USA > Illinois > Knox County > History of Knox county, Illinois > Part 45
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Since those early Henderson meetings, and the arrival of the Gales- burg colony, the temperance cause has been strongly agitated. It has been blessed with seasons of prosperity, and again, at times, but little interest has been manifested and felt.
In regard to temperance, the Galesburg colony were, in this respect as in many others, in advance of their age. They introduced a tem- perance clause into their very title-deeds; and the old First Church is to this day a temperance society, every applicant for membership being strictly questioned as to his temperance principles. The very first winter of 1836, while still in Log City, the temperance ball was set rolling in Knox county.
Old Father Turner, of Jacksonville, was sent for-and our readers
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will remember that in those days a journey from Jacksonville over bad roads, bridgeless streams, and trackless prairies, was something more than a few hours' ride in a pleasant railroad coach-and a grand temperance meeting was held in an unfinished house. Knox county had never heard of such a thing before, and " Yankees" and "Suck- ers" came from far and near to attend, the latter considerably puzzled and astonished at the strange doctrine preached.
The Washingtonian movement, which swept like a mighty tidal wave across the land, reached Knox county in the winter of 1840.
In February an enthusiastic mass-meeting was held in Henderson. There were other meetings throughout the county, and July 4th of the following summer a grand Washingtonian celebration at Knoxville This was the first time the earlier settlers (those who were here before the Galesburg colony came) had been reached to any extent. Many who had before been hard drinkers now signed the pledge, and, with their families and descendants, have been stanch upholders of the tem- perance cause from that day to this.
Some eight or ten years later there was a general interest throughi- out the State on the subject of prohibition. Knox county, of course, shared in the interest, and meetings were held by Mr. Parker Earle and others. Notwithstanding the absence of all law on the subject, public opinion had up to this time kept liquor out of Galesburg, although, much to the annoyance of the colonists, it was occasionally sold beyond the outskirts of the village. Five or six years later there was another temperance excitement. Indeed, from the winter of 1836 the temperance element has been more or less active, particularly in Galesburg, where the sale of liquors was not legally licensed until. 1872, and then but for one year until 1876.
All through the county much has been accomplished at various times, noticeably by Mr. Pease, " the Blind Apostle of Temperance," who has been for more than thirty years an active worker in the tem- perance canse in Knox county.
Nor must we forget to mention good old Father Gilbert, who was particularly interested in the children, and who often circulated . pledges through the schools. The great crusade wave, which in the winter and spring of 1874 swept over Ohio and the adjacent States, was felt in Knox county.
Large mass-meetings and temperance prayer-meetings were held in Galesburg, and on election day the ladies visited the polls, and the anti-license ticket was carried; and it is said that, although there was intense excitement, the city election was never before conducted with such order and quiet. During the following winter Francis Murphy
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gave a series of temperance lectures in the city. The most permanen result of his work was the formation of a Band of Hope, under Miss Mary Allen West. This band is now organized in three divisions, and numbers more than five hundred children.
In February, 1874, was organized the "Woman's Christian Tem- perance Union," with Mrs. M. Wait, President; Mrs. H. S. Hurd, Secretary, and Mrs. Job Swift, Treasurer. This society has worked widely and successfully, holding regular weekly meetings and arrang- ing mass-meetings, gospel-meetings, lectures, etc., and has always had a large membership. Similar societies have been organized in most of the towns in the county.
The Galesburg Union in the spring of 1875 opened "Temperance Coffee Rooms" on Prairie street. These rooms were for three years the headquarters of the temperance work of Galesburg and vicinity. Prayer-meetings were held here each Sunday afternoon, other meet- ings and sociables during the week, besides much individual work among drinking men and their families being done.
In December of 1877, through the efforts of Dr. Henry A. Reynolds and some noble men and women of Galesburg and throughout the county, a very great interest in the temperance cause was awakened.
