Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Edgar County, Part 6

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

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ATKINSON, village of Henry County, on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway, 39 miles east of Rock Island; has an electric light plant, a bank and a newspaper. Pop. (1890), 534; (1900), 762.

ATLANTA, a city of Logan County, on the Chicago & Alton Railroad, 20 miles southwest of Bloomington. It stands on a high, fertile prairie

and the surrounding region is rich in coal, as. well as a productive agricultural and stock-rais- ing district. It has a water-works system, elec- tric light plant, five churches, a graded school, a weekly paper, two banks, a flouring mill, and is the headquarters of the Union Agricultural So- ciety established in-1860. Population (1900), 1,270.

ATLAS, a hamlet in the southwestern part of Pike County, 10 miles southwest of Pittsfield and three miles from Rockport, the nearest station on the Quincy & Louisiana Division of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. Atlas has an in- teresting history. It was settled by Col. William Ross and four brothers, who came here from Pittsfield, Mass., in the latter part of 1819, or early in 1820, making there the first settlement within the present limits of Pike County. The town was laid out by the Rosses in 1823, and the next year the county-seat was removed thither from Coles Grove -- now in Calhoun County-but which had been the first county-seat of Pike County, when it comprised all the territory lying north and west of the Illinois River to the Mis- sissippi River and the Wisconsin State line. Atlas remained the county-seat until 1833, when the seat of justice was removed to Pittsfield. During a part of that time it was one of the most important points in the western part of the State, and was, for a time, a rival of Quincy. It now has only a postoffice and general store. The population, according to the census of 1890, · was 52.

ATTORNEYS-GENERAL. The following is a list of the Attorneys-General of Illinois under the Territorial and State Governments, down to the present time (1899), with the date and duration of the term of each incumbent:

TERRITORIAL-Benjamin H. Doyle, July to De- cember, 1809; John J. Crittenden, Dec. 30 to April, 1810; Thomas T. Crittenden, April to October, 1810; Benj. M. Piatt, October, 1810-13; William Mears, 1813-18.

STATE-Daniel Pope Cook, March 5 to Dec. 14, 1819; William Mears, 1819-21; Samuel D. Lock- wood, 1821-23; James Turney, 1823-29; George Forquer, 1829-33; James Semple, 1833-34; Ninian W. Edwards, 1834-35; Jesse B. Thomas, Jr., 1835-36; Walter B. Scates, 1836-37; Usher F. Linder, 1837-38; George W. Olney, 1838-39; Wick- liffe Kitchell, 1839-40; Josiah Lamborn, 1840-43; James Allen McDougal, 1843-46; David B. Camp- bell, 1846-48.

The Constitution of 1848 made no provision for the continuance of the office, and for nineteen years it remained vacant. It was re-created,

HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.

however, by legislative enactment in 1867, and on Feb. 28 of that year Governor Oglesby appointed Robert G. Ingersoll, of Peoria, to dis- charge the duties of the position, which he con- tinued to do until 1869. Subsequent incumbents of the office have been: Washington Bushnell, 1869-73; James K. Edsall, 1873-81; James McCart- ney, 1881-85; George Hunt, 1885-93; M. T. Moloney, 1893-97; Edward C. Akin, 1897 -. Under the first Constitution (1818) the office of Attorney- General was filled by appointment by the Legisla- ture; under the Constitution of 1848, as already stated, it ceased to exist until created by act of the Legislature of 1867, but, in 1870, it was made a constitutional office to be filled by popular election for a term of four years.

ATWOOD, a village lying partly in Piatt and partly in Douglas County, on the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton R. R., 27 miles east of Deca- tur. The region is agricultural and fruit-grow- ing; the town has two banks, an excellent school and a newspaper. Pop. (1890), 530; (1900), 698.

