USA > Illinois > Logan County > History of Logan county, Illinois : its past and present.. > Part 29
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On the adoption of the new state constitution, in 1848, all hope of a division of Logan County was lost. Ere long, people living in the north part of the county began to complain of the long distance they were com- pelled to go to court, and a more central location was demanded. Colby Knapp was in the legislature at the time, and succeeded in passing a bill allowing the residents of the county to vote on a re-location of the seat of justice. This was in the session of 1852-3. The bill authorized the people to vote upon the question, but contained certain provisions relat- ing to the removal of the county offices and county records, stipulating that they should remain in Mt. Pulaski until the completion of the new court-house. This was not ready until late in December, 1855, at which time the change was made.
This was a severe blow to Mt. Pulaski. During the next four years the population, fully six hundred in number, increased only fifty-three. The lawyers removed to Lincoln, and that town began to partake of the early prosperity of Mt. Pulaski. Its founders were men of energy, money and enterprise, and made vigorous efforts for the advancement of their town. They had the advantage of a direct railroad between the two largest cities in the West, and were notslow to improve their opportunities.
From the removal of the seat of justice, the growth of Mt. Pulaski was marked by no important events. It has been slow and sure, and since the completion of the railroads, crossing here, has been rather rapid. On the east and south sides of the public square, and on the west side of the street leading south from the southwest corner, good brick business blocks have been built. On the southwest corner of the square, Mr. L. K. Scroggins, a prominent farmer and banker, is erecting a large brick block, the lower story of which will contain three store rooms and a bank, while the upper stories will be fitted for hotel purposes.
In the summer of 1863, Mr. S. C. Beam erected his flouring mill and elevator. After the completion of the railroads to this point, in 1871, Mr. C. R. Capps built a second mill, at an expense of $12,000. In 1875, he sold it to the present owner, Thos. Billington. The same year this latter mill was built, L. D. Dana, of Elkhart, and J. W. Ewing erected the elevator now operated by McFarland, Maston & Co., who purchased it in 1873. The building of these mills and the elevator greatly increased the trade of the town in grain, while the railroads brought a correspond- ing increase in the stock trade. L. K. Scroggins and W. P. Sawyer opened a bank, in 1872, which has maintained a good exchange business. A small plow manufactory, several shops of various descriptions, three hotels, and twelve or fifteen stores, with an equal number of various tradesmen, complete the list of business commodities in Mt. Pulaski. Situated, as it is, upon a high plateau of ground, thereby keeping dry all times in the year, and having two railroads, there only remains the energy of its citizens to secure a large and flourishing town. The population is now nearly two thousand.
EDITOR, MT PULASKI CITIZEN.
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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.
THE PRESS.
In July, 1870, the first paper in town, the Sentinel, was started by Francis M. Daulton, who was, not long after, succeeded by John Bush. In August, 1871, the paper was changed to the Observer, and as such was conducted by Frank Sloan until July, 1873, when it was changed to the Dollar Star, and published by Joel Dunbar, who soon afterward changed the name to the Mount Pulaski Star, and continued it until October, 1876, when it was sold out. Shortly afterward, the Mount Pulaski Citizen was started by the Conklin brothers, who are yet publishing it. It is an excellent local paper, is well patronized, and is considered one of the permanent institutions of Mt. Pulaski.
EDUCATIONAL AND RELIGIOUS 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 mentioned 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 probably the first teacher within its walls. The people comprising the First German Evangelical Lutheran Church have supported a school every winter for some time in the basement of their church, generally employing a student from the college of this denomination in Springfield. Otherwise, the pastor fills the place.
For the last three or four years it has been evident to the friends of education in the town that a new and larger school was needed. During the spring of 1877, a change was made from the common district organ- ization, under which the schools have always been conducted, to a graded system, under the control of a Board of Education, and an application for funds to erect a new school-house was made. $20,000 was granted, and with this the Board have purchased a very eligible site in the eastern part of the town, and are erecting thereon an excellent six-room building. The basement of the building is so arranged that when the upper rooms are inadequate to the support of the school, it can be seated and used for similar purposes. The school is now divided into five grades, each having one teacher, and a teacher of the German language for all. The present principal is O. T. Denny.
Mt. Pulaski contains seven organized churches. . The Baptists are taking steps to form an organization, which will increase the number by one. The oldest church in town is the Methodist Episcopal. It was
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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.
·organized in Dr. John Clark's house, about the year 1841 or '42, with but few members. This was the first religious service in town. The first preacher of this denomination here was probably Rev. Moses Clampet. 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 present Hurricane Point Church was gathered. Among the earliest ministers in this denomina- tion was the noted and eccentric Peter Cartwright, so well known to the early residents 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 their present house of worship. The congrega- tion now numbers about forty members, and has a Sunday-school of over sixty scholars. The present pastor is Rev. C. E. McClintock.
