History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois, Part 24

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 24
USA > Illinois > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois > Part 24

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The people of Montgomery Township take an active interest in education. It is not known now who taught the first school in the township. It is known, however, that schools were established as soon as there were

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

children enough in a neighborhood to support a school. There are now ten school-houses in the township, but the school township ex- tends two miles into Lawrence County. All the school-houses are frame, and their average cost is about $$50., The state of education is the best in the county aside from the towns. Especially is this the case in District No. 1, which is noted for its interest in education, and in which stands the Mckibben school- house, one of the best in the township.

Villages .-- There are several villages in the township, but all of them put together would not make a town as large as Chicago. Al- though they are dignified by being called villages none of them have been regularly laid out as such. One of the first places to be designated as a village, was Vernon. It was on the Vincennes road and was a stage-stand when the old-fashioned stage-coach was the principal means of travel. A small store, a post-office, a tavern and a blacksmith shop comprised its proportions. The tavern was kept by Spencer Hurst, and one Salters was the blacksmith. The town, however, has dis- appeared.

Morea is another hamlet, and consists of a half dozen houses or so. Wmn. P. Dunlap built the first store-house, but the first goods were sold by Wmn. Wallace. The place con- tains but one store which is kept by Henry Sayre. A post-office was established here, with A. W. Duncan as postmaster. It is now kept by Dr. J. A. Ingles. These, with a church, school-house and blacksmith shop, constitute the town. The first move toward a town was the building of the church, which is a Pres- byterian church. Alexander MaeHatton gave the ground upon which it was built. He also gave one acre of land to David Kelchner, who erected a house upon it.

The school-house was built originally about a quarter of a mile from the post-office, and was a log structure. Later the present school-

house was built, by parties, who made a kind of stock company of it, taking shares of stock. The upper portion is used for religious and literary purposes. The church will be referred to later on in this chapter.

Heathville is another of the same sort. A post-office was established, and R. Heath, an old pioneer now living in Russelville, was the first post-master. The present one is Mr. Sullivan. A store, a shop or two, and a few houses are all there is of this lively town.

Crawfordsville is situated on the line be- tween Montgomery and Honey Creek Town- ships. The first record we have of the place, was when Edward Allison built a water-mill here about 1830. Allison sold out to a man named Kiger, who in turn sold to H. Martin, a son of John Martin, who came to the county in 1810-12. He built an ox-mill afterward, and later, a steam-mill, which is still stand- ing, and is owned by Dennis York and J. T. Wood. H. Martin kept a blacksmith shop about 1855. Elijah Nuttalls established a general store, and afterward several others had stores at different periods. During all this time it was known as Martin's mill, but when a post-office was established it was then called Crawfordsville. Samson Taylor was the first postmaster. The post-office was re- moved to Flat Rock when that town was laid out after the building of the railroad. A woolen-mill was connected with the steam-mill about 1870, and operated until 1879, when it closed business.

Churches .-- Wesley Chapel Methodist Epis- copal church is among the oldest churches in the county, dating its original organization back at least to 1825. The Methodists being missionary in their style, this church grew out of work done years previous to organiza- tion. Among the original members were James and Nancy McCord, Edward N. and Mary Cullom, Nancy Funk, Smith Shaw and wife, John and Mary Fox, S. B. Carter and

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

Margaret Carter, Daniel and Christina Funk, William Garrard and wife, and Jacob Gar- rard and wife. It was organized by Rev. John Stewart, one of the carliest preachers of the Methodists in the Wabash valley. The first church edifice was built in 1845, and was a frame, 26×40 feet, costing about $800. In 1878 a larger and more commodious house was commenced, and finished the next year. It is 30x50 feet, with many of the modern improvements-two class-rooms, gallery, bel- fry, stained glass windows, and will seat com- fortably some 250 persons. It has at present about 100 members. Many of the churches surrounding country grew out of this vener- able church, among which was that at Pales- tine.

