History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois, Part 11

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 826

USA > Illinois > Clark County > History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois > Part 11
USA > Illinois > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois > Part 11

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As soon, however, as the settlements would at all justify such a spirit of development, schools were established in the different neighborhoods, and any vacant cabin, or stable, or other outhouse was brought into service, and made to do duty as a temple of learning. The schools were paid for by in- dividual subscription, at the rate of about 50 or 75 cents a month per scholar. Although the people of Illinois and of Crawford County displayed such early interest in educational matters, the cause met with many difficulties, and its progress was slow in the extreme. The pioneer schoolhouses, as a general thing, were of a poor quality. In towns they were dilapidated buildings, either frame or log, and in the country they were invariably of logs. As a general thing but one style of

architecture was used in building them. They were erected, not from a regular fund or sub- scription, but by labor given. The neighbors would gather together at some place previ- ously agreed upon, and with ax in hand, the logs were cut, and the cabin soon erected. The roof was of broad boards, and a rude fireplace and clapboard door, a puncheon floor, and the crack's filled with "chinks," and these daubed over with mud, completed the building. The furniture was as rude and primitive as the house itself, and the books were limited in quantity and quality, and were in keeping with the house' and its fur- nishings. But it is unnecessary to follow the description further. Those who have known only the perfect system of schools of the present can form no idea of the limited ca- pacity of educational facilities here from fifty to seventy-five years ago. But there are, no doubt, many still living in Crawford Coun- ty who can recall their experience in the pioneer schools and schoolhouses.

Nothing for which the State pays money yields so large a dividend upon the cost as the revenue expended upon education. The influence of the school-room is silent, like all the great forces of the universe. The sun shines without shouting, " Behold the light!" Gravitation spins the planets in their paths, and we hear the cracking of no heavy timbers and the grinding of no great iron axles. So, from the humble scene of the teacher's labors, there are shot into the heart of society the great influences that kindle its ardors for ac- tivity, which light civilization on its widening way, and which hold the dearest of humanity in its hand. The statistics are the smallest exponents of the worth of our schools. There are values that can not be expressed in dollars and cents, nor be quoted in price-currents.

The governing power in every country upon the face of the globe is an educated power. The Czar of the Russias, ignorant of interna-

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

tional law, of domestic relations, of finance, commerce and the organization of armies and navies, could never hold under the sway of his scepter, 70,000,000 of subjects. An au- tocrat must be intelligent and virtuous, or only waste and wretchedness and wreck can wait upon his reign. England with serupu- lous care, fosters her great universities for the training of the sons of the nobility for their places in the House of Lords, in the army, navy and church. What, then, ought to be the character of citizenship in a country where every man is born a king, and sover- eign heir to all the franchises and trusts of the State and Republic? An ignorant people can be governed, but only an intelligent people can govern themselves; and that is the experiment we are trying to solve in these United States.

Every observing student of the biography of our representative men, has been struck with the preponderance of those who re- ceived their education in the old log school- house. They are designated " self-made men "; but the aspirations that have enabled them to mount to prominence and distinction are oftenest the product of inspirations awakened by the studies that put the key in their hands that unlocks the storehouses of knowledge. It has been quoted until it has become stale, that " a little learning is a dan- gerous thing"; but there has been a period in the history of every scholarly mind when its attainments were small. The superiority of communities in which learning is fostered, over those in which ignorance reigns, has been the subject of pleasing reflection to every man who appreciates the advantages of intelligence. The transforming power of a good school upon any neighborhood hitherto without one, or possessed of an indifferent one, has shown, in every case where the ex- periment has been tried, the happy effects ensuing, which mark the transition and the

consequences that wait upon the flight of a single decade of years. In such, the children of the poor, competing with the scions of wealthy families for the rank and prizes ac- corded intellect, have been able to surmount the privations incident to poverty, and to find their way into a society and pursuits other- wise impossible. Thus, the rich, who would have borne themselves with a haughty dis- dain toward the sons and daughters of their less fortunate neighbors, have been com- pelled to accredit an aristocracy of intellect, and to honor with social respect those who, but for common schools, would have ever re- mained the subjects of a purse-proud neglect.

