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The view described, as seen in the passage of the seven or eight miles intervening be- tween Kelley's Ford and the Big Grove, on that June afternoon fifty years since, was un- broken, save by the groves and belts of tim- ber alluded to and not to exceed half a dozen houses of venturesome home-makers, who had challenged the popular belief of the country that, to live away from the protection of the timber in winter was to invite sudden death by freezing, and had set up their cabins away out on the prairie.
Though in this view, as then seen, we have but superficially described the territory of that part of this country then traversed, we have at the same time described typical conditions which, at that date, applied to the entire county and to its adjoining counties. Vast, undulating expanses of prairie were seen upon every hand.
"These are the Gardens of the Desert, these The unshorn fields, boundless and beautiful. . . . I behold them for the first,
And my heart swells, while the dilated sight Takes in the encircling vastness. Lo! they stretch
In airy undulations, far away,
As if the ocean, in his gentlest swell,
Stood still, with all his rounded billows fixed, And motionless forever."
The county was then twenty years old as a municipality, and its settlements ten years older; yet, within all of its borders not twenty homes were to be found one mile from the protection and convenience of a grove or belt of timber. From the northern line to the southern, by avoiding the timber groves, one might have passed without even having seen a farm or improvement to turn him from his course. Probably as much as two-thirds of the lands of the county were yet owned by the Government, and the solitude and stillness of Nature was almost univer- sal. (1)
(1) The following taken from the correspon- dence of the "Chicago Press," written a few months after the date above alluded to, will further illustrate the appearance of the country at this time:
"Urbana, Champaign County, April 25, 1854 .- Messrs. Editors: From Hickory Grove, near the southeast corner of this county to this place, thirty miles, is a wild, rich, boundless and al- most entirely unsettled prairie. Drove after drove of plover, numerous flocks of wild geese ' which could not be counted, with numerous pairs of sandhill cranes, stalking about in occasional sloughs, constantly meet the eye throughout this distance. To Lost Grove is ten miles, without a house or improvement. Away to the left, on the ridge, twelve miles from Urbana, is seen Linn Grove on the sources of the Embarras; over to the right as far as the eve can reach over the grassy waste, can be observed the woods skirting the Salt Fork of the Vermilion.
"After leaving Lost Grove we reached Sidney in the edge of the grove, on the Salt Fork of the Vermilion, eleven miles from Urbana, con- taining a few small stores and residences. From this to Urbana is an excellent body of unset- tled prairie, held at prices from $4 to $5 per acre, to within five or six miles from town. Where there are improved lands, double this price is asked. Two large, well cultivated stock farms, adjoining Urbana, with some timber are held at $25 and $27 respectively, per acre.
"Urbana, the county-seat, and Champaign, the county, were named by a gentleman in Edgar County. a brother of ex-Governor Vance of Ur- bana, Ohio, who assisted in the organization of the county. Three years since there were but 200 inhabitants in this town, and about 2,000 in the county. Urbana now contains upwards of , 1,000 inhabitants and is just beginning to grow and feel herself strengthening with the impetus given by the Central Railroad passing through its borders. It is located in the borders of the Big Grove, which contains 22,000 acres, or about
746
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
Before the year 1853 the planting or orchards in the county had become quite com- mon, and much more of the ordinary domes- tic fruits were produced by the farmers than was necessary for domestic uses. The variety of' apple trees was small, and most orchards were monopolized by the universal "Milam," few other varieties having been introduced. The insect enemies of domestic fruits, which have since made their production so uncer- tain and the quality so poor, in some cases, were little known at that time in Illinois. Peaches were grown in places in the greatest abundance, but in most cases from seedling trees. The quality, however, was not inferior to the boasted varieties since sold as superior. Wild fruits then, and for many years there- after, were grown spontaneously in the great- est abundance. The margins of all the tim- ber belts and groves for some rods-and many isolated groves, where not interfered with by clearings or pasturage of stock- were taken up by plum thickets, where the wild plum grew in the greatest luxuriance and produced its fruits in an incredible abun- dance. There any one-the freeholder or the landless-might freely forage upon this spon- taneously grown and luscious fruit. The quality was not inferior to that of the same fruit now brought to our markets from the
a township of very superior timber. It is 127 miles by railroad to Chicago and 122 to the junction with the main Central. The buildings are yet mostly small, and of frame, expecting the court house, which is a good building of brick. Brick are on the ground and other materials ready for the erection of the Urbana Male and Female Seminary, and the walls of a large round-house, workshop, etc., for the rail- road, are up and progressing to completion. Indeed, brick of a superior quality can be made from the clay here, and as lumber is very scarce, though two large steam-mills are con- stantly sawing, it is remarkable that more brick are not made and used-they would command $8 per thousand. There are three respectable sized two-story frames for hotels (one not yet occu- pied), two of which recently sold for $3,000 each-a rent of $700 per annum is paid for one.
