was corn and not much wheat was planted. At that early day Uncle John tells us he went sixty miles to mill, and that many people used the hand-mills to keep from going so great a distance. They had plenty of meat, corn-bread, butter, wild honey and milk, but coffee, sugar, etc., were very scarce. Coffee 75c per Ib.
In a book entitled the "Annals of the West" we learn that there were in 1823 in Morgan county about seventy-two families. In 1821 there were but twenty families in (now) Morgan, Cass and Scott.
One of the most valuable historical documents of these earliest Morganian days is the constitution of a political society "to prevent the introduction of slavery into this state." Its supposed date is A. D. 1823. For, in February 1823, the Legislature passed an act authorizing the people to vote at the next election for and against calling a con- vention to adopt a new constitution, the object being to create the institution of slavery. The election was held in August 1824. A society in Morgan county was organized against the call, and of the one hundred and forty signers or members of this society, so far as is known, Lazarus Reeve and Alfred Mills, are the only survivors. Honor to the memory of their colleagues! And all honor to the living, who rejoice with us to- day in being citizens of a country that is free-the asylum of all the oppressed !
CONSTITUTION OF THE MORGANIAN SOCIETY .- Under a free government, public opinion gives energy to the laws, happiness and security of the community being the
13
ANTI-SLAVERY SOCIETY IN 1823.
legitimate end. Every good citizen thereof has an interest in its support. Under its fostering wing his moral, his religious and his political rights are maintained. Virtue and intelligence should be its bond of union.
But as man is naturally prone to abuse power, it is rendered necessary for the se- curity of the whole, that this dangerous propensity should be guarded against.
Therefore, we, citizens of Morgan county, have thought it advisable to form a so- ciety for the purpose of concentrating public opinion, and by a frequent interchange thereof, to enlighten and direct each other.
When entering into association it becomes au indispensable duty to adopt a regu- lar system of establishing order. It is the declared design and intention of this socie- ty to promote the public good, by using all honorable means to prevent the introduction of slavery into this State, by maintaining the purity of elections; by cherishing political harmony, and by restraining vice and immorality.
The better to secure these objects, we, the undersigned, citizens of Morgan county, agree to the following constitution:
Art. 1. The style of this society shall be The Morganian Society for the dissemi- nation of political knowledge and the maintenance of the unalienable rights of man.
Art. 2. No person shall be admitted a member of this society unless he has at- tained the age of eighteen years, is averse to slavery and is a citizen of this county.
Art. 3. The officers of this society shall be a president, vice-president, treasurer, a corresponding and a recording secretary, and a standing committee of twelve mem- bers.
Art. 4. The President shall preside at all regular meetings, preserve order repeat the question proposed by any member and perform such other duties as from time to time the society inay require of him.
Art. 5. The Vice-President shall preside at the committee meetings and he shall in case of a tie have a casting vote; moreover, in the event of a vacancy, perform such duties as may be annexed to the fourth article.
Art. 6. The duties of the Treasurer shall be to receive and account for all moneys paid in by the society.
Art. 7. The secretaries shall keep a register of the transactions of this society and correspond with any others that may be formed in this state for similar purposes; they shall, moreover, exhibit the records at any regular or call meeting when request- ed by the President.
Art. 8. The standing committee shall individually and collectively promote the views of this society, by procuring qualified subscribers to this constitution, by using efforts to disseminate the principles of liberty, by striving to expose the views of those who are hostile to the natural and political rights of man; and by using all lawful means to prevent the introduction of slavery into this State.
Art. 9. There shall be neither local or political distinction of parties in the selec- tion of candidates for office, save one, which requireth that he shall be decidedly op- posed to slavery; nevertheless, it is expected that he shall inherit morality, integrity and capacity.
Art. 10. There shall be four regular meetings annually, viz: on the last Saturday in July, at the county seat, the last Saturday in October at the house of Col. Kellogg, on Plumb Creek, the last Saturday in January at the house of on Mau- vaisterre, on the last Saturday of April at the bonse of , on Indian.
Art. 11. All officers of the society shall be elected for one year and by ballot, sub- jeet to removal by the concurrent vote of four-fifths of the members present at any of the quarterly meetings.
Art. 12. On the first meeting after the adoption of this constitution there shall be a code of by-laws framed, which to enact or amend shall require a majority of votes at a quarterly meeting.
Art. 13. On the application and previous to the admission of new members, the president, or in his absence, the vice-president shall exact the following pledge:
"You, A B., do solemnly pledge your word and sacred honor that you are friendly to the natural and political rights of man and will use all honorable means to prevent the introduction of slavery into this state."
Art. 14. This constitution may be altered or amended at any quarterly meeting, provided two-thirds of the members present agree to the same.
