History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois, Part 51

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 51
USA > Illinois > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois > Part 51

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).

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IIISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

and he sold it to Rufus Neal. The latter, after operating it a few years, moved the ma- chinery to Marshall, and it is now used in a mill there.

The "Darwin Road," as it was called, lead- ing from Darwin to Paris, was the first public road laid out through the township. It was viewed out by David Wyrick, Henry Taylor and Stephen Archer, and intersected the Na- tional Road at Livingston. The Terre Haute road passed through in a southeasterly course, and was "viewed" out in 1830 by W. B. Woods, Goldberry and Dunlap. The old National Road also passed through the town- ship.

Villages .- As work progressed on the Na- tional Road a number of houses were put up along the line of the improvement thus going on. David Wyrick came from Indiana in 1829 and settled where the Darwin and Liv- ingston roads crossed. He came here in a wagon, and was five weeks on the road. He built a cabin and blacksmith shop, and worked at horseshoeing and fixing plows. He was joined, the next year, by Robert Ferguson, who was his brother-in-law, and was also from Indiana. Deeming this an eligible site, he entered the land and laid out the town of Livingston. It is located on the west half of the southwest quarter of section 9, township 11 north, range 11 west, and put the lots on the market. Among the first families who settled here, were James Twilley, Rufus Brown, Jacob Cline, Joseph Bavis, Jolin Ba- vis, Eli Bavis, James Dixon, David Bucklin and a man named Winds. Mr. Winds opened a store, and by means of a great deal of wind, soon worked up a large trade. He brought goods from Louisville and Cincinnati in wag- ons, before the iron horse had crossed the prairies of Indiana. A large part of his trade was to the hands working on the National Road, and while it was in course of construc- tion he had a big trade. Soon after work

ceased on the road he closed out his store. A second store was established, in 1833. by a man named Eversoll. He also hauled his goods from Louisville, and kept a good stock for that early period. He erected a brick building on the north side of the National Road, one and a half stories high and 20x40 feet in size. He carried on a store for thirteen years, and then sold to a man of the name of Hutchinson. In 1832 Ferguson erected the two-story frame building where Mrs. Cline now lives. He started a store in one room of it, which he operated some time and then sold out to one Murphy, who had come here from Darwin with a small stock of goods. Murphy put up a building east of Ferguson building, and sold goods for twelve or fifteen years. MeGath then bought him out and continued the business until 1851, when he wound up.

David Wyrick erected a large two story frame hotel in 1833, on the corner of Main Street. The building was put up under con- tract, by a man named Kibby, and the lumber for it was all sawed with a whip-saw, by Wiley and Levi Cline. Wyrick kept the hotel until 1845, when he sold it and moved one mile south of town. The house did a good business, and was long a favorite stop- ping place. Twilley also built a tavern, on the corner opposite Wyrick, which he kept for about twelve years. He kept a " grocery " (a saloon) in connection with his tavern, and "the boys" used to have high old times there, occasionally. Ferguson, after he sold out his store opened a tan yard in the south part of town, and kept a leather store in a room of the building on the north side of the street. He worked several men and did a large business. In 1861 he sold out to Hunt, who carried it on several years, when he died. His widow married James Blackman, and con- tinued the business until a few years ago.

Livingston became quite a business point,

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

and was the center of a large trade. Society was not as good as in some other places, and mixed up with the business of the town was a good deal of deviltry, committed by the more ungodly of the population. The town grew rapidly for a number of years, and during the ag tation at different times upon the subject of moving the county seat, Liv- ingston entered into the contest, and became a rival for capital honors. When Marshall was finally selected as the "permanent " seat of justice, Livingston began to decline in pros- perity, and year by year lost much of its wonted energy.

A Masonie lodge was organized here in 1802. Among the charter members were Jacob Fishback, James Haddon, Jacob Pat- ton, Adison Robinson, T. L. Orendorff and John Walker. The present officers are: A. Robinson, master; Henry Haslett, senior warden; James Snyder, junior warden; D). M. Bell, sveretary; L. F. Weaver, treasurer; and Alfred Wyrick, tiler. The lodge has a membership of thirty, and owns its own hall, which was built some twelve years ago.

