Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Part 126

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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Brick were made at Knoxville from prairie clay at a very early day. The present plant has been in existence for many years, and for a short time paving brick were made. The works are now closed.

THE STEEL PLOW.

It is only just to Knox County that we should perpetuate in history the fact that it furnished the first steel plow in America. This inven- tion alone increased the material wealth of the Mississippi Valley many millions of dollars an- nually; for the same steam power can now do the work better in one day than in two prior to 1842, the year the steam plow was invented. Before that time, except along some water courses and strips of sandy soil, all plowmen had to stop about every ten rods and scrape the dirt off the moldboard.

Mr. Harvey Henry May, the inventor of this valuable agricultural implement, was born in Washington County, New York, and moved with his family to Galesburg, Knox County, Illi- nois, in 1837, thus becoming identified with the interests and advancement of the town from Its earliest settlement. Almost immediately on his arrival in the West, he commenced experiments in making a plow that would scour bright in the prairie soil, and after many disappoint- ments he finally discovered that plow shares of fine steel, instead of cast or wrought iron, would adequately answer this purpose. Mr. May

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soon began the manufacture of these plows, which were sought far and near, and that they continued to be made after the May patterns for a long time after, the following remarks of the presiding judge in the famous trade-mark suit of Deere and Company vs. the Moline Plow Com- pany, which took place from 1867 to 1871, amply confirm. He refers to the point in the follow- ing language: "May, of Galesburg, manufac- tured a plow in shape nearly the form it is manufactured now. The share and moldboard were combined at that time and May was the first man that laid any claim to the improved steel plow. There is no improvement in the May steel plow as made in 1843 up to this time. In the plow afterward made at Palestine, in Lee County, by a person named Doan; afterward at Grand De Tour by W. Denney and Deere and Andrus; afterward in Moline by Deere, Tate and Gould in the fall of 1848; afterward by Buford and Tate in 1856, the working models are all copied strictly after the May plow. I essentially consider May the sole constructor in form of the western steel plow."

THE BLACK HAWK WAR.

So far as Knox County was concerned, the Black Hawk War of 1831-3 was more imaginary than real. No one in the county was either killed or hurt by the Indians, with the exception of one man in Orange Township, who, tradition says. was shot. (See Orange.) The fighting, however, was near enough to keep the settlers in a state of uneasiness, and they organized what was known as the Volunteer Rangers, a company of forty-one men, with William Mc- Murtry as Captain, Turner Roundtree as First Lieutenant, and George Latimer as Second Lieutenant. The members wore no uniform and were in service only about sixty days, receiv- ing eighty-six cents a day each for their time and subsequently being given eighty acres of land by the government.

Four forts, or rather stockades called forts by courtesy, were built in the county: Fort Aggie, on Section 27, in Rio; Fort Lewis, on Section 33; an unnamed fort on Section 10, in Henderson: and one a few miles southeast of Knoxville. in Orange. Many of the settlers hurriedly dug holes in which they placed such of their property as could not be loaded in wagons, and with the remainder departed, to stay in other counties until the danger was past.

The chief incident of the war in Knox County

was the terrible fright given the settlers by a young man named Atwood, living in Warren County. One who lived here at the time says, in writing of the affair: "A fellow named At- wood reported a band of Indians in the neigh- borhood and showed a scratch across his breast which he claimed was made by one of their bullets. The report was not doubted at the moment; but it was soon discovered that no one else had seen any Indians or heard of any, only at a distance, and Atwood's account was so well understood to be a falsehood that he had to make himself scarce to escape the punishment at the hands of an indignant people which he so richly deserved."

In August, 1832, Black Hawk surrendered, and life here, so rudely broken into for a year, con- tinued as before. In 1833, there were rumors of another nprising; but they proved to be with- ont foundation, and since then Knox County has pursued the even tenor of her way, free from Indian scares and other disturbing elements. .

