Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Winnebago County, Volume I, Part 68

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913; Church, Charles A., 1857-
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 724

USA > Illinois > Winnebago County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Winnebago County, Volume I > Part 68

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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,

57,604

Springfield, "

28,639

Rockford,

28,000

Quincy, 66 66 and Reading Room 19,400

Galesburg

18,469

Bloomington, Withers "

Evanston, Free

66 15,515

14,766

Belleville,

Aurora,

14,350

Rock Island, 66

12,634

Joliet,

22,325

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,

17,000

Elgin, Gail Borden Public Library 66 16,068

Decatur,

60 14,511

25,000

5,000

LIBRARY BUILDING, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.

نسائم آن

موج الت ميمي طباتابع

البحرين

سعيد جيد

LIBRARY BUILDING (MAIN FLOOR), UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.

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HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.

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 Illincis 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 liead 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 may 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- moted: 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, low 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, then 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 levicd 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 mouey as School Boards or City Councils.

IV. Library Boards consist of ninc 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 each 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 has 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 Abraham 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 liope 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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Beveridge, Jan. 13-23, 1873; as President of the Senate John Early, 1873-75, and A. A. Glenn, 1875-77; Andrew Shuman, 1877-81; John M. Hamil- ton, 1881-83; William J. Campbell (as President of the Senate), 1883-85; John C. Smith, 1885-89; Lyman B. Ray, 1889-93; Joseph B Gill, 1893-97; William A. Northcott, 1897-1905; Lawrence Y. Sherman, 1905-09; John G. Oglesby, 1709 -.

LIMESTONE. Illinois ranks next to Pennsyl- vania in its output of limestone, the United States Census Report for 1890 giving the number of quarries as 104, and the total value of the product as $2,190,604. In the value of stone used for building purposes Illinois far exceeds any other State, the greater proportion of the output in Pennsylvania being suitable only for flux. Next to its employment as building stone, Illinois limestone is chiefly used for street-work, a small percentage being used for flux, and still less for bridge-work, and but little for burning into lime. The quarries in this State employ 3,383 hands, and represent a capital of $3,316,616, in the latter par- ticular also ranking next to Pennsylvania. The quarries are found in various parts of the State, but the most productive and most valuable are in the northern section.

LINCOLN, an incorporated city, and county- seat of Logan County, at the intersection of the Chicago & Alton, the Champaign and Havana and the Peoria, Decatur and Evansville Divi- sions of the Illinois Central Railroad; is 28 miles northeast of Springfield, and 157 miles southwest of Chicago. The surrounding country is devoted to agriculture, stock-raising and coal-mining .. Considerable manufacturing is carried on, among the products being flour, brick and drain tile. The city has water-works, fire department, gas and electric lighting plant, telephone system, machine shops, eighteen churches, good schools, three national banks, a public library, electric street railway, and two daily and two weekly papers. Besides common schools, it is the seat of Lincoln University (a Cumberland Presbyterian institution, founded in 1865). The Odd Fellows' Orphans' Home and the Illinois (State) Asylum for Feeble- Minded Children are also located here, the inmates of the latter numbering some 1,500. Pop. (1890), 6,725; (1900), 8,962; (1910), 10,892.

LINCOLN, Abraham, sixteenth President of the United States, was born in Hardin County, Ky., Feb. 12, 1809, of Quaker-English descent, his grandfather having emigrated from Virginia to Kentucky about 1780, where he was killed by the Indians in 1784. Thomas Lincoln, the father of Abraham, settled in Indiana in 1816, and removed

