USA > Illinois > Montgomery County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Montgomery County, Volume II > Part 57
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"Harold C. Kessinger was raised in a news- paper office. IIe served as cashier for the last Daily Monitor, which was started in May, 1902, a few weeks prior to the consolidation of that paper with the Daily News. He also was a car- rier for the Daily News, and afterwards local editor. On June 19, 1909, he became editor and manager of the Illinois Free Press and held that position until his permanent location in Aurora, Ill., when S. W. Kessinger again assumed editor- ial control on February 1, 1912.
"The last newspaper to enter the field in Litch- field was the Litchfield Daily Union, making its bow to the public on November 4, 1913. C. O. Richards, an old-time printer and one who has been frequently mentioned in this series is fore- man, and John J. Murray, who entered the pro- fession when the sheriff had the News and Moni- tor, as city editor of those publications, is editor. The News-Herald claims to be independent."
POST OFFICE.
The following is written by S. W. Kessinger : "The original town of Litchfield was platted in the fall of 1853. By the summer of 1854 quite a village had sprung up and John P. Bayless, one of the first settlers, had been appointed post- master, and served in that capacity until early in the first Lincoln administration. John M. Palmer had become famous as a lawyer, and was intimately acquainted with President Lincoln
WILLIAM ORPIN
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MRS. WILLIAM ORPIN
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
and through his influence, his father, L. D. Pal- mer succeeded Mr. Bayless, although Benjamin S. Hood a young schoolteacher, educated in the East, desired the appointment. Mr. Palmer served through the Lincoln and Johnson admin- . istrations. The post office was first located at what is now Nos. 200 and 202 North State Street. Mr. Palmer afterwards moved the post office into the store of Palmer & Mayo known as the "Long light building" and was assisted by Charles Davis, who afterwards became the first postmaster at Raymond. When General Grant became President, there was another scramble for appointment as postmaster. B. S. Hood again sought the position, but was outgeneraled by Joseph Blackwell. The post office was moved during Blackwell's incumbency to the room now occupied by the O. P. C. H. store. The late Thomas Cox was assistant. During the Hayes administration there came another scramble for the office. B. S. Hood, who had served as city clerk, and who had published a Republican paper in a Democrat stronghold for years, again sought the position, and could well be pardoned for believing he had a chance. Mr. Cox, who had been an able assistant to Mr. Blackwell, had a strong following, but William Campbell, a com- parative stranger, landed the plum. The late Major McWilliams related to the writer how Campbell landed the prize. There was to be an old soldiers and sailors reunion at Carlinville. United States Senator John A. Logan was to be present and make the address of the day. It was learned that he would arrive in Carlinville the night before the reunion, and would be en- tertained by the late Dr. John Logan, a cousin. Major MeWilliams put Campbell and a couple of friends in a surrey and left at midnight for Carlinville. The following morning they went to the home of Doctor Logan at an early hour, and were ushered into the parlor to await the Senator, who was not yet ready to receive com- pany. When the Senator came downstairs and had exchanged greetings with Major McWil- liams, and had met the other members of the party the Major said : 'Senator Campbell is an old soldier, and bears the scars of battle. Camp- bell show the Senator that leg.' Campbell had been badly wounded below the knee, and when Senator Logan was shown he said : 'Go on home, Campbell, the appointment is yours.' The post office was then moved to the Hood building on West Kirkam Street, in the room now occu- pied by Dr. June Sallee.
"Along about 1SS3, Frank Schutt came here from Paris, this state and became editor of the Litchfield Advocate. He was in the thick of the campaign which resulted in the election of Grover Cleveland over the 'Plumed Knight,' James G. Blaine. There was another Democrat in Litchfield who long had entertained hopes of being postmaster. It was the late Julius C. Machler, a power in Democratic political circles in his day. But Schutt's bass violin had the longer bow. He had long been acquainted with John R. Eden, Congressman from this district, and had friends who knew the Congressman. The result was that Schutt, the first and only newspaper man, received the appointment. He moved the office back to the room on State Street where it remained until the Opera House was completed in the early fall of 1SSS, when it was moved to that structure.
