USA > Illinois > Ford County > History of Ford County, Illinois : from its earliest settlement to 1908, Vol. I > Part 12
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"I am exulting while I may.
For joy is uppermost today."
1866. This year there was lots of work to do. Some of the children at school and some at work at home. I will here write a subscription, or copy of it, which was written March 13, 1866, for John Keplinger, who lost his limb just at the close of the war. They were our neighbors then.
Sugar Grove, Champaign County, Ill.
We, the undersigned, agree to pay John Keplinger, who has lost a leg in defense of our country, the sum annexed to our names, for the purpose of assisting him to get an artificial leg.
L. II. Unstad $2.00
Charles MeLaughhan 2.00
Anton Giteen 2.00
R. F. Kerr 1.00
David Patton 5.00
J. HI. Flagge 1.00
Harmon Strayer 1,00
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HISTORY OF FORD COUNTY ,
Arthur F. Flagge .50
Wm. Montgomery 1.00
James Mercer .50
Stephen Lamb
1.00
Joshua Lucas 1.00
John Warren 1.00
A. B. Lucas 1.00
W. H. H. Elliott 1.00
S. P. Mitchell 1.00
George P. Gitson 1.00
John H. Gitson
1.00
Aaron Albier 1.00
A. M. Elliot
.50
Elam Wait .50
Thomas Elliot 1.00
Milton Strayer 2.00
Joseph Harris 1.00
G. O. Marlatt 1.00
James B. Lucas 1.00
John Keplinger lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, and I suppose gets a good pension at this time, March 4, 1902.
In the winter of 1866 we had a revival in the church. Here, I see by a letter that I wrote then, that Billy joined the church at Jacksonville that winter, and some names here at home that united with the church-Mrs. Hiram Daniels, George Tanner, and some of the Sedletter boys. The Rev. Bannan was the pastor at that time, and stayed with us while the meeting lasted; and Mrs. Search had so much influence in the church that winter. The Search family moved to Southern Illinois that spring, and we were sorry to see them leave the neihgborhood, for Mr. Search was the life of the Sabbath school in the Flagge schoolhouse at that time.
1867 came with its sorrows and joys, as most years do. On February 20, 1867, there came to our house a new baby girl, and she got to be the pet of the family, and ruled things as she pleased in her babyhood and girlhood also. That winter I had lung fever, and came near leaving this world ; was siek about four weeks. We named the baby Allie, and now there had been eight children added to the family in a little over twenty-one years, and how many wants are to be supplied with eight children to care for. When Henry C. Dodge wrote "Nobody knows but mother," I think he was right.
OLD SCHOOL HOUSE
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HISTORY OF FORD COUNTY
"Nobody knows of the work it makes To keep the home together,
Nobody knows of the steps it takes, Nobody knows but mother."
Mary Frayne was here, and had been for over one year, and stayed until the next May or June. She was a kind, good girl.
Billy taught school at the Flagge schoolhouse that winter, and Sammy and La Fayette went to Jacksonville, Illinois, to school, Sammy to the Illinois College, and La Fayette to the deaf-mute institution.
Times have changed since then. I see by a statement today with a Paxton hardware and implement store, that Mr. Patton settled February 7, 1867, with the hardware man at Paxton. He had bought two Schuttler wagons, and they cost $242.50, and one barrel of flour $14.50 and one $13.50, and there were no trusts then. And sold eleven hundred bushels of rye at 85 cents per bushel. This is all about 1867 that I want to tell.
1868 was a new year with many things connected with it. Who is it that enters a new year without making resolves to live a better life, and we should thank the Lord for all the blessings we receive at his hand. We should praise God for a home and the blessings of a home.
But what changes since then ! I take from a store bill at that time, dated 1868, George Wright's store, a few items.
One one-half pounds Young Hyson Tea $1.20
One one-half Ib. Young Hyson Tea 1.20
10 sheets paper . .16
1 lead pencil. .10
I broom .40
12 pounds sugar. 2.00
9 yards bed ticking 4.05
4 spools thread. .40
I forgot to tell about the building of the first church that was built in the country around here. It was built in 1868. It was a Methodist Episcopal church, and still stands a monument to many that have gone to their long homes, and there has never been a time when there has not been preaching services in it. It was dedicated in November, 1868, by the Rev. Dr. R. N. Davies. It is known as Pleasant Grove Church.
