USA > Illinois > Jefferson County > History of Jefferson County, Illinois, 1810-1962 > Part 18
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In 1917 both the News and The Register bought flat bed Goss Webb presses, which printed from long rolls of paper instead of the flat sheets in use previously. These presses had 3, 000 per hour speed. In 1925, a year after he had taken over Sugg's interest in the paper, In. Rackaway bought a tubular press. This press turned out newspapers from revolving tubular plates at the rate of 18, 000 an hour. Since 1929 The Register-News has been the only daily published in mt. Vernon.
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lily connection with the newspaper began in 1917 when I started carrying papers for The Register. My old route had 75 papers at first. Today, there are several thousand Register-News subscribers in the same territory in the southwest part of town. It was my privi- lege to know Billie Goodrich, Maurice . Seed, Norman J. Sugg, and J. Frank Bogan, who have passed from the newspaper scene here.
I remember seeing John A. Wall come to the Register office to deliver the notes for the column signed "UNO.WHO" which The Register ran on the front page. In. wall was a grand old figure in journalism here. He wrote in his history that he was the printer's devil who inked the forms at the pulling of the first paper from that old Rammage press. Later he was an editor himself in lit. Vernon, Salen and else- where.
In 1928 The Register-News obtained daily Associated Press teletype service. Until then the newspaper, and the News and Register before it, got daily reports on what was called pony news service. This consisted of five, ten and fifteen minute telephone calls at stated hours of the day from the St. Louis office of the Associated Press and the International News Service.
The News had the advantage of Associated Press membership which it took into the consolidation. The Register had the advantage of a contract for newsprint with the International Paper Company. The latter has proved to be one of the greatest assets of the business. Throughout world Jan Two, paper was nationed, first by the government and later by the paper companies. Because of its contract, dating back to 1913, The Register-News was guaranteed a paper supply, although it was forced to go into the open market to stretch the supply.
lilt. Vernon had a population of 1, 167 when The News was started. It was incorporated as a city the following year.
In recent years The Register-News has recorded: the Herrin Massacre of 1922, the west Frankfort cyclone of 1925, the Hight- Sweetin munden case of 1924, the Bingen-Shelton gang wars, the great depression, and world war Two to which our county sent 4, 111 men and women, Lan more than ten per cent of its 33,000 population. The news- papen has recorded -- on has tried to record-every birth and every death in lit. Vernon and Jefferson County. News of churches, saloons, politics, schools, courts, and government are given coverage.
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Typographical errors are an even-feared bugaboo. Back before the consolidation, one of the ministers turned in his church notes to The Register and also to The News. He couldn't write very well and the printers on both papers made the same mistake. The subject of his sermon was to be "Absalom on a Mitule . " It came out in The News and the Register, "A Blossom on a lille."
-- Onian ). letcalf
ITT. CATHERINE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
The lit. Catherine Christian Church, located about pour miles northwest of- woodlawn in Casner Township, was among the first of the churches to be established in this vicinity. The exact date it was organized is not known.
The first additions which were recorded in the old church book were November 15, 1851. There were four added at that time: Owen Bare (born December 4, 1782, died June 15, 1865), Catherine Bare, wife of Owen (born August 17, 1790, died October 30, 1864), Elias Gaskins (born 1797, died April 20, 1881), and Many A. Gaskins (born December 10, 1312, died lay 11, 1895). Two more were added in 1852; Anis and Elizabeth Troutt. In 1853 two more came: John Troutt and Martha Williams. In 1862 there were fifteen additions, in 1863 there were twenty; and in 1865 there were thirty mone additions, and the church new year by year.
These were pioneer families of this area and because of their love for the Lord and their desire to have a church in the community in which they lived, litt. Catherine Christian Church had been established. The first services held were in the home of Owen and Catherine Bane. People would come from miles around on foot, on horseback on any other mode of travel of that day. They would stay over the weekend, and. Catherine would prepare meals for them. Though she had only a hearth on which to cook, she would prepare food for as many as thirty- five people on some occasions.
