USA > Illinois > Cass County > Beardstown > Historical sketch of Cass County, Illinois: an oration delivered July 4, 1876, at Beardstown, Ill. > Part 2
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These were all that then lived below where Chandlerville now is, on this road. The first above these was Robert Leeper, on the Cleph. Bowen place. Next, William Myers ; next, Henry McHenry ; and in their order above him were Peter Dick; John Taylor; William Morgan ; James Hickey, and Amos Ogden ; and then Isham Reavis. who afterward moved below Chandlerville. James McAuley, and Elijah Garner settled in 1832.
Among the earliest settlers in the vicinity of Arenzville were Henry Mckean, John McKean, Alexander Pitner. William Pitner. John Melone, William McHenry, James Davis, George Bristow, Aquilla Low, J. A. Arenz, Richard Matthews. Charles Robertson, James and Christian Crum, Peter Hudson. Charles Wiggins, David Black. Alexander Huffman, Benjamin Mathews. William Summers. Andrew Williams, and Richard Graves. Most of these persons came
7
12
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF CASS COUNTY.
about 1830. John, Stephen and Jasper Buck, and John Shafer were also early settlers. John Savage came in 1823.
In 1830, there was a water mill built at Arenzville, where Engle- bach's steam mill now stands. The power was obtained by changing the channel of Indian Creek fully a quarter of a mile north from its bed where it now runs. There is the site of an old Indian town and burial place on Prairie Creek, about three miles northeast of Arenzville.
Among the first settlers in the centre of the county, near where Virginia now stands, were Capt. Jacob Yaples, who sat out the first orchard in the county ; Henry Hopkins, Elijah Carver, Charles Brady, John De Webber, Thomas Hanby, George Bristow, John Dawsy, Samuel Way, Charles Brady, William Weaver, Thomas Gatton, Halsey Smith, and a preacher named Chambers, and others. Some of these settled as soon as the lands opened for sale at the land office in 1823 ; others a few years later.
The next installment of settlers, ranging from 1827 to 1835, were James Stephenson and his five grown sons, Wesley, James, William, Robert, and Augustus ; Charles Beggs, Jacob and John Epler, John Hiler, Rev. John Biddlecome, Isaac Mitchell, William Kinner, Jesse Allred, Nathan Compton ; John C., Peter and William Conover ; and a widow Pratt and her four sons-William, Charles, Rogers and Haramel.
A school-house was built of logs in this neighborhood in 1829. Samuel Thompson built a horse-mill in 1830. James Richardson built the first blacksmith shop in 1826. Peter Conover and Elizabeth Marshall were the first to marry here, which was in 1827. The south- east part of the county was settled early by James Davis, who made an improvement on the tract now owned by Travis Elmore, at the head of Little Indian Creek. He sold out to Strawder Ball, and he to Isaac Bennett. Bennett sold to Rev. Joshua Crow, who entered the land in 1826. Joshua Crow entered other lands in this vicinity as early as 1823. Eli Cox settled here as early as 1820, in Cox's Grove, so named from him. William Cooper, a negro with a white wife, settled here also ; and Stephen Short, with his four sons, James, Benjamin, George and Albert. Stephen Lee, Tilman Hornbuckle, and Dr. Stockton, settled in Panther Grove in 1830. John Miller, James Thompson and Daniel Blair settled near by on the prairie. Stephen Short was first justice of the peace. Rev. William Crow first preacher.
Further north, on the east side of the county, among the first
13
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF CASS COUNTY.
settlers were George and John Wilson, in 1824; William Daniels, in 1825 ; Bartlett Conyers, John Lucas, John B. Witty and Robert Hawthorn, in 1826. The first child born in this neighborhood was Lucinda Daniels, in 1828. The first marriage was Miles Hamilton and Barbara Baeger. On the north side of the county, on and near the Sangamon Bottom, the first settlers were Amos Ogden, in 1830, who built a house of hewn logs in 1831, and rode three days to get eight men to help him to raise it. The men he got were those other old settlers : Joseph Hickey, James Watkins, John Hickey, James Hickey, Isham Reavis, Daniel Aturbury, and a Mr. Mounts.