The village of McKeen was laid out in 18:0, by Francis Jones, Volney Chapin and Fred Elmdorf. on the south part of the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter, and the north part of the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter, and part of the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 27, township 12 and range 11 west. Chapin & Jones erected a large steam factory. They bought an extensive tract of land for the timber, and employed some hundred men or more. They made staves, sawed lumber, etc. John Foreman, had a store which he operated about two years, and then soll it to Jones & Chapin. He had a large stock of goods, valued at $20,000. The mill an l factory brought many families to the village to get work in them. They run the mill and factory about seven years, then sold it to a

man named Clutter, who moved the machin- ery away. The place at the present time has three stores, one tile kiln, a few shops, and about one hundred inhabitants.

A Masonic lodge was established in 1818, with the following charter members: H. M. Griswold, R. M. Conover, Chas. Larrabee, W. W. Wilson, J. W. Brenaman, J. R. Dow, MI. T. Rollings, Jos. Rollings, P. Benallack, D. H. Smith and several other well-known eiti- zens. II. M. Griswold was the first master; R. M. Conover, senior warden, and R. R. Trimble, junior warden.

Dennison Village was laid out in 1871, by Lyman Booth, on the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 26, township 12, and range 11, west. Booth and Dulaney established a large manufacturing establish- ment to work up the timber, and employed fifty hands. They manufactured spokes and wagon material principally. It was in oper- ation about five years and was then moved to Kentucky, on the Cumberland River. Booth & Dulaney carried on a large store in connection with their business, and sold & great many goods. John Bernard also had a store, and erected a two story house on Main street, near the depot. Blinn & Dag- gett had a saw-mill, which they operated two years, when they moved it away. A. Valker started a drug store, which he has carried on ever since. There are two stores, several shops, and a dozen or two dwellings.

The first school taught in what is now Wa- bash Township, Mr. Kuykendall says, was in 1820, and was taught in the southeast part of the township, on the Darwin Road. John Crews was the teacher, and afterward Jolin- son and Jerry Lycan taught at the same place. It was also a place of early religious meetings. Among the pioneer ministers, who used to proclaim the word of Gol there, may be mentioned, Revs. Whitney, Blackburn, Young, Howe, Taylor, Proetor and Curry

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

Another of the early schools was taught by Otto Davis, in 1830, in a small deserted cabin, just south of Livingston. He was a good teacher for that day, and taught several terms in the township. James Yokum taught at the same place, but was a dissipated fellow. Ile afterward taught in Livingston. The first house built for school purposes, was near the Durell mill in 1832. It was a log structure and was built by the neighbors. A man named Callaster taught the first school in it. The second school-house was built on the Taylor farm, in the southeast part of the township. Benjamin Boles taught in this house, but was a good, easy kind of a fellow and fond of his toddy. Stephen Archer was also an early teacher.

Wabash Township is well supplied with churches. Just where or when the first church society was organized we did not learn. Among the church organizations, are Black Chapel in the southeast part of the

township, Union Baptist church, the Method- ist churches at Livingston and Dennison vil- lages, and several others in different parts of the township. The Union Baptist church was organized at the Lowe school-house on Crooked Creek, in 1856. The members in the south part of the township split off and formed an independent organization and built a church edifice. A Methodist church was organized at the Blundell school-house, and during the war the organization became divided on political issues, which led to a split, and the organization of a Methodist Episcopal Church South. Both societies grew somewhat lukewarm, and in 1879, the old church was reorganized by Rev. J. W. Lapham, and is now known as Mount Gilead church.

Through the negligence or indifference of those who should be interested in preserving their church history, we have been enabled to obtain but few facts, and must elose the chap- ter with this meager sketch of the churches.

CHAPTER XV.

MARTINSVILLE TOWNSHIP-TOPOGRAPHY-SOIL AND TIMBER-PIONEER SETTLEMENT- NATIONAL ROAD-EARLY HOTELS-INCIDENTS-INDIANS-VILLAGE OF MARTINSVILLE-ITS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT-MILLS -SECRET SOCIETIES-SCHOOLS-CHURCHES.

