History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time, Part 145

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 1340

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The various temperance societies that prevailed in Chicago may be summarized as follows:

The Chicago Temperance Society was organized some time in 1832, and was requested to convene at Baptist meeting-room, December 26, 1833, by J. Wat- kins, secretary; and on January 30, 1834, elected John Taylor Temple, president; Josiah C. Goodhne. vier- president; Philo Carpenter, secretary and treasurer;

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Captain DeLafayette Wilcox, U. S. A .;- M. D. Harmon; H. Van Der Bogart and Lieutenant J L. Thompson, U. S. A., executive committee.

The Washington Temperance Society, instituted January 1, 1840, had an alleged membership of eleven hundred in 1843, and of fifteen hundred in I845. The earliest list of officers attainable is that of 1843, and comprises: L. C. Kercheval, president; T. W. Smith, first vice-president; John Davis, second vice-president; Luther Nichols, third vice-president; H. L. Rucker, recording secretary; John L. Smith, assistant secretary; James Curtiss, corresponding secretary: James L. Howe, treasurer; B. W. Raymond and William Har- man, managers.

The Bethel, or Mariners' Temperance Society, instituted July 10, 1842, had an accredited membership in 1843 of two hundred and seventy-one, and of one thousand in 1845; officers: G. A. Robb, president; Grant Goodrich, vice-president; Captain Henry Cort- ney, secretary; Captain G. Peterson, A. B. Gould, D. McIntosh, floating committee; Samuel Gerome, J. Prenderville,* T. F. Hunter, H. Smith and J. Lawson, vigilance committee.

Junior Washington Temperance Society, organized March 11, 1843, with one hundred and eighteen mem- bers, and had some three hundred members in 1845. The first officers were: Edward A. Rucker, president; Edward Morey, first vice president; Alfred Scranton, second vice-president; William Wayman. third vice- president; David D. Griswold, recording secretary; James A. Martling, assistant secretary; Asa Covey, cor- responding secretary; William H. Scoville, treasurer; Reuben B. Heacock and Richard H. Morey, managers.

Independent Order of Rechabites, Chicago Tent, No. 65, organized August 20, 1844, with one hundred and ten members, and the following officers: J. A. Hoisington, S .; G. C. Thompson, C. R .; William Gam- ble, D. R .; William Harman, P. C. R .; H. B. Bay, treasurer; F. L. Kent, secretary; J. B. Nickerson, C. R. R. H. S .; J. P. Thompson, levite; O. S. Hough and J. A. M. Hoisington, stewards; John Guthrie, I. G .; H. Norris, O. G.

Independent Order of Rechabites, Western Star Tent, No. 125.t

Independent Sons of Temperance, first organized November 8, 1845, with ten members, as Illinois Divi- sion, No. 1, S. O. T., and first convened in the Rechabite Hall. The following divisions were subsequently or- ganized: Prairie, No. 8,t on February 13, 1847; Marin- ers,' No. 42, t on January 1, 1848; Mechanics', No. 44.§ on April 12, 1848; Germania, No. 107,t on June 13, 1848; Cadets of Temperance,t Garden City Section, or- ganized September 6, 1848. These numerous lodges appear to have diminished, as in the directory of 1855-56, but Chicago Division, No 1, and Garden City Division, No. 422, are cited as being in existence.

In May, 1849, the Chicago 'Temperance Savings' As- sociation was organized. The officers were: William H. Brown, president; C. Walker, vice-president; J. Wilcox, secretary; T. B. Carter, treasurer; Alfred Cowles, attorney; Loaning Committee: B. W. Ray- mond, Thomas Richmond and H. Smith. Trustees: W. H. Brown, C. Walker, B. W. Raymond, A. Cowles, H. Smith, T. B. Carter. Jairus Wilcox, S. D. Childs, S. L. Brown, B. W. Thomas, Samuel Hoard, L. A.

. John Prindiville.

t The two Rechabite lodges met at 92 Lake Street.

