USA > Illinois > Jersey County > History of Jersey County, Illinois > Part 33
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While living at Alton, General Semple laid out an addition to that city called Semple Town, but he concluded to close out his interests and remove from there. He went to Grafton and endeavored to effect an arrangement with the Mason and Allen interests there to join with them and push Grafton to the front as a competitor of Alton, for the business of Jersey and Greene counties, but meeting with no encouragement, he purchased the Elsah site, as stated, removed his residence to Elsah, and continued to reside there until his death in 1866.
A post office was established at Elsah in 1853, and General Semple was the first postmaster. He made a road up Askew Hollow from the river to the higher lands, extending it on to connections with Otterville, Newbern and Jerseyville. In every way he exercised all of his skill and influence to secure business for the new town, the result being that most of the produce from the counties of Jersey and Greene was brought to Elsah for shipment. A large distillery and grist-mill and a paper mill were erected within a few years after the founding of Elsah, by business
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men of Jerseyville, who made Elsah their main point of shipment by river. The population increased, stores, shops, schools, churches and other accessories of the new village were brought in through the inde- fatigable energy and influence of its chief promotor.
General Semple died at his home "Trevue," December 20, 1866, and was buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis. It may be truly said that the building of Elsah, and its business enterprise and prosperity during its early years, were almost wholly due to the industry, care and influence of General Semple, and we are left to conjecture what the result might have been, if he had been able to join his interest and efforts with the Allen and Mason forces at Grafton, and used the same energy and skill in pressing the claims of the latter town, that he did later at Elsah.
On account of the destruction by fire of the main manufacturing in- dustries of Elsah, and of the palatial mansion of Notch Cliffe, and also on account of the building of railroads through the county, the river transportation and business interests of Elsah have largely deteriorated from what they were formerly. The main industry there now is the Whiting Works, the object of which is the converting of the bluff stone into whiting.
The population of the village of Elsah is 150. Its president is C. N. Piggott ; clerk, Albert Spetz; treasurer, Jacob Spetz.
BUSINESS INTERESTS
The Western Whiting Manufacturing Co. employs twenty, product, one car load per day ; merchants-William H. McDow, J. K. Keller, Spetz Bros. ; postmaster-Mr. C. A. Bates and J. P. Henry Worthey.
Constable-Michael Barnet.
There is a Methodist Church and parsonage. Elsah has a C. P. & St. L. railroad station and river boat landing.
LOCK HAVEN
Lock Haven, another station on the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Rail- road, was named after the original proprietor, John Locke, who settled there in 1870. He was a native of Lancashire, England, where he was born April 6, 1818, eldest son of William and Grace Locke, also natives of England. John Locke received his early educational training in the schools of Devonshire, England, and was well grounded in a solid
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manner. He came to the United States in 1839, and reached Alton, Ill., in November of that year, becoming employed soon thereafter as a clerk in a store, and held that position for several years. In the fall of 1843, he returned to England on a visit, and returned to Alton the next year, embarking then in business for himself, taking as his first partner, J. Quarton, and later was in partnership with his brother, Thomas Locke. The brothers enlarged the business, and branched out, including the burning and shipping of lime in their operations, securing their lime from the Alton bluffs. This line proved to be very profitable, and Mr. Locke did a very large business, extending it throughout the length of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. In the mean- while he had purchased about 1,600 acres of land in the vicinity of the present site of Lock Haven, and in 1870 he closed out his Alton interests, and moved to his farm in Jersey County, where he lived until his death. The farm is now owned and occupied by his son, Charles E. Locke. John Locke was married to Elizabeth Challacombe in 1847. He was a republi- can in politics, and in his religious belief, was an Episcopalian.
SUPERVISORS
The supervisors of Elsah Township from 1879 to 1918 have been as follows: B. F. Kelley, 1880-1882 and 1885-1886; James M. Seagraves, 1883-1884; Cosmos Keller, 1889; Robert L. Smith, 1890 and 1893-1894 and 1903-1918; L. H. Vanderslice, 1891-1892; Adam Lightner, 1895- 1896; Joseph Keffner, 1897-1900; J. B. Reirtege, 1901-1902.
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CHAPTER XXXIV
ENGLISH TOWNSHIP
FIRST LAND ENTRIES-JUDGE JEHU BROWN-MAJOR GERSHOM PATTERSON-
MATHEW DARR-PHILIP GRIMES-JOHN BROWN-OTHER EARLY ENTRIES -PROMINENT SETTLERS-OTHER LAND ENTRIES-SUPERVISORS.
