History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part 50

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. ; O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 948

USA > Illinois > Union County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 50
USA > Illinois > Pulaski County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 50
USA > Illinois > Alexander County > History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois > Part 50

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).

394

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

Many of the early settlers of this precinct were from the Southern States, although at the present time there are probably more Eastern people here than in the entire county besides. One of the prominent pioneers was Andrew Guthrie, from Tennessee. He was a man of the old fossil type, a bitter enemy to all species of internal improvement, and fought the project of the Illinois Central Railroad to the best of his ability. He be- lieved it would ruin the country, and to that end opposed the right of way through his land like grim death. When he came, he had considerable money, a fact which, as is often the case, rendered him arrogant and over- bearing. He entered the improvements of many people over their heads, thus incurring their displeasure and making scores of enemies. At one time he owned a great deal of land, but he sold off most of it before his death. James R. Guthrie, a son. still lives on the homestead.

Thomas Ferrill was also from Tennessee, and settled early in the precinct. He was a man of consequence and took quite an active part in the affairs of the county, and their management. He served several times as County Commissioner, held other prominent positions, and was well thought of in the community. He is dead, but his name is perpetuated by several sons still living in the county.)

From North Carolina came the following settlers of this precinct: Jacob and Philip Clutts, Joseph Miller and several other fam- ilies. The Cluttses are what is termed North Carolina Dutch, and the old pioneers-Jacob and Philip-were good, honest citizens. They are both dead, but numerous descendants still are residing in the county. John Clutts is a son of Jacob, and George and Peter are sons of old Philip, and are worthy citizens. Joseph Miller, and his son Samuel Miller,

came here in 1825. The elder Miller entered land just north of the present village of Cobden, but left it soon after, and returned to North Carolina. Samuel was a soldier of the war of 1812. He went to Tennessee in 1839, and died in Stewart County in 1845. A son, John B. Miller, is now Postmaster of Anna, and among the most worthy citizens of that city.

The Vancils are still a numerous family, of which Benjamin, Jonas and young John were the leading representatives. Jonas settled in Alto Pass Precinct, and there re- ceives further notice. Benjamin was long a prominent citizen, and has died since this work has been in course of preparation. The Farmer and Fruit Grower thus alludes to him: " Benjamin Vancil, aged seventy- eight years, departed this life Monday morn- ing March 11, 1883, and was laid away to rest in the family cemetery, near which has been his home for thirty years, Father John D. Lamer, a life long friend of the deceased, officiating. Uncle Benny Vancil moved to this county, from Grayson County. Va., about the year 1822, being at that time only eight - een years old. He was born near Dayton, Ohio, January 25, 1804. The country not exactly suiting them, they traveled West, through Missouri and Arkansas, but finally came back here, where his father settled upon and opened up a farm in the northern part of Union County, in the Landrith settle- ment, where he lived until 1853, when he opened up what has long been known as the Vancil homestead. Mr. Vancil was quite a horticulturist in the early days of Cobden, and formerly Uncle Benny's fine fruit was always in demand, and quite a display to be seen at the Union County Fair, as well as the State fairs. He had at least $100 worth of silverware, received as prizes for exhibits. He shipped fruit trees from his nursery all

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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

over the Western States a score of years ago, and it is a fact worthy of mention that his father brought the Buckingham apple here from the county of that name in the Old Dominion. He was also quite a florist, and enjoyed his fruits and flowers, but has been on the decline for the past ten years. He was a perfectly upright man, and a gentle- man of the old school, a class that is fast fading out. He was honest to a fault, and charitable to all. He has raised a large fam- ily, and has outlived all his sons except one. Peace to his ashes. Young John Vancil is a native of this county, and was born in 1817, and, with one or two exceptions, is the oldest native-born citizen of the county. He is one of the best farmers in the precinct, both in grain and fruits, and an enterprising citizen.

Additional to the early settlers already mentioned, are Davis M. Biggs, John O'Daniel, William C. Rich, Henry Casper, John D. Fly. John J. Demming. John Lockard, Larkin Brooks. Harmon F. Whit- taker, the Lingles, John P. Holland. John M. Rich, Peter Sifford. etc., etc. Biggs settled in the northwest part of the precinct. O'Daniel is still living. and is a plain old farmer, nearly ninety years old. William C. Rich was formerly Sheriff of the county, served in the Legislature one term, and is still an honored citizen of the county. Cas- per, Fly, Demming and Lockard are all living. Larkin Brooks is dead. but has several sons still living. Whittaker lives now in Marion County. The Lingles came originally from Ohio, and have a number of descendants, in the county. Wilson Lingle served in the Black Hawk war. Of the record of other pioneers of this community, we have failed to learn particulars. Doubtless many names have been inadvertently omitted that should have been mentioned.

