Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Winnebago County, Volume I, Part 72

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

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studied law, and, later, became a member of the law firm of Mattocks & Mason, but subsequently, in conjunction with two brothers, organized the firm of Mason Brothers, for the prosecution of a real-estate and law business. In 1881 Mr. Mason was one of the organizers of the Chicago Musical Festival, which was. instrumental in bringing Theodore Thomas to Chicago. In 1887 he became President of the Chicago Historical Society, as the successor of Elihu B. Washburne, retaining the position until his death, Dec. 18, 1898. During his incumbency, the commodious building, now occupied by the Historical Society Library, was erected, and he added largely to the resources of the Society by the collection of rare manuscripts and other historical records. He was the author of several historical works, including "Illinois in the Eighteenth Century," "Kaskaskia and Its Parish Records," besides papers on La Salle and the first settlers of Illinois, and "The Story of James Willing-An Episode of the American Revolution." He also edited a volume entitled "Early Chicago and Illinois," which was pub- lished under the auspices of the Chicago Histor- ical Society. Mr. Mason was, for several years, a Trustee of Yale University and, about the time of his death, was prominently talked of for President of that institution, as successor to President Timothy Dwight.

MASON, William E., United States Senator, was born at Franklinville, Cattaraugus County, N. Y., July 7, 1850, and accompanied his parents to Bentonsport, Iowa, in 1858. He was educated at the Bentonsport Academy and at Birmingham College. From 1866 to 1870 he taught school, the last two years at Des Moines. In that city he studied law with Hon. Thomas F. Withrow, who afterward admitted him to partnership. In 1872 he removed to Chicago, where he has since prac- ticed his profession. He soon embarked in poli- tics, and, in 1878, was elected to the lower house of the General Assembly, and, in 1882, to the State Senate. In 1884 he was the regular Repub- lican candidate for Congress in the Third Illinois District (then strongly Republican), but, owing to party dissensions, was defeated by James H. Ward, a Democrat. In 1886, and again in 1888, he was elected to Congress, but, in 1890, was defeated for re-election by Allan C. Durborow. He is a vigorous and effective campaign speaker. In 1897 he was elected United States Senator, receiving in the Legislature 125 votes to 77 for John P. Altgeld, the Democratic candidate.

MASON CITY, a prosperous city in Mason County, at the intersection of the Chicago &

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Alton and the Havana branch of the Illinois Central Railroads, 18 miles west by north of Lincoln, and about 30 miles north of Springfield. Being in the heart of a rich corn-growing district, it is an important shipping point for that com- modity. It has four churches, two banks, two newspapers, brick works, flour-mills, grain-ele- vators and a carriage factory. Population (1880), 1,714; (1890), 1,869; (1900), 1,890; (1910), 1,842.

MASON COUNTY, organized in 1841, with a population of about 2,000; population (1910), 17,377, and area of 518 square miles-named for a county in Kentucky. It lies a little northwest of the center of the State, the Illinois and Sanga- mon Rivers forming its west and its south bound- aries. The soil, while sandy, is fertile. The chief staple is corn, and the county offers excel- lent opportunities for viticulture. The American pioneer of Mason County was probably Maj. Ossian B. Ross, who settled at Havana in 1832. Not until 1837, however, can immigration be said to have set in rapidly. Havana was first chosen as the county -seat, but Bath enjoyed the honor for a few years, the county offices being per- manently removed to the former point in 1851. Mason City is an important shipping point on the Chicago & Alton Railroad

MASONS, ANCIENT ORDER OF FREE AND ACCEPTED. (See Free-Masons.)

MASSAC COUNTY, an extreme southern county of the State and one of the smallest, its area, being but little more than 240 square miles, with a population (1910) of 14,200-named for Fort Massac, within its borders. The surface is hilly toward the north, but the bottom lands along the Ohio River are swampy and liable to frequent overflows. A considerable portion of the natural resources consists of timber-oak, wal- nut, poplar, hickory, cypress and cottonwood abounding. Saw-mills are found in nearly every town, and considerable grain and tobacco are raised. The original settlers were largely from Ohio, Kentucky and North Carolina, and hospi- tality is traditional. Metropolis, on the Ohio River, is the county-seat. It was laid off in 1839, although Massac County was not separately organized until 1843. At Massac City may be seen the ruins of the early French fort of that name.

