Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Morgan County, Part 137

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913. cn; Short, William F., 1829- 4n
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1286

USA > Illinois > Morgan County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Morgan County > Part 137

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The General Assembly passed an act amend- ing the previous act, which was in force Feb- ruary 13, 1851, repealing the twenty-first sec- tion of the act of 1849, and the President and Trustees were vested with power to create such subordinate offices as they might deem neces- sary for the corporation, and provide for the

fees and compensation of said officers, and to regulate their duties. This act extended the limits of the corporation one-half mile in each direction, so that the area of the enlarged town was two miles square.

Incorporated as a City .- The charter was amended by the Legislature February 15, 1867, whereby the municipal government of the city was made to consist of a City Council, to be composed of the Mayor and two Aldermen from each ward. The other officers of the corpora- tion were the City Clerk, City Marshal, City Treasurer, a City Attorney, a City Collector and Assessor, a City Street Commissioner and a City Surveyor. The officers of the city held their offices one year, and the elections were held in each ward on the first Monday of April. The City Council had the power to levy and collect, annually, taxes on all real and personal property subject by law to such taxation, and the act specified that the rate of taxation in any one year should not exceed one per cent for general taxes. The City Council at that time had the power to require every male resident over twenty-one years of age to labor three days in each year upon the streets and alleys, or for- feit the sum of $1 for each day required. It was also empowered to provide for public im- provements and assessments therefor, and to organize a fire department and regulate the erection of buildings. Under this charter a sys- tem of graded schools was started and all the territory within the limits of the city of Jack- sonville was constituted into a common school district. The public schools of said district were under the exclusive control and manage- ment of the Board of Education, to consist of the Mayor, who was made President of the Board, and one member from each ward of the city, to be known as the Board of Education of the Jacksonville School District, and the Treas- urer and Clerk of the city were ex-officio Treas- urer and Clerk of the Board of Education. This is the charter under which the Board of Edu- cation is working at the present time.

Under the act of 1867, the boundaries of the city of Jacksonville were established as fol- lows: That the district of country in Morgan County, and State of Illinois, embraced within the present corporate limits of the town of Jacksonville, including an extension of one- quarter of a mile on the east, one-quarter mile on the south and one-quarter mile on the west

John. R. Davis:

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HISTORY OF MORGAN COUNTY.

of said corporate limits, and the present bound- ary line of said corporation on the north, run- ning east and west from the northeast corner of said extension to the northwest corner of the same, with such other additions of land as may be incorporated with, and come under the jurisdiction of said city, as hereinafter provid- ed, is hereby created into a city by the name of the City of Jacksonville.

On March 3, 1887, the City Council passed an ordinance to submit the question of city incor- poration under the General Law of 1872 to a vote of the people. An election was held April 4, 1887, for this purpose, and the measure was adopted, there being 1,080 votes in favor of or- ganization and 813 votes against. At the same time the question of minority representation was voted upon. and the proposition carried by a vote of 1,262 for to 447 against.

The boundaries of the wards, as they are at the present tine, were fixed by ordinance passed by the City Council December 21, 1893, under authority of the statute giving the Council the right to do so when, in the judgment of its members, it becomes necessary.

Gas and Electric Plant .- As early as 1852 or '53, a charter was obtained by non-resident cap- italists for the establishment of a gas plant in Jacksonville, but the effort was unsuccessful. In 1856 the Jacksonville Gas Light and Coke Com- pany was organized and incorporated under the laws of Illinois. The incorporators were W. B. Warren, William Brown, E. R. Elliott, James Berdan, David A. Smith and Abner Yates. The officers were: Marshall P. Ayers, President; William Thomas, Secretary, and Joseph O. King. Superintendent. The street lamps were

first lighted January 9, 1858, and private resi- dences during the same month. In 1885 the company added an electric light plant. In 1897 the company was reorganized, and Mr. Frank Elliott was made President of the corporation. Under his able administration, and the active co-operation of the Board of Directors who were in sympathy with his progressive suggestions, the plant was modernized and enlarged and plans adopted tor increased utilization of its lighting and heating facilities, and the amount of business was more than doubled. The gas manufacturing department was rebuilt, and the inost modern apparatus for that purpose was installed. The capacity of the electric depart- ment was also doubled, and the business was

correspondingly increased. The efficient Board under whose wise and enterprising management that remarkable growth was attained are the following gentlemen: Frank Elliott, President; R. M. Hockenhull, Vice-President; J. A. Bel- latti, Treasurer; J. Weir Elliott, F. M. Doan. W. R. Routt and W. E. Veitch, Directors. Mr. J. Parker Doan was the Secretary and Superin- tendent of the company, and his services con- tributed in large measure to the success of the business.