A great temperance tidal wave seemed to pass over the entire country during that year and the earlier part of 1878. Everywhere temperance meetings were held. The blue, red and white ribbon were seen attached to almost every coat and adorning almost every lady. The grand wave was at full tide in this county during this period. The intensest enthusiasm prevailed. The whole heart of the community, the cultured and refined, the degraded and depraved, rich and poor, one and all were actuated and moved by one mighty pulsa- tion of common interest in the great work of temperance and reform. The rather conservative city of Galesburg was moved as it had never been before. The clergymen as a unit entered heart and soul in the work and with glowing, anxious hearts, winning words and personal influence assisted in the labor of love. Earnest work was the motto of all. Those who were moved by tender, loving sympathy in their hearts for fallen humanity, as well as those who had felt the pangs of intemperance in their own experience, worked in harmony and unity side by side. All minor differences and distinctions were lost sight of, and on every hand men of all classes met as brothers laboring in a common cause. So great was the interest and so general that within six days over 6,000 individuals signed the pledge, very many of them coming up from the very depths of intemperance and the degradation
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which it entails. There was a reform club organized in Galesburg which numbered almost 900 members.
Noble, earnest Christian women were the prime movers in this great work.' It was their constant pleadings, their prayers and work for months and even years previous that started this grand move and kept it up until a continent felt its power. Knox county can boast of true, earnest Christian women, those who in the face of obstacles which would have intimidated most men or women have never halted or faltered in their labor of love. They have suffered coldness, in- difference and even reproach from those they had reason to expect bet- ter things. Still in the language of the Apostle Paul they have said "None of these things move me," and have earnestly and prayerfully labored on.
In the early part of 1878 Sheldon W. Allen of Galesburg gave the use of a fine large room on the ground floor in his building on Prairie street to the Women's Christian Temperance Union for a period of twenty-five years, the only proviso being that it shall be used at all times for the principles of temperance and morality. This room, which is 24 by 72 feet in size, had been previously leased by this society and used for three or four years, Mr. Allen donating liveral- ly toward this. That Mr. Allen is a thorough temperance man and that he cannot be drawn away from his convictions and principles of temperance by pecuniary inducements is evinced by his generous actions in donating this room when he could have rented it at hand- some figures. A party wanted it for the purpose of carrying on a billiard saloon and offered $800 a year for it, yet he firmly refused him. Three men were sent to induce Mr. Allen to change his decis- ion, but he was as firm as an adamantine rock in his determination not to permit his property to be used for what he regarded as im- moral and wrongful purposes. The last man that called was a partic- ular friend of Mr. Allen. He urged the folly of throwing away $800 a year, and brought every conceivable argument to bear upon this strict temperance man, and when through received the following de- termined answer: "Go down town and bring all the preachers in the city up to plead with me, and yet I will not be moved in my purpose not to rent my room for such uses." When we reckon the amount of this donation to the temperance cause we find it assumes vast propor- tions. Basing our calculation upon the room renting for $500 per year, which he has been offered for legitimate and unobjectionable busi- ness purposes, we find he has given $12,500. Counting interest at S per cent. on this sum we find the amount swells to $13,500. This
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room is used for coffee and lunch rooms. Here also are held each morning prayer-meetings by the ladies.
The clubs that were formed over the county at this time and since have been active and energetic from the first. Under their supervis- ion temperance meetings have been held in the smaller towns and country neighborhoods, Messrs. G. V. Dieterich, George Alden and Eugene Welch of the Galesburg Club being particularly active in this work. Through the instrumentality of these meetings many temper- ance organizations have been formed and many drinking men have been induced to sign the pledge, and the red ribbon gleams from many button holes, lighting homes hitherto dark from the shadow of the gin shop.
The Galesburg"Club established reading rooms on the corner of Main and Prairie streets, and to this building the W. C. T. U. has since removed. Quite a successful temperance movement was organ- ized in Copley and Victoria townships by Mr. J. W. Temple, present Supervisor of Copley, in the fall of 1877. He planned and put into execution what he calls "The County District Temperance Organiza- tion." The plan includes a very strong pledge, which all the members sign. Weekly evening meetings in the district school-house are hield, where the programme includes music and literary exercises as well as temperance speeches. We believe that every school district in these two townships, and some in adjoining ones, are now organ- ized and the work is still going on.