COUNTY GOVERNMENT.

Under the Constitution of 1818, the govern- ment of each county was committed to three commissioners, all being elected in August of every alternate year on a single ticket. The first chosen in Knox were: Riggs Pennington, Philip Hash, and Charles Hansford, who were elected July 3, 1830, when the county was organized. This Board was to hold office until their successors were chosen, the following month.

They first met at the house of John B. Gum. on July 7, of that year, and after appointing John B. Gum Clerk, adjourned. Two days later they again met and appointed John G. Sanburn Clerk, Gum having declined to serve. That gen- tleman, however, was made Treasurer, and gave bonds conditioned in five hundred dollars. On July 17, the Commissioners met again, and di- vided Knox into two precinets for the coming election; one of these was known as "Hender-

son", and included that portion of the county north of the north line of Township 10 North, Range 1 East; and the other as "Spoon River", which embraced the rest of the county. Knox had been attached to Fulton County for govern- mental purposes; so the Commissioners ad- dressed a memorial to the Fulton Board request- ing the latter to furnish a tax list for the newly organized county and relinquishing to the for- mer the right to collect its own revenues.

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KNOX COUNTY.

EARLY ELECTIONS.

The election was held August 2, 1830, and the first Board of Commissioners for a definite, stated term was chosen; two of those elected the previous month being reelected, and Alex- ander Frakes taking the place of Charles Hans- ford. Stephen Osborn was elected Sheriff. This completed Knox County's organization. It now had its regular officers, elected for full terms, and was duly empowered to levy and collect its own taxes.

Four times a year, on the first Mondays in March, June, September and December, the Board held regular terms of Court, as the Com- missioners' meetings were called. Special terms were convened on the call of any commissioner. In this Court, the county business was trans- acted, and its variety was almost infinite. County finances, roads and bridges, suits to de- termine ownership of estrays, the selection of jurors, filling vacancies in minor offices, the binding out of apprentices-all these things, and many more, called for discussion and con- sideration.

LOCATION OF COUNTY SEAT.

One of the first important acts to be performed was the laying out of the county seat. A law, approved January 15, 1831, had set off for this purpose the southwest quarter of Section 28, Township 11 North, Range 2 East, now Knox Township. On March 12, 1831, the Board let the contract for laying out this land to Andrew Osborn, for fifteen dollars, and at the same time, awarded that for building the Court House. On March 26, President Jones was authorized to go to Springfield and enter, on behalf of Knox County, the land which the Legislature had designated for the county seat. On April 23 was held the first sale of lots in the new town, then called Henderson. Seventy-nine lots were disposed of at auction for twelve hundred and fifty-six dollars, Riggs Pennington paying the highest price, sixty-one dollars.

Roads and bridges occupied a large share of the Commissioners' attention, forming, next to county finances, the most important question with which they had to deal. (See Roads and Bridges.)

Licenses were granted for nearly every kind of business; and perhaps their issuance ranked third in importance among the matters consid- ered by the Board. In 1837, this licensing came to an end, and business was conducted as at present.

HENRY COUNTY ATTACHED.

By the same law which defined the bounda- ries of Knox and located its county seat, Henry County was attached to it for governmental pur- poses, and so remained until 1837. The first act in relation to Henry County seems to have been the licensing of Asa Crooks on June 1, 1835, for two dollars, to operate a ferry across Rock River. Before there were bridges, the demand for ferries was great, and with each one licensed. the Board established special tolls which the ferryman might charge.

At Crook's ferry the rates fixed were:

Wagon with four horses or oxen $1.00

Wagon with two horses or oxen .75

Wagon or carriage, with one horse .50

Man and horse 25

Man 1212

Each head of cattle, led or driven .05

Sheep and hogs, per head .03

FIRST FERRY.