The sale of the property May 18. 1905, prob- ably represented the largest single business transaction in the history of Morgan County. The Illinois Traction Company ( The Mckinley syndicate) purchased the property for $375,000. The new officers of the lighting company are: President, W. B. Mckinley, Champaign; Secre- tary, D. R. Stephens; Treasurer, Charles Zilly, Champaign. In addition to the officers of the company, the other Directors are: L. E. Fisher, Champaign, who will be Superintendent of the works; Frank Elliott, J. A. Bellatti and W. E. Veitch.

The history of this early and important Jack- sonville enterprise would be censurable if credit is not given to Mr. Joseph O. King, who. from its inception and to the end of his life, was the prime factor in all its affairs, often at pe- cuniary loss to himself. During more than a quarter of a century he was its continuons and efficient Superintendent.

Municipal Electric Light Plant .- The subject of municipal ownership of a public light plant by the city of Jacksonville had its origin in a recommendation introduced by the late E. F. Bullard, which was followed by the appointment by Mayor Schoenfield, on April 19. 1894, of a special cominittee consisting of Aldermen Robert Hagerty, Abram Wood and W. W. Mitchell, to investigate and report thereon. This committee, after ably and fearlessly investigat- ing the subject, finally recommended to the City Council the construction of a municipal light- ing plant for the city. On July 26th of the same year the committee presented plans and specifications for a municipal plant, prepared by C. W. Brown, and bids were received in ac- cordance with the same, but all were rejected as being too liigh. The matter was taken up at various times until December 31st, when re- vised plans and specifications were submitted, and a contract in accordance therewith was

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HISTORY OF MORGAN COUNTY.

awarded to the Excelsior Electric Company, of New York, on January 5, 1895. The fulfillment of this contract was prevented by an injunction. Bids were again called for and a contract awarded February 22d to the Fort Wayne Elec- tric Corporation, of Fort Wayne, Ind., for the construction of a plant for the sum of $19,650, covering all pole line and station equipment, in- cluding one 175-horse-power Russell engine, two 80-arc light machines, two 66x16-inch hori- zontal tubular boilers, with 125 lights to be in- stalled and ready for service. Work was com- menced April 16th and completed July 8th. The City Council formally accepted the plant on August 10, 1895.

Additional lights were placed until the full capacity of the dynamos was reached, when on June 7, 1897, the dynamos were exchanged with the Fort Wayne Electric Corporation for 100- light machines, the city paying, in addition to the old machines, $1,470. At the present time there are 184 lamps in service.

City Water Works .- The late Joseph O. King was also literally the father of the water-works system. It was he alone who first conceived the idea, and, with the aid of a few, fought it through to a successful issue against well-nigh incredible opposition. The first election was mainly carried by four persons-Mr. King, the late Dr. George Bibb, David B. Smith and Sam- uel W. Nichols. The enterprise was set back by adverse votes in the Council a number of times, and the persons who fought against it were in many instances prominent in the city, and the record of their opposition seems, at this late date, like a story from the fairy books. Great efforts were made to ascertain the amount of water which would be needed, and the best judgment of the time was that the city might eventually grow to the use of 125,000 gallons daily. The first surveys were made at Mr. King's expense, with the volunteer aid of S. W. Nichols and Robert White, then a student in Illinois College, and Deily & Fowler, of Phila- delphia, then constructing a holder for the gas company, made a bid of about $185,000 for the completion of the system so that something definite might be laid before the people.

The water-works system was placed upon a sound footing June 15, 1869, when the people, by a majority vote, empowered the City Coun- cil to issue bonds in an amount not exceeding $150,000 for the establishment of such a sys-

tem, said bonds to be known as the Jackson- ville water bonds, and to draw not exceeding ten per cent interest.

