USA > Illinois > Christian County > History of Christian County, Illinois > Part 49
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Randal Richardson Gorden, the subject of this biography, was the next to the youngest of a family of eleven children, and was born in Montgomery county, Kentucky, on the 18th of December, 1821. All his brothers and sisters grew to years of maturity, and all married and had families except Mr. Gorden's oldest brother, who was a lawyer, and died at Little Rock, Arkansas. Mr. Gorden was raised in his native county in Kentucky. The schools which he attended when a boy, were of the kind common at that time in Kentucky-subscription schools held in log school-houses with puncheon floors and split log benches. His first marriage occurred in November, 1848, to Isabelle Warren, who was born and raised within three iniles of Winchester, Clark county, Kentucky. She only lived eighteen months. When twenty-four years of age he learned the blacksmith trade near Camargo, in Montgomery county,
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Kentucky. He had first visited Illinois in the year 1845, but the country at that time offered so few attractions to the settler, and malarial diseases prevailed to such an extent, that he had little notion of making his permanent home in this state. In 1856, how- ever, he concluded to remove to Illinois. While on his way to this state on the 28th of February, 1856, at Cincinnati, Ohio, he married Naney Frost, who was born on the 15th day of September, 1833, and was raised in Montgomery county, Kentucky. She was descended from a Virginia family. On reaching Illinois, Mr. Gorden lived for one year on the farm of Ellington Adams in this county, and then settled on the place where he now lives, in section 22 of township 14, range 1 cast, where he has since lived. He has ten children living; Martha Elizabeth, Belle W., Jennie, Randal Rich-
ardson, Rachel, Isham, Mary, Nannie May, Fannie and Annie. The last two are twins. Besides the above-named there are two children deceased.
In his political principles Mr. Gorden is one of the old democrats, who began life as a democrat, and has never swerved from demo- cratic principles. IIe is a much respected citizen of Prairieton township, and is a quiet and peaceable man who has lived on terms of friendship with all his neighbors, and has never sued any one, nor been sued, in all his life. He is one of the old Kentuckians, who retain a fondness for the noble pastime of the fox-chase. Nothing delights him so much as occasionally to mount a good horse and join in this old-fashioned sport, though opportunities for its exercise are comparatively rare.
ASSUMPTION TOWNSHIP.
S situated on the east side of the county, and is bounded on the north by Prairieton township, on the east by Shelby county, on the south by Pana and on the west by Locust and May townships. It ocenpies part of two congressional townships, having twenty-four sections in town 12 N., Range 1 E., and eighteen sections in town 13 N., Range 1 E. The surface is an undulating plain, and occupies an arm of what is known as Grand J'rairie, and is almost entirely void of timber. The soil is the same rich, black loam as found in adjoin- ing townships.
There are but two creeks; the Lake Fork, which flows through the south-east corner, and a small tributary of Flat Branch, which takes its rise near the town of AAssumption and flows out through section twenty-three.
Thirty years ago the territory embraced within this township was a wild, uninhabited prairie. When standing on the spot, now oc- cupied by the flourishing town of Assumption-for the great eastern stage route passed over it-nothing but a boundless waste of country met the vision. On every hand were to be seen herds of deer and the wily prairie wolf. It was the terror of the stage driver in the stormy days of winter. But the construction of the Illinois Central railroad, and the location of Tacusa, in 1854, eaused a wonderful change. Soon it was settled with a thrifty class of emigrants, and the prai- rie dotted over with farm-houses. But a few years have marked the advance of civilization, and now it forms one of the most fertile and promising townships in the county. The whole of this once barren waste is now reduced to cultivation.
