History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois, Part 38

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 38
USA > Illinois > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois > Part 38

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).

301

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

The early settlement of Marshall village was of a peculiar character, and is not easily traced after the lapse of upward of fifty years. Its only attraction was the fact that it had been fixed upon as the county seat, and many, whose business made it advisable to remove here, did so with grim forebodings of finding it a hard place in which to live. At the first sale of lots, in 1835, a consider- able number were disposed of at prices rang- ing from ten to one hundred dollars; but many of these were bought to await the issue of the venture, and did not represent any immediate growth of the village. When the final choice was made, a new element entered into the question and brought a number of families of considerable property, which greatly aided in advancing the interests of the village. During the year or more which preceded this decision, however, Col. Archer, who retained his home in Darwin, spent much of his time about the new village, and turned every favorable circumstance to its advantage. At that time the national road was the principal line of travel to the West, and scarcely a day passed that did not find some family journeying in the characteristic wagon, in search of a home in the new coun- try. A large part of this class of travelers were moving in an aimless way, with no defi- nite destination in mind. Where the locality suited their fancy they were prepared to halt and build a home, and there was nothing in the character or custom of the country which rendered this an unsuccessful method. Col. Archer was on the alert for such emigrants, and some of the earliest and valuable citizens of Marshall were of this class. Among the first of these itinerants to come under Col. Archer's persuasive influence was Thomas Henderson. He was on his way with his fam- ily to the West, and being a carpenter by trade, he was lured by the prospect of em- ployment in the new town to stop here.

James Pounds was another mechanic that came here early. He was a brick-layer and came as early as 1837, finding plenty of work on the new buildings which were rapidly con- structed during the first years of the new town.

Thomas B. Wilson, who is not to be con- founded with another early settler of a sim- i'ar name, came here as early as 1836. Ile too was on his way west with his family, in company with his son-in-law, Paul Dennis. They were induced to settle here, Dennis put- ting up a cabin just north of the site of the new jail building, and his father-in-law creet- ing a shed building on the present site of the jail. The latter building was constructed of poles covered with clapboards and with a flat roof, with just inclination enough in one di- rection to carry off the rainfall, the inside being innocent of lath and plaster. Wilson was a stone mason and plasterer, a native of New York, and a man of good intelligence. He built a stone wall around the square on which the St. James hotel is situated, for Col. Archer, the remains of which still stand to attest his workmanship. Other carly mechanics who came in through Col. Ar- cher's influence, were James Matthews, Wil- lard Center, carpenters, and Linda Pattersen, a blacksmith. The latter was probably the first of his trade here, and a son born to him here is said to be the first birth in the town- ship. Eiza Neal was the first wagon maker, and came here from Bruceville, Ind., in 1832. His residence was on the site of his widow's present residence on Hamilton street, his shop occupying the site of the stable just east of his house and near the line of the railroad. A Mr. Woodward was also an early settler who had his residence on Franklin street just north of Whitlock's brick building. He was a man of the most pronounced Yankee type and early turned his attention to general teaming. His team is described as a pair of

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

under-fed and under-sized horses of the most dejected appearance, but with these disad- vantages able to do good service, and Wood- ward and his team were long counted one of the regular institutions of the new town. The proprietor of the town early caused several small cabins to be erected in different parts of the village, which served to afford a home to such useful members of society as were not able to buy a lot or put up a cabin, and many of these early mechanics moved into them, eventually buying them or build- ing elsewhere. With the removal of the court and county offices to Marshall, a num- ber of well-to-do citizens from other parts of the county came to town. Among these were Steven Archer, a brother of the proprietor, who settled just sonth of the village on what is now known as the Park farm; Woodford Dulaney who built the house now occupied by T. F. Day near the public school building; Uri Manley, who was then circuit clerk and probate justice of the peace; Darius Phillip, county clerk, and Justin Harlan, circuit judge, though he did not come until Decem- ber of 1839.

