History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois, Part 9

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 9
USA > Illinois > Bond County > History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois > Part 9

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).

Stubblefield is merely a station on the Van- dalia Railroad, about four miles west of Green" ville. It consists of but half a dozen or so of houses, a water tank of the railroad, and a shipping place for farm products.

A place was laid out, probably about 1840, some three or four miles northwest of Green- ville, on the Hillsboro road, called Elizabeth ('ity. "This famous city," says Mr. White' " was to occupy ground little better than a frog- pond, and yet five plats of it were made and sent back East on which appeared in high- sounding names, its streets, avenues and squares. Flaming notices of it were published in the newspapers, in which it was represented as being eligibly situated on 'Shoal River,' and in the midst of a country which, with com- paratively little labor, could be transformed into an earthly paradise." These flattering representations, or more properly speaking,

misrepresentations, led many persons in the old- er settled States to invest in this "eity on pa- per," all of whom, it is needless to say, were " taken in," as Elizabeth City never had any existence other than fancy plats and flaming advertisements.

The first churches organized in Bond were in Greenville Precinct, by the Methodists and Presbyterians, and are fully noticed in a pre- coding chapter. There are now, so far as we are able to learn, three churches in the precinct, outside of the city of Greenville, viz .: Methodist, Baptist and Cumberland Presbyterian. The Methodists and Presbyterians are about four miles west of Greenville, and are but a short distance from each other, while the Baptist stands near Stubblefield.

The Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church, one of those mentioned above, is a very old church, and is believed to have been originally organized some time about 1820. William Hun- ter states that when he came here in 1821, the society was then in existence. The families forming it were those of Allen Conner, Aquilla Suggs, Richard White, John Hunter, Samuel Hunter, MeHenry Nesbit, etc. The first minis- ter was Rev. Samuel Thompson ; Rev. Jesse Hale also preached here, and Rev. Joshua Raines. The society met at private residences at first. Allen Connor was a zealous Methodist, and his house was long used as a place of wor- ship, and a home of the preachers, who fre- quently stayed with him a month at a time, and preached as often on week days as on Sundays. The name of the society was finally decided as " Sinai," and they met in a schoolhouse which was dedicated to worship. The present society is called the " Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church," and was formed from the Mt. Horeb and Sinai societies as early as 1825. The church was built in the Centennial year of Meth- odism, and is thirty-four by forty-six feet- a frame building, costing $2,300. The present minister is Rev. J. H. McGriff. The Trustees

HISTORY OF BOND COUNTY.

are Wesley White, W. B. Sibert, W. C. Nelson, James C. Causay, John Ward, John W. Plant and William Hunter ; has about sixty members. A Sunday school was organized early, of which Allen Conner was first Superintendent ; Conner was also the first class-leader ; the next, John, and then Samuel Hunter.

Mount Gilead Cumberland Presbyterian Church was formed, or the society from which it originated, was formed about 1850-21. Among the first members were James .Johnson, John Edwards, James Hunter, Thomas Ilunter and their families, Mrs. Mary Nelson, etc .- about a dozen in all. The church was organ- ized by Rev. Joel Knight, and among the first preachers were Rev. John Berry, David Foster and G. P. Rice. Soon after the formation of this society, the members joined together and built a log church. Some years afterward, a frame house was built. The present church was built in 1860, and cost about $1,500. There are at present about sixty members. The first Elders were James Johnson and Thomas Hun- ter ; the present Elders are Macklin Hunter, William King and Alvin Jackson ; Trustees, Robert Mackey and Larkin Jackson. Sunday school has been in existence nearly ever since the organization of the church, and now aver- ages about fifty children in regular attendance.

The Smith's Grove Baptist Church was or- ganized less than twenty years ago. Prior to |

this organization, however, there was a society formed, perhaps as far back as 1828. and was under the ministrations of Elders John Crouch and James Long. They put up a large log build- ing, which was used both as church and school- house, and was located but a short distance from the present church. The society pros- pered for that early day, but dissensions final- ly sprang np, which injured its usefulness, and it after awhile became extinct. Through the instrumentality of the ladies of the old society, a new church was organized with the following members : Henry Harris and wife, John J. Smith and wife, John Leverton and wife, James Harris and wife, John Hagin and wife, Monroe Ditch and wife, and Mrs. Hillard. The church was organized July 23, 1869. Elder F. M. Long was chosen Pastor, and John J. Smith, Clerk. They decided the church should be called "Smith's Grove Church," to belong to the Ap- ple Creek association. Elder W. C. Harvey is the present minister, and J. M. Harris, Clerk. The church is a frame building and cost about $2,000. Preaching every two weeks.

