USA > Illinois > Logan County > History of Logan County, Illinois > Part 71
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The first postmaster of this place was Jabez Capps, and the sec- ond was Ezekiel Bowman. Dr. John Clark held the appointment from 1851 to 1857, in December of which year S. Linn Beidler was appointed. This gentleman beld the office continuously until June, 1882, except the last two years of Johnson's administration, when
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the appointment was held by T. H. O. Mattfeldt. In June, 1882, the present courteous and popular postmaster, John W. Sey- fer, succeeded Mr. Beidler. This latter gentleman deserves more unqualified praise for his public-spirited life than often is permit- ted to the historian to record. No mau was ever more devoted to the intereste of his town and more unselfish in his desires for its prosperity. Too often, however, others have reaped the profits which should have been awarded the man who made them pos- sible.
The bank of Scroggin & Son was formerly conducted by Scrog- gin & Sawyer, who began business in 1872. It is a safe and valu- able institution.
There are four houses of entertainment for the traveler-the Scroggin Hotel, Logan House, Mt. Pulaski House and Palace Hotel.
Mt. Pulaski is the only place in Logan County enterprising enough to have a fire department. The matter was talked of long before action was taken. In 1875 the merchants of the place con- tributed funds and purchased some "Babcocks," but no one seemed familiar with them when they were needed, and they be- came entirely unused. When Priest & Gordon's mill burned, in July, 1884, the people were' aroused ; and in response to the gen- eral sentiment the board purchased an engine, hose cart and hook- and-ladder truck. The Phoenix Volunteer Fire Company was or- ganized in March, 1885, with W. H. Stafford as captain and O. G. Bekemeyer as secretary. The company meets every month in its handsome quarters at the northeast corner of the square.
THE MOUNT PULASKI MINING COMPANY
was organized in April, 1883, with John Lincoln, President ; H. C. Suttle, Secretary ; L. K. Scroggin, Treasurer ; and D. Van- hise, Superintendent, these gentlemen owning the entire capital stock. In November, 1884, F. P. Heyle purchased the interests of Messrs. Lincoln and Vanhise and has since been Secretary and Treasurer. L. K. Scroggin sold to his son, A. C. Scroggin, in April, 1885, since which time the officers and stockholders have been : A. C. Scroggin, President ; F. P. Heyle, Secretary and Treasurer; and H. C. Suttle, Superintendent. One hundred men are on the pay roll and the monthly output of the mine is about 3,500 tons. The pitinen are mainly Scotch and English, with a sprinkling of Germans, Americans and Irish. James Small, an
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experienced miner is foreman. This work is done on the "long wall" system, a method used in this part of the State for the first time-the coal is broken by the downward pressure of the earth and entirely excavated without the use of explosives. The ship- ments of the company are made along the entire line of the Peoria, Decatur & Evansville road, north to Chicago on the Illinois Central, and a very gratifying trade has developed for the few months now passed under the new management. This shaft was sunk in the spring of 1883 by Wm. Beard, who operated it about six months and sold it to B. F. Fox, who disposed of it six or eight months later to the original company above spoken of. Mr. Beard struck a four-and-a-half-foot vein at 360 feet and erected the tower, engine house, etc. Mr. Fox sunk it forty feet to the next vein, without satisfactory results, however, and erected the sixty horse-power en- gine that now lifts the coal. The company has recently sunk an air shaft to the same level as the original shaft and put in a twelve- foot ventilating fan, rendering their equipment as complete as that of any mining plant in this section.
EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS.
In the early life of Mt. Pulaski the educational advantages were not of the best, and not until 1844 was any permanent provision made for the education of the children. Until this time there were but few residents in town, and these taught their children in their own homes, or paid any one who desired to engage in the work during the winter a small sum per scholar for teaching. This person would hire a room in some dwelling, or the loft of a shop or store, and therein teach the young idea. This condition could not long continue among an enterprising people, and the year men- tioned saw a comfortable frame house erected for school purposes. It was also used for divine worship, town meetings, or for any public gathering. When this became too small, in after years, the basement of a church would be rented or a room wherever vacant, until 1858, when the Legislature gave to the town the old court- house for a school-house. It has remained in use ever since. The little frame is now the dwelling of some farmer or gardener, having been sold when the change of houses was made. On entering the court-house, two teachers were employed. John Kent was proba- bly the first teacher within its walls.
