History of Effingham county, Illinois, Part 4

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 4

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Our soils are mainly composed of mineral matter in a finely comminnted condition, to which is added, from year to year, the vege- table and animal matters which are accumu- lated upon the surface. If the superficial deposits are absent, the soil is formed by the decomposition of rocks, upon which it rests. If the rock is a sandstone, it will form a light sandy soil; if a clay shale or other argillaceons rock, a heavy clay soil will be the result; and if a limestone it will produce a calcareous soil, so there will be a marked change in the soil with every variation which oceurs in the char- acter of the underlying rock strata.

In the drift deposits will never be found any valuable mineral deposits. And the fragments of lead, copper, iron and Inmps of coal that are sometimes found in this drift are often believed by the ignorant to be proofs of valuable mineral deposits, where there are none. In rare instances, minute partieles of gold have been thus found and charlatans, professing to be geologists, have proclaimed these to be valuable gold or silver mines.

These deposits, while so far they have been often used to play upon ignorant credulity, are by no means destitute of valuable materials for industrial use. They furnish the clay, brick. sand and tile that are so generally in use; they are the great reservoir that hold so securely the sweet, pure, cold water that supplies our wells; they are the agriculturist's bank of de- posit, where, when he learns to properly draw his cheek upon it, is supplied with inexhausti- ble wealth with which to honor all his drafts.

State Geologist Worthen reports of Effing- ham. County as follows:

HISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.

West of the Little Wabash there is exposed in the National road four to six feet of brown clay resting on blue clay, with bowlders.

On the bank of Green Creek, near the north county line, is exposed-

Ft.

1 Brown soil. 1

2 Brown sandy clay. 6

3 Brown sandstone. . 4 inches to 1

4 Sand and pebbles. 2

In the railroad cut south of Watson-

Ft.

Brown clay (loess). . 8

Clay and sand with pebbles. 20

On Bishop's Creek-

Ft.

Brown and buff clay. 12

Blue clay and bowlders. 15

On Salt Creek-

Brown and buff clay (thin) Ft. In.

Sandy conglomerate. 6

Bine clay and bowlders. 8

In Sections 17 and 30, Township 8 north, Range 5 east, there are regular beds of ferrugi- nous drift conglomerate, two to three feet in thickness.

A citizen of Effingham (Wes. Stephenson), en- gaged in well-digging, reports the following gen- eral sections of wells:

Ft.

1 Soil and subsoil. . 1

2 White, buff and blue clay (loess). 10

3 Red clay and gravel-hardpan. . 3 to 4 4 Hardpan, blue-gray clay and gravel. 12 to 24

5 Sometimes black clay. 3 to 6

The sand and gravel that furnishes the abun- dant and excellent water all over the county, and especially here in the city of Etlingham, in inexhaustible quantities, is found from thirteen to twenty-four feet below the surface.

On the prairies in the southeast, water is ob- tained from twelve to twenty feet; at Watson, sixteen feet; in the southwest, twenty; at Mason, eighteen to thirty. The deepest wells known in the county are G. W. Nelson's, fifty feet, through clay and coal measure rocks to good limestone

water, and at Jesse Newman's place in Mason, 145 feet. This last had only a scant supply of water.

Coal .- The State Geologist estimates that a coal-shaft at the city of Effingham would have to go down 900 to 950 feet in order to reach Vein No. 5. This is a five-foot coal vein. It lies below Coal No. 9, six inches; No. 8, three feet; No. 7, five to seven feet; and No. 6, two feet six inches.

The only remarkable bed of coal yet found or worked in the county is G. W. Nelson's, in Sec- tion 20, Township 6 north, Range 4 east. A pit was opened here and good coal procured. The vein was reported three feet thick, but six miles down the creek, at Mahon's, it was only ten inches thick, and on Limestone Creek, in Sec- tion 18, Township 6 north, Range 5 east, it is sixteen inches thick. These designated out- crops indicate a decided easterly dip. The same coal is also found on Big Creek, in Section 25, Township 7 north, Range 4 east. The State Geologist catalogued this vein as No. 16, count- ing from the lowest upward.

On Salt and Brush Creeks there is a six-inch seam of bituminous coal, which is catalogued as No. 17. Its sure guide is two thin even lay- ers of gray limestone, occurring about four l'eet above, and abounding in Spirifer plano-convexus. This has been reported sixteen inches to two feet thick, but it is probably an overestimate. A thin seam of coal was also found in Section 26, Township 9 north, Range 5 east.

