Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Part 116

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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WARREN, Hooper, pioneer journalist, was born at Walpole, N. H., in 1790; learned the print- er's trade on the Rutland (Vt.) "Herald"; in 1814 went to Delaware, whence, three years later, he emigrated to Kentucky, working for a time on a paper at Frankfort. In 1818 he came to St. Louis and worked in the office of the old "Mis- souri Gazette" (the predecessor of "The Repub- lican"), and also acted as the agent of a lumber company at Cairo, Ill., when the whole popula- tion of that place consisted of one family domi- ciled on a grounded flat-boat. In March. 1819, he established, at Edwardsville, the third paper in Illinois, its predecessors being "The Illinois Intelligencer," at Kaskaskia, and "The Illinois Emigrant," at Shawneetown. The name given to the new paper was "The Spectator," and the contest over the effort to introduce a pro-slavery clause in the State Constitution soon brought it into prominence. Backed by Governor Coles, Congressman Daniel P. Cook, Judge S. D. Lock- wood, Rev. Thomas Lippincott, Judge Wm. H. Brown (afterwards of Chicago), George Churchill and other opponents of slavery. "The Spectator" made a sturdy fight in opposition to the scheme, which ended in defeat of the measure by the rejection at the polls, in 1824, of the proposition for a Constitutional Convention. Warren left the Edwardsville paper in 1825, and was, for a time, associated with "The National Crisis," an anti-slavery paper at Cincinnati, but soon re- turned to Illinois and established "The Sangamon Spectator"-the first paper ever published at the

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present State capital. This he sold out in 1829, and, for the next three years, was connected with "The Advertiser and Upper Mississippi Her- ald," at Galena. Abandoning this field in 1832, he removed to Hennepin, where, within the next five years, he held the offices of Clerk of the Cir- cuit and County Commissioners' Courts and ex- officio Recorder of Deeds. In 1836 he hegan the publication of the third paper in Chicago-"The Commercial Advertiser" (a weekly)-which was continued a little more than a year, when it was abandoned, and he settled on a farm at Henry, Marshall County. His further newspaper ven- tures were, as the associate of Zebina Eastman, in the publication of "The Genius of Liberty," at Lowell, La Salle County, and "The Western Citizen"-afterwards "The Free West"-in Chi- cago. (See Eastman, Zebina, and Lundy, Ben- jamin.) On the discontinuance of "The Free West" in 1856, he again retired to his farm at Henry, where he spent the remainder of his days. While returning home from a visit to Chicago, in August, 1864, he was taken ill at Mendota, dying there on the 22d of the month.

WARREN, John Esaias, diplomatist and real- estate operator, was born in Troy, N. Y., in 1826, graduated at Union College and was connected with the American Legation to Spain during the administration of President Pierce; in 1859-60 was a member of the Minnesota Legislature and, in 1861-62, Mayor of St. Paul; in 1867, came to Chicago, where, while engaged in real-estate business, he became known to the press as the author of a series of articles entitled "Topics of the Time." In 1886 he took up his residence in Brussels, Belgium, where he died, July 6, 1896. Mr. Warren was author of several volumes of travel, of which "An Attache in Spain" and "Para" are most important.

WARREN COUNTY. A western county, created by act of the Legislature, in 1825, but not fully organized until 1830, having at that time about 350 inhabitants; has an area of 540 square miles, and was named for Gen. Joseph Warren. It is drained by the Henderson River (a tributary of the Mississippi) and its affluents, and is traversed by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroads. Bituminous coal is mined and lime- stone is quarried in large quantities. The county's early development was retarded in consequence of having become the "seat of war," during the Black Hawk War. The principal products are grain and live-stock, although manufacturing is carried on to some extent. The county-seat and

chief city is Monmouth (which see). Rossville is a shipping point. Population (1880), 22,933. (1890), 21,281.

WARRENSBURG, a town of Macon County, on the Peoria, Decatur & Evansville Railway, 8 miles northwest of Decatur. It has a bank and a local newspaper. Population (1890), 526.

WARSAW, the largest town in Hancock County, and admirably situated for trade. It stands on a bluff on the Mississippi River, some three miles below Keokuk, and ahout 40 miles above Quincy. It is the western terminus of the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway, and lies 116 miles west-southwest of Peoria. Old Fort Edwards, established by Gen. Zachary Taylor, during the War of 1812, was located within the limits of the present city of Warsaw, opposite the' mouth of the Des Moines River. An iron foundry, a large woolen mill, a plow factory and cooperage works are its principal manufac- turing establishments. The channel of the Missis- sippi admits of the passage of the largest steamers up to this point. Warsaw has eight churches, a system of common schools comprising one high and three grammar schools, a National bank and two weekly newspapers. Population (1880), 3,105; (1890), 2,721.

