USA > Illinois > Christian County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Christian County, Volume II > Part 7
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"What happened then?" was the next question asked by Thomas.
In reply Durbin said: "Well, he said that Tom Benton was an old traitor."
"What did you say to that?" asked the jus- tice.
"I told him," said Durbin, "that I was 10 defender of Tom Benton, and that I didn't care what was said about him."
"Go on, Billy, and tell me what happened next," said Thomas.
"Well, judge, he said that Andrew Jackson was an old traitor."
"And, Billy, what did you do then?"
"I said, 'Meade, you are an old liar,' and he struck at me, judge, and I cut him."
The old justice being very much pleased with this recital said : "Billy, if you have told me the truth, you'll come clear." and come clear he did. In this way was justice administered in the old
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
days. Who will say that it miscarried any oftener than it does in these days of high-priced lawyers and long delays ?
BEE HUNTING.
The history of Christian County would not be complete without some record of the bee hunts which formed so important a feature in the early settlers' lives. These hunts not only gave the pioneers amusement, but provided them, when they were successful, with the very neces- sary sweets otherwise sadly lacking on the fron- tier. No better account can be given than one which appeared in a former history, which is quoted below :
"Bee hunting excursions were of annual occur- rence. In the spring of 1822," says an old set- tler, Samuel Williams, "bees were very plenty in the timber in the northern and northeastern part of Christian County. Father and I concluded to go on a bee hunting excursion. With covered wagon and necessary outfit, we started eastward from Campbell's Point. The first night we camped in Buckhart Grove; the next night on Mosquito Creek, near the blue mounds in the prairie. Not far from this point we pitched our tent, and remained three or four weeks. In the timber along these streams, we found thirty bee trees. On one favorable day, found ten, the greatest number we ever found in one day; the common average on good days being from two to seven. We secured this trip forty-five gallons of honey and sixty pounds of beeswax. Soon after our return home I went to Springfield, just then laid out, to sell our wax. This was my first visit to the town, then containing less than a dozen houses, the destined capital of a great state. Elijah Isles was the only merchant in the little town. He kept his store in a log house, about one block west of the 'Alton depot.' ] found him at leisure; he was affable and quite social, and we soon made a trade, he giving me twenty-five cents per pound for my wax, but chiefly in goods. In the fall of 1822, went out the second time to hunt bees, camping at the same locality as in the spring. Hunted along the North Fork timber. We found about forty bee trees this time. During the first afternoon of our encampment, a Pennsylvania Dutchman came into our camp on horseback in a drenching rain. He was on the way to the Military Tract to examine some land. He passed the night
with us, but seemed quite discouraged. Looking down the high bluff at the North Fork, he inquired its name. On being informed, he seemed much dejected, and exclaimed in his Dutch accent : 'If dat ish the Sangamon River, of which I heard so much, I ish badly deceived.' He was on the point of turning back for home, when he was encouraged and persuaded to pros- ecute his journey, During all our travels in these two hunting excursions, we saw no white man save the traveling Dutchman.
"On March 4, 1823, my father and myself started east on our third bee hunt. The third day being warm, I found three trees on Mos- quito Creek. From this point we moved off to the right of the North Fork, and found seventy on the first branches of the Okaw or Kaskaskia River. We cut forty, and left the rest till fall. In August of this year, my father died, and in the fall one of my brothers accompanied me to cut the bee trees left on our last trip. In the spring and fall of 1824, I was employed by Elias Thompson to hunt bees. He was the only man I ever hunted with who could equal me in finding bee trees. At the close of the season we came out about even, each finding 150 trees. If Major Iles has his old mercantile books, they will show that Mr. Thompson and myself dealt with him on a liberal scale in beeswax for two individuals about the dates specified. In all our hunting for miles up and down the different branches of the various streams, and in all our travels back and forth, we found no place where one white man had either settled or commenced an improve- ment. Thus ends our bee hunting excursions in an uninhabited country, a country literally 'flow- ing with milk and honey,' in central Illinois, during the years 1822-24,"
PIONEER MARRIAGES.
The first marriage in what is now Christian County was that of George Dickson and Fannie Cooper, who were united on September 13, 1823, by Rivas Cormack of the Methodist Church. Other early marriages were as follows :
On September 24, 1824, Job Fletcher, justice of the peace, performed the ceremony which united Moses Archer of the North Fork to Mira Moffitt. On July 15, 1827, John Kirkpatrick performed a similar ceremony for M. G. Martin of North Fork and Patsey Bagbey. On Novem- ber 9, 1827, Gabriel Mckenzie of Flat Branch
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
was married to Elizabeth Gray. On September 14, 1828, James R. Lucas was married to Eliza- beth Harris, a daughter of Isaac Harris.
