USA > Illinois > Logan County > History of Logan county, Illinois : its past and present.. > Part 26
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Col. R. B. Latham was engaged to procure the right of way through Logan County for the Chicago & Alton Railroad, and was promised by the chief engineer, Mr. Lee, the location of a station. A depot was already fixed upon at Elkhart, and as the company then made the stations about ten miles apart, section thirty-one of Town 20, Range 2, west, or near Postville, would be another point. Another important matter decided the location here. The people desired a more central seat of justice than Mt. Pulaski, and also wanted it on the railroad. Postville, the first county seat, petitioned for its location, and while the question was being agitated, the Chicago & Alton Railroad was surveyed. As Postville was almost a mile from this road, that fact was against it in the matter. Mr. Colby Knapp was in the legislature the winter of 1852-3, and presented the bill giving the people the right to vote for the removal. The present site of Lincoln was then owned by a Mr. Loose, living near Greencastle, Pennsylvania, who, with his brother, had entered it about the year 1836 or 1837. No sooner had he assented to its sale than Col. Latham started immediately for Pennsylvania to obtain the deed, not wishing to wait its transmission by mail. He purchased the land on behalf of himself, John D. Gillett, and Virgil Hickox, and telegraphed at once to the latter to have inserted in the act the quarter section purchased as the future county seat, instead of Postville. This was done, and the act passed, being approved Feb. 14, 1853. In the spring the survey of the new town began. Conaway Pence, then County Surveyor, laid out the town, the proprietors making the streets parallel with the railroad, instead of following the cardinal points. The entire plat was not completed until some time in the summer. Work was being done at this time on the railroad, and by August construction trains were running from Springfield to this point. Here the company had a large wood shed and water-tank. In one end of the shed they made a depot. The stage company had their stables here, and passengers coming on the construction trains to this point would be taken by stage to Bloomington, there to connect with the Illinois Central Railroad, then just completed. As the Chicago & Alton Road was built, a station was made about every ten miles, when the stage companies would remove their stables to that point and carry passengers therefrom.
The sale of lots in Lincoln, so named in honor of the martyr Presi- dent, then a prominent attorney in Springfield, and an intimate friend of
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the founders of Lincoln, was advertised to take place on Aug. 29, and that morning a. construction train was run from Springfield, bringing many buyers, among them Mr. Lincoln, who remarked during the sale, as he walked around inspecting the lots, that they were cheap and desirable, but he was unable to buy. Quite a number of people were here from various parts of the county, especially those desirous of purchasing lots for a future home. Ninety lots were sold, varying in price from forty to one hundred and fifty dollars. The most valuable were those fronting on the railroad, or on Chicago street. The total proceeds were about six thousand dollars, a handsome advance on the purchase price of the land, that being eight dollars per acre, or twelve hundred and eighty dollars. All this had occurred before the vote was taken by the people for the removal of the county seat from Mt. Pulaski. Yet so confident were the proprietors of the new town that the change would be made and their location selected, that they caused all this to be done, guaranteeing to each purchaser the location of the seat of justice or a forfeiture of the sale.
In a short time building began. John Allison erected the first house on the plat - a dwelling. It stands east of the railroad, on Chicago street, and is now the dwelling of Thomas Galvin. A grocery was built on the lot now occupied by N. Pegram's grain office, by Samuel Long. This was the first business house in Lincoln. As Postville was near, the carpenters who did not live there boarded at the hotel built there in 1836 or '37. Just south of Long's grocery, E. Boren and Jesse Forbes erected the second store, and began business in December. This store was burned on December 8, 1871, eighteen years after building. Michael Hinricksen purchased a dwelling built by Mr. I. N. Buck, the first station agent. His house occupied the site of J. H. Danley's music store, and was after- ward removed to give place to a store erected in its stead. In January, 1854, Col. Latham, then living at Mt. Puluski, began the erection of the old Lincoln House, afterward known as the Eagle Hotel. He hired two men to do the work, and as soon as the building season opened, broke ground for its construction. Col. R. B. Latham has done more for the city of Lincoln, and through it for the county, than any other. He has erected several fine business houses in the city, and has always been the