Can coal be found here? This is now a ques- tion of deep interest to the people of the county. In the total absence of any definite knowledge upon the question, commendable but perhaps foolish struggles have been made and money and time expended to test the question. Men and their drills have been brought here, and a boring was made south of the depot a few years ago, and all any one learned was that their money went into a hole, where it will never come out.

HISTORY OF EFFINGILAM COUNTY.

The people of Vandalia made a much more expensive investigation a few years ago than our people made. At immense expense, they carried a shaft (the water was here unusually strong) to the depth of 474 feet, and there stopped.

The shaft at Centralia was sunk to the depth of 576 feet, at which depth a seam of coal seven feet in thickness was found. This coal is 370 feet below the Carlinville limestone in that shaft, and if the strata retains the same thickness at Vandalia, they stopped eighty feet above the Centralia coal seam. These borings indicate a decided increase in thickness of the stone strata toward this part of the State, and therefore the coal will be deeper here than at Centralia in that proportion.

When you know what you have to do it is easy to prepare and do it. We make no doubt coal will be found here some day and worked to good profit, even if we do have to go 900 or 1,000 feet to it.

Iron Ore .- The drift conglomerate occur- ring in Section 17, Township 8 north, Range 5 east, is three feet thick and contains a good deal of iron ore. It crops out on a point of the hillside extending for thirty feet across. A similar deposit occurs near the mouth of Big Creek, in Section 30, Township 8 north, Range 5 east. Coal measure shales on Big Creek abound in many concretions of oxide and car- bonate of iron; there are also some in other localities, but the quantity is insufficient.

The sandstone below Effingham, in the fos- siliferous portion, is very ferruginous. Red ox- ide of iron occurs on Beech Creek in sandstone over Coal No. 15.

Building Rock .- On Sugar Fork, near its mouth, there is a good quarry of hard sand- stone, and one of silicious limestone on Green Creek above the mouth of Sugar Fork.

Eversman's quarry has furnished a firm. gray sandstone. Thus is two miles south of Etling- ham, on Salt Creek Bluffs. On M. V. Park's

farm, adjoining the city of Effingham, is a quarry that has also furnished the most of the rock for foundations in the city. Very good sandstone, in thick beds, occurs in the bluffs of Shoal Creek near its mouth; on Fulfer Creek, in Section 2, Township 6 north, Range 5 cast, near Ramsey Creek, half a mile from its mouth, in Section 27, Township 6 north. Range 6 cast, and on Big Creek, in Section 29, Township 9 north, Range 5 east.

There are good limestone quarries on Lime- stone Creek and on Fulfer Creek. A good deal of rock used on the National road was ob- tained here and at Mahon's on Fulfer Creek, and also on Big Creek. The best rock for the production of lime is found at Nelson's coal bank.

Mineral Waters. - Few if any counties in the State are better supplied with medicinal waters than this. So far they are wholly un- developed sources of wealth and industry. Douglas, Watson, Mason and Jackson Town- ships have each springs that possess good min- eral qualities, some of them strong, and that some of these many waters when analyzed and once understood, will become widely popular and beneficial to mankind we make no doubt.

In Jackson Township, on Sam Winter's land, Section 32, Township 6, Range 5, are two fine springs, and while they are not more than a rod apart, are wholly different in their medical properties. These springs were once the favorite rendezvous of the Indians. Mr. Winters tells us that before these springs were fenced, cattle would come there for miles to drink of these waters, passing other drinking places in order to quench their thirst in these delicious waters. The neighbors have for a long time understood the value of these springs.

In the same township, near James Larimor's and David Mitchell's, on Section 16, Township 7, Range 5, southwest quarter of southeast quarter, is a fine flowing spring, that has iron unquestionably, and probably sulphur.

HISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.

In Mason township, in Section 2, Township 6, Range 5, about three miles north of the town of Mason, are three springs, known as Sulphur Springs. These have been extensively inves- tigated by Dr. Mathews, and they are already resorted to by a great many people.

In Watson Township, Section 22, Township 7, Range 6, on land of the I. C. R. R., near the farm of Andy Parks are still other and very fine springs. In the recent sale of the lands of the railroad, these springs were reserved, and it is said the road intends to improve and de- velop this health resort.

