Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Part 101

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913; Gale, W. Shelden
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1388

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necessary for the State to incur a debt of $100,000 to redeem the outstanding circulation. Influ- enced, however, by the popular demand for an increase in the "circulating medium," the State continued its experiment of becoming a stock- holder in banks managed by its citizens, and accordingly we find it, in 1835, legislating in the same direction for the establishing of a central "Bank of Illinois" at Springfield, with branches at other points as might be required, not to ex- ceed six in number. One of these branches was established at Vandalia and another at Chicago, furnishing the first banking institution of the latter city. Two years later, when the State was entering upon its scheme of internal improve- ment, laws were enacted increasing the capital stock of these banks to $4,000,000 in the aggre- gate. Following the example of similar institu- tions elsewhere, they suspended specie payments a few months later, but were protected by "stay laws" and other devices until 1842, when, the internal improvement scheme having been finally abandoned, they fell in general collapse. The State ceased to be a stock-holder in 1843, and the banks were put in course of liquidation, though it required several years, and the enactment of various laws, to complete the work.

STATE CAPITALS. The first State capital of Illinois was Kaskaskia, where the first Territorial Legislature convened, Nov. 25, 1812. At that time there were but five counties in the State- St. Clair and Randolph being the most important, and Kaskaskia being the county-seat of the latter. Illinois was admitted into the Union as a State in 1818, and the first Constitution provided that the seat of government should remain at Kaskaskia until removed by legislative enact- ment. That instrument, however, made it obli- gatory upon the Legislature, at its first session, to petition Congress for a grant of not more than four sections of land, on which should be erected a town, which should remain the seat of govern- ment for twenty years. The petition was duly presented and granted ; and, in accordance with the power granted by the Constitution, a Board of five Commissioners selected the site of the present city of Vandalia, then a point in the wilderness, twenty miles north of any settle- ment. But so great was the faith of speculators in the future of the proposed city, that town lots were soon selling at $100 to $780 each. The Com- missioners, in obedience to law, erected a plain two-story frame building-scarcely more than a commodious shanty-to which the State offices were removed in December, 1820. This building

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was burned, Dec. 9, 1823, and a brick structure erected in its place. Later, when the question of a second removal of the capital began to be agi- tated, the citizens of Vandalia assumed the risk of erecting a new, brick State House, costing $16,000. Of this amount $6,000 was reimbursed by the Governor from the contingent fund, and the balance ($10,000) was appropriated in 1837, when the seat of government was removed to Springfield, by vote of the Tenth General Assem- bly on the fourth ballot. The other places receiv- ing the principal vote at the time of the removal to Springfield, were Jacksonville, Vandalia, Peoria, Alton and Illiopolis-Springfield receiv- ing the largest vote at each ballot. The law removing the capital appropriated $50,000 from the State Treasury, provided that a hike amount should be raised by private subscription and guaranteed by bond, and that at least two acres of land should be donated as a site. Two State Houses have been erected at Springfield, the first cost of the present one (including furnishing) having been a little in excess of $4,000,000. Abraham Lincoln, who was a member of the Legislature from Sangamon County at the time, was an influential factor in securing the removal of the capital to Springfield.

STATE DEBT. The State debt, which proved so formidable a burden upon the State of Illinois for a generation, and, for a part of that period, seriously checked its prosperity, was the direct outgrowth of the internal improvement scheme entered upon in 1837. (See Internal Improvement Policy.) At the time this enterprise was under- taken the aggregate debt of the State was less than $400,000-accumulated within the preceding six years. Two years later (1838) it had increased to over $6,500,000, while the total valuation of real and personal property, for the purposes of taxation, was less than $60,000,000, and the aggre- gate receipts of the State treasury, for the same year, amounted to less than $150,000. At the same time, the disbursements, for the support of the State Government alone, had grown to more than twice the receipts. This disparity continued until the declining credit of the State forced upon the managers of public affairs an involuntary economy, when the means could no longer be secured for more lavish expenditures. The first bonds issued at the inception of the internal improvement scheme sold at a premium of 5 per cent, but rapidly declined until they were hawked in the markets of New York and London at a dis- count, in some cases falling into the hands of brokers who failed before completing their con-