Business was not more backward in coming to the new center of activity. One of the earliest places of business was opened in 1836, on the northeast corner of Cumberland and Franklin streets, by Jack Hadden. This man had been working on the road, and con- cluding that the founding of the village was a propitious opening for a business venture, put in a little stock of whisky and tobacco. This enterprise preceded the coming of Whit- lock's store, but did not last long. Early in the same year James Waters, a merchant in. Darwin, sent his clerk, Western Chinneworth with a stock of goods and occupied the build- ing which Hadden had used. A little later in the year James Anderson, a brother-in-law of Waters, purchased the stock and moved to Marshall, building a little frame residence in

the northeast part of the town. Anderson was a native of Ireland, and when four years of age was brought to New York. In 1820 he came to Darwin and married a daughter of MeClure, an early settler of that place. He carried on the store in Marshall for several years when he sold out to MeKay and Eld- ridge, and went to Anderson township to en- gage in milling. About 1838, Col. Archer started a store in a story and a half frame building on the southwest corner of these streets. His brother Steven attended to the business for a time, but it was soon disposed of toa man by the name of Scott, who in turn sold to Rowley and Davidson. Jonathan Greenough early became identified with the business of the new community. He was a lieutenant in the army and was assigned to duty on the National Road as assistant pay- master. He acted in this capacity for a year or more, when he was ordered to take charge of the post of St. Peters in the northwest. He had served at this post and had found the severity of the weather a serious tax upon his health, and after remonstrances proved unavailing he sent in his resignation. He married a daughter of Mr. Whitlock, and en- gaged in business with his father-in-law. He subsequently became sole proprietor and af- terward formed a copartnership with Beebe Booth, of Terre Haute. The Coles family were early residents of Marshall. Harry Cole lived on the Cumberland road about a mile east of the village as early as 1836, and he, with his brothers, David, Edwin and Jerome, who first settled at Livingstone came to Marshall soon after its beginning. They were among the early carpenters, David, however, starting up the first saloon in a little frame building, scarcely larger than eight by ten feet in size, located on the southeast cor- ner of Cumberland and Hamilton streets. John B. King was a tailor and settled in M: rs'all in 1836 or 1837. He built a house on

303 1

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

the north side of Cumberland street, west of the public square. He had a little money and con- siderable enterprise, and built several houses in that vicinity, which he disposed of one after another to the new settlers as they came in. He finally moved his shop into a little frame built by Manly on the site of B shop's gro- cery on the south side of the square. Here le established a flourishing business, for though the citizens were satisfied to wear home-made clothes during the week, the most of them soon aspired to fine suits for Sunday and gala occasions.

Among the professional men who came here early was Uri Manly. His duties about the court made it necessary for him to live at the county seat, and he came to Marshall in 1837. He purchased lots on the south side of the square, and, beside the building used by King, he erected another frame, just west of that, in which the second term of court was held, and a brick residence on the southeast . corner of Clinton and Market streets. He was afterward appointed post- master, opening the first office in the village in his residence, but afterward transferring it to the frame building used by the court, where he added a small stock of goods, in partnership with Thos. Henderson. The first physician here was, probably, Dr. Alli- son, who put up a small frame where Foster's shoe store now stands, on the north side of the square. Another early doctor was William Tutt. He came from Virginia to York, where he married and practiced until about 1838, when he came to Marshall. Dr. Poole came a few years later, and bought the frame of a building which stood on the northeast corner of Clinton and Cumberland streets. The origin of this building, which was stand- ing in a shattered condition in 1838, has been forgotten, but it was eventually repaired and completed into a residence by Dr. Poole, and subsequently occupied by him.

Of the industries to which the necessities of the situation in a new country give rise, milling played a prominent part in Marshall Township. Big Creek had several mills on its banks, but the elbow which touches the northeast corner of this township was espe- cially adapted to this purpose. A combined saw and grist mill was erected on the stream near the line of Douglas Township, by Bur- well, Sharpe and Blaize, about 1830. The buhrs were made of "nigger-head " stones that were found in the creek. Before the mill was completed, however, a difficulty arose between Blaize and Sharpe, which re- sulted in the latter being shot and killed. Blaize at once fled the country, followed soon after by the friends of Sharpe, intent upon inflicting dire vengeance upon him. Though very often close upon his trail, the pursuers, after a vain effort of some six months, gave up the chase somewhere in the wilds of Arkansas. Blaize never returned to this re- gion but once afterward, and then soon found it expedient to leave. After this sad affair Burwell ran the mill for some time, when he sold it to Nance, after whose death it was rented. Subsequently, David Coles, marry- ing Nance's daughter, finally came into pos- session of the mill, but more modern and better located mills came in, and this one, with all the early mills passed away. An- other mill of this character was put up near where the railroad crosses Big Creek, by En- glish and Hickman. This was a frame struct- ure, and had buhrs made of raccoon stone, quarried near Dayton, Ohio, from whence they were transported by an ox team. This was built in 1832, and was an improvement on others, but it soon gave way to those of modern construction. Soon after this, about 1839, Philip B. Smith put up a corn-cracker on the southeast corner of Bond and Market streets. It was a very rude affair, and was propelled by tread power. A broad, solid

