USA > Illinois > Cass County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Cass County, Volume II > Part 11
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
A biography of Mr. Pratt by . Hon. J. N. Gridley concludes as follows :
"It has been impossible to ascertain with any certainty how Mr. Pratt employed his leisure time from 1842 to 1847. He was in ill health much of the time, and not able to lead an active life. He served the people as postmaster; he assisted Governor Ford in his troubles with the Mormon people; he took an active part in all
665
HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
public affairs and was held in high esteem by all who knew him. During these years he resided with his family in the house purchased for his wife by her father, John Savage, on lots 94 and 95, on the east side of the old square (Virginia) now owned by John Wilkes. In this house his three younger children were born. In the sum- mer of 1847 he became a candidate for the office of county clerk ; his opponent was Charles B. Epler of Princeton, who was a Democrat, and a young man ot ability. Such was the prestige of Mr. Pratt that at the election held August 2, 1847, he carried every precinct in the county, receiving 620 votes out of 1,017 cast at the polls. While making his preparations to remove his family to Beardstown, the seat of justice of the county, he became worse, took to his bed and expired on the 7th day of October, 1847, aged forty years ten months and four days, leav- ing him surviving his faithful wife and four children, the eldest ten years of age and the youngest but two. It must have been a sad sight to witness the death of this useful citizen so early in life, leaving his family of helpless little ones to grow up without a father's help and protection. The family was made welcome at the home of the good father of the young widow, who erected a dwelling for her and his grandchildren, `very near his own homestead, where they grew to manhood and womanhood. His two sons, inheriting the public spirit of their father, enlisted in the Union army of 1861-65, and became brave and faithful soldiers, and are now honored citizens of this community.
"Thomas G. Pratt, the eldest child, was born September 6, 1837, in Beardstown, Ill. Ellen Pratt was born in Virginia, Ill., July 13, 1839. Mary Pratt was born in Virginia, Ill., Decem- ber 25, 1842; and Henry C. Pratt was born in Virginia, Ill., June 18, 1845. Ellen Pratt was married to Francis M. Treadway who was a soldier in the Civil war, and died at his resi- dence in Virginia, Ill., in the year 1893. Mary E. married Jacob Yaple, Jr. She removed to Maryville, Mo., many years ago. Emily (Savage) Pratt died on the 7th day of Decem- ber, 1873, at the home of her son, Henry C. Pratt. She and her husband were buried on the Savage farm ; afterwards their remains were removed to the Monroe burial ground, located on the farm of Henry C. Pratt.
"In personal appearance Mr. Pratt was six feet in height, weight 170 pounds, with light hair and eyes; his manner quiet and dignified.
"The name of John Wilkes Pratt should ever be held in grateful remembrance for his distinguished services rendered the public in the early history of Cass County."
EARLY BUSINESS MEN.
It is impossible to find sufficient reliable data from which to record much biographical in- formation regarding the early residents and business men of Cass County. Many came to Beardstown in its early flourishing times, prior to the building of the railroads, when the river traffic was at its height. Beardstown was until about 1856, the point on the Illinois River where all shipments of goods of every description were made for Virginia, Springfield, Petersburg and Rushville, as well as for individuals living at various isolated places throughout Sangamon, Cass, Menard and Morgan counties. A number believing Beardstown an excellent point for com- mercial enterprise and that it was destined to become a great city, located there, flourishing with the town for a time, and then removed to other fields, leaving little or no trace of their ancestry or themselves. Among those who were thus located were Knapp & Pogue, at one time leading merchants of Beardstown, but the firm failed, and Mr. Pogue became a justice of the peace, which office he held until his death. Mr. Knapp, his partner, returned to New Orleans, his tormer home. This firm had built several business houses, among them the spacious warehouse known as "The Great Western." This was a large building extending from Main street to the river, and having forty foot front- age on Main street. It was two stories in height, with a roomy attic. Knapp & Pogue also built the first flouring mill, which was erected ~ in 1830-1.
Thomas and John Wilbourn were two other prominent early residents of whom little can now be learned. They both held official posi- tions in the early organization of the county. Thomas Wilbourn was elected the first treasurer of the county, but soon resigned. He evidently had no taste for official lite, as it does not appear from the records that he ever subsequently held an office in Cass County. His brother, John S. Wilbourn, was elected the first probate justice of the county, which place he held for two years, when he too, disappeared from public life. They together built a large flouring mill at Beardstown, which after being in use and sup-
666
HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
plying the community with flour and other products of the mill for several years, burned down. Several years later Baujan & Co. erected a new mill on the same premises, and have en- larged the plant until they have under the firm name of Schultz, Banjan & Co., one of the largest and progressively prosperous milling con- cerns in central Illinois.
