Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Part 84

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

USA > Illinois > Knox County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois > Part 84
USA > Illinois > Lake County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois > Part 84
USA > Illinois > Mercer County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois > Part 84
USA > Illinois > Kane County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois > Part 84
USA > Illinois > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois > Part 84
USA > Illinois > Coles County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois > Part 84
USA > Illinois > Clark County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois > Part 84
USA > Illinois > McDonough County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois > Part 84
USA > Illinois > Schuyler County > Historical encyclopedia of Illinois > Part 84

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

a half above the foot of the lake ; but later, the pres- ent site was occupied, at first receiving the name of "La Ville de Maillet," from a French Canadian who resided in Peoria, from 1765 to 1801 (the time of his death), and who commanded a company of volunteers in the Revolutionary War. The popu- lation of the old town removed to the new site, and the present name was given to the place by American settlers, from the Peoria Indians, who were the occupants of the country when it was first discovered, but who had followed their cog- nate tribes of the Illinois family to Cahokia and Kaskaskia, about a century before American occupation of this region. In 1812 the town is estimated to have contained about seventy dwell- ings, with a population of between 200 and 300, made up largely of French traders, hunters and voyageurs, with a considerable admixture of half-breeds and Indians, and a few Americans. Among the latter were Thomas Forsyth, Indian Agent and confidential adviser of Governor Edwards: Michael La Croix, son-in- law of Julian Dubuque, founder of the city of Dubuque; Antoine Le Claire, founder of Daven- port, and for whom Le Claire, Iowa, is named; William Arundel, afterwards Recorder of St. Clair County, and Isaac Darnielle, the second law- yer in Illinois .- In November, 1812, about half the town was burned, by order of Capt. Thomas E. Craig, who had been directed, hy Governor Edwards, to proceed up the river in boats with materials to build a fort at Peoria. At the same time, the Governor himself was at the head of a force marching against Black Partridge's vil- lage, which he destroyed. Edwards had no com- munication with Craig, who appears to have acted solely on his own responsibility. That the latter's action was utterly unjustifiable, there can now be little doubt. He alleged, by way of excuse, that his boats had been fired upou from the shore, at night, by Indians or others, who were harbored by the citizens. The testimony of the French, however, is to the effect that it was an unprovoked and cowardly assault. insti- gated by wine which the soldiers had stolen from the cellars of the inhabitants. The bulk of those who remained after the fire were taken by Craig to a point below Alton and put ashore. This occurred in the beginning of winter, and the people, being left in a destitute condition, were subjected to great suffering. A Congressional investigation followed, and the French, having satisfactorily established the fact that they were not hostile, were restored to their possessions .- In 1813 a fort, designed for permanent occupancy,

419

HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.

was erected and named Fort Clark, in honor of Col. George Rogers Clark. It had one (if not two) block-houses, with magazines and quarters for officers and men. It was finally evacuated in 1818, and was soon afterwards burned by the Indians. Although a trading-post had been maintained here, at intervals, after the affair of 1812, there was no attempt made to rebuild the town until 1819, when Americans began to arrive .- In 1824 a post of the American Fur Com- pany was established here by John Hamlin, the company having already had, for five years, a station at Wesley City, three miles farther down the river. Hamlin also traded in pork and other products, and was the first to introduce keel- boats on the Illinois River. By transferring his cargo to lighter draft boats, when necessary, he made the trip from Peoria to Chicago entirely by water, going from the Des Plaines to Mud Lake, and thence to the South Branch of the Chicago River, without unloading. In 1834 the town had but seven frame houses and twenty-one log cabins. It was incorporated as a town in 1835 (Rudolphus Rouse being the first President), and, as the City of Peoria, ten years later (Wm. Hale being the first Mayor) .- Peoria is an important railway and business center, eleven railroad lines concentrating here. It presents many attractive features, such as handsome residences, fine views of river, bluff and valley scenery, with an elab- orate system of parks and drives. An excellent school system is liberally supported, and its public buildings (national, county and city) are fine and costly. Its churches are elegant and well attended, the leading denominations being Methodist Episcopal, Congregational, Presby- terian, Baptist, Protestant and Reformed Episco- pal, Lutheran, Evangelical and Roman Catholic. It is the seat of Bradley Polytechnic Institute, a young and flourishing scientific school affiliated with the University of Chicago, and richly en- dowed through the munificence of Mrs. Lydia Bradley, who devotes her whole estate, of at least a million dollars, to this object. Right Rev. John L. Spaulding, Bishop of the Roman Catho- lic diocese of Peoria, is erecting a handsome and costly building for the Spaulding Institute, a school for the higher education of young men .- At Bartonville, a suburb of Peoria, on an eleva- tion commanding a magnificent view of the Illi- nois River valley for many miles, the State has located an asylum for the incurable insane. It is now in process of erection, and is intended to be one of the most complete of its kind in the world. Peoria lies in a corn and coal region, is noted for

