USA > Illinois > Macoupin County > History of Macoupin County, Illinois : biographical and pictorial, Volume I > Part 15
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fered to wager a small sum that he could not creep on the deer close enough to kill one of them. Having his rifle with him he accepted the wager. No one in the crowd thought he would succeed, as there was nothing between the men and the game to prevent the deer from seeing Hall's approach. He exacted a promise from the men at work that they would continue their work on the building and ·make no unusual moves, commenced his approach towards his quarry, in a stooping position, for sixty or seventy yards. Then he dropped to his hands and knees and at intervals continued his approach by jumping to his feet and running towards the deer as fast as he could, for twenty-five or thirty yards. Suddenly, he again fell to his hands and knees and lay motionless for a few minutes and again as suddenly jumped to his feet and ran about the same distance as he had done in the first instance toward the deer. When he had per- formed these feats a number of times, the deer still feeding, seemingly without notice of Hall, we saw him raise his rifle to his face, rest his arm that upheld his rifle on his knee, and after taking deliberate aim, fired, and as we heard the report of the gun one of the deer went down, killed by a rifle ball which entered its body just behind the fore shoulder. We had observed that when any one of the deer had its head up looking around, Hall remained motionless ; but when all three of them had their heads down feeding, he would jump to his feet and run towards the deer until he saw one of them shake its tail and commence to raise its head. Then again he was down, motionless. It is not generally known that a deer will feed but a few seconds before it raises its head and looks all around for danger, and then resume its feeding if it sees nothing that looks suspicious, and always before it raises its head for another look, it invariably shakes its tail. In order to show the great quantity of game that then roamed over the forests and prairies in this part of the state, I will repeat what Oliver Hall frequently told me of the manner in which meat was obtained during several years that the Halls lived near the junction of the Hurricane and Macoupin creeks. He told me that his father owned an old United States yaeger, flint lock, with the main spring of the lock broken, so that it made the lock useless. He would load up the old gun with powder and ball and would prime the same in the pan of the lock with powder and then taking a torch, made of knots of dry timber. would light the torch and with it in one hand and the yaeger in the other, go slowly through the woods until he spied a deer. He would then creep onto his quarry until he got within thirty or forty yards of it, when he would place the muzzle of the gun in the forks of a bush, or on a log, and take deliberate aim ; then plac- ing the fired torch in contact with the priming in the pan, kill the deer. In this way he furnished the meat for his father's family for several years. On another occasion, he was sent on an errand to a neighbor's cabin and was riding an old mare. When he had got but a short distance from his destination he saw a large black bear jump from an old treetop and start to 1un. He started after it and soon overtook the bear, but could not make the old mare jump on it. As he had noth- ing with him that he could kill the animal with he was at a loss to know what to do. The bear kept running and he after it, trying to push the old mare on it, until they got out into the prairie. He then thought of the iron stirrup on his saddle and as soon as possible, keeping the bear in siglit, took the stirrup off tlie saddle and was soon up with it again. As the bear by this time was about fagged
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he would run up by its side and pound it on the head with the iron stirrup until he finally brought it down. He then jumped off the mare and finished the bear with his improvised weapon. On looking around Hall found himself within a few hundred yards of "bear rough." It had grown to be nearly dark; therefore, he left the bear where he had killed it until the next morning, when he and Terrell went after it and brought it in.
Dr. Gideon Blackburn has been so fully discussed in this history that I re- fer to those chapters for his biography. One thing that I must say of him is, that of all the men that have ever lived and labored for the benefit of our county, Dr. Blackburn, in my estimation, stands in the foreground.
Elijah Wills settled in the north part of the county during the early '30s. He died many years ago, leaving an intelligent family. One of the boys, Meridea A., was afterwards elected sheriff of the county.
William Bird, the father of Joseph Bird, settled in what is now known as Bird township at an early day. The township took its name from him.
