USA > Illinois > Jefferson County > History of Jefferson County, Illinois, 1810-1962 > Part 27
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In 1874 another appropriation was obtained for the purpose of remodeling the building, and the north and south wings were added.
The Appellate Court was the next court organized to handle the legal business of the state. The constitution of 1870 provided Con the creation of the appellate counts, and in 1877 the legislature created the four appellate courts. The judges of the appellate courts were to be assigned by the Supreme Court from the circuit courts of the state, each count to consist of three judges thus assigned. This is the method by which the judges of the count are assigned. Jefferson
County, was by this act in the Fourth District, as it is today. One of the first judges of the appellate court for this district was Taswell 6. Tannen, and with him James (. Allen and George.). ! all were assigned to duty in the Fourth District. Judge Tanner became the first presiding justice.
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Let us return to the development of It. Vernon. You will ne- call that we mentioned that the original survey of the town of lik. Ver- non was made by William Hosick. This survey was dated July 10, 1819. Of his beginning and first line in. Hosick said the following:
"The public square beginning at the Northwest conner at a mulberry stake, running thence thirteen degrees casi, agree- ably to the magnetical direction nun by a compass made by Thomas Whitney of Philadelphia, No, 419 and thence thirteen polls to another stake of the same description."
This probably accounts for the fact that our conners are not right angles.
In 1824 William Casey sold ninety rods of the west side of the southwest quanten of Section 29 to James Gray for the sun of 1000. It. Vernon was right in the heart of this tract, a fact which the conveyance seems to overlook.
Gray sold a lot to the Methodist Church in September of 1335 and sold various other lots and parts of ground to others around the town, some of the sales being laid out in additions. The village trustees, wishing to see the town prosper, procured and employed one john Stonns, County Surveyon of White County, to come up and survey the town. Storms' survey was to include all the tracts which Gray had sold and the land he had left. You can see that the situation was such that it was felt that a survey might clarify the situation and be helpful to the future growth of the town; and it was, even though it is suspected that Storms' chain was a bit too long.
There were no blocks in the tract, so Storms was nee to number his blocks to suit himself; but whereever lots were numbered, the numbers had to be adhered to. This perhaps explains why the num- bers nun nathen irregularly in some parts of town.
The plat of this survey is dated September, 1340. The key corner stone was set at the southwest connen o" Section 29, and the variation maintained six degrees. The blocks nan from :/1 in the south- west conner to "35 in the northeast. Block 24 and several others in the north and east were not lotted. They were so pan from town and so badly in the woods that it was felt that dividing them into lots would be overdoing it a bit. Perhaps they were in those days not sufficiently fan sighted to advertise these lots as a beautiful sub- urban area; on on the other hand, perhaps they were so advertised and
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sold. The survey and field notes fill thirty pages of the record and J. R. Satterfield, Recorder, certified that they were recorded from the Ist to the 27th of September, 1845.
Strangely enough, of all the parties interested in this sur- vey not a man but James Gray acknowledge the act. This raised grave doubts of the legality of the whole affair, so an act of the legislature was procured and approved February 21, 1843, declaring:
"That the survey of the town of lut. Vernon in Jefferson County, made by John Storms in the year 1340, and the plats and profiles made by him of said survey, are hereby legalized and shall be taken and received in all courts as prima facia evidence of the facts therein contained."
Thus perfected, we still have Storms' survey with us. Village of East lit. Vernon
At one time it looked as if It. Vernon would have a strong competiton night at its door step, because the village of East lit. Vernon was organized.
Now the temperance organizations were off to an early start in mt. Vernon, as they should have been; and the first of such move- ments was organized in ilanch, 1332, and was known as "The lit. Vernon Temperance Society." Various other organizations existed throughout the early history of the community and exercised a great influence on the development of lit. Vernon.
The village of East lit. Vernon grew out of the temperance Light. In 1859 Dr. Green sold Live acres of the east side of the southwest quanten of the southeast quanten of Section 29 to John Year- wood. John started a grocery store on the purchase and sold lots to others. john then sold the grocery store and started a gunshop, and thus a community was born .
The inhabitants of this new community developed a great thirst and became tired of an existence without the means of satis- Lying it. It occurred to some genius of the time that if they had a villare organization that they might have a saloon there, even though it. Vernon was dry and saloons had been voted out. Of course, the ad- vantages of a village organization were all that were considered.
