USA > Illinois > St Clair County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of St. Clair County, Volume I > Part 67
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LEGISLATIVE APPORTIONMENT. (See Apportionment, Legislative.)
LEGISLATURE. (See General Assemblies.)
LELAND, a village of La Salle County, on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railway, 29 miles southwest of Aurora. Population (1900), 634.
LELAND, Edwin S., lawyer and Judge, was born at Dennysville, Me., August 28, 1812, and admitted to the bar at Dedham, Mass., in 1834. In 1835 he removed to Ottawa, Ill., and, in 1839, to Oregon, Ogle County, where he practiced for four years. Returning to Ottawa in 1843, he rapidly rose in his profession, until, in 1852, he was elected to the Circuit Court bench to fill the unexpired term of Judge T. Lyle Dickey, who had resigned. In 1866 Governor Oglesby ap- pointed him Circuit Judge to fill the unexpired term of Judge Hollister. He was elected by popular vote in 1867, and re-elected in 1873, being assigned to the Appellate Court of the Second District in 1877. He was prominently identified with the genesis of the Republican party, whose tenets he zealously championed. He was also prominent in local affairs, having been elected the first Republican Mayor of Ottawa (1856), President of the Board of Education and County Treasurer. Died, June, 24, 1889.
LEMEN, James, Sr., pioneer, was born in Berk- eley County, Va., Nov. 20, 1760; served as a soldier
in the War of the Revolution, being present at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown in 1781; in 1786 came to Illinois, settling at the village of New Design, near the present site of Waterloo, in Monroe County. He was a man of enterprise and sterling integrity, and ultimately became the head of one of the most prominent and influential families in Southern Illinois. He is said to have been the first person admitted to the Baptist Church by immersion in Illinois, finally becoming a minister of that denomination. Of a family of eight children, four of his sons became ministers. Mr. Lemen's prominence was indicated by the fact that he was approached by Aaron Burr, with offers of large rewards for his influence in found- ing that ambitious schemer's projected South- western Empire, but the proposals were indignantly rejected and the scheme denounced. Died, at Waterloo, Jan. 8, 1822 .- Robert (Lemen), oldest son of the preceding, was born in Berkeley County, Va., Sept. 25, 1783; came with his father to Illinois, and, after his marriage, settled in St. Clair County. He held a commission as magis- trate and, for a time, was United States Marshal for Illinois under the administration of John Quincy Adams. Died in Ridge Prairie, St. Clair County, August 24, 1860 .- Rev. Joseph (Lemen), the second son, was born in Berkeley County, Va., Sept. 8, 1785, brought to Illinois in 1786, and, on reaching inanhood, married Mary Kinney, a daughter of Rev. William Kinney, who after- wards became Lieutenant-Governor of the State. Joseph Lemen settled in Ridge Prairie, in the northern part of St. Clair County, and for many years supplied the pulpit of the Bethel Baptist church, which had been founded in 1809 on the principle of opposition to human slavery. His death occurred at his home, June 29, 1861 .- Rev. James (Lemen), Jr., the third son, was born in Monroe County, Ill., Oct. 8, 1787; early united with the Baptist Church and became a minister -assisting in the ordination of his father, whose sketch stands at the head of this article. He served as a Delegate from St. Clair County in the first State Constitutional Convention (1818), and as Senator in the Second, Fourth and Fifth General Assemblies. He also preached extensively in Illinois, Missouri, and Kentucky, and assisted in the organization of many churches, although his labors were chiefly within his own. Mr. Lemen was the second child of American parents born in Illinois-Enoch Moore being the first. Died, Feb. 8, 1870 .- William (Lemen), the fourth son, born in Monroe County, Ill., in 1791; served as a soldier in the Black Hawk War. Died in Monroe
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County, in 1857 .- Rev. Josiah (Lemen), the fifth son, born in Monroe County, Ill., August 15, 1794; was a Baptist preacher. Died near Du- quoin, July 11, 1867 .- Rev. Moses (Lemen), the sixth son, born in Monroe County, Ill., in 1797; became a Baptist minister early in life, served as Representative in the Sixth General Assembly (1928-30) for Monroe County. Died, in Montgom- ery County, Ill., March 5, 1859.
LEMONT, a city in Cook County, 25 miles southwest of Chicago, on the Des Plaines River and the Chicago & Alton Railroad. thick vein of Silurian limestone (Athens marble) is extensively quarried here, constituting the chief industry. Owing to the number of industrial enterprises, Lemont is at times the temporary home of a large number of workmen. The city has a bank, electric lights, six churches, two papers, five public and four private schools, one business college, aluminum and concrete works. Population of the township (1890), 5,539; (1900), 4,441.
