USA > Illinois > St Clair County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of St. Clair County, Volume II > Part 16
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Mascoutah City, just north of the township line in Mascoutah 'Township, is a convenient railroad, banking and commercial town. Pen- seneau Station is a railway hamlet in the northeast corner of the township. Township officials, 1906: W. B. Engelmann, Supervisor; Martin Nichols, Highway Commissioner; Henry Mann, Town Clerk; Christian Culli, Collector;
Jacob Fritz, Justice of the Peace; Charles Bis- choff and George Fieisogel, Constables.
The following paragraphs containing bio- graphical sketches of a number of early settlers of Engelmann Township and their descendants, from the pen of a contributor interested in county and State history, is inserted in this connection in the belief that it will be of in- terest to many readers of this work:
Louis F. Eidmann is the son of Bernard Eid- mann, who was born in Umstadt, in the Prov- ince of Darmstadt, Germany, in 1817, came to America with his wife and seven children in 1833, and settled in Freeburg Township. Louis Eidmann was born March 15, 1847, in Engel- mann Township, was educated in the public schools, and worked on the farm. In 1870 he married Miss Catherine Koob, daughter of Philip Koob, of Clinton County, Ill., and has seven children: Edward C., Bertha A., Walter P., Alma F. (wife of Mayor F. J. Kern, of Belleville), Louis B., Hilda L. and Gustav H. Both Mr. and Mrs. Eidmann are mem- bers of the Evangelical Church and prominent in the community. Mr. Eidmann has always been a successful farmer, was the first Col- lector under the new organization, and has been a School Director, Trustee, Township Su- pervisor, and Justice of the Peace.
William B. Engelmann is the son of Theo- dor Engelmann, who was born in Winnweiler, Rhenish Bavaria, Germany, in 1808. He was well educated in the classics and the law and, in consequence of revolutions in Germany, came to America in 1833 and settled in St. Clair County, being one of the most prominent men in the county. Theodor Engelmann, in 1845, married Miss Johanna Kribben, of St. Louis, and had four children: Bertha (Mrs. Henry Kircher, of Belleville), Emelia (de- ceased), Annie, and William. William, who is the eldest of the family, was born and reared in Belleville and educated in private schools. He lives on the old homestead, in a large house built in the Southern style. Mr. Engelmann has held the office of Township Clerk many times.
Adam Fries was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, February 24, 1837, and was brought to America when an infant six months old. His father was George Fries, who lived on Tur-
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
key Hill until 1859, when he moved to New Athens. Adam received his schooling in the township public school at Turkey Hill. In 1861 he married Margaret Fries. He lived at Turkey Hill two years, then moved to Section 12, Engelmann Township, where he lived until his death in 1901. Mrs. Fries died in 1878. Later Mr. Fries married Miss Mary Lischer. Mr. Fries had, by his first marriage, three children: Adam J., Eliza (Mrs. John Bischoff, of Mascoutah), and Louisa. By his second marriage he had two children: Anna and John. Mr. Fries was always prominent in the community, was School Director for twelve years, and has been Township Assessor several terms. Politically, he is a Republican, and is a member of the Lutheran Church.
Jacob Fries, a farmer and stock-raiser of Engelmann Township, was born September 22, 1853, about three miles west of Mascoutah, the son of John Fries. He was educated in the district schools of the neighborhood and worked on the farm. In 1879 he married Miss Elizabeth Freivogel, daughter of Christian Frei- vogel, an old settler, and had six children: Ju- lius, Walter, Oscar, and Edmund (all deceased), and Hilda and Emma. Mr. Fries lived for a time in Freeburg Township, then moved to En- gelmann Township, where he has lived ever since. He is a man of public spirit and has been School Trustee in the township, and also School Director. Politically, he is a Repub- lican.
John Fries, son of George Fries, was born September 28, 1840, at Turkey Hill, and now lives on Section 12, in Engelmann Township. November 10, 1861, he married Miss Eliza- beth Fries, daughter of John Fries, and has three children: George J., Elizabeth M., and Emilie. Mr. Fries has been School Trustee for years, a Trustee of the Lutheran Church of Mascoutah, and is prominent in the commu- nity.
