USA > Illinois > Jefferson County > History of Jefferson County, Illinois > Part 25
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71
Incredible as it may now appear, all those orders and views and reports failed to ac- complish anything; and this arose from the fact, we suppose, that, as is now the case when a railroad is talked of, almost every man thought he lived exactly where the road ought to be made, and a man was unwilling
to offend so many of his neighbors as did not live on the route he might recommend.
But at length a bold and working board was found. January 4, 1820, William Jor- dan, James Abbott and Reuben Jackson were ordered to view and mark the road, and James Kelly was requested to procure the services of William Hosick as surveyor. A month or more elapsed and Hosick came not. It was then ordered, February 10, 1820, that the order authorizing Kelly to employ Hosick be rescinded, and Joseph Pace be appointed in his stead. Let this report speak for itself: " We, James Abbott, William Jordan and Reuben Jackson, appointed, etc., met at Mount Vernon on Thursday, the 24th day of February, and viewed to the creek (Muddy) and adjourned until the next day; 25th, met at the creek below the ford at a suitable place for a bridge, viewed on thence, cross- ing the little prairie at the upper end; thence on to the Little or Jordan's Creek, which we crossed, about a quarter of a mile above Hood's Ford; thence on to an arm of Moores' Prairie, at the Bushy Ridge; thence on to Watkins', and, it being night, ad- journed; 26th, met and ran on a straight line to Crenshaw's; thence, with the general direction of the old road to where the new road cut by Thomson and Crenshaw inter- sects the said old road; thence down said new road to the county line. We met on Monday, the 28th, agreeably to appointment, at Mount Vernon, viewed to the right of Henry Wilkinson's, thence on a line through a corner of Harlow's field, thence on by Elisha Perkins', thence on to a small creek, and, it being night, adjourned till morning. Tuesday, the 29th, we met agreeably to ap- pointment, and continued our course on through an arm of Jordan's Prairie, running within a quarter of a mile of Wren's place; thence on to Gaston's, thence on to the old
William& Garrison
THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
207
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
road where it comes to the base line. We do hereby certify that we believe the above to be the nearest and best way for a road through the county, and as near to the prayer of your petitioners as one can be got."
This report was dated March 10, 1820; the road was ordered to be made on the route sur- veyed; it was to be opened eighteen feet wide, and for their services Abbott, Jackson and Jor- dan, the Viewers, and A. P. and G. 1'. Casey, the chain carriers, were ordered $12 each, and Joseph Pace $24 as surveyor. Daniel Crenshaw was appointed Overseer from the county line to the ninth mile tree; Joseph Reed, from the ninth mile tree to Muddy; A. P. Casey from Muddy to the fifth mile tree, northwest of town; and Samuel Gaston the rest. Just one incident: Two of the Viewers, Jordan and Abbott, were very fond of drink, and when they started out of town the second time they took a bottle of whisky along. When they' got near Harlow's, as mentioned in their report, they began to drink, and after drinking freely themselves, they gave Uncle Joe Pace the bottle and he turned away and emptied it on the ground. But he was too late. Jordan already had more than he could carry, so he sat down to rest while the others went on. We believe the rest all put up at Perkins' that night: at any rate, no Jordan appeared till some time next day. When he had rested sufficiently to travel, he had lost his way and spent the nigł+ in the woods.
The road crossed no stream requiring a bridge but Casey's fork of Muddy. Here the first bridge in the county was built by Ben Hood and Carter Wilkey. From the settlement at the March term, 1821, it seems that the structure cost $44.15. Hood and Wilkey sawed the lumber by hand. As soon as the bridge was done, old Mr. Harris came along and was anxious to be the first
man to ride over. The workmen considered it unsafe, as the old man had taken some " tea;" but they compromised, the old man dismounted and led his horse, and so got safely over. The road still runs very nearly where it was originally located throughout its entire length.
The Vandalia Road .- Before the opening of the Vandalia road, there was a trail to Peddling Billy Hicks', where old Mr. Bruce afterward lived, and a trail from the Carlyle road by Fleming Greenwood's to the White- sides settlement, near where Flowns lived more recently. in Jordan's Prairie. These were the avenues leading north. But Octo- ber 5, 1821, Abraham Casey, James Young and William Maxwell were ordered to " view the ground from Mount Vernon to Lee & Hicks' mill and report the nearest and best route for a road from Mount Vernon to said mill." Emboldened by this beginning, the court also "ordered that the said re- viewers continue the review of said road from the said mill on the nearest and best direction toward Vandalia to the county line of Jefferson County."