LE MOYNE, Jolin V., ex-Congressman, was born in Washington County, Pa., in 1828, and graduated from Washington College, Pa., in 1847. He studied law at Pittsburg, where he was admitted to the bar in 1852. He at once removed to Chicago, where he continued a permanent resident and active practitioner. In 1872 he was a candidate for Congress on the Liberal Repub- lican ticket, but was defeated by Charles B. Far- well, Republican. In 1874 he was again a candidate against Mr. Farwell. Both claimed the election, and a contest ensued which was decided by the House in favor of Mr. Le Moyne.
LENA, a village in Stephenson County, on the Illinois Central Railroad, 13 miles northwest of Freeport and 38 miles east of Galena. It is in a farming and dairying district, but has some manufactures, the making of caskets being the principal industry in this line. There are six churches, two banks, and two newspapers. Pop- ulation (1890), 1.270; (1900), 1.252.
LEONARD, Edward F., Railway President, was born in Connecticut in 1836; graduated from Union College, N. Y., was admitted to the bar and came to Springfield, Ill., in 1858: served for several years as clerk in the office of the State Auditor, was afterwards connected with the con- struction of the "St. Louis Short Line" (now a part of the Illinois Central Railway), and was private secretary of Governor Cullom during his first term. For several years he has been Presi- dent of the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railroad, with headquarters at Peoria.
LEROY, a city in McLean County, 15 miles south west of Bloomington; has two banks, sev- eral churches, a graded school and a plow factory. Two weekly papers are published there. Popu- lation (1880), 1,068; (1890), 1,258; (1900), 1,629.
LEVERETT, Washington and Warren, edu- cators and twin-brothers, whose careers were strikingly similar; born at Brookline, Mass., Dec. 19. 1805, and passed their boyhood on a farm; in 1827 began a preparatory course of study under an elder brother at Roxbury, Mass., entered Brown University as freshmen, the next year, and graduated in 1832. Warren, being in bad health, spent the following winter in South Carolina, afterwards engaging in teaching, for a time, and in study in Newton Theological Seminary, while Washington served as tutor two years in his Alma Mater and in Columbian College in Wash- ington, D. C., then took a course at Newton, graduating there in 1836. The same year he accepted the chair of Mathematics in Shurtleff College at Upper Alton, remaining, with slight interruption, until 1868. Warren, after suffering from hemorrhage of the lungs, came west in the fall of 1837, and, after teaching for a few months at Greenville, Bond County, in 1839 joined his brother at Shurtleff College as Principal of the preparatory department, subsequently being advanced to the chair of Ancient Languages, which he continued to occupy until June, 1868, when he retired in the same year with his brother. After resigning he established himself in the book business, which was continued until his death, Nov. 8, 1872. Washington, the surviving brother, continued to be a member of the Board of Trus- tees of Shurtleff College, and to discharge the duties of Librarian and Treasurer of the institu- tion. Died, Dec. 13, 1889.
LEWIS INSTITUTE, an educational institu- tion based upon a bequest of Allen C. Lewis, in the city of Chicago, established in 1895. It main- tains departments in law, the classics, prepara- tory studies and manual training, and owns property valued at $1,600,000, with funds and endowment amounting to $1,100,000. No report is inade of the number of pupils.
LEWIS, John H., ex-Congressman, was born in Tompkins County, N. Y., July 21, 1830. When six years old he accompanied his parents to Knox County, Ill., where he attended the public schools, read law, and was admitted to the bar in 1860. The same year he was elected Clerk of the Circuit Court of Knox County. In 1874 he was elected to the lower house of the General Assembly, and, in 1880, was the successful Repub-
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lican candidate for Congress from the old Ninth District. In 1882, he was a candidate for re- election from the same district (then the Tenth), but was defeated by Nicholas E. Worthington, his Democratic opponent.
LEWISTOWN, the county-seat of Fulton County, located on two lines of railway, fifty miles southwest of Peoria and sixty miles north- west of Springfield. It contains flour and saw- mills, carriage and wagon, can-making, duplex-scales and evener factories, six churches and four newspapers, one issuing a daily edition; also excellent public schools. Population (1880), 1.771; (1890), 2,166; (1900), 2,504,
LEXINGTON, a city in McLean County, on the Chicago & Alton Railroad, 110 miles south of Chicago and 16 miles northeast of Bloomington. The surrounding region is agricultural and stock- raising, and the town has a flourishing trade in horses and other live-stock. Tile is manufac- tured here, and the town has two banks, five churches, a high school and two weekly news- papers. Population (1890), 1,187; (1900), 1,415.