WASHBURN, a village of Woodford County, on a branch of the Chicago & Alton Railway 25 miles northeast of Peoria; has banks and a weekly paper; the district is agricultural. Popu- lation (1890), 598.

WASHBURNE, Elihu Benjamin, Congressman and diplomatist, was born at Livermore, Maine, Sept. 23, 1816; in early life learned the trade of a printer, but graduated from Harvard Law School and was admitted to the bar in 1840. Coming west, he settled at Galena, forming a partnership with Charles S. Hempstead, for the practice of law, in 1841. He was a stalwart Whig, and, as such, was elected to Congress in 1852. He con- tinued to represent his District until 1869, taking a prominent position, as a Republican, on the organization of that party. On account of his long service he was known as the "Father of the House," administering the Speaker's oath three times to Schuyler Colfax and once to James G. Blaine. He was appointed Secretary of State by General Grant in 1869, but surrendered his port- folio to become Envoy to France, in which ca- pacity he achieved great distinction. He was the only official representative of a foreign govern- ment who remained in Paris, during the siege of that city by the Germans (1870-71) and the reign of the "Commune." For his conduct he was

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honored by the Governments of France and Ger- many alike. On his return to the United States, he made his home in Chicago, where he devoted his latter years chiefly to literary labor, and where he died, Oct. 22, 1887. He was strongly favored as a candidate for the Presidency in 1880.

WASHINGTON, a city in Tazewell County, situated at the intersection of the Chicago & Alton, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, and the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railroads. It is 21 miles west of El Paso, and 12 miles east of Peoria. Carriages, plows and farming implements consti- tute the manufactured output. It is also an important shipping point for farm products. It has six churches, a graded school, two banks and a newspaper. Population (1880), 1,397; (1890), 1,301.

WASHINGTON COUNTY, an interior county of Southern Illinois, east of St. Louis: is drained by the Kaskaskia River and the Elkhorn, Beaucoup and Muddy Creeks; was organized in 1818, and has an area of 540 square miles. The surface is diversified, well watered and timhered. The soil is of variable fertility. Corn, wheat and oats are the chief agricultural products. Manu- facturing is carried on to some extent, among the products being agricultural implements, flour, carriages and wagons. The most impor- tant town is Nashville, which is also the county- seat. Population (1880), 21,112; (1890), 19,262. Washington was one of the fifteen counties into which Illinois was divided at the organization of the State Government, being one of the last three created during the Territorial period-the other two being Franklin and Union.

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, a village of Cook County, on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific and the Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railways, 12 miles southwest of Chicago; has a graded school, female seminary, military school, a car factory, several churches and a newspaper. Population (1880), 1,035; (1890), 2,283.

WATAGA, a village of Knox County, on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, 8 miles northeast of Galesburg. Population (1890), 586.

WATERLOO, the county-seat and chief town of Monroe County, on the Illinois Division of the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, 24 miles east of south from St. Louis. It stands in a region chiefly agricultural, and underlaid with coal. Its manufacturing interests embrace a large flour- mill, a plow factory and some minor industries. Besides its court house, it has four churches, a graded school and two newspapers. Population (1880), 1,802; (1890), 1,860.

WATERMAN, Arba Nelson, lawyer and jurist, was born at Greensboro, Orleans County, Vt., Feb. 3, 1836. After receiving an academic edu- cation and teaching for a time, he read law at Montpelier and, later, passed through the Albany Law School. In 1861 he was admitted to the bar, removed to Joliet, Ill., and opened an office. In 1862 he enlisted as a private in the One Hun- dredthi Illinois Volunteers, serving with the Army of the Cumberland for two years, and being mustered out in August, 1864, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. On leaving the army, Colonel Waterman commenced practice in Chicago. In 1873-74 he represented the Eleventh Ward in the City Council. In 1887 he was elected to the bench of the Cook County Circuit Court, and was re-elected in 1891 and, again, in 1897. In 1890 he was assigned as one of the Judges of the Appellate Court.

WATSEKA, the county-seat of Iroquois County, situated on the Iroquois River, at the mouth of Sugar Creek, and at the intersection of the Chi- cago & Eastern Illinois and the Toledo, Peoria & Warsaw Railroads, 81 miles south of Chicago, 46 miles north of Danville and 14 miles east of Gil- man. It has flour-mills, brick and tile works, car-shops and foundries, besides several churches, banks, a graded school and three weekly news- papers. Artesian well water is obtained by boring to the depth of 100 to 160 feet, and some forty flowing streams from these shafts are in the place. Population (1880), 1,507; (1890), 2,017.

