USA > Illinois > Warren County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Warren County, Volume II > Part 31
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The annual report for 1901 gives the fol- lowing statistics: Number of volumes, 20,597, of which 622 were added during the year; peri- odicals, regularly received, 120; books and mag- azines drawn for use, 69,438; current receipts for the year, $3,766.15; current expenditures, $3,102.90; the endowment is now $25,625, hav- ing been increased during the year $1,482.90.
The W. P. Pressly Foundation produced dur- ing the year from rents and interest $1,416.16, used for purchase of reading matter and for sustaining the buildings.
The John D. Thompson Gift is now $7,380.65 and produced $465.18 income. This furnishes the free reading room.
The Mark Billings Building Fund from the bequest of Mrs. Sarah C. Simmons, holds at
720
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
interest $12,250 and real estate for sale, valued at $4,000. This fund will be used for an addi- tional building when the real estate is sold.
Those who have given largely have selected the purposes to which their gifts shall be ap- plied. This is their right. Thus far the gifts have been for the popular department. This is not a theory, it is a condition. Other needed departments can be founded by others, with such conditions as the donors see fit to affix to what they give. To complete and enlarge the institution, strong special libraries of His- tory, of Science and of European literature, mostly in translations, are needed; a children's room is needed; free branch libraries in vari- ous localities and in the schools of this county are needed; and a wholesale department to sustain this outside business. All these belong to the work of the modern public library. Coun- ty libraries elsewhere have such departments.
Each gift or bequest is held separate. Honor is given to whom honor is due. In each book is an inscription to show who gave it or from whose fund it was bought. There are memor- ial tablets on the buildings. The funds are re- ported each year under the names of the don- ors. This makes manifest whether these mon- eys are used as those who gave them intended. The published annual statements give publicity to the entire management.
All expenditures are made with careful econ- omy. The library expects every dollar to do its duty. That is the way the money came. Over the door of the plain building, erected in 1870, the donor has placed the motto of the Ohio school at which he was once a student, "Prodesse quam conspici." In administering his gift nothing has been done for aisplay. If the money thus far received had gone into a fine building, there would have been a library without books and without the means to meet . current expenses. It has been constantly held in view that the first requisites are an abun- dance of acceptable reading matter and a sure, ample income. A less conservative policy might easily have brought on the WarrenCounty Li brary the fate which has befallen the Warren County Fair.
The principle that givers have rights each in respect to his own or her own gift, has been a guiding star to the management. This rule is enacted as a part of the Illinois law for public libraries which are founded and sus- tained as this one is. The statute directs that
"the provisions of any will, deed or other in- strument by which endowment is given to said library and accepted thereby shall as to said endowment be a part of the organic law of the corporation."
To create full-grown an association of free libraries such as this one is to be, and, single- handed, to meet the needs of the masses and of the classes throughout the county, would require the gift of a millionaire. Such a system here must be the combined work of several persons, each founding or endowing a part.
This sketch reports progress and plans. The large success of what has been done gives assur- ance that what remains to be done, in order to fulfill the purposes for which the Warren County Library exists, will be accomplished.
CHAPTER XVII.
Census Figures of Population-Assessment Fi- gures-The Schools-Farmers' Organiza- tions-The Agricultural Society-Old Set- tlers' Association-Other County Organiz- ations.
The population of Warren county, as shown by the United States census of 1900, is as fol- lows:
1900 1890
Berwick township
826
798
Coldbrook township
928
936
Ellison township
999
996
Floyd township
844
841
Greenbush township
802
819
Hale township
776
805
Kelly township
809
882
Lenox township
885
837
Monmouth township, including
Monmouth city 8,682
Monmouth city
7,460
5,936
Point Pleasant township.
