Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Edgar County, Part 117

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell
Number of Pages: 876

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WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, a village of Cook County, on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific and the Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railways, 12 miles southwest of Chicago; has a graded school, female seminary, military school, a car factory, several churches and a newspaper. Annexed to City of Chicago, 1890.

WATAGA, a village of Knox County, on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, 8 miles northeast of Galesburg. Population (1900), 545.

WATERLOO, the county-seat and chief town of Monroe County, on the Illinois Division of the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, 24 miles east of south from St. Louis. The region is chiefly agricultural, but underlaid with coal. Its industries embrace two flour mills, a plow factory, distillery, cream- ery, two ice plants, and some minor concerns. The city has municipal water and electric light plants, four churches, a graded school and two newspapers. Pop. (1890), 1,860; (1900). 2,114.

WATERMAN, Arba Nelson, lawyer and jurist, was born at Greensboro, Orleans County, Vt., Feb. 3, 1836. After receiving an academic edu- cation and teaching for a time, he read law at Montpelier and, later, passed through the Albany Law School. In 1861 he was admitted to the bar, removed to Joliet, Ill., and opened an office. In 1862 he enlisted as a private in the One Hun- dredth Illinois Volunteers, serving with the Army of the Cumberland for two years, and being mustered out in August, 1864, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. On leaving the army, Colonel Waterman commenced practice in Chicago. In 1873-74 he represented the Eleventh Ward in the City Council. In 1887 he was elected to the bench of the Cook County Circuit Court, and was re-elected in 1891 and, again, in 1897. In 1890 he was assigned as one of the Judges of the Appellate Court.

WATSEKA, the county-seat of Iroquois County, situated on the Iroquois River, at the mouth of Sugar Creek, and at the intersection of the Chi- cago & Eastern Illinois and the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railroads, 77 miles south of Chicago, 46 miles north of Danville and 14 miles east of Gilman. It has flour-mills, brick and tile works and foundries, besides several churches, banks, a graded school and three weekly newspapers. Artesian well water is obtained by boring to the depth of 100 to 160 feet, and some forty flowing streams from these shafts are in the place. Popu- lation (1890), 2,017; (1900), 2,505.

WATTS, Amos, jurist, was born in St. Clair County, Ill., Oct. 25, 1821, but removed to Wash- ington County in boyhood, and was elected County Clerk in 1847, '49 and '53, and State's Attorney for the Second Judicial District in 1856 and '60; then became editor and proprietor of a news- paper, later resuming the practice of law, and, in 1873, was elected Circuit Judge, remaining in office until his death, at Nashville, Ill., Dec. 6, 1888.

WAUKEGAN, the county-seat and principal city of Lake County, situated on the shore of Lake Michigan and on the Chicago & North- western Railroad, about 36 miles north by west from Chicago, and 50 miles south of Milwaukee; is also the northern terminus of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad and connected by electric lines with Chicago and Fox Lake. Lake Michigan is about 80 miles wide opposite this point. Waukegan was first known as "Little Fort," from the remains of an old fort that stood on its site. The principal part of the city is built on a bluff, which rises abruptly to the height of about

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fifty feet. Between the bluff and the shore is a flat tract about 400 yards wide which is occupied by gardens, dwellings, warehouses and manu- factories. The manufactures include steel-wire, refined sugar, scales, agricultural implements, brass and iron products, sash, doors and blinds, leather, beer, etc .; the city has paved streets, gas and electric light plants, three banks, eight or ten churches, graded and high schools and two newspapers. A large trade in grain, lumber, coal and dairy products is carried on. Pop. (1890), 4,915; (1900), 9,426.

WAUKEGAN & SOUTHWESTERN RAIL- WAY. (See Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway.)

WAVERLY, a city in Morgan County, 18 miles southeast of Jacksonville, on the Jacksonville & St. Louis and the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Railroads. It was originally settled by enter- prising emigrants from New England, whose descendants constitute a large proportion of the population. It is the center of a rich agricultural region, has a fine graded school, six or seven churches, two banks, two newspapers and. tile works. Population (1880), 1,124; (1890), 1,337; (1900), 1,573.

