History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois, Part 28

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 28
USA > Illinois > Bond County > History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois > Part 28

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).

Among the early blacksmiths of Hillsboro were Nathan and Burton Harmon and a Mr. Hutchinson. W. A. Morrison and Kimball Prince were the next blacksmiths, perhaps, who located in the town. Fred Hillsabeck was also an early blacksmith. Another of

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

the early blacksmiths was Ned Gossage, as he was called. He lived in a small log cabin, with no floor but the ground, and his shop was a similar structure. Mr. Wesley Sey- mour is supposed to be the next wagon-maker to Nussman. John Meisenheimer was also a wagon-maker and a carpenter. John Dieker- son, David Eddy, Ira Boone and Hudson Berry were the first brick-makers of the town. William Brewer established a turning-lathe very early, and manufactured furniture, working in wood work generally. Thomas Sturtevant, Alfred Durant, E. B. Hubbell and James Blackman were of the same trade, and followed the business for years.

The first steam mill in the town was built by John Tillson. It was originally started by David B. Jackson as an ox tread-mill for sawing lumber. But Tillson enlarged it, supplied steam and made a flouring and saw mill, which was of great benefit to the town and community. It was burned down about 1840. No town in Central or Southern Illi- nois is better supplied with mills than Hills- boro is at the present day. That of Glenn Bros. is a very paragon of excellence, while there are several mills in town, quite as good, but of smaller capacity.

Hillsboro has never made any pretentions toward manufactories. A few rather small ones, such as Gunning's, which was burned early in 1873, and the woolen factory in the south end of town, a few small wagon and carriage factories, comprise her manufactur- ing ventures. She has never aspired to any- thing beyond being a quiet, retail business town. The grain trade is perhaps the largest business carried on in the town Since the opening of the I. & St. L. R. R., in 1855, Hillsboro has become the center of a large grain trade. An immense quantity of corn, oats and wheat, is annually shipped from this point. Enterprising buyers are always on

hand in the grain season, who keep up with the market price and always pay the very best figures. The completion of the railroad gave the town quite an impetus, and from that time it grew more rapidly in population than it ever had before. Persons often won- der, particularly strangers, why the depot is away down under the hill where it is, instead of being east from the court house. The principal reason, we have been informed, was in consequence of a little game of " logger- heads," played between the railroad people and the citizens of the town. The railroad people wanted to run their road through the south end of the town, a route the citizens very rightly objected to. Hence, to gratify a little malice, the railroad people then placed their depot as far off as possible and in the most inconvenient location. But with the depot in an out-of-the-way place and the road down under the hill, it has been the crowning event in the history of Hillsboro, and given her an increase of business, prosperity and importance she had never known before.

The first court house built in Montgomery was in Hillsboro, as the general dissatisfac- tion of Hamilton as the county seat had pre- vented the erection of a court house at that place. But when Hillsboro was selected as the future seat of justice, it was believed the selection would remain permanent, and there- fore arrangements were at once entered into for the building of a court house. It was of simple architecture and material, but up to the spirit of the times in which it was built. It was twenty-five feet square, a story and a half high, of hewed logs, the cracks well chinked, two glass windows of 8x10 glass, one for the room below and one above. The floors were of plank, as well as the doors, in- stead of puncheons and clapboards, and the roof was of shingles. Primitive as this build- mg may appear, when compared to Hills-

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CITY OF HILLSBORO.

boro's present temple of justice, it was, in that early day, by far the most pretentions building in the embryonic city, and a great improvement on the residences of the people. It was situated on the southeast corner of the square, where it did duty until the next one was built-1836-37. When the log house was finally removed, the logs were used in a small building still standing back of the pho- tograph gallery. The first Clerk's office was also built of logs, and is, or was until recent- ly, standing, a solitary relic of the pioneer period, near the Methodist Church.

The original jail was a log structure, and a very formidable prison for that early period, when criminals were not so smart as they are now, nor so thoroughly educated in crime as they are in this fast age. It was of hewed logs and the walls were of three thicknesses -two horizontal and one perpendicular tier. When torn down to give place to a more mod- ern "bastile," many of the logs were used for street crossings, thus displaying a spirit of economy worthy of imitation in these lat- ter days.

