Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Part 71

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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MARSHALL, the county-seat of Clark County, and an incorporated city, 1612 miles southwest of Terre Haute, Ind., and a point of intersection of the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis and the Vandalia Railroads. The surrounding country is devoted to farming and stock-raising. The city has woolen, flour, saw and planing mills, besides considerable mercantile trade. It has banks, eight churches and a good public school system, which includes a high school. Three weekly newspapers are published. Popu- lation (1880), 1.885; (1890), 1,900.

MARSHALL, Samnel S., lawyer and Con- gressman, was born in Gallatin County, Ill., in 1824; studied law and soon after located at McLeansboro. In 1846 he was chosen a member of the lower house of the Fifteenth General Assembly, but resigned, early in the following year, to become State's Attorney, serving until 1848; was Judge of the Circuit Court from 1851 to 1854, and again from 1861 to 1865; was delegate from the State-at-large to the Charleston and Baltimore Conventions of 1860, and to the National Union Convention at Philadelphia in 1866. In 1861 he received the complimentary vote of his party in the Legislature for United States Senator, and was similarly honored in the Fortieth Congress (1867) by receiving the Demo- cratic support for Speaker of the House. He was first elected to Congress in 1854, re-elected in 1856, and, later, served continuously from 1865 to 1875, when he returned to the practice of his profession. Died, July 26, 1890.

MARSHALL COUNTY, situated in the north- central part of the State, with an area of 400 square miles-named for Chief Justice John Mar- shall. Settlers began to arrive in 1827, and county organization was effected in 1839. The Illinois River bisects the county, which is also drained by Sugar Creek. The surface is gener- ally level prairie, except along the river, although occasionally undulating. The soil is fertile, corn, wheat, hay and oats forming the staple agricultural products. Hogs are raised in great number, and coal is extensively mined. Lacon is the county-seat. Population (1880), 15,053; (1890), 13,653.

MARTIN, (Gen.) James S., ex Congressman and soldier, was born in Scott County, Va., August 19, 1826, educated in the common schools, and, at the age of 20, accompanied his parents to Southern Illinois, settling in Marion County. Ile served as a non-commissioned officer in the war with Mexico. In 1849, he was elected Clerk of the Marion County Court, which office he filled for twelve years. By profession he is a lawyer, and has been in active practice when not in public or military life. For a number of years he was a member of the Republican State Central Committee. In 1862 he was commis- sioned Colonel of the One Hundred and Eleventh Illinois Volunteers, and, at the close of the war, brevetted Brigadier-General. On his return home he was elected County Judge of Marion County, and, in 1868, appointed United States Pension Agent. The latter post he resigned in 1872, hav- ing been elected, as a Republican, to represent

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the Sixteenth District in the Forty-third Con- gress. He was Commander of the Grand Army for the Department of Illinois in 1889-90.

MARTINSVILLE, a village of Clark County, on the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railroad, 13 miles southwest of Marshall; the place hasa bank and two newspapers. Population (1880), 663; (1890), 779.

MASCOUTAH, a city in St. Clair County, 25 miles from St. Louis and 11 miles east of Belle- ville, on the line of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. Coal-mining and agriculture are the principal industries of the surrounding country. Flour manufacture is carried on to some extent in the city. Population (1880), 2,558; (1890), 2,032.

MASON, Roswell B., civil engineer, was born in Oneida County, N. Y., Sept. 19, 1805; in his boyhood was employed as a teamster on the Erie Canal, a year later (1822) accepting a position as rodman under Edward F. Gay, assistant-engineer in charge of construction. Subsequently he was employed on the Schuylkill and Morris Canals, on the latter becoming assistant-engineer and, finally, chief and superintendent. Other works with which Mr. Mason was connected in a similar capacity were the Pennsylvania Canal and the Housatonic, New York & New Haven and the Vermont Valley Railroads. In 1851 he came west and took charge of the construction of the Illinois Central Railroad, a work which required five years for its completion. The next four years were spent as contractor in the construction of roads in Iowa and Wisconsin, until 1860, when he became Superintendent of the Chicago & Alton Railroad, but remained only one year, in 1861 accepting the position of Controller of the land department of the Illinois Central Railroad, which he retained until 1867. The next two years were occupied in the service of the State in lowering the summit of the Illinois & Michigan Canal. In 1869 he was elected Mayor of the city of Chicago, and it was in the closing days of his term that the great fire of 1871 occurred, testing his executive ability to the utmost. From 1873 to 1883 he served as one of the Trustees of the Illinois Industrial University, and was one of the incorporators, and a life-long Director, of the Presbyterian Theological Seminary of the North- west. Died, Jan. 1, 1892 .- Edward Gay (Mason), son of the preceding, was born at Bridgeport, Conn., August 23, 1839; came with his father's family. in 1852, to Chicago, where he attended school for several years, after which he entered Yale College, graduating there in 1860. He then

studied law, and, later, became a member of the law firm of Mattocks & Mason, but subsequently, in conjunction with two brothers, organized tlie 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 hy 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 hy 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.

MASON COUNTY, organized in 1841, with a population of about 2,000; population (1890), 16,067, and area of 560 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 (1890) of 11,313-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 ahounding. 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 un biased by local or partisan feeling. The effect of this legislation was highly beneficial in restoring quiet, although the embers of the feud still sinoldered and intermittently leaped into flame for several years thereafter.

MATHIENY, 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 lie 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 Wahash) 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 lie.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. Since retiring from office, Colonel Matthews has devoted his attention to the practice of his profession at Pittsfield.

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 t867; 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, grain-elevators, with two daily and four weekly newspapers; also has good graded schools and a high school. The repair shops of the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chi- cago & St. Louis Railroad are located here. Population (1880), 5,737; (1890), 6,833.

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 heen 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. Population (1890), 2,076.

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. 28, 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.

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 And Society; is also a life-member and officer of the Chicago Histori- cal Society, besides being identified with several State and municipal boards. His standing in his profession is shown by the fact that he has been more than once offered a non-partisan nomina- tion for Justice of the Supreme Court, but has de- clined. He occupies a high rank in literary circles, as well as a connoissenr in art, and is the owner of a large private library collected since the destruction of one of the best in the West by the fire of 1871.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Part 71

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