USA > Illinois > Logan County > History of Logan County, Illinois > Part 23
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OLD SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.
Jabez Capps, who had bought hogs on the hill forty five years before, was given a carriage-whip as the oldest stock-buyer, and L. K. Scroggin received another whip for being the first man to drive stock to market from the hill.
A picture frame for the handsomest baby was assigned by a special committee to John C. England's child.
A year's subscription for the Mt. Pulaski Times went to Mrs. Miller Copeland as the first child born in Logan County. A hat to the man working longest at one place was given to David Lan- dis, and a worsted dress to the woman working longest at one place to Anna Godfrey.
John Schick was given the present intended for the handsomest young man, and William Baker a pipe as the oldest settler from Christian County.
Jabez Capps was given a present for being the oldest man present.
Fifteen of the oldest ladies then took a ride around the square in a wagon drawn by oxen, and thus ended the day.
THIRTEENTH REUNION.
The thirteenth annual meeting of the Old Settlers' Association of Logan County was held in Lincoln, Aug. 26, 1885. The attend- ance was not, of course, up to that of the monster gathering held at Mt. Pulaski in 1883, but was, nevertheless, very large. The pioneers, distinguished by their white badges, were out in strong force, and their familiar faces carried the thoughts of all back to the time when there were no railroads and no telegraphs in the State_ The weather was simply perfect, being just at the right temperature for comfort, though too cool to suit the lemonade venders.
The programme opened with music by Hoover's Band, followed by the reading of the programme for the entire day by the Presi- dent. Prayer was offered by Rev. J. A. Chase. Music by Rank- in's Band and then followed an address of welcome by J. T. Hoblit. The response was by President D. W. Clark, who expressed grati- tude on behalf of the old settlers to the citizens of Lincoln for their preparations and cordial reception, etc. He spoke of the death of Elder John England and Win. M. Allen, both pioneers. He said the society was organized in 1873. The meetings had always been very enjoyable. He hoped for the maintenance of the society. President Clark came to Illinois in 1830.
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256 HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.
The President then announced that the speeches in the after- noon would be five-minute talks-"No high-falutin, lawyer- speeches." He explained, however, that he was not reflecting upon Mr. Hoblit.
After music by Hoover's Band, Joshua Day made a ten-minute speech. He came to what is now Nauvoo forty-eight years ago; met old Black Hawk and other Indians; was residing with his brothers on an island opposite Nauvoo in the fall before the winter of the sudden change, when the water rose very high, then came the sudden change and froze the floods, and they had several inches of ice for a floor. He told the rising generation of the hardships of the pioneer, how they often awoke in the morning and found four or five inches of snow on the bed clothing. He re- lated a story of the capture of the proverbial " biggest-coon-you- ever-saw " during the cold spell, which saved him from sudden starvation! He also told a big snake story.
The election of officers resulted in the choice of the following Vice-Presidents for the several townships of the county:
Etna, Wm. Donnan; Atlanta, Jacob Judy; Broadwell, George W. Reed; Chester, John O'Connor; Corwin, Jeremiah McMullen; East Lincoln, Colonel R. B. Latham; Elkhart, Joshua Day; Emi- nence, Peter Bruner; Hurlbut, Mr. Van Meter; Lake Fork, Henry Hall; Laenna, Albert Tomlinson; Mt. Pulaski, John Buckles; Oran, W. S. Curry; Orvil, David Bowles; Prairie Creek, T. J. Chesnut; Sheridan, W. H. McMurphy; West Lincoln, John Reed.
The President then called for music and announced that the old settlers would take their stand on the court-house steps and have their pictures taken "all in a bunch."
After this there was a dispersion for dinner, and every tree in the square sheltered its family groups, giving that enclosure an exceedingly animated appearance. The speakers' stand and many of the business houses displayed the National red, white and blue, lending additional color and variety to the scene.
In the afternoon more speeches were made. David Bowles, of Orvil Township, came to this country early enough to encounter the deep snow. He took a cheerful view of pioneer life and showed that it had its pleasures and enjoyments, in refreshing contrast to the terrible tales of hardship which constitute the reverse side of the picture.
J. A. Kestler, of Mt. Pulaski, had been in the county ever since 1818. He thought times were better then than now. He said the
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257
OLD SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.
greatest hardship in those times was courting the girls. There was only one room in the house, and the old folks would sit and watch the proceedings. It was exceedingly hard on a bashful young man like himself.
Captain Frank Fisk, the Secretary of the association, introduced Jabez Capps, of Mt. Pulaski, and made his speech for him. Mr. Capps came to Illinois in 1819, to Logan County in 1836 and was eighty-nine years old.