During the spring of 1877 a change was made from the common district organization, under which the schools were previously con-
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ducted, to a graded system, under the control of a Board of Educa- tion, and an application for funds to erect a new school-house was made. Twenty thousand dollars was granted, and with this the board purchased a very eligible site in the eastern part of the town, and erected thereon an excellent eight-room building. The Trustees at that time were George Huck (President), Dr. F. D. Cass (Secretary) and John M. Tomlinson. The annual expendi- tures for school purposes are $4,500 to $5,000. The present Trus- tees are: John Myer (President), R. S. Hershey (Secretary) and H. C. Suttle. There are employed nine teachers, George W. Monroe being principal.
THE PRESS.
Two weekly papers are published at Mt. Pulaski-the Republican and the Times-Citizen.
ORUROHES.
The Methodist Episcopal Church is the oldest in town. It was organized in Dr. John Clark's house, about the year 1841 or '49, with but few members. This was the first religious service in town. The first preacher of this denomination here was probably Rev. D. P. Bunn. He was shortly after followed by Rev. Hardin Wallace, who conducted one of the largest revivals ever known to this region in pioneer days. People came from all directions to attend the meetings, and over fifty were converted and joined the Methodist church. A class had been formed at Henry Dement's, where meetings were held. The class at Mr. Dement's became the nucleus around which the Hurricane Point Church was gathered. Among the earliest ministers in this denomination was the noted and eccentric Peter Cartwright, so well known to the early resi- dents of Central Illinois. He was then living on his farm near Springfield, and was presiding elder of this conference. The church in town continued to meet at Dr. Clark's house until 1844, when, the school-house being completed, they occupied that until 1850, when they finished a house of worship. This was replaced in 1884 by another church, which cost $2,500. The present pastor is Rev. P. S. Gay. The society has about fifty members, and the attend- ance at Sunday-school, of which R. J. Beggs is superintendent, is about 150. The church stewards are Mrs. Mantle and J. A. Mussenden.
The First German Evangelical Lutheran Church is the second oldest in town. It was organized about 1850 or 1851, and in 1852
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they erected a small brick church, the work being generally per- formned by the members themselves. By the year 1856 there were thirty-six members. Their first minister was Rev. P. S. Staiger. In 1865 they sold their church to the Catholics, it having become too small for their growing congregation, and began the erection of their present house of worship, which was dedicated May 13, 1866. The present pastor is Rev. John Boettiger. There are about seventy-five voting members of the church. The attendance at Sunday-school is about fifty. Jacob Bowman is superintendent.
The Second German Evangelical Lutheran Church was organ- ized in the autumn of 1868, with sixteen members. The pastor was Rev. William A. Deininger, who remained about two and a half years. The organization was effected in the Universalist church, where they continued to meet until 1873, when their present house of worship was completed at a cost of $3,300. The second pastor was Rev. G. Pracht, who remained nearly two years, and was succeeded by Rev. O. F. Ebert, who filled the pulpit two years, when Rev. R. C. Starck was called. The present pastor, Rev. M. During, came in 1879. The membership is now over forty, with a Sunday-school of more than double that number.
The Evangelical Association was organized in the spring of 1857, in the Universalist church, by Rev. H. Schelp. The mein- bership is now twenty-eight. They occupy their own church, which was completed in 1861. Their first pastor was Rev. A. Strohmeier. The present one is Rev. George Barth. The officers are: P. Reinders, Class-Leader; P. Reinders, C. J. Foley and P. Miller, Trustees. Mr. Reinders is also superintendent of the Sun- day-school, which has about thirty attendants.
The Catholic Church was organized about 1866, in a private house. They purchased the First German Church, and occupied it until the spring of 1886, when they occupied a new frame struct- ure in the southeast part of town, built at a cost of $3,000. The church has about twenty families, mostly residing in the country. Services are held the first Sunday in each month by Fathor Rey- nolds, of Elkhart.
The Christian Church was organized in the spring of 1868, with thirty members. They had just completed a frame church, which they used until the society became inactive, a few years since.
The Universalists were organized about 1870, but are now in- active.
There are in the township three other churches-the Buckles
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Church, four miles south of town, the Copeland Church, five miles south, and a Baptist church, four and a half miles south. The two former are of the Christian denomination.
MISCELLANEOUS ORGANIZATIONS.
The Mt. Pulaski Lyceum was organized Monday, November 23, 1885. It is to meet every week or two for literary and social en- tertainment. The officers are : President, Milton Lesem; Vice- President, Prof. G. W. Monroe; Treasurer, C. S. Landis; Secretary, F. L. Tomlinson.
