History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois, Part 58

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 58
USA > Illinois > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois > Part 58

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).

CHAPTER XXII .*

AUBURN TOWNSHIP-"E PLURIBUS UNUM "-ITS PIONEERS AND ORGANIZATION-THE "EMPEROR " OF AUBURN-EARLY EXPECTATIONS-AUBURN VILLAGE-CHURCH AND SCHOOL.

"Sweet Auburn! loveliest village of the plain."

TN the center of Clark County, as near as may be, lies the township of Auburn, resembling on the map of the county, the ornamental piece which ambitious young ladies place in the center of their first patch- work counterpane. Its history as a separate organization dates from the year 1859, when it came into being as a political afterthought. Its territory comprises sixteen sections, which were contributed to its formation by the town- ships of Marshall, Anderson, Martinsville and Dolson, the two latter townships contributing the larger portion. The object of this " gerrymander " it is difficult to ascertain. It is said that an influential gentleman in the county desired to be elected justice of the peace, and that in the event of a new town- ship constructed on this plan, his jurisdiction could be exercised with convenience to him- self as well as satisfaction to the community, and so, on this theory, the new political factor was built up around the village of Auburn, the name of which it shares.

Its physical features are not especially marked. The eastern part is considerably broken, well timbered, and drained by Mill Creek which passes through the northeastern part of its territory. Other small streams vary the configuration of the surface, flowing to the south or southeast and finding an outlet into other streams in other parts of the coun- ty. The soil is a light clay, which furnishes

the chief material resource of the citizens here, who are devoted to agricultural pur- suits.

Its settlement had few marked characteris- tics, and though the community brought to- gether by its modern limits had hitherto looked to different centers of influence, their allegiance was easily transferred to the new center established, and so far as township af- filiations are concerned the community of Au- burn is as homogeneous as that of any politi- cal division in the county. Its settlement, owing to its eentral position, was rather later than many other points. Until the National Road made it a point of attraction there was little to invite the pioneer. Land was plenty and good as in other parts of the county and the lines of business activity rather led else- where. The agitation in regard to the final removal of the county seat, however, aroused an interest in its central location, and its evi- dent fitness on that account as the site for a seat of justice, and this, perhaps, more than any other reason, determined its first settle- ment. Jonathan Rathbone, a shrewd Yankee, from one of the New England States, entered land here and came in 1833,'largely with a view of speculating on the event of a change in the county seat. He erected a cabin on the site of the present school building in Auburn vil- lage and lived here until his death in 1839. He was followed in the following year by Ralph Haskett, a native of New York, who built a cabin on the west fork of Mill Creek, on the National Road, and lived here eight

* By G. N. Berry.

Martha Ruddell

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

years. Orendorff, an industrious German, came in 1835, from New York, improved a good farm but attracted by the California ex- e tement sold his place to Robert Downs in 1850, and sought his fortune in the gold- fields.

The National Road was at this time one of the principal routes to the West. It was very much the custom for emigrants to travel with eyes open to any eligible site and ready to come to a permanent halt wherever the coun- try promised the best advantages. Notwith- standing the natural competition of Marshall which had been recently founded, and the en- ergy of its proprietor, Auburn profited by these circumstances to a considerable extent. Among the settlers thus attracted was John Fredenberger, who came here almost direct from Germany. In his company was his father. Peter, who was a very old man and subsequently died full of years at the age of one hundred years. The family, noted for their thr.ft and industry, improved a good farm adjoining the Orendorff place. Alam Weaver was another accession of this year and settled where Fredenberger now lives. A few years later he entered land at an- other point. Samuel Williams, a native of Kentucky, was also a settler about this time, and reared his cabin on the National Road near the village. He subsequently moved into Auburn and kept hotel. About this time, or perhaps a little later, William and Zacha- riah Shields came here in wagons from Ken- lucky. They settled near the main road west of the village, but both moved again further west, William selling to J. Flood in 1850. In 1836, three Davis brothers came to the township. Oliver and Hayward entered land in the eastern part in partnership. Alian bought land in the same locality but subse- quently sold to his brothers about 1840, and dird a little later in Iowa, whither he had re- mnoved. The others soon afterward lett the