This comprises the history, so far as we have been able to obtain it, of Greenville Precinet, and with its conclusion we end the chapter, leaving the history of Greenville to be treated of in a new chapter, by Mr. Williamson Plant, from whose pen we have no doubt that it will receive justice, and all the importance it merits.

CITY OF GREENVILLE.

CHAPTER IX."

CITY OF GREENVILLE-LOCATING THE COUNTY SEAT AT PERRYVILLE-ITS REMOVAL TO GREEN- VILLE-LAYING OUT OF THE LATTER PLACE-THIE NAME GREENVILLE-EARLY SET-

TLERS OF THE TOWN - THE KIRKPATRICKS AND OTHERS - FIRST BUSI-

NESS MEN AND PROMINENT CITIZENS -THE ROLL OF PIO- NEERS-MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS, ETC.

A S has been heretofore noticed in this work under that part covering the county his- tory, the act of the Legislature approved Jan- mary 4, 1817, forming a new county out of Madison County, to be called Bond, in honor of Shadrack Bond, afterward elected first Gov- ernor of the State of Illinois, also appointed William Roberts, John Powers, Robert Gilles- pie, John Whitley, Sr., and John Laughton, Commissioners to locate and establish a per- manent seat of justice for Bond County, and that their first meeting should be held at the house of David White, at Ilill's Fort, on Shoal Creek, on the first Monday of March, 1817, and the act further provided that Hill's Fort should be the county seat of justice for Bond County until the same was located by said Commis- sioners or a majority of them, and that the County Court should be held on the first Mon- clays in February, June and October.

The first County Court for Bond County was held June 2, 1817. The following copy of their record at this first meeting, and the report of the said Commissioners to that court will be interesting :

Be it remembered that on the 2d day of June, 1817, at a County Court held for Bond County, be- gan and held at Hills Station, in pursuance of an Act of the Legislature of the Illinois Territory, passed in the year 1817 [January 4], Thomas Kirk- patrick, John Powers and Martin Jones produced commissions from His Excellency, Ninian Edwards,

Governor of said Territory, appointing them Judges of said County Court, who, having taken the sev- eral oaths prescribed by law, and thereupon took their seats. Present, Thomas Kirkpatrick, John Powers and Martin Jones, Judges. Samuel G. Morse produced in court from His Excellency, Nin- ian Edwards, a commission appointing him Sheriff of the said county of Bond, and also a certificate that he had taken the several oaths (before His Ex- cellency) prescribed by law. Daniel Converse pro- duced in court a commission from His Excellency. Ninian Edwards, appointing him Clerk of the said court, and also a certificate of his having taken the several oaths prescribed by law. The court then proceeded to business.

The Commissioners made the following re- port to the court :

A majority of the Commissioners appointed to fix and establish the permanent seat of justice for this county, this day present the following report : " We the Commissioners to fix the permanent seat of jus- tice for the county of Bond, met according to ap- pointment, on the west side of the Hurricane Fork of the Kaskaskia River, on the southwest quarter of Section No. 5, of Town No. 4 north, of Range No I west, and stuck a stake for the center of the public square, as may be at any time when necessary.

" May 16, Anno 1817. " JOIN POWERS. " ROBERT GILLESPIE. "JOHN WHITLEY."

ILLINOIS TERRITORY, BOND COUNTY :

We, the Commissioners to fix the seat of justice for the county of Bond, being duly sworn, after veiwing different parts of said county for that pur- pose, we do nominate and appoint for that purpose the bluff lying west of the Hurricane Fork of Okaw, being the southwest quarter of Section No. 5. of

*By Williamson P'lant.

HISTORY OF BOND COUNTY

Range No. 1 west, of Township No. 4 north, now the property of Martin Jones, taking into view the geographical center, the navigation, the eligibility, and the common good of the people as directed by law.

Given under our hands and seals the day and year first above written.

JOHN POWERS. ROBERT GILLESPIE. JOHN WHITLEY.