The following is furnished us of the dif- ferent pastors of this church: Rupert Delapp, a good preacher, but rather too plain spoken to be popular; Wm. McReynolds, a good man and polished gentleman, and much liked by all; John, his brother, and very similar; Samuel Hulls, a good man but common preacher, one of those who wept when he preached, very excitable but popular and influential, held many responsible positions in the church, and is still living; John Miller and Finley Thompson officiated together, and were both good men; John McCain, a de- voted and influential preacher, Israel Risley rather dry, but a man of good sense; Charles Bonner, a warm-hearted young man, and a preacher of medium talents; James M. Mas- sey, one of the best preachers the church ever had, and faithful to the end; a son, T. J. Massey, is now in charge of the Robinson circuit; Ira McGinnis, a good preacher; Wm. S. Crissy, promising young preacher; John Chamberlin, an elegant gentleman, and a mediocre preacher; Asa McMurtry and Wm. Wilson together; Wm. Ripley; Isaac Barr; Jas. Woodward; Americus Don Carlos; W. (. Blondill; Michael S. Taylor; John Shep-

herd; Jacob Recd; J. F. Jaques; Joseph Hopkins; W. H. H. Moore; Z. Percy; John Hill; John Glaze; Levi English; John John- son; James Holey; Jacob Reed and V. Lin- genfelter; D. Williamson; Charles McCord; Wm. Nall; John Leeper and W. J. Grant; S. P. Groves; James Thrapp; Lewis Harper; D. Williamson; Wm. Cain; O. H. Clark; O. H. Bruner; Wm. Hennessey; Joseph Ruther- ford; W. W. McMorrow; Wm. Bruner; J. J. Boyer; Jason Carson; John Weeden and D. B. Stewart; John Weeden and Joseph Van Cleve; J. D. Reeder, the present pastor. Under his pastorate forty-four members have been added, "a record that has not been beaten," since the organization of the church.

A Sunday-school in connection with the church, has been in operation since 1873. The regular attendance is about seventy-five children, and Wm. Fox is the superintendent.

Canaan Baptist Church is another of the old church organizations of this section of the country. It was established by Elder Daniel Parker, a Hardshell Baptist preacher, near Fort Allison, away back about 1820, under the name of "Little Village Baptist Church." A few years later it was moved to this township, and is now of the Missionary Baptist faith. They have some eighteen members, and hold their meetings in the Canaan school-house, in which they own an interest.

Liberty Baptist Church was organized July 15, 1843. The old Lamotte Baptist Church, great in numbers and in boundaries, con- tributed toward its formation. The mem- bers in the southeast part of the congrega- tion, thought it best to form a church nearer their homes. Among those who entertained this belief were D. Y. Allison, Sarah Allison, Benjamin Long, Jane Long, Isaac Martin, Mary Martin, Thos. F. Highsmith, Elizabeth Highsmith, Wm. V. Highsmith, Sina Allen, Rebecca Rush and Amos Rich. Elders

Bryant Cox.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTT.

Stephen Kennedy and Wm. S. Bishop offi- ciated at the organization. Since then the pastors have been: Elders Hezekiah Shelton and A. J. Fuson, by direction of the New York Home Mission Board; Solomon D. Mon- roe, D. Y. Allison, J. T. Warren, T. J. Neal, and J. L. Cox, the present pastor. The first church was built of logs eighteen by twenty feet, and a few years afterward another room of the same size was added, at a total cost, perhaps, of $200. The second church was built in 1874, and cost about $1,200. It lias sixty-three members, and a Sunday-school, which was organized in 1865, by Jacob Clements and Rachel E. Dickinson. Clem- ents was superintendent.

This church had but little ministerial aid in the early days of its existence; ministers being scarce and hard to procure in a new country such as this was then. But its mem- bers persevered, and it increased in power and usefulness. Two churches were afterward organized chiefly from its membership: one north of where it is located, and the other southwest, and just north of Lawrenceville.

The United Presbyterian Church of Morea, as also the Associated Presbyterian Church and the United Presbyterian Church of Dun- canvilie, had their origin with a few families, mostly from East Tennessee, who settled in the Maxwell neighborhood. At their request they were organized into a " vacancy " of the Associated Presbyterian Church (commonly called seceders), under the care of the Pres- bytery of Northern Indiana; Rev. James Dickson, of the Presbytery, officiated at the organization. Not long after, A. R. Rankin, a licentiate, was called to be their pastor, and accepting the call, was installed in the fall of 1852. A church was built a few years later, which served as a house of worship for nearly a quarter of a century. Rev. Rankin remained with them some five or six years, and the congregation increased rapidly. He

