USA > Illinois > Sangamon County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II, part 1 > Part 61
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SOILS .- Fully as Important as the various rock strata, clay pits and coal deposits for the prosperity of. Sangamon County, is the nature of the surface soll. Though hnt a foot or two in thickness, the soll is the source of millions
of dollars' worth of food and raiment. In 1909 the agricultural products of the county exceeded nine million dollars lu value. Such an euor- mous yield would be impossible under less favor- ' abie conditions. There are four chief kinds of soil ; the Marshall silt loam, the Mlaml silt loam, the Mlami black clay loam and the Kas- kaskla loam, named in order of their abun- dance. These may be recognized by one riding through the county in the early spring, largely by their color, as well as by their texture, and their position in relation to slopes and levels.
The Marshall silt loam constitutes sixty per cent of the area of the county. It is a granular soil crumbling readily; in color it is brown, but nearly black when wet. The color is due to the large amount of vegetable matter which it contains. It extends to a depth of about eighteen inches. It occupies broad rather level areas, usually avoiding bluffs, but is found on remnants of the old moraines in Buffalo Hart and Mechanicsburg Townships. It is a loess, weathered and containing a large per cent of humus. Corn, oats and hay thrive on this soil.
Miami siit loam occuples about seventeen per- cent of the area of the county ; It Is looser, more fioury and porous, lighter in color and contains less organic material. It is rarely more than twelve inches in depth, and is found along the slopes of the Sangamon River and its tribu- taries, being characteristic of hilly country with broken topography and good drainage. Fruit, grass and wheat thrive on it.
Miami black clay loam constitutes sixteen per cent of the area of the county. It is darker than the Marshall soil, heavy, sticky so as to merit the name of "Gumbo," granulated and subject to extensive cracking when baked in the hot summer sun. Driving along country roads after a rain storm, one readlly recog- nizes this soil since it dries less readily, is sticky and full of ruts. Its depth is about eighteen inches. It occuples level areas, Is sub- ject to swamps because of Its poor dralnage, con- tains a large amount of organic matter washed In from surrounding lands or derived from the imperfect oxidation of local vegetation. This organic matter decaying, forms acids, which attack the slit particles and render the soil more sticky. The Miami black clay loam is the typical black prairle soll which has made
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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY
Illinois famous for its coru production. No soil makes better corn land.
If there were no swamps there would be no ' Miami black clay loam. If there were no active · erosion there would be no Miami silt loam, and the only soil in the county would be that known as the Marshall silt loam, or the following :
The Kaskaskia loam is a somewhat sandy, silty, granular, brown to drab soil, reaching to a depth of about fourteen inches and found most extensively on the bottom lands, approx- imately about ten feet above the river, along the Sangamon and its tributaries. It is an alluvial soil, generally valuable if not flooded, for corn, oats, hay and especially for pasture and timber.
WATER .- In water resources Sangamon County is fortuuate. On account of the low topographic rellef (Fig. 8) which, in the maximum, does not exceed two hundred feet, and on account of the earth cover of the comparatively level strata, the water liue is at a comparatively uniform level. The Sangamon and its tribu- taries flow in a generally northwest direction. These streams furnish water for the towns and cities, but throughout the county, wells fur- nish the main supply of water for domestic purposes, as well as much for the use of stock. More than fifty percent of the wells are sunk as deep as the top of the Illinoian till, and find an abundant supply of water at an average depth of twenty-one feet. Fourteen percent of the wells are sunk as far as the top of the Kansan till. That is, they have penetrated the sand, loess and Illinoian till and have an aver- age depth of thirty-five feet. Seventeen per cent have been so sunk as to avoid a portion of the loose surface deposits, and have penetrated as far as bed rock with an average depth of twenty-seven feet. On the whole, since the water in these wells has been strained through soil and sand, it is wholesome where not con- taminated by man. But a small amount of min- eral matter is contained in this water. The salts found are, for the most part, calcium and magnesian carbouate and a small amount of Iron oxydes and some sulphates. None of these are present in quantities sufficiently great to render it less valuable for drinking purposes or for use in steam boilers.