This township forms part of the territory taken from Shelby on the organization of Christian county. For several years the citi- zens of this portion of the county were attached to the Stonington Precinct, for voting purposes. To visit this distant point in the performance of this duty was a great inconvenience. But on the 27th of September, 1856, the county court formed a new election precinct, and named it Tacusa. It was bounded as follows : "Commencing at the south-east corner of section 24, T. 11, R. 1 cast, thence west nine miles ; thence north eight miles; thence cast nine
miles, and thence south to the place of beginning." The store- house of Williams and Hillabrant, in the village of Tacusa, was designated as the place of holding elections. The first judges of election, appointed by the court, were Joseph Bugg, William A. Williams and John Gaghagan. The first Justices of the Peace were Wm. A. Williams and Jacob Overholt; Constables John Gaghagan and William Peek.
In December 1856, Elsie E. Malhiot, then a State Senator in the Louisiana legislature, purchased from the I. C. R. R. company, and other parties, thirty sections in this precinct, part of which lay near the railroad and adjacent to the village of Tacusa. He was a Canadian by birth, but had been a resident of Louisiana for about eighteen years. He determined to make Illinois his adopted state, and Christian county his future home ; and early conceived the idea of settling his lands in this rich and beautiful prairie, with his rela- tives and friends from Canada.
Early in March, 1857, about one hundred and fifty men, women and children arrived from Canada, many of the men being mechan- ics. This new accession was an encouraging feature at this time, in the settlement of the newly-formed township. Soon twenty-five or thirty more houses were erected. About the same time over thirty farm-houses had been built, and as many farms were opened. These improvements were mostly made by others than the Cana -. dians-some of them model farmers from the Keystone State. At this date more than 5,000 acres had been fenced and reduced to cultivation-mostly in wheat and corn.
On the adoption of township organization, in the spring of 1866, the former boundaries of Tacusa Precinct, were contracted to 6x7 miles square, and the name changed to Assumption. At the election of township officers, April 3d, 1866, Jacob Overholt was elceted its first Supervisor, and Israel Pierce and Samuel M. Moore the first Justices of the Peace.
The early history of this township, as will be observed, clusters around the town of Assumption. The first land entries in this township, as shown by the records were : Nov. 16th, 1848, Elias Ceneviss, S. half N. E. quarter, section 24, eighty acres ; Aug. 2,
185
HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
1852, John C. Dodge, N. E. quarter, section 1, 161.28 acres ; N. W. quarter, section 1, 163.74 acres ; S. W. quarter, section 1, 160 acres ; S. E. quarter, section 1, 160 acres. May 8th, 1854, O. P. Heaton, S. W. quarter, section 35, 160 acres.
The following are the township officers since organization :
Supervisors -J. Overholt, elected 1866, re-elected 1867 and '68; J. R. Pound, 1869; J. M. Birce, 1870, re-elected 1871, '72 and '73; J. R. Pound, 1874; J. M. Birce, 1875, and served till 1879: WV. L. Cohenour, 1880.
Assessors .- Phil. B. Kemmerer, elected 1876; J. F. MeKec, 1877, and by re-election has filled the office till 1879; W. G. Watson, 1880.
Collectors .- Peter L Myers, elected 1866, re-elected 1867 ; L. A. Hoit, 1868 ; O P. Eldred, 1869 ; A. F. Seymour, 1870; J. S. Mer- cer, 1871 ; A. F. Seymour, 1872; J. Burk, 1873; John A. Bridge, 1874, and has been re-elected cach succeeding year till 1879; L Johnson, 1880.
Town Clerks .- C. Pearcy, 1876, and re-elected each year up to 1879; P. B. Kemmerer, 1880.
Commissioners of Highways .- Wade F. Johnson, 1876; David Lacharitie, 1877; J. R. Milligan, 1878; Robert Morrison, 1879; D. Lacharitie, 1880.
Constables .- W. F. Almonrode and C. C. Little, elected in 1873; George Hutchins and D. M. De Lashmutt, 1877.
Justices of the Peace -Israel Pierce, elected in 1866; S. M. Moore, '66; H. L. Reans, '70; W. E. Cushing, '72; H. L. Reans and Wm. L Cohenour, '73; Grove Pring aud HI. L. Reans, '77.
