USA > Illinois > Jersey County > History of Jersey County, Illinois > Part 43
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HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
east, through Madison County to Alton. The electric current is carried over this line upon cast iron standards, and copper wire.
RAILROADS
It has been said that Rosedale has no railroad nearer than Grafton. Now that, as a war measure, the United States las placed the control of the Chicago, Peoria & St. L. Railroad in the hands of the Chicago & Alton Railroad there would seem to be no reason why the latter railroad should not extend the road from Grafton to Hillview, in Greene County, and there connecting with its Kansas City branch of the Chicago & Alton, and thereby secure a water level line from Hillview to Alton and St. Louis; a shorter route, with no railroad competition. This ex- tension, if constructed, would run six miles in Rosedale Township; and in direct contact with immense crops grown in the large drainage dis- tricts, in this territory; and also in Calhoun County on the opposite side of the Illinois River.
CHANGE IN NAME
When Jersey County changed from the commissioner, to Township Organization form of government, in 1879, this township was named Illinois ; but later the name was changed to Rosedale, upon petition of its citizens.
SUPERVISORS
The supervisors of Rosedale Township from 1879 to 1918, have been as follows: John L. Reid, 1879-80-85; Charles B. Eaton, 1881-2; A. J. Thompson, 1883-4-1886-1889 ; James Kennedy, 1884; M. B. Legate, 1888 ; Robert R. Ward, 1890-1894; Grant Thompson, 1898-1905, 1912-13 ; James Wedding, 1906-19; Louis Kirchner, 1914-1918.
CHAPTER XLIII RUYLE TOWNSHIP
BOUNDARIES-RAILROADS-KEMPER- FIRST SETTLEMENTS-EARLY MARRIAGES -SUPERVISORS
BOUNDARIES
Ruyle Township is bounded on the north by Greene County; on the east by Macoupin County ; on the south by Fidelity Township; and on the west by Jersey Township and Greene County. It is fractional town- ship 9, range 10, and sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and the north half of sections 16, 17, and 18, and the north half of the northeast quarter of section 3, are in Greene County. The residue of township 9, range 10, constitutes this township. Macoupin Creek traverses the north side of the town- ship, and it and Phill's Creek and their branches give ample drainage. About two-thirds of its surface is prairie, and the land is very fertile, productive soil, the remainder being rolling, and it was heavily timbered.
RAILROADS
The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, formerly the Rock Island Railroad, enters Ruyle Township at the northeast corner of sec- tion 36, running northwest through sections 25, 24, 13, 14, 11, 2, 3 and thence into Greene County. Kemper is the only town and railroad sta- tion in Ruyle Township. From this point a considerable amount of grain and other produce and live stock is shipped to St. Louis and Chi- cago markets. Here are located stores, shops, schools and the postoffice, it being in fact the only business and social center in Ruyle Township. Its people are among the wealthiest, most independent, intelligent and up-to-date residents of Jersey County.
FIRST SETTLEMENTS
John Huitt and Mathew Cowen settled on Hawkins' Prairie in 1825. Later Richard Chowning, James Ritchie, John Hawkins, Rev. Jacob
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HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
Rhodes, Benjamin Cleaver, Amos Pruitt, John Twitchell and William Palmer arrived. Between 1830 and 1836 the settlers were as follows: Dennis, Elias and Orin Palmer, who with William Palmer were natives of Vermont, and they made their locations on sections 11 and 14. G. D. Twitchell, who was born in Vermont, came here in 1833, and settled on section 13, and in that same year, Thomas B. Ruyle came to section 15, and William L. Ruyle to section 28. The Ruyles were from Tennessee. John Gilworth located on section 29, in 1830. John C. Whitlock came here from Kentucky in 1823, and he died in 1879. Samuel and Richard Rhodes arrived as early as 1828. Rev. Jacob Rhodes made his claim on section 36, in 1830. John C. Daniels was married to Mary Palmer, a daughter of William and Mary Palmer, March 28, 1847, and settled on section 11, and remained there until 1860, when he moved to section 12, and lived there until his death. Vilas L. Dodge was married to their daughter, Laura R. Daniels, February 21, 1871, and he resides upon the Daniels homestead on section 12. Richardson and Henry Ryan, Lewis Elliott, Sr., Benjamin Sanders, Reed Gilworth and family, all were among the later settlers. Lewis Elliott, Sr., was married to Elizabeth Reddish, a daughter of Benjamin and Mary Reddish, the ceremony taking place in Kentucky in 1826. Benjamin Cleaver was a relative of the Reddish family.
