USA > Illinois > Cass County > History of Cass county, Illinois > Part 15
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The first school taught within the present limits of the precinct, was the one taught by Mrs. Ingalls, given in the village history below ; the second that the pioneer families patronized, was located about two and a half miles northeast of Chandlerville, on the land now owned by Moses Harlinson. Mr. Martin Morgan taught the first school, and the following were some of his schol-
ars: John Hash, James Dick, and his sister Sallie, and the children of the My- res family. The school-house was built by the charity and energy of Robert Leeper, and as a pioneer he deserves the highest en- comium. There are now five district schools in the precinct ; they are respectively known as the Levi Spring School, Brick School, John Way School, German School, and the Wil- son School. The schools are well attended, and teachers are paid a salary, varying from $25 to $50 per month, according to the qualification and experience of the teacher.
The first saw and grist mill was built in 1828, on Panther creek, by A. S. West and William Morgan, Mr. Z. Hash getting out most of the timber for the mill. Robert Leeper subsequently bought the mill and run it for several years, when it was carried down stream by extraordinary high water. The second mill was built by Richard McDonald, one-half mile above Mr. Leeper's mill, on the same stream, and shortly after the building of the McDonald mill, Henry L. Ingalls built a mill about one-half mile below Mr. Leeper's mill. There were then three mills within one and a half miles of each other. Their princi- pal business was sawing, but they also cracked corn. These two latter mills were also swept down stream, leaving scarcely a trace of their former existence. Panther creek was subject to a very sudden rise of water, and it came in such torrents as to sweep every thing before it. There are no mills on that stream at the present day. It does not run more than six months of the year in ordinary seasons, and could not in any way be considered a stream that would support the power for a mill of the smallest character, except in these extraordinary torrents that spare neither roads, bridges, or railroads.
The first road that received any degree of travel was called the Bottom Road to Beards- town. This was a winding route over the
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most elevated portions of the bottom, as the low places were often marshy and very diffi- cult to cross. On the ridge formed in the middle of this road by the horses and oxen wearing out foot-paths, as is often seen now on our prairie roads, there used to grow and flourish some of the finest wild strawberries that were produced on the bottoms. They looked like a row of cultivated fruit, and in their season were truly an inviting curiosity. Travelers that came during that time can never forget the richness and beauty of those almost endless rows of native berries. Wild fruit was very common here in an early day. Plums, persimmons, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries were very plentiful and much more numerous than at the present day. It was all the change the early settlers had from coarse bread and pork, as but very little sugar or dried fruits could be afforded or in- dulged in, in those days of pioneer economy.
The wild land has all been subdued or turned into fine pastures. Beautiful homes and cultivated fields smile all over the pre- cinct. The farmers have improved their stock, and some of the finest horses, hogs, and eattle that the State produces are raised in this part of the county.
CHANDLERVILLE .*
Early in the spring of 1832, a colony from Rhode Island were about to leave their native hills and seek homes in the distant wilderness of the West. But the members of the colony hearing of so many Indian massacres in the Western States, there was but one of the party that dare venture and carry out the or- iginal design; that man was Dr. Chas. Chand- ler. While coming up the Illinois river with his wife and little daughter Jane, now Mrs.
Shaw, and hearing of the Indian troubles at Ft. Clark, since called Peoria, the place of destination, they coneluded to go no further, and consequently landed at Beardstown. While there Dr. Chandler took a ride up the Sangamon bottom with Thomas Beard, and was so charmed by the lay of the land and richness of the soil, and the thrift of vegeta- tion, that he determined at once to make a settlement, and immediately entered 160 acres of land where Chandlerville now stands, and before the summer of his first arrival had passed he had built a comfortable log cabin and found a crop of buckwheat blossoming at his door. His cabin was erected on the spot now occu- pied by the Congregational Church, and his plow was the first that stirred the native soil within the limits of the village. He was a man of untiring industry, and began at once the practice of his profession, performing wonders in the healing art, and prodigies of toil, often riding seventy or eighty miles, and not unfrequently one hundred per day. His practice extended over what is now known as Cass, Morgan, Brown, Schuyler, Sanga- mon, Menard, Mason, and Fulton Counties. In December, 1833, the humble cabin received a brother of the Doctor, Mareus Chandler, wife and only son Knowlton, with Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ingalls. In 1834, Squire Bonney and family, with a nephew, Geo. Bonney, also Mr. Hieks and family, were added to the colony.