* These lodges, and Illinois, No. 1. subsequently met in the top story of

a brick building corner of Clark and South Water streets.

§ Convened in Yates's Building, corner of Randolph and Canal streets.

Brown, Thomas Richmond, Jeduthan Brown, H. M. Thompson.

The Independent Order of Good Templars insti- tuted a Grand Lodge on April 18, 1855, of which Orlo W. Strong was G. W. C. T. The subordinate lodges were: Star of Hope, No. 15, instituted December 27, 1854. met at Templars' Hall, corner of Wells and South Water streets; Houston, No. 32, instituted April 2, 1855; met corner of Randolph and Clinton streets; Arethusa, No. 48, instituted July 6, 1855; met at Odd Fellows Hall, Metropolitan Block.

Star of Hope Lodge is still in existence, being the oldest lodge in the Order, and has amongst it's members two of the charter members-J. S. Mcintire and James Welch. It celebrated its twenty-ninth anniversary De- cember 27, 1883.

The Temple of Honor is stated to have been insti- tuted in Chicago in the winter of 1845, but the first ac- count of any organization gives the date August 20, 1849. The various Temples were Radiant, No. 9; Metropolitan, No. 35: Chicago Degree, No. 7, and Chi- cago Social Degree, No. 18.

On February 11, 1851, a meeting was held by Scotch residents in the basement of the First Presbyterian church to form a Scotch Temperance Society. S. Lind was in the chair, and J. F. Ballantyne was secretary, and at the meeting about seventy signed the pledge to restrain from usquebaugh and kindred drinks. A com- mittee of Alexander Brand, S. Lind, Hugh Dunlop, W. J. Patterson, Joseph Johnston, Thomas Scott. John Shanks and J. F. Ballantyne, were appointed to draft resolutions, etc., which were adopted at a subsequent meeting.

MECHANICS' INSTITUTE.

On the night of January 3, 1837, a number of Chi- cago mechanics met at the Eagle Coffee House, for the purpose of organizing a Mechanics' Institute. Samuel Southerdon was called to the chair and Francis Kessler was chosen secretary. The following committee was appointed to draft a constitution : John Mitchell, Fran- cis Kessler, William Duncan, I. L. Kimberly, Isaac N. Arnold, David Foot, P. Ballingall, I. N. Balestier, Samuel Southerdon, Dr. Murphy, Henry Baldwin, John Black, E. E. Hunter, C. A. Lobei and P. Nichols. At a subsequent meeting, held January 21, a constitution was adopted, officers elected and arrangements made for starting a library and museum. Five years later a re-organization was effected and early in 1843 it was chartered as a corporation. Its incorporators were Charles M. Gray, A. S. Sherman, Elijah Smith and Ira Miltimore. Its first officers were Ira Miltimore, presi-

dent ; J. M. Adsit, first vice-president ; G. F. Foster, second vice-president ; J. B. Weir, recording secretary: John Gage, corresponding secretary; J. H. Hodson, treasurer ; Horatio Cook, librarian ; C. M. Gray, assis- tant librarian ; I. I. Milliken, Isaac Speer, E. D). Bates, B. Bailey and E. Smith, directors. At the time of the organization, and for several years thereafter, its meet- ings were held in the hall of the old Saloon Building, corner Lake and Clark streets.

The objects of the society as set forth in its con- stitution were "to diffuse knowledge and information

