USA > Illinois > Jersey County > History of Jersey County, Illinois > Part 44
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
488
HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
brotherly spirit being manifested; and the appearance of the minister of one church in the pulpit of another would have been food for neigh- borhood gossip, not to say, scandal, for weeks, and perhaps months. These religious watchmen were zealous in guarding their flocks, lest the wolves and lions should break in and carry them off to other folds or pastures. All Protestant preachers made common cause in denouncing the Catholics as the emissaries of Satan.
It is very agreeable to realize, that in the passing years, this spirit of sectarian intolerance and bigotry has, like the ox-cart and wooden mouldboard plow, been relegated to the scrap-heap of the dim and misty past, and the several churches have ascended to a higher moral and spiritual plane, where the fatherhood of God and the brother- hood of man, are freely accepted, and all may repeat the prayer taught by the Son of God to his disciples, "Our Father, Who art in Heaven. Hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven," etc .; God being our Father, we are his children, and brethren of each other, heirs of God, and joint heirs with our Lord Jesus Christ.
OTHER CHANGES
The first brass band in Jersey County was organized by Frederick Bertman, in 1852. He was a German merchant, and a great lover of good music. Having a large family of his own, he trained them and others that he secured to assist them, and the band was instituted, and he was the leader till 1856, when Paul Laresche assumed the leadership, which he held for fifty years, or until his health failed. Under these leaders, who devoted many years of arduous labor, purely from love of music, Jerseyville enjoyed the services of the best trained band in southern Illinois. Mr. Bertman's daughters were leaders in all move- ments for the improvements in vocal and instrumental music in the city and community, and one of them, Mrs. Nellie H. Porter, is still residing here; as is also her brother, Fred J. Bertman, who is a justice of the peace, and several nephews and nieces. Paul Laresche is also living here among his family and friends, at the ripe age of eighty-nine years.
As an incident of the early history of the county, the following notice in the Grafton Phoenix, published Thursday, July 29th, 1843, at Grafton, Ill., may be mentioned.
Notice .- The undersigned candidates for Congress propose to ad- dress the people at the halls and places following, to-wit: Jerseyville,
489
HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
Jersey County, Saturday, July 22; Delhi, Monday, July 24; Stone Schoolhouse, Tuesday, the 25; Gilead, Calhoun County, Thursday, the 27; Hamburg, Calhoun County, Friday, the 28; Atlas, Pike County, Saturday, the 29; Milton, Pike County, Monday, the 31; Perry, Pike County, Tuesday, August 1.
(Signed) S. A. DOUGLAS, O. H. BROWNING."
Stephen A. Douglas was a nephew of Gilbert Douglas of Otterville. one of the executors of Dr. Silas Hamilton's will, and he was enter- tained by the Hamilton family when he spoke at the stone schoolhouse. In the campaign of 1844, two years later, Stephen A. Douglas and David M. Woodson made the contest for Congress, and again spoke at the stone sehoolhouse at Otterville.
In the same issue of the Grafton Phoenix quoted from is the name of Henry Clay for president; O. H. Browning, for congress; for county commissioner, Thomas Carroll; county commissioners' elerk, Richard Graham; for recorder, Thomas L. McGill; for probate justice of the peace, Martin B. Miner; for county treasurer, Coe Edsall ; for school commissioner, James Harriot; for surveyor, Levi McNeil; and Jacob Godfrey for constable in Grafton precinct. There also is an original article by B. B. Hamilton, entitled. "The Drunkard's Death," he being the author of the Centennial History of Jersey County, published in 1876.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT
By way of contrast, between the levy of taxes in 1848, 1855, and the assessment and tax levy of 1917, the following is given :
1848
Orders issued during fiscal year. $4,538.80
Orders paid including eash in treasury 4,538.80
This is the earliest financial statement known.
1855
Seven years later : the total tax levy, for all purposes, was $15,909.63.
490
HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
1917
Total assessment on lands, lots, personal, and railroad
property .$13,906,716.00
Total tax levy on one-third of above assessment. 227,312.34
Though the latter statement seems a very. great increase over those of earlier years, it can be said in justice to the county board, that they have been careful, honest, diligent, and painstaking in their man- agement of the county finances; and instead of being prodigal in ex- penditures, the main criticism has been that they have been inclined to be too strict, almost to the extent of parsimoniousness, in passing upon claims against the county, which in itself, is a virtue, rather than a fault, in such a representative body. Nevertheless, the contrast, between the earlier, and later expenditures of the county, are very great.
