USA > Illinois > Warren County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Warren County, Volume II > Part 30
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The first call for volunteers was made by McNeil May 31, 1832, and on June 4 thirty- seven men assembled at Monmouth and were mustered into service. The muster roll fol- lows:
Captain-Peter Butler.
First Lieutenant-James McCallon. Second Lieutenant-Solomon Perkins. First Sergeant-Isaac Vertrees. Second Sergeant-Benjamin Tucker. Third Sergeant-Matthew D. Ritchey. Fourth Sergeant-Adam Ritchey.
Privates- John VanAtta,
Jas. G. Caldwell,
John Quinn,
Thomas Ritchie,
Andrew Gibson,
George Gibson,
William Stark, W. H. Dennison,
Josiah Osborn,
John Armstrong,
Darius B. Cartwright, Elijah Hitton,
Gershom VanAtta, James Ryason,
William Laswell,
Paschal Pencaneau,
John D. Ritchie,
Samuel L. Hogue,
David Russell,
Charles A. Smith, Amos Williams,
John Findley,
Gabriel Short,
John McCoy,
Erastus S. Dennison,
John Maley,
Robert Stice,
William Paxton,
John Hendricks, Ezra G. Allen.
This company was soon afterward disbanded in consequence of an order issued by the gover- nor calling on McDonough and Warren coun- ties together to furnish a company to serve as mounted rangers until regularly discharged.
The latter company was quickly raised, and en- rolled June 11th, with Peter Butler as captain, James McCallon first lieutenant, and about an equal number of men from each of the two counties and a few from Hancock. The added names from this county were:
Ira F. M. Butler,
Josiah Smart,
John Davidson, Field Jarvis, Adam Ritchie.
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These war preparations, however, proved to have been unnecessary. The indian hostilities were not carried into this county, and no dep- redations were committed here until the war was over and Black Hawk had been captured.
THE MARTIN MURDER.
The murder of William Martin by the Indi- ans occurred while Captain Butler's company was stationed at the Yellow Banks. He was a son of Hugh Martin, Sr., and had come in ad- vance of his father's family to put up hay for the stock, the family intending to move to this county from Fulton county the next spring. They had selected a claim along Cedar Creek between Little York and Eleanor, and while mowing prairie grass near a piece of timber, on August 9th, the young man was attacked by five Indians, who rushed out of the timber, shot him, and then fled. Two daughters of William McCoy, who lived near by, saw the shooting. A messenger was dispatched to Capt. Peter Butler, and early next morning he start- ed out with his company in search of the mur- derers. Their camp fire was soon found, and the trail was followed to a slough below Keithsburg, at which place the Indians had crossed the Mississippi river, and made good their escape.
The murder of Martin was committed by stragglers from the Keokuk's friendly band of Sacs and Foxes, who had crossed over the Mississippi probably to avenge the wrongs in- flicted on Black Hawk. At the following Oc- tober term of the circuit court, the grand jury reported to the court the facts of the murder, and that the names of the murderers were un- known, and a copy of the report was forwarded to the governor, and by him to the President of the United States, who made a demand through the Indian agent, Col. Davenport, for the surrender of the murderers. One of the Indians was arrested and turned over to the
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
authorities at Rock Island, but escaped and fled across the Mississippi. Chief Keokuk de- livered up the next of kin to the murderers, but the county authorities were not notified of this and arranged to try them as the real murderers. Their names were Sa-sah-pe-mo, (He that troubleth) ; Ka-ke-mo, (He that speaks something with his mouth); I o-nah, (Stay here), and Wa-pa-shaw-kon, (The white string.) They were confined in jail at Mon- mouth until the June term, 1833, when they were released on a writ of habeas corpus. They had employed attorneys, at the suggestion of the Indian agent, and these, learning the cir- cumstances, applied for the discharge of the prisoners. Investigation showed that there was no reason for holding the men, and they were discharged. The court severely reprimanded Chief Keokuk for delivering innocent men in the room of the guilty, but he claimed to have done it honestly, and according to the custom of his tribe. At this same term of court an indictment was returned against the real mur- derers, Shash-que-washi, alias Neesh-wak-que, Muck-que-che-qua, Muck-qua-pal-a-shol, and Was-a-wan-a-quot, the first
named being charged with firing the fatal shot. The men were never captured, and the indictment was "nolle prossea" October 12, 1835. The indict- ment was drawn up by Thomas Ford, state's at- torney, and it recited that Martin was shot a little below the shoulder blade.
