USA > Illinois > Clark County > History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois > Part 15
USA > Illinois > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois > Part 15
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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.
than in many frontier communities, and drunkenness was at least no more frequent than now, in proportion to the population.
The earliest market for the produce of, the farmer was at Lawrenceville, the mer- chants of which did much more business forty years ago than now. Here the farmers drove their hogs and cattle and hauled their corn, which finally found a market at New Orleans. Later the villages of Palestine and Hutson- ville afforded a nearer market. Fruit, honey, bees-wax, tallow, and even corn, were fre- quently hauled to Chicago, the wagons returning loaded with salt. Stock raising, especially of cattle and hogs, was a promi- nent feature of the early farm industry, and brought to the farmer a pretty reliable revenue. Cattle were sometimes driven to Chicago, but the most of the stock was sold to itinerant buyers at the farm, though at
marvelously low prices compared with those ruling at this day. A cow and calf sold for $5 or $6, and a fine fat steer for $6 or $8. John Hill, Jr., sold, on one occasion, seven fine steers, for $50, a price which he obtained only through the most stubborn persistence. Garwood, an Ohio cattle dealer, offered $48 for the cattle, but as Hill was depending upon the sale for the purchase of forty acres of land, he insisted upon the additional $2, as there was no money to be got otherwise. For two days and nights Garwood haggled over the price, when finding Hill unyielding, gave the price and took the stock.
Since then, how marked the change. The generation is growing up that will scarcely believe the unvarnished tale of pioneer ex- perience in this land, and will only value the advantages of the present when they accu- rately measure the sacrifices and achieve- ments of the past.
James H. Steel
CHAPTER XI .*
ROBINSON VILLAGE-THE STAR OF EMPIRE-A NEW TOWN LAID OUT-FIRST PLAT AND SUBSEQUENT ADDITIONS-EARLY DEVELOPMENT-GROWTH OF BUSINESS IN- TERESTS-THE RAILROAD IMPETUS-SCHOOLS, CHURCHES AND BE- NEVOLENT SOCIETIES-CEMETERIES, ETC., ETC.
THIE geographical location of Palestine made the eventual removal of the county seat to a more central site a foregone conclusion from the very first. But, while this fact was recognized by all, the influence of Palestine interests was bent to delay the inevitable change to the last possible moment. The rapid development of York and Hutsonville soon made them active rivals for the metro- politan honors of the county and foolishly jealous of the prestige of the favored town. As the settlement of the county advanced and communities grew up in the northern and western parts, the long, tedious journeys re- quired to transact public business created an Ficreasing demand that the change should be made as early as possible. There was no reasonable ground on which either of the other prominent towns could hope to succeed to official honors, but the removal, it was thought, would seriously cripple the com- mercial importance of their rival. This agi- tation was not expressed in any combined action until 1843. At this time Hebron had become quite an important inland center, and acting as a cats-paw for Hutsonville, the ini- tiatory steps for the removal were started in these villages, and the matter brought before the people for decision. The first vote was on the question of removal, which was de- cided affirmatively. An election was then called to choose the site. The act authorizing
the removal required a donation of forty acres which should be platted, the sale of which should provide the means for the erection of public buildings. Offers of the requisite land were made on the site of the present village, at Hebron and at a site five miles southwest of the present village of Robinson. In the election which followed, beside these localities, the site on the farm of W. S. Emmons, the geographical center of the county, Hutsonville and Palestine re- ceived votes, but without a sufficient pre- ponderance to make a choice. A second election was then called to decide between the Robinson site and P. C. Barlow's site, in which the former proved successful.
The site thus chosen was the judicious selection of the whole people uninfluenced by partisan considerations. It was situated at the central point of the dividing line between sections 33 and 34 in town 7 north, range 13 west. The east "eighty " was owned by William Willson, the southwest " forty " by Finley Paull and Robt. C. Wilson, and the northwest " forty " by John W. Wilson, ten acres from the converging corners of each section forming the donation for the village. The forty acres thus constituted were prairie land partially covered with a heavy under- growth of brush with here and there a large tree, and skirted with considerable heavy timber. It was an eligible site in every way, and for the purposes of a county seat was probably the best site in the county, though
* By J. H. Battle.