Although Cobden Precinct was settled originally mostly from Tennessee and North Carolina, yet, as we have stated, there are now a geat many Eastern people in the pre- cinct and the village. These, however, are later importations, and have come in, in a great measure, since the first settlement of the country has shown to the hunters of homes, its fine climate and wonderful resources. They escaped many of the toils, dangers and hardships of their predecessors -- the old North Carolinians and Tennesseans-who had to cope with wild beasts, savages, earth- quakes, and many other dangers unknown to us at the present day.

Cobden is the great fruit center of Union County, and many fine fruit farms are lo- cated in this precinct, which are more particu- larly mentioned in the chapter on horticult- ure. The strawberry farm of Mr. Earle is the largest in the county, and is well worth visiting. But one of the most beautiful places is that of Mr. James Bell, east of the village. It was first owned by Michael Dil- low, and afterward purchased by Col. Allen Bainbridge, who sold it to Thomas and Finus Evans. From these Mr. Bell purchased it, and has so tastefully improved it that it is now one of the most beautiful homesteads in Southern Illinois. He has a large fruit orchard, mostly of cherries, and a green- house surpassing anything of the kind in this section of the country. His handsome grounds and greenhouse are in charge of Mr. John Ehle, a son of the "Faderland," who is the very embodiment of civility and genuine old fashioned courtesy, a practical gardener and florist, and who literally lives among his flowers and trees. The view from the top of Mr. Bell's mansion is fine, and overlooks the entire surrounding country. The lofty peaks of the Kentucky and Missouri hills are plain ly discernible, and the curling smoke of pass-

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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

ing steamers on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers can be distinctly seen.

There are more fruit and vegetables shipped from Cobden than from any other point on the Illinois Central Railroad. As an il- lustration of this fact, we are informed that there were twenty-two car-loads of tomatoes alone shipped from this place in one day during the fall of 1882. This was, perhaps, the largest shipment of tomatoes ever made in one day, but it merely shows the quanti- ties of fruits and vegetables grown contiguous to this station.

George E. Walker, now deceased, did as much, perhaps, to develop the fruit interests of this region as any one man. His father was the first permanent settler of Ottawa. Ill., and George was the first Sheriff of La Salle County. After accumulating a large fortune in the mercantile business, he retired, on account of poor health, and came to this county. Here he opened up a number of the best fruit farms in the vicinity of Cobden, and assisted others in the same business. After the Chicago fire, in which he lost heavily, he went to that city and erected the Oriental building, on La Salle street, and died there soon after. His son, A. E. Walk- er, who lives in Chicago, owns considerable land in this precinct.

Cobden Precinct is well supplied with school facilities, having some four or five comfortable school buildings outside of the village. Good schools-which, however, are scarcely up to the standard of the schools in the central and northern part of the State -are taught for the usual terms each year by competent teachers.

There are several churches in the precinct, outside of the village. The Christian Church, on Section 13, is a frame building, and has a good congregation. A cemetery is attached, in which repose the mortal remains of many

of the deceased citizens of the neighborhood.

The Christian Church on Section 18, is also a frame building. It was erected some twelve or fifteen years ago, but is now almost extinct as a society.

The Limestone Baptist Church is on Sec- tion 6; there is quite an extensive cemetery adjacent to it, in which are many stones and marble slabs, marking the resting places of deceased members and citizens.

Cobden Village .- This village was laid out originally by Benjamin I .. Wiley, on Sec- tion 30, of Township 11, Range 1 west, on the west side of the railroad, and the plat recorded May 28, 1857. Mr. Wiley afterward made an addition on the east side of the railroad. Several other additions have been made, viz., Buck's Addition, west of original plat; Hartline's Addition, south of the latter ; Frick's Addition, east of Hartline's and on the east side of the railroad, and Clemens' Addition, east of the Wileys', etc., etc., and perhaps some others.