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

wheel was so placed upon a perpendicular axle, as to ineline slightly, and upon this sur- face, furnished with cleats, horses or oxen tramped and gave motion to the machinery, which was geared to the axle. But the miller only supplied the mill, and many who had no team were forced to send their wheat and corn twenty-five miles away to get flour and meal; and this was, for those who could afford the time and trouble, much the better way, as the product was of a far superior quality. In 1839, Frederick Craiglow started a tannery in the west part of town, on the Cumberland road. It was never a large business nor a complete success, though the proprietor strug- gled on with it for some four years. At the end of that time he closed out the business and went to St. Louis.

With all this growth and activity, which as- sumnes larger proportions in the recital than in the actual experience, the community which gathered in this township was essentially on the frontier at the time of which the forego- ing pages are written. While not so com- pletely isolated as the early settlements of Darwin and York, or the earlier settlements in this State, the people experienced many of the hardships and discomforts incident to fron- tier settlements. For the first year or two the nearest post-office was at Livingstone, and supplies were secured at Terre Haute or the stores at the older towns on the east side of the county. Mills were early built near by, but from lack of power or adequate machin- ery most of the flour and meal was obtained only by going long distances and enduring tedious delays. Outside the town, in the farming district, the settlement was of słow growth, the village seeming to absorb the greater part of the floating population. Here and there the smoke curled upward in the air from the scattered log cabins, and the busy pioneer protracted the day long into the night in clearing up his farm.

Deer were shot in large numbers, while wolves, panthers, " Congress hogs," an occa- sional bear, and the whole class of small game that is found in this section, afforded wholesome meals or rare hunting sport. The distance from any market was long felt among the farming community, and did much to re- tard its growth and early prosperity.

The original settlers were principally na- tives of the Southern States and brought with them many social characteristics peculiar to that section. Saturday afternoons was a gen- eral holiday in the country, on which the farmers repaired to the village. There was then a series of amusements which included impromptu horse races, wrestling and jumping matches, quoit-pitching, and fighting. But comparatively few in the community had scruples against the use of whisky, and strong potations tended to mike the fun fast and furious. A number of saloons sprang up in the new town and throve under the gener- ous patronage which, reacting upon the com- munity, gave the village an unenviable repu- tation. "Free and easys" were a peculiar type of amusement which obtained a certain popularity here. The plan was for a party of men or boys to get up a supper consisting of chicken, whisky, bread, etc. These sup- plies were secured by the " free and easy " appropriation of the materials for the supper in the absence of the owner, and cooked and eaten in the woods or at some private resi- dence. The ladies of the community in- dulged in the usual quilting and spinning bees, with the "gentlemen in attendance after tea." The polite society of Marshall en- couraged and supported a dancing school over which Captain Tift presided and for which Whaley furnished the music. Tift was a popular teacher of the Terpsichorean art and had successful schools in various parts of the country around, and finally died " with his harness on," in a ball-room.

CHAPTER LY .*

THE CITY OF MARSHALL-THE PLAT AND SUBSEQUENT ADDITIONS-OFFICIAL ORGAN- IZATION AND PROGRESS-INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS-BUSINESS GROWTH- NEWSPAPERS-SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES-SECRET AND BENEV- OLENT ORDERS, ETC., ETC.

N September 22, 1835, Colonel W. B. Ar-

cher issued a circular announcing the laying out of "The Town of Marshall," and the approaching sale of lots therein. In this he says: "This is a new town laid off on the National Road, where the Vincennes and Chicago State Road crosses the former on Section 13, Township 11 north, Range 12 west, in Clark County, and is situated fifty-five miles north of Vincennes, sixteen miles from York and ten miles from Darwin; south of Paris fifteen miles, and fifty miles from Dan- ville, sixteen miles west of Terre Haute.