So in 1877 a petition was filed in the county court in due form for the organization of a village, which was to be eighty nods
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wide east and west and one mile in length north and south. An election was ordered for June 12, 1877, and I. H. Newcum, Robert A. Yearwood and lillian Hall were appointed Judges and G. B. Leonard and Thomas H. Goodwin were to be (lenks. The result of the vote was twenty-six for village organization and one against -- somewhat of a landslide. It appears that the judges who actually held the election were janes Webber, George Beagle and John Yearwood. It also seems that the clerks who served were not those appointed by Judge Foster.
The village was organized. Trustees convened. Thirty-three ordinances were adopted, and all went well for a while. The best ele- ment was in control. Walks were built and civic improvements flour- ished.
History tells us that the saloons on the north side of the main street of East llt. Vernon were nun in a proper manner. But those on the south side fell into ill repute and went from bad to worse, till in 1000 a In. Thomas Cabonn concluded that he would endure them no longer. So a count action was brought at the play term of the circuit count.
Attorneys Kellen and Carpenter commenced the suit, "People ex sel vs. Satterfield, County Clerk, and the Village of Cast lit. Ver- non. " The action was centioniani. This suit was dismissed but was revived as an action quo warranto, a change of venue asked and granted. At the December term a trial was had and judgment of ouster obtained. An appeal was granted. In the Appellate Court the appeal was dismissed. The circuit court had found that the trustees had acted as trustees without legal authorization. The grounds for the ouster were that the village never had three hundred inhabitants, that some of the peti- tioners were non residents; that one was woman, that the first election was illegal and that the record showed no canvass of the vote.
It might be appropriate to add that after the fall of the village of East lit. Vernon the whiskey forces carried thein ticket in lit. Vernon, and thus the primary purpose in forming the village pre- vailed even though the original method had failed. It is to be assumed that the thinst of the citizens was quenched,
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WOLF PRAIRIE CEMETERY
This is the story of how Wolf Prairie Cemetery, located in Inclellan Township, got started and also how it got its name. The story was related by the older people which included my father, i. P. Wells, who was born in 1860, and his brother and sisters; the oldest sister, Dicy, E, was born in 1845.
The earliest of the Wells family in Jefferson County was named William Wells, and he handed down the story through the generations I think he came here about 1839, but have found nothing to prove on disprove this. Here is the story:
A convoy of covered wagons was on its way to a place to settle in Elk Prairie Township, Jefferson County, Illinois. While enroute to thein new home, night caught them where Jolf Prairie (cme- teny now is located; it was woods then. While they were camped here, a sick child became worse and died. The problem for them was what were they going to do with this chold's body? They had to move on, and they couldn't take it with them. While they were still pondering the issue, two of the women who were sitting on the ground talking. about it noticed a small bind acting very queen. It would flutter close to them, then it would flutter away, then back again. It kept repeating these strange actions until the women decided to follow and see if it were trying to show them something. They started after the little bird, and it led them down "what looked like a din path" a short distance; and there they found two little graves with crosses on them. If anybody ever found out who were buried in these little graves, I haven't heard of it. They buried this child by these little graves, and that is how Wolf Prairie Cemetery got started.
I have heard my father, W. P. Wells, and my aunt, Dicy C., "Aunt Sis" Wells Pasley, tell this story many times. It is my under- standing, that this happened about 120 years ago, though I have found nothing recorded as to the date.
Some years later people began to settle the country around the cemetery.
low, some of the surrounding country was treeless, on prairie land. Late one evening a man was attacked by a gang of wolves, of which there were many at the time; and the only way he could get away.
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from them was to find and climb a tree, which he did aften considerable running. He stayed up the tree all night, and the wolves stayed there gnawing, at the trunk of the tree; by morning they had the tree almost gnawed down. However, before they got the job done, a passerby scared the wolves away, letting, the man come down. From that time to the present, that part of the country has been called Joly Prairie, and Wolf Prairie took its name from the name of the prairie. By Paul H. Wells
WHITE S.JAN BAPTIST CHURCH
The white Swan Baptist Church was organized under the name of the Union Free Will Baptist Church on October 13, 1891, and held its meetings in the White Swan School House that stood then on the Benjamin Land, now owned by Louis Sproul of Richview. It is in Feffer- son County, just about a mile from the Jefferson-lashington County line.
