USA > Illinois > Cass County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Cass County, Volume II > Part 39
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Hickory Precinct lies directly west of Chan- dlerville Precinct, and has Mason County bound- ing it on the north with the Sangamon River between. Virginia and Bluff Springs precincts are on the south, while the western boundary is East Beardstown Precinct. A large portion of the precinct lies within the Sangamon bottom, and since the small lakes and ponds have been drained by the Drainage District organization, has as large a portion of valuable farming land as any to be found in the county.
FERTILE SOIL.
The fertile soil is of great depth, and it appears to be almost inexhaustible. Cereals of all kinds are grown in great abundance, while the land produces excellent clover and timothy. In earlier days the bottom lands were thought to be of less value even than the upland prai- ries. The whole bottom from bluffs to the river was covered with a dense growth of native grass that grew from 6 to S feet high, and scat- tered throughout the length and breadth of the bottom were numerous clumps of blackberry,
Lillie Leonhard
Chas Leonhard
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
crabapple, wild roses and thickets of persim- mon, while many sloughs, small lakes and depressions filled with stagnant water except in the very driest time of the year, during the summer months were infested with such numer- ous swarms of mosquitoes and great green-head flies as to make it utterly impossible for either man or beast to inhabit it. By the cutting out of the thickets and briars, and burning off the grass and draining and cultivating the lands, the sloughs and ponds were dried up, the miasma and green-head flies disappeared, and even the mosquitoes sought more desirable quar- ters. Now, as has been said, these lands are very valuable, and have for years been very productive, enabling the owners to become extremely wealthy. A ride along the principal highway of this precinct, which is the old Beardstown and Petersburg road laid out in 1837, running along the foot of the bluffs, will convince anyone that the soil of the Sangamon bottom lands had yielded bountifully to the farmer, and handsomely rewarded him for his efforts to reclaim it from its primitive condition. The southern part of the precinct is composed of what is known as the "barrens," and since the timber has been removed, these lands and the bottom lands are used almost exclusively for pasturage for horses, sheep and cattle.
NAMED BY COUNTY BOARD.
The precinct was originally named Bowen, but was later changed to Husted, and remained known officially by that name until it was changed to Hickory by the county board. It has never had a town or village within its borders, but the central part had a group of churches, which have all disappeared except the Presbyterian, known as the "Hickory Church," which has now an excellent brick building of modern design, standing upon the same tract of land occupied by the original church there built in 1849.
A modern brick schoolhouse stands just east of the church, the church and school yard together being of sufficient size to form a splen- did play ground for the children. The school at Hickory is one of the best and most progress- ive, as well as one of the most thoroughly and sensibly taught in the county. The district adopted the plan of employing a competent teacher and then keeping her from year to year. Thus Miss Emma Suffern has been the teacher
at Hickory for sixteen years. The Hon. Logan U. Revis taught the Hickory school in the late fifties, for a period of five years.
The voting place for the precinct is at the Hickory schoolhouse, on the north one-half of section 17, township 18, about five and one-half miles northwest of Virginia, and although not a large vote is cast, yet Hickory Precinct can always be relied on to return a majority in favor of the moral side of every question.
PROSPERITY EVIDENT.
The early history of this community has been told in the general history of the county. Ref- erence has been made to all the carly settlers, the schools, churches, and noted citizens, and much in detail will be found in the biographies of the men of the present day, and the refer- ences therein to their ancestors. The farmers of this precinct, for it is exclusively an agricul- tural district, are nearly all well to do men, have excellent houses furnished with the most modern of conveniences, electric lights, steam or furnace heat, and water supply, and many own- ing automobiles, all of which, together with the telephones and free delivery of mail at their very doorstep, makes life in Hickory Precinct very desirable, and very different from what it was in rural districts not so very many years ago.
CHAPTER XXXI.
INDIAN CREEK PRECINCT.
SMALLEST IN POINT OF POPULATION-SITUATION AND BOUNDARIES - MUCH RECLAIMED BOTTOM LAND-NOW VERY PRODUCTIVE-A PART OF THE THREE MILE STRIP-NAMED FROM INDIAN CREEK- EARLY SETTLERS AND DESCENDANTS-CHURCHES AND SCHOOLHOUSES - EXCELLENT HIGHWAYS, TELEPHONE LINES, FREE MAIL DELIVERY-A PROS- PEROUS, CONTENTED COMMUNITY.
SMALLEST IN POPULATION.
