USA > Illinois > Cass County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Cass County, Volume II > Part 7
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There were, of course, many who came about that time and settled in the towns, purchasing lots as they were laid out, and erected homes and business buildings, whose names either have appeared or will appear in other parts of this history, in connection with the narrative of progress of this county. Francis A. Arenz had come from Germany, along with others, at about the time of organization of the county, and a large settlement was effected near the present site of Arenzville, and in and around Beardstown. Early settlements were made at Monroe, at Panther Creek and Sylvan Grove, also at Lancaster, east of Philadelphia. Quite a large settlement formed at Princeton in the southeast part of the county, and in 1836 Dr. Henry Hall entered a large scope of land in township 17, range 10, and laid out the town of Virginia.
Freed from the annoyance and dangers from savage tribes that had been subdued and driven
It was indeed necessary that the people sup- ply their own wants as far as possible, and they early learned to do so. The opportunities for purchase were rare. Prior to 1834 there was not a single merchant north of the Mauvisterre outside of Beardstown, unless possibly the small store at Princeton was then opened, but from 1830 on it was not necessary for the settlers in Cass County to go far to mill. In that year a steam mill, of large eapaeity for those times, was established and continued for many years at Beardstown, besides a few good grist mills on streams which had been dammed to furnish water power. The Beardstown Chroniele, a newspaper published at Beardstown by Francis A. Arenz, uuder the management of John B. Fulks, iu the issue dated March 1, 1834, says :
"Since the opening of the river, there have been shipped from this place 1,502 barrels of flour and 150 barrels of pork. Ready for ship- ment at the warehouse at this time are 581 barrels of flour, 400 barrels of pork, and 150 kegs of lard. Two steam flouring mills aud one steam saw mill are now in operation. A large brewery and distillery are being built, with a grist mill."
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
A few schoolhouses had been built and were used as places of public worship. Itinerant school teachers came along and were employed to instruct the children in the rudiments; the pay ot these teachers was raised by subscrip- tion, and the school term ended when the sub- scriptions ran out. There was preaching at the homes of the settlers, those having the larger houses opening them to the preachers and all who would come were welcome. There were also at certain times of the year camp meetings held in the groves where suitable conveniences were obtainable. Altogether, the people of those early days managed remarkably well and en- joyed lite, despite the fact that they lacked anything approaching present day luxuries or even conveniences. The lives of the old set- tlers of Cass County and their environments were very similar to those in all of Illinois at that period, which have been so often depicted by writers of early days, and by all historians of the state, so it is hardly deemed worth while to extend these remarks upon this subject. It will suffice to close this chapter with a beauti- ful poem by one of Cass County's former citi- zens, now deceased, Hon. William H. Thacker. He was born July 15, 1836, at Goshen, Ohio, the fourth child of Stephen and Esther (Mckinney) Thacker. Brought to Illinois by his parents in 1839, he lived near the Des Plaines River, west of Chicago, then a frontier wilderness. He acquired an education at subscription schools and at Lake Zurich Academy. Migrating to Mason County, Ill., he taught school until 1862, when he enlisted for service during the Civil war, in the Seventy-first Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and re-enlisted, serving until the close of hostilities. In 1876 he came to Virginia, Cass County, where he completed his study of the law and was admitted to the bar in 1880. He re- moved to the state of Washiington, in April, 1890, and there continued the practice of law, for three terms representing San Juan County in the state legislature, and also served a terni as Probate judge. On April 1, 1914, this emi- nent man died at his home in Arlington, Wash. He was a highly respected citizen in every community in which he lived, was a man of noble impulses, and was possessed of marked literary genius, which the following poem clearly proves.
THE SCENES OF FRONTIER DAYS.
The tide of time is backward rolled,
And scenes long passed I view once more ;
The woodlands and the virgin fields
Are round me as of yore.
The meadow lark and bobolink Pour forth their love notes rich and rare,
And from a hundred little throats
A shower of music fills the air. I hear the bob-white call his mate; The pheasant's drum at early morn, At niglit the cry of whip-poor-will
Tells that it's time to plant the corn. From thickets come the deer to feed,
At sunset and at morning's light,
The prowling wolves in search of prey,
With fearsome music fill the night.