The school stood just across the road from where the church now stands. Back in those days the community wasn't built as the people wanted it, and their chief concern first was a church where all could come together and worship.
On March 31, 1892, a building committee was elected. Members were D. A. Foster, William Gray, G. C. Benjamin, Bro. Mckenzie, and 1. 1. Downes. The first treasurer was G. C. Benjamin. The Land was given by Amos Downes.
The eight chanter mengers of this church were: William Gray, ins. Rebecka Gray, Amos Downes, mins. Sarah Downes, ". J. Gray, Ins. Sarah C. Graf, lins. Susan Henderson, and J. L. Gray. The Rev. " F. Kink and lattie Deets were instrumental in the work of the church and the organization of it. The first deacons were mos Lownes and . J. Gray, the first paston was Rev. Riley Fox, and the church clerk was Anos Downes.
About this time there was another church ongani;ed to the south and given the name of the Union Christian Church; so in 1094 there began to be thoughts of changing the name, as the Baptist church was always referred to as the "church by the White Swan School. " Un September 8, 1394, the name was changed from the Union Free Will
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Baptist to the white Swan Free Will Baptist Church, and it still ne- tains that name. Late in 1894 the building was completed, painted and ready for service. On October 13, 1895, it was dedicated by the Kev. S. F. Kink, assisted by Brothers Skaen and longan.
Amos Downes, the donon of the Land where the church stands, lived most of his life in this community. His home place is where lin. and ins. Baily Breeze Live now. There were twelve children born to this home, of whom only Enoch Downes remains. Two died in infancy. and the rest lived among us here for many years. They were Ins. hartha. Dennis, lins. Ma Jones; Enoch, john, Rufus, Gus and Charles Downes; Ins. Holly Lawson, lins. Lignes Roper and livs. Susan Taylor. There are several children and grandchildren of Amos Downes still living in Perperson County.
There are many names that bring back memories of those early days in the community: Breeze, Benjamin, Gray, Hazlip, Jownes, Pitch- ford, Foster, Hails, Evans and Whitsell. Iins. Lila Buell lives on the home place of G. C. Benjamin at the present (she is a daughter. ) The Benjamins were active all their lives in this church. Ins. Baily Breeze is another daughter of In. and Ins. G. C. Benjamin and was church clerk for many years. The Benjamins naised nine children in this community. lins. Mantha Dennis, who has since passed on, told us many times that she could remember when Kirby Smith of hit. Vernon sur- vered the roads through the White Swan area. Oun roads have been im- proved greatly since then, from narrow dirt roads that used to ;et so muchly and bad that it was almost impossible to travel in the winter and spring to the graded, viled and graveled noads that we have now. just south of the church is the oil field that has been developed in the last fifteen on twenty years. Also, the white Swan School has been moved twice; it now stands south of the church, but no school is held there as the consolidation act took possession a few years ago. The building still stands, and ins. Many Hantian, its last teacher, still lives in the community.
The church heating system is another improvement from the days of fineplaces, then wood burning stoves, to the oil heaters that we now have. In 1931 the church was remodeled. The two narrow doors were made into one lange door, the outside was covered with white
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shingles, and other repairs were made. The church still has the origi- nol maple pews which have been revarnished to match the hardwood flooring in the church. Instead of the old poot pedaled oman of years ajo there is a nice piano, and new carpets are on the nostrum and down the aisles. New chairs and communion set finish up the change in the pioneer church op 1891.
One interesting phase of the records is the salary of its ministers, In 1892, the paston was paid 2 a trip; in 1993, they gave him 5 a trip; in 1899, they gave the paston 50 fon thirteen months work; in 1901 the salary was $100 a year; in 1902 they raised it to 60 a year. It has continued to raise each year until it is now a decent salary for one who gives his work to the Lord and this community. Pastons who have been active in the white Swan Baptist Church and its work were: Riley and natt Fox, Fenton, Evans, lidiillan, and Fornis. One pastor, Rev. James Blythe, served for over twenty years. He lived at Tamanoa. Rev. Robert Smith and Rev. Elijah Stockton have died recently, as has Rev. Buntin. Rev. Kenneth Price of- Benton still survives as one of our pastons. Rev. Cand Hill, now of Murphysboro, has been our pastor for the last seven years.