The City Council, on June 21, 1869, passed an ordinance providing that ten per cent wa- ter bonds should be issued from time to time, in an amount not exceeding $150,000, and pro- viding further for the election, by the Council, of three resident tax-payers, to be styled the Board of Water Commissioners, who should have full control of the construction and opera- tion of the system, and whose duty it was to prepare and submit to the Council, for its se- lection, at least two general plans for the con- struction of a water-works system, with esti- mates of the cost of each. Messrs. Elizur Wol- cott, James H. Lurton and Irvin Dunlap were elected the first members of the Water Board, and held their first meeting June 24, 1869. On March 22, 1870, the Board reported to the Coun- cil three plans. One of these plans, that of E. S. Chesbrough, was adopted, and on April 10, 1870, the board-in accordance with the Coun- cil's resolutions passed over the Mayor's veto -- made purchase of the present Morgan Lake and reservoir grounds, on which to build said lake and reservoir in putting into operation the plan adopted. R. C. Crampton was appointed Super- vising Engineer, and Elizur Wolcott was made Superintendent of Construction, his term on the Board having expired.

Up to 1874 ten per cent water bonds were is- sued to the amount authorized, which bonds have since been refunded at four per cent, and of that amount, $149,408.40 was expended in establishing a water-works system, which at that time consisted of the present lake and reservoir and grounds, the pumping station, the creek dam, three miles of ten-inch and an un- recorded amount of smaller water mains.

John N. Marsh was the first water superin- tendent. The following gentlemen also served on the Water Board during the early years of its existence: A. E. Ayers, William Ratekin, J. T. Cassell, D. W. Fairbank, F. G. Farrell, B. F. Gass, Abram Wood, W. C. Carter, J. P. Willard, N. Kitner, B. W. Simmons and Alexander Platt.

It may be of interest to state that the first pipe purchased, consisting of three miles of ten- inch and some smaller mains, cost $83.50 per ton at the foundry, and that in 1899 the city purchased over two miles of mains at $17 per ton, f. o. b. cars, Jacksonville.

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HISTORY OF MORGAN COUNTY.

The water department had been established but a few years when the water furnished by Morgan Lake and the Mauvaisterre Creek was found to be inadequate for the demands of the city, and in 1881 a pump was placed on the Davenport coal-shaft, and another at the same place in 1887, which temporarily relieved the shortage. In June, 1887, the city rented a pump and placed it over the gas well now known as the Capps well, from which water was pumped for two months.

The Decker well was drilled to a depth of 2,342 feet in 1888, and in 1893 an air compres- sor was installed to increase the flow. This proved a failure owing to the amount of steam necessary to operate it.

In 1895 the American well was drilled to its present depth, 3.028 feet, at a cost of $12,300.57, and the Decker well was deepened to 3,110 feet in 1896, at a total cost of $13,533.39-the total cost of both artesian wells being $25,833.96. The present combined flow of these wells is 625,000 gallons daily.

There are in use at the present time two pumps, each of daily capacity of 2,000,000 gal- lons-one a Worthington, purchased Septem- ber 20, 1878, at a cost of $4,746.70; the other a Stilwell-Bierre and Smith Vaile, purchased April 27, 1897, for $4,935. Two Niagara pumps and one Hooker were purchased prior to 1878, but have all been abandoned.

At present the city has in use twenty-three miles of water mains and 172 fire hydrants. For the past nine years the average annual receipts have been $12,177.04, and the cost of operating, not including extensions, $9,380.37. It will be seen that the average annual income is only $2,796.67 more than the cost of operat- ing, and-considering the fact that the above figures do not include extension of mains, new pumps and boilers, cost of artesian wells and other items of expense, for which special ap- propriations are made, and which will easily equal the above, commonly called profit-it will be seen that the city is receiving no interest on lts enormous investment.

A New Water System .- Work upon a new wa- ter system has been commenced and the enter- prise will be rapidly pushed to completion. The pumping station will be in the Illinois River bottoms, about a mile and a half west of Bluffs. Two triple expansion, high-duty pumps will be installed, with a capacity of 3,000,000 gallons

each, which will work against a head of 400 feet.

A twenty-inch main will be laid from the pumping station to this city, passing directly through the city of Bluffs, and parallel to the Wabash Railroad to Chapin. At that point it will leave the track and follow approximately the middle line of the third tier of sections from the north line of the township as far as Markham, where it will drop back to the sec- tion line and enter the city on Lafayette Ave- nue. A stand pipe sixty feet in height will be erected on the reservoir property, for high service on College Hill and for fire protection. Water for other purposes will be pumped di- rectly into the city mains.