The First German Evangelical Lutheran Church is the second oldest congregation in town. It was organized about 1850 or '51, and in 1852 erected a small brick church, the work being generally performed by the members themselves. By the year 1856, when their present record begins, there were thirty-six members. Their first minister was probably Rev. P. S. Steiger, or Rev. C. E. Bogy. In 1865 they sold their church edifice to the Catholics, it having become too small for their growing con- gregation, and began the erection of their present house of worship. The corner stone was laid September 29th of that year, and the following Feb- ruary 11th, the bell was dedicated-the building being so far completed that it could be occupied. On May 13th the house was dedicated. The congregation now numbers over fifty members, and sustains a Sunday- school of nearly seventy scholars.
The Second German Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized in the fall of 1868, with sixteen members. The pastor was Rev. Wm. A. Deineinger, 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. It cost about $3,300. Their 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 the present pastor, Rev. R. C. Starck, was called. The membership is now thirty-five, with a Sunday-school of more than double that number. The church of the German Evangelical Association was organized in the spring of 1857, in the Uni- versalist Church, by Rev. H. Schelp. The constituent membership num- bered about thirty, which number has since nearly doubled. They occu- pied the Universalist Church, until 1861, when they finished their own house of worship, which they now use. Their first pastor was the Rev. A. Strohmeier. The present one is Rev. G. Fuchs.
The Catholic Church was organized about eleven years ago in a pri- vate house. In 1865, they purchased the First German Church, which they yet occupy. The membership is yet small, and the church is attended by the priest from Lincoln.
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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.
The Christian Church was organized in the spring of 1868, with thirty members. They had just completed a frame church, which they yet use. Rev. D. D. Miller, of Bloomington, presided at the organization services, and occasionally preached for the congregation. Rev. A. M. Hutchinson was the first pastor, remaining nearly two years. Under Dr. Allen a very successful revival was held, during Mr. Hutchinson's pasto- rate. An addition of some thirty members was made then. The second pastor was Rev. L. M. Robinson. He was succeeded by Elders J. E. Cain and E. L. Craig. The present pastor is Rev. E. C. Weakley. The mem- bership is about forty, and the attendance at Sunday-school over fifty.
The Universalist Church was organized by the present minister sev- eral years ago. The congregation very liberally gave the use of its house of worship to other denominations when constituted, until they could erect churches of their own. The present membership is not large, and services are held monthly by the pastor, Rev. D. P. Dunn.
Quite a number of societies of various kinds exist here, all possessing a large membership.
The two railroads crossing here, were built in the fall of 1871, and each ran a construction train to the town within an hour of the same time. The Gilman, Clinton & Springfield Road, furnishes a route to Chicago and eastern markets, as well as to the West, through Springfield, while the Pekin, Lincoln & Decatur furnishes means of transportation to northern and southern markets.
ATLANTA.
This enterprising town is in the northeast corner of Logan County, at the intersection of the Chicago, Alton & St. Louis and Illinois Midland Railroads. The State survey shows few places higher than the site of this city. It is about midway between the cities of Chicago and St. Louis, and is only ten miles from the geographical center of the state.
Among the earliest settlers in this part of the county were the Hob- lits, Turners, Druleys, Bevans and Downeys. These were located in the immediate vicinity of the present city, while to the east were the Foggs and Tuttles ; to the north the McFarlands and Kenyons ; to the west the Haweses, and to the south the Larisons, Barrs and others. These pioneers generally settled near the timber, the majority of them being in the county at the time of the " deep snow." But few prairie farms in this vicinity were cultivated before 1835; but it was not long after, until a comfortable farm-house began to appear here and there, and the rich prairie soil began to yield to the cultivation of the more adventurous set- tlers, who were beginning to discover its fertility and ease of cultivation, compared to the timber lands. It is a curious fact, and seems wonderful to the present generation that all early settlers preferred the timber to the prairie. For purposes of shelter and fuel this was a wise step, and can be readily accounted for, but for cultivation the purpose is not so apparent. However, these brave old pioneers, coming from a timbered country, and being accustomed from their infancy to see "clearings," adopted the same plan here for a home, and for several years hardly thought of the prairies, save as a pasture. One by one ventured upon them, however, and no sooner was their productiveness a fact, and their cultivation feasible, than they were rapidly occupied, and are now the finest farms in the county.
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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.
