Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II, part 1, Part 59

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

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In 1867 an act was passed constituting the Governor, the Secretary of State, and the Super- intendent of Public Instruction a Board of Com- missloners to manage the State Library. The Board was authorized to spend $3,000 a year for two years, for books of a miscellaneous, scien- tific and literary character. The annual appro- priation has varied from $1,200 to $3,000 for sai- arics, with special appropriations for books.

Up to 1881 the attendant in charge was called Library Clerk. In 1881 the office of Assistant Librarian was created. The growth of the State Library has been most effective during the last twenty-five years. Federal and State publle doc- uments form about one-third of the collection.

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It is located in the Capitol in the west wing on the third floor, the books being arranged in al- coves and galieries around the central reading room. Few books circulate, but the reference work is considerable, and this is not restricted to State officers nor to citizens of Springfield, but is generousiy extended to visiting students and to libraries and individuals at a distance, answering inqulries, making iists, and lending books which can be spared. The Secretary of State is Librarian ex-officio, and Miss Maude Thayer is the First Assistant Librarian.

STATE HISTORICAL LIBRARY.

In the State Capitol ; was organized November, 1889, and has 30,000 books and pamphlets and a rare collection of Lincolniana.

The organization of the Illinois State Histor- icai Library was authorized by act of the Legis- lature of May 25, 1889. It was organized No- vember 25, 1889, by the transfer of 442 books from the State Library, proper, to the new Li- brary, three Trustees for which had been ap- pointed by Governor Fifer. These books were works on Illinois and Western history. Miss Jo- sephine P. Cleveland was the first Librarian. She served untii her death in 1897 and she was succeeded by the present Librarian, Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber. For the purposes of the Illinois State Historicai Library the north room of the State Library was set apart. The Library very soon outgrew this room, and farger and better quarters in the east wing of the third floor of the capitol building were given it, though these rooms are now very crowded. The last session of the General Assembly (1911) made an appro- priation of $5,000 and created a Commission to draw up plans for a buliding for the use of the Historical Library, Natural History Museum, and kindred interests.

The Forty-first General Assembly was the first to make an appropriation for publishing the his- tory of the State, setting aside $600 for the pub- lication of original matter relating to Illinois. On May 10, 1901, $2,500 was appropriated to pro- cure documents, papers, etc., relating to the Northwest and the State of Illinois, and to pub- lish the same. This materiai was collected and edited by the iate H. W. Beckwith, one of the Trustees. This series has been continued, and there are now, in print, seven numbers, entitied

Illinois Historical Collections. The Library aiso publishes the transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society, including a quarterly maga- zine. The Library contains rare books tracing the history of the Illinois Country from 1863- first as a French province; then as an Engilsh possession following the defeat of Montcalm at Quebec in 1859; the later attempt of Spain to get possession of the region between the Missis- sippi and Lake Michigan; and its finai passage under American controi, as the result of Col. George Roger's Clark's conquest of 1778, with its subsequent history as the most westerly county of Virginia, as Northwest Territory, as Indiana Territory, as Illinois Territory, and as a State from 1818. It possesses maps from 1600. It is rich in books by and about early explorers of the Mississippi Val- iey and the Northwest; on Indians and archæe- ology ; early gazetteers and emigrants' guides, legislative and city directories. Its collection on Mormon history is unequaled in this section of the country, and it hopes for further additions from Nauvoo and Hancock County. The Library owns sections of the "Book of Mormon," inciud- ing the first or Paimyra editlon of 1830. Its collection of county histories is fairly compiete. It collects State reports, church, society, and other organization reports, newspapers, portraits, manuscripts and curlos. In 1894 the library sent circular letters to oid soldlers asking for his- tories of their regiments in the Civil War and for personal sketches. There are fair Grant and Dougias cellections and the Library is speciai- izing in the line of Lincolniana. In 1896 San- gamon County gave to the Library records and documents from the county archives on the ilfe history of Abraham Lincoln. Since then to the Library has been added everything possibie-vol- umes, pamphlets, prints, pictures or writings re- lating to or illustrating the public and private life of Lincoln. The Sangamon County material included poli books containing Lincoin's name from Clary's Grove, New Saiem, and Springfield precincts ; ail reports made by Lincoln as sur- veyor or road-reviewer, with maps and piates ac- companying, or petitions for roads in which his name appears; all election polling lists, County Commissioners' Court records in Lincoln's iland- writing, with marriage licenses, receipts and cer- tificates. A copy of these original lists was pub- iished in the Fifth Report, 1896-98, pp. 16-18. The Library Board hopes for books of Iiilnois

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

authors, one newspaper from each county, and for publications of Historical Societies. It tries to . avoid duplication, however, with the collections of the State Library.