WATTS, Amos, jurist, was born in St. Clair County, Ill., Oct. 25, 1821, but removed to Wash- ington County in boy hood, and was elected County Clerk in 1847, '49 and '53, and State's Attorney for the Second Judicial District in 1856 and '60; then became editor and proprietor of a news- paper, later resuming the practice of law, and, in 1873, was elected Circuit Judge, remaining in office until his death, at Nashville, Ill., Dec. 6, 1888.

WAUKEGAN, the county-seat and principal city of Lake County, situated on the shore of Lake Michigan and on the Chicago & North- western Railroad, about 35 miles north by west of Chicago, and 50 miles south of Milwaukee. It is also the northern terminus of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad. The lake is about 80 miles wide opposite this place. In early history Wau- kegan was known as "Little Fort," from the remains of an old fort that stood on its site The principal part of the city is built on a bluff. which rises abruptly to the height of about fifty feet. Between the bluff and the shore is a flat

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tract, about 400 yards wide, which is occupied by gardens, dwellings, warehouses and manufac- tories. Waukegan contains eight or ten churches, a high school, a National bank. two newspaper offices, two steanı flouring mills, several tanner- ies, a scale works, a pump factory aud a silver plating establishment. besides agricultural imple- ment works, a brewery, etc. Grain, wool, butter and ale are among the leading articles of export. There are valuable springs, whose water, after analysis, is said to possess valuable medicinal properties. Population (1880), 4,012; (1890), 4,915.

WAUKEGAN & SOUTHWESTERN RAIL- WAY. (See Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway.)

WAVERLY, a village in Morgan County, 18 miles southeast of Jacksonville, on the Jackson- ville, Louisville & St. Louis and the St. Louis, Chicago & St. Paul Railroads. It was originally settled by enterprising emigrants from New England, whose descendants constitute a large proportion of the population. It is the center of a rich agricultural region, has a fine graded school, six or seven churches, two banks, a newspaper, flour mills, tile works and creameries. Popula- tion (1880), 1,124; (1890), 1,337.

WAYNE, (Gen.) Anthony, soldier, was born in Chester County, Pa., Jan. 1, 1745, of Anglo-Irish descent, graduated as a Surveyor, and first prac- ticed his profession in Nova Scotia. During the years immediately antecedent to the Revolution he was prominent in the colonial councils of his native State, to which he had returned in 1767, where he became a member of the "Committee of Safety." On June 3, 1776, he was commissioned Colonel of the Fourth Regiment of Pennsylvania troops in the Continental army, and, during the War of the Revolution, was conspicuous for his courage and ability as a leader. One of his most daring and successful achievements was the cap- ture of Stony Point, in 1779, when-the works having been carried and Wayne having received, what was supposed to be, his death-wound-he entered the fort, supported by his aids. For this service he was awarded a gold medal by Con- gress. He also took a conspicuous part in the investiture and capture of Yorktown. In October. 1783, he was brevetted Major-General. In 1784 he was elected to the Pennsylvania Legislature. A few years later he settled in Georgia, which State he represented in Congress for seven monthis, when his seat was declared vacant after contest. In April, 1792, he was confirmed as General-in-Chief of the United States Army, on nomination of President Washington. His con- nection with Illinois history began shortly after

St. Clair's defeat, when he led a force into Ohio (1783) and erected a stockade at Greenville, which he named Fort Recovery ; his object being to subdue the hostile savage tribes. In this he was eminently successful and, on August 3, 1793, after a victorious campaign, negotiated the Treaty of Greenville, as broad in its provisions as it was far-reaching in its influence. He was a daring fighter, and although Washington called him "prudent," his dauntlessness earned for him the sobriquet of "Mad Anthony." In matters of dress he was punctilious, and, on this account, he was sometimes dubbed "Dandy Wayne." He was one of the few white officers whom all the Western Indian tribes at once feared and re- spected. They named him "Black Snake" and "Tornado." He died at Presque Isle near Erie, Dec. 15, 1796. Thirteen years afterward his remains were removed by one of his sons, and interred in Badnor churchyard, in his native county. The Pennsylvania Historical Society erected a marble monument over his grave, and appropriately dedicated it on July 4 of the same year.