718
812
Roseville township,
including
Roseville village 1,664
Roseville village
1,014
788
Spring Grove township, including Alexis village 1,540
1,425
Alexis village, part in Warren
county
669
562
Alexis village, total
915
7,081
1,475
721
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
Sumner township, including
Little York village. 1,029
891
Little York village 334
Swan township
1,003 1,016
Tompkins township, including
Kirkwood village 1,658
1,667
Kirkwood village
1,008
949
Total in county
23,163
21,281
The growth of the county since its organiza- tion is shown in the following census reports of population :
1830
308
1840
6,739
1850
8,176
1860
18,336
1870
23,174
1880
22,898
1890
21,281
1900
23,163
THE ASSESSMENT FIGURES.
The assessment rolls for Warren county for the year 1901 show that there were in the county a total of 13,629 horses, with an aver- age value of $46.67 each; 37,498 cattle, valued at $26.52 each; 643 asses and mules, valued at $58.28 each; 5,093 sheep, valued at $3.73 each; and 46,490 hogs, valued at $7.26 each. The value of grain on hand was placed at $559,235. The total value of personal property in the county was $6,906,565; value of lands, $18,- 828,225; and value of lots, $4,141,150; total $29,- 875,840. At one-fifth rate the total assessed val- vation of the county including railroad proper- ty, was $6,675,118.
WARREN COUNTY SCHOOLS.
The first school in Warren county was begun in 1830 in a little log cabin about a half mile north of the old Henderson church in Hale township. Miss Martha Junkin was the teach- er, and pupils came a distance of three and four miles to school. The building was used as a school for about eight years, when it was burned. The first school in Monmouth was held in the old log court house in the summer of 1832, with Robert Black as teacher. Both of these schools, and any others that were kept during those years, were supported by sub- scriptions secured from the patrons.
September 6, 1831, Alexis Phelps was select-
ed by the County Commissioners court as school commissioner, or school agent for all school lands in the county. The sixteenth section in each township, which had been set apart by law for the support of schools, was put under his charge to sell as found best to secure funds for the schools when they should be estab- lished. The lands in Monmouth township were the first sold, the date being October 27, 1831. The school trustees appointed first were those for Monmouth township, being named the same day that Mr. Phelps was chosen commissioner. They were Robert Kendall, John E. Murphy and Daniel McNeil.
The first school trustees in other townships, with the date of their appointment, are:
Greenbush-Jesse W. Bond, William Trailer, Solomon Perkins, April 21, 1834.
Floyd-Lewis Vertrees, Jonathan Tipton,
John Riggs, June 2, 1834.
Berwick-Henry Meadows, Benjamin W. Al- len, George S. Pearce, September 7, 1835.
Ellison-Lambert Hopper, James Hanan, Cleveland Hagler, October 19, 1835.
Swan-Peter Scott, William Garrett, James Sutton, October 19, 1835.
Kelly-Chester Potter, Hiram Gray, William Lair, December 9, 1835.
Spring Grove-John Kelly, John Humphrey, Lazarus H. Haskel, December 9, 1835.
Sumner-Hugh Martin, Anthony Cannon,
James G. Barton, September, 1832.
Coldbrook-William Whitman, John G. Hal- ey, Joseph Murphy, December 2, 1833.
Hale-William Nash, Adam Ritchie, James Findley, March 6, 1834.
Tompkins-Samuel H. Hogue, James Gibson, Samuel Hanna, June 25, 1839.
Roseville-Robert Bay, John Riggs, Thomp- son Brooks, January 25, 1839.
Lenox-Seth C. Murphy, A. Ogden, Henry Howard, March 6, 1840.
The Monmouth school district was estab- lished March 6, 1834, and consisted of sections 16 and 33 in Monmouth township and sections 13, 24, 25 and 36 in Hale township.