The collection of local historical materiai has been slow and difficuit, because Illinois had no State Historical Society until 1899. In most States the existence of a society has preceded the establishment of a library and collections for this depository. In Illinols the IllInols State Historical Society was organized June 30, 1899, as the outgrowth of a preliminary meeting held at the University of Illinois May 19, 1899. The Soclety was conducted until July, 1903, at the expense of Its members, the cost of printing its proceedings being furnished from the publishing fund of the State Historical Library. On May 16, 1903, the law creating the Illinois State His- torleal Library was amended, making the Illinols State Historical Society a department of the State Historical Library, so that from that date certain expenses of the Society have been borne by legislative appropriations to the support of the Library and all materlal collected by the Society became a part of the Library property. The legislative appropriatlons have been varying. Frequently the appropriations have been com- blned with those of some other State Institu- tion or organization, as the Museum of Natural History and the State Historical Society. Sep- arate appropriations are made for maintenance and for salaries.

Mrs. Jessle Palmer Weber, the Librarlan of the Library, Is also Secretary of the Illinois State Historical Society, and Miss Georgla L. Osborne is the Assistant Librarian.

ILLINOIS STATE LAW LIBRARY.

This Library is located In the Supreme Court Building, possesses 18,000 bound volumes, man- aged under local ciassification, with partlal man- uscript catalogue.

On February 22, 1839, an appropriation of $5,000 was made for the purchase of a law and miscellaneous library for the use of the Legis- lature and the Supreme Court. On December 15, 1843, it was enacted that the mlscelianeous books should be separated from the law books, the latter remaining In charge of the Clerk of the Supreme Court, at the Capital. This was really the beginning of the Iillnois State Law Library.

The miscellaneous books formed the Illinols State Library. The Law Library continued In charge of the Clerk of the Supreme Court until December 1, 1902. At this time the three grand divisions of the Supreme Court were consoli- dated and the Clerk of the Court was relieved of the care of the library and a regular Libra- rlan appointed. Because of Its management this library Is also calied the "Illinols Supreme Court Library."

The Library was located In the west wing of the State House on the second floor until the new Temple of Justice, or Supreme Court House, was built, on the high ground at the southeast corner of Second Street and Capitol Avenue, and facing the Capitol building, since which time the law library has occupled the beautiful rooms In the east wing of this building, the rooms having beeu specially planned and fitted up for this pur- pose. Mr. Ralph Wilkin is the Librarian. The library is supported by legislative appropriations, and may be consulted by any one, whether judge, lawyer or layman. By an act of Aprii 13, 1849, $5,000 was appropriated to the Supreme Court for law libraries in the Northern and Southern Grand Divisions, and these approprlations con- tlnued until the consolidation, making It diffi- cult to build up a strong central library at the capital. The Forty-third General Assembly gave the library an extra appropriatlon of $5,000 for books and binding and an annual appropriation of $3,000. Reports are arranged alphabetically by States and the text books by subjects. Only the text books are catalogued, and these only in manuscript.

STATE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY.

This Library, consisting of 5,000 volumes, was established with the Museum in 1877, and is located in the Museum rooms formerly In the Capitol, but now in the Arsenal bullding. It re- ceives no regular appropriation. The library is private, but teachers are allowed to use It. The Curator of the Museum is librarian.

SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC LIBRARY.

This Library, known also as the LINCOLN LI- BRARY, is located at the corner of Seventh Street and Capitol Avenue, Springfield; has 54,000

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volumes ; with Dewey classification and Dictlon- ary card catalogue.