" Where nothing dwelt but beasts of prey, Or men as fierce and wild as they."

TN the year 1832 Joseph Martin came to I Clark County and settled on section 2 of town 10 and built a house on the National Road, which at that time was in process of construction.

Subsequently he laid out a village, which he named for himself, Martinsville. At the time the county went into township organiza- tion, the precinet in which the village was situated, took its name from the town. The limits of the township thus organized, con- cided with the limits of the congressional Survey, and contained the regular thirty -six sections.

In 1859, on the formation of the township of Auburn, three sections from the northeast corner were taken for that purpose, and sub- sequently, to equalize the contribution of the various towns to the construction of Auburn, four and a half sections were added to the northern boundary of Martinsville from Dol- son, making the township somewhat in the form of the letter L and containing in all thirty-seven and a half square miles of terri- tory. The township originally was pleasantly diversified with prairie and woodland. The prairie portion is made up of Parker Prairie, which occupies the northwest corner, and Dol- son Prairie, which extends through the central part of the township from the northern to the southern boundary. The surface of the prai-

rie is gently undulatory, and when first pressed by the feet of white men was covered with a dense growth of tall grass, interspersed with numerous flowers of almost every hue, which gave the country the appearance of a vast garden.

The original condition of the soil was wet and slushy owing to the hard clay subsoil, beneath which the water could not penetrate. This moisture, together with the vast amount of decaying vegetable matter which had rot- ted upon the ground for centuries, proved the prolific source of many of the malarial dis- eases with which the early settlers were afflicted. As the country became populated artificial drainage was resorted to, and the parts that were formerly looked upon as next to worthless have been reclaimed, and are now the best farming districts in the township. The soil is a rich black loam, varying in depth from fifteen inches to two feet, and can not be excelled for agricultural purposes. The broken parts of the township are confined principally to the eastern and western parts, and were originally heavily timbered with oak and hickory. Along the water courses, walnut was found in limited quantities, and elms of gigantic sizes were to be seen at intervals; mueh of the best timber land has been cleared, and the ground put in cultiva- tion. The soil in the timber and on the more elevated portions is light and largely clay mixed. It is far inferior to the prairie

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

soil for farming purposes but yet by careful tillage it returns fair erops of wheat, oats, corn and the other cereals.

The township is drained by a number of water courses which traverse the country in various directions. The chief of these streams is the North Fork which enters the township near the northwest corner, and takes a south- erly course through the western part.

It receives a number of small tributaries in its course and leaves the township from sec- tion 19. Along this stream the country is very broken and abrupt, and poorly adapted for agricultural purposes. Willow Creek, the second stream in size, has its source in section 16, and flows a southeasterly direction and passes in its course through sections 12 and 26, and crosses the southern boundary of the township from section 35. During the greater part of the year this stream is very small, but in rainy seasons it frequently becomes a raging torrent, and often overflows its banks for con- siderable distances on either side.

A tributary of Mill Creek known as Black- burns branch rises near the central part of the township, and flows an easterly direction through sections 15, 23 and 24. Stockwell Creek flows through the northern part of the township in a southwesterly course and unites with North Fork, about one half mile west of the village of Martinsville in section 18. All the streams enumerated receive a number of small affluents which meander through vari- ous parts of the township. The early condi- tion of the country presented but few induce- ments to the pioneer, and it was not until a number of years had elapsed from the date of the first settlement in the eastern part of the county that any settlement was made within the present limits of the township. A number of squatters whose name could not be ascer- tained, located in an early day, along the North Fork, but made no improvements fur- ther than erecting a few rude cabins, and

clearing small spaces of ground around them. They were allured to the county in quest of game, which at that time was very plenty and easily procured. These transient citizens remained but few years, and left for other parts at the appearance of the permanent settlers who entered and improved the land.