foremost in advancing its interests. There is not a church, or school, or college, or the Feeble Minded Institute, or any beneficent object therein that has not received pecuniary aid from him, as well as personal endeavors on his part for their advancement. The hotel occupied the site of the present Lincoln House. It was constructed of wood, was two stories in height, and was opened to the public January 1, 1855. The proprietor then was D. M. Jackson, who, in 1857, purchased it of the Town Site Company, and, after keeping it a few years, sold it to a Mr. Holderman. He, being unable to pay for it, gave it up, and it came again into the Town Site Company's possession. In 1868, they sold it to Henry Palmer, who changed the name to the Eagle Hotel, and kept it until it was destroyed by fire, on the 19th of April, 1870. During Mr. Holderman's time a third story was added, and during Mr. Palmer's time a brick addition built to it. Among the merchants locating, from 1853 to 1857, may be mentioned B. & F. M. Hinrichsen, Edgar & Johnson, Kahn Brothers, Howser & Metcalf, John W. Logan, G. F. Stillman, Howser & Higgins, Kelso & Boren, and T. Blackburn. The first hall in town was
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built by George Musick, in 1855, and occupied the present site of Dus- tin's bank. It remained there until 1873, when it was removed to make room for the erection of the bank. During its time, it was used for religious services, public meetings, by secret societies, for dances, or for almost any gathering. It is now used as the Central House. Until 1856, every house, except the depot, was built of wood. The court-house was completed early in that year. These were of brick, and were the first buildings in town built of this material. The first brick business house was built about the middle of the Lincoln House block, fronting Chicago street. Across the street, south, quite a number of frame buildings were built, some of which are yet occupied. In 1854 or '55, an elevator was built by Roach & Hansby, across the street, west from Long's grocery. Before this, it was a very common sight to see piles of sacks of grain, waiting shipment. As there was no place to store grain, the farmers would pile it along the railroad, cover it with canvas or boards, and leave it until a car could be obtained. In 1865, this elevator was sold to Boyden & Barrett, who enlarged and remodeled it, and continued in the trade until January, 1877, when it came into the hands of Mr. M. W. Barrett, who yet controls it. He ships about fifteen hundred car-loads of grain, chiefly corn, per year, or over six hundred thousand bushels. This generally goes to Eastern markets. About the same time this ele- vator was erected, William M. Dustin built an elevator, now the Logan Mills. Here he and B. H. Brainard opened the first bank in Lincoln. In 1867, the elevator was changed to a mill, and, as such, is yet running. These mills are leased by John Blake, and make about seventy-five bar- rels of flour daily. The Lincoln Mills were built, in 1856, by William Roach, at an expense of $10,000. . The present proprietor, L. C. Richter, bought the property in 1859, and has run it since that time, with the exception of three years. The capacity of this mill is about seventy-five barrels daily. The Elliott Mills were built in 1861, by J. F. D. Elliott, at a cost of $40,000. This mill is three stories in height, and has a capacity to manufacture one hundred and fifty barrels of flour daily. The mill is now owned and run by Elliott, Congdon & Co. A second elevator was erected in 1865.
A third elevator was lately built by a company, and in 1871 was sold to John D. Gillett, who leased it to Mr. Pegram. One or two other firms operate in grain here, but have no mills or elevators. From what is shown, Lincoln is one of the best grain markets in the state, and is the best in the county. It is estimated that an average of over twenty car- loads of freight are sent from Lincoln daily; this includes, however, cattle and all kinds of grain.
In addition to the hall built by George Musick in 1855, one was erected in 1857 by Logan Cox & Co., for the use of the Masonic fraternity. The Odd Fellows' Hall was built by William Roach this same year. By the year 1857, quite a number of houses had been erected, both as business houses and dwellings, and by the year 1862, over two thousand people lived in town, and the trade was assuming vast proportions. The Methodists had built a church in 1857 (now the Presbyterian Church), and other denominations were preparing to occupy the field. A good school was started, the town was incorporated, and Lincoln began to show signs of solid improvement. In 1867, John D. Gillett, who has
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erected more fine buildings in town than any other, began the building of a large three-story brick building on the corner of Broadway and Kickapoo Street. The next year he built two large stores on Broadway, over which is a hall used for lectures, theaters, dances, etc. In 1871, he built two stores on Kickapoo Street. In 1873, there were erected the Musick block, two stores; Latham's block, four stores (Col. Latham has erected almost as many buildings as Mr. Gillett) ; the Dustin block, six stores; Parker's block, four stores; the Brewer block, four stores ; the National Bank block, two stores; G. W. Webb, two; while a number of one-room stores were constructed, in addition to many dwellings, shops, and houses of various kinds. In 1874, the Hart's block, containing six stores, was erected ; also, the Commercial Hotel, by William Shea, and many smaller buildings. Martin Spoitle, who came to Postville in 1850, opened the Western House in 1860. Five years later he erected the Spitly House, giving the name the English spelling. In 1868, Hungerford & Beach erected a large planing mill. This they successfully operated until May, 1870, when, with all its contents, it was destroyed by fire. The loss was fully $15,000. They have since rebuilt, and are still conducting the same business.