the number and extent of its distilleries, and, in 1890, ranked eighth among the grain markets of the country. It also has an extensive commerce with Chicago, St. Louis and other important cities; was credited, by the census of 1890, with 554 manufacturing establishments, representing 90 different branches of industry, with a capital of $15,072,567 and an estimated annual product of $55,504,523. Its leading industries are the manu- facture of distilled and malt liquors, agricultural implements, glucose and machine-shop products. Its contributions to the internal revenue of the conntry are second only to those of the New York district. Population (1870), 22,849; (1880), 29,259; (1890), 41, 024.

PEORIA COUNTY, originally a part of Fulton County, but ent off in 1825. It took its name from the Peoria Indians, who occupied that region when it was first discovered. As first organized, it included the present counties of Jo Daviess and Cook, with many others in the northern part of the State. At that time there were less than 1,500 inhabitants in the entire region; and John Hamlin, a Justice of the Peace. on his return from Green Bay (whither he had accompanied William S. Hamilton, a son of Alexander Hamil- ton, with a drove of cattle for the fort there), solemnized, at Chicago, the marriage of Alex- ander Wolcott, then Indian Agent, with a daughter of John Kinzie. The original Peoria County has been subdivided into thirty counties, among them being some of the largest and rich- est in the State. The first county officer was Norman Hyde, who was elected Judge of the Probate Court by the Legislature in January, 1825. His commission from Governor Coles was dated on the eighteenth of that month, but he did not qualify until June 4, following, when he took the oath of office before John Dixon, Circuit Clerk, who founded the city that bears his name. Meanwhile, Mr. Hyde had been appointed the first Clerk of the County Commissioners' Conrt, and served in that capacity until entering upon his duties as Probate Judge. The first election of county officers was held, March 7, 1825, at the house of William Eads. Nathan Dillon, Joseph Smith, and William Holland were chosen Com- missioners; Samnel Fulton Sheriff, and William Phillips Coroner. The first County Treasurer was Aaron Hawley, and the first general election of officers took place in 1826. The first court house was a log cabin, and the first term of the Circuit Court began Nov. 14, 1825, John York Sawyer sitting on the bench, with John Dixon, Clerk; Samuel Fulton, Sheriff ; and John

420

HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.

Twiney, the Attorney-General, present. Peoria County is, at present, one of the wealthiest and most populous counties in the State. Its soil is fertile and its manufactures numerous, especially at Peoria, the county-seat and principal city (which see). The area of the county is 615 square miles, and its population (1880), 55,353; (1890), 70,378.

PEORIA LAKE, an expansion of the Illinois River, forming the eastern boundary of Peoria County, which it separates from the counties of Woodford and Tazewell. It is about 20 miles long and 212 miles broad at the widest part.

PEORIA, ATLANTA & DECATUR RAIL- ROAD. (See Terre Haute & Peoria Railroad.)

PEORIA, DECATUR & EVANSVILLE RAIL- WAY. The total length of this line, extending from Peoria, Ill., to Evansville, Ind., is 330.87 miles, all owned by the company, of which 273 miles are in Illinois. It extends from Pekin, southeast to Grayville, on the Wabash River-is single track, unballasted, and of standard gauge. Between Pekin and Peoria the company uses the tracks of the Peoria & Pekin Union Railway, of which it is one-fourth owner. Between Hervey City and Midland Junction it has trackage privi leges over the line owned jointly by the Peoria, Decatur & Evansville and the Terre Haute & Peoria Companies (7.5 miles). Between Midland Junction and Decatur (2.4 miles) the tracks of the Illinois Central are used, the two lines having terminal facilities at Decatur in common. The rails are of fifty-two and sixty-pound steel .- (HISTORY.) The main line of the Peoria, Decatur & Evansville Railway is the result of the consoli- dation of several lines built under separate char- ters. (1) The Pekin, Lincoln & Decatur Railroad, chartered in 1867, built in 1869-71, and operated the latter year, was leased to the Toledo, Wabash & Western Railway, but sold to representatives of the bond-holders, on account of default on interest, in 1876, and reorganized as the Pekin, Lincoln & Decatur Railway. (2) The Decatur, Sullivan & Mattoon Railroad, (projected from Decatur to Mattoon), was incorporated in 1871, completed from Mattoon to Hervey City, in 1872, and, the same year, consolidated with the Chi- cago & Great Southern; in January, 1874, the Decatur line passed into the hands of a receiver, and, in 1877, having been sold under foreclosure, was reorganized as the Decatur, Mattoon & South- ern Railroad. In 1879 it was placed in the hands of trustees, but the Pekin, Lincoln & Decatur Railway having acquired a controlling interest during the same year, the two lines were con-