WAYNE, (Gen.) Anthony, soldier, was born in Chester County, Pa., Jan. 1, 1745, of Anglo-Irish descent, graduated as a Surveyor, and first prac- ticed his profession in Nova Scotia. During tlie years immediately antecedent to the Revolution he was prominent in the colonial councils of his native State, to which he had returned in 1767, where he became a member of the "Committee of Safety." On June 3, 1776, he was commissioned Colonel of the Fourth Regiment of Pennsylvania troops in the Continental army, and, during the War of the Revolution, was conspicuous for his courage and ability as a leader. One of his most daring and successful achievements was the cap- ture of Stony Point, in 1779, when-the works having been carried and Wayne having received, what was supposed to be, his death-wound-he entered the fort, supported by his aids. For this service he was awarded a gold medal by Con- gress. He also took a conspicuous part in the investiture and capture of Yorktown. In October, 1783, he was brevetted Major-General. In 1784 he was elected to the Pennsylvania Legislature. A few years later he settled in Georgia, which State he represented in Congress for seven months, when his seat was declared vacant after contest. In April, 1792, he was confirmed as General-in-Chief of the United States Army, on nomination of President Washington. His con- nection with Illinois history began shortly after

St. Clair's defeat, when he led a force into Ohio (1783) and erected a stockade at Greenville, which he named Fort Recovery; his object being to subdue the hostile savage tribes. In this he was eminently successful and, on August 3, 1793, after a victorious campaign, negotiated the Treaty of Greenville, as broad in its provisions as it was far-reaching in its influence. He was a daring fighter, and although Washington called him "prudent," his dauntlessness earned for him the sobriquet of "Mad Anthony." In matters of dress he was punctilious, and, on this account, he was sometimes dubbed "Dandy Wayne." He was one of the few white officers whom all the Western Indian tribes at once feared and re- spected. They named him "Black Snake" and "Tornado." He died at Presque Isle near Erie, Dec. 15, 1796. Thirteen years afterward his remains were removed by one of his sons, and interred in Badnor churchyard, in his native county. The Pennsylvania Historical Society erected a marble monument over his grave, and appropriately dedicated it on July 4 of the same year.

WAYNE COUNTY, in the southeast quarter of the State; has an area of 720 square miles; was organized in 1819, and named for Gen. Anthony Wayne. The county is watered and drained by the Little Wabash and its branches, notably the Skillet Fork. At the first election held in the county, only fifteen votes were cast. Early life was exceedingly primitive, the first settlers pounding corn into meal with a wooden pestle, a hollowed stump being used as a mortar. The first mill erected (of the antique South Carolina pattern) charged 25 cents per bushel for grinding. Prairie and woodland make up the surface, and the soil is fertile. Railroad facilities are furnished by the Louisville, Evansville & St. Louis and the Baltimore & Ohio (Southwestern) Railroads. Corn, oats, tobacco, wheat, hay and wool are the chief agricultural products. Saw mills are numer- ous and there are also carriage and wagon facto- ries. Fairfield is the county-seat. Population (1880), 21,291; (1890), 23,806; (1900), 27,626.

WEAS, THE, a branch of the Miami tribe of Indians. They called themselves "We-wee- hahs," and were spoken of by the French as "Oui- at-a-nons" and "Oui-as." Other corruptions of the name were common among the British and American colonists. In 1718 they had a village at Chicago, but abandoned it through fear of their hostile neighbors, the Chippewas and Potta- watomies. The Weas were, at one time, brave and warlike; but their numbers were reduced by

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constant warfare and disease, and, in the end, debauchery enervated and demoralized them. They were removed west of the Mississippi and given a reservation in Miami County, Kan. This they ultimately sold, and, under the leadership of Baptiste Peoria, united with their few remain- ing brethren of the Miamis and with the remnant of the Ill-i-ni under the title of the "confederated tribes," and settled in Indian Territory. (See also Miamis; Piankeshaws.)

WEBB, Edwin B., early lawyer and politician, was born about 1802, came to the vicinity of Carmi, White County, Ill., about 1828 to 1830, and, still later, studied law at Transylvania Uni- versity. He held the office of Prosecuting Attorney of White County, and, in 1834, was elected to the lower branch of the General Assembly, serving, by successive re-elections, until 1842, and, in the Senate, from 1842 to '46. During his service in the House he was a col- league and political and personal friend of Abraham Lincoln. He opposed the internal improvement scheme of 1837, predicting many of the disasters which were actually realized a few years later. He was a candidate for Presi- dential Elector on the Whig ticket, in 1844 and '48, and, in 1852, received the nomination for Governor as the opponent of Joel A. Matteson, two years later, being an unsuccessful candidate for Justice of the Supreme Court in opposition to Judge W. B. Scates. While practicing law at Carmi, he was also a partner of his brother in the mercantile business. Died, Oct. 14, 1858, in the 56th year of his age.

