History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois, Part 43

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 43
USA > Illinois > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois > Part 43

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).

Game was an important feature in frontier life and in this community was for years one of the chief sources of the settlers' support. Deer, prairie chickens, and the small game that found a shelter in the timber were to be found in large numbers. Indeed, deer were shot in self-defense. Fences were no obsta- cle to them and farmers were greatly annoyed by them as late as 1845. They would go through a field, bite off the end of the grow- ing ears, and startled by some alarm would

trample and break down more than they ate, and this was of such common occurrence that farmers arranged to guard their fields at night. One night a farmer was on guard when he heard a tramping through the corn, and firing in the direction shot and killed a neighbor who was out on the same business.

In such a country there were certain to be a class who made hunting a prominent feature in their daily avocation. Among these were John Handy. He kept a number of hounds and his adventures with wolves were the boast of the settlement. William Hogue and James Parker were others who were noted for their devotion to and sueeess in hunting. Of the latter it is said, that he was especially successful as a bee-hunter. Bee trees were numerous along the river and their stores formed a favorite delicacy of the homely fare of the cabin and when properly prepared sup- plied a powerful intoxicant called Methiglin. Parker made the discovery of these trees a specialty and was one of the few who could trace these rapid winged insects successfully. On one occasion, it is said he found a tree with an unusual amount of honey stored in it. He filled the pails he carried, but there was still a large quantity which he disliked very much to leave. He wore buckskin breeches, and taking them off he tied the ends of the legs securely and went home bare-legged carrying his pails and breeches full of honey.

Leather breeches were not uncommon in York at that early day. Buckskin was the general wear of the men and moccasins much more common than shoes. The distance to any carding mill, made the wool less available though hand carding was known to some ex- tent here. Considerable flax was grown from which jeans were made and linsey- woolsey by the addition of wool. The latter formed the greater part of women's outer wear, and jeans " foxed " on the knees and seat with buckskin was the holiday clothing

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of the men. In 1818, Reuben Crow came from North Carolina and settled northwest of the village. He brought with him some cotton seed, and being familiar with its culti- vation planted some with such success as to introduce it quite extensively among the set- tlers. He afterward erected a cotton-gin on his place which was worked by horse power. So extensively was this staple grown that he worked up a considerable business, taking toll for the use of his machine. Ketchum afterward constructed a gin which worked by hand. A good deal of use was made of this cotton by the women of this settlement and largely took the place of flax; samples of the fabric made is still shown. The climate proved too variable for the crop, however, and its cultivation in this country long since ceased.

With all the earnestness of pioneer life there was probably much more time given by all classes to recreation than is devoted to-day to that purpose. Inside the cabin there was more necessity for the economical expendi- ture of time, and the women united play with much of their work. After deer skins could be dispensed with for bed covering, quiltings brought the women of the neighborhood to- gether during the day, the men joining them in the evening. Sugar-making was another occasion when work and play went hand in hand. Sometimes several families would join together and camp through the season where the largest number of best sugar maples could be found. The men tapped the trees and gathered the sap while the women cared for the kettles and camp. There was always time in the evening for a gathering of the young folks and a merry dance. Dancing was the great in-door amusement of the com- munity, and a walk of several miles after a hard day's work only added zest to the enter- tainment. Wm. Buck, Whalley and Larvill were noted knights of the bow and were in