Laten services were held for a while in a little log school house which stood in the southwest corner of what is now the old come- tery. The benches in this school were made of split logs mounted on
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pers on legs. But as the church grew there was a need for a church building, so a small house was built near the present site. This building was made out of hewn board's.
About the year 1886 the front part of the present building was erected on the hill north of the present location, where the new cemetery is now. Then as the congregation grew there was a need to enlange this building; so it was moved to the present site and an annex added. In 1951 this building was again enlarged and a basement put under it.
The church was not always active, for there is a record of the church being neorganized in 1386 - the same year in which the building was enacted north of the present Location.
The church was named for Catherine Bano. She also has descendants named for her in each generation, even to the present time. Many of the members of the church today ane descendants of these two pioneer couples (the Bares and the Gaskins') whose names head the long list of members of the list. Catherine Christian Church. Owen and Cathe- nine Bane, Elias and Many Gaskins are buried in the adjoining cemetery, known as "the old cemetery" just a little south of the church house. Many have been laid to next in this beloved spot. The church stands today, a place of worship, a beloved and cherished place in the hearts of many people.
-fins. Fern lione
THE FOREST WHIT & FAMILY
The first white family that settled in what was to become dePerson County, Illinois, was the family of Andrew Noone. This family came to and settled in what is now known as hoones Prairie Town- ship. This political subdivision is located in the southeast part of the county in a nunal anea, an it received its name from the hoone family. This family were natives of a southern state, but they had a desine to come to the northern country and settle in virgin territory in the hope that they would find financial security.
Some earlier reports state that the family first settled in Franklin County a few miles south of their location on the "Prairie."
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Andrew and family made their settlement in Jefferson County in 1810. They moved to this area from the Goshen settlement in the adjoining county. It is believed that the Goshen Road got its name from this settlement.
Historic information concerning the place where Andrew liloone erected his cabin and the location of the Goshen Road is conflicting. Some reports are to the effect that his new home was built on the Goshen Road, while others contend that it was located a few miles north of this early trail. The latter is four miles south and one mile east of the village of Belle Rive. A short distance from this place is where the first white person was buried in Jefferson county. A more detailed account of this burial is found elsewhere in this volume. The Old Goshen Road passes by the historic Sugar Camp Baptist Church in the southeast part of the county.
Although we are unable to learn the exact location where the loone family built thein new home, we know that indnew and his family found the countryside very lonel;, as their closest white neighbors were fifteen on twenty miles away. There were Indians passing through the area where the Noone family began housekeeping in their pranie home, but these people did not provide the kind of company that they desired.
Andrew Moore erected a double cabin that was made of hickory poles with the fineplace in the center of the building, with the chim- ney running straight up. This type of dwelling was as comfortable as one could expect for that place and period. The limone family, like other pioneers, settled and lived in vinin territory, and experienced all the handships that go with it. They were in constant danger of roving Indians, though livore himself did not seem to be fearful of them, and were always on the alert for wild beasts that would devour their livestock at every opportunity.
The life of Jefferson County's first family was spent mostly by themselves; although an adventurous traveler would occasionally pass through the country and stop at their cabin for a visit, such visits were few and fan between. Their stay on the Prairie was truly the pioneer type of life. Andrew spent his time in hunting, fishing, and cutting timber for firewood for the family fireplace. He cleaned a small acreage of land and new some grain and vegetables to provide
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food for the family. The closest school and church were many miles from the hoone home, and social life was unknown to the family. How- ever, Andnew house was the type of person who preferred to have a freedom all his own. He preferred to live in the virgin country, among the wild beasts and hostile Indians, and apparently saw no fear in either. He preferred this to making his home in a settled community that had developed the sont of civilization that was in existence in that early day. Andrew did not burn any bridges behind him, as there were no bridges to burn.
The loone family continued to live in their prairie home for some time; some authorities say they were there until 1312, while others say 1814 on 1215. The war of 1012 began two years after the family settled in what was to become Jefferson County, There is no record that he served in that conflict, and it is doubtful that he served in any previous wan unless it might have been some skirmishes with Indians.