The water will be obtained from the gravel beds of the Illinois River bottom through a sys- tem of tubular wells. It is soft, with a slight trace of iron, and a minimum amount of lime, which makes it good for steam purposes and excellent for domestic use.

With such a supply of water, which will equal any in the State in purity, there will be little to be desired to make Jacksonville the best residence town in the Middle West.

Mr. Charles W. Mackey, of Franklin, Penn- sylvania, and Mr. O. N. Gardner, of Jamestown, N. Y., became lessees of the present system of water-works of Jacksonville. A Jacksonville water-works company has been formed with a paid-up capital of $350,000. The Directors of the company are Charles W. Mackey, Fay Mack- ey, Edward E. Hughes, J. M. Rowland, O. D. Bleakley, B. H. Grierson and John A. Ayers, with Charles W. Mackey as President; Edward E. Hughes, Secretary, and O. D. Bleakley, Treas- urer. The' city water system will pass into the possession of the new company on the com- pletion of the work as prescribed.

City Hall .- The City Hall is a substantial structure of pressed brick and stone, situated at the corner of North Sandy and West North Streets. The building contains the Fire De- partment, Police Department, a Council cham- ber and offices of the city officials. The first appropriation for the building was made March 5, 1891; a committee was appointed to select a site March 23, 1891; the plans of N. A. Buck- ingham were accepted early in 1892, and the contract was let to Wood & Montgomery July 28, 1892. The City Council met in the new building for the first time on August 24, 1893.

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HISTORY OF MORGAN COUNTY.

The total cost of the building and furnishings was about $15,000.

Street Railway .- The Jacksonville Street Rail- way Company was incorporated in 1867 by Messrs. Cyrus Epler, Felix G. Farrell, Isaac L. Morrison, Murray McConnel, James H. Lurton, James Dunlap, Moore C. Goltra and John T. Springer. For a number of years it was op- erated as a horse car line. About twenty years after its incorporation Mr. William S. Hook and his sister, Miss Frances Hook, obtained control of the property, and in 1890 they secured from the City Council the right to operate an electric car line, which was completed and in operation in the spring of 1892. Since that time it has mostly been under the exclusive superinten- dence of Miss Hook, who made many improve- ments in the property, in the roadbed and roll- ing stock. Her accommodating and progressive administration has given great satisfaction to the public. It was purchased by the Illinois Traction Company, through Mr. W. B. McKin- ley representing the company. and Mr. W. E. Veitch representing Miss Hook, owner of the street railway. Since its purchase the line has been extended from its south end terminus to Nichols Park. Other extensive improvements are in contemplation, including a traction line from Springfield to Jacksonville. The Directors of the street railway are W. B. Mckinley, Charles Zilly and W. E. Veitch.

Alton, Jacksonville & Peoria Railway Company. -A franchise was recently granted by the City Council to the Alton, Jacksonville & Peoria Railway Company to build their interurban elec- tric traction line through the city. It is ex- pected that the work will be completed in the near future.

Street Paving .- About the year 1883 one of the greatest municipal enterprises ever undertaken by Jacksonville was inaugurated in the matter of paving the principal streets and public square by the use of the best hard-burned brick. The work was somewhat experimental at the first, and therefore was begun on a small scale. Con- siderable opposition to the project was encoun- tered for some time, but the great value of the work became apparent to all the citizens and it has steadily progressed every year till now (1905) the public square and about twenty-five miles of the principal streets are paved, adding great pleasure to all the people, and much value to the property adjacent thereto.

Public Library .- The Jacksonville Public Li- brary is handsomely and conveniently situated on the southwest corner of West College Ave- nue and South Sandy Street. It is an imposing building, practically two stories high, including the basement, and has a length of 80 feet and a depth of 76 feet. The lot on which it is built has a frontage of 120 feet on College Avenue and a depth of 170 feet, sloping nicely. The building is constructed of Cleveland sandstone, tooth chiseled, with terra cotta decorations and trimmings. The architecture is of Greek Cor- inthian. The roofing is of red tile, ridged like Spanish, but much heavier and far more beau- tiful in appearance.

The Library faces College Avenue, from which it is approached by a series of twelve stone steps, 24 feet in length with a projection of 20 feet. The main entrance is protected by a magnificent stone portico, the heavy roof of which is supported by four graceful, though massive, Corinthian pillars. The large double doors open into a small vestibule, which gives entrance through swinging doors into a commo- dious hall, from which a flight of three steps leads to the level of the main floor of the building. On either side of this hall is a stair- way leading to the basement.