"The Campaign of 1SSS resulted in the election of Benjamin Harrison to the presidency, and the immediate clamor on the part of Republicans for a change of postmasters. John T. Ross and Edwin C. Thorp sought the position, and the former was successful. In those days the office only paid a salary of $1,700 out of which the postmaster had to pay deputy hire and office expenses. . Mr. Ross tired of the job in a short while. and informed Mr. Thorp of his intention of resigning. Mr. Thorp was appointed and served along until the second administration of Grover Cleveland. Julius C. Machler again sought the office, but Charles R. Brandon had friends who knew where and how to apply the pressure, and he was escorted to the pie counter. He served until well along in the Mckinley ad- ministration, when he resigned for the same reason given by Mr. Ross, and William C. Thorp. who had been deputy under his father Edwin Thorpe, was appointed and served until July. 1912. Mr. Thorp could afford to take the job at the price, and was lucky in so doing, for a little later things began to happen in Litchfield. The receipts of the office grew until Litchfield was given free city delivery, and the expenses of the office were not only defrayed by the department, but the salary of the postmaster grew to a tidy sum. These things happened June 1, 1902, and two years later another thing happened which resulted in great benefit to the city. Zeno J. Rives was elected to Congress, and being in touch with the dominant party. who were able to do things, secured an appropriation for a post office site in Litchfield. The site was pur-
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
chased, and Congressman Benjamin F. Caldwell, who succeeded Mr. Rives, had no trouble in se- curing an appropriation for the handsome post office building in this city. Mr. Thorp's term of office expired in 1912, after having served longer than any other postmaster in Litchfield ever served, and the selection of Mr. Rives as post- master formed the logical conclusion of a story true to life."
Mr. Rives was superseded in a short time by Hugh Hall, who succeeded in securing the recommendation of Senator Lewis.
MODERN LITCHFIELD.
Litchfield as it is today is treated of in the following article by S. W. Kessinger :
"There must be a dividing line between the old and the new, although it is probably as diffi- cult to locate as the imaginary line which sep- arates good from evil. It must, of necessity, be arbitrarily fixed ; therefore I will establish it at the time when the first modern steam mill was erected in Litchfield. Best & Sparks were, for a number of years, millers at Staunton, that village, now city, having been one of the early settlements in this part of the state, and located fourteen miles southwest of the present City of Litchfield. Staunton was nothing more nor less than a cross- roads settlement. The St. Louis, Alton & Terre Haute Railroad, now the Big Four, had been built through the present site of Litchfield, and a town had sprung up. Consequently they dis- posed of their mill at that place, and came to Litchfield in 1863, and began the erection of the largest and most complete steam mill along the entire line of the railroad. The mill had a daily capacity of 125 barrels. A large pond was ex- cavated, and proved to be sufficient for the needs of the institution. The mill was opened for business for the wheat crop of 1864, and the first load of wheat was purchased at $2.00 a bushel. Mrs. Frank R. Milnor, of Litchfield, a daughter of the late Capt. D. R. Sparks, junior member of the firm of Best & Sparks, relates that Isaac S. Sturges, residing twelve miles south of Litch- field, in June, 1864, had his wheat headed, and threshed, hauled it to the Best & Sparks mill where it was ground into flour, and biscuits made by her mother were served for supper on the evening of the same day. . The capacity of this mill was afterwards doubled. It was destroyed by fire in 1879. Messrs. Best & Sparks became interested in a mill at Alton, and decided not
to rebuild their mill at Litchfield. Captain Sparks moved to Alton and spent the remainder of his days in that city. The Sparks Milling Company at Alton with mills having a capacity of 2,000 barrels of flour daily are the result of his labors. Wesley Best remained at Alton for a short time and moved to Kansas where he died a few years ago.