The four Indians surrendered by Chief Keo- kuk were the first inmates of the Warren county jail. In fact, they were brought here before the jail was ready for use, and they were kept under guard for awhile until it was far enough along to be a safe place of confinement.
THE OLD FORT.
The first block house at Cedar Creek was built by Adam Ritchey, who located on a claim there in 1829, L. P. Rockwell and Jonathan Buffum came in 1830 and bought Ritchey's claim, and on it built a saw mill, the first in the county. They erected another block house near the first, and built a stockade for a fort in the summer of 1832, and the place was a haven of refuge for the neighbors in those troublous times. A part of the old block house yet stands on the hill, occupied by Mrs. Smiley.
Another stockade, or fort, was erected by Robert Kendall, on what is now the Barnum
place on North Sunny Lane, in Monmouth. It was built of split logs and had port holes to shoot through. Kendall bought the place of Jacob Rust in 1831.
CHAPTER XV.
The Main Line of the Burlington System the First Railroad in the County-Built in 1855-First Load of Freight-The Building of the Other Railroad Lines.
Three railroad systems pass through Warren county, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, popularly known as the Burlington, the main line running east and west, the Rock Island and St. Louis division running north and south and the Quincy branch cutting off the southeast corner; the Iowa Central, running diagonally from northwest to southeast; and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, running east and west.
The main line of the Burlington was orig- inally the Peoria and Oquawka railroad. Dur- ing the summer of 1851 sufficient stock was subscribed to warrant its construction, and the contract was let, part going to Chauncey Har- din, A. C. Harding and Ivory Quinby, of Mon- mouth, for $12,000 per mile. The surveys were made through Warren county in October, and work commenced at the Burlington end of the line December 2, Oquawka having been left off the line. The last rail was laid March 5, 1855, and the first railway train into Monmouth came from the west on that day. Warren county people contributed $100,000 for the building of the road. William Sprout, who died in 1902, in Monmouth, hauled the first load of freight landed here by the new road. It was consigned to N. A. Rankin & Co., for whom Mr. Sprout was then working. Regular trains commenced running about April 1, there being a passenger and a freight each way daily. The ticket office was established May 1, with C. S. Cowan in charge. The time between Mon- mouth and Chicago was ten and one-half hours. The fast mail service on this road was inaugur- ated March 11, 1884.
The Northern Cross railroad, now the Quin-
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
cy branch of the Burlington, was completed about the first of February, 1856.
During 1869 and 1870 the Rockford, Rock Island and St. Louis railroad was in process of incubation. The charter had been granted in 1865, and in 1869 the counties and towns along the route voted subsidies and soon the line was under construction. The first work in Warren county was done in April, and south of Monmouth. It was then extended both ways, and in August the road was in running order from Monmouth to St. Louis. On the 22d of that month the first passenger trams ran into Monmouth on the new road. The road is now the Rock Island and St. Louis division of the Burlington.
The Iowa Central railroad was completed in- to Monmouth January 24, 1883, and the first locomotive drew up to the depot grounds on that day. The road was organized as the Bur- lington, Monmouth and Illinois River railroad in 1875, and a narrow gauge road was contem- plated. In 1879 William Hanna and Delos P. Phelps, of Monmouth, became interested in the proposition, were placed on the executive com- mittee of the company, and secured subscrip- tions and subsidies which resulted in the con- struction of the road, though Keithsburg was made the western terminus instead of Burling- ton, and the road was made standard gauge. It was consolidated with the Iowa Central rail- road in a few years, and is now a part of that system. The first through car of freight from Chicago to Monmouth over this road was re- ceived March 7, 1883. It was a consignment of twelve tons of lead, shipped to Smith & Dun- bar. The first passenger train from Peoria arrived in Monmouth April 21, on Saturday, and returned to Peoria the next Monday. Mon- mouth has been a division point on the Iowa Central since October 23, 1898.
