Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II, part 1, Part 31

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago, Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 864

USA > Illinois > Sangamon County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II, part 1 > Part 31

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).

The first appropriation, $450,000, made in 1867, was wholly exhausted before the completion of tbe foundatiou, which cost $465,686.67. In 1869, a further appropriation was made of $450,000; . in 1871, $600,000 more; in 1873, $1,000,000, and in 1875, $800,000. These appropriations made a total of three and one-half million dollars, the limit fixed by the constitution of 1870, beyond which the Legislature could not go without a vote of the people ratifying further appropria- tion. In 1877, an appropriation of $531,712, contingent upon approval of the people, was made for the completion of the State House, and submitted at the November election of that year. The proposition received but 80,222 affirmative votes out of a total of 389,189 cast at the elec- tion. Again in 1881, a similar appropriation was made and again submitted at the election in November, 1882, and was again defeated, receiving but 231,632 votes out of a total of 532,583. Again in 1884, the same proposition was one more submitted to a vote at the Novem- ber election, and secured the endorsement of the people, receiving 354,796 votes out of a total of 673,086. June 29, 1885, an act was passed to render effective the act of 1883, and the final appropriation of $531,712 was made available after October 1, 1885. A new State House com- mission was appointed by the Governor to super- intend its expenditure, and the Capitol was com- pleted in 18SS, twenty-one years after its build-

656

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

ing was authorized. The several appropriations enumerated above, together with smaller sums appropriated during the progress of the work, as well as during the years when work was practically suspended-made for repairs, for protection and preservation of work already done, for vaults, laying walks upon the grounds, planting trees, and other items not, perhaps, properly chargeable to the first cost of building- amounted in the aggregate to nearly four and one-half million dollars.

The first Board of State House Commission- ers, named in the act of 1867, consisted of seven members, as follows: John W. Smith, John J. S. Wilson, Philip Wadsworth, James C. Robin- son, Wm. T. Vandeveer, Wm. L. Hambleton, and James H. Beveridge. March 12, 1867, Jacoh Bunn was appointed, vice John J. S. Wilson, and on the organization of the Board was elected President of the Commission. In 1869 the Board, hy act of the General Assembly, was re- duced to three members, and the Governor re- appointed Jacoh Bunn, James C. Robinson and James H. Beveridge, of the old commission, to constitute the new Board, of which Mr. Bunn was made President and Mr. Beveridge, Secre- tary. In 1871 Mr. Robinson resigned his ap- pointment and John T. Stuart was named to fill the vacancy. These Commissioners continued to act until 1877, at which time, there heing no funds available for further work on the hullding, they were relieved by act of the General As- semhly from further duty. After the favorable vote of 1884, ratifying the legislative appropria- tion of 1883, Governor Hamilton appointed, December 30, 1884. a new Board. consisting of General John Cook, Rheuna . D. Lawrence and John O'Neill; hut on the assembling of the Legislature, the Senate failed to confirm these appointments, and Governer Ogleshy appointed George Kirk, Willlam Jayne and John Mc- Creery, who directed the expenditure of the final appropriation and the completion of the building.

This great work, continuing through twenty- one years, was not carried forward without delays and embarrassments. From the first there was a strong element in the State op- posed to the construction of the building. At first this opposition was confined to interested localities that sought the location of the capital elsewhere, hut as times got "hard" and the ap- propriations hegan to mount into the millions,

the opposition hecame more wide-spread and of deeper significance. As early as 1871, petitions carrying 40,000 names, were presented to the General Assembly, asking that further appro- priations he withheld until the questions of loca- tion and cost could he submitted to a vote of the people.

Chicago, in protest against the inadequate accommodations of the old huilding and the slow progress of the new one, invited the Twenty- seventh General Assembly to hold its adjourned session in that city, offering suitable assembly halls, executive and committee rooms free of charge to the State. This offer, in spite of the constitutional provision that all sessions of the General Assembly must he held at the capital, was accepted hy joint resolution of the Assem- hly. The great confiagration which, in 1871. swept away all the public buildings of Chi- cago, prevented the carrying out of this plan and avoided the possible complications which might have arisen on account of it. From 1875 to 1885 no appropriation was made available for prosecuting the work, and for about eight years no progress was made toward the completion of the building, nothing heing attempted between 1877 and 1885 except to protect the work done previous to that time. The last of the appro- priation of 1885 was expended in 1888.