Indian Creek Precinct is the smallest in point of population of any in Cass County, and lies in the extreme southwest corner, in township 17,
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
ranges 12 and 13, and has its territory almost severed by the long arm of Meredosia Lake, an extension of the Illinois River, which forms the western boundary. At times of even ordinary high water, the sonthwest portion of the pre- cinct becomes an island. The whole of the pre- cinct lies in the Illinois River bottom, although a portion is regarded as in the Indian Creek bottom, but Indian Creek itself, after it enters the precinct, is really within the Illinois River bottom lands. A great deal of the territory is reclaimed bottom land, but is exceedingly pro- ductive; many excellent and well improved farms are to be found within the precinct. Nearly all the land is now within one or the other of the several drainage districts which have been formed by the enterprising and pro- gressive land owners.
NAMED FROM INDIAN CREEK.
Indian Creek Precinct contains about twenty- eight square miles, two-thirds of which was in the Three Mile Strip which caused so much con- tention before it was finally attached to Cass County. It formed a part of Arenzville Pre- cinct when it was set off to itself and given the name Indian Creek Precinct, from the name of the principal water course, traversing its entire length from east to west.
EARLY SETTLERS AND DESCENDANTS.
Among the early settlers of this part of the county were : John, William and Henry Kors- meyer, John Schweer, Smith Wagner, Philip Corcoran, August Holtman, John Dahman, Thomas Beeley, Isaac Drinkwater, Henry Krems, S. D. Caywood, Henry Schnake, John Brannan, Henry Fricke, John and Henry Knip- penburg, the Hoffstetters, Lovekamps and Pelk- ers. Many of the farms are yet occupied by the descendants of the early settlers. George Schweer occupies the old homestead of John Schweer, as does also George Corcoran the farm left by his father, Philip Corcoran. The Kors- meyers and the Pelkers are on the farms of their ancestors, as are the Schnakes, Drink- waters and Brannans. The Hoffstetter farm has been owned and occupied for many years by Herman Stake, who has been an active citi- zen in the interest of highways and the drain- age of lands, being a commissioner of two of the districts, and also highway commissioner.
CHURCHES AND SCHOOLHOUSES.
The German Lutherans have a church and school in the west part of the precinct, and there are three public school districts within the district, one being on the Island, one known as the Korsmeyer school, and the other as the Wagner Bridge school, the last taking its name from the large bridge which spans Indian Creek, not far away. Beside this schoolhouse stood for many years a church building of the Christians or Disciples, but it was damaged by a storm in 1875, and in the next year was torn down, Elections for the precinct are held at this schoolhouse, although the vote at times is not large enough to much more than constitute an election. This voting place is about six miles west from Arenzville, and ten miles southwest from Beardstown, and is reached by several fairly good highways crossing the precinct. Tel- ephone lines run through the precinct and it is . within the free mail delivery zone. The farmers are prosperous and contented ; the most of them own their own homes, are free of debt, and quite a number have automobiles, and are thus kept right in touch with these rapid, progressive times.
CHAPTER XXXII.
MONROE PRECINCT.
NAMED FOR PRESIDENT MONROE-TOWN LAID OFF BEFORE CASS COUNTY WAS CREATED-SITUATION- TOWN PLATTED-NEW COUNTY ESTABLISHED EARLY MERCHANTS REMOVE TO VIRGINIA - A DESERTED VILLAGE-THE BOSTON BRICK HOUSE- THE BAPTISTS EARLY IN THE FIELD-CLEAR CREEK CHURCH-ACCEPT A DEED OF LAND-CONGREGA- TION NOW SCATTERED - METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH-A TELEGRAPH LINE RECALLED-AN OLD STOPPING PLACE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN - ORIG- INAL PRECINCT ESTABLISHED IN 1838-SOIL AND PRODUCTS-SOCIAL LIFE-PEOPLE HOSPITABLE --- THE "BURGOO" A FAVORITE FORM OF ENTERTAIN- MENT.
Monroe Precinct was named in honor of the fifth president of the United States. On June 27, 1886, nearly one year before Cass County
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
was created from the north part of Morgan County, John Schaeffer secured the services of Johnston Shelton, the county surveyor of Mor- gan County, and had him lay off and plat a tract of ground into lots, to which he gave the name of Monroe. This plat of ground was in the northeast corner of the west half of the southwest quarter of section 11, township 17, range 11, west, then in Morgan County, but now in Cass County. Benjamin Beesley bought a lot in the new town, and in a month, having secured an interest in another tract of land, he and Mr. Schaeffer laid out an addition to the town of Monroe, although very few of the original lots had yet been sold. This new town was on the direct line of travel by stage between Jack- sonville, the county seat of Morgan County, and Beardstown, The old State road ran then as it does now, past the town site, but there has been no town there for some time.