" It is decidedly the handsomest site for a town between Terre Haute and Vandalia, sur- rounded by good second rate land, a sufficient amount of timber, and the best of stone for building, and it may be truly said, that no point in this section of country has proven more healthy. The confirmed opinion of those on the National Road is that this selec- tion will be healthy.

"The north and south road has been opened by the proprietors from Big Creek to Walnut Prairie, and can be traveled with convenience and when a permanent road shall be made, it will not vary from the present line. Mills are convenient.

" The question of the removal of the seat of

justice from Darwin has been agitated, and when finally acted upon, it is not improbable that the people of the county may find it convenient and to their interest to place the permanent seat of justice for the county at the Crossroads. The land is owned by Joseph Duncan and the subscriber, and a clear title. A sale of lots will take place on the 17th of October next, and terms of payment will be easy. The most liberal encouragement will be given to mechanics and others who will improve."

In this statement the strong points are probably marked by the italic which appear in the original document, and while nothing is said of the extraordinary development of the " Craw-fish chimneys" to be found here, the salient points of the location are not un- fairly presented. The plat of the town thus referred to was filed for record in October, 1835, and was bounded and divided by the following streets, beginning on the west side: West, Clinton, Hamilton, Franklin, Washing- ton, Jefferson, Fulton, Henry and East. Be- ginning on the north side the streets follow in order: North Green, Mechanic, Cumber- land, Market and South. Michigan street, now principally occupied by the Wabash Rail- road, passes through the plat in a nearly due north direction, cutting the plat diagonally. The references attached to the record set forth:

* By J. H. Battle.

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

" Ist. The town of Marshall is situated and located on the south half of section number 13, and the north half of section number 24, in township number 11 north, of range 1? west, in Clark County, and State of Illinois. 2d. Cumberland street, through which the National Road passes, is one hundred feet wide, ten feet on each side of the National Road being added for sidewalks, and bears south fifty-eight degrees west, by the mag. netic needle, to the west line of blocks, where it bears more west as will appear by the length of the lots. Michigan street is eighty feet wide and bears north, six degrees west. All other streets in the town, including the border streets, are sixty-six feet wide. Each and every alley is twenty-five feet wide. All the streets and alleys, Michigan street ex- cepted, run parallel or at right angles with Cumberland street. 3d. Each lot where the squares are regular, is sixty-six feet front, and 122 feet in length, and when they are fractional or overrun, the size will be seen on the plat in feet marked in figures. 4th. Square number 5 is given and donated for educational purposes whereon to erect a col· lege. Lots five and six of square number fifteen, is given and donated for religious purposes whereon to erect a meeting house. Lot number one, and fractional lot number two, of square number three, are given and donated for educational purposes whereon to erect a school-house for the benefit of the citizens north of the National Road. Lots number 7 and 8, of square number 38, are given and donated for educational purposes whereon to erect a school-house for the bene- fit of citizens south of the National Road. 5th. The north half, or lots 1, 2, 3 and 4, of square number 35, is given and donated for ground or space whereon to erect a Market House."

The qualifications set forth in the circular quoted were sufficient at that time to bring

together a very respectable company of pur- chasers, and on the day appointed the sale proceeded with considerable animation, some seventy-five lots being disposed of, principally to residents of the county. No donation had been made at that time for the county public buildings, but it was generally known that block 26 would be the location fixed upon, should occasion for its use arise. In any event it would probably be a public square, and naturally form the business center of the town. The crossing of Cumberland and Michigan streets, the National and State roads, divided the choice of buyers for busi- ness sites, and about these two locations lots were considered the more valuable. Beside the lots donated as noted in the record of the plat, block 26 was reserved, together with lots 1, 2. 3, 4 and 5, in block 20; lots 7 and 8 in block 21; lots 4 and 5 in block 22; and lots 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in block 28. The reserva- tion of these lots indicates Archer's idea of where the business center of the town would be likely to form. There is no evidence of the competition which was manifested in se- curing the various lots save in the variation of prices paid for them, and this is an uncer- tain guide, as the situation and condition of the lot, considerations long since in operation, probably had a very large influence in deter- mining their value at that date. In block 21, which forms the northwest corner of Wash- ington and Cumberland streets, lot 1 was sold to Michael B. Thorn, for $12.50; lot 5, to James B. Anderson, for $71.50; and lot 6, to Stephen Archer, for $40. In block 22, just west of the preceding block, on the north side of Cum- berland street, lots 1 and 2 were sold to Robert Kirkham, for $20 each; lots 3 and 6, for $8 and $30 respectively, to Joseph Shaw; in block 23, lots 1 and 2, for $10 and $8.50, to James Waters; lot 4, to Arthur Foster, for $10.50; and lots 7 and 8, for $22 and $20, to Woodford D. Dulaney. In block 24, lot 1,

