USA > Illinois > Douglas County > History of Douglas county, Illinois > Part 3
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30
HISTORY OF
will be seen, have no discretion in the collection of fees, which belong to the county treasury.
THE ASSESSOR AND TREASURER'S
Fees, under the old arrangement, would probably average $1,000 per annum. The office is now called
COLLECTOR AND TREASURER,
And at present the salary is, for this term, fixed by the Board of Supervisors at $1,400 and an allowance for assistance. This salary can not exceed $1,500 and clerk hire whilst the county remains in the first class. This officer is elected in the odd year, beginning in 1869 and serves two years.
THE SHERIFF'S
Pay is $1,500 per year with an allowance for a deputy. The office paid as high as $3,500 under the old regime. A Sheriff is elected every two years, in the even numbered years, the last election having occurred in November, 1874.
THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
Receives emoluments per year of, probably, an average of $550. The pay of this officer may legally be, but can not exceed, $1,500, at the discretion of the Board of Supervisors. The office is filled by an election every four years, held in the odd year, the next regular elec- tion being in November, 1877.
A STATE'S ATTORNEY
For each county is elected every four years, beginning in IS72, on Tuesday after the first Monday in November, at the election of the members of the General Assembly. He receives a salary of $400 from the State, and the entire emoluments of the office will aver- age $900.
THE COUNTY SURVEYOR'S
Fees, which he collects from his employers, at his own risk, have never much exceeded $600 per year and are not likely to be increased even with a large increase of population and a corresponding increase of business, under the present state of the law, which permits any competent person to perform the work, which formerly belonged exclusively to the office. His sole monopoly is the inspection of mines which it is, ex-officio, his duty to measure and report upon annually. It was the duty of the County Surveyor in 1871, under
31
DOUGLAS COUNTY.
the Statute, to examine and test all cattle scales in the county, under a penalty of $50 for neglect. The measure was extremely unpopular, and the law was repealed in 1872. The examination of the crossing's of railroads at public highways, which, in 1871, paid the County Sur- veyor some forty dollars per year, was also stopped by a repeal of the law directing it. This officer was elected biennially until the term of office was changed by the Constitution of 1870 to a period of four years. The last regular election was in November, 1875.
THE PROBATE COURT
Of Douglas county, holds its session on the third Monday of each month, except in January and July, when it sets on the second Mon- day, these latter being Common Law terms as well.
THE CIRCUIT COURT
Of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit convenes, SPRING TERM, in
Vermillion county, first Monday in February.
Edgar county, fifth Monday thereafter.
Douglas county, third Monday succeeding.
Clark county, second Monday succeeding.
Coles county, third Monday succeeding. FALL TERM, in
Vermillion county, second Monday in August.
Edgar county, fifth Monday thereafter.
Douglas county, fourth Monday succeeding.
Clark county, third Monday succeeding.
Coles county, third Monday succeeding.
The Judges are elected every six years beginning first Monday in June, 1873. The salary is $3,000, which is paid by the State.
The Board of Supervisors meet the first Monday in March, sec- ond Monday in July, second Tuesday in September, first Monday in December. The September meeting is the annual meeting.
32
HISTORY OF
RIVERS, OR CREEKS.
Douglas county is intersected by the Embarras and Kaskaskia rivers almost at their sources, both rising in Champaign county. The Embarras, which flows generally through the middle and southeastern part of the county, is called "Ambraw," and is marked "Fox River" in the maps of the original United States survey. It is about ninety miles long and empties into the Wabash river in Lawrence county. The waters of this river are now conveyed to Charleston through iron pipes.
The Kaskaskia, locally called "Okaw," is about 300 miles in length, traverses the west part of the county and flows into the Mis- sissippi in Randolph county. A settlement called Kaskaskia was made at its mouth by the French under LaSalle in 1673.
These rivers, locally called "creeks," are, in this county, fringed as it were, by a plentiful growth of timber, which comprises about one-third of the area of the county, which area of timber is at least holding its own, if not increasing, by reason of the cessation of prairie fires, once so prevalent, which have at last yielded to the cultivation and general improvement of the prairie.
The county is situated in Grand Prairie, now rapidly filling up with thrifty farmers, but it is within the memory of comparatively new comers that the prairie was considered almost a bleak, barren waste, unfit for habitation; all of the pioneers, almost without excep- tion, settling within or near the edge of the timber, perhaps by reason of the timber being valuable as well as convenient for use. Neverthe- less the seeming protection afforded by the timber had its influence in determining locations in the early days, and it was considered injudi- cious, to say the least, for a man to expose himself and family to the storms and annual prairie fires.