The surveys for the Santa Fe railroad were made during the summer of 1886 and the first through train over the road was a directors' train which passed through the county De- cember 8, 1887. Regular trains were not run until the next summer. The Santa Fe now makes Monmouth the terminus of one of its trains from Chicago, the trains entering that city over Iowa Central tracks from Nemo, and the Iowa. Central station being used. This ar- rangement began November 5, 1899.
The first telegraph office in the county was opened in Monmouth in August, 1856. F. M.
Crawford was operator. The Great Western Telegraph Company opened an office in August, 1869, and the Atlantic and Pacific opened one in 1877. Neither of the two latter continued very long.
CHAPTER XVI.
History of the Warren County Library and Reading Room Association, Prepared by Its Secretary, Prof. T. H. Rogers-First County Library Started in 1836-Now Has More than 20,000 Volumes.
This institution is now the growth of one- third of a century, with more to follow. It has steadily developed in those directions for which funds have been given. A broad foundation has been laid, upon which the future can build, safe and large.
The reading room was opened June 1st, 1868, and was then known as the Monmouth Reading Room and Library. Twenty-five persons col- lected and paid in $2,500 to meet the estimated expenses for two years. They formed them- selves into an association of directors. Mr. N. A. Rankin was elected president. Judge Ivory Quinby gave the use of a room located at the corner of Broadway and First streets. He outlined the plan and wrote the constitu- tion, which is substantially unchanged after the thirty-four years of trial. He aided in the selection of the first directors and of the peri- odicals. He gave the best thought and mature judgment of his last years to planning a li- brary and thus helped to a success which he did not live to see. From 1868 to the time of his death in 1877, Mr. William Laferty was the treasurer. He began the prudent and conser- vative financial policy which has ruled ever since.
During the first two years no books were bought. Unbound magazines were loaned for home use, and also used in the reading room.
From the first meeting of the directors, held in the law office of Stewart & Phelps, Febru- ary 3, 1868, Mr. W. P. Pressly was an interest- ed member. During the year 1870' he erected
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
and deeded in trust to this Association, a brick building 42x75 feet, at the southwest corner of the public square. The rents of two large business rooms on the first floor sustain the building and buy a constant supply of books. The second story was designed for a library and reading room. This was the first building in the State built and given as a library for popular use. It is a gift which pro- duces income and is self-perpetuating.
Mr. Pressly's expressed wishes were that li- brary privileges be extended to people living in the country and that books be bought at- tiactive to the generality of readers and to the young. Thus a childless man provided for the pleasure and instruction of the children. A business man, he embodied in this gift the practical ideas of his life as a successful mer- chant, whose custom had been largely from out of town.
It was his idea that considerable population is needful for a large and prosperous public library and that popular goods must be bought in accord with the common wants of customers in order to attract readers. He selected a site where rentals are valuable and where people from all directions can exchange books without loss of time when they come shopping. Thus his purpose was as practical as the intent of a store or of a bank. The management has been based on business principles rather than on bookish ideals.
His gifts for this purpose amounted to over $20,000. And in addition to this, about 18,000 of the volumes now on the shelves have been bought from the income of the W. P. Pressly foundation. People use these books through- out the county and beyond. The founder's pur- pose of returning to those in town and country from whom he had received, has been accom- plished. Young people especially prize the ad- vantages provided for them by one who lives to see the good he has done. He has often ex- pressed his satisfaction with the results at- tained, saying, " I thank God that he led me to build this building." His faith has ever been that proclaimed by the greatest of the poets :
"There's a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough-hew them how we will."
The enlargement of the scope of the institu- tion to include the country, led to a change of the name. It is of interest to note that the 717-3
name selected was taken because it had been used during the pioneer days of this commun- ity. The oldest record book in our court house shows that a Warren County Library was start- ed January 12, 1836. That was less than nine years after the first white man settled in this county, which then extended to the Mississippi river. The log court house had then been built only four and a half years.