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throughout the mechanical classes ; to found lectures on natural, mechanical, and chemical philosophy and other scientific subjects ; to create a library and museum for the benefit of mechanics and others; and to estab- lish schools for the benefit of their youth, and to estab- lish annual fairs." The constitution further provided that the institution might consist of an unlimited num- ber of members, divided into three classes, regular or life members, honorary, and corresponding members. The only requisite for membership was good moral character in the applicant, who was to be proposed by one or more members of the Institute, and who was required to receive a majority of the votes cast relative to admission, and to pay the initiative fee demanded under its by-laws. The officers were chosen annually and regular meetings were held on the first Tuesday evening of each month. Recognizing early the impor- tance of obtaining a library, the leading members of the Institute set vigorously to work to accomplish this much desired end. Indeed, so enthusiastic were they on this subject, that it was unanimously voted to make no attempt to hold a mechanical fair until at least the foundation was laid for the establishment of such a library as the Institute desired. With the incorporation of the Institute, the Prarie Farmer, then the best agri- cultural monthly in the West, was made its official organ, and the mechanical department of the paper was edited by John Gage, a prominent and active member, who was as thorough and able an editor as he was a skilled and practical mechanic. Especially did he bend his energies to the acquirement of the library ; not an issue of the Prairie Farmer in which he did not discuss its importance and urge the members of the Institute to united and vigorous measures for its speedy accom- plishment. In accordance with his suggestions, the Institute, on the 22d of March, adopted a proposition to raise subscriptions for this purpose, to be paid in July following. This meeting, though not largely attended, was a very enthusiastic one, and $128 were subscribed and paid on the spot. Mr. Gage published this in the Prairie Farmer and said that if each of the one hundred and fifty members would subscribe five dollars each, the net sum thus obtained would furnish money sufficient to purchase books enough to form quite a respectable library. Isaac Speer, J. B: Weir, G. F. Foster, C. M. Gray, A. F. Bradley and John Gage were appointed a committee to solicit subscriptions. They went to work with a will, and with such success that by December, six hundred and twenty new volumes were purchased and placed in the library-room, swell- ing the number of books thus acquired in the first year to nearly one thousand standard works. About this time arrangements were made by which lectures were delivered before the Institute, by local as well as traveling lecturers. Speaking of this subject, the Prairie Farmer says: " Whenever a traveling lecturer comes along, if he be an able one and promises an interesting course, an arrangement is made by which he is furnished with their room, lights, etc., and the mem- bers of the Institute admitted free, other citizens pay- ing what the lecturer may demand." At the close of the year 1843, President Miltimore, on yielding up his office to his newly elected successor, delivered an ad- dres in which he briefly reviewed the history of the Institute, and congratulated the members on the unin- terrupted prosperity which had attended the first year of its corporate existence. At the election of officers for the year 1844. the following gentlemen were select- ed: G. F. Foster, president; William H1. Kennicott, first vice-president; Azel l'eck, second vice-president;