"Following the destruction of the Best & Sparks mill. D. L. Wing came here from Springfield, Mass., and acquiring the Best & Sparks holdings, proceeded to erect on a site a few blocks south of the old mill, an up-to-date mill of 600 barrels daily capacity which began operations in the fall of 1881. In the spring of 1883, the burrs were discarded and the 'new process' or roller system adopted. At the same time the mill was enlarged to 2,000 barrels daily capacity, and it was claimed at that time that it was the largest and best equipped exclusive steam-mill in the world. It was known as the Planet Mill. Before the new addition was completed Mr. Wing pro- moted the St. Louis and Chicago Railway, which was surveyed from Litchfield to Springfield. The outgoing city council was favorable to the project, and had granted a franchise on Adams Street from the old Best & Sparks mill site to the northern city limits, a distance of one mile. The city election came on, and candidates for aldermen appeared who denounced the giving away of a city street. The reformers won in the election on the first Tuesday in April, 1883; the new council would take the oath of office the following Thursday evening. Something had to be done, and that something had to be done within thirty-six hours after the result of the election had been determined. Mr. Wing had not been asleep ; he had several carloads of rails, ties, spikes, and all other necessary equipment located on the 'Y' leading from the Wabash to the present Big Four Railroad. On Wednesday morning he had a force of men at work building one mile of railroad against time. By recess time in the afternoon, the track had reached the Third ward school building, about one-third of the required distance. School boys were offered jobs at $1.75 for the night to hold forches and lanterns for the workmen. I was one of the kids who bore a torch that night. By noon on Thurs- day the rails projected across the road marking the northern limits of the city. The new coun- cil met and organized that night, but they were too late to put their scheme of reform into practicc. The road bed was graded several miles
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
north of Litchfield that season when some hitch in the bond negotiations caused a suspension. The work was not resumed until midsummer 1886. The road was finally completed in time to open traffic in May, 1SS7. Like most new rail- roads, it had its troubles, and finally drifted into the possession of the Illinois Central, and today forms a part of one of the four trunk lines which make Litchfield famous as a railroad center.
"The Planet Mill, when Mr. Wing's railroad troubles began, passed into the hands of the Kehlor Brothers Milling Company, of St. Louis, and prospered for several years. An elevator with a storage capacity of 500,000 bushels was built, and equipped with modern machinery. On the morning of March 21, 1893, a fire alarm was sounded, and four hours later the Planet Mill, the pride of Litchfield, was a mass of smoulder- ing ruins. Not only that, but a score of resi- dences in the immediate vicinity were either partially or completely wrecked by the force of an explosion which occurred within a few minutes after the mill was discovered to be in flames. Windows were broken a mile away from the scene, and the fire was visible in all sur- rounding towns for a distance of thirty miles. The mill has not been rebuilt. The Planet Mill disaster was not the only calamity to overtake the city in 1893. During the same eventful epoch, foreign capital secured control of the car works, and shortly afterwards moved the plant to Memphis.
"The St. Louis, Alton & Terre Haute repair shops were moved to Mattoon in 1871, and it appeared as if the beginning of the end for Litchfield was at hand. But the first citizens were men of action. D. O. Settlemire, Tilman Shore, David Davis, H. H. Beach, D. C. Amsden, M. M. Martin, George M. Pomroy, Delos Van Deusen, and others whose names I cannot recall, leased the empty buildings, and organized the Litchfield Car Manufacturing Company. Again Litchfield flourished. In 1871 the Decatur & St. Louis Railroad, now a part of the Wabash Sys- tem, was completed. Ten years later the Jack- sonville & Southeastern was extended through Litchfield, and on to Centralia. It is now a part of the Burlington system, one of Litchfield's trunk lines. The year 1874 witnessed the com- pletion of the water works system. By 1890, the main sewer had been constructed, which with additional mains and branches, forms the sewer- age system of the present time. The year 1895 brought the line of the Illinois Traction System which gives Litchfield rapid communication with
Hillsboro to the east, and with all points north and south via its connection with the main line at Staunton.
"The town, notwithstanding its remarkable railway facilities, languished for a time. The Litchfield Foundry & Machine Company's shops, which had been a part of the car works, was the chief industry. But in 1904 a change came. Enterprising citizens, aided by willing constit- uents, succeeded in securing the location of a factory of the American Radiator Company which began operations in February of the fol- , lowing year. The plant employs 400 workmen, and at present is working to its full capacity.
"The latest triumph has been the location of a plant of the Brown Shoe Company, of St. Louis, which is now in the course of construction. It will employ from 400 to 500 hands. Other enter- prises are in sight, not the least of which is the Wangler Boiler Works, also of St. Louis. Thirty years ago Litchfield was a typical country town. Its business houses, its merchants, its news- papers, churches and schools breathed and spoke . the language of rural simplicity. Times have changed, and Litchfield, while yet a small country city, has kept pace with them. Our churches have been built anew : our stores have cast aside their swaddling clothes, and compare favorably with those of many larger cities ; our schools are among the best in the state, and our newspapers have thrown their old hand presses in the junk heap, and are now printed upon the most approved modern power presses. daily.