The settlers' cabins here and there,
With clapboard root and puncheon tloor; The pots are boiling on the fire,
The shortcake on the coals before.
The home-made loom against the wall,
Where back and forth the shuttle flies, And show the linsey-woolsey grows,
And patient skill the weaver plies. Above the door on wooden hooks
Convenient hangs the old smooth bore ;
A trusty flint-lock, charged and primed, And good at forty rods and more.
Here's grandma's rocking chair that's made Of hickory withes, bent so and so;
A fawn skin stretched from side to side, Supplies the cushion seat below.
This lin-wood trough on rockers fixed, In royal style the baby bore; And to and fro the lullaby,
It timed upon the puncheon floor. The spinning wheel and fluffy rolls
The maiden spins in endless threads,
As back and forthı the wheel she twirls,
And gaily sings and lightly treads. Dressed in her linsey-woolsey frock On Sunday eve, her cheeks aglow, And wild flowers in her braided hair, Miranda waits her expected beau.
The old well sweep and watering trough ; The grape vine swing bencath the oak- The trysting place wliere lovers say The sweetest words were ever spoke. Across the bleak and frozen waste
I hear the howling blizzards roar;
The drifting snow the window hides,
And beats against the cabin door.
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
Fresh logs are piled upon the hearth,
The crackling flames drive back the cold ; The huddling children half afraid,
The mother's sheltering arms enfold.
Again the fierce prairie fire
Sweeps on in demoniac wrath-
A seething, roaring wall of flame, Leaving destruction in its patlı.
I see the settlers helpless stand.
(The women white-faced bowed in tears) Gazing in silent grief upon
The ruins of the work of years.
But from the depth of their despair, A glorious courage seems to spring, That gives them strength to build anew, And hope for what the days may bring. Theirs were the hearts to do and dare, And loyal in the hour of need ; No matter whether rich or poor.
They questioned not of faith or creed. Their generous hearts and helpful hands
Poured out their Christian love like wine ; And towering church and brazen bells
Could make their work no more divine. Today across the gulf of years,
In retrospect, I see them all:
Those scenes of carly frontier days, Whose pictures hang in memory's hall. That hardy band of brain and brawn,
They builded better than they knew- They lived the pure and simple life ; From nature, inspiration drew.
They heard the call from out the West. And westward on their course they led, They bridged the stream and blazed the trails, The feet of empire soon should tread. The comnon luxuries of life
To them indeed were things unknown, And where they delved and sweat and toiled, The palace homes of wealth have grown. No truer lives were ever lived,
In honest toil their ycars were spent ; And though they sleep in unknown graves, The country round's their monument.
CHAPTER VI.
COUNTY ORGANIZATION.
EARLY BOUNDARIES-DIVISION OF NORTHWEST TER- RITORY-FORMATION OF COUNTIES-ORGANIZA-
TION OF ILLINOIS TERRITORY-GOV. NINIAN EDWARDS FIRST TERRITORIAL GOVERNOR OF ILLI- NOIS-THREE MORE COUNTIES CREATED-CASS BECOMES A PART OF MADISON COUNTY-ILLINOIS MADE A STATE IN 1SIS-SANGAMON COUNTY CREATED-MORGAN CREATED INCLUDING SCOTT AND CASS COUNTIES-BOUNDARY LINES A CAUSE OF DISPUTE-METHODS OF MEASUREMENT- METES AND BOUNDS-RECTANGULAR SYSTEM- CREATION OF CASS COUNTY-WORDING OF THE ACT-THREE PRECINCTS AT FIRST-POLITICAL ACTIVITIES-ACT TO REMOVE STATE CAPITAL PASSED-LOSS TO CASS OF
THE THREE-MILE STRIP-FIRST COUNTY ELECTIONS-LIST OF FIRST VOTERS-FIRST OFFICIALS-THREE MORE
PRE- CINCTS CREATED-FIRST REPRESENTATIVE FROM CASS COUNTY-BEARDSTOWN FIRST MADE THE COUNTY SEAT-REMOVAL TO VIRGINIA-BUILDING THERE OF A COURTHOUSE-COUNTY SEAT RE- TURNED TO BEARDSTOWN-VIRGINIA THE PRESENT COUNTY SEAT.