Peter Fries, son of George and Elizabeth Fries, was born in St. Clair County, January 31, 1843, and was educated in the district schools. In 1867, he married Miss Dorothea Weaver, of Clinton County. He lived for a while on Turkey Hill, and then moved to Engelmann Township. They have three chil- dren: Eliza (Mrs. Adam Larch), Susan and Emma. Mrs. Fries died in 1879. Mr. Fries is a successful farmer, a stanch Republican, a
member of the Farmers' Mutual Benefit Associa- tion, and a communicant of the Lutheran Church.
John P. Fuesser, son of George C. Fuesser, of Byne in Haslach, Germany, and Mary (Dun- dor) Fuesser, was born February 6, 1853, in Mascoutah Township, where he was educated in the district schools. He is a practical farm- er, and prominent in the community. Polit- ically, Mr. Fuesser is a Republican.
Charles Karch, son of Ernest and Elizabeth Seip Karch, who emigrated from Germany to America in 1833, was born in Freeburg Town- ship, June 2, 1843. Ernest Karch lived first on Dutch Hill, next in Freeburg Township, and then in Engelmann Township, Section 31; but later moved to Fayetteville, where he lived until his death in 1853. Charles was educated in the public schools, and early learned to farm. In 1867, he married Miss Mary Heberer, daugh- ter of George Heberer, one of the settlers of Freeburg Township, and had three children: Gustav, Laura, and Charles. Mr. Karch is a man of public spirit and has been School Treasurer, Supervisor of the Township and School Director in his district. He has lived practically all his life in this community.
George P. Liebig, son of Valentine Liebig, of Darmstadt, Germany, who emigrated to Amer- ica in 1836, was born in Baltimore, Md., in December, 1836. In 1837 the family came west to St. Louis, and about 1839 to Freeburg Township, St. Clair County. In 1847, they moved to the present Engelmann township and bought the farm now occupied by George P. Liebig Valentine Liebig died in Mascoutah in 1876. George attended the local schools during the winter months and worked on the farm in the summer. April 23, 1863, he mar- ried Miss Margaret Weaver, of Clinton County, and they had ten children: Fred (who died), Henry V., Philip, Lizzie (Mrs. Brown), Emma, John, Mary, George, Annie and Susanna. Mr. Liebig is a man of prominence in the com- munity. He is a Democrat, has been School Director, School Trustee and Highway Com- missioner. Socially he is a Mason, and is an active member of the Farmers' Mutual Benefit Association.
John J. Rayhill, of Virginia parentage, was born March 4, 1824, in Engelmann Township. His father was a farmer, a soldier in the War of 1812, and for a while taught school. John
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
J., May 7, 1856, married Adeline Pitts, daugh- ter of Pintcher and Elizabeth Pitts, early set- tlers of the county. They had four children: Virginia M. (Mrs. William H. Dugger), George, Charles Edward and Sarah. Charles is the only child now living. Mr. John J. Rayhill died in 1899 and his wife in 1866. Mr. Rayhill was a farmer practically all his life. In 1850 he went to California to hunt gold, but returned some time later. Politically, he was a Repub- lican.
Hon. Peter Seibert, son of Balthaser Seibert, who emigrated with his family from Germany to America in 1852, was born in Germany April 24, 1844. The family lived about twenty-five years on a farm near Belleville, then removed to Mascoutah. Peter Seibert was educated in the district chools and in the Belleville High School. In 1868, he married Miss Catherine Eidmann, daughter of Martin Eidmann, one of the pioneer settlers of Turkey Hill. He then settled six miles east of Mascoutah, and in 1876 settled on the farm which he has ever. since made his home. He has eight children: Louisa, Emilia, Bertha, Julius, Emma, Ru- dolph, Ella and Henry George. Mr. Seibert was long a Republican, but eventually, influenced by a party question, went over to the Democratic party. He has been Supervisor of the town- ship for three years, School Director more than twenty years, and was elected State Senator in 1890 for a term of four years.