Jesse Peebles, the father of Judge L. P. Peebles, came to the county some time about its organization. He soon became strongly imbued with the great worth of our prairie and timberland, and realized the real value of these lands for agricultural purposes. He invested his earnings in them and by that means secured many acres of the best land in the county before his death. He left a family that has followed his example, by securing many acres of Macoupin county's rich farm lands. Judge L. P. Peebles, his son, was elected county judge for many terms and always discharged his duties with so much satisfaction that I never heard his action while judge criticised. He was, and is, a lawyer prac- ticing in our courts, having as a partner his son, Jesse Peebles. They have one of the largest clienteles of any law firm in the city, and have the respect and confidence of our people.
Joseph Liston, Sr., the father of our townsman, Joseph Liston, Jr., entered and improved a farm in the northeastern part of the county. He came from Kentucky and was noted for his genial and urbane manners. The old farm is still in possession of the family.
Colonel James A. McClure was the head of all the McClure family now liv- ing in the county and other portions of our country. As a family the McClures have always been leading men and women, not only of this county but of the state. He emigrated from Kentucky to Macoupin county during the early '30s and located on a farm about three miles east of Carlinville. He was highly edu- cated and was a large, fine-looking gentleman, with a hospitality and manner of the old Virginia planter. The colonel was scrupulously neat about his appear- ance and dressed well. He became a very useful member of the pioneers in the forming and settling of the county. Finally he became connected with one of the departments of the government at Washington, D. C., and died while in that service, leaving many descendants, who have been noted in our state and county for their ability, honesty and integrity, in all the official and business affairs to which they have been called. Especially have they taken a leading part in build- ing up our churches and public schools.
Alfred S. Mayfield, whose family settled in the county prior to its organiza- tion, was circuit clerk for a number of terms. He was popular with all classes
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of our citizens. A peculiar feature about Mr. Mayfield was unrealized height, he being six feet and six inches high. One, judging from appearances when seeing him in his office or walking on the streets, would not have estimated him to be over five feet, eight or ten inches in height. This occurred from his being stoop-shouldered. About one year before his death Mrs. Walker and I had the pleasure of a summer's outing with him among the lakes and forests of Minne- .sota. This outing was taken in the hope that it would be of benefit to his health. He, however, did not realize this hope. He came home without benefit from the trip and bravely fought the disease that was pulling him down until the next summer, when, with the knowledge of his approaching end, he admonished his children to be true and kind to their mother, aiding and comforting her in the great affliction that would soon weigh her down. And thus this loving father passed away, leaving his wife and a young family of boys and girls to be looked after by her.
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Barney Rhodes belonged to a large family that came into the county, some of them, before its organization. It would be impossible for me to single out each member of this family and do justice to those that have passed away, per- haps unknown to me, and those that are now living. Space would not permit of my doing so, as the members of this family would fill the historical book that we are now assisting in preparing. But to return to Uncle Barney, no man in his community stood higher for truth, honesty and integrity. His promise was accepted by all, without hesitation or doubt. He was a farmer, living in what is now Plainview township. He entered land, he struggled with the wilderness un- til he subdued it. He died respected and loved by all who knew him. His chil- dren, well started in life from his earnings and their own, have made good. So rest, Uncle Barney, your good name will never suffer by the conduct of your children.
Barr's Store in the northwest part of our county, took its name from Hugh C. Barr, who settled there about the year 1830.
Thomas Davis came to Carlinville about the year 1828 and settled on a farm that he entered about one mile west of Carlinville. He was a good man, true to all the duties in which he was trusted.
Dr. Edmond C. Vancil was a man of more than ordinary ability. He came to this county about the year 1826 and settled in what is now North Otter town- ship. He was a successful physician, a model farmer and commenced in early life to acquire all the land in the northern part of our county, and came near doing so before his death. As his name will appear in another part of this his- tory, I refer thereto for the details of his life.
Pinkney Hughes, the father of our T. P. Hughes, came to this county about the time of its organization, and soon took a leading position in all the affairs of the pioneers who were then laboring to build up the county and people it with a good class from the emigration which was then generally flowing from the south.