LIBERTYVILLE, a village of Lake County, on the main line of the Chicago & Madison Division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, 35 miles north-northwest of Chicago. The region is agricultural. The town has some manufac- tures, two banks and a weekly paper. Popula- tion (1890), 550; (1900), 864.
LIBRARIES. (STATISTICAL. )-A report of the Commissioner of Education for 1895-96, on the subject of "Public, Society and School Libraries in the United States," presents some approximate statistics of libraries in the several States, based upon the reports of librarians, so far as they could be obtained in reply to inquiries sent out from the Bureau of Education in Washington. As shown by the statistical tables embodied in this report, there were 348 libraries in Illinois reporting 300 volumes and over, of which 134 belonged to the smallest class noted, or those con- taining less than 1,000 volumes. The remaining 214 were divided into the following classes:
Containing 300,000 and less than 500,000 volumes 1
66
50,000
100,000
66
1
66
25,000
50,000
5
66
10,000
66
25,000
5,000
66
66
10,000
66
34
1,000 66
5,000
144
A general classification of libraries of 1,000 volumes and over, as to character, divides them into, General, 91; School, 36; College, 42; College Society, 7; Law, 3; Theological, 7; State, 2; Asy-
lum and Reformatory, 4; Young Men's Christian Association, 2; Scientific, 6; Historical, 3; Soci- ety, 8; Medical, Odd Fellows and Social, 1 each. The total number of volumes belonging to the class of 1,000 volumes and over was 1,822,580 with 447,168 pamphlets; and, of the class between 300 and 1,000 volumes, 66,992-making a grand total of 1,889,572 volumes. The library belonging to the largest (or 300,000) class, is that of the University of Chicago, reporting 305,000 volumes, with 180,000 pamphlets, while the Chicago Public Library and the Newberry Library belong to the second class, reporting, respectively, 217,065 vol- umes with 42,000 pamphlets, and 135,244 volumes and 35,654 pamphlets. (The report of the Clii- cago Public Library for 1898 shows a total, for that year, of 235,385 volumes and 44,069 'pam- philets. )
As to sources of support or method of adminis- tration, 42 of the class reporting 1,000 volumes and over, are supported by taxation ; 27, by appro- priations by State, County or City; 20, from endowment funds; 54, from membership fees and dues; 16, from book-rents; 26, from donations, leaving 53 to be supported from sources not stated. The total income of 131 reporting on this subject is $787,262; the aggregate endowment of 17 of this class is $2,283,197, and the value of buildings belonging to 36 is estimated at $2,981,- 575. Of the 214 libraries reporting 1,000 volumes and over, 88 are free, 28 are reference, and 158 are both circulating and reference.
The free public libraries in the State containing 3,000 volumes and over, in 1896, amounted to 39. The following list includes those of this class con- taining 10,000 volumes and over:
Chicago, Public Library (1896) 217,065
Peoria, 66
57,604 1
Springfield, “
66
28,000
Galesburg 66
18,469
Elgin, Gail Borden Public Library 17,000
Bloomington, Withers “ 16,068
Evanston, Free
15,515
Decatur,
6. 14,766
Belleville,
66
66 14,511
Aurora,
14,350
Rock Island, 66
12,634
Joliet,
66
22,325
27
100,000
300,000
2
Rockford,
28,639
Quincy, 66 66
and Reading Room 19,400
The John Crerar Library (a scientific reference library)-established in the City of Chicago in 1894, on the basis of a bequest of the late John Crerar, estimated as amounting to fully $3,000,- 000-is rapidly adding to its resources, having, in the four years of its history, acquired over 40,000 volumes. With its princely endowment,
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LIBRARY BUILDING, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.
LIBRARY BUILDING (MAIN FLOOR). UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.
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it is destined, in the course of a few years, to be reckoned one of the leading libraries of its class in the United States, as it is one of the most modern and carefully selected.
The Newberry and Chicago Historical Society Libraries fill an important place for reference pur- poses, especially on historical subjects. A tardy beginning has been made in building up a State Historical Library in Springfield; but, owing to the indifference of the Legislature and the meager support it has received, the State which was, for nearly a hundred years, the theater of the most important events in the development of the Mis- sissippi Valley, has, as yet, scarcely accomplished anything worthy of its name in collecting and preserving the records of its own history.