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

to the same person, lor $12; lot 4, to Isaac K .Iso, for $1 ;; lot 5, to Jacob Johnston, for $25,60; lot :, to Wm. MeKean, for $26; and 0 8, to Dulaney, for $30. In block 22, lot ) was sold to lsaac Kelso, for $12; lot 6, for 8250, to Nathaniel Washburn. The only lot sold in block 28 was lot 6, which fell to Dulaney, for $29. In block 29, lots 3 and 4 were sold respectively for $30 and $28, to James Waters; lot 5, to Kelso, for $21.50; lot 8, for 820, to William Leatherman. In block 30, lots 2 and 3 were sold for $23.50 and $22.50, to James W. Waters; lots 4 and 5, for $23.50 and $16.50, to Geo. Armstrong. In block 31, lot 1 was sold to Jacob Johnston, for $21, and lot 4, in block 32, was sold to Waters for the same price. Lots 4, 5 and 6, in block 31, were sold for $20.50, $7, and $10, respectively, to Dulaney; and in block 38, lot 3 was sold for 89, to Wm. Forsythe; and lots 4 and 5, for $10.25 and $?, to Jolm Riggs. Other purchases were located on blocks 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18 and 20, and ranged from $5, paid for lot 1, in block 18, by Milton Lake, to $18, paid by Waters, and $#1, paid by Ander- son. The largest number of lots were bought by Dulaney who paid. an aggregate of $203.50 for fifteen lots. The aggregate sales amounted to $1.154.25, and were made to about thirty individuals.

It will be observed that among the pur- chasers at this sale there were but few who came here before the removal of the county seat to this place was determined, and some who did not come even then. During the following year, and in 1837 and the early part of 1838, there was a good demand for the remaining lots and Col. Archer sold upward of one hundre 1, principally in single lot sales, to those who were on the ground to make the village their home. In the meanwhile prices had very considerably advanced, scarcely any sales being made at prices below $35, and others much higher. All the lots in block 4

were sold to different persons for $50 each; those in block 6, from $53 to $65 each. In block 13, J. K. Dubois paid $15 for lot 3; for lot ?, in block 12, Jas. Whitlock paid $90; in the same block, lot 8 sold for $100, while lot 6, in block 19, lot 5, in block 23, and lot 8, in block 25, sold for $150 each. Lot ?, in block 27, and lot S, in block 12, each sold for $200; lot 6, in block 23, soll to Benj. F. Alli- son for $275; lots 1 and 2, in block 27, sold to David Scott, of Springfield, Ohio, for $800, and lots 1, 2, 3, 4, and 3, in block 28, sold, with the improvements on them, for $1,500, to John Bartlett. A few of these prices were obtained after the final vote on the county seat question, but the first sale seemed to demon- strate the success of the town and the price of property took a permanent advance at once. In the fall of 1837, encourage l by the success of his plans Col. Archer laid out the first addition to the town and submitted it for . record on November 3, 1837. This consisted of fifty-two squares or blocks located on the four sides of the original town. On the north were two ranges of these squares, with thirteen irregular out lots extending north of these to the limits of the section lines; on the east and west sides were two ranges, and on the south a single range. The new streets thus formed on the north, running parallel with Cumber- land street, were Murray and Hudson, with Daviess on the south. On the west side, at right angles with the former, were Handy and Bond streets, and on the east side Ogden and Madison. The blocks were laid out with four lots each, 132 feet square, save blocks numbers 1, 16, 17, the squares between Me- chanic and Market streets, and those south of town between East and West streets, in which the lots are of irregular sizes. These lots were easily disposed of during the follow- ing year or two, and in July of 1839, Mr. Archer made an addition of seventeen out lots of various sizes, on the west of Handy

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History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois, Part 38

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