USA > Illinois > Macoupin County > History of Macoupin County, Illinois : biographical and pictorial, Volume I > Part 11
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Grasses-Blue grass, red and white top clover and timothy grow with great luxuriance. The chief industry of the people is agriculture and stock-raising, which employs a majority of the people of the county, who possess all the ster- ling virtues of the rural freeholder. Directly upon the broad shoulders of the tiller of the soil rests the prosperity of every other class of men. He holds in his hands the destinies of all. His prosperity means universal prosperity ; his failure, universal distress.
Soil and Agriculture-This county is situated in the heart of the best corn producing region in the state, and its prairie lands, which constitute by far the largest part of its area, are unsurpassed among the uplands in the state in fer- tility, and annually produce large crops of Indian corn, as well as the small grains and grass, without the aid of fertilizers or artificial stimulants of any kind. With a judicious system of rotation of crops, these lands may be thus cultivated for an indefinite period without any serious deterioration in their productive qualities.
The soil on the level prairie is of a black, peaty character, becoming of a chocolate brown color on the more rolling surfaces, and degenerating into a light ash-gray color on the oak ridges, which are the poorest lands in the county. But these poorer soils upon the broken lands that border the streams are excellent fruit lands, and also produce good crops of wheat and clover, if properly cultivated.
The bottom lands in this county are restricted to a narrow belt along the lower course of the Macoupin, and some portion of this has been cleared of the heavy growth of timber and brought under cultivation, and is equal to the best prairie soils, especially in the growth of corn.
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Natural Mounds-There are some natural mounds in the eastern portion of the county, among the most conspicuous of which is Coop's Mound, eight miles northeast of Carlinville. This mound covers an area of several acres, and is about sixty feet in height above the level of the adjacent prairie. It was originally covered with a heavy growth of oak and hickory, and from its summit a beau- tiful view of the surrounding country may be seen.
Timber-The native kinds of timber are fully set forth in the chapter on flora of the county. The largest bodies of timber are found along the Macoupin, Otter, Solomon's, Hodges', Coop's and Cahokia creeks and their tributaries, and the head waters of the Wood river. The largest timber districts are in Brushy Mound, Polk, Chesterfield, Western Mound and Barr townships. Artificial groves and belts, consisting chiefly of hard and soft maple, elm, and fruit trees have been planted on the prairies for shade and shelter from winter winds for stock.
Fine belts of timber skirt the banks of all the streams in the county, fur- nishing an adequate supply for fencing and for fuel to those who prefer wood to coal. The principal growth upon the uplands is two or three varieties of oak and hickory on the ridges adjacent to the streams, while on the more level lands skirting the prairies there are fine groves, which, in addition to these varieties, contain elm, linden, wild cherry, honey locust, black walnut and hackberry, and indicate a soil of excellent quality. On the creek bottoms the cottonwood, syca- more, white and sugar maple, ash, redbud, dogwood, sassafras, persimmon, paw- paw and white walnut are common.
CHAPTER V.
THE PIONEER.
DAVID COOP THE FIRST SETTLER-A CREEK AND MOUND NAMED FOR THE PIONEER- LOCATED ON COOP'S CREEK IN 1815-OTHERS SOON FOLLOWEDNAMES OF MANY WHO CAME AT A LATER PERIOD BUT OPENED THE COUNTY TO SETTLEMENT.
Macoupin county has had its disputations over the question of who was the first settler within its borders. In this it has nothing on its neighbors. Probably not a county in the state but what has gone through the throes of doubt and inde- cision upon the same subject and if any one of them has ever reached a conclusion satisfactory to each and every disputant, then the old saying is really true that "wonders never cease."
In the case of Macoupin county, it is well settled that David Coop was in the county as early as the spring of 1815. John Reynolds, one of the first governors of the state, who wrote profusely and carefully of the early history of Illinois and in a work entitled "My Own Times" had this, among other things, to say of Macoupin's first settler : "Mr. Coop and family, in the spring of 1815, broke through the old Indian frontier of Madison county and settled in the limits of the present county of Macoupin." Governor Reynolds was one of the pioneers of the state, a man of large capacity and opportunity for learning events of importance pertinent to the history of the principal communities making component parts of the state, and by careful research gave to the productions of his pen a character and atmosphere that instilled confidence in his readers. History therefore ac- credits David Coop and his family, consisting of his wife and four boys, John, David, Jr., William G., who afterwards became the first county treasurer of Ma- coupin, and Ransom, together with several daughters, with being the first settlers here. In the spring of 1815, the Coops set their stakes for a home on what has since been known as Coop's creek, near the center of Hilyard township, and here they remained until about 1825, when they removed to the locality designated as Coop's Mound, six miles northeast of Carlinville. The family remained at Coop's Mound for some years and then, becoming restless and probably cramped for room by incoming settlers, decamped and became the pioneers of an Iowa settle- ment.