The old log court house faithfully served its day and generation, and was used in other capacities than meting out justice to the offenders of the law. It was used by most of the religious denominations until they built church editices and for all public meetings. The first term of court held in it was on the 17th and 18th of June, 1824, Judge Thomas Reynolds presiding. Joel Wright was Sher- iff; Jarvis Forehand, Coroner, and Hiram Rountree, Clerk. As an item of interest to the present Clerks of the Court, it might be well to state that the fees of Hiram Rountree were $8 for the first year he held the office of Clerk. The following incident related of Mr. Rountree, and the first term of the Cir- cuit Court held in Montgomery County, is given here as illustrative of the primitive

days of the county. The first term of the Circuit Court was held at Joseph McAdams,' before the county seat had been located at Hillsboro. Hiram Rountree, with his family, was residing at the house of Joseph McAdams, a cabin of two rooms, and in one of them the court was held, while Mrs. Rountree retired to the other with her two children until court should adjourn. Judge Reynolds very calmly and dignifiedly, it is said, reposed his "ju- ducial honor" on the side of the bed. Mr. Rountree sat in a splint-bottomed chair-the only one in the room, by the side of a walnut table made of puncheons, smoothed off with the ax, both chair and table his own manu facture, and, with a goose-quill pen, kept the records and administered the oaths, etc.

Somewhere about the year 1836 or 1837, a new court house was built, and the old log structure was removed. This second build- ing was a frame. and was a square edifice, two stories high, the lower story the court- room, and the upper story divided into offices. The court-room being below, about two-thirds of the floor was mother earth; the remainder was laid of plank and was two or three feet above the ground, with a railing or banisters around it. And inside of this rail- ing was the Judge's stand, Clerk's desk, law- yers' tables, etc., etc. The spectators and lookers-on remained outside of the railing, where they could spit their tobacco juice in the dust without any lynx-eyed officer " to mo- lest or make them afraid." During the re- cesses of the court, the hogs occupied the room, and made a bed-chamber under the floor, which, as we have said, was two or three feet above the ground. This small square, frame building, with roof running up to a point in the center, with a small cupola set on top, very much resembling a chicken-coop, was used as a court house until about 1854, when it was displaced by a brick building, at a cost of

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

some $5,000. It was a two-story house, with large columns in front supporting a portico, something in the style of the present acad- emy building. Some years later, a wing was added to it, the upper story of which formed the jail and the lower story the jury-room, etc. This building is still standing and serv- ing the county as a court house, though it has been considerably repaired since the late war. It stood, however, until 1868, without material change, when it was very substan- tially repaired and transformed into its pres- ent magnificence.

The court house as it now stands is but the old one remodeled. As is the case in many other counties in Illinois, there has been quite a contest between Hillsboro and Litch- field in regard to the county seat-on the part of Litchfield to possess it and on that of Hillsboro to hold it. It is said that * posses- sion is nine points in law," and hence Hills- boro holds " nine points " against Litchfield in the contest. When the subject came up, soon after the close of the war, as to the pro- priety of building a new court house, the question of removal to Litchfield was feared by those opposed to removal, if the project was undertaken to build a new house out and out, and hence it was finally resolved to merely " rejuvenate " the old one, and thereby save the county the expense of erecting a new and costly building. The sequel proved that the improvement of old buildings was not wholly devoid of cost. After deciding upon repairing the old court house, an architect was brought down from Chicago, who drew plans and designs for the work, and from them the present building was made out of the old one, at a cost of something like $120,- 000 and $15,000 or 820,000 more for finish- ing the jail. In order to carry out the origi- nal design of repairing theold building, some half dozen or so of the old brick were left in

the new house, which, notwithstanding all that has been said, or may be said about it, is a handsome and imposing structure and a credit to the county and the people. When we look at the sum expended on it, it appears to be a rather costly edifice, but the difference in the price of material and labor then and now considered, perhaps the cost is not ex- travagant. It is a comfortable and conven- ient house, as well as an imposing one. The court-room, which will comfortably seat about 500 persons, is in the second story, to- gether with jury-rooms, consultation-rooms, etc., while the first story is taken up with offices, comprising those of County and Cir- cnit Clerk, County Judge, Recorder, Sheriff and County Superintendent of Schools.

The jail and the Sheriff's residence is in the north end or side of the building, and is quite a convenient part of the designs. The jail is in the top story, while the Sheriff's residence is in the second, the house being three stories high on this side. The prison portion is finished up in the most safe and substantial manner, and is intended to keep an evil-doer, when once incarcerated in it, un- til he is taken out by the proper authorities.