MASSAC COUNTY REBELLION, the name commonly given to an outbreak of mob violence which occurred in Massac County, in 1845-46. An arrested criminal having asserted that an organ- ized band of thieves and robbers existed, and having given the names of a large number of the

alleged members, popular excitement rose to fever heat. A company of self-appointed "regu- lators" was formed, whose acts were so arbitrary that, at the August election of 1846, a Sheriff and County Clerk were elected on the avowed issue of opposition to these irregular tactics. This served to stimulate the "regulators" to renewed activity. Many persons were forced to leave the county on suspicion, and others tortured into making confession. In consequence, some leading "regulators" were thrown into jail, only to be soon released by their friends, who ordered the Sheriff and County Clerk to leave the county. The feud rapidly grew, both in proportions and in inten- sity. Governor French made two futile efforts to restore order through mediation, and the ordinary processes of law were also found unavailing. Judge Scates was threatened with lynching. Only 60 men dared to serve in the Sheriff's posse, and these surrendered upon promise of personal immunity from violence. This pledge was not regarded, several members of the posse being led away as prisoners, some of whom, it was believed, were drowned in the Ohio River. All the incarcer- ated "regulators" were again released, the Sheriff and his supporters were once more ordered to leave, and fresh seizures and outrages followed each other in quick succession. To remedy this condition of affairs, the Legislature of 1847 enacted a law creating district courts, under the provi- sions of which a Judge might hold court in any county in his circuit. This virtually conferred upon the Judge the right to change the venue at his own discretion, and thus secure juries unbiased by local or partisan feeling. The effect of this legislation was highly beneficial in restoring quiet, although the embers of the feud still smoldered and intermittently leaped into flame for several years thereafter.

MATHENY, Charles R., pioneer, was born in Loudoun County, Va., March 6, 1786, licensed as a Methodist preacher, in Kentucky, and, in 1805, came to St. Clair County (then in Indiana Terri- tory), as a missionary. Later, he studied law and was admitted to the bar; served in the Third Territorial (1817) and the Second State Legisla- tures (1820-22); removed, in 1821, to the newly organized county of Sangamon, where he was appointed the first County Clerk, remaining in office eighteen years, also for some years holding, at the same time, the offices of Circuit Clerk, Recorder and Probate Judge. Died, while County Clerk, in 1839 .- Noah W. (Matheny), son of the preceding, was born in St. Clair County, Ill., July 31, 1815; was assistant of his father in the

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County Clerk's office in Sangamon County, and, on the death of the latter, (November, 1839), was elected his successor, and re-elected for eight con- secutive terms, serving until 1873. Died, April 30, 1877 .- James H. (Matheny), another son, born Oct. 30, 1818, in St. Clair County ; served in his youth as Clerk in various local offices; was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1847, elected Circuit Clerk in 1852, at the close of his term beginning the practice of law; was com- missioned Lieutenant-Colonel of the One Hundred and Fourteenth Illinois Volunteers, in October, 1862, and, after the siege of Vicksburg, served as Judge Advocate until July, 1864, when he resigned. He then returned to his profession, but, in 1873, was elected County Judge of Sanga- mon County, holding the office by repeated re- elections until his death, Sept. 7, 1890,-having resided in Springfield 68 years.

MATHER, Thomas, pioneer merchant, was born, April 24, 1795, at Simsbury, Hartford County, Conn .; in early manhood was engaged for a time in business in New York City, but, in the spring of 1818, came to Kaskaskia, Ill., where he soon after became associated in business with James L. Lamb and others. This firm was afterwards quite extensively engaged in trade with New Orleans. Later he became one of the founders of the town of Chester. In 1820 Mr. Mather was elected to the lower branch of the Second General Assembly from Randolph County, was re-elected to the Third (serving for a part of the session as Speaker), and again to the Fourth, but, before the expiration of his last term, resigned to accept an appointment from Presi- dent John Quincy Adams as Commissioner to locate the military road from Independence to Santa Fe, and to conclude treaties with the Indians along the line. In the Legislature of 1822 he was one of the most determined oppo- nents of the scheme for securing a pro-slavery Constitution. In 1828 he was again elected to the House and, in 1832, to the Senate for a term of four years. He also served as Colonel on the staff of Governor Coles, and was supported for the United States Senate, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John McLean, in 1830. Having removed to Springfield in 1835, he became promi- nent in business affairs there in connection with his former partner, Mr. James L. Lamb; in 1837 was appointed a member of the first Board of Fund Commissioners for the State under the internal improvement system; also served seven years as President of the Springfield branch of the State Bank; was connected, as a stock-

holder, with the construction of the Sangamon & Morgan (now Wabash) Railroad, extending from Springfield to the Illinois river at Naples, and was also identified, financially, with the old Chi- cago & Galena Union Railroad. From 1835 until his death, Colonel Mather served as one of the Trustees of Illinois College at Jacksonville, and was a liberal contributor to the endowment of that institution. His death occurred during a visit to Philadelphia, March 28, 1853.