A Sabbath school was early in 1835 organ- ized through the united efforts of Mrs. Mareus Chandler, Mrs. H. S. Ingalls, and Mr. Robert Leper, which was well attended and did much good.
The Sabbath school was held at the resi- dence of Mrs. Ingalls, and may be said to be the first religious assembly ever held in the community.
The settlers at this time marketed all their grain and farm produce at Beardstown, and purchased all the necessary articles within
*The writer, having found some matters particularly ap- propriate to Chandlerville, in the oration dellvered in 1876, by Hon. J. H. Shaw, he has taken the liberty of incorporat- ing them in this article.
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their means that their families and farms were most seriously in need of; also most of their repairing was done there.
In 1834 or '35 Dr. Chandler built a black- smith-shop, and the year following built the first store, where now Mr. Pilcher's place of business stands. Dr. Chandler did not do this so much as a business speculation and to make money, as he did to benefit and accom- modate the settlers, many of them having nothing but ox-teams, and a journey to Beards- town was not at all a desirable trip, or one that many of our farmers desire to-day with all our modern improvements.
Dr. Chandler continued in business about two years, when he elosed out his stock to C. J. Newberry, who was shortly after succeeded by Mr. Chase, and he, after continuing business for several years, was bought out by Dr. Chandler and his brother Marcus. They did a very flourishing and extensive business, and in connection with their general ; they bought and packed pork, putting up about three thousand hogs annually for many years in succession. In 1849, the two prosperous brothers met with the misfortune of having their store burned down, and their stock badly damaged, but the store was quickly re- built, and their former business re-established. At one time they had about four hundred bushels of pecan nuts, for which they paid one dollar and fifty cents per bushel, and shipped the same to St. Louis, and sold them for three dollars per bushel. In 1850, Dr. Chandler and his brother sold their entire business to William Way, who has been in business, and witnessed the prosperity of the village from that time to the present.
The early growth of the village was not rapid, for in 1848 there were but the following families within its limits: Dr. Chandler, Rev. S. Smith, O. Hicks, J. B. Shaw, Elisha Olcutt, D. Marey, Levi McKee, H. L. Ingalls, Widow Harbeson and Mr. Chase.
The mail at this time was brought from Beardstown by the little sons of Dr. Chandler, and distributed at his place of business, he being the regular appointed postmaster, and assisted by Mr. Shaw, then a clerk in the store. The post office was known as Panther Creek till 1851, when Gen. C. E. Lippincott wrote to Col. E. D. Baker,* then member of Congress, and had the name of the office changed to Chandlerville.
A cooper shop was started about this time, also a wagon shop. The latter business was one of the most successful enterprises of the settlement, Levi McKee being the proprietor. And the McKee wagons were known all over the country as the most durable and best made wagons of the county. Dwight Marcy in 1849, kept the first hotel just north of Panther creek, on the land now owned by Gen. Lippincott, where he continued business till the present hotel was converted from a warehouse into a hotel, being built by Dr. Chandler, and used for a general house of storage, etc., while he continued in business.
In 1850, Mr. Oleutt, who had for several years been a clerk for Dr. Chandler, built a store and warehouse in company with Mr. Sanders, where a thriving business for several years was carried on. The firm dealt largely in wheat, hogs, tallow, &c. In 1854, Dr. Reed and T. N. Canfield built the first regu- lar drug store, drugs having been kept and sold by the other stores many years previous, but no separate store had been built before for that special purpose. 'T'he building was erected in the western part of Dr. Reed's present lot, and long since has been removed. This store was a very attractive place of business for many years. Dr. Reed had an extensive prae- tice, and like Dr. Chandler, not unfrequently traveling 100 miles a day to visit a patient.
There was an unusual custom among the
* Who was killed at Ball's Bluffs.