Sangamon County is a synonym for a country of plains, the highest poiut in the county, in the southwest, being seven hundred twenty feet
above sea-level, the highest rock strata belng seven hundred seventeeu feet. The lowest point in the county, beiug also the lowest rock sur- face, is four hundrd and ninety feet, In the southwest corner where the Sangamon leaves the county. Such a level surface shows slight disturbance of original rock strata, either by the pressure of the forces contracting the earth, or by the erosion of rapidly flowing rivers. The surface is even more level than it otherwise would have been had it not been smoothed out by the materials brought down from northern regions by the glaciers and scattered here and there both by wind and by water. Glaciers have done their best to spread the blanket of oblivion over the geological past of the county. But ours is the advantage which comes from that past.
The slow processes of millions of years have contributed to our prosperity. As we consider the enormous supplies of coal, the boundless deposits of stoue and clay, the marvelously fertile soil and the wholesome and abundant water, we realize that all the periods of the geological history, with its bundle of processes, liave giveu to the inhabitants of Saugamou County a region well qualified to be oue of the gardeu spots of America.
NOTE .- The following presents a list of publications touching on the subject of the geology and mineral resources of Sangamon County: 1. Bain. H. F., Illinois State Geologic Survey Bulletin, Nos. 1 to 15. 1906-10. 2. Leverett. Frank. U. S. Geological Survey. Seventeenth Annual Report. Part III. pp. 701-842.
3. Report Illinola Board of World's Fair Commission, 1893, pp. 77-92.
. Whitney. Milton. Ditto, pp. 93-114.
5. U. S. Department of Agriculture. Soll Survey of Sanga- mon County. Illinois. 1903. pp. 1-21.
6. Worthen. A. H .. Geological Survey of Illinois, chiefly Vol. V, 1873. pp. 306-319 and Economical Geology of Ilinois. Vol. III. 1882. pp. 322-336.
CHAPTER XXXI.
-
COAL MINING AND PRODUCTION.
.
IMPORTANCE OF THE COAL MINING INDUSTRY-ITS GROWTH-ILLINOIS THE SECOND COAL MINING STATE IN THE UNION-FIRST DISCOVERIES AND DEVELOPMENT IN SANGAMON COUNTY-TOTAL PRODUCTION OF THE STATE BETWEEN 1833 AND 1910-SANGAMON NOW THE SECOND MINING
PENELOPE ANDERSON STOUT
823
HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY
COUNTY IN THE STATE-PRODUCTION OF THE COUNTY BY YEARS FROM 1882-LOCATION OF MINES, NUMBER OF EMPLOYES, PRODUCT AND VALUE OF THE SAME FOR THE YEAR 1910-IN- FLUENCE OF MINING PRODUCTS ON MANU- FACTURES.
(By Frank R. Fisher.)
Next to agriculture, upon which the civilized classes of mankind depend for the immediate advantages of livelihood, there Is no industry based upon natural resources of greater import -- ance than the coai-mining industry, which con- tributes to the means of comfortable living and the constantly increasing demand for mechanicai or manufacturing development. In this respect Illinois stands as the second State In the Union, being surpassed ouiy by Pennsylvania, whose anthracite and bituminous coal deposits have placed it in the front rank of both mining and manufacturing States. And It is worthy of note in this connection that Sangamon County, ac- cording to latest reports of the mining industry, ranks as the second county in the State in the amount of its mining product, while its location in the central part of the State and its conven- ience of access to other localities by means of numerous lines of railroad, gives to its product a proportionately increased value.