Warren county, according to the latest figures in the office of the county superintendent of schools, has 126 school districts, with 13 graded and 122 ungraded schools. There were 125 frame school houses and nine brick ones, though the number of the latter has been since
722
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
increased by the new buildings at Monmouth and Alexis. There were 37 male teachers, re- ceiving an average of $64.48 per month as wages; and 157 female teachers, receiving an average of $39.21. The males of school age in the county were 3,234, of whom 2,530 were en- rolled in the schools; and 3,117 females of school age, of whom 2,477 were enrolled, mak- ing a total of pupils enrolled in the schools 5,007. There were 53 school libraries, with 2,654 volumes, valued at $6,061. The tax levy for schools was $91,450.67; the value of school property was $208,282; and the value of school apparatus was $5,961. There were four high schools, and five of the school buildings were furnace-heated.
FARMERS' ORGANIZATIONS.
At the close of a meeting of the Monmouth Farmers' Insurance Company January 3, 1893, an organization was effected for the purpose of holding an annual Farmers' Institute in Warren county. Officers were named as fol- lows: President D. C. Graham; Secretary, S. C. Hogue; Treasurer, T. S. Mcclanahan; and one vice-president from each township. The first institute was held February 14 and 15 of the same year, but bad weather caused a small at- tendance. The organization was perfected, however, and institutes have been held regu- larly since that time. The present officers of the institute, the last meeting of which was held at Roseville, are: Euclid N. Cobb, president; D. C. Frantz, secretary; T. S. McClanahan, treasurer.
The Warren County Farmers' Association was organized at a meeting in Monmouth Feb- ruary 1, 1872, beginning with a membership of 85. J. B. Meginnis was president; J. D. Porter, vice-president; and J. T. Morgan, secretary. The organization was intended to be in the in- terests of the farmers. One of the first acts was the resolve to circulate petitions asking the legislature to pass laws to prevent any judicial, legislative or executive officers from receiving a free pass from a railroad company in this State. The association soon disbanded.
The Warren County Central Association of Patrons of Husbandry was organized in Mon- mouth November 15, 1873. The local granges represented in the meeting were Jackson Cor- ners, Kentucky, Ohio, Roseville, Colfax, Lenox, Indian Grove, Empire, Warren, Ellisville Hall,
and Science Hall. The object of the organiza- tion as stated in its constitution, was "the more thorough education of the laboring classes, es- pecially those engaged in agricultural pur- suits, the best and most practical methods of managing the farm and its products." The first officers of the county association were: J. W. Bridenthal, master; M. Salisbury, secre- tary; L. H. Gilmore, treasurer. Local granges were established throughout the county, and for awhile the organization had considerable influ- ence in county affairs. It has long been out of existence.
WARREN COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
The Warren County Agricultura, Society was organized at a meeting held in the court house August 7, 1852. Samuel Hallam presided at the meeting and James G. Madden was secre- tary. A constitution was prepared and adopted, and a permanent organization effected with Mr. Hallam as president, Mr. Madden as secretary, George W. Palmer as vice-president, and T. B. Weakley as treasurer. The first annual elec- tion was held September 4, resulting as fol- lows: Samuel Hallam, president; Robert Gib- son, vice-president; James G. Madden, secre- tary; and William Billings, treasurer.
The first fair was held in the court house on Friday, October 15, and was a great success both as to entries and attendance, though no money premiums were given. The next year (1853) the fair was held in Samuel Wood's meadow, now a part of Wood & Carr's addi- tion, in the southwest part of the city of Mon- mouth. In July, 1856, the society purchased splendid grounds, ten acres, just south of the city limits and on the east side of the tracks of the St. Louis division of the Burlington rail- road. When the Driving Park Association was organized in 1891, it bought grounds adjoining those of the Agricultural Society on the south, and the two tracts were thrown into one, the Driving Park Association to have control of the grounds except during the week wanted for the fair.
In 1901 the Agricultural Society held its fiftieth annual or jubilee fair, after which the society was disbanded. A run of bad weather during fair week for several years had proved too much for the society's coffers, and it was thought better to close up its affairs than to
723
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
keep losing money year by year. The grounds now belong to the stockholders of the Driving Park Association. The officers of the society at the time of its disbanding were: George Bruington, president; George C. Rankin, sec- retary; W. B. Young, treasurer.
