History of Hancock County, Illinois, together with an outline history of the State, and a digest of State laws, Part 46

Author: Gregg, Thomas, b. 1808. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, C.C. Chapman
Number of Pages: 1046

USA > Illinois > Hancock County > History of Hancock County, Illinois, together with an outline history of the State, and a digest of State laws > Part 46

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During the winter his improvement attracted the greedy eye of a speculator, who "jumped the claim" by moving into the empty house. This was looked upon by the settlers as a violation of the rules of frontier honesty. A deputation of them accordingly waited on the jumper of the claim and notified him to leave. But this he refused to do, and declared his intention of going to Quincy to enter the land, it then being in the market. The first owner had returned to the claim and demanded possession, but all in vain. Finally, as the land sales drew on, the jumper, to secure matters, as he thought, threw the roof off, after taking his family out and putting them in a tent, and proceeded to Quincy to enter the land. This was done in order to prevent any one from moving into the house. But on returning from the land sales, not a vestige of the house remained! Everything had been quietly removed by the settlers.

The same writer closes with the following description of

PIONEER LIFE.

Mr. B. Mendenhall, of Dallas City, says: "The writer of this was a small boy in those days, and he has sat at the log fires of the early settlers (the fire-place occupying nearly the entire end of a cabin), and listened with eager delight to the stories of the pioneers, as they gathered around the hearth on winter nights, and recounted

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to one another the hardships, toils and dangers encountered, in order to gain a foothold in the Western wilds.

"Over the huge fire-place hung the trusty rifle, on the prongs of the sturdy buek-horns. The well-filled shot-bag, made of the skin of some wild animal, generally the raccoon or fox, hung by the rifle. In one corner was the meal sack, accompanied by the tin grater. If the former failed, resort was had to the latter, which never failed. Overhead were long strings of golden-colored pump- kins, ent in rings and hung up to dry. Generally the pumpkin was interspersed with quantities of dried venison steaks. A barrel of honey was almost always found in the cabin of the settler.

" Frequently, as the meal sack would become low, the anxious housewife would state the fact to the husband, and a new supply would be looked after. But many times supplies could not be had, as the mills were so few and far away. So, to lengthen out the meal, the housewife would steam the dried pumpkin, and mixing it with the meal in equal parts, bake it into bread. It was good and palatable, and kept hunger away.

" People enjoyed themselves in those days, but they have passed away, and with them the early settlers also. One by one at first, and then by twos and threes, they have passed away and are at rest. But few remain. Occasionally a white-haired sire remains, a living monument of the hardy frontier settler, waiting and watching with an eye of faith, when he, too, will be called on to join his companions in that home beyond the skies, where all is joy and peace.

" The younger ones are pressing on, filling their places in the great drama of human life. But the eagerness to obtain wealth and position has effaced from these young ones many of the noble and generous traits of character that were prominent in their fathers."

THE WINDMILL.

Among the objects of interest well remembered by all the old citizens of the county was the unfinished windmill, which stood on the southeast of Carthage, on the southwest ten acres of the quarter section on which the college is located. It was originated by Rev. John Lawton, elsewhere named in these pages, who, in conjunction with E. D. Vandervoort, a mechanic, undertook its erection about 1835 or '36. Of its plan we know but little, but remember that it was a high and strong frame, in the center of which rose an immense shaft, to which were attached a number of 16-foot wings. Shortly after its erection a storm of wind blew down some of the wings, and otherwise injured it. About the same time Mr. V. was crippled in the machinery. This accident, coupled with the fact that their funds and credit were about exhausted. determined the firm to abandon it. It stood in that unfinished condition for several years, it and the dome of the new court-house being the two first objeets visible on approaching the

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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

town. After Mr. Lawton's death in 1842 it was taken down and sold.

THE FIRST TWO-STORY FRAME.

Mr. Samuel Gordon says: "I well recollect the excitement inci- dent to the raising of the first two-story frame house in the county. It was in the month of June, A. D. 1832, when the enterprising proprietor, Mr. Luther Whitney. conceiving the idea of enlarging his accommodations for the comfort of his guests of the Monte- bello House, projected a two-story frame, 20 by 50 feet. A raid upon the forest was made for the necessary material, and according to the notions of the day the timber must be about three times the size now used. Consequently the frame was very heavy. When everything was ready, all the inhabitants for ten miles around were invited to the raising. The timbers were fastened to- gether broad side at a time. The first side was carried up without difficulty; but the second bent was much more formidable. When about one-third the way up, matters came to a stand-still, and the utmost exertions of all engaged could not gain an inch. The sit- uation had become extremely critical, the great danger being of losing control, and the frame falling back and killing or crippling all below. Just as all were about giving up in despair, the "boss" happened to think that there were a dozen or so of women in the house near by, and perhaps their strength might help him out of the difficulty. Their aid was invoked, and promptly responded to, and by the united efforts of the whole west half of the county, the frame was raised and finished, and to-day stands as a monument of the past, and also as the oldest frame building in the county."