tracts, thus causing a direct loss to the State. If the internal improvement scheme was ill-advised, the time chosen to carry it into effect was most unfortunate, as it came simultaneously with the panic of 1837, rendering the disaster all the more complete. Of the various works undertaken by the State, only the Illinois & Michigan Canal brought a return, all the others resulting in more or less complete loss. The internal improvement scheme was abandoned in 1839-40, but not until State bonds exceeding $13,000,000 had been issued. For two years longer the State struggled with its embarrassments, increased by the failure of the State Bank in February, 1842, and, by that of the Bank of Illinois at Shawneetown, a few months later, with the proceeds of more than two and a half millions of the State's bonds in their possession. Thus left without credit, or means even of paying the accruing interest, there were those who regarded the State as hopelessly bank- rupt, and advocated repudiation as the only means of escape. Better counsels prevailed, how- ever; the Constitution of 1848 put the State on a basis of strict economy in the matter of salaries and general expenditures, with restrictions upon the Legislature in reference to incurring in- debtedness, while the beneficent "two-mill tax" gave assurance to its creditors that its debts would be paid. While the growth of the State, in wealth and population, had previously been checked by the fear of excessive taxation, it now entered upon a new career of prosperity, in spite of its burdens-its increase in population, be- tween 1850 and 1860, amounting to over 100 per cent. The movement of the State debt after 1840 -when the internal improvement scheme was abandoned-chiefly by accretions of unpaid inter- est, has been estimated as follows: 1842, $15,- 637,950; 1844, $14,633,969; 1846, $16,389,817; 1848, $16,661,795. It reached its maximum in 1853 --- the first year of Governor Matteson's administra- tion-when it was officially reported at $16, 724,- 177. At this time the work of extinguishment began, and was prosecuted under successive administrations, except during the war, when the vast expense incurred in sending troops to the field caused an increase. During Governor Bissell's administration, the reduction amounted to over $3,000,000; during Oglesby's, to over five and a quarter million, besides two and a quarter million paid on interest. In 1880 the debt had been reduced to $281,059.11, and, before the close of 1882, it had been entirely extinguished, except a balance of $18,500 in bonds, which, having been called in years previously and never presented for

The Practice School.

Main Building.

Gymnasium and Library Building.

ILLINOIS STATE NORMAL UNIVERSITY, NORMAL.

47)

Library and Gymnasium Building.

Main Building.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS NORMAL, CARBONDALE.

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payment, are supposed to have been lost. (See Macalister and Stebbins Bonds. )

STATE GUARDIANS FOR GIRLS, a bureau organized for the care of female juvenile delin- quents, by act of June 2, 1893. The Board consists of seven members, nominated by the Executive and confirmed by the Senate, and who consti- tute a body politic and corporate. Not more than two of the members may reside in the same Con- gressional District and, of the seven members, four must be women. (See also Home for Female Juvenile Offenders.) The term of office is six years.

STATE HOUSE, located at Springfield. Its construction was begun under an act passed by the Legislature in February, 1867, and completed in 1887. It stands in a park of about eight acres, donated to the State by the citizens of Spring- field. A provision of the State Constitution of 1870 prohibited the expenditure of any sum in excess of $3,500,000 in the erection and furnishing of the building, without previous approval of such . additional expenditure by the people. This amount proving insufficient, the Legislature, at its session of 1885, passed an act making an addi- tional appropriation of $531,712, which having been approved by popular vote at the general election of 1886, the expenditure was made and the capitol completed during the following year, thus raising the total cost of construction and fur- nishing to a little in excess of $4,000,000. The building is cruciform as to its ground plan, and classic in its style of architecture; its extreme dimensions (including porticoes), from north (to south, being 379 feet, and, from east to west, 286 feet. The walls are of dressed Joliet limestone, while the porticoes, which are spacious and lofty, are of sandstone, supported by polished columns of gray granite. The three stories of the building are surmounted by a Mansard roof, with two turrets and a central dome of stately dimensions. Its extreme height, to the top of the iron flag-staff, which rises from a lantern springing from the dome, is 364 feet.