ATWOOD, Charles B., architect, was born at Millbury, Mass., May 18, 1849; at 17 began a full course in architecture at Harvard Scientific School, and, after graduation, received prizes for public buildings at San Francisco, Hartford and a number of other cities, besides furnishing designs for some of the finest private residences in the country. He was associated with D. H. Burnham in preparing plans for the Columbian Fair of 1893, and distinguished himself by pro- ducing plans for the "Art Building," the "Peri- style," the "Terminal Station" and other prominent structures. Died, in the midst of his highest successes as an architect, at Chicago, Dec. 19, 1895.

AUBURN, a village of Sangamon County, on the Chicago & Alton Railroad, 15 miles south of Springfield; has some manufactories of flour and farm implements, besides tile and brick works, two coal mines, electric light plant, two banks, several churches, a graded school and a weekly newspaper. Pop. (1890), 874; (1900), 1,281.

AUDITORS OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS. The Auditors of Public Accounts under the Terri- torial Government were H. H. Maxwell, 1812-16; Daniel P. Cook, 1816-17; Robert Blackwell, (April to August), 1817; Elijah C. Berry, 1817-18. Under the Constitution of 1818 the Auditor of Public Accounts was made appointive by the legislature, without limitation of term; but by the Constitu- tions of 1848 and 1870 the office was made elective by the people for a term of four years.

The following is a list of the State Auditors from the date of the admission of the State into the Union down to the present time (1899), with the date and duration of the term of each: Elijah C. Berry, 1818-31; James T. B. Stapp, 1831-35; Levi Davis, 1835-41; James Shields, 1841-43; William Lee D. Ewing, 1843-46; Thomas H. Campbell, 1846-57; Jesse K. Dubois, 1857-64; Orlin H. Miner, 1864-69; Charles E. Lippincott, 1869-77; Thomas B. Needles, 1877-81; Charles P. Swigert, 1881-89; C. W. Pavey, 1889-93; David Gore, 1893-97; James S. Mccullough, 1897 -.

AUGUSTA, a village in Augusta township, Hancock County, on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, 36 miles northeast of Quincy. Wagons and brick are the principal manufac- tures. The town has one newspaper, two banks, three churches and a graded school. The sur rounding country is a fertile agricultural region and abounds in a good quality of bituminous coal. Fine qualities of potter's clay and mineral paint are obtained here. Population (1890), 1,077; (1900), 1,149.

AUGUSTANA COLLEGE, an educational insti- tution controlled by the Evangelical Lutheran denomination, located at Rock Island and founded in 1863. Besides preparatory and collegiate de- partments, a theological school is connected with the institution. To the two first named, young women are admitted on an equality with men. More than 500 students were reported in Exposition buildings, at Chicago, for the World's . attendance in 1896, about, one-fourth being women. A majority of the latter were in the preparatory (or academic) department. The col- lege is not endowed, but owns property (real and personal) to the value of $250,000. It has a library of 12,000 volumes.

AURORA, a city and important railroad cen- ter, Kane County, on Fox River, 39 miles south- west of Chicago; is location of principal shops of Chicago, Burlington & Quincy R. R., has fine water-power and many successful manufactories, including extensive boiler works, iron foundries, cotton and woolen mills, flour mills, silver-plat- ing works, corset, sash and door and carriage factories, stove and smelting works, establish- ments for turning out road-scrapers, buggy tops, and wood-working machinery. The city owns water-works and electric light plant; has six banks, four daily and several weekly papers, some twenty-five churches, excellent schools and handsome public library building; is connected by interurban electric lines with the principal towns and villages in the Fox River valley. Population (1890), 19,688; (1900), 24,147.

HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.

AUSTIN, a suburb of Chicago, in Cook County. It is accessible from that city by either the Chi- cago & Northwestern Railway, or by street railway lines. A weekly newspaper is issued, a graded school is supported (including a high school department) and there are numerous churches, representing the various religious denominations. Population (1880), 1,359; (1890), 4,031. Annexed to City of Chicago, 1899.