A plan for the reorganization of the Agri- cultural society was on foot in 1894, but it never was carried out. At that time, looking to the re- organization, the Warren County Fair Associ- ation was incorporated May 8, 1894, with a capital stock of $30,000. The incorporators were William Hanna, Eli Dixson, C. W. Postle- waite, D. C. Frantz, R. Lahann, Geo. C. Rankin and J. R. Barnett.
OLD SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.
The Warren and Henderson County Old Set- tlers' Association had its origin in action taken at a meeting held in the court house in Mon- mouth March 6, 1869. The primary object of the' meeting was to publicly testify to the regard which the older residents held toward Daniel McNeil, whose death had occurred a few days previous. Before the meeting adjourned a com- mittee of eight was selected to take steps toward organizing an old settlers' association of Warren county. The committee consisted of the following gentlemen: Azro Patterson, Bar Parker, C. K. Smith, George Babcock, Rodney Quinby, Samuel Claycomb, Samuel Woods, R. N. Allen. The matter was variously discussed, but no definite action was taken until January 27, 1872, when a preliminary meeting was held in the office of James H. Martin at Young Amer- ica, now Kirkwood. Col. Samuel Hutchinson called the meeting to order and stated the pur- pose of the gathering; and T. F. Lowther was made chairman and Judson Graves secretary. A number of the earliest settlers of Warren and Henderson counties were present, and much in- terest was manifested in the proposition to form the association. It was decided that all persons who had settled in the territory now comprising the two counties, previous to the separation of Henderson county, should be ad- mitted to membership.
The organization was completed at another meeting held in Gamble's hall at Young Amer- ica February 22 of the same year. General A. C. Harding, of Monmouth, was made tem- porary chairman of the meeting, and Judson Graves, of Young America, and E. H. N. Pat-
terson, of Oquawka, were the secretaries. A constitution was adopted and the following of- ficers were elected: President, S. S. Phelps; Vice-Presidents, R. W. Ritchie, A. C. Harding, John Curts; Secretaries, Judson Graves, E. H. N. Patterson; Treasurer, N. A. Chapin.
The first reunion of the association was held the first Wednesday in June, 1872, and reun- ions have been held each year since. The con- stitution now provides that all persons who have resided in either Warren or Henderson county for thirty years are eligible to member- ship in the association. The officers are: President, Draper Babcock, Monmouth; Vice- Presidents, T. H. Lape, Roseville, K. A. McKinley, Biggsville; Recording Secretary, J. W. Coghill, Monmouth; Corresponding Sec- retary, R. S. Russell, Kirkwood; Treasurer, W. C. Tubbs, Kirkwood; Executive Committee, C. J. Boyd, Roseville; J. L. Ragland, Monmouth; Dr. A. P. Nelson, Kirkwood; L. H. Gilmore, Gerlaw.
WARREN COUNTY TEACHERS' ASSOCIA- TION.
Twenty-two teachers present at a teachers' examination held in Monmouth April 5, 1856, decided to organize a county association of teachers. O. S. Barnum was chosen tempo- rary president, and D. R. Stevens secretary, and these officers were directed to arrange for an in- stitute at some convenient time at which the organization should be perfected. The insti- tute was held in Langdon's hall October 20 to 25 of the same year. Dr. C. C. Hoagland, a prominent educator of New Jersey, was pres- ent and took an active part, and addresses were also delivered by Rev. R. C. Matthews and Rev. A. Tucker. On the closing day of the in- stitute the Warren County Teachers' Associa- tion was organized, with A. H. Tracy as pres- ident and D. R. Stevens secretary. The sec- ond meeting was a called meeting, held in the Brick school house April 24, 1857. At this meeting the teachers urged the people of the county to make an effort to secure the location in Monmouth of the State Normal School about to be established under act of the Legislature. The effort, however, was a futile one, the insti- tution being located at Bloomington, the people there giving a bonus of $9,500 in cash and $4,- 500 in real estate to secure the school.