A DESERTED VILLAGE,
The year after its platting saw the new county established and Virginia taking on a boom, By 1841 even Mr. Beesley, who had been a merchant in the town of Monroe with Mr. Schaeffer as a partner, since September 16, 1837, when the firm was issued a license by the county commission- ers to sell goods at Monroe, concluded that Vir- ginia would be a better place for business, and went there, purchasing of Dr. Hall lot S7 of the public grounds addition, and built on it a large brick house. For over half a century tliis was known as the "Boston Brick House." It was leveled to the ground in 1914. Other business houses were transferred from Monroe elsewhere, and soon it was a "deserted village." By 1850 all the buildings were removed except one; that was the Beesley store building, and it remained as late as 1SGO, but its last occupant was a Mr. Collinbaugh, a tailor who there conducted a tailoring business as late as 1854.
CLEAR CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH.
When the Baptists thought of building a church out of boards and other lumber to take the place of the old log church, they did not build in Monroe village, but went over east nearly half a mile to the grove of timber, and securing a tract of ground from Mr. Schaeffer, built it where it now stands. Many tracts of land were deeded to congregations or to the
public in the early days, upon which to erect a church, with a provision that in case meetings or religious services ceased to be held for a certain length of time the ground should revert to its original owner or to his heirs, but few if any tracts were ever conveyed, as was the church ground for the Baptist church in the Monroe neighborhood. That deed provided that if religious services were held for a longer period than three days in succession, the land should be forfeited and revert to the grantor or his heirs. The Clear Creek Church, as it was called, was organized about 1832, and had been holding its meetings in the settlers' cabins for many years, and in the log church, but in 1852, built the frame church on the ground deeded by John Schaeffer, accepting the terms of the deed, believing, no doubt, that any person that could not be converted in three days' preaching in succession was a hopeless sinner anyway. Among the members of that congregation were : Joshua Crow and wife, James Davis and wife, William Shoopman and wife, John Mathews and wife, Benjamin Shoopman and wife, Mrs. Nancy Hill, David Hardy, Mrs. Hardy, Elijah Davis and wife, Betsy and Lucy Bridgewater, John Bridgewater, Julia Ann Davis, Millie Huffman, Peter Hudson and wife, Thomas Buck and wife, Miles White and wife, Ephraim White, Rachel Epler, Nancy Hill, and Alexander Huffman and wife. Rev. Cyrus Wright was the preacher for a long time. The old settlers claim that Mr. Wright could have taken up the entire three days with one continuous sermon if the congre- gation would have remained to listen. The building is standing on the same spot of ground, an ideal place for a church building, having been kept in repair, but the Baptist congregation is scattered, scarcely even a descendant of the early members of that body remains. The build- ing has ceased to be used as a church these many years, and is now public property for the holding of business and other meetings not of a religious nature, and also is used as a voting place for the elections held in Monroe Precinct.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHI,
The Methodists of the neighborhood organ- ized afterward and sought a religious gathering place, and in 1905 erected a handsome frame building for the Methodist Episcopal congrega- tion. It stands about 100 yards north and a little east of the old Baptist church, and faces
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
to the west. Regular services are held and an excellent Sunday school has been maintained for a number of years. Sessions were held in the old Baptist church for quite a while, and then in the schoolhouse, which stands to the north and west of the new Methodist church. John Paschal, who has lived nearly his entire life in this neighborhood, has been for more than a score of years the most active and faithful attendant and worker in the Sunday school, being both superintendent and teacher, and he is also a musician and an excellent singer, so has, in every way, been of great assistance in pro- moting the welfare of the church and the Sun- day school, and in providing suitable music at the services. William Huffman and wife and Edward Peck and wife have also been of great aid to the community in the church and Sunday school work. The people of Monroe Precinct loyally support the church, and there is no com- munity in the county of a higher moral tone and standard than this.
A TELEGRAPH LINE RECALLED.
About 1851, as near as the recollection of the oldest residents of that neighborhood can place it, there was a telegraph line built through Monroe Precinct from Jacksonville to Beards- town. It followed the old State road, and so did not come within a quarter of a mile of the Baptist church. Neither is it known just when it was abandoned and the poles removed. Henry Pratt, who now resides at Virginia, but owns the land on which the old town of Monroe stood, or rather was platted to stand, says that the poles and lines were up when he enlisted and went into the Civil war, but that when he returned they were down and gone, so they must have been taken away some time between 1862 and 1865.