I have before me a note that Mr. Patton paid September 2. 1871, that had been given to make up a deficiency on account of some of the subscribers failing
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IHISTORY OF FORD COUNTY
to pay their subscription-I think over three hundred dollars in all; but Mr. Patton was very prond of our church and paid it willingly.
1870. This year was without special events to our family. Christmas of that year I went to Chicago with Edd Kingon, a deaf-mute that stayed with us that year, and when he went home to spent the holidays, I went with him, and stayed four days. I had a nice time, and was very much interested in what I saw in Chicago, but it was not much like it is now. I was at an entertainment at the Wabash Avenue M. E. church, and to the First M. E. church, and to the First Presbyterian church, and to the Museum, and everything was different from what I had ever seen. I thought it wonderful, and Mr. Kingon and family entertained me royally, and showed me around the city. I came home, but Edd spent some time before he came back.
September 3d of this year I got the first sewing machine that I ever had, only a little hand sewing machine to fasten to a table; but the Grover and Baker machine cost seventy-five dollars, a note on a year's time. "P. S. Point Pleasant, Robert Bradley, Agent," so says the old note before me.
1871. The years come and go, whether we are ready or not. Our home affairs were just the same as usual throughout this year. as far as I can remember. The last days of September, Mr. Patton and I went to Indiana. and came home the first week in October, I think the dryest time I ever saw, and the great fire at Chicago the 9th of October made us all feel sad; and the forest fires filled the air so full of smoke that you could not see very far. We had no deep well then, and had to haul water for a mile, and the stock had to be taken to the creek for water. It took the cattle herder half of the time to get the cattle to the water and back.
1874. The new year had dawned upon us in quiet beauty, and the sunshine of God's love is over us. The dear old year was kind to us. Each day brought some new blessing to us. whether we were thankful for the blessing or not. The new year brought to us a deep well. with fine water after three months of hard work and many discouragements, Mr. Ketelmum and Mr. William Le Fever sank a well, or made a trial for a well, and did not succeed, and then moved to another place, where our well is at the present time ; and oh. the joy that came to us when the well was completed that June, and the windmill of the Haliday make was put up and ready for work, and the well-house finished and a tank for the milk put in. There was not any place that I enjoyed at our house so much as the well-house, and why should I not, after twenty years of getting water sometimes one place and sometimes another. One shallow well would go dry and we would go to an- other, and then when it rained they would all have water in and would overflow,
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and the water would not be fit to use, not even to wash dishes in. Sometimes I could not get supper until the men would come home from the field and haul water. This was Illinois before deep wells were made. 2 Peter ii; 17; Wells withont water. Rev. xxi: 6: I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. All the years since that time the well has never gone dry, for the supply has never run out.
1875. Again a new year has come to us. The old year was kind, and waited and watched to supply all our needs. This year in many things was the same to us as other years.
W. T. Patton, or Billy as we called him when we wanted him to get up to breakfast, thought the best thing he could do would be to get married. So November 25, 1875, he was married to Fanny M. Flagge. Our family had been going up the mountain, and stopped on the top when Allie was born in 1867, and stayed there for seven years, and then commenced to go down on the other side, one by one, until all are gone, and I am left alone. Billy sat at our table longer than he has at his own, at this writing.
The realm of advanced activity in the years since that time is everywhere manifested; the resources of every department are being fully taxed. Daring adventures, mechanical inventions, scientific discoveries, commercial enterprises -all these give signs of progress and unparalled activity in the years since the date of this page.
1876. Almost always the new year makes us think of past years, and what may happen in the year we make our figures for now.
This year was centennial year, and many memories of that time cling to 1776 and to the year 1876, for the celebration of the year at Philadelphia that year was a grand celebration of the one hundred years before.
There was no special occurrence in our family that year that I remember of until October. Mr. Patton went to visit his old home in Fountain county, Indiana, where he always loved to go so well, and his oldest sister came home with him to visit us a week and then return home. Mr. Patton was going to take her home, but on Friday evening she took a chill. She was very sick from the first, and died the next Wednesday, the 20th of October, 1876. The body was taken back home. It was so sad for us to think how well she was when she came to us, and how soon she was taken from us. When we went over to her home, my brother and his wife had gone to Philadelphia to the Centennial. This is all I will say about this year. So many sad things come to us in our lives.
