Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Montgomery County, Volume II, Part 3

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897, ed. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913, ed. cn; Strange, Alexander T., ed
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 810

USA > Illinois > Montgomery County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Montgomery County, Volume II > Part 3

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"Robin Briggs, father of our late prominent citizen Stephen H. Briggs, during that year, built a small cabin and raised a crop in the southwest corner of the county. Later in the fall of the same year a small settlement was made on the Hurricane, and within two years more, another settlement was made between the middle and'west forks of Shoal Creek."

That the Hurricane settlement was the first important and permanent oue made in the county, seems to be unquestioned and that the Clear Springs settlement in the southwest por- ion of Hillsboro Township was the second one, is equally without doubt.

FIRST CHURCHES.

In 1819 or early in 1820 the "Hard Shell" or "Iron Jacket" Baptists under the direction of Rev. James Sears, erected a house of worship on the Hurricane; and later in 1820, or early in 1821, under the care of the Rev. James Street, another church of the same denomination was organized in the Clear Springs settlement. The organization was completed and the house built in 1822. Both these churches were under the pastorate of Rev. James Street, who preached the first sermon ever delivered within the bounds of the county.

These churches were small log structures, with puncheon floors, a large fire place with chimney built of sticks and clay mud, stone hearths, with the old fashioned iron dogs to support the wood which they burned, and supplied with shovel and tongs. Doors were made of clapboards, and there was one window near the old fashioned high pulpit. The seats were made of split logs, with legs inserted in large board holes on the rough side. This description of these churches will also answer as a description of the houses that the people built and lived in for many years before and after the county was organized. Special mention is made of these churches, not

merely because they were evidence of the spirit of worship that inspired our forefathers in the attempt to make homes in the wilds of the un- inhabited timber and prairies that constituted our soil, but for the reason that they were com- munity houses. Preaching by clergymen of the various denominations was permitted; schools were taught therein, and any kind of a com- munity gathering of a moral character, was held in these houses.

SELECTION OF HAMILTON.

The county was organized under a special act of the General Assembly in 1821. In that act a commission was created to lay out a county seat, and this commission selected a location two miles west of Hillsboro, and a little way north of Old Woodsboro, which they narued Hamilton. It was ou land then owned by Mr. D. B. Starr, the father of our venerable county surveyor D. M. Starr. The location was au un- popular one, and in 1823, another act of the General Assembly was procured and a second commission located the county seat at Hillsboro where it has since remained. No buildings were ever erected on the first site with the exception of a house which Mr. Hiram Rountree built as a residence, though logs were hauled to the ground with which to build a courthouse, but they were allowed to rot on the ground uuused.

SELECTION OF HILLSBORO.

Hillsboro was laid out on a tract of laud bought and donated for the purpose by Newton Coffey, and was named Hillsboro, after Hills- boro, N. C., by which name it has ever since been called.

FIRST COURTHOUSE.

In 1824 the first courthouse was built in Hills- boro, as described iu another portion of this chapter. It was used for church and school pur- poses, as well as for the ends of justice, and ser- mons were more often heard within its walls than the pleadings of the lawyer whose services were not largely in demand at that time. It is said that the first school in the county was taught in the vicinity of Clear Springs, though not in a school house. The first school taught in a public building was probably in the Clear Springs log church, though the courthouse was

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

more frequently used for the purpose of educa- tion than any other structure in its day.

JOHN TILLSON.