The subject of the location and extent of coal- mining deposits in Sangamon County has been treated quite fully iu the chapter on "Natural Resources" by Prof. A. R. Crook, Curator of the State Museum of Natural History. Such other facts as may be obtainable from the Reports of the Illinois Bureau of Labor Statis- tics, In reference to mines and coal production in Sangamon County, will be presented later on in this chapter.
It is practically imposslbie to secure correct data as to the time when coal was first mlued in Sangamon County, owing to the fact that the Industry began in such a small way that no fig- ures were compiled or preserved untli, perhaps, the year 1882, when the Legislature by statute created the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What is teried "Crop Coal" was found In the hills around Springfield in the early 'fifties, and, even now, in the small ravine in Washing- ton Park, just north of the roadway leading from the lake near the goif ground, can be seen evi- dences of this surface coal. The vein was but eighteen inches in thickness and coai was usually
inined by two men, one doing the actnal work of mining while the other looked after the drawing of the coal to some convenient point for loading into wagons.
During this period the low price of wood for fuei purposes, together with the few appliances for burning coal, no doubt retarded the active search for thicker veins.
The Springfield Gas Light Company was or- ganized In 1854 and the first coai was taken from the hill sides by that company. As far back as 1862 some coal was loaded in cars and shipped to neighboring towns.
In the year 1857 the citizens of Springfield, realizing that an adequate supply of water was necessary for a growing towu, formed a company for the purpose of drilling an artesian well. This boring was done by the method known as the churu drill. A slx-foot vein of coal was passed through by this drill, but unnoticed by the meu in charge, as their minds were devoted to the search for water, and not for coal. Later some of the men who had been interested in the artesian well project, recalled that "some one" had spoken of a vein of coal, and so impressed were they with what others called a dream, that three different partles commenced in 1866 to sink shafts without even boring for the coal. The same year the vein was reached, but it has never been decided which party was the first to reach it.
Mr. Jacob Loose opened the mine at the junction of the Wabash and Chicago & Alton, just south of Springfield, adjacent to what is now Iles Junction. This being near the lines of the two railroads mentioned, made it a con- venient point for shipping the product as the demand increased. Mr. Parley L. Howlett open- ed the mine in the then village of Jimtown, afterwards known as Howlett, and now River- ton. Mr. William Saunderson and Mr. Wliliam Beard developed the mine on the Henry Con- verse farm north of Springfield, and known for many years as the "Old North."
All three of these mlues were opened in 1866 and two of them, the Howiett and Saunderson- Beard mlnes, are today growing properties, pro- dnciug very considerable tonnages. The Loose inine at Iles Junction was worked and abandoned some years ago.
Following these three mines the industry took a sudden impetus. Coai stoves became more plentiful, the railroads quickly discarded thelr
824
HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY
wood burning locomotives, steam bollers in priv- ate residences took the places of the log fire, and even the farmers hauled coal, saving their wood for purposes that would bring them more money.
There has been a similar development in other coal producing sections of the State until, ac- cording to the Report of the Commission of Labor Statistics for the year 1910, there were fifty-five of the one hundred and two counties in the State producing coal. The coal area for the whole State, according to the geological survey, is esti- mated at 42,900 square miles, a proportion of three-fourths of the whole State. The entire output of the whole State from 1833 to 1910 is as follows-the period previous to 1881 based upon the estimate of the State Geologist, and for the later period taken from the reports of the Labor Statistics Bureau :
1833-1881
73,123,123 Tons
1882-1910
708,914,114 Tons
Grand Total
782,037,237 Tons
The total number of mines in operation in the fifty-five coal-producing counties in the State during the year 1910 was 881, a decrease of five from that of the year 1909. Of these 390 were shipping mlnes and 491 engaged in local trade only. The total production of these two classes for the year were as follows:
Shipping Mines
47,225,201 Tons
Local Mines
1,492,652 Tons
Total
48,717,853 Tons
The total number of men employed in and around all the mines of the State during the same perlod was 74,634; of this number 71,520, or 95.83 per cent., were employed in connection with the shipping mines, and 3,114, or 4.17 per cent., about the local mines.