To the early arrival in this locality of Seth T. Hodges and John Love, both of Alabama, almost at the same time as the Coops, must be attributed the doubts as to whom should be ascribed the title of first settler. Hodges and Love had immigrated from Tennessee to Madison county in 1814 and no doubt has arisen
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in the minds of former historians as to their coming to Macoupin in 1815. What time of the year first found them here is not recorded, but in the case of David Coop, the spring of 1815 is specifically stated. Another thing, Hodges and Love, even if they were here in 1815 before Coop, they did not take up a permanent set- tlement at that time, but were merely bent on hunting and taking observations with a view towards finding a suitable location. A year later, having returned to their homes, they brought their families and fixed habitations in Palmyra town- ship. Seth Hodges became one of the "big" farmers of those early days and, it is said, produced 800 bushels of corn from a ten-acre tract of land in 1817. He was a "dead shot" with the rifle and became one of the prominent citizens of his day. Mr. Hodges was chosen as a member of the first commissioners' court and died from the effects of an accident by falling into a well.
John Love, who accompanied Hodges to this land of promise, was his life long friend. Love married Cynthia Seymore in Tennessee and with his wife and two children traveled from the south on horseback. Samuel Love, long a resident here, was born in the county in 1824, and John Jefferson Love in 1819, in Palmyra township.
Abram Fulk also married a Seymore and came to the county later in the year 1815. Richard Wilhelm, whose wife was a Seymore, arrived in 1817 and settled on Cahokia creek, in Staunton township. John Powell, a son-in-law of David Coop, and Abram Fulk, settled in the northeastern part of Hilyard township in the fall of 1815; John C. Wood and Richard Wilhelm, with their families, settled in the county in 1817, and were the "first comers" that year.
Telemachus Camp was one of the arrivals in 1817. He was born in Georgia and later became a resident of Alabama, and thence came to the territory of Illi- nois. On August 18, 1819, he made the first entry of land in Macoupin county. In 1826 Mr. Camp changed his residence to the prairie southeast of Staunton, where he passed the remainder of his days. In the fall of the same year, John Seymore came to Macoupin county and settled on the same section of land on which his son-in-law, Richard Wilhelm, was located, in Staunton township. His death occurred at the home .of his son-in-law. John Love, in Palmyra township, where his wife also died.
Smith's creek; in Hilyard township, derived its name from Thomas Smith, who settled near its banks, in the southeastern part of the township, in 1818, the year in which Illinois was admitted as an integral part of the Union. At that time there were only ten families, or forty souls within the borders.
Richard Chapman, a native of North Carolina, came to Illinois in 1818 and settled in St. Clair county, where he remained until December, 1819, at which time he settled in Macoupin county, in what is now known as Dorchester township. At that time his own and two other families were the only settlers in this part of the state. Later, in 1821, Mr. Chapman settled in Staunton township and re- mained there until 1857. . His death occurred in 1872 at Carlinville, at the age of ninety. John D. Chapman came at the same time as Richard and the two families occupied one cabin with only one room until another could be built. In 1826 they left the timber and settled just east of what was known as the Sawyer place.
In September, 1820, Jesse Chapman, a ship carpenter and sailor by trade, "squatted" near his brothers, where he built a cabin. He remained here but a
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HISTORY OF MACOUPIN COUNTY
year and went to Alabama; his cabin was occupied by a Mr. Castile and later by Mr. Piper.
-In 1821 several families arrived to swell the settlement and in 1824 Jesse Chap- man returned. Among those who came in 1821 were James B. Cowell, a farmer. Mr. Cowell was a native of North Carolina but before coming to Illinois had lived some time in Tennessee. He first settled in Madison county and from there moved to Macoupin. He only stayed here a year, when he returned to Madison but in another year came back and took up a permanent settlement.
