USA > Illinois > Cass County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Cass County, Volume II > Part 41
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the sign and some of the lot, and submerged the ambitious dreams of Thomas Wynn. No house was built npon the platted ground, except a temporary cabin by James M. Robinson, in the fall of 1833.
Richmond Precinct has three water courses, the main one being Middle Creek, which flows through the central portion, rising up in the level extension of the bluff or timber land, and breaking out into the Sangamon Valley in sec- tion 30, township 19, range S. From there it makes its course across the alluvial bottom farms to the Sangamon River. At times of heavy rains it becomes quite a stream, and rushes out of the hills with tremendous force. Cleary's Creek crosses the northeast corner of the precinct from south to north, emptying into the Sangamon. Panther Creek crosses the southwest corner of the precinct on its way to- wards Chandlerville, beyond which it also pours its waters into the Sangamon. A greater por- tion of the land of the precinct is rough and hilly, but the southern part has some level land of fairly good soil which the residents have cul- tivated and improved until there are many ex- cellent and valnable farms. The portion lying in the Sangamon Valley is exceptionally rich soil, and since levees have been built to keep off the river and the overflow of the creeks in time of high water, abundant crops of all kinds of cereals have been grown and harvested, and farmers have become wealthy and the whole community has a progressive, prosperous appear- ance.
EARLIEST SETTLERS.
The earliest settlers of this part of the connty were: John Whitley, Peter Dick and his two sons, Levi and Henry, Eaton Nance, Robert Nance, John Lucas, Thomas Jones, James Fletcher, Joshua and Cary Nance, Philip Hash, James Hickey, Henry McHenry, William P. Mor- gan. C. J. Wilson, William Lynn, Jesse Arm- strong and John Taylor. About 1830 George Thatcher, Bartlet Conyers, John Houghton, John Bingley and Elijah Watkins arrived.
There are a number of the descendants of the old settlers yet living in Richmond Precinct. William Lynn had come to Sangamon bottom in 1830 and entered a large tract of land. He was a miller by trade and had conducted a mill on Richland Creek in Sangamon for a number of years before coming to Cass. It is said that he
MILTON MCCLURE
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made the first barrel of superfine flour sold at Springfield. One son of William Lynn yet lives in Richmond Precinct, Timothy T. Lynn, who is eighty-five years old, but is in excellent health and resides on the farm where he has lived since his marriage in 1852. He has a very large farm, and has seen his children become settled and prosperous in lite, living near him in Cass and Menard counties. Robert D. Morgan is an- other of the old settlers still living on the farm where he was born eighty years ago. Nathan Sutton, who came to Pecan bottom, which is in the northern part of Richmond, in 1833, has a number of descendants living on and about the old homestead. Still another old set- tler who has resided in Richmond Precinct all his life, is Francis Miller, who is now seventy- five years old, and was born near his present home. He has been a justice of the peace in Richmond for thirty years, and although unique in his dealings with questions of the law, gen- erally reaches an equitable conclusion. How- ever, a large number of the present residents of Richmond are new comers, although the old- time names of Watkins, Frankenfield, Gerdes, Milstead, Morgan, Lynn and Sutton, are seen in the lists of voters of that precinct.
TOBACCO AND COTTON GROWN.
Before the "big snow" of 1830, cotton and to- bacco were grown along the bottom land next the bluffs. A man named Richard Chowning came from Kentucky in 1827, bringing with him his large family of boys. He did not enter any land but took possession of vacant land that his experience in his native state taught him would produce tobacco, and with the help of his family raised a very large crop, which, when matured, he sold in the village of Springfield for an excellent price. After a few crops of tobacco, with a little cotton, he folded his tent and silently slipped away for parts unknown. There was a gristmill over on Rock Creek in Menard County to which the settlers took their cotton, but after the winter of 1830, cotton was not grown to any great extent, nor was tobacco for the market, but each farmer had a small patchi for his own use.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
There are four school districts in Richmond Precinct. The largest school is the Lynn school,
which has a building with two rooms and em- ploys two teachers. The first school was in the Dick district, where one is still maintained, the others being Green Ridge and Pontiac. All have excellent schools under the splendid country school system prevailing in Cass County.
CHURCH SOCIETIES.
In 1842 there was a Baptist church society at Puncheon Grove, with a comfortable frame building. Rev. Cyrus Wright was the preacher and after his death the congregation disbanded. A Baptist church is yet in existence at Mt. Olive, with services at irregular intervals. A 'neigh- borhood cemetery with many handsome monu- ments lies across the road east from the church. There is also a Baptist church standing near the Pontiac school in the south part of the precinct. The Methodists have a house of wor- ship, known as Shankland Chapel, and a ceme- tery is lying to the east of it near Middle Creek.