county. They are remembered as boisterous, muscular men, always ready to participate in a row which was not an unfrequent occurrence. William Duckwall of Kentucky, entered land here about 1840, and settled where Nicholas Hurst now lives. Duckwall was a man of good intelligence. a blacksmith by trade but skilled as a physician, and earnest as a Meth- odist preacher. He served in this triple ca- pacity for some years when he sold to Mr. Hurst. James, his brother, settled near him about the same time.

Nicholas Hurst, though not an early settler in Auburn in point of time, was a prominent and influential citizen, and left his impress upon the destiny of the township. A native of Kentucky, he first came to Douglas Town- ship, and later to Auburn. He early fig- ured prominently in county politics, serving four years as associate judge; as county treasurer four years; as sheriff one term, and as justice of the peace fourteen years. To him is due the peculiar organizat- tion of the township, which, at the late day in which it was accomplished, indicates the possession of considerable influence or a gen- eral belief in the wisdom of the change. He still survives to enjoy his success, and is popularly called the " Emperor of Auburn," though there is little about him to suggest royalty, unless a wooden cane with a carved serpent twined about it may so distinguish him. Archibald Starks, a native of Kentucky, was another man of some note in the town- ship. He entered 840 acres in the southwest corner, and by his untiring energy kept suc- cess always within his reach. His silk hat was the pioneer of its kind in this community, and the man and hat were seldom seen sepa- rated. He subsequently became involved in a law suit with Hillebert and sustained some very heavy losses.

There was very little of the romance of pioneer life in the community here. Life had

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

its inconveniences, its privations, its urgent demand for toilsome achievement, but it lacked that last degree of exaction in all these requirements that gives to isolated frontier experience a touch of heroism. There were no mills at first in the township. The streams were small and uncertain, and the near loca- tion of other mills discouraged any of those cheap attempts that are so valuable an addition to an isolated settlement. About 1842, how- ever, Laban Record erected a horse mill east of the village, which was liberally patronized for a number of years. After running it some eight years the mill was sold to Stephen Ox- endine, who operated about the same length of time, when it was abandoned. It was a rude affair, and the old buhrs still do service as a well top on Mrs. Gilbert's place. A steam mill was subsequently erected in the village with a frame building and somewhat more modern appliances.

Of the early experiences in Auburn, there is little to be said. There was nothing to in- dividualize the community. The people lived in log cabins, wore home-made clothing, sub- sisted upon game and the products of the soil, and indulged in the recreations common to the rest of the county. The community was peculiar in one respect, however. The early settlers had great expectations for the village which utterly failed, and with this failure went the prospect of the town. The village was platted by O. B. Ficklin, Demas Ward and Jonathan N. Rathbone, and located on the west half of section 31, in what was a part of Marshall Township. It consisted of twenty-seven squares, through which the Cumberland road passed as Main street, Block thirteen, fronting Main street from the north, was reserved for the use of the county buildings, but in the event of some other site being chosen for the county seat, it was provided that this square should be used as a public ground. The contest for the location

of the seat of justice was sharp between Mar- shall and Auburn. Whisky was a potent factor in every phase of life, and it played a prominent part in this contest. Every form of amusement that could be devised was used to call the voters together and entertainment the most lavish that the times would afford was freely furnished. While Auburn had the advantage of central location and pleasant surroundings, Marshall had the heaviest vote. This defeat ruined the prospect of the village.