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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.
there were but two cabins in the vicinity of the proposed town at that time. William B. Baker, the official surveyor, under the in- structions of the commissioners at once set about platting the new village, and on De- cember 25, 1843, presented the result of his labors for record, with the following concise description: " The size of the lots in the town of Robinson is sixty-five feet front, east and west, and 130 feet long. The public square is 260 feet north and south and 240 feet, east and west. The streets each side of the square (east and west sides) are fifty feet broad. The main streets through the center of the town cach way, are eighty feet, and all the rest are sixty feet, save the border streets on the outside of the lots which are forty feet." The lines are run by the cardinal points of the compass, the plat fronting the north. The streets running east and west, beginning at the south side are Chestnut, Locust, Main, Walnut and Cherry; at right angles with these, beginning on the east, are Howard, Franklin, Court street, Marshall, Cheapside, Jefferson and Lincoln. Court street and Cheapside are short thoroughfares which define the public square and connect Main and Locust streets. Marshall street ends at the central entrance on the north side of the square, its projection on the south side being called Broadway. The plat was thus divided into fourteen regular and three irregular sized blocks aggregating 120 blocks.
Robinson, thus evoked out of the wilderness, was simply a "fiat" town. It represented no commercial advantages, served no speculative purpose, and awakened no animated interest in its success. It is believed by some that lots were offered at public sale early in 1844, but this is probably a mistake, or the result was deemed unworthy of record. The prop- erty was not the kind which would find ready purchasers at fair figures, as few whose pro- fession or official duties did not require their
presence would care to leave more important business centers for any inducements this site could offer. The earliest record of the pur- chase of lots is dated December 3, 1844, when Francis Waldrop bought lots No. 77 and 78, for $45.75. The second purchase was made by Wm. B. Baker and consisted of lots No. 101 to 108, both inclusive, lots 69, 70, 71, 72 and 80, paying $300 for them. There is no further record until December, 1846, when W. H. Starrett bought lot 74 for $22,50; Wal- drop bought lot 56, for $30, and Leonard D. Cullom bought lots 79, 81 and 82, for $41. In 1847, in September and December, lots 22, 23 and 24 were purchased by Wm. and Thom- as Barbee for $33; lot 98 by D. A. Bailey for $25; lot 75 by Wm. Brown for $25; lot 54 by Mary Johns for $20; lot 99 by Anna Longnecker for $15; lot 67 by Win. Young for $12.12; and lots 41 and 42 by George C. Fitch for $30. In the following year about a dozen lots were disposed of at prices ranging from $11 to $25. Robert and Henry Weaver, David Lillie and J. M. Grimes appearing among the names of purchasers. These names indicate the early accessions to the com- munity though there were others here who seem to have bought land at second-hand or occupied a building site some time before purchasing.
The first building erected was a small frame structure on the site of Collin's exchange store. This was put up by James Weaver and was subsequently moved to the northeast cor- ner of Marshall and Main streets, where it served as kitchen to a large two-story log ho- tel built on that corner. This building still serves as a dwelling in the northwest part of the town. The vacant frame building now standing on the northwest corner of Locust street and Cheapside is the second structure erected in the village. This was built by Francis Waldrop in the spring of 1844, and united store and dwelling under one roof.
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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.
The kitchen part afforded quarters for one of the earliest sessions of the Commissioners' Court. Some time during this year Mr. Wal- drop put in a small stock of goods which was bought privately at Hutsonville. A third building was the residence of W. B. Baker. This was a building constructed of peeled hickory logs and situated in the grove just southeast of the plat, where the residence of Mr. Hill now stands. The grove substantially as it now stands, was secured by purchase of the lots above mentioned and the balance from Wilson, the original owner of that sec- tion. Baker soon closed up that part of the streets that passed through his property, a summary proceeding which has since received the doubtful sanction of a legislative act. The brick residence occupies the point where the south and east border streets met. About this time the contractor on the court house put up a log building and moved his family here for a temporary residence. This com- prised the village community of Robinson in the fall of 1845, when it received its first professional accession in Judge Robb, who was then practicing medicine. He built a log building about eighteen feet square on the site of Charles Hill's present residence, which placed him just outside the precincts of the rising city. It will hardly be surprising that forty acres should prove sufficient to contain the village, at this rate of increase for some fifteen years. It is questionable whether the crowded condition of things even then de- manded an addition, but it is evidence of growth that in 1858 Asa Ayers did plat twelve lots between Marshall and Franklin streets, adjoining the northern line of the original plat. In 1865 an estimate of the population in the village placed it at less than four hundred, but there was evidence of slow but steady growth, and in 1867 William C. Dickson's addition of twenty lots, and Robb's first addition of twenty-four lots, were made.