White Swan is still doing the work that its founders and organizers hoped it would do for the community, as the little white church by the side of the road and at the four corners of this part of the community.
By Ins. Amby Draene, Richview, Illinois.
JUDGE ALBERT WATSON
"Albert Watson I was born in litt. Vernon, Illinois, on April 15, 1357, the third son of Joel Franklin Watson I and Sarah lianena Taylor latson. His grandparents were John night Watson, I. D., Frances Pace Watson, The Rev. William Hobart Taylor, Elizabeth Spohnhinmone Taylor.
Albert Watson was both a graduate and a trustee of lickendree College, receiving the B.S. degree in 1876 and the LL.D. in 1927. He enjoyed teaching a country school in the two years following graduation from college. Then he studied law under tutelage of Charles H. Patton,
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was admitted to the bar in 1880 and was partner of inn. Patton during the next four years. In the subsequent practice of his profession, he served the public in several positions, both elective and appointive (as well as in private practice). These included; Master in Chancery; City Attorney of lit. Vernon; State's attorney of Jefferson County; Attorney for King City Federal Savings and Loan Association; Attorney Con L. C. Il. Railroad, Southern Railroad, and the C. & C. J. Railroad; President of the Jefferson County Ban dissociation; President of the Ban Association of the First Supreme Judicial District; Senior Counselor of the Illinois State Ban Association; President, Illinois State board of Law Examiners; Judge, Supreme Court of Illinois; Chairman of the Local Draft Board in 1917-18 and of the District Draft Board in 1918; President of the Ham National Bank, Int. Vernon, the First National Bank of altonville, the Bank of Bonnie, the First State Bank of Dix, and the Swing State Bank. He also dealt in real estate to some extent. Judge latson was active in religious and fraternal life, being a devoted member and trustee and men's Bible Class reacher in the First Methodist Church and was leader of the lay delegates of the Southern Illinois Con, enence to the General Conference of" the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1922 at Kansas City. He served the Knights of Pythias lodge as Grand Chancellor in 1909-10, and was in change of the completion and dedication of its Orphans' Home at Decatur.
Sarah lanena Taylor :latson died when her son, Albert, was not yet two years old; and his father, Joel Franklin .! atson I, was permanently and severely crippled from an attack of poliomielitis suffered at the age of nine years. Albert was always grateful to the stepmother, Sarah Elizabeth Iiunphy (Pace) watson, for her devotion in helping joel I mean the three Jatson boys together with her own child- nen, Eldonas and lilabel Pace, whose father was Thomas Pace of Salem, Illinois. joel F. watson I was the son ve a Pace mother, and his second wife was the widow of a Pace cousin.
Judge Albert became almost totally blind in his declining years, then was dramatically rejuvenated by removal of cataracts. Therea'ten he rejoiced in resuming all his activities and was regularly in his office until two weeks before his death, which resulted prom an accidental injury at the age of eighty-seven.
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He was characteristically methodical in his habits, moderate in eating, abstemious towards alcohol, tobacco, and all drugs; vigorous in exercise, industrious and careful in work, quick to perceive and enjoy humourous aspects, both just and generous in disposition, had a stron; sense of kinship and an early and abiding, respect for scholar- ship, was genuinely interested in individual persons and their problems, was enthusiastic about baseball; and delighted in the best of litera- tune, art and music, especially poetry, drama and opera. His mind was richly furnished, and he was often called upon as a public speaker. He was one who loved life and lived it wholeheartedly.
He had no sister. His brother, Halten latson, M. D., who married lettie lianganet Johnson, had one child, hanganet, who married Thomas Penny of Westerly, Rhode Island. The second brother, Howard, who married Frances Hinckley (Fisk), also had but one child, Martha. She married Nelson Cundiff of St. Louis, Missouri.
ilbert latson I married liary Eunice lay, a teacher in the public elementary schools, on August 12, 1300 in It. Vernon, Illinois, where they made their home until her death on November 30, 1942 and his on November 25, 194. Thein five children were: Marina 99, who mannied ilvin Hobbs Frazier and had no children; Colonel Joel Franklin JJ, who mannied Louise halloy and had one son, General Albert JJ, and one daughter, Ilany Louise; filice Cnwin, Ph. D., who never mannied; Isabel, who died in infancy; and Allen Stanley, who married julia liany, Tuohy and had one son, Daniel Stanley, and one daughter, larina 90g.