The court house is situated on the highest ground within the city's limits, and stands as a way-mark to the passing traveler, and is usually the first object observable when ap- proaching the town. From the lofty tower which ascends skyward from the southwest corner, a fine view can be had of the country for miles around. Indeed, one with a good pair of eyes, on a clear morning, may look away to the West, across the States of Mis- souri and Arkansas, and see the buffalo graz- ing on the prairies of Texas. Fact! The handsome court house, with its spacious court-room elegantly furnished, conveniently arranged offices, substantial jail and Sheriff's comfortable residence, taken all together,

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CITY OF HILLSBORO.

present quite a contrast to the old log build- ings of fifty years ago.

Hillsboro was laid out as a village, as we have seen, in 1823. It was incorporated as a town under the State law, and was governed by a Board of Trustees, with the necessary officers for the proper administration of its affairs. It remained under this style of gov- ernment until 1869, when it was incorporated as a city, by an act of the Legislature ap- proved March 30 of that year. It was, under its charter as a city, divided into four wards, represented by members in a Common Coun- cil, of which the Mayor was and is the pre- siding officer. Since its organization as a city, the following gentlemen have served as Mayor, viz., John T. Maddux, 1869; Fred Noterman, 1870; Paul Walters, 1871; Fred Noterman, 1872; A. H. Brown, 1873; A. H. H. Rountree, 1874; E. S. Burns, 1875; John F. Glenn, 1876; M. M. Walsh, 1877; George H. Blackwelder, 1878; William Conklin, 1879; Charles B. Rhoads, 1880; Ben E. John- son, 1881; Ben E. Johnson, 1882.

In March, 1882, the city was re-organized under a special State law regulating the mu- nicipal government of cities. This order of things necessitated a new division of the city into districts or wards. Hitherto, under the old regime, the city was divided into four wards, but when re-organized and redivided, it was laid off into three wards. Each of these are represented in the Common Council by two members, who, with the Mayor and Clerk, comprise the municipal government. The present Council (1882) is as follows: W. L. Blackburn, J. M. Cress, members from the First Ward; A. H. May, B. Philips, members from the Second Ward; J. M. Truitt W. M. Neff, members from the Third Ward, with Simon Kahn, City Clerk; C. H. Witherspoon, City Treasurer, and Ben E. Johnson, Mayor.

The streets, buildings (residences and busi-

ness houses) of Hillsboro are as good, if not better, than are to be found in the majority of cities of her size and wealth in the State. It is true that the people generally of Illinois towns and cities do not take as much pains, nor spend as much money in beautifying their streets, parks, etc., as some of the older States farther east. The streets of Hills- boro are beautifully shaded with trees, and, with a little care and taste, might be made ex- ceedingly attractive. Many handsome resi- dences and grounds are an ornament to the city, and show a refinement of taste that should extend to the beautifying of the streets and the purchasing and laying-out of a park. Young people require a summer re- sort and a promenade, and the addition to Hillsboro of a public park would be a ju- dicious investment by the city authorities, and relieve the railroad depot of crowds of idle visitors. The business houses, as a class, are good, of modern style and arrangements, and every class of retail business is repre- sented, from the banking house and first-class store, down to the most ordinary shops, and the annual trade of the city will compare fa- vorably with that of any of its sister cities.

In looking back over the sixty years that have come and gone, we see the few log cabins that stood upon the crest of a hill, grown and expanded into a flourishing little city, in- stinct with life and the bustle of business. We have traced its growth and development in trade and traffic briefly for the sixty years that have elapsed since it was selected as the seat of justice of Montgomery County. We have seen how its first inhabitants settled down in the proverbial log cabin, and, by honest toil and strict integrity in their daily life and transactions, became prosperous and happy. And now we close the record of its growth, development and business, and, in the chapters succeeding, take up other branch- es of its history.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

CHAPTER IX .*

HILLSBORO-ITS RELIGIOUS HISTORY-THE METHODIST CHURCH-ORGANIZATION, MEMBERS AND PREACHERS-THE PRESBYTERIANS-THEIR CHURCH-OTHER RELIGIOUS ORGANIZA-

TIONS-BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS-THE MASONS-ODD FELLOWS, ETC., ETC.

"God attributes to place

No sanctity, if none be thither brought

By men who there frequent .- Milton.