WAYNE COUNTY, in the southeast quarter of the State; has an area of 720 square miles; was organized in 1819, and named for Gen. Anthony Wayne. The county is watered and drained by the Little Wabash and its branches, notably the Skillet Fork. At the first election held in the county, only fifteen votes were cast. Early life was exceedingly primitive, the first settlers pounding corn into meal with a wooden pestle, a hollowed stump being used as a mortar. The first mill erected (of the antique South Carolina pattern) charged 25 cents per bushel for grinding. Prairie and woodland make up the surface, and the soil is fertile. Railroad facilities are furnished by the Louisville, Evansville & St. Louis and the Baltimore & Ohio (Southwestern) Railroads. Corn, oats, tobacco, wheat, hay and wool are the chief agricultural products. Saw mills are numer- ous and there are also carriage and wagon facto- ries. Fairfield is the county-seat. Population (1880), 21,291; (1890), 23,806.

WEAS, THE, a branch of the Miami tribe of Indians. They called themselves "We-wee- hahs," and were spoken of by the French as "Oui- at-a-nons" and "Oui-as." Other corruptions of the name were common among the British and American colonists. In 1718 they had a village at Chicago, but abandoned it through fear of their hostile neighbors, the Chippewas and Potta- watomies. The Weas were, at one time, brave and warlike; but their numbers were reduced by

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constant warfare and disease. and, in the end, debauchery enervated and demoralized them. They were removed west of the Mississippi and given a reservation in Miami County, Kan. This they ultimately sold, and, under the leadership of Baptiste Peoria, united with their few remain- ing brethren of the Miamis and with the remnant of the Ill.i;ni under the title of the "confederated tribes," and settled in Indian Territory. (See also Miamis; Piankeshaus.)

WEBB, Edwin B., early lawyer and politician, was born about 1802, came to the vicinity of Carmi, White County, Ill., about 1828 to 1830, and, still later, studied law at Transylvania Uni- versity. He held the office of Prosecuting Attorney of White County, and, in 1834, was elected to the lower branch of the General Assembly, serving, by successive re-elections, until 1842, and, in the Senate, from 1842 to '46. During his service in the House he was a col- league and political and personal friend of Abraham Lincoln. He opposed the internal improvement scheme of 1837, predicting many of the disasters which were actually realized a few years later. He was a candidate for Presi- dential Elector on the Whig ticket, in 1844 and "48, and, in 1852, received the nomination for Governor as the opponent of Joel A. Matteson, two years later, being an unsuccessful candidate for Justice of the Supreme Court in opposition to Judge W. B. Scates. While practicing law at Carmi, he was also a partner of his brother in the mercantile business. Died, Oct. 14, 1858, in the 56th year of his age.

WEBB, Henry Livingston, soklier and pioneer (an elder brother of James Watson Webb, a noted New York journalist), was born at Claverack. N. Y., Feb. 6, 1795; served as a soldier in the War of 1812, came to Southern Illinois in 1817, and became one of the founders of the town of America near the mouth of the Ohio; was Repre- sentative in the Fourth and Eleventh General Assemblies, a Major in the Black Hawk War and Captain of volunteers and, afterwards, Colonel of regulars, in the Mexican War. In 1860 he went to Texas and served, for a time, in a semi-mili- tary capacity under the Confederate Govern- ment; returned to Illinois in 1869, and died, at Makanda. Oct. 5, 1876.

WEBSTER, Fletcher, lawyer and soldier, was born at Portsmouth, N. H., July 23, 1813; gradu- ated at Harvard in 1833, and studied law with his father (Daniel Webster); in 1837, located at Peru, Ill., where he practiced three years. His father having been appointed Secretary of State

in 1841, the son became his private secretary, was also Secretary of Legation to Caleb Cushing (Minister to China) in 1843, a member of the Massachusetts Legislature in 1847, and Surveyor of the Port of Boston, 1850-61: the latter year became Colonel of the Twelfth Massachusetts Volunteers, and was killed in the second battle of Bull Run, August 30, 1862.

