History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois, Part 17

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : O. L. Baskin
Number of Pages: 758

USA > Illinois > Montgomery County > History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois > Part 17
USA > Illinois > Bond County > History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois > Part 17

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).

ed Postmaster. From the great number of mulberry trees standing around his cabin in which the post office was held, he gave it the name of Mulberry Grove, a name it still bears. and which has been given both to the village and precinet.

As soon as a sufficient number of people had settled in the neighborhood, a schoolhouse was built and a school established. This schoolhouse was of the regular pioneer type, being of the rudest architecture, and having the usual puncheon fioor, stick chimney, and great, wide fire-place. The school was taught on the subscription plan, as was the custom then, but the name of the first teacher was not obtained. On Sunday, the building was used as a temple of worship, where the pioneers gathered to hear the word. Near this house a cemetery was laid out, and the first person who died in the precinct (Mrs. Margaret Riley) was buried in it. Since then, many of the pioneers have been buried there. Arthur Sherard was one of the early school teachers, but we do not know if he was the first one. There are now three schoolhouses in the precinet, besides that in the village of Mulberry Grove. Eduea- tion has advanced considerably since the build- ing of the rude schoolhouse described above, as the present handsome and comfortable houses now in use, and the excellent schools taught annually in them truthfully attest.

Bethlehem Baptist Church was originally or- ganized July 10, 1830, on Hurricane Creek, in Fayette County. Among the first members were D. E. Deane, James Street, Willis Dod- son, Larkin Cragg and Henry Sears. In a few years, a great many others united and it became strong in numbers. Elder Dodson preached the first sermon ; the first Clerks were Joseph Williams and James Ferrell. The first meet ings were held at the houses of the brethren alternately. The church was " dissolved " in Fayette County, June 11, 1835, and in 1837 the first meeting of the congregation was hekt H

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HISTORY OF BOND COUNTY.

in Bond County, the church to be called Beth- lehem. The church house was built in the fall of the same year. Elder John Crouch was the first minister; the present, Elder John Lawler, and the present Clerk, J. H. Taylor ; meetings, the second Saturday of each month.

The village of Mulberry Grove was surveyed and laid ont April 28, 1841, by Asahel Enloe, for Francis Gill, the proprietor of the land upon which it stands. It is the second largest town in the county, and from the records seems to have been first called Houston, but afterward changed to Mulberry Grove. It is situated on the Vandalia Railroad, about eight and a half miles from Greenville. Contiguous to it on the east (in Fayette County), and lying on Hurri- cane Creek, is a fine body of timber, while north, west and south is a thickly settled coun- try, in a fine state of cultivation, rendering this an excellent shipping point for grain, stock and other products of the farmers.

The first house in Mulberry Grove was built by David Hubbard, several years prior to the laying-out of the town. In this house, he and a man named Dewelly kept a store, the first in this part of the county. Hubbard also built a steam mill in the fall of 1837, which succeeded Bilyew's old horse-mill, already described. It was a custom mill, and did a good business. A saw-mill was added, and the two were car- ried on until about 1850. In April, 1869, the present mill was built. It was first started as a saw-mill by E. W. and C. E. Dee, brothers. The saw-mill was sold in 1872, and moved to Fairview, flour-mill machinery having been put in by the Dees in 1870. C. E. Dee is the present proprietor, having bought the remain- ing half-interest in 1873. The mill is operated by a twenty-five horse-power engine, has two run of buhrs, and makes " straight grade " flour only. The first blacksmith was David Elam, just across the line. He did all the work for this neighborhood, as well as a large portion of Fayette County. The first school in the village

was taught by Arthur Sherard, and the first church society was that of the Methodists. The town at present shows the following busi- ness : Three or four general stores, grocery stores and drug stores, blacksmith, wagon, car- penter and shoe shops, flour and saw-mill, sev- eral physicians, two churches, and an excellent school. The population is about 500 souls.

