History of Effingham county, Illinois, Part 29

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, O. L. Baskin & co.
Number of Pages: 650

USA > Illinois > Effingham County > History of Effingham county, Illinois > Part 29

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).

William and Redding Blunt, two brothers, and Ritchie Robinson, located near the cen- tral part of the township, on Salt Creek, in the spring of 1838, and were followed a lit- tle later by William and Joshua Moody, who settled near the northeastern part of the township, where they entered and improved about forty acres apiece. They were young unmarried men, and, after having erected a couple of small cabins on their respective claims, and cleared a few acres of ground, seemed to realize the full force of that Seript- ural injunction that "it is not good for man to be alone." Their respect for this partic- ular portion of Holy Writ having been in- duced by the presence in the neighborhood of two daughters of William Blunt, who found much favor in their eyes. A donblo marriage, in which the above partios were the chief actors, took place a't tho residence of the brides' father in the fall of 1840, and was the first ceremony of the kind solem- nized in Union Township. Squire Leith, of Mason, was the dignitary who gave legal sanction to the contract on that occasion, and it is to be presumed that another command of the Divine Word-to "multiply and fill the earth "-was obeyed by the two happy couples, as the younger editions of Moody's,

who became numerous in this locality in af- ter years, testified.

A list of Union's early settlers would bo incomplete without the name of John Trapp. He came into the township about the year 1838, and located a farm in the eastern part, near the place where Marion settled. He moved near Ewington a few years later, and figured rather prominently in the early poli- tics of the county, having been elected to tho position of Clerk in one of the most hotly contested elections ever held in the county.

Josiah and Martin Hull settled in the township, near Salt Creek, in the year 1842, and found, in addition to those previously mentioned, a man named Evans, who had preceded them, but of him we could learn nothing further than that he was accounted a very worthy man and an exemplary citizen. The Hulls were among the substantial pio- neers of Union, and cleared good farms, and were identified with every movement calcu- lated to advance the township's prosperity. Martin was elected Justice of the Peace about four years after coming to the county, and filled the office one year, when he sold the farm to a Mr. Sperling and moved from the township. Josiah disposed of his place in 1849 and moved to Marion County, where he is still living. In 1846, there were living in the township, in addition to the families enumerated, Warren Neal, William M. Wil- son, Ahert Simmerman and Stephen A. Will- iams. Neal settled in the southeastern part of the township, where his widow, a very old woman, still lives. Wilson came to Illinois from Ohio in the fall of 1845, and located in Section 18, where he still resides, the oldest settler in the township. He served the peo- ple as Justice of the Peace from 1849 until 1872. Simmerman settled in the southern part of the township, where Charles Wilson now lives. He came from Virginia, and was

224

HISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.

among the prominent citizens of the county. Williams was the first preacher in the town- ship, and organized the first religious society, at the residence of Simmerman, about the year 1848. He was a man of superior intel- lectual attainments, a gifted orator and a thorough business man. At the breaking-out of the late war, he entered the army as First Lieutenant, and participated in many of the hardest battles in the Southwestern cam paigns. He came home in the winter of 1862. on furlough, and died.

The names of other early settlers could be added to the list already given, but the dates of their settlement, and facts concerning their early life have been obscured by the lapse of time. Many of the pioneers have passed away " as a tale that is told." Others re- moved to distant lands, but by far the great- er number have passed into the " windowless palace of the dead, whose doors open not out- ward." For many years during the early history of this section of the country, the lives of the pioneers were not enviable. Their trials were numerous, and the obsta- cles they were called upon to encounter would discourage the bravest-hearted of the present day; yet, hard as was their life in the wil- derness, it had its seasons of recreation, if such could be called recreation. Raisings, log-rollings, etc., when the settlers from far and near would meet, and, while working, would recount various incidents, talk over old times, and thus relieve the monotony of their isolated situation. Light hearts, strong constitutions and clear consciences made the toilsome hours pass pleasantly, and old men now living, whose youth was spent among the stirring scenes of those times, look back with pleasure to the old days as the most enjoya- ble period of their lives. Their first duty was to provide a shelter, and their rude cab- ins were hastily built, daubed with mud; the