The first ferry in Knox was about one-half mile below the present Maquon bridge over Spoon River, and was conducted by Simeon Dolph. In September, 1834, he agreed to build a boat for the county for forty-five dollars. It was completed in March, 1835, and the Board, in consideration of the payment of two dollars, licensed Dolph to run this ferry for one year, upon his giving a bond to keep the boat safe.

Cattle and hogs were allowed to run at large, and each owner could identify his own by a pri- vate mark, which he might register in a book kept by the County Clerk for that purpose. Under this system, animals often strayed from their owners. To facilitate their recovery, an "estray pen" was kept by the Sheriff of each county, where estrays were impounded. They were advertised for some time, and then, if no owner appeared to claim them, were sold by the Sheriff at public auction, to defray the ex- pense incurred in keeping them, the balance, if any, being turned into the county treasury. Such a pen was built for seventeen and one- half dollars by Sheriff Osborn in 1832, on the Court House lot.

JUSTICE PRECINCTS.

The foregoing gives an idea of the general character of the business transacted by the Commissioners. Let us now examine their method of doing it. They divided the county into districts, called "Justice Precincts," each

S.h. Burkhalter

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KNOX COUNTY.

of these being a polling district. In the county seat precinct, four Justices and four Constables were elected at the regnlar August election; and in each of the others half as many. On July 17, 1830, only two precincts were estab- lished, as has been already said. In 1839, Gales- burg had been started, and the Townships 12 and 13 North, Range 5 East, now the towns of Goshen and West Jersey, had been taken from Knox and made a part of Stark County, so that the Board redistricted the county as follows:

"Pope Creek"-the present Rio and Ontario; "Henderson"-the present Henderson and Sparta; "Galesburg"-the present Galesburg, except Sections 25, 26, 35 and 36; "Knoxville"- the present Knoxville, and Sections 25, 26, 35 and 36 of Galesburg; "Cherry Grove"-the pres- ent Cedar and Indian Point; "Brush Creek" -- the present Orange and Chestnut; "Fraker's Grove"-the present Walnut Grove and Lynn; "Victoria"-the present Victoria, Copley and Truro, north of Spoon River; "Haw Creek"- the present Persifer and Haw Creek, west of Spoon; "Spoon River"-the present Elba, Haw Creek, east of Spoon and Truro south of that stream; "Litler's Creek"-the present Maquon and Salem.

So the districts stood until September 5, 1842, when the present Salem was made a district by itself, called "French Creek".

ROAD DISTRICTS.

The county was also divided into road dis- tricts, in each of which a road supervisor was appointed by the Board to take charge of the road fund and expend it judiciously. In 1841, there were thirty-four of these districts; in 1849, sixty-three.

In 1838, the law requiring all the Commis- sioners to be elected every other year was changed. On August 6, 1838, John Jackson, Jonathan Rice and J. H. Wentworth were elected, and drew lots for one, two and three year terms. J. H. Wentworth drew the longest, John Jackson the two year term, and Jonathan Rice the shortest. Thereafter, one Commis- sioner was elected every year. At elections as then conducted, a citizen might vote in any pre- cinct of the district for which the election was held, and the voting was all viva voce. For county officers a resident of Knoxville might vote in Galesburg, or Victoria, or anywhere else in the county. For State officers he could vote anywhere in the State.

The government by Commissioners was both economical and judicious. The taxes were never higher than fifty cents on the one hundred dol- lars, and were usually much lower, often not exceeding twenty cents, as in 1841, and falling to ten cents in 1845. Yet by September, 1834, so much money had been accumulated that the Treasurer was directed to loan one thousand dollars of the connty money. Meanwhile, many roads had been laid out; expensive bridges freely bnilt; a jail and Court House, costing nearly $25,000, had been erected, and not a dollar had been borrowed. The bills were met from the regular tax receipts, plus a snm re- ceived from the State under the provisions of a law approved February 27, 1837, known as the Internal Improvements Act. It provided for State construction of various railroads and canals, and also that those connties through which no railroad or canal was to be built by the State should receive the sum of $200,000 to be divided among them, according to population. Just how much Knox received cannot now be determined, but it was somewhere between six and fifteen thousand dollars. October 12, 1849, Merriweather Brown, Alfred Brown, and Amos Ward, then the three Commissioners, met for the last time. When they adjourned it was "until Court in course," but they never reas- sembled.