All of Albert Watson's children now (August, 1962) are de- ceased except lice, who is retired from teaching and resident in the Family homestead. .. Went JI is Majon General and U. S. Commander in Berlin. He is mannied to finne Buchen, and their sons are Albert JJJ and john Buchen. Many Louise is married to Lieut. General Gordon B. Rogers; they have one son, Capt. Gordon B. Rogers, Jr. (now commanding Company & Fifth Cavalry, in South Korea) and two daughters, Susan Rogers Tate (wife of Donald Lamont Tate and mother of Dorian, in Annapolis) and Many Alice Rogers. Daniel Stanley married (first) Lois Cunhein and (second) Grace Sasada and has three sons, David Stanle;, Stephen William, and ilicholas, and lives in Pakistan. lianina JJJ is
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married to John Patrick Gately, In., has three Living sons, Brian, Michael and Daniel, and one daughter, Marina JV, residing in San Antonio, Texas.
Albert Watson I and his family are among the many descen- dants of" Richard and Isabella Pace, who came to jamestown, Virginia, from England about 1616. Among the descendants of Richard and Isa- bella Pace was joel Pace JJ, the Revolutionary Jan soldier for whom the joel Pace Chapter of D. A. R. in lit. Vernon, Illinois, is named. john Inight atson, grandfather of Albert Watson I, came to lit. Vernon, Illinois, about the year 1322, approximately four years after Illinois was admitted as a state.
ISHFJELD, ILLINOIS
On hay 7, 1842, the Union Baptist Church was started. The church, known as the Primitive Baptist to many because of its religion, still stands about one mile north of the Franklin County line on a road that is an all-weather road and about one mile east of- State Route 148.
An early pioneer of this county, the lake joseph Hartley, was the first modenaton of the church. He, along with his wife, Many Hartley, lins. Sarah Hiliman, John Fleenen, Sarah Fleenen, Fanny, Clampet, William ti; lin and Ann Mifflin, comprised the first congregation.
The church, cemetery and its grounds are well kept by the use of funds derived from the holding annually of a church supper and social on the present grounds. The affair is well attended by persons nom near and pan.
About a half-mile east of the old church was once the lively little town of linfield. About the year 1349, a man by the name of ¿ ¿ Fitzgenrell and his wife came on horseback nom Posey County, Indiana and settled in Elk Prairie Township and homesteaded several acres of land. A few years later the village of Fitzgernell was started. The town was foun blocks square. The post office went by the name of Fitzgernell, but the little town took the name of Winfield. At one time the town boasted of a flour mill operated by. Villian L. Honnis; there were three stones, one of them operated by.
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Matthew Dunn, who also had the post office. There were two blacksmith shops, one of them owned and operated by John L. licks. There were two doctors: Dr. C. E. land, who lived at Winfield and had both his home and office in the town, and In. J. J. Gee, who lived at his parm home about one-eighth mile southwest of town. Both were well known as they travelled many miles many times on horseback to tend the sick. All that is left of this once lively little town is a small house that once belonged to the blacksmith, John L. licks, and the school house, no longer used; and of course the old church that wel- comes one and all. This was at one time and another a place of worship jon some dean old acquaintances, many of whom along with other dean ones are now Lying at nest in the nearby cemetery.
-- By lins. Kirby Rogers, Waltonville, Illinois
WALTONVOLLE FREE WOLL BAPTIST CHURCH
One Sunday afternoon in August, 1943, at a baptising in the Big Muddy Riven on Highway 148 just east of Daltonville, four people (Hollie Dees and his wife Cudene and Ila Lance and his wife lany) who attended this baptismal service spoke to the minister, Delbert Hall, who had conducted the services, about holding a revival in Waltonville. He consented to hold the services as soon as a place for them could be secured .. An old stone building on l'ain Street of Taltonville was selected, and the owner of the building gave the group several months nen' free for the cleaning up of the outside and inside. The seats and piano were borrowed from a little church in Schellen whose doors had already been closed. The pulpit was made of railroad ties with boards nailed across them and covered with a nug.
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