IMPORTANT EVENTS
1812-Establishment of Madison County.
1818-Admission of Illinois into Statehood.
1821-Greene County formed from Madison County.
1839-Jersey County established.
1819-Lofton's Prairie and Piasa Settlement and settlements along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers in Quarry and Richwoods townships; also settlement in English Township.
1821-Land Office opened at Edwardsville for entry of lands in Madison and Greene counties after the purchase of Indian rights in that territory.
1830-Foundation of Otter Creek Prairie Settlement by Dr. Silas Hamilton, and entry of a large amount of land by Joseph Russell in English Township.
1835-Erection of Hamilton Primary School under will of Dr. Silas Hamilton. The First Free School in Illinois, and the most advanced school in the county for forty years.
1839-Establishment of Jerseyville as the county seat of Jersey County.
1849-Establishment of The Young Ladies Seminary in Jerseyville by Miss Virginia Corbett.
1854-Establishment of an academy in Sons' Hall for young men in Jerseyville.
491
HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
1870-1872-Erection of a grade school building in Jerseyville.
1874-Employment of Prof. Joshua Pike as principal of Jerseyville School.
1915-Death of Prof. Joshua Pike.
1915-1916-Establishment of Jersey Township High School in Jer- seyville and the employment of Prof. D. R. Henry as superintendent of the Jerseyville public schools and principal of the Township High School.
1916-Establishment of a Non High School District No. 74 in Jersey County. (This district includes all territory in the county not included in the four year high school district.)
1878-1879-Change in Jersey County from county commissioners to the board of supervisors.
1916-Change in the City of Jerseyville from mayor and board of aldermen to administration of mayor and four commissioners.
1865-1866-Construction of the Jacksonville, Alton & St. Louis Rail- road through Jersey County, establishing depots at Jerseyville and Delhi.
1881-1882-Construction of Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Railroad as a branch of the Wabash Railroad through Jersey County in 1881, with stations at Fidelity, Jerseyville, McClusky, Dow, Elsah and Grafton. In 1889 and 1890, the change of that road from Dow Station through Belltrees, Lock Haven, to Alton; later extended to St. Louis, and the extension from Lock Haven to connect with the old line at Elsalı.
1910-Construction of the Electric Line from Alton to Jerseyville, and its dismantling and removal in 1918.
The first entry of land made in this county was in 1821, In 1853 Congress passed an Act that lands that had been opened for entry and unentered on a certain date in 1854, should be subject to entry at 121/2 cents per acre (known as the Bit law) ; and $5.00 would enter forty acres of land, and $10.00 would enter eighty acres, $20.00 160 acres, and $80.00 would enter a section. Under that law all of the lands sub- ject to entry in Jersey, Greene, Macoupin, Montgomery and Christian counties were entered, and thereby transferred from the books of the land office to the assessment rolls of the different counties mentioned. Large quantities of lands were entered at that time by residents of this and the other counties named. Notably, Dr. E. A. D'Arcy entered six or seven sections in Christian and Montgomery counties. Some of the other persons who entered large tracts of land in those counties were Jonathan Plowman, Murray Cheney, John G. Dougherty, Jasper
492
IIISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
M. Terry, George W. Lowder, James Lumsden, John W. Utt, William Cox, William D. Landon, William Shephard, George W., B. F. and William Waggoner, Thomas Cummings, Israel Chappell, Lewis Chance, John W. Sisson in Logan County, and many others, and soon there- after there was a large number of persons that removed from Jersey County to the lands entered by them in the prairie counties.
In 1870 to 1872 there was a large number of persons in Jersey County that bought what was known as "Agricultural College Scrip," with which they entered government lands in eastern counties of Ne- braska, and a great many persons from Jersey County removed there. Others removed to Nebraska and Kansas, and took the benefit of the Homestead Exemption Law. This was especially marked among those who had been soldiers in the Civil War who were given special privi- leges under the Homestead Law. After the discovery of lead ore at Galena and Dubuque, there were a number of persons from this county that removed to the lead mines, expeeting to make their fortunes. Some of them returned later, others did not. The same thing occurred in 1849 to 1851 after the discovery of gold in California, and many citizens of this county fitted out ox, horse and mule teams and drove through, expecting to make great fortunes in digging gold, and were willing to incur the dangers from Indians and the hardships ineident to the journey in order to try the experiment of accumulating a fortune. Some of them died by the way. Others remained in California, and still others returned after several years' experience in that region; these different movements had the effect of reducing the population of this county materially.