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SHILOH VALLEY TOWNSHIP embraces most of congressional township 1 N., R. 7 W., and is bounded north by O'Fallon Township, east by Mascoutah Township, south by Freeburg Town- ship and west by St. Clair Township. It was organized from Shiloh and Mascoutah Pre- cincts. Its officers in 1906 are: Julius Reuss, Supervisor; Charles Zimmerman, Highway Commissioner; Henry D. F. Freichnald, Town Clerk; Otto B. Engelmann, Collector; George O. Meyer, Justice of the Peace; James H. Rent- frow, Constable; Ernest Zimmerman, Police
Magistrate. Shiloh, in the northern, and Rentchler's Station, in the southern part of the township, afford convenient merchandising and transportation facilities. The township is drained by Silver Creek and some of its trib- utaries, notably Loop Creek and its headwaters.
CHAPTER XVI.
PRECINCTS AND TOWNSHIPS. (SOUTHEASTERN.)
EARLY LOCAL HISTORY-FAYETTEVILLE, ST. CLAIR AND ATHENS PRECINCTS-LOCATION AND BOUND- ARIES-FIRST SETTLERS-AN OLD WITCH STORY- FIRST LAND ENTRIES-PERSONAL REMINISCENCES -MILLS, CHURCHES .AND SCHOOL-HOUSES-COM- ING OF EUROPEAN EMIGRANTS-A KASKASKIA RIVER STEAMER-EARLY METHODS OF WATER TRANSPORTATION-PRESENT TOWNSHIP ORGANI- ZATION-FAYETTEVILLE, NEW ATHENS, LENZBURG, FREEBURG AND MARISSA TOWNSHIPS-PRESENT TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.
FAYETTEVILLE PRECINCT included nearly all of T. 2 S., R. 7 W., a small part of T. 2 S., R. 6 W., three sections of T. 1 S., R. 6 W., and more than half of T. 1 S., R. 7 W. It was bounded on the north by Mascoutah Precinct, east by Mascoutah and St. Clair Precincts, south by Athens Precinct and west by Richland Precinct. The Kaskaskia River flowed along its southern border and Silver Creek, flowing through it southerly, emptied its waters into the Kaskas- kia a mile northeast of New Athens, which is situated beyond the Fayetteville line in Athens Precinct. Freeburg, Fayetteville and Lemen- ton Station were all within this precinct. Parts of Freeburg, New Athens and Fayetteville Townships as now organized were also within the boundaries of the old precinct.
Now let us consider the settlements made in the old Fayetteville Precinct. The land was rich prairie country, covered with fine timber, abounding in coal and well watered. The first land entries were made in 1814 by James Adams, William Gainys; Thomas Pulliam, Mat- thew Atchison, Pierre Menard, Daniel Howell, William McIntosh, Samuel Griffith, and the heirs of G. Hendricks made entries in 1815; and Samuel Mitchell and Daniel Stookey in 1817, all in T. 2 S., R. 6 W., the present Fayetteville Township. Earlier claims were made by Theo- dore G. Hendricks in 1798 for military service in 1790 (sold to Stephen Whiteside in 1820); by William Biggs in 1798; and by Larkin Ruther-
6. 30 BraYER
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
ford in 1799. About 500 acres of the celebrated Tamaroa claim, surveyed by John Edgar in 1798, lies in this precinct, also land he got as a reward for services as Indian Agent.
Among the early settlers we find several names now known in St. Clair County. In 1811, Jacob Short and Moses Quick entered the forests skirting the Kaskaskia opposite the present town of New Athens. At that time the land was not occupied; there was not a cabin to be found anywhere in that region. These men immediately fell to work, built a raft, and, in March following, floated it, laden with meat, corn, furs, and the like, to New Or- leans. This was the first boat, except the In- dian canoes, that had ever floated on the Kas- kaskia waters above Levens.
