USA > Illinois > Jersey County > History of Jersey County, Illinois > Part 36
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entirely occupied by hotels, shops, and stores of traders and mechanics, and for the hoarse coughing of the steamer, or the roar and rattle of the train, we have yet, as a substitute, the constant daily and nightly puffing of two large and busy flour mills, one of which, at least, has made itself known throughout a large portion of Illinois, by something better than mere puffing.
"Here is also an extensive buckskin glove manufactory under the management of E. S. Wells & Co., whose wares are in great demand, and are giving to Jerseyville a wide and enviable reputation. This firm dress annually 10,000 to 12,000 deer skins, and manufacture 30,000 pairs of gloves and mittens, besides 15,600 purses. These are now the most im- portant and extensive of our manufactures. There is doubtless plenty of room for more, and the establishing of a paper mill, costing $10,000.00, is promised next summer. Hardly a better place than Jerseyville could be found for a manufactory of coarse domestics or coarse woolens, for there are plenty of young people here of both sexes, who would rejoice in such steady and profitable employment.
"In regard to internal improvements, our citizens are fully up to the spirit of the times.
"Substantial and commodious sidewalks, mostly of plank, are extend- ing their branches everywhere through the village, promising speedily, easy access to every part of town. But it will surprise some of you to hear that, in the year 1847, when the brick walk from Knapp's corner to Clendenin's was first laid, an indignation meeting was held in this town, and attended by some of our best citizens, condemning the 'uncalled for and arbitrary measure'; no less than twenty-eight persons being guilty of the absurdity of pledging themselves, in writing, never at any election to vote for any of those who were at that time trustees of the town, 'nor of any of their abettors in said iniquitous act.' The meeting unanimously passed five resolutions of the most peppery description, and then ad- journed for further reflection, which seems to have been attended with gratifying results. As most of these persons have manifested repentance by subsequent works of righteousness, it would be doing them injustice to record their names. Forgiveness on repentance is a law of heaven.
"Shade trees (mostly locusts) are plentiful here, and almost every citizen takes honorable pride in adorning his yard and the streets with them, so that what was twenty years ago a verdant prairie, is fast becom- ing literally, 'a leafclad town.'
"I have occupied so much time in this narrative, that little is left for reflections suitable to the subject and the occasion. I will close with the
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single remark that we have abundant reason to thank God today for the establishment and the progress of Jerseyville, in all its material and spiritual interests. For some years intemperanee and immorality of all kinds threatened to entreneh themselves immovably in our midst. The first invoice of goods ever brought to this place, contained $1,700.00 worth of spirituous liquors. This, too, in 1834, when people were few and far between. Drinking, gambling and horse racing were the chief amusements of the citizens. One of the greatest speeulations in personal property ever made here, was the purehase and sale, in 1835, of a raee horse belonging to one of our citizens. The horse was sold for $5,000.00, and taken to Missouri, where it is believed he died through treachery and poison. The gospel seemed, for a long time, almost powerless against sin. Even so lately as 1837-8, the number of religious worshippers of all denominations at the old schoolhouse did not average over thirty, while the worshippers of tanzy bitters at the Red House, on the Sabbath, were twice that number. There were then three drunkard factories here, constantly in running order, the most notorious of which was the 'Old Bat House.' But prayer and labor were not wanting in the darkest hour. At length, the seeds of temperanee and Christianity, which had been planted here, took deep root in the hearts of the people. Many of the stoutest sinners have either been destroyed or humbled under the power of God, and on the whole, it may be said, that now we are a people as moral, sober, and peaceable as any other in the state.
"Liquor selling, liquor drinking and gambling are frowned upon by the vast majority of our people, and we are starving out the few re- maining lawyers just as rapidly as we can. Little encouragement is afforded to the idle and vicious to take up a residence here, but on the contrary, every indueement is presented to the quiet and industrious to east in their lot among us. There has been a constant, though, compar- atively speaking, not very rapid inerease in the number of its buildings and people, and nine-tenths of its population are Amerieans, so that we are much more homogeneous in feeling and interests than the popula- tion of most other towns, of similar or larger size in the state. Our people are almost all prosperous in business, and are rapidly surrounding themselves with various comforts and luxuries, and are beginning to manifest the usual instinets of a cultivated people, an ambitious grasping after more and better things than their neighbors possess. No extensive conflagration has ever visited our town; to lay waste in a single night the labor of years, and for this we are indeed bound to thank God with all our hearts-for, as for man, he, as yet, has taken little care to prevent
George W Ware
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it. I cannot record the organization of any engine, hose or hook and lad- der company in Jerseyville, and I fear that nothing short of a disas- trous fire will produce that which ought to be in existence, and might be the means of saving a vast amount of property this very winter.