The seven counties having the largest number of mines-both shipping and local-with the aggregate output of each (in tons), are as fol- lows :
County.
Mines.
Tonnage.
Willlamson
55
5,901,815
Sangamon
36
5,153,322
St. Clair
72
4,184,555
Vermilion
38
2,033,467
Fulton
111
1,979,138
Peorla
65
924,873
McDonough
43 97,483
From these figures it will be seen that, while Sangamon County is exceeded by all the other counties in this list in the number of mines operated within their respective limits, it was surpassed in output only by Williamson County, thus indicating that a larger proportion of its mlnes are operated for the production of ship- ping coal. The total number of mines operated in Sangamon in 1906 was 41, showing a decrease of five in 1910, while the reduction in output compared with 1909 amouuted to 185,326 tons, Sangamon County has held second place on the Ilst, next to Williamson, since 1907, previous to tbat date for many years being the largest coal producing county In the State. An indication of the growth of the mining industry in Williamson County is shown in the fact that its output has more than quadrupled in the last ten years, in spite of the fact that its area is almost exactly one-half that of Sangamon County.
The following table presents a statement of the total production of coal in Sangamon County for each year from 1882 to 1910-the period covered by reports of the State Bureau of Labor Statistics :
Year.
Tons.
Year.
Tons.
1882
632,835
1897
1,834,458
1883
861,620
1898
1,763,863
1884
820,326
1899
.2,083,572
1885
649,729
1900
.2,519,911
1886
720,153
1901
.2,919,223
1887
730,391
1902
.3,672,984
1888
764,970
1903
4,386,526
1889
846,012
1904
4,516,358
1890
879,888
1905
4,395,050
1891
1,051,604
1906
4,155,431
1892
1,091,014
1907
4,876,621
1893
1,410,346
1908
5,082,626
1894
1,142,299
1909
.5,334,148
1895
1,318,092
1910
.5,153,322
1896
.1,587,812
With a few exceptions these figures indicate a steady growth in production for each successive year, showing that, in less than thirty years, it has increased to more than eight times the prod- uct of the first year embraced in the list.
Another statement of special interest will be that showing the location of mines in Sangamon County, with the number of mines, product (in
·
HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY
825
tons) and value for each mining point aud num- ber of empioyes for the year 1910. Only one mine is operated at each poiut enumerated in the following list except in the Springfield, Au- burn and Pleasant Piains districts, Springfield having 20 mines located in its vicinity (18 ship- ping and two local), Auburn two shipping mines and Pleasant Plains two locai mines. The whole number of shipping mines in the county is 31 and of local mines 5-making a total of 36.
SHIPPING MINES.
Location
Employes. Product.
Value.
Springfield (18) .... 3,639
2,663,710
$2,681,042
Thayer
451
382,540
336,722
Riverton
376
360,906
332,033
Pawnee
382
354,902
354,902
Divernon
398
340,531
323,504
Sherman
403
285,643
285,643
Auburn (2)
445
281,825
260,000
Barciay
149
101,118
102,976
Selbytowu
130
96,329
97,000
Dawson
133
93,838
100,307
Bissell
165
67,688
67,688
Spaulding
154
44,84S
44,848
Mechanicsburg
50
3,083
3,100
Total
6,875
5,076,961
$4,989,765
LOCAL MINES.
Springfield (2)
103
68,662
$77,089
Pleasant Plains (2).
14
6,306
11,812
Sailsbury
3
1,393
2,035
Total
120
76,361
90,936
Total 36 Mines .. . 6,995
5,153,322
$5,080,701
The average value of coal produced in the Fourth District, of which Sangamon County con- stitutes a part, according to the Illinois Labor Statistics Report for 1910, was $0.979 (or ap- proximately $1.00) per ton, for shipping coal, and for the State $1.49 per ton for local mined coal.