In 1818, or possibly a little earlier John Till- son came from Boston, Mass., to this county, and built a cabin on what has been known as the Sawyer farm some three miles southwest of Hillsboro, bringing with him two Boston friends. Milton Shurtliff and Joel Wright. Ile kept bachelor's hall here with his two friends from 1819 to 1821. David Killpatrick had built a house and was living near Woodsboro at that time, and Mr. Shurtliff growing tired of "bach- ing" married a daughter of Mr. Killpatrick. Mrs. Tillson, also about this time went East and brought back as his bride a lady who had been a Miss Christina Holmes, and she soon made a wild wood palace of his bachelor's den in the woods. John Tillson was a remarkable man. A successful land speculator, a promoter of educa- tion and religion, he was in every way a most useful man in the new county. His first son Charles H. Tillson, was born in their country cabin, but in 1823, after Hillsboro had been selected as the county seat, Mr. Tillson built a cabin in Hillsboro, on the lot now occupied by Mr. Charles A. Ramsey as a residence. IIe opened up a brick yard and made brick on the land now occupied by Mrs. Dicie Lane and her son Guy, by their commodious residence. Mr. Tillson was a most useful and progressive man. lle was the first merchant of Hillsboro; the first postmaster in the town; the first male member of the Presbyterian Church of Hillsboro. One of his sons, John, became U. S. collector at Quincy, Ill., and was a general in the U. S. Army. It was Mr. Tillson who induced Rev. J. M. Ellis to come to Hillsboro, who with Rev. Soloman Hardy, organized the Presbyterian Church. Mention of this church is the more important trom the fact that it became the nucleus from which the Presbyterian churches at Butler. Litchfield, and Waveland and the Congregational Church of Hillsboro, were or- ganized. Mr. Tillson was the main instrument in securing the building of the Hillsboro Acad- emv. contributing some $6,000, or about four- fifths of the money, besides a piano, and an out- fit of philosophical and mechanical instruments at his own expense. He also put into operation a stone burr mill on Shoal Creek, afterwards known as the Suiter Mill.

FIRST SUNDAY SCHOOL.

A Sunday school was organized, or rather put into operation by Rev. Jesse Townsend, in the house of Rev. James Street, in the Clear Springs settlement in 1821, which was the first Sunday school ever attempted in the county. This work, however, was not formally organized till in 1829, when Benjamin Seward, a relative of Hon. William H. Seward, as an agent of the American Sunday School Union, called the people of Hills- boro and vicinity together in the old log court- house during the summer, and with such men and women as the Tillsons, the Blockburgers, the Rutledges, the Stones, the Millers, the Sewards, and others, organized a Sunday school, the first formal one organized in the county. Francis Dickerson, a Presbyterian, was the first superintendent.

COMMISSIONERS.

Melchoir Fogelman, James Street and Joseph Wright were appointed as a commission to locate a county seat, which they did by selecting a location about three miles southwest of Hills- boro, naming it Hamilton. Mr. Wright, one of the commissioners, was opposed to the site se- lected, and he with other citizens organized such opposition to the site selected, that the Legisla- ture was induced to pass another act which was approved January 31, 1823, in which Elijah C. Berry, Silas Lee Wait, and Aaron Armstrong were appointed a commission to select another location, and they proceeded to locate Hillsboro, described as east half of the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter, of section 2 in town 8, north, of range 4 west of the third principal meridian. Newton Coffey, who had a little money, a scarce article at that time, purchased the land selected and deeded it to the county. After its selection, a greater part of it was laid off into town lots, and platted and thereupon Hillsboro was built.

COUNTY BOUNDARIES.

We have already stated that when Mont- gomery County was organized it included ser- eral townships that were afterward detached and made a part of Dane County, now Christian County. After this reduction of territory and the addition of Audubon Township in 1827, from Fayette County, our county assumed its present

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

shape, and includes ninetcen and a half con- gressional townships, nearly 500,000 acres of land, about all of which is cultivatable or now in cultivation. The county was established, as above stated in 1821, and the transformation period extended to 1839; during which time sev- eral acts of the Legislature were passed, affect- ing our boundaries. Fortunately we had able representatives and they have left to their memory a splendid heritage in the form of a magnificent county, though its boundaries are a little jagged.

FIRST PROBATE JUDGE.

Hon. Eleasor M. Townsend, was the first probate judge of this county. The second elected to this important office was Hon. Hiram Roun- tree. The term of office at that time was sixteen years, and Judge Rountree served two full terms, thirty-two years in all. The official record of Judge Rountree was a remarkable one, and pos- sibly not exceeded in length and amount of public service in the state. His official service extended over a period of forty-nine years, dur- ing which time he had filled the positions of judge of the probate court ; clerk of the probate court ; clerk of the circuit court ; county recorder and justice of the peace. For about twenty years he filled all of these positions at the same time, and it may be truly said of him that he had more to do officially with the mak- ing of the county, than any other man living. Besides all this, he did surveying, and other labor for the county and its citizens, and also served on a commission appointed by joint authority of Illinois and Wisconsin, to survey and establish the boundary line between Illi- nois and Wisconsin, though unjustly and un- fairly, we believe, the credit of this work is given wholly to another.