PRECINCT POLLING PLACE.
The precinct never had a village or town within its borders, except the proposed town site from which it takes its name, but in 1835, Abner Foster and his brother, Henry T. Foster, opened a general store on the Sangamon bottom road, near the Dick school. After two years they sold, and the stock of goods was moved to Hagley, which is now known as Newmanville, just over the south line of the precinct into Oregon. The polling place for the precinct is at the Pontiac schoolhouse in the southwest quarter of section G, township 18, range S. It has been the custom for years to make some schoolhouse the polling place for the country precincts of the county, and the Pontiac is more nearly in the center of the precinct than any other. It is now accessible by excellent highways from all parts of the precinct, and is situated about ciglit miles southeasterly from the village of Chandlerville.
Shickshack Knob, which was the summer home of the Pottawatomie Indian chief of that name, is in the precinct on the east side of Middle Creek, being one of the highest peaks on the tall bluffs in that neighborhood. It is on the farm of J. W. Lynn, a grandson of the early settler, William Lynn.
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
CHAPTER XXXVII.
VIRGINIA PRECINCT.
VIRGINIA ONE OF THE ORIGINAL PRECINCTS-CITY OF VIRGINIA LAID OUT IN 1836-MADE COUNTY SEAT IN 183S-DR. HENRY H. HALL ENTERED LAND IN 1533-A MAN OF COURAGE AND ENTERPRISE- BORN IN IRELAND-EDUCATED AT BELFAST AND GLASGOW-VISITS AMERICA-MARRIES IN VIR- GINIA-COMES TO ILLINOIS IN 1833-ENTERS LAND-DEVELOPING ENTERPRISES FOLLOW-SET- TLEMENT FIRST CALLED HALLVILLE-VIRGINIA BE- COMES ACCEPTED NAME-OTHER EARLY SETTLERS -FIRST TAVERNS-DR. HALL DONATES AN ADDI- TION TO TOWN-PUBLIC GROUNDS ADDITION- BUILDS A COURTHOUSE-RETIRES TO FARMI IN 1541-DIES IN 1847-VIRGINIA INCORPORATED AS A TOWN-FIRST BOARD OF TRUSTEES-FIRST TOWN OFFICERS-EARLY DAY PROMINENT RESIDENTS- BUSINESS MEN-INCORPORATED AS A CITY IN 1872-AGAIN MADE COUNTY SEAT-RAILROADS BUILT-BANKS FOUNDED-SCHOOLS ORGANIZED- THE MURPHY TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT-TILE AND BRICK PLANTS-OTHER BUSINESS VENTURES- CONFLAGRATIONS-HEAVY LOSSES-PRESENT CITY NOT WELL PROTECTED-PAVED STREETS-RESULT OF VIRGINIA WOMEN'S FIRST VOTE-ADDITIONS TO VIRGINIA-GRAND VILLAS-LONGEVITY NOT UN- USUAL HERE-MANY NONAGENARIANS-WALNUT RIDGE CEMETERY - PUBLIC RECREATIONS - THE OLDTIME TRAVELING CIRCUS-ITS THRILLING IN- TEREST-ITS MAGICAL ATTRACTION-ITS MEMORY LINGERS.
VIRGINIA ONE OF THIE ORIGINAL PRECINCTS.
Virginia Precinct was one of the original pre- cinets of the county. The city of Virginia has grown from the little hamlet laid out br Dr. Henry H. HIall in 1836, when the territory form- ing Cass County was a part of Morgan County. Dr. Hall had entered the south half of section 3, and lot 1 of the northwest quarter of section 3. with other lands in township 17 north, range 10 west. from the government. at the land office at Springfield. Ill .. April 19, 1833.
A MAN OF COURAGE AND ENTERPRISE.
