Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Part 82

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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and political friends in all parts of the Union, who admired his strict integrity and sterling patriotism.

OHIO, INDIANA & WESTERN RAILWAY. (See Peoria & Eastern Railroad.)

OHIO RIVER, an affluent of the Mississippi, formed by the union of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers, at Pittsburg, Pa. At this point it becomes a navigable stream about 400 yards wide, with an elevation of about 700 feet above sea-level. The beauty of the scenery along its banks secured for it, from the early French explorers (of whom La Salle was one), the name of "La Belle Riviere." Its general course is to the southwest, but with many sinuosities, form- ing the southern boundary of the States of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, and the western and north- ern boundary of West Virginia and Kentucky, until it enters the Mississippi at Cairo, in latitude 37° N., and about 1,200 miles above the mouth of' the latter stream. The area which it drains is computed to be 214,000 square miles. Its mouth is 268 feet above the level of the sea. The current is remarkably gentle and uniform, except near Louisville, where there is a descent of twenty- two feet within two miles, which is evaded by means of a canal around the falls. Large steam- hoats can navigate its whole length, except in low stages of water and when closed by ice in winter. Its largest affluents are the Tennessee, the Cum- berland, the Kentucky, the Great Kanawha and the Green Rivers, from the south, and the Wa- hash, the Miami, Scioto and Muskingum from the north. The principal cities on its banks are Pitts- burg, Wheeling, Cincinnati, Louisville, Evans- ville, New Albany, Madison aud Cairo. It is crossed hy bridges at Wheeling, Cincinnati and Cairo. The surface of the Ohio is subject to a variation of forty-two to fifty-one feet between high and low water. Its length is 975 miles, and its width varies from 400 to 1,000 yards. (See Inundations, Remarkable.)

OHIO & MISSISSIPPI RAILWAY. (See Bal- timore & Ohio Southwestern Railroad.)

OLNEY, an incorporated city and the county- seat of Richland County, 31 miles west of Vin- cennes, Ind., and 117 miles east of St. Louis, Mo., at the junction of the Baltimore & Ohio South- western and the Peoria, Decatur & Evansville Railways. The surrounding region is agricul- tural, and the town is an important shipping and commercial point, besides having some manufac- tories, including flour and woolen mills, furniture factories and railway repair shops. It has a pub- lic library, two banks (one National and one

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State), and five weekly newspapers, one issuing a daily edition. Population (1880), 3,512; (1890), 3,831.

OMELVENY, John, pioneer and head of a numerous family which became prominent in Southern Illinois; was a native of Ireland who came to America about 1798 or 1799. After resid- ing in Kentucky a few years, he removed to Illi- nois, locating in what afterwards became Pope County, whither his oldest son, Samuel, had preceded him about 1797 or 1798. The latter for a time followed the occupation of flat-boating, carrying produce to New Orleans. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1818 from Pope County, being the colleague of Hamlet Ferguson. A year later he removed to Randolph County, where he served as a member of the County Court, but, in 1820-22, we find him a member of the Second General Assembly from Union Connty, having successfully contested the seat of Samuel Alexander, who had received the certificate of election. He died in 1828 .- Edward (Omelveny), another member of this family, and grandson of the elder John Omelveny, represented Monroe County in the Fifteenth General Assem- bly (1846-48), and was Presidential Elector in 1852, but died sometime during the Civil War .- Harvey K. S. (Omelveny), the fifth son of Wil- liam Omelveny and grandson of John, was born in Todd County, Ky., in 1823, came to Southern Illinois, in 1852, and engaged in the practice of law, being for a time the partner of Senator Thomas E. Merritt, at Salem. Early in 1858 he was elected a Justice of the Circuit Court to succeed Judge Breese, who had been promoted to the Supreme Court, but resigned in 1861. He gained considerable notoriety by his intense hostility to the policy of the Government during the Civil War, was a Delegate to the Constitu- tional Convention of 1862, and was named as a member of the Peace Commission proposed to be appointed by the General Assembly, in 1863, to secure terms of peace with the Southern Con- federacy. He was also a leading spirit in the peace meeting held at Peoria, in August, 1863. In 1869 Mr. Omelveny removed to Los Angeles, Cal., which has since been his home, and where he has carried on a lucrative law practice.