Under the early statutes of Illinois, many of the officers were appointed rather than elected, as they are now. Clerks were appointed by the courts ; county recorders were of court appoint- ment. The Governor appointed justices of the peace; and constables were appointed by the county commissioners court. Sheriff's were also collectors of taxes, and the judge of the county court was limited in his functions to probate matters. He did not handle criminal cases, justices of the peace then having greater juris- diction in criminal matters than probate judges.

FIRST COUNTY TREASURER.

John Tillson was the first county treasurer. He was also the first man to unite with and take an active interest in the Presbyterian Church of Hillsboro. Indeed the church owes more to him for financial aid and substantial connection, in its early history, than to any other man. Mr. Tillson, as before stated, was a man of great financial ability, merchandizing and dealing in lands, both in this county and elsewhere, but did not hesitate to use his means for the up- building of the educational and other enterprises of the community.

FIRST MILLS,

The first mills of the county were of the old stone burr type, and were frequently run by oxens, when water power could not be obtained. The first mill, we believe, was down on the Hurricane ; later John Kirkpatrick ran a horse- mill west of Hillsboro and a water-power one was put in operation by Melchoir Fogelman on Shoal Creek at the Pepper Mill. Another one a year or two later was built in the northern part of Hillsboro. Grinding by these mills was a slow process, and as the people had little cur- rency of any kind, the pay for grinding was by toll. As the people had frequently to go from ten to fifteen miles to get their grist ground, and as the miller always ground for them in the order of their arrival, late arrivals often had to stay over night, before getting their meal. Not infrequently when the settlers ran out of ground meal they resorted to the old hand grater for temporary supply. In connection with the running of a corn-mill, was the manufacture of a product, corn whiskey. One bushel of corn would make three gallons of pure whiskey, and as every family kept a supply on hand, for "medi- cal purposes," it was no small business in that day, though it was often more or less a secret or moonshine business. Its use, in that day, was almost universal, though for reasons of econ- omy and native good sense, the people scarcely ever imbibed to the point of intoxication as they do now, nor was the stuff poison to the user as it is today, with the adulterated product that is often sold under the name of whiskey, by boot- leggers and those who deliberately debauch the morals and defy the laws of the land. Today ethical ideals, as well as scientific demonstra-

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

tions, show and demand, for efficiency and honor, that we be abstainers.

FIRST SCHOOLS.

It is said that the first schools in this county, or rather before the county was organized, were during the winter of 1818-19, which so far as our information goes, were taught by Mrs. Jesse Townsend, and a Mr. Brazzelton, though dates seem somewhat to conflict. These schools were down in what was then the Street settlement, near where the old Clear Springs Church now stands. This was before the Indians had va- cated the county, and it is said that the Indian boys and squaws would come round the school- house during the noon hour, and sometimes play with the school children. Schoolhouses were then log structures, without glass windows, the light was from the open door, or opening between the logs where the chinks had purposely been left out, or possibly from the log heap which usually burned on the open hearth, and which as it was large enough to heat the room would afford much light. The seats were what were called puncheons, made by splitting logs into halves and putting legs into auger holes two inches in diameter bored into the bark side of the half log. There were no backs to these seats, and the student was relieved when given permission to go out and play awhile. Do the school children of today want to experience the pleasures of the old time schoolhouse? Hardly, and yet from these old log structures came many, yea, most of our great men and women of the past century.

EXTRACT FROM HISTORY BY HENRY PIATT.

The following is an extract from a History of Montgomery County written by Henry Piatt in 1873:

"Montgomery County was formed out of ter- ritory formerly belonging to Bond, by act of the Legislature approved February 12, 1821. By the act the boundaries were as follows :

"Beginning at the southeast corner of section 24, in township 7, north, and range 2, west of the third principal meridian; thence west eighteen miles to the southwest corner of section 19, in township 7, north, and range 4, west; thence south to the southeast corner of township 7, north, and range 5, west; thence west to the southwest corner of said township; thence north

to the northwest corner of township 12, north ; thence east twenty-four miles to the northeast corner of township 12, north, and range 2, west ; thence south to the beginning.

"Melcher Fogleman, James Street and Joseph Wright were appointed commissioners to locate the county seat, who should meet at the house of Joseph McAdams, Sr., this place is now owned by Berry Nail, but the house is gone, and deter- mine and designate the same, provided the pro- prietor of the land would give twenty acres for public buildings.