On the 3d of December, the report came in: "By order of the County Commissioners of Jefferson County, to us, the undersigned, to view the ground from Mount Vernon to Lee & Hicks' mill, and from said mill to the north boundary line of Jefferson County, on the direction of Vandalia, and report whether there is ground fit to make a road, and wo having received a plat of the Clerk of the Court, have viewed and marked one as straight as we possibly could, and report that we think we have gone as straight as can be without surveying, and think that the ground will answer. Signed by us, Abra- ham Casey, William Maxwell, James Young." The report meeting with no oppo-
7
208
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
sition, was received and the said road was " established a public highway."
For the purpose of opening this road, it was next day ordered that Elihu Maxey be Supervisor of that part " that lies between Mount Vernon and the north line of Section No. 25, Range 2, Township 1;" to William Maxwell was assigned the portion "lying between the north line of Section No. 25 and the north line of Section 23, Range 2, Township 1 north, with all the hands east of the county or Carlyle road;" to James Young fell the part "lying between the north line of Section No. 23 and the northern line of the attached part of this county, with all the hands north of the line where he com- mences." "The said road to be opened eighteen feet wide and made passable for carriages; to be opened smooth," and to be completed by June.
But the road was not opened very smooth, and, indeed, was not nsed a great deal, so that it was really in danger of growing up. Hence it became necessary, September 1, 1823, to order "that the Sheriff inform Thomas D. Minor and William Maxwell, Supervisors on the Vandalia road, to pro- ceed to cut out said road twelve feet wide and keep the same in repair." This impera- tive demand had the desired effect, and the road became a permanent highway.
The Frankfort or Golconda Road .- The idea of this road seems to have originated in 1822, from the people of Franklin County having opened one leading from Frankfort to our county line. The friendly challenge from Franklin was accepted by our Com- missioners, and at their March term-March 5, 1822-it was ordered "that Barton Atchi- son. Esq., James Dawson and Nicholas Wren view the ground for a road from where the Frankfort road intersects the county line to where the said road will intersect (the Sa-
line) road at or near the bridge." In due time the report came in:
" Agreeably to an order of the court, we. the undersigned viewers, have viewed aud marked the intended road, beginning one- half mile east of the middle line dividing Range 3, where the Frankfort road inter- sects our county, thence a little northwest, until we come to the Gun Prairie; continu- ing the same course through said prairie until we struck the above line; thence on and near the said line to the Saline road near the bridge. We, the viewers, think this to be the nearest and best ground for said road, allowing the Supervisor to vary as he may think necessary." Dated April 12. 1822.
To open this road, James Dawson was ap- pointed Supervisor, with all the hands hith- erto belonging to Moses Ham on the Saline road, where Ham had succeeded Crenshaw. except Young Lenore, Ignatius Atchison. William Southwood, Joseph Jordan, Daniel Crenshaw and John Crenshaw: "and further ordered that the said road be opened twelve feet wide and it be done by the December term of this court."
Notwithstanding these orders, it was not "done by the December term," and at that time it was found necessary to order that Amos Chandler be " Supervisor on that part of said road between the bridge across Muddy and Rollins' Creeks, with all the hands north of the creek on which Mr. B. Atchison lives, except the hands formerly al- lotted to Mr Ham," and that Absalom Estis supervise the portion south of Rollins' Creek, with all the hands south of Atchison's brauch, except those formerly allotted to Mr. Ham. This move secured the opening of the road. In 1838, William Redman built the first bridge over Gun Prairie Creek for $175.
The Covington or Richview Road .- Cov- ington, as many of our readers are awar .
209
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
was originally the county seat of Washing- ton, and stood on the Okaw, near the mouth of Crooked Creek, about fourteen miles north of Nashville. Indeed, it still stands there, but in considerably reducel prop ortions. When Clinton was formed out of the north- ern part of Washington. Covington was no longer central, and for a short time before Nashville arose, Georgetown, almost a vil- lage, a few miles west of Nashville, was the county seat. Clinton County was formed in 1825.
Well, the Grand Prairie people, who had only a winding trail by which to come te town, and the town people who wished to build up, asked for a road to Covington, June 4. 1822, the court ordered that Jacob Norton, Isaac Hicks and James E. Davis view and mark the route as far as the county line, and report in September. This certainly was sufficient time, but September brought no report, and it was necessary to issue a new order: " Agreeable to an order agreea- ble to a petition handed into this court at the June term, on which Viewers were ap- pointed, but have failed to act, therefore ordered that Curtis Caldwell, Thomas Jordan, Jr., and William Casey be appointed to act as Viewers, to be viewed on the straightest and best way on a direction to Covington, as far as the Washington County line, and make return at the December term."