"In conclusion, Litchfield is a railroad center excelled by few cities in the state, having the Big Four, Wabash, Illinois Central and Burling- ton steam railroads, and the Illinois Traction System, electric. It has a splendid sewerage system, miles of paved streets, and business houses which will compare favorably with those cities in the state which are many times larger in population. Its water supply is sufficient for present needs, but the time is rapidly approach- ing when improvements must be made along that line. Our labor is well employed, and as the city grows and develops the men of the hour will appear to guide it on its way to greatness and success." -
EARLY SCHOOLS AT LITCHFIELD.
The following interesting article on the early schools of Litchfield is written by S. W. Kes- singer :
"The semi-centennial of the public schools of
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Litchfield is now under consideration. The question arises 'Where shall we begin?' If with the first 'Free' school, the time has long since passed; if with the last school building erected in Litchfield, the time has scarcely arrived. It is a well known and undisputed fact that the first school building was erected on the site of the present Third Ward, or 'Ida J. Russell' school, in 1857, at a cost of $35,000.00, and that the first class was graduated in 1871, and consisted of three members, as follows: Agnes George, de- ceased; Ida J. Russell, who is yet a member of the faculty of the Litchfield IIigh School, and Lizzie Bergen, who became Mrs. De Hahn, 624 Pennsylvania Avenue, East St. Louis, is now deceased.
"The first 'new citizens' of Litchfield were as follows: R. W. O'Bannon, T. W. Elliott, Henry W. Appleton, James W. Jefferes, John P. Bayless, and W. S. Palmer, all of whom came here in the fall of 1854 from Ridgely Prairie, Madison County, this state. Mr. S. E. O'Bannon, a son of R. W. O'Bannon, relates that he attended the Crabtree school, located just south of the old Stratton farm, now better known as the Logsdon farm. in South Litchfield Township, during the winter of 1854-1855. The late Lusk Wilson was the teacher. The following year Mr. Wilson taught a 'country' school in the old Lutheran Church, which at that time stood on the prem- ises where Mr. Fred Schalk now resides, on North State Street. Mr. O'Bannon was again one of his pupils. There were several private schools in the then village of Litchfield, how many I have been unable to learn. I do know that Henry A. Coolidge, who came here from Cazenovia, N. Y., early in 1858, and who launched Litchfield's first newspaper, the Litchfield Jour- nal, soon found it impossible to make ends meet in that business. He was a man of splendid educational attainments, and opened a private or tuition school in his residence on West Kirk- ham Street, probably during the Civil War, which is now the residence of T. F. Blankley. Among his pupils were Will Amsden, deceased ; John Hoagland; Constable Ted Kirkpatrick ; Napoleon Clearwater, one of our business men ; J. S. Kessinger, now of Raymond; and others whose names I have been unable to ascertain.
"In 1859 the village became a city under a special charter from the Legislature, which also created the Litchfield school district, making its limits co-extensive with those of the city and making the mayor and alder-
men ex-officio
members of
the school
board. The first official act of the newly created school board was to create by ordinance, the office of city superintendent of schools. The minutes of the meeting of August 12, 1859, show that H. A. Wells was appointed city superin- tendent, and Andrew Miller, school agent. Those two officers were given the power to secure buildings, and seats for the same for Litchfield's first 'free school.' The minutes of August 18, of the same year record that H. A. Wells was em- ployed to teach School No. 1, the grammar school, for a term of six months, at a salary of $60.00 a month. At the same meeting, Miss Julia Palmer was employed to teach School No. 2 at a salary at the rate of $100.00 for each three months of said term. The council met again on August 25, of the same year, and Miss Hannah Skillman was employed to teach School No. 3 at the same salary as that paid Miss Palmer. The three schools were operated for six months, and were located as follows: School No. 1, in the Cum- mings building, afterwards the Gay Carriage shop, located immediately south of the present Masonic Temple; School No. 2, in the log cabin which for many years stood north, and adjoin- ing on the east the present resident property of Dr. John D. Colt; School No. 3, in a frame building at No. 221 North Jackson Street, on the present site of the residence of Mr. Dan A. Sweeney.