ONARGA, a town in Iroquois County, on the Illinois Central Railroad, 85 miles south hy west from Chicago, and 43 miles north by east from Champaign. It is a manufacturing town, flour, wagons, wire-fencing, stoves and tile being among the products. It has a bank, eight churches, a graded school, a commercial college,

and a weekly newspaper. Population (1880), 1,061; (1890), 994.

ONEIDA, a city in Knox County, on the Chi- cago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, 12 miles northeast of Galesburg. It has manufactories of wagons, pumps and furniture, two banks, several churches, a graded school, and a weekly paper. The surrounding country is a rich prairie, where coal is mined about twenty feet below the sur- face. Population (1880), 919; (1890), 699.

OQUAWKA, the county-seat of Henderson County, situated on the Mississippi River, abont 15 miles above Burlington, Iowa, and 32 miles west of Galesburg. It is in a farming region, but has some manufactories. The town has five churches, a graded school, a bank and three newspapers. Population (1890), about 1,100.

ORDINANCE OF 1787. This is the name given to the first organic act, passed by Congress, for the government of the territory northwest of the Ohio River, comprising the present States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. The first step in this direction was taken in the appointment, by Congress, on March 1, 1784, of a committee, of which Thomas Jefferson was Chair- man, to prepare a plan for the temporary govern- inent of the region which had been acquired, by the capture of Kaskaskia, by Col. George Rogers Clark, nearly six years previous. The necessity for some step of this sort had grown all the more urgent, in consequence of the recognition of the right of the United States to this region by the Treaty of Paris of 1783, and the surrender, by Vir- ginia, of the title she had maintained thereto on account of Clark's conquest under her auspices- a right which she had exercised by furnishing whatever semblance of government so far existed northwest of the Ohio. The report submitted from Jefferson's committee proposed the division of the Territory into seven States, to which was added the proviso that, after the year 1800, "there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in any of said States, otherwise than in punish- ment of crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted." This report failed of adoption, however, Congress contenting itself with the passage of a resolution providing for future organization of this territory into States hy the people-the measures necessary for temporary government being left to future Congressional action. While the postponement, in the reso- lution as introduced by Jefferson, of the inhi- bition of slavery to the year 1800, has been criticised, its introduction was significant, as coming from a representative from a slave State,

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and being the first proposition in Congress look- ing to restriction, of any character, on the subject of slavery. Congress having taken no further step under the resolution adopted in 1784, the condition of the country (thus left practically without a responsible government, while increas- ing in population) became constantly more deplorable. An appeal from the people about Kaskaskia for some better form of government, in 1786, aided by the influence of the newly organized "Ohio Company," who desired to en- courage emigration to the lands which they were planning to secure from the General Government, at last brought about the desired result, in the passage of the famous "Ordinance," on the 13th day of July, 1787. While making provision for a mode of temporary self-government by the people, its most striking features are to be found in the six "articles"-a sort of "Bill of Rights" --- with which the document closes. These assert: (1) the right of freedom of worship and religious opinion; (2) the right to the benefit of habeas corpus and trial by jury ; to proportionate repre- sentation, and to protection in liberty and prop- erty ; (3) that "religion, morality and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged"; (4) that the States, formed within the territory referred to, "shall forever remain a part of this confeder- acy of the United States of America, subject to the Articles of Confederation and to such alter- ations therein as shall be constitutionally made"; (5) prescribe the boundaries of the States to be formed therein and the conditions of their admis- sion into the Union; and (6-and most significant of all) repeat the prohibition regarding the introduction of slavery into the Northwest Terri- tory, as proposed by Jefferson, but without any qualification as to time. There has been consider -. able controversy regarding the authorship of this portion of the Ordinance, into which it is not necessary to enter here. While it has been char- acterized as a second and advanced Declaration of Independence-and probably no single act of Congress was ever fraught with more important and far-reaching results-it seems remarkable that a majority of the States supporting it and securing its adoption, were then, and long con- tinued to be, slave States.

OREGON, the county-seat of Ogle County, situ- ated on Rock River, and the Chicago, Burlington & Northern Railroad, 100 miles west from Chi- cago. The principal pursuit of the surrounding region is agriculture, although the town has good

water-power and manufacturing is carried on to some extent, the chief output being flour, pianos and iron castings. It has banks and three weekly newspapers. It has also obtained some repute as summer resort. Population (1880), 1,088; (1890), 1,566.