The following communication from J. W. Temple, of Copley town- ship, to Miss Mary Allen West, of Galesburg, gives a history of the progress of the temperance work through the county at the present time.
SCHOOL DISTRICT TEMPERANCE ORGANIZATION.
MISS WEST :- In compliance with your suggestion I will write you a brief sketch of our progress in extending our new organization. We have steadily increased the rolls of members in every society and added to the number of societies since I wrote you last. Our own school district has enrolled about 140 members, and as yet not one of the signers of the pledge has violated it, as far as we have heard, al- though many liad fallen into the habit of drinking before. The Vic- toria society numbers between 80 and 90 members. At the Maxey church we have organized a very flourishing society, of about 80 mem- bers, which will soon be largely increased, I understand. This is one of the most religious and intelligent communities in the county, and moreover is noted for their excellent choir,-and their singing adds
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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.
unusual charms to the meetings of the society. At the Hubbell school-house (No. 16) in Victoria we have a flourishing society; and and I had the pleasure recently of assisting to organize a very prom- ising association at Truro Corners (the Parker school-house). This is a live community, and will push forward any work they undertake. Its president, Mr. J. W. Parker, is a gentleman of education and energy, whose influence for good in that community will be felt in this movement. We have about 400 names enrolled already in our organization, which is yet in its infancy. I cannot urge the import- ance of this movement too strongly on the people of the county. It seems to me, from the experience we have had and the readiness witlı which the people fall into the movement, that there only needs some one to lead off in every town, to assist in their organization, to soon have societies under successful operation in every school district in the county. I have no doubt, with a success no greater than we have made thus far in this locality, there can be ten thousand names en- rolled among the county districts : even fifty to each school district would give nearly if not quite that number. If, as is generally ad- mitted, the hopes and the glory of every nation rest on the virtue and intelligence of the country people, certainly any movement cal- culated to advance the cause of temperance and morality in the rural districts must command the favorable attention of all who wish well to their country.
I especially wish to commend the experiment of uniting lyceum exercises and music to these societies. They attract, amuse, and in- struct the young, and are in themselves a real blessing to communi- ties that lack other sources of interest. Our school-houses have not sufficient capacity to contain the crowds who flock there to listen to and take part in debates and other exercises, and while, of course, the tem- perance reform is kept prominently in view, and the pledge presented at each meeting, and badges worn by the members, to keep the object of the association a paramount idea at all times. The opportunities afforded for social reunions and intellectual improvement would in itself well pay for the work of organizing these societies.
Our constitution makes it our duty to furnish aid to any commun- ity wishing to form societies under this form of organization; and I will cheerfully give what assistance I can in furtherance of such ob- ject, by furnishing copies of our pledge and constitution, etc., to those who wish to try the experiment. The field is a large one : who will become pioneers in this work? Can we not make such a success in Knox county as will ensure the example spreading over the whole State? The experiment is well worth trying.
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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.
Ribbon clubs and temperance societies have been formned all over the county. Flourishing organizations exist at Log City and Soper- ville school districts, Henderson township, and in many other places.
Much temperance work has also been done in the public schools of the cities and towns. Many teachers have taken the Band of Hope pledge to their schools, and in some instances all of their pupils have signed it. This pledge is as follows:
"Trusting in God to help me keep this pledge, I do solemnly promise to abstain from the use of intoxicating liquors as a bever- age, winefor cider included; from the use of tobacco in all its forms, and from all profanity."
There is no means of knowing how many children throughout the county are thus pledged, but the number must be very large. Many instances could be related showing that the children understand their pledge and keep it, under sore temptations. One member of the Band, while visiting in England, had wine urged upon him by his mother and other friends, under circumstances which made it exceed- ingly hard for him to refuse; but he remained true to his Band of Hope pledge. Little Percy Smith, when dying from the injuries received from a railroad train, in the summer of 1878, was urged to to take brandy to strengthen him, but steadily refused, saying, “I am a Band of Hope boy, and cannot touch it." An amusing incident occurred the first summer. One of the Band boys had taken the pledge out to a country neighborhood and was urging a young friend to sign it. "Just wait till after harvest," replied the boy, "and then I will sign." "Why not before?" asked his friend. "Well, you see, in harvest we have to work so hard that we can't help swearing." At last, however, he was persuaded to sign, and report says that he did as much work that harvest, and did it as well as ever before, and without a single oath.
