History of Greene and Jersey Counties, Illinois : together with sketches of the towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent individuals, and biographies of representative men, History of Illinois, Part 47

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical
Number of Pages: 1150

USA > Illinois > Greene County > History of Greene and Jersey Counties, Illinois : together with sketches of the towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent individuals, and biographies of representative men, History of Illinois > Part 47

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The saw mill owned by William H. HI. West, was erected by that gentleman in 1881-2. It is two stories high, the

main building being 16x48 feet in ground area, with a shed on each side, one of which is 70 feet in length, and the other 12x48 feet. The engine is about 40-horse power, and was manufactured by the Broadway foundry, St. Louis. The mill has been in operation constantly since its erection. Mr. West manufactures wagons, sleds, cradles, etc., and does general work in that line.

W. H. H. West was born in Jersey county, Ill., in 1841. His parents were Vincent and Eady (Wright) West, both being now dead. His father was a na- tive of Virginia, and his mother of North Carolina. His father died in Belleville, Ill., at the age of 55 years. Our subject received his early education, which was very limited, in the common schools of this county. At the age of 14, he began to learn engineering with John Belt, who was then running a saw mill, three and a half miles north of Fieldon, and re- mained with him about four years. In 1859 he went to Harrison county, Mo., and followed the same business, until the war broke out in 1860, when he entered the service under Jackson's call, commanded by Price. He was in the state's service three months, when he volunteered in the confederate service at Springfield, Mo., in the 1st Mo. Reg., commanded by Col. Gates. He was in the battles of Lexington, Elkhorn, Iuka and Corinth. He was taken prisoner at Corinth, and was taken to Cairo, and put on a boat to be taken to Vicksburg, to be exchanged. When he was getting off the boat, he met a friend with whom he exchanged clothes, and getting aboard the boat again came back to Cairo, but as he stepped off the boat he was re-captured and put in prison

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HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY.

with some others. The prison was a building 16x26 feet, where he hardly had room to lie down. He was paroled out of prison, one Friday night about 12 o'clock, and he then came to the home of his unele, who resided in Madison county, Ill. He run a saw-mill there for a year, for a man named Blackburn. In the latter part of 1853, he came to Fieldon, and was employed by Belt Bros. He was married to Mary Jane Richey, July 9, 1864, and a short time afterwards, he was drafted into the Union army, but reporting at headquarters was told to go home. There is a family of six children. three boys and three girls-William H. H., Clarence W., Emma, Charles, Lulu and Fannie. Mr. West and wife belongs to the Cumber- land Presbyterian church. He has held the office of justice of the peace, and township elerk for one year. Mr. West owns property in the village of Fieldon, and has been very successful in his business.

SOCIETIES.

Fieldon Lodge, No. 592, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons was organized in 1868. Its charter bears the date of Oct. 6, of that year. The original members were : Sylvester Redfield, Edward Ar- kebauer, Henry Wieghard, James Eads, Wesley Park, H. N. Belt, J. H. Far- row, T. K. Phipps, F. Sweet, Solomon Phillips, S. P. Dinsmore, N. D. Hadley and C. E. A. Minter. The first meet- ing of the above petitioners occurred Feb., 1, 1868, and a lodge was opened in due form, with the following officers, appointed under dispensation : Sylves- ter Redfield, W.M .; Wesley Park, S.W .; James Eads, Jr., J. W .; Edward Arke bauer, S .; H. N. Belt, Jr., S.D .; S. P.

Dinsmore, J.D .; J. H. Farrow, T. The following were the first officers regu- larly elected: Sylvester Redfield, W.M .; W. Park, S.W .; James Eads, J. W .; James H. Farrow, T .; E. Arkebauer, S .; H. N. Belt, S.D .; E. F. Brown, J.D .; T. K. Phipps, T. The present officers are : William Eads, W. M .; E. F. Brown, S.W .; B. F. Campbell, J.W .; Allen Milem, S.D .; S. B. Johnessee, J.D .; C. C. Buzby, T; W. L. West, S .; Philip Lanerey, tyler. The membership num- bers about 31. There have been several deaths in the lodge, among whom was Sylvester Redfield, the first W. M. The building in which the hall is located is owned by C. C. Buzby, and is well fur- nished. The condition of the lodge at present is not what it should be, quite a number of the leading members having moved away. At one time it was one of the most successful secret organizations in the county.

Formerly a lodge of I. O. O. F. existed in Fieldon, which held its meetings in the hall over W. Park's drug store. It was removed to Kemper in 1880, and a sketch of this lodge may be found in connection with the history of that town, in this volume.

EDUCATIONAL.

