USA > Illinois > Cass County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Cass County, Volume II > Part 9
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and criticism should not have fallen upon them, bnt should have been placed npon the legisla- ture, which enacted the measure of March 2, 1839, above referred to. Aside from any ques- tion of blame to any one the citizens of Beards- town were determined to recapture the prize when opportunity offered. The population of Beardstown had rapidly increased and there was then within its limits a large number of splendid, energetic men, alert to every interest of the town, and active in securing everything helpful to its future progress.
An election was called and held September 4, 1843, on the question of removal of the county seat from Virginia to Beardstown. The elec- tion resulted in 453 votes being cast for removal to only 2SS against removal, so Virginia lost. Beardstown citizens, although active in every other inatter, seemed extremely dilatory abont the erection of public buildings for sheltering the county records they had been so successful in recovering from Virginia. The buildings were not ready until 1845. On February S of that year, Henry E. Dummer appeared before tbe conuty commissioners at their session in that month at Virginia, and presented a decd to Cass County for Lot 1, in Block 31, Beards- town, on which the courthouse was built, from Thomas R. Sannders, and also a receipt from B. W. Schneider, contractor for building the courthouse at Beardstown, as well as a receipt from Thomas Beard, contractor, for the erec- tion of the jail. They also presented a further certificate from Hon. Samuel D. Lockwood, presiding judge of the Cass Connty Circuit court, of the sufficiency of the buildings. All of these papers were ordered to be recorded. Thereupon the commissoners adjourned to meet at Beardstown, on March 3, which was the first Monday of the month.
VIRGINIA THE PRESENT COUNTY SEAT.
In 1872, the question of the location of the county seat was again taken up, and an elec- tion was held with reference to this question. By popular vote the seat of government was again transferred to Virginia, although the matter was contested through the courts, the verdict being in favor of Virginia, which con- tinnes to hold that honor.
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
CHAPTER VII.
EARLY COUNTY HISTORY.
HARD TIMES-SCARCITY OF MONEY-INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT MEASURES OF 1837-SUSPENSION OF STATE BANKS-STAY AT TWO-THIRDS LAW- COUNTY WARRANTS-REVENUE MEASURES-THREE MILE STRIP-EFFORTS OF JOHN W. PRATT- LEGISLATIVE ACTION-ORIGIN OF CASS COUNTY'S NAME-GENERAL LEWIS CASS-EXTRACTS FROM ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S SPEECH TO CONGRESS.
HARD TIMES.
Every age, generation and score or two of years, have the cry, if not actual experience, of hard times. Cass County, together with the entire state, had a period of unprecedented hard times, extending from 1837 to 1842, pos- sibly never equaled since. The disastrous re- sults were directly traceable to the legislation known as the Internal Improvement Measures, of the Assembly of 1837, which provided for an extensive line of railroad building, and for the vast improvement of rivers and harbors. According to Dr. J. F. Snyder's "Illinois His- tory" :
"The people prior to 1837 were prosperous, but had become dissatisfied with the slow, cer- tain profits of legitimate, patient industry, and were infected with the phantom of quickly acquired wealth. The speediest way to attain to that end, they concluded, was to place the state on a material and financial parity with the older eastern states by constructing at once an extensive system of railroads, completing the Illinois & Michigan Canal, and removing obstructions in the principal rivers of the state that impeded their safe and expeditious naviga- tion. Visionary demagogues proclaimed on the stmp and in the newspapers the ability of the state to make all such improvements by borrow- ing money upon its credit, without imposing any burden upon its treasury or upon the people. The bonds of the state, they said. would sell in either home or foreign markets at enormous premiums ; these premiums would easily defray all cost of the proposed improvements, and the bonds would be returned to the state and can-
celled. And then, they urged, the net earnings of the railroads and canal, thus acquired, would for many years pay all ordinary expenses of the state government, thereby assuring the peo- ple from taxation. Such egregious nonsense as that seemed plausible to backwoodsmen who had never seen 'a railroad or canal, and they gave their unqualified assent."
In fact they did more than yield an assent. They clamored night and day for the necessary legislation to set the proposed improvements going, and thus influenced men serving the peo- ple in a representative capacity, to vote for measures which in cooler and more considerate moments, their naturally good judgment admon- ished them would ultimately lead to financial, disaster. By 1840 the bubble burst. The state banks suspended and left a depreciated cur- rency. The State Bank of Shawneetown col- lapsed with a circulation of $1,700,000, and the State Bank with $3,000.000. The people were almost destitute of an adequate circulating medium, and were compelled to resort to barter and exchange of commodities in the transaction of business. This condition was relieved some- what by immigration here of a large number of Germans, who brought with them consider- able money in specie; yet it was so difficult to obtain even silver that citizens were often un- able to get their letters from the post office. Postage was not necessarily prepaid at that time, and if not prepaid it had to be paid for in silver at the delivery office. It is said that letters would sometimes remain in the office for weeks.