The hall opens into the Delivery Room, a beautiful apartment measuring twenty feet square. It is lighted from an artistic dome, around the base of which are numerous incan- descent lights. To the right of the entrance a bronze plate set in the wall shows this in- scription : "Andrew Carnegie, Donor." To the left is the general Reading Room, handsomely fitted with the necessary fur- nishings and an abundance of electric lights. This room contains also the periodicals, bound and current, and reference books, about 1,800 volumes in all. To the right of the Delivery Room is the Children's Room, very similar to the general Reading Room, and fitted up in the same handsome style, especially adapted to the use of the little ones. In this room are kept all of the strictly children's books, about 1,000 volumes in all. The finishings of the three rooms are the same-woodwork of dark oak, green walls and deep cream ceilings. The up- per part of the structure is supported by six handsome Doric-Ionic columns, decorated in staff. The floors are covered with a cork car- pet, making them practically noiseless.

Damel Deitrick

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HISTORY OF MORGAN COUNTY.

Passing back to the south of the Delivery Room, one enters the "Stack" or Book Room, where all of the books of the Library-except the reference books, periodicals and children's books-are kept, about 8,000 in all, making a total of about 11,000 volumes for the whole Li- brary. The room measures 50x26 feet, and is well lighted. The ceiling is 18 feet high, but the room is divided into a lower and an upper section by a glass floor. The upper section is reached by an iron stairway at about the middle of the room. It is fitted with the Library Bureau steel stack cases, ten in number. This floor is not accessible to the public as yet. The lower floor is also fitted with ten steel stack cases, upon which the books are arranged according to the Dewey decimal system. In the back of the room are two reference alcoves for study. The capacity of the upper and lower sections of the room is 25,000 volumes.

To the east of the delivery counter is the Li- brarian's office, fitted with a desk, typewriter, Library reference books and other conveniences. Just opposite, to the west of the counter, is the staff cloak and toilet room, which is not open to the public.

Passing down either stairway to the base- inent, one enters a spacious hall. To the north of this hall are the public toilet rooms. The room on the west side, known as the Seminar Room, is 27x23 feet, and will be used for the present for meetings of the Library Board and for teachers and their classes desirous of doing certain work in the Library. Across the hall, on the east side, is a room 27x34 feet, which will be used for special purposes. To the south the hall opens into a large room, 50x26 feet, which was originally intended for the Children's Room, but will be used as a Lecture Room. To the west of the hall and south of the Seminar Room, is the work room, which is not open to the public. At the northeast corner of the Lecture Room is a vestibule leading to a side entrance.

The entire building is heated by steam by direct radiation, and is arranged for either gas or electric lights. There is a system of indi- rect radiation for ventilation. The heating plant is situated in the southwest corner of the lot, 40 feet from the building.

The first successful attempt to establish a Library in this city was made in January, 1871, when the Jacksonville Library Association was

organized. It was incorporated in October of the same year and opened in the Court House. The number of stockholders was limited to fifty, and the Association was maintained by the members paying into the treasury $10 each per year. The Association existed for twenty years and accumulated about 2,200 volumes. Those most interested in its organization were Judge Cyrus Epler, Dr. H. W. Milligan, H. E. Dummer, W. S. Andras, E. P. Kirby, Dr. T. J. Pitner, Rev. J. R. Dunn, S. M. Martin, Prof. J. H. Woods, M. P. Ayers and H. H. Hall. Prof. Woods was Sec- retary and Librarian throughout its existence.

It seems as though it was the intention of some of the members to eventually establish a Public Library. A committee, of which J. H. Woods was chairman, which had been appoint- ed by the Library Association to look into the matter of establishing a Free Reading Room, re- ported favorably, and in April, 1874, the Jack- sonville Free Reading Room and Library As- sociation was organized by the members of the Jacksonville Library Association. A board of seven managers was elected, a subscription pa- per was circulated and a Free Reading Room was opened in a room in the Chambers Block on West State Street, donated by Coionei Cham- bers. The Odd Fellows' book cases and library, containing 1,900 volumes, was purchased for $600, which was raised by subscription. The only source of revenue was from donations and subscriptions, three dollars being charged as the price for books per year.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Morgan County, Part 137

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913. cn; Short, William F., 1829- 4n Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1286

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913. cn; Short, William F., 1829- 4n
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1286