FIRST LAND ENTRIES
The English settlement west of the present city of Jerseyville, was one of the most important in Jersey County. Living in this neighbor- hood were Jehu Brown, Gershom Patterson, John Thornton and others. The first land entries were made by these three persons, who, on January 4, 1821, rode down to Edwardsville and began to compare the plats of . survey with land they had looked over before starting. On the 5th, which was the succeeding day, Judge Jehu Brown, entered 880 acres, lying immediately below the Greene County line, in sections 1 and 2, township 8, range 12, on each side of what has since been known as the Carrollton and Grafton road. The farm occupied subsequently by L. L. Kirby was part of this entry. Philip Grimes had been cultivating a small portion of this tract for some two years, and Judge Brown paid him $300.00 for his improvement. Grimes, a few days afterward, entered a quarter section to the south of the Kirby farm.
John Thornton entered 280 acres nearly two miles south of the Brown tract, and this was afterward known as the Mathew Darr place.
The 320 acres which Gershom Patterson entered was distant a mile and a half still to the south of Thornton's location.
It may be supposed that these entries were made at such a distance from each other in order that the proprietors might have ample room to make further entries.
JUDGE JEHU BROWN
Jehu Brown, who was familiarly known by the title of Judge, located his family of five sons and four daughters on this large tract. J. D.
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C. A. Van Dike
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Erwin, a son of Judge Jehu Brown's youngest daughter, Mrs. Samuel Erwin, still owns her portion of her father's estate. Judge Brown was born in South Carolina, from whence he had emigrated to Missouri, settling on a farm of fertile land at Florissant, St. Louis County. After selling this farm, he was possessed of ample means, and with them he came to Jersey County. He acted as probate judge of Greene County, which then embraced Jersey County. Judge Brown was a man of great courtesy and hospitality, and was highly respected as a man of excellent character. It is said that when his daughter, Hannah, and William Erwin started from the log cabin across the yard to the place where the young man's horse was tied, Judge Brown asked them where they were going. They replied that they were going to a justice of the peace to be married. With characteristic courtesy and decision, he replied :
"That is not necessary, I am a justice of the peace, and I will marry you," which he did there in his yard.
At his death, which occurred in 1835, he was the owner, inclusive of what a short time previously he had given his children, of 2,000 acres of as valuable land as could be found in Jersey County, which was lying almost entirely in one body. Prior to Judge Brown's death, in 1830, the English Settlement is described as consisting of Judge Brown, and James Henson, Joel Henson and George Stamps, who were on the south. To the north were William Nairn and John Brown; to the eastward were Joseph Brown, Gershom Patterson, Thomas English, Alexander Moore, Samuel Brown, John Cope and Mrs. Sarah Hardy, and Thomas Gillham, Joseph, John and Samuel Brown, these latter four nephews of Judge Brown. Westward and near the timber, were Michael Whisman, G. W. Lowder, Henry Cope, Abram Mckinney, Moses Martin, James Nairn, Major James Pruitt, Amos Pruitt, James McKinney, William B. Davis, Philip Grimes, Mathew Darr, John Vaughn, Francis Colean, Isaac Darnielle, James B. Crain, Silas Crain, Sr., Silas Crain, Jr., John Crain, Pollard Kirkland and William Adair. Next in the timber was the house of Isaac Sinclair, and at the Linn Bottom, a low flat stretch of country so-called from the noticeable growth of linn trees, were Nathan Gowan, James Waldon, Chester Bethel, Jesse Rhoades, Alfred Downing and Henry Ontus.
MAJOR GERSHOM PATTERSON
Major Gershom Patterson was a resident of St. Clair County, pre- vious to coming to Jersey County, and was known as an industrious and
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prosperous man. He took part in the Black Hawk War, as a lieutenant in one of the companies raised. For many years he was a zealous member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His death occurred in 1856.