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HISTORY OF FORD COUNTY
1877. The new years come to us with many memories of the past, and of our duty before us for the future for each other, and to live for the good of others, and that the world might be benefited by us being in it if we live right.
The 11th of February the first granddaughter was born to us. W. T. Patton and Fanny M. Patton. A bright little babe, and how much we were all interested in its welfare; but alas, how soon it was taken from ns! It was named Eva.
Some time before this I had been called to superintend the arrangements where there was a new baby, and looked after the welfare of the mother and child, and I can say I went wherever I was called, day or night, rain or shine, and I always asked God to guide me aright in whatever I did, and success attended all my work of this kind, and there was never a death of mother or child in the more than twenty years of my practice of that kind of work within a circle of three or four miles, and sometimes five or six miles. I was called to visit the sick and care for the dying. There were no trained nurses at that time, and the undertaker was not sent for as they are now. I always knew that there was no one sick or I would know of it, for I was often sent for before the doctor, and if I said a doctor was needed, that was sufficient, he was sent for. I would often stay with the sick and the dying two or three days. My motto was that if I could be more benefit away from home than at home there was the place I wanted to be. I never lived for myself alone. I always took an interest in other people's welfare. I rejoice that I was per- mitted to live at the time I did, and in the evening time of life I would do as much as ever if strength would permit me to do it; but now I will do as much as I can with my pen by writing letters and cheering words to all. Pov- erty and riches have little to do with our happiness in this life.
1879. This year is not to be forgotten by some of our family. This year, the 10th of April, the oldest daughter of the family left the home of her child- hood, the family circle, the loving mother. the kind and indulgent father, and the affectionate brothers and sisters, for the affections of another, and changed her name from Martha I. Patton to Martha I. Flagg, to share the joys and sor- rows of a husband, James W. Flagg. One more had left the parental roof. The family are going down on the other side of the hill one by one.
This was a prosperous year on the farm. The largest and best crop of wheat that year, and our cattle were fine and did well. We got a good price for everything.
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HISTORY OF FORD COUNTY
1880. This year came in with joy and gladness, but how soon our joy may be turned to sorrow. We never know what a day may bring to us, and we will be called to endure trials that we think we cannot bear up under. This was the case with me at this time.
Mr. Patton left home February the 20th of this year, on Friday morning. and went to his old home over on Coal Creek, what he always felt was his home more than Illinois; after living here twenty-six years; Fountain county was dearer to him than the home we had here.
That night he took a chill, pneumonia developed, and there was no remedy. The doctors were powerless. Dr. Spinning of Covington, and Dr. Pettit, of Veedersburgh were both called. Ile had gone to the farm that his father had given him to stay all night. A Mr. Isley lived there, and had the farm rented. I was telegraphed for, and went to Rankin that night and stayed, and left the next morning at four o'clock. I got there at noon, and found him very sick.
I dispatched for Charley, and he got there Thursday, and Thursday I sent for Samuel, and he got there Friday, and all the rest came Saturday, and Sunday about eleven o'clock the suffering was all over with him. Ile was conscious to the last, and had been all through his sickness and what a con- solation it was to hear him tell all about every arrangement that he wanted made, and about the place he wanted his remains laid to rest. He wanted the Rev. Mushgrove sent for. He was pastor of the church at Danville at that time, and he came. He put his arms around Mr. Mushgrove's neck and talked to him so much. The consolation there was in all this. Ilis life was ended February 29, 1880.
This year there were two grandsons born in the family. A son to W. T. and Fanny Patton, the 5th of July, 1880, and was another addition to the name of Patton, and he was named David. On the 8th of August, 1880, a son was born to J. W. Flagg and Martha I. Flagg, and he was David Ross Flagg. He ought to be true to his country if his name has anything to do with it.
September 28, 1880, La Fayette Patton and Ella MeHenry were married ; another one less to sit at the table, and one more towards the bottom of the hill when all will be gone. They were married at Sparta, Illinois. None of our family at the wedding only Charley Patton.
This year. April 19, 1883, there was a boy came to live with W. T. and Fanny Patton, and they named him Charley. A large fat baby, and he is that way now, only he is not a baby. In September of this year, little Fred-
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HISTORY OF FORD COUNTY
die died. On October 6th of this year. Alfred Ray Patton was born to La Fayette and Ella Patton, and now he is six feet tall.