solidated under the name of the Peoria, Decatur & Evansville Railway Company. (3) The Gray- ville & Mattoon Railroad, chartered in 1857, was consolidated in 1872 with the Mount Vernon & Grayville Railroad (projected). the new corpo- ration taking the name of the Chicago & Illinois Southern (already mentioned). In 1872 the latter corporation was consolidated with the Decatur, Sullivan & Mattoon Railroad, under the name of the Chicago & Illinois Southern Railway. Both consolidations, however, were set aside by decree of the United States District Court, in 1876, and the partially graded road and franchises of the Grayville & Mattoon lines sold, under foreclosure, to the contractors for the construction; 20 miles of the line from Olney to Newton, were completed during the month of September of that year, and the entire line, from Grayville to Mattoon, in 1878. In 1880 this line was sold, under decree of foreclosure, to the Peoria, Decatur & Evansville Railway Company, which had already acquired the Decatur & Mattoon Division-thus placing the entire line, from Peoria to Grayville, in the hands of one corporation. A line under the name of the Evansville & Peoria Railroad, chartered in Indiana in 1880, was consolidated, the same year, with the Illinois corporation under the name of the latter, and completed from Grayville to Evansville in 1882. (4) The Chicago & Oliio River Railroad-chartered, in 1869, as the Dan- ville, Olney & Ohio River Railroad-was con- structed, as a narrow-gauge line, from Kansas to West Liberty, in 1878-81; in the latter year was changed to standard gauge and completed. in 1883, from Sidell to Olney (86 miles). The same year it went into the hands of a receiver, was sold under foreclosure, in February, 1886, and reorgan- ized, in May following, as the Chicago & Ohio River Railroad; was consolidated with the Peoria, Decatur & Evansville Railway, in 1893, and used as the Chicago Division of that line. The property and franchises of the entire line passed into the hands of receivers in 1894, and are still (1898) under their management.

PEORIA, PEKIN & JACKSONVILLE RAIL- ROAD. (See Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Rail- road of Illinois. )

PEORIA & BUREAU VALLEY RAILROAD, a short line, 46.7 miles in length, operated by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Com- pany, extending from Peoria to Bureau Junction, Ill. It was incorporated, Feb. 12, 1853, com- pleted the following year, and leased to the Rock Island in perpetuity, April 14, 1854, the annual rental being $125,000. The par value of the

421

HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.

capital stock is $1,500,000. Annual dividends of 8 per cent are guaranteed, payable semi-annu- ally. (See Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway. )

PEORIA & EASTERN RAILROAD. Of this line the Cleveland. Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad Company is the lessee. Its total length is 35012 miles, 132 of which lie in Illinois -123 being owned by the Company. That por- tion within this State extends east from Pekin to the Indiana State line, in addition to which the Company has trackage facilities over the line of the Peoria & Pekin Union Railway (9 miles) to Peoria. The gauge is standard. The track is single, laid with sixty and sixty-seven-pound steel rails and ballasted almost wholly with gravel. The capital stock is $10,000,000. In 1895 it had a bonded debt of $13,603,000 and a floating debt of $1,261,130, making a total capitalization of $24,864,130 .- (HISTORY.) The original of this corporation was the Danville, Urbana, Blooming- ton & Pekin Railroad, which was consolidated, in July, 1869, with the Indianapolis, Crawfords- ville & Danville Railroad-the new corporation taking the name of the Indianapolis, Blooming- ton & Western-and was opened to Pekin the same year. In 1874 it passed into the hands of a receiver, was sold under foreclosure in 1879, and reorganized as the Indiana, Bloomington & Western Railway Company. The next change occurred in 1881, when it was consolidated with an Ohio corporation (the Ohio, Indiana & Pacific Railroad), again undergoing a slight change of name in its reorganization as the Indiana, Bloom- ington & Western Railroad Company. In 1886 it again got into financial straits, was placed in charge of a receiver and sold to a reorganization committee, and, in January, 1887, took the name of the Ohio, Indiana & Western Railway Com- pany. The final reorganization, under its present name, took place in February, 1890, when it was leased to the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway, by which it is operated. (See Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway.)

PEORIA & HANNIBAL RAILROAD. (See Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad.)