This first show of village growth was a wayside inn, by R. B. MeCowen, about 1836. He was an emigrant from Kentucky in 1834, but in the latter year he entered land near the site of the village, erected a hewed log house and hung out a sign on which a deer was painted. There was considerable travel on the road, and the old " Buck Tavern," as it was called, did a good business. McCowen was a man who looked upon his own achieve- ments with great complacency; was some- thing of a horse jockey ard politician. About the same time John Burks, a Kentuckian by birth, put up a blacksmith shop just west of the village site. He subsequently moved to York Township. On the laying out of the village Samuel Williams moved on to the plat put up a cabin and opened it for public enter- tainment. It became the stage hotel and for some ten years did a thriving business. A second tavern was started by George Baker and was maintained for a number of years. These were the pioneers of the village busi- ness, which had but little following. A store was early opened in a log cabin near the central part of the village by John Salmon, where a few groceries and dry goods and a good deal of whisky was sold. This store was noted as a rendezvous of rather rough charac- ters. A second store of much better charac- ter was kept by James Booth, and several others have since had little mercantile ventures here. The village is now marked by a store,

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

two blacksmith shops, a wagon shop and a dozen houses.

The first school was held in a little cabin west of the village, and taught by Robert Rankin, who came from Kentucky about 1838. He was an illiterate man, addicted to gambling, and ruled his school by main strength. When subsequently elected con- stable, he proved one of the best collectors in the county, a man without fear, and success- ful in the most difficult cases of arrest. It is said on one occasion he was given a warrant to arrest a man who lived on the east side of the county, his house being, in fact, on the Indiana side of the line. He had been over to the man's residence several times, but found no opportunity of catching him within his jurisdiction. Rankin had gone out on another occasion, but the man, suspecting the constable's errand, refused to be drawn over the fatal line in a heedless moment, and so the former resorted to a ruse which proved successful. After talking upon indifferent subjects for a time he rode over to the Illinois side of the line, and suddenly feigned to fall from his horse, at the same time giving an outery for assistance. The whole maneuver was so cleverly performed that it threw the ob- server entirely off his caution, and the man ran to the constable's assistance only to realize it was a ruse when Rankin seized him and read a warrant for his arrest.

Another early teacher was an old man by the name of Kennedy, who, though quite an old man, was very strong, and acted upon the theory that whipping was the main part of school teaching. Samuel Lowry was one of the early teachers also.

The first frame building was built near the central part of the village, about 1846, by Thomas Leise. Since then the township has been divided into four districts, each of which is provided with a frame building.

The first effort to introduce Christian wor-

ship in this township was met with no more encouragement here than elsewhere in the" county. The people were rather given to the excessive use of whisky, gambling and horse racing, which did not prepare them to accept religious services in a decorous way. There were among the settlers notable exceptions to this general rule, but their unmber was too small to protect traveling ministers from the rude jests and gibes of the crowd. The first religious services in the township were held at the cabin of Samuel Williams, by Rev. Chas. Doyle, an Irishman, but a protestant and a Methodist. He was a loud-voiced speaker and accompanied his sermons with the most violent gestures. This was a novel entertainment and of a character to draw out the majority in the settlement. On one oc- casion some of the " boys" intending to em- barrass the speaker, placed a pack of well- used cards in his hat. After his sermon, on taking up his hat the cards fell out before the audience, and without the least hesitation or embarrassment, he said: " If the brother who owns this property will come forward he may have it again." Rev. Mr. Witherspoon was an early itinerant of the Protestant Method- ist denomination, who held religious services in the private houses here. In 1842 he or- ganized a society which flour.shed for several years, holding its meetings in the houses of the members. The society never erected a house of its own, and gradually passed out of existence.

About 1850 Rev. Robert Carson organized a Missionary Baptist church at the village of Auburn. There were about twenty-five members, and very soon after organization the society set about erecting a place of worship. It was not completed by the church, however. The project halted and finally fell through entirely. It is now finished and used as a stable. After some years of existence it was merged into the Bethel church.