In the first settlement of the county there were no mills for grinding either wheat or corn. Soon after, in 1828, Greg McDaniel built a water grist-mill for grinding grain, on Otter Creek, in the western part of Otter Creek Township. Later mills were built by Hiram White, his brother Ira White, and Charles Smith on Otter Creek in that township. Farther west in Rosedale Township, Bryee's mill and Barnett's mill were built. These mills supplied the country for twenty years, and then steam grist-mills were ereeted, the first one by Adams and French in Jerseyville. Later in 1855, William H. Allen of Grafton erected a large grist-mill. One was erected also at Elsah, and at Otterville. Fieldon, Fidelity, Newbern, and two or three at Jerseyville. The build- ing of the large mills at Minneapolis grinding from 3,000 to 5,000 barrels a day, and like large mills at other points, particularly Alton, and St. Louis, seriously affected the business of the small mills in Jersey County,
493
HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
and they were all abandoned, and none of them are now in operation. Elevators for the handling of grain are operated at all of the rail- road stations in Jersey County, and also are equipped with facilities for the shipment of livestock. This has had the effect of changing en- tirely the mode of handling grain produce and livestock throughout the county.
In 1856 the Grafton quarries were opened and in later years became quite an extensive and important industry at Grafton. There has also developed at Grafton an extensive industry in the building of steel small and light draft boats; also government dredge boats. Some of the largest and most complete dredge boats upon the Mississippi River have been constructed at Grafton. The distilleries erected at Elsah and Graf- ton have had their day and all passed away.
HOG WAR
At the time of the first settlement of this county, livestock of all kinds was permitted to run at large. Farms were small and were fenced for protection of their livestock. The livestock was all marked, and the marks of the owners were registered in the county clerk's office, and trespassers upon this livestock were classed in the same grade as horse-thieves and pickpockets.
In 1853 there was a short corn crop on the prairies, and several farmers joined and drove their hogs into the forest south of Otter Creek to fatten upon the acorns, or mast, as it was called in that locality. The most of those lands were what was called "Congress" or "Government Lands," the intruders claimed the right to the feed produced by nature. On the other hand, the settlers in that locality claimed the right to the crop for their own herds, and promptly armed themselves to protect their rights, to the last extremity. The intruders also armed themselves to protect their property and their rights. Luckily, a suit for trespass was instituted before a justice of the peace, and a change of venue gave time for wiser counsel to prevail, and the intruders withdrew and took their hogs home, which ended, what, at the beginning, promised to result in much bloodshed. These facts are collected from a history of occur- ' rences, written some years ago, by W. W. Dabbs, who participated in them and was acquainted with all of the parties, and which is now filed in the archives of the Jersey County Historical Society.
During the Civil War in 1861 to 1865, personal feeling among the people ran extremely high. There were many vicious thieves that took
,
494
HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
advantage of the people and transferred their depredations from one side to the other of the Mississippi River, according to the imminence of dangers that threatened them in one or the other locality. A feeling of unrest was particularly obvious after the issuance of the Emanci- pation Proclamation by President Lincoln on January 1, 1863. The pro-slavery people of this county (and there were a good many of them), it is said, influenced their relatives and acquaintances who had enlisted in the Union Army to desert their comrades and not fight in this war for freeing the negroes. There were two organizations here; the "Union League Organization," and the "Knights of the Golden Circle." As will be supposed, the "Knights of the Golden Circle" represented the Pro-Slavery party, and the "Union League" those who favored Lincoln and the prosecution of the war. Under the influence of the more conservative men of both parties, the sentiment of the county was so controlled and directed that very few lives were lost during that dangerous and exciting period in our county's history. This has been referred to in the earlier pages of the history.
The voting of bonds for the erection of the new courthouse and jail in this county in 1892 and 1893 were important events in its history.