Archibald Job, Moses Nash, Peter Conover, Thomas Arnett, Stephen W. Spen- cer, Elisha Kellogg, Elijah Wiswall, Eli Redding, Moses Keelock, Page Blake, David C. Blair, Robert Henry, Israel Robertson, Abram Johnson, Peleg Sweet, Robert Sweet, Charles W. Horrell, David Beebe, Andrew Reed, W. C. Verry, Joseph Sweet, David Shelby, Constant Claxton, Wm. B. Burritt, Peter Smith. ALFRED MILLS, Elisha Henry, Wm. S Jordan, Andrew V. Patten, H. G. Taylor, Curtis Cadwell, John Weatherman, Joseph T. Leonard, Zachariah Cockburne, Bennett Smart, Robert Eckler, G. Cadwell, John Adams, Alford Carpenter, Samuel Bristow, Dennis Rockwell, Roswell Parmerlee, Lewis Allen Thomas Blair, Timothy Harris, Alex Blair, Nathan Eels, John Box, Martin Dyer, Simeon Herron, James Hills, Stephen Langworthy, James Arnett, Wm.
14
THE COUNTY CREATED-VIRGIN SOD BROKEN.
L. Morse, Daniel Lieb, James Gillham, Wiley Green, Samuel Bogart, Aaron Robertson, Charles Self, Orris McCartney, Obadiah Waddell, Nelson McDowell, Timothy Demars, Phillip Mallett, Abram S Bergen, Rowland Shepherd, Ephraim Lisles, Henry Robley, John P. Teftt, Wm Robertson, Forrest Fisher, Aquilla Clarkston, William Samples, Horatio Eddy, Abram B Dewitt, Jonathan C. Bergen, Jesse Bellamy, Noah Wiswall, Stephen Olmstedt, Anthony Thomas, Levi Newman, James Jenkins, John Edwards, Isaac B. Reeve, LAZARUS REEVE, David Casebar, Myron Bronson, Joel Reeve, Levi Conover, Guinn Porter, John Angelo, James Deaton, Sr., James Deaton, Jr , George Hackett, Samuel Shepherd, Isaac Dial, Alexander Robertson, Robert James, Joseph I Basey, Stephen Nash, Baxter Broadwell, Patrick Lynch, Olney Ticknor, Seymour Kellogg, Charles Troy, Hiram Duff, Henry H. Snow, Joseph Stanley, Andrew Arnett, Joseph Carter, Thomas B. Arnett, Levi Deaton, Patrick Mullett, Thomas Kinnett, Benj. Selmitz, Nicholas Jones, Joseph Milstead, Henry Kettner, Robert Bowen, James Redinond, Andrew Bowen, Levi Scott, Samuel Matthews, Richard Matthews, Sr., Richard Matthews, Jr., Robert Morgan, George Bristow, John Rusk, Armsted Cox
In January, A. D. 1823, when Morgan county was established, not a human being lived where now are the hundreds of handsome residences of our city-the liomes of thousands of happy hearts; elegant business blocks-the every day haunt of enterpris- ing and energetic merchants-and scores of schools, churches and charitable institu- tions-elevating the mind, ennobling the heart and kindly caring for the dependent -- comprising what has endeared itself to the hearts of all her citizens, under the com- prehensive name of Jacksonville.
The county was created by an act of the Legislature of date of January 31st, 1823, and named after the revolutionary general. The territory then included what is now Morgan, Cass and Scott counties, and was attached to the senatorial district composed of the counties of Greene and Pike, and of the representative district composed of Greene county. Dr. George Cadwell was elected to the Senate and Archibald Job to the House.
Of Mr. Job his friend Judge Thomas writes to the Daily Journal:
"Though humble and retiring in his pretensions, yet his mind-well stored with in- formation upon all questions relating to the history of the country, the powers and practical operations of the government, the rights and duties of citizens, and above all, his stern integrity and persistent advocacy of the right, in connection with sound practical judgment-constituted him in the early settlement of the Sangamon country and for years afterwards a man of mark. He settled in the grove, which he called Sylvan Grove*, near the present site of Virginia, in Cass county, in the year 1820. In 1822 he was c'ected to the Legislature from the district composed of the county of Greene and the territory afterward included in the county of Morgan."
In 1821 Greene county was formed from Madison, in 1823 Morgan came from Greene, in 1837 Cass from Morgan, in 1839 Scott was set off.