The object which brought the village of Cobden into existence was the building of the Illinois Central Railroad. Isaac N. Philips located here February 1, 1858, as agent of L. W. Ashley, Benjamin L. Wiley and J. L. Philips, who had a kind of land and real estate office at Anna, and were the owners of the land around Cobden. He first occupied a log cabin, which is still standing, just back of the Philips House. He was soon joined by Amos Bulin and Moses Land, who removed to the place about three months later. In the latter part of the summer, Col. Bainbridge came, and bought the present Bell farm, as already stated. Jared Baker built a house on the site of the school build- ing. Dr. Ross says when he came to Cobden Henry Ede lived in a house which stood where Adam Buck now lives; that Jerry In- graham, foreman of the repair shops of the

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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

railroad, lived in a little house which has been moved, and now stands next to his office, and a house was standing which belonged to the Bell heirs, and which was occupied by Col. Bainbridge. The front part of what is now the Roth Hotel was the first building erected after he came to the place; it was built by Thomas Baker, and occupied by Isaac Philips.

The first store was kept by William Henry Harrison Brown, and was opened in the early part of 1859. He sold out to Adam Buck, as he had been indicted by the grand jury for selling a pack of playing-cards. The next store was opened by John Davis, and the next by Frick & Lamer. Mathias Clemens came here while the railroad was building, and opened a kind of boarding- house, which was the first place of public entertainment in the town. Few small vil- lages are better supplied with hotels than Cobden is at present, in the Philips House and the Roth Hotel.

LaBar & Davie built a mill here about 1860-61, which was burned some two years ago. The next mill was built in 1878, by Virgil Beale & Bro., and is still in opera- tion; it is owned by Virgil Beale, and is a three-story frame building. Duncan & Halli- day built a mill in 1882. It is a substantial frame, and they still own and operate it. The town has some nine or ten stores, in- cluding dry goods, groceries, hardware, etc., with the usual number of shops of all kinds. The first schoolhouse built within the corpo- rate limits of Cobden was in 1867, and is still in use. It is a brick edifice, and cost about :$10,000; is spacious and comfortable, and will accommodate at least 200 pupils. The general attendance is from 150 to 200. The school is graded, and five teachers are generally employed-a Principal, Assistant Principal and three teachers. Previously to

the building of this house, schools were out- side of the village. This town district was formed in 1865, and a building rented until the school building was completed.

A schoolhouse for the colored people was built in 1875, at a cost of about $550; one teacher is employed, and the general attend- ance is some forty children. Most of the colored people in the county live in and around the village of Cobden.

The Cobden Library is quite an institu- tion, and is a credit to the intelligence, and refinement of the people of the village. It grew out of a temperance organization which had existed here for some time." About the 28th of April, 1877, the temperance society established a public reading room and library on a small scale. To this has been added, from time to time, as means would justify, books, papers and periodicals until, mainly through the influence and energy of Col. Peebles, it has become one of the largest libraries in the State, to be found in a town of this size. Some 1,400 volumes, many of them valuable works, fill its shelves. The present officers are L. T. Linnell, President; Mrs. James Bell, Vice President; F. E. Peebles, Secretary, Treasurer and Librarian. Miss Gertrude S. Peebles, Assistant Librarian and Mrs. M. J. Linn, Miss Carrie Goodrich and L. H. Ting, Directors.

Cobden was incorporated as a village April 15, 1869. The first Board of Trustees were I. N. Philips, John Buck, Henry Frick, David Green, M. Clemens, B. F. Ross and John Pierce. It was reorganized under the general law in 1875. The present Board of Trustees are L T. Linnell, Adam Buck, Sam- uel Spring, Silas R. Green, W. P. Mesler and A. J. Miller. L. T. Linnell is Pres- ident and Eli Mull, Clerk.

Rev. Samuel C. Baldridge, pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Cobden, furnishes us

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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

the following history of his church, and the facts which led to its organization:

" In May, 1858, a New Englander, who had followed the Yankee drift of emigration to the north part of the State, came south to find a healthy location for his family. On landing in the embryo village, he started out on a wagon track up the hills to the east. As he was trudging along through the woods, he heard a cock crow, off to his right, and, supposing that there was a habitation in that direction, he turned off, and soon came to a cabin occupied by George Vancil. Here he received boarding until he could see the country. Being a religious man, he began to inquire about the religious privileges. He found there was no place of worship within less than four miles. He proposed to open a Sabbath school in the district schoolhouse.