Mt. Pulaski Lodge, No. 87, A. F. & A. M., was chartered Oc- tober 8, 1858, with D. P. Bunn as W. M .; I. R. Braucher, S. W., and Robert Carlisle, J. W. The present membership is seventy- one. The lodge meets on Saturday evening, on or before the full moon of each month. The officers for 1886 are: T. F. Whitaker, Worthy Master; W. A. Schafer, Senior Warden; W. S. Whitaker, Junior Warden; George Meister, Treasurer; F. V. Nicholson, Secretary; John H. Toole, Senior Deacon; William Acton, Junior Deacon; James Poe and Abram Mckinney, Stewards; J. Weiden- bacher, Tyler.
Mt. Pulaski Chapter, No. 121, R. A. M., was chartered Octo- ber 29, 1868, with seventeen members. There are now forty-four members. The chapter meets the first Monday evening in each month. The present officers are: John H. Toole, High Priest; C. F. Schafer, King; George Mayer, S .; W. A. Schafer, C. H .; John R. Ayres, P. S .; J. W. Ewing, R. A. C .; George Meister, Treasurer; F. V. Nicholson, Secretary; Abram McKin- ney, M. 3d V .; M. J. Reinheimer, M. 2d V .; S. H. Newlin, M. 1st V.
Mt. Pulaski Commandery, No. 39, K. T., was chartered Octo- ber 24, 1871, with twelve members. There are now fifty members. Meetings are held the first Thursday evening of each month. The officers are: William A. Schafer, Eminent Commander; Isaac J. Michener, Gen .; George P. Zeiss, C. G .; John H. Toole, Prelate; Joseph W. Ewing, S. W .; Samuel L. Beidler, J. W .; George Meister, Treasurer; J. W. Ewing, Rec. (pro tem.); David Patter- son, St. B .; George C. Yocum, Sw. B .; John W. Dillsaver, War- den; Gustav Weidenbacher, G. of G.
Mt. Pulaski Lodge, No. 454, I. O. O. F., was chartered October 10, 1871. The first members were John G. Fox, Henry Fox, P. L. Corby, J. M. Reitz, Milton Deere and Jacob Bollin. The pres-
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ent officers are: W. H. Henderson, Noble Grand; Moses Cooper, Vice-Grand; M. P. Phinney, Secretary; William McCormick, Treasurer. The lodge meets every Tuesday evening at Odd Fel- lows' Hall. Present membership, twenty-five.
Lucas Lodge, No. 516, I. O. O. F., was chartered October 14, 1873, with fifteen first members. It has now twenty members, and meets every Monday evening at Odd Fellows' Hall. The present officers are: George Jenner, Noble Grand; Fred Weiler, Vice- Grand; George Meister, Treasurer; John W. Seyfer, Secretary.
Samuel Walker Post, No. 205, G. A. R., was chartered March 23, 1883, with twenty-nine comrades. C. C. Mason was the first Commander. The post has now thirty-eight members, and meets the first and third Saturdays of each month, at Odd Fellows' Hall. The officers for 1886 are: William McCormick, Commander; William Adlerman, Senior Vice-Commander; M. A. Dubois, Junior Vice-Commander; M. P. Phinney, Adjutant; Charles Wood, Quartermaster; M. P. Phinney, Surgeon; Philip Miller, Chap- lain; John Danley, Officer of the Day; Jol.n Mier, Officer of the Guard.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
James Ayres, farmer, was born in Miami County, Ohio, in 1834, and is a son of Darius Ayres, who was born in 1800, in Hamilton County, Ohio. He married Orpah Rosebrough, and removed to Miami County, Ohio, where, in 1839, he died, leaving seven chil- dren-Richard F., since deceased; Mary, deceased; Alfred, John R., Susan, James and Rebecca, deceased. The family came to Logan County in 1852, settling on the present farm of James Ayres in 1854. Mr. Ayres has made substantial improvements here in the way of building, tree-planting and fencing. His wid- owed mother is living with him, at the age of eighty-one years. In 1883 our subject, James Ayres, was married to Mrs. Christine C. Webster, born in Schoharie County, New York, and daughter of Henry I. Warner, who was born May 10, 1796, in Schoharie County. He was in active life a farmer, and came in 1857 to Lin- coln, Illinois, where he died in November, 1884. His wife, Mar- garet Becker, was from an historic New York family, and was a granddaughter of Major Joseph Becker, a prominent officer in the Border war, and later in the war of the Revolution. In 1776 he built a stone house, which was used as a fort, and here Mrs. Warner was born. She died November 15, 1858, in Lincoln, Illinois, leav-
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ing four children-Florine, now Mrs. Horace Lawrence, of Cayuga County, New York; David B., of Lincoln; Sarah C., wife of Samuel Jones, of Lincoln, and Christine C., now Mrs. James Ayres, of Mount Pulaski. Mrs. Ayres has in her possession a brass-bound Bible, printed in German in 1748, which was inherited by her mother from her ancestors.