While Sangamon County hought and received a deed for the old State House and Square in 1867, it did not get possession until January, 1876, when the State vacated the building.

A further appropriation of $600,000 was asked in this year. The hill passed the Senate. The Chicago press, using the occasion as a lever to help the canal and Illinois River improve- meut, attacked the measure. Startling develop- ments in regard to the building contracts, the character of the work, etc., were threatened hut never materialized. Indeed no real charge of fraud or graft was ever made in connection with the building of this State House. How- ever, the removal of the capital was advocated. Peoria offered to re-inhurse the State the full amount ($805,303.08) already expended on the new huilding, to donate ten acres of land on the hluff overlooking the Illinois River and the lake for a new site, and to furnish rent free for five years' accommodations for the General As- sembly during the construction of a new build- ing in that city. The two houses accepted an invitation to Peoria and were dined and

657

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

wined and feted to the fullest extent, and all that money, influence and diplomacy could do were used at Springfield to defeat the appro- priation bili.

Peoria had large delegatious of her best citizens here. Springfield naturally was greatly stirred and agaiu, as she had been compelled to do many times before under threat of the removal of the capital, mustered her friends, who constituted a majority in the House, but her opponents, by clever parliamentary tactics, ex- teuded debates and speeches ou wholly foreigu matters, prevented action until the time of ad- journment, April 17th, came.

A special session of the Legislature was called for May 24th to consider, among other matters, the appropriation for continuing the work on the State House. The Peoria lobby, aided by others from different parts of the State, were on hand. The people of Springfield were present in force. The fight was hard aud prolonged. The same tactics as before were employed by the opposition. Slowly, day by day, the bills were advanced under the rules until, at 10 o'clock at night, June 7th, the bill was finally passed in the House by a vote of 100 yeas to 74 nays. The next day the Senate passed the House bill which, being duly ap- proved by Governor Palmer, became a iaw. This act provided for a bond of the citizens in the penal sum of $500,000, conditioned that the · obligors procure such additional ground as the State might require, not exceeding four acres, to be demanded within two years after the building should be ready for use.

DESCRIPTION OF BUILDING .- The present capitol building, in the form of a Latin cross, is of the composite order of architecture in which moderu effects of utility and couvenience are combined with the strength and beauty characteristic of ancieut styles of building. The circular founda- tion, ninety-two and a half feet iu diameter, upon which the great dome rests, starts twenty- five and a half feet below the grade line, based upon the solid rock; and the walis supporting the dome arc seventeen feet in thickness from the foundation to the floor of the first story. The foundation for the outer walis is eleven to sixteen fcet below the grade line, these walls being nine feet thick up to the first floor. The foundation wails are all built of a granular magnesian limestone of unquestioned strength and durability, obtained from the Sonora quar-

ries of Hancock County. The outer walls of the superstructure are constructed of Niagara lime- stoue, the lower story from the quarries of Joliet and the upper stories from Lemont. The labor of the convicts at the Joliet penitentiary was utilized under a special act of the Legis- lature in quarrying this stone. The extreme length of the building from north to south is 379 feet, and from east to west 268 feet. The height from ground line to top of dome is 361 feet, and to tip of flag, staff, 405 feet-higher, exclusive of the flag staff, by 74 feet, than the dome of the National Capitoi at Washington. The building consists of basement, first, second and third stories, gallery floor and dome. The basement is used for vaults, engine rooms, car- penter shop, aud store-rooms for various pur- poses. The first floor is devoted largely to offices for various State Boards, the War Museum and the offices of the Adjutant Gen- erai. The second floor (called the main floor by the architect, and originally reached from the outside by a broad flight of marble steps on the east front) contains the executive offices, the east wing being occupied by the Governor's suite of rooms on the north side and the Secre- tary of State's on the south; the north wing by the State Board of Public Charities, the Board of Agriculture and Agricultural Museum on the east side, and the offices of the Auditor and Treasurer on the west; the west wing by the Attorney General's office on the north side, the Law Library in the west end, while the south side of this wing and the west side of the south wing were formerly devoted to the Supreme Court, which now occupies a magnifi- cent building of its own on the east side of Second Street, opposite the Capitol Square. The east side of the south wing is occupied by the State Superintendeut of Public Instruction and various departments of the office of the Sec- retary of State.

