History of Fulton county, Illinois, Part 22

Author: Chas. C. Chapman & Co
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Peoria : C.C. Chapman & co.
Number of Pages: 1096

USA > Illinois > Fulton County > History of Fulton county, Illinois > Part 22

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This building when erected was among the finest and largest court-houses in the West, and for many years it stood foremost among the public buildings of Illinois, and was pointed to with pride not only by the citizens of Fulton county but by those throughout Central Illinois. It stood as a monument of the enter- prise of the pioneers of this section, and was one of the grandest evidences of the prosperity of the newly settled State. It stands to-day as solid as when first built. Every stone and brick is in its place, and every timber has stood the storms of nearly half a cen- tury unshaken: Around this old building cluster pleasant recollee- tions of the long-ago. Within its storm-beaten walls have been heard pleas as rich in eloquence as were ever presented to judge or jury. Within those old walls, made sacred by time and the mem- ories of some of the grandest characters and most gifted men known in the history of Illinois, many a scene full of historic interest has occurred, which, could we acenrately picture them, would be read more as a romance than prosaic history. What numbers of trembling and downeast prisoners have stood before the learned tribunal within the old upper room, to plead "Guilty," or "Not Guilty!" Then the long, hotly-contested trial came; wit- nesses examined and cross-examined ; the wrangle and wordy wars between the lawyers; the appeal to the jury and addresses, which for logic, eloquence, touching, sympathetic eloquence, have not been excelled in all the broad land. How many times have the twelve jurors, sworn to be impartial, filed into their little secret room, to consult and decide the fate of the prisoner at the bar! Then how often have the joyous words come forth, "Not Guilty !" But, again, how very many have stood before the Judge to hear in meas- ured tones their sentence! Sometimes it was thought Justice was outraged ; that the Judge, jury and Prosecuting Attorney had pros- tituted their high positions, violated their sworn duty, and made easy the escape for culprits; vet, taking it all in all, the goddess of justice has shed no more tears over insults to her holy and righteous charge than she has at any other judgment-bar in the State. Law and justice have almost always been vindicated, and the offender punished.

Could these old walls speak and tell us of the eloquent and effect- ive pleadings of Lincoln, Baker, Richardson, MeDougal, Brown- ing, Bushnell, Manning, Walker and others, or of the learned decis- ions of Douglas, Young, Thomas, Walker and Higbie, that they have listened to, how eagerly we would seek them ! We do not for- get that at the present time justice is as swiftly vindicated as ever before; that the Fulton county Bar is at its maximum in point of legal ability. It takes the mazes of time to add the luster of fame

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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

to the labors and character of most men. That which is of the past, or of the future, we are wont to believe possesses more merit than that which we have with us. Thus it is with our legal lights of to-day.

Parmelia Fairchild .- In June, 1838, it was "ordered, that the keeping of Parmelia Fairchild [the second pauper] for the ensuing vear be now offered by the Sheriff. Whereupon, afterwards the Sheriff reported that he had offered the keeping of said P. Fair- child and struek her off to Absalom Walters for the sum of $104, he being the lowest and best bidder and agreeing to take charge and maintain her for one year."

First Temperance Work .- It seems that even among the pioneers, almost all of whom we are led to believe used intoxicating liquors more or less, there were temperance advocates. Perhaps the first temperance work ever done in the county was in 1838. The good work was then inaugurated which has since driven out every saloon from the borders of Fulton county ; has lifted many of the fallen, and saved thousands of our young men from the inevitable ruin of body and soul that rum brings to the unfortunate one who tampers with it.

June 7, 1838, we find this item on the records relative to the temperance labors of these noble pioneers,-pioneers both as to open- ing up a new and beautiful country and as to beginning to roll the temperance stone: "The petition of A. M. Culton and other citi- zens of Canton and Farmington and vicinity, requesting this Court to withhold licenses for the retailing of spirituous liquors, being presented in Court, and the prayer and object of the petition being fully considered and duly appreciated by the Court, it is considered by this Court that however desirable it may be to suppress and pre- vent the use of intoxicating liquors, yet the members of this Court are of the opinion that any respectable citizen has the right to re- quire, and the Court is bound by the existing laws of the State to grant, licenses to keep public houses of entertainment, or taverns, and that the object of the petitioners can only be obtained by peti- tion to the Legislature."