"In addition to the two saw-mills is a steam lath-mill, bass-wood or linden being used in making lath. In the yards of those mills I not- iced logs from the grove varying from one to four feet in diameter, much of it being black walnut; the residue oak, ash, etc.
"Agriculture and mechanics flourish. An an- nual fair of the Champaign County Agricultural and Mechanical Association took place here in October last, at which there was a good display, particularly of fine stock. You will recollect it was B. F. Harris, Esq., of this county, that last year fed a lot of 100 head of cattle, that weighed on an average 1.965 1-2 pounds, gross, which took the State Fair premium, and were pro- nounced the heaviest and best lot for so large
far-off southern fields, yet was allowed to rot upon the ground in immense quantities, un- heeded. So, within the dense woods grew the juicy blackberry, without care, culture or selection, the superior of any now found in the fields of any fruit farm in the county. Nature seemed to have plainly marked the country as the home of all the domestic fruits.
Some persons yet remember the practice of .the early housewives of drying for the north- ern markets some of their surplus apple crops, which in many cases, constituted a large part of the loads of produce hauled to Chicago in the early times. So also of the surplus peach crop.
The settlements which, as before noted, were along the timber belts and around the groves only, were sparse and connected alone by traces across these prairies, which cannot be dignified as roads, for they were only makeshifts which were unimproved and were generally abandoned as the country became settled. In fact, in all respects save its po- sition in a populous State and surrounded, not far away, by populous counties, Cham- paign County fifty years ago, was a fron- tier country.
One line of mail stages crossed it from east to west, save which no public conveyance served its people. All merchandise intended for use here was brought from eastern cities to some *
a number, that were exhibited at the Crystal Palace. His cattle have been surpassed a few pounds this year, by a similar number fed by Messrs. Jacoby & Califf, drovers of Piatt County, but Mr. Harris says he is bound to beat them in his turn. He resides a few miles west of this town on the north fork of the Sangamon. These cattle of Mr. Harris' were purchased by Mr. Rennick, a great cattle-raiser and drover of Pickaway County, Ohio. The lot fed in Piatt were purchased by the same Rennick's brother, for $100 per head, and shipped last week to New York via the Illinois Central Railroad. Speaking of stock, I would mention as a commercial fact, that Mr. Rennick, with whom I have just been traveling, is now transporting 3,000 head of fat hogs in the same way, which he purchased at $3 per hundred pounds, gross weight, in this and ad- joining counties. It will probably cost $1.50 per hundred pounds to transport them, and $6 per hundred will be received for them, at least, in the New York market.
"The railroad station and buildings are lo- cated, one and a half miles west from Urbana. It is thought by some that the grounds inter- vening will be built up in time. Forty acres of lots adjoining the depot grounds, were sold last winter, at from $12 to $200 per lot, or $6,000 for the whole. Other sales of lots are being made and a commencement is seen of houses for business, etc., in the vicinity. Water is obtained in all this region at a depth of 18 to 20 feet .- Yours C. D."
.
747
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
near Wabash town, by lake, river and canal navigation, and wagoned thence to its destina- tion. So, in some cases produce of various kinds was transported by local farmers over the one hundred and thirty miles of prairie di- viding the county from Lake Michigan, for sale there, in earlier times, to the United States garrison, and later to commission mer- chants of Chicago, the return journey being utilized in bringing home supplies of salt and other necessaries not produced here.(1) The necessaries of life not produced at the homes of the people were not numerous, and the transportation business of the kind above in- dicated was not large.