The first marriage license issued after Chris- tian County was organized, was that of Josephus Durbin and Elizabeth Simpson, a daughter of Richard Simpson of Bear Creek Township, and it bore the date of July 10, 1839. Joseph P. Dur- bin, J. P., performed the ceremony.
PIONEER COOKING.
Again quoting from the very interesting and authentic history :
"It may be interesting to speak more specific- ally regarding cookery and diet. Wild meat was plentiful. The settlers generally brought some food with them to last till a crop could be raised. Small patches of Indian corn were raised, which in the earliest days of the settlements, was beaten in a mortar. The meal was made into a coarse but wholesome bread, on which the teeth could not be very tightly shut on account of the grit it contained. Johnny-cake and pones were served up at dinner, while mush and milk was the favorite dish for supper. In the fireplace hung the crane, and the Dutch oven was used in baking. The streams abounded in fish, which formed a healthful article of food. Many kinds of greens, such as dock and polk, were eaten. The truck patch furnished roasting ears, pump- kins, beans, squash and potatoes, and these were used by all. For reaping bees, log rollings, and house raisings, the standard dish was pot pie. Coffee and tea were used sparingly as they were very dear, and the hardy pioneer thought them drinks fit only for women and children. They said they would not 'stick to the ribs.' Maple sugar was much used and honey was only five cents per pound. Butter was the same price. while eggs were three cents. The utmost good feeling prevailed. If one killed hogs all shared. Chickens were to be seen in great numbers around every doorway ; and the gobble of the turkey and the quack of the duck were heard in the land. Nature contributed of her fruits. Wild grapes and plums were to be found in their sea- son, along the streams. The bread used at the frolics was baked generally on Johnny or Jour- ney cake boards, and is the best corn bread ever made. A board is made smooth, about two feet long and eight inches wide, the ends are generally rounded. The dough is spread out on this board, and placed leaning before the fire. One side is
baked, and then the dough is changed on the board, so the other side is presented in its turn, to the fire."
FIRST HOUSES.
The pioneer constructed his house from mate- rials at hand, laying large logs in position as sills, on which he put strong sleepers, and on them the rough-hewed puncheons for a floor. From the floor the logs were built up until the desired height was reached, when on the ends of the structure were placed poles, longer than the other end logs, and on them were placed the butting pole sleepers, and then the butting pole came next to give the line to the first row of clapboards. From this the gables were built up, being oftentimes kept in place by the weight of a heavy pole which was laid across the roof paralleling the ridge pole. The chinking and daubing with mud or coarse mortar followed.
INDIAN TRAILS.
During the early days the first roads were Indian trails which the settlers broadened by travel. They were used because they could be definitely followed, and usually were the short- est route between two points. Rough and at times scarcely discernible, they served their purpose, but as new settlements were formed, the pioneers opened up roads of their own.
CHANGES.
As time went on, pioneer conditions vanished. Schoolhouses and churches dotted the land. Bridges were built over streams that the pioneer had to ford, or cross by means of a rude ferry. Railroads laid their ties over the prairies and through the forests, and later the early roads were dragged and oiled to make speedways for the automobiles. Little settlements grew into towns and cities. Horse-mills gave way to those operated by steam. Candles were no longer made, kerosene, gas and electric lights coming into favor successively. The primitive fireplace also passed into the hasbeens, along with the hand flail, scythe and other farm implements of our forefathers. In fact, Christian County ad- vanced with the rest of the world. Its pioneers became early settlers, then old settlers, and then the late settlers, and their children and grand- children occupy the land they conquered for them.
J. m Boyd
Martha oyAl Granddaughters, Ruth + Loraine
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
CHAPTER VI.
COUNTY ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT.
COUNTY OF DANE-ADDITION TO ORIGINAL BOUN- DARIES-FIRST COMMISSIONERS-SELECTION OF COUNTY SEAT-CHANGE IN COUNTY NAME-FIRST ELECTION - TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION - COUNTY OFFICERS - COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' COURT - SHERIFFS-COUNTY CLERKS-COUNTY TREASUR- ERS-CIRCUIT CLERKS - COUNTY SURVEYORS - COUNTY CORONERS - COUNTY RECORDERS - MAS- TERS IN CHANCERY-BOARD OF REVIEW.