floors were often nothing but mother earth, made smooth and compact by constant usage, or of rough puncheon; and the bedsteads and tables, with a chair or two, were almost the sole furniture. Pewter plates and cups were common, and the huge, open- mouthed fire- place, surrounded by pots, skillets, ovens, pans, etc., were used for cooking, as stoves at that time were not in vogue on the frontier. Corn-dodgers, baked in an oven or skillet, and johnny-cake, baked on a board before a fire, with venison prepared in various ways, were considered food fit for the gods.

The early roads through the woods and over the hills of this township were mere trails, that had originally been made by the Indians, and afterward improved by the peo- ple and made into highways. The first road that was surveyed and regularly established in the southern part of the county passed through the western part of this township, in a southerly direction. and known as the Louisville & Ewington road, as it connected those two places. The original route has been greatly changed during the last twenty years, and it is still one of the most extensively traveled highways in the county. Another early road was the one leading west from the Brocket Mill to Mason, where it connected with an important highway which ran to Vandalia. The Clay County & Mason road was established many years ago, and passed through the central part of the town- ship, from east to west. When first laid out, there were no bridges where these roads crossed the streams, and hence, in time of high water, travel had to be suspended. Now there are several good bridges over the principal water-courses, so that overflows are no impediment to travel.

In educational matters Union Township is not behind her sister townships of the coun- ty. Her citizens have always taken special

John Hills UL.

227

HISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.

interest and pride in the public schools. which have been well sustained and patron- ized. The first school, as already stated, was tanght by Frederick Brocket, at his resi- dence, about the year 1846. The second term was taught at the same place, the following year, by William Ventis. Emeline Little taught about the same time, in a little log cabin that had formerly been ocenpied as a dwelling by John Trapp, and that stood a short distance east of the Brocket farm. A small hut, that had been abandoned by a squatter by the name of Johnson, was fitted up for school purposes. and ocenpied by Dempsey Hamilton, who taught a three- months subscription school in the winter of 1847-48. The first regular schoolhouse was built in the fall of 1848,, and stood near Nel- son Gordon's residence, in Section 1S. It was a good house, made of howed logs, well furnished, and was supplied with a stove- probably the first building of the kind in the country heated by such an appliance.

The first public school in the township was taught by David Phelps, in this building, about the year 1849. It was used for school purposes for a little more than twenty years. when it was purchased by Samuel Leith. who moved it to his farm, and at present oc- cupies it as a residence. A frame school- house was erected near the same place in 1870, and is known as District No. 1. Among the early pedagogues who wielded the birch in Union were Minnie Anderson, John An- derson, James Anderson, Thomas Vanderver (now a prominent physician and druggist of Effingham), Vincent Wyth and Dr. Allen. The township is well supplied with good frame schoolhouses at proper intervals, in which schools are taught about eight months of the year.

The New-Lights, or Christians, as they call themselves, organized the first church in

the township, at the residence of Ahart Simpson, as has already been stated, and met for worship there for a number of years. A building was afterward erected near the southern limit of the township, known as Bethsaida Church, where a small congrega- tion still meet. The building is frame, and cost about $600. Among the early pastors were Stephen A. Williams, to whose labors the church owes its existence; Andrew Ho- gan, and a man by the name of Patterson. There have been religions services held in the schoolhouses throughout the township by ministers of several denominations at differ- ent times, but aside from the organization alluded to, no other clinrch ever had an ex- istence in Union.