Urbana, the county-seat and principal village of the county, consisted only of the court house, the second permanent structure for this purpose, as elsewhere described, and of about seventy-five other buildings of all kinds, mostly one-story frame dwellings of two to four rooms, all within a radius of one-fourth of a mile from the court house. Among these were a dozen or more houses built of logs, yet remaining from pioneer times. Not half a dozen of the houses in the town had cellars, and no greater number had attic chambers or upper rooms. On the east we include the Webber house, a small frame near the big elm on Main Street, and on the west the Busey home, a one-story frame building, where now stands the home of Colonel Busey. Race and Elm Streets, with a dozen houses each, with those on Main Street and a few each on Mar- ket and Water Streets, made up the town. William Park's saw and grist-mill was the prin- cipal industry, and a little unpainted weather- beaten church building, about 25 by 40 feet, belonging to the Methodist Episcopal church, the only outward sign of spiritual life.
The old wooden court house which, five years before had been removed from the pub- lic square, to make room for a better house, then standing where the First Methodist Epis- copal Church now stands, was the only school
building at the county-seat, and that tempo- rary only.
Cows and pigs, chickens and geese ranged the streets and alleys as free as the sovereign citizen; and fences of boards or rails were everywhere in evidence for the protection of gardens and yards from their incursions. The free range afforded by the near-by open prairie and timber pastures, made the keeping of domestic animals popular; and few families, with means enabling them to own a cow, but enjoyed that luxury. This being the case, the human population of the town-not exceeding five hundred, it is thought-was equaled, if not exceeded, in numbers by its domestic animals.
Dog fennel(1) and other noxious weeds held joint possession of the streets.
This condition of freedom continued for many years. (2)
(1) Commonly called May-Weed (Anthemis Cotula.) The weed was not indigenous to Illi-
nois, nor the West, but from growing along the highways of the Eastern States, was brought gradually to the West by the seed being car- ried upon the wheels of wagons along the high- ways. Archa Campbell, who made his home in Champaign County early in the 'forties, said that, when he came here the weed was unknown to the country; but that it made its appearance a few years thereafter, first in the State road a few miles east of Urbana, and finally took up a permanent abode here and sent its seed far- ther west. .
(2)"As things now are the most miserable state of confusion imaginable exists. There is not a street in town but is more or less blocked up by wood piles of various dimensions, with piles of rubbish; or, if not these, by huge piles of stable manure, which after having sent forth, all summer long, a health destroying mi- asma, are in a condition to daub and besmear every unlucky foot passenger along our alleys and streets. Droves of swine, too, infest every street and ally and besiege every gate, running their mischievous heads in everybody's business in order to get the wherewith to keep life in their half-starved carcasses.
"This disorder and confusion is not the re- sult of any intentional error on the part of any one; but because there is no law against it, and it is convenient, is the reason why wood- piles and rubbish are stowed in the streets, and why pigs are allowed to run at large. Nor is it the fault, of few, but of many, if not all of us.
"We appeal most earnestly to all, if thev would not be better pleased were the wood- piles and other rubbish kept within proper bounds, and our streets supplied with safe and : convenient sidewalks? Would it not be more to our comfort and convenience, to say noth- ing of the credit we would gain in the eyes of those who from time to time, visit our town? "Let us then, at the approaching session of the Legislature, obtain an act of incorporation. and then go to work right and expel from our streets these things which render us ridicu- lous. Let us require every man to harbor his + own hogs and establish in our midst order, which is the first law of Heaven, and should be of this part of the earth."-Urbana Union, November 23, 1854.
(1)Men are yet living here who made these journeys in their youth and relate the particu- lars. The journeys occupied from ten days to three weeks, according to the season in which they were undertaken. It is also remembered that merchandise was, in some cases, purchased by merchants in St. Louis and either wagoned from that city to the county, or shipped by steamer up the Illinois River to Pekin, or some other convenient port and from thence trans- ported by teams to its destination.