LOCAL OFFICIALS
Justice of the peace, J. A. Smith ; constable, J. M. Kitzmiller ; town clerk, J. H. McKernan ; school treasurer, Thomas B. Ruyle.
BETHEL
John Richey has a general store at Bethel, and the Baptists have a church here, known as the Bethel Baptist Church.
SUPERVISORS
The supervisors of Ruyle Township from 1879 to 1918 have been as follows: Lewis Elliott, 1879 and 1886-1887; J. R. Livingston, 1880; Elias Palmer, 1881-1882; Charles Ruyle, 1883; Vilas L. Dodge, 1884- 1885; Enos Johnson, 1888; Thomas L. Bradshaw, 1889; W. G. Vanmeter, 1890; William L. Ruyle, 1891-1894; B. C. Elliott, 1895-1896 ; George W. Ruyle, 1897-1898; Thomas B. Ruyle, 1899-1910; Joseph L. Lober, 1911- 1918.
CHAPTER XLIV
SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT CHANGES
RETROSPECTIVE-THE GRIMES FAMILY-THE GILLHAM FAMILY-THE HAM- ILTON FAMILY-OTHER OLD FAMILIES-ELECTIONS-AGRICULTURAL CON- DITIONS-TEMPERANCE-RELIGIOUS PROGRESS-FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -IMPORTANT EVENTS- HOG WAR.
RETROSPECTIVE
Perhaps no more satisfactory way of grasping and demonstrating the progress and development of countries and peoples, has, or can be adduced, than by contrasting the original with present conditions.
In June, 1673, when Marquette stood, with bared head, upon the bluff at Grafton, and "viewed the landscape o'er," he had under his view a primeval wilderness, the most prominent feature of which was the three great rivers converging at this point into one mighty stream flowing to the Gulf of Mexico, all in its native verdure, beauty, sub- limity, unbroken and undisturbed by the hand of man, inhabited by- wild fowls, beasts and Indians. He doubtless realized, that for some great purpose of His own, the Creator had reserved this magnificent con- tinent, but not for a moment did he imagine that a century later would be announced as the basic foundation of its government, "That all men are created equal, with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Two centuries after Marquette, Rev. B. B. Hamilton, in his Centennial historical address, referring to the condition of Jersey County in 1831, says: "No one of the present generation can imagine the beauty of this wilderness, who did not pass over it in that early day." Though forty-two years have elapsed since these words were first uttered there are persons now living who passed over this wilderness in that early day, and others who followed closely after them.
Those who remember the ox-cart, wooden mold-board plow, cradle and scythe, the flail and threshing floor, where the feet of horses and
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HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
oxen separated the grain from the stalk; the winnowing in the wind to separate the grain from the chaff; the boy corn-dropper who was paid ten cents a day ; corn covered by hoc, and as primitively cultivated ; the cards for making rolls, spinning-wheel and loom, where all cloth for clothing and domestic use was woven; when cooking was done in the fire-place, and log cabins, with coon, mink and opossum skins stretched upon the logs outside, with dirt or puncheon floors, doors with wooden hinges and latch, with punk and flint and steel to kindle the fire; the flint-lock rifle, for hunting and defense. In those times there were 110 regular mails, and letter-postage was twenty-five cents, paid at office of delivery ; no railroad, telegraph, telephone, electric light, or post-office nearer than Wood River or Alton. All of these conditions are interest- ing as contrasted with the automobile tractor, propelling two or three plows; self-binders; the threshing separator, threshing 2,000 bushels a day ; electric railroads ; elevators ; daily rural and city post-office delivery ; daily newspapers; occan cables and wireless telegraphy, and telephone communication with all the world; the important events of one day printed fully in the following morning's daily newspapers; with air- planes in constant use as implements of war and for carrying mail ; steamships crossing to and from Europe in five days, as contrasted with thirty to sixty sailing vessels a century ago; the. automobile garage, which has almost entirely displaced the horse livery; with promise of early communication with Europe by airships. When it is remembered that at elections in 1839, the voter went into the polling-place and an- nounced, viva voce, for what candidate or proposition he desired to vote, and it was recorded accordingly, with no previous registration, consider- able contrast is afforded by the Australian ballot, election machinery, and various methods of today. Woman's Suffrage was not then an issue.