COUNTY OF DANE.
In 1839, while still in session at Vandalia, the legislature of Illinois created the new County of Dane, the boundaries of which were as follows:
"All that tract of country lying within the following boundaries, to-wit: Beginning where the third principal meridian crosses the north fork of the Sangamon River; thence down said
river to the line between sections nine and ten, in township fifteen (15), north of range three west; thence south to the southeast corner of section four in township fourteen north, range last aforesaid; thence west three miles by the surveys; thence south three miles by the sur- veys; thence south to the southern boundary of township eleven (11), range last aforesaid ; thence east with the surveys to the third princi- pal meridian ; thence north to the place of begin- ning, shall constitute the County of Dane."
"Approved February 15, 1839. Thos. Carlin, Governor."
ADDITION TO ORIGINAL BOUNDARIES.
From the above it can be easily seen that the boundaries as first given for the new county, did not include the sites of the present cities of Pana, Assumption and Prairieton, and the people of the new county were very much incensed that what they considered so important a part of the territory they desired to possess should have been left out. It had been expected that the county would extend six miles further, but the petition was ignored, and this east tier of town-
ships was left in Shelby County, Judge Fink, William B. Hall and Aaron Mckenzie, three very influential men, took the matter up, circu- lating petitions, obtaining signatures, and set- ting in motion the machinery necessary to secure this addition. Jesse Oliver, county clerk of Shelby County, issued proper certificates stating that the people of Shelby County were willing to have the townships in question added to the new county, and thereupon a law was enacted by means of which townships eleven, twelve and thirteen, and the south half of fourteen, north of range one, east of the third principal meri- dian, were added to the new county, giving it 80,640 more acres than was originally allotted by the original act.
FIRST COMMISSIONERS.
When the County of Dane was created, as was usual, the act provided for the appointment of a body of commissioners to select a proper county seat, and those chosen to form this body were Benjamin Mitchell of Tazewell County, John Henry of Morgan County and Newton Walker of Fulton County.
SELECTION OF COUNTY SEAT.
As soon as the board was selected, several locations were suggested, among them being Al- lenton, which was then one and one-half miles northeast of the present county seat, having been located on the David Hall farm; the town of Edinburg, about one and one-half miles north- west of Taylorville, on a part of what later be- came the farm of George W. Vollentine.
The commissioners met at Allenton on May 20, 1839, and after being sworn in by Squire Ketcham, proceeded to consider the matter of choosing the county seat. The merits of the places mentioned were carefully considered but neither seemed to meet all the requirements, and after due deliberation the commissioners decided upon the west half of the northeast quarter of section 27, township 13 north, range 2 west of the third principal meridian. The owner of the land thus selected was named M. Eastham, and he was placed under bond and security condi- tional for the conveyance of a public square of not less than two acres of said land to said county, on which to locate a courthouse, and for the payment of $3,000 in cash. The record of these transactions were filed in the office of C.
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R. Matheny, county clerk, May 24, 1839. The county seat thus selected has never been changed and subsequently was named Taylorville, in honor of Hon. John Taylor of Springfield, Ill., at a dinner held at the house of Daniel C. Goode, who had originally entered this land in 1835 but later sold it to Marvelous Eastham.
Taylorville was surveyed and platted by T. M. Neal, county surveyor of Sangamon County, and a company was formed by Dr. Richard F. Bar- rett, Hon. John Taylor, Marvelous Eastham and Robert Allen for the purpose of disposing of town lots. Criticism was passed upon the selec- tion of the termination of the name of the new county seat, it being claimed by those opposed to it that the "ville" would give a wrong im- pression to outsiders of the place, no matter how rapid might be its growth, but these opinions did not have sufficient weight to induce the proprie- tors to change the name, which still remains as first given it. While some resented the selection of the present site of Taylorville, feeling that either Allenton or Edinburg would have been better as the land about these two places was more generally settled, the commissioners were influenced by the fact that the place they se- lected was practically in the geographical center of the county, and in thus choosing, they put out of question any fight regarding the location of the county seat during subsequent years, such a fight as has almost disrupted some of the counties of Illinois. Some of the similar boards have in the past permitted themselves to be influenced by the claims of some certain section, and chosen a seat of government that was far removed from the center of the county in which it was located. As it has always been consid- ered that the county seat should be in the center of a county so as to make it equally easy for residents in all parts to reach it, there was always the danger when another than the cen- ter was chosen as a place of location, that fac- tional fights would arise, and in case of the central community winning, the county would be forced to go to the expense of moving its county buildings, or erecting new ones, and the dangers of transmitting their records from one point to another. All of this has very fortu- nately been avoided in Christian County, and for that and other reasons, the people of the county owe their commissioners of 1839 a debt of grat- itude.