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
settlers that every man should be entitled to eighty acres of land on each side of his first entry as soon as he could pay for it at govern- ment price, $1.25 per acre. And it was con- sidered as mean as stealing for another man to violate this established custom of the set- tlers. Shortly after Dr. Chandler settled here, a man by the name of English came to the settlement and was much pleased with the country. The Doctor assisted and befriended him all he could, and offered togive up a a claim to one eighty to induce him to stay, but English, hog-like, told him that he was going to Springfield and enter the whole tract adjoining ; that he did not care for the customs of the country, and that he was go- ing to have it right or wrong, and started at once for Springfield. The Doctor went to his cabin, counted his money, and found only fifty dollars. The deficit was made up through the kindness of his neighbor, McAuly. Thus provided, he started at once for the State cap- ital with the determination of beating Eng- lish if possible. He took a different route through the woods and prairies from that chosen by his greedy friend. When about ten miles from the land office, he overtook two young men on horseback, and his horse foam- ing in perspiration was about tired out ; and while riding along with these young men, he related to them the cause of his haste, when one of them, the tallest of the two, was so indignant that he offered the Doctor his own horse, which was comparatively fresh, so that he might defeat the plans of English; but the Doc- tor declined the courtesy, got there on his own horse, and entered his land before his rival got to the city of Springfield. Some- time after Dr. Chandler wanted his land sur- veyed, and sent for a young surveyer who lived at Salem, Sangamon county, and when he arrived he proved to be the same young man that the Doctor had overtaken on his way to Springfield, and that had so kindly offered his
horse. That man was Abraham Lincoln, and the land, where Chandlerville stands, and some considerable country adjacent, was sur- veyed by him.
Dr. Chandler was a man of stirring energy. He built the first frame house, 10 by 12, one story, ever built in Cass County, and he built the present large residence on the Chandler estate in 1836, which is yet among the finest residences in the village. He was one of the first physicians in Central Illinois who adopt- ed quinine in his practice as a remedy, and the first who opposed bleeding as a remedy for disease. When he first came to the Sanga- mon bottom he was called into practice before he could build a stable for his horse, and when at home, for weeks his wife cut grass with the, shears to feed it, as there were no scythes in the vicinity to be had for love or money.
The Doctor was also a man of charity as well as enterprise. He gave all the lots on which all the churches are built, except the Christian church, and that he sold to the society for half its real value; he also gave the lots for the three public parks, and donated the land for the cemetery. He was always a liberal contributor to the church, and all benevolent institutions. He was the founder of the town, and a father to it while he lived.
Since 1856, many valuable accessions to the social and business power of the commu- nity have been made; good mechanics, active business houses, sustained by a large intelli- gent farming population, energized by the iron aid of a new railway, passing directly through their midst, and all tolerably per- meated by Christian character and influence, Chandlerville hopes a future of useful thrift.
The present village was laid out in 1848, when the first lots were sold. The town was first incorporated in 1858, under the General Act, and under a more special act in 1861. The incorporate area is exactly one mile square.
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
The first members of the first village coun- eil were Dr. Chas. Chandler, J. W. Gladding, WV. S. Way, Elisha Oleutt, Levi MeKee, with Gen. C. E. Lippincott, as clerk. The present members of the board are: A. G. Colson, W. K. Mertz, Robert Clark, August Zorn, C. C. Brown, W. H. Pilcher, with A. G. Colson, as president, E. H. Henkel, clerk, and S. C. Fielden, treasurer.
At present there are twenty-nine business places in the town; many of the buildings are of brick, and the village, in general, has very a promising business outlook.
The first Masonic Lodge was chartered October 7th, 1874, with the following charter members: Linus C. Chandler, C. C. Brown, John Chandler, J. A. Paddock, L. M. Dick, Robert Clark, N. H. Boon, H. T. Chandler, N. S. Reed, Isaac Buther, John Kershaw, John Mullen, Thos. Mullen, J. M. Telles, Wm. Swartwood, T. A. Skaggs, Henry C. Neff, Commodore Silvernail, and John C. Morse. L. C. Chandler was elected the first Worship- ful Master, and John Morse, secretary. The present officers: Levi M. Dick, W. M .; Rob- ert Clark, S. W .; Thomas Skaggs, J. W .; T. P. Renshaw, Treasurer; Arthur Pendleton, Secretary; L. C. Chandler, S. D .; J. B. Mor- gan, J. D .; August Zorn and M. D. Skaggs, Stewards; T. R. Say, Tyler. The Lodge was first organized through the efforts of L. C. Chandler. At first a dispensation was re- fused, but Mr. Chandler went to Dixon, inter- viewed the grand master, and by urgent ap- peal, he set aside his former decision and granted a dispensation and charter. The first meeting was held in June, 1874.