"Citizens of Jerseyville! Thank God today for mercies past and present. Firmly resolve to give up no ground you have won. Take no steps backward. You have been for some time watchful on the sub- ject of temperance, but considerably too bashful. Henceforth, present a solid phalanx of strong hearts and hands, to resist its desolating career. Maintain by precept and example, due reverence for the name of God and for the holy Sabbath, without which no town or country can be truly prosperous. Let the cause of education and the cause of true religion have your earnest endeavor. It is only by the cultivation and practice of virtue and piety that Jerseyville can continue to grow in wisdom and moral stature, and in favor with God and man. Let this town be a moral lighthouse, standing as high above the billows of ignorance and vice, as her towers and roofs rise higher than the valleys in which flow the rivers and creeks that bound the territory of the county. Let all who cast their eyes hitherward from a distance, see, now and forever, your lantern burning, with no revolving, uncertain, or flickering glare, but forcing its strong steady rays far down through the fogs of the early morning, and the thick darkness of Egyptian midnight-thus and thus alone, shall the influence of Jerseyville be what it may be, and ought to be, wide, happy, and everlasting."
CITY OF JERSEYVILLE
The original plat of the city of Jerseyville, was located on the west half of the southwest quarter of sections 21, 8 and 11. On August 28, 1829, Lindsay H. English entered this tract of land. On Jannary 1, 1831, English sold this land to John Evans of Carrollton; May 26, 1834, John Evans sold to John W. Lott, E. M. Daley and Rescarrick Ayers; August 26, 1834, Rescarrick Ayers sold his interest in this tract to John W. Lott and E. M. Daley; February 6, 1835, Lott & Daley had the original plat of Jerseyville surveyed. This plat was placed on record on March 2, 1835.
In 1827 the old Red House was built and it was the first frame building on the site of Jerseyville. This building was used as a tavern and stage coach station, and was the general meeting place for, the few settlers who were in this community, and continued to be the rendezvous
26
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for the incoming settlers until it was purchased by Dr. E. A. D'Arcy and used by him as a residence. Prentiss D. Cheney was married to a daugh- ter of Dr. D'Arcy, and succeeded to the proprietorship of this property, and when he built his new mansion on the same site as the old Red House, he incorporated it into his new building as a part of it. Dr. A. M. Cheney, son of Prentiss D. Cheney, and grandson of Dr. Edward A. D'Arcy, is now the owner and occupant of this building.
In 1834 Lott & Daley erected a building at the southeast corner of State and Pearl streets, and opened a general store. Horatio N. Belt did the carpenter work on this building. They operated this store for about a year and sold same to George Collins and Benjamin Yates, who, under the firm name of Collins & Yates, continued to operate a general store at this place for several years. In 1837, Adam Clen- denin and Edward Coles opened a small store and operated it for a short time. The first blacksmith in Jerseyville was George W. Burke, who opened his shop in 1834. He was followed by Stephen Herron in 1835, and John M. Smith in 1836.
The post office at Jerseyville was established in 1834, when Edward M. Daley was appointed postmaster, following the meeting of the set- tlers at the old Red House for the selection of the name of Jerseyville for the post office.
In 1853, at the time of the delivery of Rev. L. Grosvenor's address, quoted in its entirety above, there was no railroad within the present limits of Jersey County, except the main line of the Chicago and Alton, running through a portion of Piasa Township, which is remote from the business center of Jersey County.