Abner and Henry T. Foster were early settlers and merchants of the county. Henry T. Foster was born in Lincoln County, Maine, February 3. 1815. His brother, Abner, was born in the same place two years later, August 2, 1817. Thes both came to Illinois in 1835. and engaged in merchandising. In 1836 they opened a store on Sangamon Bottom, in Richmond Precinct, about six miles east of the present site of Chandler. yille, on land subsequently owned by John I'. Dick. They conducted the business for two years, then sold out and returned to Beards- town, where they embarked in a milling busi- ness and merchandising for a time. Later they moved from the town and farmed. Abner Foster becoming tired of the monotony of an agricultural life, returned to Beardstown, where he died August 23, 1894, having been for many years engaged in a lumber business and mer- chandising. In 1876 he was elected president of the Cass County Bank. Henry T. Foster died at Beardstown, April 27, 1894.
Thomas Graham was an early merchant at Beardstown, coming from Philadelphia, Pa., his native city, about 1834. He had married before coming to Cass County. and his wife brought with her a piano, said to be the first bronght to this part of the country.
There were many merchants and tradesmen, mechanics and artisans, and professional men as well as farmers, who came in a very early day just preceding and soon after the organization of Cass County. They remained steadfast in the determination to make Cass County their permanent home, and gave to the community the benefit of their energy, honesty, and integ- rity. exerting an uplifting influence. While all of them are worthy of special . mention space forbids more than a naming of those of more or less prominence in business and public affairs.
There were: Ernest Arnoldi, a farmer; Men- dall Aaron, a merchant : John J. Beatty, a hard- ware dealer. The latter served a term as as- sessor and treasurer, as well as sheriff of Cass County. James Buck was a gardener and farmer ; Charles E. Burns, a carpenter ; C. A.
Bussman, a contractor and builder ; Samuel L. Calif, a farmer ; Thomas Clark, a farmer ; Wil- liam Duval. a farmer ; Luke Dunn, a farmer. He also served two different terms as county commissioner of this county. George and Wil- liam Duchardt were butchers and cattle dealers ; John Dunn was a farmer; John R. Dutch, a grain dealer and merchant, was a son of Cap- tain E. J. Dutch who came to Cass County in 1837. A sea captain. he had followed his calling for many years as a commander of different vessels. Henry DeSoller was a manufacturer of carriages and wagons at Beardstown for many years. Oliver Decker, a farmer, served one term as county commissioner. James A. Dick, a farmer, was elected and served one term as sheriff of the county from 1856 to 1858, and again elected in. 1864, served until 1866. John Decker, a farmer, came from Germany in 1835. David C. Dilley, a harnessmaker by trade, was elected treasurer of the county in 1859, and held the place by subsequent elections nntil 1871. J. H. C. Eberwein, a merchant, came from Hesse Darmstadt. Germany, in 1837. Frederick W. Ehrhardt, a manufacturer of ex- tracts, baking powder, etc .; Antone Greve, a cigar manufacturer : and Henry Garm, propri- etor of a saw mill and lumber business, a mer- chant tailor, and later an ice and grain dealer, were also representative men of the early period. The last named was elected and served as county commissioner for two terms, and also served for one term as county treasurer. Others were : Lyman Hager, a farmer: John H. Hagener, a stone cutter by trade. later engaged in a lumber and grain business; John H. Harris, a banker, helped to organize the Peoples Bank, and was elected its first president. Franklin A. Hammer, a school teacher in early life, later became a farmer, and was elected treasurer of the county in 1857, and served one term, and in 1878 was chosen president of the Cass County Bank. David Henderson, a carpenter and farmer ; David M. Irwin. a Virginia and Beardstown merchant : William Jockisch, a farmer and large landowner; Gothalf Jockisch and Charles Jock- isch. both farmers; John Knight, farmer and banker; Jacob Lebkecher, a farmer : Alexander Lammers, a merchant : and George Kuhl, baker and grocer, and later a dry goods merchant. were also prominent in Cass County. Others belong- ing to this class were: Henry and William Kuhlman, farmers: Lycurgus Lee, a farmer ; Christian T. Launer, a farmer ; Henry Menke, a-
667
HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY 1 -
druggist; William C. Nelte, who learned the cooper trade, but afterwards became a farmer ; John F. Papmier, a jeweler; Norman Parsons, who learned and worked at the tanner trade for many years, but became a wagonmaker and blacksmith ; Christian Pilger, a tailor; Anton Rink, a brewer ; Henry Ruppel, a boot and shoe dealer; W. H. Rhineberger, a carpenter and builder; W. C. Raw, a merchant of Bluff Springs ; Lewis F. Sanders, a merchant, who was elected county clerk in 1847 and served by suc- cessive elections until 1857, was also police magistrate of Beardstown; Samuel Shaw, a farmer, later a director in the Cass County Bank, and United States Revenue inspector for the Ninth District ; Herman Philippi, a farmer ; William Paschall, a farmer; Werner Steuerna- gal, a merchant and banker; Robert Schmoldt, a lumber dealer and proprietor of saw mills ; Field Sample, a farmer, who later kept a hotel at Beardstown; Richard Tink, a farmer ; David P. Treadway, a farmer; Lewis Treadway, born in Monroe Precinct, March 3, 1837, which was the day the law making the new county of Cass passed the legislature; Edward N. Treadway, a farmer ; John W. Thompson, a farmer; Henry G. Unland, a merchant; John Unland, a farmer ; Joseph Weaver, a contractor and builder and brick mason; Henry Witte, a farmer; David Wagner, a farmer; Frederick Wedeking a farmer ; John Webb, a merchant; Henry and Ferdinand Wunhold, farmers, all of whom were residents of Beardstown or its vicinity.