464

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

In 1851 Elder Gilbert moved from Ohio to Auburn. Ile was a Missionary Baptist preacher, and finding there was no church of his denomination nearer than ten miles he determined to organize one in the township. In the following June, those interested in the movement met in a school-house and effected an organization, with the following members: Elder Gilbert and wife, Eleeta Norris, Sarah Wright, Willis Gilbert, William Beabout, Sr. and wife, Celia McCune and Eunice Gil- bert. Soon after this organization, Revs. Fuson, J. Riley and H. Humphrey met with the society and formally recognized it as a church, in regular standing. In 1860 a new log school-house, about two miles northwest of Auburn was erected and the little church held its services there until 1822, when a frame building, 30 by 40 feet was erected on the National Road, two miles west of Auburn

and three miles east of Martinsville, at a cost of about a thousand dollars. Elder Gilbert preached for the church about fifteen years without pay, and was succeeded by Revs. R. O. Hawkins, Bridgman, J. Bratton, A. Jones, and R. Wiley, the present pastor. The church is out of debt, numbers about eighty- six members, and holds services about once a month. A Sunday school was maintained from the first nearly every summer. In 1880 the school was reorganized and since has been regularly maintained, using the regular quarterly lesson helps, and having an at- tendance of about sixty-two scholars.

The "Christian" denomination organized a society in Auburn, in 1863, and met at the school-house for a year or two under the min- istrations of Elder Thomas Good, but it since has died out.

CHAPTER XXIII .*

DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP-GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION-SETTLEMENT BY THE WHITES-IM- PROVEMENTS-DISTILLERIES, MILLS AND ROADS-SCHOOLS, SCHOOL- HOUSES, CHURCHES, ETC .- VILLAGE OF CASTLE FINN.

TN writing the history of even so small part of the earth's surface as is contained in a single township it becomes evident that nothing like absolute justice and impartiality can be attained. No history absolutely cor- rect in all its details was ever written. To give just the right amount of importance and space to each individual and interest would manifestly be impossible. It might be a curiosity to see a book wherein each person was allowed to dictate or write up his own consequence, and that of his family; such a production would give a very incorrect idea of individuals and their affairs. Some would be swelled out of all proportion as to their real merit or standing in the community, while others, through innate modesty, would only occupy a few lines, if they allowed them- selves to appear at all. It will be readily seen therefore, that the historian's task is one beset with many difficulties, but it is hoped that the following pages may contain a brief synopsis of history free from any serious error.

Douglas is known as town 12 north, range 12 west, and was formerly included within the limits of Marshall Township from which it was separated and organized into a distinct di- vision. It is a fractional township com- posed of eighteen square miles of territory lying in the northern part of the county, and is bounded on the east, south and west by the townships of Wabash, Marshall and Dolson

respectively, and on the north by Edgar County. The greater part of the surface is rolling and broken, though quite an extensive tract in the southwest corner is comparatively level and was originally known as the "bar- rens." This part at one time was wet and swampy and covered with a growth of willows, and small jack oak, and for many years was looked upon by the settlers as being totally unfit for agricultural purposes. A class of thrifty Germans, attracted by the fertile qual- ity of the soil, settled in this part of the town- ship in an early day, and after several years hard work ditching, and clearing away the thick scrubby growth, succeeded in bringing quite a large tract into cultivation. It is at the present time looked upon as the most valuable farm land in the township, and pos- sesses a deep rich soil, well adapted to all the crops raised in this part of the country. The soil in the more broken portions, though largely clay, contains sufficient alluvium to insure remunerative crops of all kinds. In the depressed portions among the hills and along the water-courses, the earth is thoroughly mingled with decaying vegetable matter, a portion of which has been washed in by past inundations. This land is very easily tilled and produces abundant crops of wheat, corn, rye, oats, barley, grass etc., etc.

The township is watered and drained by Big Creek and its tributaries. Big Creek crosses the northern boundary in section 22, flows through sections 27 and 34, and leaves

* By G. N. Berry.