The Association has held meetings regularly
724
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
since its organization, and has accomplished much in the way of improving methods of teaching, etc.
WARREN COUNTY BIBLE SOCIETY.
The early records of the Warren County Bible Society were destroyed in the fire of 1871 which burned the store of Dr. N. M. Brown, who was then secretary of the society. The earliest mention of the organization to be found in the files of the Monmouth Atlas was Janu- ary 4, 1856, when it was officered as follows: President, James Thompson; Vice-President, Rev. J. P. Brooks; Secretary, Robert Holloway; Treasurer, J. A. Rhone. Nearly all the town- ships had local organizations also about that time. The first meeting of the executive com- mittee after the fire which destroyed the earlier records was held November 3, 1871. The com- mittee then consisted of Rev. R. C. Matthews, D. D., president; J. M. Henderson, J. D. Arms, W. F. Smith and N. M. Brown. At that time a new constitution and by-laws were adopted. The present officers of the society are: Presi- dent, Rev. N. H. Brown; Vice-President, Rev. Samuel VanPelt, D. D .; Secretary, D. W. Hare; Librarian and Treasurer, W. H. McQuiston; Ex- ecutive Committee, Rev. A. H. Dean, Rev. Sam- uel VanPelt, Rev. J. F. Jamieson, Rev. A. John- son, James Galbraith, W. H. Frantz.
COUNTY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.
The Warren County Medical Association was formed in May, 1855, with Dr. A. V. T. Gil- bert, president; Dr. N. C. Overstreet, vice presi- dent; Dr. Hugh Marshall, treasurer; Dr. J. M. Overstreet, recording secretary; and Dr. J. B. McCartney, corresponding secretary. The association went to pieces shortly and has been revived a number of times. The association as at present constituted has the following officers: President, Dr. W. S. Holliday; Secretary, Dr. W. H. Wells; Treas- urer, Dr. E. L. Mitchell.
WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION.
The Warren County Woman's Christian Tem- perance Union was organized at a meeting at Alexis December 16, 1885. Mrs. G. W. Stice, of Swan Creek, was chosen the first president;
Mrs. J. R. Webster, of Monmouth, Secretary; and Mrs. S. J. Findley, of Kirkwood, Treasurer. There are seven local unions in the county or- ganization now, viz: Alexis, Kirkwood, Little York, Monmouth, Roseville, Smithshire and Swan Creek. The officers are: Mrs. M. C. Hughes, of Monmouth, President; Miss M. L. Wiley, of Monmouth, Vice-President; Mrs. A. Edwards, of Smithshire, Secretary; and Mrs. Lizzie S. Beedee, of Monmouth, Treasurer.
WARREN COUNTY SABBATH SCHOOL AS- SOCIATION.
The Warren County Sabbath School Associa- tion is the outgrowth of a meeting held in the Presbyterian church in Monmouth January 19 and 20, 1864, at the call of President D. A. Wallace, of Monmouth College, Rev. J. C. Mill- er of the Monmouth Baptist church, Rev. George Norcross of the North Henderson Pres- ·byterian church, Superintendent Robert Cald- well of the North Henderson United Presbyter- ian Sabbath School, and Superintendent J. D. Arms of the Monmouth Presbyterian Sabbath School. Dr. Wallace was president and William A. Grant secretary; and W. B. Truax and Ste- phen Paxon, agents and missionaries of the American S. S. Union, were present. The superintendents of the Monmouth Sabbath Schools were requested to arrange for a second meeting, which they did, and annual conven- tions have been held regularly since. The County Association is auxiliary to the Illinois State Sabbath School Association. The present officers are:
J. E. Porter, President, Little York.
C. D. Hall, Vice President, Coldbrook.
Miss Omah Woods, Secretary, Monmouth. .