Twenty years ago, indeed, for the most part, within a nearer time, the traveler or "mover" pushed forward over the prairie for miles in any chosen direction, and almost in a straight line toward his destination, having for his only guide some point of timber, a grove, or perhaps only a knoll, pointed out or described by some obliging settler, and merely selecting the best ground, rode or drove through the tall grass without any sign of a road. In time the repeated travel began to leave a "trail" which, becoming better defined, became a ('trace." The "Springfield trace," running through the south part of
33
DOUGLAS COUNTY.
.
the county from Oakland nearly due west, was, in early days, one of the best known and most frequently traveled, and though it has been straightened in many cases, in order that it should conform to the section lines, its original location has been retained in places. In these days the range of vision was bounded only by the horizon, and the white cover of a mover's wagon could be discerned at a distance of from eight to ten miles, suggesting the appearance of a sail at sea, hence these wagons were called "prairie schooners." They usually anchored in the timber or some friendly grove, made a shelter of the sail and built a fire in front. If caught upon the prairie they chose, if possible, the vicinity of some cabin, where the sailors had, generally, a cordial welcome, always receiving what assistance could be given, slept in and about the vessel and by sunrise the next morning would be hull down to leeward. At times fifteen or twenty of them could be taken in at one glance. For the present, however, groves of tim- ber, orchards and hundreds of miles of substantial hedges intercept the view, where twenty years ago the "treeless waste" was a monot- ony of grass and resin weeds which grew to be as high as a man on horse-back.
These prairie roads, in time, gave way to the present well made and well drained public roads, which, like the section lines they are usually laid upon, conform to the cardinal points, and lengthen the distance between given termini about one-third. The present roads, in most instances, become effectual drains by reason of their ditches, and the system of drainage, under the Statute, having been adopted by some of the Townships, thousands of acres of valuable lands have been rescued from the swamps.
FLORA.
Growing upon the variety of soil peculiar to the Central part of the State, the flora of Douglas county is much diversified; of timber, White, Black, Spanish and Red Oaks, Shellbark and White Hichory, Sugar and White Maple, White and Red (or Slippery) Elm, Black and Honey Locust, White and Black Walnut, Swamp and Upland Ash. Sycamore, Cottonwood, Mulberry and Wild Cherry. These, of course, in the timber bordering the water courses, but the experi- ment of growing forest trees upon the prairie is a pronounced success as many beautiful and thrifty young groves amply illustrate.
34
HISTORY OF
Cord wood is hauled to the various towns in large quantities, principally Oak and Hickory, at prices varying from four to five dol- lars for choice. However, since the east and west railroads have been in operation, vast quantities of coal are delivered in the county and every year becoming more generally used, not only in the towns but by the farmers upon the prairie. Present prices, about $3.25 per ton by the car load.
Coal has not been discovered in the county, which lies, however, in the coal region. From discoveries recently made in Coles county, there is claimed to be an abundance of coal at a depth of five hundred feet. Twenty-five miles east of Newman, on the I., D. & S. Rail- way, near Dana, Vermillion county, Ind., the Dana Coal Company, C. W. Moore, President, is taking out, from a vein four to five feet thick, at a depth of 136 feet, a superior quality of bituminous coal in paying quantities.
Prof. Worthen's "Geology of Illinois," says of Douglas county : "The whole area of the county is covered so deeply with drift clay that there is no outcrop of the underlaying coal measures in the county; from exposures in adjoining counties it is known that the underlaying beds belong to the upper coal measures, and probably include two or three of the upper coals, but the extent to which they are developed here can only be determined with the drill. It is not probable that any heavy bed of coal will be found short of 600 to Soo feet from the surface, though one of the upper seams two or three feet thick might be found at a moderate depth."
The soil on the prairie is a deep black loam, and in the timber a light, grayish clay, the latter is very productive and much better adapted to wheat growing than the prairie lands.
Bowlders of Granite or other rock are rarely found of any great size, and in many parts of the county, whether in prairie or timber, they are unknown, whilst in other sections there are enough of small dimensions, weighing from one to five hundred pounds, to obstruct, to some extent, the tilling of the soil, but these are few in number. The largest rock in the county that is visible above the soil, stands in the southeast corner of section 28, township 16, range 7, on the farm of Judge Mullen, in Garrett Township. It protrudes consid- erably above the ground, showing probably 1,000 cubic feet. All of these surface rocks have been rounded by the action of water, and evidently have been transported by natural agencies from their native beds.
.
35
DOUGLAS COUNTY.