It is said that one of the city churches was induced to give up the use of fermented wine at the sacrament, by finding that a boy whom they believed to be truly converted, was deterred from uniting with the church because he felt that the use of fermented wine, even at the table of the Lord's Supper, would be a violation of his Band of Hope pledge.
History will some day turn to Galesburg as the starting point of the new system of temperance work among children, which was inaugurated by Stephe R. Smith, long known throughout this part of the State as a journalist of some repute. Mr. Smith is a native of Virginia, was prepared for college at William and Mary, and gradu- ated with honor at a leading Northern institution. He was for some
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time a newspaper correspondent at Washington, and has since edited various publications in this county, but unfortunately indulged too freely in the cup. He reformed, and recently has taken the platform for temperance. His son Percy went with him, and intended going to Galva on June 16, 1878; but on the 12th he was thrown from the cars, and in a few days died from the injury received. Before his death he asked his father to take his blue ribbon and his little sister Jessie, and go to the children with temperance. His father accepted the mission and organized temperance societies in many parts of Iowa and Illinois, and perfected a system of juvenile work now popular. The sad story of the boy's death, associated with his simple temperance pledge, seems to reach the children better than the old way, and to make an impression upon the youthful mind not soon forgotten. These juvenile organizations bear the banner of the dead boy, and are known as " Percy's Band of Hope," distinguished by numbers and pledge cards, for each State. These cards are embellished by a litho- graph likeness of the little speaker, and contain the pledge and a brief account of the boy's death. Mr. Smith and his little daughter organized the first Percy Band in Iowa, at Davenport, Aug. 10, 1878, and the first one in Illinois, at Coal Valley, Aug. 7. A Band was organized Sept. 21, at Galesburg. Master Leonard Camp was elected temporary Chairman, little Lillie A. Johnson, Secretary, and Miss
Mary Hibbard, Treasurer. Subsequently Miss Carrie Elliot was chosen Matron. On Saturday afternoon, Oct. 12, the children of Knoxville were organized into a Band, Mrs. Waddle being chosen Matron, Miss Mary Sanburn, Secretary, and Miss Minnie Koons, leader of the choir. On Monday afternoon, Oct. 14, a Percy Band of 130 children was formed at Wataga, with Mrs. Albert Slater as Matron, Miss Mary Roberts, Secretary, and Miss Lillie Driggs, leader of the choir.
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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.
CHAPTER XX.
TOWNSHIP HISTORIES.
INDIAN POINT TOWNSHIP.
This is one of the finest townships in Knox county. It is mostly prairie land, being high, undulating and fertile. Very little unim- proved or waste lands are within its boundaries. Indian creek rises in the northern part of the township, courses southwest and empties into Cedar Fork of Spoon river. The latter stream enters the township at section 30, flows south and makes its exit on the southern line of the southwest quarter of section 31. The streams arising in the eastern part of the township meander in a southwesterly direction, swelling Spoon river.
There are two towns within the borders of the township,-Abing- don, on the northern line, and St. Augustine, almost on the southern boundary. These are connected by the C., B. & Q railroad.
Indian Point township took its name from a body of timber which extended from Cedar Fork to section 16. Along the edge of this timber was the favorite camping ground of the Indians, the remains of whose camps were extant long after settlement by the whites. In consequence of these remains this point or body of timber took the name of "Indian Point; " and when, on Monday, January 14, 1850, the townships of the county were christened, the name "Indian Point" very naturally suggested itself for this township, and ever since that time "Indian Point" has become a familiar phrase to almost every person in the county,
John C. Latimer, who settled on the northwest quarter of section 6 in 1833, is believed to have been the first white settler, at least to make this permanently his home. Mr. Latimer was born in Robinson county, Tennessee, August 18, 1812. He came to this county with his father, Joseph Latimer, in 1831. John C. Latimer still resides on the same farm he first settled, in a commodious and convenient farm- house, near where the old log-cabin was first erected.