The Commissioners were not authorized to locate the county seat on the land of any per- son, unless the owner or owners should first do- nate to the county at least twenty acres of land where the location was made, to be laid off in town lots, to be sold, and the proceeds to be applied toward erecting county buildings.

The land designated by the Commissioners was deeded to the county by Martin Jones, who also surveyed and platted the same, and named it Perryville. The County Court - ordered that the iots be exposed to public sale for the use of the county, on the 28th day of October, inst., [1817], and it is further ordered that an ad- vertisement describing the place be inserted two weeks successively in both the Illinois Herald and the Missouri Gazette [now the Missouri Re- publican] ; and it is further ordered that money be lodged in the hands of the Postmaster at Edwardsville, for the payment of the advertis- ing of the same."

William M. Crisp, the first Constable ap- pointed by the County Court, cried the sale of the town lots sold in Perryville, for which he was allowed $2.

The first County Court held at Perryville, and being the third held in the county, was on the 20th day of July, 1818, and was called a "Justice's Court," three Justices of the county acting, viz., Thomas Kirkpatrick, Martin Jones and Isaac Price ; Samuel G. Morse was Sheriff, and Daniel Converse had again been appointed Clerk of said court. The principal business transacted by the County and Justice's Courts for several years after the organization of the county, was the laying-out the various county

roads needed by the inhabitants. the hearing petitions from those desiring to erect water grist-mills on the numerous streams in the then large though not populous county. To that end the appointment and the summoning for each applicant " twelve discreet householders of the vicinage." to assess any damage that may accrue to the owner or owners of adjoin- ing lands by overflow or otherwise, by the erection of a mill dam at the place stated in the petition, and to report whether in their opinion the health of the neighborhood would thereby be endangered, and the height of dam that the petitioner may erect, etc., and also granting license to those persons desiring to keep tavern and to sell spirituous liquors, and grant orders to those entitled to pay for vari- ous services performed, a large number of which were for wolf scalp premiums. Every age has its day ; much of the time of courts and citizens of fifty or sixty years ago was taken up in harmony with the surroundings of that time, much of which would be inappropri- ate for the present day and generation.

Before closing the history and events con- nected with the County Court whilst being held at Perryville, it would be interesting to know that the court at its session July 20. 1818, empow- ered Martin Jones " to let the contract for building a jail, provided the bids did not ex- ceed $200. The building was to be 12x18 feet in the clear, to be built of hewed timber, squared one foot at each side, and laid up and dovetailed at the corners ; the floors, both up- per and under, to be of hewed timber one foot square, and laid close together with a partition of timber neatly hewed eight inches thick, and laid elose together ; the roof to be made by laying ribs or straight timber in the form of a common cabin roof, and elapboards nailed on, so as to be perfectly tight and secure from storms. the outside door to be made of plank two inches thick, doubled and riveted together, or nailed with large nails, and hung with two

¥5

CITY OF GREENVILLE.

bars of iron, half an inch thick and three inches broad, hung on staples at one side, and the other the staples through the bar, so as to re- ceive a padlock at each end, the steeples to he let or drove in through the log and clinched. and the wires to be threee-fourths of an inch in diameter, and the inside door to be made of one inch plank, double, and riveted or nailed, and hung with strong iron hinges, with a good padlock, with sufficient clasp and staples.

In 1820, Franeis Brown and Eleazer M. Townsend were the only acting County Com- missioners. James Jones was Clerk of said court : the Clerks at this time were appointed by the County Courts ; the Justices of the Peace were appointed by the Governor on rec- ommendation from the County Court.

In May, a second term of the Circuit Court was held at Perryville. Only five indictments were presented at this court. It does not ap- pear that any other business was acted upon.

The last County Court, and being the eleventh held at Perryville, was held October 9, 1820. For some time prior to this date, it was appar- ent that a new county seat for Bond County must be chosen.

The county was large, and the settlements were being scattered over a large distriet of country -generally in the timber, near some water course; always near any spring found. no matter how rough the surrounding country -as the inhabitants found it necessary to make division of the county, necessarily the county seat must be removed. The act of the Illinois Legislature, at its session February 14. 1821, passed the following act :

SECTION 1. Be it enacted, etc., That all that tract of country lying north of a line beginning' at the southwest corner of Township No. 3 north, Range No. 1 west, extending east to the southeast corner of Township No. 3 north, of Range No. 6 east, of the Third Principal Meridian, shall constitute a new connty, to be called Fayette, the county seat of which shall be Vandalia.