TI HE Rev. N. S. Dickey, in his address upon the semi-centennial of the Presbyterian Church of Hillsboro, said : " The good seed carried by emigrants is usually sufficient to begin the work of raising society to a higher level of civilization, and their transforming power counteracts those demoralizing influences which tend to social degeneration and disrup- tion. These Christian influences are active in their conflicts with cvil and attractive in social power ; and they usually act as a nucleus around which will gather those influences necessary to carry society onward to a state of comparative perfection. We may see by com- parison with the past how much has been done in this respect. The progress and triumph of Christian truth, the superstructure on which every society which approximates perfection must rest, is also made apparent. It is thus seen that no other power but Christian truth can vitalize, expand, harmonize, direct and con- trol the forces which underlie and build up the great fabric of society." This was true of the early settlers of Hillsboro and vicinity. It is much to their credit that they were mostly a Christian people, and laid the foundation of religious organizations in an early period of their occupation of the country. The Method- ist circuit-riders, the forerunners of Christian- ity, as John was of the Master, were the first heralds of the Cross in the wilderness of Illi-

nois. They traveled over the country on horse- back, gathering the scattered settlers together, preaching the Gospel to them, and forming them into religious societies. As early as 1820, they made their regular visits to the neighborhood and preached in private houses. Jesse Walker, Peter Cartwright, Samuel Thomp- son, Charles Holliday, Joshua Barnes and Thomas Randall, pioneer Methodist preachers, were in the county from 1820 to 1823, and preached frequently in the settlers' cabins. and later, Bishops Morris and Ames preached in the old log court house and schoolhouse'in Hillsboro. Thus was the introduction of Chris- tianity coeval with the settlement of the coun- try by white people.

The Methodist Church .- The organization of the Methodist Church of Hillsboro dates back to about 1824-25. Says Mr. Rountree : " It worshiped mainly in one old log schoolhouse, while for more general annual worship a camp ground was established on land now owned, and perhaps then, by Wesley Seymour, near his house, but across the road in the brush." Among the regular ministers who preached at at Hillsboro, in that early day, were Revs. John Dew, John Benson, James Mitchell and his brother, John T. Mitchell. Rev. N. S. Bas- tian, now of the Christian Church, is said to have preached his first sermon on the Hillsboro Circuit. Among the early members of the church were Benjamin and Joseph Miller, Mr. Stout, John Prentice, Hiram Rountree, Samuel Bennett and others of the pioneers of the neighborhood. " Though much zeal was mani-

*By W. H. Perrin.

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CITY OF HILLSBORO.

fested, it was at a much later day before an effort was made to build a church edifice. A frame building was commenced and partially inclosed about 1834-35, on the lot now used as the Methodist parsonage. Being, however, unable to finish it for want of means, at the suggestion of John Tillson, who promised to largely assist them in completing it, they moved it to South Hillsboro, on ground known since as the Wyman lot, where it stood in an unfin- ished state for several years, being only used in summer when the weather was pleasant .*

The great financial panic that swept over the country in 1837-38, so paralyzed the people that this building was never completed. About 1840, a combined effort was made to build a church, and all denominations united together, the result of which was the final completion of the old Methodist Church that stood upon the corner of the square, and which was completed during the administration of Rev. N. S. Bas- tian. It was informally dedicated by a revival of religion which increased the membership of the church to over one hundred. Following Mr. Bastian, Rev. John Van Cleve came-a man of the highest order of talents and piety, as well as of usefulness in the church. Mr. Rountree gives the following as the manner in which these early preachers were paid for their services as pastor : " It was often amusing to cast up accounts and see how they were paid. For instance, few could pay money-nearly all paid in truck or traffic. One would send, say, twenty-five bushels of corn, at 123 cents a bushel; another, ten bushels of wheat, at 37} cents a bushel ; another, fifty pounds of side bacon, at 3 cents a pound, or hams at 4 cents; while whole hogs of fresh pork would be at the rate of 13 to 2 cents a pound. Again, one would furnish clothing, say, jeans, at 50 cents per yard, or linsey, at 25 ceuts, besides articles, such as gloves, socks, etc., at similar low prices. It was a mystery then, and is still a mystery,

how they lived ; but they did live, and that, too, when it was fashionable to have large fam- ilies, and to educate them at their own expense. They did live, and generally within their in- come, if their pay could be called income." The problem of how they lived may be solved in the simple statement that the good old-fash -. ioned Gospel of that day was not so expensive an article as that served out to us at the pres- ent time, by the Beechers, Talmages and other silk-stockinged divines of the country. who proclaim the word from marbled desks to audiences arrayed in silks and broadcloths. who doze away the time in softly-cushioned pews, laid with Brussels carpets."