In point of historical origin, next to the Illinois State Library, which dates from the admission of the State into the Union in 1818, the oldest library in the State is that of the McCormick Theological Seminary, which is set down as hav- ing had its origin in 1825, though this occurred in another State. The early State College Li- braries follow next in chronological order: Shurt- leff College, at Upper Alton, 1827; Illinois College, at Jacksonville, 1829; McKendree College, at Lebanon, 1834; Rockford College, 1849; Lombard University, at Galesburg, 1852. In most cases, however, these are simply the dates of the estab- lishment of the institution, or the period at which instruction began to be given in the school which finally developed into the college.
The school library is constantly becoming a more important factor in the liberal education of the youth of the State. Adding to this the "Illi- nois Pupils' Reading Circle," organized by the State Teachers' Association some ten years ago, but still in the experimental stage, and the sys- tem of "traveling libraries," set on foot at a later period, there is a constant tendency to enlarge the range of popular reading and bring the public library, in some of its various forms, within the reach of a larger class.
THE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY LAW OF ILLINOIS. -The following history and analysis of the Free Public Library Law of Illinois is contributed, for the "Historical Encyclopedia," by E. S. Willcox, Librarian of the Peoria Public Library :
The Library Law passed by the Legislature of Illinois in 1872 was the first broadly planned, comprehensive and complete Free Public Li- brary Law placed on the statute book of any State in the Union. It is true, New Hamp- shire, in 1849, and Massachusetts, in 1851, had taken steps in this direction, with three or four brief sections of laws, permissive in their
character rather than directive, but lacking the vitalizing qualities of our Illinois law, in that they provided no sufficiently specific working method-no sailing directions-for starting and administering such free public libraries. They seem to have had no influence on subsequent library legislation, while, to quote the language of Mr. Fletcher in his "Public Libraries in America," "the wisdom of the Illinois law, in this regard, is probably the reason why it has been so widely copied in other States."
By this law of 1872 Illinois placed herself at the head of her sister States in encouraging the spread of general intelligence among the people; but it is also a record to be equally proud of, that, within less than five years after her admission to the Union, Dec. 3, 1818-that is, at the first ses- sion of her Third General Assembly-a general Act was passed and approved, Jan. 31, 1823, entitled: "An act to incorporate such persons as inay associate for the purpose of procuring and erecting public libraries in this State," with the following preamble ..
"WHEREAS, a disposition for improvement in useful knowledge has manifested itself in various parts of this State, by associating for procuring and erecting public libraries; and, whereas, it is of the utmost importance to the public that the sources of information should be multi- plied, and institutions for that purpose encouraged and pro- inoted: Sec. 1. Be it enacted, " etc.
Then follow ten sections, covering five and a half pages of the published laws of that session, giving explicit directions as to the organizing and maintaining of such Associations, with pro- visions as enlightened and liberal as we could ask for to-day. The libraries contemplated in this act are, of course, subscription libraries, the only kind known at that time, free public libraries supported by taxation not having come into vogue in that early day.
It is the one vivifying quality of the Illinois law of 1872, that it showed how to start a free public library, how to manage it when started and how to provide it with the necessary funds. It furnished a full and minute set of sailing directions for the ship it launched, and, moreover, was not loaded down with useless limitations.
With a few exceptions-notably the Boston Public Library, working under a special charter, and an occasional endowed library, like the Astor Library-all public libraries in those days were subscription libraries, like the great Mercantile Libraries of New York, St. Louis and Cincinnati, with dues of from $3 to $10 from each member per year. With dues at $4 a year, our Peoria Mercantile Library, at its best, never had over 286 members in any one year. Compare this with our present public membership of 6,500, and it will be seen that some kind of a free public library law was needed. That was the conclu- sion I, as one of the Directors of the Peoria Mer- cantile Library, came to in 1869. We had tried every expedient for years, in the way of lecture courses, concerts, spelling matches, "Drummer Boy of Shiloh," and begging, to increase our membership and revenue. So far, and no farther, seemed to be the rule with all subscription libraries. They did not reach the masses who needed them most. And, for this manifest rea-
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son : the necessary cost of annual dues stood in the way; the women and young people who wanted something to read, who thirsted for knowledge, and who are the principal patrons of the free public library to-day, did not hold the family purse-strings; while the men, who did hold the purse-strings, did not particularly care for books.