constant demand for miles around. Neces- sity was the mother of invention with them, and to save their moccasins and shoes, both sexes danced barefooted, not, however, with- out some minor casualties. The floors were rough and not devoid of splinters, and a spirited romp was not infrequently inter- rupted to give time for the removal of a troublesome splinter. Out-door sports were such as are common to pioneer settlements, but here was added to the usual hunting, shooting and athletic matches, a passion for horse-racing and gambiing. The latter was undoubtedly encouraged by the river traffic which brought many in contact with this vice which prevailed to such an alarming extent upon the Mississippi River and in the towns along its banks. It was thus transferred to York, and practiced to a very serious extent. Horse racing and horse trading also took on the more vicious type here. The Richardsons were noted as horsemen but had the reputa- tion of being too honest to make money out of the business, but there were others, not a few, that were more successful if not less honest. The outcome here, as well as else- where, was an unpleasant number of brawl- which too often ended in homicide or murders ous assaults. As a natural concomitant the use of whisky was unrestrained. This free use of liquor was not peculiar to this locality but at this period the whole nation used it as a common beverage. The natural habit was here further stimulated by a peculiar com- bination of circumstances. Corn was sold fu. eight cents per bushel and must be delivered at one of the river towns to get that. It was of no avail at the stores in exchange for goods and was almost a drug in the market. Whisky, on the contrary, was always avail- able, either at the stores in barter or for shipment down the river, and this at eighteen to thirty cents per gallon, was a better in- vestment than the corn. This stimulated the

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construction of stills in various parts of the country, one of the carliest being erected at York Village. The consequence was that large quantities of this liquor were manufact- ured. Farmers carried their corn to the still and brought back their whisky, as farmers of to-day get cider, and where every one had it a large amount was drank. The conserva- tive force in the society of York seems, through this lapse of years, to have been in- adequate to curb or correct the evil, and when, in most communities, the people were becoming aware of the nature of this evil and shaking it off, the settlement of York, had hardly reached its climax. All elements of society united in the practice, and the history of many of the early influential men is clouded to its close by unfortunate dissipation.

The Wabash River proved, in this respect, as in many others, an important factor in forming the character of this settlement. It required at that time no particular acquaint- ance with nautical. science to navigate its waters, and many citizens of the settlement traded more or less on the river. The lower river men were often found here in the prose- cution of their business, and this repeated contact seems to have been especially effect- ive in its evil influence upon the plastic com- munity. The influence of the river was scarcely less marked in the advantages it brought. It offered an untrammeled com- munication with a profitable market, and the enterprising men of the early settlement were not slow to take advantage of it. The coun- try produced an abundance of corn, pork, whisky, hay and hoop-poles, all of which were in good demand in New Orleans, and a way was soon devised to convey these commodi- ties to market. A rude flat-boat of varying dimensions was made, supplied with the usual steering apparatus and shelter for the crew and cargo. It was then freighted with hay, or poles, or a variety of the country's products,

and cast off in the stream with a force of three to six men to manage it. Before the date of steamboats the main object was to avoid ob- structions in the river and to float in the strongest current to the journey's end. On reaching the Ohio it was a common thing to lash several smaller boats together, which gave a greater momentum and a quicker voy- age. Arrived at New Orleans and the cargo disposed of, the timber of the boats was sold and the boatmen made their way home as they felt disposed. Thomas Handy, on one occasion, after he was sixty years old, walked back, and this was not an uncommon occur- rence at the inception of the business. Oth- ers bought a horse and rode home, and both methods were in vogue until the steamboat offered a more satisfactory mode than either. The adventures of these river men, if all told, would fill a volume. Assailed by roughs, gamblers and footpads, the return trip was by far the more difficult one to make, and many a wreck is reported where the whole proceeds of a cargo would be expended upon the gilded vices of the southern city. But the more experienced traders, among whom are remembered John F. Richardson, Ambrose Pcase, John Hollenbeck, and Isaac Moore, found means to avoid these dangers, and to make the business a source of profit.