The pioneer school house of Fieldon was built in 1839. James Robbins taught the first term of school therein. This house served the town for educa- tional purposes until 1873, when a new building was constructed at a cost of $2,000. The first teacher in this build- ing was M. E. Ellenwood. The corps of teachers employed for the school year, ending June 30, 1885, was com- posed of Mr. Roach, principal, and Luella Cutler, assistant.

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HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY.

RELIGIOUS.

The Fieldon M. E. church was organized in Dec., 1884.

There is a flourishing society of the Evangelical German Lutheran church, located at this place, of which Rev. Herman Taeger is pastor.

Rev. Ilerman Taeger, the present minister of the German Lutheran church, at Fieldon, was born May 24, 1839, in Germany, and is a son of Leopold and Magdalena ( Uluch) Taeger, both natives of Germany. He was reared in that country, receiving a lib- eral education, and there became fitted for the ministry. He attended school 12 years in Halle, Prussia. In 1865 he sailed from Bremen in a sailing vessel bound for America, landed at Baltimore, and went directly to St. Louis, where he remained eight months. At the ex- piration of that time he went to Madison county, where he remained 12: years, then to Jersey county, where he has since been a resident. In addition to his ministerial labors, Mr. Taeger has for the past eight years taught the German school at Fieldon. As a preacher he is well liked, his labors being blessed with abundant success. He is also peculiarly fitted for his posi- tion as teacher, and in that capacity is highly popular. October 17, 1867, Mr. Taeger was married to Frederica Beims, daughter of Henry Beims. They are the parents of five children-Hubert, Leopold, Richard, Edgar and Alfred. Mr. Taeger is a fine musician and a professor of music.

OTIIER CITIZENS.

William L. West was born Aug. 31, 1815, in Warren county, Ky. His par-

ents were David L. and Mary (Arm- strong) West, who came to Illinois in 1817, and settled in St. Clair county, where they remained until their deaths, his mother dying in 1820, and his father in 1837. William L. remained on the old homestead until Nov., 1837, when he traveled on horseback in Missouri and Arkansas, to Fulton, on the Red river, thenee by canoe down Red river to Shreveport, La., thence to New Orleans, and returned to St. Louis, June 9, 1838. He returned to the old homestead, and remained until Sept. 1838, when he came to Greene-now Jersey-county, and remained with H. N. Belt and oth- ers, teaching school part of the time. On the 15th of Dee. 1842, he was united in marriage with Abigail Dunsworth, of Greene county, and by this union had seven children, four of whom are now living-William H., George D., Eliza- beth E., and Thompson. Mrs. Abigail West died at Harrisburg, Saline county, Ill., Nov., 1863. In the year 1869, Wm. L. located in the village of Fieldon, where he has since resided. In 1870 he was again married, to Mrs. Emma A. Mitchell, a native of Mississippi. Mr. West has held the office of justice of the peace seven terms, and the office of county surveyor several times. He is a member of Fieldon lodge, No. 592, A. F. & A. M., and also a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church.

Edward R. Brigham, a native of Che- shire county, N. H., was born on July 2, 1823, his parents being Aaron and Hannah (Reed) Brigham, both natives of Massachusetts. Edward was reared in his native county, and there grew to manhood. In 1846 he entered the ser- vice of the United States in the Mexican

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HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY.

war, in the Ist Reg. of the New York volunteers. At the expiration of the war, Mr. Brigham went to California, and was engaged in the mines for some months. He then went back to New Hampshire, where he made his home until 1850, when he returned to Califor- nia to again engage in the mines. After some time he again went to New Hamp- shire, but soon after moved to Marshall, Mich., from which place he again started for the mining districts of Cali- fornia, overland. In 1855 he came back and located in Chieago, where he staid some months and then located in Jer- sey county to make his future home. He settled in Richwoods township, where he has since resided and has made his place of abode. He moved to Fieldon in the fall of 1870, and in the same year he was appointed postmaster, which po- sition he has held with credit ever since. He was also elected justice of the peace, which position he has ever since con- tinued to hold, through the suffrages of his fellow citizens. Mr. Brigham was united in marriage in Fieldon in 1873, to Jane Skiff, a native of this state. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M. and was treasurer of the local lodge for about 11 years.

CLENDENNEN.

In the northwest part of Richwoods ! the month of Nov., 1883, he removed to

township, there is a cluster of small buildings, which has acquired the name . sided.

of Clendennen, but is more commonly known as "Spankey." It is situated in a cozy nook, "under the bluff."