It was my experience, derived as a Director in the Peoria Mercantile Library when it was still a small, struggling subscription library, that sug- gested the need of a State law authorizing cities and towns to tax themselves for the support of public libraries, as they already did for the sup- port of public schools. When, in 1870, I submitted the plan to some of my friends, they pronounced it Quixotic-the people would never consent to pay taxes for libraries. To which I replied, that, until sometime in the '50's, we had no free public schools in this State.
I then drew up the form of a law, substantially as it now stands; and, after submitting it to Justin Winsor, then of the Boston Public Li- brary; William F. Poole, tlien in Cincinnati, and William T. Harris, then in St. Louis, I placed it in the hands of my friend, Mr. Samuel Caldwell, in December, 1870, who took it with him to Springfield, promising to do what he could to get it through the Legislature, of which he was a member from Peoria. The bill was introduced by Mr. Caldwell, March 23, 1871, as House bill No. 563, and as House bill No. 563 it finally received the Governor's signature and became a law, March 7, 1872.
The essential features of our Illinois law are:
I. The power of initiative in starting a free public library lies in the City Council, and not in an appeal to the voters of the city at a general election.
It is a weak point in the English public libra- ries act that this initiative is left to the electors or voters of a city, and, in several London and pro- vincial districts, the proposed law has been repeatedly voted down by the very people it was most calculated to benefit, from fear of a little extra taxation.
II. The amount of tax to be levied is permissive, not mandatory.
We can trust to the public spirit of our city authorities, supported by an intelligent public sentiment, to provide for the library needs. A mandatory law, requiring the levying of a certain fixed percentage of the city's total assessment, might invite extravagance, as it has in several instances where a mandatory law is in force.
III. The Library Board has exclusive control of library appropriations.
This is to be interpreted that Public Library Boards are separate and distinct departments of the city administration; and experience has shown that they are as capable and honest in handling money as School Boards or City Councils.
IV. Library Boards consist of nine members to serve for three years.
V. The members of the Board are appointed by the Mayor, subject to the approval of the City Council, from the citizens at large with reference to their fitness for such office.
VI. An annual report is to be made by the Board to the City Council, stating the condition - of their trust on the first day of June of cach year.
This, with slight modifications adapting it to villages, towns and townships, is, in substance, the Free Public Library Law of Illinois. Under its beneficent operation flourishing free public libraries have been established in the principal cities and towns of our State-slowly, at first, but, of late years, more rapidly as their usefulness lias become apparent.
No argument is now needed to show the im- portance-the imperative necessity-of the widest possible diffusion of intelligence among the people of a free State. Knowledge and ignorance-the one means civilization, the other, barbarism. Give a man the taste for good books and the means of gratifying it, and you can hardly fail of making him a better, happier man and a wiser citizen. You place him in contact with the best society in every period of history; you set before him nobler examples to imitate and safer paths to follow.
We have no way of foretelling how many and how great benefits will accrue to society and the State, in the future, from the comparatively modern introduction of the free public library into our educational system; but when some youthful Abraliam Lincoln, poring over Æsop's Fables, Weems' Life of Washington and a United States History, by the flickering light of a pine- knot in a log-cabin, rises at length to be the hope and bulwark of a nation, then we learn what the world may owe to a taste for books. In the gen- eral spread of intelligence through our free schools, our free press and our free libraries, lies our only hope that our free American institutions shall not decay and perish from the earth.
" Knowledge is the only good, ignorance the only evil." "Let knowledge grow from more to more."
LIEUTENANT-GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS. The office of Lieutenant-Governor, created by the Constitution of 1818, has been retained in each of the subsequent Constitutions, being elective by the people at the same time with that of Gov- ernor. The following is a list of the Lieutenant- Governors of the State, from the date of its admission into the Union to the present time (1899), with the date and length of each incum- bent's term: Pierre Menard, 1818-22; Adolphus Frederick Hubbard, 1822-26; William Kinney, 1826-30; Zadoc Casey, 1830-33; William Lee D. Ewing (succeeded to the office as President of the Senate), 1833-34; Alexander M. Jenkins, 1834-36; William H. Davidson (as President of the Senate), 1836-38; Stinson H. Anderson, 1838-42; John Moore, 1842-46; Joseph B. Wells, 1846-49; William McMurtry, 1849-53; Gustavus Koerner, 1853-57; John Wood, 1857-60; Thomas A. Mar- shall (as President of the Senate), Jan. 7-14, 1861; Francis A. Hoffman, 1861-65; William Bross, 1865-69; John Dougherty, 1869-73; John L.
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