Dr. Henry H. Hall was born in County An- trim, Ireland, not far from the famous Giant's
Causeway, in July, 1795. His parents were Protestants, whose lineage was said to have had some admixture of Scottish blood. He received his education in the elementary branches in the common schools of his native county, and then, so his biographers say, attended Glasgow University, where he was graduated in a com- plete literary and classical course; that he afterward attended the medical college at Bel- fast, where he had conferred upon him the de- gree of Doctor of Medicine, and subsequently took a course in surgery at the Royal Hospital at Dublin. He was then given a surgeon's com- mission in the British navy, and on one of the war vessels made a trip to the United States. Having an opportunity to visit some of the parts of the country in the east, he seems to have taken a liking to America and resigned his com- mission in the British navy, and returned to Baltimore. Md .. and from there went into Vir- ginia and began practicing medicine. There he met Miss Anna Pitt Beard, the daughter of a wealthy planter, who had fought in the American army during the War of 1812. Their acquaint- ance resulted in a courtship. and marriage, the latter erent taking place December 1, 1S1S. Dr. Hall was then but twenty-three years old, which proves that he was a man of extraordinary mental acumen, and of rery studious habits, to have acquired the advanced degrees in college and university accredited to him.
After his marriage. Dr. Hall abandoned his profession for farming, and continued in that calling until 1832. operating in Accomac County, Va. In the spring of 1833. however. he came west and landed at Beardstown. Ill., after a long and tedious journey which led him to Baltimore. Md .. over the Allegheny mountains by stage to the Ohio River down both rivers to St. Louis, and from there up the Mississippi River to the Illinois River, where he took passage on the first available steamboat. and thus reached Beards- town. From there he went to the home of Archibald Job at Sylvan Grove, he having had some correspondence with him before starting on luis western trip. Dr. Hall had come to Illinois for the purpose of securing land if the country proved satisfactory. He rode on horseback orer the country to Springfield and to Jacksonville, thoroughly examining the soil and watercourses. The contrast between the lands over which he rode and the barren. rocky hills of Virginia and Maryland, was so great and so favorable to Illi- nois, that Dr. Hall at once made arrangements
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
to enter a large tract. His wife had received from her father a large amount of land certifi- cates of military bounty script which he had re- ceived as a soldier in the War of 1812, issued by the government, and these with others that Dr. Hall had purchased in the East, he used in payment for the land he entered. He remained in Illinois until he entered his lands, or at least a great portion of them. His affidavits bear the date of April 19, 1833, and were of course sworn to in person before the receiver or some other person authorized to administer oaths. After he had made his land entries, Dr. Hall returned home, but came back in 1834. By the time he reached his land, the state had authorized the laying out of a public highway across it, and that had been accomplished by the commis- sioners appointed for the purpose, apparently without compass, chart or any other proper in- struments, one glance at the north star, consid- eration of whence the sun rose or whither it set, being deemed sufficient. Dr. Hall, accepting the situation, placed his houses, which he was having erected, one on each side of this road which cut his land on the bias, and when he platted the town two years later, he did not see fit to correct the lines, but permitted the surveyor to lay out a square 1,340 feet each way at an angle of north, 33 degrees east.
After his buildings were erected, Dr. Hall went to Philadelphia, Pa., where he had sent his family after selling his farm and stock and farming implements. There in the winter of 1834 he purchased a large stock of merchandise which he thought suitable for sale in the new country, and shipped it by sea to New Orleans, where it was transshipped up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers to Beardstown. He then em- ployed a clerk, Charles Oliver, whom he induced to leave Philadelphia and try his fortunes in the west. In addition to his own family, Dr. Hall brought with him a young couple who had just been married, James Thompson and wife. They all made the trip by the usual route to Beardstown, and from thence went to Dr. Hall's land by wagon. A few other settlers had come into the neighborhood, but owing to the fact that Dr. Hall had built two houses and stocked one of them with a store of merchandise, the place began to be spoken of as "Hallville," and was known by that name for some time even after the doctor had made his plat and desig- nated the town as Virginia, in honor of the native state of his wife. The houses Dr. Hall
built for his residence and store were frame buildings, each a story and a half in height. The reason for making the storeroom a story and a half in height was that the upper room might be used as a sleeping apartment for the clerks and hands employed in the store and around the buildings. The house intended for a residence was built on the southerly side of the road, if indeed there was a road there at that time, some doubt being created with regard to this by statements of some early settlers. This house is still standing upon the spot where it was origi- nally placed, and is yet used for residential pur- poses, being in fairly good condition. Robert Hall, the youngest child of Dr. Hall, was born in that house on June 19, 1835. He is living at Virginia, is hale and hearty, although he is eighty years old. Robert Hall is probably the wealthiest man in Cass County, and it is cer- tain he is the largest landowner and the heaviest tax payer. He has been a very active man, liv- ing an outdoor life, riding horseback as his favorite mode of travel, and he is a very fa- miliar figure about the central part of Cass County, usually riding a spirited horse. The biographical portion of this history gives much more of his life in detail.