The first trustees of that library were James McCallon, Elijah Davidson, James P. Hogue and George H. Wright. The president was Milo Holcomb. The secretary was the many- handed Daniel McNeil. At that date nothing was constitutional in this part of the state unless he was in it. Dr. R. C. Matthews was one of the later trustees. In 1870 he proposed reviving the old name. Mr. Pressly had re- quested the adoption of a name which would indicate a people's library, not only for this city but also for the country. That early li- brary never possessed any property except a few books. It naturally died out in time.
The following is the roll of directors, de- ceased, who have served the present library between 1868 and 1902: John E. Alexander, John S. Clark, H. B. Foskett, Samuel M. Ham- ilton, William Hanna, Chancey Harding, Jacob Holt, William Laferty, Robert C. Matthews, John Porter, Ivory Quinby, N. A. Rankin, J. K. Ripley, Edwin R. Smith, James H. Stewart, A. H. Swain, Henry Tubbs, William Walker, David A. Wallace, Elias Willits and Samuel Wood. This list speaks for the character of the work done. These men helped with rare good judgment to organize success. They were prudent, public spirited and alive to the best interests of the community. 'Their aims were not narrow, nor partisan nor personal. They were trustees who could be trusted.
Here, as elsewhere, this object has attracted the co-operation of clear headed business men. The long and increasing list of the founders and promoters of libraries for the people in- cludes the most successful men of affairs, such as Franklin, Tilden, Carnegie, Marshall Field, and Gladstone. They recognized the fact that in no other way can a gift, large or small, reach so great a number. Active, practical, busy men and women have been most interest- ed in the Warren County Library.
During the year 1884 Mr. John D. Thompson, of California, who had gone from Monmouth as a forty-niner, enlarged the usefulness of the
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
reading room. He gave $5,000 to the endow- ment, suggesting that the income therefrom be devoted to making the use of periodicals free in the library rooms. It was requested by Mr. Thompson that no name be made public in this connection. This restriction was re- moved in a letter received sixteen years later, shortly before his death. When certain changes are made in the building a memorial. window will be placed in the Reading Room in honor of him who made it free. He remem- bered the home of his boyhood in this gift. He shall not be forgotten.
The will of Mrs. Sarah C. Simmons, who died in 1899, put the library in possession of certain real estate, then valued at $14,000. With the proceeds of its sale a building is to be erected as a memorial of her son. This building is to contain a library on the first floor. Mrs. Sim- mons had climbed the stairs for nearly thirty years to draw books. She had seen that the aged and the infirm need easier means of ac- cess. The new building will also provide more room, which is much needed. Already the book space is nearly filled. The plan under consideration is, that the new building will contain the circulating library, and the read- ing room and reference library will remain where they are. It is the usual method to have these apart, but in close proximity.
As the number of volumes increases, vari- ous departments are generally placed in differ- erent buildings or in different rooms. One thing that a growing, prosperous public li- brary is sure to need is more room, and yet again more room. A lot to the southeast, ad- joining the library, was purchased in 1901. Vacant ground given by Mr. Pressly is thus made easily accessible from the public square and can be used as the sites of additional buildings if that is deemed best.
Each year shows advance and improvement. The number of volumes, the number of readers and the cash receipts increase steadily. The Endowment grows by gifts received and by adding each year a part of the income. Thus the means are accumulating for future enlarge- ments.
The experience of the older public libraries is that one person after another adds to their property and to their usefulness. It is well that the common wants of readers have here re- ceived the first gifts. Strange to say there are many people who will not read mathematics
or theology. But a man's a man for a' that. And there is high authority for that demo- cratic precept of the first Christian century, honor all men. That is what this library does, without fear and without favor. It is a repub- lic of letters, where all men, women and chil- dren have equal rights. Such is clearly the intent of the department founded by Mr. W. P. Pressly.
This is now a free reference library, where any one can use in the reading room, without charge, any of the books. It is the purpose to extend this free use very widely-to cover the county with free branches and travelling librar- ies, to provide strong departments for various classes of readers, to freely furnish books to the schools and to all ages, industries and na- tionalities in this vicinity. The best libraries are doing these things.