ORION, a village of Henry County, at the inter- section of the Rock Island Division of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy and the Rock Island & Peoria Railways, 19 miles southeast of Rock Island. Population (1880), 604; (1890), 624.

OSBORN, William Henry, Railway President, was born at Salem, Mass., Dec. 21, 1820. After receiving a high school education in his native town, he entered the counting room of the East India house of Peele, Hubbell & Co .; was subse- quently sent to represent the firm at Manila, finally engaging in business on his own account, during which he traveled extensively in Europe. Returning to the United States in 1853, he took up his residence in New York, and, having mar- ried the daughter of Jonathan Sturges, one of the original incorporators and promoters of the Illi- nois Central Railroad, he soon after became asso- ciated with that enterprise. In August, 1854, he was chosen a Director of the Company, and, on Dec. 1, 1855, became its third President, serving in the latter position nearly ten years (until July 11, 1865), and, as a Director, until 1877-in all, twenty-two years. After retiring from his con- nection with the Illinois Central Railroad, Mr. Osborn gave his attention largely to enterprises of an educational and benevolent character in aid of the unfortunate classes in the State of New York.

OSBORNE, Thomas 0., soldier and diplomatist, was born in Licking County, Ohio, August 11, 1832; graduated from the Ohio University at Athens, in 1854; studied law at Crawfordsville, Ind., with Gen. Lew Wallace, was admitted to the bar and began practice in Chicago. Early in the war for the Union he joined the "Yates Phalanx," which, after some delay on account of the quota being full, was mustered into the serv- ice, in August, 1861, as the Thirty-ninth Illinois Volunteers, the subject of this sketch being com- missioned its Lieutenant-Colonel. His promotion to the colonelcy soon followed, the regiment being sent east to guard the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, where it met the celebrated Stonewall Jackson, and took part in many important en- gagements, including the battles of Winchester, Bermuda Hundreds, and Drury's Bluff, besides the sieges of Charleston and Petersburg. At Bermuda Hundreds Colonel Osborne was severely

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wounded, losing the use of his right arm. He bore a conspicuous part in the operations about Richmond which resulted in the capture of the rebel capital, his services being recognized by promotion to the brevet rank of Major-General. At the close of the war he returned to the prac- tice of law in Chicago, but, in 1874, was appointed Consul-General and Minister-Resident to the Argentine Republic, remaining in that position until June, 1885, when he resigned, resuming his residence in Chicago.

OSWEGO, a village in Kendall County, on the Aurora and Streator branch of the Chicago, Bur- lington & Quincy Railway, 6 miles south of Aurora. Population (1880), 663; (1890), 641.

OTTAWA, the county-seat and principal city of La Salle County, being incorporated as a vil- lage in 1838, and, as a city, in 1853. It is located at the confluence of the Illinois and Fox Rivers and on the Ilinois & Michigan Canal. It is the intersecting point of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway and the Streator branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, 98 miles east of Rock Island and 83 miles west-southwest of Chi- cago. The surrounding region abounds in coal. Sand of a superior quality for the manufacture of glass is found in the vicinity and the place has extensive glass works. Other manufactured products are brick, drain-tile, sewer-pipe, tile- roofing. pottery, organs, cigars, wagons and car- riages, besides agricultural implements, saddlery and harness, and pumps. The city has many handsome public buildings and private residences, including, among the former, the Appellate (formerly Supreme) Court House for the Northern Division. It also has several public parks, one of which (South Park) contains a medicinal spring. There are a dozen churches and numerous public school buildings, including a high school. The city is lighted by gas and electricity, has electric street railways, good sewerage, and water-works supplied from over 150 artesian wells and numer- ous natural springs. It has one private and two national banks, five libraries, and eight weekly newspapers (three German), of which four issue daily editions. Population (1880), 7,834; (1890), 9,985.

OTTAWA, CHICAGO & FOX RIVER VALLEY RAILROAD. (See Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad.)

OUTAGAMIES, a name given, by the French, to the Indian tribe known as the Foxes. (See Sacs and Fores.)