The question of a library for Springfield was first agitated in the winter of 1865. Rev. Fred H. Wines, of the First Presbyterian church, de- livered two lectures on the need of a library, which gave such an impetus to the movement that, in a few days, enough money was sub- scribed for a start. The "Springfield Library Association" was accordingly organized on March 15, 1866, as a joint stock company, with shares at ten dollars each, unlimited In number. Under the same name an association had beeu chartered February 16, 1857, but Its history cannot be traced. In 1867-68 there were 130 stockholders. The annual assessment was three dollars on each shareholder. The holders of all shares on which assessments had been paid might vote. Life subscribers paid $50 each and were entitled to one vote and exemption from the annual tax. Non-stockholders might have library privileges for five dollars per year in advance, in one pay- ment, or In two payments per year of two and three dollars, respectively. The enterprise was embarrassed by the failure of previous attempts. The original subscriptions equalled $5,100, but only $3,800 was collected, and the total expendi- ture to date in 1867-68 had reached $4,500. Expenses for rent, salary, incidentals for re- pairs, binding and printing, amounting to $600 per year, were paid from assessments, sub- scriptions of non-stockholders and fines. The library opened for distribution of books Feb- ruary 23, 1867, with 1300 volumes. It remained a subscription library up to April, 1885, when it was offered to the city on condition that it be maintained as a free public library. The trans- fer was made April 1, 1885, and the Springfield publle library opened June 7, 1886, with 7,550 volumes. It occupled rooms in the upper story of the city hall until June 7, 1904, when it moved into a beautiful new bullding erected by means of a gift of $75,000 tendered by the noted bene- factor, Andrew Carnegle, March 8, 1901. The site of the building covers three iots 120 by 157 feet on the northeast corner of Seventh Street and Capltol "Avenue, known as the Dr. Vincent property. The pians of Mauran, Russell & Gar- den, of St. Louis, were approved on February 6, 1902, and the bullding was completed and opened to the public on June 7, 1904.

The new bullding Is to be known as the "Lin- coln Library." The first intention was to call it

the Lincoin-Carnegle Memorial Library, but Mr. Carnegie objected, saying that he would consider it a desecration to have any name linked with that of Lincoln, and asking that the Library be known as the "Lincolu Library," not the Lincoin Memorlal Library, as Lincoln needed no memorial.

The site cost $18,000 aud the building $75,000. The ground floor of the building contains news- paper room, staff room, bindery, unpacking room, and the lower part of the book stack. The main floor contains a reading room over the main en- trance, a children's room at the right and a reference room at the left, and the deilvery desk opposite the front stairway, with the book stack in the rear. At either side of the stack are li- brarian's room, directors' room, work room and study. The first iibrarlan was Dr. Samuel Wli- lard, now living in Chicago, at an advanced age. The second was Miss Gertrude Seaman, of Springfield ; the third Mrs. Hannah M. Kimball, afterwards the wife of Gen. John M. Palmer who still resides in Springfield; then Mr. James P. Brice, and finally the present librarian, Mr. Henry C. Remann.

No account of the library would be complete without some mention of the labors of Miss Jessie Churchill, who was for twenty years the efficient Assistant Librarian.

CONCORDIA SEMINARY LIBRARY.

Concordla Seminary (or coliege) of the Evan- gelical Lutheran Church, was founded at Fort Wayne, Ind., In 1846, was removed to St. Louis, Mo., as Concordla Coliege In 1861, and In 1874 a branch, consisting of preparatory students, was transferred to Springfield under the auspices of the Lutheran Synod of Missouri, taking the name of Concordia Seminary. It there occupies the site of what was known as the Illinois State University. This was first established at Hills- boro, Iil., by the Rev. Francls Springer under the name of Hillsboro Academy, which in 1852 was removed to Springfield, and there took the name of the Iillnois State University, under which name it was conducted for several years and then discontinued. In 1873 the property was purchased by the Lutheran Synod, and the first instaliment of students brought here In January, 1874, where the institution has since been maiu- tained.

DANIEL H. STARKWEATHER

MRS. DANIEL H. STARKWEATHER

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

In 1857-58 the Seminary reported a library of 2.000 volumes, besides small libraries belonging to the two literary societies, the Utilor and the Philomathæan. It now has a library of 2,200 bound volumes, 500 unbound, and 10 periodicals, has an Income of $100 per year, and is conducted under the local classification system, with man- uscript catalogue and ciosed shelves. The pres- ent library is supported by gifts and appropria- tions from the Synod, and is open about two hours dally.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS LIBRARY.

This Library inas about 600 volumes.

In 1868 the Catholic Institute Association and Debating Society was organized, and in 1871 it reported 1,000 volumes and a ilbrary club of 50 members, meeting once a week. In 1896 it seems to have been reorganized, and in 1899 the books were sold to the Knights of Columbus. They now occupy a place in their club room but are not in use. The number of volumes in 1904 was estimated about 600 with 14 periodlcais. It is expected soon to move the club rooms to better quarters, and then to rearrange the books and put them in attractive shape for the use of mem- bers. There is no fixed income, there being no expense except for periodicals.