In 1820 Robert Morrison added sixteen lots, and four years later Watts' addition of twenty lots was made. In 1875 a new element was added to the situation. The agitation of the question of railroads materialized and gave such an impetus to the development of the new town that property holders on the eastern side of the village, catching the infection, vied with each other in platting their lands. In this year ninety-three lots were added in seven "additions." In the following year seven more additions, aggregating 193 lots, were made, and in 1822, seventy more were added in three parcels. In 1878, two addi- tions aggregating twenty-seven lots, were made, and a final one, in 1881, of thirty-six lots.
Until 1866, the destiny of the village was guided by the justice of the peace, the con- stable and road supervisor. Some few at- tempts at internal improvements had been made but nothing approaching a systematic effort. Early in this year a meeting of the voters of the village was called at the court house, at which it was decided by a nearly unanimous voice to take the legal steps to in- corporate the village under the general law. On the 2d day of March, E. Callahan, Thos. Barbee, Thos. Sims, D. D. Fowler and A. P. Woodworth were elected trustees, who met on the following day and organized by elect- . ing Thos. Barbee, president, J. C. Olwin, clerk, Joseph Kent, constable, and Thos. Sims, treasurer. At an adjourned meeting the usual list of ordinances were adopted, the first of which defines the limits of the corpo- ration as follows: "Commencing at the south- east corner of the west half of section thirty- four, in town 7 north, of range 12 west, and running thence north one mile, thence west one mile, thence south one mile, thence east one mile to the place of beginning." The limits thus established have proven sufficient. without subsequent extension, to include the
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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.
growth of the village to this time. By this original code of municipal laws, litter and ob- structions upon the sidewalks were forbidden, and the sale of liquor as a beverage, public business on the Sabbath, gambling. etc., ta- booed. The more immediate effect of the new order of things was seen in the build- ing of sidewalks. In 1868 property holders about the public square were required to lay brick or plank walks, and in other parts of town where there was most demand. In 1875, when the railroad infused new life into every department of society, the town board rose to the importance of the occasion and appro- priated a thousand dollars for this purpose. In the following year 50,000 feet of lumber was bought and another thousand dollars ap- propriated, and this spirit of enterprise has been maintained until there are few villages of the size of Robinson that are so well pro- vided with broad, well inade walks. The streets have been under the direction of a road master, and upon them have been ex- pended each year the "poll-tax labor " of the village with some tangible result. Road making material is scarce in this vicinity, and but little more has been done than to care- fully turnpike the streets. Some gravel has been used on the streets about the square but only with the effect to modify the depthless mud that mars the streets of this village during the spring time. Recently some effort looking toward the lighting of the streets has been made, though so far no definite action has been taken.
Another subject which is the perennial source of agitation in the villages of Illinois, and which devolves especial responsibility upon the authorities that be, is the regulation of the sale of liquor. The attitude of the first board of trustees undoubtedly expressed the prevalent sentiment of the community in re- stricting the sale of "ardent spirits " to simply the demands for mechanical, medicinal or
sacramental purposes. But the minority upon this subject, by constant pressure of specious arguments, soon effected a change in the public policy. In 1820 license was granted for the sale of liquor in unlimited quantities, the vendor, with exception of drug- gists, to pay three hundred dollars and give an indemnifying bond. In the following year the whole liquor traffic was taken out of the hands of regular dealers and the somewhat novel plan of appointing agents to sell only for "mechanical, medicinal and sacramental purposes." This plan seems hardly to have been well considered before initiated, and the board soon found itself involved in the most perplexing maze of evasions and technicali- ties, and in very despair the whole scheme was abolished in 1874, and the regular " no license " plan again adopted. Since then the subject has alternated from one extreme to the other, the license fee reaching as high as $1,200 on the statute book, but without occa- sion of enforcing it. It stands now at eight hundred dollars and a substantial bond to in- sure the liquor seller's compliance with the terms of his contract. Even at this figure the traffic is such that three saloons find induce- ment to carry on the business here.
