USA > Illinois > Champaign County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II > Part 34
USA > Illinois > Cook County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II > Part 34
USA > Illinois > Cook County > Evanston > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II > Part 34
USA > Illinois > McDonough County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II > Part 34
USA > Illinois > Ogle County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II > Part 34
USA > Illinois > Boone County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II > Part 34
USA > Illinois > Rock Island County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II > Part 34
USA > Illinois > Carroll County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II > Part 34
USA > Illinois > DuPage County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II > Part 34
USA > Illinois > Grundy County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II > Part 34
USA > Illinois > Cass County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II > Part 34
USA > Illinois > Piatt County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II > Part 34
USA > Illinois > Piatt County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume II > Part 34
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 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100
The records of the county make it certain that the earliest entries of the public lands were made in the Salt Fork Timber. Here
(1) Hon. Randolph C. Wright, whose residence has been at H'omer and vicinity since about 1833. names Abraham Yeazel, James Freeman and John Umbenhower, among the earliest to estab- lish homes there. His uncle, David C. Wright, came as early as 1830 and Moses Thomas not far from that time.
679
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
on the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 12, in Sidney Township, was made the first entry of lands. The record shows it to have taken place on February 7, 1827, five years after Fielder had squatted at the Big Grove and three years after Henry Sadorus had likewise stuck his stakes on the Okaw. Jesse Williams made the entry and is enti- tled to the distinction of being the first "free- holder" of the county. Whether he followed up his ownership by occupancy of his land or not, inquiry has failed to establish. The deed records of the county are silent as to any change of ownership, but it is a fact that Thomas L. Butler was, for many years, the owner and occupant of it. He also entered lands in the same Section in 1833.
Within one year from this entry, on October 16, 1827, the other half of this quarter section was entered by one John Hendricks, which seems to have been the second entry within the bounds of the county, as subsequently established. The third entry was made by Josiah Conger, on November 30, 1827, upon the northwest quarter of Section 5, about two miles east of the Williams entry. These entries were of timber land along the Salt Fork, and the only entries made before the year 1828. Following these entries, on Feb- ruary 18, 1828, William Nox, Jacob Thomas, · Henry Thomas, Robert Trickel and James Copeland entered lands in South Homer and Sidney Townships. The date of these sev- „eral entries suggests the idea that these men may have borne each other company in their journey to Palestine, down on the Wabash River, where the Land Office was located.
·
The ten years next succeeding these ear- liest entries saw many comers to this timber belt, as we may infer from the entries of lands shown upon the records of the county, and as is known to the writer from personal interviews with many now gone to the Be- yond.
It will not be out of place, in part at least, to call the roll of these early "Salt Forkers," as they were long known by their contem- poraries; for many of them achieved. success in life, left their names upon many pages of the records of the county, and many are yet represented by residents of the county. So, beginning with those who apparently came earliest, let the reader go with us over this list of pioneers: Moses Thomas came about
1829 and entered land not far from the Vil- lage of Homer. He erected and operated the first mill with other than manual or horse power, near the southwest corner of Section 33, Town 19, Range 14; was one of the pro- prietors of the Village of Homer laid out upon lands near by, and served, by appointment and election, as Probate Justice from 1833 to 1837, when he was succeeded by his son, John B. Thomas. Jacob Thomas came in 1828, and he and his brother, Joseph Thomas, entered much land in Sidney Township.
Thomas Deer entered land October 6, 1830; near the present Deer Station, which is still owned by his descendants. It is from this family the station received its name.
George Akers in 1831 entered land in Sec- tion 2, near the land entered by Jesse Will- iams, and was elected one of the first County Commissioners of the county. (1)
In the adjoining section the Coddingtons- William and John-entered land in 1830 and 1831, and to this land, and to other land near by, the name of Coddington has been at- tached ever since.
In 1830 Joseph Montgomery and Reuben S. Ballard entered lands in the same neighbor- hood; but, as far as known, their entries were not followed by occupation.
David C. Wright came in 1830, and settled on the Danville road east of James Free- man's.
The first entry of land made by a member of the Swearingen family-ever since that time and now so numerous in the county- was made by Bartley Swearingen, who entered land in Section 36, St. Joseph Township, No- vember 16, 1829, which was followed a year thereafter by the entry by John Salisbury and John Swearingen of land in Section 24 of the same township, which is still in the Swearingen family. This John Salisbury was the first Sheriff appointed for the county.