There are many persons living in this county whose lives overlap those of their ancestors, and by intercourse and association with them. they are connected back, not only to the organization of this county and state, but also with that of the United States. A few instances may be cited, among many, of equal, or perhaps superior authority, to illustrate the idea.
THE GRIMES FAMILY
For example, Philip Grimes was born in Oldtown, Va., in 1782, and moved to Tennessee in 1808, where he was married; enlisted in the War of 1812, was with General Jackson at the battle of New Orleans. moved to Wood River, Madison County, Ill., in 1816; in fall of 1818, he built
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HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
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a log cabin on section 2, English Township; in 1819 moved there, and January 20, 1820, his son, Jarrett T. Grimes, was born. In the fall of that year, he sold his improvement to Jehu Brown, and removed to section 23 of the same township, where he lived until his death in 1851. Jarrett T. Grimes lived with his father until manhood, and was a close neighbor during his father's life. Thus it will be seen that he lived thirty-one years in intercourse with his father, having the benefit of learning the early history of the country, the habits, trials, and experi- ences of the people from one who had lived through them. Jarrett T. Grimes, the son, died July 11, 1915, at the age of ninety-five years, five months and twenty-one days, leaving children, grand-children, and neighbors, to perpetuate this stream of information. Philip Grimes was born before the Treaty of Versailles was signed, ending the Revolu- tionary War, and six years before Washington was first elected presi- dent of the United States, and in addition to participating in so much history making he had ample opportunities, to learn the previous history of his country from his ancestors.
THE GILLHAM FAMILY
William Gillham was the father of John D. and Ezekiel Gillham, and the father-in-law of John G. Lofton and John McDow. He and his father, Thomas Gillham, six brothers, and two brothers-in-law, were Revolutionary soldiers. After the close of the war, in 1812, William and four of his brothers located in Madison County, Ill., where four of them 'remained, but William and his family located in Lofton's Prairie in 1818, and he died at the residence of his son, John D., in 1825. His father, Thomas Gillham, came from Ireland and settled in Virginia in 1730, later moving to South Carolina, where he reared his family, and he and all of the male portion of the family enlisted in behalf of the Colonies, and through William and his family, their direct knowledge, experiences and family history may be traced back of the establishment of the government of the United States.
THE HAMILTON FAMILY
The Hamilton family is another illustration. It was settled in Ver- mont soon after its cession to England by France under the Treaty of 1763, and in the first United States Census of Vermont, 1790, Hamil- tons are listed as follows: Elisha, John, Aaron and Nathaniel in Chit-
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HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
tenden County; Charles, Dudley, and Joseph. Elisha was married to Mary Smith, and Nathaniel, their son, was married to Betzy MeClure. The dates of these marriages are now lost, but Thomas McClure Ham- ilton was born January 3, 1785, and died at Otterville, December 9, 1844. He was married to Apphia Brown November 11, 1805. Nathaniel, their son, was born March 24, 1814. lle was married to Mary B. Dougherty July 9, 1835, and he died August 2, 1893. Oscar B., their son, was born January 31, 1839. He was married to Eliza M. Brown October 25, 1860, and they are both still living. Captain Nathaniel Hamilton of Vermont was of the "Green Mountain Boys," under Generals Eathan Allen and Stark. Apphia Brown, who was married to Thomas M. Hamilton, was a daughter of Capt. Benjamin Brown, who was born in Licester, Mass., October 17, 1745. He was married to Jean Thomas July 9, 1772. He died October 21, 1821. She died January 14, 1840. They both died at the home of their son, Gen. John Brown, the founder of Athens Uni- versity, Athens, Ohio. Capt. Benjamin Brown, as one of the minute men, participated in the battles of Lexington and Concord, in Colonel Bernard's regiment, and in the battle of Bunker Hill, where he had one brother killed and another wounded. He was commissioned lieu- tenant in Captain Maxwell's company, of Colonel Prescott's regiment, Massachusetts Line, December, 1776, and commissioned captain in Col. Michael Jackson's Eighth regiment Massachusetts Line, holding his commission till 1779, and he was pensioned for service after his removal to Ohio. Apphia Hamilton, third child of Captain Brown, was a woman of remarkably strong intellect, and a retentive memory, and was a great reader. Writing in her diary, when eighty years of age, Mrs. Mary A. C. Hamilton, widow of B. B. Hamilton, says: "Thomas McClure Hamilton was a deacon in the Baptist Church, and a man upon whom a man might call for advice