AUSTIN COLLEGE, a mixed school at Effing- ham, Ill., founded in 1890. It has eleven teachers and reports a total of 312 pupils for 1897-98-162 males and 150 females. It has a library of 2,000 volumes and reports property valued at $37,000.

AUSTRALIAN BALLOT, a form of ballot for popular elections, thus named because it was first brought into use in Australia. It was adopted by act of the Legislature of Illinois in 1891, and is applicable to the election of all public officers except Trustees of Schools, School Direct- ors, members of Boards of Education and officers of road districts in counties not under township organization. Under it, all ballots for the elec- tion of officers (except those just enumerated) are required to be printed and distributed to the election officers for use on the day of election, at public cost. These ballots contain the names, on the same sheet, of all candidates to be voted for at such election, such names having been formally certified previously to the Secretary of State (in the case of candidates for offices to be voted for by electors of the entire State or any district greater than a single county) or to the County Clerk (as to all others), by the presiding officer and secretary of the convention or caucus making such nominations, when the party repre- sented cast at least two per cent of the aggregate vote of the State or district at the preceding gen- eral election. Other names may be added to the ballot on the petition of a specified number of the legal voters under certain prescribed conditions named in the act. The duly registered voter, on presenting himself at the poll, is given a copy of the official ticket by one of the judges of election, upon which he proceeds to indicate his prefer- ence in a temporary booth or closet set apart for his use, by making a cross at the head of the col- umn of candidates for whom he wishes to vote, if he desires to vote for all of the candidates of the same party, or by a similar mark before the name of each individual for whom he wishes to vote, in case he desires to distribute his support among the candidates of different parties. The object of the law is to secure for the voter secrecy of the ballot, with independence and freedom from dic-

tation or interference by others in the exercise of his right of suffrage.

AVA, a town in Jackson County (incorporated as a city, 1901), on the Mobile & Ohio Railroad (Cairo & St. Louis Division), 75 miles south- southeast from St. Louis. It has two banks and two newspapers. Pop. (1890), 807; (1900), 984.

AVON, village of Fulton County, on C., B & Q. R. R., 20 miles south of Galesburg; has drain- pipe works, two factories for inanufacture of steam- and hot-water heaters, two banks and two newspapers; agricultural fair held here annu- ally. Population (1900), 809; (1904, est.), 1,000.

AYER, Benjamin F., lawyer, was born in Kingston, N. H., April 22, 1825, graduated at Dartmouth College in 1846, studied law at Dane Law School (Harvard University), was admitted to the bar and began practice at Manchester, N. H. After serving one term in the New Hamp- shire Legislature, and as Prosecuting Attorney for Hillsborough County, in 1857 he came to Chica- go, soon advancing to the front rank of lawyers then in practice there; became Corporation Counsel in 1861, and, two years later, drafted the revised city charter. After the close of his official career, he was a member for eight years of the law firm of Beckwith, Ayer & Kales, and afterwards of the firm of Ayer & Kales, until, retiring from general practice, Mr. Ayer became Solicitor of the Illinois Central Railroad, then a Director of the Company, and is at present its General Counsel and a potent factor in its management.

AYERS, Marshall Paul, banker, Jacksonville, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., July 27, 1823; came to Jacksonville, Ill., with his parents, in 1830, and was educated there, graduating from Illinois College, in 1843, as the classmate of Dr. Newton Bateman, afterwards President of Knox College at Galesburg, and Rev. Thomas K. Beecher, now of Elmira, N. Y. After leaving col- lege he became the partner of his father (David B. Ayers) as agent of Mr. John Grigg, of Philadel- phia, who was the owner of a large body of Illi- nois lands. His father dying in 1850, Mr. Ayers succeeded to the management of the business, about 75,000 acres of Mr. Grigg's unsold lands coming under his charge. In December, 1852, with the assistance of Messrs. Page & Bacon, bank- ers, of St. Louis, he opened the first bank in Jack- sonville, for the sale of exchange, but which finally grew into a bank of deposit and has been continued ever since, being recognized as one of the most solid institutions in Central Illinois. In 1870-71, aided by Philadelphia and New York capitalists, he built the "Illinois Farmers' Rail-

HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.

road" between Jacksonville and Waverly, after- wards extended to Virden and finally to Centralia and Mount Vernon. This was the nucleus of the Jacksonville Southeastern Railway, though Mr. Ayers has had no connection with it for several years. Other business enterprises with which he has been connected are the Jacksonville Gas Com- pany (now including an electric light and power plant), of which he has been President for forty years; the "Home Woolen Mills" (early wiped out by fire), sugar and paper-barrel manufacture, coal-mining, etc. About 1877 he purchased a body of 23,600 acres of land in Champaign County, known as "Broadlands," from John T. Alexander, an extensive cattle-dealer, who had become heavily involved during the years of financial revulsion. As a result of this transaction, Mr. Alexander's debts, which aggregated $1,000,000, were discharged within the next two years. Mr. Ayers has been an earnest Republican since the organization of that party and, during the war, rendered valuable service in assisting to raise funds for the support of the operations of the Christian Commission in the field. He has also been active in Sunday School, benevolent and educational work, having been, for twenty years, a Trustee of Illinois College, of which he has been an ardent friend. In 1846 he was married to Miss Laura Allen, daughter of Rev. John Allen, D. D., of Huntsville, Ala., and is the father of four sons and four daughters, all living.

BABCOCK, Amos C., was born at Penn Yan, N. Y., Jan.20, 1828, the son of a member of Con- gress from that State; at the age of 18, having lost his father by death, came West, and soon after engaged in mercantile business in partner- ship with a brother at Canton, Ill. In 1854 he was elected by a majority of one vote, as an Anti- Nebraska Whig, to the lower branch of the Nine- teenth General Assembly, and, in the following session, took part in the election of United States Senator which resulted in the choice of Lyman Trumbull. Although a personal and political friend of Mr. Lincoln, Mr. Babcock, as a matter of policy, cast his vote for his townsman, William Kellogg, afterwards Congressman from that dis- trict, until it was apparent that a concentration of the Anti-Nebraska vote on Trumbull was necessary to defeat the election of a Democrat. In 1862 he was appointed by President Lincoln the first Assessor of Internal Revenue for the Fourth District, and, in 1863, was commissioned by Governor Yates Colonel of the One Hundred and Third Illinois Volunteers, but soon resigned. Colonel Babcock served as Delegate-at-large in

the Republican National Convention of 1868, which nominated General Grant for the Presi- dency, and the same year was made Chairman of the Republican State Central Committee, also conducting the campaign two years later. He identified himself with the Greeley movement in 1872, but, in 1876, was again in line with his party and restored to his old position on the State Central Committee, serving until 1878. Among business enterprises with which he was con- nected was the extension, about 1854, of the Buda branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad from Yates City to Canton, and the erection of the State Capitol at Austin, Tex., which was undertaken, in conjunction with Abner Taylor and J. V. and C. B. Farwell, about 1881 and completed in 1888, for which the firm received over 3,000,000 acres of State lands in the "Pan Handle" portion of Texas. In 1889 Colonel Babcock took up his residence in Chicago, which continued to be his home until his death from apoplexy, Feb. 25, 1899.

BABCOCK, Andrew J., soldier, was born at Dorchester, Norfolk County, Mass., July 19, 1830; began life as a coppersmith at Lowell; in 1851 went to Concord, N. H., and, in 1856, removed to Springfield, Ill., where, in 1859, he joined a mili- tary company called the Springfield Greys, com- manded by Capt. (afterwards Gen.) John Cook, of which he was First Lieutenant. This company became the nucleus of Company I, Seventh Illi- nois Volunteers, which enlisted on Mr. Lincoln's first call for troops in April, 1861. Captain Cook having been elected Colonel, Babcock succeeded him as Captain, on the re-enlistment of the regi- ment in July following becoming Lieutenant- Colonel, and, in March, 1862, being promoted to the Colonelcy "for gallant and meritorious service rendered at Fort Donelson." A year later he was compelled to resign on account of impaired health. His home is at Springfield.