The first school in Crawford County was taught in Palestine, as for many years that town was the Athens, not only of the county, but of this part of the State. It was of the regular pioneer type, and will be more fully described in the chapters devoted to Pales- tine. We find the following among the county records of the school at that place: "Know all men by these presents, that we, Jo- seph Kitchell, Hervey Kitchell, Asa Kitchell and Wm. Wilson, are held and firmly bound to Smith Shaw, John Cowan and Benj. Ea- ton, as trustees of the school at Palestine, Crawford County, Illinois Territory, and to their successors in office, in the penal sum of five hundred dollars, for which payment well and truly to be made, we bind ourselves, our heirs, executors, etc. The condition of the above obligation is such that if the above bounden Joseph Kitchell shall make or cause to be made a good and sufficient deed for lot one, in the town of Palestine, to the trustees for the school of Palestine, for the use and benefit of a school in said town, within three years from date, then the above obligation to be void, otherwise to remain in full force. Witness our hands and seals, this ?th day of May, 1818;" and signed by the parties men- tioned above. From this it will be scen that

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

steps were taken very early for a school in the county's capital. As Palestine increased in wealth and in-children,-a second school- house was built, in connection with the Ma- sonic fraternity, the upper story being used as a lodge-room, and the lower story for the school.

The little school taught in Palestine more than sixty years ago, has expanded into the liberal educational facilities of the present day, and nearly a hundred schools, with thou- sands of children, are found within the lim- its of the county. In illustration of the rapid strides made by education, we give some sta- tistics, furnished us by Mr. Moore, late as- sistant county commissioner of schools, as fol- lows:

Number of children under 21 years of age ...... 8,189

between 6 and 21 years .. 5,530

of graded schools in the county

of school-houses ... Brick. 4

Frame ........ 83

Log ...... ..... 9

Total

Number of males attending school .. .2.866

females

2.700

male teachers employed .106

FINANCIAL.

Balance on hand June 30, 1881 $ 7,215 27

Amount of State fund received. .. $ 5,948 90

Special tax for school purposes. 22,015 35

Interest on township fund. 1,412 47

Received from other sources. 217 12

Total amount received $9,593 84

Grand total.

$36,809 11

Amount paid teachers. $20 741 91

For building school-houses 6,500 32

School sites and buildings 136 85

Repairs and improvements 1,376 80

Incidental expenses. 2,183 95

Total expenditures. $20,939 183

Balance on hand, June 30, 1882

$ ,809 28

Principal of township fund.

$22,146 48

There is one well-grounded criticism upon the schools, not only of Crawford County, but most of the counties in Southern Illinois, viz .: the small salary paid the county commis-

sioner of schools, which is far below that in the central and northern part of the State. The small compensation allowed the commis- sioner, is no object to a man qualified for the position, or when held in connection with some other business, of sufficient inducement to command much of his attention. The com- missioner should be paid a salary large enough to enable him to devote his entire time and attention to the schools, without being com- pelled to add some other calling in order to eke out a living. Better compensation would also be the means of securing a man-or a woman,-better qualified for the position, and the schools be thereby greatly benefited.

Religious .- Eighteen hundred years ago the Son of Man gave the command, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." It was not intended alone for the salvation of those nations which brought tribute to Cæsar, but with prophetic vision the world's great Redeemer gazed on nations then unborn, and heard the cry of those who groaned beneath the yoke of sin. Then for the redemption, He gave to his dis- ciples the commands which, in later years, have caused His people to widely spread God's glorious truth.

The solitary settlers of the western frontier rejoiced to hear the early messengers of God proclaim the " glad tidings of great joy," or wept at the story of Pilate, his pitiless crown of thorns, and the agonies of Golgotha and Calvary. The dark and gloomy forests were pierced by the light that shone from the Star of Bethlehem, and the hymns of praise to God were mingled with the sound of the pioneer's ax, as he reared his lone cabin for the shelter of his loved ones. These early ministers ex- posed themselves to all the dangers of the wilderness, that they might do their Master's will, and up yonder they should receive crowns bright with many jewels. They trav- eled on foot or on horseback, among the early

female

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

settlers of Crawford County, stopping where night overtook them, and receiving the hospi- talities of the cabin " without money and without price." Reverently asking the bless- ing of God upon all they did, their lives were simple and unostentatious, their wants few and easily satisfied; their teachings were plain and unvarnished, touched with no elo- quence save that of their daily living, which was seen and known of all men. They were of different religious sects, yet no discord was ever manifested between them, but a united effort was made by them to show men the way to better things by better living, and thus, finally, to reach that best of all-a home in Heaven, that

" The good old paths are good enough, The fathers walked to Heaven in them, and By following meekly where they trod, all reach The home they found."