THE FIRST MURDER.

To Mr. Gordon we are also indebted for the particulars of the first murder in the county, which we have failed to obtain else- where:

" The first murder committed in the county was in the summer of 1832. The parties were Enoch Hankins and Abram Moore. It seems that they had been neighbors in Ohio, and had an old grudge not settled. On the fatal day they were both in the court room, rather the worse for liquor, when the quarrel was renewed. Moore being almost twice the size and strength of Hankins, gathered hold of him and threw him head first out of doors, the floor being several feet above the ground. The fall was a hard one. Hankins was so enraged that he took out his knife, opened it, but put it back into his pocket, and returned into the court room. Moore seeing him back again, made the second attempt to throw him out, whereupon Hankins drew out his knife and inflicted a fatal wound, which caused Moore's death in 24 hours. Hankins was arrested, and bound over for his appearance to Court. Not being able to give bond, and there being no jail in the county,

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he was taken to Quincy for safe keeping, Adams county having a log jail. Hankins, after a few months in jail got tired of such close quarters; so one night he dug through the wall and cleared himself for Texas. The family of Moore offered a reward of $500, the county $500, and Gov. Reynolds $200; but Hankins was never caught."

SONS OF TEMPERANCE.

About the year 1846 or '7, a temperance wave struck Hancock county, and resulted in the organization of a number of Divisions of the Sons and Daughters of Temperance. Of the Sons there were about a dozen Divisions in the county, one at each of the towns and villages. The total number of members could not be told, as they were liable to so many changes. The Division at Warsaw initiated nearly 500 members, during the period of about eight years that it existed ; and Divisions at other points had nearly as many. But these institutions in time ceased to be beneficial, and passed away, none we believe now existing in the county, though the order still exists.

MORMON TRAIL.

It seems that a portion of the Mormon brotherhood had an intro- duction to Hancock county four or five years before they settled at Nauvoo. There is, or was, not long since, a well-beaten, but grass- grown, track through the southeastern section of the county, known as the Mormon Trail, made by that people when on their passage from Ohio to the promised land in Missouri, in 1833 or '34. It entered the county from Schuyler, and crossed the prairie between Plymouth and Augusta, in the direction of Quincy, that being the objective point on the Mississippi river. So that, in coming from Missouri to this county in 1838-'9, in pursuance of a later revela- tion, they were only taking the " back track " over a road some of them had traveled years before.

THE DESERTERS.

To John R. Tull, Esq., of Fruitland, we are indebted for a good many incidents of personal and county history. Here is one of them, which occurred the first summer of his residence in the county : "On a Friday night, near the middle of June, there was a tap on my cabin door ; I opened it, and there stood two men of suspicious appearance, with guns in their hands. They begged to come in ; I let them in, and they asked for something to eat, saying they had been without food for nearly two days. By close ques- tioning they told me they were deserters from the U. S. barracks at the head of the rapids, and that they were so cruelly treated by the officer in command they could stand it no longer. I gave them of our little store of provisions. The next morning they begged to remain over Sunday, and they would work for me to pay for

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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

their board. I consented. But on Sunday one of them discovered a company of Indians at a distance, and. supposing they were sent ont from the fort on their trail. they both got into the cabin as quickly as possible, got their guns, and secreted themselves, declaring they would not be taken alive. I went out to watch the movements of the Indians, and, if possible, to divert their attention on eastward. They did not, however, attempt to enter. but, after looking around a little, passed on, to our great relief. On Monday morning one of the men saw a man riding rapidly in the direction of where he was. and supposing him to be one of the officers of the barracks, both deserters broke for the brush, and made their escape. leaving their guns and bundles behind. About a month afterward they returned, got their guns and bundles, and I have never seen them since."

LUSTS NATUR.E.

Dr. G. gives this item as ocenrring in his practice in this county: A woman on whom he was called to attend professionally, gave birth to a monster child. It had two well-formed heads, joined at the shoulders: four arms, and three legs-a more remarkable luxus nature than the Siamese twins. The child was alive. but died in the delivery.