The Methodist Episcopal Church at Mul- berry Grove was organized by Rev. J. B. Woolard, about the year 1830, with a member- ship of six, besides himself and wife; the others were Duncan Johnson and wife, John Bilyew and wife and Zopher Foster and wife ; Duncan Johnson was the first class-leader, and Revs. William Chambers and Wilson Pitman the first ministers. This church has since grown to a large congregation from which several other churches have been formed. The old log schoolhouse, already mentioned, was the first place of worship, and served as a church for several years. The first church building was erected iu 1841, on the site of the present church, and occupied by the congrega- tion nntil 1866, when the present brick church was built at a cost of about $3,000. The pres- ent pastor is Rev. J. W. McGriff, and John Riley, class-leader. The first Sunday school was organized by Duncan Johnson in 1834, and has been kept up pretty nearly ever since ; the present superintendent is John Riley, the school is well attended, and both it and the church are prosperous and healthy. This church was included in the first circuit ever traveled by Rev. E. R. Ames, afterward Bishop Ames, of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

The Christian Church, or " Church of Christ," as it is called, was organized in the year 1865, by Elder John A. Williams of Salem, Ill. The only two members living here at the time of the formation of the church were A. J. Leigh and Elizabeth Hensley, but this did not deter them from organizing a society, on the Bible principle perhaps, that "where two or three

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MULBERRY GROVE PRECINCT.

are gathered together in my name," etc. Elder Williams preached for the church about seven years after it was formed, and is now preach- ing for it. The membership is about eighty, with a good attendance. A large and flourish- ing Sunday school is maintained, of which J. B. Rodecker is Superintendent.

Charity Lodge, No. 1,733, Knights of Honor, was organized in Angust, 1879, and has been in operation ever since. The meetings are held in Prather's Hall on the first and third Satur- days of each month. The present officers are :

C. Ormsworthy, Dictator ; C. A. Ragland, Past Dictator ; W. B. Hutchison, Financial Reporter ; S. G. Gillian, Guide ; C. C. Simmons, Vice Dictator ; have abont twenty-six members.

Mulberry Grove village is provided with ex- cellent schools. The school has been graded for the past eight years. There are two school buildings-one brick and the other a modern frame, two stories high, costing about $2,600. Three teachers are employed, and the average general attendance is about one hundred and fifty children.

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HISTORY OF BOND COUNTY

CHAPTER XV .*

POCAHONTAS PRECINCT-TOPOGRAPHY AND DESCRIPTION-ITS EARLY SETTLEMENT-FIRST PIO- NEERS-THE PLANTS AND JOHNSONS-THE QLD METHODIST CHURCH-THE TOWN OF POCAHONTAS-OTHER VILLAGES-SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, ETC.

"() sprecht ! warum zogt ihr von donnen ? Das Neckarthal hat Wein und Korn ; Der Schwarzwald steht voll finstres Tannen, Im Spessart klingt des Alplers Horn."

TI THE Precinct of Pocahontas lies in the south-

west corner of Bond County, and is bounded on the north by Ripley Precinct, on the east by Beaver Creek Precinct, on the south by Clinton County, and on the west by Madison County. Most of the surface of this precinct is level prairie land, especially the western half. The eastern portion, however, is somewhat higher and more rolling, and well adapted to agriculture. The only broken or rough land is found along the borders of the creeks and water courses, and is mostly devoted to grazing.

The timber consists of oak, ash, elm, walnut, hickory, etc. The original timber has been mostly cut down for building and various other purposes, and the present timber is a younger growth. The water-courses of Pocahoutas Pre- cinct are all small. The most important stream is Shoal Creek, which flows in rather a south- erly direction across the precinct, near its cen- ter. It has a number of branches and tribu- taries, all of which are small and of but little importance. A small stream called Locust Fork flows through the sonthern part, and near it is Dry Branch ; both of these are very small.