This order was slightly mixed, but "agrec- able " and easy to be understood; yet it was entirely without effect. Nor was a " view " obtained till after March 4, 1823, when Thomas T. Tunstall, Felix McBride and William Deprist were appointed for the purpose. June 10, they reported that they had marked the road on the nearest and best way, to the best of their knowledge, and that the " course generally runs west of north- west." This road ran not far from where the Richview road now runs.
--
Still the road was not opened till Decem- ber. Then. December 1, 1823, "for the purpose of opening said road," it was " or- dered that William Deprist be and he is hereby appointed Supervisor on that part of said road between Mount Vernon and the Middle Fork of Muddy, with the hands as follows, to wit: Isaac Deprist, Jordan Tyler, Lewis Johnson, John T. Johnson, Nicholas John- son, James E. Davis, Nicholas Stull, Overbay and his son-in-law, Rhodam Allen, William Maxey, Charles H. Maxey, Joshua C. Maxey, Edward Maxey. Zadok Casey, Samnel Hirons, Jarvis Pierce, William Wil- kerson, Joel Wilkerson, Samuel Reed and Asahel Batemen." A. P. Casey was Su- pervisor on the rest of the road, " with all the hands west of Foster's Creek, including the
Long Prairie settlement," " said road to be opened by the March term of this court wide enough for carriages to pass." In 1828, this road was vacated, but in a few years it was restored as the Grand Prairie, afterward the Richview, road, a change being made at the west, and under Jacob Breeze, Joe Baldridge and John Switzer, and at the east end under L. F. Casey, H. D. Hinman and J. C. Maxey, all in 1844. The present western terminus was at last located in 1846 by Duncan Cameron, Esq., Isaac Casey, Jr., and Samuel Watkins.
The Georgetown or Nashville Road. -- At the June Conrt, 1828, at the same time the last road was vacated, a new one to George- town was called for. It was to "cross the Middle Fork of Muddy near Shiloh Meeting House and the West Fork near Hamlin's." Most of our readers will no doubt recollect Noah Bullock's and Bill Maby's " meeting house " better than this Shiloh that stood about the same place. William Casey, Robert Holt and A. Buffington were the viewers, and on their report the Covington road was vacated and the Georgetown road estab-
210
IHISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
lished. Green, Dysnish and Jim Johnson of Long Prairie were chosen to open the road. It issued from town at the west end of Main street, and ran nearly southwest by west to W. Casey's house on the hill.
The Fairfield Road .- In 1824, John Sum- mers bought A. P. Casey's improvement east of town; and June 5, 1826, he and others petitioned for a road toward Fairfield. Ac- cordingly, he and Joe Jordan and Isaac Casey were appointed to view the route. September 4, they made their report:
"Pursuant to an order of the County Com- missioners' Court at their June term, 1826, we, John Summers and Joseph Jordan, have viewed and marked for a road from Mount Vernon to the county line to Fairfield, com- mencing at the court house; thence to John Summers'; thence to William Jordan's; thence intersected the road from Fairfield at the county line." John Summers was ap- pointed to open the road, together with Bridges Hynes, Edmund Hines, Jesse Green, Thomas Hopper, John Vance and Hiram Hodge. The next spring court gave him the hands in Adam's Prairie also. The road as then established, ran near where it now does, except that it struck ont nearly due east from the court house ran by a cabin that stood where Dr. Green lives, ran nearly a hundred yards south of the Shields House, then wound around to the ford below where the old bridge was. In 1838, Coleman Smith built the first bridge over Seven Mile for $25.874. In 1839, James Ross, John John- son and E. H. Ridgway, in accordance with an act of the Legislature, relocated the road from town to the creek, throwing it into Main street, and so on, nearly where it is at present.
The Brownsville and Pinkneyville Roads. -The roads toward Brownsville and Pinkney- ville attracted a good deal of attention, con-
sidering how little business we ever had at either of the places. The Brownsville road began in 1834. September 27, " the Viewers appointed to view and mark a road from Mount Vernon to intersect a cart way in Horse Prairie and on a direction to Browns- ville, do make the following report: That we have viewed the same to run from Mount Vernon, the present leading road to John Hays' at Elk Prairie; thence angling down said prairie near the east side of John Black's farm; thence down a little arm of said prairie to the lower end of the same; thence crossing Muddy below the hurricane; thence to the county line above the head of Honey Point." Signed by Samuel Boswell and John Hays.