748
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
Not a side-walk had been constructed in the town but in the proper place for such con- veniences were wood-piles, often banked to a considerable height by chips, the accumulation of years. (1)
"Hogs .- The great crying (squealing) evil of our town is hogs. Is a gate unintentionally left ajar for five minutes, your door-vard or garden is at once infested with a drove of devouring swine. The smallest crack or cranny in your fence is carefully searched out by juvenile porkers and, until said crevice is made air- tight, no rest is left for chasing away this staple article of commerce. Everv mud-hole is by them made larger, and every clean place in- fected with their filth. To assert and protect the rights of humanity over this portion of the animal creation, certain of our citizens are dis- cussing the question of a municipal ordinance prohibiting altogether the running at large of hogs, and a petition to the Common Council to this effect is receiving the names of three- fourths of our citizens, and we confidently hope that such an ordinance may succeed. We are well aware that it would clash with the inter- ests of a few, who carry on pork-raising in connection with other business, but this num- ber is much in the minority, and it is wrong for them to ask that the majority be made to suffer for their interests. Every individual is more or less annoyed by these animals for the benefit of the owners, besides they are no orna- ment, it must be admitted."-Urbana Union, August 13, 1857.
This is told by a local paper: "A Bull in a China Shop .- This kind of exhibition has al- ways been regarded as ludicrous and even dan- gerous, but the feat was successfully performed at Mr. S. Rea's china store, last Wednesday evening, with slight variations in the program, the attraction in this instance being a female bovine. The cow entered at the back door and gracefully promenaded the entire length of the store passing the mountains of glass- ware, queensware, etc., without accident. At the front door she halted and proceeded to make a critical inspection of the premises, her approval of which was manifested by making a meal of some of Mr. Rea's sample potatoes. At this time our friend Bovingdon, who had witnessed her progress with bated breath, nerv- ously confronted "Bossy" and prevailed upon her to retire in good order. No damage was done except the smashing of a large pane of glass, and the consumption of a few pota- toes."-Urbana Democrat, Nov. 13, 1868.
In the summer of 1868 cattle in many places in the county became infected with what was known as "Texas fever," from some droves of Texas cattle driven across the country, and so prevalent and fatal was it here that every cow in Urbana but one died of the contagion.
(1)"Clean Up .- A person cannot help noticing in many parts of this town, the culpable neglect of too many in allowing their yards and alleys to be filled full of filth of all kinds. In walk- ing through a part of the town rather unfre- quented, the other day, we were surprised to see the neglect of the people. Around every stable and pig-sty, manure has been allowed to accumulate for the last year, until the amount is so great that it must result in consequences detrimental to health of those living in the neighborhood, unless soon removed. A dollar or two spent by those near by, in removing these accumulations from the streets and alleys,
may save them much sickness. Certainly, those inhaling the fumes from these filthy masses near their dwellings, for any length of time, must fall victims to disease in some form. Then, why not go about it at once. lest, as the warm weather comes and with
Wood gathered from the Big Grove was then the only fuel in use for domestic pur- poses, and in almost all cases the head of the family or one of his big boys, was relied upon to reduce the "sled-length" timber, as hauled from the Grove, to "stove-wood," for use in the home. This was generally done as the article was needed, so wood-chopping was one of the necessary industries of the town. It was not until some years after the date referred to, that any "stone-coal" was used except in the black smith shops, where at first only the manufactured charcoal was used.
The Bone Yard Creek, at the then west end of Main Street, had been bridged a few years before, until which the crossing of west- ward travel was at a ford of the creek a little north of Water Street. (1)
Besides this, only one bridge over a consid- erable stream had then been constructed in the county-that over the Salt Fork at Homer. All other creek crossings were effected either by fords at a low stage of water, or by ferries when the high stage of water made it neces- sary. Ferries were maintained at Mahomet and at Kelley's Ford.
Besides the two hotels spoken of, there was one small drug store kept by J. W. Jaquith, who was also Postmaster; two grocery stores kept by S. M. Noel and H. M. Russell, the lat- ter having a bakery also; (2) four general stores kept by Campbell & Ater, Clapp & Gere, Gessie & Sherfy and Alonzo Lyons; one tailor-shop by W. S. Garman; one hardware
it disease, you rue your neglect in this matter." -Urbana Union, June 13, 1854.