PEORIA & OQUAWKA RAILROAD. (See Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad.)

PEORIA & PEKIN UNION RAILWAY. A line connecting the cities of Peoria and Pekin, which are only 8 miles apart. It was chartered in 1880, and acquired, by purchase, the tracksof the Peoria, Pekin & Jacksonville and the Peoria & Spring- field Railroads, between the two cities named in

its title, giving it control of two lines, which are used by nearly all the railroads entering hoth cities from the east side of the Illinois River. The mileage, including both divisions, is 18.14 miles, second tracks and sidings increasing the total to nearly 60 miles. The track is of standard gauge, about two-thirds being laid with steel rails. The total cost of construction was $4,350,987. Its total capitalization (1898) was $4.177,763, includ- ing $1,000,000 in stock, and a funded debt of $2,904,000. The capital stock is held in equal amounts (each 2,500 shares) by the Wabash, the Peoria, Decatur & Evansville, the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis and the Peoria & Eastern com- panies, with 1,000 shares by the Lake Erie & Western. Terminal charges and annual rentals are also paid by the Terre Haute & Peoria and the Iowa Central Railways.

PEORIA & SPRINGFIELD RAILROAD. (See Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Railroad of Illinois.)

PEOTONE, a village of Will County, on the Illinois Central Railroad, 41 miles south-south west from Chicago; has some manufactures, a bank and a newspaper. The surrounding country is agricultural. Population (1880), 624; (1890), 717.

PERCY, a village of Randolph County, at the intersection of the Wahash, Chesapeake & West- ern and the Mobile & Ohio Railways. Population (1890), 360.

PERROT, Nicholas, a French explorer, wno visited the valley of the Fox River (of Wisconsin) and the country around the great lakes, at various times between 1670 and 1690. He was present, as a guide and interpreter, at the celebrated con- ference held at Sault Ste. Marie, in 1671, which was attended hy fifteen Frenchmen and repre- sentatives from seventeen Indian tribes, and at which the Sieur de Lusson took formal possession of Lakes Huron and Superior, with the surround- ing region and "all the country southward to the sea," in the name of Louis XIV. of France. Perrot was the first to discover lead in the West, and, for several years, was Commandant in the Green Bay district. As a chronicler he was intelligent, interesting and accurate. His writ- ings were not published until 1864, but have always been highly prized as authority.

PERRY, a town of Pike County; has a bank and a newspaper. Population (1880), 770; (1890), 705.

PERRY COUNTY, lies in the southwest quarter of the State, with an area of 440 square miles and . a population (1890) of 17,529. It was organized as a county in 1827, and named for Com. Oliver H. Perry. The general surface is rolling,

422

HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.

although flat prairies occupy a considerable por- tion, interspersed with "post-oak flats." Limestone is found in the southern, and sandstone in the northern, sections, but the chief mineral wealth of the county is coal, which is abundant, and, at several points, easily mined, some of it being of a superior quality. Salt is manufactured, to some extent, and the chief agricultural output is wheat. Pinckneyville, the county-seat, has a central position and a population of about 1,300. Duquoir is the largest city. Beaucoup Creek is the principal stream, and the county is crossed by several lines of railroad.

PERU, a city in La Salle County, at the head of navigation on the Illinois River, which is here spanned by a handsome bridge. It is distant 100 miles southwest from Chicago, and the same dis- tance north-northeast from Springfield. It is connected by street cars with La Salle, one mile distant, which is the terminus of the Illinois & Michigan Canal. It is situated in a rich coal- mining region, is an important trade center, and has several manufacturing establishments, includ- ing ziuc smelting works, plow, scale and patent- pump factories, foundries and machine shops, flour and saw-mills, clock factory, etc. Consider- able ice is cut here every winter for the Southern market. Two National banks, with a combined capital of $200,000, are located at Peru, and two daily and weekly papers are published. Population (1870), 3,650; (1880), 4,682; (1890), 5,550.

PESOTUM, a village in Champaign County, on the Illinois Central Railroad, 5 miles south of Tolono. Population (1890), 575.

PETERSBURG, a city of Menard County, and the county-seat, situated on the bank of the San- gamon River, at the intersection of the Jackson- ville Division of the Chicago & Alton with the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Railway. It is 23 miles northwest of Springfield and 28 miles north- east of Jacksonville. It has hanks, two weekly papers and seven churches. The manufactures include woolen goods, brick and drain-tile, bed- springs and mattresses. There are also machine shops located here. Population (1880), 2,332; (1890). 2,342.

