History of Henry county, Illinois : it's taxpayers and voters, 1877, Part 12

Author:
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Chicago : H. F. Kett
Number of Pages: 604

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On the S. W. gr. of Sec. 21, T. 17. R. 1. coal seam No. 2 has been opened near the top of the bluff and Immediately unter the bowlder clay. The coal ls 18 Inches thick, and Is overlald by four or five feet of clay shale, forming but a poor roof. This was the first exposure of No. 2 that we met with In Henry County. The coal was underlald by a few feet of fire clay and clay shale, and not sufficiently exposed to be acenrately measured, which was followed by a bed of bluish-gray septarla two or three feet thick, exactly like that found below the Colchester coal in Mcdonough County. This coal appeared to be from 35 to forty feet above No. 1 at this point.

At the Mineral Creek mines I found coal No. 1 worked in a shaft sixty feet In depth, and sunk In the valley of a small creek, and about one hundred and fifty yards southeast of the shaft the same coal outcrops seventy-five feet above its tevel In the shait. In a boring ntade at this point below the coal they reported 7 feet ol fire clay and 40 feet of shales, partly blue and partly gray, with a streak of coal from two to four inches thick about half way to the bottom. Some layers of saudstone, and one or more thin bands of iron ore, were passed through towards the botton of the boring.

At the Manch-Chunck mlues, about six mlles west of Geneseo, coal No. 1 Is worked just above the level of the creek by tunneling into the hill along Its outcrop. It is here inch thinner than It usually occurs in thils part of the county, being reported as vary lng In thickness from two feet to three feet six inches. No. 2 Is found here ontcropping about forty feet above No 1. A tunnel has been run into It, and considerable coal taken out, thongh the seam is here only from twelve to hfteen inches In thickness.

At Geneseo a coal seam crops out along the little run on the west side of the town, and Is worked by Mr. Maynard in a shaft sunk from a higher level near the outerop. The beds passed through In this shaft give the following section :

Ft. In.

No. 1-Soll and drift clay.

.20

No. 2-Hard rock, (probably limestone).

No. 3-Sandstonc.

No. 4-Bine slate.

No. 5-Coal ..

U 3

No. 6-Hard dark shale. 6 0

No. 8-Clay shale, or fire clay. No. 9-Blue shale ...

No. 10-Black shale. 0

6 No. 11-Coal ..

This seam has a parting of dark shale of varlable thickness, and I am Inclined to regard It as No. 2. which Is frequently separated by a shale parting. The coal Is also a rather soft and light coaf, more like No. 5 than any other, though It contains more pyrite here than Is usually found in It at more southern localities.

At Atkluson a coal seam about three feet In thickness has been opened on the eastern borders of the town, where It lles about fifteen feet below the surface, and from this point in a southwesterly direction it onterops along the bluffs of Spring Creek for a distance of about seven illes. Mowbray, Weatherspoon. Welch, Morrow, Shearer and Torpeming's mines are all on this outerop. The coal averages abont three feet In illek - ness, and has an excellent roof of hard, black slaty shale, passing upward into a blue clay shale contalning modules of Ironstone, and blue limestone. The roof shales are locally filled with Aviculopecten rectalaterarea and Productus muricatus. The nodules of limestone and clay ironstone contain Productus Prattenianus, Pleurotomaria percarinata, P. Montfortianus, Macrocheilus, and a minute spiral shell like Polyphemopsis. f have no hesitation In referring this coal to No. 3 of the Illinois River section, and it shows a regularity lu the

No. 7-Hard rock (concretlon ?).

100.0

112

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF HENRY COUNTY.

Superficial Deposits .- The drift clays of Henry County run from ten to fifty or sixty feet in thickness. These are the common yellow and blue clays underlying the soil over most of our northern prairies. No fossils of any note have been discovered in these clays, so far- as I know. No beds of coarse gravel were noticed; no drift copper or galena has been picked up in the county, as in some of the counties farther north. Few bowlders were observed lying over the prairies. In the valley of Green River, near its mouth, and in some of the ravines, an occasional bowlder may be found washed out of the denuded soil and clay. Indeed the Edwards and Green Rivers, in much of their courses, hardly show even fine pebbles along their. banks.