OWEN, Thomas J. V., early legislator and Indian Agent, was born in Kentucky, April 5,

1801; came to Illinois at an early day, and, in 1830, was elected to the Seventh General Assem- .bly from Randolph County; the following year was appointed Indian Agent at Chicago, as suc- cessor to Dr. Alexander Wolcott, who had died in the latter part of 1830. Mr. Owen served as Indian Agent until 1833; was a member of the first Board of Town Trustees of the village of Chi- cago, Commissioner of School Lands, and one of the Government Commissioners who conducted the treaty with the Pottawatomie and other tribes of Indians at Chicago, in September, 1833. Died, in Chicago, Oct. 15, 1835.

PADDOCK, Gaius, pioneer, a native of Massa- chusetts, was born in 1758; at the age of 17 he entered the Colonial Army, serving until the close of the Revolutionary War, and being in Washington's command at the crossing of the Delaware. After the war he removed to Ver- mont; but, in 1815, went to Cincinnati, and, a year later, to St. Charles, Mo. Then, after hav- ing spent about a year at St. Louis, in 1818 he located in Madison County, Ill., at a point after- wards known as "Paddock's Grove," and which became one of the most prosperous agricultural sections of Southern Illinois. Died, in 1831.

PAINE, (Gen.) Eleazer A., soldier, was born in Parkman, Geauga County, Ohio, Sept. 10, 1815; graduated at West Point Military Academy, in 1839, and was assigned to the First Infantry, serving in the Florida War (1839-40), but resigned, Oct. 11, 1840. He then studied law and practiced at Painesville, Ohio, (1843-48), and at Monmouth, Il., (1848-61), meanwhile serving in the lower branch of the Eighteenth General Assembly (1852-53). Before leaving Ohio, he had been Deputy United States Marshal and Lieutenant- Colonel of the State Militia, and, in Illinois, became Brigadier-General of Militia (1845-48). He was appointed Colonel of the Ninth Illinois in April, 1861, and served through the war, being promoted Brigadier-General in September, 1861. The first duty performed by his regiment, after this date, was the occupation of Paducah, Ky., where he was in command. Later, it took part in the capture of Forts Henry and Donelson, the battles of Shilol, New Madrid and Corinth, and also in the various engagements in Northern Georgia and in the "march to the sea." From November, 1862, to May, 1864, General Paine was guarding railroad lines in Central Tennessee, and, during a part of 1864, in command of the Western District of Kentucky. He resigned, April 5, 1865, and died in Jersey City, Dec. 16,

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1882. A sturdy Union man, he performed his duty as a soldier with great zeal and efficiency.

PALATINE, a village of Cook County, on the " in 1859, and chosen a Presidential Elector on the Wisconsin Division of the Chicago & Northwest- ern Railroad, 26 miles northwest from Chicago. There are flour and planing mills here; dairying and farming are leading industries of the sur- rounding country. Population (1880), 731; (1890), 891.

PALESTINE, a town in Crawford County, about 2 miles from the Wabash River, 7 miles east of Robinson, and 35 miles south by west from Terre Haute, on the Indiana & Illinois Southern Railway. It has several churches, a graded school, a bank, two weekly newspapers, flour and woolen mills, plow works and car shops. Popu- lation (1880), 735; (1890), 732.

PALMER, Frank W., journalist, ex-Congress- man and Public Printer, was born at Manchester, Dearborn County, Ind., Oct. 11, 1827; learned the printer's trade at Jamestown, N. Y., afterwards edited "The Jamestown Journal," and served two terms in the New York Legislature; in 1858 removed to Dubuque, Iowa, and edited "The Dubuque Times," was elected to Congress in 1860, and again in 1868 and 1872, meanwhile having purchased "The Des Moines Register," which he edited for several years. In 1873 he removed to Chicago and became editor of "The Inter Ocean," remaining two years; in 1877 was appointed Post- master of the city of Chicago, serving eight years. Shortly after the accession of President Harrison, in 1889, he was appointed Public Printer, continu- ing in office until the accession of President Cleve- land in 1893, when he returned to newspaper work, but resumed his old place at the head of the Government Printing Bureau after the inaugura- tion of President Mckinley in 1897.