COUNTY JUDGES.

By the Constitution of 1848, the offices of County Commissioners and Probate Justice were abolished, and the office of County Judge created. He succeeded to the duties and powers of the Probate Justice, and was to exercise snch other judicial functions as the Legislature should prescribe.

The power of county government, previously exercised by the County Commissioners, was now vested in the County Judge and two Asso- ciate Judges, provided the Legislature should authorize their appointment, which it did. A plan of township organization was also anthor- ized, to be applied to such counties as might adopt it by a vote of a majority of the electors. During the four years of this description of gov- ernment, George C. Lanphere, of Galesburg, was County Judge and Alfred Brown, of Henderson, and James M. Hunter, of Salem, were Associate Judges. They were elected November 6, 1849.

TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.

Their method of government was substan- tially that of the Commissioners. Nothing of

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KNOX COUNTY.

more importance than the usual routine busi- ness came before them. Their last meeting was held on March 4, 1853. The county, on April 5, 1853, adopted township organization and elected Supervisors. Before that there were two at- tempts made to change the system of county government in Knox. On November 6, 1849, seven hundred and twenty-eight votes were cast in favor of, and four hundred and twenty votes against, the new measure. The County Court declared the plan adopted, and appointed Joel Lee, M. B. Mason and John Arnold a committee to divide the county into towns. (See Towns and Townships.) They constituted each con- gressional township one town, and Monday, January 14, 1850, was appointed as the day for the citizens living in each of these new towns to meet and select by ballot a name for their respective towns. The present names were chosen, except in the case of Cedar, Haw Creek, Copley and Elba, which were respectively called Cherry Grove, Ohio, Ritchfield and Liberty. These names the Secretary of State refused to register, on the ground that other towns in Illinois had already legally received the same. Accordingly, on June 6, 1853, the Supervisors gave these four towns their present names.

The first Board of Supervisors was elected in the Spring of 1850, and met on May 6 of that year. It transacted some unimportant business, and adjourned. Yet township organization had not been legally adopted. The vote on Novem- ber 6, 1849, showed a majority of votes cast on that question to be in favor of the system, but not a majority of all the votes cast at that election. Soon after the first meeting of the Supervisors, the Supreme Court, in a case com- ing before it from another county, where the conditions were the same, held that a majority vote of all the legal voters in the county was necessary to the adoption of the plan of town- ship organization. In consequence, the Super- visors never met again, and the County Court resumed its legislative and executive powers.

On November 5, 1850, another election was held, when six hundred and seventy-three votes were cast for the project and three hundred and seventeen against it. Under the decision re- ferred to, this meant another defeat for the friends of township organization. But finally, in 1853, the plan was adopted.

Under this system, each town elected a Supervisor (and one Assistant Supervisor if the town contained eight hundred or more votes), two Justices, and two Constables, for a term of

four years each; a Clerk, a Poormaster, an Assessor, a Collector, and three Highway Com- missioners. In each town were held annual town meetings, for the transaction of public business, these meetings being, by statute, given some of the powers formerly exercised by the County Commissioners.

The duties and powers of the old County Court, not expressly given to the towns, devolved on the Board of Supervisors.