EARLY BOUNDARIES.
County organization has been a favorite sub- division of a state or territory among the more civilized nations dating back many years, it having been found to be a convenient and effect- ive method of granting the people, under what- soever form of government existing, that cer- tain measure of home rule, or self-government, so much prized by human beings. All of the various states of the Union have county sub- divisions, except South Carolina, which has districts, and Louisiana, which has parishes. Both district and parish, however, correspond to the counties in other states.
The second county in Illinois was named Knox, but no digression will be made to speak further of it, as the only purpose of mentioning these early counties is to trace and note the changes in the area, boundaries and organiza- tion of the Northwest Territory, and the sub- sequent territories and state formed from it of which the present Cass County was at any time a part. Observing the boundaries of St. Clair County, as heretotore given, the reader will at once see that Cass County was a portion of the northern part of St. Clair County as first established, and if we are looking for historical distinction it will be further noted that Cass County was thus a part of the first county in the territory later converted into the state of Illinois.
Eng by E & Williams & Bro NY
Ellen Baxter
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
In 1800 the Northwest Territory was by Act of Congress divided into two districts. The western district was named Indiana, but in- cluded all the present Illinois. William Henry Harrison, afterwards president of the United States, became the territorial governor. Under the law at that time counties were established by proclamation of the territorial governor. Acting under that authority, Governor Harrison issued a proclamation February 3, 1801, by which he changed the county lines of St. Clair County and made it a county of the territory of Indiana and gave to it all of Illinois, but a small portion in the southern end lying south of a line running east and west about a mile and a half south of the present south line of St. Clair County, and extending east until it intersected a line drawn directly north from the "Great Cave," on the Ohio, Two years later this line was changed to run from a point on the Mississippi River four miles farther south, northeast to intersect the same north and south line before mentioned. The portion north of that east and west line retained the name of St. Clair, and to the part south oť the line was given the name of Randolph County.
ORGANIZATION OF ILLINOIS TERRITORY.
These boundary lines remained unchanged un- til the organization of Illinois Territory, February 3, 1809. Nathaniel Pope, the first secretary of the new territory and acting gov- ernor, by proclamation on April 28, 1809, con- tinued the counties of St. Clair and Randolph without change of boundaries or area except to extend the eastern boundary of each county to the eastern Illinois boundary line, which bound- ary lines are the present eastern boundary lines of the state of Illinois.
GOV. NINIAN EDWARDS.
No further changes were made affecting the territory in which Cass County was situated until 1812, when Ninian Edwards, who, by appointment, had become the first territorial governor of Illinois, by a proclamation dated September 14, 1812, created three new counties, one of which he named Madison, which com- prised all the territory of Illinois north of a line running east to the Wabash River along the northern line of the present St. Clair County, and which line the proclamation said should be
the second township line above Cahokia. Thus Cass County, after being a part of St. Clair County for twenty-two years, now became a part of Madison County, whose seat of justice was by Governor Edwards' same proclamation located at the house of Thomas Kirkpatrick. This house was on the site of the present city of Edwardsville, in Madison County, As at that time there was not a white person, so far as known, in the part of Madison County now comprising Cass County, and as the inhabitants thereof were all Indians, subject to and gov- erned by their tribal relations, it made little or no difference to them where or how far away was the seat of justice. Many changes were subsequently made in the area and boundaries of Madison County, but it continuously retained the future Cass County within its borders until 1821.
ILLINOIS MADE A STATE.
In the meantime Illinois territory had, by an Act of Congress passed December 3, 1818, been admitted to the Union as a state, with all the powers and privileges of the original thirteen. Its officers, legislature and high court had al- ready exhausted the pleasures and pastimes of a sojourn in Kaskaskia, as the first territorial capital, and had removed the seat of govern- ment to Vandalia. Judge Sidney Breese, who was at the time of the removal of the capital the chief clerk in the office of the secretary of state, says, in writing of the subject in later years, that it cost twenty-five dollars to move the archives from Kaskaskia, in a small wagon, and that it was necessary to cut a road part of the way through brush.