"On September S, 1859, the city council passed a resolution providing 'that all school monies when loaned shall be loaned at the rate of two per-cent per month.' The fiscal statement for the year ending March 5, 1860, shows that the Litchfield school district created by charter in 1859, received from the school treasurers of townships No. 8 and 9, the sum of $584.65, as follows :
"From John Fogleman, township No. 8, notes and cash $226.80
"R. W. O'Bannon, Township No. 9,
notes 476.60
"Collected of the above. 584.65
"In suit 118.75
"Total $703.40
"On March 8, 1860, B. C. Beardsley was in- stalled as city treasurer, having been elected at an election held on March 5, and was imme- diately unanimously appointed 'school agent,' a
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MRS. ROBERT N. PADEN
ROBERT N. PADEN
937
HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
positiou the city treasurer held throughout the years uutil April, 1914, when the people voted that the school board shall henceforth be elected by the people. At the same meeting the report of H. A. Wells, superintendent of schools, and A. Miller, retiring school agent, was received and referred to a committee composed of Aldermen H. H. Hood, John McGinniss, and E. E. Litch- field. A resolution was passed at this same meeting providing : 'That it is expedient to maintain public schools in our city between the first day of March, and the first day of Sep- tember, 1860.'
.
"On March 10, 1860, the council paid the sal- aries of the teachers as hereiubefore euumerated, and likewise allowed the following bills for rent for school purposes :
"James Cummings, rent of room 6 months at $7.00.
$42.00 "T. A. Davidson, rent of room 6 months at $11.00 66.00
"No rent seems to have been charged for School No. 2, taught by Miss Palmer in the log cabin.
"Miss Julia Palmer evidently opeued a private school, as the minutes of June 7, 1860, show the following: 'On motion of Alderman Hood in regard to the school seats belonging to the Second ward of the city of Litchfield, that Miss Julia Palmer be allowed the use of them for her present school.'
"On August 10, 1860, a committee composed of Aldermen Hood, Litchfield and Tyler was ap- pointed to 'look into the condition of our schools and report at our next meeting of the council.' The committee made its report on August 17, which was received, placed on file, and the com- mittce discharged. What the report contained will probably never be known. At the meeting of August 17, 1860, the public schools of Litch- field took on some manner of order and form, as the following resolution will show : 'Resolved that there shall be established at such place with- in the city as a suitable building cau be obtained for the purpose, one school of the grade of the academy or grammar school, to which shall be admitted pupils of both sexes having the usual qualifications of pupils admitted to such schools ; that the school so established shall be under the care of one male teacher as principal, assisted by one female teacher, who shall receive for their services respectively fifty and thirty dol- lars per month for the term of six months; that
for this school there shall be provided two rooms situated in one house ; and there shall be admitted to this school from other school dis- tricts pupils having the requisite qualifications, upon the payment of $10.00 into the city treas- ury for the term of six months until the whole number admitted shall equal one hundred and twenty, but pupils from other districts shall not be admitted to the exclusion of pupils residing in the City of Litchfield.'
"'Resolved that there shall be established in each ward of the city (at that time, three) one primary school to which shall be admitted all children of the proper age living within the ward not eligible to admission in the grammar school, and that there shall be employed in each school one female teacher at a salary of thirty dollars per month.'
" 'Resolved that there be appointed three per- sons, one from each ward who, with three alder- meu, one being selected from each ward, who shall constitute a board of school inspectors of which the mayor shall be chairman, whose duty it shall be to examine and recommend to the city council. teachers ; and to exercise a general su- pervision over the schools of the city. The com- mittee are as follows: Messrs. O'Bannon, Sav- age and Grinsted ; Aldermen Hood, Munn and McGinnis ; Mayor Bacon, chairman.'
".On motion the chair was authorized to ap- point a committee of three to raise funds for the support of the grammar school. Committee, Hood, Munn and McGinnis. On August 20, 1860, Samuel Taylor was chosen principal of the Litch- field grammar school. At the same meeting Miss H. J. Skillman was chosen teacher for the First Ward school, Miss Julia Palmer for the Second Ward school, and Mary Gillham for the Third Ward school. Aldermen Savage and Hood were appointed a committee to secure suitable houses for schoolrooms.'
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