MATHEW DARR
Mathew Darr bought in 1824, from John Thornton, the land which the latter had entered, and Mr. Thornton then moved west of Fieldon, where the remainder of his life was spent. Mathew Darr came west when sixteen years old, about 1801. He stopped for a time at St. Louis, but afterwards settled in Madison County, Ill., where he was married. He came to Jersey County in 1822, and entered land in section 14, town- ship 8, range 13, and then removed to the Illinois Bottom, east of Mc- Fains' Lake, and finally in 1824 came to the prairie where it joined the timber, four miles west of Jerseyville, entering eighty acres, and buying the 260 acres from Jolin Thornton, as above stated. By his industry, perseverance and prudent management, he soon began to accumulate property, and his was one of the first farms from which an overplus of provisions could be sold to the families of new settlers coming in every year and almost every month from other states. For years during the period of the early settlement of Jersey County, members of the fam- ilies from some distance around would now and again resort to Mathew Darr and his adjoining neighbor, Philip Grimes, for provisions, as even in the days of the patriarchs, the sons of Jacob were wont to go down into Egypt to buy corn. Mathew Darr had sixteen children, reared a large family, and was a worthy member of the Baptist Church. He died in 1853.
PHILIP GRIMES
Philip Grimes made the entry of his land on section 23, township S, range 12, on January 23, 1821, and with the earnest and persistent in- dustry characteristic of the pioneer, immediately began the work of improvement, and such was his success that every couple of years he was enabled to add to his original purchase eighty or 160 acres. He was a soldier under General Jackson at the battle of New Orleans. A native of Tennessee, in 1815, he came to Illinois. While his mind was of good natural capacity, it had never been improved by education. His industry and capacity for hard work were remarkable. He was seldom seen in town, but early and late was engaged in labor on his farm. It is said that during the time of plowing out corn, he required four horses
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every day, two with him in the field at early dawn, and after dinner two others, fresh from the stable, to drag the plow till bedtime, while his wiry and sinewy frame was so capable of endurance that he with- stood these prolonged hours of labor day after day without exhaustion. Copious draughts of cold water, and meals three times a day and lunches in the intervals, were all the refreshments he required. He died in 1851. His son, Jarrett T. Grimes, was the oldest eitizen of the county, born within its limits. He died in July, 1915, aged more than ninety-five years.
JOHN BROWN
John Brown, whose death occurred a few years ago, came to Jersey County in 1820, and on January 19, 1821, entered a tract of eighty acres, and six months afterwards, an additional eighty acres, in section 25, township 8, range 12. He was born in Pendleton County, S. C., in 1790, and moved with his father to Georgia. In 1802, he went west to the French territory of Louisiana, which in 1804 passed into the possession of the United States. In 1813, he volunteered in the United States Rangers, and served until the close of the War of 1812. Of those who entered land in 1821, he lived longer than any other, and died a few years ago, a respected eitizen.
OTHER EARLY ENTRIES
On January 22, 1821, Silas Crain entered 160 acres on section 15, afterwards included in the farm of Colonel Beach. In October, 1821, Abiram Mckinney entered the southeast quarter of section 23, township 8, range 12, which was afterwards sold to Philip Grimes. This elosed the sale of land in Jersey County for 1821. Abiram MeKinney was a native of Virginia, who emigrated to Illinois and settled in Madison County, Ill., in 1818. He came to the Illinois Bottom land, in the present limits of Jersey County, in 1820, entering land as mentioned above, and in 1822 settled on section 24, township 8, range 12, where he lived until his death, in April, 1840. His eldest son was James McKinney, who was fourteen years of age when he first came to the county.
Only a small quantity of land was entered in 1822, in Jersey County. On April 2, 1822, Franeis Colean became the possessor of the west half of the southwest quarter of section 13, township 8, range 12, and began its improvement. He had for his neighbors, Judge Brown on the north, and John Thornton on the south. Francis Colean was of French and
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English descent, and was born at Cahokia, Ill., in 1794. Serving as a soldier in the War of 1812, he was with Jackson at New Orleans, and was slightly wounded in that campaign. He settled in the American Bottom after the war was over. His death occurred in November, 1846.
Among the newcomers who entered land and settled in this part of the county during 1823 and 1824, were John Vaughn, who located on eighty acres west of Judge Brown's, and John Falkner, who settled on section 30, township 8, range 11. Moses Martin, a native of North Carolina, in April, 1826, entered land in section 26, township 8, range 12. He lived and died on the farm which subsequently came into pos- session of Dennis Brown. His death occurred in 1840. William B. Davis and Michael B. Whisman made entries of land in 1828. The records show that entries of land were made in this precinct in 1829 by Samuel Brown, Amos Pruitt, Isaac Darnielle, Rial Crain, Robert Latham, James Nairn, Eli Roberts, John Cope, Jehu Brown, Jesse Barker and Chester Bethel, besides additional entries made by those who had taken up land in previous years.