(1)"The first grist mill in the town (Sidney) was erected on the Salt Fork by George Akers, and I am unable to give the exact date. but, sometime prior to 1840 and afterwards there was attached to it a saw-mill, where most of the lumber used for building purposes for quite a distance around was obtained, Akers having. sold the same to William Towner, a practical millright, who operated it for several years."- Dr. W: A. Conkey's Essay.
"The first grist-mill was erected by George Akers, about 1834. It was afterwards changed to a grist and saw-mill, and from it was after- wards obtained most of the lumber for build- ing purposes in this locality."-Brink's "History of Champaign County," page 137.
/
680
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
David Swearingen came here in 1831 and, in 1833, entered land in Section 35, upon which he lived to the day of his death, and which remained in his family until recently. The name of this family, so numerous in the east- ern part of the county, appears in the ab- stracts of titles to the real estate of that sec- tion more frequently than that of any other .family. Its holdings since 1829 have been and now are very large.
The Bartley family, in the persons of George, Benjamin and Jacob, came before 1831, and during that. and the two succeeding years entered lands in Sections 22 and 23 of St. Joseph Township. Jacob Bartley was
elected a member of the first Board of County Commissioners of this county in 1833.
So of the Strong family, who came about 1831, its members, Cyrus and his sons, Orange and Ambrose, entering lands in Sections 13, 15, 22 and 23 of the same town- ship. One of these, Cyrus, was elected a County Commissioner in 1836.
Nicholas Yount came in 1830 .and, in that year, entered land in Section 26, which he entailed upon his children. The name is still held by families here.
Joseph Stayton came here from Kentucky, October 10, 1830, and in the following year also settled upon land in Section 26, where he raised a family of sons and daughters, who became prominent in the township. Da- vid B. Stayton, a son of Joseph Stayton, was long well known as a large landowner and. honorable citizen. For many years he held various town offices. The wife of Isaac Bur- ris, hereafter named, was a sister of Joseph Stayton.
Jefferson Huss and his brother, James, came to the Salt Fork Timber about 1830, and en- tered land a short distance . above Sidney, which is still held by his sons, W. W. Huss and James R. Huss.
William Peters and Elisha Peters (cousins) came in 1830 and entered land in Sections 25 and 26, and Samuel, a brother of William, did likewise a few years thereafter. All en- tered lands and spent their lives here, leav- ing large families. Joseph, Robert and Will- iam, sons of the former, and Jonathan, a son of the latter, died but a few years since. Their descendants are still numerous in the neighborhood. William I. Peters, also a
cousin, came in 1833 and entered land in Sections 22 and 23.
Benjamin, Alexander, Moses and Isaac Argo came to this settlement about 1835 and en- tered lands in Sections 2, 3, 10, 22 and 24. All died here.
Hiram Rankin and his friend, Thomas Rich- ards, came in 1832, and during that and the following year jointly entered lands in Sec- tion 18, Township 19, Range 11, and in Sec- tion 24, St. Joseph Township. Richards was unmarried and lived with the Rankin family until some years thereafter, when he was married to Miss Patterson, the daughter of Thomas Patterson, another early comer. The home of Mr. Rankin was first made at the Hickory Grove on Section 18, though subse- quently this place became the home of Mr. Richards, who spent his life there. His son, Alonzo, still owns and occupies this land. Mr. Rankin changed his domicile to lands in Section 24, St. Joseph, on the State road, where he lived and died.
. Caleb, John, Samuel and Orrison Shreeve, about 1834, appeared and became landown- ers. All spent their lives here.
John Bailey was an early comer to this timber, and early in 1829 entered numerous tracts of land. Fifty years ago he lived about two miles east of the creek, on the State road, where he kept one of the numerous country taverns then necessary to meet pub-' lic wants, and much patronized by the trav- eling public.
James Cowden, in 1835, entered land in Section 33, of 'St. Joseph, where, or near . which, on the west side of the creek, he lived until his death about 1860. He entailed upon his family much other land.
James Rowland, in 1830, entered land in Section 23, his brother Thomas, about the same time, entering land in Section 1, Ur- bana Township. The latter died a few years thereafter at his place. Two of his daugh- ters, Mrs. William I. Moore and Mrs. Gunn, . of Olney, often visited their childhood home, especially upon occasion of the pioneer meet- ings, which visits continued until their deaths.
Samuel Mapes, in 1831, took up land in Section 13, St. Joseph, which is still held by his son, Daniel Mapes.