Until 1829 there were no regularly estab- lished roads through the township. Its official relations attracted travel to the southward, Palestine then being the county seat. Busi- ness activity found its outlet by the river, and the York settlement was practically isolated from the interior. Clark County was formed in 1819, and the new seat of justice established on the river, so that the irregular trails sufficed general purposes until the growth of settle- ments to the north and west demanded some- thing better. With the establishment of the National Road and the subsequent line of stages, a more expeditious and direct line of

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

travel was inaugurated, and York began to find itself cut off from the principal thoroughfare. The " middle lane road " was first established, running north and south, west of the Vincennes and Chicago State road, and was extensively traveled. In the following year the State road was laid out, and through the exertion of J. C. Hillebert, who was inter- ested in property near the site of Auburn, another road was laid out by the county from York Village to the former point. The latter village began to attract some attention as a business point about this time. In 1825 the town had been platted by Chester Fitch as attorney for John F. Richardson, though prob- ably the real owner himself. As laid out, York comprised thirteen blocks of eight lots each, located on the west fraction of section 4, town 8 north, range 11 west. The base line was run parallel with the river, which at this point runs a southwest course. A broad street was laid out on the bank of the river, called Water, and parallel with this, in regu- lar order, followed Union, Market and Cherry. At right angles to Water street, Broadway, 99 feet wide, extended through the middle of the plat, while south and parallel with it ran Green and Fish streets, and north of it Mechanic and Liberty streets. The town had been irregularly laid out before this, suffi- cient to accommodate the business that began very early to center here, but in just what manner is not definitely remembered.

The first structure erected on the site of this village, was a log house erected in 1815, by Israel Harris. The cabin occupied a prominent point close to the river brink, near the end of Broadway, but the bank has since been so washed away, that only the well re- mains to identify the spot. On Richardson's coming in the following year, the cabin, which had not been occupied, was purchased and occupied by them, with the Fitch family until cabins could be erected elsewhere. Joseph

Richardson and his family, including John B., his son, retained the Harris cabin; John Rich- ardson built another near by and Fitch took up his abode on his land west of the village. The latter Richardson was a man of marked ability, and had served in the New York Leg- islature. He was an ardent Federalist and very severe in his strictures upon Aaron Burr, with whom he had on one occasion in the Leg- islature, a vigorous debate. Hisson, John F., early engaged in the river trade and was one of the most active in it.

In 1817, Elisha Crocker came with his sister from New York, and built a log cabin on Water street, near where the remains of the old warehouse now stands. IIere he opened up a little stock of goods, but four years later went to New Orleans. He was succeeded by James C. Hillebert, who left his farm and forge and engaged in mercantile pursuits. About 1820, French & Wise began business in York, kept a general stock, man- ufactured saddlery and harness, and bought grain for shipment down the river. They continued only about two years when they closed out. In the year following the begin- ning of their business, Benjamin Olney opened up a small stock but closed out in 1823. Succeeding them, John B. Richardson began business in a log building on the river bank in the upper part of town where he con- tinued for a long time. In 1829, a man by the name of Snyder put up a frame building nearly opposite Hillebert's store for the pur- pose of engaging in trade, but sold it to Hill- ebert before he purchased a stock of goods. The building stood on the bank of the river with a stone store room below. On purchas- ing it, Hillebert moved his goods into it, and built a frame extension out to the river's brink. This was the main warehouse in the village, and a place of considerable business until the building of the railroad robbed the town of its early importance. The extension

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

has disappeared, though the original structure, preserved by its solid foundation, still re- mains. For years the steamboats discharged the most of their freight for the village here, and took ou a large share of the grain ex- ported from this point.

In 1830, James McGath erected a brick building on Broadway near Water street, and opened a store in it. He came to York in 1821, from Virginia, but subsequently tried business in the village. Two years later he was succeeded by Woodford Dula- ney, who continued business here until 1839, when he removed his stock to Marshall. The building still stands, the second briek build- ing erected in the village. The first brick was erected on the river bank just below Hillebert's warehouse in 1829. This was ereeted for a pork packing establishment, but after serving this purpose for two seasons the business was abandoned, and Eli Curtis opened it as a hotel and entertained the pub- lie in it for some twenty years. In its time it was considered one of the finest edi- fices on the river. The first building which served as an inn, was a log cabin on Broad- way, built by Elisha Fitch. He did not pre- tend to keep hotel, but just allowed people to " stop over night and get a bite." The wife of Ambrose Pease being left a widow soon after coming to York, opened hotel in a little log house that stood on the river bank at the north end of the site subsequently occupied by the pork house. She conducted the busi- ness for five years, acting as landlady, cook and chambermaid. At one time she boarded twelve men and did the cooking entirely at an old-fashioned fire-place, receiving one dol- lar and a quarter apiece per week. A third hotel was kept in a hewed log house near the central part of the village by Amos Murphy.