Dr. James Long was the first person to practice the healing art among the pioneers of Southern Effingham, and moved into the township from Mason about the year 1846. and located near Flemsburg. His profes- sional life in this part of the county extend- ed over a period of five or six years. The second marriage in the township took place in about the year IS46, at the residence of John Trapp, when his daughter, Catharine. and John Gordon, took upon themselves the responsibilities of matrimony. Rev. Stephen Williams officiated at the ceremony. It was in the month of November when this impor- tant event transpired, and the smiling groom appeared before the guests gayly attired in his shirt sleeves. linen pants and, a pair of cow-hide shoes. Another early marriage was that of Calvin Brockett and Miss Rowena Hall, this year. The ceremony was per- formed by Squire Martin Hull, at the resi- dence of Joseph Hull, where the couple went for the purpose, the bride's father being kept in blissful ignorance, in the meantime, on account of his decided objection to the match. The first birth taking place in Union was a 11

228

HISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.

child of Martin K. Robinson, which was born shortly after the family moved to the town- ship. The old Brocket Graveyard was the first place consecrated to the burial of the dead, and is at this time so overgrown with brush and weeds that it could not be distin- guished, save for a slight paling around one little grave, where the child of some unknown stranger lies buried.

The Flemsburg Mill was built by Hartwig Samilson, in the year 1850, on the Little Wabash, from which it received the power that operated it. It stood in Section 30, and was in operation about four years, when it was torn down and rebuilt on a much more improved plan, and has been doing a very good business ever since. Mr. Samilson laid out a small village at this point in the year 1851, and a store was opened soon after by Messrs. Thole & Ruse, who conducted busi- ness for about two years. A few residences were erected and a blacksmith shop built, but the village was destined to be of short dura- tion, as there were no inducements for busi- ness men or mechanics to locate here. The store was closed out by Mr. Ruse in the year 1854. and the dwellings gradually disap- peared, until now there is nothing of the town except one blacksmith shop and the mill.

A horrible murder was committed near the place in the year 1860, under the following

circumstances: A man by name of Shep- herd, living about one mile east of the river, entered a piece of land adjoining his farm, on which a couple of squatters by name of " Shell" and "Dick" Russell had settled some time previous. They refused to leave the land, and the rights of property were tried before Squire Wilson, who returned a verdict in favor of Shepherd, whereupon the Russell brothers took an appeal from the decision to the court. Saturday before court convened. Shepherd went to the village of Mason to do some trading, where he remained till dark, and started home after night. He was met on the Flemsburg bridge by the Russell boys and two associates, Scott How- ell and Jacob Booher, knocked off his horse with a heavy club. dragged down the stream a short distance and thrown over the bank into the water. The horse was found the following Monday by some neighbors, who went out to look for Shepherd. The saddle was covered with blood, which at once aroused suspicions of foul play. Upon further search, the body of Shepherd was found on a sand-bar, on which it had fallen when thrown over the bank. The murderers were arrest- ed, tried, their guilt established, and they ware sentenced to be hanged. A short time before the day set for their execution, they broke jail and escaped, since which nothing has been heard of them.

229

HISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.

CHAPTER XX .*

ST. FRANCIS TOWNSHIP-DESCRIPTION AND TOPOGRAPHY-THE FIRST SETTLERS AND THEIR HARDSHIPS-A TRAGEDY-MILLS, ROADS AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS-EARLY RELIG- IOUS HISTORY-CHURCHES AND PREACHERS-SCHOOLS, SCHOOLHOUSES, ETC.

-THIE VILLAGE OF MONTROSE-ITS GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT, ETC.

A S we travel along the highways that traverse this beautiful prairie township, it is difficult to realize that less than fifty years ago these luxuriant plains and fertile fields were the hiding places of the wolf and formed part of a vast unbroken wild which gave but little promise of the high state civilization it has since attained. Instead of the rnde log cabin and diminutive board shanty, we now see dotting the land in all directions comfortable and well built farm- houses, many of them of the latest style of architecture-graceful, substantial and con- venient. We see also neat church edifices lifting their modest spires heavenward and good schoolhouses at close intervals. The fields are loaded with the choicest cereals, pastures are alive with munerons herds of fine cattle and other stock of improved quality, while everything bespeaks the thrift and prosperity with which the farmer in this fertile region is blessed.