PETERS, Onslow, lawyer and jurist, was born in Massachusetts, graduated at Brown Univer- sity, and was admitted to the bar and practiced law in his native State until 1837, when he set- tled at Peoria, Ill. He served in the Constitu- tional Convention of 1847, was elected to the bench of the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit in 1853, and re-elected in 1855. Died, Feb. 28, 1856.

PHILLIPS, David L., journalist and politician, was born where the town of Marion, Williamson County, Ill., now stands, Oct. 28, 1823; came to St. Clair County in childhood, his father settling near Belleville; began teaching at an early age, and, when about 18, joined the Baptist Church, and, after a brief course with the distinguished Dr. Peck, at his Rock Spring Seminary, two years later entered the ministry, serving churches in Washington and other Southern Illinois counties, finally taking charge of a church at Jonesboro. Though originally a Democrat, his advanced views on slavery led to a disagreement with his church, and he withdrew; then accepted a posi- tion as paymaster in the construction department of the Illinois Central Railroad, finally heing transferred to that of Land Agent for the South- ern section, in this capacity visiting different parts of the State from one end of the main line to the other. About 1854 he became associated with the management of "The Jonesboro Ga- zette," a Democratic paper, which, during his con- nection with it (some two years), he made an earnest opponent of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill. At the Anti-Nebraska Editorial Convention (which see), held at Decatur, Feb. 22, 1856, he was appointed a member of their State Central Committee, and, as such, joined in the call for the first Republican State Convention, held at Bloom- ington in May following, where he served as Vice-President for his District, and was nomi- nated for Presidential Elector on the Fremont ticket. Two years later (1858) he was the unsuccessful Republican candidate for Congress in the Southern District, being defeated by John A. Logan; was again in the State Convention of 1860, and a delegate to the National Convention which nominated Abraham Lincoln for President the first time; was appointed by Mr. Lincoln United States Marshal for the Southern District in 1861, and re-appointed in 1865, but resigned after Andrew Johnson's defection in 1866. Dur- ing 1862 Mr. Phillips became part proprietor of "The State Journal" at Springfield, retaining this relation until 1878, at intervals performing editorial service; also took a prominent part in organizing and equipping the One Hundred and Ninth Regiment Illinois Volunteers (sometimes called the "Phillips Regiment"), and, in 1865, was one of the committee of citizens sent to escort the remains of President Lincoln to Springfield. He joined in the Liberal Republican movement at Cincinnati in 1872, but, in 1876, was in line with his former party associates, and served in that year as an unsuccessful candidate

423

HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.

for Congress, in the Springfield District, in oppo- sition to William M. Springer, early the following year receiving the appointment of Postmaster for the city of Springfield from President Hayes. Died, at Springfield, June 19, 1880.

PHILLIPS, George S., author, was born at Peterborough, England, in January, 1816; gradu- ated at Cambridge, and came to the United States, engaging in journalism. In 1845 he returned to England, and, for a time, was editor of "The Leeds Times," still later being Principal of the People's College at Huddersfield. Return- ing to the United States, he came to Cook County, and. about 1866-68, was a writer of sketches over the nom de plume of "January Searle" for "The Chicago Republican"-later was literary editor of "The New York Sun" for several years. His mind becoming impaired, he was placed in an asylum at Trenton, N. J., finally dying at Morris- town, N. J., Jan. 14, 1889. Mr. Phillips was the author of several volumes, chiefly sketches of travel and biography.

PHILLIPS, Jesse J., lawyer, soldier and jurist, was born in Montgomery County, Ill., May 22, 1837. Shortly after graduating from the Hillsboro Academy, he read law, and was admitted to the bar in 1860. In 1861 he organized a company of volunteers, of which he was chosen Captain, and which was attached to the Ninth Illinois Infantry. Captain Phillips was successively advanced to the rank of Major, Lieutenant-Colonel and Colonel; resigned on account of disability, in August, 1864, but was brevetted Brigadier-General at the close of the war. His military record was exceptionally brilliant He was wounded three times at Shiloh, and was personally thanked and compli- mented by Generals Grant and Oglesby for gal- lantry and efficient service. At the termination of the struggle he returned to Hillsboro and engaged in practice. In 1866, and again in 1868, he was the Democratic candidate for State Treas- urer, but was both times defeated. In 1879 he was elected to the bench of the Fifth Judicial Circuit, and re-elected in 1885. In 1890 he was assigned to the bench of the Appellate Court of the Fourth District, and, in 1893, was elected a Justice of the Supreme Court, to fill the vacancy created by the death of Justice John M. Scholfield, his term expiring in 1897, when he was re-elected to succeed himself. Judge Phillips' present term will expire in 1906.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Historical encyclopedia of Illinois, Part 84

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