The first school-house was of logs, built on Amos Ogden's farm. The first blacksmith shop was owned by Mathew Holland in 1835. The first mill was a small specimen of a water-mill, owned by James Watkins in 1832.
The five Dick brothers, William Lynn, Ishmael West, and William P. Morgan, settled here in 1831 ; and Dr. Charles Chandler, Marcus Chandler, and Mr. Ingliss, in 1832. Dr. Chandler's cabin was in the centre of the present town of Chandlervile, where the first Con- gregational Church now stands, the land being subsequently donated by the doctor for that purpose. South of the Chandler settlement, on the Sangamon Bottom, David Clopton, Robert Leeper, William Myers, Oliver Coyne, William McAuley and Mark Cooper, in 1831 and 1832. The first preaching was by Rev. Levi Springer. X
LIST OF ALL THOSE WHO ENTERED LAND
(i. e., bought from the government) in Cass County, Ills., including the "three-mile strip," before "the deep snow," in the winter of 1830-31 ; and in what township and in what year the entry was made. Where a person entered land in more than one township, his name is given for that tract only which he first entered.
18, 12, Thomas Beard. . 1826.
Enoch C. March 1826.
John Knight. 1828.
Kimball & Knapp 1830.
Asa C. New. 1830.
18. 11, Henry Summers 1830.
Richard Gaines 1830.
66 John S. Warfield. IS30.
66 Robert Farrell 1830.
.. John Farrell 1830.
Temperance Baker. . 1829.
18, 11, William W. Babb .. ... .1829.
66 Elred Renshaw. .1830.
18. 11. Samuel B. Crewdson. . . 1829. Solomon Penny 1828. 17, 12, Freeman Skinner 1830.
Benjamin Carr. 1829.
Amos Hager. 1830.
Reddick Horn. 1826.
Elisha Carr 1829.
. 6 John Waggoner 1829.
James Scott. IS29.
17, 11, Alexander Pitner 1829.
66 John Thompson · 1830.
14
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF CASS COUNTY.
17, 11. James Orchard ..
. . . 1826.
Oswell Thompson, jr. . . 1830.
.. Joseph L. Kirkpatrick .. 1830. Joseph C. Christy 1829.
Frederick Troxel 1828.
Peter Karges 1830.
David Black.
1829.
..
James Smart
1827.
.6 John R. Sparks 1828.
Aquilla Low
1827.
. . Abraham Gish. 1828.
Charles Robertson 1828.
Peter Taylor.
1827.
. .
Martin Robertson.
1828.
James H. Richards. 1830.
..
Jonah H. Case
.1826.
Daniel R. Scaffer 1829.
. 6
Thomas Clark.
1830.
David B. Carter 1830.
James Davis.
.1826.
Andrew Williams 1827.
Alexander Huffma . 1827.
William Summers
1827.
L. L. Case. 1826.
.. John Savage. 1830.
Dennis Rockwell
1828.
Augustus Barber 1826.
Joseph P. Croshwait. . . 1830.
Thomas Wiggins.
1829.
66 George F. Miller. 1828.
Henry Mckean 1829.
66 Daniel T. Matthews . 1828.
John MeKean 1829.
Daniel Richards
. 1829.
John Cuppy 1830.
Patrick Mullen.
1827.
Shadrick Scott. 1828.
66 Benjamin Matthews 1827.
Samuel Grosong 1826.
William S. Hauby 1826.
18, 10, Jolin E. Scott. 1826.
66 Jolın De Weber . 1828.
A. S. West
1826.
John Ray . 1826.
.. Joshua Crow 1826.
Benjamin Stribling .1830.
John G. Bergen 1828.
Phineas Underwood . . . 1826.
Henry Madison .. .1828.
18, 10, William Myers.
1827.
.. Thomas Gatton 1829.
.. James Mason. 1829.
. 6
Nathan Comptor
.1828.
.Jolin Robertson. 1828.
66
Street & Bland. 1827.
Susan Washburn
1827.
Henry Tranghber
. 1826.
6.
William McCord.
1830.
66
Robert Alexander.
1829.
Ralph Morgan 1830.
John Biddlecome
1830.
Zadoe W. Flinn
1829.
Peter Carr ..
1828.
6.
William Carr
. 1828.
..
William D. Sturgis.
6.
1830.