When Dr. Hall located permanently on his new possessions, his family consisted of his wife and three children. Other children had been born to them, but had died in old Virginia where they had been born. A great many settlers were coming into that part of Morgan County, and the store business was very profitable, but Dr. Hall had been so long accustomed to an open, free, outdoor life in old Virginia, that he could not be content to remain indoors and so left the management of his store to his clerks, Mr. Bartlett and Charles Oliver, while he went about assisting his other employes in improv- ing his farm lands. In the spring of 1836 he employed Johnston C. Shelton to survey and plat forty acres of his land, including the part where his houses stood, and joined the proces- sion of new town builders that was marching with the new settlers from the southern to the northern part of the state. He recorded his plat on May 17, 1836, which shows the town laid out on the southwest quarter of the northeast quar- ter of section 3, township 17 north, range 10 west. Dr. Hall held a public sale of lots on August G, the day of the general state election, and a large number were sold.
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
EARLY TAVERNS.
In 1834 John Beadles came from the state of Virginia, with his two sous, James M. aud Madisou, aud his son-in-law, Jack Powell. They entered land and settled near Dr. Hall. After the latter laid out Virginia, Dr. Hall concluded there should be a tavern building in his new town, and seekiug carpenters, found that Madi- son Beadles aud Jack Powell had followed that trade before coming to Illinois, so he immedi- ately employed them to build a frame house on the southwest corner of the block on which his residence stood. This is the present site of the Mann Hotel, this corner having always held a hostelry from the initial one. This was not the first tavern, however, built iu the new town. Rev. Reddick Horn had purchased iu the summer of 1836, lot 102, on the south side of the public or Washington Fountain Square, and resold iu 1837 to Dr. Pothicary who, as has been told else- where, immediately erected and conducted a tavern for a uumber of years.
Before the carpenters had completed the tav- ern building for Dr. Hall, he sold his resideuce to Rev. Reddick Horu, and moved his family into the incomplete hostelry. In 1838, becoming tired of the mercantile business, or being fear- ful of the approachiug financial storm which broke with fury the following year, Dr. Hall sold his merchandise to Col. Amos West, who moved the goods and wares, together with the clerks, to the west side of the Washingtou Fouu- tain Square and conducted the business until his bankruptcy about 1841. Dr. Hall, after the vacation of his store building, built an addition to it and used it as a dwelling, where he re- sided until his removal to the Linu Grove farm in 1841.
In the meanwhile other things pertaining to Virginia were rapidly happening. The lots of the original town had been about all sold aud Dr. Hall had on July 1, 1837, laid out an addi- tion by platting a tract of ground into three blocks on the easterly side and three blocks ou the westerly side of the town. This was knowu as the "Addition" to the towu of Virginia, and consisted of 11S lots. Dr. Hall had donated fiť- teeu acres of ground to the couuty to comply with the provisions of the law concerning the location of the county seat in case it were lo- cated anywhere else than at Beardstown. The county commissioners accepted his offer, aud the subsequent history relative to this matter has
been related elsewhere. However, the part of the trausactiou pertaining to Virginia iu par- ticular is that the county commissioners ac- cepted an offer of Dr. Hall to build the court- house in exchange for the fifteen acres or the proceeds thereof except the public square ou which the courthouse was to stand. The ground had been platted into lots, and the tract was kuowu and desiguated as the Public Grounds Addition. The easterly side of the fifteen-acre tract was, however, some little distance from the addition to the origiual towu made by Dr. Hall, and to close up the gap and make a solid, con- tiguous aud compact town, ou the plat at least, Dr. Hall who still owued the land between the two tracts, laid that out and platted it into lots and called it the Addition to the Public Grouuds of Virginia. Dr. Hall had hoped, and uot with- out excelleut reason, from the very first, that the county seat would be located at Virginia, aud before he muoved out of town linuits, he had the pleasure of seeing the court conveue in the uew courthouse he had built. Iu 1841 he made a public sale of a large amount of his personal property, and then moved to the new brick house he had built ou the Liun Grove farm. There he remained the rest of his life. He was very active in assisting to have the Three Mile Strip added to Cass County, as is told elsewhere, but before having the pleasure of rejoicing iu that good fortune to all of Cass County, he was chagrined at the loss of the county seat, which had by vote of the people beeu takeu to Beards- town. Dr. Hall's health failed in 1846, and not- withstanding his previous rugged constitutiou, he rapidly passed into the state of confirmed invalidisui which the skill of the best physiciaus of Jacksonville and those of his owu county could uot prevent. In the sumuer of 1847, on July 14, he passed away, and was buried on the Linn Grove farm, but in 1SSO the remaius were removed to the Walnut Ridge Cemetery of Vir- ginia, where other members of his family, who had died previously or since, are interred.