They were not only physicians for the soul's cure, but they sometimes administered to the body's ailments. They married the living and buried the dead; they christened the babe, admonished the young and warned the old; they cheered the despondent, rebuked the willful and hurled the vengeance of eter- nal burnings at the desperately wicked. Wherever they went they were welcome, and notice was sent around to the neighbors and a meeting was held, and all listened with rapt attention to the promises of the gospel. For years these pioneer preachers could say literally, as did the Master before them, " The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but they (the sons of men) had not where to lay their heads." An old min- ister, speaking of the establishing of churches in the frontier settlements, said: "It used to make my heart sick in the early days of my ministry to dismiss members of my charge to churches in distant regions, and have brothers, and sisters and neighbors leave us for the new settlement in the opening

territories. But as I have grown older, and followed these emigrants to their new homes and have found them far more useful in church and State than they ever could have been in the regions they left behind, where others held the places of influence; as I have seen them giving a healthy and vigorous tone to society, while the separation causes a pang of sorrow, the good accomplished more than compensates for the pleasure lost."

The good seed thus carried by emigrants is usually sufficient to begin the work of rais- ing society to a higher level of civilization, and their transforming power counteracts those demoralizing influences which tend to social degeneration and disruption. These Christian influences are active in their con- flicts with evil and attractive in social power; and they generally act as a nucleus around which gather the refining influences necessary to carry society onward to a state of compar- ative perfection. We may see by comparing the past and present, how much has been done in this respect. The progress and tri- umph of Christian truth, the superstructure on which society must rest, if it ever approx- imates perfection, is made apparent. It is thus easily to be seen that no other power than Christian truth can vitalize, expand, har- monize, direct and control the forces which underlic and build up the great fabric of so- ciety.

The Baptists were the pioneers of religion in Crawford County. They were of what is denominated the "Hardshell " Baptists, and had ministers here among the first settlers. They were followed soon after by the Method- ists, who built the first house of worship in the county. The first Baptist preachers were Thomas Kennedy and Daniel Parker, both early residents of this portion of the country. Elder Newport was also an early Baptist preacher, but lived in what is now Clark County. His ministrations, however, were

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

not confined to any particular section, but de- voted to the needy in every community. Elder Daniel Parker was a zealous minister and preached almost everywhere and to everybody. He preached from Illinois to Texas and back to Illinois, and then made up a colony which he led to Texas. They made the trip by land, and every night during the journey they assembled around the camp-fire, held religious services, passing the evening in prayer and praise to the Giver of all good. Arriving in Texas the colony continued an organized society under the name of " Pil- grim Church," which name they had borne during their "sojourn in the wilderness." The Lamotte Church was organized by these plain and simple old ministers, thefi rst church organization, perhaps, in the county. Elder Parker was a prominent man in the early history of this section of the country, and has been termed one of the ablest men ever in Crawford County. Aside from his ecclesiastical duties, he found time to mingle in temporal matters. He served as State Senator in the Third and Fourth General As- semblies, and was an active and able legis- lator. He was plain and unpolished-the diamond in its rough state-honest to a fault, kindly, and of the justest impulses, a noble type of a race fast passing away.

Elder Thomas Kennedy was also prominent in the business affairs of the county. He was its first treasurer; was county commissioner of schools, probate judge, etc., and was thus enabled to deal out justice to either religious

or profane delinquents. He was not the equal of Parker in intellect, but, nevertheless, was no ordinary man. Of Newport inore will be said in the second part of this volume.