As the General Assembly in session there was being rapidly submerged with petitions and bills, by ambitious legislators, representing equally ambitious constituents in various parts of the northern end of the state, accelerated largely by the extinguishment of Indian titles, it became necessary that county government should be immediately established, and new county seats erected more accessible to the peo- ple. Again there was the alluring prospect of official position, The more counties there were, the more offices there would be to fill. Always, in every locality, is to be found an abundant force of citizens with sufficient patriotism to offer themselves as a sacrifice on that particular altar of their country. Yielding to this urgent
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
demand, the legislature of 1821 established seven new counties, one of them being Sangamon County, with the following boundaries :
"From the northwest corner of town 12, range 1 west of the third principal meridian, north with that meridian to the Illinois River ; thence down the middle of the river to the mouth of Ballance or Negro Creek ; np said creek to its head; thence through the middle of the prairie dividing the waters of the Sangamon and the Manvais Terre to the northwest corner of town 12 north, range 7 west of the third principal meridian; thence east along the north line of town 12 to place of beginning." The Ballance or Negro Creek, mentioned in the above descrip- tion to the boundary lines, is Indian Creek, in the southwest part of Cass County. It is there- fore seen that a small portion of Cass Connty omitted from Sangamon, was that part that now lies between the Indian Creek mentioned and the north line of Morgan County.
The restive, active petitioners and legislators would not permit the county bonndary lines to remain long enongh in one place to become known to the local inhabitants or to become a cause of territorial disputes. Two years later, to the exact day, January 31, 1823, Morgan Connty was created, including the present coun- ties of Morgan, Scott and Cass. The bonndary lines of the new connty were as follows :
"From the northwest corner of Greene County, east to the range line between 7 & S, west of the third principal meridian ; thence northerly along the middle of the prairie dividing the waters of the Sangamon from the Mauvais Terre, Apple and Indian creeks, to the middle of Range S; thence north to the main channel of the Sanga- mon ; thence down to the middle of the main channel of the Illinois; thence down the Illinois to the place of beginning." The northern part of the boundary lines above given is the present boundary of Cass County, as will be noted in the official boundary lines of the county. Some mention is made in giving boundary lines of some of the counties established, of township and range lines. These occur only in county lines of late established counties, as there was no system in use of township and range in the carlier days.
BOUNDARY LINES A CAUSE OF DISPUTE.
Boundary lines great and small, of nations, states, counties, and of lands of individuals,
always have been a source of dispute and trouble, oftentimes resulting serionsly. The difficulties arising were formerly dne, princi- pally, to the system of describing lands by "Metes and Bounds," in universal vogue in this country until abont the close of the eighteenth century, and still perhaps is to some degree in use in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the New England states, and in a few other of the older states. In making sur- vey's nnder that system, it was of conrse neces- sary to start at a given landmark and follow the proposed line according to the magnetic bearings of the compass needle, or the course of a stream; or perhaps some ancient footpath or highway. This plan conld but result in endless confusion and litigation, as landmarks decay or change ; and it is a well known fact that the compass needle varies and does not always point dne north. In order to avoid further confusion in the government survey of land, Congress, by an act adopted May 7, 1785, provided for the nse of the "Rectangular System."
RECTANGULAR SYSTEM.
All land measurements under this system are made from two principal lines, at right angles to each other, a north and south line called a principal meridian, and an east and west line called a base line. The principal meridians are accurately established and tested by astronom- ical observations, and each has its own base line. The intersection of these two lines is the starting point for governmental land measure- ments, and measuring each way from that point, at intervals of six miles, are drawn parallel lines to these principal lines. The space of territory extending north and sonth between the parallel meridians is called a range, and the space of territory extending east and west between the parallel lines is called a township. The squares formed by these lines crossing each other are the government townships. The town- ships are numbered from one consecutively north or south from the base line. and ranges are numbered from one consecutively east or west from the principal meridian, as far as these principal lines control. Had the legisla- ture in creating county lines given more atten- tion to this system of land measurements, and government survey, much confusion would have been avoided. and it would not have been called upon so often afterwards to correct or re-
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
define boundary lines. It required a special act of the general assembly to make changes or define the lines, and an inspection of the session laws of the state from 1823 to 1854 show that no less than sixteen acts were passed re-defining county boundary lines, among them one for re-defining the boundary between Mor- gan and Sangamon counties, and providing for a survey. The northern part of the new sur- veyed line, from township 17, north, is the present eastern boundary line of Cass County.