YOUNG LADIES' SODALITY.

The date of the establishment of this Library under management of the Young Ladles Sodality of SS. Peter and Paul's Church, Is unknown, but in 1895 Sister Anastasla revived the interest in the library and added to the number of books. These are in the chapel of the church school and are abont one-haif in German. They are Issued to members of the society meeting the first Sun- day In each month, and may be retained a month. Its last estimate of books was 416 vol- umes, the circulation amounting to 360 volumes.

LAVINIA BEACH FREE READING ROOM.

This was established in 1891 by Mrs. Lavinia Beach as a part of the soclai settlement work in the suburb of Ridgely. The library started with a gift of 100 volumes from Mrs. G. C. Smith, and this was supplemented with otber gifts of

books and money. In 1894 the library and read- Ing room were incorporated under a Board of Trustees, and the present buliding was erected. The books, are obtainable at any time from either of the two settlement workers, and they are most used by children. Large quantities of papers and magazines are given by the charitabie people of Springfieid, and these are distributed to men and women, when they gather in the as- sembly rooms of the settlement for reilgious and other meetings.

CIRCULATING LIBRARY FOR BOYS.

The Springfield Free Circulating Library for Boys was established In 1891 by Mrs. G. C. Smith, under the auspices of the W. C. T. U., in the founder's own home. In 1903 she moved to the west part of the city and at once opened rooms for the boys of that neighborhood. The circulation has averaged 500 a year, but has fallen beiow the average since its removal. Ail expense connected with It has been borne by Mrs. Smith. Books may be drawn at any time, Mrs. Smith herself now issulng them, although at first one attendant was employed.

DISTRICT SCHOOL LIBRARIES.

There are no public libraries in the viliages or rural districts of Sangamon County except public school libraries, but the county has been adding to this ciass of libraries rapidly for a few years past. Of Its 188 public schools, 109 had libraries in 1903, an increase of 23 in one year. Four years before almost 140 schoois were without Ilbraries. In 1903 there was a total of 8,189 volumes, an increase of 2,081 volumes in one year; 5,204 books had been placed in the schools outside of Springfield during the pre- ceding four years, most of this being done within the two years.

The highly creditabie record in this line of development since the above figures were com- piled, is shown in the fact that, in 1911, 158 districts in the county had School Libraries, ag- gregating 19,150 volumes, of which 750 volumes were added during the previous year.

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

CHAPTER XXIX.

GEOLOGY.

PREHISTORIC CONDITIONS-ILLINOIS TERRITORY AT ONE PERIOD WITHIN OCEANIC LIMITS-NATURAL RESOURCES DUE TO GEOLOGIC DEVELOPMENT- THICKNESS AND KINDS OF ROCKS-GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS-ORIGIN OF THE ROCKS-SOME CHARACTERISTIC FOSSILS.

(By A. R. Crook, Ph. D., Curator Illinois State Museum of Natural History.)

As among the races of men the iniquities of the fathers-and their good deeds, too-are often visited upon their children, so in the rock world, present conditions are closely related to past events. In inorganic as well as organic, in in- animate as well as animate nature, to-day, de- pends upon yesterday and the morrow upon to- day. Sangamon County is now the home of a large number of prosperons people because of a series of events which have been transpiring during past millenniums. If those occurrences had been different the black soil and blacker coal of the county would have been wanting and in their place there might have been vol- canic mountains or a deep ocean .* Leonardo da Vinci, poet, artist and man of science, had difficuity in convincing his people that the ocean at one time covered Italy. When fossil fish were found in rocks far up on the Apennines, the finders decided that the Creator had been trying his hand at making fish and had dis- carded such as were imperfect. A fossii was considered a reject, a lusus naturæ. Here, in Illinois, on a summer day, the average citizen can with difficulty be bronght to realize that the cool sea breezes, now a thousand miles away, once' played over all of Sangamon County and the whole state. But that such is the fact is evident, since ali of the rocks of this region were made under water and most of them under sait water. The top layers, the last to be made, were worked over, carved, denuded, transported, and redeposited by wind and by rivers of water and of ice. All of these rocks-those deeply buried and those on the surface-are silent wit- nesses of past conditions, of mighty forces, of

changing climates. To understand them tbe in- vestigator must look in many directions. He must literally delve deeply and must leave no stone unturned. Fortunately, both nature and man have done much to help him in his investi- gation. Where streams have carved out valleys, various layers of soil and rock have been ex- posed. In places, shafts have been sunk sev- eral hundred feet in search of coal, and here and there drill holes have been put down to even a greater depth. From these various cnt- tings knowledge has been obtained of the under- lying rocks ._ Similar procedure in other parts of the State has added still further information, so that a good idea of the underlying strata can now be obtained. Although the anatomy of the earth is not disclosed here, as it is in moun- tain regions where strata are tiited and laid bare, yet much is known of the rocks which underiie the region.