A late outgrowth of enterprise rather than demand of the village, is the fire department. In the early part of 1881, the propriety of securing a hook and ladder apparatus was brought up and carried forward with com- mendable spirit to a successful issue. Rubber pails were added to the outfit, a company or- ganized and a suitable building erected at a total cost of some five hundred dollars. Early in the following year a hand engine for which the city of Vincennes had no further use was purchased and added to the department. There has been no occasion yet to demon- strate the efficacy of the fire department, nor is its complete organization strongly vouched for, but it has had a formal institution and
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IHISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.
will doubtless develop with the occasion for its service.
There was but little to attract business to the newly laid out town of Robinson, and Waldrop for a time monopolized the trade. In the course of a year or two, however, Ma- ginley set up an opposition store, and Felix Hacket opened a saloon, or grocery where whisky was the principal stock in trade, in a log building on the east side of the square. Barbee and Brown were also among the first log store merchants, doing business near the center of the east side of the square. In 1833 brick business houses began to ap- pear. In this year John Dixon, who began trade in Robinson about 1849, put up the first brick store building in the village on the cor- ner of Main and Marshall streets, which is now used by Griffith as a shoe store. In the following year Thomas Barbee, who had " kept hotel " on Marshall street, a block or two north of Main, built the Robinson House, which is now the principal hostelry of the town. In the same fall Woodworth and Lagow began the erection of the brick building occupying the southeast corner of Main and Court streets, finishing it in the following spring. These . buildings were a little later followed by the erection of the Masonic Building, and just before the completion of the railroad, what is known as the Southside Block was erected. This block consists of six two-storied brick buildings seventy feet deep and twenty in width outside of three stairways and halls on the second floor of four l'eet each. The con- struction of this block was first conceived by Judge W. C. Jones, who erected two of the buildings, A. H. Jones the third, Jones and Maxwell a fourth, A. O. Maxwell the fifth, and Mrs. Callahan the sixth. The influence of the new railroad was at its height, and al- though its old-time competitors proclaimed Robinson "finished," A. H. Waldrop, then owner of the Robinson House, commenced
the erection of a large two-story brick addition in the rear of the hotel at once. In the same season the Robinson Bank and the storehouse of E. E. Murray & Co., both two-story bricks of 20x10 feet, were erected, followed in the succeeding season by two more buildings of the same size, erected by J. H. Wood, which closed up the vacant ground on the east side of the square from the Masonic building to the Woodworth buildings. The same season John Hill & Son erected a two-story building on the corner east of the square, extending from Douglas to Jefferson street. In the meantime, beside these structures for business purposes, several fine and substantial resi- dences were erected at a cost of from six to ten thousand dollars. In 1848 the block of brick buildings north of the square was erected, and in the following year J. U. Grace erected an addition on the west side of the Robinson House, 18 by II0 feet, the lower story for a place of business and the upper to furnish additional rooms for the hotel.
About the same time with Dixon, the Lagows started a branch of their Palestine store in Robinson, which in 1853 was con- ducted by the firm of Woodworth and Lagow. Barbee and Jolly began business here about 1855, but continued for only a year or two when they closed up with an assignment, their liabilities being principally to eastern merchants and reaching a very considerable amount. On the death of Dixon about 1855, the Preston Brothers, a heavy business firm of Hutsonville with stores in a half dozen places in Clark and Crawford Counties and else- where, established a branch house in Robin- son, occupying the Dixon building. This firm with that of Woodworth and Lagow were the largest business houses here at that time and until the coming of the railroad attracted a large and peculiar trade. There was but little money in the country until 1861 or 2 and business was conducted almost entirely
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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.