Among those who came to Cass County and settled in or about Virginia were the following : William Campbell, a farmer and extensive land owner, served one term as county commissioner of this county; Edward Direen, a farmer, one of whose sons, John Direen, served one term as sheriff, and several terms as deputy sheriff of the county ; Abraham Epler, who settled near Cass County line in Morgan County, had several sons who became residents of Cass County, at a very early day. David Epler was a member of the legislature from Morgan County at the time the three mile strip was taken from Morgan County ' and attached to Cass County. He re- sided on the strip and aided materially in effect- ing the change. William Epler, a son of John Epler, and grandson of Abraham Epler, was sheriff of Cass County from 1874 to 1876. Morison Graves was a farmer, and his brother, James M. Graves, was also a farmer, and they
were the sons of Richard Graves whose name appears among those who entered land in 1828. Thomas Gatton, a farmer and merchant; Hen- derson F. Massey, a farmer; William Moore, a farmer ; Lachlan McNeill, a farmer; William T. Melone, a farmer ; Samuel H. Petefish, a farmer and later a banker; John A. Petefish, a farmer and banker; Jacob Petefish, a farmer; Henry Quigg, a farmer and director in the Centennial Bank, served one term as county treasurer ; Oswell and Ignatius Skiles, farmers and later members of the Petefish, Skiles & Co. Bank ; I. M. Stribling, an extensive farmer; Edward W. Turner, a farmer ; Thomas Wilson, a farmer ; Andrew W. Cunningham, a farmer and owner and operator of the first tan yard in Cass County ; George Cunningham, a farmer; N. B. Thompson. a merchant, served from 1837 until 1842, as recorder; Charles H. Oliver, a mer chant ; George W. Weaver, a farmer and brick mason : James M. Beadles, a farmer; M. H. Beadles, a carpenter ; Silas and Littleberry Free- man, farmers; Levi Springer, a farmer and pioneer preacher; Jacob Ward, a farmer and stock dealer; Amos West; Reddick Horn, a preacher, served as clerk of the Circuit court one term ; Joshua P. Crow, a farmer, was one of the first three county commissioners, and also pro- bate justice of the peace in 1839; Jonathan and Jacob Bergen, farmers and merchants; Halsey Smith, a farmer and first coroner of the county ; Captain Jacob Yaple, a farmer ; Levi and Peter Conover, farmers, all of whom are worthy a place in this history. Those who came at an earlier date and settled in other parts of the county have already been given elsewhere.
ARCHIBALD JOB.
Archibald Job, one of the earliest settlers in Cass County, came to the northern part of Morgan County in 1819, and located in Sylvan Grove, in the present Cass County, near Vir- ginia. He was born in Maryland, in 1784. In 1821 Greene County was organized from the northern part of Madison County, with its pres- ent boundary lines. It is frequently stated in historical writings that Morgan County was formed from the northern part of Greene County, but this statement is not accurate. When Greene County was formed. an act creating it attached the unorganized territory of Madison
5
668
HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
north of Greene to that county for judicial pur- poses and for that of representation in the general assembly. This fact accounts for the error, but in fact Cass County and Morgan County were never a part of Greene County.