Prominent among the pioneers who first lo- cated in this precinct was William Burgess, who came in shortly after the war of 1812, and

settled just south of where Millersburg now is, on Sections 22 and 27. He was a volunteer in this war, and has no descendants living here at present. Joseph Critchfield, another very early settler, came in about the same time, and lo- cated on Section 25. His wife was for some time an inmate of the old fort (in Beaver Creek Precinct, and referred to elsewhere). He has still one descendant, Mrs. Prichett, living in the county. Joseph Bilyew, another early pioneer, came to this State prior to the war of 1812, and settled in Madison County. In 1817, he moved to this precinct and settled on Section 10. He has several great-grandchildren, at present re- siding in this county. A family named Coles settled east of where Millersburg now is, about 1820. John Bilyew came in as early as 1822, and settled on the land where Frank Meyers now lives (near Pocahontas). He afterwards sold this farm to William Mills. James Nance settled on Section 27, in 1820. Samuel Lee. came in prior to Nance, and located in the same neighborhood. William Reams came in 1830, and settled in Section 28. A man named Rolten settled southwest of where Millersburg now is, about 1822, but on account of ill health he soon after moved away. John Powers set- tled on Section 25 in 1820, but at present has no descendants living here.

About this time three brothers, Andrew George and James Green, located on Shoal Creek, a little above Powers. David White, after whom White's Fort received its name, set- tled near them late in the same year. Isaac

* By T. J. Riley.

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POCAHONTAS PRECINCT.

Reed settled a little farther up the creek on Section 10 in 1820. The Johnsons and Will- iamson Plant settled near where Pocahontas now is during the same year.

About 1833, Benjamin Johnson, accompanied by five brothers, Duncan, Charles, James P., Hugh and John P., came in and located near where the town of Pocahontas now stands. Benjamin was a large land owner, and at one time was a member of the Legislature from this distriet. He lived here until his death, which occurred in 1861. There are a number of the descendants of the Johnsons living here at present. About this time, came the Sugg family and the Gillespie family, from Tennes- see, and the Ridgeways from Ohio. Two men, named Weise and Stoekley, settled in the south- west part of the precinct in 1833. Josiah File came in 1837, and was followed, in 1840, by Edward Ellis, who is now the largest land owner in the precinet.

The early industries in Pocahontas Precinct were of the most primitive pattern. Among the first was a mill, built on Shoal Creek by Thomas Stout about the year 1831. It was a saw-mill, run by water-power, but a small attach- ment for grinding purposes was afterward put in, which did not prove mneh of a success. The mill ceased operations in 1870, and has done nothing since. William Burgess ran a small copper still on a spring branch on Section 26, but it ceased to live in 1828. About the time the town of Pocahontas was laid out, Duncan Johnson built a mill on Shoal Creek, but it has long since ceased to exist.

In early times, a great excitement was created on account of a belief that gold and silver was to be found in Bond County. To add to this excitement, Robert Gillespie, a settler who lived on Shoal Creek, a few miles above where the town of Pocahontas now stands, found some shining particles in a spring near his house and gathering them carefully together, he took them to St. Louis, and showed them to a fellow who

prononneed them gold. For some time after this the fever ran high, but as time gradually elapsed and no more was found, the search was finally abandoned.

The Methodist Episcopal denomination or- ganized a church at the house of Charles John- son about the year 1820. Among the early members were Charles Johnson, the Plant fam- ily, the Williams family, Harley Valentine and wife, and a part of the Bilyew family. Among the first class leaders was Henry Williams. The first church was built south of where the town of Pocahontas is now located, near where the depot now stands, sometime during the year 1826. It was a log building of the most primi- tive structure. About 1835, this organization erected a new frame church three and one- quarter miles west of the old log church. The next church was built in the village, in 1854. It was a frame building, 50 feet long and 34 feet in width, and cost about $1,500. The ground was donated by Benjamin Johnson, with the proviso that it should be open to all denomina- tions, except Catholics and Mormons.