Since the war, business has improved rapidly. Several large brick business houses have been erected. Three good wagon-makers have large shops ; quite a number of smaller ones are seen, and a variety of other trades-people find constant employment here. The present Lincoln Hotel, the largest in town, as well as in the county, was built by John D. Gillett during the summer of 1875. It occupies the site of the old Lincoln House, and is one hundred and eight by one hundred and nine feet in size. The basement and lower story are occupied as stores, while the second, third and fourth are used as the hotel proper. The cost of the structure was about $50,000. During this same year, about one hundred dwellings were erected in town.
Lincoln has at various times suffered disastrously from fire. Before 1870, or for seventeen years after the first buildings were erected, fires rarely occurred. With the exception of the court house, burned on the night of April 14, 1857, only four small buildings were destroyed during the years mentioned. Since April 1, 1870, the city has been visited by that destroyer not less than ten times, each occasion laying waste valuable property. On April 8, 1870, the Eagle Hotel was destroyed. On the 13th of May, 1871, Hungerford's planing mill and several adjacent buildings were burned, involving a loss of $20,000. On the night of December 16, 1871, between eleven and twelve o'clock, a fire was dis- covered in the rear of the old Craig building, on Broadway, and within an hour all the buildings on the northwest half of that block were in ashes. The loss at this fire was over $50,000. The Brewer block was burned on March 8, 1872, when four stores were swept away. On March 5, 1873, à fire. was discovered in the second story of the building occupiep by Harts & Eves as a bakery. The fire that followed burned all the buildings on Pulaski Street from the alley to Kickapoo Street, and thence on that street to Latham's block. This was a most disastrous fire, being in the midst of the business portion of the city. The next fire occurred on June 9, 1874, commencing in A. Keil's building, on Chicago Street, and consuming all the frame buildings to Pulaski Street, and on the north
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side of this street to the alley. On the 4th of July following, A. S. Guthrie's livery stable, Crandal's carpenter shop, Uhler's grocery, McCrary's restaurant, Selley's marble shop, and W. D. Wyatt's office were all burned. Since that date, but few fires have occurred.
The buildings now erected are almost always of brick, and caution is taken in their construction, thereby preventing the recurrence of these disasters. The city's business portion now presents substantial buildings, and danger from this source is materially lessened.
Lincoln was incorporated under the general law in 1855. Two years later, under a special act, and continued thus until 1865, when the two towns of Postville and Lincoln united and formed the present city of Lincoln. This was necessary for the good of each town, and as the limits of Lincoln by that date extended to those of Postville, no necessity for two organizations existed. The name of Postville was therefore dropped, and it became the Fourth ward of Lincoln. Had the desire of its people been carried out in the removal of the county seat to its first habitation, Lincoln would never have existed ; but the former town being off the railroad, and its property very much shrunken in value, and having no moneyed, energetic men to push its interests, it gave way to its more powerful competitor.
MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
Lincoln was incorporated under the general state law, as a town, early in the year 1855. During the spring of that year, a form of gov- ernment being necessary, the first board of village officers were elected. It consisted of the following persons : Ezra Boren, Geo. W. Edgar, Hopkins C. Judy, Robert Leslie, and John E. Cummings. These were sworn in office by David T. Lee. At their first meeting they organized by electing Geo. W. Edgar, President of the Board, and J. E. Cummings, Clerk. The board then appointed Geo. W. Stillman, Street Commis- sioner; J. W. Ratikin, Assessor ; Joseph F. Benner, Treasurer, and Leroy F. Brown, Constable. At the next meeting, held on November 19, ordinances for the government of the town were adopted ; the even- ings for the regular meetings of the board were appointed, and the bound- aries of the town defined. The clause in the minutes of the proceedings of the board, relating to the limits of the town, reads as follows: "The limits of the town of Lincoln, shall be the northwest quarter of section thirty-one, town twenty, range two west of the third principal meridian ; the east half of the northeast quarter of section thirty-six, town twenty, range three west of the third principal meridian ; and the east half of the southeast quarter of section thirty-five, town twenty, range three west of the third principal meridian." This territory comprised three hun- dred and twenty acres. The original town plat contained about one hun- dred acres, but ere long was increased by numerous additions, the princi- pal ones being made by Col. Latham, Mr. Wyatt and Mr. Gillett. The proceedings of the first meetings of the trustees, the town charter, its amendments, and the ordinances adopted, were published in the Illinois Citizen, then conducted by Messrs. Reed & Austin.