WEBB, Henry Livingston, soldier and pioneer (an elder brother of James Watson Webb, a noted New York journalist), was born at Claverack, N. Y., Feb. 6, 1795; served as a soldier in the War of 1812, came to Southern Illinois in 1817, and became one of the founders of the town of America near the mouth of the Ohio; was Repre- sentative in the Fourth and Eleventh General Assemblies, a Major in the Black Hawk War and Captain of volunteers and, afterwards, Colonel of regulars, in the Mexican War. In 1860 he went to Texas and served, for a time, in a semi·mili- tary capacity under the Confederate Govern- ment; returned to Illinois in 1869, and died, at Makanda, Oct. 5, 1876.

WEBSTER, Fletcher, lawyer and soldier, was born at Portsmouth, N. H., July 23, 1813; gradu- ated at Harvard in 1833, and studied law with his father (Daniel Webster); in 1837, located at Peru, Ill., where he practiced three years. His father having been appointed Secretary of State

in 1841, the son became his private secretary, was also Secretary of Legation to Caleb Cushing (Minister to China) in 1843, a member of the Massachusetts Legislature in 1847, and Surveyor of the Port of Boston, 1850-61; the latter year becaine Colonel of the Twelfth Massachusetts Volunteers, and was killed in the second battle of Bull Run, August 30, 1862.

WEBSTER, Joseph Dana, civil engineer and soldier, was born at Old Hampton, N. H., August 25, 1811. He graduated from Dart- mouth College in 1832, and afterwards read law at Newburyport, Mass. His natural incli- nation was for engineering, and, after serv- ing for a time in the Engineer and War offices, at Washington, was made a United States civil engineer (1835) and, on July 7, 1838, entered the army as Second Lieutenant of Topographical Engineers. He served through the Mexican War, was made First Lieutenant in 1849, and promoted to a captaincy, in March, 1853. Thir- teen months later he resigned, removing to Chi- cago, where he made his permanent home, and soon after was identified, for a time, with the proprietorship of "The Chicago Tribune." He was President of the commission that perfected the Chicago sewerage system, and designed and executed the raising of the grade of a large por- tion of the city from two to eight feet, whole blocks of buildings being raised by jack screws, while new foundations were inserted. At the outbreak of the Civil War he tendered his serv- ices to the Government and superintended the erection of the fortifications at Cairo, Ill., and Paducah, Ky. On April 7, 1861, he was com- missioned Paymaster of Volunteers, with the rank of Major, and, in February, 1862, Colonel of the First Illinois Artillery. For several months he was chief of General Grant's staff, participat- ing in the capture of Forts Donelson and Henry, and in the battle of Shiloh, in the latter as Chief of Artillery. In October, 1862, the War Depart- ment detailed him to make a survey of the Illi- nois & Michigan Canal, and, the following montlı, he was commissioned Brigadier-General of Volunteers, serving as Military Governor of Mem- phis and Superintendent of military railroads. He was again chief of staff to General Grant during the Vicksburg campaign, and, from 1864 until the close of the war, occupied the same relation to General Sherman. He was brevetted Major-General of Volunteers, March 13, 1865, but, resigning Nov. 6, following, returned to Chicago, where he spent the remainder of his life. From 1869 to 1872 he was Assessor of Internal Revenue

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there, and, later, Assistant United States Treas- urer, and, in July, 1872, was appointed Collector of Internal Revenue. Died, at Chicago, March 12, 1876.

WELCH, William R., lawyer and jurist, was born in Jessamine County, Ky., Jan. 22, 1828, educated at Transylvania University, Lexington, graduating from the academic department in 1847, and, from the law school, in 1851. In 1864 he removed to Carlinville, Macoupin County, Ill., which place he made his permanent home. In 1877 he was elected to the bench of the Fifth Circuit, and re-elected in 1879 and '85. In 1884 he was assigned to the bench of the Appellate Court for the Second District. Died, Sept. 1, 1888.