I have always rejoiced that Daniel Dick, a resident of Kentucky, emigrated to Illinois for when I became of age I visited his house, found a most beautiful girl and, within a very few months afterwards, she became my wife. Mr. Dick was the nephew of the Donners, who went from Sangamon county to California, many of them perishing during the winter of 1846-7 in the Nevada mountains
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from starvation, as they were caught before they had crossed the Nevada moun- tains by the fall of a heavy snow that obscured all traces and covered the ground to the depth of thirty or forty feet. Some of them escaped to Captain Sutter's ranch on the Sacramento, during the spring following. He first settled in San- gamon county, Illinois, but soon afterwards moved to Macoupin and bought a farm in what is now North Otter township. He acquired many acres of those now valuable lands in that township. His wife died in 1853, when he moved with his children to Carlinville, and lived there up to the time of his death which occurred in 1878.
Colonel Isaac Greathouse, warden of the Alton penitentiary during the '30s, with his family, moved to Carlinville about the year 1840 and bought four or five hundred acres of land adjoining and including the home place of Bertie M. Burke, where he, Burke, now resides. He erected on the land adjoining that residence a deer park of one hundred and sixty acres, by building a stake-and- rider fence about twelve feet high, and placed therein about three hundred deer, that made a great resort for all the pioneers of the county.
Hugh Rice, a Scotchman, came to the county at an early day, settling in what is now Gillespie township, and in 1849, he and I started for California, joining the Alton company that went from that city to the new Eldorado. To learn the characteristics of a man nothing is of more aid than trav- eling and camping with him on a trip of this kind. He had become possessed of a number of acres of land and when starting on this trip left a young family behind him. By his industry and economy he accumulated quite a fortune, leaving it to his children, who have proved worthy of being the sons and daughters of as good a man as was Uncle "Hughey" Rice.
Beatty T. Burke, Sr., came to the county of Macoupin in 1830, from Virginia. His history is given in detail in this work, hence I refer the reader to another ar- ticle which relates to his successful efforts in aiding the building up of our county.
Ferdinand Taggart came to Carlinville at an early day and erected the first brick building in the city. He married a sister of the writer and for years was one of the firm of Walker, Phelps & Company, engaged in the mercantile business in this city, Alton and Taylorville.
H. W. Wall's father came to Macoupin county before its organization, Wall being born in the county and raised by Telemachus Camp. He was a successful business man and acquired a very considerable fortune before his death, which occurred a few years ago in Staunton, Illinois. He occupied positions of trust, both state and county, always with credit to himself and benefit to his consti- tuency and earned a reputation for honesty and integrity not surpassed by any citizen of the county.
Sargeant Gobble settled in what is now Scottville township before the town of that name was laid out, 'and became one of the leading men in that part of the county. He was frequently elected to positions of trust by the people of the county, as well as of his own township.
John Lumpkin settled in what is now Chesterfield township, about the time of the county's organization. He soon acquired a large farm and other prop- erty and was and continued to the time of his death, a respected citizen of that
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locality. C. J. Lumpkin, now the owner and editor of the Enquirer of our city, is a descendant from that respected pioneer.
Thos. B. Ross, who with his father's family settled in what is now Palmyra township in an early day, became sheriff of the county and died of the cholera in 1851. He filled the office with satisfaction and credit to himself as well as to his constituency.
Moore's branch, three miles east of Carlinville, took its name from Robert W. Moore, who was a Revolutionary soldier, and moved to this county at about the time of its organization. (See another chapter giving his history.)
Dr. John W. Hankins came to Carlinville when it was but a small village. I think he began the practice of medicine in 1843 and became before his death one of the most successful physicians that ever practiced medicine in Carlinville, having during his later years the most of the best families of the town as his patients. He became quite well-to-do and left his property to his children who reside here and in other states.
General John I. Rinaker came to Carlinville in December, 1852, and com- menced the study of law under John M. Palmer, who was then a very successful lawyer. He obtained license to practice law in 1854. He afterwards married in October, 1855, Miss Clarissa Keplinger, who resided in Franklin, Morgan county, Illinois, and has from that time until the present, been a permanent resident of our city. General Rinaker is a successful lawyer, a brave soldier, who enlisted in the Union army in 1862, went through the entire war, coming out as a briga- dier general with a record of bravery and efficiency. The writer of this sketch got the knowledge that he has of the law as a student in the office of General Rinaker. I have found him to be an upright, fearless lawyer, ready to defend the interests of his clients with great skill and ability. We went through the entire courthouse controversy, associated together in the fight against the bond- holders until we finally succeeded in relieving the taxpayers of our county of one million dollars. I think the records of that controversy will justify the above assertion. The General and Mrs. Rinaker have raised a family of boys, who are lawyers and one a skilled architect. They inherited from their father the prin- ciples of the law and have proven themselves able, worthy and successful de- fenders of the rights of their clients. Two of them have succeeded as repre- sentatives of the people in the legislature of our state, and the General was elected and served a term in the lower house of congress but declined to become a can- clidate again.