The town of Pocahontas was surveyed on the 21st day of March, 1838, by T. S. Hubbard, for Benjamin Johnson, the proprietor. It is located in Section 3, Township 4 north, Range 4 west, nine miles southwest of Greenville, on the Vandalia Railroad. The town was first ealled Amity, and the post-office name was Hickory Grove. When this town was laid out Mr. Johnson (the founder) made provision that no lots were to be sold to any one unless they would agree not to handle liquors of any kind in any way. It is a well-known fact, that the Germans like their beer, and as most of the set- tlers were Germans, instead of locating in Poca- hontas, they went to Highland, a neighboring village, and settled there. The plan proved to be a bad one, and after a few years it was abandoned.

Benjamin Johnson was the first Postmaster, and the first hotel was run by P. W. Lampkins

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HISTORY OF BOND COUNTY.

in 1837. Benjamin Johnson owned the first blacksmith shop, and it was run by a smith named Herron. The first store was a general merchandise establishment owned by Benjamin Johnson and Dr. Fitch, in 1836. Dr. Griffith was the first physician, about 1843, and the first church building was erected in 1852 by the Methodist denomination.

At present Pocahontas is a flourishing village of a little over four hundred inhabitants. It contains three churches, a flonring mill, owned by W. S. Wait, one furniture store, one agri- cultural implement store, the Union Hotel, kept by William Justi, and the Western Hotel, kept by Henry Idler, three blacksmith shops, two wagon-maker's shops, one harness shop run by Frank Senn, two millinery establishments, one barber shop. Leopold Knobel and Joseph Leibler buy grain, and John Snyder and John Meyers deal in stock. There are also two dry- goods stores and one grocery store. A. A. Simms is the Justice of the Peace, and Drs. Jolin Gordon and J. R. Clinton represent the medical fraternity. The present Postmaster is H. C. Challis.

But little need be said concerning the schools of Pocahontas. The land on which the first school building was erected was donated by Benjamin Johnson for the purpose of building an academy thereon. At its completion, in 1854, it was put in the charge of Prof. Cav- anaugh (a minister), of Lebanon.

The " Gordon Lodge," of A., F. & A. M., was organized at Millersburg October 3, 1866, by Grand Master Bromwell, but in 1867 was moved to Pocahontas. The first officers were : James Gordon, W. M .; Edward Teter, S. W .; Robert Elegood, J. W .; R. J. Collin, Treasurer, and A. J. Gullick, Secretary. The charter mem- bers were : Sidney and Harvey Cole, William Casey, Robert Elegood, Bellfield Featherston, James Gordon, A. J. Gullick, Edward Teter, John C. Gordon, Isaac Howell, Jacob Lindley, J. M. Lucas, James Pigg, Franklin Pressgrove and P. C. Reed. The present officers are : S. II. Challis, W. M .; Joseph Dever, S. W .; J. M. Minor, J. W .; George Powell, Secretary ; John Gordon, Treasurer ; Morris Margood, S. D., and Joseph Hunter, J. D. The lodge at present has a membership of about twenty, is in a flourishing, prosperous condition, and has about $800 in the treasury. For some time after the removal of the lodge from Millersburg to Pocahontas, they held their meetings in the the schoolhouse, but since 1873 they have occu- I pied a large, convenient lodge room of their own.

Lodge No. 177, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was organized on the 12th day of October, 1855, by James Starr, the Grand Master of the State. The charter members were : R. K. Dewey, George H. Dewey, A. W. Greenwood, R. T. Sprague and J. F. Sugg. The first officers were : R. K. Dewey, N. G .; R. C. Sprague, V. G .; A. W. Greenwood, Secretary ; and J. F. Sugg, Treasurer. The lodge held their meetings in the schoolhouse, until in the fall of 1873, when they moved into the hall they now oeenpy. The lodge is at present in good con- dition, having about twenty-two members, and $700 in the hands of their Treasurer. They built their hall in 1873, at a cost of about $3,000, but the building has since been pur- chiased by S. H. Challis. The present officers

The first Trustees were Benjamin Johnson, N. Leaverton, W. Mills, B. Kavanaughı, P. Lampkins, D. Johnson and L. D. Plant, who gave it the name of Amity Academy. The academy was run according to the original plan for some time, but on account of its being so far in advance of the times, it was not suffi- ciently patronized to warrant the management in continuing it as an academy, and finally the project was given up. At present the building , are : H. E. Reed, N. G .; Joseph Neathammer, is used as the public school in District No. 4, and | V. G .; John Robinson, Treasurer, and W. S. is the only school in the village of Pocahontas. | Wait, Secretary.