In 1835, Isaac Casey, A. Buffington and Jesse Green were sent to view a road toward Pinkneyville, and failing to do it the job was next year assigned to John Dodds, I. T. Davenport and William Hicks. They located it by John Dodd's house from the Nashville road, by Rhodam Allen's field across the prairie, and so on to the Brownsville road. Thus it re- mained till 1839, when A. Milcher, P. Os- born and J. A. Dees were sent out to see if it were not useless. For anybody but Dodds and Rhodam Allen, it certainly was, so there it died. Then an Elk Prairie road sprang up, 1837, running between Joseph Pace's and Dr. Greethan's, to Bodinis, to Reed's ford, across Muddy, and to the old road at the county line. After changing routes frequently, the Pinkneyville road was located not far from where it now runs, in March, 1845, by Sam Boswell, Sid Place and Jesse A. Dees, the route having been suggested by J. R. Allen and Eli Gilbert in 1844.
Other Roads .- We have given details of the first old roads, not only to show when and where they were located, but to give an
211
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
idea how we got them; and the recital also gives an idea that the best evidence as to where they run, is the fact that they run there, the record evidence of exact location being slim. At length, however, roads be- came literally too numerous to mention. We note the principal ones: In 1838, a road from Nashville to Equality, across the southwest corner of the county, was laid out under the direction of George W. Lee, Thomas Thompson and George McCary. The same year, a road was opened from Salem to Chester, across the northwest corner of the county, and Allen Dolson was the first Supervisor. It was also in the same year that the Maysville road was located. Isaac Casey, Azariah Bruce and Lloyd Buffington were the Viewers, and it was described as running with the Fairfield road to a point near the Goshen road; thence to Wright Bullard's, thence to the bridge over Shiloh Fork above Slocum's mill. In 1839, the new State road from McLeans- boro to Mount Vernon was located, Ben Hood, Ophey Cook and Wm. Sturman being the Viewers. It was described as coming through John Lowry's field, through Willis Holder's and to a post of Atchison's mill and to the old road between Atchison's and Os- born's. In 1848, a road was opened from the Academy by Short's mill ou the creek and by Samuel Atchison's to the county line at or near the Spurlock place. The Farming- ton road was located in October, 1849, by Jona- than Gregory, Joe Buffington and Lafayette Casey. In the same year, the Richview & Fairfield-now the Richview & Farmington -road was located by G. P. Casey, N. S. Johnson and P. T. Maxey. The east Long Prairie road from Seven-Mile bridge was laid out in March, 1850, Abram Marlow, Alexander Moore and Peter Bruce being Viewers. The same year, the Frog Island road began, A. D. Estes, J. Y. Shelton and
Andy Elkins locating it from the Frizzell bridge to A. D. Estes', and southeast to Shelton's mill. The route from Ashley to Willbanks' was completed by S. S. Mannen and S. K. Allen in September, 1852. A road from Rome to John Foutts' on the Carlyle road was viewed in 1853 by Owen Breeze, John Foutts and Arch Maxwell. The toll road began in June, 1854, and a road was opened from Rome to Kuneville by E. Wimberly and others in 1854. Isaac Gar- rison, Thomas Moore and Rolla M. Williams located the Mount Vernon & Lynchburg road in July, 1855. B. T. Wood, W. A. Dale and D. B. Davis located one from Council Bluffs to Lynchburg in July, 1857. The Spring Garden and Tamaroa road began the same year, viewed by J. B. Ward, James Kirk and Henry Williams, and in the same year a way was opened from Lynchburg to Ham's Grove by J. Taylor, W. D. Daily and A. D. Estes, and the next year one from Ham's Grove south by G. H. Puchett, Joshua Hopper and Morgan Harris.
And now roads get to be so numerous it makes our head swim to try to follow the story any further. Indeed, there are so many that a stranger can hardly get anywhere. And the changes have been so many! Some have kept wriggling like a snake. For in- stance, the Brownsville road. If every move had made a move forward, too, like a snake's, it probably would now be in the middle of Arkansas. We might add that, under town- ship organization, we have very expensive roads and hardly any good ones.
The Railroads. - We desired to give a complete history of the struggles made by our people to secure railroads, but the story looms up before us now so long and wide that we submit in despair and consent to give a mere outline.