Bud Nelson started a store here about 1876, and a short time afterward a black- smith shop. There is no postoffice here, and the inhabitants of the sur- rounding country generally receive their their mail at Fieldon. The store build- ing mentioned is now owned by William Spaulding, the business belonging to his brother, B. M. Spaulding. The black- smithing business is conducted by J. B. Gibson.

Bud Nelson, who started the general store in 1876, afterwards sold out to James Ellis. He ran the business until Nov., 1883, when the property was pur- chased by William Spaulding, and the stock by M. B. Spaulding. The pro- prietorship has not changed since that time.

William H. Spaulding, the owner of the building in which his brother carries on business, was born in Jersey county, on the 15th day of Feb., 1856. His parents are William and Martha (Gram- mar) Spaulding, and are now living two miles west of Kane, in Greene county, where his father is engaged in farming. Our subject was reared in Jersey county, where he received his education. In Clendennen, where he has since re-

396

HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY.

CHAPTER XXIII.

ROSEDALE TOWNSHIP.

This township embraces all of con- | Shoe lake is almost entirely on sections gressional township 7 north, range 13 3 and 4. It is not, strictly speaking, a lake, being merely a projecting arm of Otter creek, which lies in the shape of a coil, whence its name-Horse Shoe-is derived.

west, except the west row of sections. Of the latter row, parts of sections 6, 7 and 18 are also embraced in the terri- tory of Rosedale township. It is bounded on the north by Richwoods, on In the western portion of the town- ship, at an average distance of about a mile and a quarter from the river, are the bluff's of the Illinois, which present ered, having the Illinois river on the | quite a picturesque appearance. the east by Otter Creek, on the south by Quarry, and on the west by the Illi- nois river. The township is well wat- west, besides Otter creek. Coon creek, Rosedale township has considerable rough land, and certainly has no dearth Coon lake, and Horse Shoe lake. Otter | of water-courses. There is also a large Fowler's lake, Long lake, Deep lake, creek comes in from the east on the line amount of timber, more or less heavily wooded. Notwithstanding these things, by far the larger portion of its soil has been compelled to succumb to the power of thrift aud energetic labor, ju- diciously applied on its surface, so that there are a large number of as fine farms as can be found any place in the county. The inhabitants do not lack energy, and good use has generally been made of all the advantages afforded by nature. Jones' Ferry affords facilities to the in- between sections 1 and 12, and with inany turns, flows in a generally west- ward direction, until its waters unite with those of an arm of the Illinois, on section 6. Coon creek comes in from Quarry township at the south line of section 35, and runs northwest, empty- ing into the Illinois on section 20. Coon lake is situated on sections 7, 8, 17 and 18. It is the largest lake in the town- ship. Fowler's lake is long and narrow, and lies in sections 20 and . habitants for crossing the Illinois river.

29. It is connected with Long lake, at at the north end of the latter, which extends through the remainder of sec- tion 29, through all of 32, and projects slightly into Quarry township, and from there is connected with the Illinois river by a narrow channel. Deep lake lies right alongside the river, on sections 29 and 32, its foot being in Quarry. Horse

The Jersey county side is on the west line of section 20. Taken all in all, while the surface of the country is rather broken in this township, there are many compensating advantages, which all aid in producing the general prosperity of its people.

In 1868, a company commenced bor- ing for oil on section 4, Rosedale town-

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HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY.

ship. After the work had proceeded to the depth of 825 feet, the rope broke, causing them to lose all their tools, making it necessary to abandon the work. A good mineral spring was de- veloped by the boring.

EARLY SETTLERS.

William Larue was most probably the pioneer settler of this township, lo- cating here as early as 1818. He made a clearing and erected a cabin on section 8, where he lived for many years. In 1837 or '38, he sold out and removed to Greene county, where he subsequently died.

In 1819, Walter Cresswell located in this township, and the following year received the appointment of justice of the peace, the first in the county.

Among the earliest settlers of Rose- dale township was John Gillworth, who, in 1820, built a cabin on the banks of Otter Creek, where it passes through the bluffs of the Illinois river. In 1830 he removed to what is now Ruyle town- ship, and subsequently to the county of Greene. During the days of the war he purchased property in Jerseyville, and returning to this county, resided in the county seat until 1871, when he died.

Elisha Fowler was one of the first set- tlers in Rosedale township. He located on section 21, and was one of the first to make a clearing, in the township. He settled here in 1820 or 1821.

Thomas, Samuel and William Cress- well made settlements here during the year 1820. Thomas settled upon the southeast quarter of section 9, which land he entered at the land office, in May, 1829. Samuel settled on section 4.

John Gilbert and A. P. Scott, in 1824

or 1825, settled in the timber in Rose- dale township, where they lived for many years.