A New Regime in Choosing Commissioners .- Heretofore the terms of office of all three of the Commissioners had expired at the same time ; but in 1838 a new rule was adopted, in compliance with an act of the Legislature. Now they were to be elected for three years and one retire every year, thus leaving two experienced men in office. For the first terms, however, one of them should serve only one year, another two and the third three years. On convening at the fall term of this year they drew lots to decide the term each should serve. Three pieces of paper, upon which were written "one year," "two years," " three years," respectively, were put into a hat. Hiram Wentworth drew the one-year slip, John Johnson the one indieating two years, and John Baker the one for the three- year term.

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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

Paupers Sold .- The old custom of letting out paupers singly was abolished in March, 1843, and a somewhat different mode instituted. " They were all," as the record puts it, "sold at the door of the court-house by the Sheriff, and Emsley Wiley being the lowest bid- der, they were struek off to him for the sum of $549." Whether the veteran pauper, Parmelia Fairchild, was among the number we know not, but presume she was, as she was bid off alone the year previous. She had been on hand for nigh unto twenty years, and had always been treated kindly by the Court. To support her had become a portion of its labor, and year after year we find she was " bid off," and the Commissioners as cheerfully paid bills for keeping her as they did their own salaries.

The following year, 1844, the records say, in referring to letting out the paupers: "Four were absolutely sold and two condition- ally." What they regarded as an "absolute sale" we do not know.

A New Jail Ordered Built .- In 1846 a jail with a jailor's residence was ordered built. However, the subject was discussed some among the people, and it was a question whether a majority of the tax-pavers favored the building of a new jail. The Commissioners, wishing to comply with the wishes of the majority, ordered the question voted upon at the August election of that year. This was accordingly done, and the measure defeated, and the order repealed.

Ex-Sheriff Waggoner, when he resided where Judge S. P. Shope does at present in the city of Lewistown, which was about this time, the country to the north of his residence was thickly covered with hazel. During the trial of Nehemiah Northup for the murder of Nor- man Beamas, he kept the prisoner at his house, there being no jail. Although it seems that he might have very easily effected his escape, yet he never attempted it. He was admitted to bail by the Court, but never appeared for trial. He took this opportunity for making good his escape, and since has never been heard from.

The Sheriff also tells us of a little English prisoner whom he kept at his residence for some time. During the evening the Sheriff would leave him with his wife and go down town and remain often for several hours. The prisoner was unshackled and seemingly un- watched, yet he never attempted to make his escape while in the hands of Sheriff Waggoner. He was taken to Monmouth and con- fined in the jail there for a time, but soon made his escape. He broke jail there and was never recaptured. He wrote Major Wag- goner a letter some time afterward, from New Philadelphia, O., in which he stated that he didn't like the Monmouth jailor and didn't propose to stay there ; so left. He expressed great friendship for the Major and said he never would have attempted his escape while in his hands.

First Poor Farm .- June 9, 1848, we find on the records this order: "Ordered, that the Clerk of this Court enter upon the records that there is a poor-house established in this county, and it

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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

is now ready for the reception of the poor of the county." This is the first mention made, upon the records, of a poor farm, and they are silent as to its eost or location. It was, however, located upon the northwest quarter of sec. 25, Cass township, and the east half of the northwest quarter of sec. 36. The former traet cost $1,400, the latter $25. The paupers were cared for at this place for a while, when some thought it too expensive and wished to return to the old mode. This they did, but to their sorrow, for they then found the expense per pauper was almost double what it had been keeping them at the poor-house.

Free Ferry .- June 5. 1846, $100 was given Samuel Gilfry to run . a free ferry for one year across Spoon river at Waterford. Previous to this a license and a schedule of prices were given to govern the ferryman ; but the prices charged in later years were much lower than those given for Ross' ferry over the Illinois.

The Last Meeting .- The new Constitution which went into effeet in 1849, abolished this Court, but before adjourning the Court or- dered a vote taken for or against township organization at the next election. On Oct. 11 the County Commissioners' Court performed its last official duties. Their last act was to allow Myron 'Phelps $1,888 for goods furnished the county. The Court then adjourned till "court in course, " but never re-assembled.

CHAPTER IV.