Rev. John Van Cleve was followed by Rev. Robert Black well, and he by Rev. Samuel Elliott, who, the next year, was succeeded by the Rev. D. J. Snow. The Methodists differ from most other denominations, in that they change their ministers every two or three years. Rev. Mr. Elliott is represented as a preacher who won great popularity while pastor of the church at Hillsboro, and was almost unanimously peti- tioned for again, but from some cause the Con- ference saw fit not to grant the petition, and sent him elsewhere, which somewhat excited the indignation of the Hillsboro Church, and Rev. Snow found grim visages and sour faces confronting him upon his " first appearance." He seemed to comprehend the situation at once, or had had an inkling of how matters stood, and took for his text, upon the occasion of preaching his first sermon, the following words from Matthew, xi, 3 : " Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" The an- uouncement of his text is said to have brought to the countenances of many of his bearers feeble smiles, and the manner in which he han . (lled it, and the application he made, restored all to good humor, and he finally became a pop- ular and beloved pastor. He was succeeded the next year by Bev. S. Shinn, and he by Rev. T. W. Jones. Next came Rev. Preston Wood ;

. * Rountree Letters.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

he was followed by Rev. James Crane, and he by Rev. William Pallet, who died in 1873. Rev. B. C. Wood was the next pastor, succeeded by Rev. D. Bardrick, who remained two years ; he was followed by Rev. Green McElfresh, he by Rev. B. Hungerford, and he by Rev. McCaskell, who did not stay, and the place was filled by Rev. W. C. Lacy, followed the next year by Rev. A. C. Vanderwater. Rev. S. S. Meginniss came next, remaining two years, and under his administration the present church was built, and the old one on the corner sold.

Of this building, which was erected in 1863, Mr. Rountree says : " Though money enough was subscribed to nearly pay for its ereetion, still a debt was created, that with the debt on the parsonage, remained an incubus over the church for ten years, and was paid up iu full this year (1873) leaving the church free from debt, with a building worth some $15,000 and a parsonage worth about $3,000, and some one hundred and fifty members with sufficient abili- ty to support a first-class preacher." Since the above was written by Mr. Rountree (in 1873), the church under the pastorate of Rev. Mr. | Hoffman, experienced quite a revival and in- crease of membership. He remained with the church for three years. The present pastor is Rev. Thomas I. Coultiss, a preacher of great ability, a pleasing speaker, and a natural orator. He is now (1882) serving his first year with the church, and his accomplishments as a pas- tor should endear him to his congregation.

The Methodist Chureh of Hillsboro, almost from its original organization has maintained a Sunday school. At present it is large and flourishing under the superintendence of Mr. Burns.

The Presbyterian Church .- From a sermon delivered Mareh 10, 1878, upon its semi-cen- tennial anniversary, by Rev. N. S. Dickey, at the time pastor, we compile the following sketch of the Presbyterian Church of Hills- boro : Hillsboro, March 10, 1828 .- Rev. John

M. Ellis met several people of Hillsboro and vicinity, at the house of John Tillson, Jr., and formed a church, to be known by the name of the " Presbyterian Church of Hillsboro." Johu Tillson, Jr., was received on certificate, and Mrs. Margaret Seward on examination ; John Tillson, Jr., was ordained as Ruling Elder. It thus appears that this church began with two members, one of whom was made Ruling Elder. From the organization, March 10, 1828, to Sep- tember 28, 1828, Rev. Solomon Hardy occa- sionally moderated the session and supplied the pulpit, or rather preached in the school- house and the court house, for there was no house of worship nor pulpit in Hillsboro. Four persons were added to the church under these labors, two on examination and two by letter, making a total of six. For more than a year after this there is no record, and report says the church only had occasional preaching from passing clergymen. From April, 1830, to Octo- ber, 1841, a period of seven years and six mouths, Rev. Thomas A. Spillman was the stated supply of the church. The first record- ed report of the church was made to the Pres- bytery of Central Illinois, April 2, 1830, a little more than two years after its organization, and was as follows: "Total in communion, per last report, six ; added on certificate, one ; to- tal now in communion, seven. Funds for Com- missioner to General Assembly, $1." In Octo- ber of the same year, another report was made to the same Presbytery, when the communi- cauts had donbled. October 11. 1830, the rec- ords of the church were first presented to the Presbytery, and with slight exceptions were ap- proved. The approval was signed by Rev. Benjamin F. Spillman, Moderator of the Pres- bytery.

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History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois, Part 28

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