Silas Crain came to what is now Rose- dale township in about 1825. He was a Methodist minister, and held meetings around at different houses. He settled on section 4, where he lived for some 12 or 14 years, when he removed to Richwoods township, where he subse- quently died.

The year 1828 witnessed the advent into this county of John Stafford. On coming here he located in Rosedale township.

Lewis and Amos Lynn and Enoch Spaulding made settlements in this township during the year 1828. The Lynns were first-class chairmakers, and often with the rudest machinery would turn out such substantial evidences of their handwork, that it is said of them that they never made a chair that would wear out.

Early in the year 1829, several parties by the name of Ennis, made a settle- ment upon section 16, near a spring of water. The father and mother both died in 1833. They were Tennesseans.

William Starr, -Perry, R. C. Bangle and Coe Edsall, were among the settlers of 1829, locating in this township.

John Dabbs made a settlement in 1831, on section 24, which he purchased of the government the year following. He was a resident here for years.

James Naron, probably one of the strongest men in this region of country, settled on section 17, in 1832. He afterward removed to Calhoun county, where he died.

Thomas Wedding located in Rosedale township in 1835.

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HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY.

EDUCATIONAL.

The first school in Rosedale township was in 1833, in a little log cabin which stood on the northeast corner of section 21. It was taught by Moses E. Morrill, who had been a sea captain and was a very well-informed man. Among the first scholars were Lloyd T., John H. and Elizabeth A. Belt; two or three children of Levi Larrison, Wm. Ennis' children, and children of Amos and Lewis Lynn. Morrill taught school six months there.

The second school was taught by Coe Edsall, in a shanty made of posts set in the ground and boarded up, on section 32. This was during the summer of 1835.

The first school house in district No. 1 was built in 1856, by Richard Whit- en, contractor. The last teacher in that building was Florence Houghtlin. A new school edifice was erected in this district in 1884, by N. F. Smith, Jr. John Gavin taught the first term of school in this house, being the winter term, 1884-5.

District No. 4 has a neat and substan- tial frame school house, built in 1883, by William Willis, contractor. Emma Leggate taught the first term in this house, in 1884. The building before used had burned down. It was con- structed of logs, and was located in what is known as Good Hollow.

The first school house in No. 5, or Pleasant Cove district, was built in 1866. The people of the neighborhood turned out and raised the logs themselves, so that the expense was light. The name of the first teacher was Miller. Lowery Pattison, taught the the last term in in that building. In 1883, the present

structure was ereeted, by John Powell, contractor. It is 24x28 feet in size, and cost $1,200. It is the best school house in the township.

MILLS.

About the year 1340, Thomas Barnett started a grist mill on the north side of Otter creek, on section 1. It stood a little over a mile down the creek from McDaniels' mill, on land which now belongs to Henry Schaff. It was a stone mill when built, but had not been long constructed ere it was washed away by a rise in the creek. He then put up a frame mill. The mill had two run of buhrs, and did considerable grinding being a very good mill for that day. The mill has gone to decay, and no trace of it now remains. The millstones were afterwards used at Demphey's dis- tillery at Grafton.

The saw mill that is now known as Preble's mill, was constructed by W. HI. H. West. He afterwards sold it to Squires & Payran, who ran the mill awhile then sold to James F. Seago and two others. The mill was burned down while in these hands, but was rebuilt. The property was afterward sold to Preble & Grandstaff, the firm consisting of James F. Seago and H. D. Preble. They continued the business about four years, when Preble purchased Grand- staff"s interests, and has since conducted the business himself. The mill has a capacity for sawing 6,000 feet of white oak lumber, daily, with one saw. Three hands are employed in the work. A new boiler has been lately added, and the mill is capable of doing good work.

H. D. Preble was born in Preble county, O., Aug. 29, 1846. When about 11 years of age, he moved with his

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HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY.

parents to Boone county, Mo. In the spring of 1862, he removed to Madison county, Ill., and seven years later, to Maeoupin county, where he resided un- til 1878. He then removed to Greene county, and in 1879 came to Jersey county, and purchased a saw-mill, which he has operated since that time. He is a member of the Odd Fellows' frater- nity.

A saw-mill was constructed on the banks of Otter creek, on section 11, on land now belonging to Henry Belt. James Bryce was the proprietor, and his mill was erected in 1833. The mill is now gone, as well as all trace of its having been there. Bryce sold out, and went to Missouri, where he erected another mill.

Pleasant Cove grist mill was built in 1883, by T. K. Phipps. This mill is equipped with one corn buhr, and has a capacity for grinding 150 bushels of meal per day. It is run by a steam en- gine, which is used, during the season, for running a threshing machine. Mr. Phipps threshes from 32,000 to 40,000 bushels of grain per year,

CEMETERIES.