The use of our books and periodicals covers a very wide range. Information is sought here on almost every imaginable topic-literary, po- litical, scientific, historical, religious and artis- tic. Our readers also seek that which is in- tensely practical. They read on house build- ing, horse training, house furnishing, manufac- turing, patent rights, machinery, gardening, farming, cookery, needlework and the fash- ions. The schools ,the shops and the women's clubs, all receive large benefits. Stockmen in- vestigate the registered pedigrees of their horses and cattle, using the genealogies of the Hambletonians, of the Durhams, and of other first families.
Although this library is intensely American and is as yet lacking to a great extent in for- eign works or their translations, people of many nationalities frequent the rooms. It is worthy of note to mention one striking ex- ample of the educational influence of this free institution. For many years, a naturalized cit- izen who came from Linkoping, Sweden, read here, whenever he had time from a laborious occupation. The result was that he became far better informed on American public affairs than most native voters are. His interest of- tentimes expresses „self in the wish that some one of foreign birth would give this library the money to found a European Department of translations and of books concerning Europe.
In the reading room, the best catalogues, in- dexes and works of reference are provided, to aid readers in looking up desired information for themselves. This is a great advantage, as
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
self-help is the best help. A bulletin, published every three months, enables people at a distance to know what books they can order sent to them.
Wholesome recreation, for young and old, is provided. Very many who had no literary tastes have learned to use the best books. Children come to the rooms as soon as tney can read. Boys who delighted in Indian stor- ies, years ago, have grown up to be useful men, without scalping any one.
The Warren County Library is incorporated, not as a single library but as a system of li- braries. The charter provides for "branches elsewhere and connections with other librar- ies." This outside extension is yet largely in the future. It waits to be provided with funds. When our ship comes in, our books will travel widely. Their use is not restricted to this county.
Such an association of libraries will be built up here without income from taxation. The demands on public revenue are yearly increas- ing. In many places the library tax is deemed a burden and has been cut down. Monmouth, even without it, has the distinction of being, probably, the most highly taxed city in the state.
Nor can the money for this purpose be ob- tained by general soliciting. This community is, for various objects, canvassed as excessively as it is overtaxed. What this library has re- ceived has been freely given by those who will be remembered for benefits done to the entire community in which the donors have lived and prospered. By taking care of and enlarging these gifts they have become greater each year. Such gifts and such prudent management of property are the hope for future advancement.
The Association of directors is a permanent corporation and holds in trust the property and the management. The present life mem- bers are as follows: President, W. P. Pressly; Vice President, Fred E. Harding; Treasurer, W. H. Sexton; Secretary and Superintendent, Thos. H. Rogers; Trustees, O. S. Barnum, Ivory Quinby, C. M. Rodgers, J. W. Sipher, W. K. Stewart. Directors, Draper Babcock, C. V. Brooks, George Bruington, A. A. Cornell, D. D. Dunkle, Henry Jewell, J. M. Jamieson, John McCoy, H. H. Pattee, W. P. Smith and G. S. Tubbs.
Much of the most important work is done by committees yearly appointed by this board.
The books to be bought are selected by a com- mittee of men and women who represent a wide variety of readers. Selections are not made with a critical indifference to popular tastes. The money did not come that way. Much valuable help has been given in catalog- uing and indexing by persons interested in the success of the library. Committees of business men have looked after the buildings, the finan- ces, the investments and the auditing. These matters have been so well managed that in the entire thirty-four years not one dollar of prin- cipal or interest has been lost. The librarian is Mr. T. M. Millen.
The governing corporation consists of a lim- ited number of members, holding their places during life or regular attendance on the meet- ings. It fills its own vacancies. This form of constitution insures stability and permanency. There have been no upheavals, political or other- wise. A steady, uniform policy has been fol- lowed. The funds and other property are in the care of persons especially selected for pru- dent management of property. Politics, favor- itism and wire-pulling have been entirely ab- sent. There have been no dissensions or quar- rels. The members of the association, differ- ing widely in affiliation, have always worked harmoniously together. The object has been the public good as provided for by the gifts received. No party, or sect, or class rules or is favored more than another. The funds and property received might have founded any one of various kinds of libraries. They have been used as was intended by the donors. The asso- ciation holds this property in trust, not in fee simple, at its own pleasure.
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