Ere long the sale of intoxicating liquors began to attract attention, and the board were compelled to adopt means to regulate its sale. Hence, on the 19th of January, 1856, an ordinance was passed requiring a license to
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be obtained, and regulating the sale of the article. The license was fixed ·at $300.00 and a bond of $500.00 was also required, Licenses regulating peddlers and other itinerant tradesmen were also required, and fines estab- lished in case of the failure of those interested obtaining them. The name of the paper already referred to had changed to the Lincoln Citizen, and in.it were published the ordinances recently adopted. The high liquor license and bond were however, at subsequent meetings of the board reduced.
As the town grew in population and business, the necessity of its incorporation as a village, to enable it to comply better and more fully with the existing laws, and to better maintain its government, became evident, and on Feb. 18, 1857, the act incorporating the town of Lincoln was approved by the Governor and became a law. A new board of trus- tees was elected, of which James S. Jones was appointed clerk. The pro- ceedings of these meetings, as well as all the public printing at that date, were published in the. Logan County Democrat, edited by Mr. H. H. Simmons.
Under this act, with various changes, Lincoln existed as a town until 1865, when, by an act of the legislature approved Feb. 16, the two towns of Postville, the old county seat, and Lincoln were united under the name of the " City of Lincoln." From the records of the Board of Trustees of the town of Lincoln, it appears that the trustees of Postville were the first to suggest the union of the two towns, thereby forming a city. The reasons for the union were urgent and obvious. Lincoln was on the railroad. It was also the county seat. The additions made to the latter town had extended its limits to the boundaries of Post- ville, and a casual observer would have supposed the two towns were indeed one. After a conference between the two Town Boards, it was agreed to unite the two, and give the town so formed the name already designated.
Section first of the act reads as follows : " Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in General Assembly : That the towns of Postville and Lincoln, in Logan County, Illinois, be and they are hereby merged into one, and be known and called hereafter by the name of " The City of Lincoln."
Section second relates to the boundaries of the new town; section third, to the additions thereafter to be made to it ; section fourth, to the name and style of the city as a corporate body ; and section fifth, to the division of the city into four wards. The charter further specified the officers of the city, their duties, terms of office, salaries and fees, and manner of election.
The officers to be chosen were a Mayor, City Justice, City Treasurer, and two Aldermen from each ward. The Town Board of Lincoln, at a meeting on March 2, 1865, ordered that the election be held in each ward at the school house therein on March 13, to fill these offices.
The votes being counted on the evening of election day, Joseph C. Webster was declared elected Mayor, Joseph T. Benner, City Justice, and Solomon Kahn, City Treasuer. The Aldermen from the First Ward were Marvin Brewer, elected for two years, and Franklin Fisk, one year. From the Second Ward, T. F. Ladue, for two years, A. M. Fellows, for one year. From the Third Ward, Hiram Sherman and Lot H. Crawford, each of whom received an equal number of votes ; and from the Fourth
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Ward, J. M. Shackleford, for two years, and J. F. Boy, for one year. At the first meeting of the City Council, the Aldermen from the Third Ward drew lots to determine who should hold the office two years. The lot fell to Mr. Sherman, who took his seat accordingly.
At the first meeting of the Council, W. D. Wyatt was chosen City Clerk, James Coddington, Assessor, W. D. Wyatt, Attorney, and Charles C. Brackett, Marshal.
Among the important acts of the State Legislature demanding attention, was the act to establish graded schools in towns and cities, and to provide for their maintenance. This act was approved Feb. 16, 1865, and among the earliest acts of the Council of Lincoln was the order for an election to be held in each ward in the city to choose one director therefrom, all of whom, when elected, were to constitute the Board of Education for the city. This election was held on Tuesday, the 11th day of April, 1865, and resulted in the choice of one director from each ward, who constituted this board until they were succeeded by the Board of Inspectors, elected in 1867.