AN OLD STOPPING PLACE OF LINCOLN.
An object of interest still standing in the precinct, about a quarter of a mile south of the plat of the old town, is the house built in 1838 by John Savage, the father of Judge John W. Savage, now deceased, and Charles R. Savage, who is living near Bluff Springs. The house is in excellent condition and is still used as a resi- dence by the farmer tenant of Mr. Pratt. In the early days of its existence it was used as a tavern, being one of those old fashioned wayside
inns where the tired traveler could stop and be refreshed by a dinner or a supper such as only the hospitable landlords and landladies of those far-off romantic days used to serve. It was the stopping place for the stage in its regular trips between Jacksonville and Beardstown, and has often given shelter and refreshment to Judges Thomas and Lockwood, to Lincoln and Douglas, and to many other distinguished lawyers of those early days who traveled from court to court in their extended practice.
ORIGINAL PRECINCT ESTABLISHED IN 1838.
The original precinct of Monroe was estab- lished by the board of county commissioners on March 8, 1838, and the voting place was fixed at the town of Monroe. There it remained until all hopes of it becoming a permanent place were abandoned, and when the Baptist church and district schoolhouse were built where they now stand, and the people persistently refused to set- tle and become citizens of the town on the corner where the highway turned towards Beardstown, then the voting place was removed and estab- lished at the Monroe schoolhouse and there it remained until the old church became public property of the precinct, since which time the voting has been done in that building.
SOIL AND PRODUCTS.
The soil of Monroe Precinct is practically all fertile and there are many excellent, well im- proved farms, mostly occupied by their owners. There are two water courses traversing the pre- cinct, Prairie Creek and Clear Creek, running from east to west. The lands are sufficiently rolling so as not to need artificial drainage. Wheat, corn, oats and hay are grown as the general crops, and along the western parts of the precinct where the soil is of a sandy loam many acres are planted to watermelons and. muskmelons and produce abundantly for the market.
SOCIAL LIFE.
The social life of Monroe Precinct is as that of every other part of the county. Picnics and other out of door gatherings in the summer, and indoor parties at the hospitable homes in the winter, furnish entertainments. In the early days there were the quiltings, the apple-cuttings,
Vial Robertine Lucas
·Josephine Sarf Lucas
4
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
the house-raisings with dancing and social games after the work was done. One of the outdoor gatherings of later days was known as the "burgoo," Monroe being the home of this entertainment, which took the form of the old time barbecue, and differed from it only in the matter of the feast prepared for the attendants. A large kettle of soup is prepared in which all kinds of meat are placed, principally wild game if it can be obtained. In the earlier days every kind of meat was used. When a "burgoo" was to be held, hunters were started out and any and all kinds of game that could be found were brought in and prepared for the kettle. Vege- tables were added, and a skilled cook in that line could prepare a savory bowl for the hungry picnickers. These gatherings were very largely attended, as many as 2,000 people having been known to gather in Monroe Precinct to partake of the burgoo soup, and listen to addresses from some distinguished speakers. In 1896 and for a few years after, Monroe was the center of the Free Silver movement, and frequent gatherings were held and the precinct became famous throughout this entire congressional district for its "burgoos."
CHAPTER XXXIII.
OREGON PRECINCT.
AN
EARLY SETTLED SECTION-LOCATION-BOUND- ARIES - SURFACE - EXTENSIVE OPERATIONS IN STOCK - DRAINAGE - COX'S CREEK - MIDDLE CREEK-PANTHER CREEK-NEWMANVILLE-EARLY PHYSICIANS-CHURCHES-BAPTIST-DISCIPLES- GERMAN LUTHERAN - METHODIST EPISCOPAL - OREGON CHAPEL-GARNER CHAPEL-A PROSPEROUS PART OF CASS COUNTY.
AN EARLY SETTLED SECTION.
Oregon Precinct is one of the late voting pre- cincts of Cass County. Its territory was a part of Lancaster, Richmond, Virginia and Chandler- ville before the population became so numerons as to require a new voting district to be cre- ated for the convenience of the voters. Its his-
tory is, therefore, all a part of the history of the early settlements.
Oregon Precinct occupies a part of township 18-9, and a part of 18-S. It is bounded on the north by Richmond Precinct, on the east by Menard County, on the south by Ashland and Philadelphia precincts, while on the west are Virginia and Chandlerville precincts.