People were largely in debt on account of speculations engaged in when money was more plentiful, but which proved to be mere delu- sions. When debts matured there was nothing with which to pay them. The state had sold and hypothecated bonds until credit was fully exhausted. Interest on bonds was unpaid and state bonds depreciated until they were worth but fourteen cents on the dollar, or were wholly unsalable, and a general condition of bank- ruptcy ensued. Honest men could not pay their debts for the reason that they had nothing with which to pay them. The price of all products was very low ; corn sold as low as six cents per bushel. The farmers had no way of getting goods from the store except upon credit, to be paid for with butter and eggs and other products of the farm, but all these fluctuated in price, even in the store exchange.
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
STAY LAW OR TWO-THIRDS LAW.
In this deplorable condition, the legislature sought to come to the relief of debtors, and, as often happens in such emergencies, at the expense of the creditor. One of a number of such remedial statutes was what was known as the Stay Law or Two-Thirds Law, which provided that property levied upon by virtue of execution, should be valued as in "ordinary times." The valuation was to be made by three householders summoned by the officer holding the writ, but chosen by the debtor, creditor and officer, each choosing one. The prop- erty levied upon was not to be sold unless it brought two-thirds of its valuation as placed upon it by said householders, thus making it possible to require the creditor to suffer a dis- count of 33 1-3 per cent, or stay collection with no provision for retaining his lien. Although this law was subsequently declared by the courts unconstitutional, yet it served its pur- pose and debts were rendered almost non- collectable.
WARRANTS.
Merchants and other dealers tried their hands at relief by issuing warrants or due bills which passed in trade at a discount of so much on the dollar. The county commissioners also lent a hand in aiding the people. They had a plate engraved and issued large quantities of county warrants or orders, in the similitude of one dollar bank bills. The legislature, jealous of its prerogatives, and its genius and wisdom in furnishing reliet, invalidated these warrants, by an act which it was charged at the time was passed in the interests of the banks.
REVENUE MEASURES.
Notwithstanding the hard times and the gen- eral chaotic condition of finances, Cass County had its legitimate source of revenue. The county commissioners had, as one of their first official acts, passed an order that "The follow- ing kinds of property be taxed at the rate of one-half per cent: town lots, indentured or registered negro ór mulatto servants, pleasure carriages, stock in trade, horses, mules and all meat cattle over and under three years old, hogs, sheep, wagons and carts." The clerk of the county was directed to give a public notice
to "all persons trading in Cass County," to procure a license according to law. At the September term, 1837, of the commissioners' court, revenue receipts were increased to some extent by the issuance of a license to Spence & Foster, T. & J. Wilbourn and Parrot & Alcott, to sell goods, wares and merchandise in Beards- town. Also a similar license was given to Beesley & Schaffer to do business at Monroe. Monroe was a new town laid out the previous year near the present site of Monroe school- house in the precinct of that name. A fee of $5 was received for each license. Several licenses were sold at $7 each to the purchasers, to keep a tavern. Thomas Beard was granted a license for $22 to run a ferry boat across the Illinois River for one year.
Under the tax levy made, the return of taxes tor the year 183S shows taxes collected on real estate, $356.0114, on personal property, $76.3334, and licenses $155.37, making a total revenue of $1,087.74, a less amount for all Cass County than is now paid by some individual citizens annually. As evidence of increased wealth and valuation at the present time, fig- ures of valuations for 1913 are given, and the tax levy for county purposes for the year 1914. Total valuation of all kinds of property, $26,- 196,271.00; total taxes raised in Cass County for all purposes, $315,327.30. Total taxes as- sessed for 1914 were $59,940.00. .
Under the Internal Improvement Act of 1837, there would be coming to Cass County a cer- tain amount of revenue, and the county commis- sioners appointed John W. Pratt, agent for the county, to collect and receive the amounts dne. Mr. Pratt was an excellent man of business, and was the first county clerk, in which office he continued until June S, 1842, when he resigned to become a candidate for member of the legis- lature. At the election held August 1, 1842, he was elected over his opponent, Joshua P. Crow, who was one of the three county commissioners for Cass County elected at the first election held.