or help in any emergency. He was always faithful to the sick and sorrowing, in fact a leading member of society, whose word was sufficient. What 'Uncle' Thomas said no one ever dis- puted. His wife, too, known far and near as 'Aunt' Apphia, was con- sidered the most intelligent and best-informed person, man or woman, in the neighborhood. If there was any doubt on any question, historical or political, 'Aunt" Opphia was called upon to settle it. She was a great reader, and kept herself well-informed on all the important ques- tions of the day. She was active and efficient in the church, and, not- withstanding all these demands upon her time, she never neglected her household, even the family weaving was done by her hand." Her father was born in 1745 and died in 1821. She was born in 1788 (before
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HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
Washington was elected president of the United States), and she died September S, 1869, at the residence of the writer. She remembered dis- tinetly the death of Washington, and the profound impression imposed upon the public mind by that important event. Afterwards the family moved to New Design, Monroe County, Ill. At the time when many slave-owners were removing with their slaves and other chattels to Mis- souri, their main road of travel was through New Design, and, among others whom she mentioned as stopping there overnight in their home, was Sterling Price, afterwards governor of Missouri and general in the Confederate army during the Civil War. At the time mentioned by her, Mr. Price was a young man, of modest and agreeable demeanor, and was in charge of one hundred slaves and the other effects of his father, who had made the trip by the river. This will serve to illustrate how these chains of family history may be traced back into colonial times, before the Declaration of Independence, and the government of the United States had assumed definite form as historie events.
OTIIER OLD FAMILIES
There are a number of other families in this county, whose history, could, in like manner, be traced back to French and colonial times, but space will not permit tracing these connections. Among many others might be mentioned the Whites, Browns, Simmons, Elliotts, Ruyles. Ryans, Rhodes, Palmers, Reddishes, Pattersons, Coopers, Englishes, Belts, Bates, Slatens, Brocks, Sissons, Doughertys, Noble, Lurton, Cockrell, Utt, Cummings, Black, Wyckoff, Van Horne, Cross, D'Arey, Terry, Dabbs, Henson, Beeman, Bray, Wedding, Williams, Gunterman, Carrieo, Waggoner, McDow, Piggott, Bowmans, McCollisters, Snells. Landons, Erwins, Riees, Downeys, Kirbys, Miners, et als. What a prolific field it is, rich with material faets, ready to the hand of the earnest and industrious investigator. So easily secured now, but, if neglected, will be forever lost. And again, when the life of one person covers the time of the existence of Jersey County, and that the connected lives of two persons cover the existence of the State of Illinois, and of the United States of America, thus illustrating what a small space of time our nation, state and county covers as the decades have passed, and yet the wonderful development from the small, persecuted, poverty- stricken settlements, to a nation of more than a hundred millions of people, and the center of wealth and civilization of the world. How short the space of time, from Lexington and Concord, to the second battle of
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HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
the Marne, and yet what great changes in the world's history have occurred in those years. Verily, God leadeth us.
ELECTIONS
In 1839, elections were viva voce, that is, the voter went before the judges and clerks, and announced for what candidate he desired to vote, and his vote was recorded accordingly. Under the constitution of 1848, a return was made to the ballot system, and which was retained until the Australian ballot law and registration, substantially as now in use, was adopted.
Some amusing incidents occurred, at times, in those elections. In 1864, the feeling between the opposing parties was very strong, and at Otterville, there was one voter, whom the Republicans were especially desirous of having vote their ticket, but he refused to vote for Lincoln, and as a compromise the name of Lincoln at the head of the ticket was cut off, and in that form he voted it, thus voting for the Lincoln electors and the whole ticket, the removal of the name of Lincoln having no effect whatever upon his vote as recorded. At that same election, a Democratic voter thought to puzzle his friends as to the way he voted, and secured the tickets of both parties, and folded them carefully, and one being considerably longer, he cut that one to the same length as the other, and put one of them in each of his vest pockets; when there was a lull in the voting he went and cast his ballot ; a short time later he came back to the polls, much excited, and demanded the return of his ticket, as he had voted the wrong one; which request was of course refused, as it was of course impossible to comply with it.