Shadrach Richardson. . . 1830.
Robert H. Ivers
1830.
66
Josiah Rees
1830.
66 Joseph Baker. 1829.
66 Thomas Plaster 1830.
66
William Sewall
1830.
17, 10. William Chambers
1826.
John C. Conover. 1827.
.. Susanna Pratt. 1826.
6. David Black. 1830.
James Marshall
1826.
Jacob Ward. 1829.
.. William Porter 1826.
66 Jacob Lawrence. 1826.
Carrollton R. Gatton. . . 1826.
66 Thomas Gatton 1826.
66
Archibald Job. 1826.
Peter Conover. 1826.
William Conover. 1826.
Abner Tinnen .. 1826.
Nathan Compton 1826.
Joseph T. Leonard. 1826.
Bazaleel Gillett. 1830.
66 George T. Bristow 1826.
.
66
William H. Johnson
1830.
William Breeden 1827
.. Peter Taylor. 1829
John Ream. 1830.
66 Samuel Way. 1828.
6. Archer Herndon 1827.
Evin Martin. .1827
..
James Sturgis. 1827
Jonathan Atherton. . 1830.
6.
15
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF CASS COUNTY.
17, 10, Jacob Yaple. . 1829.
.. Alexander D. Cox. 1826.
Henry Madison 1826.
Morris Davis 1826.
James Marshall
1826.
.6 Jesse Allred. 1826.
66
Robert Fitzhugh 1826.
Isaac Mitchell. .1829.
.. Thomas Redma 1826.
..
Thomas Atkinson 1826.
60
John Vance
IS26.
James Welch
1827.
Richard Jones IS26.
William M. Clark 1827.
James Fletcher 1829.
66 George Freeman 1827.
Thomas Payne 1830.
.. Lucian T. Bryant . 1830.
William Lamme
1826.
.. Silas Freeman 1828.
Isaiah Paschall. 1828.
.. Littleberry Freeman 1830.
Silas Freeman.
1828.
19, 9, David MeGinnis 1830.
Stephen Handy 1S30.
Thos Plaster. 1828.
.
William Linn. · 1830.
Richard McDonald . 1829.
66 Wilson Runyon 1830.
William D. Leeper IS30.
60 William Myers .1830.
.. John Taylor 1829.
Elias Rogers 1830.
Jesse Armstrong 1830.
18. 9, William Holmes 1826.
John Lee. . 1830.
. . Joseph Lee. 1830.
.. Robert Nance 1830.
. . James Fletcher 1829.
17, 9, John Hughes. 1827.
Susanna Walker 1828.
Solomon Redman 1826.
Henry Kittner 1826.
.. Martin Hardin 1827.
Josiah Flinn .. 1826.
David Manchester 1830.
William Miller 1826.
66 Strother Ball 1826.
66 Samuel Montgomery . .. 1830.
Wm. Cooper 1826.
.. Stephen Short 1830.
.. Wmn. Crow 1826.
Lewis Farmer IS30.
Stephen Lee. 1830.
Eli Cox . IS23.
Robert Johnson 1828.
G. W. Wilson. 1826.
6. Wm. T. Hamilton 1826.
These make, by counting, 212 persons who entered land in what is now Cass County, previous to the deep snow.
Andrew Beard. .]
827.
John Bridges IS26.
66 John Creel. 1827.
Joseph McDonald. 1826.
Gersham Jayne. 1829.
..
Jonas McDonald 1828.
66 Anthony M. Thomas .1826. Alexander Beard 1829.
John Robertson 1829.
66 Felix French 1829.
66 Richard A. Lane 1830.
John MeDonald
1828.
19. S, Isham Reavis . 1830.
Robert Taylor 1830.
Wm. P. Morgan 1830.
1S, S. Samuel Reid 1828.
Robert Elkins 1829.
66 Ralph Elkins 1829.
66 Henry Williams 182S.
.. Eaton Nance 1828.
John Lucas. 1829.
Susan Washburne . 182S.
David Williams 1829.
6. Joel Ragsdale. 1829.
17, 8, James B. Watson 1826.
Jesse Gum . 1827.
.. George Tureman. 1827.
Edward Fuller.
1830.
6. Levi Springer 1830.
17, 9, Burton Litton.