The first Methodist preacher was Rev. John Dollighan. He lived in that portion of the county afterward stricken off in Law- rence, and settled there prior to 1820. Rev. Mr. Fox was the first Methodist preacher in the Palestine settlement. These were not what the world would call gifted preachers, but they were earnest and instructive, and faithful to the religion they taught. As emi- grants came in and the people increased in worldly wealth, steps were taken to provide for their spiritual welfare. At first religious meetings were held in any vacant cabin, or in people's houses, but with the growth of the country religious societies were organized, and churches were built, until the silence of the landscape was broken by

" ______- the sweet and solemn hymn Of Sabbath worshippers."

The first church in the county was built at Palestine by the Methodists. A few years later the Presbyterians also erected a church there. Hebron church was built very early, and was perhaps the next in the county. Temples of worship may now be seen in every village, hamlet and neighborhood. But the churches and church organizations will re- ceive a more extended notice in the chapters devoted to the several townships and vil- lages.

CHAPTER IX .*

WAR HISTORY-THE STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE-OUR SECOND "ROUND" WITH JOHN BULL-BLACK HAWK AND HIS BRAVES, AND HOW WE THRASHED THEM -THE MEXICAN WAR-ILLINOIS' PARTICIPATION IN IT-WAR OF THE REBELLION-DIFFERENT REGIMENTS IN WHICH CRAWFORD COUNTY WAS REPRESENTED- FACTS AND INCIDENTS OF THE WAR, ETC., ETC.

" Fair as the earliest beam of eastern light, When first, by the bewildered pilgrim spied, It smiles i pon the dreary brow of night, And silvers o'er the torrent's foaming tide, And lights the fearful path on mountain side; Fair as that beam, although the tairest far, Giving to horror grace, to danger pride. Shine martial Faith, and Courtesy's bright star, Through all the wrecktul storms that cloud the brow of war."

A -Scott.

LTHOUGH as a nation we are over a hun- dred years old, yet we have lived, com- paratively, a quiet and peaceable life. Aside from our struggles with the Indians (in many of which they had the better cause), we have had but few wars. But those in which we have in- dulged, have been wars of more than ordinary importance. We started out in business for ourselves by threshing our paternal ancestor, Mr. John Bull, thereby inaugurating what is known in American history as the Revolu- tionary War, and in time achieving our lib- erty and independence. Liberty and inde- pendence! Often as the wheels of time roll on the anniversary of American Independ- ence, so often does our patriotic zeal blaze ont from one end of the Union to the other, in commemoration of those brave war-worn

veterans, who bought with their blood our freedom. When the war was over and our in- dependence acknowledged, the patriot sol- diery was paid off in valueless paper and in western lands. This brought many of them to the West, mostly to Ohio and Kentucky, as the lands of those States were in market some time before those of Illinois. There were, however, a number of Revolutionary soldiers among the early settlers of Southern Illinois and of Crawford County. But after this long lapse of time, it is impossible to designate alı who participated in the war for liberty, and we shall not attempt it. We have heard of but three, viz .: Asaliel Has- kins, Daniel Kinney and George Miller. Ref- erence is merely made to that war as a pre- lude to others that have followed it, and which will occupy considerable of our space in the subsequent pages.

After the close of the Revolutionary War our martial experience was confined to the Indians until our second war with Great Brit- ain, which terminated with that brilliant tri- umph of American arms, the victory of Gen. Jackson at New Orleans on the 8th of Janu- ary, 1815. The opening scenes of this war were characterized by defeat, disgrace and disaster; but toward the close of the struggle a series of glorious achievements compensated

* By W. H. Perrin.

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

for these misfortunes. Croghan's gallant de- fense of Fort Stephenson; Perry's victory on Lake Erie; the total defeat by Gen. Harrison of the allied British and Indians under Proc- lor and Tecumseh on the Thames, together with the closing scene at New Orleans, have few parallels in modern warfare. The people then living in what is now Crawford County, though far removed from the seat of war, felt its effects in some degree. The Indians in this section, as already noticed, became some- what unruly, and bands of them took the war- path, though they committed few depreda- tions on the people of this county. Their conduct, however, occasioned considerable anxiety, and kept the people continually on the lookout for danger. Many of the early settlers who came to the county following the war of 1812, had participated in it some time during its progress. But there is no record now by which to obtain any reliable data of those old soldiers and their exploits, and we pass on, with this brief allusion to the sub- ject.