BACON, George E., lawyer and legislator, born at Madison, Ind., Feb. 4, 1851; was brought to Illinois by his parents at three years of age, and, in 1876, located at Paris, Edgar County; in 1879 was admitted to the bar and held various minor offices, including one term as State's Attorney. In 1886 he was elected as a Republican to the State Senate and re-elected four years later, but finally removed to Aurora, where he died, July 6, 1896. Mr. Bacon was a man of recognized ability, as shown by the fact that, after the death of Senator John A. Logan, he was selected by his colleagues of the Senate to pronounce the eulogy on the deceased statesman.

HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.

BAGBY, John C., jurist and Congressman, was born at Glasgow, Ky., Jan. 24, 1819. After pas- sing through the common schools of Barren County, Ky., he studied civil engineering at Baoon College, graduating in 1840. Later he read law and was admitted to the bar in 1845. In 1846 he commenced practice at Rushville, Ill., confining himself exclusively to professional work until nominated and elected to Congress in 1874, by the Democrats of the (old) Tenth District. In 1885 he was elected to the Circuit Bench for the Sixth Circuit. Died, April 4, 1896.

BAILEY, Joseph Mead, legislator and jurist, was born at Middlebury, Wyoming County, N. Y., June 22, 1833, graduated from Rochester (N. Y.) University in 1854, and was admitted to the bar in that city in 1855. In August, 1856, he removed to Freeport, Ill., where he soon built up a profitable practice. In 1866 he was elected a Representative in the Twenty-fifth General Assembly, being re-elected in 1868. Here he was especially prominent in securing restrictive legis- lation concerning railroads. In 1876 he was chosen a Presidential Elector for his district on the Republican ticket. In 1877 he was elected a Judge of the Thirteenth judicial district, and re-elected in 1879 and in 1885. In January, 1878, and again in June, 1879, he was assigned to the bench of the Appellate Court, being presiding Justice from June, 1879, to June, 1880, and from June, 1881, to June, 1882. In 1879 he received the degree of LL.D. from the Universities of Rochester and Chicago. In 1888 he was elected to the bench of the Supreme Court. Died in office, Oct. 16, 1895.

BAILHACHE, John, pioneer journalist, was born in the Island of Jersey, May 8, 1787; after gaining the rudiments of an education in his mother tongue (the French), he acquired a knowl- edge of English and some proficiency in Greek and Latin in an academy near his paternal home, when he spent five years as a printer's apprentice. In 1810 he came to the United States, first locat- ing at Cambridge, Ohio, but, in 1812, purchased a half interest in "The Fredonian" at Chillicothe (then the State Capital), soon after becoming sole owner. In 1815 he purchased "The Scioto Ga- zette" and consolidated the two papers under the name of "The Scioto Gazette and Fredonian Chronicle." Here he remained until 1828, mean- time engaging temporarily in the banking busi- ness, also serving one term in the Legislature (1820), and being elected Associate Justice of the Court of Common Pleas for Ross County. In 1828 he removed to Columbus, assuming charge