SEC. 2. Be it further enacted. That for the pur-

pose of fixing a permanent seat of justice for the county of Bond. the following persons. to wit: James B. Moore. Abraham Eyman, Joshua Oglesby, Samuel Whitesides and John Howard be, and they are hereby appointed Commissioners, which said Commissioners, or a majority of them, being duly sworn before some Judge or Justice of the Peace of this State, to faithfully take into view the conven- ience of the people. the situation of the settlements, with an eye to future population, the eligibility of the place, and the preservation of the boundaries of counties, the limits of which have been heretofore established, shall meet on the first Monday of April next. or at such other time thereafter as they may agree upon, at the house of Thomas White, in said county, and proceed to examine and determine on the place for the permanent seat of justice, and des- ignate the same; Provided. That the proprietor, or proprietors of the land shall give to the county, for the purpose of erecting county buildings, a quantity of land, not less than twenty acres, to be laid out in lots and sold for that purpose. Or should the propri- etor, or proprietors, prefer paying the donation in money, in lieu of land, then and in that case the Commissioners are authorized to receive the bond of the proprietor, or proprietors, with good and suffi- vient security, for such same as in their opinion will be sufficient to defray the expense of the public build ings of the county, the same to be paid in three equal semi-annual instalments. And should the proprie- tor, or proprietors, refuse or neglect to make the do- nation aforesaid, then and in that case it shall be the duty of the Commissioners to fix on some other place for the seat of justice, as convenient as may be to the inhabitants of said county, which place so fixed and determined upon, the said Commissioners shall certify under their hands and seals, and return the same to the next Commissioners' Court in the county aforesaid, which court shall cause an entry thereof to be made in their book of record, which place so designated shall be the permanent seat of justice for Bond County.

And until the public buildings shall be erected, the conrts shall be held at Greenville, in said county. And it shall be the further duty of said Commission - ers, or a majority of them, within three days after they shall have established the seat of justice of Bond County, to repair to Perryville, in the said county of Fayette, and proceed to appraise and as- certain the damages sustained by the proprietor, or proprietors, of lots in said town in consequence of the removal of the seat of justice therefrom, and

HISTORY OF BOND COUNTY.

shall eertify the amont to the County Commission- | This day a demand was made by the court upon ers' Court of Fayette and Bond Counties, Provided, George Davidson, for twenty acres of land immedi- ately around and contiguous to a stake fixed by the Commissioners authorized to locate the seat of justice for Bond County, which demand was declined in words hereafter inserted. It is considered by the court that the statute authorizing the location of the seat of justice required the donation of twenty aeres of land to lie in a body, and the court indulging that construction of the statute, had made the demand above set forth, in consequence thereof. John Kirk- patrick, one of the Judges, dissenting in opinion from the court with regard to the demand. however, That the Commissioners, before they pro- reed to ascertain the said damages, shall be sworn before some Judge or Justice of the Peace of either of said counties, faithfully and to the best of their judgment, to ascertain the damage as aforesaid; and when the damages assessed as aforesaid shall have been certified as aforesaid, the said Connty Commis- sioners of the said counties respectively, shall allow and dircet the same to be paid out of the County Treasuries in proportion to the number of taxable inhabitants of each county.

The compensation allowed said Commission- ers for the time necessarily employed in fixing the county seat, and assessing the damages heretofore referred to, were to be paid $2 per day out of the treasury of Bond County, by order of the Commissioners' Court. The said court in Bond, Fayette and Edwards Counties were authorized and required to levy a tax, not exceeding one-half per centum per annum, on all taxable property within their respective counties, to pay the damages which may be ad- judged by the removal of the county seats of Bond and Edwards Connties, which shall con- tinue until a sufficient sum shall be raised to pay all the damages which shall be allowed by said removals.