THIE TOWN OF ASSUMPTION.
The Illinois Central Railroad Company, on the completion of the road, laid out on the 6th day of June, 1855, what now constitutes the central part of the town of Assumption, on the north-cast quarter of section 2, town 12 N. range t east in lot and blocks under the name of Tacusa. It was surveyed by Leverett HI. Clark, and certified to by N. A. Griswold, president of the company. The track-laying of the road was completed as far as Tacusa, in Octo- ber, 1854.
The passenger depot and warc-house buildings were erceted at once by the company, and other improvements soon followed. John Gaghagan, a seetion boss, erected the first dwelling-house, and boarded railroad hands, and also opened a saloon.
The first store was erected and opened by Williams and Hilla- brant, in 1854. For two or three years Tacusa had but few build- ings, and was nothing more than a railroad station.
After a time, Elsie E. Malhiot, having purchased most of the lands in the vicinity, laid out an addition on the south-west part of the town, with suitable streets, a public square, market place, grounds for church purposes, the " Assumption cemetery," Catholic ceme- tery-which he named Assumption, after his own plantation in Louisiana, virtually making but one town, though having two names. Tacusa was first surveyed by C. A. Manners, Nov. 1, 1865, including the addition, and the name was changed to Assump- tion. The Canadian colonists, in 1857, mostly settled in Malhiot's addition, and the town began to assume greater proportious. They erected twenty or thirty dwelling houses, a large three-story store- house, a warehouse, a blacksmith shop and other buildings.
Marcus L. Barrett, a native of Massachusetts, came here from Pennsylvania, April 9, 1857, and kept a boarding-house for rail- road hands. In a short time he purchased the lot and store-house, occupied by Willians and Hillabrant, and laid in a new stock of general store goods. He has since erceted a block of buildings, and has continued in business ever since he came here.
25
Joseph Mercer, a native of Virginia, next built and opened a general store. The next store was built by Horace Moorhouse, from Decatur, who opened a stock of general hardware.
In 1858 there were, in the older part of the town, a good store kept by Barrett and Seymour ; a lumber yard by Charles O.tell ; a cabinet-maker shop; a blacksmith shop, and a variety of other mechanics. A post-office had been established with Geo. Hilla- brant, as the first post-master. The population at this date had increased to four hundred.
In 1858 a large flouring mill was erected by E. E. Malhiot. In connection with this he kept a large stock of sugar, from his Louisiana plantation, which he sold at wholesale prices to the citizens of Assumption township.
In the summer of 1859 Jacob Overholt and William A. Williams sunk a shaft 219 feet in search of coal, but were disappointed in finding it in paying quantities.
For some fifteen years after the location of the station Assump- tion was a point for the shipment of all the goods and produce to and from Taylorville. It was the nearest station, and was fourteen miles distant. Large consignments of goods for Taylorville were received at Assumption. The great number of teams that were daily passing between these points added materially to the life and business interests of the place.
March 24th, 1866, a meeting was held by the citizens for the purpose of voting on incorporating the town, which resulted in 43 votes in favor and 3 against. An election was held March 31st, 1866, aud the following trustees were elected ; J. S. Mercer, L. A. IIoit, S. Madison Moore, M. H. Kibbe, E. E. Davidson. At the first meeting of the board J. S. Mercer was chosen president and A. B. Hammer clerk.
The present Trustees are ;- President, W. E. Cushing; H. S. Reans, S. M. Coonrod, A. Kerr, J. Lambert, J. F. McKee; Clerk, J. M. Birce; Treasurer, L. T. Watkins.
The Post Office was established in 1856, and George W. Hilla- brant was the first post-master. The succeeding ones have been F. A. Seymour and J. A. Bridge.