The first permanent settlement in the town- ship was made in the western part on the pre- sent site of Martinsville village, about the year 1829. The principal attraction to this point was the National Road which had been surveyed through the country a few years previous, and at the time referred to was in process of construction. A large number of men were employed on the work, which ne- cessitated the erection of boarding houses for their accommodation. Several of these were erected at different places, but, unfortunately the names of the proprietors have been for- gotten. John Chancellor was the first perma- nent settler of whom anything definite is known. He immigrated to this State from Kentucky and built his first house, which was a small cabin, a short distance west of the main part of the village in the spring of 1829. The following year he erected a more com- modious structure, a large two-story log house, which he opened for the accommodation of the workmen and such transient guests as found it convenient to accept his hospitali- ties. He appears to have been a man of some prominence and made a number of improve- ments during the period of his residence in the township. He entered the land where the town of Martinsville was laid out in the year 1832. It was about this time that the first native accession was made to the settle- ment in the person of John M. Chancellor, whose birth occurred the latter part of the above year. Chancellor died at his home in the year 188[, at an advanced age. The old homestead is at present occupied by his daughter, MIrs. Montgomery. Joshua Abney,

Doctor Hill

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

: brot er-a-low of Chancellor, came about the sam> time and located in section 2, a " ort distance west of the village. He was a Kentuckian also, but had livei in Coles tomaty several years prior to his moving to this township. He became the possessor of forty acres of land, which he occupied until the year 1832, at which time he sold to Bon- juin Dolson and moved to Indiana. Dolson came to Clark County as early as 1824, and settled in Melrose township. He moved to Martinsville six years later and erected a two- story hewed log house on the National Road, a short distance west of the Chancellor farm, which he opened for the benefit of the travel- ing public. This house became a very popu- lar resort and was a favorite stopping place for travelers for a number of years. The generous hospitality of the landlord and the abundance of the fare attracted the pass .rs- by and the tavern was never in want of pay- ing guests. It was extensively patron zed until the year 1843, when it was discontinued en account of Dolson's death.

Among the earliest settlers in the same lo- cality, was Amos Potts who immigrated from Ohio in the year 1830. He located on sec- tion 7 and erected the first house on the ori- ginal plat of Martinsville. Potts had the rep- utation of being a shrewd trader and was in- duced to settle at this point through a spirit of speci.lation. Not realizing his anticipated fortune, he sold his land to David Weisner and Benjamin Dolson, after occupying it about eighteen months, and moved with his family further west. In the year 1832, the little settlement was increased by the addition of the following persons: Jacob Chriss, Isaac Chriss, Jerry ( Friss, David T. Weisner and Thomas Scholfield. Th. Chriss family were from Ohio. The fathi- er, Jacob Chriss, was one of the earliest pio- neers of Mami County in that State and I's af there until quite an old man. Lk ah the

carly settlers in this country they came west to make their fo tunes which they supposed could be realized in a very short time. Isaac Chriss settled about two miles north of the village of Martinsville on land which is at present in possession of the widow Ullery. Jerry located a short distance east of the vil- lage on land which has since been added to the town plat. The father made his home with his sons until his death which occurred a short time after their arrival. The Chrisses were men of roving tendencies and remained but few years in this part of the country, when they sold out and moved overland to Oregon.

Isaac died in that State in the year 1852. Jerry subsequently moved to Texas, since which nothing has been heard of him. David Weisner was a native of the District of Colum- bia. He immigrated to Clark County some time prior to 1825 and settled in York town- ship, where he achieved considerable notoriety as a pugilist. At the breaking out of the Black Hawk War he enlisted in the company of volunteers raised at York, and was one of the few soldiers from this part of the State who saw any real service in that struggle. lle entered land in this township, in 1832, on which he moved the latter part of the same year. He achieved a very unsavory reputa- tion while a resident of Martinsville and ap- pears to have been engaged in many of the rows and drunken brawls so common in the carly history of the village. His favorite theme was polities, which he talked alnost constantly, and when his arguments failed to convince an adversary he frequently backed them with something more forcible, his fist s. Being a very Hercules in strength, but few careuto gain his ill-will and he was generally allowed to have his own way. Ho subse- quently moved to Cumberland County, where, it is said, he reformed from his many evil 1. bits and ways and became a respectable