In the spring of 1882, Chandlerville suffered considerably from high water; many of the houses were surrounded with water up to the windows, and the water reaching up Main street as far as the Chandlerville mill. The water was higher than it ever was known be- fore.
The Sangamon Valley Mill was built in 1872, by Messrs. Paddock & Slink. It is a handsome briek structure, costing $10,000 to complete it. The above parties did a success- ful milling business for two years, when they sold two-thirds of their interest to James Ab- bott and William Howarth, Mr. Paddock holding a third interest till his death, which occurred two years after. Messrs. Abbott & Howarth then purchased the remaining third from the heirs of Mr. Paddock. In 1874, the boiler exploded, damaging the mill to the ex- tent of $2,000, and killing the engineer, Joseph Davis. Mr. Davis had been a success- ful engineer all his life, and the cause of the explosion will no doubt always remain a mys- tery; whether it occurred by neglect, or through some defect of the machinery can not be ascertained.
Smith & Carr's grist mill was raised in 1875, at a cost of $5,000, by G. B. Skaggs & Bro. They continued in the mill sixteen months, when they sold it to James Tantrum, who, in turn, sold it to W. W. Baker, and shortly af- terward it was sold to the present owners, Messrs. Smith & Carr, who have been doing a very flourishing business for the past two years, grinding about 50,000 bushels of grain annually. The engine is in charge of Mr. A. Garrett, who is an old R. R. engineer, and thoroughly understands the business. The millers are also men of tried experience, and Chandlerville can boast of as good flour as is made in the State.
In 1874, the first newspaper of the village, called the New Era, was edited by J. J. Bunce & Son. After running the paper with very moderate success about one year, they closed out their interest, for the people did not seem to appreciate the depth of their ed- itorials, or the newsy merits of their local columns; or in other words, were not as hun- gry for " Era " news as the proprietors of the paper had at first anticipated.
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
The next paper that broke the monotony of village gossip, was the Cass County Jour- nal, which was established by Chas. A. Pratt, August 5, 1876. This paper was fairly patronized, and prospered with a good home reputation. It continued under the name and management to the middle of February, 1828, when the office was purchased by G. B. Skaggs, who was assisted by his brother, J. W. They brought out their first issue, March 16th of the same year, under the firm name of J. W. & G. B. Skaggs. As the paper was of different parentage from the Journal, it was no more than right that they should give it a name of their own choice. They called it the Chandlerville Independent, a name well chosen, and adapted to the posi- tion the paper politically assumed. It was successfully conducted by the two brothers till Nov. 11, 1878, when J. W. Skaggs re- tired from the publishing business. The pa- per was then under the sole management of G. B. Skaggs up to Dec. 5, 1879, when the name of the firm was changed to Skaggs & Spink, Mr. E. Spink, of Havana, having as- sumed one-half interest. The Independent was then very satisfactorily managed till Sep- tember, 1881, when Mr. Spink, by mutual con- sent, withdrew from the firm, leaving the paper under its present manager. The paper is now on solid basis, nearing its 7th year of unabated prosperity, and having a fine run of advertising, a growing subscription list, and a man widely known and highly respected for its editor and manager. Its future truly looks promising.
"Beneath the rule of men entirely great
The pen is mightier than the sword."