GANGRENE AND QUININE.

Speaking of medical cases, we may mention one as having occurred near the eastern line of the county many years ago. A man had two fingers ent off' by a circular saw. He was living in a malarial district, and, at the time of the accident, was full of malaria. He was negligent of the wound. until it became extremely painful and swollen, and gangrene had set in, and the arm was gangrened nearly to the shoulder. Several physicians were called. and while a majority said amputation of the arm was all that could save his life, another said No, claiming that it would not stop the gangrene, and that he could be cured by other means. He was allowed to pursne his own plan. He resorted to quinine. With a knife he cut away all the gangrenous flesh clean, and filled the wound full of quinine, giving, at the same time, copious doses inter- nally. And that, too, when quinine was quoted at six dollars an ounce. The patient recovered, retaining both his arms.

A MISCALCULATION.

An old settler relates the following story in the history of Appa- noose. About the time it was laid ont by Messrs. White and Doo- little, a man from Kentucky offered them $4.000 for two blocks on the river at the upper end, and would obligate himself to put up large fouring and lumber mills. This offer the short-sighted pro- prietors refused, but wanted $6.000, which he refused to give, and went away. It can be now seen that they would have done well to have made him a free gift of the blocks, on the condition that he would thus improve them.

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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

SPILLMAN'S FORT.

During the scare of the Black Hawk war, Mr. Hezekiah Spill- man was authorized to build a fort or block-house, near his place, for the protection of the inhabitants. The house was built of large logs, twenty or twenty-five feet long, knotched up solidly, and ten or twelve feet high, and then with longer logs projecting two or three feet over. The whole was covered with a heavy elap- board roof. All around, above and below, were port holes, to open or close as necessity required. This building was enclosed all around, some twenty-five or thirty feet distant, with a stockade of logs set in the ground.

CHAPTER XXIV.

TOWNSHIP HISTORIES.

In this most important chapter of the history of Hancock county, we give the respective history of townships, with short biographical sketches of their leading citizens. At the close of the introductory portion we give a list of supervisors, clerks, assessors and collectors, as complete as we could obtain from the records. Each officer is credited with the year in which he was elected, and many were re- elected for successive years. For want of full returns the list doubtless contains errors.

AUGUSTA TOWNSHIP.

Congressional. or surveyed, township number three north and range number five west of the fourth principal meridian (usually written 3 n. 5 w., or 3-5 for short) is named Augusta, after the handsome and ambitious little city within its borders. The town- ship is about one-third timbered land, the rest prairie; the timber skirting the head waters of Panther creek in the northwest, Flower creek near the center, and William's creek near the south line. Augusta contains much valuable land and many fine farms. Many of its settlers are farmers of the first class-emigrants from the East and South, who came to the county to make permanent homes for themselves and their families.

The first settlers we can learn of in this township (and we cannot pretend to name them all, or in the order of their coming) were Alexander Oliver, Jesse and Shelton Phillips, Dr. Adolphus Allen, Benjamin Gould, Christopher E. Yates, George Sadler, Isaac Pidgeon, Solomon Stanley (these two last Quakers), Joel Catlin, Wm. D. Abernethy, Dr. Samuel B. Mead, Horace Mead, Alfred Mead and Jonathan Mead (the father died aged 87), James Bow- man, P. P. Jones, Roger Ireland, Thomas Trimble, Thomas Rice, David H. Rice, John Wilson, P. P. Newcomb, Wm. Dexter, Wm. M. Dexter, Emsley Jackson, George W. Hawley, Benjamin Bacon, Alfred Skinner, Silas Griffith, John Jackson, George Jackson and E. S. Austin.

A number of these left the county again, while many of the more aged ones have gone to their reward.

Mr. Oliver settled over the line, in Adams county, but his land was in Hancock. He came in August preceding the " deep snow" (1830). He purchased his supply of provisions for the winter in Rushville, just before the snow, and was not able to get them home

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till March, consequently hominy was the main support of himself, wife, and eight children during the winter. His stock suffered severely, and he had to cut down bass- wood trees to keep his cattle from starving, they eating the tops.

In July, 1832, during the Black Hawk war, Joel Catlin and Win. D. Abernethy (brothers-in-law) came to "Oliver's Settlement," from Augusta, Georgia, though they were Eastern men. They located where the town of Augusta now stands, and gave the nanie to the place. Mr. Catlin resided there, an honored and influential citizen for a number of years, then removed to Jacksonville, where we believe he still lives at an advanced age. Mr. Abernethy was afterward Sheriff of the county, and subsequently went into busi- ness in Warsaw, where he died, about 1850, of cholera.