The first members of this Board, twenty in number, met for the first time on June 5, 1853, and organized by electing Daniel Meek chair- man. By a subsequent law, the duties of the Poormaster were transferred to the Supervisor. By Act of 1873, the provision for the election of an Assistant Supervisor was changed, so as to apply only to towns of four thousand inhabitants, with an additional assistant for every two thousand, five hundred of population in excess of that number. In January, 1866, the Board divided the town of Galesburg, as it then existed, into the towns of Galesburg and West Galesburg, the line running through the city. Each of these towns was entitled to two Super- visors, but only once did the voters exercise their right, for the reason that in 1867 these towns were, by law, reunited. The city of Galesburg was taken out of their jurisdiction, and made a town by itself, town powers being vested in the city officers. It was found entitled to five Supervisors, the town of Galesburg to one, and an Assistant Supervisor was assigned to Knox. In 1891, on account of increase in population, another Supervisor was given to the city of Galesburg. In this way, the number throughout the county has grown from twenty, in 1853, to twenty-seven, at the present time.

The duties of the Board of Supervisors have been mainly those of routine, already described as having been performed by the County Com- missioners. The care of the paupers and insane, the removal of the county seat, and the building of a new court house have been among the chief problems that have confronted the members. (See Knoxville and Court House.)

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

During the War of 1861-5, the Board was fully alive to the responsibilities of its position, and met them without flinching. Large boun- ties were offered, and over $400,000 was expended in their payment and in aiding soldiers' families.

The affairs of the county have been well managed ever since the creation of the Board.

Harh &Larr.

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KNOX COUNTY.

The expenditures, while carefully made, have been liberal. The public buildings and bridges have been well constructed and well maintained. No county in the State has more generously or judiciously provided for its poor. The credit of Knox has always been unquestionable. Claims have invariably been promptly, yet carefully, considered and paid without delay, when found to be meritorious. No debts have been incurred, except for short periods, in anticipation of taxes levied to meet unexpected or extraordinary calls. Compared with surrounding counties, the rate of taxation has been light. Notwithstand- ing the long and sharp controversy growing out of questions connected with the county seat removal, the Board has been in other matters harmonious in its proceedings, free from per- sonal difficulties; a Board of business men, usually chosen with little regard for partisan politics, and possessing the confidence of their constituents.

Generally speaking, the county may be said to have been fortunate in its choice of officers. In particular, the office of Clerk, the most import- ant in many respects, has been held by a succession of honest and able men, especially qualified to discharge its duties.

Following is a list of County officers:

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS .- Riggs Penning- ton, Philip Hash, Charles Hansford, Alexander Frakes, Thomas Maxwell, Humphrey Finch, John D. Roundtree, Eldert Runkle, Samuel B. Anderson, Amos Ward, James Ferguson, Alfred Brown, Joseph Rowe, Jonathan Rice, John H. Wentworth, John Jackson, Asa Haynes, Daniel Meek, M. B. Mason, Merriweather Brown.

COUNTY JUDGES. - George C. Lanphere, 1850-54; H. G. Reynolds, 1855-58; Leander Douglass, 1859-62; A. M. Craig, 1863-66; Dennis Clark, 1867-86; P. H. Sanford, 1887-98; P. S. Post, 1899.

SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS. - William Mc- Murtry, 1832-40; C. K. Harvey, 1840-47; T. J. Hale, 1847-49; William H. Whitton, 1849-53; J. H, Noteware, 1853-55; P. H. Sanford, 1855-61; J. H. Knapp, 1861-65.

In 1865, the office of Commissioner was legally changed to that of Superintendent, and the list below comprises the names of the Superin- tendents since that date:

J. H. Knapp, 1865-69; Frederick Christianer, 1869-73; M. A. West, 1873-82; W. L. Steele, 1882-85; G. W. Oldfather, 1885-90; S. C. Ran- som, 1890-93; M. Andrews, 1893-98; E. S. Wil- kinson, 1899.