without it. Goods were sold on a year's cred- it and in the fall the merchants bought all the grain, hogs or cattle for sale. Each firm had warehouses and packing houses on the Wabash, beside a farm fitted for the purpose of feeding stock. In the spring, grain, pork and cattle were shipped by the river to New Orleans. Considerable quantities of grain were taken in and stored at Robinson until the hard road of the winter afforded an op- portunity of hauling it to the river. One of these firms made a practice of buying horses in the fall, securing the most of them on accounts due them for goods. These were assorted, the inferior stock traded off, and the better ones got in good condition and sent down the river in the spring to market. Thus to insure success in business here, the mer- chant found it necessary to combine the qual- ities of a good stock speculator as well as those of a storekeeper, a failure in either branch proving disastrous to the business. The operations of these business houses took a remarkable range, the Preston Brothers maintaining one partner whose whole time and attention was occupied with these out- side affairs.
The coming of railroad facilities wrought a speedy revolution in business circles. The abundance of currency set afloat by the Gov- ernment during the war had nearly done away with the prevailing system of barter and thus curtailed the profits with the extent of the operations of the old time trade. The old firms gradually passed away with the old cus- toms, giving place to others of a younger generation. But there has been no perma- nent contraction of business on account of this change. The large operations of the few have been divided among the number who have succeeded and the business of the village has largely expanded. The coming of the Paris and Danville road, gave Robinson a decided advantage over its competitors for the trade
of the county, but the subsequent construc- tion of the "narrow gauge railroad," rather restored the equilibrium, and the " county seat," while still far in the lead, finds the com- petition in the grain trade, at least, one of considerable importance.
A number of mills-saw, grist and planing mills-constitute most of the manufacturing industries of the town. The large brick flouring mill was built by Brown, Sims & Waldrop, and is now used by John Newton and Dyer's estate. The Junction mills, owned by Collins & Kirk, was built by Will- iam C. Shafer. The saw-mill near the Junc- tion mills was built by Brigham and Wilson, and is now owned by Reinoehl & Co. Near it is the Robinson machine shop and foundry, put up about a year ago, by Ogden & Martin. It is not running at present. The planing mill of Wiseman & Brubaker is located near the Wabash depot. It was originally built by Wesley Fields. A planing mill stands near the narrow guage depot, owned by Otey & Sons. School furniture is manufactured at this mill. A few other manufacturing enter- prises are in contemplation, but have not yet resulted in anything definite.
The educational facilities of Robinson are confined to the public schools. The early history of education in the village is not dis- similar to that of other early settlements. The first school is supposed to have been taught in a log building about 1848, by Wm. Grimes. The court house was used several years for school purposes. The town has now a very good, comfortable school-house- a two-story frame building, but not adequate to accommodate the growing wants of the "young ideas," and a large building must soon take the place of the one now in use.
The regular attendance of the Robinson public school is over three hundred pupils. Prof. S. G. Murray, an excellent teacher, is principal; D. G. Murray, teacher of grammar
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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.
department; other teachers, W. G. Ilale, Miss Mary Firman and Mrs. Flora B. Lane.
The Methodist Episcopal Church organi- zation is the oldest church in Robinson, and dates back into the " forties." Of its earliest history we obtained no reliable data, and can give but a brief sketch of it. The elegant and tasteful brick church edifice was built in 1866, at a cost of more than 85,000. The membership is large and flourishing, and is under the pastorate of Rev. Mr. Massey. A good Sunday school, of which John Maxwell is superintendent, is maintained during the entire year.
The Presbyterian Church, the sketch of which is taken from the Argus, was organized originally, October 28, 1848, with sixteen members, chiefly from the Palestine church. Under this organization it had a brief exist- ence, and the members dissolved and re- turned to the old church. On the Sth of November, 18:2, Rev. Thomas Spencer and Elder Finley Paull renewed the organization as the " First Presbyterian Church of Robin- son." The first elders were Wm. C. Wilson, John H. Wilkin and Rufus R. Lull; the first minister, Rev. Aaron Thompson. He was succeeded by Rev. Thomas Spencer and he by Rev. John E. Carson, all of whom have been stated supply. No church building has been erected by the society, but they used the Methodist church. They own a parsonage which cost $1,000, but are at present without a pastor.
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