The early settlers of this part of the county, well remember the days of Abraham Lincoln, David Davis, and others of like prominence, when on their horseback journeys to and from the various courts in the interior part of the state. When going from Springfield to Bloomington, these two named almost always stopped at the house of Samuel Hoblit, one of the earliest residents in this part of the county, which at that time and until 1845 was a portion of De Witt County. At this date, Pekin was the chief market. Springfield was the first post-office for this locality ; after- ward, Bloomington or Pekin, and almost cotemporary the small town of Waynesville in De Witt County, one of the oldest in this part of the state. A demand for a nearer market and better shipping facilities was being felt, and to aid in the hope for the fulfillment of these wants, the survey of the Chicago & Alton Railroad was made. This road gave activity to these desires, and no sooner was the survey fixed than the location of a town in this section of the country was agitated. The town of Mt. Hope, a few miles northeast of the site of Atlanta, was staked out, but being off the railroad was abandoned. It is now the farm of Marion McCormick. New Castle, to the southeast, had become quite a village, but, for the same reason, was abandoned on the survey of Atlanta, and became incorporated therein, the majority of its residents moving to the new town. The Baptists had built a house of worship there, and some trade was estab- lished at this date - 1853. Early in this year, R. T. Gill, then a resident of Pekin, entered the land on which the city of Atlanta now stands, at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. It was then assessed at twelve hundred dollars. The assessed value now is nearly a half million. On the 23d of June, he offered the lots at public auction, and by a liberal policy secured a large sale, and before the close of the season, fifteen or twenty buildings were ready for occupancy. The first of these was built by R. T. Gill, and. occupied the present site of a meat market, near the corner of Vine and Railroad streets. The freight house was erected by the railroad company about the same time, and shortly after a passenger depot.
When the town was surveyed, it received the name of Xenia. This name was suggested by Mrs. James Downey, in remembrance of her former home in Xenia, Ohio. On application for a post-office, it was ascertained that an office by that name already existed in the state, and the founders of the town changed it to Hamilton, in honor of Col. L. D. Hamilton. Applying the second time for a post-office, they met with the · same difficulty, and to avoid having a town and post-office of different names, a third name was chosen. Mr. R. T. Gill had some time previously spent a portion of a year in Atlanta, Georgia, and remembering the beauty of that city, suggested that name. As no post-office of that name existed in Illinois, that appellation was adopted. Several persons yet hold deeds of lots in the town of Xenia.
For several years following, the history of Atlanta is one of unpre- cedented growth and prosperity. Stores, shops and dwellings were rapidly erected ; schools and churches were established, and the highest hopes of the founders were being speedily realized. By the close of 1854, the town contained about five hundred people, and nearly a hundred houses. The grain trade was assuming vast proportions, and, indeed, within a few years Atlanta was the largest grain market on this railroad between the two cities at either extremity.
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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.
By an act of the legislature, approved February 14, 1855, the town was incorporated. Its boundaries then embraced, by that charter, the east half of the northwest quarter, and west half of the northeast quarter of section twenty, in all one hundred and sixty acres. The same charter provided for the election of a board of five trustees. Before the incorporation act, and when there were no village officers to execute the law, a number of the citizens organized a company known as the " Big Grove Rangers," whose object was to secure and bring to justice all violators of the law. The organization did effective work, and kept this part of the county comparatively free of outlaws.
During the year 1855, no western town eclipsed Atlanta in its growth. Until this date, the buildings, though of wood, were commo- dious and ample for the wants of trade; but a necessity for a more substantial class was becoming apparent, and early in the year the first brick building in town was erected. It stood on the corner of Vine and Railroad streets, and is yet used and known as the Atlanta House. It was opened on July 4, 1855. During the early summer, one hundred houses were "raised " in two weeks, and before the close of the season one hundred and fifty-five buildings were added to the already conspicu- ous town. In August, the Logan County Forum, an enterprising and well-edited weekly newspaper, was established by Mr. S. B. Dugger. About the same time the town was visited by the editor of the Spring- field Register, who thus wrote of Atlanta to his paper :
"Two years ago there was not a building in the place or within a mile of it. Now the village numbers two hundred and sixty houses, and one thousand inhabitants. The buildings are all good, many of them large and splendid, and all painted. The men appeared energetic, self- confident and intelligent."
This same summer, the Atlanta Seminary was established. The old seminary building was built in 1853, when there were not more than twenty buildings in town. The Illinois Cross Railroad was also incor- porated; but the failure to act promptly in this matter caused its con- struction to be defeated at the time.