COUNTY TREASURERS. - John B. Gum, 1830-33; Charles Hansford, 1833-35; George New- man, 1835-37; John Eads, 1837-43; Henry Arms, 1843-46; Zelotes Cooley, 1847; David Edgerton, 1848-49, 1852-53; Charles Rodgers, 1850-51; William H. Whitton, 1854-55; William Mc- Gowan, 1856-59; George Davis, 1860-61; T. A. E. Holcomb, 1862-63; John A. West, 1864-65; Thomas Harrison, 1866-67; Homer Gaines, 1868-69; Edwin T. Ellet, 1870-71, 1874-75; Francis M. Sykes, 1872-73; J. L. Burkhalter, 1876-86; Moses O. Williamson, 1887-90; Leou A. Townsend, 1890-94; J. M. MeKie, 1895-98; H. M. Reece, 1899.

COUNTY CLERKS .- John B. Gum, 1830; John G. Sanburn, 1830-37; H. J. Runkle, 1837-47; Zelotes Cooley, 1847-56; John S. Winter, 1857-64; James S. Egan, 1865-69; John S. Winter, 1869-82; Albert J. Perry, 1883-90; Moses O. Williamson, 1891 to the present time.

CIRCUIT CLERKS .- John G. Sanburn, 1830- 45; Achilles Shannon, 1845-46; Alex Sanders, 1846-47; T. J. Hale, 1847-52; H. T. Morey. 1852-56; Cephas Arms, 1857-60; John H. Lewis. 1861-64; John Aberdein, 1865-68; James W. Temple, 1869-72; George L. Hannaman, 1873-84: Josiah Gale, 1885-89; G. W. Gale, 1889; Charles G. Gibbs, 1889-90; S. V. Stuckey, 1890 to the present time.

Josiah Gale was killed in a railroad accident. August 29, 1899. The Court appointed G. W. Gale, who held the office through September and October, when Charles G. Gibbs was elected. He remained in office till his death, February 6, 1890. S. V. Stuckey was then appointed by the Court and chosen Clerk at the next election, since when he has held the office.

PROBATE JUSTICES .- John G. Sanburn, 1835; H. J. Runkle, 1836; R. L. Hannaman, 1837-39, 1843-49; William King, 1839-43. In 1849 the office was merged in that of County Judge.

SHERIFFS .- Stephen Osborn, 1830-35; Henry D. Bell, 1836-38; Peter Frans, 1839-47; Henry Arms, 1848-51; S. W. Brown, 1852; John Eads, 1853-54; Cornelius Runkle, 1855-56; George M. Enke, 1857-58; Andrew Thompson, 1859-60; Elijah C. Brott, 1861-62; J. C. Cover, 1863-65; James Soles, 1866; D. W. Bradshaw, 1867-68; Wilkins Seacord, 1869-70; S. F. Patton, 1871-72; A. W. Berggren, 1873-78; Jolin A. Stuckey, 1879-86; James Richey, 1887-90; R. G. Matthews, 1891-94; O. J. Aldrich, 1895-98; R. G. Matthews, 1899.

STATE'S ATTORNEYS. - Thomas Ford, 1830-35; W. A. Richardson, 1836-37; Henry L.

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KNOX COUNTY.

Bryant, 1838-39; William Elliot, 1840-48; R. S. Blackwell, 1849-52; H. G. Reynolds, 1853-54; William C. Goudy, 1855; James H. Stewart, William C. Goudy, 1855; James H. Stewart, 1856-65; J. A. Mckenzie, 1866-72; J. J. Tun- nicliff, 1873-92; E. W. Welch, 1893 to the present time.

CORONERS. - Joseph Henderson, 1851-52, 1855-56; J. W. Brewer, 1853-54; William Hamil- ton, 1857-58; A. H. Potter, 1859-60; Reuben Bailey, 1861-62; Giles Cook, 1863-64; Levi Mas- sie, 1865-70; J. W. Kimball, 1871-72; A. S. Slater, 1873-76; D. W. Aldrich, 1877-82, 1885-87; A. S. Slater, 1883-84; G. L. Knowles, 1887-92; G. S. Chalmers, 1893 to the present time.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Part 126

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