In 1803, Abraham Teter from Virginia, who had settled in Monroe County, Ill., in 1797, with Peter Mitchell, Barbara Shook, Isaac Grif- fen and their families, came up along Silver Creek to T. 1 S., R. 7 W. Teter bought the claim of a man named Cook, who was living there, and shared his cabin; Mitchell and Grif- fen lived near by. Across the Kaskaskia lived a family of Radcliffes, who, with Cook, are believed to have been the first settlers. There is a tradition that, before this time, a man with his wife and little child had located near the mouth of Silver Creek, and that the fam- ily had been killed about 1797.
Wherever men go, they take with them their superstitions. Mrs. Cook was regarded by the people in the neighborhood of Turkey Hill as a witch; and Mr. Radcliffe across the river claimed to be a witch-master; nor did either of these claims fail to gain credence.
February 19, 1809, Solomon Teter was born in the precinct, one of a family of eleven chil- dren. His sister Rebecca, born in 1805, was the first female child born here. Peter Mitchell was the first Justice of the Peace, and held that office for a long time.
In 1805 there came from Washington County, Md., George Wilderman with nine of his ten sons-John, Jacob, Francis, James, Dorsey, Henry, Joseph, William, Levi and George-and his three daughters, who married Peter Hill, Job Badgley and Benjamin Phillips. The Wil- dermans settled in that part of the precinct now included in Freeburg Township.
A historic double wedding was celebrated here April 28, 1813, Rev. Nathan Arnett officiat-
ing. The bridegrooms were Patrick and Wil- liam Huggins, the brides Elizabeth Mitchell and Darter Barbery.
In 1815, John Boucher taught a subscription school in the Silver Creek settlement, in a school-house one end of which was entirely occupied by a fire-place, and the roof of which, for want of windows, had to be partly uncov- ered on dark days. Such were the educational conveniences of the "good old days."
Religious fervor was a marked characteristic of the people who composed this community. On March 21, 1811, they organized the Silver Creek Baptist Church with seven members, who met in different homes until 1817, when they built a log church. Further nistory of this church is given in the chapter on "Churches."
In 1815, Joseph McKinney put up on the east side of Silver Creek the first mill-a band mill-which would grind from ten to twelve bushels of corn a day, each patron furnishing the necessary motive power. Mr. Mckinney sifted wheat with sieves, or "sarchers," as he called them. In 1828, William Whitchinck and his son built a mill which marked a decided advance in milling. They did all the work except the blacksmithing-dressed the stone, a round rock about five and a half feet in diam- eter, found in David Pulliam's branch and claimed by millers to be equal to any French burrstone. By changing the teams of oxen, they could make the mill turn out seventy-five bushels a day.
Solomon l'eter, Aaron Land, Isaac Griffen, John Baker and Myram McMullen represented this district in the Black Hawk War.
The old precinct of Fayetteville was estab- lished June 5, 1839, and called Jefferson, but was later called Fayetteville by common con- sent. The first election was held at Marshall's store, Jefferson, and the judges were Philip Land, James Mason and William D. Ross; but on petition June 6, 1843, the voting place was changed to Henry Douth's on Silver Creek.
ST. CLAIR PRECINCT was bounded north by Mascoutah Precinct, east by Washington County, south by Athens Precinct and west by Athens and Fayetteville Precincts. It included about two-thirds of congressional township 2 S., R. 6 W., and about one-third of congressional town-
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY
ship 3 S., R. 6 W. Within its borders were portions of the present Townships of Fayette- ville and Marissa. The Kaskaskia River flowed along its northern and northwestern border, Big Mud Creek along its southwestern border and Little Mud Creek, flowing west into the former, cut the precinct in halves north and scuth. Its principal settlements were a . St. Libory and Darmstadt. It was organized from Athens Precinct in 1870.