Henry W. Burton was a native of Connecticut and emigrated from that state to Illinois in 1841, having become strongly imbued with the idea, as ex- pressed by Stephen A. Douglas, "It is no crime to be born in one of the eastern states, provided you emigrate early." Following out this idea Mr. Burton, when a young man, started for the West to cast his lot with the pioneers of Illinois. Here the farmns had no rocks to be moved off, that the land might be plowed, but on the contrary the land produced in great abundance without the hard labor required on a farm in the eastern states. His first stop- ping place was Woodburn, in the south part of the county. His brother, James came with him and there he married a Miss Cornelia Rider, who proved a de- voted and helpful wife. They had two children, Etta and Frank W. Etta
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married Judge Robert B. Shirley, who is the son of William C. Shirley, whose family settled in Illinois at an early date and became connected with the Hoxey family. They, too, were pioneers of Illinois. Frank W. Burton was admitted to the bar after a course of reading in the office of the writer and is now one of the leading lawyers of the state. He married Miss Anna Robertson, the daughter of Dr. William A. Robertson. He was first elected as states attorney for the county. He is now serving his second term as state senator.
The writer of this sketch first became acquainted with Henry W. Burton during an outing we had together in 1844 over the beautiful prairie of Illinois. In going from Carlinville to our destination in a spring wagon we travelled the road that led from Carlinville to Springfield, there being no house or habitation between Carlinville and John Virden's stage stand, situated near the timber of Sugar Creek in the southern part of Sangamon County. From that time until his death, a few years ago, that outing was repeated in different parts of the United States, annually, until we both became convinced that we had passed the age of the camp life of the hunter.
In 1868 Mr. Burton was elected circuit clerk of our county and held that office for twelve years, being elected for three terms. He moved to our city soon after his first election and resided here until his death. He was of genial disposition and made friends wherever his lot was cast. No man in this county stood higher in the estimation of our people for honesty, integrity and upright- ness in all his dealings. During the gold excitement of 1849 Mr. Burton crossed the plains to the "new Eldorado," California, and return home during the year 1851 and soon afterwards commenced a mercantile business in Woodburn and Bunker Hill, which was continued until he was elected to the office of circuit clerk in 1868. .
Josiah Burrough settled on a hill one-half mile east of Carlinville. The stream nearby afterwards and up to the present day has been called "Burrough's Branch." Mr. Burrough was one of the commissioners who assisted in the or- ganization of the county and died leaving a large family to mourn his loss.
Dr. William A. Robertson was a son of a Methodist minister who came to our county about the time of its organization. In many respects, Dr. Robertson had many traits that the pioneers thought strange, one of which was that while merchandising in Carlinville he invariably walked to Alton, 35 miles distant, to purchase his goods for the store. Another was that becoming subject to dys- pepsia he tried to cure it by the use of crackers and water alone, without other food for one year. He, too, soon became conscious that the purchase of lands in this county would repay him better than merchandising and became a trader in real estate and the loaning of money, at which he succeeded to the extent that when he died he was quite wealthy for that day. He reared a family of boys and girls who have aided greatly in the building up of the county. I neg- lected to say that Dr. Robertson became a Methodist preacher and died in that faith.
Ezekiel Good settled in what is now Carlinville and built the first log cabin that was erected, across the street east from the courthouse. He was one of the commissioners that laid off the county. He did his duty to the full satisfaction of the pioneers of this county and died in 1834 greatly lamented
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by those whose acquaintance he had formed. He was buried in the Carlinville cemetery and was one of the first to be interred in that now populous burying ground.