WELDON, Lawrence, one of the Judges of the United States Court of Claims, Washington, D. C., was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, in 1829; while a child, removed with his parents to Madison County, and was educated in the com- mon schools, the local academy and at Wittenberg College, Springfield, in the same State; read law with Hon. R. A. Harrison, a prominent member of the Ohio bar, and was admitted to practice in 1854, meanwhile, in 1852-53, having served as a clerk in the office of the Secretary of State at Columbus. In 1854 he removed to Illinois, locat- ing at Clinton, DeWitt County, where he engaged in practice; in 1860 was elected a Representative in the Twenty-second General Assembly, was ' also chosen a Presidential Elector the same year, and assisted in the first election of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency. Early in 1861 he resigned his seat in the Legislature to accept the position of United States District Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, tendered him by President Lincoln, but resigned the latter office in 1866 and, the following year, removed to Bloomington, where he continued the practice of his profession until 1883, when he was appointed, by President Arthur, an Associate Justice of the United States Court of Claims at Washington- a position which he still (1899) continues to fill. Judge Weldon is among the remaining few who rode the circuit and practiced law with Mr. Lin- coln. From the time of coming to the State in 1854 to 1860, lie was one of Mr. Lincoln's most intimate traveling companions in the old Eighth Circuit, which extended from Sangamon County on the west to Vermilion on the east, and of which Judge David Davis, afterwards of the Supreme Court of the United States and United States Senator, was the presiding Justice. The Judge holds in his memory many pleasant remi-

niscences of that day, especially of the eastern portion of the District, where he was accustomed to meet the late Senator Voorhees, Senator Mc- Donald and other leading lawyers of Indiana, as well as the historic men whom he met at the State capital.

WELLS, Albert W., lawyer and legislator, was born at Woodstock, Conn., May 9, 1839, and enjoyed only such educational and other advan- tages as belonged to the average New England boy of that period. During his boyhood his family removed to New Jersey, where he attended an academy, later, graduating from Columbia College and Law School in New York City, and began practice with State Senator Robert Allen at Red Bank, N. J. During the Civil War he enlisted in a New Jersey regiment and took part in the battle of Gettysburg, resuming his profes- sion at the close of the war. Coming west in 1870, he settled in Quincy, Ill., where he con- tinued practice. In 1886 he was elected to the House of Representatives from Adams County, as a Democrat, and re-elected two years later. In 1890 he was advanced to the Senate, where, by re-election in 1894, he served continuously until his death in office, March 5, 1897. His abilities and long service-covering the sessions of the Thirty-fifth to the Fortieth General Assem- blies-placed him at the head of the Democratic side of the Senate during the latter part of his legislative career.

WELLS, William, soldier and victim of the Fort Dearborn massacre, was born in Kentucky, about 1770. When a boy of 12, he was captured by the Miami Indians, whose chief, Little Turtle, adopted him, giving him his daughter in mar- riage when he grew to manhood. He was highly. esteemed by the tribe as a warrior, and, in 1790, was present at the battle where Gen. Arthur St. Clair was defeated. He then realized that he was fighting against his own race, and informed his father-in-law that he intended to ally himself with the whites. Leaving the Miamis, he made his way to General Wayne, who made him Cap- tain of a company of scouts. After the treaty of Greenville (1795) he settled on a farm near Fort Wayne, where he was joined by his Indian wife. Here lie acted as Indian Agent and Justice of the Peace. In 1812 he learned of the contemplated evacuation of Fort Dearborn, and, at the head of thirty Miamis, he set out for the post, his inten- tion being to furnish a body-guard to the non- combatants on their proposed march to Fort Wayne. On August 13, he marched out of the fort with fifteen of his dusky warriors behind

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him, the remainder bringing up the rear. Before a mile and a half had been traveled, the party fell into an Indian ambuscade, and an indiscrimi- nate massacre followed. (See Fort Dearborn.) The Miamis fled, and Captain Wells' body was riddled with bullets, his head cut off and his heart taken out. He was an uncle of Mrs. Heald, wife of the commander of Fort Dearborn.

WELLS, William Harvey, educator, was born in Tolland, Conn., Feb. 27, 1812; lived on a farm until 17 years old, attending school irregularly, but made such progress that he became succes- sively a teacher in the Teachers' Seminary at Andover and Newburyport, and, finally, Principal of the State Normal School at Westfield, Mass. In 1856 he accepted the position of Superintend- ent of Public Schools for the city of Chicago, serving till 1864, when he resigned. He was an organizer of the Massachusetts State Teachers' Association, one of the first editors of "The Massachusetts Teacher" and prominently con- nected with various benevolent, educational and learned societies; was also author of several text- books, and assisted in the revision of "Webster's Unabridged Dictionary." Died, Jan. 21, 1885.

WENONA, city on the eastern border of Mar- shall County, 20 miles south of La Salle, has zinc works, public and parochial schools, a weekly paper, two banks, and five churches. A good quality of soft coal is mined here. Popu- lation (1880), 911; (1890), 1,053; (1900), 1,486.