The manufacture of whisky was an important industry all over the country. At the time of

which these pages are written, the river trade in which corn in the form of whisky could be more profitably handled, led to the early establishment of stills John B. Rich- ardson established the first one, erecting for it a substantial brick building north of the vil- lage, near the present steam mill. A large business was built up here, and large quanti- ties of the liquor were shipped down the river. The business was continued some fifteen years, when the building was destroyed by fire and not rebuilt. About 1833 a log building was erected near the south end of town, and a distilling apparatus put in it by a man by the name of Warner, It had a ca- pacity of about three barrels per day and was carried on about six years and abandoned. The building was subsequently burned down. Another distillery was established about 1810, in a log building in the southwest part of town, by John Fitch. It was run about six years and then abandoned, the old eabin rattling down at last.

Among the early mechanics of York is mentioned the name of Martin Sparks, who eame here with Parker and Ketehum. He first settle I on Grand Prairie and afterward moved to the village where he followed his trade of carpenter. John Salmon was an- other tradesman; came from Kentucky in 1818, did a cooper business, making pails, tubs, etc. Thomas Rod and Samuel Doughty were early blacksmiths. The only professional men were doctors. The season of 1818 was espe- cially noted for the siekness that generally prevailed in the settlement. At times there were not enough well persons to attend upon the sick. An extensive overflow had left con- siderable debris to decay in the summer sun, giving rise to miasmatic poisons, that pros- trated the whole community. This was of almost annual occurrence, though its effect was not always so disastrous. It was the practice, however, to prepare for an attack o

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

malaria, as it was known at such times, that it was idle to expect aid from neighbors. Among the physicians who lived in York, Dr. Tutt was perhaps the earliest. He was a native of Kentucky and practiced here for some fifteen years, when he removed to Mar- shall. Dr. Seaborn also practiced here for three or four years, when he, too, succumbed to the prevalent disease and died. Dr. Ogles- by, who was something of a preacher as well as physician, came here from Indiana and practiced a few years, and is said to have re- ceived as fee from one man for one year's services, 6,000 bushels of corn, two yoke of oxen and a fine horse.

In the meanwhile the village had been in- creasing in the number of its inhabitants and area. Before the erection of Clark County it had been a strong rival with Palestine for the honor of the county seat, and through the numerical superiority of its friends and actu- ated by its jealous fears, the latter town se- cured a boundary line which would include York in the new county. This did not check the prosperity of the latter place. Its busi- ness increased rapidly and its reputation spread abroad so that it was considered a good point to make in the description of Marshall, in 1835, to state its nearness to York. The growth of Darwin, however, brought a new rival in the field, and at the date men- tioned, was rather bearing away the laurels. The completion of the railroad in 1870, how- ever, added the crowning disaster to the :own's waning fortune. It is now a pleasant- ly situated village of some 250 inhabitants, standing on a moderately elevated plateau, on the outside of a curve in the river. The channel of the Wabash near the village is decp, and runs near the shore, affording ex- cellent opportunities for loading and unload- ing boats. The old business houses have many of them passed away, and not being re- placed, the business has shrunk within its

modern limits without leaving vacant build- ings to mar the appearance of the village or to tell the story of its decline.