Robert Prather, about 1835, came to the settlement and entered considerable land in Section 11, near the crossing of the creek by
Ne
LIBRARY-UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
LIBR RY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
681
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
the Fort Clark road. From this circumstance, and from his residence there, the ford of the creek came to be known to the numerous travelers along that route as "Prather's Ford," and the point became a favorite camp- ing ground. The changes of the early roads of the country, to other routes and upon sec- tion lines, has obliterated all trace of the for- mer halting place, and it is now a piece of unnoticeable pasture land.
Adam Yeazel and his two brothers, Abra- ham and James, about 1830 and later, took up much land, which they held during life.
James Freeman, in 1832, entered land in Section 29, Town 19, Range 14, now in South Homer, upon which he resided to the time of his death. His sons, Thomas and Eleazer, were also large landowners, and the ances- tral home is still in the family.
Isaac Burris, a blacksmith, came as early as 1830, and, in that and succeeding years, entered lands in Sections 30 and 31, South Homer and Ogden Townships, which he occu- pied until his death. During many years he served the settlement as its only blacksmith. The cinders of his smithy still attest the lo- cation.
William Parris as early as 1836 entered land in the south part of Ogden, but finally made his home near Bur Oak Grove, where he died and where his descendants still live.
John B. Thomas, who was an early school teacher, later Probate Justice, County Judge and School Commissioner of the county, a son of Moses Thomas, entered land in Sec- tions 29 and 31, Ogden and South Homer, in 1834. He died in 1861, at that time being a practicing lawyer at Homer.
Michael Firebaugh, in 1831, entered land at Hickory Grove, a short distance north of the railroad, now in Ogden Township, where he continued to reside until his death. Be- fore 1840 Firebaugh and John Strong made brick on this land, which are claimed to have been the first brick made in the county.
Dr. Harmon Stevens seems to have entered land near Homer, and was long an influential citizen and physician of that place. He changed his residence to one of the southern counties of the State some years since, where he died.
Lewis Jones about 1848 became an owner of land in St. Joseph Township, where he died in 1859, having not long before then
been elected one of the Associate Justices of the County Court.
Dr. James H. Lyon, one of the earliest physicians of the county, came before 1836 and located at what was then known as "Nox's Point," invested largely in lands near there and on November 9, 1836, placed upon record the plat of the town of "Sidney," lo- cated upon what was then understood to be a point upon the Northern Cross Railroad. The plat, as shown of record, shows twenty- eight blocks of twelve lots each, with a pub- lic square, streets and alleys in abundance. Great expectations were, without doubt, in- dulged in as to the new metropolis and what it would one day come to be. Twenty years went away before the railroad promised by the Legislature was a factor in the life of the town; meanwhile no more than a dozen buildings appeared upon the plat of more than three hundred lots. (1)
(1)"In 1837 Dr. James M. Lyon and Joseph Davis entered the land on which the village of Sidney now stands. They laid out the town of Sidney and named it after Sydney Davis, a daughter of Joseph Davis, one of the founders of the town. The original founders of the town borrowed money from the bank in Springfield, Ill., and mortgaged the land for its payment. They failed to meet the claim when it was due. The mortgage was foreclosed and the land sold. In re-arranging the plat of the town, the Clerk of the county spelled the name of Sidney with an 'i,' instead of as it was origin- ally spelled with a 'y,' and since that time it has been so spelled. Lyon and Davis introduced the first fine stock into the township, and, be- ing natives of Kentucky and Southern gentle- men, also laid out a race-track. The first post office was established in the township in 1837, and soon after discontinued."-Brink's "History of Champaign County." page 137.
"The General Assembly, at its sesion of 1837- 38 provided for the creation of a general sys- tem of internal improvements, throughout the entire State. As a part of this system it was provided that there should be built. 'A Northern Cross Railroad from Quincy on the Mississippi River, via Columbus. Clayton. Mount Sterling, to cross the Illinois River, at Meredosia, and to Jacksonville, Springfield, Decatur, Sydney, Dan- ville, and thence to the State line in the direc- tion of Lafayette, Ind., and thus form a com- munication with the great works in Indiana and to the eastern States.' "-Peck's "Gazetteer," (1837), page 60.
"The prospect of the building of the Northern Cross Railroad through Sidney inspired the peo- ple thereabouts with confidence that their town, on that account and on account of its eligible position, would merit a removal of the county- seat to that location; but with the road, died their hopes."-Thomson R. Webber in an inter- view in 1854.