In preparing the above sketches I have tried to confine myself to the pioneers who came to the county prior to and about the time of its organization, in 1829. I feel conscious that I have made mistakes and have omitted the names of many pioneers whose names ought to be recorded in this sketch. Memory fails in the attempt to single out incidents and men when the corroding effects of time have intervened between the long ago and today.
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CHAPTER VII.
GOVERNMENT.
COMMISSIONERS' COURT OF ALMOST UNLIMITED POWER-LIST OF FIRST VOTERS- COMMISSIONERS' COURT ABOLISHED AND COUNTY DIVIDED INTO TOWNSHIPS- NAMES OF COUNTY OFFICIALS FROM 1829 TO 191I.
Under the act of the legislature passed in 1829, creating the county of Ma- coupin, provision was made for a governing body to be known as the county commissioners' court, and at the first election, held at the home of Joseph Bor- ough on the 13th day of April, 1829, a majority of the votes cast resulted in the choice of Theodorus Davis, William Wilcox and Seth Hodges as members of said court. Tristram P. Hoxey was appointed county clerk. His duties included the offices of county recorder and circuit clerk. Joseph Borough, at whose home the first election was held, was appointed county surveyor by the governor in 1829, and it was he who laid out the county seat. At the election referred to, seventy-eight votes were cast.
NAMES OF VOTERS.
John Hope, Edward Mckinley, Reuben Harris, Isom Dalton, Charles Mc- Vey, Lewis Stiller, Peter Akes, Jr., William Smith, Howard Finley, Alfred Akes, Robert Patton, Jesse Cox, Isaac Akes, Robert Palmer, Robert Harris, Shadrach Reddick, David Coop, Henry Weeks, John Chandler, Joseph Carter, John D. Chapman, Joseph Vincent, Charles Lear, Jr., Levi Day, George Shelly, William Lovel, Thomas Loveless, Daniel Stringer, Samuel Jackson, Aaron Jack- son, William Cormack, Reuben Jackson, John G. Wright, David T. Taylor, Sam- uel Lear, Joseph Borough, John Snell, Theodorus Davis, Sr., William Wilcox, Richard Chapman, William G. Coop, John Davis, Larken Richison, William Cummings, James B. Cowell, Andrew Russell, Isaac Massey, Hiram Russell, Abel Russell, Isaac Bristow, Reuben Clevenger, Morris Hilyard, John Gray, Newton Vance, Hugh Gibson, Charles Lear, Sr., Joseph Hilyard, Michael Best, David Coop, Sr., John Harris, John W. Cox, Joshua Simmons, Samuel M. Har- ris, Peter Akes, Sr., Elijah Bristow, Seth T. Hodges, George Mathis, Solomon Davis, Roger Snell, Tristram P. Hoxey, John Powell, Abraham Wyatt, Lewis Solomon, Alexander Carson, John Lee, Sr., John Lee, Jr., Theodorus Davis, Jr., John Coop (78 votes).
"I certify that John Powell, Abraham Wyatt, judges, and T. P. Hoxey and Theodorus Davis, clerks of the election, were severally sworn before me as the
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law directs, and that I was sworn agreeably to law by John Powell, he being one of the judges of the election, previous to our entering upon the duties of our respective offices dated at the house of Joseph Borough, this 13th day of April, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-nine.
"LEWIS SOLOMON, J. P."
A poll of an election held at the house of Felix Hoover, in the third precinct in Macoupin county, on the 16th of May, 1829.
NAMES OF VOTERS.
Levi Day, Isaac Prewitt, David Faulkner, Felix Hoover, T. N. Vance, I. Lee, Jr., I. McGinnis, G. Mathis, J. Nevins, I. Massey, Thomas Morris, S. Hodges, Russell Tabor, William U. Vance, I. Bristow, E. Wells, I. Howard, Charles Lear, Andrew Russell, Wyatt Wardup, Green Weaver, David Taylor, Edmond C. Vancil, William Cummings, E. Bristow, James Bristow, T. C. Mabry, T. Nev- ins, Hugh Gibson, Henry Quyle, Solomon Davis, John Cummings, Lewis Solo- mon (35 votes).
A poll book of an election held at the house of Joseph Borough, Macoupin county, state of Illinois, for Macoupin district, to elect three magistrates and two constables in and for said district, this 16th of May, 1829.
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