IS30.
Page A. Williams 1826.
..
Josiah Sims
1826.
X
16
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF CASS COUNTY.
.
At this early date, before there were any other towns than Beards- town, localities were known by other names, as for instance, Robin- son's Mills, Panther Creek, Miller's Ferry, Schoonover's Ford, North Prairie, Jersey Prairie or Workman Post-office, Panther or Painter Grove, as it was called ; Painter Creek Post-office, where Chandler- ville is now ; Little Painter, Middle Creek Settlement, Fly Point. Sylvan Grove. Puncheon Camp, Lynn Grove, etc.
The winter of 1830-31 was a remarkable one, and will always be remembered by old settlers as the most terrible for suffering within their memories. The snow fell at first about thirty inches deep, then the weather settled, and another snow fell, and another, until it was from four to six feet deep. In drifts it was much deeper. Fences were covered and lanes filled up. There was much suffering every- where. Stock died for want of food. Deer stood in their tracks and died. Prairie chickens and quails having alighted in the snow, could not get out. Man was the only animal that could walk, and game alone, of the food kind, was all he had in plenty. That could be had for the picking up from the snow, for it was helpless. But, finally, even game became so poor from starvation that it was unfit for food. The snow staid on the ground nearly all winter, until March, and people ran short of every thing, particularly fuel. Thomas Beard, recollecting a widow with a small family living at the bluff's, generously walked out there, and found her and her family on the verge of starvation, and hovering over the last remnants of a fire, she having used all her fuel. Mr. Beard tore up some fencing and chopped a large pile of wood for her, and afterwards carried provisions to her through the snow on foot, a distance of seven miles, as a horse could not travel.
In 1831 the Indians became very troublesome in this State, and threatened to overrun the white population. They were led by Black Hawk, their chief and prophet, who pretended to have power given him by the Great Spirit to destroy the pale-faces. He attacked the whites with so much vigor that militia companies were formed for self-protection. A battalion of this militia, of 275 men, commanded by Major Israel Stillman, of Fulton County, was, on the 14th of May, 1832, attacked by Black Hawk on a small branch of Sycamore Creek and badly defeated and cut up. This was called the battle of " Stillman's Run." The first call which Governor Reynolds made for troops was in May, 1831, for all able-bodied men who were willing to fight the Indians. to the number of seven hundred, to rendezvous at Beardstown, on the 10th day of June. On that day
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF CASS COUNTY. 17
they assembled in Beardstown in three times that number. Gov. Reynolds organized them at once by appointing Joseph Duncan, of Jacksonville. brigadier-general, and our Enoch C. March, of Beards- town, quartermaster. March was equal to the occasion. He was so well acquainted with this vicinity that he soon furnished the necessary supplies. But Gov. Reynolds was at a loss to know how to arm those who had not brought rifles. In this emergency, Francis Arenz came to the rescue. He was a merchant in Beardstown, and had previously purchased some light brass-barreled fowling-pieces, which had been manufactured in the East for a South American government, and not answering the purpose for which they were made they were shipped West to shoot birds with. These answered excellently for arms for light horsemen and skirmishers. The troops were encamped above town, where the saw mills now stand, until they took up their march. In their ranks were some of the best men of the country.
I will relate one incident only, connected with the Black-Hawk War, to show how it affected the then future history, of at least a portion, of Cass County.
David Epler, a resident of North Prairie in this county, came to Beardstown to purchase two barrels of salt. He drove two beautiful horses, well harnessed. and a good wagon ; altogether just what Col. March wanted for war material. He accordingly seized them, under that law so universally adopted in war times, that " might makes right," and took them from Mr. Epler, nolens volens. But Mr. Epler refused to give them up, and, his face livid with anger, declared that he would defend them with his life, and that the colonel and his troops would have to walk over his dead body before he would give up his favorite team ; at least, until he was paid their value. Col. March then offered to pay for them what two disinterested men should say they were worth. This was agreed to. There were then stopping in Beardstown two comparative strangers, Dr. Charles Chandler and a man named Crawford ; to them the cause was referred. They, having come from the East, were wholly unacquainted with the low prices of this new country, and priced the team at eastern values, which Col. March felt in honor bound to abide by, and the consequence was Mr. Epler got $350 for his team, which was a large price then.