Jacob Judy, of Atlanta, came in 1824. He wedded Mary Musick. Has "only seventy-four grandchildren."
Peter Bruner, of Eminence Township, differed from Mr. Bowles in regard to the early hardships; thought the times were very hard; he recounted the sufferings from fever and ague and privations by cold weather.
Jacob Judy came back and told a brief anecdote which called out considerable laughter. John Hepperly, of Lincoln, related a courting incident. He told of the sudden change. Was working in a saw-mill when it came ; it was sudden as a clap of thunder. Stephen Clarno, now of McLean County, formerly of Elkhart, con- trasted the difficulty of getting the children out of bed these times with the early rising of pioneer days. He proved to be quite an impersonator in his anecdotes.
Colonel W. D. Wyatt came upon the platform merely to exhibit some relics of Father Adam Simonton, who was not able to attend. Showed an old gourd raised in North Carolina in 1797, used as a powder flask at the battle of Fort Meigs. Showed also a knife used on same occasion to strike the flint. Related a story of an Indian massacre on Kickapoo at the present site of the iron bridge.
Daddy Rankin was then called upon, but excused himself and the Rankin Band played a subsitute for Daddy's speech. John Reed, of this city, was introduced as the oldest man upon the ground-a "leetle " older than Jabez Capps, being eighty-nine years old.
Colonel R. B. Latham had been in Logan County continuously since September, 1819. Colonel Latham read a list of the oldest settlers and the date of their settlement as follows :
James Latham, Elkhart, 1819; Richard Latham, Elkhart, 1819; Robert B. Latham, Elkhart, 1819 ; Ebenezer Briggs, Elkhart, 1819 ; Robert Musick, Sugar Creek, December, 1819 ; John Ste- phenson, Lake Fork, fall of 1820; Charles Turley, Lake Fork, 1821 or 1822 ; James Turley, Lake Fork, 1820 ; Aquila Davis, Lake
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258 HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.
Fork, 1820; John Hamlin, Elkhart, fall of 1819; John Porter, fall of 1819 or 1820 ; James Chaplain, Lake Fork, 1821; Robert Buckles, 1822 ; Mr. Birks, 1822; Mr. McClure, Salt Creek, 1823; Samuel Musick, 1823 or 1824; Mr. Long, 1822; John Reed, 1827, one of the oldest settlers, and probably the oldest man in the county.
Rev. Keown made a brief speech, especially eulogizing Illinois and rejoicing in his citizenship of this State. He wished that all the old settlers might claim the proud title of thoroughbred " Suckers."
Reed Marquart, of Atlanta, invited all the old settlers to come up to the Atlanta Fair on Tuesday following, and promised to give them "an old settler what am an old settler." He had not lived as long as Colonel Latham and some others, but had lived faster and was about as old.
Daddy (Edmund) Rankin came to this country in 1836. Said he had swum every stream between Philadelphia and the Missis- sippi River. He said this was his first speech and that he was seventy-one years old.
The following relics were on exhibition : A cane cut in Ohio in 1832, property of Adam Simonton ; officer's commission to Mr. Simonton's father, dated in 1802 ; a bandanna over sixty years old, belonging to E. G. Lawrance; a pitchfork and a Scotch spade, both owned by Hamilton Patterson ; a Russian chopping ax; a pocket- book of 1770, used in Kentucky in the days of Daniel Boone ; an Indian ax, made of stone; a teapot that had been handed down for five generations, owned by Mrs. Rankin; a book that had be- longed to Mrs. Rankin's great-great-great-grandmother.
Captain Fisk then addressed his thanks to the old settlers for their attendance.
The meeting closed with a benediction by David Rudolph.
The attendance in the afternoon was much larger than in the morning, and all present seemed in a happy mood. The meeting was an undoubted success. From the number of badges given out, there must have been considerably over 600 old settlers present.
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CHAPTER VI.
POLITICAL.
LOGAN COUNTY FIRST WHIG, THEN REPUBLICAN, AND LATTERLY DEMOCRATIC .- CURSORY VIEW OF ELECTIONS .- ABSTRACT OF ELEC- TION RETURNS, WITH MAJORITIES AND PLURALITIES.
