USA > Illinois > Cass County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Cass County, Volume II > Part 5
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The subject is referred to here at length because of the local interest the people of Cass County have therein, on account of the presence, uutil about 1853, of a splendid specimen of the mounds left by that departed race of people, ou the left bank of the Illinois River, where the city of Beardstown now stands. Dr. J. F. Snyder of Virginia, ex-president of the Illinois State Historical Society, who has made a fruit- ful study of the subject, resulting in the accumu- lation of a vast amount of extremely interest- ing historical facts, writing of early Illinois, after alluding to the voyage of the French ex- plorers up the Illinois River says: "But our state has a much older and uuwritten history extending from the dim archaic past to that daring canoe voyage of Joliet and Marquette. Aloug its picturesque ranges of bluffs; on the shores of its beautiful lakes and streams ; on its fertile prairies and alluvial bottoms, abound the curious relics of its earliest human occupant . of a bygone age, evidences of the primitive arts as well as of the higher culture of a people of an unknown origin, who disappeared, leaving no other record of their history. In Illinois are the works of the Mound Builders, and nu- muerous and varied in form and dimensions and of as facinating interest as any elsewhere found in the United States. In the Rock River Val- ley are seen the singular effigy mounds repre- senting figures of the human form, birds, ani- mals, and nondescript objects projected on a gigantic scale. The mounds of the Illinois River region are of a distinct and different type, corresponding with those of Ohio; while in the American bottom, opposite St. Louis, are the huge Tocali or truncated pyramids, identical in structure with those of the southern states,
from Georgia to Arkansas, and very probably the product of the same people. Of that class is the Cahokia mound on Cahokia Creek, seven miles east of St. Louis, the largest of all the earthen inonuments of the vanished race north oť Mexico. It is almost a hundred feet in height, with level top of three acres, and square base measuring 700 feet by 500 feet in width. From it can be seen sixty-one other large mounds of various forms scattered through the bottom between the river and the bluffs."
At that day, and less than half a century ago, there stood near the river bank at Beards- town, one of the finest Indian mounds of Cen- tral Illinois. It was a sepulchral mound, con- ical in form, eighty feet in height, and about 500 feet in diameter at the base. It was evi- dently made from clay brought from the bluffs four miles distant. Those now living who saw the mounds before the work of destruction of them was begun, say that there were several mounds in close proximity to the large one ; that about forty yards down the river stood the smallest of the groups, and still further down the river was a small mound about twelve feet high, and that all the mounds were made of similar clay. The base of the large mound extended from the verge of the river bank to Second street, and from Adams to Beard street. The second mound was west of Jackson street, between Second and Third streets, and the last one stood below Arenz street, between Main and Second streets. These mounds, together with the fact that for years the wigwams of the Indian village were clustered around them, gave the place the name of "Beautiful Mound Village," bestowed by the French missionaries. In Indian nomenclature it was knowu as "Kickapoo Town."
The mounds did not long survive the encroach- ments of the whites, who began soon after 1S29, to settle upon the adjacent lots. The surface of these lots was almost pure sand and would hardly sprout grass; and the occupants, finding the mounds were composed of clay soil thought it would serve a much better purpose as a top dressing for their sand lots than it was then. Consequently the mounds were soon dev- astated and the contents spread about to in- crease the beauty of the lawns, and the fertility of the gardens of the newcomers who were wholly indifferent to historic values.
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REMARKABLE RELIC DESTROYED.
The large mound was one of the finest speci- mens, and the second largest in the state. Its removal was an irreparable loss to archaeolog- ical science, and robbed Beardstown of an unique and beautiful relic of a bygoue race, of inestimable antiquarian value. Another cause of regret to scholars of the present day is that while the mounds were being torn away no record was kept of their construction, of the constituent material, or description or relative position of objects found imbedded in them. From old settlers it is learned that at the top and sides were discovered many superficial burials, of recent Indians very probably, accom- panied as usual with their implements of stone, and ornaments of shell and copper. Among them was found the bones evidently of a Jesuit missionary, who had long ago penetrated the wilderness, there laying dowu his life in de- fense of his faith. He was entombed no doubt by his converts in that majestic sepulcher of a long vanished race. Around his skull was a thin silver band an inch in width, while ou his skeleton breast lay a silver cross, while nearby were the jet and silver beads of his rosary. At the outer edge of the base of the mound was uncovered the much decayed skeletons of a few Indians, enclosed with their primitive weapons, implements and ornaments, in a rude vault of rough flagstone. These were the remains, no doubt, of distinguished chieftains to whose memory their tribe erected that splendid and enduring monument. Before the mounds had entirely disappeared, one evening ten or a dozen Indian canoes were seen floating down the river. A number of the citizens of Beards- town followed along the shore until they came to the big mound, when the Indians disembarked. After viewing the grounds and talking with some of the citizens, one of the Indians point- · ing to the mounds said: "There is where my great-grandfather is buried."