They objected, on the grounds that there had been one started at a church four miles south of them, but that it soon failed. But he persuaded them to try one within their own neighborhood. The appointment was made for the next Sabbath. When the morn- ing came, however, his landlord was so shy of the enterprise that he loaded his family into a wagon, and, after the manner of the country, went off visiting, leaving the guest alone. In the afternoon, some little boys came up the road and inquired about the Sabbath school. This decided the matter, and the lone man went down the hill to the schoolhouse and began his work in this wide and needy field.

" Ebenezer Warner Towne was the name of this servant of God; the first Sabbath of July, 1858, was the time; 'Lentz School- house' was the place where a work for God and truth was started, that by His grace will never cease to bless this community. The schoolhouse was a hewed-log building, twenty feet square. That day there were seven

pupils; but in a few weeks the house filled up with parents and children, and money was raised for a $10 library of the "American Sunday School Union." The school went on during the year. When Mr. Towne's family came on, he had faithful help in them. But in 1859, the house being entirely too small for the growing numbers, the school was re- moved to the village, and housed in a build- ing that was only inclosed and had the floor laid. There were now eighty pupils and a slender corps of teachers. The school was shifted several times, until the " Horticult- ural Hall" was put up by the ‘Fruit Growers' Association' in 1863, when it was removed to it as a permanent home. Im- mediately around the village a class of in- teresting and enterprising families had settled. They were chiefly from New Eng- land, and represented almost every conceiv- able opinion respecting religious truth. From the time that, Father Towne removed the Sabbath school to 'the station,' there was grafted onto it some form of public worship. After the exercises closed, if a minister of any order were present he was invited to preach. If not, some gentleman was invited to read a sermon or lecture, on any subject and by any author whom he might select. It was a heterogenous service. One Sabbath it would be a cordial discussion and applica- tion of some Gospel truth; the next, per- haps,

" ' When Paul has served us for a text, Has Epictetus, Plato, Tully preached,'

" There was an incongruous element mixed with the efforts of these serious people. Sometimes the service would close with the announcement of a 'ball,' in the house on some evening during the week. So the parties tried to walk together for years. Meantime, a group of most excellent families had gathered in Mr. Towne's neighborhood, two

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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

miles or so northeast of Cobden. It com-

school. This was about 1864. That sum- unreached, that they organized a Sabbath their own neighborhood, so many families there was such need of Christian work in working in the school at the ‘station,' but Miss Rogers, etc. Several of these were tlemen were each aged), the Fitches, Clays, a Presbyterian, and their families (these gen- gational minister, and Rev. William Holmes, prised Rev. William Arts, M. D., a Congre-

mer it was held in a waste house on Silas

Sifford's farm, at the 'Union Spring.' But

it was no rival to Father Towne's. In the

zeal and persistency, winter and summer. ncon. So they wrought, with a holy, loving assist him, and theirs was held in the after- morning, many of these workers went over to

sympathize with him. Father Towne had re- deep convictions. He found here many to and so was rich in experience, courage and service in Milwaukee, and two in Chicago, in eighteen years of business, and Christian thirty-five years. He had been schooled rich. He had been a church member for ganizing tendency was Mr. Isaac G. Good- have been honored of God to begin this or- ing persistent work. The man who seems to among so many who had the faculty for lov- no man yet with the faculty to organize number of religious families, but there was " By this time (1866), there were quite a

Col. Forbes and Capt. William A. Kirby and and Mr. Holmes were preparing to go. But moved North in 1865, and Revs. Mr. Arms

Dr. - Foster were here, and Mrs. Fitch, C.

C. Wright, T. E. A. Holcomb, John Brig-

ham. Virgil Beal, Edward Beal, Homer L.