1885. February of this year saw one of the family leave the home of her childhood for the protection of another. Ida J. Patton and Charles Agustus Lamb were married, and one less on the side of the hill and one less in the home. Oh how sad we feel sometimes, when one by one they leave the home ! But such is life. They were married February 12, 1885.
September 28, 1885, another son born to JJ. W. Flagg and Martha I. Flagg, and they named him Willie, and that is all the name he has yet, poor boy !
Well, things went along as usual, but all these years I always attended church, and enjoyed going to church more than anything else, and teaching lit- tle boys in Sabbath school. The weeks were not so long when I got to go to church on the Sabbath day.
On December 13, 1885, there was born to Ida JJ. Lamb and C. A. Lamb a sweet little lamb for them to feed and care for, and they named her Nellie, and that is her name yet, and she is larger than her mother now.
The 3d of February, 1886, I went to Indiana for my brother's birthday. I thought he had lived sixty years and I wanted to eat dinner with him that day. I went without any announcement of my coming, and surprised him a little perhaps. It was the 4th of February, but the next time they expected me to be there, and the event is celebrated yet at that home.
This year on August 11th, a little girl made its appearance at W. T. and Fanny Patton's, and claimed admittance as one of the family. and they adopted her and called her Carrie Patton.
October 18, 1888, there came to Billy and Fanny, a little girl, and they called her Elsie. She is not very large yet, but the baby of the family is almost always babied too much for their own good.
This April, Grace Kirkley came to our house to board and teach school at the Sugar Grove schoolhouse, and afterward changed her name to Patton.
What a trial to give up the last girl of the family! All say, "Now what will you do?" "Who will you live with now?" "Will you move to town ?" All had some advice to give as to what would be the best thing to do. Well, I did just as I had been doing. Stayed in the old home, which was home to me still. I always loved my home better than I did any place else, but I have to depend on other people's children to help me make it a home for myself, and the different ones that have stayed with me in these years have all been good to me, and I have had a good home with the different ones. I have tried to make a home for them, for some of them did not have any home but my
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home, but how well have I succeeded ? I do not know what they say about it. but I hope that I did not do anything wrong about the way I treated them.
Mary Allie Patton and David Henry Cade were married June 7, 1894, and went to Chicago the same evening, and came back to visit his folks at Peres- ville, Indiana, and soon after went to housekeeping in Potomac, Illinois.
ILLINOIS IN 1854, AND SOME OF THE CHANGES IN THE COUNTRY SINCE THAT TIME, AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN WHICH I HAVE
LIVED SINCE THAT TIME.
It was not a barren waste; it was a bleak cold place in the winter time. The snow went the way the wind took it as far as it wanted to go, and the tumbleweeds also; but in the summer time it was all grass and flowers, and you could see as far as the strength of your eyes would let you see. and the tall grass. when the wind blew. was like the waves of the sea, beautiful to behold. If you knew where you wanted to go you had nothing to do but to start out and go, but look out for the ponds of water or you would be right in one if you did not. for the grass in the ponds would be higher than your head, and it would be lots more trouble to get ont than to get into a pond. They were just like getting into trouble about other things, it was easier to get in than to get ont. Now you have the hedge fence and the straight roads and the square corners and the groves, and von can't see a wagon five miles on the prairie as you could then.
When we came to this county it was Vermilion county. That was in November 2, 1854. It was a lonely place a little farther out on the prairie than our neighbors were at that time, for the people that were here wanted to live close to the timber. The wolves would howl and make the nights seem lonely.
Our neighbors at that time were Mr. Thomas Lions. He lived at what was called Sugar Grove, and which still has that name. Their house was just west of the Patton Cemetery, in the corner close to the timber; the old house was there until about five years ago. Mr. Lions died in Paxton.
Mr. Vannata lived on what is called the Lamb farm. Mr. Pliny Lamb bought the farm of Vannata in 1856, and died there in 1858. Mr. David Morehouse lived where Joseph Kerr lives now; Mrs. Morehouse died in 1858. and Mr. Morehouse married again and moved away from the country.