Isaac Speer, corresponding secretary; Elijah Smith, treasurer; G. M. Gray, librarian; I. L. Milliken, William Blair, H. Barney, S. S. Foster, A. F. Bradley, and J. E. Brown, directors. The Institute was now fairly on the way to success and had already established its claims on the public as an institution meriting its hearty support. In the following year (1845) the first annual fair under its auspices was held, and was a suc- cess beyond the hopes of the most sanguine of its pro- jectors. No records are at hand to give any details of the exhibits of this fair, more than to say in a general way that a large number of mechanical models were contributed, many of them being furnished by mechan- ics in this city. The fair, too, proved a stimulus to the Institute, for during the year it rapidly increased in membership; its course of lectures attracted always good audiences and proved a source of considerable revenue; the library was enriched with the addition of many new and standard works, and the reading-room was enlarged and comfortably fitted up for the accom- modation of its visitors. In January of that year the annual election of officers was held, and resulted as follows: S. D. Childs, president; H. L. Fulton, first vice-president; Jason Gurley, second vice-president; W. Blair, treasurer; S. S. Foster, recording secretary; Zebina Eastman, corresponding secretary; J. G. Brown, librarian. The directors for this year were: C. M. Gray, I. Speer, J. Meeker, I. L. Milliken, A. Bent and S. Johnson. Two years now elapsed, of the events of which it has been found impossible to obtain any record, and no information except that which may be gleaned, or rather inferred from later years. In a gen- eral way it can be said they were prosperous and happy years for the Institute. This much is deduced from a statement made by a member who, in writing a brief sketch of it, says: "Until the year 1857 the prosperity of the society continually increased. In January, 1848, an election of officers was held, and Azel Peck, a prom- inent member of the society and later its benefactor, was chosen its president. The other officers were: S. J. Lowe and S. S. Foster, vice-presidents; J. E. Wheeler, corresponding secretary; O. Jagger, librarian; Isaac Speer, treasurer; Sanford Johnson, C. M. Gray, Peter Graff, H. H. Husted, A. D. Gibbons, and G. R. Sloat, directors. The regular meetings were still held in the Saloon Building, on the first Tuesday evening in each month. During 1848 the lecture course of the Institute was the best yet given, consisting of lectures on the arts and sciences, and delivered by the best informed and most scientific men in the city, who pre- pared them for the special benefit of the members of the Institute, more than for the edification of the gen- eral public. Although the regular meetings of the so- ciety were held but monthly, the library was kept con- stantly open to its members, each of whom was entitled to draw from it one book at a time, to be retained not longer than one week withont renewal. The officers for 1849 were: Edward Burling, president; Robert Foss and R. Shephard, vice-presidents; A. D. Taylor, recording secretary; George Davis, corresponding sec- retary; and 1. Speer, treasurer. The directors were: H. 11. Husted, 1. 1 .. Milliken, P. L. Updike, W. Anderson. P. W. Gates, and Ives Scoville; lilbrarian. Oliver Jagger.

In November of the following year the question of establishing an evening school for the benefit of ap- prentices and the sons of members, was discussed, and at a meeting of the board of directors held on the moth of the month, it was determined to start such a & honl. A call was issued for competent persons who were will-

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HISTORY OF CHICAGO.

ing to teach to send in their names to the board at once. It was also decided to devote four evenings of the week to the school and one to the lectures. The experiment proved from the start a success; and the night-school was regularly maintained for years. The rate of tuition was but trifling, hence the sessions were attended and the school, as an educator, became a recognized power in the community. In this year Hon. William Bross delivered before the society a course of interesting and instructive lectures on geology. Dr. Blaney also lect- ured on various occasions on "Chemistry as applied to the Arts." It was during this year, too, that the Smith- sonian Institute at Washington donated copies of its own publications to the society. Dr. J. E. McGirr, a then prominent physician of Chicago, also delivered a series of lectures on physiology and hygiene for the espe- cial benefit of the young students at the night-school. The officials for this year were William H. Kennicott, president ; I. Speer, vice-president and treasurer ; A. D. Taylor, recording secretary and librarian ; Alfred Dutch, corresponding secretary. The directors were S. D. Childs, William Bross, O. P. Hathaway, J. V. A. Wemple, Edward Burling and G. R. Sloat. At the beginning of 1851 the annual election of officers was again held and H. H. Husted chosen president ; A Bent and J. Couthbel, vice-presidents ; A. D. Taylor and G. R. Sloat, secretaries ; Isaac Speer, treasurer ; A. D. Taylor, librarian. The directors were H. L. Fulton, A. C. Wood, Edward Burling, Henry Colson, Elihu Granger and S. T. Hinckley. This year little is to be noted except the continued growth and prosperity of the society, and that in the winter its lecture course was better than ever before in its history, being sup- plied with the most celebrated lecturers then before the public. The annual fair held in October, 1851, was a marked success. The officers elected in 1852 were G. R. Sloat, president ; W. H. Kennicott and George W. Snow, vice-presidents ; A. D. Taylor, recording sec- retary and librarian ; S. D. Childs, corresponding secretary ; and Isaac Speer, treasurer. The directors were H. L. Fulton, J. A. Kennicott, Peter Page, James Curtiss, Allen Vane and F. E. Demiry. About this time a change was made in the constitution of the society. by which citizens other than mechanics were admitted to its privileges. This had the effect to greatly increase its prosperity, as well as to extend its influence and widen its field of usefulness. Its library numbered over two thousand choice volumes and was open to the public, as well as to the members of the Institute, the year round.