John R. Ayres, a retired farmer of Mount Pulaski, was born March 13, 1831, in Hamilton County, Ohio. His father, Darius Ayres, was born in April, 1800, in New Jersey, and married in 1824, in Hamilton County, Ohio, to Orpah Rosebrough. Darius Ayres was a son of Benajah, born in 1774, and Susan (Ferris) Ayers, who were among the earliest settlers of Hamilton County, where they located at the beginning of the present century, remov- ing thence to Miami County, Ohio, in 1833. Here they died and were buried, and here also died Darius Ayres, December 29, 1839. His widow, who is still living, brought the family to Logan County, Illinois. There were seven children-Richard, who died in 1882, in Chestnut, this county, had been sheriff of Logan County, and for many years supervisor of Atna Township; Mary, married J. C. Webster, a distinguished citizen of this county; Alfred is a De Witt County farmer; John R., our subject; Susan, married Thomas Clark, and lives in Nebraska; James is farming in Mount Pulaski, and Rebecca, now deceased, the wife of J. H. Dement, of Mount Pulaski. John R. Ayres enlisted, August, 1862, in Com- pany E, One Hundred and Sixth Illinois Infantry, and served three years, without furlough or sickness, participating in all the movements and services of the regiment. Mr. Ayres married, in 1871, Mrs. Eliza Shape, of Mount Pulaski, daughter of the Rev. Richard W. Clark, deceased, and the adopted daughter of Dr. John Clark, deceased, and was born November 9, 1841, in Mc- Donough County, Illinois. She was married in Mt. Pulaski, to Jonas Shupe, of Ohio, who died January 13, 1865, leaving a danghter-Mary E. Shupe, who married Dr. E. C. Nolan, of Mount Pulaski. Mr. and Mrs. Ayres also have a daughter-Lena Ayres. Mrs. Ayres died March 5, 1882, and was buried in Mount Pulaski, and her eldest daughter, Mrs. Dr. Nolan, died at the age of twenty years, leaving a daughter-Ella, now with the family of Mr. Ayres. John R. Ayres is in politics a Prohibitionist of Republican ante- cedents. For many years he has been trustee of the Methodist Episcopal church, although not a member. He belongs to the Mount Pulaski lodge and chapter, A. F. & A. M., and has been
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Jacob Baumann
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Mina Baumann.
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master of the lodge. Though not engaged in active farming for the past fifteen years, he still owns and supervises a farm in La- enna Township.
Jacob Baumann was born in 1833, in Hesse-Darmstadt. In 1852, he and his brother Philip, came to America, the joint-stock capi- tal of the two being just 25 cents on arriving in Cincinnati. They at once hired out as farm hands, north of the city, at first receiving $8 per month and for the last of their five years labor $220 per year. In 1858 they came to Illinois, buying eighty acres in partnership, near Kinney, De Witt County. This they farmed for three years in company, living in a log house. They then divided said eighty acres of land, and Jacob Baumann began with his forty acres, but soon bought the 120 acres adjoining, thus making a 160-acre farm, on which he erected fair buildings and grew hedges around each forty acres. He sold the land in 1874, for which he received $50 per acre, buying then the 341-acre farm, where he now lives and for which he paid $12,000. On this he first built a roomy and substantial barn at a cost of $1,000, and in 1875 his handsome farm house, at a cost of $3,000. The farm is in a splendid location, and would readily sell at $75 per acre. In 1880 he bought another 160 acres on section 2, township 18 north, range 1 west of third principal meridian, and in 1884 another eighty acres on section 31, township 18 north, range 1 west of third principal meridian. Since 1883 Mr. Baumann has devoted much attention and money to the purchase and breeding of Hol- stein cattle, he having in the year mentioned bought of Pratt, of Elgin, Illinois, a pair of extra fine animals, and later. an imported heifer. He now has eight head of registered Holsteins, several of them carrying off first prizes at the Logan County fair. He has also a large herd of high-grade short-horn cows, and makes a specialty of butter-making. He is likewise trying the qualities of the Jerseys and has a noticeably fine cow among his herd. In 1857, in Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio, he married Margaret Lohr, who came from Hesse-Darmstadt in 1853. She died in De Witt County, leaving two sons-William and Philip. By his present wife, Mina (Wagner) Baumann, born in Saxony, coming to the United States in 1853, he has had eight children-Fritz, Ernest, Marie, Emma, Albert, Henry, Katie and Jacob. Mr. and Mrs. Baumann belong to the Lutheran church. He is a liberal Democrat in politics.