The late J. Henry Shaw, historical writer of Beardstown, well says of this mound :
"The decaying bones of the red warriors, as they lay in their quiet and lovely resting place, with implements of war around them ; the silver and flint crosses of the missionaries, even the beautiful mound itself, which, as an ornament and historical feature of the town and river should have been held sacred, could not restrain the money-making white man from destroying
it, and it is now recollected only by the old settlers who used to sit upon its summit and watch the passing away of the last of two races -the Indian in his canoe, aud the French voy- ageur in his pirogue."
The large mound, however, was put to a practical purpose before being carted away. Horace Billiugs, an energetic, enterprising citi- zen of Beardstown, built a large flouring mill and warehouse on the side of the mound next the river, and undertook the manufacture of a kind of flour bolted from cornmeal. It was his intention to ship the product to foreign mar- kets, but it is said a certain drying process made it useless as a food product, and after sustaining some considerable loss in the enter- prise, it was abandoned. A sawmill and plan- ing mill were added to the plant, and the machinery used for the purpose of manufactur- ing lumber. This project was more successful as there was an abundance of board timber aloug the bottoms, and it could easily be brought by water to the mill. After a few years Mr. Billings sold the machinery to John Fred Nolte, and Stephen Elam, who moved it to block 83, original town. The big warehouse by the mound was later used for storing corn, which was hulled and packed in two bushel sacks, for shipping to the river freight boats. The arrangement of the building was a con- venient forerunner of our present day elevators ; the roads up the mound being so graded that the farmers hauling grain could drive to the third and fourth story of the building, unload, turn and drive down after dumping their loads. Grain and such other commodities as were there stored, could be sent down an incline to the boats on the river. At one time the house was so loaded with grain that the north walls bulged out and let a great quantity of grain fall into the river, causing a total loss. After that accident, the building was abandoned, and the mound being gradually removed, it stood there a dilapidated old landmark until one morning in May, 1867, it took fire from some unknown cause aud burned to the ground.
There is little or no evidence anywhere else in Cass County of the pre-existence of the race of so-called Mound Builders. Whether the race known as the American Indian, was the imme- diate successor of the Mound Builders, as some think they were, or not, it is certain that the Indians took possession of the mounds wherever
باليلا
SYLVESTER J. BARTLETT
MRS. SYLVESTER J. BARTLETT
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
they found them, and occupied them as they saw fit for any purpose.
Northeast of Arenzville there remained for a long time evidences of a large Indian burying ground, and Mr. Frank Bridgeman, giving items for a biographical sketch says:
"In 1833 there was a large temporary en- campment of Indians on the cemetery hill east of Arenzville. The chief was a tall man, over six feet in height, dressed in fine style." Mr. Bridgeman continues that he made a visit to this encampment, taking along as presents some whisky and tobacco, which he delivered to the chief who shared them with a select few of his braves. In honor of the visitor who had brought the most acceptable presents, they formed a circle about him and danced and went through other ceremonial motions, much to his delight and amusement. He thought that these red men were gathering to go to some point across the Mississippi River. Mr. Bridge- man is certainly mistaken in his date, as the Black Hawk war had closed before that time, and no Indians were in or near Arenzville, or the western part of Cass County as late as 1833. It is more probable that the incident oc- curred about 1823, in which year the last large bodies of Indians were moving from Cass County to the lands west of the Mississippi River.