In 1822, and the years following, the brave and hardy hunters, trappers, and pioneers gathered together, one by one, for mutual protection and for the cultivation of the fertile soil. There fortunately happened to be a higher culture among them than was usual for that class of men, in those days. Both the north and south contributed in about equal proportions their sons and daughters to form the society of the embryo city, and Jacksonville may owe, to some extent, her honorable and influential position in the state to this fact, since she avoided the vices and clung to the virtues of both sections. To the energy and enterprise of the Yankee she joined the generosity and hospitality of the Southron ; and her sons and daughters grew up an educated, industrious and open. hearted race. To come more slowly up the plane of time we find the virgin sod of the prairie where Jacksonville now stands first furrowed in 1824, and the man who planted the first crop of corn lived in the -county until 1881-Mr. John Reeve. Mr. "Jacky" Smith, deceased, is another claimant of the honor of breaking the sod here. At this time the county was much larger than at present, and the location of the county seat had not been decided upon, and the sessions of the circuit court were held temporarily at the house of James G. Swinnerton, some six miles west of the city, at Swinnerton's Point. The discussion as to the permanent location of the seat of justice came up in the autumn of 1824, and the geographical centre of the county was found to be on the
* Surrounded by Kickapoo and Pottawatomie Indiana.
15
THE FIRST ELECTION AND COURT.
"Mound," about three miles west of the present site of the court house. This land, however, was already "entered," while the present site of Jacksonville was what was then called "congress land," and on account of its cheapness was accordingly purchased. The first court was held on the level prairie in the open air.
In a paper prepared for the Old Settlers' Meeting in 1873, and subsequently pub- lished in the Daily Journal, Judge Thomas says :
"The county of Morgan was created with the following boundary:
Beginning at the northwest corner of Greene county, thence cast to the range line between seven and eight west of the third principal meridian, thence northerly along the middle of the prairie that divides the waters of the Sangamon from those of Apple Creek, Mauvaisterre and Indian Creek, until it arrives at the middle of range eight, thence north to the middle of the main channel of the Illinois river, thence down said last mentioned channel to the place of beginning.
An election of county officers was required to be held on the first Monday in March, 1823, at the house of James G. Swinnerton. Joseph Klein, John Clark and Daniel Lieb were appointed judges of the election. Samuel Bristow, John Clark and Henry Fahnestock were appointed commissioners to fix on a place for a temporary seat of justice. Milton Ladd, a member of the legislature from Johnson county, was elected judge of the court of probate, and was appointed clerk of the circuit court Dennis Rockwell was appointed recorder. I believe Ladd made one visit to the county, and declined accepting the offices to which he had been elected and appointed. Dennis Rockwell was then appointed clerk, and Aaron Wilson, judge.
The county was attached to the first judicial circuit of which John Reynolds (eleet- ed governor in 1830) was judge-and was made to constitute a part of the senatorial and representative district with Greene county.
Jonathan Piper, Stephen Pierce, James Deaton, John Clark, Daniel Lieb, Thomas Arnett, Samuel Bristow, Aquilla Hall, David Blain, John Green, Joseph Buchanan, and Seymour Kellogg were appointed justices of the peace; Jobnston Shelton, survey- or-all deceased.
At the election of county officers Daniel Lieb, Peter Conover, and Samuel Bristow were elected county commissioners, and Wiley B. Green, sheriff. Dennis Rockwell was subsequently appointed clerk of the county commissioners' court-all of whom are dead.
The commissioners appointed for that purpose agreed upon the house of James G. Swinnerton as the temporary seat of justice.
The first circuit court was held by Judge John Reynolds on the third Monday of April, 1823, in a log cabin owned by Dr. Cadwell, near Swinnerton's house.
At the election in 1824, Daniel Lieb, Peter Conover, and Seymour Kellogg were elected county commissioners, and Joseph M. Fairfield, sheriff.
Thomas Carlin, (elected Governor in 1836,) and Isaac N. Piggott, (now a resident of St. Louis, over ninety years old,) were candidates for the Senate, Carlin obtained the certificate of election, but Piggott contested his right to the sent, and upon inves- tigation the question was referred back to the people, when Carlin was elected. Mr. Job was re-elected to the House from the counties of Morgan and Greene."
Gen. Murray McConnel's account of these first courts and elections varies a little from Judge Thomas'. In May '68 Gen. McConnel said in a speech at the laying of the corner stone of the present Court House :
In January, 1823, the legislature by law created Morgan county, and included therein all the country before described as attached to Greene county for judicial and political purposes, now composing the counties of Morgan, Scott and Cass This, the attached parts of Greene county, then included about fifteen hundred inhabitants, The county was organized on the first Monday of March, 1823, and on that day the first election was held therein, at a place called Swinnerton's Point, a mile and a half north-east of where the town of Lynnville now stands. At that election, Joseph Klein, John Clark and Daniel Leib, acted as judges, and Dennis Rockwell and Joseph M. Fairfield were the clerks. Seymour Kellogg, Thomas Arnett and Peter Conover, were elected county commissioners, and Wiley B. Green, sheriff.