Jerseyville was established as the county seat of Jersey County, under the original act of the Legislature authorizing the separation of the county of Jersey from the county of Greene, and it was there- fore made the center, not only of the political and administrative busi- ness of the new county, but of the business interests as well. Prior to its establishment as a county seat the most populous townships of the county were 7-11, which was the Lofton Prairie settlement; 7-12, which was the Otter Creek Settlement, and 8-12, which was the English Township Settlement. The original roads from these settlements to Carrollton, which was the county seat of Greene County, was from the Lofton Prairie Settlement, through the Otter Creek Settlement, and north along the skirt of the timber, through English Township to Car- rollton. There were no roads running from Alton to Carrollton, through Jerseyville in that day. The early settlers, as before stated, did not
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like to go into the prairie to make settlements or open up farms. The hickory grove upon which Jerseyville is located, is the highest eleva- tion above the sea level between St. Louis and Jacksonville, and the water from the courthouse square in Jerseyville runs into Dorsey's Branch on the north; and thence into Phill's Creek and into the Ma- coupin, and on the south side of Pearl, it runs into the head waters of Sandy Branch and Otter Creek, and thence into the Illinois River. On the southwest portion of the city of Jerseyville the water descends into the head waters of the Piasa, and on the northeast into Phill's Creek.
The settlers of Lofton Prairie, Elsah and English Settlements, were largely from the southern states. These settlements were the earliest in the county, and the pioneers in these townships were almost all from Georgia or the Carolinas, who had come into Tennessee and Kentucky and from thence many of them came into the American bottom. From there, they came into what is now Jersey County. The Otter Creek settlement dates from about 1830. Dr. Silas Hamilton came here from Mississippi, and the Doughertys and Nobles also came from Mississippi. Dr. Hamilton's relatives that he brought here and settled around him, were from Vermont and New York. The English settlers were mostly from the southern states.
The first settlers in Jerseyville were Ballard, Faulkner and the English family, and they were all also from the south. Messrs. Lott and Daley, who came here in 1832 or 1833, were from New York. E. M. Daley who succeeded to the interests of the firm of Lott & Daley, was mainly instrumental in securing the location of the county seat at Jerseyville. He and his friends who came from New Jersey, united their efforts to induce others from their native state to emigrate to this new county of Jersey, and they were successful in inducing a number to make the change, and settle at Jerseyville, or in its vicinity. . Most of the inhabitants of Jerseyville and the farmers of Jersey Town- ship came from localities in New Jersey, and became the most enter- prising, thrifty and successful men in the new county.
The building of Alton, and the location of the penitentiary at that point, and the development of Jacksonville and Morgan County, led to the building of a road between those two points through Jersey- ville. Roads were established through the efforts of the Jerseyville people, which ran southeast to Alton, and to the Illinois River, soutli- west of the Otter Creek settlement to the Fidelity and Ruyle town- ships settlements. This brought the interests of those parts of the
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county to Jerseyville. A public sale of lots was made in Jerseyville by Lott & Daley, and Col. Elijah Van Horne, who had been sheriff of Schoharie County, N. Y., left there and came to Jersey County in 1833, was the auctioneer of the lots. Quite a number of lots in the original plat of Jerseyville were purchased by residents of Jerseyville and the vicinity, and other residents of the various communities in the county.
A new courthouse was built by subscriptions from the citizens of Jerseyville; and the county officers were located in the courthouse. Stores were erected and business interests were concentrated here, and in 1853, as described in Dr. Grosvenor's address, there was quite a considerable amount of business transacted here, which was continued by those who were then in business, and the ones who succeeded them, and Jerseyville has grown and developed as only a town situated in an agricultural community does grow, slowly and steadily, during the sixty-five years that have elapsed since the delivery of that address.
The suggestions made in that address regarding the needed changes and improvements were soon acted upon, but many were not carried out until years later. But, on the whole, these suggestions have been substantially carried out. Improvements have been made in the churches, and new church organizations have centered here. New ac- tivities and enterprises have been engaged. Schools have been devel- oped along the lines of those suggestions, but many of the latter have been slow in materializing.