With the opening of the year 1853, the Institute doubtless had reached the zenith of its prosperous and highly useful career ; it had nearly three hundred mem- bers, a library of over two thousand volumes, and the best winter lecture course given before any association or society in the land. This year Hon. John Went- worth made donation to the society of a great number of books and an extensive collection of important public documents. Beginning on the first Tuesday in Novem- ber was held its sixth annual fair at the city hall. This was among the best and most important in its character of any that had been conducted.

The officers for 1853 were Robert Foss, president ; Peter l'age and Ives Scoville, vice-presidente ; Lewis Dodge, secretary ; Isaac Speer, treasurer ; directors, Stephen Derr, A. S. Calvert, George P. Hanson, John C. Rue and James Hollingsworth ; Lewis Dodge, secre- tary of the board.

The year closed with the society in a most satisfac- tory condition, and in January, 1854, it had the grati-

fication of knowing that its last art and mechanical fair had been the means of calling out a display of exhibits, the like of which had never been equaled by any society in the West. The officers elected for 1854 were Peter Graff, president; James F. Jillson and E. Granger, vice-presi- dents; Louis Dodge and George P. Hansen, secretaries: Isaac Speer, treasurer, and Louis Dodge. librarian. Directors : Stephen Derr, Ives Scoville, E. McAuthur. S. D. Childs and Noble Martin. In 1855 the Institute handl reached that point in its history where its importance was recognized in a most flattering and sustantial manner. both by the State and Nation. Congress passed an act providing that the scientific reports and books of the Smithsonian Institute should be printed and distributed to the three most important institutions in the country The Chicago Mechanics' Institute was included among the three, and received its due share. At this time the State Executive Committee on Agriculture at Spring- field authorized the Institute to hold and conduct an agricultural and mechanical fair in this city. This it did in the fall of 1855, being the first general agricultural . and mechanical fair ever held in the State of Illinois. The officers then were : C. T. Boggs, president; Will- iam Price and Ives Scoville, vice-presidents; C. E. Holmes and H. M. Zimmerman, secretaries; Isaac Speer, treasurer, and E. C. Holmes, librarian. The directors were E. Granger, L. Waterhouse, S. D. Childs, I. L. Milliken, N. Mason and H. W. Zimmerman.

In 1856 the officers of the Institute began making extensive arrangements for enlarging its quarters, extending the library, and also providing a suitable place in which to hold its annual fairs. In doing this they were simply carrying out the privileges granted in their charter, which gave them the right to establish a perma- nent public library, a thing which the committee had now determined to do. They therefore divided the library into two departments, one for circulation, the other for reference. In the circulating department there were now over two thousand volumes, embracing the best works in all departments of miscellaneous liter- ature, while in the reference library were fifteen hun- dred voluines, including permanent and valuable pub- lications in every branch of knowledge. An official catalogue of the books in both libraries was also pre- pared. The committee issued an address to the public, from which is taken the following extract:

"Our city and country are so rapidly filling up with new cit- izens that it could not be expected that the public should be fully advised of the value of every institution which has been prepared in advance for their good. Therefore we invite the mechanics of Chicago, and the public generally, to visit our hall, attend our meetings, and avail themselves of the library, lectures, and privi- leges which this institute may be able to confer."

The Institute during 1856 held regular weekly meet- ings for the exhibition of any new invention, natural curiosity, chemical compounds, or rare specimens of art. To these meetings strangers and visitors in the city were cordially invited; and in any event they were always well attended.