GEOLOGY .*

Fulton county contains a superficial area of about twenty-four townships, or about 864 square miles. It is triangular in shape, and is bounded on the north by Knox and Peoria counties, on the east by Peoria county and the Illinois river, on the south by Schuyler county, and on the west by Schuyler, MeDonough and Warren counties. The principal streams in the county are the Illi- nois river, forming its main boundary on the east and southeast for a distance of about thirty miles; Spoon river and its tributaries, which traverse nearly the whole extent of the county from north to south ; and Copperas creek, which drains a considerable area in the northeastern portion of the county. These streams drain the whole area of the county, and are from 150 to 200 feet below the general level of the highlands.

Originally the surface was nearly equally divided into prairie and timbered lands, the former occupying the most elevated positions of the county, as well as a part of the Illinois-river bottoms, while the timber belts are restricted to the more broken lands skirting the water-courses. Much of the original timber; however, has been cleared away in developing the agricultural resources of the county, and splendid farms now occupy a large portion of the area which but a few years since. was covered with a dense forest. Much of the upland was originally timbered with a dense growth of sugar- maple, black-walnut, linden, hackberry, elm, honey-locust and wild cherry, indicating a very rich and productive soil. This growth of timber usually prevails where the Loess overlies the drift clays on a moderately level surface, and these lands in their productive qualities are second to none in the State. Where the surface is broken into sharp ridges, along the borders of the smaller streams, black and white oak and hickory are the prevailing.timber, and the soil is a thin, chocolate-colored, or brown clay loam, well adapted to the growth of small grain, clover or fruit.

The prairies generally have a rolling surface, though in the region about Fairview there are some quite flat prairies that require drain- ing in wet season's. The soil on the prairies is a dark-brown or black mold, varying from one to three feet in thickness, with, a sub-

#Taken from State Geologist A. H. Worthen's Report.

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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

soil of brown clay loam. The bottom lands on the western bank of the Illinois river are from one to four miles in width, and are mostly covered with timber, though there is some bottom prairie near the mouth of Spoon river. A good deal of this bottom land is too low and marshy for enltivation, but where it is sufficiently elevated the soil is of a rich, sandy loam, and'very productive.

The bluffs generally range from 125 to 150 feet in height, and are usually cut into sharp ridges by the valleys of the small streams that drain the adjacent country. The lower parts of these bluffs, to the height of 75 to 100 feet, consist of the stratified rocks of the Coal Measures into which the original valley was excavated, and their elevation has been subsequently increased by the accumulation of Drift clays and lacustrine deposits upon them. The valley of Spoon river seldom exceeds a mile in width, and is excavated into the Lower Carboniferous limestone on that part of its course extend- ing from Bernadotte. The depth of this valley is about the same as that of the Illinois river, but the lower rocks are reached here, in consequence of the easterly dip of the strata, which brings the limestone nearer to the surface in the western portion of the county.

Surface Geology .- The surface deposits of Fulton county consist of Drift clays and gravel, with the subsequent lacustrine and alluvial accumulations. The Drift proper ranges in thickness from 30 to 60 feet or more, and is usually composed of brown and bluish-colored clays with gravel, and boulders of metamorphic and igneous rocks, varying in size from a pebble to masses of several tons' weight. Usually the brown clays constitute the upper portion of the deposit, and the blue elays the lower. In the vicinity of Utica a bed of ferruginous conglomerate, about two feet in thickness, underlies the Drift elays, and similar beds in local outliers have been met with in the same position, at several localities in the State. This conglom- erate exactly resembles the bed at Metropolis in Massie county, on the Ohio river, which has been usually referred to the Tertiary period, and may be of the same age.

On the west side of Big-creek bridge, near Canton, in grading the traek for the T., P. & W. railroad, a band of black mold or soil, containing leaves and fragments of wood, was found below the Drift clays, which is no doubt a part of the ancient soil covering the surface anterior to the Drift epoch. A similar bed has been found in sinking shafts and wells in various parts of the State, and indeed in hundreds of places in Fulton county alone, indicating the prevalence of dry land over a considerable portion of the present area of the State during the Post-Tertiary period. Mr. John Wolf, of Canton, reports a similar bed of black, peaty soil, four feet in thickness, underlying the town of Fairview, at the depth of eleven feet. The heaviest deposits of Drift occur along the Illinois-river bluffs and in the vicinity of Lewistown, where the beds range from 40 to 60 feet in thickness.