The alluvial deposits, however, are very marked in the Green River swamp lands, and in certain curious sand ridges and hills in the northeastern part of the county. No regular peat beds seem to exist in these swamps; but the tough sward of many grasses and sedges scarcely prevent one from sinking into the oozy muck and black vegetable mud covering these fresh-water marshes. For some cause the peat mosses have not flourished here as in the Whiteside County sloughs ; but a good illustration of the origin of the prairies, according to Pro- fessor Lesquereux's theory, may be seen almost anywhere along these Green River swamp lands. The sand hills of this swampy region present a more curious phenomenon still. Chains and curious-shaped round hills, fashioned into shapes fantastic, and gathered and piled up by the roving winds, extend in ridges and groups from Rock River to and among the Winnebago swamps proper, in Bureau and Lee Counties, and touch the northeastern portion of Henry. In the reports upon these latter counties more will be said upon these shifting and roving hills and chains of sand.

ECONOMICAL GEOLOGY.

Coal .- From the foregoing pages a good idea will be obtained of the extent, quality, and accessibility of the coal deposits in this county. The supply of this useful mineral is not likely to soon become exhausted. . As opened mines are worked out, new ones will be discovered. But a small portion of the productive coal seams underlying so large a part of the county; diagonally from its north- west to its southeast corner, has been properly or thoroughly prospected. Sources of wealth hidden away from the eyes of man are yet to be developed, and the coal of Henry County, for a long time to come, will furnish abundant supplies for home consumption, and a still more abundant supply for neighbor- ing markets. Such minerals as coal, iron, lime, and the like, which minister so largely to the economies, utilities and conveniences of life, are not only desir- able in and of themselves, but become sources of wealth and the highest material prosperity. Coal is second only to iron in every quality that can make it desirable. Especially in the prairie counties of Illinois, where fuel is scarce, coal, in even ordinary workable quantities, becomes of more than ordinary interest and value. As a steam producer for the lower Rock River valley, when all its manufacturing and milling facilities shall be developed, these coal fields bordering on the stream will obtain a new value. They will then be sought after eagerly and developed to their full extent.

Stone .- The supply of building stone, as will have already been surmised,

development of our workable coals along the northwestern horders of the coal fleld that could hardly have heen expected. The coal obtained from this seam has a tendency to split into thin layers, with partings of charcoal, and Is a harder coal than that obtained from No. 2, and quite unlike that from elther of the lower seams.

On Mud Creek, a few miles further east, another coal is sald to outerop, which Is probably No. 4 of the general section, and at Sheffield, Kewanee and Galva, No. 6 with Its characteristic parting of clay shale, Is found. thus completing the range of our most valuable coals, and showing their full development within the limits of Henry County. The general trend of thelr outerop Is from northeast to south west, and the dlp of the strata Is to the southeastward, but at a very slight angle. In closing these brief notes on Henry County, 1 desire to acknowledge my obligations to A. W. Perry, Esq,, of Geneseo, who placed himself and whatever conveyance was required at my disposal, and kindiy acted as both guide and commissary during my stay in the county.

A. H. W

Major A. GOULD, Cambridge.

115

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF HENRY COUNTY.

is quite limited. The cap rock over the Cleveland coal seam will furnish plenty of stone for cellars, wells, and ordinary mason work in that part of the county. Stone of a better quality can there also be quarried from the Hamilton lime- stone in and near the river. The supply of limestone at Aldrich's coal mine is small, but of good quality. The sandstone outcrops below Cleveland and on Mineral creek can also be made to furnish abundance of a sandstone that will be useful for many purposes. The other outcrops and stone quarries in the county furnish only limited amounts of rather poor building stone. All the railroad towns now draw their supplies of stone from the quarries at Athens, Joliet, and other places in their vicinity, and will continue so to obtain them.

Clays .- Great abundance of the usual drift clays can everywhere be obtained. These, with proper treatment, burn into a good article of common brick.

Agriculture .- But the distinguished characteristies of this county are its coal deposits and agricultural resources. In the latter respect Henry County ranks among the best counties in the State. Its surface is mostly a high, roll- ing prairie ; its soil is good. The staple crops of Northern Illinois give abun- dant annual returns. Its population, its wealth, and its material resources are rapidly increasing. As a fruit county it also ranks among the first in this part of the State. The orchards around some of the older settled towns seem to do well; but fruit growing in the county has not received the attention its import- ance demands. Fruit growing and timber raising should both be looked after by the farmers of Henry County.

HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.