The surface of Oregon Precinct is very much brokeu and hilly, but the soil is very pro- ductive, and by persistent efforts the farmers have developed the land until they are deriving a profit from their labors, although to do so they have to raise and feed stock and operate on a more extensive scale than is the case in some other parts of the county.
The drainage of Oregon Precinct is from three water courses. Cox's Creek crossing its western part, empties into Panther Creek. Middle Creek running through the eastern part towards the north, is the second, while Panther Creek, which rises in the southern part, runs northerly through the center and out into Richmond Pre- cinct. These creeks furnish but little water ex- cept in times of heavy and frequent rains. The people of Oregon Precinct are, with the excep- tion of the few residing in the hamlet of New- manville, engaged exclusively in farming and stock raising, and are as prosperous and pro- gressive as are those in any other part of Cass County.
NEW MANVILLE.
The town, or rather a collection of houses near together, known as Newmanville, was laid out in 1858, by Rev. Wingate Newman. A few lots were sold and in the next year, 1859, the postoffice, which had been Hagley, was changed to Newmanville, but in recent years the rural free delivery has abolished the postoffice here. Mr. Newman built a blacksmith shop and rented it to Thomas Joyce, but later sold it to Alex- ander Robinson, who remained at Newmanville for a great many years, doing blacksmithing for the farmers within a radius of ten miles. He becanie a justice of the peace, which position he held for over twenty years at Newmanville, but finally sold and removed to Virginia, the county seat, and was shortly thereafter elected a justice of the peace for Virginia Precinct and is still in office. A store building was erected by Thomas P. Way about the time the blacksmith shop was built, and well stocked, and since then
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
another has been put up by James Struble. These stores do a fairly profitable business, as the place was from ten to twelve miles from any town or village, and enongh people have gathered in and around Newmanville to make it almost necessary that some provision be made whereby they can purchase the means of sup- plying their tables and households with the com- modities they want.
EARLY PHYSICIANS.
Dr. Kilburn Hathwell and Dr. James Gallo- way were the early physicians. In 1859 Dr. David M. Logan came to Newmanville, pur- chased a lot and built himself a comfortable house. Dr. Logan was an excellent physician and continued in practice in and around New- manville until 1869, when Dr. Charles Honghton arrived in the neighborhood and bought Dr. Lo- gan's house and practice. Within a few years, however, Dr. Logan returned and re-purchased his home and practice. About 1878 Dr. Charles Mathews began to practice at Newmanville, and continued very successfully until his death in 1909.
CHURCHES.
A Baptist church was erected at a place northwest of Newmanville, called Big Puncheon Camp Grove, and a Disciples, a German Luth- eran and a Methodist were built at Newman- ville, or rather in that neighborhood, the Meth- odist Episcopal being organized in 1829. It was reorganized by Rev. Newman when he laid out the town that bore his name. In 1840 the peo- ple built a house which was used for both school and religious purposes. The old Methodist church was erected in 1855, and is now in disuse. The other settlement in Oregon Precinct, around which clustered a number of dwellings, was the Oregon Chapel and school. In this neighbor- hood were the Allisons, Garners, Wyatts, Mon- roes, William Watkins, Charles Deardoff, and Thomas, Jolin and Jesse Crews. The old church reverted to the original owner because of non- use under the terms of the conveyance, and was in 1914 sold to the county and is now used as a place for the business meetings of the precinct road district and for the holding of the elec- tions. The church stood next to the schoolhouse. Another church in this precinct, also belonging to the Methodists, was built about 1860 and is
known as Garner Chapel. A new building has long since taken the place of the first honse of worship, and is of much more modern design. It stands nearly on the same gronnd as did the old building.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
PHILADELPHIA PRECINCT.
DATE OF ORGANIZATION-FIRST ELECTION JUDGES- SURFACE OPEN PRAIRIE-PHILADELPHIA VILLAGE PLATTED IN 1836-STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS BOUGHT LOTS - TOWN NEVER INCORPORATED - FIRST SCHOOLHOUSE BUILT IN 1901-AFTER PRECINCT DIVISION VILLAGE BECOMES A POSTOFFICE-EARLY BUSINESS MEN-FIRST MURDER IN COUNTY-LO- CAL HISTORY GIVEN IN OTHER CHAPTERS-RAIL- ROADS-CONSIDERABLE BUSINESS IN SHIPPING GRAIN AND STOCK - PEOPLE ATTEND CITY CHURCHES-NO SALOONS.
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