"One day last week we managed to escape the thralldom of office duties and struck out across the prairie, in a southeasterly direction. . Two hours' ride brought us to the village of Sidnev. This place was laid out about 1836 by Joseph Thomas, during the operations on the Northern Cross Railroad, with a fine prospect for future success. But, at the abandonment of
682
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
-
Dr. Lyon was an influential citizen and was, in the year 1836, and again in 1838, elected a member of the General Assembly from Champaign County. His descendants are yet numerous in the county.
James and Samuel Groenendyke, merchants at Eugene, Ind., were, from about 1836, large buyers of Champaign County lands, and were the owners of much land until the death of both, though neither ever occupied or im- proved any of them. Their selections were wisely made.
Many other names appear upon the records as having entered the lands of the Salt Fork timber and the adjacent prairies before 1840, who are less conspicuous in the history of the county-some because they never occupied their lands, and others because they, at an early day, moved on with the tide of western
the system of internal improvements adopted by the State, its prospects lapsed. The pros- pect now of its being a point on the Great West- ern Railroad causes the people to feel encour- aged. Three lines have been run near the vil- lage-two within one hundred yards and one about a quarter of a mile away. It will make no difference which of the lines is selected, either
will be sufficiently near. Messrs. Thomas & Jones have laid off a new plat to supersede the old one, and lots are now in the market.
"Sidney possesses many favorable qualities as a location. Its site is no doubt the best in the county, being high and rolling. It is situated in the edge of the southern extremity of the timber, on the Salt Fork of the Vermilion River. and surrounded by prairie that is unsurpassed by any in the county. About four miles to the southwest, at an elevation of ninety feet above the creek, is the Linn Grove, which is regarded by all who have seen it as the most beautiful location in Illinois. It is now the property of Enoch Johnson, and is frequently made the place of resort of the pleasure seekers from this place, although twelve miles distant.
"There are now two dry-goods stores in Sid- ney, one owned by J. S. Cunningham and the other by Messrs. Upp & Casey, both doing good business.
"Leaving Sidney in the afternoon we went north along the edge of the timber for about three miles, when we struck out on the prairie to the westward, and were soon coming over its trackless sod.
"Before leaving the settlements we passed many fine farms, among which we took partic- ular notice of that of Lewis Jones, Esq .. which lies wholly on the prairie and embraces many acres of unsurpassed fertility. The corn is above the medium crop and will surprise its owners, we think."-Urbana Union, September 14. 1854.
"A tri-weekly mail route has been established between Urbana and Vincennes, Ind., passing through Sidney, Bloomfield and Paris. The stages will commence running on Monday next. A postoffice will soon be established at Sidney. which will be served by this line, and will be a great convenience to the people there."-Ur- bana Union. June 29. 1854.
"A postoffice has been established at Sidney in this county, and J. S. Cunningham appointed postmaster. We congratulate our Sidney friends upon the consummation of their ardent desires, long delayed."-Urbana Union, July 20, 1854.
emigrants, or, perhaps, died early. It will be interesting to name some of these, which we do with the dates at which they seem to have become connected with our history: Da- vid Wright, 1836; William McDermott, 1836; Valentine Iliff, 1830; John and James Parker, 1828; James Orr, 1835; P. S. Loughborough, 1836; Marshall King, 1833; Benjamin Delancy, 1831; John W. Laird, 1836; Zebulon Beard, 1830; Henry Wilson, 1830; George Powell, 1832; John Umbenhower, 1833; Jonathan Os- born, 1833; Allen Poage, 1833; David Moore, 1830; Tobias Beard, 1833; Samuel Beaser, 1833; Ezekiel Sterrett, 1831; Orpha Davidson, 1831.
About 1836 Dr. Arnold Naudain, then a United States Senator, from the State of Del- aware, entered more than two thousand acres of land here, mostly in Sidney and Urbana Townships. None were ever occupied or im-' proved by him, but held for speculative pur- poses, and as the country became developed, sold to actual occupants. Some of the finest lands in these townships trace their titles through this eminent man to the Government.
In the same neighborhood, and the same year, Ramsey McHenry, from the same State, entered about as much more of our lands. Both these entries were well chosen as to location and as to quality, as lands were then looked upon, though the dredge-boat and till- ing spade have since shed new light upon land values.