Eastidge Daniels lived on the land that La Fayette Patton lives on at this time; he sold the land to David Patton, and moved close to Danville, Illinois,
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IHISTORY OF FORD COUNTY
and died there; Elisha Daniels lived on the farm that William Moudy owns at this time, and he died there in 1858, loved and respected by all who knew him.
Mr. John Dopps lived between where the two churches now stand, just where the house is that Mr. Daniel Moudy owns at this time, and that was the place where we went to church at that time, and we still go there. Uncle John Dopps, as we all called him, could sing and shout and praise God every Sunday in the year. The circuit preacher came every three weeks at that time. One daughter died while they lived there, but Mr. Dopps sold out and went West, and how we missed him. Then we had preaching in the Flagg schoolhouse until we built the church in 1868.
A. Mr. Turner lived just west of where the brick church is, but soon left the country. Mr. Matthew Elliott lived close to where Roy Elliott, a grandson, lives, and he lived and died on that farm. His life was always for the right, and he was never absent from church when it was possible for him to be there. One son, W. H. H. Elliott, still lives, and the old home is still dear to him; two daughters live at Catlin. Illinois, a Mrs. Boggus and a Mrs. Wilson.
Mr. David Robison lived where I now live, in a log house. William Robison lived south and a little east of our house. There is no house there now. His wife died there the next June, 1855. She was a good woman, and left one little boy; she came to our house the first Sunday after we came to this Illinois home, and helped me get dinner. There were five men helped us move here. We got here Thursday evening, and all stayed over Sunday. I was pleased to have her come to visit us so soon, but she was soon taken away from us. William Robison got married again, and went west.
Mr. Harmon Strayer and his brother lived on the farm now owned by Mrs. Grace Culbertson, but Harmon Strayer sold it to Mr. John Wilson, and then bought land northwest of here and improved it. His father, Mr. Jacob Strayer, lived south of where Harmon Strayer lived, and Milton Strayer lived half a mile east of his father. There was a father and five sons, all passed from earth-all good, peaceable men.
Hiram Driskel lived south of Sugar Grove. He died several years ago, but has two sons living, George and Ephraim. Mr. Jesse Piles lived on what is known as the old Piles farm. He came to what is now Butler township in March, 1853, and was the first settler in what is now Butler township, and lived on the same farm until his death, July 4, 1884.
When we went to Indiana, we went past the Piles home, and that was the last house but one between Sugar Grove and Marysville, now Potomac. There
EXPLOSION, PAXTON ELECTRIC CO., MARCH, 1900
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was one house, but I cannot locate the place. A man by the name of Med- sker lived there. You could not stop and ask, "Is this the right road?" or "How far is it to Marysville?" at that time, for there was no one to ask, and the road paid no attention to section lines then.
Everything for our house and stable was hauled along that road. Mr. Patton started at three o'clock one morning to go to Marysville to get nails to build our stable. Our flour and everything we used was hauled from Cov- ington, Indiana, or some place along the road, and the country mills.
There was not a railroad in Danville at that time, but the Illinois Cen- tral was running trains. They had commenced in the spring of 1854, and the company that built the road got every other section of land on either side of the road for ten miles, and some places farther, but there was only one house at Paxton at that time, and the company has never been willing or able, after fifty years. to build a decent depot to accommodate the traveling public.
In a year or two great changes took place in this country; the land was all taken up, and that that had been bought for one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre and up was sold for five or six dollars per acre, and has increased in valne ever since, and the improvements have kept pace with the value of the land.
Then we put bells on our horses and cows, so we could tell where they were on foggy mornings, but now the bells are in the churches and on the railroads.
DIX TOWNSHIP.
All that part of Ford county lying in range 7 and 8 east was originally called Drummer Grove. In 1864 steps were taken by the citizens to have the name changed to Dix, in honor of General Dix, of New York. The petition was granted by the board of supervisors. Afterward the following townships were created or set off from Dix, viz: Drummer, Sullivant and Peach Orch- ard, leaving the present township of Dix.
Among the early settlers of this township were John Waggoner, John D. Bell, David Metcalf, Ephriam and James A. Blackford, Samuel Todd, George Waggoner, Asa Triekel, John Wallace, Jackson Pitser, R. Stephen Chamberlin, Joseph Kendall, John Brown, James Reed, Levi Foutz, Leonard Pierpont, David Pollock, John Schoonmacher, Jonathan Bedell, Charles Wilcox and Peter Beatty.
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