Upon the farm of R. Patterson, section 33, 16, 9, in Camargo Township, and on the Embarras river, is a fine fountain of living water, widely known as "Patterson's Spring," and a similar one on the Okaw, upon the farm of Thos. Brian, section 14, 16, 7, called "Sulphur Spring," and another in Hackett's Grove, section 31, 16, 9, the overflow of which finally reaches the Embarras, through Scatter- ing Fork. These locations, offering the double inducements of shade and water, are favorite places of resort for celebrations which, from numbers, have necessarily an al fresco requirement.
On the farm of Wessel Blaase, in Bourbon Township, some mounds have been found, from one of which human remains were taken, in excavating for a building. Other buildings in the county have been set upon slight elevations, all of which, from the surround- ings, were doubtless the work of human hands, at least such is the popular belief, assisted, in some instances, by ancient marks upon large trees, all of which face to one point. If an antiquarian society were formed it is possible that Douglas county might furnish some facts of value to the scientist or the antiquarian.
The productiveness of the soil, and the easy tillage, from the absence of timber and rock, with the comparative remunerative value of all farm products, have made agriculture the leading interest of the county, to the exclusion of manufacturing enterprise. At the same time the facilities for manufacturing are not great, from the absence of home coal and perpetual water power. There are, however. many fine flouring mills, several extensive brick yards, which are sufficient for the growing demands of home, and one or two Sorghum refiner- ies, manufacturing syrup, which are doing good business.
The growth of the county and the expansion of agricultural interests, from year to year, increase the demand for nearly all manu- factured articles, but, like new countries in this respect, manufactures are of slow growth, and must wait for the necessary capital to accu- mulate or the introduction of it from other quarters.
The climate of Douglas county is exceptionally healthy and still improving with the cultivation of the land. She offers, in addi- tion, superior inducements to good men of every grade who desire permanent homes, where they can educate their children and enjoy facilities for worship, the educational institutions being of advanced character, and the various religious denominations exhibiting unusual liberality. For the sending and receiving of goods, grain and mer- chandise generally, her railroad system, now nearly all that could be
36
HISTORY OF
desired, having 72 miles in operation, when completed, will hardly be found exceeded elsewhere, and notwithstanding the rapid increase of wealth, evinced in both town and country by many handsome resi- dences, erected within a few years, by self-made men, the tendencies of the people are decidedly democratic, the intelligent workingman receiving as much consideration, socially, as the professional, though he had the bluest blood and the riches of Croesus.
Nowhere in the county are liquor licenses granted. Crimes com- mitted by residents of the county are comparatively rare. The people are industrious and, upon the whole, the morals are good and the con- clusion necessarily follows that Douglas county is making rapid strides in proportional wealth and greatness, towards the front rank, in which she will eventually take her place.
ILLINOIS.
Congressional Townships, about 1,500; Square Miles, 55,410; Swamp Lands, acres, 3,267.470; Railroad grants, 1850-1860, 2,295,053 acres; Territory organized, 1809; State admitted, ISI8.
Population, 1860,
Population, 1870,
White,
1,704,291
White,
2,511,096
Colored,
7,628
Colored,
28,763
Indian,
32
Indian,
32
Total,
1,711,951
Total,
2,539,891
Population
1860.
1870
Native.
1,387,308
2,024,693
Foreign born
324,643
515,198
Persons to a Square mile
45.84
Persons to a family .
5.35
Persons to a dwelling
5.47
Males
1,316,537
Females.
1,223,354
Total
2,539,891
SUPERVISORS OF DOUGLAS COUNTY, From Township Organization in 1868.
TOWNSHIPS.
1868.
1869.
1870.
1871. 1872.
Garrett .. C. Garrett.
Tuscola ... O. C. Hackett.
G. W. Henson.
M. Rice.
F. Hesler.
J. W. Mckinney.
J. W. Mckinney.
Camargo .
B. W. Hooe.
B. W. Hooe.
D. Todd.
B. W. Ilooe.
B. W. Hooe.
Sargent. I. W. Burget.
I. W. Burget.
I. W. Burget.
I. W. Burget.
I. W. Burget.
Bowdre .. B. Bowdre.
B. Bowdre.
O. P. Hunt.
O. P. Hunt.
O. P. Hunt.
Arcola
A. T. Whitney.
D. Hitchcock.
D. Hitchcock.
Wm. Luce.
Wm. Luce.
Bourbon
L. Chandler.
L. Chandler.
L. Chandler.
L. Chandler.
C. Bales.
TOWNSIHPS.
1873.
1874.
1875.
1876.
Population, 1870.
Garrett ..
J. W. Hackett.
Thomas Owen.