STATE NORMAL UNIVERSITY, an institu- tion for the education of teachers, organized under an act of the General Assembly, passed Feb. 18, 1857. This act placed the work of organization in the hands of a board of fifteen persons, which was styled "The Board of Ednca- tion of the State of Illinois," and was constituted as follows: C. B. Denio of Jo Daviess County ; Simeon Wright of Lee; Daniel Wilkins of Mc- Lean ; Charles E. Hovey of Peoria ; George P. Rex of Pike; Samuel W. Moulton of Shelby ; John

Gillespie of Jasper; George Bunsen of St. Clair; Wesley Sloan of Pope; Ninian W. Edwards of Sangamon; John R. Eden of Moultrie; Flavel Moseley and William Wells of Cook; Albert R. Shannon of White; and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, ex-officio. The object of the University, as defined in the organizing law, is to qualify teachers for the public schools of the State, and the course of instruction to be given embraces "the art of teaching, and all branches which pertain to a common-school education; in the elements of the natural sciences, including agricultural chemistry, animal and vegetable physiology; in the fundamental laws of the United States and of the State of Illinois in regard to the rights and duties of citizens, and such other studies as the Board of Education may, from time to time, prescribe." Various cities competed for the location of the institution, Bloomington being finally selected, its bid, in- cluding 160 acres of land, being estimated as equivalent to $141,725. The corner-stone was laid on September 29, 1857, and the first building was ready for permanent occupancy in Septem- ber, 1860. Previously, however, it had been sufficiently advanced to permit of its being used, and the first commencement exercises were held on June 29 of the latter year. Three years earlier, the academic department had been organ- ized under the charge of Charles E. Hovey. The first cost, including furniture, etc., was not far from $200,000. Gratuitous instruction is given to two pupils from each county, and to three from each Senatorial District. The departments are: Grammar school, high school, normal department and model school, all of which are overcrowded. The whole number of students in attendance on the institution during the school year, 1897-98, was 1,197, of whom 891 were in the normal departinent and 306 in the practice school depart- ment, including representatives from 86 coun- ties of the State, with a few pupils from other States ou the payment of tuition. The teaching faculty (including the President and Librarian) for the same year, was made up of twenty-six members-twelve ladies and fourteen gentlemen. The expenditures for the year 1897-98 aggregated 847,626.92, against $66,528.69 for 1896-97. Nearly $22,000 of the amount expended during the latter year was on account of the construction of a gymnasium building.

STATE PROPERTY. The United States Cen- sus of 1890 gave the value of real and personal property belonging to the State as follows: Pub- lic lands, $328,000; buildings, $22,164,000; mis-

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cellaneous property, $2,650,000-total, $25,142, 000. The land may be subdivided thus: Camp-grounds of the Illinois National Guard near Springfield (donated), $40,000; Illinois and Michigan Canal, $168,000; Illinois University lands, in Illinois (donated by the General Government), $41,000, in Minnesota (similarly donated), $79,000. The buildings comprise those connected with the charitable, penal and educational institutions of the State, besides the State Arsenal, two build- ings for the use of the Appellate Courts (at Ottawa and Mount Vernon), the State House, the Executive Mansion, and locks and dams erected at Henry and Copperas Creek. Of the miscellaneous property, $120,000 represents the equipment of the Illinois National Guard ; $1,959,- 000 the value of the movable property of public buildings; $550,000 the endowment fund of the University of Illinois; and $21,000 the movable property of the Illinois & Michigan Canal. The figures given relative to the value of the public buildings include only the first appropriations for their erection. Considerable sums have since been expended upon some of them in repairs, enlargements and improvements.

STATE TREASURERS. The only Treasurer of Illinois during the Territorial period was John Thomas, who served from 1812 to 1818, and became the first incumbent under the State Government. Under the Constitution of 1818 the Treasurer was elected, biennially, by joint vote of the two Houses of the General Assembly: by the Constitution of 1848, this officer was made elective by the people for the same period, with- out limitations as to number of terms; under the Constitution of 1870, the manner of election and duration of term are unchanged, but the incum- bent is ineligible to re-election, for two years from expiration of the term for which he may have been chosen. The following is a list of the State Treasurers, from the date of the admission of the State into the Union down to the present time (1899), with the date and duration of the term of each: John Thomas, 1818-19; Robert K. Mclaughlin, 1819-23; Abner Field, 1823-27; James Hall, 1827-31; John Dement, 1831-36; Charles Gregory, 1836-37; John D. Whiteside, 1837-41; Milton Carpenter, 1841-48; John Moore, 1848-57; James Miller, 1857-59; William Butler, 1859-63; Alexander Starne, 1863-65; James H. Beveridge, 1865-67: George W. Smith, 1867-69; Erastus N. Bates, 1869-73; Edward Rutz, 1873-75; Thomas S. Ridgway, 1875-77; Edward Rutz, 1877-79; John C. Smith, 1879-81; Edward Rutz, 1881-83; John C. Smith, 1883-85; Jacob Gross,

1885-87; John R. Tanner, 1887-89; Charles Becker, 1889-91; Edward S. Wilson, 1891-93; Rufus N. Ramsay, 1893-95; Henry Wulff, 1895-97; Henry L. Hertz, 1897-99; Floyd K. Whittemore, ' 1899 -.