Mr. Job was elected to represent Greene County in the legislature in 1822, and again in 1824, after Morgan County had been organized, he was elected to represent both Greene and Morgan counties. In 1826, he was elected to the state senate from the district composed of the present counties of Calhoun, Pike, Adams, Brown, Schuyler, Fulton, Morgan, Scott, Cass, Mason, Tazewell and Peoria. In 1837 the legis- lature had voted to remove the capital from Van- dalia to Springfield, and provided for the ap- pointment of three commissioners to build the new state house at that place. Mr. Job was appointed one of these commissioners in 1839, and with the other two supervised the con- struction of the state house, which has since been converted into one of the handsomest court houses in Illinois. The building was raised suffi- ciently to admit of the construction of a sub- stantial basement below, but the exterior of the structure was retained in its original form. Mr. Job later in life removed from his farm to Ash- land, in this county, where he lived to the ripe age of ninety years. He died in that village in 1874.
By 1850 many improvements had been made in Cass County. Agriculture and farming in- dustries had taken a great stride forward. Beardstown had grown wonderfully, large pack- ing houses had been built there and thousands of hogs were driven on foot across the country from very remote points, there to be butchered and the products packed and shipped by river transportation to St. Louis and other points even as far away as New Orleans. Many churches, both rural and urban, had been erected ; and rural and town schools were fur- nished substantial buildings for the comfort and convenience of the pupils. A census had been taken in 1840 and 1845, and again in 1850. The figures for 1845 are not available, but the popu- lation in 1840, which was before the three mile strip was added, was 2,981. In 1850 it was 7,253. Altogether Cass County was fast taking its place as one of the progressive, substantial and influential counties of the state.
CHAPTER IX.
COUNTY INSTITUTIONS.
FIRST LAND OWNED BY COUNTY-DONATED BY DR. HENRY H. HALL AND WIFE-COURTHOUSE AND JAIL BUILT AT VIRGINIA-LAW AS TO IMPRISON- MENT FOR DEBT-COURTHOUSE AND JAIL BUILT AT BEARDSTOWN-CONCERNING LOCATION OF COUNTY SEAT-PRESENT PUBLIC BUILDINGS WELL ARRANGED FOR COUNTY BUSINESS-PROVISION MADE FOR COUNTY POOR-COUNTY FARM-PRES- ENT ALMSHOUSE ERECTED ABOUT 1899-AN EFFI- CIENT AND PRACTICAL SUPERINTENDENT.
FIRST LAND OWNED BY COUNTY.
The first real property owned by the county of Cass was a donation from Dr. Henry H. Hall, under the terms of the act of the legisla- ture creating the County of Cass, and providing that if the county seat should be located at any other place in the county than at Beardstown, the citizens of the place where it should be so located, should donate to the county fifteen acres of land upon which the courthouse was to be erected, or to be disposed of as the county commissioners might see fit, and the proceeds expended in erecting a courthouse and jail. In May, 1837, a vote had been taken upon the question of the permanent location of the county seat, and a majority of the voters decided it should be at Beardstown, but the citizens of Beardstown, not complying with the terms of the law for the formation of the County of Cass, the commissioners of the county decided the county seat should be located at Virginia, pursuant to an alternative provision of the act. In compliance with that act, Dr. Henry H. Hall and wife, Ann H. P. Hall, made a deed of dona- tion with warranty to fifteen acres of land in sec- tion 3, township 17, range 10, west, the center of the tract being the stake placed by the county commissioners where the "county seat or court- house" should be located. The deed bears the date of April 2, 1838, and is recorded in Book A of Deeds, page 94. On April 4, 1838, the county commissioners' court appointed Henry H. Hall commissioner to sell and convey any real estate within certain description except the public
FIRST COURT HOUSE, VIRGINIA Built in 1838. Used as a Public School Building After 1845; Slightly Remodeled in 1867 for Primary School.
I
SHERIFF'S RESIDENCE AND COUNTY JAIL, VIRGINIA Built in 1876
-
CASS COUNTY COURT HOUSE, VIRGINIA, BUILT IN 1872
669
HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
sqnare on which was to be located the court- honse, and anthorized him to make any and all deeds of conveyance, and do all acts necessary to transfer title to said lands. Joshna P. Crow, Amos Bonny, and George F. Miller were then the connty commissioners.