St. Francis lies in the extreme northeastern part of the county and embraces within its area thirty-six sections of land, which, for agricultural and grazing purposes, are unex- celled by any similar number of acres in this part of the State. Topographically. the township may be described as of an even sur- faco in the central and eastern portions with occasional undulations of as somewhat irregular character in the northwest corner. It is principally prairie, and when first seen

by white men was covered with a dense growth of tall grass, which attested the fertile quality of the soil beneath. This soil is similar to that of the prairies of the surrounding townships, being a rich, dark loam resting on a clay subsoil. and everywhere noted for its great productiveness. The timbered districts are confined chiefly to the southern and south- western portions, though there is some very fair timber in the northwest corner and skirting Salt Creek, which traverses that part of the township. In the forests are found most of the varieties indigenous to this lati- tude, principally hickory, oak, elm, sycamore, maple and walnut in limited quantities; the country is sufficiently well watered and drained by Salt Creek and Little Salt Creek, and several small tributaries that flow into them from many points.

St. Francis lies in the great wheat belt of Illinois, and this cercal is the principal staple. though corn, rye, oats, barley, flax, etc .. to- gether with many of the root crops, are raised in abundance. Nowhere is there better encouragement afforded the fruit grower than here. A soil of peculiar adaptability and a climate equally favorable insure a large yield almost every year-facts many of the citizens have taken advantage of, as is evinced by the numerous fine orchards to be seen in different parts of the township.

The first settlers in the present confines of St. Francis Township located in the year

230

HISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.

1840 or 1845, but just where cannot now be definitely determined, nor can we say defin- itely who the first settler was, though it is generally supposed to have been a German, by the name of Taela. The place of his im- provements was in the timber near the head of Little Salt Creek, a spot around which quite a number of the early pioneers located their homes. Taela came with his family from Cincinnati, traveling all the way with an ox team, spending several weeks on the road before reaching his destination. The condition of the prairie at that early day al- most precluded the possibility of traveling at all, the country being covered with a soft, oozy mud, into which the large, heavy wagon wheels sank almost to the hub, and, to add to the discomfort, millions of the green-headed flies, which in summer time were so numer- ous, proved such a torment to the cattle that traveling by day was all but impossible. Much of the journey was therefore made by night, the driver guiding his course through the mud and dense prairie grass by the stars, as there were but few roads at that time in the country, and none in what is now St. Francis Township.

After reaching his destination and select- ing a site for his future home, this old pioneer hastily improvised a temporary shel- ter for his family out of brush and poles, which answered very well the purposes of a habitation until a more comfortable and con- venient cabin of logs was erected. The conntry at that time was in a very wild state, neighbors few and far between, and many in- conveniences were experienced by the family before much headway could be made toward raising anything, as the soil was very wet and muddy, and much time was required to bring it into a fit condition for cultivation. Wolves were numerous, and proved a terror to the live stock. which had to be guarded

carefully against their depredations, and not- withstanding all precaution for safety much damage was done by them to the hen-house and pig-pen. Taela, by dint of hard work and plenty of that spirit called perseverance, succeeded in bringing order out of the chaos, by which he was surrounded, and soon had a nice little farm under successful tillage. to which be added other acres until in time he became the possessor of a considerable tract of land, all of which was well improved. He died on his farm on which he passed his de- . clining years in peace and comfort, about ten years ago. His son. Henry Taela, now owns the old place.

Abraham Marble was probably the next to locate in the township. He was from Ohio, and came to Illinois about the year 1845, lo- cating east of where the village of Montrose now stands, on the old stage line or National road, where for several years he kept a relay house. He also kept a little hotel here for the accommodation of the few travelers that passed his place, which was one of the first public houses in the country. Becoming tired of his occupation, he quit the business, and moved a little further west into what is now St. Francis Township, and entered a piece of land lying in the southeast quarter of Section 3. He lived on this place until the year 1858, when he sold his improve- ments and with his family moved to the State of Minnesota, where he died about a dozen years ago. Marble had two sons, young men, both of whom can be called early settlers, as they married and located in the township, making some improvements a short distance south and west of where the old man's house stood. William Marble did but little toward improving the land by farming, devoting the most of his attention to cattle- raising, and in time became the possessor of several large herds which returned him a

231

IIISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.