The Phillipses left early. One of them is remembered as being the manufacturer of the primitive mills for grinding corn, in use in those early days. He is not known to have ever patented it, so that any one is still at liberty to construct one for himself. We describe it for the benefit of our readers and for posterity. The mill was constructed in this wise : A boulder of proper size was ob- tained from Flower creek, or at any other creek, and made as level and flat as possible. It was then placed on top of a sawed log set · endwise, or on a rude frame made for the purpose. This was then surmounted by another boulder of similar construction, set face to face, and these composed the upper and the nether millstones. They were held in place by a pivot in center, and made to turn as easily as possible. A hole was drilled in the upper stone near to one edge, into which a handle would be placed for turning it. The regular price for one of these mills was two dollars and a half.

Dr. Mead came to Augusta in 1833; his father and brothers still later. He thinks he was, perhaps, the second practicing phy- sician in the county, Dr. Isaac Galland being before him at River- side, while Dr. John F. Charles came a little later to Carthage. See biography of Dr. Mead on a subsequent page.

In 1834 a postoffice was established at Augusta, W. D. Abernethy being the first postmaster. Elder Thomas H. Owen was con- tractor and carried the mail on route from Rushville to Carthage on horseback once a week. Dr. Mead was postmaster from 1840 to 1857.

In August or September, 1833, occurred the first burial in Au- gusta cemetery, the remains of Mr. John Anderson.

The first wedding that took place in the township, says Mr. Gould (and he is supposed to know), was that of Mr. Benjamin Gould and Miss Rebecca J. Jones, on Christmas Day, 1833, Christopher E. Yates, Esq., performing the, ceremony. " No cards."

The first 4th-of-July celebration in Augusta took place in the beautiful "Round Grove," which has since disappeared. This was in 1839 or 1840. Orator of the day, William N. Grover, Esq., of Warsaw.

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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

Miss Ruth Bateman, sister to State Superintendent Bateman, taught the first school in 1835.

What was known in the early days as "Round Prairie," em- braced a portion of Augusta township, a part of St. Mary's, and the adjoining portions of MeDonough and Schuyler counties. This section, as a unit, ranks among the earliest settlements in the south part of the county, and embraces much beautiful country and many fine farms. It does not include the town of Augusta, and just how far it extends in other directions is not strictly de- fined. Like the "Great West," its borders are indefinite. Mr. Phillips, Mr. Yates, Dr. Allen, Mr. Bowman, Mr. Solomon Stan- ley and Mr. Pidgeon are. perhaps the very first settlers in that part of Round Prairie belonging to Augusta.

Flour creek, now more properly written Flower, is said to have received its name from the following circumstance : In the spring of 1834, Mr. Pruitt and Mr. Box, of St. Mary's, were re- turning from the Brooklyn mill with their grists one Sunday eve- ning, when the "creek was up," crossing at the ford south of Plym- outh with their ox team, a large and well-filled sack of flour was swept out of their wagon by the deep and rapid stream and supposed to be lost, but on the Wednesday following it was fished ont, well preserved and in good order, except a thin crust next the sack-so saith the "oldest inhabitant," Mr. Allen Melton .-- Young's Hist. Round Prairie.

How Panther creek obtained its title we can only guess; but a fair presumption is, that animals of that name existed, or were supposed to exist, in its woods.

On William's creek, south of the town, are coal veins, which have supplied considerable quantities of coal for local use. But the vein is thin, and the cost of obtaining it too great; and that article is now chiefly supplied from abroad by rail.

The town of Augusta was laid out by Joel Catlin, Wm. D. Abernethy and Samuel B. Mead, Feb., 1836, and surveyed by James W. Brattle. Mr. Brattle was an early surveyor and an early settler in the county, now residing at Macomb, in a green old age. And right here we must tell an incident concerning him, related by Mr. Lawton, of Augusta township. Mr. B., old as he is, has not forgotten the business of his younger days; and so, a year or two ago, Mr. L. had him re-establish some lines he had run 30 or 40 years ago. While so engaged, a young man of the vicinity came along, who did not know Mr. Brattle. The young man was asked if he knew who had planted a certain stake. He replied, "I don't know unless it was old Jimmy Brattle." "This is Mr. Brattle," said Lawton. The young man looked at him again : "I mean old man Brattle."