Ou the third floor the north wing is occupied by the Senate Chamber, the south wing by the Hall of the House of Representatives, the east wing by tinc State Historical Society and other offices, and the west wing by the State Library. There are also numerous committee rooms. while the gallery floor and mansard story are wholly occupied by committee rooms.

The porticos of the cast and north fronts, supported by massives arches and columns of Joliet limestone and stately pillars of polished

658

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

Fox Island graulte, with the gigantic but per- fectly proportioned and graceful dome, con- stitute the uotable architectural features of the outer building. while the magnificent rotunda and grand stairway of the interior were the special pride of the architects and builders. The second, third and fourth floors are reached by two sets of elevators aud stair- ways on opposite sides of the frout (east) entrance, and on the east side of the main hall, furnishing convenient access to the Assembly Room and most important offices.

The floors of the rotunda and of the corridors are mosalc work of different colored marble. The walls of the rotuuda in the first and second stories aud to the spring of the arches, as well as the arches themselves, are of solid stoue faced with Bedford blue limestoue and Missouri red granite. The grand stairway, leading from the second floor to the third, constructed of solid marble, with columns, pilasters, arches, rails, balusters, waluscoting and soffits con- nected with it, also of solid marble, was, at the time of its construction, considered superior, in design, material and finish, to any similar stair- way iu the world. The polished columns in the second story of the rotunda are of Missouri red granite, with bases of blue granlte and rich foliated caps of Tuckahoe marble. The wain- scoting of the corridors of vari-colored marbles, domestic and imported (including white Italian, Alps greeu, Lisbon, Glens Falls, old Tennessee, Concord, aud other varieties), artistically pan- eled, is a piece of work unexcelled for beauty aud durability. The ceilings of the principal rooms are heavily paneled and tastefuly deco- rated, those formerly occupied by the Supreme Court room and the Assembly Halls being par- ticularly worthy of note.

The paintings aud statuary intended to adorn the interior are not in keeping with the archi- tectural beauty of the building, though some of the work is of unquestioned merit. The panels of the main corridor of the first floor are decorated with paintings illustrative of scenes and events closely connected with the early history of the State, such as old Fort Chartres on the Mississippi, Starved Rock on the Illinois, old Fort Dearborn, New Salem in the time of Lincoln, General Grant taking command of the troops at Cairo at the beginning of the Civil War, Marquette and Joliet in a conference with the Indians during the earliest recorded ex-

ploration of Illinois iu 1673 and Governor Coles liberating his slaves as they drift down the Olio river in a flat boat on their immigration to Illinois. A large paiuting, represeutiug Col. George Rogers Clark negotiating a treaty with tire Illinois Indians, fills the large panel ou the wall above the landing of the grand stairway. Full length portraits of Lincoln and Douglas are found iu the Hall of the House of Representa- tives, and of Washington and Lafayette in the State Library, while portraits of all the Gover- nors of the State are on the walls of the Gov- ernor's office.

On the second floor are marble statues of Llucolu, Douglas and Governor Wood, and high up on the walls of the rotunda on pedestals near the base of the inner dome. are heroic bronze casts of eight inen prominent in the civil and military history of the State: Ninian Edwards, Governor by appointment and re-appointment during the entire Territorlal period, 1809 to 1818, and third Governor of the State; Shad- rach Bond, the State's first Governor; Ed- ward Coles, the second Governor; Sidney Breese, Judge of the Supreme Court of the State for many years, and United States Sena- tor; Lyman Trumbull, United States Senator and emluent jurist ; U. S. Grant, commander of all the armies of the Union at the close of the Civil War and afterwards twice elected to the presideucy ; John A. Logan, Major General of Volunteers during the civil war, and afterwards . for many years United States Senator-a brilliant figure in the military and political his- tory of the State; and William R. Morrison, eminent as a statesman and a soldier.

Still above these statues, and just at the base - of the iuner dome, is a series of allegorical and historical pictures in bas-relief, of conceded artistic muerit. Among them are the discussion of the stamp act, in the Virginia House of Burgesses, with Patrick Henry as the central figure, making his memorable address, and Washington and Richard Heury Lee among his attentive auditors; the evacuation of York- town by the British forces; Peter Cartwright, the pioneer preacher, couducting a religious service in a "settler's" cabiu; the surrender of Black Hawk at Prairie du Chlen; and a joint debate between those giants of the political forum, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Doug- las, in their great campaign of 1858. In these historical representations all of the figures are

STATE ARSENAL AND ARMORY, SPRINGFIELD

OFFICERS' HEADQUARTERS, I. N. G., CAMP LINCOLN, SPRINGFIELD

ARTILLERY, I. N. G., CAMP LINCOLN, SPRINGFIELD

659

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

supposed to be portraits of historical charac- ters. Many of them are easily recognized, hut others it seems Impossible to identity, as the gifted artist, T. Nicolai, who designed aud exe- cuted the work, dying before it was wholly com- pleted, left no key to the different groups so graphically represented.