CHANGE IN COUNTY NAME.
A very peculiar condition of affairs, perhaps not to be encountered in the history of any other county, existed in the new County of Dane, soon after its organization. It had been named Dane in honor of Nathan Dane, a member of Congress who had been largely instrumental in having passed that famous ordinance of his regarding the exclusion of slaves from the Northwest Ter- ritory, this act having been passed July 13, 1787. Owing to party dissensions at the time of the naming of the new county, the name of Dane was objected to, and mass meetings were held to take action regarding the changing of the name to something that would prove more satis- factory to the people. At one of these meetings held in the open prairie on the present site of the courthouse, Thomas P. Bond addressed the assembled people and suggested that the name Christian be adopted for that of Dane. His idea met with instant approval, especially as a num- ber of the settlers in the new county had come from Christian County, Ky. This change was legalized by act of legislature of February 1, 1840, this law having been passed mainly through the efforts of Hon. Thomas J. Nance, then representing the district in the legislature. This is the only county in the state whose name was changed after the county was created. However, for the year following, the records and proceedings of the county are entered under the name of Dane, with the exception of a record of the convening of the County Commissioners' Court on March 2, 1840, which is set down as being that of Christian County. Subsequently, however, the records are entered as the "County of Christian, alias Dane," and this is the only mention to be found in the records of the change. This is a remarkable fact, and the omission must be laid to carelessness on the part of those mak- ing the records, and not to the spirit of the peo- ple of the county, who were very alive to their best interests, and anxious to do everything to build up their new county.
FIRST ELECTION.
The first election for county officers was held the first Monday in April. 1839, the county being divided into three election precincts. The north- ern precinct had the voting place at Buckhart Grove; the center precinct had its voting place
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
at Allenton; while the southern precinct was at the house of John Z. Durbin. James Fletcher, George D. Pearson and John George were the judges for Buckhart Precinct, and the clerks were Samuel Virden and Gustavus A. Kilbourn. The Allenton Precinct judges were John Estes, Joshua Brents and Isaac Harris, and the clerks were Thomas S. Leachman and Jesse Murphy. In the Durbin Precinct Richard Simpson, Isaac Logston and Thomas Durbin were the judges, and William Durbin and Christ K. Durbin were the clerks. At this election the people voted for the County Commissioners' Court, a probate justice, sheriff, coroner, recorder and surveyor. The total number of votes polled at this election was 160, the population of the county then being 1,400.
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.
During the early sixties the more progressive members of Christian County began to agitate for township organization, and after much dis- cussion, the matter was submitted to the vote of the people. The first and second times the matter was brought up, the measure for town- ship organization was defeated, but at an elec- tion held November 7, 1865, the proposition to adopt township organization was carried, and A. G. Neel of Pana, Dial Davis of Mt. Auburn and J. H. Vandeveer of Taylorville were ap- pointed commissioners to divide the county. This committee reported at the March term of the County Commissioners' Court, 1866, that it had divided the county into the following seventeen townships : Assumption, Bear Creek, Buck- hart, Adams, Douglas, King, Locust, Mosquito, Mt. Auburn, Pana, Nevada, Ricks, Rosemond, Stonington, South Fork, Smith and Taylorville. At a special term of the court held in April, 1866, the name of Adams was changed to Prairieton ; the town of Smith to May; the town of Douglas to Johnson, and the town of Nevada to Greenwood. These seventeen town- ships constitute the County of Christian at the present time.
COUNTY OFFICERS.
The following men have been associated with the government of Christian County from its organization, in 1839, under the name of Dane, to the present date. The list does not contain the names of the supervisors, which are given at the close of the separate township histories.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' COURT.
Gavin Ralston, Peter Porter, Thomas P. Chap- mån, 1839; Peter Porter, Aquilla Council, Thomas P. Chapman, 1840; Overton Williams, Aquilla Council, E. S. Young, 1841; Overton Williams, Aquilla Council, E. S. Young, 1842 ; Jesse Elgan, Overton Williams, E. S. Young, 1843; Jesse Elgan, George Dickson, J. H. Bil- yeu, 1844; George Dickson, Jesse Elgan, Peter R. Ketcham, 1845; George Dickson, Jesse Elgan, Peter R. Ketcham, 1846; William A. Goodrich, Jesse Elgan, Peter R. Ketcham, 1847; Jesse Elgan, William S. Peabody, William A. Goodrich, 1848.