The Black Hawk War .- This war brings us to a period in the history of Crawford County, when she had attained an impor- tance second to few counties in the State, as evinced by the part she took in the chas- tisement of Black Hawk. We shall now no- tice briefly some of the leading incidents and facts pertaining to this war.

It is unnecessary to go into the details which originated the Black Hawk War. It is the old story of the white man's oppression and the Indian's resentment. Speaking of the causes which eventually led to it, Gov. Edwards, in his history of Illinois, says: "There is no doubt, however, that the whites, who at this period were immigrating in large numbers to the northwest, and earnestly de- sired their removal further westward, pur- posely exasperated the Indians, at the same time that they greatly exaggerated the hos-

tilities committed." The Indians thus mad- dened by the encroachments of the whites upon their hunting grounds, and the insults and injuries heaped upon them by their pale- faced enemies, finally broke out in open war, and gathered around Black Hawk as their leader.

When war commenced, Crawford County aroused herself to action, and many of her able-bodied men shouldered their guns and marched to the scene of conflict. Two full companies were sent from Crawford, while others served in companies and regiments recruited elsewhere. Captain Highsmith's company formed a part of the second regi- ment of the second brigade, and from the re- port of the adjutant-general of the State we learn that it enlisted in June, 1832, and was as follows: William Highsmith, captain; Samuel V. Allen, first lieutenant; John H. McMickle, second lieutenant; B. B. Piper, first sergeant; Thos. Fuller, second ser- geant; Wm. McCoy, third sergeant; John A. Christy, fourth sergeant; Nathan High- smith, first corporal; Martin Fuller; second corporal; Jackson James, third corporal; John Lagow, fourth corporal; and John Allison, Samuel H. Allison, David M. Alli- son, John Brimberry, John Barrick, Benj. Carter, James Condrey, Thomas Easton, John Gregg, Wm. R. Grise, Peter Garrison, Hi- ram Johnson, John Johnson, George W. Kin- ney, James Lewis, Wm. Levitt, John L. My- ers, A. W. Myers, Andrew Montgomery, Isaac Martin, John Parker, Sr., William Par- ker, Thomas N. Parker, John Parker, Jr., Amos Phelps, William Reese, Robert Simons, Thomas Stockwell, Jacob Vaunrinch, James Weger, privates. The company was mus- tered out of service August 2, 1832, at Dix- on's Ferry, Illinois, its term of enlistment having expired.

Houston's company also belonged to the second regiment of the second brigade. It

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

was enrolled June 19, 1832, and was as fol- lows: Alexander M. Houston, captain; George W. Lagow, first lieutenant; James Boat- right, second lieutenant; O. F. D. Hampton, first sergeant; Levi Harper, second sergeant; David Porter, third sergeant; James Christy, fourth sergeant; Cornelius Doherty, first cor- poral; James B. Stark, second corporal; Joseph Jones, third corporal; Rivers Heath, fourth corporal; Francis Waldrop, bugler, and Geo. W. Baugher, Blanton Blathares, John Bogard, Andrew Baker, Alexander Boatright, Samuel Cruse, Silas L. Danforth, Geo. B. Doughton, Edwin Fitch, Henry Fowler, John Goodwin, Silas Goodwin, Rob- ert Grinton, John Hutton, Joseph Hackett, John A. Hackett, Wm. Hawkins, John Houne, Wickliffe Kitchell, James Kuyken- dall, Alexander Logan, Matthew Lackey, John McCoy, Johnson Neeley, Robert Por- ter, Wm. Porter, Wm. Pearson, Joseph Pear- son, Edwin Pearson, Zalmon Phelps, Samuel Shaw, John Stewart, John F. Vandeventer, Vastin Wilson, Jacob Walters, privates. This company was mounted, and was mus- tered out of the service at the end of the term of its enlistment, August 15, 1832, by order of Brigadier General Atkinson.

The war ended with the battle of August 2, 1832, at the mouth of Bad Axe, a creek emptying into the Mississippi River, a short distance above Prairie du Chien. In Sep- tember a treaty was made, which ended the Indian troubles in this State. Black Hawk had heen captured, and upon regaining his liberty ever after remained friendly to the whites.

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History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois, Part 11

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 826

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 826