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POCAHONTAS PRECINCT.

The A. O. of U. W. was organized by C. W. Sewell, Distriet Deputy, in June, 1880. The charter members were : W. M. Hays, F. E Jandt, William Justi, Frank Meyer, James, Chiswell, J. M. Minor, Joseph Lawrence and John Neathammer, L. B. Long, William Bolt, Jacob Segar, Harmon Treadbar, Hartman Gruner. Perry Reed, Fred File, Philip Leibler, Frank Hochdafer, II. E. Reed, W. E. Smith, D. C. Heston and J. A. Hampton. The officers who have filled the places since the organiza- tion of the lodge are : W. M. Hays, M. W .; F. E. Jandt, Recorder ; J. M. Minor, Financier ; H. E. Reed, Receiver ; W. E. Smith, P. M. W .; Fred File, Overseer, and William Justi, Fore- man. At present, the lodge is in a thriving condition, and is growing steadily in popular- ity and members. They hold their meetings in the Odd Fellows hall, and have a regular at- tendance of about twenty-two members.

The Good Templar Lodge was organized February 9, 1881, with ninety charter members. The first officers were : Z. T. Hendricks, Worthy Chief ; Miss Laura Stevens, Vice Worthy Chief ; E. Balch, P. W .; H. Hatchet, Secretary; Miss Jennie Harned, Assistant ; C. Phelps, Financial Secretary ; Joseph Dever, Chaplain ; E. Alderman, Marshal ; Fannie Savage, assist- aut ; Johu Savage, Outside Guard, and Miss Ilannah Challis, Inside Guard. The lodge has at present a membership of about forty-five, and meetings are held regularly every Thurs- day evening in Remick's Hall. John Jett is the present Worthy Chief ; E. Alderman aets as Secretary, and Mrs. Bridgewater is Treasurer.

The Catholic Church was organized in the spring of 1869, by Father Peter Peters. Among the first members were : John M. Gilmore and wife, Louis Loux and wife, Mr. Schwedenman and wife, George Hochdefer and wife, George Arnold and wife, George Hansilman and wife, father and two sons ; Charles Kuebel and wife, Tom Ryan and wife, Charles Rovolt and Frank Rudolph and wife. The society worshiped in

a private house, which they purchased and used as a place of worship until the erection of their present church building in 1872. It is a frame building fifty feet long and twenty-six feet in width, and cost about $2,400. It was dedi- cated by Bishop Battles. For some time after the organization of this church, it was under the care of the Franciscan priests of Teutopolis, Ill., but of late years it has been under the pastorate of regular priests. The first Trustees were Leo Eisenpris and John Senn. The present Trus- tees are Baptist Eisenpris, Timothy Coffee, Frank Senn and Fred Eisenpris. The Treas- urer is Frank Senn, and the priest now in charge is Rev. A. Kersting. About forty families now belong to the church.

The United Baptist Church was organized on the 10th day of January, 1873, by Peter Long. The church was formed from members of the old Mount Nebo Church in Ripley Pre- cinct. The first members were Albert Ray and wife, S. N. Jett, Agnes E. Jett, Mildred Wait, Mary Bridgewater, Catharine Harvey and W. C. Harvey. Albert Ray and S. N. Jett were the first Deacons, and W. C. Harvey was the first clerk. The society worshiped at the houses of the members until in the spring of 1874 ; a church fifty feet long and thirty feet wide was ereeted at a cost of about $1,400. The first Trustees were Lee Wait, J. G. Scott and S. N. Jett. The present Trustees are N. Bridge- water and Louisa C. Gilmore. The church at present is under the pastorate of Rev. J. H. Jones, has about twenty-five members, and is in good running order. It belongs to the Ap- ple Creek Association, over which Peter Loug is Moderator. A flourishing Sunday-school is conducted in connection with the church, under the superintendeucy of Lawrence Stevens. An interesting Bible school of about fifty scholars is also taught regularly every Sunday.