The greatest influence of the facilities for coal production in Sangamon County has been shown In the development of manufacturing in- dustries in that section of the State, and in view of the extent of these resources, this Influence will be felt for an indefinite period. Springfield Is already the center of a larger number of manufacturing enterprises of a high grade than
any other purely inland city in the State, and with the development of an adequate water sup- ply, this will be greatly increased In the future.
CHAPTER XXXII.
STATE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY.
BEGINNING OF GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION IN ILLI- NOIS-DR. J. G. NORWOOD THE FIRST STATE GEOL- OGIST-IIIS SUCCESSORS AND THE DIFFICULTIES BY WHICH THEY HAVE ALL BEEN CONFRONTED- PROF. WORTHEN'S ZEALOUS LABORS AND IIIS SAD EXPERIENCE-LEGISLATIVE INDIFFERENCE OR IN- COMPETENCY-PROF. LINDAHL AND OTHIER IN- CUMBENTS-MUSEUM MOVED INTO THE STATE ARSENAL IN 1905-INADEQUACY OF THE MU- SEUM QUARTERS-PROF. A. R. CROOK APPOINTED CURATOR IN 1906-PROJECT FOR MORE AMPLE BUILDING ACCOMMODATIONS-ILLINOIS SUR- PASSED BY OTHER AND YOUNGER STATES-POS- SIBILITIES OF THE MUSEUM AS AN AID TO SCI- ENTIFIC AND GENERAL EDUCATIONAL TRAINING.
(From Reports of Prof. A. R. Crook, Curator.)
The history of the State Museum of Natural History extends back to the enactment of a iaw in February, 1851, establishing a geological survey in Illinois. It was a part of the survey at first, but after the discontinuation of that organization In 1877, was established on a sep- arate basis. Geology was the science that led to the establishment and early growth of the museum, but of later years other sciences, such as zoology, botany and archæology, have been steadily growing in importance in connection with the work carried on. The first State Geol- ogist was J. G. Norwood, a doctor of medicine and a native of Indiana, who had been assistant geologist uuder R. D. Owen in a survey of Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Dr. Norwood set to work vigorously to collect materials upon which to conduct his scientific investigations. He was ably assisted by Anthony Varner, who dled shortly after, and by A. H. Worthen, who was connected with the work many years and, at the time of his death, was the most widely-
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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY
known geologist in the State. That Dr. Norwood and Prof. Worthen should work with great en- thusiasın along paiæontological lines was nat- ural and fortunate, as at that time the fossils of Illinois offered a most attractive field for sci- entific investigation. As a result of their lahor large quantities of valuable material were brought together in the museum, which hecame a iahoratory and workshop, rather than an in- stitution for exhibition. The collection was at first located in New Harmony, Ind., hut the un- sultahleness of this place was early recognized, and consequentiy, in December, 1854, the speci- mens were packed in hoxes to he sent hy hoat down the Wahash forty miles to the Ohio, 120 mlles down the Ohio to the Mississippi, 140 miles up that river to St. Louis, and thence hy rail 100 miles to Springfield. However, cold weather filled the rivers with ice and the mu- seum did not reach Springfieid until the foilow- ing April, and even then at first no place could he found for housing it. Finally it was stored in the Supreme Court room in the building which then served as State House. A few months later, in order to make room for the approach- ing session of the court it was moved to the Senate Chamher and was there made accessihle during the winter of 1855-56. During the fol- lowing summer it was moved to the new arsenai huilding, where new cases and drawers were provided, hut unfortunately this building was not heated, the workers suffered, and their re- agents and ink froze, so the work had to be given up entirely for two or three months.