Schools .- One of the most popular and in- teresting features in the history of Chandler- ville, is the growth and prosperity of her schools. The village spares neither labor nor money to make the public school one of the most progressive of the county. The civilized world is fast realizing that one school master
with his primer is worth a legion of soldiers. The sword with its blood and carnage has done its cruel work. We now have more need of teachers than of soldiers; reason and common sense are fast taking the place of the musket and the cannon, and books have become the arsenals of great nations. After a few families had clustered beneath the shadows of the great hills that overlook the site of the present village, they began to look after educational interest of their growing families. About the year 1835, Mrs. Henry Ingalls opened a select school at her own residence, and among some of her first scholars were: Mary J. Chandler, now Mrs. Shaw, Sarah Perrin, who became the wife of Mareus Chandler, Nancy Leeper, after- ward the wife of Mr. S. Paddock, Nolton H. Chandler, Louis Bonney, Mary Wing, and J. Plasters. Mrs. Ingalls, after teaching several terms, discontinued the work, owing to the increasing cares of her family, and was succeeded by Emily Chandler Allen, who taught one year in the residence of Dr. Chandler. Mr. John Rickert then opened his private residence for the education of the youth, three-fourths of a mile south of the present village, on what is known as the Hash farm, and taught one of the best pioneer schools of the country. He was a Quaker by profession and practice, and ruled not with the ferule and rod, but with love and Christ- ian kindness.
In 1838, Dr. Chandler built a small frame building about 12 by 12, in the eastern part of the village, and fitted it up with necessary seats, etc., for a school-room, and gave the use of it free of all charge to the community for three years. Mrs. Ingalls, meantime, had resumed the work of teaching, and taught till the spring of 1841, when the building put up by Dr. Chandler became too small for school purposes. It was concluded to re- move the school to the Congregational Church,
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which was built that same year, and complet- ed before the winter term of school was to be opened. The school was then successively taught by Miss Dunham, who afterward bo- came the wife of Amos Bonney, Miss E. Pease and Miss Hosford; the latter was sent from Vermont by Gov. Slade, Dr. Chandler guaranteeing a certain salary, but the people failing to patronize the school as much as he anticipated, he was compelled to make up the deficit by paying it out of his own pocket. Mr. D. Craig, Peter Rickert, and Emily Chand- ler, were among the successful teachers that followed.
Miss Helen Cotton and a Miss Harris, in 1851, came West, to follow the profession of teaching; one was to land at Beardstown, and the other at Chandlerville, and they con- cluded to decide by lot where each was to settle in the chosen work. It fell to Miss Cotton's lot to come to this embryo village and assume the work of teaching. No better fortune could have favored the citizens of this place. She was a woman of brilliant talents, and made use of every opportunity to do good and ennoble the minds of those under her care and supervision. She after- ward became Mrs. Goodell, but losing none of her energy and influence by assuming the duties of the family. Mrs. Ingalls, Mr. Rick- ert and Miss Cotton, were the pioneer teach- ers of Chandlerville, who have yet among modern teachers to find a rival. The schools up to this time were all select, each scholar paying $2.50 per quarter tuition. The teach- ers were usually boarded by the patrons or friends of the school, free of charge.
Previous to 1841, a log cabin was used for a time as a school house, where the boys with baited fish-hooks and lines, used to fish for rats through the open cracks in the floor, that being their only pastime, while the vigilant eyes of the teacher were not upon them. In 1S56, a common frame building
was erected on one of the same lots now en- closed within the limits of the present school yard. Mr. N. S. Canfield was among the first teachers who taught in the new building. The school now began to assume some pro- portions of size, and much more attention began to be paid to educational matters.
In the autumn of 186%, a part of the pres- ent brick building was designed and built by the following committee: Dr. Chandler, P. Neff, and P. T. Norton. In 1878 the school building seemed insufficient to comfortably seat all the pupils attending school, and an addition of two rooms was added by the di- rectors, L. C. Chandler, Robert Clark, and R. R. Cromlich. The whole building now con- tains five rooms, and cost the village $6,000. The first principal in the new building was Maria Elam, and her first assistant Ella Duneway. The present board of directors are: Robert Clark, B. Bowman, and Albert Smith. The building now is used exclusively for school purposes, but the wooden building, previous to the present structure, was built with the understanding that its doors should be open to all public speakers, lecturers, Church services, shows and elections, or any thing by way of public instruction or enter- tainment of a moral character.
The public school of Chandlerville is very popular. It is patronized by citizens of all classes and of all denominations; sectarian and political biases have been sedulously avoided in its management, and it is the sin- gle aim of those in charge of the school, and of the citizens alike, to give the youth of the town the best possible training, both in intel- lect and morals. The course of study is so arranged that pupils leaving school at the age of twelve or fourteen, are able to write and read well, have a good understanding of the fundmental principles of arithmetic, and a general knowledge of geography, and a good preparation for business in general.
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