AGRICULTURAL CONDITIONS
The first McCormick handrake reapers were brought by canalboat to Grafton in 1849, and were in use for several years. A man rode on the machine and raked the grain from the platform in bundles, and six or seven binders were given stations around the field to bind the bundles, and two men followed to place the bound bundles in shocks. The intro- duction of these machines greatly increased the acreage of land culti- vated in wheat. These were followed by the dropper. Later came the selfrake, then the wire, and finally the twine-binder, which, in its latest improved condition, we have now. A wonderful development from the
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reaphook and five-fingered cradle. The improvement in drills for sow- ing, and separators for threshing, having kept pace with the reapers.
The original inventor of the threshing separator lived near Otter- ville. His name was Napoleon B. Lucas. He was a son of Governor Lucas of Ohio. He spent years of time, and all of his means and all that he could borrow, in securing his patents and perfecting the machine, and, not being able to defend it, other parties pirated his invention, manufactured the machines, and made fortunes, leaving the original inventor a stranded bankrupt. This same man Lucas invented a rat- trap, which he took to New Orleans, and caught bushels of rats, and was offered $10,000.00 cash, for the right to manufacture and sell it in the State of Louisiana, but refused the offers, with the result that he received nothing from it, which is another demonstration of the fact, that inventors seldom reap any substantial financial benefits from their inventions.
TEMPERANCE
What progress has been attained in the Temperance cause! One of the first acts of the commissioners of Greene County in 1821, was to license John Wilkin to keep a tavern on the Piasa. This policy of the license of taverns and roadside "grog-shops" was pursued until the separation of Jersey from Greene County, and for many years there- after. There was a hiatus while the "Maine Law" was in force in 1853 and 1854, but soon lapsed into the old plans, and liquor was obtainable at crossroad "grog-shops," stores, taverns, and other places throughout the county; and in the latter fifties the liquor interests obtained a strong hold on politics. It has been stated, upon good authority, that at the first election for county officers, in Jerseyville, a barrel of whiskey was opened on the street and the contents distributed in wooden buckets free, to the voters to drink from tin-cups. With passing years, and increase of population, the influence of liquor upon the life and habits of the people seemed to increase. Harvest whiskey was as regularly advertised and extolled in local weekly newspapers as any other goods or merchandise offered for sale. It was considered impossible to harvest a crop of wheat, without furnishing five "jiggers" a day to the men. « in addition to their wages. In sales at public vendue, liquor was fur- nished. Stores kept it for customers. If a customer paid his old ac- count, he was invited by the proprietor to go to the "grog-shop" and have a drink. Indeed the drinking of liquor seemed to have become a fixed habit with many of the people, and not a few became habitual
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HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
drunkards. To illustrate the difference in the results of drinking liquor by man, and the lower animals an instance will here be given, for the truth of which the writer can vouch. A man by the name of Bishop maintained a "grog-shop" in Grafton, in the later fifties, and he put a bushel or two of ripe peaches into a barrel and then filled the barrel with whiskey, from which he drew and sold to his patrons a superior quality of peach whiskey during the fall and winter. The next summer he emptied the peaches upon the street, and the hogs, at large, ate greedily of the peaches, and in a very short time drunken hogs were staggering, squealing and performing various antics, to the great amuse- ment of the small boys upon the street. The next day, after the hogs became sober, and for many days thereafter, the boys, to enjoy a repe- tition of the drunken performance, tried to drive the hogs back to the peaches, but they were not able to succeed; the hogs would not go near, much less eat them. How different from man! He will continue the repetition until drunkenness becomes a fixed habit. Not so with the swine.
Upon the adoption of the township local option statute, Jersey, as well as all of the other townships in this county, adopted it; but at the 1916 election, Richwoods Township rejected it, and Fieldon is the only place in Jersey County where a license can be procured for the sale of intoxicating liquor.
RELIGIOUS PROGRESS
In pioneer days, the equipment of a preacher was a bible and hymn book, which he carried in his saddle-bags on horseback. From the former, he read a selection of scripture and his text, and from the latter he read two lines of a hymn, and then lead in singing them ; did likewise with the next two, and so on till the hymn was finished. Then came the prayer, liable to extend from five to thirty minutes, according to cir- cumstances and the minister. Then the sermon of two hours, more or less, in which the church doctrines and government of other denomi- nations received the full measure of attention; the Methodists denounc- ing the Baptists for close communion; baptism by immersion, and in- fant damnation, and the Baptists retorting with equal fervor against the Methodists concerning infant baptism, falling from grace, baptism by sprinkling or pouring, probation, etc. The ministerial standing of the preacher was rated upon his skill and ability in hurling invectives and denunciations at the other denominations, with no fraternal or
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