At the time of Its construction there was no public building in the United States, except the Capitol at Washington, to compare with it in size, cost or elegance ; and now thirty-five years after the drawing of the plans by which it was built-not excepting the New York twenty- million State Capitol-there are few huildings in the country surpassing it for architectural beauty or which more adequately serve the purpose for which they were intended.

CHAPTER XII.

STATE PROPERTY.

PROPERTY OWNED BY TIIE STATE IN SANGAMON COUNTY-REAL ESTATE, DATE AND PURPOSE OF ACQUISITION-SITES FOR TWO STATE CAPITOLS CONTRIBUTED BY CITIZENS OF SPRINGFIELD-THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION-THE OLD STATE ARSENAL -CONSTRUCTION OF TIIE PRESENT STATE CAPITOL BEGUN IN 1867-TOTAL COST-HEATINO PLANT AND PRESENT STATE ARSENAL-SUPREME COURT BUILDING-BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY.

(By Ethan Allen Snively.)

The removal of the State Capital to Spring- field from Vandalia Is elsewhere discussed. With the removal came the necessity of redeeming the obligations incurred in furnishing necessary ground for the erection of the capitol bullding. As the State grew and the necessity arose for the purchase of other grounds or the receipt of the same by donation, they were acquired until now the State is the most important land- holder in the county.

The first piece of real estate owned by the State was the property In the center of the city of Springfield still known as the "Public Square." It was deeded to the State hy the

County Commissioners on March 11, 1837. Early in 1847 some defect was discovered In the deed, and the County Commissioners made a new deed covering the same property. In Feb- ruary, 1847, the Legislature passed an act legal- izing both deeds.

The second plece of real estate owned in the county by the State was a lot in the old Hutchinson Cemetery. This was lot 182 and was deeded to the State on the 25th of March, 1847, and was utilized for the burial of several citizens from other parts of the State who had heen prominent in public affairs.

The third plece of real estate owned by the State was the property now used as the loca- . tion for the Governor's mansion. This was pur- chased on the 24th of May, 1853, from Nicholas Ridgely. The consideration for this property was $4,500.

The fourth piece of real estate owned in the county was the property known as the old Arsenal. This was located on North Fifth Street, occupying fifty-seven and a half feet front on North Fifth Street by one hundred and fifty-two feet deep. It was purchased of Ninian Edwards, for the sum of $700, the deed hearing date June 13, 1855.

The Legislature of 1867 decided to build a new State house, and the property upon which the present State capitol is located was donated to the State by the city of Springfield, the public square and old capitol building being sold to the county and the former State house being now occupied as a court house. The State in- curred no cost in the acquisition of the site for new State Capitol, but the City of Springfield pald seventy thousand dollars for the same. The total cost of the building, with later repairs and improvements has aggregated approximate- ly $4,500,000. (See preceding chapter.)

The sixth piece of real estate owned by the State embraced lots 29, 30, 42 and 43 in Oak Ridge Cemetery, which were donated as a burlal place for Governor Willlam H. Bissell and family. This deed was executed April 23, 1867.

The seventh piece of real estate within the county, owned by the State, was that upon which Is situated the power plant used for furnishing heat and light for use in the State House and the Supreme Court building. This was pur- chased July 16, 1873.

The eighth piece of real estate owned by the State in the county was the property known as

660

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

Camp Lincoln. This comprises one hundred and sixty acres situated northwest of the city, and it cost over sixteen thousand dollars.

The ninth piece of property owned by the State is that upon which the present State Arsenal and Armory are situated. It consists of au entire block except the part previously acquired by the State for the heating plant. This ground was donated to the State by citi- zens of Springfield, who paid for it the sum of forty-two thousand dollars.

The tenth piece of property owned by the State is the site of the Supreme Court Build- ing. This property is situated on the south- east corner of Capitol Avenue and Second Street, fronting 257 feet on the former and 147 feet on the latter. The cost of the land was $16,000, with the cost of the building making a total of $350,000.