The Catholic Church was built on the grounds donated by Mr. Malhiot, for that purpose, in 1858. Most of the Canadian popula- tion were of that faith. More recently they have erected a new and sightly structure.
The Presbyterian Church was the first Protestant church organ- ized in Assumption. By authority from the Sangamon Presbytery, May 7, 1859, Rev. H. R. Lewis organized the above church at the residence of Marcus L. Barrett. There were twenty-four members. S. C. Sheller and Wm. J. Calhoun were chosen ruling elders. The first communion was held the next day, March 8th, at the residence of Jacob Overholt. There was no Protestant church or hall in the place. The regular preaching exercises of the Sabbath were held in the railroad depot. A small church building was erected and dedicated June 23d, 1861, during the ministration of the Rev. Clark Loudon.
The Methodist Episcopal Church was dedicated on Sunday, May 29th, 1870, by Rev. Hiram Buck, of Decatur. It cost $3,500.
There are at present five churches in the town, viz : Presbyterian, Baptist, Christian, Methodist, and Roman Catholic, all of which have neat and comfortable edifices.
The first school-house was erected in 1862. It is a one-story frame building, and is now used by the Baptist Church.
There is now a fine two-story, brick public school building, which cost $1,600. The school is a graded one, employing four teachers.
The growth of the town is steady and healthy, and it commands the trade of a large extent of country. It is fortunate in having
186
HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
had for its business men gentlemen of energy and enterprise, who have spared no pains in advancing the interests of the place. There are about eight hundred inhabitants.
Surrounded as it is, with a large number of well-improved and highly-cultivated farms, Assumption is quite a shipping point, as will be seen from the list of loaded cars shipped from here during the year 1879 :- 307 ear loads of corn, 278 of wheat, 89 of oats, 5 of rye, 8 of flax seed, 80 of hay, 59 of hogs, 12 of cattle, and 5 of potatoes, making in value upward of $150,000 shipped during the year.
The following are the secret societies in Assumption :
The Bromwell Lodge, No. 451, A. F. and A. M., was chartered October 4, 1865. Number of charter members sixteen.
The first officers were :- A. B. Hammer, W. M .; S. M. Moore, S. W. ; J. W. Aldriek, J. W .; R. M. Hood, Secretary ; T. A. Sey- mour, Treasurer ; R. H. Fuller, S. D .; E. R. Shepard, J. D .; I. Pooder, Tyler.
The present officers are :- J. M. Birce, W. M .; J. F. McKec, S. W .; O. W. Fisher, J. W .; J. R. Milligan, Treasurer. Number of members at present, sixty.
The Assumption Grange, No. 103, was chartered November 30, 1873. The charter members numbered thirty. It now has a large membership, and is in a flourishing condition.
Below we add a list of the present business houses in the town :
CUSTOM MILL AND ELEVATOR,
owned and operated by Wilkinson & Co., was built in 1871, and has two run of burrs.
The elevator, which is constructed for handling all kinds of grain, has a capacity for storing 55,000 bushels.
ASSUMPTION MERCHANT MILLS
was erected in 1856, and is owned and operated by Overholt Bros. Has a run of three burrs. It is the oldest steam mill now running in the county.
The leading Physicians arc :- J. D. Bennett, S. M. Benepc, H.
D. Bixby, R. W. Johnson. Drugs. - J. A. Denny, S. D. Brown & Bro., M. B. Travis.
General Stores -W. E. Cushing & Son, Pigcon & Moore, Rcans
& Huskey, Cazalet & Lambert, L. Kaufman & Co.
Groceries, Boots, Shoes, Confectionery, and Queensware .- S. M. Coonrod, J. A. Wemple.
Groceries and Queenswarc .- J. A. Bridge.
Grocery und Confectionery .- J. Simons.
Hardware, Tinware and Agricultural Implements .- S. A. Shafer & Co., Byron Travis. Furniture .- L. T. Watkins.