Miss Gertrude Phelps, Treasurer, Monmouth.
Department Superintendents: Normal-Miss Clara Andrews, Monmouth; Primary-Miss Ger- trude Phelps, Monmouth; Home-Mrs. W. S. D. Campbell, Kirkwood.
The latest reports to the County Secretary show the following statistics: Kelly township has four schools with 120 pupils enrolled; Spring Grove, seven schools with 632 pupils; Sumner, four schools with 319 pupils; Cold- brook, three schools with 165 pupils; Mon- mouth, sixteen schools with 2,659 pupils; Hale, one school with 111 pupils; Floyd, two schools with 211 pupils; Lenox, four schools with 116
725
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
pupils; Tompkins, five schools with 614 pupils; Berwick, two schools with 160 pupils; Roseville, four schools with 404 pupils; Ellison, five schools with 206 pupils; Greenbush, two schools with 110 pupils; Swan, three schools with 178 pupils; Point Pleasant, two schools with 113 pupils. Total for the county, sixty-four schools with 6,118 pupils.
COAL MINING.
The annual coal report of the Illinois bureau of labor statistics for 1901 shows eighteen coal mines in Warren county, with a total output for the year ending October 1, 1901, of 19,600 tons. The aggregate value of the product was $32,316, or $1.71 per ton. The coal is all mined by hand, and seventy-five men are employed. The average price paid for mining is ninety-eight cents per gross ton.
CHAPTER XVIII.
The County Seals-First Fruit Trees-The Old Stage Line from Springfield-The Winter of the Deep Snow-Miscellaneous Items.
COUNTY SEALS.
The seal of the County Court of Warren county (and of the Board of Supervisors as well) has in the outer circle the words "Warren County Court, Illinois," and in the center a river steamboat.
The seal of the Circuit Court bears the words "Warren County Circuit Court, Ill." and inside a river view, with mountains and the setting sun in the distance.
It cannot be found on the records when these seals were adopted. It was, however, evidently at the very organization of the county, since some of the papers as early as 183( or 1838 had the impress of a rude seal after the general design of the seals now used. That was when Warren and Henderson counties were one, and the Mississippi river was the west boundary.
OUR FIRST FRUIT TREES.
Jonathan Perriam, editor of The Prairie Farmer, at a meeting of the Northern Illinois Horticultural Society in January, 1878, said :
"In Warren county the first fruit trees were planted in 1829 by W. R. Jamison, with stock brought from Kentucky, and orchards followed in 1830 to 1836 which bore fruit up to 1867. Nurseries were first established in Warren county in 1855."
AN OLD STAGE LINE.
In the early days an old stage line passed through Warren county from east to west, com- ing from Knoxville through the now deserted town of Savannah in Coldbrook township to Monmouth, then on west to Oquawka. An ad- vertisement of this line appeared in the San- gamo Journal in April, 1834, and was as follows:
TO THE TRAVELING PUBLIC. FOUR HORSE COACH
From Springfield to the Yellow Banks.
Via Sangamontown, New Salem, Peters- burgh, Huron, Havana, Lewistown, Canton, Knoxville, Monmouth, to the Yellow Banks.
Leave Springfield every Wednesday morning at 6 o'clock, arrive at Monmouth on Friday evenings at 6 o'clock, and at the Yellow Banks on the Mississippi next day at 12 m. Return on the same days to Monmouth, and arrive at Springfield on Tuesday evenings at 6 o'clock.
Fare through to the Yellow Banks, nine dol- lars; way passengers six and one-fourth cents per mile. Baggage at the risk of owners. The proprietors have procured good carriages and horses, and careful drivers, and every attention will be paid to the comfort and convenience of passengers.
The country
through which this coach passes is well worthy the attention of emi- grants. The patronage of the public is solic- ited for this new enterprise.
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