The Loess caps the bluffs of the Illinois river, and extends baek

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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

for three or four miles with a constantly diminishing thickness. This deposit consists of buff or light-brown, loamy sand, imperfectly stratified, and locally contains abundance of land and fresh-water shells.

Older Geological Formations .- The stratified rocks belong mainly to the Coal Measures, with a limited exposure of the St. Louis limestone in the valley of Spoon river. Nearly all of the uplands in the county are underlaid by coal, and Prof. Worthen says that he has found the most complete exposure of the productive Coal Measure in this county that he has met with in the State. He has, therefore, considered the section construeted in Fulton as a typical one, and has used it for the co-ordination of the coal strata throughout the central and western portion of the State. There were seven consecutive seams found here, and all exposed by their natural outerop; and all except the upper one have been worked to a greater or less extent. The aggregate thickness of these coal seams is about 25 feet, and their individual range is from twenty inches to six feet in thickness. The three lower seams outerop in the southern and western portions of the county, especially along the bluffs of Spoon river ; and as the general dip of the strata is to the eastward, they pass below the level of the Illinois river, and are therefore not seen on the eastern borders of the county. The upper seams underlie nearly all of the central and eastern portions of the county, and one of them, No. 4, is found south of Spoon river, underlying the highlands in the vicinity of Astoria.

These coal seams are numbered from the bottom upward. The only point in the county where No. 1 is sufficiently developed to be profitably worked is in the vicinity of Seville. The seam is worked here at two localities, one above the railroad bridge and the other below. At these mines the coal averages about three feet in thick- ness.

In the vicinity of Avon a seam of cannel coal occurs at about the same horizon as No. 1. This seam is only about 14 to 20 inches in thickness. It was extensively worked in 1859, for the distillation of coal oil. Ten retorts were then in operation at this locality, and the product was said to be 30 gallons from a ton of coal. However, the development of the oil wells of Pennsylvania shortly afterwards put a stop to the manufacture of oil from eannel coal in this State, and the mines were abandoned. This seam is underlaid here by about five feet of excellent fire-clay.

Coal No. 2 is one of the most regular seams in the whole series, and usually ranges from two to three feet in thickness. It will be found everywhere in the bluffs of Spoon river, where the strata are well exposed, and its stratigraphical position is about 40 or 50 feet above the horizon of No. 1, although at Seville the distance inter- vening between them is about 70 feet. The roof is almost invari- ably a blue clay shale, and in tunneling it requires to be thoroughly cribbed to prevent the falling of the roof. In the south part of the

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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

county this seam outerops on Otter creek, about a mile and a half west of Vermont, where it has been worked since the earliest settle- ment of the county. It ranges in thickness from two and a half to three feet. A boring for oil was made in the valley of this creek by Moses Matthewson. The boring extended to the depth of about 800 feet. but no journal was kept of the different strata passed through. In the bluffs of Spoon river south of Lewistown, as well as on some of the small tributaries of that stream in the same vicinity, No. 2 is worked at many points, and also about half a mile west of that city. Half a mile cast of Lewistown this scam has been opened by a shaft 40 feet in depth on the lands of Mr. Hunter. "Two miles and a half southeast of Lewistown," Prof. Worthen says, "we found a mine opened in this seam on the lands of Mr. Win. Winterbottom, on our first visit to the county in 1859. and at the same time it had been opened a mile nearer the town by Mr. Butler. In the vicinity of Bernadotte this coal is found at an elevation of about 80 feet above the river level, and the coal was mined by Mr. Parks one mile and a half southwest of the village. in 1859." No. 2 usually affords coal of an excellent quality, freer from the bi-sulphuret of iron than the average of Illinois coals, and one that cokes well and contains more than an average of fixed carbon.

Coal No. 3 has been mined but little in this county. It usually lies from 40 to 60 feet above No. 2.