Dr. Norwood worked in the face of many oh- stacles-the necessity of moving the museum three times and finally heing located in a place unfit for work; the newness of the field, as previously there had heen practically no geolog- ical work done in the State; and finally the smail appropriations that were made, from $3,- 500 to $5,500 per annum heing the maximum allowed for all expenses, including the salaries of the geologist and two assistants, traveling and office expenses and publications. After six years' work there was some dissatisfaction with the progress made and a committee of nine leg- Islators was appointed to investigate the work. They reported that Dr. Norwood deserved great credit for the faithfui attention he had given the museum. However, during this time (with the exception of a pamphlet of one hundred pages) nothing relating to the survey had ever been
published or even prepared for publication. The corps was reorganized and A. H. Worthen was placed at its head. Prof. Worthen did not, however, hring out his first report until 1866- after he had hcen eight years in office, having Norwood's seven years' collections to huild upon and an especial appropriation of $21,000 for printing, etc., as well as his own fourteen years' experience.
During the carly years of Prof. Worthen's in- cumhency the museum remained in the arsenal, and it was then moved to a room in the Ma- sonic Hail. Concerning this Prof. Worthen said : "These specimens, comprising the largest and most valuable State Cahinet in the West, are kept in a rented room. . Permit me
to call your attention to the importance of securing a suitable fire-proof huilding for the reception and display of the specimens." From 1863 to 1870 Prof. Worthen, in carrying out provisions of the law of 1851 requiring the dis- trihutlon of typical collections of duplicates among educational institutions of the State, sent specimens to Prairie City Academy, Rock- ford Female Seminary, Monmouth College, Lom- bard, Normal, Wesleyan and Northwestern Unl- versities.
By the adoption of a new State Constitution, in 1872 the appropriation for the State Survey was nuliified, hut hy special appropriation the work was provided for until 1875, when it was discontinued and the gentleman and scholar who, for a score of years, had given it his valu- ahle services, was left without employment. However, the museum materials needed caring for, and a iaw was passed providing for the es- tablishment of a "State Historical Library and Natural History Museum." Certain rooms were set aside for it, trustees were appointed, the duties of the curator and iihrarian were named, provision made for moving specimens, distrih- uting duplicates, transferring material from an- other museum, and appropriations made for carrying the requirements into effect. A circular "To the Scientists of Illinois" was sent out hy Mr. Worthen and S. A. Forbes, Director of the State Laboratory of Natural History, inviting their support and cooperation in enlarging the museum. Prof. Forhes sent to the museum its chlef zoological materials, preserved specimens of fishes and reptiies in alcohol, artistic casts of Illinols fishes, mounted birds and mammals- deer, hear and smaller animals. As years went
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JOHN A. STRODE AND FAMILY
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HISTORY OF SANGAMON COUNTY
by the orderliness and value of tbe collections were being increased by diligent work, but this improvement was of small avall, as in the last years of Prof. Worthen's life, against his vigor- ous protest and during his absence from Spring- field, the museum was moved by ordinary laborers, who had no Idea of the value of mu- seum inaterials. Of this remuoval his successor, Dr. J. Liudahl, writes : The entire collections in the museum rooms had been mnoved from one of the upper floors down to the main floor of the capitol, by order of some higher authority, wbo engaged a furniture mov- ing concern to remove the whole museum, with- out the supervision of anybody who had tbe least idea how scientific material should be handled. Labels and specimens were shoveled Into drawers and show cases at hap- hazard. In the basement the condition was, if possible, still worse. There was no closed room assigned to the storage of the vast amount of valuable materlal accumulated in the course of about thirty-five years, but It was piled up in an open portion of the basement, and workmen of varlous kinds bad been using the pile as a dump for rubbish under wbich I would never have expected such a treasury of valuable mate- rial as was finally uncovered and removed to a separate room. . . Prof. Worthen felt so grieved over the wreck of the collections in the museum rooms that he could never attempt to remedy the havoc. His health was already · broken, aud after his death, some months later, I found tbe collections in such a condition as indicated. I devoted years of assiduous work to save what could be saved."
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