The voters of Logan County have always been nearly evenly divided between the two leading political parties. At no time has the county been overwhelmingly Republican, or Whig, or Demo- cratic. In many elections some of the candidates on each ticket were successful; still, in general terms, the county may be said to have been reliably Whig during the life of the party so eloquently supported by Clay and Webster. Owing to the loss of the early election returns, the exact Whig majorities cannot now be given. The first general election in which the county participated was that of 1840, when William Henry Harrison and Martin Van Buren were the presidential candidates. The county was carried by Har- rison that year, and also by Clay in 1844, Taylor in 1848, Scott in 1852 and Fremont in 1856. The local Whig tickets were also generally successful, though for the first ten years of the county's history we had no rigid party affiliations, no machine conventions under the iron rule of "bosses," and no disciplinary caucuses, whose decrees must be followed, under penalty of political death. Candidates were run almost entirely upon personal popularity, for local and county offices, and so free was the expression of opinion that a man who received the almost unanimous vote of one town- ship would not have a single follower in any other township. It was sometimes the case that no candidate for a given office carried more than one township, each of the different townships giving its vote to a different favorite. This independence continued until about 1850, since when it has not been so general, although it pre- vails to a certain extent even now.
The causes of the defeat of the Whigs in 1852 are well known. The anti-slavery people were suspicious of the party leaders, and finally were completely alienated; and the party of Clay and Web- (259)
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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.
ster, falling into weaker hands after the death of those statesmen, was not only defeated, but killed for all time. In 1854 a new party arose on its ruins, and absorbed the strength of the Whigs, the Free-Soilers, and after a few years many Northern Democrats. Since the birth of the Republican party this county has given vary- ing majorities for that organization. In the first national cam- paign the Republican party put forward as its first standard bearer General John C. Fremont, the popular Western hero, who was, however, defeated by the veteran statesman and politician, James Buchanan, nominated by the Democratic convention. A very large vote was polled in this county, Fremont receiving a meager plurality. The American, or " Know-Nothing" party had placed before the people Millard Fillmore, who received a few votes in this county.
In the spring of 1857 the first election was held here of which the papers have been preserved. Reuben B. Ewing was then chosen County Judge by 576 votes, against 420 for N. M. Whitaker, and 239 for Andrew McElvain. In the autumn of the same year a full list of county officers was elected, the Republican majorities ranging from 134 to 301, in a total vote of about 1,550. In 1858 the Republican ticket received pluralities of from seven to 198, in a total vote of nearly 2,500. Party lines were not drawn closely in 1859. A light vote was cast, and the election was not claimed as a victory for either party.
In the memorable campaign of 1860, just before our civil war, the voters of the United States were called upon to choose between Abraham Lincoln (Republican), Stephen A. Douglas (Northern Democrat), John C. Breckinridge (Southern Democrat) and John Bell (Union). Through the disagreement of the Northern and Southern wings of the Democracy, Lincoln was elected, though he received but two-fifths of the popular vote. The campaign in Logan County was unusually exciting, and a heavy vote was polled, with this result: Lincoln, 1,729; Douglas, 1,521: Breckinridge, 28; Bell, 4. Lincoln's plurality, 208. The remainder of the State and local ticket received about the same number of votes.
In 1861 a number of county officers were chosen, but there was not a sharp political division of the voters, personal popularity be- ing the controlling influence. Some of the majorities were very small. On county treasurer, surveyor and coroner there was but one ticket. Nearly a two-thirds vote was polled. In 1862 there was nearly as much interest manifested as in a presidential
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election. The vote was large and remarkably close. Out of over 3,000 votes, the Republican State ticket received an average ma- jority of less than fifty. For sheriff, A. Mayfield (Democrat) re- ceived eighty-two more votes than A. B. Corwin (Republican). For coroner, Jacob T. Hackney's majority over W. A. Coons was but seventeen. Three county officers were chosen in 1863, by Republican majorities of 304, 325 and 329.
The next presidential election fell in the last year of the war. The Democracy placed in the field George B. McClellan, in oppo- sition to Lincoln, who was renominated. The sentiment of the North being emphatically with the administration, Lincoln was re-elected. In this county he received 1,727 votes, to 1,371 for Mcclellan. The majority was 356, and the State and county Re- publican ticket received almost exactly the same vote throughout.
The Republicans elected the county officers chosen in 1865, by majorities of about 200. For several offices, however, the Demo- crats made no nominations. The following year the Republicans won the greatest victory yet achieved in Logan County, their ticket receiving about 700 majority. The total vote was nearly 3,800. In 1867 two county officers were elected. For treasurer, Ream (Republican) received 513 votes more than McElhiney (Democrat); and for surveyor, Braucher ( Republican), 385 votes more than Skinner (Democrat).