Speculation in Illinois lands got fairly under way in 1835. It was in that year that Henry County was first visited by persons authorized to purchase large tracts of land for the benefit of certain companies. The county was then without an organization. The southern boundary was on the parallel 13 north of the base line, and its western boundary was upon the 4th principal meridian. It extended five townships, or thirty miles, east, and north it reached to the 18th parallel north of the base line. Rock River entered the county on the north about mid way from east to west, and formed its boundary on the northwest for about twenty miles, leaving it about midway of the fourth tier of townships. These boundaries have been retained ever since. It extends over no less than twenty-one entire townships of six iniles square each, and four fractional townships aggregating a little less than three entire townships. The square iniles foot up to about eight hundred and thirty, and the acres to nearly or quite 530,000. Of this number there were probably about 70,000 acres of timber land. Exclusive of the timber on Rock and Green Rivers there were a dozen distinct groves, besides a few clusters of trees dignified sometimes as groves.

Red Oak, White Oak, Round Hickory, Sugar Tree, Big Barren, Richland, and a few smaller groves, were found in the southern portion of the county ; Shabane or Shabbona, Crocker's, Trading House, Eight Mile. and several other small groves, as well as the timber on the Green and Rock Rivers, in the northern. It will be remembered that a large share of what was called timber lands contained only here and there a tree. The northeastern part of the county contained swamp lands, which were at that time undesirable as an investment. The balance of the prairie, excepting a few hilly quarters, was of the most desirable quality for farming purposes. This was then the inviting prospect held up to the poor man looking for land for "actual settlement," and to the capi- talist for hypothetical settlement.

Unfortunately for the growth and prosperity of the county, the latter class of settlers were the most numerous, very large portions of the best land in the county being taken up by them, and the poor man, the actual settler, was compelled to look elsewhere for a location. Many would not locate close to the colonies, on account of reports that the organization intended to swallow all outsiders who settled close to them.

In the early settlement of this county, William Roberts, who after- wards lived at Andover, and moved thence to Texas and there died, resided near Quincy, in Adams County. One night a prospector, who had been through this county, put up with Roberts. He said he couldn't stop in

117

HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.

Henry County ; 'twas too full of colonies. Of course there was much mis- apprehension as to the character of those colonies. Henry County seems to have furnished remarkable attraction for thein - Andover, Wethers- field, Geneseo, Morristown, La Grange, in an earlier day, thus originated, and Bishop Hill in a later. This last, however, differed from the others fundamentally. It required no accession from outsiders for support. The first mentioned five colonies had educational projects in view ; and three of them, viz. : Andover, Geneseo and Wethersfield, aimed at the dissem- ination of religious truth. The last named, or Bishop Hill Colony, was strictly a religious organization, the members of it coming directly from Sweden, and was the only one that obtained a legal cxistence. The nodes by which the other colonies endeavored to build up their educa- tional and religious establishments, though not differing much one from another, will be delineated when treating of them separately. For the present it is sufficient to say that all of them had public property, the proceeds of which, in some form, were to be used to build their schools or colleges. These five settlements began their existence nearly at the same time, Andover having precedence chronologically ; then followed Geneseo, Morristown, Wethersfield, La Grange.

Before the commencement of any of these colonies, Dayton, near Rock River, had commenced. This is known as " Brandenburg's settle- inent," George Brandenburg being one of the earliest settlers. He laid off the town, and for a long time his house was the whole of Dayton. In those days there was a great amount of travel to the land office at Dixon, and some from Knoxville to Albany, on the Mississippi. Dayton was at the crossing of those roads, and Brandenburg's hotel was a central point of great interest. The popularity of the " Judge " attracted a host of customers, and out of pure regard for their comfort he erected another cabin by the side of the first, leaving a space for a hall between them, and covered the whole with one roof. That was then the most com- modious house of entertainment in all this region; and an additional supply of furniture in the shape of beds, bedding and benches, with some other luxuries for the repose of the weary, made it a desideratum witlı travelers to reach that commodious "tavern."

About the time the Judge had got fairly under way, Caleb Pills- bury, brother of George and Levi Pillsbury, at Andover, opened a public house, which contained one room below and a loft above.

THE FIRST ENTRY

Of land made in this county was on June 8, 1835, N. $ 34, 18, 2, now Hanna Township, by Giles Williams. He is believed to have been a speculator. from the number of lots entered in his name in the following year. Jnly 7, 1835, Jas. W. Stephenson entered N. E. N. W. 10, 17, 1. Later in the same year many thousands of acres were entered, the New York Company alone entering some thirty thousand acres. Dr. Thomas Baker has the credit, generally, of building the first house in the county ; but that is a mistake, as James Glenn erected the first house. Dr. Baker's was the first family in the county. It is a little remarkable that a man of his temper- ament should have become a pioneer. He is said to have loved his ease exceedingly. Passing near a man who was making rails one warm day,

118

HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.

he begged him to stop his work till he could get by, as it hurt his feel- ings to see a man work in warm weather. He moved to Rock Island County some years ago, and thence to Missouri, and died there.