PROMINENT SETTLERS
Amos Pruitt was a son of Major James Pruitt, and he in the fall of 1832 disposed of the eighty acres he had entered here to Milo Bennett, and located in Hawkins' Prairie northwest of where the town of Fidelity is now located. He was one of the three men who composed the first board of county commissioners, after the separation of Jersey County from Greene County. He died from the result of an injury caused by a horse in 1865. John Cope was a North Carolinian. He died in 1852, on land which he had entered.
According to concurrent and reliable testimony, the most social man who ever lived in Jersey County was Isaac Darnielle, who is mentioned above as entering land in 1829. It is said of him that he was more interested in riding about the neighborhood holding friendly chats with his neighbors than in attending to the more solemn and profitable duties of agriculture. At every husking, house or barn raising or log rolling for miles around, he was a constant attendant, and no political gather- ing or election would have been complete without his presence. Like his illustrious namesake, Isaac Darnielle of Kaskaskia, who was the second lawyer to practice in Illinois prior to 1800, he had a taste for legal matters. He was often on hand to manage for his friends' causes before a justice of the peace, and would, if necessary, follow the cases to the
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higher courts, and stand as chief advisor to the attorney when the case was called. In fact he never missed an opportunity of attending court, and was frequently seen outside the courthouse, the center of a group of interested listeners, and was never weary of expounding the laws and constitution, not only of our own country, but of all nations and countries known to geography. The story is told (how true the reader can judge for himself) by a lawyer formerly well known in this part of the state, that upon retiring at a certain hotel at Carrollton, his room overlooking the courthouse, he saw below Isaac Darnielle and a friend engaged in close and animated conversation. On awakening in the morning and looking out of the window, what was his surprise to see the two occupying the same position on the exact spot where he had left them the previous night, Darnielle keeping up the stream of discourse in the same earnest and voluble manner. He had so charmed his friend (as did the mariner in Coleridge's Legant) with his smooth roll- ing and sweet sounding words, that the stars had gone down and morn- ing had come before the two enthusiasts had thought of rest or slumber. Isaac Darnielle removed to Jerseyville, and after living there only a few months, was stricken down with cholera in 1849. He was a man of many good qualities, and his natural capacity and love for social chat and pleasant conversation were of a high order.
OTHER LAND ENTRIES
Among the entries of land made in 1830, was part of section 15, town- ship 8, range 12, by White R. Crain. The largest entry of land which, so far had taken place, was made by Joseph Russel, and comprised large tracts in the northwestern part of Jerseyville precinct. Hon. William Russel of St. Louis was an extensive and shrewd speculator in land, whose investments in St. Louis, Alton, Davenport and other places left his posterity wealthy, acted for nearly ten years as agent for his brother, Joseph, in the management of these large entries of land, spending every year a couple of weeks at Jerseyville, paying taxes, and at times selling some of the lands. He was also engaged in attending to other business in connection with the selection by his brother of land in Jersey County. He related the following circumstances attending the selection of these lands, which shows, at least, that even in those days, the lands of this part of the state were considered the best in the market. He said that his brother came from east Tennessee, in the fall of 1830, with $4,000.00. "I tried," to use his own words, "to get his consent to let me invest it
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HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
in St. Louis; my eye was on property a trifle west of the courthouse, but the same looked too small for my brother. I then resolved that if he would enter lands, I would have him do it in a slave state. We mounted horses, and passed north to nearly the upper tier of counties in Missouri, turned east and crossed the Mississippi at, or just above, Quincy, and coursed east through the military tract, and to Springfield, Ill., and from Springfield to Jacksonville. South of Jacksonville the land pleased my brother mightily, but I told him that if he would locate in a free state, I knew of a tract of land that for good timber, rich land and nearness to market, was superior to the land before him." They traveled on, and emerging from the timber north of Kane, the promised land opened to view, where Colonel Fulkerson afterwards resided, and where was the old farm of Judge Powell, as well as a large body of timber west of there was located, amounting to 2,000 acres. The 1,200 acres of timber west, of where Brown and Patterson had located their farms, was entered November 24, 1830. About 1862, Joseph Russel came to the county to reside.
Among the entries made in 1831, by persons whose names have not been mentioned, were the following: A. Moore and Childers, in section 36, township 8, range 12; and James A. Carlisle, part of section 1, town- ship 8, range 12. In October, 1832, John N. English entered eighty acres in section 36, township 8, section 12.