The original schoolhouse in Jerseyville was a small, wooden struc- ture on the corner of Spruce and Exchange streets, which was used for school purposes for many years. It is said that Irwin Little was one of the first teachers. Then Mr. Abbott of Jacksonville taught for a time. He was followed by Penuel Corbett, who taught for a number of years, and was the father of Miss Virginia Corbett, who later estab- lished a Young Ladies Seminary, which she and her two sisters were carrying on, in 1853, and from then they continued the school until 1856. An academy for young men was established in what was known as "The Sons' Hall" north of the Square, by Mr. H. H. Howard, who came from the East and later became the editor of a Democratic paper in this city, and who later moved to Kansas where he made his home until his death. Rev. C. H. Foote later taught in this Young Men's Academy, and still later, he became pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Jerseyville.
The changes in the schools that were made between then and 1870 were the building of one-story school buildings in different localities in
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the city, and the employment of teachers in these schools. In 1870 it was determined to build a graded school building in the city of Jersey- ville, and a lot was selected and the building was erected during the following two years. In 1872, Prof. Henry A. Allen was employed as principal, and taught for two years with moderate success. In 1874 Prof. Joshua Pike of Pittsfield, Pike County, was employed as principal. Several of the Pittsfield students came with Prof. Pike, and attended the school. Prof. M. E. Ellenwood taught for one year as assistant principal, and the next year D. J. Murphy was employed as assistant principal, as was D. W. Roberts, who was later elected county super- intendent of schools in this county, which office he held for many years. For more than forty years Prof. Pike was principal of the school, and its alumni is numbered by many hundreds. Many of them are settled in this vicinity, and others are to be found throughout the United States and the entire world. Prof. Pike died in January, 1915, and through large contributions made by his former pupils, a beautiful monument has been erected and dedicated to his memory in Oak Grove Cemetery, in Jerseyville, where his wife was recently placed beside him.
There have been several improvements made in the graded school building at Jerseyville, but by reason of increase in population, this building became inadequate to properly care for those who are en- titled to the benefit of schooling, and therefore it became necessary to provide additional facilities for those desiring to obtain an education. At a meeting of the Parents-Teachers' Association, held in January, 1915, school needs were discussed, and a committee, composed of Mrs. A. C. Robb, Mrs. H. W. Pogue, Mrs. W. J. Chapman, Richard Kiely and P. M. Hamilton were appointed to make recommendations with refer- ence to remedies for the improvement of the school situation. This committee reported on February 25, and after a discussion of the ques- tion, the majority of those present decided in favor of submitting the proposition for a township high school district in township 8, range 11, to a vote of the people. On March 27, 1915, petitions were filed with Joseph W. Becker, county superintendent of schools, requesting him to call an election for the purpose of submitting the above proposition for a township high school district. An election was held April 10, 1915, and the proposition was carried by the voters. The county super- intendent called an election April 24, for the purpose of electing a board of directors for the above mentioned district. P. M. Hamilton was elected president of the board, and J. R. Fulkerson and P. J. Fleming for a term of three years; William P. Richards and Dr. A. M.
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Wiles for two years; and D. P. Pritchett and J. C. Downey for one year. On May 8, 1915, the proposition that $50,000.00 worth of bonds be issued for the purpose of erecting a township high school was voted upon and carried. The plans of A. T. Simmons were adopted for the building, and he was employed as architect May 10, 1915. The Commercial building, now the Elks' Temple, was secured for temporary use as a high school for that year.
An election was held May 29, 1915, to select a site upon which to build the new township high school building. No site having received the majority of the votes, the township high school board selected the Ella D. Kirby five acre tract as the site. It is located on North State street, and this selection was made July 6, 1915. On June 12, 1915, at the joint meeting of the city and township school boards, Prof. D. R. Henry was chosen by both boards as superintendent of the Jerseyville public schools and principal of the township high school. On August 10, 1915, at a meeting of the township high school board, the new school was named The Jersey Township High School.