"They selected the place afterward laid out as Hamilton; that is, Melcher Fogelman who lived near what is now known as the 'Pepper Mill,' which was originally built by him, an over-shot water mill, and James Street who lived near by the place now owned by Mr. Crab- tree, and who established the first cotton gin and carding machine, near his place, selected and established Hamilton for the county seat.

"Joseph Wright, who lived on the Hurricane, disagreed by reason of Hamilton being neither the center of the county or of the population. Hamilton was laid out, lots sold, contracts made for courthouse, etc., but such dissatisfaction prevailed that no courthouse or other public building was ever erected, nor courts held there, nor was Hamilton ever considered the perma- nent county seat.

"By act of the Legislature approved January 30, 1823, Elijah C. Berry, Silas Lee Wait and Aaron Armstrong were appointed commissioners to re-locate the county seat, who should meet at the house of Luke Lee Steel and determine the matter with similar provisions about the owner of the land deeding twenty acres for the purpose of public buildings.

"These commissioners met at the house of Luke Lee Steel, now owned by Berry Nail, being the same place as the Joseph McAdams place, and is situated about three miles southwest of Hillsboro.

"They selected Hillsboro as the county seat, and on June 30, 1823, the deed to the land was made by Newton Coffey to the county, whereby Hillsboro has been the permanent county seat, though the courts were held first at the house of Joseph McAdams, and afterwards at the house of Luke Lee Steel, both being the same place in accordance with the' provisions of the two different acts of the Legislature, until a courthouse was built in Hillsboro.

"The boundaries of the county remained the

C. L. armentrout & Life

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

same until 1839 when by act approved February 15, 1839, to create the county of Dane, changed in 1840 to Christian County, all that portion of the country north of the southern line of the township 11 north and east of the middle range 4, west, was struck off to Dane, afterward named Christian County. By this our county has been left in its present awkward shape.

"Not a single individual connected with the selection of either county seat survives, though their descendents do: James Street lived on his farm, and raised a large family, of whom New- ton and John Street and Mrs. Milton Paden, all of our county, are still living, and one daughter, Mary, of Shelby. Joseph Wright has left six children who still live near his old homestead on the Hurricane, owned now by Thomas Har- vey ; the house is gone to wreck; it is on Jar- ret Wright's farm but it is too delapidated for use. Ewing Wright and Joseph Wright of Fayette ; Jarret Wright, Harris Wright, Elisha Wright and Elijah Wright, of California : Mel- cher Fogelman, who originally built what is now called the 'Pepper Mill,' died early, and Israel Fogelman, our ex-sheriff, John Fogelman and Joel M. Fogelman are his sons who, with Mrs. Mary Duff, are all who survive of his children, worthy descendents of a worthy sire. He was the first blacksmith on the west side of the county, and put up his shop on the Penter place, and made all the irons for his mill. He also dug out the stones near the Kirkpatrick place and made them himself for his mill, and which last for many years.

"Although we cannot say that the venerable Fogelman Mill is now standing, we will say that the old mill was originally sold to Rev. Daniel Scherer, who established or rather or- ganized the First Lutheran Church in the county from which the others emanated. He was the father of Mrs. Jacob Cresse and Mrs. William Clotfelter, and Mrs. Samuel Dorlaque, who alone of all his large family reside in our county. He was also the father of Rev. Jacob Scherer, long dead. and of three daughters who married distinguished Lutheran preachers : Mrs. Lingle, Mrs. Swartz and Mrs. Harkey, besides several other children, who if living do not re- side here. Mr. Scherer repaired and run the mill for some time and sold it to John Kirkpat- rick, son of Hugh Kirkpatrick, one of our earliest settlers, who (John) was for many years sheriff of the county, and closed his official ca- reer as representative to the Legislature. His

first wife was a daughter of Rev. James Street, Mrs. William Bowles. we think is the only one of his children now living in our county. His second wife, who survives him, was a daughter of Luke Lee Steel; now the wife of our worthy citizen E. R. Grubbs. The mill then fell into the hands, after a thorough renovation by Mr. Kirkpatrick, of John Barry, Esq., and by him run for some years, and sold to Walker Atkinson, who also ran it for some time. We believe it is now owned by Esquire William Woods, of But- ler, who established the town of Woodsboro, afterwards removed to Butler, perhaps its first citizens, and we believe that Esquire Woods also established the town of Witt, on the line of our railroad. The mill is still running, whether its identity is maintained or not. The old settlers called it Fogelman's Mill. There are many then boys tell of times they have taken their bags of corn or wheat across the back of their horse and rode on the bag to the Fogel- man Mill.