Lumber Yard, Grain and Agricultural Implements -F. O. Pigeon.
Lumber Yard .- Wilkinson & Co.
Stationery, Cigar, and Jewelry Store .- W. E. Chilton. Gunsmith and Clock Repairing .- M. L. Barrett.
Shoe Shops .- V. Evans, G. W. Grimes, James Cronin.
Harness Shops .- D. D. Domas, A. Sarran.
Blacksmith and Wagon Shops .- Hillabrant & Kerr, Poland Con- tevill.
Blacksmithing and Shoeing .- Jno. Morrow.
Milliners .- Mrs. E. Aldrich, Miss Ella Overholt, Miss Mariah McCormic.
COMMERCIAL HOUSE.
T. F. Rasbach, proprietor. Good accommodations for boarding and traveling guests.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
J. M. BIRCE.
THE subject of the following sketch is a native of Syracuse, Onon- daga county, New York. He was born September 7th, 1835. His father, Mitchel Birce, was a native born of the same county and state. He followed the trade of shoemaking. In the spring of 1847, he moved to Michigan and settled in Branch county, where he remained until his death, March 5th, 1864. On the 19th of February, 1832, he married Mary Campbell. She was a native of the same county and state. She at present lives with her daughter in Steuben county, Indiana. There were seven children horn to them, three boys and four girls. J. M. Birce is the oldest son and second child in the family. His education was first obtained in the common schools of Michigan. As he grew to manhood his time was employed at work upon the farm. When at the age of nine- teen he attended two terms at the Academy in Albion, Michigan, and then engaged in teaching school. He continued at the acade-
my for three years, filling in the winter months in teaching. In this way he succeeded in getting a good education. He also attended two terms in Hillsdale College at Hillsdale, after which he worked on a farm and taught school. During this time he made up his mind to adopt the profession of law as the business of his life, and with this idea in view he read the standard text-books on that sub- jeet.
In the fall of 1860, he entered the Law Department of the Uni- versity of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, and, in the spring of 1861, was admitted to practice. He commenced the practice at Big Rapids, in the northern part of the state, where he remained but two months, then returned home, and remained there until 1865, when he came to Assumption, Christian county, and worked at the ear- penter trade until the fall of the same year, when he recom- meneed the practice of his profession, and has so continued to the present time.
The Library of the University of lillaets'
80
A.P.2.4.4
THE FARM RES.OF F. O. PIGEON, 3/4 OF A MILE SOUTH EAST OF ASSUMPTION, CHRISTIAN CO., ILL.
GOLDEN 550 LB
PICKAWAY 1+25 LB.
FT
FARM AND RES. OF F. D. MALHIOT, SEC 4, T. 12, R.I, E. ( ASSUMPTION TP,) CHRISTIAN CO., ILL.
187
HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
On the 2d of April, 1863, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary W. Little. She is a native of New York, but was a resident of Michigan at the time of her marriage. By this union there have been two children, a boy and a girl, named Charles Mitchel and Stella Birce, aged respectively twelve and five years. In politics Mr. Birce is a republican. He cast his first vote for James Bu- chanan in 1856, and Stephen A. Douglas in 1860. After the break- ing out of the war he arrayed himself on the side of freedom and constitutional liberty, and from that time to the present has voted and acted with the republican party. He is active in the cause, and may be regarded as a stalwart. He has been frequently honored by being elected to offiees of honor and trust in the county, and has represented his township no less than nine times on the Board of Supervisors, and this too, notwithstanding he belongs to the politi- eal party that is considerably in the minority in his township.
This is good and sufficient evidence of his standing and worth as a man and citizen. In 1877, he was republican candidate for the office of State's Attorney, but was defeated by a slight majority. He at present is a member of the town board of trustees, and has been town clerk sinee September, 1866, fourteen years. Both he and his wife are members of the Christian Church. He is at present the W. M., of Bromwell Lodge, No. 451, A. F. & A. M., and is a bright and active Mason.