Coal No. 4 is a very persistent seam in its development, and was found at every locality in this county that was examined by the State Geologist. On the south side of Spoon river it underlies the highlands about Astoria, and it was opened here as early as 1859. The seam is here from four and a half to five feet in thickness, and is overlaid by about two feet of black shale that forms a good roof. This seam is very extensively worked near Astoria, and at St. David and Canton. At Breed's Station a tunnel has been opened in this seam. The coal average> about five feet in thickness here. It is worked near Cuba, and northwest of Fairview it is worked at several points on the breaks of Coal ereck. This may be consider- ed the most valuable of all the coals outcropping in this county. from its wide extent and the average quality of the coal which it affords.

Coal No. 2 is quite local in it- development, and is not worked to any extent except in the vicinity of Cuba, where it ranges from four to five feet in thickness.

Coal No. 6 is the highest coal in the series that has been worked to any extent in this county, and it affords an excellent coking coal, and also a better smiths' coal than is usually obtained from any of the lower seams. It varies in thickness from four to five feet. Prof. W. says of this seam : " On our first visit to this county in 1859, we found this seam opened at Piper's place, two miles north of Canton ; at Barton's place, two and a half miles north of Farmington ; and it

Co. m. Mosowiele

(DECEASED) CANTON

LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.

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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

was also worked by Mr. Burbridge at that time, about three miles west of Farmington, on Little creek. More recently it has been opened by Mr. Johnson on land adjoining Piper's." Six miles northeast of Canton, on a branch of Copperas creek, this coal has been worked by tunnelling. It was worked at Powell's, near Nor- ris. Burbridge & Co.'s shaft, one mile west of Farmington, reaches coal No. 6 at a depth of 26 feet. This seam lies about 90 feet below the level of the town of Farmington. It is also mined two miles northeast of Fairview. This seam probably underlies some three or four townships north and east of Canton, and may be reached any- where in that region at a depth varying from 25 to 100 feet.

Coal No. 7 is the highest coal stratum seen in this county, and being usually only from 16 to 20 inches in thickness no attempt has been made to mine it in competition with thicker seams.

ECONOMICAL GEOLOGY.

Bituminous Coal .- The great mineral wealth of Fulton county, as must be apparent, consists in its almost inexhaustible beds of coal, which are so distributed as to be easily accessible to every portion of the county. The three lower seams onterop on all the principal streams in the southern and western portions of the county, while coals 4, 5 and 6, the thickest and most valuable seams known in the northern portion of the State, underlic the central and northeastern portions of the county. These eoals underlie nearly or quite seven townships, with an aggregate thickness of about 14 feet ; and, throwing out of the calculation entirely No. 5, which is more local in its develop- ment than the other two, we still have an aggregate of from nine to ten feet of coal, equal to 9,000,000 tons of coal to the square mile as the product of these two seams, from the central and northeastern portions of the county alone, and within 150 feet of the surface at the general level of the prairie region. Taking the seven townships, there would be, of these two seams, 2,268,000,000 tons of coal under- lving the surface. Who could calculate the number of tons of all the seven strata underlying the entire county ? Coal-mining is vet in its infaney in this most highly favored region.

Cannel Coal .- A thin seam of cannel coal oceurs in the vicinity of Avon, and before the discovery of the vast deposits of oil in Pennsylvania it was mined for the distillation of oil.

Fire-Clay .- A good bed of fire-clay, from three to five feet in thickness, occurs below the cannel coal at Avon. At Andrews' coal bank, two miles and a half north of Marietta, there are from two to three feet of good fire-clay below the coal, and at many other locali- ties in the county.

Iron Ore .- " Iron ore in considerable quantities," says Prof. W., " was met with at several localities in the county. In the vicinity of Seville there is a bed of Limonite, from eight to twelve inches thick, immediately above the limestone that forms the roof of the lower coal." The same band of ore was seen in the vicinity of

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HISTORY OF FULTON COUNTY.

Avon. In the vieinity of Utica there is considerable impure car- bonate of iron. Iron ore is almost universally disseminated through the Coal Measures in this State, but usually in too small quantities to be of any great value for the production of metallic iron; but it is quite probable that the ores of this county may at some future time become valuable for this purpose.

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History of Fulton county, Illinois, Part 22

Author: Chas. C. Chapman & Co Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Peoria : C.C. Chapman & co. Number of Pages: 1096

Author: Chas. C. Chapman & Co
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Peoria : C.C. Chapman & co.
Number of Pages: 1096