Milo Bennett came from Vermont in 1832. He purchased eighty acres of Amos Pruitt, and entered eighty additional acres, but moved to Iowa about 1840, and from that state to California. He was a magis- trate for a time.
Capt. Jonathan E. Cooper entered land on which he resided until his death, October 5, 1895, two and a half miles southwest of Jerseyville, in October, 1832. He was born in Henry County, Ky., but left Kentucky in November, 1829, and after a trip of thirteen days on horseback. landed in what is now Jersey County. The greater part of the first winter after coming to the state, was spent in the store of his uncle at Carrollton. After entering the land, he lived upon it, being a very valued citizen of the county. At the outbreak of the Black Hawk War, he enlisted in the company commanded by Captain (afterward Governor) Carlin, and was chosen orderly sergeant of the company. The next year he was in Captain Patterson's company, and was detailed as quartermaster. Cap- tain Cooper had a good memory concerning the events that happened in pioneer days, and no man was more at home in the early history of
Marthe &. Hanlike
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Jersey County. To him we are indebted for much information used in this work.
John N. English was a resident of Jersey County from 1824. His father, Thomas English, was a native of Maryland. In 1822, he moved with his family to Washington County, Ill., and lived there until 1825, when they removed to Jersey County, to which section John N. English had preceded them. John N. English, on the breaking out of the Black Hawk War, became a member of Captain Carlin's company of mounted volunteers, and the succeeding year was in Captain Patterson's com- pany, and took part in the battles in Wisconsin and Missouri .. He was active in securing the organization of Jersey County, and was elected its first sheriff. In the fall of 1860 he was chosen a member of the legis- lature, a position he also filled in later years.
SUPERVISORS
The supervisors of English Township from 1879 to 1918 have been as follows: John G. Erwin, 1879-1881; Milo London, 1882-1883 and 1889-1891; Lloyd T. English, 1884-1886 and 1892-1895; John Powers, 1887; John Toman, 1888; James Powers, 1896-1906; William Decker, 1907; Edward P. Sauer, 1908-1911 and 1914-1917; Hugh Allen, 1912- 1913; Lawrence Powers, 1918.
CHAPTER XXXV FIDELITY TOWNSHIP
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS-EARLY SETTLEMENTS-FIRST SETTLERS-EARLY EVENTS-FIDELITY SUPERVISORS.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Fidelity Township is composed of township 8, range 10, and is one of the best agricultural towns in the county. Piasa Creek crosses the southeast corner, and that part of the township is broken and was originally heavily timbered. Phill's Creek heads in Fidelity Township, running northwest into Ruyle Township, and empties into Macoupin Creek. The first settlements were made in the timber land in the south- east corner, skirting upon the prairie, for as usual the pioneers were timid about leaving the forests altogether. This township is composed principally of fertile prairie land, and since its settlement and the planting of orchards and groves, it has become one of the most beautiful and prosperous sections of the county. It is devoted to grain and stock raising, and its farmers are among the most intelligent and progressive in this line of business. The C. P. & St. L. Railroad crosses this town- ship from east to west, in its course from Springfield, through Jersey- ville to St. Louis, Mo., with stations at Medora on the east line, and Fidelity, the latter being the only village in the township.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS
Thomas Chapman located on section 33, in 1828, where he lived several years, and he was its first settler. The Simmons family came next. Samuel C. Simmons, in the fall of 1829, came and selected a location for his father, and in the next year, settled here. James Simmons and Ann (Hodges) Simmons, his wife, went from Maryland to Knoxville, Tenn., in 1816, where she died. From thence he came to Fidelity Township in 1830, and resided on section 26-8-10, on the farm he originally settled, until his death which occurred in 1861.
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James Simmons was born in Maryland in 1773. He 'was married to Ann Hodges, a daughter of Charles Hodges, who was the grand- father of Judge Charles D. Hodges of Carrollton, Greene County, Ill., in January, 1806. Samuel C. Simmons was the eldest of the fam- ily. James Simmons was born when Maryland was a colony of Eng- land, and he was a friend of George Washington, and voted for him for president, and cast his vote for president from that time to the candidacy of Abraham Lincoln in 1860. Samuel Simmons came to Fidelity Town- ship at the same time as his father, as did his brothers, John H. H. and Thomas H. and Richard J., and his sisters. Sarah E. Simmons who married James Cummings, was one of the sisters, and Ann M. and Margaret R., who were married and lived in Indiana. The chil- dren married, established families, and developed substantial farms in Fidelity Township, and became highly respected citizens, as have their children after them.
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