The cornerstone of the new high school was laid October 26, 1915, by Hon. Ralph H. Wheeler, most worshipful grand master of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Illinois, according to the ritual and ceremonies of that order. A procession was formed, headed by the city band, fol- lowed by citizens, school boards, pupils of the grade and high schools, Knights Templar, Master Masons, the mayor, the city and county officials and the Masonic Grand Lodge. On arriving at the site of the new building, P. M. Hamilton, president of the board, presided at the exercises. A program was given. A box containing the following docu- ments was deposited in the cornerstone, to wit : names of the presidents of the United States, vice presidents, members of the cabinet, United States senators from Illinois, Illinois state officers, Jersey County officers, township high school board, district 73, school board, district 34, pub- lic school teachers of Jersey County, pupils of Jersey Township High School, members of the George Washington Educational Fund, pastors and respective churches in Jerseyville, officers of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Illinois, officers of Jerseyville Lodge, O. E. S., No. 656, copy of Jersey County Democrat and the Jerseyville Republican of October 21, 1915, copy of the Daily Democrat of October 25, 1915, copy of Marshall E. Cooper's History of Jersey County, Ill., copy of special Book on Jerseyville, Ill., copy of the history of the George Washington Educational Fund, copy of resolutions of Jerseyville Lodge, A. F. &
Wh Wieghard and Family
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A. M., No. 394, on death of Jarett T. Grimes, copy of the mayor's proclamation, and a copy of the program of the exercises.
The inscription on the stone on the west side is, "Erected, A. D. 1915; Board of Education, P. M. Hamilton, President; W. P. Richards, Secretary ; A. M. Wiles, J. R. Fukerson, D. P. Pritchett, P. J. Fleming and J. C. Downey. Architect, A. T. Simmons; Contractor, Ray and Son." The inscription on the south side of the cornerstone is as follows : "Laid October 26, 1915, by Ralph H. Wheeler, G. M., A. F. & A. M. of Illinois."
An address was made by Grand Master Wheeler. Judge H. W. Pogue read the pocm, "The Two Temples"; and an address was made by William Elza Williams of Pittsfield, Ill. These, with appropriate vocal selections, completed the program.
The first ycar of the Jersey Township High School began Septem- ber 13, 1915, with an enrollment of 184, and on May 26, 1916, twenty- four seniors were graduated. Glee and literary clubs were inaugurated in its first year. The second year the Jersey Township High School began in its new school building, September 11, 1916, with an enroll- ment of 270, and the different departments furnished with the latest equipment and accessories. The efficient system by which the school is conducted is due to the efforts of the principal. Each day is divided into four periods of eighty-five minutes each, thirty-five minutes of which is devoted to supervised study. Each semester is divided into three divisions of six weeks each. The school is supported by an inter- ested and approving public. In fact the school is the social center for the community.
RAILROADS
In 1865 the Alton & Jacksonville Railroad was extended from White Hall through Jersey Township to the city of Jerseyville, southeastward through the towns 7-11 and 7-10, passing through Delhi to Godfrey in Madison County, where a junction was formed with the original Chicago & Alton Railroad. The road was completed to Godfrey, and the cars were operated from Godfrey to Jacksonville through Jersey- ville in the spring of 1866, and since that time it has been the main railroad thoroughfare, accommodating the people of Jersey Township and the city of Jerseyville. Elevators, grist-mills, lumber yards, coal vards, and cattle yards for the shipment of live stock, were erected along the right-of-way of this road, being a great accommodation for the
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merchants and farming population of the community. The flour mill- ing interests at that time were one of the main sources of industry in Jerseyville. Several steam grist-mills were in operation at that time, and others have been erected since, but by reason of the monopoly of the milling interests by large corporations turning out thousands of barrels per day, these small mills have been put out of business, and there are today none of them operating in the city of Jerseyville or Jersey County. With the opening of this road, the old stage coach, which had been operating from Alton, through Jerseyville for many years, was discontinued, as was also the business of hauling produce to Alton, and the hauling of goods, merchandise and other supplies from Alton to Jerseyville, which had engaged a consideration of the people of the latter city for a number of years. Stores of all sorts from the vending of drugs, hardware, drygoods, farming implements and other articles demanded by the business and trade of the community, in- creased until in 1870 there were over 3,000 inhabitants in the city of Jerseyville. The population has now increased to probably 5,000. The post office business has also increased. With the increase of popula- tion, Jerseyville now has free delivery within its corporate limits, there being three letter carriers, and eight rural routes, centering at the post office at Jerseyville. There are express companies that operate upon the two railroads passing through Jerseyville, which accommodate the business of the community.
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