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

the township from section 35. The portion of country through which this stream passes is very broken and was originally covered with a heavy forest growth of oak, beech, maple, wa nut and a number of other varieties, and was known among the early settlers as the wet woods. Parris Branch flows in a southerly direction through the castern part of the township and empties into Big Creek about a half mile south of the southern boundary. Rocks Branch, a small stream, meanders through the northwestern portion of the township, and furnishes ample drainage to that section. Douglas was not settled as carly as some of the neighboring townships, at least by those who entered land. A number of squatter families located along Big Creek and the neighboring streams, but the exact date of their first appearance can not be ascertained with any degree of certainty. It is well known, however, that when the first perma- nent settlers came into the country as early as 1822, there were living in various parts of the township, a number of these transient residents, several of whom had made some im- provements. It was not customary for these squatters to concern themselves very much about clearing or cultivating the soil. A small garden spot wherein their half-clad wives and children could raise a few potatoes and other vegetables was the extent of their farming. Wild meat furnished their chief means ofsubsistence, and was easily procured, as game of all kinds was at that time very plenty. They lived in the rudest of cabins, and in the most primitive fashion. They ap- parently copied the manners and customs of the Indians and many of them existed in about the same miserable plight. The names of these early hunters were not learned as they abandoned their cabins and moved further west soon after the first permanent settlers began improving the country.

The first entries of land in Douglas were

made in the year 1822 by J. Blaze and S. Sharp, on section 36, though neither of them ever occupied their lands as residents. Joel Tucker made an entry in section 19 the lat- ter part of the same year but it is not posi- tively known whether he ever resided in the township or not. In 1823 James Cox entered land in the southwest corner of the township in section 36. Of him but little is known save that he improved a farm which he sold soon after and moved from the country. Da- vid Van Winkel who had been in Fort La- motte in Crawford County, came to the town- ship in the year 1824 and entered the west half of section 36, but did not improve the land. Adam Shrader, a resident of Elgar County, entered a portion of section 25 the same year but was never identified with the town- ship in the capacity of a citizen. In the spring of 1828 Elisha Minn settled the west half of the southwest quarter of section 25, and in the same year a man by name of Solo- mon located on Big Creek near the southern limit of the township where he entered land in section 4. Solomon was a native of Eng- land, and came to America in company with several other immigrant families all of whom located in different parts of the West. He was a man of considerable enterprise and ac- quired a valuable tract of land during the period of his residence in the township. His death occurred a number of years ago. David Reynolds came to the county in the year 1828, and entered the west half of section 34, which he improved, and where he still lives, the oldest resident in the township, and one of its leading and most public spirited citizens. He came to Illinois from Tennessee, and during the period of his long residence in Douglas has been prominently identified with all move- ments calculated to advance its material pros- perity. An early settler in the northern part of the township was Jacob Groves who made his appearance about the year 182S. He im-

467

HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.

proved a farm near the northern boundary, on Big Creek, which he sold to Austin Griffin in 1833 and moved to the adjoining township of Wabash. In the year 1831 the following persons entered land in Douglas: Abner Cooper, section 35, Abraha n Walters, section 25, Samuel MeClure, section 25, and Jesse Every, section 35. McClure moved to this part of the State from Lawrence County, in company with his father, Andrew McClure, whose death occurred one year after their ar- rival. Samuel McClure was a man of more than ordinary intelligence and enterprise, and at the first election held in the precinct of which Douglas at that time formed a part, was chosen justice of the peace. He was sub- sequently called to the offices of county com- missioner, county treasurer and sheriff, in all of which he served the people in a very satis- factory manner. He resided in the township until about ten years ago, when he disposed of his possessions and moved to Iowa. In the latter State he became extensively engaged in baling and shipping hay, and it was while operating one of his presses that he met a violent death by being caught and drawn into the machinery.

During the year 1832 the following ac- cessions were made to the population of the community: Robert Ashmore, William For- sythe, Greenwood Davis, Samuel Galbraith, Elisha Hurst, William Lycan, and a man by the name of Francis. Ashmore and For- sythe were Kentuckians. They settled in the eastern part of the township, the former on section 35, and the latter a short distance north on section 25. They made extensive · improvements, and became prominent farin- ers, but did not always live on the most friendly terms, as the following will go to prove: Forsythe, it appears, lost a very valu- able calf, which he accused Ashmore of steal- ing, whereupon the latter sued him for slander. This so enraged Forsythe, who was

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History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois, Part 58

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