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

and well-to-do citizen. Thomas Scholfield moved to Illinois from Ohio, about the year 1828 and settled in Melrose township where he lived until 1832. He moved to Martins- ville some time during the latter year, and acquired forty acres of land lying a short distance west of the village. He improved a portion of this land, and occupied it until the year 1835 at which time he sold to Ben- jamin Dolson and David Weisner and re- moved two miles further west into the adjoin- ing township of Cumberland. Scholfield was a good man, and did much in a quiet way to advance the interests of the community in which he resided. He moved to Oregon in the year 1856 and at the present time is living in that State. His son, Judge Scholfield, a man of State reputation and the leading lawyer of the county, resides in Marshall. The fol- lowing year witnessed the arrival in the township, of William MeGahan and Amos Bixby. McGahan located here for the pur- pose of working on the National Road. IIe entered forty acres of land near Martinsville, which he sold, on the completion of the road, and joined the tide of immigration which at that time was making its way to Oregon and California. Bixby was an unmarried man, or to express it in more terse English, an old bachelor. He entered land a few miles west of the village, in this and the adjoining town- ship of Cumberland. He was a man of ample means and continued to add to his original tract of land until he became the possessor of more than six hundred acres. A good portion of this land was rented to early set- tlers on their arrival in the county, before they had time to improve farms of their own. Bixby was a man of intelligence and con- siderable business tact, but possessed many peculiar characteristics. His conduct at times was very singular and he seemed to labor under the weight of some secret trouble which gave rise to the question of his sanity.

He built a good house on his farm which he fitted up with great care for his own use. The morning after its completion, he went to a neighbor near by and borrowed a gun for the purpose, he said, of killing a deer. No sooner did he get the gun than he returned to his house, entered and securely fastened the door. IIe then placed the muzzle of the gun beneath his chin, discharged it with a stick and killed himself instantly. The manner of his death left no doubt in the minds of the people as to his insanity. Among others who settled in the township prior to 1836 were Green Redman and Joshua P. Cooper. The former was a native of Kentucky, and, after his arrival here became an active politician. He was a man of con- siderable talent and possessed the happy faculty of teliing what he knew, which he often did in such plain English, as to offend his political opponents. He was chosen justice of the peace at the first election held in the precinet, and served the people in that capacity for several terms. In the year 1840, he sold his possessions in Martinsville and moved to Clay County. From there he went to Missouri a few years later, and subso- quently became a citizen of Kansas. He took an active part in the Kansas agitation, and was a member of the Lecompton Con- stitutional convention. He was afterward elected a member of the Legislature of that State and made himself obnoxious to the anti-slavery members by his vigorous out- spoken pro-slavery sentiments. Cooper's native State was Pennsylvania, which he left in early manhood and went to Indiana. He moved to Illinois and settled near Martins- ville in the summer of the year alluded to, but made no improvements. He was an attorney, and might have become a rising man but for his innate love of low things, which made him many enemies in the com- munity. He was one of the principal actors

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

in the formation of the village of Martinsville and took a lively interest in its growth and development. He afterward moved to Marshall. During the succeeding year the following persons settled within the present limits of the township: Albert Kitchell, David Chancellor, James Wright and Samuel Dolson. Later came Asa Starks, Addison Spenny, Lemuel S. Claypool and Willis Doughete. Starks, of whom but little is known, immigrated from the State of New York and located a short distance east of the present site of Martinsville. He remained but few years when he sold out and left the township. Spenny came to Illinois from Ohio in company with his father and settled a few miles south of Martinsville. A brother, Morrison Spenny, came about the same time and located in the same vicinity. He was, like many of the early settlers in and around Martinsville village, a politician. He served one term as sheriff and shortly after the ex- piration of his term, became involved in some domestic difficulty and left the county. Addison Spenny subsequently moved to Cali- fornia, where, at the last account, he was still living.

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History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois, Part 51

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