was succeeded by Rev. J. D. McNay as stated supply, and about 1858, while he was yet with them, the churches were united under the name of the United Presbyterian Church. Rev. McNay and a portion of his flock de- clined going into this union, and Rev. R. Gilmore, assistant editor of the Presbyte- rian Witness, of Cincinnati, re-organized the church and reported it as a " vacancy," under the care of the Presbytery of southern Indiana. Rev. Alexander MacHatton was pastor in 1861, at which time the membership was thirty-eight. The congregation used the Beckwith Prairie church until they could build one of their own, which they did some years later; a good substantial building, and free of debt. This was the first building erected in Morea, and is still occupied by the congregation, though there is not one of the original thirty-eight now in connection with it. Soon after building the house the mem- bership increased to 120. A few families then in the northwest part of the congrega- tion obtained leave and formed a new church, and erected a building at Duncanville, where they have prospered, and for some years have had a settled pastor in Rev. Hugh MacHat- ton. In April 1877, after about sixteen years' service Rev. Alexander MacHatton resigned his charge, and is now living on a farm near Morea. The next pastor was Rev. O. G. Brockett, in 1879, who remained until 1882, since which time the church has had no pastor. It has now about fifty-five members and is in a flourishing condition.

A Sunday-school is maintained, and was organized in 1862, and since then it has con- tinued uninterruptedly. The attendance is about ninety children.

The Green Hill Methodist Episcopal Church was organized about 1850-55. Although the Methodists had held meetings in the neigh- borhood ever since 1830 in log school-houses, and in the cabins of the early settlers, it was

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

not until this time that an organization was effected. One Dr. J. R. Winn, who came here about 1837, made a will, in 1855, in which he donated land on which to build a church, and also gave $100 for the same pur- pose, on condition that the people would build it within a given time. A frame church was erected, and the original members were twelve in number; at present there are but sixteen members. The first minister was Rev. Bruner. The church is in the same cir- cuit of Wesley chapel, and since its organi- zation has been administered to by the same preachers, except in 1878 and 1879, when

they had their own minister, Rev. Mr. Hen- nessey. The present pastor is Rev. J. D. Reeder. The church was dedicated by Rev. C. J. Houts, presiding elder. A Sabbath- school, established in 1874, is maintained under the charge of the church, of which J. Landreth is superintendent.

Another denomination, the Christians, have an organization here and hold their meetings in this church. It was organized by Rev. J. R. Wright, who is the present pastor. But other ministers have been with them at dif- ferent times.

CHAPTER XVII .*

MARTIN AND SOUTHWEST TOWNSHIPS-POSITION AND BOUNDARIES-FORMATION OF SOUTHWEST-WATER COURSES-SOIL-PRODUCTIONS-TIMBER-PIONEER SET- TLEMENT-EARLY INCIDENTS AND INDUSTRIES-LIFE IN THE WIL- DERNESS-EARLY ROADS-CHURCH AND SCHOOL HIS- TORY-VILLAGES, ETC., ETC.

"Time though old is swift in flight."

IDIIE unheeded lapse of time is the histo- rian's greatest enemy. The events of one day are so closely crowded by those of the next, and so much occupied are we with the affairs of the present, that almost unawares we fulfill the scriptural injunction: " Take no thought for the morrow." History is commonly defined to be a record of past events, but shall we wait till the events must be recalled by defective memories before we record them? Th. n w ' get no perfect history, for no mem- ory is infallible, and often he who thinks him- self most sure is least to be relied upon. In recording the annals of even so small a place as a single township, absolute justice can not be given, as many events of importance, to- gether with the actors who participated there- in have been forgotten through the lapse of time. The division of Crawford County, which forms the subject of this chapter, origi- nally embraced the present townships of Martin and Southwest, and included in all fifty-six square miles of territory, with the following boundaries: Oblong Township on the north, Robinson on the east, Lawrence and Richland counties on the south, and Jasper County on the west.