In April, 1835, James Glenn settled on Section 20, in what is now Colona township, and erected a house thereon in the same month, and still resides on the same farm. At this time Dr. Baker and family, here- tofore mentioned, were living near him in a wagon. The next house was built at White Oak Grove by a man named Butler, who was bonght out by the New York Company. The house is believed to have been the Company House, and if so, is still standing near the residence of Dan Moore. Butler is said to have been the first white man who planted and raised corn in the county. He sold out in the Fall of 1835, and is believed to have moved to Kansas. Washburne, an early settler and well known in the county, sowed the first wheat ; others, however, sowed wheat the same Fall. The first mill was at Andover, built in 1836-7, and the first "grist " for which toll was taken, after the bolt was put in, belonged to this same Washburne. He says that before the mill was running they got their samp by grating corn upon an old tin pail with holes punched in it, and meal in much the same way. This provender answered a good purpose where only "corn bread and common doings " were gotten up, unless too liberally supplied with blood from knuckles barked during the process of grating. Wheat bread and " chicken fixins" conld be found more frequently in the cabins after the mill got into operation. In that day many early settlers began going to Spoon River. in Knox County, to get their meal.

ORGANIZATION OF HENRY COUNTY.

Henry County was under the jurisdiction of Knox County till its separate organization in 1837. The Legislature then met at Vandalia. Major James M. Allan took a horseback ride from Brandenburg's to Vandalia, via Knoxville, Peoria, Tremont and Springfield, a distance of some two hundred and fifty miles, for the purpose of getting an act passed organizing the county, in accordance with the wishes of its inhabi- tants.

As the population increased the people demanded the organization of their county, and an enabling act was passed March 2, 1837, when commissioners were appointed to locate and name a county seat. They were Francis Voris, of Peoria County ; Jonas Rawalt, of Fulton County, and Isaac Murphy, of Warren County.

THE FIRST ELECTION

Was held June. 19th, 1837, at the house of George Brandenburg. There were to be elected three County Commissioners, Sheriff, Coroner, Surveyor, and Recorder. John P. Hanna, Charles Atkinson and R. R. Stewart were judges of election ; James M. Allan and Arba M. Scymour clerks. As this was the first election we have no doubt but it will be of interest to many of our readers to know the names of all the candidates, and we here insert them, with the number of votes for each :

119

HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.

For Commissioners.

No. of votes.

Ithamar Pillsbury,

Phillip K. Hanna,

Joshua Browning,

Rufus Hubbard,

Recorder.

Joshua Harper,

Thos. R. Saunders,

Eben Townsend,

Surveyor.

Arba M. Seymour, -

Sheriff.

Robt. Mccullough,

Stephen Marshall,

Coroner.

R. R. Stewart, -

We will give the entire LIST OF VOTERS in the order in which they voted : George Brandenburg, Samuel Sullivan, David Wiley, Washington B. Colbert, Samuel Withrow, John I. Smith, Thos. R. Saunders, Smith Bennett, John McLinn, Henry Sullivan, Jas. Withrow, Neely Withrow. George A. Colbert, Edward C. Hall, Preston Browning, Alfred Beck, George Tyler, George Goyer, Edward A. Mix. Thos. Miller, William Hite, Elisha Cone, Cromwell K. Bartlett. Wm. C. Bartlett, Wm. H. Hubbard, John Sullivan, Henry G. Little, Ithamar Pillsbury, Eben Townsend, Albert Jagger, Wm. S. Woolsey, Adrian Van Winkle, Alfred Ball, Thos. Glenn, Earl P. Aldridge, Steplien Marshall, Anthony Hunt, Solomon Penny, Caleb Pillsbury, Jesse Woolsey, Wm. Potts, Samuel Clark, Jerome Brittain, Ebenezer Wal- ters, Joshua Browning. Geo. McHenry, Robt. Mccullough, Jas. P. Dodge, Wm. McNevin, Philip K. Hanna, Joshua Harper, Rufus Hub- bard, John P. Hanna, Chas. Atkinson, Roderick R. Stewart, Jas. M. Allan, Arba M. Seymour, Reuben Cone. Many of the gentlemen whose names appear in the foregoing list have figured somewhat promi- mently in the history of the county - not all officers, but before the pub- lic in some capacity. Philip K. Hanna and Geo. A. Colbert will be remembered as the earliest Methodist ministers in the county. Ithamar Pillsbury, the Christian gentleman and energetic agent, was the first Presbyterian minister. Jas. M. Allan has been one of the most prominent men in the history of Henry County. He was the first clerk of the county, and in all political, social, military and county seat matters of early days, he was the most prominent figure, and in later days is known as an energetic, esteemed and valuable citizen. Geo. Brandenburg figured as the first landlord of the county, and has been well and favorably known. Eben Townsend, an aged gentleman of large experience and observation, of will imperious, strong affections, manners blunt or bland, as circumstances seemed to require, figured in the affairs of Andover for many years, and was well known to most of the early settlers. R. R. Stewart, the impartial magistrate, an exact public officer, long controlled the first and best public house in Geneseo. Henry G. Little has been called to serve his country in many positions of honor and trust. Jesse