In 1849 the County Commissioners' Court was succeeded by County Court, which consisted of a county judge and two associate judges, whose names are given elsewhere in this work. This form of government lasted for seventeen years, when in 1866 the county was organized into townships, each of which was represented on the County Board of Supervisors. The old County Court, Andrew Simpson, County Judge, John White and David Henshie, associates, held its last meeting on March 10, 1866, after calling an election for one supervisor from each of the seventeen townships.
SHERIFFS.
The following have served Christian County as sheriffs since 1839: William S. Ricks, ap- pointed 1839; William S. Ricks, elected 1840; Amos Richardson, 1842; Henry Hardin, 1844 ; Gabriel R. Jernigan, 1845; Gabriel R. Jernigan, 1846; William L. Hammer, 1846; William L. Hammer, 1848; William A. Goodrich, 1850; William C. Brents, 1852; William A. Goodrich, 1854; John C. Goode, 1856, died; James C. Christian, 1857; Leander L. Clark, 1858; James C. Christian, 1860; C. A. Manners, 1862; John B. Ricks, 1864; John White, 1866; Josiah A. Hill, 1868; Henry Johnson, 1870; J. S. Mercer, 1872; Josiah A. Hill, 1874; Thomas G. May, 1876; A. L. Clark, died in office, 1878; W. C. HIaines, appointed 1880 and elected same year and re-elected in 1882; D. T. Michaels, 1886 ; H. W. Johnson, 1890; Ira Coburn, 1894; T. J. Downey, 1898; Thomas W. Brents, 1902; H. W. Johnson, 1906; Thomas W. Brents, 1910; E. N. Barnes, 1914, the present incumbent.
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY
COUNTY CLERKS.
The following men have served Christian County as county clerks. Ezekiel Young, ap- pointed 1839; Philip C. Ferguson, 1843; Daniel Miller, died in office, 1847; Thomas P. Bond, ap- pointed 1848; Thomas P. Bond, elected 1849; John Hunter, died in office, 1853; William A. Goodrich, appointed 1856 and elected 1857, 1861, 1865, 1869; William H. Kirkwood, 1873; Charles Whitmer, 1877, 1882, 1886, 1890, resigned ; John Perry, vice Whitmer, 1893; W. C. Haines, vice Perry 1893; S. C. Mull, 1894; C. A. Clark, 1898 ; Henry J. Burke, 1902; Henry J. Burke, 1906-10; John E. George, 1914, present incumbent.
COUNTY TREASURERS.
The following men have served Christian County as treasurers : Gabriel R. Jernigan, ap- pointed 1839; Gabriel R. Jernigan, elected 1810 ; Jesse Murphy, 1843-45-47; J. Richardson, 1849; Sanford Petty, 1851-53-55-57-59 ; Jones Suttle, 1861-63-65; Morgan Goode, died in office 1867; Thomas P. Bond, appointed 1868, elected in 1869; Samuel P. Mooney, 1871; Amos A. Rhodes, 1873-75-77; W. L. Jordan, 1879 ; James D. White, 1882; William H. Kirkwood, 1886; Thomas E. Butler, 1890; W. E. Peabody, 1894 ; W. E. Seaton, 1898; T. F. Russell. 1902; John E. George, 1906; Joseph Brockamp, 1910; J. J. Davis, 1914, the present incumbent.
CIRCUIT CLERKS.
The following men have served Christian County as circuit clerks: M. M. Vandeveer, ap- pointed 1839, resigned in 1842; David C. Goodan, appointed 1842; H. M. Vandeveer, elected in 1843, and served until 1848. Mr. Vandeveer served in the Mexican War through a part of this time. During his absence the office was taken care of by Daniel Miller, his trusted friend. W. S. Moore was elected in 1848, and was followed by W. S. Moore, 1852-56-60-64 : Jolın B. Ricks, 1868-72; Josiah A. Hill, 1876; N. Douglas Ricks, 1880; Amos A. Rhodes, 1884 ; J. R. Edmunds, 1888; W. B. Cashin, 1892; E. J. Rhodes, 1896-1900; D. F. McCarty, 1904; John A. Foil, 1908-12-16, the present incumbent.
COUNTY SURVEYORS.
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