MATTESON, Joel Aldrich, ninth regularly elected Governor of Illinois (1853-57), was born in Watertown, N. Y., August 8, 1808; after some experience in business and as a teacher, in 1831 he went to South Carolina, where he was foreman in the construction of the first railroad in that State. In 1834 he removed to Illinois, where he became a contractor on the Illinois & Michigan Canal, and also engaged in manufacturing at Joliet. After serving three terms in the State Senate, he was elected Governor in 1852, and, in 1855, was defeated by Lyman Trumbull for the United States Senatorship. At the close of his gubernatorial term he was complimented by the Legislature, and retired to private life a popular man. Later, there were developed grave scandals in connection with the refunding of certain canal scrip, with which his name-unfortunately -was connected. He turned over property to the State of the value of nearly $250,000, for its indemnification. He finally took up his resi- dence in Chicago, and later spent considerable time in travel in Europe. He was for many years the lessee and President of the Chicago & Alton Railroad. Died in Chicago, Jan. 31, 1873.

MATTHEWS, Asa C., ex-Comptroller of the United States Treasury, was born in Pike County, Ill., March 22, 1833; graduated from Illinois Col- lege in 1855, and was admitted to the bar three years later. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, he abandoned a remunerative practice at Pitts- field to enlist in the army, and was elected and commissioned a Captain in the Ninety-ninth Illi- nois Volunteers. He rose to the rank of Colonel, being mustered out of the service in August, 1865. He was appointed Collector of Internal Revenue in 1869, and Supervisor for the District composed of Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan, in 1875. Being elected to the Thirtieth General Assembly in 1876, he resigned his office, and was re-elected to the Legislature in 1878. On the death of Judge Higbee, Governor Hamilton appointed Mr. Matthews to fill the vacancy thus created on the bench of the Sixth Circuit, his term expiring in 1885. In 1888 he was elected to

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the Thirty-sixth General Assembly and was chosen Speaker of the House. In May, 1889, President Harrison named him First Comp- troller of the United States Treasury, and the House, by a unanimous vote, expressed its grati- fication at his selection. Col. Matthews served as Department Commander of the G. A. R. of Illinois, 1907-08. Died at his home in Pittsfield, June 14, 1908.

MATTHEWS, Milton W., lawyer and journal- ist, was born in Clark County, Ill., March 1, 1846, educated in the common schools, and, near the close of the war, served in a 100-days' regiment ; began teaching in Champaign County in 1865, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1867; in 1873 was appointed Master in Chancery, served two terms as Prosecuting Attorney, and, in 1888, was elected to the State Senate, meanwhile, from 1879, discharging the duties of editor of "The Champaign County Herald," of which he was also proprietor. During his last session in the State Senate (1891-92) he served as President pro tem. of that body; was also President of the State Press Association and served on the staff of Governor Fifer, with the rank of Colonel of the Illinois National Guard. Died, at Urbana, May 10, 1892.

MATTOON. an important city in Coles County, 172 miles west of south from Chicago and 56 miles west of Terre Haute, Ind .; a point of junction for three lines of railway, and an important shipping point for corn and broom corn, which are both extensively grown in the surrounding region. It has several banks, foundries, machine shops, brick and tile-works, flour-mills, broom factories, with three daily and two weekly newspapers; also has good graded schools and a high school. The repair shops of the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad are located here. Pop. (1890), 6,833; (1900), 9,622; (1910), 11,456.

MAXWELL, Philip, M.D., pioneer physician, was born at Guilford, Vt., April 3, 1799, graduated in medicine and practiced for a time at Sackett's Harbor, also serving in the New York Legisla- ture; was appointed Assistant Surgeon at Fort Dearborn, in 1833, remaining intil the abandon- ment of the fort at the end of 1836. In 1838 he was promoted Surgeon, and served with Gen. Zachary Taylor in the campaign against the Semi- noles in Florida, but resumed private practice in Chicago in 1844; served two terms as Represent- ative in the General Assembly (1848-52) and, in 1855, settled on the shores of Lake Geneva, Wis., where he died, Nov. 5, 1859.