THREE MILE STRIP.
The citizens of Cass County, while they had accepted the results of the legislative action in establishing the county upon different lines than those set out in the petitions filed for its creation, never gave up the idea that Cass County was justly entitled to the strip of land
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
which came to be known in history as the "Three Mile Strip." Francis Arenz, Dr. Henry Hall, Thomas Beard, Archibald Job, Richard S. Walker and others, all of whom will be mentioned more fully in later pages, together with John W. Pratt, had worked hard for the creation of the county of Cass on original lines, and all were deeply interested in having if possible, the three mile strip added to the county. None worked harder or more strenu- ously than did Mr. Pratt. He was no sooner elected to the General Assembly than he began a determined fight to regain the strip, and was ably assisted by David Epler, who was a mem- ber of the legislature from Morgan County, but lived within the three mile strip, and preferred that it should go to Cass County, where, he claimed, it belonged by all right and fairness. Mr. Pratt early introduced a bill for the exten- sion of the limits of Cass County.
LEGISLATIVE ACTION.
On February 7, 1843, Mr. Pratt made an able speech in support of his measure. He gave a detailed history of the formation of the county of Cass, and the vote of the people by which the act was adopted ; showing that it would not have been carried had not the canvassing board thrown out two precincts which had voted against the creation of the county under the provisions of the act. Also he called attention to the fact that every subsequent legislature had been petitioned by the people of Cass to redress the wrong, and give them the three mile strip. Said Mr. Pratt in part :
"Mr. Speaker, I ask my friends from Morgan County if this question ought not to be settled, and if Morgan cannot well afford to settle it by giving us the territory and still remaining one of the first counties of the state, in terri- tory, in population, and consequently in politi- cal strength; how will they force this people to stay with them against their will and in spite of their remonstrance? Are not here good grounds for legislative interference? I will not say it is right to set off a portion of the county whenever the people within its bounds petition to be set off in disregard of the remainder of the county ; but I do say, when a new county has been formed with the limits so contracted as to require the heaviest assessment of taxes to defray the necessary expenses of county gov- ernment ; when the county from which it was
detached can well afford to spare the disputed claim and afterwards have the requisite popu- lation to entitle her to four representatives on this floor, not lessening her political power ; not disturbing her county seat, in fact doing no wrong to her, but rendering justice to Cass County ; and when the people in the disputed territory have time and again petitioned to be separated from Morgan County and attached to Cass County ; when these facts exist, it is right, it is just, it is righteous to let them ; and anything short of this is downright in- justice to them. Mr. Speaker, I wish to give a few figures in relation to this question. I wish to show the relative size and population of the two counties. By the state census of 1840, Morgan County contained a population of 15,414; by the marshal's return it was 19,154. No state census was taken in Cass County, and the marshal's return of its population was 2,96S. The population of the Three Mile Strip' does not exceed 1,500. Deduct this num- ber from the highest returns of Morgan County and she will have left a population of 17,654; and add it to Cass and she will have 4,46S. But admitting the marshal's return is too high, and adopting the medium between the two cen- sus returns as correct, Morgan County will still have 16,000 population, entitling her to four rep- resentatives on this floor. So far as population is concerned then, it can be no great hardship for Morgan to relinquish this claim.
"In relation to territory, the case is equally strong. Morgan County contains 612 square miles, Cass 2SS. Deduct the three miles from Morgan, and she will still contain 532 square miles, and Cass 368 ; Morgan 132 miles more and Cass thirty-two miles less than the law of 1841 fixing the limits of counties contemplated."
With many more very cogent reasons, well ex- pressed and forcefully presented, Mr. Pratt urged the passage of his bill, but he was unable at that term to secure his cherished desires. Nothing daunted, however, he sought election to the Assembly again at the next term and was successful, immediately beginning an effort to accomplish the detaching of the three mile strip from Morgan County, and adding it to his own county. Though it does not appear from the records that Mr. Pratt made any more ex- tended speeches in favor of the project, yet, be- ing better acquainted with the members and methods of legislation, in his second term he worked so effectively that on February 26,
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
1845, a bill was passed submitting the ques- tion of detaching the three mile strip from Mor- gan County and adding it to Cass County, to a vote of the people residing within the terri- tory in question.