Philo Hale, of Springfield, in 1837, made large land entries on the Okaw and in the neighborhood of Philo, some of which are yet held by his descendants who live in Cleveland, Ohio. The dates of these entries and their location along the line of the proposed North- ern Cross Railroad, since built and now known as the Wabash, would lead one to the opinion that large expectations were indulged in by these gentlemen as to the future of the lands chosen.
It was within this timber that the first town of Homer, now known as "Old Homer," was laid out in 1837. The demands of the settle- ment for a trading place nearer than Danville, was the occasion, and the prior location in 1834 of the grist and saw mill of Moses Thomas, upon the creek near by, the induce- ment which determined the location at this particular point.
At the intersection of four sections of land-
683
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
.
.
Sections 4 and 5 in Town 18, and Sections 32 and 33 in Town 19-was platted into lots, a few acres from each, and received the name of "Homer." Why the name of the Greek poet was so applied in this wilderness has been asked often without answer. Recently, one professing to know has said that Michael D. Coffeen, the moving spirit of the enterprise, was a great student and admirer of the poet, and so honored his town with the favorite name.(1) However this may be, Mr. Coffeen, then a young man, in company with an older merchant, Samuel Groenendyke, of Eugene, under the name of "M. D. Coffeen & Co.," at once opened a store there for the sale of all sorts of merchandise demanded by the settle- ment. The enterprise was a great success and commanded patronage from many miles around. No store in Urbana equaled it in the facilities afforded its patrons, and none in Danville excelled it. It drew its patronage from the Sangamon, Okaw and Ambraw set- . tlements, and even beyond.(2) The partner- ship thus formed continued until the death, in 1860, of Mr. Groenendyke, the non-resident partner, always successful and always trusted by the pioneers.
The little hamlet with the poetical name attracted to it other traders and shops of va- rious kinds, including the manufacturers of articles mostly in use by the people. It thus became the home of a population of several hundred, always the center of a large patron- age, until about the first days of the year 1855, when the Great Western Railroad (now the Wabash) having been located a mile away up- on land owned by Mr. Coffeen, he platted a town of the same name there and invited all of his neighbors to move with him to the new town. He offered lot for lot and allowed the householders to remove all buildings to their new holdings at the railroad depot. The offer
(1)The application of this name was explained by M. D. Coffeen to Randolph C. Wright, in answer to a question, as coming about in this manner: One day about 1837, the store having already been located, Mr. Groenendyke and Mr. Coffeen were consulting about laying out the town and its name, and the desirability of having also a blacksmith shop and other shops there, when Mr. Groenendyke said, "Yes it would be more homer to me" (meaning more home-like), "to have it as it was then with no place to stop there." At this Mr. Coffeen replied, "Well, then, Homer it shall be," and so it was.
(2) Green Atwood, at a meeting of the County Commissioners, held in April, 1837. was granted a license to keep a tavern in the town of Homer.
was unanimously accepted, so a general house- moving, with Mr. Coffeen in the lead, was be- gun and continued until the former thrifty town became a waste of abandoned streets, alleys and lots covered with the debris of its former greatness. Everything went to the new town except the Salt Fork and the pioneer mill of Moses Thomas, which, from necessity, were left behind.(1) The mill, long so useful to the people from far and near, did not, how- ever, cease to be useful, nor has it yet ceased its usefulness.
The Homer & Ogden Electric Railroad now crosses the Salt Fork a few rods above the mill erected in the lone woods, seventy years ago, by Moses Thomas, and crossing the town plat of Old Homer, connects, by business and social ties, thriving towns which have grown up on the prairie in places unthought of by the men of that day as needing such facilities. Twice each hour of the day the cars move by the old mill by an unseen power, and we may say a power undreamed of by mortal man in the time of Moses Thomas.
Since the days in the history of the Salt Fork treated of in the preceding pages, there
(1)"Emigration of Homer .- The citizens of Homer have resolved to do no business in the present town after the first day of April next. It is the intention to haul all, or nearly all, of the buildings to a point on the Great Western Railroad, about one and one fourth miles from the old town, and there make their town. The move, we think, is a very good one, as a much better site for a town is selected being on the prairie and on the prospective railroad. We think the town bids fair to become one of con- siderable importance."-Urbana Union. Jan. 11, 1855.
"On Tuesday of this week we visited this town for the first time since its location on the prairie. The present site, on a high and com- manding point on the Great Western Railroad, is considered much healthier than the old town. We were informed by the physicians that, amidst the great amount of sickness the present year, the town has been comparatively free from it.
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.