WEBSTER, Joseph Dana, civil engineer and soldier, was born at Old Hampton, N. H., August 25, 1811. He graduated from Dart- mouth College in 1832, and afterwards read law at Newburyport, Mass. His natural incli- nation was for engineering, and, after serv- ing for a time in the Engineer and War offices, at Washington, was made a United States civil engineer (1835) and, on July 7, 1838, entered the army as Second Lieutenant of Topographical Engineers. He served through the Mexican War, was made First Lieutenant in 1849, and promoted to a captaincy, in March, 1853. Thir- teen months later he resigned, removing to Chi- cago, where he made his permanent home, and soon after was identified, for a time, with the proprietorship of "The Chicago Tribune." He was President of the commission that perfected the Chicago sewerage system, and designed and executed the raising of the grade of a large por- tion of the city from two to eight feet, whole blocks of buildings being raised by jack screws, while new foundations were inserted. At the outbreak of the Civil War he tendered his serv- ices to the Government and superintended the erection of the fortifications at Cairo, Ill., and Paducah, Ky. On April 7. 1861, he was com- missioned Paymaster of Volunteers, with the rank of Major, and, in February. 1862, Colonel of the First Illinois Artillery. For several months he was chief of General Grant's staff, participat- ing in the capture of Forts Donelson and Henry. and in the battle of Shiloh. in the latter as Chief of Artillery. In October, 1862, the War Depart- ment detailed him to make a survey of the Illi- nois & Michigan Canal, and. the following month. he was commissioned Brigadier-General of Volunteers, serving as Military Governor of Mem- phis and Superintendent of military railroads. He was again chief of staff to General Grant during the Vicksburg campaign, and, from 1864 until the close of the war, occupied the same relation to General Sherman. He was brevetted Major-General of Volunteers, March 13, 1865, but, resigning Nov. 6. following, returned to Chicago, where he spent the remainder of his life. From 1869 to 1872 he was Assessor of Internal Revenue

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there, and, later, Assistant United States Treas- urer, and, in July, 1872, was appointed Collector of Internal Revenue. Died, at Chicago, March 12. 1876.

WELCH, William R., lawyer and jurist, was born in Jessamine County, Ky., Jan. 22, 1828, educated at Transylvania University, Lexington, graduating from the academic department in 1847, and, from the law school, in 1851. In 1864 he removed to Carlinville, Macoupin County, Ill., which place he made his permanent home. In 1877 he was elected to the bench of the Fifth Circuit, and re-elected in 1879 and '85. In 1884 he was assigned to the bench of the Appellate Court for the Second District. Died, Sept. 1, 1888.

WELDON, Lawrence, one of the Judges of the United States Court of Claims. Washington, D. C., was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, in 1829; while a child, removed with his parents to Madison County, and was educated in the com- mon schools, the local academy and at Wittenberg College, Springfield, in the same State; read law with Hon. R. A. Harrison, a prominent member of the Ohio bar, and was admitted to practice in 1854. meanwhile, in 1852-53, having served as a clerk in the office of the Secretary of State at Columbus. In 1854 he removed to Illinois, locat- ing at Clinton, De Witt County, where he engaged in practice; in 1860 was elected a Representative in the Twenty-second General Assembly, was also chosen a Presidential Elector the same year, and assisted in the first election of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency. Early in 1861 he resigned his seat in the Legislature to accept the position of United States District Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, tendered him by President Lincoln, but resigned the latter office in 1866 and, the following year, removed to Bloomington, where he continued the practice of his profession until 1883, when he was appointed, by President Arthur, an Associate Justice of the United States Court of Claims at Washington- a position which he still (1899) continues to fill. Judge Weldon is among the remaining few who rode the circuit and practiced law with Mr. Lin- coln. From the time of coming to the State in 1854 to 1860. he was one of Mr. Lincoln's most intimate traveling companions in the old Eighth Circuit, which extended from Sangamon County on the west to Vermilion on the east, and of which Judge David Davis, afterwards of the Supreme Court of the United States and United States Senator, was the presiding Justice. The Judge holds in his memory many pleasant remi-

niscences of that day, especially of the eastern portion of the District, where he was accustomed to meet the late Senator Voorhees, Senator Mc- Donald and other leading lawyers of Indiana, as well as the historic men whom he met at the State capital.

WELLS, Albert W., lawyer and legislator, was born at Woodstock, Conn., May 9, 1839, and enjoyed only such educational and other advan- tages as belonged to the average New England boy of that period. During his boyhood his family removed to New Jersey, where he attended an academy, later, graduating from Columbia College and Law School in New York City, and began practice with State Senator Robert Allen at Red Bank, N. J. During the Civil War he enlisted in a New Jersey regiment and took part in the battle of Gettysburg, resuming his profes- sion at the close of the war. Coming west in 1870, he settled in Quincy, Ill., where he con- tinued practice. In 1886 he was elected to the House of Representatives from Adams County, as a Democrat, and re-elected two years later. In 1890 he was advanced to the Senate, where, by re-election in 1894, he served continuously until his death in office, March 5, 1897. His abilities and long service-covering the sessions of the Thirty-fifth to the Fortieth General Assem- blies-placed him at the head of the Democratic side of the Senate during the latter part of his legislative career.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Part 116

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