Roger Snell, a native of North Carolina, with his wife Mary and family, moved to Macoupin county in 1821 and settled a mile west of the town of Staunton. He died in 1858. He, as well as Archibald Hoxsey, was among the early school teachers in this district. His son, Hosea Snell, attended the first school ever taught in Staunton township, which was held in a little log schoolhouse three- quarters of a mile northwest of Staunton. In 1835 Hosea married Angelica Saw- · yer. In 1840 he removed to Bunker Hill prairie, where he entered land. His first wife died in 1836 and in 1838 he married Melinda Parisher, who died in 1847.
In the same year John Cormack settled near Telemachus Camp but soon be- came dissatisfied and returned to Edwardsville. He did not remain there any great length of time before he was back in Macoupin county.
Another immigrant about this time was Abraham Wyatt, of Tennessee, who built and for a short time occupied what became the first schoolhouse in the county. He also became dissatisfied with the country and removed back to Ten- nessee but subsequently returned.
From Tennessee, in 1821, came Ephraim Powers and his family, with his sons-in-law, James Caulk and Joshua Perkins. The discomfitures of frontier life and the prevalence of disease caused dissatisfaction and they returned to their old home in the south but in 1824 were back in Macoupin county. Powers first settled on the place improved by Richard Wilhelm.
Lewis Cormack and his son William returned from Tennessee with James B. Cowell and at about the same time Abraham and Evan Smith, with their fami- lies, settled on the south side of Macoupin creek, near the line of the Chicago & Alton railroad.
To this same locality also came Shadrach Reddick and Daniel Deadrick, with their families, about this time. Reddick was a ranger in the war of 1812. Daniel Deadrick in 1835 moved to Missouri, where he died. His son, the Rev. D. P. Deadrick, was born in this county in 1829.
At about the time these pioneers settled here William Wilcox became one of their number. He taught the first school held in the county in 1822, in Staun- ton township. It was held in a log cabin built by Abraham Wyatt and abandoned by him, as before stated. . Mr. Wilcox offered to teach the school, provided he could get fifteen pupils at two dollars per term, which offer was accepted. It was further agreed that he was to teach eight hours a day, five days in the week, for thirteen weeks. The course of study embraced writing, arithmetic, reading and spelling. The house was 14x16 feet, had one door but no window and was pro- vided with a puncheon floor and fire place. The patrons furnished the seats and the teacher "boarded round." In 1823 Mr. Wilcox married Miss Polly Cormack and ceased to "board round."
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From 1821 immigration increased. The fear of Indians had died away and the chief enemy the settler had to combat was the malarial diseases so prevalent in a new country. As will have been noticed, the settlers came from the Caro- linas, Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky.
The following incident relating to William Wilcox may here be retold with interest to the reader. A large gray wolf attacked some chickens. Wilcox heard the commotion among his chickens and opened his cabin door and went out to dis- cover the cause. He found the wolf in or near the coop. This wolf seemed de- termined to have a chicken, and when Wilcox attempted to drive it away, it flew at him and seized him by the leg, holding on until Wilcox choked it loose. From the wound which the wolf inflicted, Wilcox suffered greatly and from that time to his death had to use crutches when he walked. It was supposed that the wolf had hydrophobia, as a dog belonging to Wilcox that had fought the wolf, after- ward died from that disease.
James and Matthew Hall were natives of North Carolina and emigrated to Illinois in 1816, settling in Madison county. Shortly thereafter, James Hall settled in this county with the families of Seth T. Hodges and John Love. In 1823 he located on the creek about seven miles southwest of Carlinville. His brother, Matthew Hall, a blacksmith by trade, came to the county several years later. James Hall was a man of more than ordinary intellect and his muscular strength was beyond that of most men. His wife died in 1835 and he followed her some years later.
John Pope also came to the county in 1823 and sold his claim to Charles McVey in 1825, but remained in the county.
Theodorus Davis, a native of Kentucky, was one of the early Illinois pioneers. In the spring of 1823 he settled here with his wife and children, Theodorus, Jr., John L., Belden, William H. H., Morgan, Oliver C., Porter, Polly, who became the wife of David Gregory, Sally, who married John Tomer, and Lavina, who married a Mr. Ward. The boys were noted for their skill as violinists. Theo- dorus married a widow, sister of John Burleson. John L. married a sister of Oliver W. Hall and Belden married Mary, a daughter of Seth T. Hodges. Theo- dorus Davis became a prominent and prosperous citizen of the county. Oliver died on the plains, while on his way to California. Belden moved to Missouri. Some of the family died here. Theodorus and others of the family moved to Iowa and some of the representatives of the family are still living in the county.