J. Hoots
W.m. Howe.
1599
Tuscola
G. P Phinney.
G. P. Phinney. M. Rice.
M. Rice. F. F. Barber.
W. R. Brown.
1077
Newman
B. W. Hooe.
F. F. Barber.
W. R Brown. S
Sargent.
I. W. Burget.
S. M. Long.
S. M. Long.
W. F. Murphy.
1035
Bowdre. .
M. Y. Coykendall.
M. Y. Coykendall.
M. Y. Coykendall.
F. M. Reeds.
1313
Arcola ..
M. Barnhart.
M. Barnhart.
M. Barnhart.
M. Barnhart.
2332
Bourbon
M. D. Bartholomew! And. Ray.
And. Ray.
J. F. Bouck.
1457
Total Population
DOUGLAS COUNTY.
37
1
Wm. Ellars.
Wm. Ellars.
Win. Ellars.
Wm. Ellars.
A. M. Woody.
P. C. Sloan. :
K. Glassco.
R. Ervin.
G. P. Phinney.
R. Ervin.
2863
M. Rice.
I SOS
Camargo .
M. Rice.
Newman
1
13484
38
HISTORY OF
SYSTEM OF SURVEYS.
The rectangular system of surveys adopted by the United States Government in subdividing the public lands, in its present state of perfection, is the simplest and most beautiful that could be devised. A State, when subdivided, has the regularity and symmetry of a well laid out city on a grand scale, the townships corresponding to the blocks and the sections and subdivisions to the lots. The sections and townships are almost invariably one and six miles square, bounded by lines corresponding to the cardinal points.
The public lands are primarily surveyed into rectangular tracts, six miles square, called townships, bounded by lines running east and west, and north and south, and containing, as near as may be, 23,040 acres-16, 7, in Garrett Township, is of just that arca. The town- ships are subdivided into thirty-six tracts one mile square, as a general rule, and called sections. The sections are numbered consecutively from one to thirty-six, beginning in the northeast corner of the town- ship and numbering west with the north tier of sections, thence cast with the second tier, west with the third and so on to section thirty- six in the southeast corner of the township.
Sections are divisible into four equal parts of 160 acres each, and each quarter section is again divisible into two half quarters of So acres or into four quarter-quarters of 40 acres each. These are called legal subdivisions and are the only divisions recognized by the Government in disposing of the public lands, except where tracts are made frac- tional by water courses or other causes. The subdivisions of sections were not actually surveyed and marked in the field. Quarter section or half mile posts were established on the boundaries of the sections, and the quarter-quarter corners are, by law, the equidistant points between the section and quarter section corners.
39
DOUGLAS COUNTY.
The lines constituting the base of the public surveys, with regard to Douglas county especially, are three. A line running north and south through the centre of the State is called the "Third Principal Meridian," and a similar one in the State of Indiana, which is the Second Principal Meridian, and a Principal Base line which crosses Illinois about So miles south of Douglas county. We count, there- fore, north from the Base line and east from the third Principal Meri- dian, or west from the second Principal Meridian. Thus, Tuscola is sit- uated in township 16, North of the Principal Base, of Range S East, of the third Principal Meridian, and Newman is in the same Township, 16, North of the Principal Base, and of Range 14 West of the second Principal Meridian. Thus these points are accurately located, for no other section of land in the State of Illinois can possibly have the same description, and knowing the location of any other city in the State, in the same manner, that depends upon the same Base and Meridian, their distance apart can be quite accurately estimated.
As is well known, lines beginning at a given distance apart and both running accurately north will converge or approach each other, and consequently the Townships always become narrower as they run north, and a single Township is about three rods narrower on its north side than on the south, in this latitude. A check upon this converg- ence is made by running what is called a Correction line, sub-base or standard parallel. Such a line runs between Townships 15 and 16 in this county. Here the work was, as it were, begun afresh, with new and accurate measurements east and west, and thence the work again carried on north. This will account for the well known slip corners of Townships and sections on this line, sometimes called "jogs;" Surveyors call them "fallings," falling to the right or left of corners at the end of the line run.
The townships in range 14 west, in Douglas county, count from the second P. M. in Indiana, so that a system of surveys counting east from the third P. M., in Illinois, was extended until it met and closed upon a system, counting west from the second P. M. in Indiana.
Township 16, S, was surveyed by John Messinger, April, IS21; 15, 9, by W. L. May, in May, 1821; 15, S and 14, 8, by C. McK. Hamtrauck, whe subdivided 15, 9, into sections in June, 1821. It is unlawful for the surveyor who surveys townships to subdivide the same into sections, that one may be a check upon the other, and it is well known that in many cases the surveyors, being overtaken by a severe attack of bad weather, subdivided some of the townships in the tent.