Others soon followed Mr. Latimer into this naturally favored town- . ship. Among them were Stephen Howard, John H. Lomax, John Howard, Sr., Rev. John Crawford, William Stewart, Henry Russell, 27
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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.
Daniel Meek, John Dowdy, Manyweather Brown, Anthony Bowers, and Alexander Latimer, some of whom figured quite prominently in the early history of Knox county. Not one of the above-named pioneers, except John C. Latimer, reside in the township; and all have crossed the Jordan of death, save Alexander Latimer, Henry Russell, and Manyweather Brown. John C. Latimer seems to have been spe- cially favored; for, although the oldest settler, he and his good wife live in peace and plenty, and enjoy the fruits of the hard toil of their earlier years; and now, as they traverse the autumn of life, it is with sadness and pleasure commingled that they reflect upon the trials and joys, the sufferings and pleasures, the sorrows and happiness of their pioneer days in this township.
The first child born in the township was Ann Frances Lomax, daughter of John H. and Nancy Lomas, who was born about the 25th of October, 1835. The first death was in 1838, that of Mr. Hibbard, an elderly gentleman, and father of Widow Robinson, at whose house he died. The first school was taught by Dennis Clark, the present County Judge, in the winter of 1837-8, in a little log school-house on section 16. The present schools of the township are excellently man- aged. There are three churches, two Christian and one Catholic. The following gentlemen have represented the township in the Board of Supervisors, from year to year, since 1853: Daniel Meek, John C. Latimer, James W. Butler, Patrick Smith, T. L. Frazier, N. R. Cash- man, William Campbell, H. Crisman (by appointment to fill the unexpired term of William Campbell), and J. W. Butler, the present Supervisor.
CEDAR TOWNSHIP.
This township is 10 north, range 1 east, and was one of the earliest settled townships in the county. It is said that Rev. Hiram Palmer settled on section 7 in 1828. Abraham D. Swartz came to the town- ship in 1829. Jonathan Latimer came in 1832 and settled on section 28. He erected a little log cabin, and not being able to construct a door to it for some time, they filled a bed-tick with straw, and hung it up in the doorway to keep out the cold. Wolves frequently came prowling around and threatening an invasion of the house. When her husband was away from home Mrs. Latimer would keep up a fire all night to prevent the wolves from entering the house. These pests of a new country would often come to the doorway and press against the bed, crowding it in; but when they saw the fire would retreat. Mrs. Latimer says they have done this many nights, but the bright fire kept them at bay. Mrs. Latimer has often taken the products of
HIGH SCHOOL, KNOXVILLE.
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her loom on horseback to Knoxville, and exchanged them for family supplies. Mrs. Catharine Reed, widow of John Reed, settled on sec- tion 17 in 1836. They located on the very ground the Indians camped on before the Black Hawk war, and used water from the same spring. Mrs. Reed was born in Scotland, in 1790, and came to America in 1796. She at present resides with her son-in-law, J. W. Kays, of this township. One of the early settlers of this township is Reuben Castle, who came in 1834 and settled on section 12. The country was in its native state, except here and there a cabin, and a field improved, until 1844; and while prairie fires ran over the country all the grass and brush were annually burned off. As soon as these fires were stopped the timber began to grow; and now much of it has attained lofty pro- portions, and will make from four to six rails to the cut. Mr. Castle says that panthers, wolves, and other animals would prowl around, destroying stock and annoying the settlers. William Bevans, in 1834, was carrying some soft soap to his home from where he was work- ing, and was attacked by three black wolves. In defending himself with his axe he spilled his soap; and while the wolves were devouring it he fled and reached home in safety.
The first child born in this township was Helen E. Swartz, daughter of A. D. Swartz, born in November, 1829. The first marriage was that of U. D. Coy and Susie Latimer, in December, 1833. The first death was Miss Olive Strange, who died in 1834. The first sermon was preached at the residence of A. D. Swartz, by Rev. Hiram Palmer.
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