Upon the subject of temperance he is a prohibitionist. Mr. Birce, as a man, is much respeeted. As a lawyer he ranks with the best who practice at the bar of Christian county.
F. O. PIGEON
WAS born in Canada, June 20th, 1837. He received a liberal cdu- cation in the schools of his native country. At an carly age he entered a dry-goods and general store, and learned merchandizing. At the age of eighteen he concluded to go to New Orleans, and there engage in mercantile pursuits. On his way there he stopped at Assumption, and here met a friend who iudueed him to give up his New Orleans trip and remain here. His first work was in a general store in the village of Assumption, owned by Mr. Barrett. This was in 1857.
In 1858, Mr. Pigeon opened a grocery and provision store. The same year he reecived a large contract from the Illinois Cell- tral Railroad Company to get out ties for the road. During his engagement with the railroad company he had as many as two hun- dred and fifty men in his employ. Ile furnished the ties from Jonesboro to Pulaski. In 1860, he made the trip to Pike's Peak, arriving there iu July of the same year. In 1862, he sold out his grocery business. His object was to go to Wisconsin. Hc stopped in Chicago and purchased dry-goods to the amount of nine thousand dollars. These he took to Evansville, Wisconsin, and opened a store. This was in September, 1862. He remained in Evansville until February, 1863. Ifis stock had increased in the meantime to eighteen thousand dollars. He then sold out the entire stock at an advance of ten per cent. ; returned to Chicago and settled up in full with the merchants of that place, who had kindly sold him the goods on time. When he made the purchase he was not in the possession of a dollar, but sueh was their confi- dence in his honesty, integrity and business capacity, that they fur- nished him all the stock he wanted on his simple promise to pay. After settling he went to Canada.
In the spring of 1864, he put in a stock of goods at Raxton Falls, Canada, where he remained until the 15th of April, 1865, when he came back to Assumption, Illinois, and opened a stock of dry-goods.
In 1856, his brother Alphonse came from Canada, and was taken in as a partner. The firm of F. O. Pigeon & Brother continued until 1871, when F. O. Pigeon retired from the concern and went back to Canada, and remained two years. During his stay there he purehased a farm for his father and mother.
In 1873, he established a dry-goods house at Ottawa, Canada. Ilis youngest brother, H. H. Pigeon, who had been a clerk in the dry-goods house of J. V. Farwell & Co., of Chicago, came and assisted as elerk. He remained in Ottawa until 1874, when he sold out to his brother, H. H. Pigeon. He returned to Assumption and went into the store with his brother Alphonse, where he remained until 1877, when he commeneed the grain and lumber trade, in which he has continued to the present time.
On the 1st of May, 1861, he was united in marriage to Miss Lea- poldine Beauchamp. She is also a native of Canada. Mrs. Pigeon is an aecomplished lady, and was edueated at the Convent of Lon- guiel, Canada. She speaks fluently both the English and French languages, and is also well edueated in the classical languages, and well informed upon the eurrent literature of the past and present.
Mr. Pigeon is one of the representative and prominent business men of the county. In addition to his mereantile pursuits, he has also dealt largely in real estate, and has at the present time a considera- ble body of land in the county. He is also, in addition to his grain business, engaged in buying and selling real estate. In polities he is a democrat, and in religion a Roman Catholic.
Thus have we briefly sketched Mr. F. O. Pigeon. In all of his busy life, and in his many business transactions, he has always sustained the reputation of a strictly honest and honorable man, meeting his obligations promptly and paying the last farthing. He has kept up his reputation with the merchants of Chicago, and in his native country. This was the reason he eould purchase any amount of goods upon any reasonable time.
In his manners he is a polite, affable and agreeable gentleman, of good address and easy conversation, and one whom it is a genuine pleasure to meet. A view of his fine residence and farm can be seen on another page of this work.
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