CHARACTER OF THE UNDERLYING ROCK .- Be- ginniug at the top and proceeding downward, the following layers are encountered. First, there is a layer of soii which is worked over by man and penetrated by plant roots, and which is about one foot thick. Below it are two or three feet of buff clay, which is pene- trated in digging cellars for houses and which, when spread out over back yards, causes would- be gardeners much annoyance, since it is sticky when wet aud very hard when dry. It is foi- lowed by several feet of a mixture of clay, lime and fine sand, in places rich in organic ma- terials. This earth is called Loess. It has been borne by wind and water from some distant place and spread ont over the country. The particles which compose it are quite nniform iu size, as would be expected of wind borne ma- terial, or earth that had been deposited in quiet lakes. Even in recent years the people of this and neighboring States have seen dust carried by high winds, darkening the sun and drifting like black snow on lawns and porches. Loess was formed in some such manner and consequentiy exhibits slight stratification, but parts vertically, so that ravines cut through it retain for a long time vertical walls, as can well be seen in the "Zoo Park," four miles north of Springfield.

The loess is underlain by a sandy layer, at times as much as ten feet in thickness. This indicates that lakes or rivers sorted the ma- terial, as they are now doing around Lake Michigan and along Fox River. Below the

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FIG. 3-A Mass of Fossil Corals (Syringopora Multattenuata) Found Near Springfield

FIG. 5-Fossil Gastropods. At the Left, Pleurotomaria Sphaerulata; Next, Bellerophon Percarinatus; Next, Subulites Peraeuta; at the Right. 1 Lane Dall'a Ford

FIG. 2-Picking Pebbles in Illinoian Till by an Old Mill on Sugar Creek

FIG. 4-On the Left, a Coral (Lophophyllum Proliferum); Next, a Brachiopod (Spirifer Multigranosa); On the Right, a Lamillibranch (Leda)-All Found Near Springfield

April 20, 1910

FIG. 7-Old Crow's Mill Quarry Now Grass Grown

FIG. 6-Outcrop of the Limestone (No. 8 in Typieal Section) Which Furnished the Stone for the Old State House, Springfield-Quarry a Quarter of a Mile West of Crow's Mill

FIG. 1-Governor Deneen Inspecting Divernon Coal Mine

...

FIG. 8-Sangamon County is a Prairie, Save Where Streams Have Fashioned Valleys or Glaciers Deposited Their Burdens

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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY

sandy layer is a twenty-foot bed of blue graveliy ciay, rather tough to dig through, and hence calied hardpan. Its geological name is Illinoian till. (Fig. 2.) During the ice age glaciers bore from Canada and the intervening country gravel and ciay, and, upon melting, deposited these materials sometimes in ridges and mounds, at other times as mud flats in shallow lakes. The "Iilinoian till" consists of such material. Below it comes a layer of sand or muck, that in piaces attains a thickness of five feet and cousti- tutes the so-called Yarmouth zone. Immediately underneath it, another bed of glacial material much older than the Iilinoian tili, and, from the fact that it is widely spread over Kansas, called the Kansan till, is encountered. It is from twenty to thirty feet thick.

After penetrating these superficial deposits of soii, loess, sand, and till of two groups, the top rock of the connty is reached. In many places, as, for example, along Spring and Sugar Creeks and in the valley of the Sangamon, these bed- rocks have been exposed by the cutting away of the overlying material, and, as is universally the case in prairie States, the best idea of the rock constituents of the region are to be ob- tained along the beds- of the streams. Since the strata dip gently (about six feet per mile) towards the east and south, the lowest beds in the county are exposed on Richland Creek and the Sangamon River in Salisbury Township. Ali of the strata are composed of three kinds of rocks only, namely: shale, sandstone and lime- stone,-thongh they vary in purity as they graduate into each other, the shales changing to sandstoue when the amount of sand increases, or into limestone when the amount of calcinm carbonate becomes greater in quantity. The presence of iron or carbon changes the appear- ance of the rocks.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II, part 1, Part 59

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