CREATION OF CASS COUNTY.
No further changes were made in area or boundary lines affecting the territory in which Cass was situated until 1837. The country had very rapidly settled up; Jacksonville was the county seat of Morgan County, and at that time was the most noted city in the state. Its people were entertaining high hopes that the state capital would be located there. The ques- tion of removal of the state capital was then being greatly agitated before the legislature. Four of Morgan County's representatives in the general assembly and the senator from this district lived at Jacksonville, as did also the governor of the state, Joseph L. Duncan. The Indian titles had all been quieted; the last of the Indian uprisings in the state had been sub- dued, and the Indians were fast disappearing from the Sangamon country and Illinois. For the sake of the continuity of the abstract of title, as it were, of Cass County, further refer- ence to other historical matter will be deferred and the action upon matters affecting the pass- age of the Act of the General Assembly creating Cass County taken up. Petitions had been pre- sented to the assembly by interested persons asking for the formation of a new county to be taken from the northern part of Morgan County, being all that part north of the south line of township 17, but by some shuffling of bills pre- sented to the legislature and committed, a bill finally appeared from the committee room which provided for the new county to be called Cass, but instead of the dividing line between it and the remainder of Morgan County being the south line of the township, the line was made to run east and west in the center of the town- ship, thus making the territory of the new county three miles narrower north and south than was expected by the friends of the new county. The bill, however, became a law on
March 3, 1837. The text of the Act is as follows :
"An Act for the Formation of the County of Cass.
Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois, represented in the General As- sembly, That all that tract of country within the following boundaries to wit: Beginning at a point in the center of the main channel of the Illinois River, where a line running through the center of township seventeen north intersects the same, in range thirteen west of the third prin- cipal meridian, thence east with said line to the east side of Morgan county, from thence north to the center of the main channel of the Sangamon River, thence down said river to the center of the main channel of the Illinois River, thence down said river to the place of begin- ning, shall constitute a new county to be called the county of Cass.
Sec. 2. The county aforesaid is created upon the following conditions: The people of the county of Morgan as the same is now organized, shall meet at the several places for holding elections for representatives and senators in said county, on the third Monday of April next, and proceed to vote in the same manner of voting for representatives and senators to the General Assembly, whether the said county shall be created or not. The judges of elections in said county shall give twenty days' notice of the time and place of holding said elections by posting notices thereof in six public places in the county, and on said day shall open a poll book at each election precinct, in which they shall rule two columns, in one of which they shall set down the number of votes given for the creation of said county, and in the other column the votes given against same, and said judges shall conduct said election, and make returns to the clerk of the county commissioners court of Morgan County, in the same manner as is now provided by law in the case of elec- tions for senators and representatives for the General Assembly, and said returns shall be opened and counted in the. same manner as in such elections, and if a majority of all votes given at said election shall be in favor of the creation of said county, a certificate shall be made by the clerk of said county commissioners 'court, under the seal of said court, and trans- mitted by him to the office of the secretary of state, of the state of Illinois, to be filed in his
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
office as evidence of the existence of said county, which shall be entered of record at the next succeeding term of the said county commis- sioners court, and shall be sufficient to prove the facts therein stated, after which the said county shall be one of the counties of the state of Illinois. The clerk of the commissioners court of Morgan County shall cause a notice of said election to be published in all the news- papers published in the county of Morgan.
Sec. 3. If said county shall be created as atoresaid, the legal voters of said county shall meet on the first Monday of May next, at the several places of holding elections in said new county, and vote for the place where the county seat of said county shall be located, and the place receiving the greatest number of votes shall be the permanent seat of justice of said county, and on the first Monday of August next said county shall proceed to elect all county officers for said county, to be commissioned and qualified as in other cases.
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