VIRGINIA INCORPORATED.
Virginia progressed slowly, attempting on sev- cral occasions to recapture the county seat, but without success. It did not seek an incorpora- tion until 1857, when by act of legislature, dated February 19, a charter was granted. There was no general law goveruing the incorporation of cities and villages at that time. Each com-
Lloyd M. M.lelun.
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
munity had its special charter, with such pow- ers granted to its trustees or council as its ad- vocates could induce the legislature to conter. Virginia's charter did not materially differ from many others in the state, a stereotyped form being largely followed. Its corporate limits were fixed at one mile square. When Dr. Hall made his first addition he created the new street along the west side of the original town and called it Morgan street. He also made a new street of the same width and length on the east side of the original town and called it Cass street. When the corporate limits were measured under the charter the center was fixed at a point equi- distant from Springfield street and Beardstown street in the center of Morgan street. It thus included a great deal of ground that was not platted into blocks or lots, but the lines of the corporate limits ran parallel with the old city streets. The new charter provided for the an- nual election of five trustees and a president, and gave the board authority over and the man- agement of the public schools in the town. The first board elected was as follows: Charles H, Oliver, president, he being the man who had come with Dr. Hall in 1835, to act as his clerk ; and John E. Haskel, Stephen P. Guin, Alex- ander Samples, John Bluford Thompson and S. W. Neeley, trustees. The board held its first meeting August 19, 1857, and having power to elect certain officers for the town proceeded to do so by electing James H. Harris, town con- stable; L. S. Allard, assessor and treasurer ; John A. Giles, street commissioner; and John W. Naylor, town clerk.
PROMINENT IN EARLY DAYS.
Among those who held positions of trust and honor in the town in those early days will be remembered the following named persons who were so long identified with the town and its growth and progress: Dr. G. W. Goodspeed, J. G. Campbell, J. N. Wilson, William Shirley, I. N. White, Dr. Harvey Tate, J. E. Roach, N. B. Thompson and Jerry Cox. Garland Pollard, Abraham Bergen and Henry Phillips were early practicing lawyers. In 1860 the business inter- ests of Virginia were as follows :
Hezekiah Naylor, proprietor Cass County In- dependent; I. H. Miller, president Union Col- lege ; Pierce & Co., merchants ; G. W. Goodspeed, M. D., physician ; E. Loomis, family grocery ; W. E. Martin, grocer and corn merchant; William
Kendall, grocer and produce dealer ; P. Phillips, M. D., proprietor flouring mill; John E. Haskel, proprietor woolen factory; N. B. Beers, house builder ; C. Brooks, carpenter and joiner; Wil- liam Armstrong, proprietor Glen Cottage nur- sery ; Jacob Dunaway, proprietor Virginia Hotel ; H. E. Ward, proprietor livery stable; Robison Bros., carriage and wagon makers; J. B. Ar- thur, blacksmith; H. Hinchliff, blacksmith; C. E. Lawson, saddle and harness maker; J. G. Campbell, boot and shoe dealer ; C. Magel & Co., boot and shoe dealer; E. B. Randall, lumber dealer ; L. S. Allard, druggist ; W. Shirley, justice of the peace ; Jacob Wise, butcher ; L. F. Briggs, proprietor Cass County Union; and Robert H. Chittick, carriage and plow maker.
A greater portion of the mercantile business and the various trade shops were in the west part of town, that is, they were grouped about the old public square until about the close of the Civil war. After that the business center gradually worked its way to the east side, which was really the oldest and the first to have busi- ness buildings facing it. At this time the town had four churches, the Christian, Methodist, Cumberland Presbyterian and the Old School Presbyterian.
VIRGINIA AGAIN COUNTY SEAT.
By 1870 the people of Virginia were again thinking of making another attempt to get the county seat. A constitutional convention was held that year which adopted a provision that assisted the Virginians somewhat, and atter hav- ing the town council erect a new town hall on Washington Fountain Square, which they pro- posed to donate to the county for a courthouse in case the county seat was removed to Vir- ginia, a vote was had on November 12, 1872, which resulted favorably for Virginia, and after carrying the matter through the courts, the county seat was at last in Virginia in 1875, after an absence of thirty years. From that time Vir- ginia took on new life, and a number of mer- chants and tradesmen, as well as professional men, moved into the city.
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