This incident leads me to relate how Dr. Chandler came here. He left Rhode Island, where he had a good practice in his profession, and a new house which he had just built, and started westward with his family, with the intention of settling at Fort Clark, where Peoria now stands.
2
18
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF CASS COUNTY.
When the steamer, upon which he came up the Illinois River, arrived at Beardstown-the hostile attitude of the Indians in the vicinity, and the preparations for a general Indian war, induced the captain to discharge his passengers and freight at Beardstown, he thinking it unsafe to go any further north with his boat.
While here, Dr. Chandler took a ride up the Sangamon Bottom with Thomas Beard, and he was so well pleased with that part of it where Chandlerville now stands, that he determined to go no further north, but to settle there. This was in the spring of 1832. The bottom and bluffs had been burned over, and the new, fresh, green grass and beautiful flowers had sprung up ; the trees and vines and shrubbery were dressed in their most inviting foliage, and he had never seen so beautiful a sight. In a short time he took his wife and little daughter to see their future home, and they were equally delighted with it. There was a wagon road up the bottom, winding along the bluffs, in about the same place it now does, but so little was it travelled that it had not hindered the fire passing over it. and in the middle of the road. between the two horse-paths, was a ridge of green grass mingled with strawberry vines, which looked like a row of cultivated strawberries, and these right in the road ; the doctor and his wife and little daughter ate in abundance the large, ripe berries. The doctor entered 160 acres of land where the town of Chandlerville now stands, and built his cabin upon the site of the present Congregational Church. He broke up three acres of land that spring, late as it was, and raised a crop of buckwheat upon it, without any fence around.
There was a universal custom among the settlers at that time, that every man should be entitled to 80 acres of land on each side of the land already entered by him until such time as he was able to enter it, as it was called, or, in other words. until he could raise money enough to buy it from the Government at 81.25 per acre ; and it was considered as mean as stealing for another man to enter it.
Shortly after the doctor had settled there. a man stopped there named English, 10 was so well pleased with the prospect that he concluded to ente. land and settle there. The doctor assisted and befriended him all he could, and, to induce him to stop. offered to give up his claim to one-half of the 80 acre tract, next to the land that English wanted, and let him enter it. English told him that he was going to Springfield and enter the whole tract: that he did not care for the customs of the country ; and that he was going to have it right or wrong, and started for Springfield. All of Dr. Chandler's
19
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF CASS COUNTY.
expostulations with him did not avail anything. The doctor went to his cabin and looked over his little pile of money and found that he had fifty dollars. He thought that his neighbor McAuly had some money, and, saddling his best horse, he rode to McAuly's house and borrowed fifty dollars more. Thus provided, he took a different route through the woods and prairies from that chosen by English, and, putting his horse to his best speed, started for the Land Office.
When about ten miles of Springfield, he overtook two young men on horse-back, and as his horse was foaming with perspiration, and nearly tired out, he rode slowly along with the young men, as well to rest his horse, as to relate to them the cause of his haste. When he told them of the meanness of the man English, one of the young men was so indignant that he offered the doctor his own comparatively fresh horse, that he might make all haste and thwart the efforts of English, while the young man would ride the doctor's horse slowly into town. But the doctor rode his own horse, got safely to the Land Office and entered the land before English got there. Sometime after that he wanted to have his land surveyed, and the county surveyor lived at Jacksonville, but a neighbor told him that there was a better surveyor living at Salem, in Sangamon County, named Abraham Lincoln. So the doctor sent for him, and when he came with his implements to do the surveying, the doctor found that Abraham Lincoln, the surveyor, was the same young man who had so kindly offered to lend him his horse, so that he might defeat the rascally man English.
Dr. Chandler was the first physician in Central Illinois who adopted quinine in his practice as a remedy ; the first who introduced the practice of the infliction of bodily pain as a remedy for over doses of opium ; and the first who opposed bleeding as a remedy. When he went to Sangamon Bottom, he was called into practice before he could build a stable, and for weeks, when at home, tied his horse to a tree and pulled grass to feed him on, having no seythe to cut it with. He built the first frame house within the present limits of this county. It was 10x12 feet, one-story, and ningled with split and shaved oak shingles, which made a good ri of for 25 years-a fact worthy of notice. He built it for a drug store and office, and it is still in existence. In 1836, he built his present large residence. His reason for building so large a house at that early day was. that it was exactly like the one he had built and left in Rhode Island : and as his family had sacrificed so much in leaving their comfortable
....