"Clean Up .- Upon this subject we made a few remarks not long since, as we deemed it our duty to remind the people of this town that they were keeping in their yards and around their houses, piles of filth which, if not removed, would bring to their homes disease and death. How true those remarks were, let the history of those families living upon filthy streets and alleys, tell. Let the marks of death in families in this town who have lived in unhealthy lo- cations, be appealed to by those who doubt our words. Our streets, too, are filled with herds of swine, which may justly be regarded as the greatest breeders of pestilence of anv cause with which we have to contend."-Urbana Union, July 13, 1854.
(1) This bridge was supplanted by another wooden bridge in May, 1859. and it by an iron bridge in November, 1867. The later gave way to the present stone bridge in 1898.
(2) Henry M. Russell is one of the few busi- ness men of Urbana of 1853, now living. He came here in 1847 and soon after entered into active business in Urbana. With the excep- tion of a period of about four years, during the War of the Rebellion, he has been in business in Urbana all the intervening time.
1
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
749
and stove store and tin shop by W. H. Jaques; one furniture-shop by James Munhall and one harness-shop by J. D. Wilson. Stephen Wood had a blacksmith-shop, as also had Asa Hays.
Two lawyers were on the ground, William D. Somers and William N. Coler. These gentle- men, together with the ambulatory bar which followed the court from county to county, around the Eighth Judicial Circuit, divided the small legal patronage between themselves. Only about four days in each year were occu- pied by the two terms of court, when the cav- alcade of Judge and lawyers moved on, gen- erally in their own conveyances. Thomson R. Webber, who had been the first to erect a house upon the plat of Urbana and the first Clerk appointed, still held the clerkship of both courts, besides being also Master in Chancery for the Circuit Court. He, with slight assist- ance, performed the duties of the clerkships and of Recorder of Deeds. (1)
·
One newspaper, the "Urbana Union," having been commenced in October, 1852, was being conducted by attorney Coler with a small cir- culation, no other newspaper nearer than Dan- ville, Bloomington, Decatur and Charleston be- ing its competitor.
A mail stage brought the mail matter of the people twice a week from the east and the west, no direct postal facilities from the north and the south existing, so that some days were con- sumed in the transmission of papers and let- ters from Chicago. In fact, Cincinnati was the nearer mart and supplied the country here- abouts with its merchandise. All supplies were brought to the county by wagons from Per- rysville and Covington, Wabash towns, where they were laid down from canal packets and river steamers.
Homer and Middletown, now Mahomet, were the only other villages in the county and, with Urbana, had the only postoffices of the county. Sidney, though before then a platted town, could scarcely be called a village, and was then without a postoffice.
What has been said of Urbana business houses may be said of those of these villages.
X M. D. Coffeen & Co., of Homer, were by far the largest dealers in the county, and drew their patronage from all parts of the county and beyond.
As has been seen, the county was sparsely settled except about the groves, and could have been passed in any direction, from end to end, without encountering any obstacle to turn the traveler from his course. So the landscape views were intercepted by no inter- vening "improvements," such as buildings, artificial groves or orchards; but, unless inter- cepted by a range of natural ridges or tim- ber growths, nothing prevented one's view from extending across the county in any direc- tion. As a matter of actual experience, one could then stand upon Main Street in Urbana and see the Salt Fork timber on the east. and -but for the ridges encircling the town on the south and west-the Sangamon, Okaw and Ambraw timber belts were in full view. The high ridge, some miles west of Champaign, was plainly visible from this point, and every house erected thereon could have been counted. On the north of the town the Big Grove, then but slightly infringed upon by the demands of the settlers for rail and building timber and fuel, reached away to the north- east from a line in places a little south of Main Street, as fine a body of useful and ornamental trees às could be found west of the Allegheny Mountains, thus cutting off all view in that direction.
The Big Grove was bisected by two diagonal roads, then and now known as the "Heater Road" and the "Brownfield Road," but little in advance of the original "traces" over which the inter-locking boughs of the contiguous trees cast a dense shade. Another road ran north- erly along the western margin of the same grove, the deeply worn bed of which may yet be seen crossing the Crystal Lake Park, but which, by relocation, has become what is known as North Lincoln Avenue, and its ex- tension to the north part of the county.
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