The first white family of Jefferson County met with tragedy. After the limone family had lived in this area a few years, Andrew and a son, who was eight on ten years of age, started one day on horseback to Jordan's will, which was located a few miles east of "Old Frankfort," to get some conn meal for the family. Their plans were to return that evening, but when the appointed time had arrived for their return they were not to be seen. Ins. Moore was fearful that something of a tragic nature had happened, and after awaiting about two days for their return she took the other children and started out in search of her husband and son.
They followed the path that was used to travel to Jordan's will; and aften reaching the place they learned to their grief that Andrew and the son had been to the mill, had gotten their meal and started home the same day they came. She was now convinced that they had met with foul play. It was only natural that her first thoughts were that her husband and son had been kidnapped by Indians in the vicinity, on that the ned men had killed both of them and seized the meal and horses.
The anguish and heartaches that lins. limone suffered as the result of this tragic event cannot be adequately expressed. She
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begged for help to make a search through the wooded area along the trail, and as many of the men in the vicinity as daned to Leave the settlement formed a posse to conduct a search. The search continued for days, and the woods were scoured carefully, but no trace of the missing ones could be found. After they had traveled and searched the area for miles they abandoned the search, but did so with consider- able reluctance.
lins. Hoone felt that she could not live in "the Prairie" with no other white settlers in the immediate vicinity. She therefore packed her few possessions, and she and the children went to ¿quality, Illinois, near the Saline Community where she had formerly lived. This was in the vicinity of the Saline Salt Works.
Within a year on two aften Andrew Moore and the son had dis- appeared, some hunters found a skull hanging on the limb of an eln tree and reported this to the grief-stricken lins. moore. She said that i' it was her husband's skull there would be a certain tooth missing from the upper Low. Upon examination, it was found that the tooth that was missing from the skull was in the same location of the missing tooth ; her husband. The skull was found within a mile on so from Moore's home, and was to the south of their cabin near a creek. The heartbroken hrs. loone took the skull home with her and preserved it sacredly for the remainder of her life.
It was an accepted belief of the early settlers of that area that noone and his son were attacked by a band of Indians cho were jealous of the white nace, killed Andrew and cut his head of, then placed the skull on the tree and took the boy, the horses and meal with them. It was believed that lioone's body was devoured by wild beasts that roamed the area.
One report is carried to the effect that after lins, loone had lived in the Saline vicinity a few years her brother, a lin. Bales, his son-in-law, a lin. Fannin, and a lin. Fipps who was married to lins. noone's daughter, moved up to "the Prairie" and hins. Moore returned with them. It is not known how long lins. Hoone lived in this area aften she moves the second time.
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THE FIRST JWIJTE BURJAL
The first known burial of a white person in Jefferson County was that of William Perny ilaxey, infant sun of Henry B. (on Burchette) and larzanet lianey. One historian states that langanet's name was Perny and another that the baby's name was W/m. Perigan and that he was called Perişan. This death and burial occurred in what is now known as hoones Prairie Township on May 11, 1318. The child was ten months of age at the time of death, and according to legend the first death and burial in Jefferson County was in the nature of an emergency. Burchette and lianganet Maxey migrated from a southern state (presumably Tennessee) to a location four miles south and one mile east of the present village of Belle Rive. Legend has it that their baby died on the above date, while they were moving from one Location to another, and that they first buried the infant under some leaves for jean some Indians that nowmed the area would see them digging a grave and would later remove the body and carry it away. The body was left under the leaves until dark, when they dug a grave and buried the first white person in what was to become Jefferson County the following year. This death and burial occurred six months and twenty-two days before Illinois became a state.
Approximately a century after the death of the liaxey infant, a group of men who carried the same surname decided to erect a suitable manken at the head of William's grave for the benefit of posterity and history. The people who arranged for the erection of his marker were: 7. S. laxen, J. Il. Maxey, A. F. Maxey, O. S. Maxey and Dr. loss Maxey.