WENTWORTH, John, early journalist and Congressman, was born at Sandwich, N. H., March 5, 1815, graduated from Dartmouth Col- lege in 1836, and came to Chicago the same year, where he became editor of "The Chicago Demo- crat," which had been established by John Cal- houn three years previous. He soon after became proprietor of "The Democrat," of which he con- tinued to be the publisher until it was merged into "The Chicago Tribune," July 24, 1864. He also studied law, and was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1841. He served in Congress as a Demo- crat from 1843 to 1851, and again from 1853 to 1855, but left the Democratic party on the repeal of the Missouri Compromise. He was elected Mayor of Chicago in 1857, and again in 1860, during his incumbency introducing a number of important municipal reforms; was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1862, and twice served on the Board of Education. He again represented Illinois in Congress as a Republican · from 1865 to 1867-making fourteen years of service in that body. In 1872 he joined in the Greeley movement, but later renewed his alle-

giance to the Republican party. In 1878 Mr. Went- worth published an elaborate genealogical work in three volumes, entitled "History of the Went- worth Family." A volume of "Congressional Reminiscences" and two by him on "Early Chi- cago," published in connection with the Fergus Historical Series, contain some valuable informa- tion on early local and national history. On account of his extraordinary height he received the sobriquet of "Long John," by which he was familiarly known throughout the State. Died, in Chicago, Oct. 16, 1888.

WEST, Edward M., merchant and banker, was born in Virginia, May 2, 1814; came with his father to Illinois in 1818; in 1829 became a clerk in the Recorder's office at Edwardsville, also served as deputy postmaster, and, in 1833, took a position in the United States Land Office there. Two years later he engaged in mercantile busi- ness, which he prosecuted over thirty years- meanwhile filling the office of County Treasurer, ex-officio Superintendent of Schools, and Delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1847. In 1867, in conjunction with W. R. Prickett, he established a bank at Edwardsville, with which he was con- nected until his death, Oct. 31, 1887. Mr. West officiated frequently as a "local preacher" of the Methodist Church, in which capacity he showed much ability as a public speaker.

WEST, Mary Allen, educator and philanthro- pist, was born at Galesburg, Ill., July 31, 1837; graduated at Knox Seminary in 1854 and taught until 1873, when she was elected County Super- intendent of Schools, serving nine years. She took an active and influential interest in educa- tional and reformatory movements, was for two years editor of "Our Home Monthly," in Phila- delphia, and also a contributor to other journals, besides being editor-in-chief of "The Union Sig- nal," Chicago, the organ of the Woman's Chris- tian Temperance Union-in which she held the position of President; was also President, in the latter days of her life, of the Illinois Woman's Press Association of Chicago, that city having become her home in 1885. In 1892, Miss West started on a tour of the world for the benefit of her health, but died at Tokio, Japan, Dec. 1, 1892.

WESTERN HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE, an institution for the treatment of the insane, located at Watertown, Rock Island County, in accordance with an act of the General Assembly, approved, May 22, 1895. The Thirty-ninth Gen- eral Assembly made an appropriation of $100,000 for the erection of fire-proof buildings, while Rock Island County donated a tract of 400 acres

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of land valued at $40,000. The site selected by the Commissioners, is a commanding one overlooking the Mississippi River, eight miles above Rock Island, and five and a half miles from Moline, and the buildings are of the most modern style of con- struction. Watertown is reached by two lines of railroad-the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy-besides the Mississippi River. The erection of buildings was begun in 1896, and they were opened for the reception of patients in 1898. They have a ca- pacity for 800 patients.

WESTERN MILITARY ACADEMY, an insti- tution located at Upper Alton, Madison County, incorporated in 1892; has a faculty of eight mem- bers and reports eighty pupils for 1897-98, with property valued at $70,000. The institution gives instruction in literary and scientific branches, besides preparatory and business courses.

WESTERN NORMAL COLLEGE, located at Bushnell, McDonough County; incorporated in 1888. It is co-educational, has a corps of twelve instructors and reported 500 pupils for 1897-98, 300 males and 200 females.

WESTERN SPRINGS, a village of Cook County, and residence suburb of the city of Chi- cago, on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Rail- road, 15 miles west of the initial station. Population (1890), 451; (1900), 662.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Edgar County, Part 117

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Number of Pages: 876

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell
Number of Pages: 876