In the Union cemetery, the first bur- ials occurred about the year 1835, being those of an aged couple named Ennis. James II. Wedding was buried there in Aug., 1837, and Nancy Wedding, in Aug., 1841.

Lillie Belle Rateliff, a little girl, was the first person buried in Meadow Branch cemetery. That was in 1871.

TENERIFFE.

This village of the past was laid out in 1836, by Joseph Hawkins, who came

from Tennessee, on the southwest quar- ter of section 4.

Silas Crain opened the first store, in the same year that the town was laid out. His stock consisted of an assort- ment of what is generally kept in a gen- eral merchandise store.

Aaron Ricketts started a grocery store immediately after the opening of Crain's.

In 1837, the stock of both these stores were closed out, and their business dis- continued.

Jacob Smith afterwards opened a gen- eral store, in which he did business for two or three years, when he, too, closed out.

Since Smith's failure to make a store pay here, there has been no further at- tempt made to establish any business at Tenneritl'e, and at present there is not even a landmark to designate the spot where the town was laid out, and where these early mercantile attempts were made. The buildings have rotted away, and the town site is now used for farm- ing purposes.

ROSEDALE POSTOFFICE.

This is the only postoffice within the limits of Rosedale township.

No town has ever been laid out here, but some trading is done at this point, while many of the inhabitants of this township receive their mail here.

The cluster of buildings which mark the location, is situated on section 16.

The postoffice was established about 1870, James Donald Sinclair being the first postmaster. W. C. Gleason at present holds that position.

There is a general store at this point which was established by James Donald

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HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY.

Sinclair, at the time of the location of the postoffice here. He ran the busi- ness about two years, and then sold to J. G. Reed. The latter remained but a short time, selling the business to W. C. Gleason, the present proprietor.

About the year 1875, Jesse Shoop started a small general store, which he operated a little over a year, when the stock was purchased by W. C. Gleason, who consolidated it with his own.

Mr. Gleason carried a varied assort- ment of such goods as are usually handled in general merchandise store.

William Cleveland Gleason was born in Gallia county, O., May 17, 1825. His early life was spent with his parents in his native county, where he received a good education. When 17 years old he went to Lawrence county, O., and there engaged in teaching school. He resided in that state until he was 25 years of age, then went to Virginia, where he followed teaching. He afterwards returned to Ohio, and taught two years, after which he came to Galena, Ill., where he en- gaged in the same occupation. From there he again returned to Ohio and taught school and ran a store and post- office at Hamden, Vinton county. He next went to Iowa, and engaged in mer- chandising, and also kept postoffice one year, thence he went to Illinois, where he taught school, thence to Ohio again. IIe'was married in that state in 1860, to Cassandra Thornton. His next move was to Clay county, Ill., where he fol- lowed farming, and from there he ro- moved to Rosedale township, Jersey county, which is now his home. Since that time he has spent two years in Kan- sas. On his return from that state he engaged in general merchandising at

Rosedale, which he still continues, also keeps the postoffice. Jan. 29, 1880, Mrs. Gleason died at the age of 38 years. Mr. Gleason is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and has taken the Royal Arch degree.

Shortly after the Rosedale postoffice was established, a blacksmith shop was opened, which is still in operation. William H. Newell is the present pro- prietor.

Those mentioned are the only busi- ness or trade interests that have ever been attempted at Rosedale.

James Donald Sinelair was born in the Highlands of Scotland, May 27, 1829. When 11 years of age, he went to sea, shipping at London as midship- man on board a barque called the "Der- went," which was engaged in the Aus- tralian trade, that being the time when gold had been recently discovered in Australia. In 1847, while on a home- ward voyage, the vessel encountered a terrifie storm, and was driven to the far south, where their progress was ob- structed by ice, and the days were so short that the sun was visible for only 25 minutes. After a tedious voyage of 135 days, they arrived in London. Here he again shipped as chief officer on board a ship called the "Minerva," bound for Riga, in Russia. On the pas- sage home the vessel encountered severe storms, and was detained on the coast of Norway, for three months. After his return to London, he went to Edin- burgh, Scotland, and attended school a short time, then went to Liverpool, and there shipped as seaman on board a Scotch ship called "St. Andrews," bound for Canada. On the passage, the ship ran into the ice on the banks of

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History of Greene and Jersey Counties, Illinois : together with sketches of the towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent individuals, and biographies of representative men, History of Illinois, Part 47

Author: Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Number of Pages: 1150

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical
Number of Pages: 1150