120

HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY.

Woolsey, the unobtrusive home man, and as the upright and trusty land- lord at Andover, he is known to a large share of the gentlemen who attended the early courts at Cambridge. Joshua Harper, the mild and courteous gentleman, correct business man and faithful legislator. We might go on in this style, but limits must be set. Indeed, not a few of the gentlemen whose names are recorded at that first election, have histories belonging to the county, which will appear as we progress.

As before stated, the county was organized 19th June, 1837. On the 27th of the same month the Commissioners met in Dayton at the house of Geo. Brandenburg, and after being duly qualified, the first County Com- missioners' Court for Henry County was opened. Jas. M. Allan was appointed Clerk. Robert Mccullough was his security in the sum of $1,000. Ithamar Pillsbury (one of the Commissioners) administered the oath of office to Mr. Allan, and the court was ready for business. Chas. Atkinson was appointed Treasurer, took the oath, and gave bonds according to law. Records do not state who his sureties were. The clerks and treasurers of counties up to this time were appointed by the Com- missioncrs, but by an act of the legislature, 7th February, 1837, those offices were made elective from and after the Angust election of 1837. Accordingly at that election (August 7, 1837), the people returned Mr. Allan to the Clerkship, and Mr. Atkinson was elected Treasurer. At the September term of the Commissioners' Court (September 4, 1837), the Clerk gave bond in same amount as before, with Robt. Mc- Cullough and Jolm P. Hanna as sureties. No record is discovered of treasurer's bond or surety.

The first recorded order of the court was on June 27, 1837, anthoriz- ing Charles Atkinson, John P. Hanna and Geo. Tyler to keep a ferry on Rock River at Cleveland. The second ordered that the tax on the above mentioned ferry be fixed at one dollar and fifty cents. The Commissioners doubtless had an eye to a revenue when they charged that dollar and a half. June 4, 1838, this " tax " was raised to five dollars, and the party was authorized to work it out on the road under the direction of the Supervisor. One-half of one per cent. was fixed as the rate of tax- ation upon pleasure carriages, horses, cattle of every description, watches, wagons, logs, sheep. Mules, clocks, and other property that might be mentioned, went "scot-free " it seems. A road tax of one dollar and twenty cents was placed upon each taxable quarter section of land. At a term of the Commissioners' Court, held March 5, 1838, every legally able- bodied man was required to work on the road five days in a year. On application for a license to sell goods being handed in, George Branden- burg, for the sung little sum of five dollars, was permitted to merchandise in Dayton. Later in the day, on a similar application, Geo. Tyler was authorized to run an opposition establishment in Cleveland. These were the beginnings of the commercial enterprise of the county. On the second day of the court the county was divided into five road districts. No. 1. included townships 16, 17, 18, N. 1 and 2 E.

" 2,

14, 15, N. 1, 2 and 3 E.

" 3, 66

" 4,

14, 15, N. 4 and 5, E.

16, 17, N. or so much as is S. Green River 3, 4, 5, E.

" 5.

17, 18, or so much as is N. Green River 3, 4, 5, E.

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History of Henry county, Illinois : it's taxpayers and voters, 1877, Part 12

Author: Publication date: 1877 Publisher: Chicago : H. F. Kett Number of Pages: 604

Author:
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Chicago : H. F. Kett
Number of Pages: 604