THE MAXCY FAIRLY
(alten S. Maxey, while living in Los Angeles, California, in 1925 compiled a history of the l'axey family entitled "Some of the Descendents of Walter Maxey of Wales. " This information is taken from his book. )
In the later years of the seventeenth century, Walter liaxey, a native of Tales, emigrated from his native land to France, married a French girl and neared a family while residing in France. About 1/25 the three sons of lalten flaxen, John, Edward and Honatio, set sail for America and settled in Maryland near where the city of Baltimore
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is now located. John Maxey Later moved to liaine, and his brother Horatio moved to the Northwest Territory and settled what was later the state of Ohio.
Edward remained at his llanyland home and neared his family, which consisted of two or more sons and several daughters. Edward was married after his annival in the colonies. Ile was married to a French woman in lanyland, but soon after his marriage moved to llew River, Virginia, and remained thene until after the close of the Revolutionary ilan.
Jessie Maxey, son of Edward, enlisted in the American Anny September 22, 1782, and served until October 21, 1732. He was assigned to Lincoln Militia under Captain Samuel Kinkham guarding Salt . Jorks. Jesse was born in Maryland about 1750. He was the father of four sons and one daughter: William, Edward, Walter, John and Elizabeth. William Maxey, eldest child of Jesse Maxey, was born September 12, 170. Dates of birth of the other chilinen of Jesse Maxey are unknown. A few years after the close of the wan with Great Britain, Jesse l'axey and family, along with several other families, moved from Maryland to Sunner County, Tennessee. After their arrival in this sicie, they built a log fort for protection against the Indians, but on one occasion Jesse l'axey wandered too far away and was attacked by some Indians and was scalped. He was left for dead, but he survived and Lived about another twenty years. This tragedy was in 1788. Jesse died about 1808 and was buried at Douglas Cemetery about three miles north of Gallatin, Tennessee. The children of Jesse Maxey continued to live in that vicinity for another ten years.
William liaxey, the oldest of all l'axey's who ever lived in Seperson County, Illinois, was married in Tennessee. He was married to liany, Emily Allen, daughter of Rhoda Allen, February 14, 1793. William and liany liaxey had eleven children: Clarissa, Henry Burchett, Bennett il., Elihu, Hanniet, Vylinda .i., Charles H., Joshua C., Hostil- lina, William i. . i., and Jehu.
In the spring of 1818 William Maxey and family decided to Leave their Tennessee home and journey to the Illinois country. Clarissa was married to james Johnson and Burchett was married to Margaret Taylor. The entire family of William liaxey, including the
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son-in-law and daughter-in-law and a Negro girl, Eliza, Left Gallitan, Tennessee, on April 20, 1818, on their long and dangerous journey to Illinois. There were twenty-one persons in the party. William Maxey was 48 years of age and served as leader of the party. They arrived in hoones Prairie, Illinois, on May 9, 1818, having been a total of nineteen days on their journey.
William Perry Maxey (some say the middle name was Perigan), small son of Burchette and Margaret liaxey, died on May 11, 1818, two days after the arrival of the twenty-one people in libones Prairie. Legend has it that the baby had been ill during the long journey.
The twenty-one who arrived in limones Prairie in May, 1818, spent the remainder of the summer in the east central part of what is now libones Prairie Township of Jefferson County. As they were farmers from childhood, it was only natural that their first pursuit would be to engage in agriculture. They planted and cultivated a small acreage of grain and enclosed it with a brush fence. Wild game was plentiful in all directions, and venison could always be had in abundance. There was plenty of wild honey to be found close to their new home.
Zadok Casey visited with the William l'axey family, that summer and told them that they had stopped too soon, that paradise was about fifteen miles northwest of there. They remained in their new home until the autumn season of 1818, then moved to a farm a few miles northwest of Mt. Vernon. William Maxey located on a farm ad- joining that of Zadok Casey's and remained there until the death of his first wife in 1837. His son Burchett and family and James Johnson, his son-in-law and family located on farms nearby. Johnson lived the remainder of his life on this estate.