The reconstruction era brought another presidential contest, in 1868. The Republicans nominated their war hero, Ulysses S. Grant, while the Democrats selected as their standard bearer the eminent New York Governor, Horatio Seymour. The result was a Repub- lican victory. This county went heavily for Grant, giving him 2, 515 votes to 1,902 for Seymour, a majority of 613. This was the first presidential election held after the division of Logan County into townships. Eleven of the seventeen townships gave the following Republican majorities: Etna, fifty-seven; Atlanta, 197; Chester, forty-eight; Corwin, seventeen; East Lincoln, 166; Elkhart, 104; Eminence, 125; Hurlbut, forty-eight; Laenna, thirty- one; Oran, ten; Orvil, seventy-seven. The Democratic majorities were in Broadwell, ten; Lake Fork, seventy; Mt. Pulaski, eighty- nine; Prairie Creek, five; Sheridan, thirty; West Lincoln, sixty.
The majority in this county for the Republican State ticket was rather less than that given to Grant. For circuit clerk, F. C. W. Koehnle received the heaviest majority on his ticket-854. The Republican candidate for sheriff, Chester B. Jackson, received
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but one more vote than his Democratic rival, John H. McElvain. The vote for coroner was nearly " straight."
The Republicans elected all the county officers chosen in 1869, by majorities of thirty-four to 550, except the county clerk, for which office the Democratic candidate, James T. Hoblit, was pop- ular enough to receive 223 majority over James T. Mckinnon. The election returns for 1870 are missing. In 1871 a light vote was polled, but the Republican majorities were the largest ever obtained in Logan County, except in 1873 and 1875, being 623 on congressman-at-large, 736 on treasurer, and 785 on surveyor. From this year on the Republican party steadily lost strength in Logan County.
Dissatisfied with Grant's administration, a number of Republi- cans calling themselves Liberals met in convention in 1872, and nominated the distinguished editor and philanthropist, Horace Greeley, Grant having been renominated by the Republican con- vention. Disheartened, or rather hoping to achieve success by fos- tering a division in their rival party, the Democratic leaders, in convention assembled, indorsed Greeley. This was very unsatis- factory to a large percentage of the Democratic voters, who accord- ingly refused to vote on election day. A few cast their ballots for Charles O'Conor, the "straight out" Democratic candidate, but they were not sufficiently numerous to influence the result. Grant received an overwhelming majority, not so much by his own popu- larity, as from the half-heartedness of the Democrats in support- ing Greeley. In this county Grant received 2, 446 votes; Greeley, 1,814; O'Conor, thirty-nine. The twelve Republican townships and pluralities were: Ætna, eighty-nine; Atlanta, 186; Broad- well, thirty; Chester, seventeen; Corwin, seven; East Lincoln, 135; Elkhart, forty-nine; Eminence, 144; Hurlbut, twenty-three; Oran, thirty; Orvil, twenty-one; Prairie Creek, twenty-five. The five Democratic townships this year were: Laenna, five; Lake Fork, seventy-four; Mt. Pulaski, seventy-two; Sheridan, fifteen; West Lincoln, fifty-eight. As compared with 1868, the Democrats lost Broadwell and Prairie Creek, and gained Laenna. The Republi- can majorities on State ticket were less than for Grant. For sheriff, Schafer's majority was only 146; circuit clerk, McGalliard but forty-five. The majority for Green as coroner was 1,071.
The Republicans had a " walk-a-way " in 1873, electing their four county officers by such majorities as 713, 778, 1,045 and 1,752. A moderately full vote was polled for an "off year." The elec-
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tion of 1884 was uncomfortably close for the Republicans, who had come to expect large majorities in Logan for all time. Their ma- jority on State Treasurer was 223; on sheriff, 239; coroner, fifty. They recovered themselves in 1875, and elected their treasurer by 830 votes, and surveyor by 949.
The centennial year brought with it a political race, unequaled . in history for closeness, and doubtful results. The choice was be- tween Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican), Samuel J. Tilden (Dem- ocrat) and Peter Cooper, the candidate for a new political element styling itself the Greenback, or National party. This was never very strong in Logan County, its heaviest vote being two years later. Hayes's vote here was 2,788; Tilden's, 2,595; Cooper's, thirty-nine; Hayes's plurality, 193. The Republicans lost perma- nently Broadwell, Corwin and Hurlbut townships, and carried but eight townships to the Democrats eight; one, Prairie Creek, was tied. Hayes's pluralities were: Atlanta, 163; Ætna, 115; Chester, two; East Lincoln, 100; Elkhart, forty-eight; Eminence, 116; Oran, fifteen, Orvil, ninety-eight. On the other side of the political fence were: Broadwell, twenty-one; Corwin, eleven; Hurlbut, twenty-six; Laenna, eleven; Lake Fork, sixty-one; Mt. Pulaski, ninety-five; Sheridan, seventy-seven; West Lincoln, 176. The Republican majority on the State ticket was a little less than for President. The Democrats elected one of four county officers- James T. Hoblit for State's Attorney.