The Origin and Formation of Prairies .- For many years this subject has been under discussion by some of our most eminent men. Among the first to enter at any length upon the subject was Hon. Walter B. Scates, former- ly of the State Supreme Court, Prof. Whitney, of the Geological Survey of Iowa, and Prof. Winchell, the eminent geologist of Ann Arbor University, continued it at great length, and Prof. Lesquereux joined also the investigation. Mr. Worthen, the State geologist, realizing the great importance of the people of Illinois of this subject, requested Prof. Lesquereux to give his latest and best conclusions in refer- ence to it, after his recent discussions with other eminent geologists.

The Professor holds that prairies are, at our time, in process of formation along the shores of our lakes-Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, etc., as also along the Mississippi and some of its affluents, especially the Minnesota River. The formation of these recent prairies, whose ex- tent is not comparable to that of the primitive ones, is peculiar, and has the greatest analogy with that of the peat bogs. Where the lake waves or currents strike the shores or the low grounds, and there heap materials -sand, peb- bles, mud, etc .- they build up more or less ele- vated dams or islands, which soon become cov- ered with trees. These dams are not always built along the shores; they do not even always

follow their outline, but often inclose wide shallow basins, whose waters are thus shel- tered against any movement. Here the aquatic plants, sedges, rushes, grasses, etc., soon appear, these basins become swamps, and, as it can be seen near the borders of Lake Michi- gan, though the waters may surround them, the trees never invade them, never grow upon them, even when the swamps become drained by some natural or artificial cause. Along the Mississippi and the Minnesota Rivers the same phenomenon is observable, with a difference only in the process of operation. In time of flood, the heaviest particles of mud are depos- ited on both sides of the current, along the line of slack water, and by repeated deposits, dams are slowly formed and upraised above the gen- eral surface of the bottom land. Thus, after a time, of course, the water thrown on the bot- toms by a flood is, at its subsidence, shut out from the river, and both sides of it are con- verted into swamps, sometimes of great extent. Seen from the high bluffs bordering its bottom land, the bed of the Minnesota River is, in the spring, marked for miles by two narrow strips of timbered land, bordering the true channel of the river, and emerging like fringes in the middle of a long, continuous narrow lake. In the summer, and viewed from the same point, the same bottoms are transformed into a green plain, whose undulating surface looks like im- mense fields of unripe wheat, but forms, in truth, impassible swamps, covered with rushes, sedges, etc. By successive inundations and their deposits of mud, and by the heaping of detritus of their luxuriant herbaceous vegeta- tion, these become, by and by, raised up above the level of the river. They then dry up in the summer, mostly by infiltration and evapor- ation, and when out of reach of flood, they be- come first wet, and afterward dry prairies. Prairie du Chein, Prairie la Fourche, Prairie la Crosse, etc., as their names indicate, are towns located upon formations of this kind. These

IHISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.

splendid patches of prairie, though of a far more recent orgin than the immense plains above them, are, nevertheless, true prairies, bordered on one side by the high, timbered banks of the bottoms, a fringe of trees separ- ate them still from the actual bed of the river; nevertheless, the trees do not invade them.

This peculiarity of formation explains, first the peculiar nature of the soil of the prairies. It is neither peat nor humus, but a black, soft mold, impregnated with a large proportion of ulmic acid, produced by the slow decomposition, mostly under water, of aquatic plants, and thus partaking as much of the nature of the peat as that of the true humus. In all the depressions of the prairies where water is permanent and unmixed with particles of mineral matter, the ground is true peat.

It is easy to understand why trees cannot grow on such kind of ground. The germina- tion of seeds of arborescent plants needs the free access of oxygen for their development, and the trees especially in their youth absorb by their roots a great amount of air, and de- mand a solid point of attachment to fix them- selves. Moreover, the acid of this kind of soil by its particularly antiseptic property, promotes the vegetation of a peculiar group of plants, mostly herbaceous. Of all our trees, the tam- araek is the only species which, in our northern climate, can grow on peaty ground; and this, even, happens only under rare and favorable circumstances; that is, when stagnant water, remaining at a constant level, has been invaded by a kind of mosses, the Sphagnum.

To this the objection is made* that if the prairies are so formed they would be univer- sally flat and horizontal. 'And Winchell has replied to the objection that the assertion that it is not the peat in the prairie soil that keeps them prairies, because trees do grow and flour- ish upon them when planted there.