The officers for 1856 were George P. Hansen. pres- ident; Isaac Speer and I. L. Milliken, vice-presidents: Urich Gregory and Z. Eastman, secretaries; C. Gregory. librarian, and Isaac Speer, treasurer. The directors were N. S. Cushing. Z. Eastman, S. D. Childs, U. Gregory, Lewis Dodge and R. E. Moss. With the beginning of the year 1857, and at which period its his- tory in this volume must be closed, the Institute had never seen brighter days, nor had it ever had rosier prospects for the future. But clouds were gathering. which, although then unseen and unnoticed, were but

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the forerunners of the storms which so swiftly followed. Already men of sagacious minds and far-seeing wisdom had predicted a financial crash as inevitable, and that, too, in the near future. It is a matter of history now that it came, ruthless and terrible in its destructive effects upon trade, commerce, business, values. Every- thing went down before it. The Chicago Mechanics' Institute, unfortunately, had just contracted a consider- able indebtedness, which, had not this trouble come, it would have easily paid. But the fact that its officers and the warmest friends of the Institute were themselves seriously embarrassed, many of them being financially ruined, as a matter of course, seriously interfered with the carrying out of certain plans already fully matured, and upon the realization of which the highest hopes had been reared for the future welfare of the society.

YOUNG MEN'S ASSOCIATION.

The predecessor, in time only, of the present Public Library of Chicago was an institution, called the "Young Men's Association of Chicago," afterwards changed to the "Chicago Library Association." On the evening of January 30, 1841, Walter L. Newberry, Mark Skinner, Hugh T. Dickey, Peter Page, Walter S. Gurnee, William L. Church and a number of other citizens convened at the chamber of the Common Council for the purpose of establishing a library association. The movement met with a fair amount of encouragement, and on February 6 a constitution was adopted and the following officers elected: W. L. Newberry, president; Mark Skinner, vice- president; Hugh T. Dickey, corresponding secretary; Leroy M. Boyce, recording secretary; Walter Vail, treas- urer; and Charles H. Starkweather, Peter Page, Walter S. Gurnee, Francis Howe, Norman B. Judd, William L. Church and Charles Sturtwait, managers.

" The first election," says Mr. Page, "was made, from motives of policy, a very novel and interesting affair. Five tickets were put into the field, the Regular, the Opposition, the Lawyers, the Respectable, and the Whole-Hog tickets, which last was headed by a printed cut of a genuine porker. The regular ticket was elected, Mr. Newberry being chosen president." Seth T. Otis, the third president of the association and always one of its active and influential members, has written the fol- lowing interesting account of its formation and the earlier days of its history. He says:

"Up to IS4I there had been no permanent reading-room in the city, the lack of which was felt to be a serious drawback to the best interests of the young of the community. Dr. Sidney Sawyer and myself had formerly been members of a young men's associa- tion in the city of Albany, N. Y., which had prospered finely at the low tax of $2 per annum to each of its members. Ilence we advocated the establishment of a similar institution here and urged upon the citizens of Chicago its necessity and the benefits to be derived from it. No one entered into active opposition against the measure, but many doubted its success at so low a tax per capita as was proposed, and with the limited number of subscrip- tions we could obtain. But we proposed in bring in all classes of citizens, and I believed it could be done. At length about the roth of January, IS41, a half dozen gentleman friendly to the enterprise. niet at my hardware store one evening and we deciled the effort should at once be made. Hon, Mark Skinner drew op a subscrip- tion paper and all present signed it. It was left with me to circu- late, and I went at it with a will. At the end of a couple of weeks, I should say, we had nearly one hundred and fifty subscribers, each one of whom had paid his subscription fee of 82 in advance, with the understanding, however, that it would be refunded in event the association was not formed. At this point a mischievous and unwarranted report was put in circulation, by one or more leading mechanics, that the association was to be an aristocratic and exclu- sive affair, and their friends were advised by them to keep aloof and form an association of their own. * * * During the week I was assisted by other members of the committee in getting additional

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History of Chicago. From the earliest period to the present time, Part 145

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas Number of Pages: 1340

Author: Andreas, Alfred Theodore
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, A. T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 1340