Augusta also contains the village of Pulaski, named for the patriot Polish count. It was laid out in 1836 by Alexander Oliver, Wm. MeCready and Benjamin Bacon. Its growth has been very slow.

If. B. Mead

AUGUSTA

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IIISTORY OF HIANCOCK COUNTY.

Mechanicsville, laid out in 1842, by Alanson Lyon, was also in this township. It was designed for a manufacturing center, and for a time bid fair to be a town of importance. But for some cause (probably the death of Mr. Lyon) it failed, and it is now one of the forgotten towns.

Mr. Benjamin Gould, to whose reminiscences, in the Augusta Herald we are much indebted, says: "On the 22d of Feb., 1833, I celebrated Washington's birth-day by hauling logs for the first house ever built in the city of Augusta." Then he and Henry Abernethy kept "bach" in it. The same summer he put up the log house in which the first religious services were held. Both these buildings we believe are still standing, forlorn looking as a candidate who has been left out.

In the severe storm of July 4, 1873, the Christian church at Angusta was moved from its foundation and the spire blown down. The Presbyterian church had its spire also blown off with part of the roof, and a number of other buildings blown down. No one hurt.

The first grist-mill in the township was established in 1833, by John Wilson; run by horse-power.

The venerable P. P. Newcomb, born in Mass., 1804, and raised in Vt., came to Rushville 1830, to Augusta, 1836. The Rebellion dealt hard with this aged gentleman's family. Two sons went into the army; the eldest, Wilbur Fiske, was wounded at the assault on Vicksburg under Grant, on 22d of June, and died 31st of June, on board the hospital boat J. C. Wood, at Memphis. The second, William L., was wounded Nov. 30. 1864, at Franklin, Tenn .; was brought home and died 14th Jan., 1865; and his mother, Mrs. Ann (Munson) Newcomb died six days afterward from virus in dress- ing his wounds.

Dr. Adolphus Allen removed to Riverside and died many years ago; Mr. Yates to Nauvoo, still living at an advanced age. Pid- , geon went to Salem, Iowa; Stanley back to N. C. The elder Mead and his sons Horace and Alfred, we believe are all deceased. So are Messrs. Dexter, Hawley, Ireland and Skinner. The latter was for many years one of the most active business men in the county. Mr. Bacon was a leading and honored citizen, resident at Pulaski, died much regretted many years since.

There are many other respected and honored pioneers of Au- gusta township, some of them still living, whom we would be glad to mention, if space would warrant. But a history of Augusta would not be complete that failed to name Eliphalet Strong Austin, the genuine, true-blue, whole-souled, musical Free-soiler, from the land of wooden nutmegs. Born in 1809, his parents removed to Ashtabula, O., in 1811, and in 1843 Strong came to Augusta. Was always an ardent Whig; assisted in organizing the Republican party, and it is his boast to-day that he hesitated not to accept position as conductor on the U. G. R. R., and that no train under his care ever jumped the track or met with a smash-up.

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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.

Mr. A. married Miss. Julia W. Hawley, in Northern Ohio, also from Conn. They have several children residing " out West;" and it was while on a lengthy visit to these a few years ago, that Mrs. A. manfully marched up to the polls in Wyoming with other women, and deposited a ballot for the right. Perhaps she is the one solitary woman in Hancock connty who has ever exercised the elective franchise.

RELIGIOUS PROGRESS.

We have mentioned that Mr. Gould put up the log house in which the first religious exercises were held. Mr. G. mentions the first Sunday-school, in which Mr. Oliver was Superintendent, but does not gives its date. It seems to have been previous to the summer of 1834. The Presbyterian Church was organized July 28, 1834, by Rev. Cyrus L. Watson, of Rushville at that time ; Rev. Reuben K. McKoy, of Clayton, now deceased; Dr. Blackburn, of Kentucky, was present, and probably Rev. John Lawton, of Car- thage. The members then received were nine, viz .: Alexander Denny, deceased 1868; Mrs. Elizabeth Denny, deceased 1837; Phebe W. Candee, lately living in St. Louis, over 80; Samuel B. Mead; Arietta Mead, deceased 1865; Evelina M. Abernethy, now of Nebraska; Benjamin Gould, Mr. and Mrs. Dunbar, who soon afterward left the place.

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History of Hancock County, Illinois, together with an outline history of the State, and a digest of State laws, Part 46

Author: Gregg, Thomas, b. 1808. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, C.C. Chapman Number of Pages: 1046

Author: Gregg, Thomas, b. 1808. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, C.C. Chapman
Number of Pages: 1046