Millersburg is a small village situated in the southern part of the preeinct. It was laid off by William Burgess from Kentucky, and

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HISTORY OF BOND COUNTY.

received its name from a man named Charles Miller, who built the first mill. The first store was run by David C. Baldridge, who built the first house erected in the village. Fritz Hack- ick was the first blacksmith. At present it is a flourishing little hamlet of between one and two hundred inhabitants. It contains one store rnn by Peter Minges, three blacksmith shops, one wagon shop, run by John Dishouser ; one schoolhouse and one saloon. The postoffice name is " Baden Baden," and Clem Williams is the present Postmaster. Only three mails are received each week. The mill is run at present by Peter Strife, and is doing only a moderate business. There are no churches in the town. Recently, for the convenience of cit- izens living in thesouthern part of the precinct, a sub-voting place has been established at Mill- ersburg. This sub-voting precinct includes a part of the southern portion of Pocahontas Precinct, and a couple of tiers of sections off

the western side of Beaver Creek Precinct, but as yet no lines have been made on our maps to indicate it, and it was doubtless made more for convenience than anything else.

Pierron, a small village of about one hun- dred inhabitants, is situated near the midway of the western boundary line of the county, a part of it lying in Bond County and a part in Madi- son County, though most of the business por- tion lies in this county. It was laid off in 1868, by J. Pierron, who built and ran the first store. August Pierron was the first Postmaster. At present the town is in a prosperous condition, and contains one store run by Suppiger & Uti- ger ; two blacksmith shops, one on each side. of the county line ; two wagon shops; one ele- vator owned by Kuebel & Co .; three hotels, only one of which is in this county, namely, the "Oak Dale House." A. A. Pierron and Louis Sehnert handle agricultural implements, and A. A. Suppiger is the present Postmaster.

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BEAVER CREEK PRECINCT.

CHAPTER XVI .*

BEAVER CREEK PRECINCT-DESCRIPTION AND GENERAL TOPOGRAPHY -TIMBER AND WATER COURSES-EARLY SETTLEMENT-MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE PIONEER TIMES-THE

FIRST POST OFFICE, BLACKSMITH, STORES, ETC .- MILLS AND CARDING MACHINES -VILLAGES-EDUCATIONAL AND RELIGIOUS-CHURCHES, ETC.

THE precinct of Beaver Creek, to which this chapter is devoted, lies in the south- ern part of Bond County, directly south of · Greenville, and comprises Township 4 north, Range 3 west, together with a tier of fractional sections along Shoal Creek on the western side of the precinct ; thus giving it these fractional sections more than a regular Congressional township. The surface of the land is generally level, much of it originally being prairie. Along the margin of the streams it is some- what hilly and broken, and was covered with timber when the country was first settled. The timber, which was that common in this section, has been considerably thinned out, and that planted by the settlers themselves now makes nearly as much show as the original growth. The precinet is drained by Shoal and Beaver Creeks, and their tributaries. Beaver Creek flows through the eastern part in a southerly direction, receiving numerous small streams in its course, while Shoal Creek drains the western portion. The precinet, as at pres- ent laid off, is bounded on the north by Green- ville Precinct, on the east by Okaw, on the south by Clinton County and on the west by Pocahontas Preeinet. It is as fine an agricult- ural district as can be found in this section ; the people are an intelligent and industrious elass, well educated, and rank among the best citizens of the county. The surplus products of the precinet find a market over the Vandalia

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History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois, Part 17

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago : O. L. Baskin Number of Pages: 758

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : O. L. Baskin
Number of Pages: 758