The eleventh piece of property owned by the State is a tract of land containing forty acres, located two miles north of the city and which is used as a State Biological Laboratory.

These several acquisitions were authorized by special acts of the General Assembly, and the actual transfer in each case being made by formal deed of conveyance which is a matter of official record, it is not deemed necessary to quote these documents in this connection. The history of the acquisition of property for State Capitol purposes has also been treated quite fully in the chapters relating to the loca- tion and transfers of the State Capital at dif- ferent periods.

While the State is the owner of extensive property in other districts-including the Illi- nois and Michigan Canal, Illinois University property, the sites and buildings used as State charitable, educational, reformatory and penal institutions, and the original Supreme Court (now Appellate Court) buildings at Ottawa and Mt. Vernon, these do not come within the scope intended to be covered by this chapter.

This also applies to the "State Fair Grounds," which, from the name, might be assumed to be State property. These grounds, as shown by the following extracts from the Records of Sangamon County, were acquired as follows :

" At a special meeting of the Board of Su- pervisors of Sangamon County, Illinois, held November 21, 1893, a resolution was adopted by a unanimous vote, authorizing the conveyance, in the name of the County of Sangamon, to the

Illinois State Board of Agriculture of the west half of the southeast quarter of Section 15, Town 16 North, Range 5 West of the Third Principal Meridian, except about oue acre, used for school purposes.

"Also a part of the east half of the south- east quarter of Section 15, Town 16 North, Range 5 West of the Third Principal Meridian, containing 75.68 acres, containing in all 154.68 acres; conditioned that there be held by the said State Board of Agriculture an annual State Fair, but iu case it should neglect to hold the said Fair upon said grounds for two consecutive years, the title and full right of possession to said grounds, with the improvements thereon, shall 'ipso facto' revert to and vest in said county of Sangamon."

In connection with the above conveyance, and as a part of the consideration for the location of the Fair at Springfield, the County Board of Supervisors inade an appropriation of $50,000 to the State Board of Agriculture, for the pur- pose of erecting buildings on said grounds, to be paid on or before the 1st of May, 1894. In pursuance of the above action, the conveyance was duly made, on January 2, 1894, and a deed executed by the Chairman of the Board of Su- pervisors. A. P. Lorton, attested by the Clerk of the Board, S. M. Rogers, ex-officio, and Coun- ty Clerk, of Sangamon County.

(Recorded Deed Record, Volume 93, Page 401, Sangamon County Records.)

CHAPTER XIII.

POLITICAL PARTIES IN ILLINOIS

EABLY PARTY CONDITIONS-ANTI-SLAVERY CONTEST OF 1822-24-"JACKSON REPUBLICANS" THE CHAMPIONS OF SLAVERY EXTENSION INTO ILLI- NOIS- THEY TAKE ON THE NAME DEMOCRATIC- FIRST STATE CONVENTION AT VANDALIA IN 1832- SUBSEQUENT PARTY HISTORY-THE WHIG PARTY -ANTI-SLAVERY ORGANIZATIONS-ANNEXATION OF TEXAS AND THE WILMOT PROVISO-COM- PROMISE MEASURES OF 1850-THE KANSAS-NE- BRASKA ACT AND DEVELOPMENT OF TIIE BEPUBLI-

GOVERNOR'S MANSION, SPRINGFIELD

INTERIOR GOVERNOR'S MANSION, SPRINGFIELD

LELAND HOTEL, SPRINGFIELD

661

HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

CAN PARTY-ORGANIZATION IN ILLINOIS-MINOR PARTY ORGANIZATIONS.

(By Paul Seiby.)

From its central location geographically, and its political prominence as the State capital, It ls but natural that Springfield should early have become a popular polnt for important conven- tions and mass meetings, especially of a pollt- icai character. This was illustrated during the presidential campaign of 1840, the year following the removal of the State capital from Vandalia, William lIenry Harrison being then, for a second time, the Whig candidate for the presidency and elected In opposition to Martin Van Buren. Harrison then received 2,000 votes In Sangamon County to 1,249 for Van Buren, while the latter received a smaller plurality in the State of Illinois than any other Democratic candidate for the presidency be- tween 1824 and 1856.

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.

Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II, part 1, Part 31

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913 Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Chicago, Munsell Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 864

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago, Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 864