CHAPTER V.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
REMOTE HISTORY-CONFUSION OF TERMS-COUNTY OF ILLINOIS-FIRST SETTLERS-THOMAS BEARD- FOUNDING OF BEARDSTOWN-SETTLERS PRIOR TO 1830-31-ROADS AND TRAVEL-HARDSHIPS AND DANGERS-CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES-METHODS OF TRAVEL-PRAIRIE SCHOONERS-PERSONS ENTER- ING LAND-WINTER OF THE DEEP SNOW-PAS- TIMES AND AMUSEMENTS-PIONEER CONDITIONS -HON. WILLIAM H. THACKER-SCENES OF FRON- TIER DAYS RECALLED.
REMOTE HISTORY.
In order that we may know the origin and source of government of the particular terri- tory comprising the present county of Cass, we
will look back into the remotest history of the United States and the prior colonies and trace, if possible, our course to the present time.
Title by right of discovery is founded only upon the recognition of that right by the comity of nations; and this comity obtains only among so-called civilized nations. Strictly speaking there can be no such title, absolute, unless it can be made to appear conclusively that the land in question was not in possession of any human being, actually or constructively.
Although many of the old world nations claimed portions of America by right of dis- covery, yet they were unwilling to rest their claim of title exclusively upon such tenure, but wherever they found natives in possession or who had a reasonable claim of title, they sought to extinguish the native's title by treaty or purchase. Oftentimes titles were secured by treaty or purchase after the use of methods not always creditable to the alleged civilized race of traders.
England had claimed a large portion of North America, by right of discovery, and having so claimed it without much dispute from other nations, concluded to dispose of at least a part of it. So, on May 23, 1609, King James, who was, as he himself said "By grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, etc.," which said date was the fourth year of his reign as king of England, France and Ireland, and the thirty-ninth year of his reign over Scotland, gave to a colony organized to receive it, a grant or charter of Virginia. The land included in the grant was described as that part of America lying along the coast 200 miles south and north from a point of land called Point Comfort, and ex- tending from sea to sea. It also included all islands lying within a hundred miles along the said coast of either sea. The title was to be in free and common socage, and not in capite. The consideration was the payment to the king the fifth part only of all ore of gold and silver that from time to time might be gotten or obtained, for all manner of service. When or how often this fifth part of the ore was paid, if at all, is not known. The changing political conditions soon put an end to the rights of both high contracting parties.
CONFUSION OF TERMS.
The expression "from sea to sea" in the description of the territory granted by the Vir-
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
ginia charter of 1609, mentioned above, led the Virginiaus to make claim to that part of the domain north of the Ohio River and extending west to the Mississippi and Illinois rivers as a part of the original grant. The interpretation placed by them upon that charter justified them as being fully within their rights in legislating for that territory. The state of Virginia also felt its title by the original charter was strength- ened by the success of her troops under Colonel George Rogers Clark. Further history of this period is taken up in the first volume of this work.
COUNTY OF ILLINOIS.
On November 30, 177S, a requisite bill for the government of the "County of Illinois," as it was then designated, was introduced in the Assembly of Virginia, and on December 9 of the same year was duly passed by both houses. The new territory was, by the law, treated as a county of Virginia, and Patrick Henry, then governor of Virginia, became also the first governor of Illinois. The chief executive officer for the county was called the county lieutenant or commandant. Being desirous of having the new government for that portion of their un- kuown domain, put into operation as soon as possible, the governor, three days after the passage of the act, on December 12, appointed John Todd county lieutenant of the County of Illinois. John Todd was a native born Amer- ican, of Scotch-Irish ancestry, his father nav- ing come from Scotland in 1737, and settled in Pennsylvania.
Matters, however, had not been at a stand- still in the West, since the capture of Kaskaskia by Clark, on July 4, of the same year. A form or semblance of advancing civilization had been set in progress by Clark, who established a tentative government, and also, as he says in his memoirs, a court of civil judicature in Cahokia, the judges to be elected by the people; and in fact such a court was established consisting of seven justices, and as these were elected by popular vote, this became the first election of chief magistrates in Illinois, and occurred in the month of October, 1778.
In the course of time, the war of the Revolu- tion ended and the first struggle for independ- once from the old world came to a successful termination. The "Illinois County," or terri- tory, was still claimed by and recognized as a
part of Virginia, but in 1784, it was ceeded to the general government of the United States. A committee of Congress proceeded to provide for the establishment of a form of government for the new territory. The action of the committee was approved, and the act adopted provided that when there should be 20,000 free inhabit- ants withiu the limits of any territory, they should have authority to call a convention to establish a permanent constitution and govern- ment for themselves without any other limita- tions than the following: That they should forever remaiu a part of the confederacy of the United States of America, with provisions of a more or less general nature and interest. The eighth article provided that any state hav- ing adopted a constitution, and having as many free inhabitants as the least numerous of the thirteen original states, might be admitted into the Union. The form of government then pro- vided continued until the adoption or passage of the Ordinance of 1787.