MAY, William L., early lawyer and Congress- man, was born in Kentucky, came at an early day

to Edwardsville, Ill., and afterwards to Jackson- ville; was elected from Morgan County to the Sixth General Assembly (1828), and the next year removed to Springfield, having been appointed by President Jackson Receiver of Public Moneys for the Land Office there. He was twice elected to Congress (1834 and '36), the first year defeating Benjamin Mills, a brilliant lawyer of Galena. Later, May became a resident of Peoria, but finally removed to California, where he died.

MAYO, Walter L., legislator, was born in Albe- marle County Va., March 7, 1810; came to Edwards County, Ill., in 1828, and began teach- ing. He took part in the Black Hawk War (1831-32), being appointed by Governor Reynolds Quartermaster of a battalion organized in that section of the State. He had previously been appointed County Clerk of Edwards County to fill a vacancy, and continued, by successive re-elec- tions, to occupy the position for thirty-seven years-also acting, for a portion of the time, as Circuit Clerk, Judge of Probate and County Treas- urer. In 1870 he was elected Representative in the Twenty-seventh General Assembly for the Edwards County District. On the evening of Jan. 18, 1878, he mysteriously disappeared, having been last seen at the Union Depot at East St. Louis, when about to take the train for his home at Albion, and is supposed to have been secretly murdered. No trace of his body or of the crime was ever discovered, and the affair has remained one of the mysteries of the criminal history of Illinois.

MAYWOOD, a village of Cook County, and suburb of Chicago, 10 miles west of that city, on the Chicago & Northwestern and the Chicago Great Western Railways; has churches, two weekly newspapers, public schools and some manufactures. Pop. (1900), 4,532; (1910), 8,033.

McALLISTER, William K., jurist, was born in Washington County, N. Y., in 1818. After admission to the bar he commenced practice at Albion, N. Y., and, in 1854, removed to Chicago. In 1866 he was a candidate for the bench of the Superior Court of that city, but was defeated by Judge Jameson. Two years later he was chosen Judge of the Recorder's Court, and, in 1870, was elected a Justice of the Supreme Court, which position he resigned in 1875, having been elected a Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County to fill a vacancy. He was re-elected for a full term and assigned to Appellate Court duty in 1879. He was elected for a third time in 1885, but, before the expiration of his term, he died, Oct. 29, 1888.

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McARTHUR, John, soldier, was born in Ers- kine, Scotland, Nov. 17, 1826; worked at his father's trade of blacksmith until 23 years old, when, coming to the United States, he settled in Chicago. Here he became foreman of a boiler- making establishment, later acquiring an estab- lishment of his own. Having joined the Twelfth Illinois Volunteers at the beginning of the war, with a company of which he was Captain, he was chosen Lieutenant-Colonel, still later Colonel, and, in March, 1862, promoted to Brigadier-Gen- eral for gallantry in the assault on Fort Donelson, where he commanded a brigade. At Shiloh he was wounded, but after having his wound dressed, returned to the fight and succeeded to the com- mand of the Second Division when Gen. W. H. L. Wallace fell mortally wounded. He commanded a division of McPherson's corps in the operations against Vicksburg, and bore a conspicuous part in the battle of Nashville, where he commanded a division under Gen. A. J. Smith, winning a brevet Major-Generalship by his gallantry. General McArthur was Postmaster of Chicago from 1873 to 1877. Died March 16, 1906.

McCAGG, Ezra Butler, lawyer, was born at Kinderhook, N Y., Nov. 22, 1825; studied law at Hudson, and, coming to Chicago in 1847, entered the law office of J. Young Scammon, soon after- wards becoming a member of the firm of Scam- mon & McCagg. During the war Mr. McCagg was an active member of the United States Sani- tary Commission, and (for some years after the fire of 1871) of the Relief and Aid Society; also a life-member and officer of the Chicago Historical Society, besides being identified with several State and municipal boards. His standing in his pro- fession is shown by the fact that he was more than once offered a non-partisan nomination for Justice of the Supreme Court, but declined it. He held a high rank in literary circles, as well as a connoisseur in art, and was owner of a large private library col- lected since the destruction of one by the fire of 1871. Died Aug. 2, 1908.