One reason, no doubt, which had a favorable influence upou the passage of the bill and which led Morgan County citizens to welcome the method of settlement of a perplexing ques- tion, was the fact that Morgan County people becaque alarmed over the possibility of losing a part of their territory iu another direction which would be more harmful than the loss of the three mile strip. Already, at the session of 1843, a bill had passed for a vote upon the establishing of two counties out of the territory comprising Morgau County, one of which was to be named Benton and the other to retain the name Morgan. The vote had been takeu and by a narrow margiu Morgan County had escaped the calamity, as the citizens viewed it. So, while the voters of Morgan County, outside of those residing in the strip, had no voice in deciding the question, they placed no obstacles iu the way of the project carrying, and when the vote was takeu for and against attaching the strip to Cass County, which was doue on the first Monday of May, 1845, the result showed the vote as follows :
For
Against
Arenzville 115
5
Henry Price House. 70
14
Princeton
41
35
Wm. Berry House. 26
24
246 78
Thus the majority in favor of attaching this strip to Cass County was 168. Thus ended a loug and somewhat bitter contest, and gave to Cass County nearly 57,000 acres of as excellent and fertile land as is to be found in all Illinois, the natural location of the most productive soil ; and placed Cass County within the boundary lines it originally desired and has since maiu- taiued.
ORIGIN OF NAME.
Cass County was named in houor of Lewis Cass, a statesman born in 1782, at Exeter, N. H. He was educated for the law, but discarded that profession and entered military life and in the War of 1812, rose to the rank of geueral.
After peace was declared, he was appointed governor of Michigan, organized that territory, and by treaty with the Indians added 3,000,000 acres of land to the United States. He served as secretary of war under President Jackson; was also envoy extraordinary to France, where he served seven years; was nominated by the Democratic party as its candidate for the presidency in 1848, but was defeated by Gen- eral Taylor, a Whig. His last public service was in the capacity of secretary of state in the cabinet of President Buchauan, and he died in 1866. He had acquired the title of general, al- thoughi not regarded highly as a military leader, and indeed while he undoubtedly had a little notoriety, yet he was possessed of no particular distinction as a military genius. When he be- came the nominee of his party for the presi- dency in 1848, against the Whig candidate, General Zachary Taylor, his friends tried hard to place him in the public eye as a military hero. This, as might have been expected brought out only ridicule, though of a good natured sort. Abraham Lincoln, who had been elected to Con- gress, where he served but one term, in making a speech on some subject, turned his attention to the politics of the day, which was the cus- tom of congressional speakers at that time, and not entirely dispensed with yet, and referred in a humorous way to the efforts Cass' friends were making to prove him a man of war.
EXTRACT FROM ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S SPEECH.
"By the way Mr. Speaker, did you know I am a military hero? Yes, sir, in the days of the Black Hawk War, I fought, bled and came away. Speaking of Geueral Cass' career re- minds me of my own. I was not at Stillman's de- feat, but I was about as near to it as Cass to Hull's surrender ; and like him, I saw the place very soon afterwards. It is quite certain I did not break my sword, for I had none to break ; but I bent a musket pretty badly ou one occasion. If Cass broke his sword, the idea is he broke it in desperation; but I bent the musket by accident. If Geueral Cass went in advance of me in picking whortleberries, I guess I surpassed him in charges upon the wild onions. If he saw any live, fighting Indians, it was more than I did, but I had a good many bloody struggles with the mosquitoes; and though I never fainted from loss of blood, I can truly saw I was often very huugry. Mr.
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
Speaker, if I should ever conclude to doff what- ever our Democratic friends may suppose there is of black cockade Federalism about me, and thereupon they should take me up as their candidate for the presidency, I protest they shall not make fun of me as they have of General Cass, by attempting to write me into a military hero."
This was but simple pleasantry, and was so received by Lincoln's colleagues in the national house of representatives. It must be remem- bered by the reader that Lincoln was a mem- ber of the Illinois legislature in 1837, and voted to honor General Cass by giving his name to a new county of this state.
General Cass was an able man, a patriotic citizen, filling the high station in public life to which he was called in an eminently satis- factory manner, but so little is known of him and so little said in general histories, that he might alınost be listed with the "Forgotten Statesmen." His history is illustrative of that pathetic line from Rip Van Winkle, who, upon his return to his peaceful village home after his quiet sleep in the Catskill Mountains, find- ing that his former friends did not readily recognize him, said "Then are we so soon forgotten."
CHAPTER VIII.
COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
CONSTITUTION OF 1818-COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' COURT-FIRST COUNTY COMMISSIONERS-NEW CONSTITUTION RATIFIED IN 1848-GOVERNOR FRENCH FIRST ELECTED IN 1846 SUCCEEDS HIM- SELF-CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES-FIRST JUDGES AND ASSOCIATE JUSTICES-COUNTY COMMISSION- ERS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1870-ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE TOWNSHIP SYSTEM-FIRST DEED ON RECORD-ORIGINAL PROPRIETORS' FIRST DEED- PIONEER LIFE IN 1821 IN CASS COUNTY-EGYPT- UNIQUE DEED-COUNTY RECORDERS-CIRCUIT CLERKS - SHERIFFS - CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND- MENTS SETTLE TERMS OF OFFICE-COUNTY COM- MISSIONERS' CLERKS-ASSESSORS AND TREASUR- ERS-JOHN WILKES PRATT-EARLY BUSINESS MEN-MILLS BUILT AT BEARDSTOWN-FIRST PIANO IN THE COUNTY-SHORT BIOGRAPHIES-
ARCHIBALD JOB ONE OF THE EARLIEST SETTLERS- BECAME A MAN OF PROMINENCE-GREAT IMPROVE- MENTS IN COUNTY BY 1850-INDUSTRIES WELL UNDER WAY-SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES ESTAB- LISHED-POPULATION GREATLY. INCREASED-SUB- STANTIAL PROSPERITY IN SIGHT.
CONSTITUTION OF 1818.
The first constitution of this state was adopted at Kaskaskia, in convention, August 26, 1818. It was not definite in its provisions for county officers, but left it to the legislature to pro- vide for the election and qualification of all except a sheriff and coroner ; and by the sched- ule, it was provided, that three county commis- sioners should be elected in each county "for the purpose of transacting all county business, whose term of service, power and duties, shall be regulated by law." Pursuant to that author- ity, the legislature, on March 22, 1819, passed an act establishing the County Commissioners' Court, although it was expressly provided in the act that it should not have jurisdiction of crim- inal or civil suits, or action wherein the state or any individuals, bodies politic or corporate were parties. It was intended as a body solely for the purpose of transacting the county busi- ness. The entire business of all the counties of the state was transacted by the county com- missioners during the time the first constitution was in force. Those who served as county com- missioners in Cass County under the provision of the law were :
Joshua P. Crow, Amos Bonney, and George F. Miller, elected August 7, 1837; Isaac Spence, elected in 1838: John C. Scott, elected in 1840; Marcus Chandler, elected in 1840; W. J. De- Haven, elected in 1841 ; Robert Leeper, elected in 1842; Henry McHenry, elected in 1842; Jesse B. Pence. elected in 1843; George B. Thompson, elected in 1844; William McHenry, elected in 1845; George H. Nolte, elected in 1847; and George W. Weaver, elected in 1848. These men were elected for a term of three years each, ex- cept where they were elected to fill a vacancy. Some served more than one term.
NEW CONSTITUTION RATIFIED IN 1S48.
In 1842 there was a general agitation to hold a constitutional convention, in the belief that a new constitution, with such provisions as those more particularly interested in the burdensome
Daniel Biddlecom -
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
state debt thought might be incorporated there- in, would enable the people to relieve themselves oť that incnbns, but on the proposition as to whether a convention should or should not be held beiug submitted to the people, it was de- feated by a narrow margin, Being re-submitted in 1846, it was carried by a large majority. The conveutiou was held at the capital, in 1847, and on August 31, it was adjourned, having com- pleted its labors and adopted the new constitu- tion. Mr. Newtou Cloud, a delegate to that con- vention from the district of which Cass County formed a part, was president. The constitution was submitted to popular vote and ratified by the people March 6, 1848. There were two sepa- rate articles submitted, one concerning the im- migration and settling in this state of free persons of color, aud to prevent owners of slaves from bringing them into this state for the pur- pose ot setting them tree. There was an article providing for a two-muill tax, for the purpose of assistiug in extinguishing the state debt. Both articles were adopted. The constitution itself was adopted by a vote of about four to one, aud the article concerning slaves, and free colored people was adopted by about three to one. Iu Cass County the vote on the constitution was about uuanimous, beiug 635 for, to thirty-two against, but there were 109 persons who did not like the provision in regard to the colored people. At the general election, held August 7 of the same year, William Thomas of Jacksouville was elected state senator over Newton Cloud of the same place, who had been president of the cou- stitutional convention, by seven votes. August C. Frenchi had been elected governor of the state in 1846, and had served but two years of his term when the uew constitution went into effect, but he was again nominated by his party aud re-elected for a full four-year term, being the first governor of Illinois to succeed himself.
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