These apparently strong objeetions are an- swered by Prof. Lesquereux and others, that it is not proper to refute one assertion by another; that it is a well-settled fact in botanical physi- ology, that trees absorb by their roots a certain amount of oxygen necessary to their life. It is in accordance with this principle that trees, to thrive well, ought not to be planted too deep, that most of the species of trees perish when their roots are buried in a stratum of clay im- permeable to the air, or underlaid by clay im- permeable to the water; that whenever the water is dammed to make a pond, all the trees are killed on the whole flooded space; that still water always kills a tree, but there are some trees with roots so formed into many and fine branches,.that they may live in moving waters. or running streams. Thus, the bald cyprus and lupelo that, in the South, grow in the mid- dle of creeks and bayous, are enabled to get air from the waters that are moving and changing. De Candole, in his book on Vegetable Physi- ology, says that a constant irrigation necessary for the rice culture in Lombardy, was a great inconvenience, because the water penetrates the ground of the neighboring properties and kills the trees. That " water left stagnant for a time on the ground rots the trees at their column, prevents the access of oxygen to the roots and kills them." That " in the low grounds of Holland they dig, for planting trees, deep holes, and fill the bottom with bundles of bushes, as a kind of drainage for surplus water, as long as the tree is young enough to be killed by humidity." That " the true swamps and marshes have no trees, and cannot have any be- cause stagnant water always kills them."

As to the assertion that trees will grow on the prairies when once introduced, this, all ad- mit, is certainly true. But one should take care to make a distinction between the results of an artificial and those of a natural one. When trees are planted on the prairie, the soil is conveniently pre-prepared. The clayey

* Atwater, In Siltiman's Journal, Volume 1, page 116, and Ronrne Rame journal, Volume HI, page 30, both hold that prairies originated from swamps. While Winchell, Desce and others make the objec- tion considered above.

HISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.

subsoil mixed with the black mold forms a compound which combines density of certain parts with the lightness of others, and contain a great proportion of nutritive elements. If the clay of the subsoil is not too thick to be im- permeable to water, and then to retain it around the roots, this prepared or artificial ground is indeed, very appropriate to the growth of trees, But has anybody ever seen oaks or hickory, or any other kind of trees, grow on the plains from a handful or from a bushel of acorns or of nuts thrown upon the surface ? Why, then, if trees will grow on the prairies, do we not see those isolated and far-between cluster of trees, which appear here and there on the borders of ancient lakes, cover a wider area, and by-and-by invade the whole prairies ? Some of these trees have lived there for ages; their trunks are strong and thick, and their branches widely expanded, are shaken, and their fruits swept away by the au- tumnal storms, and nevertheless their domain is restricted by the nature of the ground to limits which they have never surpassed.

The soil on the prairies of Illinois varies in thickness from one to four feet, and even more sometimes. How has been produced this enormous coating of black mold which covers the clay subsoil ? This subsoil could only be produced by water. Complete oxidation of vegetable remains has never resulted in the heaping of such a peculiar thick compound as the soil of the prairies. Even in our oldest and still virgin forests the humus is never so deep. In some bottoms, the arable grounds may be found as thick, but it is not the result of vege- table decomposition, but of successive accumu- lations of mud by floods. We must then con- sider this prairie soil as formed under peculiar chemical action, by a slow oxidation or decom- position of vegetable matter, retarded in its ac- tion by water, in preventing the free access of oxgen, as it has happened in the formation of peat. But in this last matter, the oxidation is much slower and less complete, and water be-

ing permanent, not exposed to change of levels, cannot bring into it the elements of fertility which it gives to the soil of the prairies. This soil, as before stated, is half peat and half humns.