In accordance with the act just recited, the first Commissioners' Court for Bond County was held in Greenville, April 16, 1821. The Com- missioners appointed to locate the county seat for Bond County made their report to said court, fixing upon twenty acres of land in the northeast quarter of Section 10, Township 5 north, Range 3 west, of Third Principal Merid- ian, and near the center of which the said Com- missioners fixed a stake for the public square. The court made the demand upon Samuel Da- vidson. the owner of the land upon which the location had been made, as appears by their record, to wit :

Wednesday, 18th April, 1821 .- The court met according to adjournment; present, William Rus- sell, John Kirkpatrick and Robert MeCord, Judges,

To which Mr. Davidson made the following answer :

"I, George Davidson, in answer to a demand this day made upon me by the County Commissioners for a quantity of land around the stake equal to twenty acres, to be laid off in lots and sold for benefit of the county, present to the Honorable Court the following for my reply to the above de- mand (to wit) that in order fully and entirely to sat- isfy the requisitions of an act entitled an act form- ing a new county ont of the parts of counties therein mentioned. I duly executed to the Commissioners therein named a bond with sufficient securities for the gift or grant to the County Commissioners for the county of Bond, which said obligation is now on the files of the County Commissioners' Court for said county, of a quantity of land equal to twenty acres. the terms and conditions of which said writing ob- ligatory I am now perfectly ready and willing to fulfill. GEORGE DAVIDSON. '

April 18, 1821.

Mr. Benjamin Mills, a lawyer of some note, and Probate Judge in 1822. etc., acted as at- torney for Mr. Davidson.

An examination of the records and papers pertaining to the location, shows that Mr. Davidson had previously sold a small portion of the land (on the north side) included in the twenty acres fixed upon by the said Commis- sioners for the county seat of Bond County. to one Samuel Whitcomb, and was thereby unable to comply with the demand for the donation. Two members of the court, Russell and Mc- Cord, believing that the donation should be in a square around the stake fixed for the center of the public square; John Kirkpatrick, the

CITY OF GREENVILLE.

other member, believing that the statute would be fully complied with if the land was adjoin- ing. The court met again on the 4th of June, 1821, same Judges as last term. Samuel David- son was allowed to withdraw his bond given for the twenty acres of land, and substitute for the bond given April 18. 1821. a bond for that amount of land

in the form of a square as near as may be, of which said square the stake fixed by the Commissioners appointed by the last General Assembly to locate a permanent seat of justice for the county of Bond, shall be the center, by or be- fore the first Monday in December next, then this obligation to be void. otherwise to remain in full force. Provided, nevertheless, that this obligation shall not be held to obligate the above bound George Davidson to make a title to any land at present comprised within a traet for the conveyance of which the said George Davidson has given his hond to Samuel Whiteomb.

"Witness our hands and seals this 5th day of ,June, in the year of our Lord, Eighteen Hundred and Twenty-one.

"GEORGE DAVIDSON, [SEAL. ] "SAMUEL G. BLANCHARD, [SEAL. ] "ROBERT G. WHITE, [SEAL. ] "SAMUEL WHITCOMB, [SEAL. ] his "DANIEL X FERGUSON. [SEAL. ] mark "MILO WOOD, [SEAL. ] "SAMUEL HOUSTON, [SEAL. ]

"Witness, BENJAMIN MILLS."

More than two-thirds of a century has elapsed since the first white settler made his " clear- ing," and built his first log cabin in what was for many years called " East Fork," now Green- ville Precinct, near the center of which, nest- ling on the brow of the highest point of land between Terre Hante and St. Louis, sloping gently to the south, is situated the beautiful city of Greenville. Few are now living who can recall the time and the occasion of the set- tler, his clearing and his cabin.

That settler has long since passed from the active duties of this life, his cabin is no more but his clearing then commenced. is now wide-

spread, and truly may it be said of him, " his works do follow him."

And afterward, whilst he lived, though far removed from his early home, it has been said by those who occasionally met him, that he spoke of Greenville as a fond parent would of his absent child to whom he was devotedly at tached. It was to him, as the childhood home is to us all, to be recalled with grateful and joyous recollections.

That first cabin built on the primitive style of logs, with clapboard roof, weight-poles on same to hold them in place, with puncheon floor made of split and hewed slabs, the entire structure without nails or glass was situated on the hillside, between the present residence of the family of J. Il. Black. in the extreme western part of the present town, and the " tan- yard," was the first home of George Davidson in 1815 or ISIG, the first known settler and owner of the land upon which Greenville has since been built.

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History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois, Part 9

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