The rich timber country along the streams lured the home-seeking pioneers to this pre- cinct. The first land entries were made by H. Darter in 1815. Daniel Stookey, David Pul- liam, William Glasgow and John Walker made entries in 1817, and Henry Whitman.in 1818. As far back as 1816, the Indian saw his white brother, the supplanter, at home in his cabin on the Indian's old camp ground. The first to come was Nathaniel Hill, from North Car- olina, who, braving the perils of isolation and the hardships of life in the wilds, disturbed for the first time the profound quiet of these wild forests with the sound of hammer and axe. Very soon after came Andrew Free, with his family of grown sons and daughters, from the mountains of Eastern Tennessee, to form what was later known as the "Free Settlement." In 1817, Isaac Rainey from Middle Tennessee, came with his family to this precinct, passed the winter with Nathaniel Hill, hunting and trap- ping, and in the spring of 1818 built his own cabin. During the latter year came Joshua Pennington and family from East Tennessee, and Isaac Allen from Red Bud, who that year married Elizabeth Free. This, the first wed- ding in the settlement, was conducted by "Judge". Peter Mitchell, and was of more than nine days' interest in the community.
In 1822, Richard Beasley, Sr., settled on Mud Creek, H. Darber on Section 13, the later site of St. Libory Catholic cemetery, and David Pul- liam on the east side of the Kaskaskia, north of the mouth of Little Mud Creek, on Section 16. These pioneers, brave, sturdy and hospita- ble men, lived and worked in true pioneer style, making the wild country a fit habitation for man, far from the advantages of school and church, and glad to welcome to their homes and hearths traveling preachers from the East who came to work in the "benighted West." Washington Ballard and Nathaniel Powers were
among the early preachers who came under their roofs.
The first birth in the new settlement was that of John Hill, in 1817; the second, it is believed, was that of Jefferson Rainey, April 20, 1820. The first death was that of the first wife of the elder Richard Beasley-Sallie Curry Beas- ley-to whom Mr. Beasley was married June 21, 1824, less than a year before she passed away. The second was that of Mrs. Free, who died in 1827, and was buried on Section 27, near the present site of Darmstadt. About the same time Jack Baggs died and was buried on Section 14, on the east bank of Mud Creek. The story goes that Absalom P. Free stole Patsey Belsher from an emigrant band bound for Missouri, and married her on May 1, 1818, and that theirs was the second wedding in the community.
In 1831, Jared Wilkinson, a negro, was brought to this community and freed by his master, Washington Ballard, then a blacksmith as well as a preacher. As an iron-worker he had no competition for some years. Wilkinson, the black man, is said to have been a Methodist preacher of no mean ability. In order to add to his scanty education he went to Sparta, the Mecca at tnat time of all those in this place who would learn the "three R's." In 1831 a school was opened in the settlement. Several men gave lumber or work, and all putting their shoulders to the wheel, put up a rude school- house on Little Mud Creek, about two miles northwest of Darmstadt. John Campbell, the first teacher, had but fourteen or fifteen pupils, whom he taught for $2.50 a quarter per pupil, and "boarded 'round" with his patrons.
In 1834, Isaac Rainey built a horse-mill, to answer a long-felt want. This mill was a primitive band-mill, "slow but sure," and its speed the butt of many a joke. Rumor has it that a hound howling piteously once attracted the attention of a humane passer-by, who found, on investigating, that the dog, "poor thing," was enduring the tortures of Tantalus while he waited for the mill to turn out a bite. For the verification of this tale the reader is re- ferred to the unerring testimony of Dame Rumor.
The first German settlers were: Bernard Dingwerth, William Harwerth and Joseph Stem- pel, who came in 1833. Very soon Dingwerth
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY
and Harwerth built a raft on the Kaskaskia, bought up the country produce of the neigh- borhood, especially chickens, corn and pota- toes, and floated down to New Orleans, where they found a ready market for everything they had for sale.
In 1835 the first store was opened by Robert G. Shannon and Samuel Foster. The second was opened in 1844 by Conrad Benner, who had begun as peddler, but had built up too profitable a business to carry his wares around any more; hence he had adopted the more set- tled calling of merchant.
Isaac Rainey kept the first postoffice-"Mud Creek"-at his house about a mile and a half from Darmstadt; but, in 1856, it was moved to Hermantown, and in 1878 its name was changed to St. Libory.
In 1842, William Waltz and Peter Roden- mayer established blacksmith shops near Darmstadt. That same year the Protestant Lutherans built on Section 27 a house of wor- ship-a small log building, which in 1866 was supplanted by a brick church on the site of the old burial ground of 1838. George Heb- erer was the first to be buried there.