of "The Ohio State Journal," served one term as Mayor of the city, and for three consecutive years was State Printer. Selling out "The Jour- nal" in 1836, he camne west, the next year becom- ing part owner, and finally sole proprietor, of "The Telegraph" at Alton, Ill., which he conducted alone or in association with various partners until 1854, when he retired, giving his attention to the book and job branch of the business. He served as Representative from Madison County in the Thir- teenth General Assembly (1842-44). As a man and a journalist Judge Bailhache commanded the highest respect, and did much to elevate the. standard of journalism in Illinois, "The Tele- graph," during the period of his connection with it, being one of the leading papers of the State. His death occurred at Alton, Sept. 3, 1857, as the result of injuries received the day previous, by being thrown from a carriage in which he was riding .- Maj. William Henry (Bailhache), son of the preceding, was born at Chillicothe, Ohio, August 14, 1826, removed with his father to Alton, Ill., in 1836, was educated at Shurtleff College, and learned the printing trade in the office of "The Telegraph," under the direction of his father, afterwards being associated with the business department. In 1855, in partnership with Edward L. Baker, he became one of the proprietors and business manager of "The State Journal" at Springfield. During the Civil War he received from President Lincoln the appoint- ment of Captain' and Assistant Quartermaster, serving to its close and receiving the brevet rank of Major. After the war he returned to journal- ism and was associated at different times with "The State Journal" and "The Quincy Whig," as business manager of each, but retired in 1873; in 1881 was appointed by President Arthur, Receiver of Public Moneys at Santa Fe., N. M., remaining four years. He is now (1899) a resi- dent of San Diego, Cal., where he has been engaged in newspaper work, and, under the administration of President Mckinley, lias been a Special Agent of the Treasury Department .- Preston Heath (Bailhache), another son, was born in Columbus, Ohio, Feb. 21, 1835, served as a Surgeon during the Civil War, later became a Surgeon in the regular army and has held posi- tions in marine hospitals at Baltimore, Washing- ton and New York, and has visited Europe in the interest of sanitary and hospital service. At present (1899) he occupies a prominent position at the headquarters of the United States Marine Hospital Service in Washington .- Arthur Lee (Bailhache), a third son, born at Alton, Ill., April

HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.

12, 1839; at the beginning of the Civil War was employed in the State commissary service at Camp Yates and Cairo, became Adjutant of the Thirty-eighth Illinois Volunteers, and died at Pilot Knob, Mo., Jan. 9, 1862, as the result of disease and exposure in the service.

BAKER, David Jewett, lawyer and United States Senator, was born at East Haddam, Conn., Sept. 7, 1792. His family removed to New York in 1800, where he worked on a farm during boy- hood, but graduated from Hamilton College in 1816, and three years later was admitted to the bar. In 1819 he came to Illinois and began prac- tice at Kaskaskia, where he attained prominence in his profession and was made Probate Judge of Randolph County. His opposition to the intro- duction of slavery into the State was so aggres- sive that his life was frequently threatened. In 1830 Governor Edwards appointed him United States Senator, to fill the unexpired term of Senator McLean, but he served only one month when he was succeeded by John M. Robinson, who was elected by the Legislature. He was United States District Attorney from 1833 to 1841

(the State then constituting but one district), and thereafter resumed private

practice. Died at Alton, August 6, 1869. -Henry Southard (Baker), son of the pre- ceding, was born at Kaskaskia, Ill., Nov. 10, 1824, received his preparatory education at Shurt- leff College, Upper Alton, and, in 1843, entered Brown University, R. I., graduating therefrom in 1847; was admitted to the bar in 1849, begin- ning practice at Alton, the home of his father, Hon. David J. Baker. In 1854 he was elected as an Anti-Nebraska candidate to the lower branch of the Nineteenth General Assembly, and, at the subsequent session of the General Assembly, was one of the five Anti-Nebraska members whose uncompromising fidelity to Hon. Lyman Trum- bull resulted in the election of the latter to the United States Senate for the first time-the others being his colleague, Dr. George T. Allen of the House, and Hon. John M. Palmer, afterwards United States Senator, Burton C. Cook and Nor- man B. Judd in the Senate. He served as one of the Secretaries of the Republican State Convention held at Bloomington in May, 1856, was a Repub- lican Presidential Elector in 1864, and, in 1865, became Judge of the Alton City Court, serving until 1881. In 1876 he presided over the Repub- lican State Convention, served as delegate to the Republican National Convention of the same year and was an unsuccessful candidate for Congress in opposition to William R. Morrison.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Edgar County, Part 6

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