PALMER, John McCanley, lawyer, soldier and United States Senator, was born in Scott County, Ky., Sept. 13, 1817; removed with his father to Madison County, Ill., in 1831, and, four years later, entered Shurtleff College, at Upper Alton, as a student; later taught and studied law, being admitted to the bar in 1839. In 1843 he was elected Probate Judge of Macoupin County, also served in the State Constitutional Convention of 1847; after discharging the duties of Probate and County Judge, was elected to the State Senate, to fill a vacancy, in 1852, and re-elected in 1854, as an Anti-Nebraska Democrat, casting his vote for Lyman Trumbull for United States Senator in 1855, but resigned his seat in 1856; was President of the first Republican State Convention, held at Bloomington in the latter year, and appointed a

delegate to the National Convention at Philadel- phia; was an unsuccessful candidate for Congress Republican ticket in 1860; served as a member of the National Peace Conference of 1861 ; entered the army as Colonel of the Fourteenth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry ; was promoted Briga- dier General, in November, 1861, taking part in the campaign in Tennessee up to Chickamauga, assuming the command of the Fourteenth Army Corps with the rank of Major-General, but was relieved at his own request before Atlanta. In 1865 he was assigned, by President Lincoln, to command of the Military Department of Ken- tucky, but, in September, 1866, retired from the service, and, in 1867, became a citizen of Spring- field. The following year he was elected Gov- ernor, as a Republican, but, in 1872, supported Horace Greeley for President, and has since co- operated with the Democratic party. He was three times the unsuccessful candidate of his party for United States Senator, and was their nominee for Governor in 1888, but defeated. In 1890 he was formally nominated for United States Senator by the Democratic State Conven- tion of that year, and, at the subsequent session of the Legislature, was elected after a protracted contest, receiving the votes of two of the Farm- ers' Mutual Alliance members, besides the full Democratic vote, on the 154th ballot. His term expired, March 4, 1897. Since retiring from the Senate, General Palmer has devoted his attention to the practice of his profession at Springfield and to the preparation of a volume of Reminis- cences of his own life, which promises to be an interesting contribution to the history of tlie country.

PALMER, Potter, merchant and capitalist, was born in Albany County, N. Y., in 1825; received an English education and became a junior clerk in a country store at Durham, Greene County, in that State, three years later being placed in charge of the business, and finally engaging in business on his own account. Com- ing to Chicago in 1852, he embarked in the dry- goods business on Lake Street, establishing the house which afterwards became Field, Leiter & Co. (now Marshall Field & Co.), from which he re- tired, in 1865, with the basis of an ample fortune, which has since been immensely increased by fortunate operations in real estate. Mr. Palmer was Second Vice-President of the first Board of Local Directors of the World's Columbian Expo- sition in 1891 .- Mrs. Bertha M. Honore (Palmer). wife of the preceding, is the daughter of H. H.

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Honore, formerly a prominent real-estate owner and operator of Chicago. She is a native of Louisville, Ky., where her girlhood was chiefly spent, though she was educated at a convent near Baltimore, Md. Later she came with her family to Chicago, and, in 1870, was married to Potter Palmer. Mrs. Palmer has been a recognized leader in many social and benevolent movements, but won the highest praise by her ability and administrative skill, exhibited as President of the Board of Lady Managers of the World's Colum- bian Exposition of 1893.

PALMYRA, a village of Macoupin County, on the Springfield Division of the St. Louis, Chicago & St. Paul Railway, 33 miles southwest from Springfield; has some local manufactories, a bank and a newspaper. Population (1890), 505.

PANA, an important railway center and prin- cipal city of Christian County, situated in the southeastern part of the County, and at the inter- secting point of the Baltimore & Ohio Southwest- ern, the Illinois Central and the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroads, 35 iniles south by west from Decatur, and 42 miles southeast of Springfield. It is an important ship- ping-point for grain and has two elevators. Its mechanical establishments include two flouring mills, a foundry, two machine shops and two planing mills. The surrounding region is rich in coal, which is extensively mined. Pana has banks, several churches, graded schools, and three papers issuing daily and weekly editions. Population (1880), 3,009; (1890), 5,077.

PANA, SPRINGFIELD & NORTHWESTERN RAILROAD. (See Baltimore & Ohio South- western Railroad. )

PARIS, a handsome and flourishing city, the county-seat of Edgar County. It is an important railway center, situated 19 miles west-northwest of Terre Haute, 36 miles south of Danville, and 170 miles east-northeast of St. Louis. It stands in the heart of a wealthy and populous agricul- tural region, and has a prosperous trade. Its industries include foundries, flour, saw and plan- ing mills and car shops. The city has two National banks and three daily and weekly news- papers, besides a court house, seven churches, graded schools, and a Normal Academy. Popu- lation (1880), 4,373; (1890), 4,996.

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Part 82

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