A few years after township organization (1869), that portion lying south of the Em- barras was formed into a distinct division with the river for its northern boundary, and

named Southwest Township. The formation of Southwest was brought about by petition signed by the citizens of that part of the country, and chief among the several reasons urged in favor of the division was the diffi- culty experienced in reaching the voting place on account of high water during cer- tain seasons of the year. The history of the tw , townships, however, is identical, and in the pages which follow we speak of them both as one division. The township is well watered and drained by the Embarras river. Big Creek, Dogwood Branch, Honey Creek and their affluents which traverse the country in various directions. Embarras river, the principal stream of importance, flows between the two townships, crossing the western boundary in section 4, and passing a north easterly direction about four miles, and unites with Big Creek in section 8. From this point the channel deflects to the southwest, leaving the township from section 24 about one mile north of the southern boundary. The stream flows through a well wooded but somewhat flat country, and affords the principal drain- age for the western and southern portions of the county. Big Creek, the second stream in size, flows a southerly direction, through the central part of the township, and passes in its course through sections 21, 22, 29 and 3% of town 6, and section 5 of town 5. Dog- wood Branch is the largest tributary, which it receives in section 29, in the northern part of the township. Honey Creek flows through

* By G. N. Berry.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

a somewhat broken portion of country, lying in the eastern part of the township, and empties into the Embarras in section 13. The general surface of the township is what might be termed level with undulations of an irregular character in the southeastern part and along the streams enumerated. About three fourths of the area is woodland, the forest growth consisting principally of the different varieties of oak, hickory, ash, maple, with walnut, elm and sycamore skirting the creeks. When first settled the woods were almost entirely devoid of undergrowth, ow- ing to the prevalence of forest and prairie fires, which swept over the country in fall of each year. With the improvement of the land these fires ceased, and in woods which have not been disturbed a rank growth of "underbush " has sprung up, principally spice, pawpaw, grapevine, dogwood and many other varieties. The northeast corner of the township is occupied by an arm of the Grand Prairie, which embraces an area equivalent to about eight sections. The prairie presents a very level surface and af- fords many inducements to the stock-raiser, as the greater portion of it is much better adapted to pasturage than to general farming. The south end of Oblong Prairie extends into the northwest part of the township, while a strip of prairie land about five miles long and one mile wide extends along the southern boundary. The soil of the land lying remote from the water courses is a gray clay-loam mixed with gravel, while the low ground ad- jacent to the creeks possesses a deep black, mucky soil, rich in decayed vagetable matter and very fertile. Corn and wheat are the staple productions of the wooded portions of the country, while corn and grass are the leading crops raised on the prairies. Taken as a whole the township is not so well adapted to agriculture as the northern and eastern divisions of the county, but as a fruit

growing country it stands second to no other township.

The early settlement of Martin Township, like all portions of the county, is somewhat obscured, and we are left in a great measure to conjecture. It is thought, however, that one Daniel Martin was the first to make improve- ments, and it is certain that he made the first entry of land as early as the year 1830. He was a native of the State of Georgia, and left his childhood home some years prior to the dawn of the present century, and set- tled in Kentucky. He married in the latter State and emigrated to Illinois about the year 1810, settling, with a number of others who accompanied him near the present site of Palestine. His journey to the new country was replete with many incidents, some of them of a decidedly unpleasant nature, for at that time the country was full of Indians, many of whom were inclined to be trouble- some. Martin packed his few household goods on one horse and his family on another and thus the trip through the wilderness was made in safety, though they were surrounded at different times by hostile redskins, and it was only through Martin's firmness that the lives of the little company were spared to reach their destination. Upon his arrival at Palestine, Martin found himself in possession of sufficient means to purchase thirty acres of land on which a previous set- tler had made a few rude improvements. During the Indian troubles he figured as a brave fighter and participated in many bloody hand-to-hand combats with the savages, whom he hated with all the intensity of his strong rugged nature. Being a great hunter, he passed much of his time in the woods, and in one of his hunting tours he chanced to pass through the central part of this township, and being pleased with the appearance of the country he decided to make a location here and secure a home. He was induced to take