20
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF CASS COUNTY.
home for the wilds of the west, he wished to make a home as near like their former one as possible.
In 1833, Jackson was president ; John Reynolds, governor ; and Clay and Webster were in their glory. Beardstown was quite a flourishing town, and the port on the river from which most towns in the interior of the State got their supplies of goods, and from which their produce was shipped to market.
In that year Francis Arenz began publishing the first newspaper north of Jacksonville and south of Chicago, entitled " The Beards- town Chronicle and Illinois Military Bounty Land Advertiser." This paper did the advertising for the counties of Mason, Warren, Brown, Schuyler, McDonough, Stark, Knox, and Fulton, as there were no newspapers printed in those counties. There were no lawyers in Beardstown then. but those usually consulted by our citizens were : John J. Hardin, Walter Jones, Aaron B. Fontaine, Josiah Lamborn, and Murray McConnell of Jacksonville, and William H. Richardson of Rushville.
In 1833, there was not a single merchant north of the Manvistarre, outside of Beardstown, and not one advertised in the " Beardstown Chronicle ;" and money was so scarce that it was almost impossible for any kind of business to be transacted. Francis Arenz humorously ascribes the phenomenon of the great meteoric shower of that year, to the fact, that a day or two previously a subscriber had paid him two dollars, all in cash, for a year's subscription to the " Chronicle."
The names of the steamers which navigated the Illinois River in 1833-34. were the Peoria, Exchange, Ottawa, Ceres, Utility, Cavalier, Express, Black Hawk, and Olive Branch.
James B. Kenner kept the Bounty Land Hotel at Beard's landing, on the west bank of the river, opposite Beardstown.
Prices of staples in 1833 at Beardstown were : Flour. imported, per barrel, $4.25 ; wheat, in 90 days, per bushel, 50c .; wheat, cash, per bushel, 45c. ; salt, per bushel, 75c. ; corn, per bushel, 12 to 16c. ; beans, per bushel, 50c. ; whiskey, per gallon, 4&c. ; pork, per lb. 2 2. ; butter, per lb. 10c. ; beef, per Ib. 2}c. ; cigars, per 1000, $1 ; .gars, per box, best, $1.
The business men of Beardstown in 1834 were : Francis Arenz, L. W. Talmage & Co., T. & J. S. Wilbourne, J. M. Merchant & Co., Haywood Read, J. Parrott & Co., merchants ; John Alfred, M. Kingsbury, and Liscomb & Buckle, tailors ; J. Roulston, hat-maker ; Henry Boemler, cabinet maker; M. McCreary, cooper ; Malony &
21
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF CASS COUNTY.
Smith, forwarding and commission business. There were also : Dr. J. W. Fitch, Dr. Owen M. Long, and Dr. Chas. Hochstetter.
As descriptive of the business of Beardstown, I will quote the following extract from an editorial in the "Beardstown Chronicle" of March 1, 1834 :
" Since the opening of the river, there has been shipped from this place 1,502 barrels of flour and 150 barrels of pork. Ready for shipment at the warehouses at this time, 581 barrels of flour, 400 barrels pork, and 150 kegs of lard. This is a fair commencement of exporting surplus produce from a country where a few years ago many of such articles were imported. Two steam flouring mills and one steam saw mill are now in operation. A large brewery and distillery are being built, with a grist mill. Besides, arrangements are being made for building ware, store, and dwelling houses. Four years ago only three families, residing in log huts, lived in this place, and now, we venture to assert, more business is transacted in this town than any other place in the State."
The old Brick School House in Beardstown, now a part of Dr. Theo. Hoffman's premises, was built in 1834, by Beard .and Arenz, and presented by them to the inhabitants.
At that time great stress was laid upon the navigability of the Sangamon River, as boats frequently passed up and down that stream. In 1832, a steamboat of the larger class went up the Sangamon to within five miles of Springfield, and discharged its cargo there.
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