The great proportion of ulmic acid contained in the prairie soil is perceivable in its slow de- composition when exposed to atmospheric ac- tion. The overturned sod of the prairies would scarcely become decomposed and pulverized in two or three years, if its disintegration was not helped by repeated plowings. It is this acid which, in too large proportions, renders the soil sometimes hard and sour. But it has also the property of preserving for a long time the fer- tilizing elements mixed with it. Hence, it is one of the causes of the long-continued pro. dnetiveness of the prairies. Under the influ- ence of stagnant water, and the remains of ani- mals which have inhabited it while the soil was in process of formation, silica especially, with alumina, ammonia and other elements, have been left in the soil, in such proportions as to make its extraordinary fertility, and especially its inexhaustible productiveness for grasses; for by the nnpermeability of the under clay, the fertilizing elements have been left in the soil. As natural meadows, our prairies have fed for centuries, innumerable herds of buffalo and deer, etc., which roamed over them, and now they will feed and fatten our herds of cattle for as long a time as we may want or save them for that purpose. But more important than this to the agriculturist is the great fact taught him who has the intelligence to investigate and un- derstand the soil of our prairies, namely, that by the peculiar compound of the prairie soil, it will, under proper cultivation, produce, for an indefinite length of time, crops of cereals, corn, wheat, etc., as rich as may be obtained from the richest bottom lands, and without any apparent diminution of the productive capacity of the soil. Even if, by successive crops of the same kind, the upper soil should become somewhat de-

HISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.

prived of its fertilizing elements, especially of its silica, lime and alumina, so necessary for the growth of corn, we know by experience, as well as the geologists know by its formation that the subsoil is a real mine of these fertiliz- ing elements, and that deep plowing will re- turn to an exhausted prairie land its primitive fertility.

For the culture of trees also, the foregoing explanation of the formation of the prairies give directions in accord with what experience teaches us to be right. To plant trees which clo not like humidity-fruit trees especially- dig deep holes, pass through the clay to the drift, and thus establish a natural drainage. Fill, then, the bottom of the hole with loose materials, pebbles, bushes, sod, mold, or any debris, and thus you have the best ground that can be prepared for the health and long life of trees. When this cannot be done, and shade trees are desirable, for example, plaut, in any hole deep enough to contain the roots, elms, buttonwood, white locusts, sugar tree, maple, etc., all species which live generally along the rivers and support a certain degree of humidity, and they will thrive, if only they get some air through the ground which covers them.

The prairies of the West, especially of Illi- nois, are in harmony and agree with the destiny of our people, even to a greater extent than our rich and extensive coal fiekls. Like these pro- digious sources of combustible mineral, they clearly point out the future race of men which is called to inhabit them, and profit by their

immeasurable and inexhaustible fertility. While one of these formations is destined to furnish an immense population the elements of indus- trial greatness, the other is ready to provide it with both the essential elements of life-bread and meat. Hence, the prairies have their place marked in the future history of mankind. They do not indicate or prophecy luxury, laziness and dissipation of life, but hard work, abun- dance, and the enjoyment of freedom and true manhood.

Effingham County is, and will be for years. an agricultural county. Whilst the black loam is not so deep here as in the corn counties north of us, yet the peculiar formation of the surface soil is such that there never will be waste for the stored plant food that will be here for ages, and always ready to respond generously to the farmer who knows enough to find it. For grass and the cereals it may be prepared to equal, if not excel, any county in the State. Already in wheat it stands the first, both in quantity to the acre, and in the quality. Deep plowing is the farmer's key to wealth here. Deep subsoil plowing will make these ruinous droughts almost wholly disappear, as well as prevent from harm the heavy falls of water that alternate with the droughts and sometimes one and sometimes the other send dismay to our people. And when this deep subsoil plowing is followed up with tile drainage, it will bring the true wealth and abundance to our people that will both surprise and please. It may not in the end prove the best of corn land in our State, but in all else, she may indeed be " Queen of the May."

HISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.

CHAPTER III.

ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY-ACT OF THE LEGISLATURE CREATING IT-LOCATION OF FIRST COUNTY SEAT-EXTRACTS FROM THE EARLY RECORDS-FIRST LAND ENTRIES-CENSUS

AND TAXES-MARRIAGES-SCHOOLS-THEIR ORIGIN AND IMPROVEMENTS-SOME

NEW FACTS AND THEORIES ON EDUCATION-WILLIAM J. HANKINS- EARLY ELECTIONS-EFFINGHAM IN THE BLACK HAWK WAR.

"Ye builded wiser than ye knew."-Peurre.

T THE act of the Illinois Legislature creating and defining the boundary lines of Effing- ham and Jasper Counties bears date February 15, 1831. The two counties were organized in the same act, in which there is not a word in reference to what other county or counties the territory is taken from. The Legislature pro- ceeded to designate by township lines the boundaries of the two counties. The county of Jasper is first defined, and then it proceeds to describe Effingham County as " beginning at the northwest corner of Jasper County."

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History of Effingham county, Illinois, Part 4

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