While Congress was yet sitting under the Articles of Confederation, in 1787, it passed an act for the government of the territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio River; under which act or ordinance, Arthur St. Clair was appointed governor of the territory. Pursuant to authority given him by the ordi- nance, he, in 1790, by proclamation, established the county of St. Clair, so named in houor of himself. It covered a large part of the territory, its boundaries being: from the mouth of the Mackinaw River down the Illinois to the Mis- sissippi ; then down that river to the Ohio, then up the Ohio to the mouth of Massac Creek ; thence in a direct line northward to the mouth of the Mackinaw, the place of beginning. Thus, being in that portion of the Northwest Territory entirely within the present limits of Illinois, St. Clair became the first county of the state. Although many and frequent changes in the area and boundaries as first erected have been made, the present St. Clair County has always been a part of the original St. Clair County territory, and hence will always bear the distinction of being the first county of Illinois.
FIRST SETTLERS.
Looking back over a period of one hundred years, there are few indeed of this generation but have an interest in knowing who first deter- mined to, and actually did become the first
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permanent settlers of Cass County. While the sources of information as to the persons, and dates of arrival of the earliest settlers is meager, yet from the best obtainable data, it is generally conceded that the first white set- tler in Cass County was Eli Cox, who came into the county in 1816, and located in the eastern part of the county at the head of a creek which was given his name and is still called Cox's Creek. A large grove of excellent timber which had escaped the effects of the prairie fires, was growing there, and it too bears the name of Cox. At that time, there was not an- other white person, as far as can be learned, in all that part of Sangamon County. The government had not yet secured the Indian titles, and of course had made no surveys. There were no such divisions as sections or townships to guide him, but Mr. Cox staked out a claim, and remained upon it for awhile, when he left and did not return until 1819. He then built a cabin and commenced permanent improvements. He lived upon that tract of land continuously until his death, which oc- curred in 1881.
THOMAS BEARD.
In the year 1819, when Mr. Cox returned to take up his abode here for life, there appeared at Edwardsvillie, in Madison County, about 100 miles south of the Cox home, a young man, twenty-five years of age, inteligent and ambi- tious. This was Thomas Beard, who had come from the state of New York to seek his fortune in the thene West. He had heard much of the Illinois River and surrounding country, and wished to visit it with a view of locating if conditions suited. He made the acquaintance of General Murry McConnell, who had explored the Illinois Valley to some extent, and being attracted to this bright, sturdy young man, General McConnell offered to make a trip to the Illinois River country with Mr. Beard. There were no highways, no bridges over streams, no way of travel except on foot or horseback. However, Mr. Beard had come all the way from New York over rocky roads and hilly or moun- tainous country, and General McConnell had been a soldier in the War of 1812, and had seen rough service, besides he had lived for many years in the wilderness, so these men thought nothing of a horseback ride through untraveled country. They set out on their
lonely journey of 100 miles, recognzing the fact that their trip was fraught with some danger from the hostile Indians, who were at that time restless on account of the fact of the agitation relative to the closing of the treaty of 1819, which would transfer their rights to the whole Sangamon country to the govern- ment, and there was an angry undertone of feeling among the braves, even if it was not shared in by the chiefs, to the effect that the lands should not be delivered over to the white man, even though they were to receive a rea- sonable remuneration therefor.
Beard and McConnell struck out across the prairies, followed the streams and stretches of woodland that bordered them, avoiding the lagoons and swamps as much as possible, and after a week's ride they emerged upon the banks of the Illinois River, and moving on to the north they soon discovered the famous Indian Mound village, so named from a very high mound standing close to the left bank of the river, on an island, cut off from the river by a marshy slough. This famous mound is treated of in the chapter on Mound Builders.