McCARTNEY, James, lawyer and ex-Attorney General, was born of Scotch parentage in the north of Ireland, Feb. 14, 1835; at two years of age was brought to the United States and, until 1845, resided in Pennsylvania, when his parents removed to Trumbull County, Ohio. Here he spent his youth in general farm work, meanwhile attending a high school and finally engaging in teaching. In 1856 he began the study of law at Warren, Ohio, which he continued a year later in the office of Harding & Reed, at Monmouth, Ill .; was admitted to the bar in January, 1858, and

began practice at Monmouth, removing the fol- lowing year to Galva. In April, 1861, he enlisted in what afterwards became the Seventeenth Regiment Illinois Volunteers, was commissioned a First Lieutenant, but, a year later, was com- pelled to resign on account of ill-health. A few months later he re-enlisted in the One Hundred and Twelfth Illinois, being soon promoted to a captaincy, although serving much of the time as Judge Advocate on courts-martial, and, for one year, as Acting Assistant Adjutant-General in the Army of the Ohio. At the conclusion of his term of service in the army, he resumed the practice of his profession at Fairfield, Ill .; in 1880 was nominated and elected, as a Republican, Attorney- General of the State, and, during his last year in office, began the celebrated "Lake Front suits" which finally terminated successfully for the city of Chicago. Since retiring from office, Gen- eral McCartney has been engaged in the practice 1 of his profession, chiefly in Springfield and Chi- cago, having been a resident of the latter city since 1890.

McCARTNEY, Robert Wilson, lawyer and jurist, was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, March 19, 1843, spent a portion of his boyhood in Pennsylvania, afterwards returning to Youngs- town, Ohio, where he enlisted as a private in the Sixth Ohio Cavalry. He was severely wounded at the battle of Gettysburg, lying two days and nights on the field and enduring untold suffering. As soon as able to take the field he was commis- sioned, by Governor Curtin, a Captain in the Eighty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers, serving in the army of the Potomac to the close of the war, and taking part in the grand review at Washing- ton, in May, 1865. After the war he took a course in a business college at Pittsburg, removed to Cleveland and began the study of law, but soon came to Illinois, and, having completed his law studies with his brother, J. T. McCartney, at Metropolis, was admitted to the bar in 1868; also edited a Republican paper there, became inter- ested in lumber manufacture and was one of the founders of the First National Bank of that city. In 1873 he was elected County Judge of Massac County, serving nine years, when (1882) he was elected Representative in the Thirty-third Gen- eral Assembly. At the close of his term in the .Legislature he was elected Judge of the Circuit Court for the first Circuit, serving from 1885 to 1891. Died, Oct. 27, 1893. Judge McCartney was able, public-spirited and patriotic. The city of Metropolis owes to him the Free Public Library bearing his name.

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McCLAUGHRY, Robert Wilson, penologist, was born at Fountain Greeu, Hancock County, Ill., July 22, 1839, being descended from Scotch- Irish ancestry-his grandfather, who was a native of the North of Ireland, having come to America in his youth and served in the War of the Revolu- tion. The subject of this sketch grew up on a farm, attending school in the winter until 1854, then spent the next two winters at an academy, and, in 1856, began a course in Monmouth Col- lege, where he graduated in 1860. The following year he spent as instructor in Latin in the same institution, but, in 1861, became editor of "The Carthage Republican," a Democratic paper, which he made a strong advocate of the cause of the Uniou, meanwhile, both by his pen and on the stump, encouraging enlistments in the army. About the first of July, 1862, having disposed of his interest in the paper, he enlisted in a company of which he was unanimously chosen Captain, and which, with four other companies organized in the same section, became the nucleus of the One Hundred and Eighteenth Illinois Volunteers. The regiment having been completed at Camp Butler, he was elected Major, and going to the field in the following fall, took part in General Sherman's first movement against Vicksburg by way of Chickasaw Bayou, in December, 1862. Later, as a member of Osterhaus' Division of Gen- eral McClernand's corps, he participated with his regiment in the capture of Arkansas Post, and in the operations against Vicksburg which resulted in the capture of that stronghold, in July, 1863. He then joined the Department of the Gulf under command of General Banks, but was compelled by sickness to return north. Having sufficiently recovered, he spent a few months in the recruit- ing service (1864), but, in May of that year, was transferred, by order of President Lincoln, to the Pay Department, as Additional-Paymaster, with the rank of Major, being finally assigned to duty at Springfield, where he remained, paying off Illi- nois regiments as mustered out of the service, until Oct. 13, 1865, when he was honorably dis- charged. A few weeks later he was elected County Clerk of Hancock County, serving four years. In the meantime he engaged in the stone business, as head of the firm of R. W. McClaughry & Co., furnishing stone for the basement of the State Capitol at Springfield and for bridges across the Mississippi at Quincy and Keokuk-later being engaged in the same business at St. Gene- vieve, Mo., with headquarters at St. Louis. Com- pelled to retire by failing health, he took up his residence at Monmouth in 1873, but, in 1874, was

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of Winnebago County, Volume I, Part 72

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