As stated elsewhere, the community of lit. Vernon had its beginning in 1819. Twenty acres of land was donated for the seat of justice, and the Act of the General Assembly provided that the land that was not used for the court yard was to be sold as town lots for residents to build on, the funds to be deposited in the Treasury. The sale of lots in the new settlement began a short time afterwards. Some of these lots were sold in September, 1819, and Burchette Maxey purchased one of these. Burchette had the honor of erecting the first dwelling house in lit. Vernon. Burchette and lilargaret lilaxey were the
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parents of ten children, and as far as is known all of them lived to reach adulthood except William Perigan, who lies buried in Moores Prairie.
Edward Maxey, a younger brother of William Maxey, did not come to Jefferson County with the flaxey, colony, but came to this area in the autumn of 1818. He was married to Elizabeth Pitner in Tennessee. Edward and his wife had no children, but they adopted several children and neared them. Two of these children were James W. Murry and John R. Satterfield, who played a prominent nole in public Life in Jefferson County. The history of the First Methodist Church of litt. Vernon states that this church was organized in the home of Edward Maxey. Edward was Justice of the Peace for twenty years, served as County Commissioner and taught school. He was a clergyman of the Methodist faith. He passed away about the middle of the nineteenth century, and his wife died soon after.
John laxey, youngest son of Jesse laxey, did not come to Illinois until 1823. William and Johnathan Wells accompanied him on the trip. He lived in Jefferson County for a few years, then moved to Jaune County, Illinois and died there. John Maxey had four children: Stephen, Theodosia (married Rev. Joseph Hellums), Elizabeth (married Greenbury Jells) and Katie (married Jesse Breeze of Walnut Hill, Illinois). Much could be written about the descendents of William flaxey and the part they played in developing Jefferson County, but space does not permit. They have done much in developing the county.
THE MT. VERNON REGISTER-NEWS
(By Onian Metcalf, News Editor)
"The greatest service the Register-News can render the citizens of lit, Vernon is to give them the truth. The truth is often an clusive thing, hand to come by, but we pursue it diligently. " This is the creed of J. Edwin Rackaway, editon of the lit. Vernon Register-News. Volume 1, Number 1 of the Register-News was issued September 28, 1920, lin. Rackaway was editor then and continues as editor and publisher of this daily newspaper today. The newspaper is a consoli- dation of the News, established in 1871, and the Register, which started
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in 1882. Predecessors of the News date back to 1851 when the first lit. Vernon newspaper, The Jeffersonian, was founded.
The story of the Register-News is largely the story of Editor Rackaway .... his brilliant business leadership, his hand-hitting edi- torials, his tense and lucid news stories, and his fearless let-the- chips-fall-where-they-may policy.
In. Rackaway was born in lit. Vernon in 1089. His first news- paper experience was in Colorado. He left college (University of Chi- cago ) to become a police reporter and later a political writer for the Denver Republican and then the Denver Times. He covered the national convention of the Progressive (Bull libose) party which nomi- nated Theodore Roosevelt for president in 1912 and then returned to his home town that year to work on the lit. Vernon News, first as busi- ness manager and then as editor.
lin. Rackaway acquired ownership of the News from a group of stockholders and -- on September 23, 1920- combined his paper with the it. Vernon Register, owned by Honman J. Sugg. In. Rackaway became the editor and in. Sugg the business manager of the consolidated paper.
fin. Sugg had bought the Register from liaurice }. Seed, who had operated it since 1902. Seed had acquired the Register from lorris Emmerson, who had owned it since 1884.
The News was allied with the Democratic party and the Register. was the local organ for the Republican party. The consolidated news- papen proclaimed a policy of non-partisanism, with special favors for none. The consolidation gave it. Vernon one strong. independent news- paper which has always been free from the domination of any political faction.
In 1924 lin. Sugg sold his interests in the paper, and Editor Rackaway, has continued ever since as publisher. Charles J. Thompson succeeded in. Sugg, serving until his death in 1959.
There have been other newspapers on the King (ity scene. Historians john A. Wall and William Henry Perrin in their 1909 and 133 volumes record the passing of 24 dailies and weeklies between 1851 and 1909.
Another daily newspaper called the Herald was started in lit. Vennon about a year after the consolidation. A Democratic party mouthpiece, it gave the Register-News fierce competition in its span
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