Thomas Beard was delighted with the situa- tion, and after a further survey of the surround- ing country, wisely concluded that this ivas the ideal spot upon which to build a town that would ultimately attract the attention of pio- neer business men, and result in the develop- ment of a beautiful city. Then and there, he resolved to remain and make this spot his future home. His wisdom, foresight and sound judgment have been more than verified by the splendid commercial city now standing upon the site then dotted over with Indian wigwams, tepees, and one lone cabin or hut built of poles, down by the river bank. This hut was believed to have been erected by French voyageurs down the Illinois River some years previous, as it was, when Mr. Beard first looked upon it, in a very dilapidated condition.
As Thomas Beard was the founder of the city of Beardstown, and really the first white man to encourage and lend all his energy to advance civilization and prepare the way for the coming of the splendid men who in so short a period built up one of the most sub- stantial of the smaller cities of Central Illinois, it is deemed fitting that a mention of Mr. Beard be given in this place, somewhat more extended than is found in the first volume of this pub-
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lication, which is devoted to the general history of Illinois.
Thomas Beard was born at Granville, Wash- ington Connty, N. Y., December 4, 1794, eldest child of Jeddiah and Charlotte (Nichols). Beard, the mother being a native of Vermont. In 1800 the family moved from New York to the Western Reserve in Ohio. As evidence of the hardships and difficulties enconntered by early pioneers moving west into a little known and sparsely settled country, the following is quoted from a sketch of Thomas Beard's family, writ- ten by the Hon. J. N. Gridley, now of , Pomona, Cal. :
"They" (speaking of the family of, Jeddiah Beard) "and company with them, began the journey on the first day of the year, and the season being so severe and the fatigne of the journey so great, most of the party halted at Northeast, Pa., and refusing to proceed further, settled at that place. Jeddiah Beard, with his wife and their three children, the youngest a babe in arms, pressed onward on horseback. Mrs. Beard became ill on the way and a halt was made for a time until she so far recovered her strength so as to enable her to proceed. For a portion of the way there was only a bridle path for a road. The father led one horse with Thomas and his little sister clinging to the animal, while the mother with the babe in her arms brought up the rear on another horse. The brother came ont to meet them with an ox team and the party finally arrived at their destination at Barton, on the west bank of the Cuyahoga River, on May 4, 1800."
Thomas Beard's grandfather had been a sol- dier in the Revolutionary war, and when the War of 1812 broke out, the war spirit in the blood of Jeddiah Beard began to stir, and he soon enlisted in his country's cause and left young Thomas to look after the family, which he did with great fidelity. When twenty-one years of age, Thomas Beard left home, as has been stated, to go farther west to find, if pos- sible, a better place for permanent settlement and better opportunities for young men. He passed through Ohio and the Indiana and Illi- lois territories, and finally landed at St. Louis, Mo., from which point he went over into Illinois to the town of Edwardsville, which had but recently been laid out and named after Gov. Ninian Edwards. There, after a hard spell of sickness, he made the acquaintance of General
McConnell, and the two took the trip to the future Beardstown, as heretofore stated.
FOUNDING OF BEARDSTOWN.
After the treaty of July 30, 1819, with the Kickapoos, Pottawatomies and other tribes, by which the government seenred the large country known as the Sangamon Country, national snr- veyors were put into the field, and soon had the townships, ranges, sections and other divi- sions marked ont so that the settlers conld definitely locate their lands after selecting them. Thomas Beard then became more than ever convinced of the wisdom of his choice in locat- ing on the east bank of the Illinois River, on public land, 120 miles above St. Lonis. "My reason for choosing this location is on account of its being a valnable site for a town and ferry. The country is settling fast," is what Mr. Beard said of his choice. On June 5 of the same year he obtained a license from Schuyler County, which lay just across the river from Monnd Village, for running a ferry, and estab- lished one, which was the first across the Illinois River. In the meantime, one Enoch C. March had come to the settlement, and in September, 1826, he and Thomas Beard entered from the government the fractional northeast quarter of section 15, in township 18, north, range 12, west, containing 144.54 acres, and on October S of the same year they entered the fractional northeast quarter of same section, containing 30.54 acres. On October 10, 1826, Thomas Beard entered the west half of the sonthwest quarter of section 15, the same township, and on Sep- tember 9, 1829, he and Enoch March laid out the original town of Beardstown. On February 23, 1830, Mr. Beard wrote home again, dating his letter as follows:
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