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this step from two considerations: ( ne for the purpose of securing more land than he at that time possessed, and the other being his desire to rid himself of society, for the usages and conventionalities of which he had the mo-t profound contempt. He sold his little farın to Joshua Crews in the year 1830, and from the proceeds was enabled to enter eighty acres of government land, which he did soon after, selecting for his home the east half of the southeast quarter of section 34, in town 6 north, range 13 west. He immediately be- gan improving his land by erecting thereon a good log cabin twenty by eighteen feet, to which he moved his large family as soon as the building was raised and roofed. Mar- tin did but little work on the farm, leaving that labor to be performed by his daughters, of whom there were several buxom lasses who inherited their father's powerful physical strength in a marked degree. They opened the farm, did almost all the plowing, chopped wood and looked after the interests of the place in general, while the father's rifle kept the family well supplied with fresh meat. Upon one occasion while out hunting, he had a narrow escape from being shot, under the following circumstances: He and a com- panion, who was getting old and had defect- ive eyesight, started out one morning in quest of deer, Martin riding his favorite steed, "Old Ball." A fine buck was soon started to which the hunters gave chase. Mar- tin, who was an expert shot, directed his com- rade to circle round a certain piece of woods for the purpose of dislodging the deer, while he would remain stationary and drop it as it went by. The hunter followed the directions as well as he could, but being misled by his near- sightedness, soon got back near the spot where Martin was stationed. Seeing, as he supposed, the deer among the branches, and thinking to surprise Martin, he " drew bead " and fired. The surprise was complete both

to Martin and himself, for no sooner was the gun discharged than Martin's voice broke the stillness in the following terse exclamation: "There, by the gods, poor Ball's gone." The horse had been shot dead. Martin lived on his place about thirty-three years, and died in 1863 at the age of seventy-six years. Two daughters, Mrs. Shipman and Mrs. Thomas, are living in the township at the present time. The old homestead is owned and occupied by Esau Har- din. The next actual settler of whom we have any knowledge was Abel Pryor, who located near the village of Hardinsville in the year 1831. He was born in Kentucky and moved from that State to Illinois in an early day and settled near the Palestine fort. Here he became acquainted with a daughter of John Martin, between whom and himself a mutual attachment sprang up which soon terminated in matrimony. After his marriage Pryor moved to Coles County, where he lived about three years, when, becoming dissatis- fied with the country, he came to this town- ship and entered land in section 26, at the date mentioned. He possessed many of the characteristics of the successful business man, to which were added an almost inordi- nate love of out-door sports, especially hunt- ing, which continued to be his favorite amusement as long as he lived. He became the possessor of several tracts of valuable land, and raised a large family, consisting of sixteen children, a number of whom still reside in the township. Pryor died in the year 1875. A man by name of Huffman set- tled in the eastern part of the township about the same time that Pryor came to the country, but of him nothing is known save that he mad a few improvements on land which was entered by Absalom Higgins two years later. William Wilkinson settled near what is known as the Dark Bend on the Embarras River, in 1831, where he cleared a small farm. A short time

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

after his arrival he married a daughter of Daniel Martin, which is sa d to have been the first wedding that occurred in the township. He afterward entered land on the lower end of Oblong Prairie, where he resided until his death, which occurred about the year 1863.

Among other pioneers who secured homes in the township in 1831 was William Ship- man, who located near the site of Hardinsville village. Shipman was a native of Indiana and a man of considerable prominence in the community, having been noted for his indus- try and business tact. He entered land in section 34 a few years later and was one of the principal movers in the laying out of Har- dinsville. His marriage with Virginia, daugh- ter of Daniel Martin, about three years after his arrival, was the second event of the kind that transpired in the township. In the year 1832 the following persons and their families were added to the township's population: Hezekiah Martin, Zachariah Thomas and Absa- lom Higgins. The first-named was a nephew of Daniel Martin. He was a native of Kentucky and came with his unele to Illinois, and lived until the year 1832 on a small farm near Pal- estine. The farm which he improved in this township lies in section 34, near Hardinsville. He lived here about five years, when he traded his place to Ephraim Kiger for a mill on Brushy Run in Honey Creek Township, to which he moved in the year 1838. Higgins, to whom reference has already been made, settled in the eastern part of the township on land which had been improved by Huffman, whom he bought out. He immigrated to this State from Ken- tucky, and was, like many of the early settlers of the county, a pioneer hunter of the most pronounced type. He kept a large number of dogs, with which he hunted wolves, and was instrumental, in a great measure, in ridding the county of these pests. On one occasion, while out hunting, his dogs brought a large panther to bay, but were afraid to attack it.

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History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois, Part 24

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