During the next summer; the important buildings erected were H. Armington's brick block, the Logan House, by G. A. Colton, Dills & Howser's warehouse, and the large frame building; on' what is now the Post-office block. None of these remain save the Logan (Grant) House, each succumbing to the ravages of the fire-fiend. In the spring of this year, T. N. Gill & Co. opened a bank, which they conducted some time, and retiring from the business, were succeeded by David Kern & Co., who were in turn succeeded by Dills, Kern & Co., who conducted the business until 1866, when it passed into the hands of Frank Hoblit and his brothers. In 1875, they changed the bank into a National Bank, and have since been managing it as such. It has a capital of $50,000, and a surplus of over $10,000. The Hoblit family has been largely identified with the moneyed institutions of Atlanta, and as the reader will observe in the biography of the family, is among the oldest settlers in this part of the county.
A steady advancement marked the next year, which continued unin- terrupted several years. In 1861, an act relating to the advancement of agricultural societies passed the State Legislature, which gave aid to the
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Atlanta Union Central Agricultural Society, which held its first meeting in the fall of 1860. It is one of the best agricultural societies in this por- tion of Illinois, and since its incorporation has held annually an excellent fair.
Not long after this date the war of the rebellion broke out, and a call for troops was the result. The Seventh and Eighth Regiments of Illinois Infantry were each mustered into service the same day, the 25th of April, 1861. In the former of these two regiments, Atlanta was well repre- sented. Company E, the first in the state to report for duty at Camp Butler, contained eighty-five men from Atlanta, and Company D had twenty-nine privates, while two companies contained four others. Of the officers in this regiment, seven were from Atlanta. The Thirty-eighth Infantry had sixty men in Company E, three in Company B, and seven commissioned officers. In the One hundred and sixth there were sixty- eight men in Company E, seven scattering, and six officers. The Second Cavalry was furnished with nineteen privates and three officers from Atlanta, and in the Forty-fourth and Sixty-sixth were found quite a number. As the war progressed, these officers were promoted, while their places were filled from the rank of the privates. Of those who enlisted from this town, all but one or two honorably acquitted them- selves, and all those who survived the conflict came home with an untarnished record, while in many a southern field, and in many an un- known grave, there sleep in quiet rest the remains of many of these brave men who were willing to lay their lives on their country's altar in her defense.
The city has at different times suffered disastrously from fire. In 1857, a fire destroyed the Atlanta House, and in 1865, laid in ashes all the buildings between Armington's block and Arch street. This same year another equally disastrous fire destroyed other buildings in the central part of town, at which time the town records were wholly destroyed. At later dates Armington's block, Beath & Hoose's manufactory and plan- ing mill, Dills & Howser's warehouse were destroyed; and on July 7, 1867, Mix & Co.'s hardware store, and other adjacent buildings, suffered a like fate. These losses have taught the citizens a severe lesson. The buildings burned were almost all wooden structures, which have been replaced by commodious brick houses, which of themselves will serve as an excellent safeguard against this element.
Until 1866, Mr. Harvey Turner was almost the only person who maintained that good brick could be made from prairie soil. That year, however, a company representing a capital stock of $2,000 began opera- tions, and continued the manufacture of brick two years. Among the more prominent buildings erected in that time as monuments of this industry, was the Union Hall block, it being the first of their work. The manufacture is yet carried on in several places, generally along the creek, or in the edge of the timber.
In 1867, a company was formed for the purpose of sinking a coal shaft. The boring for coal began November 26, and after several attempts reached a good vein of coal, at a depth of two hundred and forty-five feet. This is the same vein of coal now mined by the Lincoln Coal Company, and underlies several counties, at a very uniform depth. Had the company continued their operations, a good article of coal would
Samuel Hoblit ATLANTA
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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.
have rewarded their efforts. The company received its charter in 1869, and is yet in existence, but has sunk no shaft.
All these years the town had been under the control of the village trustees, five in number. The population had increased to more than a thousand persons, and the advisability of a city government was con- sidered by the citizens. The incorporation act, as a town, was passed by. the legislature, February 24, 1855, and on April 2, the first board of trustees was elected. It consisted of the following persons : A. N. Dills, A. K. Martin, William P. Hunt, William S. Leonard, and Cornelius Lambert. R. T. Gill was chosen president of the board, which met on the 7th, and appointed J. Henry Ball, clerk ; E. H. Dunagan, constable, and H. Armington, street commissioner. This form of government was used until 1869, when a city charter was obtained, on March 8, of that year, and on the 16th the question was submitted to a vote of the people. One hundred and seventy-three votes were cast in favor of a city organ- ization, nineteen against ; seven votes were cast against the city charter. This still left a majority of one hundred and forty-seven votes in favor of the move. On the 23d of the same month, the election for city officers was held, at which time a Mayor, a City Clerk, a City Marshal, a Treasurer, an Attorney, an Asssessor and Collector, one Justice, a Street Commissioner, and a City Surveyor were elected. As many readers of these pages will desire to see a complete list of the city's officers from that date to this, the list is here given, with each year of servi- tude.
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