The year 1837 saw the advent of a number of German settlers-John C. Eckert, Nicholas Petri, Michael Funch, Wendel Eckert, Nicholas Wurm and many others. March 1, 1839, Wen- del Eckert married Mary Perschbacher, John Stuntz officiating.
In 1836, a Mormon brother came into this locality to secure accessions to the Mormon faith, and succeeded in getting many prose- lytes. Notable among these converts was Thomas Nelson, who left the settlement and went to the Mormon community in Jackson County, Mo .; but when he saw the true nature of Mormon life, he abandoned the Mor- mons and their faith in disgust and came back to St. Clair to live.
This precinct was excellent from an agricul- tural point of view; but lack of railroad facili- ties was a disadvantage to it commercially.
ATHENS PRECINCT was bounded on the north by Fayetteville Precinct, on the east by St. Clair Precinct and Washington County, on the south by Randolph County and on the west by Monroe County. It included the present Town- ship of Lenzburg, all except the northeast cor- ner of the township of Marissa, the southeast
corner of New Athens Township and the south- west corner of Fayetteville Township. Hence the early history of Athens Precinct includes the early history of the above named terri- tory.
This precinct was organized June 5, 1839, in- cluding in its original area the precinct of St. Clair, which was set apart from it in 1870. The first election was held in the fall of 1839 at the store of James Turkington, and Reuben Lively, Adam McDonald and Isaac Rainey were the judges of the election.
This is a beautiful, well cultivated prairie with groves of timber, especially along the streams, and contained 44,470 acres. It is wa- tered by the Kaskaskia River, Big Mud and Dosa Creeks and smaller streams. The Illinois Central Railroad passes through it diagonally from northwest to southeast.
The first settler was John Lively, from South Carolina, who came here in 1805. About 1810 there came Nathaniel Hill, Joshua Perkins, Reuben Stubblefield, James and Reuben Lively, and Richard Beasley, Sr. As a means of pro- tection against Indians, they built a block- house on Dosa Creek near Hillstown. This block-house-like most block-houses of that pe- riod-was two stories high, the lower story being provided with port-holes and strong puncheon doors securely barred. The second story projected over the first, so that men with- in could shoot down upon Indians trying to enter the lower story. A son of Mr. Lively went to live in Washington County, in spite of his friends' entreaties for him to stay in safety in the block-house. Finally his house was attacked by Indians, who killed all the family except Lively and one son, who es- caped to this block-house. After a while, when it was no longer needed, this stronghold was abandoned.
In the fall of 1816, Bernhardt Steiner, a na- tive of Switzerland, came to this precinct, and was so pleased with the country that he de- termined to make it his home. Accordingly he went to Kaskaskia and entered several sec- tions of land. In 1817, he went back to Switzer- land, but returned to this precinct in 1818, bringing with him several families, among whom were Jacob Hardy and the Wildys. He immediately established himself in business as a merchant. In 1820, in order to satisfy a great want among the neighboring settle- ments, he went to Kaskaskia, where he built
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY
a raft, loaded it with salt and goods, then "poled" it up the river. It had always been a dream of Steiner's to found a city on the river near his home, but his death in 1822 put an end to this cherished plan, which he may or may not have carried to success had he lived. In 1822, Peter Baumann, a nephew of Steiner's, a scholar and a man of means, came from Switzerland to be the latter's partner in busi- ness; but before his arrival here, Steiner was waylaid and killed while traveling on horse- back with money on his person. As there were no schools, Mr. Baumann taught his own children, giving them a fair education. Peo- ple would come to him to draw up papers or to obtain advice on matters requiring tech- nical knowledge. In 1825, he built a horse-mill, which he operated many years, each patron furnishing his own power for grinding his grist. He was also the first Postmaster, ap- pointed in 1840 to have charge of the office called Lively, which he kept at his own house. His son, Peter Baumann, Jr., born in June, 1823, was probably the first Switzer born in this county.
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