The struggle began long ago. Illinois
212
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
had a large amount of Saline lands in Gal- latin County, about four townships that had long been withheld from sale and leased ont by the United States, but at length donated to the State. It was about the year 1831 (L. 1831, p.15), it was determined to sell 20,000 acres and distribute the proceeds among the counties. Jefferson's share was $200, but we never got it. In 1836 (Laws, p. 129), the Illinois Central road was char- tered and our people made an effort to get it, but got only about 400 yards of it across the northwest corner of the county. The older citizens all remember the crazy fit that the Legislature had in 1836-37 and 1838. It was attempted to supply the whole State with railroads at once. One was to be built from Galena to Cairo, one from Alton to Shawneetown, one from Alton to Mount Car- mel, one from Alton to Terre Haute, one from Quincy, by Springfield, to the Wabash, one from Bloomington to Pekin and one from Peoria to Warsaw-over 1,300 miles. All this was undertaken just as the State had begun to recover from a general financial depression and had got out of debt. The result was a debt of $14,000,000 and about 100 miles of railroad from Springfield to the Illinois River, that was never worth over $100,000. Our Representative, H. T. Pace, strongly opposed these measures, and this was one cause of our getting none of the railroads. But in 1839 (L., p. 252), by the efforts of Noah Johnston in the Senate and H. T. Pace in the House, an act was passed which gave us (?), in addition to the $200. an interest in $200,000 that was appropri- ated to counties that failed to get any rail- road. Yet if a future survey should put Mount Vernon on the road, our interest in the fund was to "determine." So we missed getting a railroad that time; so did the rest; so did we miss getting the money-except
$100 at one time and $50 at another, secured by the persistent efforts of H. T. Pace.
Illinois bonds, credit, railroads, and every- thing else were " dead as a mackerel " until 1850-51, when the new Illinois Central Rail- road Company was chartered, and the road now bearing that name was begun. This moved hope and enterprise, and other roads were projected. The Sangamon & Massac road was chartered (L., 1853, p. 177), and February 15, 1855, gave birth to two or three charters that promised roads for us (L., p. 249. 296). One was the Belleville & Fair- field with J. L. D. Morrison, et al., of St. Clair; A. D. Hay, et al., of Washington; J. M. Johnson, T. M. Casey, Z. Casey and H. T. Pace, of Jefferson; and D. Turney, et al., of Wayne, composing the company, capital unlimited and six years to begin it. The Mother was the Mount Vernon Railroad, capi- tal $500,000; election of officers at Mount Vernon, when $1,000 per mile should be subscribed; to run from Mount Vernon to the Central or the Chicago branch, and Jefferson Vallowed to give her swamp lands if the peo- ple so voted. The charter members were J. N. Johnson, Z. Casey, H. T. Pace, S. H. Anderson, Q. A. Willbanks, J. R. Allen, S. K. Allen, S. W. Carpenter, B. T. Wood, J. H. McCord, Uriah Mills and G. W. Pace. The Bloomington & Toledo road was changed to or united with the St. Louis & Louisville. February, 1857, a consolidation was perfected and this was confirmed by the Legislature February 22, 1861.
Before recurring to the Mount Vernon Railroad, we must notice the swamp lands, as these have been the basis of all our efforts. Congress passed a law September 28, 1850, entitled "An act to enable the State of Ar- kansas and other States to reclaim the swamp lands within their limits," which gave to the States named in the act all the swamp
213
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
and overflowed lands within their limits for drainage, education or internal improve- ments. Our Legislature, in the winter of 1851-52, accepted, and gave the land to the several counties wherein it lay. September 6, 1852, our County Court appointed Elijah Piper Drainage Commissioner, with power to sell first-class lands at $1. second at 75 cents, and third at 50 cents per acre. But Piper gave no bond till December, when the order was made for a sale at public outcry. February 28, 1853, for cash or work on the drains. From some cause, perhaps finding an injunction staring him in the face, Piper didn't sell, and all was quiet for awhile. In December, 1854, the Clerk was ordered to notify magistrates to watch for trespassers, and all was quiet again.
As soon, however, as the Mount Vernon Railroad Company would organize, they, by Scates, asked the County Court for a vote at the judicial election, first Monday in June, 1855, on a proposition to donate the swamp lands to aid in the construction of the road. On the eve of the election, it was postponed until the November election. The donation was conditional, on the road being done in three years, and the land to be sold for not over $2.50 per acre in one year, or $5 after one year. The proposition carried.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.