great deal of wealth. Owing to some

went to Minnesota, where he remained for domestic difficulty, he left his family and

some time, afterward sending for his wife, who refused to go to him. Ile still lives in Minnesota, or was living there when last heard from. John Marble purchased land in Section 13, the year after the family came to the township, which he sold to a man by the name of Greek. after having occupied it until the year 1864. He appears to have

been a man of very decided character, inde-

pendent in his manners and a strong Repub-

lican in politics. He made no attempt to

conceal his political principles, but on the

contrary gloried in giving them full expres-

sion whenever an occasion presented itself, sometimes talking in such a manner as to

offend his neighbors, the great majority of whom were radically Democratic. During the war, he informed on a couple of deserters who came into the neighborhood, which led to their attempted arrest, and for this piece of intelligence his hay-stacks, wheat-stacks, and very nearly all of his fencing were burned to the ground. The incendiaries were pursued, but not captured, being, as was generally supposed, hidden away in the house of somo neighbor who had no particu- lar love for Marble. Ho left the country shortly after the war, and like the rest of the family went to Minnesota, his present home.

In an early day, a small settlement was mado on the National road, near the central part of the township, by " Kit " Radly, as he was familiarly called, who kept, or pretended to keep, a hotel, but in reality, as it was afterward proved, kept a gambling den, which was for years the rendezvous of a gang of blacklegs and cut-throats as rough and worthless as himself. The locality came to be dreaded far and near, and it has been stated that a number of travelers stopped

there at different times and were never seen or heard of afterward -- circumstances that naturally gave rise to suspicions of foul play. The general supposition seems to be that a systematie plan of robbery and murder was pursued for years on the unsuspecting passers by, but, as Radly was universally feared, no time, made. The old man died at this place, son Nick, who inherited all his father's " cus- and the property came into possession of his efforts toward an investigation were, at that

sedness " in a tenfold degree, without the

fairtest tinge of a redeeming quality. 1fc

number of quarrels, disturbances, and was seems to have been connected with a large

arrested upon several occasions for complicity in some very bold thieving serapes. At one time a warrant for his apprehension was placed in the hands of a neighbor of his. deputized for the purpose. as the regular officer was afraid to attempt his arrest. When called for, Radly was at work on the top of a frame barn, that had just been raised, and, when told that he was wanted. answered with the ejaculation, " All right, by G-d,, just wait till I come down," at the same time throwing the large, heavy hatchet he had in his hand full at the officer's head, which barely missed him, and buried itself in the hard oak sill at his feet. Seeing that he had missed his aim, and having no other weapon at his command, he descended from the building, with many apologies for his carelessness, as he called it. for letting the hatchet drop, which apologies were made after seeing the officer's large rovolver held ready for use. Radly accompanied the officer, stood his trial, and was acquitted on account of technical discrepancy in the indictment. Upon another occasion, while at a gathering of some kind, in the western part of the township. he got into an altercation with several Germans, and being a man of fiery

232

HISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.

temper, at once "peeled his duds," as the saying went, and challenged the whole crowd, which challenge met with a hearty response on the part of two or three burly fellows, any of whom was much more than his equal physically, and the result was that Radly received such a severe pummeling that he was unable to get out of his bed for several days, vowing vengeance in the meantime. He met one of the parties a short time after- ward, at a barn-raising, and at once became very abusive, calling him all manner of bad names, in such strong and bitter language, that the man, who, by the way, was no cow- ard, sprang at him, whereupon Radly turned and made a feint toward trying to get away, calling at the same time to the bystanders to take the man off, who, by this time, was on his (Radly's) back. Drawing a long, sharp dirk; he struck backward several times, and cnt his antagonist in a shocking manner- literally carving him to pieces. The man was picked up, carried to his home, and for several weeks his life was despaired of, but he finally recovered. Radly escaped on the ground of self-defense. He afterward left the county and nothing has since been heard of him.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Effingham county, Illinois, Part 29

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago, O. L. Baskin & co. Number of Pages: 650

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, O. L. Baskin & co.
Number of Pages: 650