The formation of the Nutwood Drainage and Levee District in Rich- woods Township, was a very important event in this county, where there has been re-claimed from swamp lands about 7,000 acres of the richest and most productive agricultural lands in the world. The de- velopment of the fruit industry in this county within the last few years has made that one of the important industries of the county. Some of those who have been leaders in this movement have been R. P. Shackelford, Snedeker Bros., John Shea and Christopher Ringhausen. It has been demonstrated by them and others that the soil of this county is peculiarly adapted to the development of fine fruit. Our farm- ing people have taken quite advanced positions in the development of the livestock and hay and grain industries of the county. Some of the finest specimens of horses, mules, cattle, of high pedigree, are to be found in this county, and our farming community is reaping large rewards, for its care and development of these industries. Lands that were entered here for $1.25 per acre have been sold on the market for $200 per acre, but recently, showing the change in conditions since the early settlement of the county.
The most important recent event in this county is the drafting and volunteering of more than 400 of its young men into the army for
-
495
HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
services in the European War, and the formation of the societies for promoting the Red Cross, Y. M. C. A., and auxiliaries that are working for the benefit of our soldier boys "over there,"
JERSEY COUNTY CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
The Jersey County Centennial Celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the admission of the State of Illinois into the Union as a state was held in the city of Jerseyville, September 7, 1918. Upon which occasion two bronze tablets were unveiled upon the public square, one of said tablets being upon a granite boulder, from the farm of Hiram White, in section 23, township 17 R. 12, furnished by George H. and William Dougherty, commemorative of the Hamilton Primary School, the first free school in the State of Illinois, which was unveiled by Miss Lilah Dougherty, a student of that school and a great-great-granddaugh- ter of William Dougherty, one of the original settlers, with Dr. Silas Hamilton of the Otter Creek Settlement 1830, and a granddaughter of William Dougherty, the present president of the Hamilton Primary School Fund.
An address was delivered by Judge O. B. Hamilton, a grandson of Thomas M. Hamilton, one of the executors of Dr. Silas Hamilton's will, upon the life of the donor, Dr. Silas Hamilton, and his founding of Otter Creek Settlement, 1830, his founding and endowment of the Ham- ilton Primary School 1835, and the history of said school; also an address by John I. White, the only living teacher of the school, now living in this county, who taught a school in the original Stone School House, in the winter of 1863-4.
The other tablet is upon a boulder from the Samuel Snedeker farm, in Jerseyville, and is commemorative of the Hickory Grove Settlement, the organization of the town and City of Jerseyville, and the County of Jersey. The tablet was unveiled by Miss Elizabeth Daniels, a great- granddaughter of George H. Jackson, the first recorder of Jersey County. An appropriate historical address was delivered by Hon. Joseph W. Becker, superintendent of schools of Jersey County. An address was also delivered by Hon. Francis G. Blair, state superintendent of public instruction of the State of Illinois. The music was under the direction of Mrs. H. S. Daniels, wife of Hon. Harry S. Daniels, ex-mayor of the City of Jerseyville, son of James S. Daniels, who also served Jerseyville as mayor. Hon. William F. Shephard, the present mayor of said city, presided, and conducted the services on this occasion.
496
HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
CENTENNIAL SCHOOL PAGEANT
The Jerseyville grade school, and the Jersey Township high school, under the direction of the teachers, gave a historical centennial pageant, entitled "Illinois Past and Present," in the Davis Woods, on Monday, May 27, 1918. The pageant portrayed primitive days, pioneer life on the frontier, the admission of Illinois as a state and the leading historical events, 500 young people and children participating in its presentation. The leading characters were costumed to represent their parts. The pageant required two hours and thirty minutes in its presentation, and was witnessed by fully 3,000 people. Superintendent D. R. Henry organized the plan and work of the pageant.
BIOGRAPHICAL
CHAPTER XLV
THE PART OF BIOGRAPHY IN GENERAL HISTORY-CITIZENS OF JERSEY COUNTY AND OUTLINES OF PERSONAL HISTORY-PERSONAL SKETCHES ARRANGED IN ENCYCLOPEDIC ORDER.