to Macon County in 1830. Abraham was the issue of his father's first marriage, his mother's maiden name being Nancy Hanks. The early occupations of the future President were varied. He served at different times as farm-laborer, flat- boatman, country salesman, merchant, surveyor, lawyer, State legislator, Congressman and Presi- dent. In 1832 he enlisted for the Black Hawk War, and was chosen Captain of his company . was an unsuccessful candidate for the Legislature the same year, but elected two years later About this time he turned his attention to the study of law, was admitted to the bar in 1836, and, one year later, began practice at Springfield. By successive re-elections he served in the House until 1842, when he declined a re-election. In 1838, and again in 1840, he was the Whig candi- date for Speaker of the House, on botli occasions being defeated by William L. D. Ewing. In 1841 he was an applicant to President William Henry Harrison for the position of Commissioner of the General Land Office, the appointment going to Justin Butterfield. His next official position was that of Representative in the Thirtieth Congress (1847-49). From that time he gave liis attention to his profession until 1855, when he was a lead- ing candidate for the United States Senate in opposition to the principles of the Nebraska Bill, but failed of election, Lyman Trumbull being chosen. In 1856, he took a leading part in the organization of the Republican party at Bloom- ington, and, in 1858, was formally nominated by the Republican State Convention for the United States Senate, later engaging in a joint debate with Senator Douglas on party issues, during which they delivered speeches at seven different cities of the State. Although he again failed to secure the prize of an election, owing to the char- acter of the legislative apportionment then in force, which gave a majority of the Senators and Representatives to a Democratic minority of the voters, his burning, incisive utterances on the subject of slavery attracted the attention of the whole country, and prepared the way for the future triumph of the Republican party. Previ- ous to this he had been four times (1840, '44, '52, and '56) on the ticket of his party as candidate for Presidential Elector. In 1860, he was the nominee of the Republican party for the Presi- dency and was chosen by a decisive majority in the Electoral College, though receiving a minor- ity of the aggregate popular vote. Unquestion- ably his candidacy was aided by internal dissensions in the Democratic party. His election and his inauguration (on March 4, 1861) were

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made a pretext for secession, and he met the issue with promptitude and firmness, tempered with kindness and moderation towards the se- cessionists. He was re-elected to the Presidency in 1864, the vote in the Electoral College standing 212 for Lincoln to 21 for his opponent, Gen. George B. McClellan. The history of Mr. Lin- coln's life in the Presidential chair is the history of the whole country during its most dramatic period. Next to his success in restoring the authority of the Government over the whole Union, history will, no doubt, record his issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation of January, 1863, as the most important and far-reaching act of his administration. And yet to this act, which has embalmed his memory in the hearts of the lovers of freedom and human justice in all ages and in all lands, the world over, is due his death at the hands of the assassin, J. Wilkes Booth, in Washington City, April 15, 1865, as the result of an assault made upon him in Ford's Theater the evening previous-his death occurring one week after the fall of Richmond and the surrender of Lee's army-just as peace, with the restoration of the Union, was assured. A period of National mourning ensued, and he was accorded the honor of a National funeral, his remains being finally laid to rest in a mausoleum in Springfield. His profound sympathy with every class of sufferers during the War of the Rebellion; his forbearance in the treatment of enemies; his sagacity in giving direction to public sentiment at home and in dealing with international questions abroad; his courage in preparing the way for the removal of slavery-the bone of contention between the warring sections-liave given him a place in the affections of the people beside that of Washington himself, and won for him the respect and admi- ration of all civilized nations.

LINCOLN, Robert Todd, lawyer, member of the Cabinet and Foreign Minister, the son of Abraham Lincoln, was born in Springfield, Ill., August 1, 1843, and educated in the home schools and at Harvard University, graduating from the latter in 1864. During the last few months of the Civil War, he served on the staff of General Grant with the rank of Captain. After the war he studied law and, on his admission to the bar, settled in Chicago, finally becoming a member of the firm of Lincoln & Isham. In 1880, he was chosen a Presidential Elector on the Republican ticket, and, in March following, appointed Secre- tary of War by President Garfield, serving to the close of the term. In 1889 he became Minister to England by appointment of President Harrison,

gaining high distinction as a diplomatist. This was the last public office lield by him. After the death of George M. Pullman he became Acting President of the Pullman Palace Car Company, later being formally elected to that office, which (1899) he still holds. Mr. Lincoln's name has been frequently mentioned in connection with the Republican nomination for the Presidency, but its use has not been encouraged by him.