STAUNTON, a village in the southeast corner of Macoupin County, on the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis and the Wabash Railways; is 36 miles northeast of St. Louis, and 14 miles south-south- west of Litchfield. Agriculture and coal-mining are the industries of the surrounding region. Staunton has a private bank, five churches and a weekly newspaper. Population (1880), 1,358; (1890), 2,209.

STEEL PRODUCTION. In the manufacture of steel, Illinois has long ranked as the second State in the Union in the amount of its output, and, during the period between 1880 and 1890, the increase in production was 241 per cent. In 1880 there were but six steel works in the State; in 1890 these had increased to fourteen; and the production of steel of all kinds (in tons of 2,000 pounds) had risen from 254,569 tons to 868,250. Of the 3,837,039 tons of Bessemer steel ingots, or direct castings, produced in the United States in 1890, 22 per cent were turned out in Illinois, nearly all the steel produced in the State being made by that process. From the tonnage of ingots, as given above, Illinois produced 622,260 pounds of steel rails,-more than 30 per cent of the aggregate for the entire country. This fact is noteworthy, inasmuch as the competition in the manufacture of Bessemer steel rails, since 1880, has been so great that many rail mills have converted their steel into forms other than rails, experience having proved their production to any considerable extent. during the past few years, unprofitable except in works favorably located for obtaining cheap raw material, or operated under the latest and most approved methods of manufacture. Open-hearth steel is no longer made in Illinois, but the manufacture of crucible steel is slightly increasing, the out- put in 1890 being 445 tons, as against 130 in 1880. For purposes requiring special grades of steel the product of the crucible process will be always in demand, but the high cost of manufacture prevents it, in a majority of instances, from successfully competing in price with the other processes mentioned.

STEPHENSON, Benjamin, pioneer and early politician, came to Illinois from Kentucky in 1809, and was appointed the first Sheriff of Randolph County by Governor Edwards under the Territorial Government; afterwards served

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as a Colonel of Illinois militia during the War of 1812; represented Illinois Territory as Delegate in Congress, 1814-16, and, on his retirement from Congress, became Register of the Land Office at Edwardsville, finally dying at Edwardsville-Col. James W. (Stephenson), a son of the preceding, was a soldier during the Black Hawk War, after- wards became a prominent politician in the north- western part of the State, served as Register of the Land Office at Galena and, in 1838, received the Democratic nomination for Governor, but withdrew before the election.

STEPHENSON, (Dr.) Benjamin Franklin, physician and soldier. was born in Wayne County, Ill., Oct. 30, 1822, and accompanied his parents, in 1825, to Sangamon County, where the family settled. His early educational advantages were meager, and he did not study his profession (medicine) until after reaching his majority, graduating from Rush Medical College, Chicago, in 1850. He began practice at Petersburg, but, in April, 1862, was mustered into the volunteer army as Surgeon of the Fourteenth Illinois Infantry. After a little over two years service he was mustered out in June. 1864, when he took up his residence in Springfield, and, for a year. was engaged in the drug business there. In 1865 he resumed professional practice. He lacked tenac- ity of purpose, however, was indifferent to money. and always willing to give his own services and orders for medicine to the poor. Hence, his prac- tice was not lucrative. He was one of the leaders in the organization of the Grand Army of the Republic (which see), in connection with which he is most widely known; but his services in its cause failed to receive, during his lifetime, the recognition which they deserved, nor did the organization promptly flourish, as he had hoped. He finally returned with his family to Peters- burg. Died, at Rock Creek, Menard, County, Ill., August 30, 1871.