Isaac Hall, noted for his great strength, a brother of James and Matthew Hall, while living in Madison county heard of the sickness of his brother James. While visiting his brother, David Gregory, a neighbor, became violently sick and at the same time were his wife and two children upon a sick bed. James Hall sent his brother Isaac over to take care of the stricken family. Mr. Greg- ory died, and leaving the sick wife and children in the house, Isaac Hall, with his ax, went into the woods and there split out rude puncheons for a coffin. Fit- ting the rude casket into the grave, he returned to the house and taking the corpse on his shoulder, he toiled with it up the hill, laid it in the coffin and covered it with mother earth.
Samuel Lair, with his family, consisting of wife and two boys, left his home in Madison county in 1823, or possibly sooner, and settled with his brother,
-
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HISTORY OF MACOUPIN COUNTY
Charles Lair, Sr., on Otter creek. He eventually left Otter creek and built a log cabin west of the city of Carlinville near the Burke farm. Mr. Lair became a member of the second board of county commissioners. He was the father of Charles, Jr., John Austin and William Lair. William reared a large family, John moved to Missouri and Charles died.
About this time George Matthews erected a cabin and began to improve a farm near Seth T. Hodges' on Hodges' creek. Here he died. His widow after- ward became the wife of Mr. Hodges.
As will have been noticed, John Pope, who came in 1823, sold his claim to Charles McVey. The latter was the first of the family to settle here. Others of the family came in 1826 from Tennessee and settled east of Coop's Mound. The family consisted of seven brothers. William arrived in 1831 ; Charles sold his claim to John Yowell; the other boys were John, Nathan, Samuel Edley and . Thomas. Their home was in what was known as Sherrill's fork, being named for John Sherrill who settled there at an early day. One of the boys served in the Black Hawk war. John and William died here. Edley and Charles moved to Missouri. One of William's sons, John Wesley McVey, became a well known citizen of Nilwood township.
Shaw's Point township derived its name from a Mr. Shaw, whose first name is not recorded. He settled in the township in 1824 or 1825, where he built a cabin and cultivated a few acres of land. As soon as other settlers began to come in he became dissatisfied and left for a newer country. His first neighbors in the township were Job Sperry and C. R. Hutton.
Andrew Hetrick came to Macoupin county in 1825 from Carrollton and built a small cabin on Negro Lick. With him was a wife and seven children. The same year also came Howard Finley and Mr. Branscomb, who settled in Bunker Hill township.
Lewis Solomon was a native of Kentucky, who came to Illinois in 1825 and settled in Morgan county, afterward coming to Macoupin county and locating in North Palmyra township, where he cleared a tract of government land. This he improved and made his home until his death, which occurred in 1849. He served as justice of the peace before the county was organized and was the first justice elected after it became a county. He married Sarah Bawden, who was a native of Franklin county, North Carolina. ' She preceded her husband in death a few months.
John Cummings, father of Captain Samuel Cummings, a native of Virginia, came to Macoupin with his wife, Lucinda (Elliott) Cummings, and family in 1825, settling on section 4, North Palmyra township. His wife died in 1838 and he followed her in 1844. They were the parents of ten children.
Thomas Judy arrived with his family in 1826 and settled in Western Mound township. He afterward married the widow of John Love. Samuel Judy came several years later and settled at the forks of Hodges' creek. Subsequently, he moved back to Madison county.
Oliver Brown, in 1826, came from Carrollton with his nephew, William Cowan and built a cabin ten feet square in Brighton township. Cowan was an Ohioan and was renowned for his giant like strength. It is said he had the ability to do the work of two men. His employer recognized this fact in 1834, when he
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HISTORY OF MACOUPIN COUNTY
paid him double wages throughout the year. Mr. Brown held a squatter's claim until 1827, when he entered the land, a part of which is now the south and busi- ness portion of Brighton.