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In 1877 the Democrats elected S. A. Foley as county judge, while the Republicans elected their clerk, treasurer and county superintendent. None of the majorities were very large. In 1878 the Republican State ticket received about 150 plurality. The Democrats carried through their congressman and senator and two representatives. The Republicans elected sheriff and coro- ner. In 1879 a treasurer and surveyor were chosen, the Repub- licans winning the former office by a plurality of 369; the latter by 733.
General James A. Garfield, of Ohio, and Winfield S. Hancock, of Pennsylvania, represented the two great parties in the presiden- tial campaign of 1880. The National party put forward General James B. Weaver, of Iowa, and the Prohibitionists nominated Neal Dow, of Maine. Once more, but for the last time in a con- tinuous line, the Republicans triumphed, and Garfield was in- augurated, to enjoy for a few months the highest office in the land, before his vigorous life was cut short by the assassin's bullet. He
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received in Logan County a plurality of forty-two, in a total vote of over 5,400. The vote was: Garfield, 2,729; Hancock, 2,687; Weaver, 121; Dow, seventy-one. The townships voting for Gar- field were: Etna, ninety-four; Atlanta, 110; East Lincoln, ninety; Elkhart, fifty-one; Eminence, seventy-nine; Orvil, sixty-eight. The township giving Hancock pluralities were: Broadwell, fifteen; Chester, eight; Corwin, two; Hurlbut, nine; Laenna, fifty-five; Lake Fork, sixty-seven; Mt. Pulaski, fifty-one; Oran, twenty-two; Sheridan, sixty-five; West Lincoln, 154. Prairie Creek was again tied. The election was very close. The Republicans were ahead for President, Governor, Secretary of State and member of the Board of Equalization, and elected one representative and the coroner. The Democrats came out ahead on Lieutenant-Governor and congressman, and elected one representative and the State's Attorney, circuit clerk and sheriff.
The Democracy carried the county by light pluralities in 1882, except that the Republicans pulled through by a handsome ma- jority on coroner, the least important office on the ticket.
The warmly contested campaign of 1884, with its disagreeable episodes and its many candidates, is fresh in the minds of all. First nominated was General Benjamin F. Butler, of Massachusetts, by the National party, and afterward by the Anti-monopoly and Labor conventions. The Republican convention at Chicago, in the month of June, nominated James G. Blaine, of Maine, for President, and John A. Logan, of Illinois, for Vice-President. In the same city, a month later, the Democratic convention selected as its nominee for President, Grover Cleveland, of New York, and for Vice-President, Thomas A. Hendricks, of Indiana. The Pro- hibitionists put forward John P. St. John, of Kansas, and played a very important part in the campaign, to the delight of the Dem- ocrats, and the chagrin of the Republicans. In the State of New York they drew to St. John twenty times the number of votes by which Blaine was defeated in that, the pivotal State. The cam- paign was conducted with unusual vigor in Logan County, and 5,530 votes were polled. Of these Cleveland received 2,863 votes; Blaine, 2,606; St. John, 262; Butler, fifty-two. Cleveland's plu- rality, 257. The Democrats carried 11 townships, as follows: Broadwell, eighteen; Chester, twenty-one; Corwin, two; East Lincoln, thirty; Hurlbut, twenty-two; Laenna, fifty-six; Lake Fork, seventy; Mt. Pulaski, 135; Prairie Creek, six; Sheridan, seventy; West Lincoln, 207. The Republicans carried these six:
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Etna, 110; Atlanta, 118; Elkhart, forty-four; Eminence, forty- eight; Oran, two; Orvil, forty-nine. The Democrats elected all the county officers chosen this year.
ABSTRACT OF ELECTION RETURNS.
The oldest documents on file in the county records relating to elections is an "abstract of votes cast at an election held in the County of Logan and State of Illinois, on Tuesday, the 20th day of April, A. D. 1857, for one county judge and one justice of the peace for Lincoln Precinct, and two constables for Sugar Creek Precinct, to fill vacancies." The record is:
County Judge.
Constable.
Reuben B. Ewing.
576
156
Andrew Mc Elvain
239
N. M. Whitaker.
420
Justice of the Peace.
Ezekiel Bowman.
227
200
John Swallow
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The following November the voters of the county were called upon to elect a county judge, two associate juctices, a county clerk, a county surveyor, a county treasurer and a school commissioner. The result of that election and each general one since, as shown by the records of the county clerk, are thus summarized:
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