In the early time there was not that divis- ion of labor that is found so effective in later days. The demand for labor in all the avenues of human activity was considerably in excess of the supply of laborers, and all the capabil- ities of men and women found ample exer- cise. It thus happened that the doctor was often the preacher as well, and the preacher sometimes did not scrupłe to excel as a hun- ter and trader, and in one case at least, showed his mechanical skill in counterfeiting. The latter combination of gifts was said to exist in John Parker, who came here from Kentucky in 1818. He at first squatted on Mill Creek, where he afterward purchased land. He subsequently built a mill as noted above, and was noted as a successful hunter. Ilis preaching was somewhat hindered in its effect by the general belief that it was but using the "livery of the Lord to serve the devil." His sons, Joseph, James and Benja- min all followed in the same path, preaching, hunting and counterfeiting. The whole fa n- ily afterward went to Texas, where it is said they met a violent death at the hands of the Indians. The community happily was not compelled to depend upon such broken reeds. The needs of the hour raised up men who preached the gospel without money and with- out price until the people became able to do their part in sustaining religious worship. James McCord was an early self-constituted missionary. He was an earnest but illiterate man, possessed a rude fluency of language, was a ready singer and gained considerable influence along the line of the Wabash River. He was one of that class of preachers, popu- larly known as " Bible pounders," but seemed especially adapted to the time and place. He successfully carried on several extensive re- vivals, and on one occasion in York was en-

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couraged by the conversion of some twenty or thirty persons. On being congratulated up- on his large draught of fishes, he replied in his characteristic way, "Yes, we caught a great many fish if they don't all turn out tad-poles." Lorenzo Dow, the celebrated Methodist preacher of New York, held a large meeting near Hollenbeck's mill at an early day, and Richard Newport, an early evangelist of the old school Baptist church preached here.

The outgrowth of these efforts, but more especially of McCord's, was the organization of a Methodist class at the MeGath school- house, among the early members of which were the Pritchards, McGath, and Woods families. This organization maintained a precarious existence until 1837, when the York Protestant Methodist Church was found- ed and the two organizations united. The original members, thirteen in number, were Charlotte Hillebert, Susan Moore, Amy Baker, Harriet Dolson, Jackson Barker, Lewis Mc- Ciure, Elizabeth McClure, Mr. and Mrs. James McCabe, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Earle, and Mr. and Mrs. Erastus Collins. This church was organized at the York school-house by the Revs. McCabe and Witherspoon, who served it some time as preachers. Two years later conference held its first session at York, and attached the church here to the Mill Creek circuit. After holding services in the school- house for some three years, the church bought ground of J. F. Richardson, and two years later erected a frame building at a cost of about one thousand dollars. This place of worship, with occasional repairs, has continued to serve the church until the present. There are fifteen members at present, but the condition of the organization is not the most prosperous. Services are held at irregular intervals, there being no regular supply. Among the names of former pastors are those of Revs. Doyle, Witherspoon, Richard Wright, Crawford,

Green, Hamilton, and Burkett, the latter serving in 1881.

Rock Hill Methodist Episcopal Church was organized about 1868, by Rev. Mr. May, at the Union school-house. It began with about twenty-four members, and a place of worship was erected at once on ground donated by Jonathan Hogue at a cost of $1,200. The church still maintains regular services, though the membership is much reduced.

The York Presbyterian Church was, per- haps, the first religious organization in the township. This society was founded about 1825 by Rev. Samuel Scott, a missionary of this denomination, whose field of labor ex- tended along the course of the Wabash River. He served without pay, supporting himself by the cultivation of a farm he owned near Vin- cennes, and carrying a supply of food with him on his trips, in a pair of capacious saddle-bags. The church at York was organized in the school-house with but few members, and was served for some years by Mr. Scott. The church subsequently erected a frame building, which was burned about 1862. Three years later the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions gave the church generous assistance to build another. This is a frame building, 40 by 00 feet, and cost about $1,200. The church subsequently died out, but in 1869 was reor- ganized by Rev. Thomas Spencer, and has since maintained regular services until 1882. There are about thirty members at present.

An Old School Baptist organization existed here for a few years, about 1835, holding services in the village school-house. Elder Canady served as pastor and leader, but the organization failed to mature, and has been out of existence some twenty-five years.

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History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois, Part 43

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