The verdiet of mankind has awarded to the Muse of History the highest place among the Classie Nine. The extent of her office, how- ever, appears to be, by many minds, but imperfectly understood. The task of the historian is comprehensive and exacting. True history reaches beyond the doings of court or camp, beyond the issue of battles or the effects of treaties, and records the trials and the triumphs, the failures and the successes of the men who make history. It is but an imperfect conception of the philosophy of events that fails to accord to portraiture and biography its rightful position as a part-and no unimportant part- of historic narrative. Behind and beneath the ac- tivities of outward life the motive power lies out of sight, just as the furnace fires that work the piston and keep the ponderous serew revolv- ing down in the darkness of the hold. So, the impulsive power which shapes the course of communities may be found in the moulding influ- ences which form its eitizens.
It is no mere idle curiosity that prompts men to wish to learn the private, as well as the public, lives of their fellows. Rather is it trne that such desire tends to prove universal brotherhood; and the interest in personality and biography is not confined to men of any partienlar easte or voeation.
The list of those to whose lot it falls to play a conspicuous part in the great drama of life, is comparatively short; yet communities are made up of individuals, and the aggregate of achievement -- no less than the sum total of human happiness-is made up of the deeds of those men and women whose primary aim, through life, is faithfully to per-
497
32
498
HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
form the duty that comes nearest to hand. Individual influences upon human affairs will be considered potent or insignificant, according to the standpoint from which it is viewed. To him who, standing upon the seashore, notes the ebb and flow of the tides and listens to the sullen roar of the waves, as they break upon the beach in seething foam, seem- ingly chafing at their limitations, the ocean appears so vast as to need no tributarics. Yet, without the smallest rill that helps to swell the "Father of Waters," the mighty torrent of the Mississippi would be lessencd, and the beneficent influence of the Gulf Stream diminished. Countless streams, currents and counter currents-sometimes mingling, sometimes counteracting each other-collectively combine to give motion to the accumulated mass of waters. So is it-and so must it ever be- in the ocean of human action, which is formed by the blending and repulsion of currents of thought, of influence and of life, yet more numerous and more tortuous than those which form the "fountains of the decp." The acts and characters of men, like the several faces that compose a composite picture, arc wrought together into a compact or heterogeneous whole. History is condensed biography ; "Biography is History teaching by example."
It is both interesting and instructive to rise above the generaliza- tion of history and trace, in the personality and careers of the men from whom it sprang, the principles and influences, the impulses and ambi- tions, the labors, struggles and triumphs that engross their lives.
Here are recorded the careers and achievements of pioneers who, "when the fullness of time had come," came from widely separated sources, some from beyond the sea, impelled by divers motives, little conscious of the import of their acts, and but dimly anticipating the harvest which would spring from the sowing. They built their primi- tive homes, toiling for a present subsistence while laying the founda- tions of private fortunes and future advancement.
Most of these have passed away, but not before they beheld a devel- opment of business and population surpassing the wildest dreams of fancy or expectation. A few yet remain whose years have passed the allotted three-score and ten, and who love to recount, among the cher- ished memories of their lives, their reminiscences of early days.
[The following items of personal and family history, having been arranged in encyclopedic (or alphabetical) order as to names of the individual subjects, no special index to this part of the work will be found necessary.]
499
HISTORY OF JERSEY COUNTY
ADKINSON, James M., one of the progressive agriculturists of Jersey County, owns 320 acres of very valuable land near Grafton, and is engaged in operating his farm. He was born at Burning Springs, W. Va., July 2, 1850, a son of Charles W. Adkinson, a native of Ohio. He was a farmer who, seeking better opportunities, went in 1860 to St. Louis, Mo., and in 1868 came to Jersey County, bringing his family with him. Jersey County continued to be his home, al- though his death occurred at St. Louis, where he was paying a visit. In his political faith, he was a Democrat. The Methodist Episcopal Church held his membership.
Growing up amid rural surroundings, James M. Adkinson became a farmer and has followed this line of work all his life. Mr. Adkinson was married (first) to Miss Carrie Journey, who was born in Illinois, and they had two children, namely: Charles William, who resides in Jerseyville ; and Mrs. Calhoun, who lives near Otter Creek, Ill. After the death of his first wife, Mr. Adkinson was married (second) to Miss Danniella Barber, of Rich Hill, Mo., and they have two children, namely : Arthur, and Raymond both of whom are at home. Mr. Adkin- son votes for the candidate he decms best suited for office rather than according to party lines, and he has served as superintendent of public highways and road commissioner. Fraternally he belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America. A man of sound principles, he lives up to his convictions, and is held in high respect by all who know him.
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.