"Young ladies would walk five or six miles barefooted to church and carry their shoes, tied up in a handkerchief, until they would get near the place of the meeting, then brush and dust off their feet and put on their shoes. Such wom- en made the best wives, could stand more hard- ships, are not so expensive. The married men who had families, when they went to meeting would put the mother and babies on horseback or yoke up a pair of oxen and hitch to a cart.

"I have no recollection of but three persons now living of the first settlers, viz. : James Card, Femba Renfro and Sarah Hill, wife of our much esteemed John Hill, who left the shores of time some six or seven years ago. She is living with lier daughter and son-in-law, John W. Landers. The first school on the Hurricane was taught by a man by the name of Absalom Hatchett (the date not remembered). The school was taught on my father's premises. Cleveland S. Coffey, Benjamin Card, Calvin Card, and Ewing Wright were some of his pupils. Our first schoolhouse was built on Aaron Casey's land this side of Piatts Creek from Mr. Casey's residence. It was built of round logs, puncheon floor, clap- board roof, with a mud and stick chimney in each end of the house; a whole log on the side taken out to give light. The first school was taught in it by Henry Hill, who was often called bow-legged Henry, in order to distinguish him from others of the same name; he had the white swelling in one of his legs which caused it to

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY

be a little crooked. The old schoolhouse has been gone for many years, but the spot is visible where it stood. There are two mounds where each chimney stood. I often pass the place and call to mind many things that have passed and gone; there are a few, of my schoolmates living in the settlement ; some have moved off and a great many have left the shore of time."

HIRAM ROUNTREE.

A biographical encyclopedia of Montgomery County would be imperfect without a sketch of the history of Hon. Hiram Rountree, who was one of the pioneers of the county and who for a period of forty-nine consecutive years held office in the county, and for a number of years after its organization, nearly all of the offices of the county. He was present at the organiza- tion of the county in 1821 and for over fifty years was the leading and controlling spirit in the politics and policy of the people among whom he lived and acted. IIe was born in Rutherford County, N. C., December 22, 1794. When but a few months old his parents removed to Kentucky, in which state he grew to manhood and served as an ensign in the war of 1812. In 1817 lie removed to the territory of Illinois and during the following year he was married to Miss Nancy R. Wright. His first residence in Illinois was at Edwardsville, where for two years he taught the classics in the schools of that young city. For several years he was en- grossing and enrolling clerk of the house of rep- resentatives of the General Assembly of Illinois. In 1821, being appointed by act of the Legisla- ture one of the commissioners to organize the county of Montgomery, which was cut off from Bond, he removed to the new county, and was elected the first clerk of the county court; and on October 15, 1821, the first court was held in Montgomery County. It was conducted in the log cabin of Joseph McAdams, eighteen by twen- ty feet square. Judge John Reynolds was the presiding judge and the bench which he occupied was the McAdams bed, while Mr. Rountree kept the records on a table made of puncheons. The grand jury after being sworn retired to a log in the woods for deliberation. while the petit jury retired to the shade of a tree to make up their verdict. In the year following the court resolved to build a courthouse, of which the following is a description, as copied from the records in the handwriting of Mr. Rountree.

"To be built of hewn logs, twenty-four feet by twenty, the logs to face one foot on an aver- age; the house to be two stories high ; lower story to be eight fect, and second story to be six feet clear of the roof; to have two doors below, with one window above and one below ; to have plank floors, to be jointed and laid down rough; the roof to be shingled; the cracks to be closely clinked and then daubed with mud; doors to have good strong plank shutters; the windows to contain twelve lights or panes of glass eight by ten inches. All to be completed by the first of December next in a strong manner."

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Montgomery County, Volume II, Part 3

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897, ed. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913, ed. cn; Strange, Alexander T., ed Publication date: 1918 Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 810

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897, ed. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913, ed. cn; Strange, Alexander T., ed
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 810