Samuel C. Beam, deceased, was born August 12, 1824, in New 48
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Jersey. He was a son of John Beam, two of whose sons, William and John Beam, now reside in Springfield, Illinois. S. C. Beam came to Mount Pulaski about 1845, and worked as a carpenter. In 1851 he built a saw-mill, and about 1857 the flouring mill in con- nection. Previously he and Mr. Johnson had operated a corn-mill in the saw-mill. About 1872 he demolished the saw-mill and built the elevator in connection with the flouring mill, and it may be noted that the engine he brought from St. Louis in 1851 still drives the mill and elevator machinery. About the time of the erection of the elevator Mr. Beam began speculating in wheat futures on the St. Louis and Chicago boards, and though remark- ably successful for a few years, this business finally caused his financial ruin, forcing him to turn his property over to his credit- ors. So great, however, was the confidence of his friends in his business enterprise and ability that means were freely offered him with which to renew business in more conservative walks, but he died March 8, 1880, leaving a wife and six children, in whose hearts the memory of this kind husband and father will ever be kept green. Mrs. Beam was Miss Mary L., daughter of George W. Turley, Esg., and was born near Lake Fork. The six children are-Richard E., Elizabeth Alice, George A., Lander R., Frank Y. and Anna K. Mr. Beam was an enthusiast in whatever he undertook in business, public enterprises or politice. In politics he was a Democrat. He served as supervisor, road commissioner, school director, etc. It was under his direction that the trees were planted that now beautify the court-house square. The most nota- ble monument of his energy, however, is the palatial residence which he built in 1875-'76. It is a model of architectural beauty, and the largest private residence in Logan County. It is now owned by others, the family occupying the old homestead " where," as the widowed mother says, "all his happy days were passed."
Samuel Linn Beidler was born in Mo unt Joy, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, June 23, 1837. In 1838 his father with wife and eight children moved on a farm in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, seven miles east of Harrisburg. With a new suit and a little flag, little "Sammie " was taught, as he still well re- members, the campaign song of "Tippecanoe and Tyler too" of 1840. The father, John Beidler, moved in 1844 to Hammels- town. The campaign of Polk and Dallas v8. Clay and Frelinghuysen of that year is a vivid picture in our subject's memory. He heard his father, in conversation, deplore the pros-
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pects of a war with Mexico should Polk be elected President. Dire calamity in that event would befall the country, as they then understood and viewed the matter. The father was a Whig, but, belonging to the Mennonite religion, took no part in elections, not even voting. April, 1845, another move was made-three miles east, on the Horse-Shoe Pike, where the family lived two years. In view of the probable high prices following the declara- tion of war by President Polk in that year the father purchased twelve barrels of flour for $60, supposed to be, as still recollected, a year's supply. Our youthful subject dropped corn during the planting season of 1845 and 1846 for a neighbor, at a "fip" a day, receiving in cash at the end of a week three levies (37} cents). The Mexican war caused a good deal of anxiety and fear, under the impression that fighting was really going on in the towns, which proved, however, to be no more than recruiting for the army. Millerism had been a topic of much interest with a good deal of misgivings. Stories of silver being thrown away by the followers of Miller are still fresh to his memory. A sister (Mary) taught Samnel to read, schools being too far off to attend. The family moving to Middletown in 1847, a place was found with a farmer in an adjoining town, where he found employment, with- out pay, except during frosty corn-gathering time, where a bushel of corn, worth 40 cents, was given the father for each week's work done by the boy. The work was to put the corn in heaps, as the "huskers" threw it very scatteringly. Later, wagons would follow and gather it up for cribbing. Doing this bare- footed on the eve of cold wintry weather is not a forgotten event. A little schooling followed during the winter. On the 6th of June, 1848, the lad was placed in the drug store of John I. Landis, in which store he remained until 1850, when Histand & Miesse became proprietors, who started a branch store in the ad- joining town of Portsmouth. In the latter place the entire busi- ness devolved upon the little clerk, who not only sold but ordered . goods and ran the business. . During this time, too, the campaign of Taylor and Fillmore v8. Cass and Butler occurred, and he saw General Taylor on his way to Washington to take his seat. The fugitive slave law when signed by Fillmore created intense excitement among the people. Vengeance against the slave-owner and his blood hounds was the topic that greeted his ears on all sides. He was a welcome visitor at a Mrs. Spayd's, who told him all about the part she took in the exodus of the Millerites to the
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