On April 21, 1838, Henry H. Hall and the connty commissioners entered into a contract, that, in consideration on the part of Hall that he wonld build a conrthonse and jail, he should have the proceeds of the sale of the lands above mentioned, which he was anthorized to sell as a commissioner under his appointment. On June 21, 1838, the ground was platted into 100 lots, except the public or conrthonse square, which was 300 feet wide, and 450 feet long, leaving a 60-foot street on each side. The lots were sold as fast as Commissioner Hall conld find purchasers, and he soon had a number of them disposed of, and-he also prepared to ereet the conrthouse. The contract for the brick work was let to George W. Weaver, the father of Cap- tain W. H. Weaver, who is now living at Peters- burg and is well known to the people of Cass County. The briek were bnrned at a point a lit- tle north of the present line of the Baltimore & Ohio Sonthwestern Railroad, opposite the north side of the old fair grounds. By the end of the summer of 1839, Dr. Hall reported to the county commissioners that the buildings were ready to be turned over. The jail had been built on another tract of gronnd, mention of which will be made later. The center of the courthouse was at the point where the commis- sioners had driven the stake in the center of the fifteen-acre tract. as the contract provided for, and it was a two-story building facing the south. The otfice rooms for the clerks and other county officers were on the ground floor, and the court and jury rooms were above. After the eonnty seat removal, the building was sold to the trustees of township 17, range 10, for the use of the Virginia school district, a full de- scription of this transaction being given in the chapter relating to schools. At the September meeting of the county commissioners court, on September 2, 1839, the commissioners caused a reeord to be made showing that they had in- spected the courthouse and jail built by Henry H. Hall under his contract with the board of commissioners ; that the buildings were erected in accordance with the contract, and that they were accepted, and Dr. Hall was released from all further responsibility. The contract entered
into by Dr. Hall did not require him to build the jail on any part of the fifteen aeres, and he preferred to put it on a lot of his own, nearly a quarter of a mile sontheast of the courthonse, on lot 94 of his addition to the original town of Virginia.
After the building was erected, Dr. Hall and wife deeded the ground on which it stood to the county, Lot 94 is a large one, surrounded by alleys, and is 180 feet square. The deed, however, did not convey all the lot, but only a part described as a tract of land "on which the prison of Cass County is erected, its bonn- daries being : commencing at the sontheast eor- ner of the criminal room and running sonth 10 feet, thence west 101 teet, thence northi 55 feet, thence east 101 feet, thenee sonth 16 feet to the northeast corner of the debtors' room, and including the ground on which said rooms stand. The angles are to be in the same eonrse with the lines of the lot 94." Thus it is revealed, by a provision for a debtors' room, that some per- sons yet clung to the barbarous idea of impris- oning persons for not paying their debts; al- though the constitution of 1818 provided that "no person shall be imprisoned for debt unless upon refusal to deliver np his estate for the benefit of his creditors in such manner as shall be prescribed by law, or in cases where there is strong presumption of frand." This identical language against imprisonment for debt is in- eorporated in both succeeding constitutions, but before the people of Cass County would believe this the Supreme court of the state had to de- termine judicially that this section of the con- stitution abolished imprisonment for debt. It was well, however, to have a "criminal room," for neither the constitution nor the Supreme conrt has sueeeeded in abolishing eriminals. On Mareh 5, 1841, Dr. Hall and his witc deeded to the county another small portion of lot 94, "commencing at the northeast corner of the prison ground, and running easterly 24 feet, thence southerly 55 feet, thenee westerly 24 feet, thence northerly to place of beginning." How- ever, there is nothing in either deseription to indicate where the prison stood. The building was a substantial one of briek, one story in height and containing four rooms. This re- mained on the premises until September, 1904, when, like the old Bastile of Paris, France, it was razed to the ground and nothing is left to indicate where it stood but the condition of the ground. The outlines of the foundation are
670
HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
still visible, and upon inspection it is found that the building stood a little east and north of the center of lot 94. Lot 94 is east of J. N. Sinclair's residence on South Job street, and it is now owned by Mr. Sinclair. The east side of lot 94 is 101 feet east of the alley running along the westerly side, and the north walls about 44 feet south of the northerly line of the lot. Iu size it was 29 feet north and south, and was nearly square, but the exact width cannot be ascer- tained. In 1851, six years after the county seat was removed to Beardstown, the county commis- sioners appointed John B. Fulks a commissioner to sell the property, and on August 4 of that year he sold it at public auction to Henry H. Hall. The decd simply conveys all "right, title or interest of the County of Cass" in and to lot 94. etc., without any particular description of the tract of ground. It was purchased later by Robert Chittick, and occupied as a residence. the building having been improved to a certain extent. Mr. Chittick was a mechanic and black- smith, who had his shop some little distance east of the old building for many years, and is well remembered by the older citizens.
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.