STEPHENSON COUNTY, a northwestern county, with an area of 560 square miles. The soil is rich, productive and well timbered. Fruit- culture and stock-raising are among the chief industries. Not until 1827 did the aborigines quit the locality, and the county was organized, ten years later, and named for Gen. Benjamin Stephenson. A man named Kirker, who had been in the employment of Colonel Gratiot as a lead-miner, near Galena, is said to have built the first cabin within the present limits of what was called Burr Oak Grove, and set himself up as an Indian-trader in 1826, but only remained a short time. He was followed. the next year, by Oliver

W. Kellogg, who took Kirker's place, built a more pretentious dwelling and became the first permanent settler. Later came William Wad- dams, the Montagues, Baker, Kilpatrick, Preston, the Goddards, and others whose names are linked with the county's early history. The first house in Freeport was built by William Baker. Organi- zation was effected in 1837, the total poll being eighty-four votes. The earliest teacher was Nel- son Martin, who is said to have taught a school of some twelve pupils, in a house which stood on the site of the present city of Freeport. Popula- tion (1880), 31,963; (1890), 31,338.

STERLING, a flourishing city on the north bank of the Rock River, in Whiteside County, 109 miles west of Chicago, 29 miles east of Clin- ton, Iowa, and 52 miles east-northeast of Rock Island. It has ample railway facilities, fur- nished by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy and the Chicago & Northwestern Railroads. It con- tains fourteen churches, two opera houses, a high school, a free library, a national and two private banks, four newspaper offices, (of which two issue daily editions) and a school house cost- ing $80,000. It has fine water-power, and is an important manufacturing center, its works turn- ing out agricultural implements, carriages, school furniture, burial caskets, pumps, sash-doors, etc. It also contains four flouring mills, a large dis- tillery, the Sterling Iron Works, besides foundries and machine shops. The river here affords abundant water power, and flows through charni- ing scenery. Population (1880), 5,087; (1890), 5,824.

STEVENS, Bradford K., ex-Congressman, was born at Boscawen (afterwards Webster), N. H., Jan. 3, 1813. After attending schools in New Hampshire and at Montreal, he entered Dart- mouth College, graduating therefrom in 1835. During the six years following, he devoted him- self to teaching, at Hopkinsville, Ky., and New York City. In 1843 he removed to Bureau County, III., where he became a merchant and farmer. In 1868 he was chairman of the Board of Supervisors, and, in 1870, was elected to Con- gress, as an Independent Democrat, for the Fifth District.

STEVENSON, Adlai E., ex-Vice-President of the United States, was born in Christian County. Ky., Oct. 23, 1835. In 1852 he removed with his parents to Bloomington, McLean County, Ill., where the family settled; was educated at the Illinois Wesleyan University and at Centre Col- lege, Ky., was admitted to the bar in 1858 and began practice at Metamora. Woodford County,

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where he was Master in Chancery, 1861-65, and State's Attorney, 1865-69. In 1864 he was candi- date for Presidential Elector on the Democratic ticket. In 1869 he returned to Bloomington, where he has since resided. In 1874, and again in 1876, he was an unsuccessful candidate of his party for Congress, but was elected as a Green- back Democrat in 1878, though defeated in 1880 and 1882. In 1877 he was appointed by President Hayes a member of the Board of Visitors to West Point. During the first administration of President Cleveland (1885-89) he was First Assist- ant Postmaster General; was a member of the National Democratic Conventions of 1884 and 1892, being Chairman of the Illinois delegation the latter year. In 1892 he received his party's nomination for the Vice-Presidency, and was elected to that office, serving until 1897. Since retiring from office he has resumed his residence at Bloomington.

STEWARD, Lewis, manufacturer and former Congressman, was born in Wayne County, Pa., Nov. 20, 1824, and received a common school education. At the age of 14 he accompanied his parents to Kendall County, Ill., where he after- wards resided, being engaged in farming and the manufacture of agricultural implements at Plano. He studied law but never practiced. In 1876 he was an unsuccessful candidate for Gov- ernor on the Democratic ticket, being defeated by Shelby M. Cullom. In 1890 the Democrats of the Eighth Illinois District elected him to Con- gress. In 1892 he was again a candidate, but was defeated by his Republican opponent, Robert A. Childs, by the narrow margin of 27 votes, and, in 1894, was again defeated, this time being pitted against Albert J. Hopkins. Mr. Steward died at his home at Plano, August 26, 1896.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Part 101

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913; Gale, W. Shelden Publication date: 1899 Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1388

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913; Gale, W. Shelden
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1388