40
HISTORY OF
In re-establishing the lines of the original survey, the so-called pro rata system is now universally adopted by all skilled surveyors, in which they are sustained by the Courts; not, however, until the surveyors had educated the Courts up to the point. That is to say, if in a measurement of six miles, between original corners, there is a loss or gain found, thus differing from the record, the difference is distrib- uted to each mile. In other words, if the loss or gain is six rods in six miles, each section will lose or gain one rod from its original recorded length, whilst, at the same time it may be longer or shorter than some other section on the same measured line as it was in the original survey, the whole distance is longer or shorter than the recorded distance, so the length of each mile of the distance is longer or shorter than the recorded distance.
REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER GENERAL OF THE LAND OFFICE, 1868, PAGE 7.
The original corners, where they can be found, must stand, under the Statute as the true corners they were intended to represent, even though not exactly where strict professional care might have placed them in the first instance.
Missing corners must be re-established in the identical localities they originally occupied. When the spot can not be determined by existing landmarks in the field, resort must be had to the field notes of the original survey.
The law provides that the lengths of the lines as stated in the original field notes, shall be considered as the true lengths, and the distance between the corners, as set down in those notes, constitute the proper data from which to determine the true locality of the miss- ing corner.
Hence the rule, that all such should be restored at distances "proportionate" to the original measurements between existing origi. nal landmarks.
41
DOUGLAS COUNTY.
TUSCOLA TOWNSHIP.
" Hodie Mihi Cras Tibi."
Tuscola, the county seat, is situated in section 34, township 16, north, of range S cast, of the third Principal Meridian. The original town was laid out by a company, who also instituted the city of New- man at the same time, in 1857, and the projectors of the enterprise predicted that a new county would be soon formed, that the cast and west railroad would be built, and that Tuscola would be the county seat of the new county. The new county was made in two years, Tuscola became the county seat about the same time, and the railroad was built through the county fifteen years after.
October 11, 1859, an election was held for and against incorpora- tion. The names of all the voters were: Wm. Chandler, I. J. Hal- stead, Michael Noel, A. L. Otis, F. F. Nesbit, P. Noel, A. J. Gor- man, J. H. Harrison, Jas. Davis, A. G. Wallace, John Chandler, A. VanDeren, Thos. Woody and J. G. Cannon. For incorporation, 12; against incorporation, 2-14. The last six named are still living in the city. Town organized November, 28, 1859. First Council was: F. F. Nesbit, L. J. Wyeth, Jas. Davis, W. T. French, with M. Vaul, Clerk.
The Charter is dated March 11, 18,69. The first Mayor was James H. Martin, with a Council consisting of I. L. Jordan, E. Price, M. Pugh, W. Taggart. Mayor Martin resigned in June, 1870, and dying November 15, 1871, was buried at Camargo with Masonic honors. He was from Indiana and had resided in Tuscola about six years in the practice of the law. Tuscola is, doubtless, the first city in the State that was organized under the general incorporation act, which took effect July, 1, 1872. Various additions have been made to the area of the original town plat, which now covers an area of one square mile.
42
HISTORY OF
The prosperity and progress of the city has been retarded by many and some extensive fires, the largest and most notable of which, known as the fire, occurred on the night of March 11, 1873, at about 9 o'clock P. M. It originated in Block "A," between the present loca- tion of Hudson's lumber yard and Griswold's store. Block "A," 110 feet front, was built up of wooden structures, and the first intimation of the fire was the loud explosion of a quantity of gunpowder in a grocery store where the fire began. The explosion spread the flames in every direction in the block, and the intense heat soon ignited the buildings on the east side of Parke street, and the fire rapidly made its way along the south side of Sale street, and the north side of the Avenue, including Commercial Block, the best building in the city, a large three-story brick which contained, besides several handsome stores, a large City Hall, and in the third story the splendid Hall of the Masonic Society, also the First National Bank. These rooms had been finished in fresco in the best style of the art and the Lodge room was not surpassed by many of the finest halls in the large cities. When it was found that the Block would be burnt, the bank men piled every possible moveable into the vaults, including the valuable law library of Mr. Cannon, and upon opening the vaults the third day after the fire, the contents were found to be absolutely uninjured. This Commercial Block occupied the site of the present Opera Block. The other burnt buildings were of wood but contained in the aggre- gate a large quantity of merchandise. Some fifty buildings were destroyed, and the lo-s was not much short of $150,000.
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