LINCOLN AND DOUGLAS DEBATE, a name popularly given to a series of joint discussions between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Doug- las, held at different points in the State during the summer and autumn of 1858, while both were candidates for the position of United States Sena- tor. The places and dates of holding these discussions were as follows: At Ottawa, August 21; at Freeport, August 27; at Jonesboro, Sept. 15; at Charleston, Sept. 18; at Galesburg, Oct. 7; at Quincy, Oct. 13; at Alton, Oct. 15. Immense audiences gathered to hear these debates, which have become famous in the political history of the Nation, and the campaign was the most noted in the history of any State. It resulted in the securing by Douglas of a re-election to the Senate; but his answers to the shrewdly-couched interrog- atories of Lincoln Iod to the alienation of his Southern following, the disruption of the Demo- cratic party in 1860, and the defeat of his Presi- dential aspirations, with the placing of Mr. Lincoln prominently before the Nation as a sagacious political leader, and his final election to the Presidency.

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, an institution located at Lincoln, Logan County, Ill., incorporated in 1865. It is co-educational, has a faculty of eleven instructors and, for 1896-8, reports 209 pupils- ninety-one male and 118 female. Instruction is given in the classics, the sciences, music, fine arts and preparatory studies. The institution has a library of 3,000 volumes, and reports funds and endowment amounting to $60,000, with . property valued at $55,000.

LINDER, Usher F., lawyer and politician, was born in Elizabethtown, Hardin County, Ky. (ten miles from the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln), March 20, 1809; came to Illinois in 1835, finally locating at Charleston, Coles County ; after travel- ing the circuit a few months was elected Repre- sentative in the Tenth General Assembly (1836), but resigned before the close of the session to accept the office of Attorney-General, which he held less than a year and a half, when he resigned that also. Again, in 1846, he was elected to the Fifteenth General Assembly and re-elected to the

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HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.

Sixteenth and Seventeenth, afterwards giving his attention to the practice of his profession. Mr. Linder, in his best days, was a fluent speaker with some elements of eloquence which gave him a wide popularity as a campaign orator. Originally a Whig, on the dissolution of that party he became a Democrat, and, in 1860, was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention at Charleston, S. C., and at Baltimore. During the last four years of his life he wrote a series of articles under the title of "Reminiscences of the Early Bench and Bar of Illinois," which was pub- lished in book form in 1876. Died in Chicago, June 5, 1876.

LINEGAR, David T., legislator, was born in Ohio, Feb. 12, 1830; came to Spencer County, Ind., in 1840, and to Wayne County, Ill., in 1858, afterward locating at Cairo, where he served as Postmaster during the Civil War; was a Repub- lican Presidential Elector in 1872, but afterwards became a Democrat, and served as such in the lower branch of the General Assembly (1880-86). Died at Cairo, Feb. 2, 1886.

LIPPINCOTT, Charles E., State Auditor, was born at Edwardsville, Ill., Jan. 26, 1825; attended Illinois College at Jacksonville, but did not graduate; in 1849 graduated from the St. Louis Medical College, and began the practice of medi- cine at Chandlerville, Cass County. In 1852 he went to California, remaining there five years, taking an active part in the anti-slavery contest, and serving as.State Senator (1853-55). In 1857, having returned to Illinois, he resumed practice at Chandlerville, and, in 1861, under authority of Governor Yates, recruited a company which was attached to the Thirty-third Illinois Infantry as Company K, and of which he was commissioned Captain, having declined the lieutenant-colo- nelcy. Within twelve months he became Colonel, and, on Sept. 16, 1865, was mustered out as brevet Brigadier-General. In 1866 he reluctantly con- sented to lead the Republican forlorn hope as a candidate for Congress in the (then) Ninth Con- gressional District, largely reducing the Demo- cratic majority. In 1867 he was elected Secretary of the State Senate, and the same year chosen Doorkeeper of the House of Representatives at Washington. In 1868 he was elected State Audi- tor, and re-elected in 1872; also served as Perma- nent President of the Republican State Conven- tion of 1878. On the establishment of the Illinois Soldiers' and Sailors' Home at Quincy, he became its first Superintendent, assuming his duties in March, 1887, but died Sept. 13, following, as a result of injuries received from a runaway team

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Winnebago County, Volume I, Part 68

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913; Church, Charles A., 1857- Publication date: 1916 Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 724

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913; Church, Charles A., 1857-
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 724