From the union of the two towns the rapid, substantial growth of Lincoln, began. Each year brought a new set of officers, all of whom made the welfare of the city the paramount interest, and all labored for its advancement. We subjoin here the list of officers for the City of Lincoln, and their terms of service. It will, however, be observed that the result of the election of each year only is given, one-half of the Aldermen holding two years :
1865 .- Mayor, Joseph C. Webster; Clerk, W. D. Wyatt; City Jus- tice, Joseph F. Benner, elected for four years ; Treasurer, Solomon Kahn ; Attorney, W. D. Wyatt ; Councilmen, First Ward, Marvin Brewer and Franklin Fisk ; Second Ward, T. F. Ladue and A. M. Fellows; Third Ward, Hiram Sherman and Lot H. Crawford; Fourth Ward, J. M. Shackleford and J. F. Boy ; Marshal, C. C. Brackett.
1866 .- Mayor, Silas Beason ; Clerk, J. F. Benner; Treasurer, S. Kahn ; Attorney, Rufus Mayfield ; Marshal, J. S. Randolph ; Street Com- missioner, James H. Russell ; Councilmen elected, First Ward, John Wyatt ; Second Ward, A. C. Boyd ; Third Ward, Henry Sturges ; Fourth Ward, David Bumcrats.
1867 .- Mayor, Silas Beason ; Clerk, J. F. Benner ; Treasurer, S.Kahn ; Attorney, James T. Hoblitt ; Marshal, Walter B. McNeal ; Street Com- missioner, James H. Russell ; Councilmen elected, First Ward, Mark W. Barrett; Second Ward, T. F. Ladue ; Third Ward, E. P. Hurlbut ; Fourth Ward, John F. Boy.
1868 .- Mayor, Silas Beason ; Clerk, Albert Cadwallader; Marshal, W. B. McNeal ; Attorney, Edmond Lynch; St. Com., Samuel Switzer. Councilmen elected, First Ward, J. C. Ross ; Second, J. A. Niles; Third, John N. Lipp and John S. Randolph ; Fourth, Hamilton Tibbetts.
1869 .- Mayor, Colby Knapp ; Clerk, Geo. W. Montague ; Attorney, James T. Hoblitt ; Marshal, Thos. B. Parker; City Justice, Joseph F. Benner ; Treasurer, S. Kahn ; St. Com., Samuel Switzer. Councilmen elected, First Ward, N. E. Pegram ; Second, F. C. W. Koehnle ; Third, Israel McCord ; Fourth, Henry Rathburn and W. A. Cowdrey.
1870 .- Mayor, George Warren ; Clerk, G. W. Montague ; Attorney, Edmond Lynch ; Treasurer, S. Kahn ; St. Com., Samuel Switzer. Coun
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cilmen elected, First Ward, H. F. Elliott ; Second, Nelson Andrew ; Third, Wm. P. Randolph; Fourth, J. M. Shackleford. For this year, owing to a law passed in the General Assembly, two additional super- visors were allowed for the city of Lincoln; one for that part of the city included in East Lincoln Township, the first and second wards, and one for the third and fourth wards, or that part of the city in West Lincoln Township. For the First and Second Wards, T. J. Larison was elected, and for the Third and Fourth, A. R. Crihfield.
1871 .- Mayor, Abram Mayfield ; Clerk, G. W. Montague ; Attorney, Edmond Lynch ; Treasurer, S. Kahn ; Marshal, T. J. Larison ; St. Com., P. H. Beach. Councilmen elected, First Ward, N. E. Pegram ; Second, H. Maltby; Third, James Congden; Fourth, H. Rathburn. First and Second Ward Supervisor, Wm. Markworth ; Third and Fourth, A. R. Crihfield. 1872 .- Mayor, Abram Mayfield ; Clerk, C. M. Knapp; Attorney, T. T. Beach ; Treasurer, S. Kahn ; Marshal, David Hummell; St. Com., P. H. Beach. Councilmen elected, First Ward, H. F. Elliott ; Second, Hiram Sherman ; Third, Silas Beason; Fourth, John J. Russell. Supervisor, First and Second Wards, Simon Rock ; Third and Fourth, A. R. Crihfield.
1873 .- Mayor, Abram Mayfield; Clerk, C. M. Knapp ; Treasurer, S. Kahn; Attorney, E. G. Hudson ; City Justice, P. B. Knight ; Marshal, R. B. Fryar ; St. Com., H. M. Levally. Councilmen elected, First Ward, H. Simonton ; Second, James Ritchey ; Third, Wm. Hargadine ; Fourth, Daniel Baldwin. Supervisor, First and Second Wards, Simon Rock ; Third and Fourth, A. R. Crihfield.
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