Finley, Theodore Goodrich and others, who

had been more or less identified with Chris-

tian work in other places. No sooner was he

settled than he began to agitate the duty of a week-evening prayer meeting. It was not

this, another meeting was appointed to be to meet at Mr. Goodrich's. As the result of last, all persons favorable to it were invited Congregational Church was canvassed. At the spring of 1867, the organization of a which went on all the winter of 1866-67. In long before one was organized at his house,

held at the 'Horticultural Hall.' At this

combine all elements in the proposed Mr. Goodrich's hands, and an effort made to meeting, the matter was rather taken out of

of the Committee, including Mr. Goodrich. the birth of 'Christ the Lord.' A minority unite. brought in the Song of the Angels at 'articles of faith,' on which they could church. The Committee appointed to draft

who could only be satisfied with a distinct statement, in such a paper, of the truths that

1868, the Rev. J. E. Roy. D. D., Superin- again, at his residence. In the spring of was ready to organize his prayer meeting services. By the fall of 1867, Mr. Goodrich thoughts should find expression in these shade of belief and unbelief in; religious tioned, went on. It was the wish that every way, and so the services, such as above-men- themselves into some useful church life any those who hoped that things would share who thought this sufficiently definite and of ganization, however, was effected, of those subversive opinions that prevailed. An or- purpose, in the face of the conflicting and They deemed it wholly inadequate to the Christ, declined to accept this as a basis. they considered essential to saving faith in

- Church in Illinois, visited the field, and tendent of Missions for the Congregational

found things ripe for a distinctively Evan-

Faith' were proposed and considered, and room,' on Saturday evening, the 'Articles of gelical Church. In Mr. Goodrich's ‘sitting-

informally adopted. The next day, the ' Plymouth Congregational Church of South

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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

Pass,' was formally constituted, with fifteen members, and they sat down and sealed their vows at the communion of the Lord's Supper. Rev. Charles Wheeler soon visited them, and was employed as their first minis- ter. He remained in charge until July, 1871.

" In September, the Rev. Evan L. Davies, supplying the Presbyterian Church of Anna, was invited to visit them, and was employed to supply them for one year. This relation was continued the next year. Mr. Davies became very acceptable as a preacher and pastor. He was a fine scholar, a close stu- dent, and well versed in natural science. He was quite familiar with the theories of ' modern science.' He delighted in the dis- cussion of the evidences of Christianity, and by his logical tastes, and wide information and established convictions, he was abund. antly qualified. But he was a fervent lover of Christ, and rejoiced in the Gospel of His grace, and gave 'no uncertain sound' in his preaching. He was a 'manly man,' but a man of peace, save only when the sacred Scriptures were openly assailed, and then he was ' a man of war.' He was the very man for the field, and in 1872 he removed his family to Cobden. This still farther in- creased his influence and usefulness in this part of his field. Mrs. Davies was 'a help meet for him.' Her sprightliness, tact and good judgment supplemented her husband's gravity of temperament and manner. She was refined and agreeable, 'socially, but in times of sickness or bereavement she was 'an angel of sweet ministries.' She was a great worker in the church, the Sabbath school. the prayer meeting, and seemed to have the health and tireless love that was needed. But as the congregation went on trying to do the Lord's work, more and more two diffi- culties pressed them. First, as a Congrega-

tional Church, they were so isolated; there were none of the same order with whom they could counsel, or unite in the support of a minister to supply their pulpit. Second, they needed aid, to make up their share of the support of a minister in the field The American Home Missionary Society ' hesi- tated to aid them in sustaining a Presbyter- ian minister as their 'supply,' and while grouped with a Presbyterian Church. Thus the work seemed stopped with them as Con- gregationalists. They were discouraged by the course of the 'society,' and by and by chafed, and then began to consider favorably the advantages of a change of their church relations under their circumstances, and then a large proportion of the religious com- munity, who were identified with them in church membership or in Christian work were Presbyterians; so at last, July 12, 1874, in a Congregational meeting, called to consider their duty, they adopted the Presby- terian form of church government by an almost unanimous vote, and fixed on the name, 'The First Presbyterian Church of Cobden, Illinois.' They adopted, also, the ' Articles of Faith' of the ‘Plymouth Con- gregational Church,' so that nothing was changed but the polity and the ecclesiastical relations of the church. That day the con. gregation elected E. W. Towne, the veteran Sunday school worker; William F. Longley, Lewis T. Linnel and J. E. Blinn. Ruling Elders in the church, and John Clay and Townsend Foster, Deacons. On the 19th, the Revs. A. T. Norton, D. D., 'synodical missionary, and E. W. Fish, of Duquoin, being present, the above-mentioned officers- elect were ordained and installed, and the organization was completed. September 12, the church was received under the care of the Presbytery of Cairo, and its name en- rolled. So, the Sabbath school of Father

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History of Alexander, Union and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part 50

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. ; O.L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 948

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. ; O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 948