Three persons-Samuel Bristow, John Clark and Henry Fahnestock, had been appointed by the legislature to fix the county seat of the county, and, on the third Monday of March, 1823, they located the same at a place called Olmstead Mound, now called Allison's Mound, about one and a half miles north of the present town of Lynnville, and now near the eastern boundary of Scott county. In the fall of 1823. the first circuit court was beld at that place. John Reynolds, afterwards governor, was the judge. Milton Ladd was the clerk, Wiley B. Green, the sheriff, and James Turney, then of Carrollton, Greene county, was state'sattorney. The persons present
16
JURIES IN THE OPEN AIR.
claiming to be lawyers, in addition to James Turney, were Alfred W. Caverly, then of Greene county; Murray MeConnel, of Morgan county; Benjamin Mills, of Vandalia; Jonathan H Pugh, and William S. Hamilton, then of Sangamon county
There was but one building at the place, that was made of round logs, a single room of abont sixteen feet each way, with an addition, leaned up against one side of it, about half as big as the main building. This was the dwelling-house of Mr. Olm- stead and family, who turned out, lived in a camp, and gave up his house to the court. In that camp, by a big log-heap fire, the females of Mr. Olmstead's family cooked for the judge and lawyers, and other attendants upon the court, and set the table, barbe- cue fashion, between the camp and the house, and all slept on a bed made on the floor in the room where the court was held. This was called field-bed-the sleepers laid across the bed, not lengthwise. There was about room enough in this house for The court, clerk, sheriff and lawyers, and one jury at a time-the grand jury was called in, and sworn, and sent out to deliberate under some forest trees near by. The by-standers gathered around the jury and all hands took part in the proceeding. The travis jury, when trying a case, was accommodated with seats, made of split logs, in- side the house, and when the trial closed, they were sent out into the grove, under the charge of a constable, to make up their verdict, and the constable often had much trouble to prevent the parties and witnesses from participating in the deliberations. In one instance he entirely failed, and the contending parties got into a rough and tumble fight, and the constable called on the jury to aid in keeping the peace, and in their attempting to do so, all parties, jury, bystanders and constables, got into a gen- eral row, the lawyers and people left the court, and the grand jury left their shade trees, and all ran to the scene of action; several fights were going on at the same time, and all this increased the confusion, which grew hotter and louder, until the judge himself and the sheriff also, repaired to the jury room, alias, the field of battle, and by an effort quelled the tray. The idea of imprisoning the offenders was out of the ques- tiou, as there was no prison within eighty miles, and to punish them by a fine would have been fully as useless, as in nine cases out of ten, the offenders had no property but a gun, and as the law then was, that could not be taken for debt or fine any more than you could lawfully take a piece of the owner's ear for the same purpose.
During this court a newly made justice of the peace, claiming the right to call up- on the judge to advise him in the line of his duty as a squire, came bolting into the court room, saying, "Mr Judge, I am a squire, and I want to uz you a question about the law." The judge said to him, "why sir, you had better enquire of some of those lawyers, or Mr. Turney, who is the state's attorney." "Oh! shaw, now judge," said the squire, "I know about as much law as any of them ar fellows, and I begin to find out that I don't know much, and now, I want you, old feller, to tell me if a squire can divorce a couple?" "Why no." said the judge, "a justice of the peace has no jurisdiction over such a case " The newly made justice then stretched out his big fist, towards the judge, and with a stentorian voice said, "now look here, old feller, I know better nor that myself, I know a squire can divorce a couple, for I done did it yesterday, and the ooman has gone back to her mammy, and the fellow started to Packinsack this morning, so he did." The judge at once submitted to the superior experience of the squire, and admitted that he must be wrong in his law, and the squire right.
There was but one more court held at Olmstead's Mound.
Of the funny things done by the squires of this county in an early day, we are told the following: Esquire Fanning had been justice of the peace for several years and he kept his docket on separate pieces of paper, which were stuck up over the laps of the board roof of his cabin. Each case was carefully kept by itself, and a strange mass of summonses, warrants, estray notices, etc., and docket entries could be found there. Manning Mayfield was elected his successor and, according to law, Esquire Fanning prepared to turn over his docket. He carefully put all these papers into and filled a two bushel sack and took them over to Mayfield. "Now," says he, "here is my docket all made up and in good shape, except an execution which I believe, is not quite paid up." They looked through the lot and finally found it, and Mayfield sat down and made a calculation of the credits and reported that he had been overpaid by some $15. "Is that so? All right, then, let it go with the balance," and Mayfield tossed the sack up into the loft of his cabin.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.