Old settlers were wont to speak in terms of respect and affection of John Harris, a man who became closely connected with the early history and develop- ment of Macoupin county, to which locality he emigrated in 1826, locating in the eastern part of the county, which was afterwards given the name of Harris Point. He was a brigadier general of militia in the Black Hawk war and be- came the first sheriff of Macoupin county. He was a man who was looked up to by his neighbors as having a superior judgment and better education than the majority of the people. For his second wife he married the widow of David Coop, Sr., the first settler of this county, who had removed to Iowa.
John Burleson was a stepbrother of Seth T. Hodges and came to this county in 1827. With him was his mother and other members of the family, all of whom were taken into the home of Hodges. »
The Rev. James Solomon arrived this same year from North Carolina, also Andrew Hughes and Henrietta, with their families.
In the fall of 1827 Ezekiel Ross settled in the county and built a cabin on Apple creek in Scottville township, into which he moved with his family on Christmas day.
William Brewer, a Virginian by birth, became a resident of Brighton in 1827 but in 1849 struck out for California to acquire some of the gold thousands of others were seeking.
Nathan Scarrett had settled seven miles south of the site of Brighton, on the line of the Chicago & Alton railroad, as early as 1827. This same year Bennett Tilley and family settled on Western Mound. They were natives of North Caro- lina. The same year William Smith and family located in the vicinity of the Tilleys.
Another resident of the county who settled here this year, in Bunker Hill township, was Aaron Husong.
The time of the advent of Joseph Borough is somewhat in doubt. It is pre- sumed he came to the county in 1827. He was a Virginian and had moved to Madison county, Illinois. Mr. Borough settled east of Carlinville, where he lived and raised his family. He served the people as senator in the general assembly.
James Breden was one of the first settlers of Bunker Hill township. He was a native of Virginia. When nineteen years of age he went to Tennessee, where he was married to a Miss Anderson. In March, 1827, he came to Macoupin county and settled on section 9, of the present Bunker Hill township, locating at the head of Wood river. Along that stream the remains of Indian lodges were still in existence. On this tract he built a log house, in which he lived until 1840. This home was replaced by another, where the old pioneer spent the rest of his days. His first wife having died, he married Mrs. Cynthia Ann Barrow, formerly Cynthia Ann Neaville, in 1836. She was the widow of William Bar- row, a native of Kentucky, who settled on Dry Fork, near the Bunker Hill and Carlinville road, in 1827. William Barrow enlisted in the Black Hawk war and was in the campaign against the Indians in 1831. From the fact that he never returned, it is supposed that he was killed by the Indians.
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HISTORY OF MACOUPIN COUNTY
James W. York became well known as a stock-raiser of this county. He settled here in 1828.
Peter Akes, Sr., with his four grown sons, Alfred, Isaac, Peter, Jr., and John, and several daughters, were residents of Macoupin county in 1828.
Huriah Smith settled in Western Mound in the fall of 1828. His father, Richard Smith, and family, settled on Hodges' creek about that time, as did also Andrew Brownlee, who was one of the first justices of the peace.
William and Elizabeth (Sims) Nevins came to Macoupin county from Tennes- see in 1828, and settled in North Palmyra township, where they spent the re- mainder of their days. They were the parents of nine children, among them be- ing James Nevins, who came to the county with them. James Nevins became one of the prosperous and influential farmers of this section, owning at one time over a thousand acres of land in Macoupin and Montgomery counties.
Jacob Nifong was a southerner by birth, who married Letcy Sims, a native of Tennessee. After their marriage in 1825, they removed to Illinois and settled on section 7, North Palmyra township, in the year 1828. Here Jacob Nifong died February 2, 1844. His widow afterward married James Patton, and died in 1856.
Edmund C. Vancil, a Kentuckian by birth, moved to Sangamon county in 1827 and in 1828 settled in North Palmyra township. He put up the first horse mill in the north part of the county and also the first distillery. He possessed remarkable mechanical genius, manufactured his own boots and shoes, built his own wagons, constructed a superior flat boat and invented an excellent plow for breaking purposes. At the time he erected his dwelling in 1848 it was considered the finest farm residence in the county. In 1852 he erected a steam sawmill. His son, Imri B. Vancil, was born in Union county, Illinois, in 1825, and was raised in North Palmyra township. He became one of the largest landowners in the county.
John S. Greathouse, one of the pioneer lawyers of Macoupin county bar was a citizen of the village of Carlinville before the fall of 1829, as the records show . he had purchased property of Joseph Borough in the fall of that year. He re- mained in Carlinville until 1846.
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